TIKIKITI – Spatial Journeys in Japan

At Mifuneyama Rakuen Hotel in Saga, I found teamLab installations woven into the hotel itself, a spacious traditional room, a standout sauna, and a leisurely dinner and breakfast that made the stay feel full from check-in to checkout.

After a short rest, I headed to teamLab’s seasonal exhibition “A Forest Where Gods Live” at the neighboring Mifuneyama Rakuen. Spread across dark garden paths, old hotel structures, and illuminated natural scenery, it was an immersive nighttime experience that required both the app and sturdy shoes.

After checking out of the hotel, I returned to Mifuneyama Rakuen for a daytime walk and found a completely different atmosphere from the illuminated garden I had seen the night before.

After a short rest at my hotel, I headed out into Fukuoka and made my way to Canal City, a place I had admired since childhood. On this second visit, I was struck again by its dramatic waterside setting and stayed to watch the Canal Aqua Panorama show, “Imagination.”

Before flying out from Haneda, I stopped at BEER CAFE+ for a quick, light lunch and chose iced tea over the café’s signature beer.

After arriving in Fukuoka, I headed straight to Cross Life Hakata Tenjin and spent the night in an adjoining room. From the art-filled interiors to the large public bath and a busy breakfast the next morning, it was a short but memorable stay.

I stayed at Hotel MiraCosta during a DisneySea trip and got to enjoy the full experience, from a digitally seamless check-in and a Venice-themed room to breakfast at Oceano and a relaxing visit to Terme Venezia.

Before heading home, I warmed up at Sennin-buro, stopped by Tsuruya once more, and even tried the free footbath on the platform at Kamisuwa Station. Here’s what I picked up at the supermarket to bring a little Shinshu flavor back with me.

After warming up over curry, I headed to the Matsumoto Folkcraft Museum, a quiet place in a residential neighborhood with a spacious garden and displays ranging from combs and chests to old shop signs.

After visiting two museums, I spent the latter half of my day exploring central Matsumoto and stopped at Ceramika Matsumoto, a cheerful shop on the ground floor of an unexpectedly striking municipal housing building.

While exploring shops around Matsumoto, I stopped by the Matsumoto Folk Craft Furniture Chuo Folk Craft Showroom, browsed the furniture, and ended up impulse-buying a tote bag featuring a pattern designed by Samiro Yunoki.

After visiting the museum, I stopped at Shioribi, a café near the station that still looks like an old electronics shop from the outside. Inside, it opens into a cozy café with upstairs seating, books for sale, and coffee served in a soba choko cup.

After finally visiting the Matsumoto City Museum of Art, I spent time with Yayoi Kusama’s bold works and the museum’s distinctive exterior and displays.

As soon as I arrived at Matsumoto Station, I headed straight for Meau Shin-Daimae, a branch of the Meau in Shinanomachi, Tokyo, for a spicy, deeply satisfying curry meal.

Experience history and luxury at The Westin Miyako Kyoto, a gem since 1900 now part of the Kintetsu Group.

To wrap up my one-night, two-day Kyoto trip, I stopped by IL LAGO for an Italian dinner of cicchetti, pasta, and their signature 100% duck hamburger steak.

After returning to Kyoto Station to pick up my luggage and making a quick stop at Takashimaya in Kawaramachi, I headed to House of KI NO BI, the direct retail shop for the craft gin KI NO BI. The shop carries limited editions, and there is also a bar in the back, where I stopped for a drink.

On my way back toward Kyoto Station, I spotted brewing tanks through the window of a wooden building and ended up making an impromptu stop at Yamorido for a refreshing craft beer.

After visiting Gekkeikan, I headed to Kizakura Kappa Country, a brewery-themed stop with extensive kappa exhibits, sake displays, and paid tastings. I tried a junmai nigori sake available only at the directly operated shop and liked it enough to buy a bottle.

In Fushimi, I walked past old merchant streets and wooden storehouses before visiting the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum, where I learned about the brewery’s history and traditional sake-making and finished with a tasting.

I headed to INDIA GATE, a biryani specialty restaurant run by the same group as SPICE GATE, for my second visit. This time I had a half-and-half plate of the weekly biryani and their standard sea bream broth chicken biryani, along with an impressive spread of side dishes.

I went back to Yuuki, a sake brewery-run izakaya in Gion, for a long-awaited dinner of carefully prepared small plates and an unusual sake made from brown rice.

I returned to The Westin Miyako Kyoto and was delighted to be upgraded to a spacious junior suite. Between the curved design of the renovated room, the excellent Spa Kacho, a quick drink in the club lounge, and a relaxed breakfast buffet the next morning, the hotel once again became a highlight of my time in Kyoto.

Kyoto visit includes Garden of Fine Art Kyoto by Tadao Ando, featuring ceramic paintings like Monet’s Water Lilies and Michelangelo’s “The Last Judgment”. Lunch at INDIA GATE offers Kyoto-style biryani. Luggage transfer via Satellite Concierge at Kyoto Station to The Westin Miyako Hotel Kyoto concludes the day.

Kyoto visit includes Garden of Fine Art Kyoto by Tadao Ando, featuring ceramic paintings like Monet’s Water Lilies and Michelangelo’s “The Last Judgment”. Lunch at INDIA GATE offers Kyoto-style biryani. Luggage transfer via Satellite Concierge at Kyoto Station to The Westin Miyako Hotel Kyoto concludes the day.

Experience history and luxury at The Westin Miyako Kyoto, a gem since 1900 now part of the Kintetsu Group.

Experience the exquisite flavors of Kyoto's Kappo Yamashita, where every dish showcases the chef's expertise and seasonal ingredients. Indulge in a refined dining experience tailored to your pace and preferences.

I began my Kyoto trip with an overnight stay at sequence KYOTO GOJO, a hotel one subway stop from Kyoto Station and just a short walk from Gojo Station. With self check-in, facial recognition access, simple modern rooms, and a large public bath, it made for a smooth and comfortable start.

Getting into Katsura Imperial Villa took persistence long before I arrived in Kyoto. After finally winning a reservation, I visited this remarkable estate and found that its guided tour revealed layer after layer of hospitality, wit, and carefully staged scenery.

After visiting Dazaifu Tenmangu, I stopped by Kanzeon-ji and found a completely different atmosphere: quiet, sparsely populated, and full of history. The highlight was the temple’s impressive treasure house, where the Buddhist statues inside left a strong impression on me.

I stopped by Club Harie Himurekan, a former residence designed by William Merrell Vories and now used as a Club Harie shop and facility. Although the Vories-designed section was under maintenance and closed during my visit, the striking red-brick building out front still stood out, and I ended up trying Harie no Long, a long rice-flour cream puff filled to order.

From the area behind Himure Hachimangu Shrine, I took the ropeway up Mount Hachiman, wandered past the observatory building and autumn leaves, and looked out over Lake Biwa from the ruins of Hachimanyama Castle.

After returning from the Expo exhausted, I went to Kohaku Brasserie in KITTE Osaka, in the same building as my hotel. Unlike the usual Kohaku, which focuses on small plates, this newer format serves more substantial French à la carte dishes.