Japanese Jaunts

7th - 21st August 2025

Jaunts in Japan - August 2025

Wendy and Henry, her 11 year old grandson by her youngest son Richard, visited Tim, her eldest son, and his family in Japan for two weeks in August 2025. It has been a few years since Wendy saw Tim at his home in Hong Kong and Tim visited the UK for Christmas 2024 but it was exciting to be able to go and see their new home in Tokyo and get a whole heap of new experiences for us both.

Henry is very interested in all things Japanese and has been learning the language through Duolingo, even before he knew there was an opportunity to visit his Uncle, Aunt and cousins. He was impressed with Shun's ability to speak English and Japanese when they met for Christmas last year and wanted to try and be able to talk to his cousin's in their own language.

This trip was different for me as well in that we travelled from Tokyo to Yumi's parents' home, a distance of 715 miles and 14 hours solid driving. This was done over two days each way, with visits to see sights as we travelled. Yumi was flying with Mika but Tim, Shun, Henry and myself did the roadtrip. I also had to get an International Driving Permit and couldn't believe how old-school that was. Bought from a tiny corner shop in Dunoon, the only place around us to obtain one, and a paper job. Very little security or checking on any of it.

The easiest way to do this is to show photos from each day and tell you what we got up to. Absolutely fascinating experiences for someone of my age, let alone an 11 year old.

Henry and Wendy at Heathrow as they leave the UK for Japan

Henry's first meal in Japan, with his cousin Shun

Henry at the Hachiko statue of an Akito dog who waited 10 years for his deceased owner

Wendy, Mika, Henry and Shun at Starbucks in Hiroshima

Thursday 7th August - flight to Japan
Henry and I flew from Heathrow to Haneda in Tokyo, one of the smaller airports but nearer to Tim. Henry was very happy with 14 hours that he could use screens or sleep as he wished. No WiFi on the BA direct flight, not working for some reason, so that was a bit disappointing but ok.

Friday 8th August - first look at Tim's home and area
Tim, with Shun and Mika, picked us up from the airport when we landed. All very easy to get through and to get to Tim's car. He took us to their home where we dropped our bags and then we walked out, beside the river near him, to a local eatery. This had several men sitting eating and they did look at us with interest when we sat the children down and ordered food. The menu was entirely Japanese characters on wall boards, just as well we had Tim with us to be able to order something to eat for us all. The food was basic Japanese food, much in the style of a small café in the UK, and Tim ordered lots of small plates to share. Henry tried something of everything, which was even more impressive at it was around 6am UK time.

Tim was keeping this as a fairly quiet day for us as we had been flying through the night and Japan is 8 hours ahead of the UK. After something to eat we walked back past Tim's home and into the main shopping area. Shun and Mika were on their bike and scooter and these couldn't be taken into the arcade. All bikes, even toddler bikes, have to be left in an indoor garage area where you get a couple of free hours and then pay for the facility. Each vehicle is locked into a stand and then you get the machine to unlock them when you want to leave. Brilliant idea.

The children all had ice-creams in the arcade and then there was a trip to a playpark for them where I got talking to a Japanese mother, married to an American, whose children were also playing there. Home for tea and bed to try and get us into the Tokyo time zone.

Henry is used to chopsticks and bravely tried all sorts of food

Shun and Mika on bike and scooter through the Tokyo streets

The first ice-cream together, which proved to be one of many

Henry's choice of ice-cream

Bicycles at the shopping mall

Shun and Henry the next morning on their screens

Lunch the next day in a busier part of Tokyo, showing us the sights

Mika made friends with a little girl of similar age behind her at the next table

Saturday 9th August - exploring parts of Tokyo
The next day, being a weekend, Yumi was also available to show us some of the sights. We caught trains (like the Underground in the UK, sometimes under, sometimes over ground) to different several different areas and had lunch in a small restaurant with lots of sharing plates again. I love the Asian way of doing this as everyone can eat as much or as little as they want and if you run out then you just order some more. Useful with children. After lunch we wandered shopping areas and market places, including the statue of Hachiko at Shibuya Station, and Akita dog who waited almost 10 years in that area for his deceased master. There was a massive queue for photos to be taken with the statue so we went in from the side to take one of Henry. Shibuya is also famous for it's very busy Scramble Crossing when you can see crowds of people crossing the road when the lights allow them to do so. We had a lovely wander round the shops, looking to see what was different and what was the same as at home.

Fish Restaurant

Later in the evening we went to a fish restaurant with a difference. This one was set in a barn with many fish pools and you catch your own supper. You choose what size fish you wish to get and then fish in the pools that have that size. Henry was supplied with a rod and bait and also a net to put the fish in once caught. He was so excited when he managed to get one and keen to know if the man behind the counter was going to cook it for us. Uncle Tim said that the man would prepare it for our table. When the prepared RAW fish was delivered to the table Henry looked at his Uncle and said "I thought you were joking" as he realised that we were about to eat the fish he caught but it wasn't to be cooked. He did eat it though and had several pieces. Yumi had also caught a fish and ordered some other food and some of the fish was sent to the kitchen to be cooked but honestly, it was better raw.

Looking down on the infamous Shibuya Scramble Crossing

Henry at the Hachiko statue at Shibuya Station

Henry catching his fish for supper. Yumi also caught some

He thought it was going to be cooked by this man.....

.....instead it was brought to the table prepared, and ready to be eaten raw. He thought Uncle Tim was joking when he had been told this

Henry was very good at trying the raw fish, Shun is obviously very used to this

The boys enjoying finding things to eat that Auntie Yumi had also ordered for them, including fruit with a sparkler

Some of the fish taken away and cooked for them. Personally I think it was better raw, it was a little tough when cooked

Sunday 10th August - quiet day to prepare for road trip
Sunday was to be a quiet day, to allow for preparing to drive for the next two days. It would be a long journey, over 14 hours solid driving in total and 715 miles (or 1150 km as they use km in Japan). There was playtime with the children in the morning and then a trip to the local shops to get some snacks and bits for travelling. Ice-creams were the treat of the afternoon and then homemade popcorn a bit later in the day. Yumi cooked a delicious meal for the evening and everyone ensured they were packed and ready to leave at 5am the next morning to get a good start on the journey.

Mika and Yumi playing with a Tupperware Shape-O

Shun putting his bike onto the bike escalator which whizzed it up to the bike garage at the top

Shun ordering ice-cream as Henry opted out of trying to order in Japanese

Shun, Mika and Tim making popcorn at home

Road Trip Maps

Day 1 - outbound
Setagaya, Tokyo to Hiroshima

Day 2 - outbound
Hiroshima to Oguni Town

Day 1 - return
Oguni Town to Kyoto

Day 2 - return
Kyoto to Setagaya, Tokyo

Monday 11th August - Road Trip!
Excitement in the air as we piled Henry and Shun into the back seat of the car. They had been told they could travel in their pyjamas and have screens to start the journey as we were leaving so early and that suited them both just fine. Yumi and Mika were catching the bullet train to Hiroshima later that day and we would meet them at the Airbnb that was booked for the night there. The distance for us driving was around 800km, so just over two thirds of the full distance.

Driving in Japan

This was my first time driving on an International Driving Permit although not my first time driving abroad. It was fairly easy as the road signs, although in Japanese characters, also had pictures on them. So, for instance, a whole load of Japanese characters by the side of an umbrella with lots of lines above it was a warning about heavy rain ahead. They also had a number of signs that are the same as here in the UK. No entry, Stop, One Way etc, all the same. Their speed signs were great as well because they told you when a speed restriction was starting by a number with an arrow pointing to the right, and also when it was stopping, with a number and an arrow pointing to the left. The rest of the time it was derestricted.

The drive was very interesting as the service stations are so much cleaner and better organised than those in the UK. They also have men in the parking areas to direct you to a space. This happens all across Japan apparently and was very evident in some places. I mentioned to Tim that surely all these people were not necessary and he replied that it gave people a sense of purpose to be able to work and it kept the economy going. It wasn't seen as futile or demeaning work, it was seen as employment and pride in having a role to do, even if it was directing traffic.

A service station en route with the man directing traffic into the lovely wide parking spaces

The boys on the back seat enjoying their unrestricted screen time as we travelled

Evening meal in a little café type place, quite late for the boys as it was about 9pm for food

A local speciality, in effect a type of fritter with a choice of filling. Henry went for apple at 10pm!

Tuesday 12th August - Hiroshima
Tuesday was an eventful and thoughtful day with several 'firsts'. A huge experience for Henry for when he comes across Hiroshima in his history lessons, he'll be able to say that he has been there himself and seen the site of the atrocity.

The whole experience of the atomic bomb site and surrounds was very salutary. It was interesting to read about the total destruction in human terms but that buildings remained standing, even at the centre of the site. This building has not been touched since that day, it has been left exactly as it was on 6th August 1945, a little over 80 years ago to the day. As the bomb detonated immediately above the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotional Hall it killed everyone in it immediately and destroyed the roof but left most of the side walls standing. It is now a World Heritage Site and a Peace Memorial.