Above is a photo close to the entrance of Fushimi Inari in Kyoto, Japan. There are an abundance of temples, shrines, and other buildings with spectacular architecture but this area is one of the most famous. Not necessarily for this photo but mostly for the thousands of Torii gates as shown at the bottom of this post. I strongly advise to avoid going here during peak times (for example, weekends, vacations, daytime, etc.). This was the first time I visited at night and it was nearly empty! What a breath of fresh air at such a touristic destination. As an added bonus, you can see the city lights down below as you climb the (many) steps. In addition to Fushimi Inari, I have visited several other areas such as Kinkakuji (the Golden Temple), Arashiyama (specifically the bamboo path), and Kobe! How could I come to Japan and not try the delectable, world famous Kobe beef? If I’m not mistaken, the Morikami Museum in southern Florida may have a replica of Kinkakuji, I have never been but it appears in searches and it is a Japanese garden and museum after all. I have eaten plenty of Japanese curry with rice (often with tonkatsu– fried pork cutlet) but I have also tried many foods previously unknown to my taste palette. For instance, cheesy gyudon–a bowl of rice topped with thin pieces of beef and cheese, okonomiyaki–difficult to describe but essentially a Japanese pancake (mine was made with cheese, potato, and mochi), plenty of snacks and drinks created with matcha (green tea), as well as many different parts of animals at yakiniku restaurants (Japanese barbecue) including, but not limited to, beef tongue (again, still not a fan), chicken neck, chicken heart, and whatever the other pieces were. There’s no shortage of good food in Japan but I wanted to briefly mention my experience at Kokubu Steakhouse in Kobe. Firstly, despite its small size, the atmosphere of the restaurant was quite cozy and the chef (as well as–I believe it was–his mother) were wonderful. Very knowledgeable and friendly, he described each of the ingredients and its origins as he cooked his masterpiece in front of us. There were various dishes ranging from tomatoes, onions, carrots, squash, potatoes and more. All were quite scrumptious while waiting in suspense for the main course. At last, the steak was cooked, quite rare, and just lightly seasoned. Instead, on our plates were sea salt or a bowl of homemade soy sauce and (I forgot the word for it) Japanese mustard. I’m no fan of mustard (or rare meat to be honest) but this was absolutely delicious. The savory beef, dipped in the sauce which complemented it so perfectly, only served to leave you craving more after it melted away in your mouth with its tender juiciness. Alas, the splendor must come to an end and with a price tag to match its taste, this meal won’t often be indulged. 