Tag: japan

  • Sabbatical Odyssey, 2023 – Chapter 4

    Sabbatical Odyssey, 2023 – Chapter 4

    O, Osaka, Osaka! We got back to Kyoto in time to catch the Shinkansen for the brief ride to Osaka.  The journey, which would have taken over an hour by car, lasted 15 minutes to the second.  I had called ahead to the St Regis, Osaka for a transfer from the station to the hotel. …

  • Sabbatical Odyssey, 2023 – Chapter 3

    Sabbatical Odyssey, 2023 – Chapter 3

    More Historical Context (with thanks to our guides and Wikipedia) As I visited the various sites in Tokyo, but more so when we visited Kyoto and Osaka, it became clear that understanding each city is greatly improved when you have even a basic understanding of Japanese history.  Certain aspects were repeated to us several times during…

  • Sabbatical Odyssey, 2023 – Chapter 2

    Sabbatical Odyssey, 2023 – Chapter 2

    Hello Tokyo Arrival at Tokyo’s Haneda airport on Monday 6 November, airport pick-up, the drive to and check-in at the Hotel New Otani in Chioda City, were all smooth and painless.  Our longest delay was to figure out that the “Hire Stand” is the same as the taxi stand, which was to be our reference…