OUR FIRST TRIP TO ASIA
We arrived in Tokyo after a 13 hour flight and were very confused about what time it was!
We navigated to our hotel in Shibuya, and checked into our hotel with a QR code. We stayed in a more residential area called Hatagaya, which was quiet and quaint. We were starving, so we found our first meal in a small sushi restaurant. It was amazing.
The first night we couldn’t sleep, so we decided to go back out to get some food. We went to Ichiran ramen, which was a great experience because each individual gets their own booths, you write your order upfront and a mysterious pair of hands pushes you a bowl of ramen back from behind a curtain.
We wandered around the streets of Shibuya and enjoyed the scenery before it got busy, even though no shops were open yet. We made our way to the tokyo starbucks reserve, a beautiful coffee shop with giant copper roasting vats, each floor containing a different specialty of espressos, teas, and brews. This was a great break from walking, and they sell their special reserve coffee.
We spent the first day walking around to different shops, including the Uniqlo in Harajuku and Shimokitazawa, the heart of Tokyo’s second hand / vintage shopping.
The next day, we had a slow morning where we visited the local coffee shop. The man who prepared our order obviously took pride in his work, and we admired watching him take his time to make an expertly brewed coffee and perfectly sliced egg salad. It was like watching an artist at work, and it was one of the highlights of the whole trip.
After breakfast, we went to the Sensō-ji temple where we walked down the street filled with street vendors, food and trinkets. While it was crowded, everyone was very polite and respectful. We found many gifts for our friends and family here
Our favorite meal on this day was the conveyor belt sushi, which we would recommend to anyone who is visiting tokyo. For about $1 per plate, we stuffed ourselves with some of the best sushi we had the whole trip so far.
After spending a few days in Tokyo, we took the bullet train to Osaka and saw mt. Fuji on the way
Osaka was very quiet in comparison to Tokyo. The highlight in this area was Dotonbori, a huge area where street food was plentiful and delicious. We stuffed ourselves with takoyaki (octopus balls,) cheese pastries and other savory snacks as we walked and took in the local sights.
We spent the next day shopping again, and as we neared the afternoon slump, we looked around and found a mini pig cafe, where we rented a private room for $20 to spend 30 minutes with little baby pigs. They were so cute, and at the same time we got to rest our legs. This was one of the highlights of the trip because they were so sweet to spend time with.
Other highlights of this stretch of the trip were the pastries from Greenbriar bakery, where we ate cream-filled pastries and drank tea, as well as the Okonomiyaki, and egg cabbage pancake which is a specialty of the region.
We also spent a few days visiting seoul, Korea, which we thoroughly enjoyed. We also went to one of the famous street food areas, where we ate soft fish cakes, tiny baby crabs, roasted nuts, dried squid, and blood sausages. We also, of course, had korean bbq.
After Korea we flew back to Japan, this time we are visiting Yokohama. This city was upscale, and classy. The shopping and stores were further apart from each other, but the taxi rates were much cheaper. It was fun to explore but we came here primarily to go fishing.
The fishing in Japan is very diverse. We only chose to do two days of fishing this trip so we could have the opportunity to explore Japan to the fullest experience we could. Food, local culture, shopping and experience of the city are important to us.
We went to a huge tackle shop that sold everything from new/used rods and reels, to every kind of lure you have ever imagined and more! This store in particular sold so much fishing gear it made my head spin. I didn’t get a chance to shop long enough but I did get to pick up the lures and gear I needed for the next couple days of fishing.
Overall, I purchased a ton of lures, and interesting products I’ve never seen before so I can make content back here in the states.
Let’s get Fishing!
Day 1 fishing- we went out on a bottom fishing charter boat- we chose to fish on the famous Marujyu-Maruboat. This boat specializes in catching smaller krill eating fish because these fish contain less mercury and are generally healthier to eat than big predator fish.
A major reason we chose this boat is because we could catch a diverse amount of fish that we could keep to enjoy as a sashimi/sushi experience. This charter was made famous by the crew of 3 young and energetic sisters. They work as a wonderful team and it is so entertaining to watch them work with 4 inch nails on! We used small krill on small hooks, dropped down 100 feet. The creatures you catch at that depth are so beautiful, and unlike any fish we have ever caught.
The reels we were using were arguably one of the most interesting parts of the fishing here. It is all electric and helps you reel in your catch at variable speeds. Certainly saves your arm from being dead after fishing all day!
Amadai is the main fish we were targeting, it has wonderful sweet and flaky, white meat.
Fugu is a rare catch! People often pay 500$ for this fish at restaurants.
Sea robins here look like butterflies!
Mackerels are also a common catch.
After fishing we took the fish to a sushi restaurant where the master chef taught us how to prepare the fish for sashimi and sushi. We even got the experience of a lifetime and learned how to filet a whole tuna!
Here is the location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ibEHwvHjSpxh3TWG9
The next day, we chose to do more sports fishing. Good thing I travel with my Hey Skipper travel rod, I brought all my own gear and skipped the rental fees. The catch and release trophy fish here in Yokohama and Tokyo bay is the Suzuki fish- AKA- the Japanese sea bass. It is a really aggressive and strong fighting fish, similar to a snook or a striped bass. We actually fished for them in a very similar way. I found the charter online and booked him before our trip. We started the day by using live bait in the middle of the bay looking for huge trophy sized sea bass, unfortunately no luck. So we moved on to fishing the sides of big cargo boats. We used soft paddle tails and blade baits to target feeding sea bass. The trick here was to pitch the bait as close as you can to the boat, let it sink down to the bottom, and quickly jig the lure up along the side of the boat. This mimicked the small baitfish running away from the seabass. We literally saw the bass chasing our lures and watched them slam our paddle tails right in front of our eyes. These fish hit like a train, jump out of the water and then take off straight down as if they were running back down to the bottom of the ocean. You have to be careful not to fight them too hard and let the reel drag system work the fish, because the hooks seem to rip out of their soft mouths if you fight them too hard. It’s a real game of give and take.
This experience was way more adrenaline filled than the bottom fishing the day before. Unfortunately we don’t eat these fish because the water in Tokyo bay is too polluted. Regardless, this was a wonderful day of fishing because it was nonstop action.
This experience was way more adrenaline filled than the bottom fishing the day before. Unfortunately we don’t eat these fish because the water in Tokyo bay is too polluted. Regardless, this was a wonderful day of fishing because it was nonstop action.
(10 Day Itinerary)
Tokyo, Japan- 3 days
Osaka, Japan- 2 days
Seoul, Korea- 2 days
Yokohama, Japan -3 days
HOTELS
We stayed in 4- 5 star hotels so that we were well-rested and ready to adventure every day. Sleep is very important especially when the time zone is 13 hours difference.
Tokyo Hotel:
Luana Shibuya
Lux Apartment complex
$76/night
https://maps.app.goo.gl/KSCvu2xF5MFhABVs7
Osaka Hotel:
HOTEL RESOL TRINITY OSAKA
4 Star Hotel
$95/ night
https://maps.app.goo.gl/GVrQRf9fRKPJuVJU9
Korea Hotel:
9 Brick Hotel
4-5 star Hotel
$92/ night
https://maps.app.goo.gl/EQ74As6VBf4ERZZ57
Yokohama Hotel:
Mitsui Garden Hotel Yokohama
5 star hotel
$102/ Night
NOTEWORTHY FOOD / PLACES TO GO
Tokyo:
Shimokitazawa- The heart of Tokyos second hand/ vintage shopping
Harijuku- Fashion/clothes shopping and people watching
Sensō-ji Temple — street filled with vendors, food and trinkets
Ramen — we loved Ichiran
Conveyor belt sushi- Kura Revolving Sushi Bar
Starbucks Reserve
Osaka:
Orange Street- Shopping for clothes and fun cafes/spots to eat
Dotonbori- Nighttime Food market
Takoyaki balls- (Octopus Ball)
Okonomiyaki- Japanese savory egg/cabage/noodle pancakes
Hokkaido soft serve ice cream
Greenbriar bakery– cream-filled pastries and tea
Mini Pig Cafe
Korea:
Hongdae— Area for street food and shopping
Eco Jardin– excellent scalp analysis and treatment
Myeongdong — night time market where you can eat fun foods
Yokohama:
Sushi Izakaya
Master Sushi Chef!
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ibEHwvHjSpxh3TWG9
Fishing Charter:
Marujyu-Maru– Deep drop, electric reel fishing for sashimi/sushi dinner
Seabass Charter- Trophy catch and release fishing for Japanese Sea Bass
D Marina
2-49-11 Higashi-Kanagawa, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama
Phone: 045(461)1062
Noteworthy Tackle Shops:
World Sports (Yokohama Kohoku Store)
https://castingnet.jp/shop/shop.php?s=8
Tackle Berry- Famous chain store that sells used tackle and gear
These are everywhere just do a search on google maps and find your closest store.
Wagyu Steak BBQ:
Wagyu Yakiniku Koan Yokohamakannai
https://maps.app.goo.gl/nDWTT1cVM1vDyvYG9
Shounan Pancake Yokohama Minatomirai
Fluffy Souffle Pancakes
https://maps.app.goo.gl/nDWTT1cVM1vDyvYG9
Red Brick Warehouse
Shopping- Historic building with hundreds of boutique shops- perfect for gifts
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