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Genevieve 🇺🇸🇫🇷 | Probably Traveling ✈️🌏

@gen_trczk

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✈️ Travel photography and storytelling 📷
Born in 🇺🇸, raised in 🇫🇷
🌏 30 countries, countless moments ✨
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[Japan '25 🇯🇵]
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One last night in Japan 🗼✨
On our way back to Tokyo for our final night in Japan, we agreed on one last completely spontaneous stop: Tokyo Tower.
Completed in 1958, the Toky Tower became a symbol of a country determined to rebuild and look toward the future. Often compared to the Eiffel Tower, its orange-and-white colors have given it an identity all its own.
As night fell, the tower lit up like a giant lantern above the city. Around it, the atmosphere felt surprisingly relaxed for such an iconic landmark. Couples enjoying the evening, students sharing snacks, friends taking photos...
Naturally, we couldn't resist doing the same thing and ended up having our own impromptu photo shoot 📸
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As this series about my trip to Japan comes to an end, it's time to look back on everything this journey has meant to me.
When I planned this trip, Japan wasn't at the top of my bucket list. I'm not particularly interested in manga or anime, so I didn't expect the country to leave such a strong impression on me.
Yet somehow, it did.
Beyond the landscapes, temples, and incredible food, what stayed with me most was the mindset. The respect for others, the care for shared spaces, and the importance placed on collective well-being felt deeply refreshing.
Of course, no place is perfect. The concept of tatemae—maintaining harmony through social politeness—sometimes made people feel difficult to truly know.
My favorite places? Kyoto and Fujiyoshida, without hesitation, with Osaka earning an honorable mention. Tokyo was probably the city I connected with the least; its scale and pace felt overwhelming at times. And then there was Hiroshima. The most emotional day of the trip by far.
Will I return to Japan one day? Very likely.
There is still so much of traditional Japan to discover, and the country's northern regions are already calling my name.
Japan surprised me, challenged some of my assumptions, and taught me a few things about myself along the way. And that's probably the greatest gift a journey can give 🇯🇵❤️
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#Japan #Tokyo #TokyoTower #TheEnd #ArigatoGosaimasu by @gen_trczk

[Japan '25 🇯🇵]
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One last quiet escape 🌿
For our last day exploring Japan, we stayed in Hiroshima, determined to make the most of it until the very end.
A short ride on a local train 🚃, followed by a peaceful walk through a quiet residential neighborhood, brought me to my last stop in Hiroshima: Mitaki-dera. The path quickly led into a dense, lush forest 🌿, and the air felt cooler, softer — almost instantly calming.
No ticket booth at the entrance, just a small stone box and a simple request to leave a few coins. I dropped mine in and noticed how each one echoed with a slightly different tone 🔔 — a small, almost poetic detail.
Further along, the temple slowly revealed itself. Wooden buildings blending into the forest, a pagoda partially hidden behind maple trees 🍁, and rows of moss-covered Jizō statues lining the path.
I knew there was a trail leading all the way up to the top of Mount Mitaki, with views over Hiroshima — but time wasn’t on my side. So I made my way back down, trying to take it all in one last time — even dropping a few extra coins in the box, just to hear that soft chime again 🔔
It felt like a quiet way to close this chapter.
That evening, we boarded the Shinkansen back to Tokyo 🚄, with the feeling that Japan still had one last surprise waiting for us ✨🗼
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#Japan #Hiroshima #Mitakidera #LushVibes #JapanTravel #Travel #Traveler #TravelStories #TravelDiaries #FemaleTraveler #SheTravels #SheExplores #WomenWhoTravel #TravelAsia #BackpackingAsia #VisitJapan #2025Adventures by @gen_trczk

[Japan '25 🇯🇵]
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Golden hour, but make it Japan ⛩️🌅
The famous floating torii of Miyajima, part of Itsukushima Shrine, is one of those places that changes completely with the tide.
I had seen it earlier that morning, during high tide — the shrine on stilts and the torii both standing in the sea, giving everything that almost unreal, “floating” feeling.
Coming back just before sunset felt completely different, with the tide back in and the torii once again standing in the water — right on time for golden hour 💛
We skipped the crowded front viewpoint and settled on the quieter side, with the light behind us.
The warm glow of the setting sun caught the torii’s bright vermilion color, reflecting softly on the water 🌊 The mountains in the distance, the calm sea, the fading light… it all came together in that kind of quiet moment you don’t want to rush ✨
No bench available — so we sat on the ground, right by the water, watching the sun slowly disappear behind the horizon 🌅
The morning was beautiful, but this — this felt unforgettable 🤍
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#Japan #Hiroshima #Itsukushima #Miyajima #FloatingTorii #SunsetVibes #JapanTravel #Travel #Traveler #TravelStories #TravelDiaries #FemaleTraveler #SheTravels #SheExplores #WomenWhoTravel #TravelAsia #BackpackingAsia #VisitJapan #2025Adventures by @gen_trczk

[Japan '25 🇯🇵]
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A different side of Japan 🌿
A deeply emotional day in Hiroshima behind us, a softer, quieter escape was waiting for us, as we spent the next day on the island of Itsukushima, better known as Miyajima (why it has two names, I still have no idea 😅), about an hour and a half from Hiroshima.
To experience Miyajima at its most magical, we headedup Mount Misen, rising 535 meters above the island — known for its forest temples, peaceful trails, and sweeping views over the Seto Inland Sea 🌊
With my ankle still not fully cooperating, the ropeway felt like the right call — and honestly, I didn’t regret it. The ride up, in two parts, glides above dense forest 🌿 with views that only get better the higher you go.
From the top station, about a kilometer of trail leads to the summit — starting, surprisingly, with a descent before climbing back up through shaded paths and stone steps. Easier than expected, and incredibly peaceful.
And then, the reward. At the top, the view opens up over the islands and the calm waters of the Seto Inland Sea — one of those panoramas that instantly makes you pause ✨ This little nature escape felt like exactly what I needed. After such a city-heavy trip, being surrounded by forest and fresh air just hit differently 🍃
And it definitely left me wanting more.
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#Japan #Hiroshima #Itsukushima #Miyajima #MountMisen #JapanTravel #Travel #Traveler #TravelStories #TravelDiaries #FemaleTraveler #SheTravels #SheExplores #WomenWhoTravel #TravelAsia #BackpackingAsia #VisitJapan #2025Adventures by @gen_trczk

[Japan '25 🇯🇵]
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Where history still stands 🕊️
After hours spent walking through the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, taking in its monuments and quiet messages of peace, one place stayed with me more than any other.
The Atomic Bomb Dome.
Standing on the riverbank, its skeletal structure feels frozen in time — a silent witness to what happened here. Once a bustling exhibition hall, it is now the only building left standing close to the hypocenter — just about 160 meters away.
Perfectly aligned withthe Cenotaph and the Flame of Peace, the dome completes a powerful visual and symbolic axis — one that connects memory, loss, and hope.
And yet, just around it, Hiroshima lives. Modern buildings rise, people walk along the river, the city moves forward — vibrant, rebuilt, alive. The contrast is striking. Almost surreal.
The dome doesn’t belong to the present, and yet it stands right in the middle of it. Most of what once stood here disappeared during the reconstruction. But this one remained — preserved on purpose. Not to dwell on the past, but to make sure it’s never forgotten.
Between memory and renewal, Hiroshima carries both — with a quiet strength that’s hard to put into words.
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#Japan #Hiroshima #AtomicDome #JapanTravel #Travel #Traveler #TravelStories #TravelDiaries #FemaleTraveler #SheTravels #SheExplores #WomenWhoTravel #TravelAsia #BackpackingAsia #VisitJapan #2025Adventures by @gen_trczk

[Japan '25 🇯🇵]
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A different kind of stop 🕊️
Hiroshima marked the final destination of our trip to Japan— and we knew this visit would be different.
That day, we spent our time at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, a quiet stretch of greenery in the heart of the city 🌿 A place dedicated not only to remembrance, but also to peace.
On August 6, 1945, at 8:15am, an atomic bomb was dropped over Hiroshima, devastating the city in seconds. Tens of thousands of lives were lost instantly, and many more in the weeks and months that followed due to injuries and radiation. The scale of it is hard to grasp — and even harder to truly comprehend.
Walking through the park, everything feels quieter. Slower.
We stopped for a moment in front of the Cenotaph. Its simple arch seems to gently shelter the stone beneath it, where the names of the victims are recorded. Engraved on it is a message that translates to: “Rest in peace, for we shall not repeat the error.”
It’s a simple sentence — but it carries an immense weight.
In line with the Cenotaph burns the Flame of Peace 🔥 Lit on August 1, 1964, it will continue to burn until all nuclear weapons have disappeared from the Earth.
Surrounded by flowers, silence, and people from all over the world, the message feels universal 🌍 Not just about remembering the past, but about choosing what comes next.
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#Japan #Hiroshima #HiroshimaPeaceMemorialPark #HiroshimaCenotaph #JapanTravel #Travel #Traveler #TravelStories #TravelDiaries #FemaleTraveler #SheTravels #SheExplores #WomenWhoTravel #TravelAsia #BackpackingAsia #VisitJapan #2025Adventures by @gen_trczk

[Japan '25 🇯🇵]
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Meet Osaka’s most famous runner 🏃‍♂️
From Shinsekai’s retro chaos, I stepped into a completely different side of the city: Dōtonbori.
If Shinsekai feels like stepping back in time, Dōtonbori is the opposite — bright, loud, and impossible to ignore. A place where giant billboards, colorful signs, and endless restaurants line the canal, creating that unmistakable Osaka energy 🏙️✨
Once known as a hub for traditional entertainment — almost like a Japanese version of Broadway — it has evolved into the beating heart of modern Osaka. Bars, street food spots, karaoke, and shops follow one another along the water, each one trying to outshine the next.
And then there’s the icon 👀
The famous Glico man, watching over the canal since 1935, arms raised in victory 🏃‍♂️✨ Over the years, the sign has evolved, but the pose never changed. Fun fact: it was inspired by one of Glico’s early caramel products, which supposedly gave you enough energy to run 300 meters 🔥🔋
Safe to say, it worked — because this place never seems to run out of energy 😂
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#Japan #Osaka #Dotonbori #Dōtonbori #GlicoRunningMan #JapanTravel #Travel #Traveler #TravelStories #TravelDiaries #FemaleTraveler #SheTravels #SheExplores #WomenWhoTravel #TravelAsia #BackpackingAsia #VisitJapan #2025Adventures by @gen_trczk

[Japan '25 🇯🇵]
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Osaka’s wildest neighborhood 🎡🏯
After Osaka Castle, I changed the vibe completely and headed to Shinsekai, one of the city’s most iconic neighborhoods.
Walking into Shinsekai feels a bit like stepping back in time — somewhere between retro neon lights, colorful signs, and a slightly chaotic, almost carnival-like atmosphere The kind of place where every street feels alive, and every restaurant is trying to catch your eye (and your appetite).
And right in the middle of it all stands Tsūtenkaku Tower, watching over the neighborhood like a slightly kitschy but oddly charming icon.
Osaka is often called “the kitchen of Japan”, and Shinsekai makes it very easy to understand why. Everywhere you look, there’s food. And not just any food — local specialties, street food, and especially kushikatsu, those deep-fried skewers coated in panko, with endless variations: meat, vegetables,seafood… and a few unexpected options too.
Safe to say, my stomach didn’t stand a chance 😅
After wandering around for a while, it was time to pick a place to eat — not the easiest decision in a neighborhood like this. I ended up sitting at a small outdoor table, right on the street, ordering a few dishes to share and a cold Kirin beer 🍺
Was it the best meal in Japan? Probably not. But maybe it just wasn’t quite up to Japanese standards — because honestly, my stomach was pretty happy with it.
And sometimes, that’s all that really matters 😋🤤
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#Japan #Osaka #Shinsekai #JapanKitchen #JapanTravel #Travel #Traveler #TravelStories #TravelDiaries #FemaleTraveler #SheTravels #SheExplores #WomenWhoTravel #TravelAsia #BackpackingAsia #VisitJapan #2025Adventures by @gen_trczk

[Japan '25 🇯🇵]
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From deer to castles… welcome to Osaka 🏯✨
After leaving Nara (and resisting the urge to sneak a deer into my suitcase 🦌😅), it was time for a change of scenery. Next stop: Osaka.
First visit of the day: Osaka Castle. Set in the middle of a massive park, I’m pretty sure I got lost at least four times trying to find it — honestly, enemies probably turned back before even catching a glimpse of the castle 😅
Today, the castle houses a museum dedicated to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of Japan’s three great unifiers. Inside, you’ll find armor, historical exhibits, and panoramic views from the top floor. But with a long line at the entrance (and a ticket price of around ¥1,200), I quickly gave up on going inside and settled for admiring it from the outside.
And honestly, it didn’t disappoint.
I loved its pagoda-like structure, rising in five elegant tiers, with its striking contrast of white walls, green roofs, and golden details ✨ The gold accents catch the light beautifully, giving the whole building a refined yet powerful presence.
And if you look closely at the edges of the roofs, you’ll spot the shachihoko — mythical creatures with the body of a carp and the head of a dragon, believed to protect the castle.
A pretty impressive way to start my one and only day in Osaka 🏯
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#Japan #Osaka #OsakaCastle #Osakajo #JapanTravel #Travel #Traveler #TravelStories #TravelDiaries #FemaleTraveler #SheTravels #SheExplores #WomenWhoTravel #TravelAsia #BackpackingAsia #VisitJapan #2025Adventures by @gen_trczk

[Japan '25 🇯🇵]
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The only mistake I made in Nara? Not staying longer 🦌
From Tōdai-ji, we continued our walk toward Kōfuku-ji, another historic Buddhist temple complex in Nara.
The site is home to several impressive halls, some of them designated National Treasures of Japan — including its famous five-story pagoda, one of the tallest in the country. Unfortunately for us, the pagoda is currently hidden behind scaffolding. Not the best timing… but I’d rather see the glass half full: at least Japan clearly takes great care of preserving its heritage.
A sign nearby mentioned that the restoration work, which started in 2020, isn’t expected to finish until early 2032. Twelve years of renovation — nothing less 😅
By the time we stepped back outside, the sun was already starting to sink lower in the sky 🌅 Fatigue was slowly catching up, and time was running out. If I had known, I would have come a little earlier — I would haveloved to visit Isui-en Garden, or climb Mount Wakakusa, which rises just above the city.
But that’s the reality of traveling: even with the best intentions, you simply can’t see everything.
So after one last goodbye to the deer 🦌, we slowly made our way back toward Nara Station, where our luggage was waiting — and where the next chapter of the trip was about to begin.
I seriously considered bringing one of those way too cute deer home with me… but unfortunately airline baggage policies don’t seem to allow that ✈️🦌
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#Japan #Nara #Kofukuji #DeerPark #SunsetVibes #JapanTravel #Travel #Traveler #TravelStories #TravelDiaries #FemaleTraveler #SheTravels #SheExplores #WomenWhoTravel #TravelAsia #BackpackingAsia #VisitJapan #2025Adventures by @gen_trczk

[Japan '25 🇯🇵]
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Tōdai-ji… and the occasional deer chase🦌⛩️
After spending a couple of peaceful hours observing the deer resting in the shade 🌿, we continued our walk through Nara Park, heading toward one of the city’s most iconic landmarks: Tōdai-ji.
This Buddhist temple is famous for its main hall, the Daibutsu-den, known as the largest wooden building in the world. Inside sits a colossal bronze Buddha nearly 18 meters tall, weighing around 250 tons. Standing in front of it, it’s hard not to feel very small.
But before even reaching the temple, the deer were still everywhere — casually wandering across the paths, resting under the trees, or quietly observing the passing visitors 🦌
All around the park, small stands sell shika senbei, special rice crackers made just for them. It’s the only food visitors are allowed to give the deer, and locals keep a close eye on things to make sure the animals are treated with respect.
The deer, of course, know the system very well.
Some linger patiently near the stands, pretending to mind their own business. But the moment someone buys a pack of crackers… everything changes 😅 Suddenly, tourists — sometimes in heels 👠 — find themselves followed by a small but very determined group of deer, all guided by the same thing: their stomachs.
Safe to say that here in Nara, snacks are serious business 🦌💵
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#Japan #Nara #Todaiji #DeerPark #JapanTravel #Travel #Traveler #TravelStories #TravelDiaries #FemaleTraveler #SheTravels #SheExplores #WomenWhoTravel #TravelAsia #BackpackingAsia #VisitJapan #2025Adventures by @gen_trczk

[Japan '25 🇯🇵]
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First stop in Nara: meeting the locals 🦌
Just 45 minutes by train from Kyoto, Nara was the next stop on the trip — famous for one very specific reason: its thousands of free-roaming deer that wander peacefully through the city’s enormous Nara Park. And yes… they are absolutely everywhere.
Most people (myself included) tend to call them deer in the European sense, but they’re actually sika deer, a species native to East Asia. Slightly smaller, a little more delicate — but with that same gentle look that makes you instantly want to stop and watch them.
Nara Park itself is huge — over 500 hectares — and home to around 1,200 sika deer, living in semi-freedom among temples, forests, and walking paths. Generations of coexistence with humans mean they’re surprisingly comfortable around people. They wander calmly, rest in the shade, and occasionally approach visitors, curious but rarely aggressive as long as you stay respectful. That afternoon, with the sun hitting hard, the shady spots were already occupied by the true rulers of the park 🦌
Further inside the park, with our feet still recovering from long days walking around Kyoto, we slowed down and sat on a bench for a break. Not far away, a mother and her little one were resting quietly under the trees — completely unbothered by the world around them.
I kept a respectful distance, but it was one of those peaceful little travel moments you don’t plan… and end up remembering the most 🌿✨
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#Japan #Nara #DeerPark #SikaDeer #MomAndBabyDeer #CutenessOverload #JapanTravel #Travel #Traveler #TravelStories #TravelDiaries #FemaleTraveler #SheTravels #SheExplores #WomenWhoTravel #TravelAsia #BackpackingAsia #VisitJapan #2025Adventures by @gen_trczk