Our Fuji to Fiji adventure continues, this time through grand temples, big city chaos, and snowy mountain landscapes. This leg took us from Nikko’s tranquil shrines (and juicy strawberries) to Tokyo’s buzzing streets, then on to snowy Nagano, where we encountered hot-spring-loving monkeys and an epic samurai fortress. Spoiler: the monkeys lived a life of luxury, while we just tried not to slip on the ice.

A Gyoza Detour in Utsunomiya

But first, leaving our serene ryokan in Yamagata, we began our journey to Nikko with a pit stop in Utsunomiya, Japan’s gyoza capital. You can imagine how devastated we were to find that our only option was to eat delicious dumplings for lunch.

Crispy, juicy, and packed with flavour, these little bundles of joy completely justified the detour. We lost track of how many we ate somewhere after the third plate. The fact that we even made it out of Utsunomiya and onto the next train instead of curling up in a gyoza coma is a victory in itself.

Hopefully, you enjoyed our little story over on Instagram about trying all the different kinds… we sure had fun filming and obviously eating the tasty gyozas!

Nikko: Shoguns, Shrines, and Strawberries

After a few weeks of navigating deep snow, arriving in Nikko felt like a breath of fresh, non-frozen air. It was a welcome break from the endless white landscapes we’d been trudging through and, as soon as we arrived, Ash declared it his favourite place in Japan so far - a bold statement considering the competition.

And honestly? It makes sense. Wandering through cedar and pine forests is one of our favourite ways to enjoy nature, and Nikko offered that in abundance. Add in grand shogunate history, beautifully preserved shrines, and the general lack of frostbite risk, and it’s no wonder we loved it so much.

At the heart of Nikko’s history is Toshogu Shrine, the lavish mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, Japan’s first shogun. Built in the early 1600s, it’s an explosion of intricate carvings, gold leaf, and enough visual drama to put any European cathedral to shame. It’s also home to the famous “See No Evil, Speak No Evil, Hear No Evil”monkey carving - proof that memes existed long before the internet. Wandering around this massive complex, set against the towering pine forest gave it an almost ethereal, mystical feel and it really has been a highlight of our trip so far.

Before entering the shrine area, we stopped by the Shinkyo Bridge, an elegant red bridge arching over the river. It’s said to be the sacred gateway to Nikko’s temples, and honestly, it looked straight out of a painting. However, since there was an entry fee just to walk across it, we admired it from a respectful, free-of-charge distance instead.

After getting our fill of history, we turned our attention to something equally important: food. Nikko is famous for its strawberries, known for their ridiculous sweetness. Naturally, we had to try some and wow. These weren’t just strawberries; they were strawberries that had spent their entire existence being pampered like royalty. We devoured an entire tray, convinced we had unlocked a new standard for fruit.

Unfortunately, our luck with food ended there. Nearly every restaurant in town was either closed or impossible to find, leaving us wandering the streets in search of something – anything - to eat. Eventually, we found a konbini, but by then, we were one missed meal away from turning feral. We can confidently say Nikko does some of the best strawberries in Japan. Everything else? Well, best to plan ahead.

Tokyo: A Quick City Recharge

After enjoying the quiet mountain life in Nikko, Tokyo felt like stepping into another world again fast-paced, noisy, and full of life. We returned to the city to meet up with our brother-in-law and take a much-needed break from the small town vibe. The last time we were in Tokyo, jet lag had us in a daze, and while we still loved the city, we didn’t have the energy to fully appreciate it. This time, we were determined to soak up the buzz, meet our brother-in-law and, most importantly, warm up for a day.

The first order of business? Tokyo Bananas. For some reason, (actually the reason was my Sister who directed we should find these at all costs!) we had developed an obsession with finding these famous sponge cakes filled with banana custard. What started as a casual “Oh, we should grab some” turned into an hours-long scavenger hunt across multiple convenience stores, train stations, and department store food halls. They were everywhere when we weren’t looking for them, and suddenly impossible to find when we actually wantedsome. We did actually find them in the end… and boy we were not disappointed. You MUST try these if you ever visit Tokyo… trust us.

In between our Tokyo Banana quest, we indulged in another classic Japan activity: shopping at Don Quijote. If you’ve never been, imagine a store that sells literally everything, crams it into narrow aisles with flashing signs, and plays an aggressively catchy theme song on loop. It’s chaotic, overwhelming, and absolutely fantastic. We wandered through shelves of beauty products, weird snacks, and anime merchandise, questioning life choices as we debated whether we needed a Pikachu-shaped pancake mold. Long term travel means you can’t really pick up souvenirs but it’s really hard to resist!

Next up was the Nintendo Store, where we spent an unreasonable amount of time nerding out over plushies, exclusive merch, and Mario-themed everything. The buzz for visiting Universal Studios Osaka in a few short weeks is already building!

Of course, this level of energy required copious amounts of coffee, and we did not hold back. We started with a morning cup, had another one “just to warm up,” grabbed a third because why not, and by the time we hit our fourth, we realized we had completely obliterated the day’s budget. As we have mentioned before, coffee is stupidly expensive for our budget, and by mid-afternoon, it was clear we weren’t leaving with any shopping bags - we had spent all our money on caffeine.

Perhaps the most enjoyable part of the day though was Shibuya Crossing. For anyone unfamiliar, this is the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world, where hundreds of people flood the intersection from every direction the moment the lights turn green. It’s pure, beautiful, organised chaos - a perfectly synchronized human ballet that somehow doesn’t end in mass collisions.

Naturally, we decided to walk back and forth through it multiple times, because what else do you do when faced with the most famous crosswalk on Earth? It started as a “let’s get a video” moment, but quickly turned into “let’s do it again from another angle”, followed by “okay, one more time for fun”. At this point, we were basically unpaid extras in the background of countless tourists’ videos.

And then came the surreal moment - meeting our brother-in-law at the crossing itself. Of all places in Tokyo, we picked the busiest, most chaotic intersection in the world as our meeting point. It felt like something out of a movie, standing in the middle of the madness, scanning the sea of people, then suddenly spotting a familiar face in the crowd. We imagine this is what it’s like to reunite with someone at an airport in an emotional Hollywood film except instead of dramatic music swelling in the background, it was just the blaring sounds of Shibuya and our own laughter at the ridiculousness of it all.

North to Nagano: Apples, Castles, and Snow Monkeys

Leaving Tokyo behind, we headed north to Nagano, where we would spend the rest of the week fully embracing the snow once again. Nagano is famous for a few things - its 1998 Winter Olympics, Monkeys, Castles and crisp, juicy apples which of course leads us to its apple-flavoured KitKats. Naturally, we sampled both the real apples and the chocolate ones, and while they were excellent, we did question whether Japan has gone too far with its KitKat empire. (Answer: No. There is no such thing as too far.)

A Winter Pilgrimage to the Snow Monkeys

The highlight of our time in Nagano was a visit to Jigokudani Monkey Park, home to Japan’s famous hot spring-loving snow monkeys. These red-faced macaques are the only monkeys in the world known to regularly bathe in natural hot springs, and we were determined to see them in all their steamy, spa-day glory.

But first, we had to get there. The walk to the park is a 30-minute scenic trek through a snow-covered forest, which sounds magical - and it was - but it was also an exercise in not falling flat on our faces. The path was packed with ice, slush, and unsuspecting tourists sliding their way up the trail like Bambi on ice skates.

Reaching the park itself felt like an achievement, and the moment we saw a group of monkeys soaking in the steaming onsen, we knew it was worth it. Some sat with their eyes closed, clearly contemplating the meaning of existence, while others casually picked fleas off their friends like it was a day at the spa. We stood there watching them for far longer than necessary, completely mesmerised by their little monkey expressions.

Of course, not all of them were lounging in the water. Some were running around in the snow, getting into fights, and stealing food from each other. It was a surreal moment, and we feel so lucky to have seen these beautiful animals living their best life.

Matsumoto Castle: A Black-and-White Beauty

After our encounter with Japan’s most pampered primates, we set off to visit one of Japan’s most stunning castles - Matsumoto Castle. Unlike some of the more modern reconstructions in Japan, Matsumoto is the real deal, dating back to the late 16th century. It’s nicknamed the “Crow Castle” because of its striking black-and-white exterior, which, to be fair, does give it a bit of a gothic, brooding presence.

Only adding to the presence, the castle is surrounded by a moat and beautiful landscapes. Inside, it’s all steep wooden staircases and dimly lit hallways, where you can really get a sense of how Japan’s samurai and warlords once lived.

One thing they obviously didn’t have? Central heating. Walking through the castle in freezing temperaturesgave us a whole new level of respect for the feudal warriors who had to defend this place without the luxury of puffer jackets and thermal socks.

Coffee with Friends and Heading Out

As we were leaving Nagano, we had a quick but special reunion meeting up with our friends from Australia for a brief coffee catch-up before they headed to their ski trip in nearby Hakuba. It was one of those surreal moments where you find yourself sitting in a café in Japan, chatting like it’s just another day, even though we were literally on opposite sides of the world just a few weeks ago.

But then it hit us this would be the last time we’d see our friends for nine months. The next time we meet, we’ll have travelled across 14 out of our 17 countries, from Japan all the way to Sydney, through mountains, jungles, beaches, and who-knows-how-many visa applications. It’s completely insane to think that between now and our next coffee together, we’ll have experienced an entire year’s worth of adventures.

Of course, in classic fashion, we said goodbye with a casual “See ya then!”, but for us, it took a minute toprocess the sheer scale of what’s ahead. No big deal just a casual year of travel before our next flat white together.

So with that, we said our goodbyes, knowing that the next time we catch up, we’ll have enough stories to fill a novel or at the very least, a very long and highly caffeinated conversation.

Final Thoughts and What’s Next

Reflecting on this week, Nikko stole our hearts, Nagano’s snow monkeys stole the show, and Tokyo - well, it stole our money. It’s been a reminder of how much we love the chaos of big cities, but also how much we enjoy the quieter, slower moments that give us time to recharge. Balancing both sides of travel is key, and we’re slowly figuring out how to navigate that.

What’s next? Well, more snacks are definitely on the agenda (it’s kind of a given), and hopefully fewer steep stairs! After leaving Nagano, we’ll head to Kanazawa where we’ll try Japan’s famous capsule hotels’ and then make our way to Nagoya. Stay tuned for more adventures and, of course, more food!

Temples To Snow Monkeys: Our Journey From Nikko To Nagano