by Katrine Sivertsen | Mar 8, 2024 | Blog, Katrine
Rushing off in the morning, we managed to secure seats to a Kabuki theater performance, a 400 year old and traditional Japanese art form combining music and stylized acting while wearing very heavy stage makeup. It was a comedic “suicide” play (!). More traditions... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Mar 7, 2024 | Blog, Katrine
So many animals to see today, and all in the wild. The monkeys at Arashiyama were cheeky as expected, and there were hundreds of them. A short distance away is the tall and dense Arashiyama Bamboo forest with many couples taking pictures in kimonos. An hour’s train... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Mar 6, 2024 | Blog, Katrine
Our day started with a private guided tour with Yuka. She took us to several temples and shrines, and explained all the artifacts and history. A cute temple had lots of colorful balls. They represented monkeys tied together on their hands and feet symbolizing... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Mar 5, 2024 | Blog, Katrine
Since Takayama has so many sake breweries, we took the time to stroll in the old street and visit a couple before departing the town. Kyoto was our next stop, the cultural capital of Japan, and also its old capital. Our guide informed us that Tokyo in fact means “New... 
by Katrine Sivertsen | Mar 4, 2024 | Blog, Katrine
Our breakfast at the ryokan was up to par with their dinner. Can’t say I miss bread or cereal. We made time for a stop at the onsen in the morning too. I tried another one right next door that was even prettier. No pictures allowed naturally, but you can see them...