Tokyo Travels: Ice Caves, Foodie Adventures, & the Ghibli Museum

Our latest Title adventure started with a flight from LA to Portland... barely. When we arrived at our gate in LAX, we saw that our plane was there and our crew was there, but there was no gate agent to let us onboard. Apparently, it took nearly one hour to find a gate agent (in all of LAX??) to open the door to the boarding bridge so we could board our flight. Not off to a great start, the flight was otherwise uneventful.

Goodbye, LA!

We sat in traffic in Portland for one hour before reaching our hotel. We didn't have much time before we had to meet the group for a welcome dinner, and hurry off to bed soon after for our early morning departure the following morning. With a very early luggage collection, we didn't get much sleep before departing the hotel for the airport once more. 

The view from our window at The Ritz Carlton, Portland, which opened in late 2023.

Once at the airport, we waited nearly one hour on a bus before we were able to proceed through security and board our home for the next three weeks. Shortly after take off, we were served caviar en route to Alaska where we had a technical stop. 

Caviar en route to Tokyo.

The descent into Anchorage was gorgeous—I wish we stayed! iPhone pictures below.

One hour later, we were in the air again en route to Japan. Our first onboard meal was an appetizer of Dungeness crab, snow crab, and prawns over arugula with gremolada followed by a main course of grilled lamb fillet with potato terrine, roasted vegetables, and red wine sauce. 

Eight hours later, we descended into Tokyo Narita International Airport. This was the view out my window when we were landing! 

Hello, Tokyo!

It was a slow arrival process all around. The immigration lines were long and the officers were slow, it took forever to get our luggage, and then we sat in traffic for almost two hours (of what was supposed to be a one hour drive to the airport). On the plus side? The bus had wifi, which meant I was able to get some work done! Working remote at its finest... 

All I need is internet!

We arrived at our hotel, The Peninsula Tokyo, exhausted before heading to the 24th floor for a very quick Japanese buffet dinner complete with sake and Japanese beer. The views were stunning, but I would have appreciated it much more if I wasn't so tired.

The bar on the 24th floor.

Sake cup!

Some ichigo (strawberries) were waiting for us in the room, too.

Ichigo strawberries and rice crackers.

Located right around the corner from the Imperial Palace, this 24-story 300 room hotel occupies an entire block adjacent to Ginza and Marunouchi shopping districts. Here's a quick room tour! 

Our room was spacious, but had a lot of light switches!!

We had a great seating area, desk, and table/chairs.

We even had a walk in closet!

And the bathroom was heavenly.

We woke up to a beautiful day in Tokyo, with some clouds but some blue sky peeking out. Downstairs, I had Japanese breakfast (mom opted for the Chinese breakfast) which has easily become one of my favorite hotel breakfasts in Japan.

View from the room.

Japanese breakfast.

After breakfast, we met our private driver for the day. Our destination? Mt. Fuji and the surrounding area, approximately two hours outside of Tokyo (if going the toll road). Revered in Shinto religion as a sacred mountain, the 12,388 foot tall Mt. Fuji is Japan's highest peak and national symbol. Affectionally called Fuji-san by locals, it last erupted in 1707 though it is still considered an active volcano. We explored the surrounding Yamanashi prefecture (Mt. Fuji is in both Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures) during our day trip. Yamanashi is located southwest of Tokyo encompassing the northern part of Mt. Fuji. The region is renowned for hiking, climbing, fishing, and skiing. 

Our first stop was the Narusawa Ice Cave. Located at the east entrance to the Aokigahara Jukai ("the sea of trees") forest, it is regarded as one of the tourist spots within the Fuji Five Lakes area that can be visited year round. Over 1,150 years ago in 864, Nagaoyama (a flank volcano of Mt. Fuji) erupted. The lava flow (Aokigahara Maruo) descended between ancient parasitic volcanoes, creating a two-tunnel lateral cave when the lava hollowed the underground cave. After being designated as a natural monument in 1929, Narusawa Ice Cave was introduced to the world as a geological wonder. It's said that the tree-type lava bed has the most spiracles in the world, and some of the ice pillars inside measure over ten feet.  

The entrance to Narusawa Ice Cave.

The ice pillars that form here grow larger in the winter, and sometimes the stalactites and stalagmites connect. The cave's temperature hovers around 30°F year-round, and it was once used to store seeds and silkworm cocoons. To get inside, you descend steep, slippery staircases that lead you 70 feet underground. 

The entrance to the ice cave.

Down, down, down I go...

This was a steep ladder!

As you descend, so too does the temperature. Walking in a figure-eight one-way path, you're often using railings on both sides of the narrow path as walking poles, clutching tightly to avoid slipping and falling on the uneven stone steps. At one point, there is a section so short (at just three feet tall) that you literally have to crawl sideways on your hands and knees to proceed to the next section of the cave... My quad muscles are still sore three days later! 

Approaching the 3-foot tall section.

Hitting my head on the ceiling...

The Narusawa Ice Cave has several points of interest, the main one of course being the ice pillars formed by water droplets seeping from the ceiling and freezing into icicles (which then piles up onto ice pillars).

There's also an ice wall, which is a reproduction of an ice storage unit. The wall was formed by piling up blocks of ice, and was used before refrigerators existed. 

In the cave, there are also remnants of seed storage units which were used to preserve silkworm cocoons and seeds. To prevent growth of the cocoons and to preserve the quality of seeds to promote budding, these were stored underground. Of course, I had to go back up the way I came... but thankfully not on this staircase! 

Spotted on the way back out the cave.

Here's a map of the ice cave route.

Photo credit: Japan National Tourism Organization.

From there, we drove to the nearby Fugaku Wind Cave. It's possible to walk twenty minutes through the forest, but as there was still a bit of snow on the ground and it was cold, we drove. From the parking lot, there's a longer walk to the ticketing office (at the ice cave, I bought a combined entrance ticket at a discount, so didn't have to wait in line here). Walking through the Aokigahara Jukai forest, I was in awe of the primeval trees that have survived for more than 1,200 years. 

Walking through the forest.

Similar to the ice cave, Fugaku Wind Cave was used as a refrigerator to store the eggs of silkworms until the beginning of the Showa era. This lateral cave is 660 feet long and 28 feet high. Strangely enough, it does not produce an audible echo due to its balsaltic walls which absorb the sound. The entrance is a wide, gaping hole located amid the lush forest and, like the ice cave, there are a lot of very steep, slippery stone stairs. 

Down I go!

The entrance to the wind cave.

While similar, this cave is also different and the more popular of the two. At the ice cave, I was one of three people there. Here, there must have been 20+ people (though I was the only non-Japanese, which I think is pretty cool!) This cave features a lava pond, where lava has melted into ponds which then cool down leaving solidified pond formations in their original shape. There are also ice pillars here, which are reminiscent of a culture when natural ice was cut into blocks and stacked in piles for use as a refrigerator. Photos below!

Here's a map of the wind cave route!

Photo credit: Japan National Tourism Organization.

I headed out the same way I entered...

Looking towards the entrance to the cave from the inside.

Looking up.

Success! I did not fall!

And took a leisurely stroll back to the car through the forest. 

After exploring both caves, we proceeded to visit Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nenba, a village of traditional thatched-roof houses on the shores of Lake Saiko. This reconstructed village is off the beaten path and once again we were the only non-Japanese tourists here. On the way up to the village, there are several food stalls that sell vegetables and fruits grown in the region's fertile soils as well as local sakes, pickles, snacks, and handicrafts. 

Approaching Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato.

Walking along the canal.

We stopped at arguably the most popular stall where we purchased the most delicious karaage I’ve ever had. 

Around the corner, the same stall had skewered prawns and fish from Sri Lanka and a selection of local juices and honey. 

We ended up buying cherry blossom honey and 100% red grape juice produced by a small winery in Fuefuki City within Yamanashi prefecture. 

All of our goodies!

Alpswine has been producing grape juice since 1962 using a blend of Muscat Bailey type A, a specialty of Yamanashi prefecture, and carefully selected imported Concord varieties. The popular juice is free of preservatives, fragrances, and sugar. Adjacent to Katsunuma (which has the most output of grapes and wine in Japan), Yamanashi is also considered home of wine making in Japan. There are lots of vineyards spread across the region such as Alpswine which prides itself on being a small company with high quality and one that produces “clean wine” by removing all unnecessary ingredients typically added to wine. A small family operated winery, Alpswine was started by Grandpa Fukuhei. He didn’t have proper training in a winery, so he learned how to make wine by talking to different people in the community and by helping them with their wine production. Back then, the family used to run a wholesale business which included rice production but now the facility, which was once a chicken farm, is now their winery! 

 

After some shopping at the various stalls (we also purchased rice crackers topped with green onion), we sat down for lunch at Restaurant Satoyama. In the old days when rice could not be grown in the Fuji Hokuroku highland area, udon and hoto noodles made from wheat flour were often eaten instead. Hoto noodles are a local delicacy unique to Yamanashi Prefecture while udon is traditionally served only on special occasions. The hoto noodles are thick, flat homemade noodles simmered with vegetables and meat in a miso-based broth. In the winter, the broth is packed with chunky pieces of daikon radish, Chinese cabbage, and kabocha squash. 

Udon!

Hoto noodles. We kept thinking the man was saying "hot" because he said "udon" but nope...

 

After our visit, we drove around the area to see if Fuji-san would come out, but the mountain remained hidden the entire time, so we headed back. Apparently, there is no “better” season to see it, as the weather is that unpredictable at all times. When we returned to the hotel, I had a surprise waiting for me… The hotel had placed a Japanese bookmark in the book I had left out! This is just one of the many examples of Japanese hospitality that is so evident in all aspects of Japanese culture. 

My cute bookmark, courtesy of The Peninsula. I put a different book out the following day, and got another bookmark too!

For dinner tonight, we headed to the tempura bar located in the hotel’s basement. A chain restaurant called Ten-Ichi, the 12-seat tempura bar served traditional tempura, though of course we are very spoiled from the Ritz Carlton Kyoto’s tempura bar—nothing will compare! We said “kanpai” with our Yebisu beer (since they didn’t have Kirin) and had a variety of fish and vegetables including tempura uni, which is always a hit!

Kanpai!

Sashimi at Ten-ichi.

Uni tempura.

After dinner, we headed out to go on a kitto katto adventure. For those of you who have been following my blog for awhile, you already know the kit kat craze. For those of you who are new to my blog, basically Japan is famous for having hundreds of different kit kat flavors—known locally as “kitto katto”. The Peninsula’s concierge told us that Bic Camera (of all places!) had a great selection and was only two blocks away from the hotel. So, we went on a kitto katto adventure at 9 PM. I’ll let the below pictures speak for themselves… Damage was done! 

Kitto katto!

The leaning tower of kitto katto...

We even saw two new flavors we had never seen before! 

Sugar butter tree was a new flavor for us.

Lemon was also a new flavor, and a new favorite!

 

The following morning, our foodie adventures through Tokyo continued. 

All our addresses written in kanji for the taxi drivers.

The food tour of Tokyo...

We ate breakfast, enjoyed some time at leisure, and then set out for our first stop: the Truffle Bakery. 

I had seen the Truffle Bakery on Timeout Tokyo one or two years ago and had bookmarked it knowing we always go back to Japan. Located near Roppongi, the bakery is popular with locals and tourists alike. Usually the line is pretty long, but we were fortunate as there were only a few people ahead of us. When we entered the building, the layout was similar to 85 Degrees bakery in Los Angeles—you grabbed a tray and tongs and selected what pastries you wanted. There are no chairs inside or outside, so it’s very much a grab-and-go place.

 

Unfortunately, we had a problem flagging down a taxi to go to our next location of the morning. We waited on the street for twenty minutes, crisscrossing between different sides of the street in the hopes of flagging down a taxi, which has never been a problem for us in Japan. Now, there are so many reserve-ahead taxis (similar to Uber, but Uber doesn’t exist in Tokyo) that most taxis will not stop. We event went into a Lawson convenience store and asked if they could call us a taxi, but they said the taxi can’t be ordered via phone. Finally, we hailed a taxi and were off to our next stop: Fukki. Years ago, we stayed at a hotel and were wandering around when I discovered a fantastic ramen shop. With just a few counter seats, you order at a machine and hand your ticket to the chef. When we arrived, we were the only ones in the entire restaurant (which isn’t saying much, because there are probably 8 counter seats and two small tables in the back). We both ordered their famous miso ramen, slow cooked in bone broth, which was as good as I remember. Their noodles are thicker than the noodles we are used to in the US, and this ramen shop is the reason I will never eat ramen at home—it’s that good. The miso broth is flavorful but not salty and is a delicious consistency. 

The outside of Fukki ramen.

The inside was empty when we arrived!

My delicious ramen.

 

From there, we headed back to the hotel for a quick nap before departing for the Ghibli Museum... our third visit! Over the years, it’s become increasingly difficult for foreigners to obtain tickets to the Ghibli Museum. Ticket slots open up every month at 5 PM the first Tuesday of the month for the following month. So, on Tuesday January 9, I found myself in an online queue for Ghibli tickets. I logged onto the system 20 minutes early and sat at my computer and waited. At 5 PM on the dot, the online portal opened. And I waited. And waited. And waited. There were 6,111 people in line ahead of me. 

 

As the time ticked by and the estimated wait time kept increasing, so did my nervousness. Finally, after nearly 45 minutes in line, it was my turn… and everything was almost completely sold out. Because there were only one of two days we could visit the museum, we were incredibly limited on time slots and dates. Fortunately, I was able to snag a 4 PM entrance time (the last entrance time of the day for foreigners) which was not ideal, but better than not going at all. Fast forward back to Tokyo… 

 

 

With the Tokyo traffic, it’s difficult to predict the traffic patterns so we left the hotel early, anticipating our 4 PM entrance time and knowing people line up 30 minutes prior. We ended up arriving a little before 3 PM, and there is literally nothing to do around the Ghibli Museum. So, we sat in the park listening to a violinist until it was time to start lining up. I walked around the outside taking some more photos of the museum. Even though I have so many, each time I go I seem to discover some new detail! This time, I noticed that Ghibli bricks were scattered among the stone walls. 

Some more pics from the outside below. 

 

Because we were first in line for the 4 PM entrance, we made a beeline to the Mamma Aiuto gift shop as soon as we were admitted. Already familiar with the gift shop, I knew exactly what to look for. After some serious shopping damage (are you noticing a shopping theme from Japan?) we visited the special exhibit for The Boy and The Heron. Out of all the special exhibits I’ve seen at the Ghibli Museum, this was the most underwhelming because it only featured his sketches. Nonetheless, his sketches are incredibly detailed and amazing to see close up. Because we had already seen the other areas of the museum and the other non-rotating exhibits, we didn’t spend too long at the museum. When we were ready to leave, we tried to hail a taxi and once again had no luck. After another twenty minutes on the street, we decided to take the Ghibli bus to Mitaka Station, where we found a taxi stand. 

Ghibli bus stop.

We handed the taxi card to the driver, who told us it would take too long, and he couldn’t drive us back to Tokyo because he was getting off work soon. We went to the taxi behind his and had success. As we were headed straight to our dinner reservation, we were pressed for time. With a reservation for 6:30 PM, we were nervous the staff would turn us away because I had originally requested a 7 PM reservation and they had told me the last order was shortly after 6:30 PM. I think they meant to say that was the last available reservation time slot, however, since we showed up 10 minutes late with no problem and many people came in after us. 

 

Our third visit to Asakusa Imahan, we sat down to an incredible sukiyaki kaiseki meal. We started with an appetizer of grilled fugu with red cucumber and radish followed by crab miso yuba, tofu, needle ginger, roast beef wrapped in green onion miso, and clam with sea lily. 

We also had soup made with fugu and steamed yam before moving on to sashimi and the super marbled sukiyaki. 

It was as good as we remembered, and we left very satisfied. When we got back to the hotel, we assessed the Ghibli damage and looked at our souvenir tickets... I've never had a repeat! 

The following morning we said "mata ne" ("see you later") to Japan, and hello to the Philippines!

Thanks for following along with our adventures. As always, follow my Instagram @elissatitle for photos and stay tuned for more!