Liz Renninger and Tony Aguilar have explored the globe together – Mexico, Morocco, Spain, a Caribbean cruise. “He’s like my travel husband,” Renninger, vice president of Evolve Public Relations and Marketing, says of her childhood best friend. When she started scheming a “bucket-list trip” to Japan for fall 2024, she knew Aguilar would be down. “We’re comfortable to travel together.” Renninger shares highlights from their bestie-moon to Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima.
Sushi Yuu
To celebrate Renninger’s birthday on the trip, Aguilar surprised her with reservations at this Tokyo sushi spot from chef Daisuke Shimazaki, who inherited the more-than-50-year-old restaurant from his father. The 15-course omakase was “an unparalleled experience,” Renninger says. She relished the progressive tuna tasting. “You could really taste the levels as you were working up to the fattiest piece, almost reminding me of a piece of steak.” @daisukesushiyuu
Times Cafe
“Breakfast is different in Japan,” Renninger says. Instead of pancakes and eggs, the travel buddies slurped ramen and feasted on fried rice for their morning meal at this Shinjuku eatery. “It is very savory,” she says. “It almost felt like you were eating dinner for breakfast.” True to its name, this cafe charged by the hour. times-cafe.favy.jp
Rokuon-ji
Japan’s high-speed train system made a day trip to Kyoto to see this Zen Buddhist temple – also known as the Temple of the Golden Pavilion and Kinkaku-ji – doable, especially with a private guide. “It was absolutely stunning,” Renninger says. “Our tour guide told us it was coated in gold… you could even see it reflected in the water below.” shokoku-ji.jp/kinkakuji
Goichi Pizza
Several days into the trip, “we were sort of tired of ramen and sushi,” she laughs. They popped into this bustling, tiny pizzeria in Kyoto. “A party of like 20 Italians walked in, and we knew we were in the right place!” It turned out to be some of the best pizza they’d ever had. “Don’t knock trying a pizza place while you’re there,” Renninger advises. “It was really good.” @goichi_pizza
