Hello, everyone. Please feel free to reply to this post with questions, meet-up requests, or anything else related to Minion Land at Universal Studios Florida. I will provide helpful links and information in this main post that will be updated as more information is released and verified.
As requested by you all, this will be a light megathread. We won't go as in-depth here as we did for Super Nintendo World at USH, but we also still hope you'll be able to make more informed travel decisions by reading the main post here or asking questions below it.
If there's something you'd like us to cover in this area that we haven't yet or if we missed a detail on something we've already covered, please reply to this post or send us a ModMail with that information.
​
Land Overview
Minion Land is a soon-to-be-open area inside the Universal Studios Florida (USF) theme park, which itself is a park inside the Universal Orlando Resort (UOR). It consists of two attractions (Illumination's Villain-Con Minion Blast and Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem), four dining locations (Minion Cafe, Bake My Day, Pop-A-Nana, and Freeze Ray Pops), two merchandise shops (Evil Stuff and Super Silly Stuff), and a meet-and-greet area (Illumination Theater).
Note that Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem and Super Silly Stuff are already open at Universal Studios Florida. The UOR website still lists them as part of the area, however.
Universal Destinations and Experiences has yet to provide opening dates and admission details for this new area. It is still slated for a summer 2023 opening, but please keep checking back for further updates and specifications.
​
Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem
Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem is a simulator attraction themed to the Despicable Me franchise. It is already open at USF.
Guests are welcomed into Gru's house to be turned into Minions to work for him. Gru's three adopted daughters, Margo, Edith, and Agnes, are tasked by Gru to train the guests ahead of their new careers. Guests are visiting on the anniversary of the girls' adoption, and though Agnes has a gift for Gru, he is too preoccupied with villainy to accept it. After being shrunken down and turned into Minions, guests are taken through Gru's hideout and wacky Minions-invovled hijinks ensue.
All guests must be at least 48" tall to ride on their own and at least 40" tall to ride at all. Guests between 40" and 48" tall must ride together with someone at least 48" or taller.
This attraction is compatible with all Express Pass types.
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Illumination's Villain-Con Minion Blast
Illumination's Villain-Con Minion Blast is a yet-to-be-opened attraction themed to the Minions franchise. It is slated to open sometime in summer 2023 alongside the rest of Minion Land. It is located in the former site of the Shrek 4D attraction.
While not much is known about the attraction (it isn't yet open anywhere else in the world), the key art depicts guests standing up and using light guns. We expect this to be a gallery arcade, potentially with dark ride elements. Please check back in the future for further details.
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Dining Options
All four dining locations are slated to open in summer 2023 alongside the rest of Minion Land.
Minion Cafe will be the main dining option. Looking at the key art, we are not sure if it is a QSR or sit-down or hybrid. The menu is also not known, but we expect it to have a similar menu to the Minion Cafe in Universal Studios Hollywood. That menu can be found here in full, but in short, it mainly consists of American food involving cheese, like mac and cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, and loaded nachos with chicken (which are covered in cheese).
Bake My Day, from the key art, appears to be a QSR serving baked goods. Nothing else is known about the location, but we will post the menu when it is available.
Freeze Ray Pops and Pop-A-Nana don't have concept art viewable by the public. We presume the former will sell ice cream or frozen treats and the latter will sell popcorn. As with the other dining options, we will post their menus when available.
​
The information for this post at the time of writing comes from the main page on the land on UOR's website, which can be found here: https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/universal-studios-florida/lands/minion-land

Check out our full Durham events calendar.
If you'd like to add an event to our calendar, submit an event here. Please check with the event organizers to see if events change due to weather. Have a great weekend!

June Featured Events

53rd Annual Bimbé Cultural Arts Festival at Rock Quarry Park

• This family-oriented event is a celebration of African and African American history, culture, arts, and traditions.
• Headlined by Intro, Mr. Cheeks, Petey Pablo, and KRS-One
• Free admission

1776 at DPAC

• The show is based on the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, telling a story of the efforts of John Adams to persuade his colleagues to vote for American independence and to sign the document.
• This Tony Award-winning Best Musical is tuneful, witty, and constantly surprising, especially in this revolutionary new production from directors Jeffrey L. Page (Violet) and Diane Paulus (Waitress) with a cast that reflects multiple representations of race, gender, and ethnicity.
• Jun 1-4
• $15+

PLAYlist Concert Series: Raíces, Rutas, y Ritmos at Durham Central Park

• Raíces, Rutas, y Ritmos highlights the importance of music-making among Latin American migrants in North Carolina, as well as the prominence of Latin American-derived music in the Triangle area.
• 6:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
• Free admission

Venue Weekend Schedules

Events at The Carolina Theatre

• Fri, Jun 2 at 7:00 p.m. - Leslie Jones: Live
• Sun, Jun 4 at at 4:15 p.m. - The Empower Experience 2023

Events at The Pinhook

• Thu, Jun 1 at 8:00 p.m. - Dead Fox No Groove / Julia. / Dylan Innes
• Fri, Jun 2 at 7:00 p.m. - OCRCC’s 12th Annual Punk Cuts To End Rape
• Fri, Jun 2 at 9:00 p.m. - Yolo Karaoke!
• Sat, Jun 3 at 6:00 p.m. - Teia Elaine Presents: What Would Eve Do?
• Sat, Jun 3 at 10:00 p.m. - House Of Coxx Drag Show!
• Sat, Jun 3 at 11:55 p.m. - Rent Due Dance Party!!!
• Sun, Jun 4 at 4:00 p.m. - (Early Show) The Lover Boyz W/ Phil Cook + Kym Register And Friends
• Sun, Jun 4 at 8:00 p.m. - (Late Show) The Lover Boyz W/ Phil Cook + Kym Register And Friends

Events at Motorco Music hall

• Fri, Jun 2 at 8:00 p.m. - Halocene With Lauren Babic / Alphamega
• Sat, Jun 3 at 9:00 p.m. - Gimme Gimme Disco
• Sun, Jun 4 at 7:00 p.m. - Mike’s Dead with The Haunt

Events at The Fruit

• Fri, Jun 2 at 11:00 p.m. - Job Fruit Residency: IN2IT
• Sat, Jun 3 at 10:00 p.m. - Paradox: A 90s Rave Experience
• Sun, Jun 4 at 12:00 p.m. - The Fruit Flea: Monthly Flea Market

Live Music at Blue Note Grill

• Thu, Jun 1 at 7:30 p.m. - Curtis Salgado Band
• Fri, Jun 2 at 6:00 p.m. - The Duke Street Dogs
• Fri, Jun 2 at 9:15 p.m. - Adam Ezra Group
• Sat, Jun 3 at 7:30 p.m. - JIVES

Events at Moon Dog Meadery

• Thursdays - Free Board Games
• Thu, Jun 1 at 7:00 p.m. - Trivia
• Fri, Jun 2 at 8:00 p.m. - First Friday Swing Dance Night with Nitelife Boogie!
  • Free dance lesson at 7:30 p.m.
• Sun, Jun 4 at 6:30 p.m. - Moon Dog Open Mic

Live Music at Sharp 9 Gallery

• Sat, Jun 3 at 8:00 p.m. - Eric Williams Quintet

Events at Arcana

• Thu, Jun 1 - Jay Hammond & Andy Stack with Joe Westerlund and Tarot with Virginia
• Fri, Jun 2 - Russell Favret and Tarot with Heiltje
• Sat, Jun 3 - Bardo Bloom and Tarot with Rene
• Sun, Jun 4 - Matty Famartino and Tarot with Joy

Events at Rubies on Five Points

• Thu, Jun 1 at 10:00 p.m. - Miss B Haven Presents: Midnight Remedies
• Fri, Jun 2 at 10:00 p.m. - Mamis & The Papis And Party Illegal Present: Moodboard
• Sat, Jun 3 at 9:00 p.m. - Star People Gang Presents: Freaks And Beats

Events at Durty Bull Brewing Company

• Thu, Jun 1
  • 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Food Truck: Safari Eatz
  • 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Thursday Trivia with Nick
• Fri, Jun 2
  • 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Food Truck: Tacos Paradise
  • 8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. - Open Mic Stand-up Comedy
• Sat, Jun 3
  • 12:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Food Truck: Chop House BBQ
  • 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. - DJ Jack Bonney
  • 4:00 p.m - 6:00 p.m. - Taxicab Preacher
• Sun, Jun 4
  • 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. - Food Truck: Charlie C's Hotdogs On Wheels
  • 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Hammered Trivia with Thor

Live Comedy at Mettlesome

• Fri, Jun 2 at 8:00 p.m. - The Racket
• Fri, Jun 2 26 at 9:00 p.m. - Hush Hush
• Sat, Jun 3 at 8:00 p.m. - Bull City Press Presents…
• Sat, Jun 3 at 9:00 p.m. - House Party

Events at Boxyard RTP

• Thu, Jun 1 at 5:30 p.m. - Songstories Live at Boxyard RTP
• Fri, Jun 2 from 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. - Boxyard Bucks
  • First 100 people on site receive $10 to spend at any vendor
• Fri, Jun 2 at 5:30 p.m. - LOJO: Log Off, Jam On
• Sat, Jun 3 from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Turns 2 Family Friendly Celebration
• Sat, Jun 3 from 11:30 a.m. 2:30 p.m. - Saturdaze: Uno Dose
• Sat, Jun 3 from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Wonderbop

Events at Glass Jug Beer Lab in RTP

• Thu, Jun 1 from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Beer Garden Jam Sessions
• Fr, Jun 2 from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - RTP Food Truck Fridays
• Sat, Jun 3 from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Beer Garden Jam Sessions

Events at Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham

• Thu, Jun 1 from 7:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. - Live Music in the Taproom
• Jun 1-4 from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Weekend Food Trucks

Local Sports

Durham Bulls Home Stand at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park

• vs Jacksonville
• Thu, Jun 1 - Pride Night
• Fri, Jun 2 - Friday Night Fireworks
• Sat, Jun 3 - Saturday Night Fireworks
• Sun, Jun 4 - Kids Run the Bases
• $10+

Running of the Bulls 8K at Historic Durham Athletic Park

• The 15th running of Durham’s premiere community road race! This scenic course will wind through the historic and revitalized neighborhoods of downtown Durham, American Tobacco Campus, Trinity Park and Old North Durham neighborhoods, and finish with a lap of the warning track inside the historic Old Durham Athletic Park!
• Sat, Jun 3 at 7:00 a.m.
• $10-45

Thursday, Jun 1

Thirsty Thursdays at Dashi

• Each month Dashi's Thirsty Thursday drink specials revolve around a monthly theme – spirits, cocktails, special ingredients, brand, location, etc. – with new sips every Thursday. Learn more about upcoming themes on their website or visit them in person – there's always something new to try from their expansive bar!
• 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Vinyl Night with DJ Deckades at Gizmo Brew Works

• Enjoy fresh vibes on the patio with DJ Deckades. Bring your own vinyl to share or just listen to what the DJ is spinning.
• 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
• Free admission

Boulders & Brews Meetup at Triangle Rock Club - Durham

• Show up and climb at TRC Durham, then head over to Hi-Wire for some brews. Don't worry if it's your first time or haven't bouldered before; everyone's welcome.
• Your first visit to the gym with the Meetup includes free admission and gear rental, and subsequent visits with the meetup are $15 and include harness rental (outside of meetups, day pass rates of $19 apply and do not include rentals).
• 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Trivia Night w/Big Slow Tom at Clouds Brewing Brightleaf Square

• Join Clouds Durham for Big Slow Tom's Trivia Night, every Thursday. Win some prizes, drink some beer, and show your smarts.
• Enjoy $4 select draft and $5 rotating bartender's choice all night.
• 7:30 p.m.
• Free admission

Friday, Jun 2

Tasting at Ten at Counter Culture Coffee

• Every Friday morning at 10 am, Counter Culture Coffee opens their Training Centers to coffee lovers who want to learn more about Counter Culture Coffee’s high-quality, sustainably sourced menu.
• 10:00 a.m.
• Free, but donations accepted

Garden Printing: Cyanotypes and Hammered Flower Prints on Fabric at Duke Campus Farm

• Visitors to Duke Campus Farm can come take a tour of the space, learn more about what is grown and why, and choose from a number of plants from the garden to experiment with two printing techniques that highlight the shape and color of fresh produce and flowers. With cyanotype printing, we will use either the plant as a silhouette to make sun prints using UV light, or make use of parts of the plants to create a composition on the blue-tinted paper.
• 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• Free admission (registration encouraged)

Saturday, Jun 3

Durham Farmers’ Market at Durham Central Park

• The Durham Farmers’ Market offers locally grown fruits and vegetables, meats, eggs, cut flowers, artisanal cheeses and breads, home-baked pies, honey, handmade chocolates, preserves, local wines, handmade soaps, fresh pasta, and artwork of all sorts!
• 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
• Free admission

South Durham Farmers' Market at Greenwood Commons Shopping Center

• The market strives to support new and growing farms and vendors in the greater Durham area, and they are also home to some of the most iconic Durham brands around.
• 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
• Free admission

parkrun Durham at Southern Boundaries Park

• A free, fun, and friendly weekly 5k community event. Walk, jog, run, volunteer, or spectate. It's up to you!
• 8:00 a.m.
• Free admission

Hayti Walking History Tour at Hayti Heritage Center

• So, how do you pronounce H-A-Y-T-I ? What are the Hayti Neighborhood's connections to the island of Haiti? ...to Black Wall St.? ...to the city of Durham at large? These questions are answered while many more are raised in this 75-minute tour of Fayetteville St., the commercial center of Durham’s largest African American residential neighborhood. Stops include the neighborhood’s founding institutions: St. Joseph’s AME church, The Carolina Times, Stanford L. Warren Library and more!
• Stories include: Women of Hayti, Power of Black Churches and Urban Renewal. The tour begins and ends at the Hayti Heritage Center.
• 10:00 a.m.
• $20+

Nasher Community Celebration at the Nasher Museum of Art

• An outdoor party featuring GRAMMY Award-winning producer 9th Wonder and friends. Celebrate Spirit in the Land with pop-up children’s book readings in the galleries. At 2 p.m., Alberto Barrantes, an author visiting from Costa Rica, will give a reading from his new bilingual book Arts for Diversity. Art activities will be inspired by artists María Berrío and Andrea Chung.
• The Museum of Life and Science will join us with StarLab to view the night sky—and insects to study up close. Piedmont Wildlife Center will also bring several animals. Everyone can sample free cotton candy by Wonderpuff. Also fun to try: temporary tattoos inspired by the natural world. Assorted sandwiches and beverages from the Nasher Museum Cafe will be available for purchase. Cash bar.
• 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• Free admission

MAKRS Pop-up at Durham Central Park

• Shop from 55+ local artists and makers, plus food trucks and coffee.
• 4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
• Free admission

Crafternoons at Gizmo Brew Works

• Free pint with purchase of craft box. Choose from a variety of craft packages available for all ages.
• 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Beaver Queen Pageant — Once Upon a Wetland... at Duke Park

• The Beaver Queen Pageant is the Triangle’s own special mix of folly, pageantry, and humor. Contestants take on beaver personalities and compete for the title of Beaver Queen with their fashion, talent, and personality. There will be music, a kid's art activity station, food trucks, and much more!
• Enjoy the fun at this family-friendly and free event which raises funds for the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association. Vote for your favorite contestants - or bribe a judge - at www.beaverqueen.org. You are not going to want to miss this truly weird and delightful Durham experience.
• 4:00 p.m.
• Free admission

Sunday, Jun 4

Al Strong Presents Jazz Brunch at Alley Twenty Six

• Al Strong, the Grammy-nominated jazz trumpeter, composer and recording artist, will bring a rotating lineup of musicians to perform during Sunday brunch at Durham's Alley Twenty Six. Weather permitting the band will perform in the bar’s namesake alley.
• Brunch from 10:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
• Music 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Art-n-Soul Market at Mystic Farm & Distillery

• Shop handmade in this special setting. Mystic Farm & Distillery in Durham offers a unique place to gather and enjoy local spirits. The Art-n-Soul Market brings the best local artisans, food trucks and live music out to the farm for bourbon tastings, craft cocktails, food trucks and distinctive gifts you won't find anywhere else. Bring your friends and meet us at the bourbon farm! Dogs welcome.
• 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• Free admission

Public Tour at Duke Chapel

• Learn about the history, architecture, and life of Duke Chapel in this tour, which is free and open to the public. The tour begins at 12:15 p.m., or immediately following the conclusion of the Sunday morning service, and lasts approximately forty-five minutes.
• No reservation is required but if you plan to bring a large group please notify us in advance. Meet the docent on the front steps of the Chapel.
• Paid parking is available on a first come, first served basis in the Bryan Center Parking Lot at 125 Science Drive. ADA parking is available in the Bryan Center Surface Lot at the same address.
• 12:15 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Trivia at Navigator Beverage Co.

• Hosted by the Triangle’s Trivia team, Hammered Trivia, gather your team and post up to compete for prizes and enjoy an afternoon of great drinks, great friends, and great games.
• 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• Free admission

Running Art Exhibits

upstART Gallery: A Jim Lee Project at Pop Box Gallery

• upstART Gallery will host its first group show at Pop Box Gallery & The Art Chose Me’s residency in Old East Durham. The show features 27 artists who were selected through an open call review process. Artists were challenged to create work especially for this unique space, scaled 1:12 (one inch = one foot).
• Wed-Sat from 12:00 p.m - 6:00 p.m.
• Runs through Jul 1

Exhibit at 21c Museum Hotel

• Truth or Dare: A Reality Show
  • Runs through March 2024
• Open 24 hours
• Free admission

“Extra-Spectral” at the Durham Art Guild Truist Gallery

• This exhibit highlights several NC-based artists that, on the surface, use colors that are “extra” (which is where their commonality ends) to evoke their intent through a combination of this color with forms and imagery as well as the concepts embedded in color’s many identities. Artists Jane Cheek, Jerstin Crosby, Zach Storm, Tonya Solley Thornton and Leif Zikade all require color to play a primary role in their work and their relationship to an audience.
• Mon–Sat from 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. and Sun from 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
• Runs through June 4
• Free admission

Donna Stubbs, Featured Artist at 5 Points Gallery

• 5 Points Gallery in downtown Durham introduces a new exhibit featuring the work of our member artist, Donna Stubbs. Donna uses an archaeological approach to painting, as she lovingly photographs her surroundings and unearths discarded items in thrift stores to create abstract mixed media works.
• Free admission

Chieko Murasugi & Renzo Ortega at Craven Allen Gallery

• An exhibition featuring both abstract and figurative works by two artists with international backgrounds. The SEQUENTIAL exhibition invites the observer on a visual journey, generating an organic relationship between the artworks and the gallery's visitors. Through the dynamics of color, form, ideas, and narratives, Chieko Murasugi and Renzo Ortega seek to generate a dialogue and the experience of art appreciation with the audience.
• Sat, May 20 at 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - opening reception
• Runs through July 8

Spirit in the Land at the Nasher

• Spirit in the Land is a contemporary art exhibition that examines today’s urgent ecological concerns from a cultural perspective, demonstrating how intricately our identities and natural environments are intertwined. Through their artwork, 30 artists show us how rooted in the earth our most cherished cultural traditions are, how our relationship to land and water shapes us as individuals and communities
• Tue-Fri from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sun from 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• Runs through Jul 9
• Free admission

Andy Warhol: You Look Good in Pictures at the Nasher

• Andy Warhol: You Look Good in Pictures explores the breadth of the artist’s relationship with photography through several distinct bodies of work including screenprints of celebrities, all of which were taken from photographs, a group of Polaroids and black and white snapshots illustrating his social circles, and an early silent film of the curator Henry Geldzahler from 1964.
• Tue-Fri from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sun from 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• Runs through Aug 27
• Free admission

Art of Peru at the Nasher

• This gallery features ceramics, textiles, metalwork and carvings produced by ancient cultures across what is known as present-day Peru.
• Tue-Fri from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sun from 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• Runs through Dec 2
• Free admission

Since this sub was so helpful in planning, I wanted to share my itinerary and trip report! We had an incredible first time in Japan and I can't wait to go back.
Couldn't fit our (very detailed) itinerary in this post, but if you'd like to download it's here.
Medium article version with photos + itinerary is here.
And our shareable Google map is here.
About us:

• We’re New Yorkers in our 30s who have been planning this trip for about 6 months.
• My bf has been learning Japanese for about a year, and I’ve been learning for about 5 months (a mix of Pimsleur and Duolingo).
• Boyfriend is into history and baseball, I'm into skincare and nature, but we’re both big on food so that was our number one priority.
• He has a peanut allergy and avoids all nuts. He learned to say that in Japanese (私はピーナッツアレルギーがあります - "Watashi wa piinattsu arerugī ga arimasu”), and every restaurant and hotel was understanding and careful. Luckily most cuisine is nut-free anyway, but we managed not to have any close calls in 2 weeks which is amazing.

Some overall learnings:

• If I were planning this trip again, I think I would skip Kanazawa. It was a lovely town and the food was amazing, but we wished we had spent that time with a night or two in Osaka instead of just making it a day trip from Kyoto.
• Even if you’re not a baseball fan, Japanese baseball games are so much fun. I’ve never experienced anything like it.
• I packed a suitcase and brought a fold-up duffel bag, and halfway through the trip I moved my clothes to the duffel and just used the suitcase for souvenirs. It was a great idea but we ended up buying an extra suitcase at Donki our last day anyway.
• We both felt a bit underdressed compared to locals, especially in Tokyo. I wish I’d packed more dresses, skirts and trousers and fewer jeans and tees - the only people I saw wearing sweats, athletic wear or cutoffs were other tourists. Obviously you can wear what you want, just be aware you’ll stick out! Also, women are generally more covered up, even on warmer days, to protect their skin from the sun.
• If you go clothes shopping, take your shoes off in dressing rooms. I made a right fool of myself.
• Clothes sizing is wildly different in Japan. Know your cm measurements! Your size here may be hurtful to your ego.
• People line up to get on the train (check the ground for a guide of where to stand) and let everyone off before they get on. This seems obvious, but I’ve been living in New York so long that I wanted to weep tears of joy every time.
• If you’re new to sitting showers: there are two buttons. One is to fill up a bowl of water, and the other is to turn on the handheld shower head. Both automatically turn off a minute after you turn them on, but you can also turn them off manually. You sit on the little stool and there’s usually a mirror in front of you, which is… a humbling experience. There are usually also scrubbing washcloths.
• The worst train station toilet was still nicer than a goddamn Nordstrom bathroom. It was a pleasure to have IBS in Japan.
• At many European and American historical sites, you pay a hefty flat fee to see everything. In Japan, you can usually get into the temple grounds for free, then pay for each individual building you go into. Most were 400-700y/person, which felt really reasonable.
• We came at an almost perfect time (mid-May) weather-wise. Most days it was clear or sunny with a high in the mid-seventies. We definitely got some rain, but less than we were expecting (maybe 3-4 rainy days and 5-6 rainy nights).

Hotel Reviews:
Tokyu Stay Shinjuku Eastside (Tokyo): This was a great basic hotel, close to plenty of transportation and right on the edge of Kabukicho. The buffet breakfast was the highlight - a great mix of Western and Japanese breakfast options, including a great miso soup.Hakone Airu (Hakone): Mixed review here. On the one hand, the in-room onsen and public onsen were both wonderful, and the service was extraordinary. On the other hand, the mix of Balinese and Japanese didn’t quite work, and dinner and breakfast were more confusing than enjoyable.Hotel Alza (Kyoto): By far our favorite stay. I can’t recommend this place enough, and it was definitely worth paying a little extra. They brought us an amazing bento breakfast in our rooms every morning, they had every amenity we could need (they even re-upped the free sheet masks every day), and the micro-bubble bath at the end of a long day of walking was amazing.Koyasan Syukubo Ekoin Temple (Mt Koya): This was a great temple experience. Koyasan in general is obviously pretty tourist-y, but Eko-in still made it feel authentic, and dinner and breakfast were both amazing. Your stay includes a meditation class, morning prayers and a morning fire ritual, and you can pay to attend a cemetery tour, all of which were great.Utaimachi (Kanazawa): We were only here for two nights, but this place was pretty good. Very close to the Higashi Chaya area, where we didn’t actually end up spending much time. Always love tatami mat flooring, and the washedryer was a nice bonus, but we were also right next to the lobby and right under another room so there was some noise.The Gate Asakusa (Tokyo): A great and very Westernized hotel with amazing views of Shinso-ji and the surrounding area. It’s on the top floors of a building right in the middle of all things Asakusa, but is still pretty quiet. And has a wonderful, deep soaking tub with free bath salts.

Tuesday: Arrival, Shinjuku

1 PM: Arrival at Haneda
We got customs and immigration forms to fill out on the plane and everything went fairly quickly. Picked up some cash and Suica cards, went to see about taking the Airport Limousine bus ($10/each) but we should have booked in advance because there wasn’t one for another hour. We ended up taking a taxi (about $50) to our hotel in Shinjuku.
4 PM: Arrival at hotel - Tokyu Stay Shinjuku East Side
We dropped our luggage and went to a nearby eel restaurant, Shinjuku Unatetsu. The eel was incredible and not too filling. Wandered Kabuki-cho for a bit, I dragged my bf through all 4 floors of Don Quijote (I had a list of beauty items to pick up), then rested at the hotel.
7 PM: Dinner in Shinjuku (Tsunahachi)
We went to Tsunahachi for dinner and got some amazing tempura (I wish we had sat at the bar to watch it being made!) and then crashed by 9 pm, because we are young and cool.

Wednesday: Harajuku, Meiji, and Shibuya

7 AM: Hotel breakfast
Up early for hotel breakfast, which has convinced bf to start making miso soup every morning.
9 AM: Shinjuku Station - Pick up JR Passes
We went to Shinjuku station to pick up our JR passes, then spent 30 minutes finding the place where we could get them before 10 AM. There was a long line (staff shortage) so we waited about an hour but we got them and headed to Harajuku.
11 AM: Meiji Shrine & Yoyogi Park
We walked to Meiji Shrine, stopping at the gardens along the way (well worth the 500y entrance fee, especially on a beautiful day). We were lucky to come across a wedding at the shrine. Then we walked around Yoyogi Park a bit.
1 PM: Lunch (Gyoza Lou)
Walked into Gyoza Lou and were seated right away. Incredible gyoza as well as beer and bean sprouts with meat sauce - maybe 10 bucks total for 2 people.
1:30 PM: Shopping/museums in Harajuku
We split up so I could do some shopping in vintage stores - Flamingo, TAGTAG and Kinji (my favorite), and bf could go to the Ota Memorial Museum for their Cats in Ukiyo-e exhibit (which he loved). I walked down Takeshita street to meet him and managed to get a green tea, strawberry and red bean paste crepe from Marion Crepes.
3 PM: Shibuya Scramble & Hachinko Statue
We grabbed the train to Shibuya, saw the scramble and the Hachinko statue, then entered the maze that is Tokyu Hands. I got some onsen powders for gifts and some more cosmetics. My boyfriend checked out the Bic camera store and I went to Gu, which is like the love child of Uniqlo and Primark. I immediately undid all the “light packing” I did with new clothes.
7 PM: Dinner Reservation - Shinjuku Kappu Nakajima
I got us a reservation a few months ago at Shinjuku Kappu Nakajima. It was probably one of the best meals of my life. The omakase came out to less than $100usd each, which felt like a steal.
9 PM: Golden Gai bar (Bar Araku)
We wandered Golden Gai and went into a bar where the entrance fee was waived for foreigners called Bar Araku. It was very small but had great vibes, highly recommend. I drank too much sake, which will be a theme.

Thursday: Shinjuku

4 AM: Earthquake
The phone alerts are insanely loud! We rushed down to the hotel lobby and the only other people there were fellow foreigners - apparently Japanese people at the hotel knew a 5.1 is okay to sleep through.
9 AM: Shinjuku Gyoen
We strolled around in the sun taking photos for about 3 hours. Today is a lot less planned than yesterday - I kind of wish I’d switched the itineraries after how long getting the JR Pass took. We did go to the fancy Starbucks, of course.
12 PM: Lunch (Kaiten Sushi Numazuto)
We tried to go to a nearby sushi place but it was full, so we walked up to Kaiten Sushi Numazuto. We were a little disappointed it wasn’t actually conveyor belt sushi (the conveyor belt was for show and you ordered from the staff). Stopped in Bic camera afterwards for a bit.
2 PM: Ninja Trick House
We tried to go to the Samurai museum but learned it closed a few weeks ago. A good excuse to go to the Ninja Trick House instead. You’re thinking: “Isn’t that place for children?” Yes. Yes it is. And we loved every minute. I now have a camera roll full of myself being terrible at throwing stars. The dream.
3 PM: Don Quijote
More Don Quijote, mostly to get out of the rain. Got my last few beauty products I really wanted and a few souvenirs. An overstimulating heaven.
6 PM: 3-hour Shinjuku Foodie Tour
We signed up for a 3-hour “foodie tour” of Shinjuku that stopped at a sushi place, a Japanese bbq spot with insane wagyu beef, and a sake tasting spot. It was great, and we loved our guide, but wished it had stopped at a few more spots to try more things.
9 PM: Walk around Shinjuku
We attempted to play pachinko, got very confused and lost $7. Tourism!

Friday: Hakone

7 AM: Set up luggage forwarding to Kyoto with hotel
Luggage forwarding is brilliant. We did it twice and it went so smoothly, for about $10 USD per bag. Highly recommend.
9 AM: Transit to Hakone
We got to experience Japanese transit at rush hour. I can’t believe I have to go back to the MTA after this. We took the subway to Tokyo station and then the Shinkansen to Odawara, then a train to Hakone-Yumoto. The hotel was only a 20-minute walk away, so we decided to take a more scenic route - which turned out to be a forest hike straight up switchbacks most of the way.
11 AM: Lunch in Hakone (Hatsuhana)
We stopped in a soba place called Hatsuhana with a system of writing your name down and waiting outside to be called in. They skipped our names because they weren’t in Japanese, but let us in when they realized their mistake. The soba was made and served by old aunties so of course it was insanely good and well worth it.
1 PM: Hakone Open Air Museum
We took the train down to the Hakone Open Air Museum, which lived up to the hype. I’m not normally into sculpture, but seeing it in nature, and the way the museum is laid out, made it incredible. And obviously the Picasso exhibit was amazing.
3 PM: Owakudani, Pirate Ship, Hakone Checkpoint
We took the train to the cable car to Owakudani, then the ropeway to Togendai, then the pirate ship ferry to Motohakone. We were running behind so unfortunately had to rush through the Hakone Checkpoint, which was empty but very cool.
6 PM: Dinner at hotel
Back to our hotel for our kaiseki meal. The staff spoke very little English and Google struggled with the menu, so we had no idea what we were eating half the time, but overall it was pretty good.
9 PM: Onsen time
Experienced my first public onsen, followed by the private onsen in our room. The tatami sleep did wonders for my back.

Saturday: Travel to Kyoto, Philosopher’s Path, Gion

8 AM: Breakfast, travel to Kyoto
Took the train to Odawara and then the Shinkansen to Kyoto station. We booked all of our Shinkansen seats about a week in advance but you can also book them on the day, I believe.
1 PM: Lunch in Gion
Our Kyoto hotel let us check in early, and then we went looking for lunch. Quickly learned that most every place in the Gion area has a line outside and closes at 2! We eventually found a tiny spot with insanely good ramen. It also had chicken sashimi on the menu but we weren’t brave enough.
2 PM: Philosopher’s Path, Ginkaku-ji
We took a bus over to the Philosopher’s Path, which was not busy at all because of the rain. It was pretty, and I could see how great it would look in cherry blossom season. We had to kind of rush to Ginkaku-ji, which was gorgeous nonetheless.
4 PM: Honen-in, Nanzen-ji
Stopped by Honen-in (which we had completely to ourselves, thanks rain!) and then Nanzen-ji. My bf is a big history guy and he went feral for the Hojo rock garden. It was very pretty and I’d love to see it in better weather.
6 PM: Food Tour of Gion & Pontocho
This food tour stopped at two places (an izakaya and a standing bar) with a walking tour of Gion and Pontocho in between. We also stopped at Yasaka shrine and caught a rehearsal of a traditional Japanese performance.
10 PM: Pain
My feet hurt so bad. Bring waterproof shoes, but make sure they don’t have 5 year old insoles. I tried some stick-on cooling acupuncture foot pads I picked up at Donki and they were bliss.

Sunday: Arashiyama, The Golden Pavilion and Tea Ceremony

8 AM: Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
The forecast was for heavy rain all day, but we lucked out and only got a few drizzles here and there. We headed to Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in the morning and it wasn’t too crowded. We did have an amazing bamboo dish at dinner last night so now bamboo makes me hungry.
10 AM: Tenryu-ji, Iwatayama Monkey Park
Headed over to Tenryu-ji, which was very nice but very crowded, and then to one of the things I looked forward to most on the trip, the Iwatayama Monkey Park. It’s a 20 minute hike up there but it is worth it. Oh my god. Getting to feed a baby monkey made my whole week.
12 PM: Lunch near Arashiyama (Udon Arashiyama-tei)
Headed back down to the main road and got duck udon at a little place called Udon Arashiyama-tei. I know I keep calling everything incredible but… yes.
1 PM: Ginkaku-ji
Ran into some bus issues (the first time we experienced anything public transit-wise not running as expected!) but eventually got over to Ginkaku-ji. It was also very crowded (seems like Japanese schools are big on field trips, which I’m jealous of) and not my favorite temple, but beautiful nonetheless.
3 PM: Daitoku-ji
We were ahead of schedule so we got to spend some time at our meeting place for the tea ceremony, Daitoku-ji. It ended up being our favorite temple, especially Daisen-in, a small and very quiet spot with a great self-guided tour. The monks showed us a section normally closed to non-Japanese tourists with beautiful calligraphy.
4 PM: Tea Ceremony (90 mins)
The tea ceremony we booked said it was in groups of up to ten, but it ended up being just us. It was very nice and relaxing, plus we got a little meal.
6 PM: Dinner (Gion Kappa), Pontocho Alley
We both nearly fell asleep on the bus back so we took it easy for the night. Went to an izakaya called Gion Kappa which had the best tuna belly we’d ever eaten, then did a quick walk around Pontocho Alley, got treats at 7-11 and went to bed early.

Monday: Fushimi Inari, Nishiki Market, Kyoto Imperial Palace (kinda)

9 AM: Fushimi Inari
Our plans to get up super early to beat the crowds to Fushimi Imari were hampered by the fact that we are no longer in our 20s. It was packed by the time we got there, and the amount of littering and defacing done by tourists was a bummer.
11 AM: Tofuku-ji
We had planned to go to the Imperial Palace at 10:30 for the Aoi Parade, but decided instead to get away from crowds by hiking from Fushimi Inari to Tofuku-ji, which was beautiful (I’d love to see it in the fall).
12 PM: Nishiki Market, lunch (Gyukatsu)
Grabbed lunch first at Gyukatsu (wagyu katsu - delicious) then wandered Nishiki a bit. It’s touristy, but fun.
2 PM: Kyoto Gyoen, Kyoto Handicraft Center
It was supposed to rain all day but ended up sunny, so we went back to the hotel to drop off our rain jackets and umbrellas. Stepped back outside and within ten minutes it was raining. We went to Kyoto Gyoen and saw the outside of the imperial palace; it was closed because of the parade earlier and half the garden was blocked off because the former emperor was visiting. Without the palace, Kyoto Gyoen is kind of meh. We walked over to Kyoto Handicraft Center which was also meh, but we picked up some nice lacquerware.
7:30 PM: Dinner at Roan Kiku Noi
We had a reservation at Roan Kiku Noi where we had maybe the best meal of our lives. Amazing that it only has two Michelin stars, honestly. Had fun trying to decipher the pain meds aisle at a Japanese pharmacy afterwards and then called it a night.

Tuesday: Day Trip to Nara

8 AM: Travel to Nara
We took the subway to the JR and were there in about an hour.
9 AM: Nara Deer Park
Two things about the Nara deer. One: if you bow to them, they bow back, and it’s very cute. And two, if you buy the 200y rice crackers to feed to them, do it somewhere where there aren’t very many of them. I got mobbed by like 15 deer and bitten 3 times. My fault for having skin approximately the shade of a rice cracker.
10 AM: Kofuku-ji, Nara National Museum
We saw Kofuku-ji and then the Nara National Museum, then stopped at a random little cafe for rice bowls with some kind of regional sauce (I can’t find it now!).
12 PM: Isetan Garden
We spent a long time finding the entrance to the Isetan garden only for it to be closed on Tuesdays.
2 PM: Giant Buddha
Saw Nandaimon Gate and the Daibutsu (giant Buddha), which are both every bit as enormous and glorious as advertised, as well as very crowded.
3 PM: Kasuga-taisha Shrine
Wandered over to Kasuga-taisha shrine, which is famous for its hundreds of lanterns and thousand-year-old trees. There’s a special inner area (paid) where you can see the lanterns lit up in the dark.
4 PM: Wait for the emperor
We got held up by a procession for, guess who, the former emperor again. Stalker.
5 PM: Nara shopping and snacks
Walked around Higashimuki Shopping Street and Mochiidono Shopping Arcade, bought a nice sake set and an amazing little hand-painted cat, ate some red bean paste pancakes and headed back to Kyoto.
7 PM: Dinner in Kyoto
Walked around Pontocho searching for dinner and landed on Yoshina, where we got even more kaiseki. Finished the night at Hello Dolly, a gorgeous jazz bar overlooking the river.

Wednesday: Day Trip to Osaka

7 AM: Depart hotel
Started by taking the subway to the JR. Took us about an hour altogether, though it would have been faster if we’d caught the express.
9 AM: Osaka Castle
We got to Osaka Castle in time for it to hit 85 degrees out. The outside of the castle is gorgeous, but the line to get in was long and I don’t know if the museum parts were worth the wait, especially with the crowds. The view from the top is nice, though.
12 PM: Okonomiyaki lunch (Abeton)
We went to an okonomiyaki spot in Avetica station called Abeton that was full of locals and absolutely bomb as hell.
1 PM: Shitteno-ji, Keitakuen Gardens
We headed to Shitteno-ji (our oldest temple yet) which was nice, though the climb to the top of then 5 story pagoda wasn’t worth the sweat. Then we walked over to Keitakuen Gardens, a small but gorgeous garden in Tennoji Park. Had a nice sit in the shade to digest and plan our next moves.
3 PM: Ebisuhigasbi, Mega Don Quijote
I am a crazy person, so I had to go to the Mega Don Quijote. We walked around Ebisuhigasbi for a while first, and while I was buying gifts in Donki, my boyfriend entered a sushi challenge for westerners (which turned out to just be “can a white boy handle wasabi”) and won a bunch of random crap! Now we own Japanese furniture wipes.
5 PM: Dotonbori & America-mura
We took the Osaka Loop to the Dotonbori area, which was super crowded as expected. We walked around America-mura and enjoyed seeing what they think of us. There are great designer vintage clothing shops here if that’s your thing.
6 PM: Dinner (Jiyuken)
We tried to get into Koni Doraku, a crab restaurant, but they were booked up, so we went to a tiny spot called Jiyuken for curry instead. I would do things for this curry. It was the platonic ideal of curry. It was served by old Japanese aunties from a very old recipe, so we knew it was going to be good, but it exceeded our wildest expectations… for <1000y each.
7 PM: Return to Kyoto
My feet were feeling real bad (the Nikes may look cool but they cannot support 25k steps a day) so we headed back to Kyoto and packed for our early morning tomorrow.

Thursday: Travel to Koyasan, Temple Stay

8 AM: Bus from Kyoto to Koyasan
The transit from Kyoto to Mt Koya is complicated, so we ended up just booking a bus directly from Kyoto Station to Koyasan (which barely cost more than public transit!). We got there bright and early for the 3 hour trip - if you take a bus out of Kyoto Station I definitely recommend giving yourself extra time to navigate to the right bus.
11 AM: Arrive at Eko-in, lunch
We arrived in Mt Koya and checked in to our temple, Eko-in. The quiet and the beauty hit me hard and I fell asleep for a few hours. We got a nice lunch at Hanabishi in town.
4 PM: Meditation class, dinner
The temple offered a meditation class, which was lovely, followed by a vegan dinner in our rooms. I can’t explain how peaceful this place was.
7 PM: Okuno-in Cemetery
We signed up for a monk-led tour of Okuno-in, which was definitely worth it. Came back for some public baths and fell asleep to the sound of rainfall.

Friday: Travel to Kanazawa, Higashi Chaya District

7 AM: Service & ritual at Eko-in
The day started with a religious service and a fire ritual at the temple. Both were stunning. I did wish that my fellow tourists had been a bit more respectful by showing up on time and following directions, but luckily, no one has more patience than a Buddhist monk.
9 AM: Travel to Kanazawa
We took a taxi through some sketchy mountain roads to Gokurakubashi Station, took two trains to Osaka Station, and then the JR Thunderbird to Kanazawa.
1 PM: Arrive at Kanazawa, Lunch (Maimon)
We got into Kanazawa station and went straight for a sushi spot called Maimon, which was delicious. Struggled a bit with the bus system and eventually got to our hotel, Utaimachi.
4 PM: Higashi Chaya District
Wandered the Higashi Chaya district a bit. It seemed kind of dead, but maybe we are just used to the hustle and bustle of Tokyo/Kyoto.
7 PM: Korinbo, dinner (Uguisu)
Walked down to the Korinbo area southwest of the park and found a tiny ramen spot called Uguisu. Incredible. Some of the best broth I’ve ever tasted plus amazing sous vide meats.
9 PM: Bar in Korinbo (Kohaku)
Went to a little upstairs whiskey bar called Kohaku. Boyfriend got Japanese whiskey and they made me a custom cocktail with sake, pineapple and passion fruit that was just insane. They were very nice and talked baseball with us for a while.

Saturday: Omicho Market, Kanazawa Castle, 21st Century Museum

9 AM: Kenroku-en Garden
We walked over to Kenroku-en Gardens, which were as beautiful as advertised. I was hurting pretty bad (crampy ladies, just know Japanese OTC painkillers are much weaker than ours, BYO Advil) so we’re moving slowly today.
12 PM: Omicho Market, lunch (Iki-Iki Sushi)
Walked to Omicho Market and ate little bits from different stalls, then waited about an hour to get into Iki-Iki Sushi. It was worth it. Some of the best, freshest sushi of my life.
2 PM: Kanazawa Castle, 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art
We walked around Kanazawa Castle a bit, then walked over to the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art. It was packed and the line to get tickets to the special exhibits was crazy, so we looked at the free ones and then headed back. Along the way we stopped in a few little stores and bought some handcrafted lacquerware from a local artist.
6 PM: Onnagawa Festival, dinner (Huni)
As we walked towards the restaurant, we came upon the Onnagawa Festival on the Plum Bridge, which included a beautiful dancing ceremony and lantern lighting. We went to Huni for dinner, our first “westernized Japanese” restaurant, and it was fantastic. 9 dishes served slowly over 3 hours at a table overlooking the river. Highly recommend if you’re in Kanazawa.
10 PM: Why does the bathtub have a phone
We went back to our hotel, struggled with the automated bathtub, and enjoyed our last night on tatami floors.

Sunday: Travel to Tokyo, Tokyo Giants Game, Ueno Park

7 AM: Travel to Tokyo
Grabbed a taxi we arranged the night before to Kanazawa Station - it would have been an easy bus journey but our number of bags has increased - and boarded the Shinkansen for Tokyo.
12 PM: Travel to Tokyo Dome and Tokyo Dome Park
Dropped our bags at our hotel in Asakusa, then headed for Tokyo Dome. We got there a little early to look around - there’s basically a full mall and food court and amusement park there. We grabbed some beers and some chicken katsu curry that was delicious.
2 PM: Tokyo Giants vs Chunichi Dragons
Japanese baseball games are so. much. fun. This was a random mid season game, and the stadium was full and people were amped. I’ve been to many American baseball games and never seen fans this excited. We also scored some fried cheese-wrapped hot dogs on a stick and a few more beers and had the time of our lives cheering for the Giants.
5 PM: Ueno Park
After trying and failing to find the jersey we were looking for, we walked to Ueno Park and looked around a bit. It was lovely, but we were exhausted and full of too many beers, so we headed back to Asakusa.
7 PM: Dinner in Asakusa
There was a festival all day around Shinso-ji and there were a ton of street vendors and day-drunk people when we arrived in the afternoon (as a native Louisianan, I approve) and it seemed like the partiers were going on into the night. We ducked into a restaurant for some buckwheat soba (never got the name, but it was only okay) and tucked in early.

Monday: Tsukiji Food Tour, Kapabashi Dougu, Akihabara

8 AM: 3-hour Tsukiji Food Tour + lunch
We started the day with a Tsukiji food tour, which ended up being my favorite food tour of the 3 by far. The guide was great, and we stopped by a dozen food stalls and sampled everything from mochi to fresh tuna to octopus cakes. We finished with lunch at Sushi Katsura, where our chef prepared everything in front of us.
12 PM: Imperial Palace, Don Quijote
We were planning to spend the afternoon exploring the Imperial Palace and Edo Castle Ruins, but it was hot and the palace was closed, so we walked to Taira no Masakado's Grave, then headed back to Asakusa for, you guessed it, Don Quijote. I did not intend for this trip to be “guess how many Don Quijotes I can visit” but here we are. We bought another suitcase and I filled it with food and gifts to bring home.
3 PM: Kappabashi Dougu
We walked Kappabashi Dougu and browsed kitchenwares while wishing we had a bigger kitchen, an unlimited budget and a way to get a hundred pounds of porcelain home in one piece.
6 PM: Akihabara dinner + games + drinks
We took the train to Akihabara, got dinner at Tsukada Nojo, then played games in a few arcades and ended the night at Game Bar A-button, which lets you play vintage handheld games while you drink.

Tuesday: Senso-ji, Flight

9 AM: Breakfast, Senso-ji
We got breakfast pancakes at Kohikan, then walked around Senso-ji and the surrounding shopping streets for a while.
12 PM: McDonald’s
Look, I couldn’t leave Japan without doing it, okay? I got the Teriyaki Chicken Burger (too sloppy and sweet) and bf got the Ebi Filet-O (he said it tasted exactly like a Filet-O-Fish). It was not great but I deserve that!
3 PM: Cab to the airport
I caught the flu on the flight home and have now been in bed for a week! Welcome back to America, baby.

I do Yoga to Chief Keef. I order iced matcha with no ice. I use Hello Kitty scissors to cut out my mole. I wash myself with Spiderman shampoo. I melt my left airpod in the dryer. I throw up at Starbucks. I take a shit in the secret toilet in the basement of Parsons. I try to kill my roommate. She’s a rat and that’s no insult but a fact. I have 97 cents in my bank account. I did not realize the rice was extra. I smell like Poison. By Dior. I bring a guy home, I lose my key. I shrug when he calls me crazy. I collect my plucked eyebrows. A bunch of them. Half bleached, half Black, like a garden of thorns in my plastic bag. I scan my boobs. My electricity gets cut off. I smear period blood on my lips. I sue my neighbor. I smell her piss through the door. I love being goofy, I prefer being strange. I sleep with no cushion and snore like a buzz saw. I order a new Macbook. They give me the wrong keyboard. I could complain, but I’m lazy. I hate to walk, I always sprint. I once joined a marathon on a whim. I was on crutches for 2 weeks. I ghosted my therapist, I owe her money. I replaced her with omegle. I miss him, so I call him. Then I block him. I sell a sweater on Vinted. I give it to a homeless man instead. I tell the buyer that I lost it. I sit in cafes and eavesdrop on boring people talking. They argue about their wedding invites. It’s almost comically disgusting. I go to the movies, I sit in the last row. I throw single popcorn sporadically into the air. I duck, when they stare. I apply to jobs I don’t want and cry when I don’t get them. I complain when I’m broke. I write essays for others. The grades are correlated to the cash. I hotbox my mothers’s bathroom. I let him eat my boogers. I call it love. I add two zeros to my 1%. That makes me a 100. I dye my dog’s hair blue. I match my own. I am swag on steroids embodied. Side effects included. I will crash, but make it suave. My friend tells me she feels like me for once “ Like a magnetic bull on dope”. I laugh, but I don’t think it's funny. Full Speed, I turn Chief Keef off. Pull up Beethoven. Let me get my Zen on.

Not lead, not recruit, but join. You’re not the Commander, you are a member of the squad. Ignoring the whole, no male Nikkes thing if you identify as such. I’m just curious. Going first, I’d want to be a part of Squad Cafe Sweety. I can’t drink coffee, but I love the aroma and coffee shop vibes, and I’d slap hot chocolate on the menu so fast I don’t even care. It’s all three menu items in one, minus the coffee but we ignore that bit. What about you?

I found lurking on this forum really useful for planning our trip, so thought I'd return the favour by posting about our trip here - with some extra tips for travelling as vegan or vegetarian! We just got back a few days ago and I'm already itching to go again. I think our interests generally align with what many people want when they go to Japan - nerdy stuff, food, temples and pretty locations. I hope the below is useful to someone, and happy to answer any questions (whether on food or just something we visited!).
**General tips:*\*
1) Learn some basic Japanese: I've seen this one come up quite a few times and can only echo it - while there certainly are Japanese people with excellent English skills, it will smooth the way so much more if you learn to speak some Japanese. Any attempts at Japanese were always met with a much friendlier response than tourists we saw speaking English, and it was especially helpful in the two ryokans we stayed at, where we had much more conversation with our hosts and they seemed much more comfortable communicating in Japanese (also we got some free apple jam!). Personally I taught myself from the basics because I had time/that's how my brain works (hiragana, katakana, then learning vocab + grammar) - but learning some modular phrases will help, e.g. '____ doko desu ka?' (where is ____?), '____ arimasu ka?' (is there ____?), and 'kore wa hitotsu/futatsu/mittsu o kudasai' (one/two/three of this please).
2) For dietary requirements, do your research and book in advance: There are quite a few helpful guides online for vegan diets, including the IG account 'tokyoveganguide', the website 'isitveganjapan' (https://isitveganjapan.com/food-on-the-go/507-2/), Vegewel (https://vegewel.com/en/area/) and some articles on matcha-jp (https://matcha-jp.com/en/7716). We ate really well while out and about and could pick up certain street snacks - but again, being able to communicate in Japanese helped a lot here (see tip 1). As you probably know, vegan diets aren't well understood in Japan, and they're often shocked to find out you won't eat fish OR fish-based dashi. I've mentioned some of the standout places we ate at below. At conbini/kiosks, plain rice and salted onigiri, as well as the salted ume (plum) onigiri are typically vegan. Mochi are also often a good bet, as are jelly sweets (tend to use agar rather than gelatin). It can be helpful to know the kanji for fish (魚), meat (肉) and eggs (卵). Milk products are often listed in katakana as cream (クリーム) or similar, but could be listed as cow's milk (牛乳). Translate apps can be helpful but it's about 50/50 helpful versus 'hilarious result'.
3) As a vegan, don't expect your western-style hotel to provide breakfast (but a ryokan will!): We generally found that big western style hotels just.. did not provide anything viable for breakfast. You might have been able to negotiate a bowl of plain rice and a piece of fruit, but ultimately we ended up eating breakfast elsewhere (but see tip 4!) and in the future I wouldn't bother opting in for breakfast unless I could verify with the hotel in advance that they had options. However, ryokans were very accommodating so long as you communicated with them in advance, and the two we stayed at provided a list of dietary requirements at the start of our stay that we could tick to indicate what we could eat.
4) Most coffee shops/food places won't open until 10am: It was a bit of a struggle to find places open early enough for us to have breakfast before heading out. We did bring a few cereal bars for this eventuality! But if you research you can find a few places that open at 7am (in Tokyo we went to Komeda Is in Ginza, in Kyoto, the IMU hotel).
5) Always have some cash: We didn't need a phenomenal amount of cash on our trip, although we were also not skimping on spending (we took out 70,000 yen, or about £400, and that was about right) - many taxis, shops and restaurants took cards if needed. However, cash-only purchases did pop up unexpectedly - for example, in one of our very nice upmarket hotels that 100% had a card reader, sending our luggage by takkyubin for some reason was a cash-only purchase. A lot of smaller shops and little cafes will take cash only. If you want to use a card, you can check at the till with the phrase "caa-do wa ii desu ka?" (is card ok?).
6) Be prepared to walk: I know this one is said a lot - it depends what you're used to. We did in the range of 15-30,000 steps a day, and I was fine with a pair of foldable ballet flats and a pair of Vans. However we did bring blister plasters and a blister stick just in case! We also found lots of fun little shops/places by simply walking instead of taking transport, so if you have time it's highly recommended. As you will see below, we broke up the two major destinations (Tokyo/Kyoto) with smaller, slower-paced places. That helped a lot!
7) Build in extra time for navigating public transport: Yea, you probably think you're used to big transit systems - we certainly did. However it's just not always clear which exit you want to get to or how to get there, especially if you're not familiar with the station and surrounding area. Whenever we were pressed for time (for example, when transferring to shinkansen or needing to grab snacks before getting a train) we looked up a map of the station first to plan our route. You probably already know this, but I promise you are NOT ready for Shinjuku station.
8) If you're worried about temple fatigue, collect goshuin: This has been written about extensively elsewhere although I'm happy to share my experiences. Goshuin are a stamp/calligraphy combination you can get at many temples and shrines. They're a very beautiful memento. You need a special accordion-style book (goshuincho) for them that you can buy in advance (I did) or at your first temple (usually 1200-2000 yen). Collecting a goshuin usually costs 300-500 yen and a couple of minutes of your time. You should only collect a goshuin after paying your respects at the temple. Generally the process is just to approach the desk (it's generally quite obvious, and there may be pictures of goshuin on the window of the booth - in some places you choose which one you want), and present your book with both hands, open to the relevant page, asking 'goshuin o onegaishimasu'. They might take your book and give you a number (in which case, you need to wait), or they might do the goshuin then and there - it depends on how busy the temple is.
9) You probably won't be able to check-n early: Of all the places we stayed, only one allowed us to check in before 3pm. However, you should be able to leave any bags with them - just be prepared! If you want to drop off your bags, you can say the following: "Nimotsu o azukatte mo ii desu ka?" (more or less: May we leave our luggage here?).
​
**Brief trip report:*\*
Day 0: We got our flight to Tokyo (14h). We flew Japan Airlines - the vegan meals were.. ok? But the snack was the infamous (iykyk) banana. Everyone else got an interesting snack, so it was sad to just have a banana. I would pack my own snacks next time!
Day 1: Land in Tokyo. Staying in the Ginza area. We got in to the airport relatively late (6pm) so we grabbed a snack locally once we got to our hotel (2foods Ginza) and went to sleep!
Day 2 Tokyo (~26,000 steps). Breakfast at Komeda Is, Ginza. Kokyo Gaien National Gardens (near to our hotel), then walk around the Yanaka Old District, bought some tea/crackers (often vegan but check), train to Asauksa to see Senso-Ji (there happened to be a festival on while we were there so it was packed, but I got a special goshuin!), then across to Akihabara. It started raining but was mostly ok as we were running from indoor shop to indoor shop. We had lunch at a shojin-ryori place in Akihabara station. In the evening we went on a vegan ramen tasting tour (highly recommended!) in Shibuya/Shinjuku.
Day 3 Tokyo (~25,000 steps). Breakfast at Komeda Is, Ginza. Then to Team Labs Planets (we had tickets for the earliest entry). Despite some of what I've read on here, we really enjoyed the experience (happy to say more if asked!). Then we headed across to Shibuya, wandered around, went to the Pokemon Centre and Nintendo store in Shibuya Parco, had lunch at Izakaya Masaka in the basement of Shibuya Parco (highly recommended) and headed over to Yoyogi Park, Meiji Jingu and walked up through Harajuku. We continued walking up through to Shinjuku and walked around there for a while, including going up the Tokyo Government Metropolitan building (free) for a view over Tokyo. We had dinner at Wired Bonbon.
Day 4 Yudanaka (~12,000 steps). We sent our bags via takkyubin to Kyoto, and then got the train over to Yudanaka (we had breakfast at Komeda Is again - honestly, great menu! and picked up onigiri in the train station for the train ride). At Yudanaka, we travelled over to the Snow Monkey Park, and then back to our ryokan to chill in the bookable private onsen. Our feet needed the rest! We stayed at Seifuso in Yudanaka, which was lovely and inexpensive - our host drove us over to the park (we got a bus back). The food was excellent.
Day 5 Nagano and Hida Furukawa (~11,000 steps). We travelled from Yudanaka through to Hida Furukawa, stopping off at Nagano on the way to visit the Zenko-Ji temple. For lunch we picked up oyaki from Irohado in Nagano, which were delicious (there are 3 shops - one in the station, one in a mall outside the station, and one by the temple)! By the time we got to Hida Furukawa it was relatively late, so we just had dinner. We stayed at one of the Iori Stay apartments, which provide dinnebreakfast (vegan if specified in advance).
Day 6 Hida Furukawa and Takayama (~15,000 steps). We went to Takayama in the morning to visit the markets and see a few temples, as well as pick up some traditional sashiko for my mother-in-law. Then in the afternoon we chilled and walked around Hida Furukawa (shrines, shops and so on) - we had lunch at Sobasho Nakaya in Hida Furukawa, which has clearly marked vegan options. A number of other traditional soba shops have vegan options. There was a little sweet shop near the main street with the koi carp that sold yam-based mochi-type sweets and had a full list of ingredients you could look at.
Day 7 Kyoto (~20,000 steps). We arrived in Kyoto at about 1pm (picked up onigiri and snacks on the journey), and walked from our hotel (located on Shijo Dori) to Nijo Castle and then to the Imperial Palace gardens. We had dinner in AWOMB Nishikiyamachi, which was excellent (sushi).
Day 8 Kyoto (~30,000 steps). For breakfast today we found out our hotel couldn't accommodate our diet (whoops) and we ate cereal bars and mochi from the nearby Life supermarket. We mostly stayed around the Gion area this day and visited a lot of the temples and shrines there - Yasaka Jinja, Kyomizyu-dera, Kodai-Ji (picked up some dango here), Kennin-Ji and others. There is a little bamboo forest at Kennin-Ji which is much quieter than Arashiyama and in my opinion, nicer. We ate lunch at Uno Yukiko (vegan and gluten-free ramen). We also went to the Pokemon Centre in Kyoto! In the evening we ate dinner at the IMU Hotel (you had to book via instagram), and then headed over to Fushimi Inari at night. It was very quiet and highly recommended. We walked up to the first viewing point where you can see across Kyoto (my phone registered this as about 40 floors).
Day 9 Kyoto (~25,000 steps). For breakfast we headed over to the IMU hotel who alternate Japanese/Western breakfast by day. It was only 1000 yen, and really good. In the morning we headed to Arashiyama, and did the usual - the bridge, the bamboo forest (it was fine, very busy even early on) - and had matcha shaved ice with mochi for lunch nearby. Very healthy..! In the early afternoon we had a calligraphy class. After that, we went to Kinkakuji, then slowly walked across to the Kyoto Imperial gardens, stopping off at shops and for coffee on the way. We had dinner at Kanga-An - our most expensive meal, but delicious. You have to book in advance.
Day 10 Hakone (~12,000 steps). We sent our bags by takkyubin to Tokyo. We had breakfast at the IMU hotel and then travelled over to Hakone. It was not a clear day but we saw about 2/3 of Mt Fuji out of the window (you need to be in seats D/E on the shinkansen). Based on conditions we decided not to go down to Lake Ashi. We went to the Open-Air museum which was honestly a lot of fun, then hung out in our amazing ryokan (Fukuzumiro). We had our own private onsen and I wish we had spent another night here! It was not a cheap stay but it was wonderful.
Day 11 Tokyo (~23,000 steps). We arrived in Tokyo at about 11am, and went to our hotel to drop off our backpacks - and were able to check in early! To note, this is the only time we could ever check in before 3pm, although we could always drop off our bags. We were in Ginza again, and had lunch at Ain Soph Ginza (expensive compared to everywhere else, but tasty - you must book, it's very small). We visited a little shrine and then walked to Hamarikyu gardens were we had matcha and wagashi in the tea house. Then we walked down to the Tokyo ToweZojo-Ji to have a look around. Finally we headed back to Shibuya to wrap up any shopping and sightseeing, have dinner at Izakaya Masaka (so good we went twice!) and then did a little karaoke at Joysound by the station - a great end to our trip. On our way back we stopped off at Don Quijote Ginza for any final bits.
Day 12 Fly home. Because of changes to flight paths, our flight home ended up being much earlier than it was when we originally booked (moved to 9am). So we couldn't do anything that day but go to the airport. We flew with Japan Airlines [edit - from Tokyo Haneda airport] and everyone can go into the Sakura Lounge who flies with them as long as you don't have a discounted fare - nice and quiet, with a few limited vegan options for food (pasta). The vegan meals on the flight back were much better than the flight there - our snack on the way back was a sandwich, much better than a banana!

I'm in the first draft stage and am having some difficulty getting some beta readers so I'm hoping for some input on just the first chapter. I know there's a lot of editing I'm gonna have to do so be as brutal as you can/ want, just as long as it's helpful criticism towards developing my writing style.
Alice Eye
Chapter One- Alone In The Rain
"Don't get in the way of humanity's future!"
A clash of swords race across a barren wasteland–
"Please! Let me save you!"
–Where two women face each other one last time.
"I can't be saved anymore! This is the only way! I won't let you stop me!"
One who has suffered and wants to belong.
"And I won't let you destroy yourself!"
And the other, who wished to heal a friend in need.
"I'm already lost!"
Unable to move forward as the darkness grows–
"As long as I'm still me, I won't stop trying to save you!"
–Yet a brilliant light burned, ready to stand beside it. It all began–
Two Years Ago….
BOOM! Thunder roared across the land as the light casts its shadow over one city; a city where the word impossible doesn't exist.
"It's been eight years since that day. The day the world became trapped in this endless rain and the day where a chain of unexplained deaths took place in our once, beautiful city. The police have no leads, scientific groups haven't discovered the cause behind the storm, and now, conspiracy theories and myths are rising."
September 1992, the eighth year where the sun's rays no longer reached off the coast of England; the Royal Quartet City.
"While the citizens have gotten used to the downpour, stranger things have been happening lately within the Dream District. A woman in a black cloak has been seen in children's rooms at midnight. Teen girls have been murdered with no signs of struggles. And recently, more sightings of odd, unexplainable creatures have been seen randomly throughout the area. Lastly, several witnesses have claimed to have seen the sun near a high-rise building. This is Wild Heart News, reporting in…"
CLICK.
"That's enough of that. I better get going. Second period is almost over."
Highschool student, Iris Blackheart, is getting herself ready for another rainy day as she finishes her breakfast and daily news. She looked in her dresser for some clothing and grabbed whatever was left; she smelled the clothes she grabbed "Wow these smell bad. I need to get some more clothes."
As she got dressed, she looked around her room, piled up dirty dishes, worn clothing all over the floor, and garbage bags along a wall.
"..... I'll get to it eventually." She sarcastically claimed as she walked towards the front door. She grabbed a purple zipper hoodie, an umbrella, and a small, silver bracelet with a heart shaped diamond embedded in the center. As she placed it on her wrist, her eyes became entranced as she thought of the day she first acquired it.
I can't believe it's been eight years since I got this thing! It's funny. It was also the last day the sun was out.
Iris looked at the clock as its arms moved and questioned what she was even leaving for. She knew she had school, but no one was there to make her go or tell her why she should go; she just felt she had to go. Looking around her room once more, Iris saw all the things that needed to be done, and wasn't up for doing it. She slapped her cheeks, rolled her head and shoulders as she loosened up, and left her apartment to go to school. She opened her umbrella as she took in the sight; the Dream district, one of the city's four major boroughs.
"Hurry up or we'll be in even more trouble!"
Iris quickly turned her head over to the hasty voice; her heart raced with excitement as the voice called to her.
Is someone really calling me?
Her gaze shot over to two adults. One was in a car telling the other to get in as he struggled to close his umbrella. The two drove off once he closed it as Iris stood there watching.
I should have known better. She let out a long sigh as she shut her front door. Iris looked at her umbrella and just threw it away, choosing to let the rain wash away the emotions she felt as she dragged herself towards her school.
Why is it always like this…
She passed by other adults running late to work, traffic workers trying their best to work in the rain, police constantly on the move to give the city a sense of security, even elders sitting by watching the sky; not one person paid her any mind as she walked. She tilted her head towards the cloudy sky as the downpour continued and muttered–
"I really wish this rain– would just wash me away already."
This city, which has long been waiting for release from the storm, lies two girls bound by fate.
SLAM!
"What was that? Who's there!"
"It's probably the rumored ghost again!"
"I thought it was only in the bathrooms!"
"Wasn't it supposed to be shaking the hallways?!"
"Forget this! I'm getting out of here!"
Several students were on their way to their next class but ran the moment Iris opened the front door of the school building.
Sigh… There they go again.
A teacher tried to calm the students down as they ran, however Iris stood in front of him.
"How about you help the student in front of you asshole?" She demanded, staring into his eyes, hoping he would scold her.
Please…
"Seriously kids, knock it off, stop running, and head right to class before you all get detention!"
The teacher chased after the other students leaving Iris behind in a now empty hallway. She dropped her bag, took a deep breath and screamed–
"STOP TREATING ME LIKE I DON'T EXIST!"
She waited for a moment to see if anyone, be it a teacher, a student, or even an animal would approach her to say or do anything to her; anything to be noticed.
RING!
The late bell went off and no one approached her.
"Whatever." She took off her sweater and started squeezing the water out onto the floor. She looked at the clock on the wall, "It's only the fourth period. Think I'll use their showers and dry off."
Why did I show up again? It's not like I'm learning anything here. Iris entered one of the school's shower rooms and changed out of her wet clothes when something caught her attention from the window.
"Is… is that– light?"
Across from Iris's school on a tall building, a golden light emanated.
"Is the sun really shining again?"
As she reached her hand out towards the light, it vanished. Did I imagine that just now?
She took one more glance around the area, but found no such light again. Unable to assert whether or not what she saw was real or not, Iris continued getting undressed, entered the shower and leaned against the wall as each droplet of hot water loosened the stress on her body.
I should enjoy this for a bit before the other girls arrive.
After thirty minutes passed, the doors opened and other girls started walking in to change as the current class ended.
"Why is the shower water on?" And here we go again.
"Don't tell me the ghost is in here now too."
"Maybe it was just a fluke! Let's just quickly shower and get out."
"I agree."
Iris walked out as the girls walked in. She dried herself off and went towards the lockers and saw a black and gold v neck shirt, short black ripped pants, and mix matched socks.
"Can I switch clothes with one of you? Mine smells a bit and they're wet." The girls continued to shower without saying anything to her. "I'll take that as a yes."
A little tight around my chest, but it'll do. She got dressed in the other girl's clothing, placed her wet clothes in the locker, leaned on a wall, waiting for them to get out and see if they noticed her. Now let's see if anyone cares.
The shower water turned off and the girls hastily walked over to the lockers.
"Huh… where are my clothes? Whose are these for? Ugh, they reek!"
"That stupid ghost steals clothing now!"
"Nowhere is safe in the school!"
Ugh, drama queens. Iris rolled her eyes, grabbed her bag, and walked out of the shower room causing them further confusion.
How much longer do they plan to keep this bullying up? Iris thought as she picked up her bag and walked the hallways of her school. For as long as she could recall, everyone in the city has treated her like she doesn't exist; no one acknowledged her presence. She couldn't grasp why anyone would treat her like she wasn't there and continued to ponder this as she arrived at her class. Before she walked inside, she took a deep breath, slapped her cheeks, and prepared herself for the bullies of her classroom. She opened the door so fast that a gust of air passed through the classroom.
"Not again!"
"Why is our classroom haunted?!"
"Is this going to happen for the rest of the year?!"
Yeah, yeah, shut up. Iris ignored their panic, quietly walking over to her desk and sat there waiting patiently to leave. The students were alarmed and panicked as the teacher made an attempt to settle them down. It was difficult to calm any of the students down as there were reports of teenagers being murdered by some invisible force; superstitions were rising as the victims increased. The teacher advised everyone to speak to each other for the remainder of the class and help calm one another down as tensions rose. Iris watched the class comfort one another and felt her chest tightened as her frustration over being ignored grew.
"Would anyone even care if I stopped coming? Even the teachers don't seem to care about me." Iris muttered to herself as her only form of communication.
"Sigh… you know what. I don't even know why I show up?!" Iris got up, threw her chair on the floor spooking the class even further and walked out. "Stupid classmates! Stupid teachers! Stupid school!" She kicked lockers, and yelled outside the classes, but nothing.
"Ugh… What do I have to do to get some attention around here?!"
"Shut up you whiny bitch!"
Iris heard a voice and immediately looked around to see who it was. Everyone was in a classroom, so who was it? Who acknowledged her?
"Where did that voice come from? Did someone hear me just now?" She searched the school looking everywhere she could think of; the gym, the lunchroom, the teacher's lounge, anywhere she could think of.
"Where? Where? Where?! Where?! WHERE?!" Soon her curiosity turned into desperation as she ran throughout every corner of the school. She wasn't sure if she was just hearing things or not, but all she knew was that she was tired of being alone for so long.
Whoever that was they have to be here somewhere. I—
RING!
Unfortunately, the final bell for school rang and just about everyone was leaving to go home. Tired from running around the school, she stopped and sat down against the wall of the hallways to catch her breath before trying again.
"So what should we try at the Cafe this time?" Iris looked up to other students chatting thinking it was directed at her.
"There's a new item on the menu that I want to try that is apparently to die for!"
"Oh, what's it called I want to try……."
Iris faced the ground as she held herself, sitting in her isolation. No one to hang out with. No one to comfort her. No one to ask her if she's okay. She tried her hardest to keep tears from flowing out of her eyes as she struggled to keep herself from breaking down.
Why? Why won't anyone see me? Why won't– anyone acknowledge me?
BANG! One of the students suddenly fell onto the ground as she struggled for air causing the students to panic; however…
Are you serious?! Iris trembled as she wiped the tears from her eyes to see if she was seeing things; she wasn't. What is that?!
Over the student was a skinny humanoid creature that wore a tattered cloak and seemed to have multiple hands wrapped around parts of its body. It had one of its hands inside the girl's mouth as it attempted to pull something out of her.
What the hell is it doing?! And why is no one reacting to it? Her heart began to beat faster than her trembling as she looked on in horror. The class started screaming in fear as the student began to cough up blood.
I need to get out of here!
Iris felt her whole body become as light as a feather as she immediately stood up in an attempt to run; the creature instantly turned to her. Iris completely froze in both mind and body. She was so afraid that she even stopped breathing as if anything would set it off. The creature walked towards her pulling something out of the student causing her death. As the class yelled in fear and agony, Iris stood there unable to move as her skin froze up in the presence of the creature slowly approaching her. Something finally acknowledged her existence, and she was far too afraid to even think of why it was happening now.
"Found you!"
Iris and the creature turned towards the voice and saw an oddly dressed rabbit. The creature immediately fled from the rabbit giving Iris a chance to reclaim herself. She fell to the ground struggling to breathe as if someone was strangling her.
(HUFF, HUFF, HUFF!) What the hell was that?! And why is no one reacting to this?! As she's gasping for air, Iris sees the rabbit leave after the creature and tries to follow it. She got up and attempted to follow, however she caught a glimpse of the student dead on the floor with her eyes pointed at her as if she could see her.
Don't, don't look at me as if you could finally see me. A tear ran down Iris's face for her fallen classmate. Whether it was because she was sad that she was possibly acknowledged after someone died or if she wished it was her that died to escape her isolation, she didn't know. All she knew was that something was out there that only she could see and that meant there could be a way to make people see her again is what she thought no matter how unreasonable a thought it may be. She ran looking for the two creatures and heard a loud sound coming from the nearby restroom.
Okay. I'm close. Need to calm myself before I see, whatever that thing was.
Iris stopped moving, closed her eyes for a moment, placed her hand on her bracelet, and headed over to investigate. She stopped again.
This is stupid. No matter how I look at it, this is stupid. What am I hoping to find?
Iris stood for a moment, listening to nearby sirens approaching the school.
After what I saw, stopping now would be crazy right?
She carried on and reached the area where the sound was loudest; the boy's bathroom. Iris stood there for a moment, embarrassed by the idea of entering a room for the opposite gender.
Okay, so I might be curious, but not that curious. It's the boy's bathroom, what if one of them is peeing or…
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Multiple loud sounds came from the room again and again. Do I go in? Or do I turn around and pretend I saw nothing? Iris paced back and forth contemplating what choice to make.
"Screw it! If it were a boy in the same situation he'd go into the girl's bathroom without second guessing it! I'm doing this for gender equality!" She yelled, hardening her resolve as she nervously walked in and saw something unbelievable; a black hole lodged into the ground.
I… I must be dreaming. This can't be real. Can it?
Iris was unable to determine the thing in front of her. And yet, she felt drawn to it as if something called to her. Before she could even attempt to comprehend what was happening, she was already through the hole. She felt her body was changing, becoming, something… free. Free of all her worries. Free of isolation. Free of reality. Her vision went dark and then, like magic, she was standing somewhere far away from her school. In front of her were several abandoned, run-down apartment complexes ranging from roughly six to twelve stories tall floating on rocks and connected by train tracks.
This place looks like it's been abandoned for decades. Even the ground looks like it's been through an earthquake or two….. Somehow, this place seems familiar…
She looked at her hand and saw the rain water slip right through her as if she were a ghost.
So— this really doesn't help with my "I don't exist" anxiety. Where am I? Iris started walking towards the nearest apartment building when she suddenly heard a voice.
"How the fuck did this slut get here?!"
Iris was completely thrown off by the random words thrown in her direction and immediately sought the voice.
Where is that voice? I've heard that voice before. Iris looked and saw the oddly dressed rabbit from before. Iris grabbed the rabbit who didn't even bother to try to escape and immediately inspected it from head to toe.
"Is there like a radio or voice box attached to this thing?" She said curiously. Iris looked it in the eyes, "No way was this cute little thing the source of the voice! It's a bunny!"
SLAM!
Iris was flipped onto the ground with zero time to react. She was completely dumbfounded and tried to get the words to comprehend what happened until the rabbit got on top of her.
"Touch me like that again with your slutty hands and I will bury you like my liquor on a Saturday morning." The rabbit commanded.
Iris couldn't process or find logic in what was happening. Where was she? Why is there a talking rabbit? Why is it a bitch? Iris had too many questions on her mind.
CRACK!
Iris heard a building crack and quickly looked to see an abandoned apartment complex breaking down in front of her. She saw the cracks intensify and saw the creature from earlier get blown out of the building. She quickly moved away to avoid the creature.
"What is that thing?!" Iris asked, but the rabbit quickly ran towards the building as a person began to walk out of it. Golden light emanated from the building and only grew brighter.
What's happening?
Iris tried to look as best as she could until someone came into clear view. A petite, teen girl in a dark blue jacket with glowing golden long hair had Iris in awe of her unique appearance. She pulled out a red curved sword with a rose shaped handle on it and a clock embedded in the center of the rose.
"Abby– Clock in."
The rabbit was drawn into the clock as the needle turned and a strong golden light glowed from the sword. She took a stance, readying her blade, and prepared to battle the creature. It removed its cloak, unleashed its other four arms that were surrounding its body, and lounged at the girl. The girl is pushed back into the building as their battle carries through the floors. Iris could hear the sounds of their attacks rise slowly getting quieter as she thought of whether she should follow them or not.
"I don't know what's happening, but I can't sit here and wait to see what happens. I walked through the weird hole, I'm going to see this through to the end!"
Iris ran into the building, ran up the stairs, and looked for the girl and the creature. As she got closer to the top, she stopped hearing any sort of loud sounds.
Is it, is it over? Iris felt concerned now that she was at the door to the rooftop. Who won? The girl or the creature? If the creature won, Iris would be her next target. But if the girl won, what happens next?
I– I can't stand here and wait for something to happen.
She grabbed the door handle with hands drenched in sweat and uncontrollable shaking of fear from the unknown; whatever happens next, nothing would be the same for her.

Please use this thread to ask any questions you have about the game. Please search though the comments section as your question may have been answered already or through the search bar.

General Resources

• General Database - Good for seeing Stats of Students, Drop Rate, Raid Stats
• Gameplay Help Overview - Great for New Players
• Min-Turn Stage Guide - Text Version, Japanese Website
• Min-Turn Stage Guide - YouTube Video Version
• PvP Guide -
• Raid Guide - More in-depth description on each Raid's Mechanics
• Raid Character Guide - Recommended Students for each Raid
• Unique Equipment Guide - More detailed stats number for Equipment
• Upcoming Banners
• Student Skill Level Up Priority - More in-depth guide for Student's skill level up
• Midokuni's Student Insights - General Overview of Students
• Global Event
• Gameplay Overview (Legacy Content)
• Upcoming Banners (Legacy Content)

REMINDER: Bind your account!

Please remember to bind your accounts and take note of your UID, member code, server location, and any information related to your account (e.g. amount spent, student roster, etc). If anything happens to your account (e.g. losing access, unauthorized access), you will need to provide as much info as you can to Nexon's customer support email. Guest accounts that are unbound will be extremely difficult to recover, perhaps impossible.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

[01] When does the server reset?
For global, dailies reset at 19:00 UTC and weeklies reset on Sunday.
[02] Should I re-roll this account?
This will depend on your priorities with PvE, PvP, or both, but you can generally see the “ideal” units as Iori, Hibiki, and Tsubaki for most content, while Shun and Haruna are great for PvP.
[03] Who should I spend my elephs on? Who should I mystic unlock?
At the start, prioritize spending your blank elephs on getting Serina to 2-star for the increased healing stat, Tsubaki to 3-star for the extra tankiness when she is reloading. It is generally advised not to spend your elephs on increasing characters to 4-star and 5-star ratings, since there is only a stat increase and the amount of elephs needed is quite high.
[04] What do my support students’ stats do?
Aside from increasing the stats of their own skills, support students will provide additional stat boosts to your striker team. The specific increase(s) can be viewed by clicking on “Support” on the right side of the team formation screen.
[05] What should I buy in the shop?

• Credit Shop - Buy out the bottom row of materials, then the first two tiers of enhancement stones as needed. Feel free to buy the higher tiers of enhancement stones if you feel that you have an excess of credits, which is very common.
• Eligma - This will depend on you, can reference question [03].
• Total Assault (raid) - Prioritize Maki’s elephs (until you unlock her) and save the rest of your currency for future updates that will add more low-rarity students to the shop, meaning you can unlock mystic for them without spending your eligma. You can also purchase the skill discs/blu-rays depending on your needs.
• Tactical Challenge (PvP) - Buy out the energy drinks as needed (warning: they are instantly consumed, they won’t be moved to your inventory). Many suggest to save these for events in order to buy drinks, refresh the shop, and repeat.

[06] What does the “leader” position do?
This is purely cosmetic, as it changes which student’s chibi shows up on the map.
[07] What benefits are there to joining a club?

• 10 AP are given daily and deposited automatically on teacher's mailbox, upon checking in.
• A maximum of two assistant can be set for Total Assault and Joint Firing Drill respectively.

1. Students assigned to assist with TA cannot also be selected to assist with JFD.
2. 20 credits are rewarded every minute by setting assistants.
3. The specific unit that is borrowed can be only used once a day.
4. There's a fee of 40,000 credits, when borrowing a assistant student.
5. The donor receives 50,000 credits instead; even though the fee is 40,000 credits.
6. The fee can only be received 20 times a day.

• It can be unlocked after clearing Mission 3 Act 4

[08] How does the pity system work?
You need to pull, at a minimum, 200 times in order to get 200 recruitment points that are redeemed for the character you want. The recruitment point system does not carry over from banner to banner, it is only shared between banners that are concurrently running.
[09] Why can’t I find my friend’s club?
While the servers’ updates are separated from JP and global, the global servers are separated further into smaller divisions. You need to be on the same server as your friend, which you can check from the home screen: top-right menu button > account > version info. The server must be the same.
[10] When is X banner coming? Should I save for X student?
We never know for sure, due to the fact that global servers are on an accelerated schedule compared to JP. Please refer to this guide for some more info.
[11] Should I use Pyroxenes to refill my AP?
If you want to prioritize progression, the first three daily refills are decently valuable, this is because the Pyroxene cost of refilling will increase for every three refills. If you are focused on character collection or future banners, you should be saving your Pyroxenes.
[12] Why can’t I buy X student’s eleph in the shop?
You can only buy elephs of students you own.
[13] What should I craft?
At the start, prioritize crafting cafe furniture until your comfort is maxed out, then students’ gifts, then whichever upgrade materials you need. The crafting system is the only way to get furniture and gifts at the moment.
[14] What is the “Anniversary” in account settings?
This is your birthday, used for characters to wish you happy birthday.
[15] When will the beginner guide missions for Nonomi end?
This is a permanent addition, so feel free to take your time with the tasks.
[16] What is the best place to farm EXP?
You can run any map to farm EXP, as the EXP gain is equal to the amount of AP spent (i.e. 10 AP spent = 10 EXP gained). You should be looking at the stages that drop the equipment upgrade materials that you need.
[17] What is the “Secret Tech Sheet” in the Total Assault shop?
This is used to upgrade a student’s (non-EX) skill to level 10.
[18] Is it worth doing a raid if I can’t pass X difficulty level?
It is always more efficient to clear the highest difficulty you can finish instead of failing/forfeiting a higher difficulty.
[19] Can I claim the Limited Students through exchanging Expert Permits? How often does the Expert Permit shop resets?
You cannot get the limited students via this method. You will still need to pull for them. There's no specific mentioned but it's expected to be monthly.

OthePast Megathreads

• Daily Questions
• Weekly Club Recruitment
• Weekly Kivotos Lounge
• Weekly Storytelling Plaza
• Technical Issues

Please have patience with other members of the community and be as polite as possible. Everyone has to start somewhere!

When looking for non-vegetarian dining options in San Jose that offer good value for money, there are several restaurants worth considering. Here are some recommendations:
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Falafel Drive-In: While primarily known for their falafel, Falafel Drive-In also serves tasty non-vegetarian options such as chicken kebabs and gyro sandwiches at affordable prices.
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Bill's Cafe: Bill's Cafe is a popular breakfast and brunch spot with multiple locations in San Jose. They offer a range of non-vegetarian options, including omelets, breakfast burritos, and chicken-fried steak.
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La Victoria Taqueria: La Victoria Taqueria is a local favorite for Mexican cuisine, serving up delicious tacos, burritos, and quesadillas with various non-vegetarian fillings like grilled chicken, carne asada, and al pastor.
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Iguanas: Iguanas is a casual Mexican restaurant that offers a wide selection of affordable non-vegetarian dishes, including fajitas, enchiladas, and shrimp cocktails.
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Smoking Pig BBQ Company: If you're craving barbecue, Smoking Pig BBQ Company is a popular choice. They serve a range of smoked meats, including ribs, pulled pork, and brisket, along with tasty sides like mac and cheese and coleslaw.
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Sam's Bar-B-Que: Sam's Bar-B-Que is another well-known barbecue joint in San Jose. They offer an array of smoked meats and traditional sides at reasonable prices.
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Taqueria Eduardo: Taqueria Eduardo is a no-frills taqueria that serves authentic Mexican food at affordable prices. Their menu includes tacos, burritos, and tortas with various non-vegetarian fillings.
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Remember to check the current operating hours and availability of dine-in or takeout options for these restaurants, as they may be subject to change. Additionally, reading reviews or seeking recommendations from locals can help you make an informed choice based on your preferences.

A friend and I went out for lunch to a cafe. They had a dish that came with pork sausages. The kids menu had a chicken sausage option. I requested to the waitress if we could swap since my friend (non-muslim) does not eat pork.
The waitress kept saying that was a kids menu item and it wasn’t allowed as an option.
As someone who has worked in F&B, there are often times we had food that expired or weren’t sold. It also seemed like a simple switch. I also felt making this one change was not going to trigger a bunch of customers asking the same if it was an inventory concern.
Is this something you’d ask to speak to the manager to make this request? Or would you let it be? (They did not serve chicken sausages as an optional extra either.)
Thanks.

A friend and I went out for lunch to a cafe. They had a dish that came with pork sausages. The kids menu had a chicken sausage option. I requested to the waitress if we could swap since my friend (non-muslim) does not eat pork.
The waitress kept saying that was a kids menu item and it wasn’t allowed as an option.
As someone who has worked in F&B, there are often times we had food that expired or weren’t sold. It also seemed like a simple switch. I also felt making this one change was not going to trigger a bunch of customers asking the same if it was an inventory concern.
Is this something you’d ask to speak to the manager to make this request? Or would you let it be? (They did not serve chicken sausages as an optional extra either.)
Thanks.

This, Bnayan Tree Cafe is the newest tribute to Maximum City’s past. This is inside of a 140-year-old former ize factory and is the component of the experimental art space. Ample natural light is provided by floor to ceiling windows and overhead skylights, and every table has a view of the art spaces and the towering banyan tree that stands above it. Along with steaming mugs of Dope Coffee, the vast menu offers a variety of healthy plates and comfort foods.

Samples and decants
📣 CALLING ALL CURIOUS NOSES 📣
🛑 EDIT: Carded/Uncarded Samples SOLD
⭐️⭐️EDIT: Sens Unique boxes ARE still available!
✨Sens Unique Curated Boxes (6)
War and Peace: Pierre Guillaume Paris – L’Eau Guerriere Carner Barcelona – Megalium Parfums MDCI – Cuir Cavalier Beaufort London – Vi Et Armis Attache-Moi – It Was a Time That Was a Time Noeme Paris – Divi Part
Oud: Ex Idolo – Thirty three Plume Impression – Duallite Magnifique Alexandre J – the Majestic Oud Maison Incens – Oud Deneii Parfums MDCI – Cuir Garamante Pierre Guillaume Paris – Sorong
Clean Scents: Pierre Guillaume Paris – Intime.Extime Jul Et Mad – Revelo Parfums MDCI – La Surprise Phaedon Paris – L’Eau de Phaedon Alexandre J – The Majestic Musk Etat Libre D’Orange – The Ghost in the Shell
The Sky: Ojar – Ciel D’Orage 1907 – Fatamorgana Rubini – Nuvolari Pierre Guillaume Paris – Jangala Snyoko – Une Ile Pluvieuse Dusita – Anamcara
Jewellery Art: Puredistance – Rubikona Etat Libre D’Orange – Yes I Do Alexandre J – Silver Ombre Les Indemodables – Iris Perle Pierre Guillaume Paris – Metal Hurlant Jacques Fath – L’Oree Du Bois
Modern Classics: 1907 – Genevieve Escentric Molecules – Escentric 02 Maison Incens – Neroli Animalis Pierre Guillaume Paris – Itabaia Plume Impression – Art Nouveau Dusita – La Douceur Du Siam
I have collected many, MANY samples of fragrances over the past year or two, and it is time for me to pass them along to the next curious nose.
PS. Sorry for the incredibly unfortunate shadow my phone cast over the 4160 samples FML
I have carded and un-carded samples, as well as 6 curated Sens Unique themed niche sample boxes.
I will combine BOTH the carded and un-carded groups for a total of $140 shipped CONUS from TX. It would be hugely convenient for me to ship everything together so you get a big ole discount! The Sens Unique boxes are $20 each shipped CONUS from TX.
✨Uncarded - full set $115 shipped CONUS (99 samples by my count, but I’ll find something else to throw in to get it to an even 100 for you)
Mix of official and decanted samples and decants varying levels in each, some are larger than average like 3-4mls, some are just a few sprays, and the majority are mostly full standard size 2ml bottles✨
4160 Tuesdays (22)
Drive Them Wild Dancing With Strangers Honey Jasmine Karma Dark Queen Freeway Cherry Who? Oakmossery Creamy Vanilla Crumble Sleep Knot Goodbye Piccadilly Take Me To The River Saltburn Driftwood Eau My Soul Sunshine and Pancakes Coulda Illusion Redchurch Flora Psychadelica Scenthusiasm White Queen Truth Beauty Freedom Love Burnt Cedar Rainbow Dove Shazam!
Montale (4) Sweet Flowers Intense Cafe Day Dreams Rose Elixir
Angelos Creations Olfactives (3) Salon Dt Angeliki Grace D’Orient
Floraiku (3) My Shadow On The Wall Sound of a Ricochet I Am Coming Home
Louis Vuitton (2) California Dream Afternoon Swim
Anjali (2) Tiger Bright Himalayan Dawn
Serge Lutens (2) Bapteme du Feu Chergui
Ex Nihilo (2) Viper Green French Affair
Etat Libre D’Orange (2) I am Trash Tilda Swinton Like This
Guerlain (2) Joyeuse Tuberose Lui
Rogue Perfumery (2) Vetifleur Derviche 2
Les Indemodables (2) Fougere Emeraude Iris Perle
Miscellaneous (29) Penhaligons - Halfeti Leather DS & Durga - St. Vetyver Dior - Diorissimo Ferragamo Tuscan Soul - La Commedia Initio - Musk Therapy Cartier - Carat Profumum Roma - Eccelso Mizensir - Cologne de Figuier Amouage - Crimson Rock Frederic Malle - Superstitious Madison Gabriella Chieffo - Lattedoro Profumo Di Firenzi - Fico Imaginary Authors - Every Storm a Serenade Argos - Adonis Awakens Laboratorio Olfattivo - Kashnoir Teo Cabanal - Je Ne Sais Quoi Le Lebo - Neroli 36 Carthusia - Via Camerelle Robert Piguet - Petit Fracas YSL - Lavallier Costume National - 21 Christian Dior - Leather Oud Histoires de Parfum - Outrecuidant Bond No 9 - I Love New York Marriage Equality Ellis Brooklyn - Bee La Fleur by Livvy - Fleur d’Aspiration Hiram Green - Lustre Nose - Awake Jorum Studio - Fantosmia
✨Carded - carded set $55 shipped CONUS✨ (22 samples by my count)
Dusita (2) Le Sillage Blanc Fleur de Lalita
Carthusia (3) Corallium Mediterraneo Terra Mia
Jo Malone (3) Midnight Musk & Amber Wood Sage & Sea Salt Peony & Blush Suede
Mind Games (3) Caissa Grand Master Double Attack
Miscellaneous (11) Mizensir - For Your Love Parfums De Marly - Greenley Bulgari - Eau Parfumée Creed - Windflowers Louis Vuitton - California Dream Clive Christian - Crab Apple Blossom Guerlain - Oud Nude Hermes - Un Jardin A Cythere Tuttotondo - Mirto YSL - Libre Intense Initio - Paragon

Tried them a few months ago, flat white coffee was nice, the cafe space is nice and open.
They did not have any tea options 🥺, charged price of coffee for a cup of milk. Some cafes charge 8-10 aed which I fair but charging 20-25 aed for milk is not nice. Staff was very nice, owner probably needs to give the option and also put tea on the menu.
Infinite Passion Coffee https://maps.app.goo.gl/yCvZJnCG52Vh5X6c9?g_st=ic

Please use this thread to ask any questions you have about the game. Please search though the comments section as your question may have been answered already or through the search bar.

General Resources

• General Database - Good for seeing Stats of Students, Drop Rate, Raid Stats
• Gameplay Help Overview - Great for New Players
• Min-Turn Stage Guide - Text Version, Japanese Website
• Min-Turn Stage Guide - YouTube Video Version
• PvP Guide -
• Raid Guide - More in-depth description on each Raid's Mechanics
• Raid Character Guide - Recommended Students for each Raid
• Unique Equipment Guide - More detailed stats number for Equipment
• Upcoming Banners
• Student Skill Level Up Priority - More in-depth guide for Student's skill level up
• Midokuni's Student Insights - General Overview of Students
• Global Event
• Gameplay Overview (Legacy Content)
• Upcoming Banners (Legacy Content)

REMINDER: Bind your account!

Please remember to bind your accounts and take note of your UID, member code, server location, and any information related to your account (e.g. amount spent, student roster, etc). If anything happens to your account (e.g. losing access, unauthorized access), you will need to provide as much info as you can to Nexon's customer support email. Guest accounts that are unbound will be extremely difficult to recover, perhaps impossible.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

[01] When does the server reset?
For global, dailies reset at 19:00 UTC and weeklies reset on Sunday.
[02] Should I re-roll this account?
This will depend on your priorities with PvE, PvP, or both, but you can generally see the “ideal” units as Iori, Hibiki, and Tsubaki for most content, while Shun and Haruna are great for PvP.
[03] Who should I spend my elephs on? Who should I mystic unlock?
At the start, prioritize spending your blank elephs on getting Serina to 2-star for the increased healing stat, Tsubaki to 3-star for the extra tankiness when she is reloading. It is generally advised not to spend your elephs on increasing characters to 4-star and 5-star ratings, since there is only a stat increase and the amount of elephs needed is quite high.
[04] What do my support students’ stats do?
Aside from increasing the stats of their own skills, support students will provide additional stat boosts to your striker team. The specific increase(s) can be viewed by clicking on “Support” on the right side of the team formation screen.
[05] What should I buy in the shop?

• Credit Shop - Buy out the bottom row of materials, then the first two tiers of enhancement stones as needed. Feel free to buy the higher tiers of enhancement stones if you feel that you have an excess of credits, which is very common.
• Eligma - This will depend on you, can reference question [03].
• Total Assault (raid) - Prioritize Maki’s elephs (until you unlock her) and save the rest of your currency for future updates that will add more low-rarity students to the shop, meaning you can unlock mystic for them without spending your eligma. You can also purchase the skill discs/blu-rays depending on your needs.
• Tactical Challenge (PvP) - Buy out the energy drinks as needed (warning: they are instantly consumed, they won’t be moved to your inventory). Many suggest to save these for events in order to buy drinks, refresh the shop, and repeat.

[06] What does the “leader” position do?
This is purely cosmetic, as it changes which student’s chibi shows up on the map.
[07] What benefits are there to joining a club?

• 10 AP are given daily and deposited automatically on teacher's mailbox, upon checking in.
• A maximum of two assistant can be set for Total Assault and Joint Firing Drill respectively.

1. Students assigned to assist with TA cannot also be selected to assist with JFD.
2. 20 credits are rewarded every minute by setting assistants.
3. The specific unit that is borrowed can be only used once a day.
4. There's a fee of 40,000 credits, when borrowing a assistant student.
5. The donor receives 50,000 credits instead; even though the fee is 40,000 credits.
6. The fee can only be received 20 times a day.

• It can be unlocked after clearing Mission 3 Act 4

[08] How does the pity system work?
You need to pull, at a minimum, 200 times in order to get 200 recruitment points that are redeemed for the character you want. The recruitment point system does not carry over from banner to banner, it is only shared between banners that are concurrently running.
[09] Why can’t I find my friend’s club?
While the servers’ updates are separated from JP and global, the global servers are separated further into smaller divisions. You need to be on the same server as your friend, which you can check from the home screen: top-right menu button > account > version info. The server must be the same.
[10] When is X banner coming? Should I save for X student?
We never know for sure, due to the fact that global servers are on an accelerated schedule compared to JP. Please refer to this guide for some more info.
[11] Should I use Pyroxenes to refill my AP?
If you want to prioritize progression, the first three daily refills are decently valuable, this is because the Pyroxene cost of refilling will increase for every three refills. If you are focused on character collection or future banners, you should be saving your Pyroxenes.
[12] Why can’t I buy X student’s eleph in the shop?
You can only buy elephs of students you own.
[13] What should I craft?
At the start, prioritize crafting cafe furniture until your comfort is maxed out, then students’ gifts, then whichever upgrade materials you need. The crafting system is the only way to get furniture and gifts at the moment.
[14] What is the “Anniversary” in account settings?
This is your birthday, used for characters to wish you happy birthday.
[15] When will the beginner guide missions for Nonomi end?
This is a permanent addition, so feel free to take your time with the tasks.
[16] What is the best place to farm EXP?
You can run any map to farm EXP, as the EXP gain is equal to the amount of AP spent (i.e. 10 AP spent = 10 EXP gained). You should be looking at the stages that drop the equipment upgrade materials that you need.
[17] What is the “Secret Tech Sheet” in the Total Assault shop?
This is used to upgrade a student’s (non-EX) skill to level 10.
[18] Is it worth doing a raid if I can’t pass X difficulty level?
It is always more efficient to clear the highest difficulty you can finish instead of failing/forfeiting a higher difficulty.
[19] Can I claim the Limited Students through exchanging Expert Permits? How often does the Expert Permit shop resets?
You cannot get the limited students via this method. You will still need to pull for them. There's no specific mentioned but it's expected to be monthly.

OthePast Megathreads

• Daily Questions
• Weekly Club Recruitment
• Weekly Kivotos Lounge
• Weekly Storytelling Plaza
• Technical Issues

Please have patience with other members of the community and be as polite as possible. Everyone has to start somewhere!

To kick off Chevy Chase Inn’s 90th Anniversary Celebration, the Budweiser Clydesdales parade up and down the 800 block of Euclid Avenue in Lexington starting at 5 p.m. May 31. https://news.yahoo.com/see-budweiser-clydesdales-close-chevy-110000177.html
See the Budweiser Clydesdales up close at Chevy Chase Inn’s 90th anniversary celebration
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BTW, if you are hungry after a beer and bourbon at CCI, there are 18 eateries within a 5 minute walk. I believe this Chevy Chase Plaza area at Euclid+High Street might be the most walkable and diverse food haven in Lexington.
Athenian Grill - https://atheniangrill.com/?page\_id=68
Bear & The Butcher - https://www.bearandthebutcher.com/menu-food
Bella Cafe and Grille - https://bellacafeandgrille.com/
Bourbon n’ Toulouse - http://www.ilovecajun.com/menu.html
Brevede Coffee Shop - https://www.brevedecoffee.com/
Charlie Brown's Restaurant - https://www.cblexington.com
Domino’s Pizza - https://pizza.dominos.com/kentucky/lexington/801-euclid-ave/
Graeter's Ice Cream - https://www.graeters.com
Joella's Hot Chicken - https://joellas.com/menu-all.php
Josie's Restaurant - http://www.josiesky.com/locations/lexington
McAlister's Deli - https://www.mcalistersdeli.com/menu
Oasis Mediterranean Restaurant - https://www.oasisrestaurant.org
Omakase Sushi & Sake Bar - https://www.omakaselex.com
Papi's Mexican Restaurant and Bar - https://www.papislex.com/newpage
Parlor Donuts - https://www.parlordoughnuts.com/menu
Puccini’s Pizza - https://www.puccinispizzapasta.com
Sage Rabbit - https://www.thesagerabbit.com
Starbucks - https://www.starbucks.com/menu

Hey everyone!
This sub was a great resource for preparing for my big Euro trip, so I wanted to drop this post as a round up for great gluten free places I visited!
PARIS
Patisseries:
Copains - fully GF bakery, amazing selection here and super friendly staff, everything I had here was delicious (and I tried way too much)
NoGlu - while my least favorite of the bakeries, NoGlu offers lunch as well, so getting a traditional ham and emmental sandwich on their baguette was a great treat. As far as their straight up baked goods though, they were noticeably GF as compared to others in town
Le Pont Traverse - this little coffee shop is operated by NoGlu and serves baked goods from their bakery. It was super close to my hotel, so we started pretty much every day here. The smoked salmon bagel was especially good
Chambelland - while it was a close race with Copains, this was my favorite of the bakeries. I legitimately couldn't tell their eclair was gluten free
Dinners:
Brasserie Les Deux Palais - this is probably the only really "tourist trap" place we went, but we were hoping to walk along the Seine around sunset one night, and this brasserie by Sainte Chapelle was just the right location. It's definitely overpriced, but if you're looking for the traditional tourist brasserie experience while gluten free, this is a reliable stop
Le P'Tit Troquet - traditional French cooking, small restaurant with an even smaller menu, but gf adjustments available for most menu items and friendly about making the changes needed
Le Saotico - this little bistro was packed with locals when we arrived, which is always a good sign. The owners are a couple and the wife has Celiac, so she is quick to assure you that you are in good hands. They make some amazing duck and had great GF dessert options
Boutary - shout out u/MagneticPerry for this recommendation because this was THE BEST MEAL of our whole trip. A caviar-centric tasting menu, tailored around my GF request, with some of the most delightful waitstaff I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. A true 10 out of 10 experience
NICE
Taverne Messena - this place was a godsend when we arrived to Nice at 11pm one night. They stay open until 1 am and have a special menu labelled with allergens
Pop-O-Thyme - we ate lunch twice at this little crepe spot, traditional GF buckwheat crepes can be made with almost any of their fillings, and the GF crepes are made in a separate area than the others
La Rotonde - this is the mid-budget option for dining at the historic Le Negresco resort in Nice, with the Prix Fixe menu coming in around 65 euros a person. Your GF options are a little limited on the prix fixe menu, but everything I had was delicious, and they brought out warm GF rolls that were amazing. Dinner here also gets you access to the historic hotel, which is normally reserved for guests, so make sure to check out the incredible bar as well
GiGi Tavola - Someone told us the GF pizza at GiGi Tavola rivaled any GF pizza in Italy, which I was very skeptical of, but after having spent a week in Italy I have to agree. This is the best GF crust I have ever had. Make sure to make a reservation here, and if you're a craft cocktail person, ask about the speakeasy when you pay the check
At this point in my trip, we crossed over into Italy, and here I am happy to confirm everything you've heard about being gluten free in Italy is 100% true. People are super friendly and super knowledgable, almost every restaurant has their allergen info handy, and the AIC (Italian Celiac Association) awards a seal of approval to restaurants that can the facilities and know-how to assure food safety for people with Celiac.
GENOA
I Tre Merli - we had a stopover night in Genoa and wanted some seafood. I Tre Merli is AIC certified and sits out on the port, so we figured it was a good pick. All the seafood was fresh and delicious, and they offer several gluten free pasta options to accompany any of their sauces. I had some incredible GF seafood gnocchi here
McDonalds - yep, I tried the Italian GF burger. It is exactly what you expect: a frozen double cheeseburger that's been microwaved to order and served to you still sealed in plastic. But it's safe, convenient, and a Scharr bun is gonna be delicious no matter what. It makes me so mad no one in the States can offer something that is this simultaneously convenient and safe.
FLORENCE
Hostaria Il Desco - another AIC certified spot, this one offering more upscale pastas. We got truffle bruschetta on GF bread and chinghiale pasta (wild boar, a local delicacy). This place was a healthy mix of locals and tourists, which for Florence is saying a lot, as it was flooded with American college kids the whole time we were there
Sgrano - a very popular lunch spot in Florence serves giant sandwiches prepared inside an entire loaf of focaccia, and Sgrano is directly across the street offering a GF version. These sandwiches are gigantic and filled with incredible Italian meats and cheeses. I highly recommend you split a sandwich, I had one to myself at lunch and couldn't eat for the rest of the day
Cafe Del Teatro Niccolini - this cafe offers several different gluten free croissants, store and prepared separately in the back, and is a convenient grab-and-go espresso and a pastry spot
Grom - no matter where you go in Italy you'll probably find Grom gelato. They started as a dedicated GF gelateria and got big enough to be bought out by Unilever, so they are all over the place now. While many gelaterias in Italy are knowledgable enough to be very safe about scooping your GF order, it's nice to have dedicated GF flavors and cones at places like Grom
ROME
Taliani Pastries Cafe - I had read this place wasn't fully GF before going, so I was expecting a limited GF selection, but they actually have much more GF options than non-GF. The pastries were huge and delicious and reasonably priced, the staff even threw in some little tarts for free since they were close to closing.
Pizza in Trevi - at just a few steps away from the Trevi fountain, this place is filled with tourists, but it's AIC certified and has a unique buckwheat GF pizza crust that gives it a great flavor. Despite the crowds rushing in and out, they give gluten free diners a separate placemat and bring all the gf food out on separate dishes to insure safety
Mercato Hostaria - after sitting down here and opening the menu I realized this must be the more upscale sister restaurant to Pizza in Trevi, although the surroundings here are completely different. Instead of the cramped crowds of Trevi, this restaurants sits out on a quiet piazza, but they follow the same AIC safety protocols. All their pasta sauces can be served on fresh in-house GF pasta, and everything we had here was delicious
Mama Eat Lab - there are several Mama Eat locations around Rome offering GF comfort foods (think a lot of breaded and deep-fried options), but Mama Eat Lab in Vatican City is a smaller, dedicated GF location. The pizza here was probably the least impressive of my trip, but the pasta is delicious, and they make these like breaded, deep-fried mashed potato logs that are incredible
I hope some of this was helpful for any of you planning travel, and for anyone out there with travel-anxiety due to our dietary needs, I just want to assure you that France and especially Italy are excellent places to be! I felt more safe there than many of the places I travel in the US.

I spent 2 weeks traveling through Japan - Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and I'm writing this for those who are thinking about visiting. To preface, I did travel with a friend but spent a lot of time on my own. I'll cover as much as possible.
Pre-Trip
I booked a flight with American Airlines / Delta Airlines for $590 round-trip three months before departing.
I flew out of Los Angeles to Tokyo (Haneda). The trip started on February 9 and ended on February 20. I booked my accommodation before arriving in Japan. I used Hostelworld and Agoda. More about the hostels and hotels I booked are below.
COVID Screening and Visa information for US Citizens only
During the time I visited, Japan still required visitors to be fully vaccinated and have a pre-screening for arrival. First I had to do a pre-screening for American Airlines on VeriFly (please do this a day before checking in at the airport if so). Then, save yourself time and use Visit Japan Web (http://vjw-lp.digital.go.jp/en/) and do the pre-screening requirements a couple of days before departure.
When you land in Tokyo, immediately after deplaning, swaths of airport personnel ask if you have the screener filled out and ready to go. If you don’t, they put you to the side and ask you to fill it out using the airport’s wifi. It takes time and you still have to go through customs after.
Visas for US citizens is a free, 3-month visa if I recall correctly. Bring your COVID vaccination card just in case they ask for it.
Tech/Phone
I took my iPhone 14 Pro (unlocked) and connected buying Ubigi 10gb data plan. Do this before flying to Japan. When you land, you can activate your data plan directly on your phone. I didn’t get pocket wifi as the Ubigi worked perfectly.
Download the Ubigi app. They give instructions but please follow them.
Apps that I used:
Google Maps: you can download offline maps.
Google Translate: Use this everywhere you go. You can use the camera feature and it can translate Japanese to English really great. It saved me a lot of hassle when ordering at restaurants.
Currency Converter
You might want to download a VPN if you want to use Netflix and such. Express VPN is one I’d recommend.
Money/Currency
I took my Charles Schwab debit card and a backup Chase credit card/Chase debit card. Surprisingly, a lot of stores in Japan are cash-heavy; especially small shops and restaurants. My budget for the trip was $2000 with flights included.
Hostels and hotels were around $20-35 USD. Food prices were about $7-$20 a meal. It can get really expensive if you eat at fine dining restaurants. That being said, I stuck to eating mostly at hole-in-the-wall establishments where no English was spoken. Believe me when I say that the best ramen I ever had was only $7 USD. More on what restaurants I recommend are down below. If you really want to save money, don’t buy alcohol.
A solid budget for me was $60-$80 per day without lodging expenses. Some days, I only spent $40 which was all food (I spare no expense for food), then some days I went over because I bought cool souvenirs for myself and some excursions were pricey. You can visit Japan for less but I didn’t want to money pinch myself because I was only there for 2 weeks.
Transportation
I love Japan for this reason. So here’s my take: If you are visiting Japan for exactly 14 days; get the JR Pass on Klook. You buy this a month before departing your home country. For me, Klook delivered it about a week after I bought it over Mail. You could buy either a 7, 14, or 21-day JR pass so I would recommend planning a trip that matches these exact number of days to get the most out of your money.
Now imagine you’re in Japan. It is your first day officially visiting…go to a JR Pass office at any major train station and ask them to redeem your pass. They will ask for the paper ticket that arrived in the mail to your home and they will ask for your passport. After they verify that it is you, they will give you a small ticket which will be your JR pass. DO NOT LOSE THIS! I believe they will not replace it. On how to use it, check out this video.
Now to navigate, I used a combination of Google Maps and Apple Maps to get around. Use whichever one is more comfortable for you. These 2 apps are really exceptional at mapping out the best routes and the times trains depart. Note: the JR Pass only works for JR rail lines! Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka all have their own subways and train lines with their own payment system. More on this…
So the best way to get around the city is using a Suica card. These are sold virtually at any train station. If you can't find it, ask a train station attendant and say “Suica?”. They point you in the right direction.
A Suica card can be refilled unlimited times and can be used for any rail lines (JR included, but not for Bullet Trains). It is used by tapping at the turnstiles to enter the rails and at any vending machine in Japan! Also at arcades! It is a total mindblower haha Also in Tokyo, some hostels or hotels have a 3-day subway pass for cheap.
Bullet Trains - You can use the Shinkansen bullet trains if you have the JR Pass. Make an important note: You can only ride the Hikari or Sakura trains with your JR Pass. The Nozomi and Mizuho are reserved seating and cost extra because they have fewer stops. If they catch you using these rail lines, they will ask you to get off the next stop or worse, fine you and report you. To see Mount Fuji from Tokyo to Kyoto/Osaka, sit on the right side of the train (right side of the direction it is going). Use Google Maps and Apple Maps to pinpoint when to look out the window.
Food
I usually ate sandwiches and pastries from 7-Eleven in the morning or whenever I needed to pack a lunch. It was a great way to save cash and the food was delicious. High-quality foods and snacks.
As I said earlier, I really spare no expense for good, big meals. I save money at 7-Eleven so I can go all out for lunch and dinner. My go-to meal was usually ramen because it was so damn good. I tried a lot of foods. I’ll try and remember which ones I ate: - Ramen - Okonomiyaki - Unagi - Katsu Curry - Taiyaki - Tempura - Japanese cheesecake - Macha ice cream - Macha waffles - Onigiri - And a lot of different ice creams, confectionary snacks - McDonald’s - please try lol they have interesting combinations
Pack List
I used a 40-liter Osprey backpack.
1 scarf
1 beanie
2 cotton t-shirts
2 thermal polyester long-sleeve shirts (Odor resistant)
2 pairs of joggers
1 pair of Nike thermal leggings
8 pairs of Nike Dri-Fit boxers (lost 1)
4 pairs of ankle socks
3 pairs of Darn Tough Merino wool blend socks (Highly recommend, Odor resistant)
1 parka
1 pair of Adidas Ultraboost shoes
1 Hershel toiletries bag
2 Forge cable combination locks
External battery pack (13000 mAh)
Bose QC-25 noise-canceling headphones
Over the course of the trip, I bought a much-needed 30L Patagonia day backpack
I don’t sweat heavily so I re-wore my shirts, the Merino wool blend socks, and joggers. I did my laundry maybe once or twice at the hostels. It was freezing at the time I went, so I usually layered up when temperatures were lower than usual.
Safety
I am a 6'1" (1.85 m) male with a light brown complexion. I felt safe most of my time there. I think it was the safest country I have ever been to. Some Japanese people are known to be racist but I didn’t experience it. So I wouldn’t worry about it.
Itinerary/Activities
Feb 9 Day 1 Tokyo Feb 10 Day 2 Tokyo Feb 11 Day 3 Tokyo (Day Trip to Odiaba/Yokohama) Feb 12 Day 4 Osaka Feb 13 Day 5 Osaka (Day Trip to Hime-ji Castle/Kobe) Feb 14 Day 6 Osaka (Day Trip to Nara) Feb 15 Day 7 Kyoto Feb 16 Day 8 Kyoto Feb 17 Day 9 Kyoto Feb 18 Day 10 Tokyo Feb 19 Day 11 Tokyo Feb 20 Day 12 Tokyo (Fly Out)
I will put a star (*) next to anything that I highly recommend! 2 stars are for more emphasis! I will list the accommodation first, then activities, and then bars/restaurants.
Tokyo - 3 Nights (Asakusa + Akihabara + Odaiba + Yokohama)
Lodging: Sakura Hostel Asakusa
Activities: *Tokyo National Museum, *Senso-ji Temple, Kaminarimon Gate, Nakamise-dori Street, *Sengaku-ji Temple, Hirose Entertainment Yard arcade, Animate Akihabara, **Mandarake Complex Akihabara, Tsukiji Outer Fish Market, TeamLabs Odaiba, Gundam Yokohama, NISMO Museum Yokohama, Nissan Headquarters Yokohama
Restaurants/Bars: Fuji Ramen Asakusa, Asakusa Unana, *Naruto Taiyaki, *Koyangi Asakusa, *Ouzakura Ramen Yokohama
Took a Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka
Osaka - 3 Nights (Kobe + Nara)
Lodging: Backstage Osaka Hostel
Activities: *Hime-ji Castle, *Kaiyukan Aquarium, Dontonbori, Shinsekai, Round 1 Stadium (arcade), *Nunobiki Waterfall Kobe, *Todai-ji Temple, *Nara Park, Kasuga Taisha Temple, Gilco Sign
Restaurants/Bars: *Wakakusa Curry Nara, *Nakatanidou Nara, *cafe CROCO Nara, Fanny Mae Bar Osaka, Rikuro’s Namba Main Branch, PC and Retro Bar Space Station, Bible Club Bar Osaka, Untitled karaoke bar next to Rock Bar Cherry Bomb lol, Takoyaki Wanaka Sennichimae Osaka, Sushi Dokoro Kuromonsuehiro Osaka, *Dotombori Ichiaki Osaka, *Hamamoto Coffee Himeji, Tairku Ramen Kobe
Took a Shinkansen bullet train from Osaka to Kyoto
Kyoto - 3 Nights (Day Trip to Uji)
Lodging: **Gojo Guesthouse
Activities: Otagi Nembutsu-ji Temple, Adashino Mayumura (closed when I arrived early), Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, *Tenryu-ji Temple, Togetsukyo Bridge, *Nishiki Market, *pocoapoco Record Store, Super Milk Record Store, *Fushimi Inari Taisha Temple Complex, *Byodo-In Temple Restaurants/Bars: *comorebi Ramen House, 茶室 tea room Uji, *Gion Duck Noodles, 自家製麺 うどん 讃式
Took a Shinkansen bullet train from Kyoto to Tokyo - Saw a glimpse of Mount Fuji :’)
Tokyo - 2 Nights (Shinjuku + Shibuya + Akihabara)
Lodging: **Capsule Hotel Anshin Oyado Shinjuku Station (Males Only)
Activities: Tower Records Shinjuku, Disk Union Shinjuku, Mandarake Complex Shibuya, Nakano Broadway, Tokyo Dome for Red Hot Chili Peppers concert, *Shibuya Sky at Night, Tokyu Hands Shop
Restaurants/Bars: Ramen Kaijin, Shakey’s, McDonald’s, Ichiran Nakano
Tips, Advice, and Bonus Stuff!

1. Goes without saying but please respect the local customs.
   
2. Please learn how to say “Thank You” in Japanese! Just learning and using “Arigato” anywhere you go will make you seem like you care and respect everyone. Nothing was more embarrassing than watching an American say “thank you” to a Japanese person.
   
3. Plan to do the major tourist attractions early in the morning. You will get nice pictures without any tourists and you’ll sometimes get the whole temple complex to yourself. The staff will also be more friendly and willing to chat with you. I usually aim to be at temples around 7:00 when they open.
   
4. Use Google Translate for everything! You can have full conversations with friendly Japanese people when using the conversation feature on the app! Use the camera feature to translate Kanji at restaurants that do not offer an English menu.
   
5. Get a Ubigi data plan, I bought 10GB and it had good service anywhere I went. Get more GB if you plan on staying longer.
   
6. I ate at 7-Eleven most of the time when I was too lazy or tired to go out. The 7-Elevens here in Japan are nothing like the ones in the US. Expect to find high-quality sandwiches, Onigiri, and more Japanese snacks.
   
7. Shop at supermarkets near the end of the day (1 hour before closing) and they usually mark down prepped meals half-off or at a discounted price! If you really on a budget, this can help you to save a ton of money and still get a taste of the local cuisine.
   
8. If you need to buy random stuff like clothes, bags, or toiletries; go shop at any Don Quijote or Tokyu Hands department store. They have other shops too that are great to find cool stuff.
   
9. Use Google Translate to translate English to Kanji (Japanese) and use Kanji to find restaurants that are hidden because they don’t use English words. For example, if you want to find the best ramen place, search “拉麺” and you’ll find hidden gems with 5-star reviews!
   
10. The best souvenir I brought back myself was a Goshuincho. These are “honorable stamp/seal book” used by people visiting shrines or temples. If you want more info, google this! I highly recommend doing this!
    

If you have any questions, comment below or send a DM. Peace!

Delhi, the bustling capital of India, is a food lover's paradise. With its diverse culinary scene and rich gastronomic heritage, the city offers a plethora of options for every palate. From street food to fine dining, Delhi has it all. If you're a foodie looking to explore the best places to eat in Delhi, here are some must-visit establishments that will tantalise your taste buds.

1. Best Kebabs in Delhi: No food journey in Delhi is complete without savouring the delectable kebabs the city has to offer. Khan Chacha, located in Select CityWalk, is a legendary eatery known for its melt-in-your-mouth kebabs. The succulent Galouti Kebabs and the flavorful Seekh Kebabs are absolute must-tries. Another iconic spot is Al Jawahar, renowned for its fragrant and perfectly spiced kebabs. From the aromatic Boti Kebabs to the juicy Tandoori Chicken, every dish here is a delight.
2. Tim Hortons: If you're craving a taste of Canada while in Delhi, head to Tim Hortons. This famous Canadian coffee chain has made its mark in the city with its delectable doughnuts, freshly brewed coffee, and savoury sandwiches. Whether you're looking for a quick breakfast bite or a cosy spot to unwind, Tim Hortons offers a warm and inviting ambience to enjoy their delicious offerings.
3. Sly Granny Cafe: Tucked away in the heart of South Delhi, Sly Granny Cafe is a hidden gem loved by locals and visitors alike. This quirky eatery combines vintage decor with a modern twist and serves up an array of innovative dishes. From their mouthwatering Truffle Oil Mushroom Risotto to the indulgent Banoffee Pie, every item on the menu is a work of art. Don't forget to try their signature cocktails, crafted with precision and creativity.
4. SIP FACTORY Juicery Cafe & Milkshakes: For health-conscious foodies or those seeking a refreshing break from the city's heat, SIP FACTORY Juicery Cafe & Milkshakes is a must-visit. This vibrant cafe specialises in a wide range of cold-pressed juices, smoothies, and nutritious bowls. Their menu features an extensive selection of superfoods and fresh ingredients, ensuring a wholesome and revitalising experience.
5. Street Food Delights: No foodie's guide to Delhi would be complete without mentioning the city's street food scene. Chandni Chowk, the bustling market in Old Delhi, is a haven for street food lovers. Indulge in the mouthwatering delights of Paranthe Wali Gali, where you'll find an assortment of stuffed parathas bursting with flavours. Treat your taste buds to the iconic Daulat Ki Chaat, a delicate and frothy dessert that is unique to Delhi. And don't forget to savour the tangy Gol Gappas and the spicy Aloo Tikki at the famous street food stalls.

Delhi is a melting pot of culinary traditions, and these are just a few of the many amazing dining options the city has to offer. Whether you're craving traditional Indian cuisine or seeking global flavours, Delhi's food scene will leave you spoilt for choice. So, embark on a gastronomic adventure and discover the best places to eat in Delhi, indulging in the rich tapestry of flavours that the city has to offer.

Hi Everyone
I'm planning to visit Japan from India for 10 days- October 7-17 2023.
The itinerary I made is from my love towards anime, Japanese culture, food and electronics.
Please note-
- The sequence of the places are from morning to evening- The locations are picked according to my likes and interests
Constructive criticism and recommendations are welcomed.

Day 1 Tokyo-

• Chuo City- Tsukiji Market- Early morning for fresh street food and knife stores
• Toshima City- Kitkat Chocolatory- AFAIK the only place which has Variety Party pack (multiple flavours in one pack)
• Shibuya- Parco Building- Anime shopping- Jump Shop, Pokemon Center, Nintendo Store & Chaos Kitchen- for Ramen
• Shibuya- Hachiko Statue- if you want to
• Don Quijote- A good place to shop for souvenirs the SHibuya one has the biggest collection
• Shinjuku- Tokyo Govt Metropolitan Building (46 Floor, Observation Deck, Free of charge)
• Shinjuku Toho building-- Godzilla head- you can travel up to see the head up close
• Golden Gai- For affordable food and drinks. Recommendation- Death Match in Hell for drinks
• Omoide Yokocho- Good alternate to Golden Gai
• Hub British Pub- For good music and drinks

Day 2 Tokyo-

• Shibuya- Meijijingu Shrine 6 AM ¥500 YEN entry fee. Get Goshuin stamp and Omikuji fortune (payable extra)
• Shibuya- Anakuma Cafe where a bear paw serves you takeaway coffee
• Yokohama- Nissin Cup Noodle Museum- Tuesday Closed, ¥500 for admission and ¥500 for Custom Noodle Cup creation
• Yokohama- Gundam Factory to see the life sized moving Gundam. More info
• Shibuya- Shibuya Scramble Square- Shibuya Sky and bar. Best enjoyed at night. ¥2000 entry free. buy ticket online
• Shibuya- Baia Club for nightlife

Day 3 Tokyo-

• Bunkyo City- Nezu Shrine 9:30 AM entry time
• Excelsior Cafe (Multiple locations). Famous for Cremia Ice cream
• Odaiba- TeamLab Planets- A must go. Book ticket here
• Odaiba- Small world Miniature museum
• Odaiba- Aqua City- Joy Polis indoor amusement park
• Odaiba- Aqua City- Ramen Kokukigan (multiple ramen place)
• Odaiba- Poop museum if you want o have a different experience
• Odaiba- Fuji TV Building (Observation Deck and Ground Floor has Jump Shop for anime related shopping)
• Odaiba- Diver City- Unicorn Gundam. Timing
• Shinjuku/Shibuya- Monkeycart for go karting across cities in Tokyo (Starts at ¥14000). More info. You'll need International Driving Permit for this.

Day 4 Mt Fuji-

• Take bus till Mishima Station
• Explore Hakone region
• Visit Koyodai Observatory for good view

Day 5 Kyoto-

• Fushimi inari- Shrine opens at 6AM
• Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple
• Arashiyama- Bamboo forest
• Kinkakuli (Golden Temple)
• Ninenzaka street- Machiya Starbucks- Famous for its traditional architechtural design
• Yasaka Pagoda

Day 6 Kyoto-

• Nishiki Market- Opens at 9.30AM, famous for street food
• Kichi Kichi Omurice- Made famous by a flambouyant chef. Book here
• Nanzen-ji Temple (Stone temple)
• Pontocho- Happy Stand bar, good place to have beer and they let you scribble on the table
• Macha House for their tasty Matchiya Tiramisu and Parfait
• Ten, Higashiyama, Kyoto- for great coffee

Day 7 Osaka-

• Uncle Rikoru Cheesecake- for jiggly cheesecake
• Visit more than 40 of Osaka's famous tourist attractions for free, as well as unlimited rides on buses and subways. Purchase an Osaka Amazing Pass to enjoy the following and more places. Osaka castle, Umeda sky building, Hep 5 ferris wheel and more
• Dotonbori- for street food and nightlife

Day 8 Osaka to Nara and Back-

• Nara+Wakayama
• Todai-ji Temple, Nara Park to see Bowing deer
• Kuromon Market (less crowded, more spacious)
• Shinsekai market in evening

Day 9 Back to Tokyo- Shopping in Akihabara

• Keeping shopping for last days so that one doesn't need to pull heavy luggage while travelling
• Good places to shop Anime stuff- Animate, Mandarake (lower ground floor has good manga collection, Radio Kaikan-Ami Ami, Yellow Submarine )
• Good Places to shop for electronics- Yodobashi Camera and Bic Camera
• Good places to shop for souvenirs- Don Quijote, Can do (¥100 Shop), 3 coins+ (¥100 Shop), Watts, Daiso (¥100 Shop)

Day 10 Tokyo-

• Book hotel which is closer to train stations so that you can reach NRT or HND on time.
• Gotokuji Temple- Cat temple
• Asahi Sky room
• Benitsuru pancakes
• Tokyo Sky tree

Few tips-

• Purchase JR Pass only if you are making ling trips. Post October 2023, prices will hike by almost 125%
• JR pass can be used within 3 months from the date of purchase
• Affordable Food can be purchased from Konbini's like 7 Eleven, Lawsons and Family Mart.
• If you are planning to stay in Tokyo and travel a lot, purchasing a Tokyo Subway Ticket makes sense. As you will save a lot of money in train/subway fare
• SUICA/PASMO card can be purchased from the airports
• Rental pocket Wi-fi or SIM cards can be purchased from Airport.
• Important medicine if needed, click here
• Use Japan Travel app along with Google Maps for accurate journeys.

For those who prefer a savory breakfast, the menu offers delectable skillets. These hearty dishes are packed with a medley of ingredients like potatoes, sausage, onions, peppers, and melted cheese, creating a flavorful and satisfying breakfast experience.
If you're in the mood for a little taste of everything, their breakfast sampler is the way to go Kekes Breakfast Cafe Menu. It includes a sampling of eggs, pancakes or French toast, bacon or sausage, and toast or biscuits, providing a variety of flavors in one delicious plate.