as promised, here are some photos and updates from something other than theme parks in Japan. I'll start in Osaka, where we visited the Osaka Castle. while it's possible to buy a ticket and walk up in and around the main building, we opted to wander around the gardens and grab some photos while enjoying the very nicely manicured grounds.
we also checked out a very cool, very small themed bar that evening. The Deepening (Bob's Burgers fans rejoice) is a tight bar themed like a submarine in Osaka. It was modest but very cool. We only got one drink here before moving on with our night, but I highly recommend it if you're into themed experiences (not that I imagine that applies to anyone here!)
that brings us to Tokyo, where we're spending the final five days of our honeymoon. we're staying at the Conrad (points from work trips have finally paid off!) which is right next to the Hamarikyu Gardens. they are, as you would expect, gorgeous. we spent a couple evenings wandering around and exploring the gardens — they're well worth your time. of course, there is plenty of variety when it comes to garden-waking in Tokyo. we also checked out the gardens around the Tokyo Castle, which are also near a small park called Hibiya. all high on the recommendation list.
we also grabbed an incredible pizza from a restaurant called Pizza Marumo. you may see it referred to as Pizza Maru on reservation websites (like TableCheck — a great resource in Japan), so try to be less confused than I was. you might not think of Japan as a pizza haven, but in recent years it's really broken out as a big hitter in the ongoing pizza wars. if you're in japan for more than a week, I recommend giving it a go. you've got a lot of meals to fit in!
I'll end with a couple photos from one of the handful of arcades we checked out in Japan. they are, as advertised, a blast. we smacked minions on the head, played Mario Kart and won a bunch of adorable prizes. we'll almost certainly hit another arcade tonight after getting something to eat and something(s) to drink.
lastly (for real this time) we've hit up a bunch of breweries and brewpubs in Japan. a local chain of small brewpubs (iBrew) was among our favorites for both the intimate setting and the variety of beers they served. our favorite brewery so far has been the Kyoto Beer Lab — it appears to be run by an Aussie and, regardless of ownership, had our favorite beers of the trip.
that's all for now! More to come I'm sure.
we also checked out a very cool, very small themed bar that evening. The Deepening (Bob's Burgers fans rejoice) is a tight bar themed like a submarine in Osaka. It was modest but very cool. We only got one drink here before moving on with our night, but I highly recommend it if you're into themed experiences (not that I imagine that applies to anyone here!)
that brings us to Tokyo, where we're spending the final five days of our honeymoon. we're staying at the Conrad (points from work trips have finally paid off!) which is right next to the Hamarikyu Gardens. they are, as you would expect, gorgeous. we spent a couple evenings wandering around and exploring the gardens — they're well worth your time. of course, there is plenty of variety when it comes to garden-waking in Tokyo. we also checked out the gardens around the Tokyo Castle, which are also near a small park called Hibiya. all high on the recommendation list.
we also grabbed an incredible pizza from a restaurant called Pizza Marumo. you may see it referred to as Pizza Maru on reservation websites (like TableCheck — a great resource in Japan), so try to be less confused than I was. you might not think of Japan as a pizza haven, but in recent years it's really broken out as a big hitter in the ongoing pizza wars. if you're in japan for more than a week, I recommend giving it a go. you've got a lot of meals to fit in!
I'll end with a couple photos from one of the handful of arcades we checked out in Japan. they are, as advertised, a blast. we smacked minions on the head, played Mario Kart and won a bunch of adorable prizes. we'll almost certainly hit another arcade tonight after getting something to eat and something(s) to drink.
lastly (for real this time) we've hit up a bunch of breweries and brewpubs in Japan. a local chain of small brewpubs (iBrew) was among our favorites for both the intimate setting and the variety of beers they served. our favorite brewery so far has been the Kyoto Beer Lab — it appears to be run by an Aussie and, regardless of ownership, had our favorite beers of the trip.
that's all for now! More to come I'm sure.
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