Wow, the older we get the harder it is to make time to document all of the adventures! Steven and I had our first international trip together again in ~2 years to the beautiful country of Japan. We somehow caught the tail end of cherry blossom season.

I typically avoid visiting the same places again given there’s so much of the world I want to see, but Japan is definitely a place we want to visit again in the fall next time.

Kyoto was by far our favorite city <3 We started our time visiting the Kiyomizudera Temple and walking the Sannen Zaka and Ninen Zaka Path. Around every corner of Maruyama Park, couples and families posed in rented kimonos to capture the beauty of the cherry blossoms.

You just feel calm & happy in Kyoto. It’s authentic to Japanese culture with the traditional shrines, clean & vibrant but not busy, and filled with matcha places and incredible restaurants on every street.

Honorable mention for our favorite places to eat, starting with the delicious savory & sweet Koé Donuts and sesame banana milk (addicting)!

Our favorite bakery we visited in all of Japan: Slo Bakery. Man, was it good. We bought 4 items because there were so many things we wanted to try!

Suba standing soba was incredible. They are known for their meat soba with an onsen egg. No frills, no chairs, no signs.

Another incredible meal of “suppon” ramen in the turtle shell heated bowl featuring a famous chef who even performed magic tricks for us at at the humble counter.

We experienced a super cool and surprisingly entertaining non-verbal theater show called Gear. Would definitely recommend for a rainy day!

The Fushimi-Inari Shrine was the busiest tourist spot we visited in Kyoto. They have endless flights of stairs to get to the top so little does everyone know that you don’t need to spend every second of the first 20 minutes trying to squeeze in your perfect shot!