Returning to Japan: Tokyo, Gunma & Okinawa Through My Eyes (2025 Travel Story)
If you don’t know, Japan a my place, so I’m super excited to go back on this trip. We’re going to go from the hustle and bustle in the streets of Tokyo to the cool countryside of Gunma, to a place I’ve never been to before, and that’s called Okinawa, the tropical Paradise of Japan. Let’s go. As soon as I touched down, you know I’m hungry. So we made our way to Harajuku. While Harajuku is known for the fashion, the food there is crazy. But guess what? I opted for a simple onigiri. Perfect. Now we’re heading to Tokyo’s biggest Gashapon stores. Yo, it’s wall to wall capsule machines, each having some cool, unique and just interesting souvenirs. But they’re more than just toys. They’re like snapshots reminding you of a really cool day in Tokyo. Or. You cannot come to Tokyo. I’m not a nerd. So let’s go to Tokyo’s Nintendo store. Nintendo isn’t even just a company. Nintendo has a whole lifestyle that’s been with us since we were kids. They know this place is real special to me. Oh, yeah, and they have some Pokemon stuff too. Perfect. There’s a really cool temple I’ve always wanted to visit. It’s famous for a particular animal. See if you can guess what it is. The Gotokuji Temple is one of the most interesting temples I’ve ever been to. It’s just outside Tokyo. This place has thousands upon thousands upon thousands of really cute cat statues. There’s a store here that says a cat saved the life of somebody really important hundreds of years ago. And he dedicated the temple to this cat. You know, I had to get one right. But to be very honest, Tokyo can be alot. So it’s time to hop on the Shinkansen and make our way to Gunma. Where I met amazing people, had great experiences, and met someone real special. Yeah let’s go One of my all time favorite places in Gunma is definitely the Daruma temple. And I have a video about this temple that you should definitely watch. Being back in Gunma was just nostalgic. We spent most of our time in Gunma relaxing and just reconnecting with some old friends. I even got lucky enough to run into one of my old students, and that made me so happy 🙂 But despite the weather, we had a great time. Very relaxing, very chill. And just like that, we leave the cool mountains of Gunma. To a tropical Paradise called Okinawa. And guys…vibes. One of the first things you’ll notice is the American influence. And then you notice all of these lion dogs all over the place. They’re called Shisa and they’re supposed to be the guardians of the island. I ran into this guy selling Jamaican jerk chicken on the beach. That was crazy. We stayed in a place called the American Village. And it doesn’t really feel like America, but it definitely doesn’t feel like Japan. And there were these really cool Pokemon art pieces that we had to find. As a Pokemon fan. This place is super duper cool. I’ve seen all these signs and there are a bunch of lil pokemon places. I’m going to find them. I gotta catch them all. As big Pokemon fans, you know we had to make our way to Okinawa Pokemon Center to see all we could see. So I have no idea what the new generation of Pokemon are called, so I gave them some names. But you guys let me know what you think. I tried to get to Gengar, but he looks kind of weird. So I got this frog guy. Heading out to see some whale specifically the humpback whale. So let me know if you see it. Yeah, we spent lots of time just looking at that water, so. Definitely anticlimactic. But we had a chill time. Okinawa has one of the biggest aquariums in the world, so we had to visit. Judging by how huge these crowds were, you know, everyone was here to see the whale shark. I was a lot more interested in the turtles. This one really connected with me. So this trip was definitely full of cool experiences. And I cannot wait to be back here in Japan. Till next time, guys. Mata ne
After years away, I finally return to Japan — and this time, it’s deeply personal.
In this 2025 travel story, join me as I explore the buzzing streets of Tokyo, reconnect with old friends in the mountain towns of Gunma, soak in the healing waters of Kusatsu Onsen, and experience the tropical warmth of Okinawa for the first time.
🎥 Shot on: Sony A7III + Galaxy S25 Ultra
🎬 Vibe: Buttery B-rolls. Warm portraits. Culture meets memory.
What You’ll See:
1. Tokyo – Shibuya Crossing, Nintendo Store, hidden calm spots
2. Gunma – Friends, peaceful mountain life, and onsen escape
3. Kusatsu Onsen – Japan’s famous hot spring town
4. Okinawa – My first time here:
Churaumi Aquarium
Whale watching on the open sea
American Village vibes and food
AloJapan.com