Osaka Aquarium (Kaiyukan)

• Take a ferry to reach Kaiyukan. It is the fastest way and throws beautiful view of sea and the giant ferris wheel adjacent to the aquarium.
• While the entry and first stage (at top) is remarkable, it is nothing compared to the treasures down the Kaiyukan. Just hurry through the first mile.
• Apart from the gigantic tank that contains the shark tank, the one most enjoyable are the eagle rays near the exit that you are allowed to touch.

Osaka Aquarium was unplanned. We had kept a day for Osaka but we learned that the aquarium is only a ferry ride away. So we took it. To our surprise the aquarium was gigantic and contained seemingly infinite varieties of sea life. The tickets look a bit costly but once you are through, you will not regret an iota.

Shark Whale @ Kaiyukan

Diabutsu, Kamakura

• Take direct train from Tokyo to Kamakura. Alight at Kita-Kamakura which is one station before the last and start walking. You will find shrines and treasures worth the walk.
• Yuigahama beach was a disappointment. Rather take a seat on one of the sea facing restaurants or bar and take a meal.
• Diabutsu is the highlight of this area. The Great Buddha in green surrounded by green is remarkable. Walking around is preferred although tiring.

It always makes sense to visit the nearest beach-town on a sunny weekend and that is what we planned during our stay at Tokyo. Yuigahama Beach is an hour away from Tokyo. There was a direct train from close to our hotel to Kamakura and a 15 min walk from Kamakura station to Yuigahama. On the way we got feedback from a friendly lady on how wonderful the walk is from Kita-Kamakura to Kamakura. It was a good idea. The series of temples and a garden dedicated to the hydrangeas were delightful.

Daibutsu, Kamakura

Toshogu Shrine, Nikko

• Use JR Pass to reach Nikko for free. There is a Nikko Line which is faster but costs a lot. Take bus from the station to reach since the shrine is uphill. You can come back down walking.
• The first three gates are the highlight of Toshogu Shrine including the five-storied pagoda, the Yomeimon and the three monkey gate.
• A staircase takes you to all the way up where emperor's shrine is built. The chill air and dense forest around this place gives it a cool aura.

Toshogu Shrine, deep in the hinterlands of Japan, was a perfect beginning of our first trip abroad in seven years. A spiritual centre in a natural habitat and rich with cultural heritage to be listed among the UNESCO World Heritage sites, the shrine near Nikko is a landmark in northern Japan. We started early and thanks to our JR Pass, we reach Nikko without much fuss in no time. A bus would take us to Toshogu from the train station.

Toshugu Shrine, Nikko

Disneyland, Tokyo

• Disneyland is costly and for kids. For the first timers there is some uniqueness that attracts but then thats it. The castle, souvenir shops and food are great.
• Our favourite ride was the splash mountain and Star Wars 3D. Both are new attractions and hence more in line with the new generation.
• Disneyland is built on several movie themes. We both love the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and so we loved the theme park built on it right near the entrance of Disneyland.

Disneyland was a dream destination. Since our JR Pass was not getting activated till next day and this was a top attraction in Tokyo we went for it. It didn't go too well. Firstly Disneyland is for kids and secondly it rained. Although some of the rides like the roller coaster became more fun, the whole experience was a bummer.

Disneyland, Tokyo

Tokyo

• Tokyo is huge. Keep a metro map with you. Buy a Suica card to pay for the metro fare. Book a hotel closer to either Shinjuku or Tokyo station.
• The best of Tokyo can be covered in a single day. Top of the line for us were Senso-ji, Metropolitan Building, Shinjuku Gyoen and Shibuya Cross, each for a different reason.
• Disneyland is half hour by train and takes one full day. Be flexible for the day you choose factoring in the rain as it may be a dampener.

Tokyo is among the most sorted capital cities that you will find on this planet. You land at Haneda or Narita and you will start finding visual aids to help you in right direction. Displayed on floors, walls or electronic boards, you just need to have eyes and a mind to find these instructions and you can cover entire city. Google Maps is handy in a broader way. There are information centres at almost every busy node to help you out in case. We landed at Narita and took a Skyliner to Nippori. Another train to Kanda from Nippori and we were checking in at our hotel room within three hours of landing - which included immigration checks, baggage checks, collecting data sim & pocket wifi, getting our JR Pass and collecting our pre-booked Skyliner tickets from airport.

Tokyo from Metropolitan Building