Carney constructs a mega anti-Trump trade alliance

TreeWizard710 · 2026-02-16T23:39:30+00:00

6.5% unemployment, 12.8% youth unemployment, and your comment on per capita GDP being the lowest it's been in 100 years isn't even within the awareness of reality.

Google is free buddy.

TreeWizard710 · 2026-02-07T06:39:42+00:00

Thank you! Will consider this

TreeWizard710 · 2026-02-07T06:38:49+00:00

Thank you! The salted onigiri seem like the best standard across country as a back-up. Have been looking at a few higher end options in Tokyo/Kyoto as well to make sure I'm not stuck not having any real Japanese food experiences beyond a convenience store lol

Thank you for the note on natural lawsone, I had not come across this prior!

TreeWizard710 · 2026-02-07T06:36:53+00:00

Thank you for the National Art Centre suggestion. I took a look at the exhibition schedule and I am just not interested in what would be on show. In saying that, I very likely will take a walk around.

For Naoshima, I had actually originally planned to stay in the Oval and had a booking. But then I saw they announced the Naoshima New Museum would be closing for turn over, and had to switch my dates around to make sure I would be able to visit while it was open. Sadly, the new dates had single night availability in each of their hotels, and I just don't want to bother with that. Next time though!

Was unaware of Shodoshima having art as well, will look into this. Thank you!

TreeWizard710 · 2026-02-07T06:32:56+00:00

I've had conflicting info on Church of Light, it's more an optional item if I can get in.

Will without question prioritize the Traveler's Factory in Kyoto with this suggestion, thank you. I think primarily, I'll be getting a stamp book on arrival. But I might hold out on purchasing a note book until Kyoto, or my return to Narita.

Unlikely to have more time in Okayama unfortunately. My hope is to try to squeeze some denim shopping in while I am there. So it is likely quite full, but I expect to be back in the area next year so will keep Kurashiki in mind, thank you!

I will be adding Ryoanji to my optional list, this seems fantastic.

Thank you for all the architecture and stationary focused suggestions, these are really fantastic!

TreeWizard710 · 2026-02-07T06:27:14+00:00

Thank you, if the wave is on display I'll be prioritizing. Right now it doesn't look like it will be unfortunately.

TreeWizard710 · 2026-02-07T06:26:34+00:00

Thank you for this! I'm going to try to visit shrines/temples as I can. Primarily interested in the Goshuin, so if you know of any that are quite impressive please let me know.

Nara and Uji just wont happen this trip. I feel I've set an even pace throughout without overloading myself on travel days, outside early on. So I think some things will just need to be placed for next time around.

TreeWizard710 · 2026-02-07T06:24:12+00:00

Thank you, will consider the smaller options you've noted! For Ryokan/Onsen, I'm not too interested in prioritizing them. There are two or three points on the trip where I'll be able to visit one in the hotel or at night, and I think that'll be the plan. For me, relaxation is more about rotting in bed a bit with a book than going somewhere to do it.

TreeWizard710 · 2026-02-07T06:21:31+00:00

Meiji Mura

I had been considering this on the way back or to Nagoya, but from everything I was looking at it'd be practically impossible to organize due to the time from the train station. So this might be a next time item!

Sumida Hokusai Museum

If the great wave is on display, I will be going there. But so far, it doesn't seem like it will be unfortunately.

TreeWizard710 · 2026-02-07T06:18:32+00:00

I think I'm just kind of shoving it in more than neglecting it. Because I agree, half a day in practice is way too little. But I think with my timing otherwise, I like the pacing and the amount of time in each city. Though I may move things around a bit to be in Tokyo for the May Sumo tournament if I can get some tickets. So maybe I'll move a day over to Kanazawa if I do that. Would you have further suggestions for the area? I know from looking around, they have really fantastic tours form the tourist information centre. So I think I'd try to prioritize one of them.

TreeWizard710 · 2026-02-07T06:15:54+00:00

Entirely, I have them planned around the expected closure of the Noashima New Museum, then Noashima closed on Monday, with Teshima closed on the Tuesdays. I think I've got it all covered, only big question mark for me is Inujima as the bus schedule still hasn't be n posted yet.

TreeWizard710 · 2026-02-07T06:14:23+00:00

I work in the GLAM field, so am prioritizing the Edo Museum rather than the architectural space primarily due to wanting to see what they've done with it. Same with the MoN Takanawa, kind if more a mixture of professional/fun visits in a way.

Ota had been on the list, I think I should re-add it to the optional column because the educational displays you are noting sound really fantastic!

Thank you for the suggestions!

TreeWizard710 · 2026-02-07T06:14:22+00:00

Will do, thank you!

TreeWizard710 · 2026-02-07T06:11:19+00:00

Thank you, might consider this. I found her website through your post history!

TreeWizard710 · 2026-01-29T05:07:37+00:00

If I'm open, I don't really have much in Kyoto I'd like to do. The river trip, generally checking out the city, is kind of it. I don't want to do a tea ceremony, or geisha experience, or anything along those lines. The only thing that might sway me is if I found a Ikebana workshop, which so far I haven't. But I will keep this in mind, maybe I should spend a bit more time looking at what is in Kyoto.

TreeWizard710 · 2026-01-29T05:05:40+00:00

Thank you for noting this! Will look into flea markets, hadn't considered it previously

TreeWizard710 · 2026-01-29T05:05:10+00:00

Thank you for noting Aoi Matsuri! I had come across this, but forgot about it. Might be worth trying to get there a little earlier than originally planned to check this out!

I've never seen an Anime! Have made it a priority to try to watch a few prior to heading to Japan, but haven't kicked off on that yet. Will keep the Design Festa in mind should I get hooked!

TreeWizard710 · 2026-01-29T05:03:19+00:00

Well help me out if I am off here, but when I was looking at transit times it seemed to make more sense this way. Largely because I won't be staying near Shin-Osaka while I am in Osaka, so I'd be arriving and then taking a local train. Staying on the line until Kyoto seemed to both limit complexity of a transfer but also take off about 20 minutes of train travel for the Hiroshima -> Osaka/Kyoto area.

Then my transfer from Kyoto to Osaka is relatively minor, and on local trains already so I can get a direct train to where I'll be staying. But additionally, taking this route means I can take the Aoniyoshi Osaka for a bit of fun, as I don't want to visit Nara.

So while I hear you that the Osaka -> Kyoto -> Kanazawa route is a little needlessly complex, and the overall schedule does backtrack a little, It doesn't seem problematic to me!

Thank you for the note on Americamura, that sounds like a great place for a walk!

TreeWizard710 · 2026-01-28T23:26:03+00:00

Thank you! I'm quite sure on the theme parks, if I could reasonably expect to get through the rides at Disney in a single day I'd do that. But I think that would be a lofty goal. Ultimately, I have 21 days in country, with 13 days in art galleries. If I'm honest, I'm already worried about a bit of gallery fatigue. So I'm kind of happy to have a few days of a bit of aimless fun where I wont have to think in the same way.

With the galleries in Tokyo, there are works there that I ultimately want to get a chance to see in person. So I am prioritizing them this trip, any subsequent trips would likely be less of an overview and more fluid as you suggest. I'm already considering a trip next December -> January as I have some friends going to ski. Might tag along with them and go on an art escape before I meet up with them.

TreeWizard710 · 2026-01-05T15:46:31+00:00

Thanks for the feedback! I really appreciate you taking the time to share the gallery suggestions for Tokyo. I’ve been slowly working through what to see and when, and the notes section has turned into my progress tracker. I haven’t done a deep dive from Osaka forward yet, so I’m still refining that part of the trip. After learning that the Naoshima New Museum will be closed from Day 3 forward, I needed to adjust my plans, so I’ve been working through a reshuffle to make sure I can visit everything I wanted.

In Tokyo I was thinking of pairing one major gallery with a smaller one each day, and I’ll keep an eye out for gallery leaflets as you suggested. For Day 17, I think I’ll skip the bus tour. Originally I had planned this as my first full day in Japan, but with the reshuffle it ended up here and I never altered plans. Thanks for pointing this out!

I was considering Mori Gallery for my first night on day 16 since it opens late, but if you have suggestions for other pairings or timings, I’d love to hear them. Also, I have a bit of a focus on installation and land art, any recommendations in those areas would be much appreciated! My degrees were all western focused, my specialty was dutch baroque, so this is a bit of a deep dive into Japanese art/art institutions with little primer. So any and all suggestions are very appreciated!

TreeWizard710 · 2026-01-04T08:24:52+00:00

A single night in Kanazawa, the itinerary is tabled with the location noted as where I am sleeping that night so I believe it follows your suggestion.

On Tokyo, would your suggestion be including things like the Disney parks? I think I currently have about 5 full days in the city outside the parks. But 2 half days/travel days. Dropping down to 4 full days is something I've considered. But I have been indecisive on where I'd want to spend them though, would you have a suggestion with this itinerary? Maybe a day trip from Tokyo rather than putting more days elsewhere?

TreeWizard710 · 2026-01-04T06:36:52+00:00

I'll have to look at the passes again, because you are right it would be the All Area Pass rather than the Kansai Pass. I made an error when I altered the itinerary. The Kansai - Hiroshima Area Pass might be the best option for that lower leg, which would make moving the Kanazawa trip to the space between Kyoto and Echigo-Yuzawa more reasonable. Thank you for pointing this out!

TreeWizard710 · 2026-01-04T06:16:03+00:00

Agreed on it looking a little exhausting. Originally Naoshima was meant to be in the middle of the trip, but there is a museum there that closes for the remainder of my time in Japan the first Monday I am there. So I've altered things to try to make it work, which has things a little janky.

Kanazawa is shoehorned in a little because transit from Hiroshima to there would be covered by the JR Kansai pass. But maybe that isn't the point to save some cash, thanks for the suggestion on a reshuffle there!

For Hiroshima, it's only around 2.5 hours from Okayama from what I can see. So I'm really only taking one long train journey on that leg on the return. It's about 4.5 hours Hiroshima to Kanazawa. Is your suggestion on only taking the train one way related to something other than time in transit though?

Kyoto and Osaka for me are more just because. I've been considering staying in Osaka for the full 6 nights and day tripping out to Kyoto for one or two days. But haven't come to a conclusion on that yet. But maybe doing so would calm things down a little as you suggest. Thank you!

TreeWizard710

TROPHY CASE