JAPAN in May 2015 – highlights from my Instagram

JAPAN in May 2015 – highlights in photos from my Instagram feed as I travelled the country in their Spring from New Zealand, over to Kyoto up to Hokkaido and back down by bullet train to Tokyo. Intro image: making tea in Hakodate ryokan inn.

My Japanese breakfast this morning! Oishii.

Beautiful dolls on display for Girls Festival in the home I’m staying in Osaka Japan.

Yay. The communal bathing. Slowly getting used to it 🙂

Eating Katsu-don in Kyoto. Basically eating my body weight in Japanese food everyday.

I recommend this: hiring bikes for the day and doing the ‘Philosopher’s Walk’ trail through cherry blossoms along the river in Kyoto, so beautiful.

Philosopher’s Walk: Cherry blossom viewing in Kyoto. The petals are falling in the river like pink snow drifts. So pretty.

Koi Noburi carp flying for Golden Week along the riverside Philosophers Walk in Kyoto.

Japanese street markets have YSL, Jimmy Choo and Calvin Klein shoes. It’s a higher standard of flea market here.

Here I am in the bustling Namba precinct of Osaka, beside the famous crab building, immediately before eating okonomiyaki and then buying far too much Frozen merchandise.

Only in Japan would Cinderella have her own BB cream line.

Stop the bus: Japan has Star Wars sandwiches! #maythesaucebewithyou

Homemade sashimi of many types of fish for dinner

Ever wondered what a Japanese capsule hotel looks like? Here it is! Osaka Station First Cabin Hotel.

Sakura in Hokkaido

Cake and snacks at a Japanese wedding in Sapporo, Hokkaido.

I cooked a small BBQ for dinner.

Cherry blossom viewing in Hakodate!

Below: Land of the setting sun: Crow at sunset overlooking the harbour in 函館山口纜車 Mount Hakodate Ropeway, Hakudate, Hokkaido.

In the fort at Hakudate in Hokkaido. Another beautiful sunny day!

I was lucky enough to come across a Shinto wedding in Tokyo’s Meiji Shrine with the bride in red kimono under a parasol.

Below: Cosplay on the streets of Harajuku, Tokyo.

Below: Walking around the Issey Miyake store is like an art gallery; the clothes are like works of art! This is in Ginza, Tokyo.