jesychen 
After having dinner at Sushiro Kitakami on the first evening of our 11-day cherry blossom trip to Japan’s Tohoku region, we stayed at Comfort Hotel Kitakami. We had often stayed at Comfort Hotels during our previous trips to Kyushu, so staying here this time brought back a familiar and comforting feeling. Comfort Hotel Kitakami Is … Read more
On the first evening of our 11-day cherry blossom trip to Japan’s Tohoku region, we had dinner at Sushiro Kitakami. In the afternoon, we visited Mizusawa Park to enjoy the cherry blossoms, and in the evening, we went to see the nighttime cherry blossom illuminations beside Sango Bridge at the far end of Kitakami Tenshochi. … Read more
On the first afternoon and evening of our self-drive trip to Japan’s Tohoku region, we planned to visit two attractions. Our evening destination was Sango Bridge, located at the far end of the long, narrow Kitakami Tenshochi park. By the time we drove here from Mizusawa Park, it was already getting dark. Kitakami Tenshochi offers … Read more
It takes about an hour and a half to drive from Akita Airport to Mizusawa Park. Along the way, we stopped at Michi-no-Eki Nishiwaga to take a break and have lunch before continuing to our first sightseeing destination of the day to enjoy the cherry blossoms. It was April, and cherry blossom season had arrived. … Read more
After ORIX Rent-A-Car picked up our family and took us to its Akita Airport branch, we completed the rental procedures and got ready to drive from Akita Airport to Mizusawa Park. Along the way, we stopped for a break at Michi-no-Eki Kinshuko (道の駅 錦秋湖), a roadside station in Iwate Prefecture. Stopping for a Restroom Break … Read more
In April this year, we had already planned a cherry blossom trip to Japan’s Tohoku region. This time, my family flew directly from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Akita Airport with Tigerair Taiwan. The main part of our trip was an 11-day cherry blossom tour around Tohoku, followed by a domestic ANA flight back to … Read more
As mentioned previously, for the past few years, we have almost always visited Miaobang Calla Lily Garden Restaurant a few days before Chinese New Year to enjoy our family reunion dinner in advance. This year, 2026, was no exception. Since we came during the daytime this time, it was much brighter, and the weather was … Read more
After spending the final few days of our 12-day self-guided road trip through Hakone, Lake Kawaguchi, and Hokkaido walking around and exploring Tokyo, it was finally time to leave Japan. On the morning of our departure, after packing our luggage, our family left the hotel and headed to HARBS Ueno for breakfast. HARBS Ueno is … Read more
The 12-day independent and self-driving trip through Hakone, Lake Kawaguchiko, and Hokkaido was coming to an end. On the night before leaving Tokyo, we returned to Hidakaya Asakusa Kaminarimon Branch for dinner. We had first eaten at this restaurant nearly nine years earlier, in 2017, and visited it once again in 2018 before the pandemic. … Read more
After finishing lunch at the Edo-style restaurant Sakurada in Asakusa, our afternoon itinerary was to explore KIRAKIRA Tachibana Shopping Street and take a look at the nostalgic streets and shops around Tokyo Skytree. We walked to Tower View Street (タワービュー通り), located near the north exit of Kinshicho Station in Sumida. Because this street offers a … Read more