I’m back from Japan! In this episode, I recover (barely) from the post-Star Wars Celebration plague and take you through the final stretch of my two-week nerd adventure across Japan. I recap my day trips to Kyoto, Nara, and Kobe—including sacred deer, curry that broke the internet, and the Osaka fried food fantasy known as kushikatsu. Plus, I share my emotional visit to Hiroshima, a last-minute return to Tokyo, and why I stayed in the wrong place in Tokyo. Spoiler: I’m already dreaming of my return.

Show Notes

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• The lingering effects of my Star Wars Celebration Cold
• Why I wish I’d spent way more time in Kyoto
• What it’s like to feed sacred deer and visit the world’s largest Buddha in Nara
• Kobe’s gorgeous but eerily empty waterfront
• My hot takes on kushikatsu, okonomiyaki, and surprise udon shop bliss
• Staying in one hotel vs. hopping cities — how my base camp strategy paid off
• A powerful day in Hiroshima, including the Peace Memorial and that famous okonomiyaki
• Visiting Miyajima Island, the floating torii gate, and local oysters
• Why I skipped Kanazawa and doubled back to Tokyo instead
• My Shibuya redemption arc, Tower Records nostalgia, and ramen round two
• Nerdy adventures ahead: Hobbiton marathon, New York Comic Con, and more

Mentioned in this episode:

• Adventures Assemble YouTube Channel – for upcoming Japan videos
• AdventuresAssemble.com – sign up for updates and nerd travel content
• Sunny in Japan and Hoang Pham (YouTube travel guides I watched before the trip)
• APA Hotels – the “mirror universe” rooms I stayed in
• Koisus Curry & Tempura – the viral Kyoto restaurant I waited an hour for
• Jikasei Mensho – my ramen MVP in Tokyo

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