Japan Apr 2025 Ep 14: Akita 4K

Japan Apr 2025 Ep 14: Akita 4K

Welcome to episode 14. The best day of our entire Japan adventure, in the dreamiest place yet. Believed to be the origin of the well-known Akita dog, but in Japan we say Akita. Good morning from Akita, Japan. We’re about to catch the shuttle bus. Another industrial port. Logging, wind turbines, Lots of smoke stacks. Lots of industry. So, How long is our bus tour? I forgot again already. I don’t remember how long it is, but… Well, it’s not necessarily a tour. No. You can pay for tours. It’s just a shuttle. A full size van, runs ya about $500 for 3 hours. And, you can add an hour for 100 bucks, up to 6 hours. So, we are going on the Noordam shuttle. It is $18 a person. And, it drops you off in downtown. So, We got a late start this morning. They don’t open early anyway. Yeah, uh, Classic Benedict with a side of bacon. Absolutely necessary from the dining room. So…I’m digging for my sunglasses. I think I forgot them. Emergency drills for the crew. It is a work day for them. This guy knows to check all the balconies for leftover room service. Little scavenger. I don’t want a curtain. I’ll come back here. A significant rice-growing region, Akita has many Sake breweries. It is also known for it’s peaceful hot springs, stunning parks, fascinating architecture and its many festivals. Diagonal crosswalk. I’ve never seen one before. Fish crossing is full. They’re swimming in and out of the tunnel to get across the walkway. And, they think we must have food. Oh, here they come racing over. Coming right to us. There’s pigeons up there? One of them over there, I heard a thwack, and I look over and there’e this white in the water. Eee. And, I looked up and yeah, pigeons. Wow, they were gonna poop on me. Say something in pigeon. Well, I didn’t know there was a tractor castle. Kubota makes some good equipment. We are in front of the ruins of Kubota Castle. Looks like a museum, and gardens. Blossoms are intense here. Cherry Blossoms are full here. Just blossom in the wind. It’s raining blossom petals. I just love all the little petals fluttering in the wind. The ground is starting to be littered with them. You can see the season is not quite over yet. All the tips still haven’t bloomed. Follow the stream. Oh, it’s so pretty! We couldn’t believe our luck, as we spent the day in what is now known as, Senshu Park, during the annual Sakura festival. Celebrating the park’s more than 700 Sakura trees in full bloom, some as old as 120 years. This epic display earned the park it’s spot as one of Japan’s top 100 cherry blossom viewing locations. And, we nearly made ourselves dizzy spinning around to fully take in the epic 360* views. We are on the Akita Castle grounds. This place is…. Crazy! If you get a chance to come to Japan during flower season, It’s worth it. And I’m not a flower guy. I’m like, beaches, palm trees, fishing. These flowers are wicked. So, yeah, well worth it. That is the cutest little Children’s Park. This is where the Akita dog, Akita is how we say it in the US but it’s actually Ah key tah. And, this is where the dog originated. They actually have a whole dog museum and everything. Nothing to do… but take in the ambiance. I know those people! All the way in Japan, and I run into people I know! It’s gonna be a long wait to get the bridge without anybody on it. I’m patient. I think. If this was survivor, there’d most definitely be a clue in that hole somewhere. The most important room of any castle. The bathroom. The relief station. My first squatty potty. Like all good outhouses, A spider. Chillin’ in a pine forest. In Japan. Away from all the tourists. It smells like home. There are restaurants There’s a french restaurant here. But, they are not currently open. Excuse me while I pass out. It’s a whole lot of filming and not breathing. So you don’t hear, No, it’s not that bad. But, still. If you know, you know. It is hard to go up hill, and not sound like a winded person. The further up the hill you go, it just gets more and more nuts. Found the picnic spot. Everybody’s enjoying some lunch. The castle grounds reward you for climbing hills. Because, The further and further you go, the crazier and crazier it gets. look at that. It’s like there’s snow. Built in 1603, Kubota castle sat on a 40m hill, or 131 feet. Unlike the other castles built during this period, there was very little stone used in it’s construction. It also maintained a modest profile and had no main keep or tower. Instead, the property’s defense relied on the natural elevation, its strategic location near a river and surrounding wetlands, several large water filled moats and trenches, a well guarded gate, and 8 surrounding turrets or watch towers. Nearly every building was destroyed over the course of multiple fires between 1633 and 1880. The abandoned grounds were donated for use as a park. One corner tower, now containing a small history museum, was reconstructed for tourism in 1989. Polls are in. Prettiest castle yet. There’s an elevator over there. Nice. *Japanese speaking The top of Akita castle. It is not hard to see why the daimyos and magistrates preferred it up on these hills. Inside walled castles. It is quiet. It is peaceful. It is nice. *Japanese speaking Movie, no. Photo ok. *Japanese speaking *Birds chirping Oh, they’ve got the dogs. Try some fishing. *Excited group ahhhh Look at that. They’re like fish eggs. They’re packed in so tight. Have some cotton candy while you’re enjoying, the eye candy. Fish for toys. Might have to try some Special Beef Steak. K, you ready for one of my 360’s. Because this one is epic. Alright, let me get the good spot. Fix my hair. One no sauce, *Question in Japanese Salt. Salt? Yes. And then, one with sauce. Ok. In the bathroom sink. *Can we? You’e allowed to take your fish home. If you catch ’em. Can we get a fish? *Laughing We can totally keep it in the bathroom sink until we get back. Imagine bringing that through TSA, though. You actually are allowed to bring fish through TSA. A live one? Yeah in those little gold fish bags. *Conveniently timed background laughter. So soft and so much flavor. Carlia and I got ours with no sauce. Make sure it’s gluten free. Oh yeah. Special Beef. Special good. No sauce for Aleta and Carlia. Plenty of sauce for Thomas and Shyla. It’s so soft and the salt is really tasty. Alright, we’re here for the candied fruit. We’re totally addicted now. Little apples! Oh, strawberries are the best, too. We’re Candy Fruit addicts now. This time, we got little baby apples. And this is how you do a candied apple. Small enough to actually eat. Sadly, I didn’t actually like the apple. It was really really squishy so, the girls got me strawberry. Yeah. There’s a lot of people now. We were able to go around and get most of our shots with no people in them, or very few people in them but, That would not be possible right now. So, Got our epic shots, and now, we’re actually ready to go back. We’ll see you back on the ship and figure out what we’re gonna get. Probably from the lido deck. Back at the diagonal crossing at the Akita Castle Hotel. Where we catch the shuttle bus. Made it back. To the port station. Found myself a husband bench There’s lots of shopping going on. Ooooh, they have our Café Lattés. They’re cheaper than the machine. A little dog. Soup and salad day. And they also had sour cream for my chips and guac. Aw man, I ruined the photo with gettin’ Gettin’ it mixed. Oh man. Alright. Soup and salad day and they also had sour cream for my daily chips and guac. I don’t know why I’m saying daily. Maybe they’re coming with our shrimp? Nope, he’s giving it to somebody else. Alright. Coconut Bisque. Lumpia. Coconut Shrimp. And, Carlia’s favorite, The French Onion Soup. Where’s my Shrimp? I had 2 appetizers this time ’cause I couldn’t decide. So, here’s my shrimp. Oh, and that soup was spicy. Alright, I’ve got this amazing Sriracha Salmon. Carlia and her steaks. Shyla’s Spaghetti. And, Thomas’ Lasagna. Oooh, it looks good with your wine. Yum. Dessert time. I’ve got Rum Raisin Ice Cream. Flourless Chocolate Cake for Carlia. Shyla, what kind of crisp did you get? Peach. And, blueberry. Thomas’ Cheesecake.

Japan April 2025 Episode 14: Akita

Join us for the dreamiest day in the most Japanese-like place, perhaps, in all of Japan. Akita’s Senshu Park is what dreams are made of and we were in awe as we took in the epic beauty surrounding us. A literal 360* immersion of the most picturesque spring day we ever could have imagined!

#epic #onceinalifetime #japan to #Alaska
#travel #vlog #series #family #adventure
Music Credits:
Oku No In by, Mandala Dreams
Changli by, Ooyy
Timelapse by, nothanks
Immovable As The Mountain by, Yi Nantiro
Wanderlust by, Osoku
Time Without End by, Spectacles Wallet and Watch
Re: Love by, True Messenger
Backpacker by, Osoku
Mask of Bayon by, Deskant
Gelatin Nature by, Ooyy

Courtesy of Epidemic Sound