WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE !

On September 5th, 2023, TotalAdventure departed Newark Airport for Tokyo ,Japan. Returning for the first time since January,2019, we landed at Haneda Airport on the south side of the city – with convenient metro lines that connect everywhere. The main focus of the trip was to take part in the 2023 Adventure Travel World Summit in Hokkaido.

After a quick rest and wash up at my beautiful Hotel, it was off to the back alleys of Shibuya Crossing to dine in a couple of the many excellent and tiny food establishments.

As I’ve been to Tokyo quite a few times, I decided this visit would focus on the metropolis’ many culinary delights.

Ramen is always a good staple after a long flight.

Succulent Mackerel  .

5000 Yen is US $ 34. There will be change. Tipping forbidden.

Around 11 the bar scene begins. There are hundreds of these little places, often with only 4 or 5 seats. Whisky is the drink of choice. Let the bartender invite you in, as foreigners are not always welcome – the reason being that they can’t take part in the intimate conversations. I had no problem, but could not add to the conversation.

The next morning I took the Hibiya Line to Tsukiji Fish Market. The market is famous for early morning auctions of the world’s most expensive and perfect blocks of tuna. However, it is now a sanitized experience viewed from afar. At a soup stall, I began with a small bowl of organ meats with scallions and soft boiled egg, some cold tea to wash it down.

At another stall, one of many hundreds, I had insanely fresh sashimi – different cuts of fatty tuna, salmon roe and uni. 1200 yen, about $ 9.

A more exotic assortment , including very high grade fatty tuna – melts like butter. Also whelks and abalone.

A real treat – giant cold fresh oysters with uni.

Quite satiated, TotalAdventure attended the Kabuki Theater. No photo or video of the actual performance is allowed, so this is of the theater and stage. The plays are many hours long, an entire afternoon. However, you can buy a ticket for just one act – about 30 or 40 minutes. All the actors are male, even for the female roles. The characters have had a lot of influence in the development of Pokemon and the beginning of the Anime culture.

Just after a mild typhoon.

5 AM Sunrise from my 40th floor hotel room at the Century Southern in Shinjuku. Please see some photos and videos from past trips to Tokyo, here on TotalAdventure Magazine.

On Sunday September 10th, I flew on JetStar from Narita to Sapporo. TotalAdventure was taking part in The Adventure Travel World Summit. Every year the Summit is held in a different location. Last year it was in Switzerland and next year will be in Panama. The Summit was supposed to be in Sapporo in 2021, but was postponed due to COVID lockdowns. Do see 2019 posts from Japan – in January 2019 the city was covered under several meters of snow, as it is every winter. But now, in mid September, the weather was humid and in the 80s – 29 C.

JAP-POW !

Before the Summit began, we were treated to a Day of Adventure. We went on the Furano Geo Adventure which included road biking in the morning and climbing into the Furano Crater, located in Central Hokkaido in the afternoon.

The volcano is currently dormant , but there are many steam vents letting out the heat of the Earth. Thirty summers prior- TotalAdventure explored similar terrain in nearby Kamchatka Russia – also in the Pacific Rim of Fire. Look back into the Russian archives in TotalAdventure Magazine.

With the very helpful and patient crew !

Our great hike leaders.

Wagyu Beef for lunch.

Bucolic Country Barn.

Rich Volcanic Soil For Farming. Everything Impeccably Clean.

The ATTA and ourHokkaido Hosts, had a great welcoming party for us at the site of the 1972 Winter Olympics. There were actual jumpers skiing down the astroturf . Snow won’t start until November.

View From The Top. Rumor has it that Winter Olympics will return to Sapporo in 2030.

The Summit was very productive and many new companies with hundreds of trips will soon join the TotalAdventure Platform.

On Friday,September 15th, TotalAdventure boarded Jeju Air from Sapporo to Seoul ,South Korea for the next phase of the East Asian Adventure.