Japan
Tokyo Cherry Blossoms
The problem with planning trips that rely on weather cooperating is that sometimes you get unlucky. Based on historical data I should have arrived in Tokyo right at the beginning of peak bloom. But due to warmer than normal weather that caused the trees to bloom early, I arrived right at the end. Still, there were plenty of sites around the city that were still peak bloom-ish.
Kyoto Cherry Blossoms
Arrived well after peak bloom, and looking at the daily cherry blossom reports it was clear that most of the iconic Kyoto sites like the Philosopher's Path were already done. Most of these photos are from Ninna-ji Temple and the Kyoto Botanical Garden, which were some of the late blooming sites.
Gion
Gion is Japan's most well-known geisha district. Hang out on Hanami-koji Street in the early evening and you can catch sight of geiko and maiko on their way in to work. Unfortunately, I also got to witness a couple assholes running after them like Hollywood paparazzi.
Kyoto Kimono Rentals
The purple kimono shots are from 2017 during a half-day in Arashiyama. The white kimono shots are from the 2018 trip, but unfortunately after the first stop at the Kyoto Botanical Garden, rain and low-50s temperatures sapped the desire to continue.
Tokyo Disneyland
No surprises here, very similar to Disneyland in Anaheim (other than getting to experience Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion narrated in Japanese). The only major difference I noticed was that instead of Main Street, the entrance to the park is through the World Bazaar which has a glass roof covering the entire stretch.
Tokyo DisneySea
Open since 2001, it's the only DisneySea in the world. There are a couple familiar rides (Indiana Jones and Tower of Terror), but most of it is entirely different from every other Disney park. You enter through Mediterranean Harbor, and the most noticeable feature is Mysterious Island with the volcano (Mount Prometheus) which is home to two unique Disney rides Journey to the Center of the Earth and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (not the Disneyland version). There's also Sinbad's Storybook Voyage, which gives It's a Small World a run for its money when it comes to annoyingly catchy theme songs.
Arashiyama
Arashiyama is a district on the outskirts of Kyoto. It's an easy train ride to get there and home to the Iwatayama Monkey Park, the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, and Tenryu-ji Temple.
Nara
A former capital of Japan, Nara is home to the Todai-ji Temple and a herd of more than 1,200 sika deer that hang out around Nara Park.
Himeji
Himeji Castle has been around in its current form since the early 1600s, surviving a WWII bombing run that destroyed two-thirds of the city. It's one of only 12 castles in all of Japan where original construction dates back to the feudal era (pre-1868).
Tokyo
Photos from the Tsukiji Fish Market (now closed and relocated to a new facility), Shinjuku, Kappabashi Street's shops that sell fake plastic food, the anime mecca of Akihabara, Shibuya, and Roppongi Hills.
Kyoto
Kinkakuji (Golden Pavillion), Ginkakuji (Silver Pavillion), Kiyomizudera (which was undergoing renovations at the time), the red-orange torii gates of Fushimi Inari Shrine, and more.
Kyoto Botanical Garden
The oldest botanical garden in Japan.