Hanemun
The one thing we decided on very quickly & unanimously while planning our wedding was going to Japan for our honeymoon. It was just the right combination of relaxation & animation, cityscape & nature, austerity & excess. In many ways, the archipelago showcases various juxtapositions; so much of the traditional artisan mindset and so much cutting-edge technology (heated toilet seats were our favourite), conservatism yet eccentricity, even perversity.
We made so many wonderful memories and decided very quickly that while this was our first trip together to Japan, it wouldn’t be the last.
Hakone is a town known for its serene onsens, ryokans & more importantly, the spectauclar mountain scenery crowned by the iconic Mt Fuji.
Yama No Chaya is where we spend the night. This beautiful ryokan is nestled amongst bamboo trees and is a cool relief from the impending heat of summer. Despite the warmth of summer, dipping into the baths with the quiet view of lush greenery is a healing experience, especially the exhaustion of our Singapore wedding. Later that evening, we are greeted with our meals in our room, kaiseki - a traditional meal comprising of many small plates of delicate Japanese food.
After Hakone, we venture on to Kyoto, the old capital. A walk through Arashiyama Bamboo Forest is a serene experience — the sprawling bamboo grove accented with striking red shrines.
The next day we rent electric bikes and cycle through the city to Arashiyama again for a cup of cold brew at Arabica Coffee, before trekking up a cascading mountain stream to Kibune, north of Kyoto, to literally catch some noodles. Nagaishi Somen is only served at restaurant Hirobun in the summer - the somen flows down a long bamboo flute in cold water and diners catch the bundles of noodles with their chopsticks.
A favourite Kyoto memory: a shared table at a tempura restaurant with Kana & Takako, ladies on a business trip from Osaka. They are excited as they find out we are on our honeymoon, sharing their sake with us and exchanging stories about how Osaka people are warmer but coarser than their refined Kyoto counterparts. Our sojourn here is rounded off with a unique bowl of soy milk ramen at family restaurant Mamezen.
The art islands are secluded and somewhat difficult to access - we head south to Naoshima through a combination of shinkansen, ferry & shuttle bus, arriving at where we will spend the night at Benesse House. The next two days are spent in awe of the exhibitions and foliage across the island, the intersection of architecture & nature, light & shadow. Above all, the phenomenal use of space by Tadao Ando. These exhibitions are like no other, a sensory experience transporting us to other worlds. Teshima Art Museum is itself a work of art, a smooth oval housing a single exhibition of water, sound and light, a solitary ribbon, looking out to the sea. We take many photographs of, and with, Yayoi Kusama’s spotted kabocha.
We transit in Osaka for a night and speed shop for copper pots and sharp ceramic knives on kitchen street, eating all the Okonomiyaki & Takoyaki in reach before jetting off to Hokkaido. From New Chitose Airport we head out to the mountains. The slow driving speed limits and cool 18 degree summer surprises us. We are fortunate to catch the Pink Moss Festival at Higashimokoto Shibazakura Park. A wonderful sushi meal at Uokashi Hikari Zushi, tucked in the Sapporo Wholesale Market, leads us to believe that the seafood is undoubtedly superior here to the rest of Japan, partially due to the colder waters of Hokkaido.
We thoroughly enjoy the wagyu beef sashimi at Kumagera, despite never eating meat this raw before. The barbecue meal at Genghis Khan Daikokuya is an experience that can only be described as lamb on crack, consumed in a smoky den. Crab porridge at Kani Honke Sapporo and stone fire pizza at Furano Cheese Factory Pizza cement our view of Hokkaido as a food heaven. We make a mental note to come back with our future children.
We come full circle, back to Tokyo for the final eight days of our honeymoon. Shopping & eating is the main agenda - homewares are top of our list and we hit Kappabashi street. Our haul consists of intricate plates, knives & delicate sake glasses. Then the series of life changing meals - perfectly balanced crepes at Parla, hot sanuki udon at Maruka, yuzu ramen with charcoal grilled chashu at Afuri, chicken ramen with a broth like no other at Kagari, chirashi don at Sushi Sho (‘a garden by the miso sea’), matcha parfait at Tsjuiri and the prized apple at Isetan which can only be described like eating a crunchy apple flavoured ice cream.
Our sushi journey is travelled in ascending order: the humble everyday standing sushi bar, then Tsujiki market, the finale of omakase at Sushi Ya by a true master. Our minds and mouths mesmerised by the deft hands fashioning nigiri and glistening ruby tuna.
Beef katsu at Gyukatsu Motomura is so good that we hit it twice in one week, while yakitori at Ranjatai finishes off the trip on a high.
We search high and low to locate a bottle of wonderfully crisp sake by Matsumoto as a reminder of our trip. We later learn that we’ve brought back much more than souvenirs and sake - we brought back an addition to the family who would appear nine months later — Noah.
