TOKYO

Day 1: navigating Shinjuku station, taking in the pulse of Shibuya crossing, line ups for bubble tea across the street, wandering the lantern lit alleys of golden gai

On the menu: family mart friend chicken, conveyer belt sushi, bubble tea, street-side Kobe beef skewers

Day 2: live streaming the historic Toronto Raptors NBA finals at a hipster basketball bar in Harajuku, gaining an appreciation for Japanese cotton, escaping the city in Yoyogi Park, learning to pray the shinto way at Meiji Temple, tying up bad fortune

On the menu: mango beer for breakfast, gyoza, macha latte, Milk ice cream, ramen, all-you-can-drink-and-eat BBQ

Day 3: hunting for throwbacks at the Mandrake complex in Akihabara, agonizing over which handmade chopsticks to gift in Akasuka, happy hour at a street stall on Hoppy Dori street, becoming the subject of Aziz Ansari’s jokes at Good Heavens, racing to catch the last night train, intervening in the seedier side of host boy culture

On the menu: tempura donburi bowl, Hoppy Dori snacks, vending machine iced coffee, McDonald’s, Seven Eleven egg salad sandwich and mochi

Day 4: wedding band shopping in Okachimachi, choosing a ramen place under Tokyo Station, taking in the serenity of 9.2 million people from the sky deck, getting lost looking for quirky household items in Don Quijote

On the menu: melt in your mouth tuna from the neighbourhood sushi joint, defeated by Tokyo ramen street, giant mozzarella stick

KYOTO

Day 5: experiencing the bullet train, sake bar hopping

On the menu: train bento boxes, wood fire oven pizza, mystery meat yakatori, falling in love with sparkling sake

Day 6: cycling Kyoto with Tiri, Golden temple, calling spirits with rope bell, school children touching the head of bull wishing for smarts and good grades, winding through the ancients streets

On the menu: convenience store breakfast, macha and black sesame ice cream, izakaya (salmon avocado salad, sashimi, fried eggplant with miso, vegetable tempura, grilled makeral, fried chicken)

Day 7: cable car up Mount Hiei, World Parkinson’s Congress

On the menu: starbucks & a donut by the river, seven eleven lunch (spicy cucumber, egg salad sandwich, red bean mochi), conference cocktail reception

Day 8: bike ride to Aryishma bamboo forest

On the menu: Tully’s breakfast in bed while watching the Raps, soba noodles with a view, Kyoto pork with special sauce, more sparking sake

Day 9: catching the silhouettes of geisha along Gion side streets, receiving an education on Japanese whisky at the Fishbowl from a bartender from Guam, shisha and blending in with the 20-somthing backpacker crowd at Zazas, impromptu karaoke for two

On the menu: waiting in line for fluffy pancakes, tamayaka snacks from market, curry, waygu beef, garlic butter edamame and overflowing wine

Day 10: full ryokan onsen experience, tatami mats, yukata robes, getting naked in the gender segregated hot springs, tapping out after a 10-course meal

On the menu: department store breakfast to die for (shrimp buns, matcha sweet loaf, fruit smoothie), matcha latte, bento box to go, hotpot, sashimi, baked eggplant, salted fish, raw waygu beef, tempura, noodles, sake

OSAKA

Day 11: queuing up for famous back alley eats, views of Osaka from the 46th floor, lights of Dontonbori/Namba, secretly competing with tiny girl for the highest stack at conveyor belt sushi

On the menu: okonominyaki, sushi