I visited Sushi Keita (鮨桂太 ) on the second day after landing in Tokyo, and while slightly jet-lagged, I was amazed by his sushi. It was a place recommended by Akira Yoshizumi who is owner and chef of the of my favorite Bay Area’s renown Sushi Yoshizumi. The quality and execution of the Edomae sushi here rivals some of the best I had in Tokyo, and at about half the cost.
Traveling abroad with a family with four young children is not easy, but Japan is one of the safest countries with a wide variety of attractions and great food. This combination makes it a popular destination in my household. The only challenge is that a family of six is hard to accommodate by Japanese standards. We need to plan out accommodations and what to do and where to eat carefully as Japan tends to be cater to small groups. In fact most hotels accommodate groups up to 3-4 people unless you know what to look for and book as early as possible to secure the few rooms that can accommodate a large family.
In our previous trips we travelled through the Kanto to Kansai regions of Japan, so this time we really wanted to experience other parts of this beautiful country. Our selection narrowed down to whether we wanted to spend time in Hokkaido or Kyushu and the choice was further easier to make given that we will be taking the kids during their summer break, which meant hot and humid weather in the Honshu and Kyushu islands. Thus, the vacation was focused on Hokkaido to avoid the muggy, hot heat the rest of Japan faces during the late June and early July months. In fact, during our stay, the weather for the most part was great in Hokkaido, outside of rain for a day or two during the first two days. We even needed jackets a couple of times in the mountain areas, but otherwise experienced very enjoyable weather. Continue reading “Tabemono Vacation – June/July 2016 Trip to Japan, Hokkaido and Tohoku Itinerary”