Korean mochi bread

Cat LeClair did a great job putting alternative places on a map.
https://www.google.com/maps/d0/viewer?mid=1y42h3p2mZ81FiCv4U-n1KuiK-tXj9Jk&ll=46.091933218534734%2C-64.7873348&z=12
"Rinzler's Market", "Hardy's Produce", "Marché Moncton Market", "Marché Dieppe Market", "MacArthur’s Nurseries Inc.", "The Corn Crib", "Sequoia Natural & Organic- Trinity", "The Wellness Exchange", "Stirling's Farm Market (Moncton)", "Dolma Food", "The Wellness Exchange", "Codiac Organics Ltd.", "McBuns Bakery", "McBuns Bakery", "Nanna's Bakery", "Co_Pain Artisan Bread Company", "Tony's Bistro & Patisserie", "Walton's Bakery Ltd", "Boulangerie Tony", "Terry's Bake Shop", "Mama Supermarket", "HS Empire Store", "KIM’S MART-Korean Food & Market", "The CanAsian Market (formerly Main Stop - Oriental Market)", "Bulk Barn", "Bulk Barn", "Taste of Homeland Eastern European and Israeli Grocery Store", "Bombay Spices", "Spice Shop", "Roop Desi Hatti", "Salt & Pepper Grocery - കേരള ഗ്രോസറി, இந்தியன் ஸ்டோர், इंडियन बाजार", "Rabih Store", "Afro-Latino (Formally Kilimanjaro)", "Liquid Gold Tasting Bar & All Things Olive", "Baobab Inc", "Big Fish Market", "Moncton Fish Market", "Fisherman's Corner - Moncton's Local Seafood Market", "Old Fashion Meat Market", "Old Time Meat Market"

Restaurants I’ve tried in the area: Mythos, Margaritaville, Pat O’Briens, Bigfire, Cowfish, Bread Box, Raglan Road, Miller’s Ale House, & the Korean BBQ place next to Miller’s that I can’t remember the name of. I’ve also had most of the notable quick service meal places & already plan to try Toothsome’s this time around. Just for myself & my husband, no kids on the trip so kid friendliness isn’t important.
We both loved Raglan Road & Mythos. My husband loved Korean bbq & Miller’s but I was so-so on them (I have high expectations for Korean BBQ after living in Hawaii lol). Pat O’Briens has also been solid but mostly for the drinks lol. Our unironic favorite is Bayliner Diner for the value to taste ratio lol.
Any recommendations that I haven’t mentioned already? I’ve tried searching around the area on Google maps for restaurants & open to Disney Springs or a Disney resort potentially but looking for lunch options mostly (though I could make a dinner trip work). We’ll be staying at Cabana Bay so ideally nothing that would be an insanely expensive Uber ride away lol

Are entry refurbished and reopened from Albright a Hyatt property. Absolutely loved the hotel! Amazing staff, clean facilities and room and an excellent executive lounge experience.
As a titanium elite member I was upgraded to a one bedroom suite which was massive! A lively welcome Amenity in room of some amazing truffles and fruit. The room was modern and spacious. I Liked the design perhaps not For everyone but it appealed To me.
The tv was massive in the bedroom, city view, bath was lovely. Overhead shower though I prefer a hand shower everyone is different.
Swimming pool was ample in size and had great facilities. No staff on duty in the area, so am unsure if the bar etc by the pool is Open regularly etc.
The executive staff <3 amazing service. Friendly attentive and genuinely good people. Am unsure if there is afternoon tea as I was Swimming. However there are evening cocktails and light food. I foolishly thought I’d go to dinner afterwards however I was too full. The array of cheese and cold cuts was ample. They had fresh spring rolls. Salad. Vietnamese shrimp salad, drinks. Hot food of satay and seafood snacks. Bread. Desserts and so on.
Breakfast - again great experience. Japanese, Korean, Indian, Vietnamese and standard western fare were all available. Omelette station. Noodle soup station. Fresh juice station. For Me the winner was the coffee and fresh croissants.
Overall I strongly recommend the Hotel, maybe a tad far From the city centre but tacos are easy to get. One of the best experiences yet!!!!

Are entry refurbished and reopened from Albright a Hyatt property. Absolutely loved the hotel! Amazing staff, clean facilities and room and an excellent executive lounge experience.
As a titanium elite member I was upgraded to a one bedroom suite which was massive! A lively welcome Amenity in room of some amazing truffles and fruit. The room was modern and spacious. I Liked the design perhaps not For everyone but it appealed To me.
The tv was massive in the bedroom, city view, bath was lovely. Overhead shower though I prefer a hand shower everyone is different.
Swimming pool was ample in size and had great facilities. No staff on duty in the area, so am unsure if the bar etc by the pool is Open regularly etc.
The executive staff <3 amazing service. Friendly attentive and genuinely good people. Am unsure if there is afternoon tea as I was Swimming. However there are evening cocktails and light food. I foolishly thought I’d go to dinner afterwards however I was too full. The array of cheese and cold cuts was ample. They had fresh spring rolls. Salad. Vietnamese shrimp salad, drinks. Hot food of satay and seafood snacks. Bread. Desserts and so on.
Breakfast - again great experience. Japanese, Korean, Indian, Vietnamese and standard western fare were all available. Omelette station. Noodle soup station. Fresh juice station. For Me the winner was the coffee and fresh croissants.
Overall I strongly recommend the Hotel, maybe a tad far From the city centre but tacos are easy to get. One of the best experiences yet!!!!

Tonight was my 2nd time trying to make Korean style chicken nuggets in the air fryer. I followed a recipe down to last gram and it turned out HORRIBLE. The breading turns out very bland, dry and doesn’t bubble like deep frying would. I need all of the tips as my 3rd attempt will be my last straw.

LONG POST WARNING
Hello everyone,
My partner (24F) and I (25M) returned home from our 3-week Japan trip last week and due to us using this sub a lot during our planning I thought it would be helpful for other current planners to upload a trip report.
Our main interests are Japanese traditions and history, street style/culture, and food so keep reading if these interests are mutual. Read to the bottom to see how much we spent plus some tips and disappointments.
Prelude
We were caught up in the madness at Dubai airport during our layover. Long story short; Airport (and the rest of Dubai) flooded and caused all the flights to be cancelled. What was meant to be a 5-hour layover turned into a torturous 36 hour wait. No staff to be seen, crowds of people arguing, fighting, and crying. We queued for 12 hours to get a new boarding pass for the next flight to Japan. We were meant to fly to Haneda but settled for Narita as we needed to get out of that place as soon as possible but still ended up missing our first day in Tokyo (should have had 5 days). We can’t complain too much as some of the people I spoke to on emirates were in the airport for up to 5 days before getting a flight back to their departure destination. Oh, and our baggage was missing with us only receiving our checked in bags on day 19. Cheers Emirates.
Day 1
Arrived in Shinjuku around midnight. We went straight to Don Quiojte to buy some replacement cosmetics and clothes. The combination of no good-quality sleep for 48 hours and the stimulating nature of the store was very intense! We then started to walk back towards the hostel and passed a Ichiran, so dropped in for some 2am ramen. Not the best ramen I’ve ever had but was still very good for the price.
Steps: 21,643 (includes some airport steps)
Day 2
Woke up and ate the free breakfast at the hostel (this turned out to be a really good money saver for the whole trip as we are not huge eaters in the morning anyway, but it was good to get something light in us before a long day walking). We then walked through the Shinjuku Gyoen Garden – saw some late blooming cheery blossoms and overall, it was a really beautiful botanical garden.
The next stop was Meji Shrine and a walk through Yoyogi park. The shrine was cool to see, especially as it was our first one in Japan. Saw a middle-aged man wearing denim hotpants so short that his balls were hanging out?!?!
Walked to Shibuya to see the scramble. This was cool but also felt it was a bit underwhelming at ground level but the view from Shibuya station walkway was wicked. Lunch was at a conveyor belt sushi place on the top floor of this department store right next to the scramble. This would be higher than average quality sushi in Europe, so it blew our minds that it was available on the top floor of a department store and for so cheap.
Shimokitazawa – We picked up some bargains at 2^nd street and I treated myself some Japanese jeans from a small Demin shop called Bears. The guy in the shop was super helpful and friendly and even tailored the trousers to exactly my size.
In the evening, we first had a poke around Golden Gai and then headed towards Shibuya and stopped in a cool bar where the owner was mixing vinyl while he mixed your drinks (think it was called Q Bar).
We had previously bought tickets to a gig at Circus for one of my fav rappers who I’d been wanting to see for a while. Also really enjoyed seeing the local Japanese warm up acts. Stayed until 5am and then go the train straight to the Tsukiji outer fish market. Was there way too early and had to wait roughly an hour for thing to open. Went to chill by a bench for a bit and by the time we went back to the market it was rammed! Went to bed around 8:30am.
Steps: 32,159
Day 3
We woke up at 2:30pm, got ready, and headed to the Bunkyo civic centre for the free observation deck. We heard it wasn’t meant to be the best Tokyo skyline view but for a free attraction we thought it was very good! Jimbocho book town was also very cool to see. We had a peak into a couple adult movie/magazine stores where I don’t think the owner appreciated our presence as western tourists.
In the evening, we first went for Ramen at Motenashi Kuraki in Asakusa Bashi. Honestly probably the best Ramen I’ve had to date. I ordered the Black Pepper Shio special, and it blew my mind. Even though the staff didn’t speak English they were very accommodating for my partner who doesn’t eat meat (pescetarian but will brave a meaty broth).
We then had a stroll around Akihabara and played some dance mat games in the arcades before heading back for an earlyish night.
Steps: 28,680
Day 4
I couldn’t sleep so got up around 3am and did some admin stuff to try and get our bags back to us ASAP. Chatted to people in the hostel for a few hours.
We arrived at Senso-ji for around 8am. Wasn’t too busy at this time and the temple was impressive. Went for a coffee down the road and had a chill for about an hour before heading into Asakusa. Got admission to the Drum museum which was wicked. Only 400 yen each and had the whole place to ourselves to smack some big fucking drums and make as much noise as we wanted.
We then started to head towards Ueno but made a slight detour to Kappabashi Dougu street to peruse the Japanese chef knives and other cookware. Grabbed lunch from a 7/11 and went and sat in Ueno park which was super busy. There was some food market event on which loads of food stalls had set up. There was also a stage with some J-pop performers and people dressed as ninjas dancing in the crowd. Weird to say the least. By mid-afternoon we were pretty tired so headed back to the hostel for a nap.
In the evening, we headed down to Harajuku and stopped by Big Love records. My partner is really into vinyl, so this was definitely a highlight for her. She picked up Wu Tang 36 chambers in case you were wondering. We then went for food at Afuri as my partner wanted to try the Vegan ramen to which she said it was ok but nothing special. My cold dipping noodle dish was very tasty, however. We then stumbled across this vinyl listening bar called Bar Music on the 5^th floor of this pokey building on the outskirts of Shibuya for a few drinks before bed. There was such a good vibe in there and the cocktails were super good for the price. If you’re looking for a romantic spot, then this is the place to go.
Steps: 31,818
Day 5
Today we headed to Kyoto on the shinkansen around midday after a slow morning chilling in and around the hostel and catching up on some sleep. Checked in to the hostel and had a walk around downtown Kyoto, stopping at 2^nd Street to buy some more clothes.
In the evening, we headed to Kodai-Ji to see the shrine lit up at night. We couldn’t believe how few people were there as it was stunning and truly magical place to be at night. It also has a bamboo grove (much better than Arashiyama, see below). The bar for Kyoto shrines/temples had been set very high.
Walked down Pontocho alley and stopped at a yakitori restaurant which was just ok. We knew it was going to be average when we looked around the restaurant and it was just western tourists dining.
Steps: 25,255
Day 6
First thing in the morning we rented bikes and cycled across the city to Arashiyama. Parked the bikes at the train station and walked up through Arashiyama. We were expecting it to be busy but there were so many people it was almost impossible to move. Had a look around the bamboo grove and was slightly underwhelmed after our visit to Kodai-Ji so we took the tram and then bus up to Kosan-Ji. This was very much worth the 45-minute journey as there was only one other group there and the temple nestled between the trees overlooking the river was breath-taking. On the whole, Arashiyama was way too packed during peak times to enjoy and with everything else Kyoto has to offer we wouldn’t say it was a must see.
We then picked up the bikes from the train station and cycled back across Kyoto taking the long route to explore and get lost. Once we dropped off the bikes, we went for another explore and this time went into WeGo for more clothes shopping. At this point we’d pretty much matched the amount of clothing that we had packed in our checked-in luggage that was still stuck in Dubai.
After a nap we walked towards the metro and stopped at a Katsu restaurant as we wanted to try something different, and it was pretty good. For the price of 1300 yen each we got so much food/sake and left stuffed.
Fushimi Inari in the evening. Like Kodai-Ji, we would recommend visiting Fushimi Inari at night. Firstly, to help avoid the crowds (we got there around 9pm and there was hardly anybody there) and secondly as seeing it lit up at night is a nice change. It was however slightly creepy at night, especially as it was lightly raining. My partner started to get a bit scared once we saw the signs to be careful of the wild boar and monkeys haha. We didn’t make it to the top of Mt Inari as the rain started to get heavy but still very much enjoyed walking through the hundreds of tori gates, stopping off at the shrines and soaking up the history.
Steps: 23,686
Day 7
Today was a late start as even after 8 hours sleep the 25k plus steps a day was starting to catch up with us.
We took the metro to Shimogamo Shrine in north Kyoto. It was very peaceful and quiet however temple fatigue had definitely set in at this point. We then walked through Kyoto to the beginning of Philosophers path. We had seen on this sub that people recommend skipping it unless its Sakura season however we disagree. The path along the river is so pretty and atmospheric, along with the fish gently swimming along in the river.
Kyoto Hand Crafts Centre – if you have the money then this is a great place to pick up souvenirs.
Pre-booked Sushi Iwa for a 15 course Omakase. The food was amazing, but it came to an eye watering 28k yen each. The difference for our western palettes between mid-range sushi and exceptional sushi is negligible. Nonetheless it was a good experience and I’m glad that we did it.
Steps: 23,751
Day 8
Today was an empty day in terms of things we wanted to do, so used it to walk the city and explore.
We checked out the Nishiki market and ate various fried foods on sticks which were all pretty tasty. We then walked northwards, stopping for coffee before reaching the imperial palace. By this point we were very much bored of temples and structures of similar architecture, but we actually ended up enjoying walking the palace grounds and seeing the buildings more than we thought and would recommend it to those who find themselves in north Kyoto.
A leisurely walk back down towards downtown Kyoto, stopping off at a wicked standing soba joint. Forgotten the name but their curry soba was delicious.
Chao Chao gyozas (only veggie gyoza place we could find) for our evening meal before a night cap at the bar across the road before bed.
Steps: 23,304
Day 9
Shinkansen to Hiroshima arriving around 11am.
Checked into hostel and then went straight to the A-dome, peace memorial and museum. We thought the museum was very moving and captured the horror of the events that unfolded very well. A must see for sure.
Okonomiyaki at Okonomimura and then some vintage clothes shopping in Hondori.
Went back out for food in the evening and ended up getting Okonomiyaki again. This time it we enjoyed it a lot more than we did at lunch (probably because we got it covered in cheese). There are a few streets by Hiroshima station with lots of bars and restaurants on top of each other, much like Golden Gai in Shinjuku, however they are not super touristy and has a more laid-back feel to them.
We then went to some bars in the city centre. The best one we stumbled across was called Tropical Bar Revolucion. It was on the 8^th floor and the smoking balcony overlooked the city. Plus, the beers in there tasted so good and I’m not sure why.
Steps: 23,299
Day 10
A hungover morning. Headed to the Hiroshima National Gardens. Going to some gardens is my go-to hangover activity as its low effort, relaxing, and feels productive. These gardens in particular were great and we really appreciated the signs explaining the history behind the space. Overall, we enjoyed this more than the national gardens in Shinjuku.
Public baths near Dobashi in the afternoon. If you’re feeling brave enough to get your kit off in front of 10s of strangers, then this is a good experience. Male and female baths are separate. Can’t go wrong for 400 yen.
Went for a drink at Bar Pretty and then realised the effect of golden week on trying to get a table walking into a restaurant. Walked around for about an hour with no success so settled for food from a department store food court. Sounds miserable but the food was pretty good for the price, and it was busy in there, so it still had an atmosphere.
Steps: 29,487
Day 11
Miyajima Day. Took the ferry to the island arriving at 10:30am. The Ryokan staff met us at the port and collected our bags to take back to the hotel.
Had a mooch around the port area before doing the hike up Mt Misen. The climb to the top on a hot day is not to be underestimated. Sweating buckets, but the route and the view from the top was amazing and one of the standout highlights of the whole trip.
After descending Mt Misen, we bought some beers, oysters and, ice cream and sat along the beach wall and chilled in the sun for a couple hours. The hotel staff then picked us up from the ferry terminal, we checked in and went straight to the Onsen for a couple hours before dinner. Dinner was a traditional kaiseki meal (with more courses than I can remember) served in the banquet hall with the other guests.
While the staff converted our retro ryokan room and set up the futons we had a few more beers before bed.
Steps: 20,803
Day 12
Today we had a chilled morning on the island, having a stroll and stopping for some coffees. We then took the ferry back to Hiroshima, stopping for Okonomiyaki one more time, before taking the shinkansen to Osaka.
Checked into our hostel near Namba and went out for a walk around 8pm. When looking for somewhere to eat we walked past a sign for a vegetarian Indian restaurant called Shama. After nearly two weeks of pure Japanese food we were craving some variety so decided to head in. Located on the basement floor of a particularly run down looking building the restaurant was not the most glamorous. Barely enough space for 10 people, it was hot in there. A constant stream of people was coming in and out of the restaurant and we were lucky enough to walk in when there were two spaces available. From sitting down at the table to receiving our food we waited just under an hour. This would be enough to put most people off but fuck me the food was good when it did finally arrive. We got a selection of 4 different curries, naan breads and samosa. We left stuffed. If you’re in the area this is definitely a place worth checking out.
Steps: 25,502
Day 13
Our first stop of the day was the Umeda Sky Building. Not suitable if you are scared of heights as the glass elevator made our stomachs drop slightly. The views were impressive but we thought the price was a bit steep at 1500 yen each.
We then spent the afternoon wondering about near Namba and Shinsujibashi dropping into shops and picking up some food.
For dinner we made a reservation for a Mexican restaurant near Dotonbori. Massive margheritas, nachos and enchiladas. The food was great, and it shows by how busy the place was still at 10pm. It had been open since the late 70’s with the décor to match and it had a great atmosphere.
Steps: 27,290
Day 14
Checked out Tsuruhashi and Korea Town. Loved the market – dimly lit maze of numerous food and clothing vendors. Stopped to have some Korean stew and pancakes and it was delicious. One of the best meals of the trip.
Shinsekai in the evening. What I can describe as the armpit of Osaka. We loved it. Dirty? Yes. Rowdy? Yes. Rough around the edges with a red light district to top it all off. We had Kushikatsu to finish the evening off. Fried stuff on a stick – of course it going to be tasty but it wasn’t exactly flavour town.
Steps: 23,777
Day 15
Took the train to Minoh and hiked up the trail to see the waterfall. Hike was easy in comparison to Mt Misen and the waterfall was very cool to see. Had a wonder around Minoh stopping for some lunch at a Ramen bar.
We went to the Team lab botanical gardens in the evening. It was very awe inspiring seeing all the installations lit up.
After sampling Japanese McDonalds (I had a burger where the buns were made out of rice) we went for some drinks at Zerro. We liked this bar a lot, the guys working there were very friendly and it had a good vibe.
We then sat and watched the skaters at triangle park with some beers from the konbini before going to see Dj Masda at Circus until around 4am. This area of Osaka was such a vibe and came back here a few times over our 6 days here. Overall, a very fun evening.
Steps: 26,130
Day 16
Woke up chronically hungover but powered on and went to see a baseball game. You’re allowed to bring food and drink into the stadium (as long as alcohol is in plastic/paper cups) so we grabbed some beers and snacks from family mart. We had no idea what was happening but the atmosphere was electric and we enjoyed getting pissed and cheering.
Had a nap and then went to Hafez for middle eastern food. The food was good but not amazing, nothing in comparison to my local middle eastern restaurant back home. Chilled around the Namba park/Big step area. Loved this area so much, we are big into street fashion and culture so this place really ticked some boxes. Lots of skaters and street wear stores concentrated around here. Got an early night watching Battle Royale back at the hostel.
Steps: 22,065
Day 17
Today we went to the Umeda area. Popped into some shopping centres and had Omurice for lunch. It was tasty but not something I will crave when back home. Good experience trying it though. We then walked through Yodoyobashi along the rivers and got gelato and sat in the rose garden. The sun was beating down and we enjoyed just chilling in the sun eating our ice cream.
Compufunk Records were holding a party in their store. Decent gaff with some very welcoming and kind people to party with until the early hours.
Steps: 21,267
Day 18
We reluctantly left Osaka for Hakone today. Very sad to go but onwards to the next adventure. Took the shinkansen to Odawara and then the Hakone Tozan Train to Gora. Checked into our Ryokan and relaxed in the Onsen for a few hours.
Went for a walk around Gora and had dinner at the Ryokan before watching Predator in bed.
Steps: 16,926
Day 19
Today we did the Hakone Loop, starting early in Gora.
Started with the Open-air museum and it was great. We loved the installation and ended up spending 3 hours slowly making our way round. Got some cool photos as well for the gram.
Ropeway to Lake Ashi. This was absolutely terrifying. You have to swap cable cars 3 times on the way over and the warnings of the service being suspended due to the wind was announced at each stop. I’m not going to ruin the surprise, but one section made me literally freeze in terror due to the winds outside so try to do it on a calm weather day.
We then took the pirate boat (bit underwhelming) across the Lake and stopped for some soba noodles and a wander around. Unfortunately it was way too cloudy to even get a chance at seeing Mt Fuji.
Train to Kamakura and checked into our super cute traditional hostel near the beach.
Dinner at an Izakaya from the hostel owners recommendation. Food great and beers slipped down a treat. First time I tried Yuzu Kosho as well – I’m now addicted to the stuff and literally cover all my food with it.
Steps: 19,512
Day 20
A slow start to the morning. Weather was pretty bad but we still managed to hit all the main sights in Kamakura. Big Buddha was a refreshing sight from the temples. Did some shopping up Komachi Dori. Highlight of the day was Hukokaji temple. It was so peaceful and zen in the rain with its very own matcha tea ceremony backdropped by bamboo forest. This turned out to be our second favourite temple/shrine we visited, just being beaten by Kodaji.
In the evening we went for Sushi at a conveyor belt place. Figured this would probably be my last Japanese sushi of the trip so devoured 7000 yen worth of sushi and beer. Went back to the hostel and invited some of the other guests to drink with us. The owner of the hostel had some bayberry homebrew, so we got stuck into that.
Steps: 20,494
Day 21
Enoshima Island is just a 25 min train from Kamakura. Started off the day by walking to the top of the island to get French toast and a beer with a lovely view across the bay. We then headed up the Sea candle to check out the observation deck, still the illusive Mt Fuji hides behind the clouds.
We then bought admission to the caves beneath the island which was pretty cool. I won’t ruin the surprise but there’s something waiting for you at the end of one of the caves.
Had an explore around the rockpools near the caves and took some cool photos. We then had a pizza with fish on which was pretty crazy. Walked around the island a little bit more and I picked up some more Japanese denim which wasn’t the cheapest but the quality of the trousers are great and will last me a lifetime.
Back to Tokyo in the evening.
Went for Izakaya around Asakusa and popped into a couple bars. One was called Not Suspicious and the whole bar was covered in handwritten notes by patrons. Very touristy but quite cool at the same time. Our favourite was a drawing of Mario saying It’s a Me Muthafucka.
Steps: 25,903
Day 22
First stop was Don Quiojte to pick up some Yuzu Kosho (if you know you know) and weird flavoured KitKats.
Kappabashi Dougu street to purchase a fine Japanese carbon stell Santoku. Honestly in love with this knife so much. The people at the store were very happy to hear exactly what I was looking for and even let me try before you buy on some daikon radish.
While in Asakusa I had to return to the place where I put the best thing in my mouth in Japan. Motenashi Kuroki. Switched it up this time and had their classic Shio ramen plus the duck rice as a side. Honestly this place is amazing, and you have to go there if you have time. They aren’t veggie/pescy friendly so my partner went for one last round of sushi round the corner. We met up at a massage chair parlour and spent 30 mins relaxing in the chairs.
We had a bright idea to watch the sunset one last time so headed over to the rooftop park on a department store in Shibuya. Sipping on an ice cold Kirin, the sun slowly dropped behind the distant mountains and we knew our trip had come to an end. How symbolic.
Flight at 11pm from Haneda.
Steps: 23,187
On reflection:
I honestly think this trip was almost perfect in terms of hitting our interests and travel style. There was a good balance of doing the typical first time visit to Japan sights and activities while still exploring and seeing what we came across in the moment.
It hard to pinpoint exact highlights of the trip as everywhere we visited had so much going for it in different ways. We loved the rugged and trendy vibe to Osaka, and I think this would be the city I would most want to live in for a considerable amount of time (If I had to choose). Miyajima was also stunning and a great overnight trip with the Ryokan experience. We also underestimated how much we would enjoy Kamakura with its laid-back surfer vibe and access to Enoshima Island.
One random memorable moment that has stuck with me was when we landed at Narita airport, we took the limo bus to Shinjuku. As the driver pulled away, all the staff at the station turned and bowed in unison. It felt so special to first observe a culture totally opposite to the one I grew up with and was at this point I knew I had embarked on the trip of a lifetime.
If I could go back and change something I would probably miss out Hakone and do an extra day in one of the major cities. This isn’t because we didn’t enjoy Hakone, but we feel like it’s a place that needs more time to soak in what’s going on around you (plus the weather was bad when we were there). This being said the Open-Air Museum was amazing and we enjoyed it more than the Teamlab botanical gardens so the trip up the mountains was worth it just for that.
So, how much did we spend per person (not inc flights)?
Accommodation - £765pp
Given that we spent a couple nights in Ryokans raising the average price slightly, we were pretty happy with the accommodation costs. We stayed in a mix of private room and shared dorm hostels and pretty much all of them were spot on. Travelling as a couple meant that anywhere with a private room split the price between 2. The only hostel we didn’t like was the one in Hiroshima, there wasn’t anything in particularly wrong with it, there was just a really bad vibe from the owner and other guests.
Transport - £344pp
This includes shinkansen to and from all the major cities as well as our suica top ups for metros and buses. Unless your itinerary is something like 3 days Tokyo, 2 days Osaka 2 days Kyoto then there really isn’t any point getting the JR pass now that the price has increased.
Activities – £280pp
It is hard to give an exact amount for activities and food as 1) I didn’t track what we spent our cash on and 2) my partner and I would take in turns paying for things like temple admission. That being said I’ve allocated 25% of the cash we spent to activities such as temple admission. Activities includes our baseball tickets plus club entries as well as temple and museum admissions etc.
Food – £962pp
As above, its hard to give an exact amount for food. On the whole we tried to eat cheap with possible, especially at the start of our trip. There were a few expensive meals peppered in plus we ate out twice a day towards the end of our trip as we realised we were under budget.
The total is a bit skewed as this includes all the alcohol we bought in bars as well as the konbini trips for beers and cigarettes. I estimate that booze accounts for around a third of the total per person. If you would like to do Japan on a budget, reducing the booze will make a big difference.
Shopping/Souvenirs/Gifts – £607 (just me)
We went hard with the shopping. We didn’t actually receive our checked in luggage until day 19 so we had to buy all new clothes and cosmetics. If this wasn’t the case, then I don’t think I would have spent so much (airline is comping us for the additional clothing bought anyway). I also bought a fairly expensive chef knife and Japanese denim pieces, plus lots of gifts for friends and family. Obviously, this number could theoretically 0 if you are on a serious budget and did no shopping but I really underestimated Japanese shopping, especially thrifting. Also, given our cheap choices when it came to accommodation we could afford to splurge. However just to note my partner spent less than half than I did on shopping.
Total: £2958 (582,628 yen at time of writing)
I kept within my budget of £3000. I definitely got a bit frivolous with the cash in the last few days or so, if being as careful as I was towards the start of the trip, I think the total would be closer to £2500.
Disappointments
Takoyaki. We thought it was going to be all about the octopus but were disappointed with our balls of sloppy goo surrounding tiny chewy pieces of octopus. We tried it twice and couldn’t get behind it. Sorry Takoyaki fans.
Arashiyama. Way too busy, especially around the main station and bamboo grove. If it’s the bamboo you are going to see, then Kodaji is a much better spot.
Dotonburi. Albeit we were there in golden week, and it was pretty busy. However, I get the feeling this area has fallen to the past its golden days title and has become a bit of a cash cow for places selling spiralised potatoes on a stick. The area around Namba park was a better option for us.
Tips
Konbini. Absolute life saver for snacks and drinks on the go. The food quality for a convenience store is higher than most other countries so we had no problem with grabbing a meal from one to help keep within our budget.
Don’t over pack – even though we didn’t get our checked in bags, I still packed light so had plenty of space to bring stuff back. Emirates give you your allowance by weight rather than number of baggage so we could check in additional bags on the way back.
Don’t be scared of hostels. If you don’t want to brave the shared dorms, then most hostels offer private rooms with just the shower and toilet shared. Obviously, it’s cheaper if there are two people sharing a room.
Don’t stress about cash. Most places take debit/credit card and if they don’t, you’re never more than 5 minutes from a konbini ATM.
For us, golden week didn’t seem that big of an issue. No problems booking shinkansen around GW. We spent most of GW in Osaka, as such it was going to be busy anyway so maybe we didn’t see much of a difference from normal numbers in the spring.

Hi everyone! I finally managed to have an all Korean skin care routine after trying out some stuff but I’m not exactly happy with two of my purchases and I wanted some opinions on them so if anyone can share their experiences and some recommendations, I’d be really grateful :)
I have always had dry skin that tends to be a bit sensitive sometimes. My new routine consists of the roundlab gel cleanser, which is mid, in my opinion. It doesn’t really impress me. It does what it should, but I don’t get any of the “wow this stuff is amazing!!” reaction to it and I keep comparing it to the Innisfree cherry blossom cleanser (the scent and feeling I get after I wash my face made me feel good about myself lol). Then there’s the Torriden Dive In toner. It’s too watery and doesn’t seem to hydrate me as much unfortunately. I keep comparing this one to the COSRX Propolis toner which had me looking dewy all day. I did the same with the TonyMoly Mochi toner, which was good, but it seems my mind kept going back to COSRX lol. I’m only happy with my Illyoon moisturizer and phyto enzyme peeling pads from Mediheal. These two seem to be doing the heavy work in my new routine lmao
(I haven’t had the chance to try out the Roundlab sunscreen, which I also bought. I also tried the cleanser in a mini size gift I got before to test it out and I liked it but idk what changed 😭)

This was seemingly normal day in North Korea. It was cloudy some people were going to the work while some were trying to find whatever food they could get their hands on, like rats or pigeons. But there was group of people for who this was special day. Every single High schooler new that today was beginning of "Golden week", every year for 1-2 weeks glorious leader Kim Jong Un was abroad in Portugal visiting his childhood friend. Seemingly insignificant event, was long awaited for many high school students as during this period strictness in all schools saw massive decrease. Due Kim's commands caused by his nostalgia to childhood it is illegal to expel or punish any student during this "Golden Week" period, so usually obedient students turn into monster as this is only time when its possible to gain power over your and other schools, if person manages to maintain this power there is no way for anyone to oppose him once "Golden Week" is over and they are guaranteed smoothest High School life in NK, there are even rumors that if anyone manages to unite all 3 schools they will be send to South Korea as a reward by Kim Jong Un. No one managed to Unite even 2 schools yet though. Now lets take a look at people who awaited this "Golden week" for a very long
People's school
(short petite Girl was doodling in her notebook)
"Looks like Golden week has started, I will observe events maybe I will even get lucky"
Grace (F,F,B,S-,F)
(wide bodied tall kid stopped exercising and looked outside) "looks like this thing has started I forgot it's name, But it will be great to improve my skills so I will take part in it"
Si-woo (B,E,B+,F,B)
"hey where is my lunch box?"-Teacher screamed. As short student with scar on his face slowly walked out of class while taking bite of sweat bread, which looked suspiciously similar to one teacher had earlier
Junkeok Emanuel the III (F,C,A-,A-,F)
(kid was sitting in poor looking internet café as manager walked to him to tell him his time was up)
"oh okay I guess I will continue this project later"(kid said while closing tab that looked like some hacking software
Park Jin-Hyok (F,E,B-,A,E)
(kid was training in the woods)
"I can't wait for Golden Week to start! I can fight so much it will be very fun"
Lam Lee (F,F,B-,D,A)
Seonghan High School
(kid was running away from his bullies)
"why-why can't someone save me, I don't want to die!!!"
Li Yongsu (F,F,S,E,F)
(guy with long black hair which covered his left eye was sleeping in the class as bell rings he wakes up and slowly walks back to home) "hope some randoms wont disturb me and try to fight me today"
Lee Sung-Min (D,D,B,B,E)
"....."
Joyonghan (C,C,B+,F,C)
(handsome guy who looked sleep deprived was hiding from his female fans)
"this sucks much more then special force physical trainings"
Nae Minsu (F,D,B,B+D)
(student with bloody knife was talking to one of his victims)
"Looks like you wont be able to pick up on poor kids anymore,(he checks newspaper nearby) OH MY GOD today is the day! Golden week starts!"
Klein hong (D,D,B,B+,F)
Kim Jong Suk Secondary School No.1
(kid is sitting on bodies of dozens of other students)
"what? moving to South Korea? Why would I leave, I am future kind of North Korean Military anyway)
Tai Mao(???,???,???,???)
write you next course of action

Views	Channel	Video
6417614	Anna and Niki | Shorts	[Gegagedigedagedago] Nuggets Mukbang Girl and Eyeball Jelly
4154603	David Ngo	FIRST ONE TO FINISH WINS w/ my sister @JenniferNgo97 #mukbang
2980409	Snowy Perspective	ASMR MUKBANG KFC 양념 치킨먹방! 치즈 햄버거 치즈스틱 후라이드치킨 & 레시피 CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN CHEESE BURGER EATING SOUND!8
2952407	Juliana Aliende	BASTIDORES MUKBANG comidinhas AZUL 💙 e AMARELA 💛 ​⁠ pt. 2
2823119	Suon Dara	Best funny #boba #mukbang #funny #bobalove #food #bobatime #memes #bobamilk #eatingshow
2538332	YuniAra Story	Gigit Pohon Bambu ‼️🍭 #bamboo #satisfying #amazing #eating #skills #mukbang #xyzbca #diy #goodthing
2500851	HiFunnie	CHOCOLATE SURPRISE MUKBANG FAIL
2026543	tzuyang쯔양	미국 마지막탄)미국서부 작은마을 윌리엄스에서 스테이크,폭립 먹방했더니 사장님이 놀라셨어요🤣(feat.그랜드캐년)
1859501	tzuyang쯔양	네모난 소고기 맛집 이라구요?!😳 깍뚝꽃살과 왕갈비 3kg 먹방
1815443	Honey Jelly	ASMR MUKBANG KFC 양념 치킨먹방! 치즈 햄버거 치즈스틱 후라이드치킨 & 레시피 CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN CHEESE BURGER EATING SOUND!5
1735263	Mister Am ASMR	Funny head ASMR 의 젤리 사탕 초콜릿 먹방 ASMR #asmr #mukbang #먹방 #funny #makeup #mac
1696243	MAINAN si BOY	ASMR MUKBANG KFC 양념 치킨먹방! 치즈 햄버거 치즈스틱 후라이드치킨 & 레시피 CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN CHEESE BURGER EATING SOUND!
1682904	LIFEHACK EX	ASMR MUKBANG 마라떡볶이 핫도그 오징어튀김 주먹밥 교촌 허니콤보 치킨먹방! Mala Tteokbokki & Chicken EATING SOUND!
1584069	Small Laude	MUKBANG WITH RYAN BANG AT HIS KOREAN FINE DINING RESTAURANT! | Small Laude
1526126	GONGSAM TABLE 이공삼	ASMR MUKBANG 편의점 핵불닭 미니!! 떡볶이 & 핫도그 & 김밥 FIRE Noodle & HOT DOG & GIMBAP EATING SOUND!
1513945	HUNGRY HANGRY	จริงVSปลอม กินตามอิโมจิ 🦶🦶🦶 #food #trending #mukbang
1483903	지읒asmr	중독성 쩌는 네일아트 정리 ASMR
1483747	Erika Kaa	MAKAN BULAN “MEI” 🥳💕 #challenge #mukbang #asmr
1462404	uncleganggang	Dango emoji challenge 🍡🥵#asmr #mukbang #dango
1430286	1Moon	Pilih makan besar atau kecil? #mukbang #snacks #shorts
1418807	KarissaEats	Deep fried chipotle burrito! #foodie #shorts #eating #chipotle #burrito #takis #doritos
1401368	현오 HyunO	한국의 킬바사 순대 여러소스 이모티콘 먹방😋 엄청 통통하다!
1382334	써니 Sunny SHORTS	@SunnyEATING Various kohakuto, noodles jelly eating sounds (sped up)
1276558	Jon's Snacking Time	EATING JELLY FROM VARIOUS CANNED DRINK #asmr #mukbang #shorts
1250535	Erika Kaa	🍯 VERSI JELLY KENYAL & ENAK BGT 😍🤤 #mukbang #challenge #asmr
1248419	KBS News	[현장영상] “더 빨리!” 러닝머신 강요한 아빠…6살 아들 결국 사망 / KBS 2024.05.04.
1232657	Hằng Mommy	Thử thách mukbang fastfood cùng bé #babycute #mukbang #mevabe #food #funny #asmr #baby
1218195	HUBA후바	Fire Noodles, Cream Shrimp, Chili Shrimp, china food Funny Mukbang #shorts
1187538	Mukbang Bersama Bent	Makan Es Krim Karakter🍦 #asmr #mukbang #makansesuaiemoji #eskrim #videolucu
1166538	HUNGRY HANGRY	จริง VS ปลอม 🌭 ไส้กรอกของจริง VS เยลลี่ #food #trending #mukbang #emojichallenge
1154096	HUBA후바	Fire Noodles, Rose Mara Tteokbokki, spicy chicken feet Funny Mukbang #shorts
1121459	TwinKle Couple	Emoji Challenge ASMR🪱🥵#asmr #mukbang
1108638	cravingsandcalories vlogs	Rs 200 Challenge at Shaheen Bagh Market Part-2 | Food Challenge #shorts
1087029	Satisfying You&Me	ASMR MUKBANG KFC 양념 치킨먹방! 치즈 햄버거 치즈스틱 후라이드치킨 & 레시피 CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN CHEESE BURGER EATING SOUND!
1066074	[햄지]Hamzy	Real Mukbang:) Grilled Beef & Beef Intestines (ft. soju🍶) ☆ Korean Spicy Noodle Recipe
1041886	HAHADO	ASMR MUKBANG KFC 양념 치킨먹방! 치즈 햄버거 치즈스틱 후라이드치킨 & 레시피 CRISPY FRIED CHICKEN CHEESE BURGER EATING SOUND!4
1031046	TwinKle Couple	Gummy Shark Emoji Challenge ASMR🦈🥵#asmr #mukbang
1029533	Bang Tw	MAKAN ES MOCHI ENAK BANGET #food #mukbang #asmr #challenge #reaction #funny
1002496	이해불가 | 연예계 이슈	연예인과 첫경험을 한 7명의 여성들!
970938	또또커플 DDO_DDO Couple	내가 먼저 탕후루 만들어서 팔면…. 미래에 부자가 되지 않을까?? 쩔어!!!! #2009.12.04 #32화 #응답하라0020
967183	Mister Am ASMR	Funny head ASMR 의 젤리 사탕 초콜릿 먹방 ASMR #asmr #mukbang #먹방 #funny #strawberry
963963	Yuni Ara	Lho Bambu KoQ Di Gigit ‼️😱 #bamboo #satisfying #amazing #eating #skills #mukbang #xyzbca
949834	Erika Kaa	MAKAN 🌭 VERSI INDO TERBEST !! 😍🔥 #challenge #mukbang #asmr
940032	Jon's Snacking Time	EATING VARIOUS LOCAL ICE CREAM #asmr #mukbang #shorts
921409	문복희 Eat with Boki	SUB)매콤바삭 bhc치킨 신메뉴 쏘마치 먹방! 양념치킨 치로스 치즈볼 뿌링진미채튀김까지 꿀조합 리얼사운드 Chicken Mukbang Asmr
899571	GONGSAM TABLE 이공삼	ASMR MUKBANG 직접 만든 대왕 소세지 불닭볶음면 핫도그 쉬림프링 먹방 & 레시피 FIRE NOODLES AND SAUSAGE EATING SOUND!
898147	[햄지]Hamzy	Real Mukbang:) Briquette-grilled Spicy pork belly & soybean paste soup ☆ Real Korean BBQ
893747	TwinKle Couple	Rainbow Ice cream Emoji Challenge ASMR🍦🥵 #asmr #mukbang
870686	GONGSAM TABLE 이공삼	ASMR MUKBANG 슈프림 양념 치킨먹방! BBQ 자메이카 통다리 짜파게티 먹방 & 레시피 FRIED CHICKEN EATING SOUND!
863531	진영민yeongmin	나랑 동생이 민트초코 먹는법
855484	문복희 Eat with Boki	SUB)치즈가득 매운 양념 닭꼬치 먹방!🔥닭발 베이컨팽이버섯 염통 닭껍질까지 길거리 꼬치 치맥 꿀조합 리얼사운드 Chicken Skewers Mukbang Asmr
848208	Jon's Snacking Time	EATING RANDOM EMOJI FOOD #asmr #mukbang #shorts
845461	cindythi	buldak rosé glass noodles at the korean convenience store 🩷💚 #shorts
829110	1Moon	Pilih makan besar atau kecil? #mukbang #snacks #shorts
828206	RK. CHICKEN 🍗 LEG PIECE	AB YE KARKE DHIKAO😂 #chickenlegpeice #mukbang #asmreating #eatingchallenge #chickencurry #challenge
808502	MAX PLAYS	TRYPO VS COCKROACH Mukbang FAIL #shorts
747529	흥삼이네 Heungsam's Family	알이 가득~ 쭈꾸미와 우동사리 가득 넣은 쭈꾸미 삼겹살! (Stir-fried webfoot octopus, pork belly) 요리&먹방 - Mukbang eating show
725275	Jon's Snacking Time	EATING VARIOUS BUBBLE GUM #asmr #mukbang #shorts
716702	Mukbang Bersama Bent	SEHAT atau TIDAK SEHAT?? 🤔 #asmr #mukbang #makanansehat #makansesuaiemoji #eskrim
711532	Mukbang Bersama Bent	Makan Sesuai Warna🌈 #asmr #mukbang #makansesuaiemoji #videomakan

Im a really really new christian and I need some help, I want to go to church but the nearest churches are like Portuguese churches or Korean churches, am I allowed to go to them during mass if im not portugese or korean? As well I don't really know what to do and how to act during a mass so im kind of nervous about it. If anyone could explain what happens during mass and what I should do that would be amazing. And I talked to other people before and they say to ask for a blessing instead of taking bread and wine during the Eucharist. But I don't truthfully understand what a eucharist is in the first place... if anyone could help that would be amazing. (ill take any other tips or words of advice too)

Lmao it seems most kids love chicken tendies too?
LO has like 12 or 14 teeth by now so she’s ready for some meat! But, that went from her most loved thing to eat in the past to now most meals she doesn’t even eat it (even ground beef or meatballs).
Only way I got her to eat some meat finally today was doing some homemade chicken tendies for dinner. Rainy days called for just relaxing and breading up some chicken for the air fryer. So proud of that win.
We had Korean black bean noodles that I had made earlier for lunch with diced up pork belly, diced zucchini, diced onions, and cabbage mixed into it. And, she just ate her noodles 😫.