The rush to get the Japanese travel entries up to date can be explained pretty easily: we're off on another extended trip and I wanted to record my travels in a blog again. I couldn't see myself starting a new trip blog when the old one was languishing forlorn and forgotten.
The web address of the blog has changed as well due to the requirement for me to delete all of my old Google accounts and start up a new set which gives me better access to mail, Google drive and the associated applications while we are on the road. So here we are, all set with two days before we head out to Europe.
It's just Robyn and I travelling this time and it will be the first extended trip (ie longer than a weekend) that we have spent away together without the kids for around 25 years. That is both a little exciting and a lot scary.
Monday, 31 July 2017
Japan 2014: Things to Remember
After every trip away there are always a few things you want to remember for the next time. Just little hints to make life a little easier on the road:
1. Always check all electrical devices in the power adapters before leaving home. Japan wasn't too bad as we were able to get an adapter for an Australian 3-pin plug but I reckon I might well be out of luck somewhere a little less technologically minded.
2. If you want to use an electrical device for something, take your own. Once we left Tokyo I found it hard to extract the PC from Will's grasp so I could write blog entries. Much easier if I'd take my own Mac.
3. Bring plastic coffee mugs. Japan is a tea-drinking country, and the cups they use are bloody small. If you are not getting breakfast included in your hotel deal you probably want to make yourself a coffee at some time during a day. It's a bit hard when the coffee bag is bigger than the actual cup.
4. Bring plastic spoons and forks. I'm okay for a knife as I always carry the Swiss army knife my father gave me almost thirty years ago, but I found it a bit hard using it to eat preserved fruit, or soup, with chopsticks. It's okay if you've got breakfast included - we normally don't.
5. Make sure the luggage is in working order. If it's on the edge and the wheels are about to part company with the body of the case then invest in a new one. If you travel on aircraft anywhere at all each year then you can only expect 10 years out of each item. You're asking for trouble if you try to stretch it beyond that.
1. Always check all electrical devices in the power adapters before leaving home. Japan wasn't too bad as we were able to get an adapter for an Australian 3-pin plug but I reckon I might well be out of luck somewhere a little less technologically minded.
2. If you want to use an electrical device for something, take your own. Once we left Tokyo I found it hard to extract the PC from Will's grasp so I could write blog entries. Much easier if I'd take my own Mac.
3. Bring plastic coffee mugs. Japan is a tea-drinking country, and the cups they use are bloody small. If you are not getting breakfast included in your hotel deal you probably want to make yourself a coffee at some time during a day. It's a bit hard when the coffee bag is bigger than the actual cup.
4. Bring plastic spoons and forks. I'm okay for a knife as I always carry the Swiss army knife my father gave me almost thirty years ago, but I found it a bit hard using it to eat preserved fruit, or soup, with chopsticks. It's okay if you've got breakfast included - we normally don't.
5. Make sure the luggage is in working order. If it's on the edge and the wheels are about to part company with the body of the case then invest in a new one. If you travel on aircraft anywhere at all each year then you can only expect 10 years out of each item. You're asking for trouble if you try to stretch it beyond that.
Japan 2014: Disasters Averted
I'm of the view that in each trip there is always something that has been avoided by luck or good judgement, and our Japanese trip was no exception.
1. Tokyo earthquake: magnitude 5.6 and I didn't even feel it.
2. Bear attacks in Shirakawago: we were told that the day before we had arrived at the village a bear had attacked a couple of tourists, biting the ear off one and putting both in hospital - both tourists that is, not the tourist and the bear, or the tourist and his ear, or...
3. Mount Ontake eruption: we didn't even know about this until about three days later. I'd caught a snippet of news, when we were in Hiroshima, showing a mobile-phone video of an erupting volcano but I had no idea of where it was. The mountain is about 80 kilometers south-east of Takayama. We left the day before the eruption, though I doubt we would have seen anything if we'd stayed another day anyway.
4. Typhoon Phanfone: this typhoon had worked its way up the Asian coast from the South China Sea, so by the time it swung past Korea towards the main island of Japan it had pretty much petered out into a rain depression. We knew something was coming, as I can read a weather map. We just had no idea of what it actually was. We only got some rain overnight in Takayama, and by the time we got to Hiroshima the weather was clear and sunny.
There was actually another typhoon (Vongfong) heading towards Japan as we were flying out but we were long gone before it hit land.
5. There'd been an outbreak of dengue fever in Tokyo before we left home and I had packed insect repellant as a precaution. And then completely forgot to use it. We seem to have made it through okay.
Not a bad list for a 16-day trip.
1. Tokyo earthquake: magnitude 5.6 and I didn't even feel it.
2. Bear attacks in Shirakawago: we were told that the day before we had arrived at the village a bear had attacked a couple of tourists, biting the ear off one and putting both in hospital - both tourists that is, not the tourist and the bear, or the tourist and his ear, or...
Bear haunt
3. Mount Ontake eruption: we didn't even know about this until about three days later. I'd caught a snippet of news, when we were in Hiroshima, showing a mobile-phone video of an erupting volcano but I had no idea of where it was. The mountain is about 80 kilometers south-east of Takayama. We left the day before the eruption, though I doubt we would have seen anything if we'd stayed another day anyway.
4. Typhoon Phanfone: this typhoon had worked its way up the Asian coast from the South China Sea, so by the time it swung past Korea towards the main island of Japan it had pretty much petered out into a rain depression. We knew something was coming, as I can read a weather map. We just had no idea of what it actually was. We only got some rain overnight in Takayama, and by the time we got to Hiroshima the weather was clear and sunny.
There was actually another typhoon (Vongfong) heading towards Japan as we were flying out but we were long gone before it hit land.
5. There'd been an outbreak of dengue fever in Tokyo before we left home and I had packed insect repellant as a precaution. And then completely forgot to use it. We seem to have made it through okay.
Not a bad list for a 16-day trip.
Japan 2014 Day #18: Heading Home
Wednesday, 1 October
Our last day, so we had a late-ish start, repacked our bags for the trip and headed to the station for the train journey back to Narita airport and the flight home.
We got to the airport very, very early but as we had access to the Qantas Club lounge we were able to sit around, catch up on Australian news, ring my brother via Viber and just generally get set for the flight back home. Which, in opposition to the flight over, was completely uneventful.
Our last day, so we had a late-ish start, repacked our bags for the trip and headed to the station for the train journey back to Narita airport and the flight home.
We got to the airport very, very early but as we had access to the Qantas Club lounge we were able to sit around, catch up on Australian news, ring my brother via Viber and just generally get set for the flight back home. Which, in opposition to the flight over, was completely uneventful.
Japan 2014 Day #17: Finishing Kyoto
Tuesday, 30 September
We had nothing much planned for our last full day in Kyoto so we just pottered around the city, went back to the market to check out the
After that it was just souvenir shopping, and a wander through a a small park near the train station where we came across a small wall made from earthquake rubble.
After dinner at the sushi train, again, we headed out for a night at a Japanese theatre. Very Westernised but we just wanted to get a taste.
We had nothing much planned for our last full day in Kyoto so we just pottered around the city, went back to the market to check out the
pickled vegetables in old saki barrels
and the seafood sellers.
After dinner at the sushi train, again, we headed out for a night at a Japanese theatre. Very Westernised but we just wanted to get a taste.
Japan 2014 Day #16: Day Trip to Nara
Monday, 29 September
By day 16 Will had just about hit the wall and didn't want to do anything at all. I think he felt full to the brim with temples, castles, and us. We had been sleeping three to a room since Tokyo and he just wanted some time alone. I left him some money, made sure he had a key and Robyn and I took off for the day.
Today was aimed at more spiritual sites so we set off on the local suburban train for Nara station and Todaiji Temple. This is set in a large park with over a 1000 tame deer roaming about.
The impressive thing about this temple - apart from the fact that it is one of the world's largest wooden structures - is the massive buddha contained within, about 15 metres high.
This was hugely impressive though we were both in agreement that Will probably wouldn't have enjoyed it much.
After a couple of hours there we wandered back to the station and headed back towards Kyoto for our second stop of the day at the Inari shrine. This is also sometimes known as the temple of 1000 gates and when the sun shines through them they truly are a wonderful sight. Getting a photo just right, with no people and the sun slanting through was nigh on impossible. Then again, it's hard to miss in a place like this.
It is possible to walk through all 1000 or so of these gates but we were about done by the time we got to halfway so turned around and made up our numbers by retreating the way we had come.
Back in Kyoto centre, and after a short rest we all headed off for a quick meal and then a walking tour of old Kyoto.
By day 16 Will had just about hit the wall and didn't want to do anything at all. I think he felt full to the brim with temples, castles, and us. We had been sleeping three to a room since Tokyo and he just wanted some time alone. I left him some money, made sure he had a key and Robyn and I took off for the day.
Today was aimed at more spiritual sites so we set off on the local suburban train for Nara station and Todaiji Temple. This is set in a large park with over a 1000 tame deer roaming about.
Path leading to Todaiji
The impressive thing about this temple - apart from the fact that it is one of the world's largest wooden structures - is the massive buddha contained within, about 15 metres high.
Todaiji
Giant buddha
This was hugely impressive though we were both in agreement that Will probably wouldn't have enjoyed it much.
After a couple of hours there we wandered back to the station and headed back towards Kyoto for our second stop of the day at the Inari shrine. This is also sometimes known as the temple of 1000 gates and when the sun shines through them they truly are a wonderful sight. Getting a photo just right, with no people and the sun slanting through was nigh on impossible. Then again, it's hard to miss in a place like this.
Gates of Inari
Back in Kyoto centre, and after a short rest we all headed off for a quick meal and then a walking tour of old Kyoto.
Old Kyoto
Japan 2014 Day #15: In and Around Kyoto
Sunday, 28 September
Sunday morning and we had a bus tour of various sites around Kyoto. We got up early, made our way through breakfast and outside the hotel to the bus stop. Didn't take us long to find our tour group and associated leader and we thought we'd be off in no time. Unfortunately, the tour guide had us all together but couldn't find the correct bus. So we just milled around for ten minutes or so while we waited for the rest of the buses to clear out so we could find ours.
As we waited I mentioned to Robyn that one of the people standing around looked very familiar for some reason. Couldn't think why but he must have good hearing or my voice travelled more than I thought as he came up and Rob fell into conversation with him. Seems he was an Australian from Sydney who was touring Japan in a similar manner to us and had basically been following us since Hakone. He thought he'd seen us in three or four places along the way. I figured we might catch up with later but he took another bus and we never saw him again.
The bus tour took us around the Kyoto main attractions but by this time we were becoming a little jaded with similar looking temples and castles so none of it made much of an impression. We were able to extract some vital information from the guide, so, after being dropped back to the Kyoto station we headed directly for the sushi train restaurant he'd told us about.
Stuffed to the gills, again, Will decided he just wanted to go back to the hotel and struggle with their wi-fi and Robyn and I decided to head off for a stroll down the Philosopher's Walk, which was a short bus ride out of town. The walk starts at the top of a hill from a major shrine and meanders down alongside a small stream. The temple was packed with people so we skipped that and just set off strolling gently down hill.
This was a truly pleasant way to spend a warm and sunny afternoon and allowed us ample time to stop for a drink at a small bar, plunk ourselves on one of the many benches set up on the walk and finally to buy Catherine a souvenir Japanese bath robe - the lady in the shop seemed to think one of her assistants had put the wrong price on it but sold it as marked anyway.
We got back to the hotel, picked up Will and strolled around the Kyoto station and a few nearby streets before bed.
Robyn was to say later that she thought she would be quite capable to coming back to Kyoto and just spending a week exploring the station. As good as it is I thought that a tad extreme.
Sunday morning and we had a bus tour of various sites around Kyoto. We got up early, made our way through breakfast and outside the hotel to the bus stop. Didn't take us long to find our tour group and associated leader and we thought we'd be off in no time. Unfortunately, the tour guide had us all together but couldn't find the correct bus. So we just milled around for ten minutes or so while we waited for the rest of the buses to clear out so we could find ours.
As we waited I mentioned to Robyn that one of the people standing around looked very familiar for some reason. Couldn't think why but he must have good hearing or my voice travelled more than I thought as he came up and Rob fell into conversation with him. Seems he was an Australian from Sydney who was touring Japan in a similar manner to us and had basically been following us since Hakone. He thought he'd seen us in three or four places along the way. I figured we might catch up with later but he took another bus and we never saw him again.
The bus tour took us around the Kyoto main attractions but by this time we were becoming a little jaded with similar looking temples and castles so none of it made much of an impression. We were able to extract some vital information from the guide, so, after being dropped back to the Kyoto station we headed directly for the sushi train restaurant he'd told us about.
Robyn is spoilt for choice
Stuffed to the gills, again, Will decided he just wanted to go back to the hotel and struggle with their wi-fi and Robyn and I decided to head off for a stroll down the Philosopher's Walk, which was a short bus ride out of town. The walk starts at the top of a hill from a major shrine and meanders down alongside a small stream. The temple was packed with people so we skipped that and just set off strolling gently down hill.
Philosopher's Walk bridges
This was a truly pleasant way to spend a warm and sunny afternoon and allowed us ample time to stop for a drink at a small bar, plunk ourselves on one of the many benches set up on the walk and finally to buy Catherine a souvenir Japanese bath robe - the lady in the shop seemed to think one of her assistants had put the wrong price on it but sold it as marked anyway.
We got back to the hotel, picked up Will and strolled around the Kyoto station and a few nearby streets before bed.
Robyn was to say later that she thought she would be quite capable to coming back to Kyoto and just spending a week exploring the station. As good as it is I thought that a tad extreme.
Tuesday, 25 July 2017
Japan 2014 Day #14: Hiroshima to Kyoto Markets
Saturday, 27 September
We took out time getting out of the hotel the next day we we wanted to avoid any peak hour rush out of Hiroshima and into Kyoto. Again our tour guide and everyone at Japan Rail had told us that we had to change at Shin-Osaka, but arriving at the platform we found the train we wanted going directly to Kyoto, straight through Shin-Osaka - a touch under 2 hours. Another lugging of the bags avoided!
We found the hotel easily enough as it was across the road from the Kyoto station, but couldn't check in immediately as we'd arrived too early. So we left the bags and headed off to the station to find the train line to Shijo Station, from where we aimed to head to Nishiki Market.
We had thought Shinagawa Station in Tokyo was big but the Kyoto Station is simply enormous. It ended up taking us about four days to feel we could find our way around it but we were always running into new areas we knew nothing about. The station has two attached hotels (not including our own which was across the street) along with another 4 or 5 in easy walking distance. Added to that the main city bus terminal is directly out the front. This is the way town planning should be done.
We finally figured out the subway map, took the train two stops and then got directions to the market - actually we asked two girls walking past who then turned around and took us directly to the entrance. Typical Japanese friendliness to tourists. A complete contrast to some countries I've been in where the locals obviously only want your money, and won't help you to save their own lives.
The market traversed, lunch eaten, pictures taken and we were back at the hotel checking-in to take a rest.
We'd had a fairly easy day and a reasonable lunch so I was looking for something light, tempura for preference. As we were walking along the mall attached to the station we passed 2 men (a father and son I think) who we had seen outside the restaurant on our last night in Takayama. Robyn had spoken to them as we left and told them the meal was fantastic - they'd had to wait as the restaurant was full. Small world, I thought.
We found a dinner place in the mall and I got my tempura and a beer. Another great way to end the day.
We took out time getting out of the hotel the next day we we wanted to avoid any peak hour rush out of Hiroshima and into Kyoto. Again our tour guide and everyone at Japan Rail had told us that we had to change at Shin-Osaka, but arriving at the platform we found the train we wanted going directly to Kyoto, straight through Shin-Osaka - a touch under 2 hours. Another lugging of the bags avoided!
We found the hotel easily enough as it was across the road from the Kyoto station, but couldn't check in immediately as we'd arrived too early. So we left the bags and headed off to the station to find the train line to Shijo Station, from where we aimed to head to Nishiki Market.
We had thought Shinagawa Station in Tokyo was big but the Kyoto Station is simply enormous. It ended up taking us about four days to feel we could find our way around it but we were always running into new areas we knew nothing about. The station has two attached hotels (not including our own which was across the street) along with another 4 or 5 in easy walking distance. Added to that the main city bus terminal is directly out the front. This is the way town planning should be done.
We finally figured out the subway map, took the train two stops and then got directions to the market - actually we asked two girls walking past who then turned around and took us directly to the entrance. Typical Japanese friendliness to tourists. A complete contrast to some countries I've been in where the locals obviously only want your money, and won't help you to save their own lives.
Nishiki food market
Pickled vegetables in old saki barrels
Kyoto shopping mall
The market traversed, lunch eaten, pictures taken and we were back at the hotel checking-in to take a rest.
We'd had a fairly easy day and a reasonable lunch so I was looking for something light, tempura for preference. As we were walking along the mall attached to the station we passed 2 men (a father and son I think) who we had seen outside the restaurant on our last night in Takayama. Robyn had spoken to them as we left and told them the meal was fantastic - they'd had to wait as the restaurant was full. Small world, I thought.
We found a dinner place in the mall and I got my tempura and a beer. Another great way to end the day.
Tempura meal set
Japan 2014 Day #13: Miyajima Island
Island ferry arrives
O-Torii grand gate
Itsukushima Shrine
Miyajima Island Ropeway second station
Mount Misen's summit is the holy section of the mountain, but a 1-2 hour round walking trip would have taken us way past lunch time which was not to be even contemplated. Anyway, the views from the Ropeway top were quite spectacular enough.
View of the inland sea
View, with Hiroshima in the distance
Robyn started talking to an Australian on the summit and found out he was a teacher leading a school tour group. We were to continually run into these groups over the next week - groups from New Zealand, Queensland, NSW and Victoria - all of them Japanese students getting a crash course in culture and language.
After a brief wander around at the top it was back down again,
Back down on the Ropeway
for lunch (another great Katsudon) and a wander past a five-storey pagoda
5-Storey Pagoda
through the covered tourist market-place one block back off the waterfront
Island marketplace
and then back into Hiroshima.
Robyn and Will went off shopping while I dropped into the Hiroshima Museum of Art where I got to see Van Gogh's Daubigny's Garden, and a few pieces by Picasso, Renoir and Degas. The place is rather small but beautifully laid out and practically deserted. A wonderful end to a glorious day.
Robyn told me later that Hiroshima was one of her favorite parts of the trip. I can certainly understand why.
Sunday, 23 July 2017
Japan 2014 Day #12: From the Mountains to the Sea
Thursday, 25 September
We were up early the next morning at 6am, and out on the hotel bus to catch the 8am train back to Nagoya. Our previous trip up to Takayama had been in bright sunshine but this morning the clouds were low and it was drizzling in the hills. The forecast thunderstorm the night before hadn’t hit Takayama – or we might have been too tired to notice – but the rivers were up from two days previously. Not a lot but enough to add a bit of spice to the trip.
Our tour notes had stated that we would need to make two changes on our way to Hiroshima, one at Nagoya and one at Shin-Osaka. Before we’d left home we had accessed a Japanese website, Hyper Dia, which gave us print-outs of the various train schedules around the trips we had planned. That site had stated we could go directly from Nagoya to Hiroshima without a change, our preferred option given our luggage. A check at the JR desk at Takayama and we were told we would have to change, and then a check of the train information boards at Nagoya showed the direct route. We opted for the simplest approach and got to Hiroshima without any difficulty at all: 695 kilometres in 292 minutes.
Our hotel in Hiroshima was attached to the main station which made transferring an easy problem to overcome. By this time Robyn’s big suitcase had one wheel pointing almost sideways and was therefore next to useless. I was basically dragging the thing across the floor most of the time. There wasn’t a lot we could do about this except put up with it, so a short drag to the hotel – through a station being heavily renovated – was appreciated. The Hotel Granvia Hiroshima was the best of the hotels we had been in so far but the triple room was rather tiny, practically filled by the three beds in a row. We hadn’t planned anything for the first afternoon as we weren’t sure how tired we would be when we arrived or even when we would actually get there. But we decided to wander out from the hotel to have a look around and found a tourist bus – one of those that stops in a regular route around the city and allows you to jump on and off as required – right outside the hotel and which was covered by our Japan Rail Pass. We jumped on and got off at the Atomic Bomb Dome, a major spot which was directly under the bomb blast in August 1945.
The building has been left as it stood after the explosion and is now a major icon of the world peace movement.
We were feeling rather lazy so we just wandered around the Peace Park for the bulk of the afternoon, had a look at the Hiroshima Castle and took the tourist bus back to the hotel by the long route. We tried a Japanese pancake, the local specialty, for dinner. Will thought it was rather bland but Robyn and I enjoyed ours.
We were up early the next morning at 6am, and out on the hotel bus to catch the 8am train back to Nagoya. Our previous trip up to Takayama had been in bright sunshine but this morning the clouds were low and it was drizzling in the hills. The forecast thunderstorm the night before hadn’t hit Takayama – or we might have been too tired to notice – but the rivers were up from two days previously. Not a lot but enough to add a bit of spice to the trip.
Our tour notes had stated that we would need to make two changes on our way to Hiroshima, one at Nagoya and one at Shin-Osaka. Before we’d left home we had accessed a Japanese website, Hyper Dia, which gave us print-outs of the various train schedules around the trips we had planned. That site had stated we could go directly from Nagoya to Hiroshima without a change, our preferred option given our luggage. A check at the JR desk at Takayama and we were told we would have to change, and then a check of the train information boards at Nagoya showed the direct route. We opted for the simplest approach and got to Hiroshima without any difficulty at all: 695 kilometres in 292 minutes.
Our hotel in Hiroshima was attached to the main station which made transferring an easy problem to overcome. By this time Robyn’s big suitcase had one wheel pointing almost sideways and was therefore next to useless. I was basically dragging the thing across the floor most of the time. There wasn’t a lot we could do about this except put up with it, so a short drag to the hotel – through a station being heavily renovated – was appreciated. The Hotel Granvia Hiroshima was the best of the hotels we had been in so far but the triple room was rather tiny, practically filled by the three beds in a row. We hadn’t planned anything for the first afternoon as we weren’t sure how tired we would be when we arrived or even when we would actually get there. But we decided to wander out from the hotel to have a look around and found a tourist bus – one of those that stops in a regular route around the city and allows you to jump on and off as required – right outside the hotel and which was covered by our Japan Rail Pass. We jumped on and got off at the Atomic Bomb Dome, a major spot which was directly under the bomb blast in August 1945.
Atomic bomb dome
Robyn reads the description
Memorial for children
We were feeling rather lazy so we just wandered around the Peace Park for the bulk of the afternoon, had a look at the Hiroshima Castle and took the tourist bus back to the hotel by the long route. We tried a Japanese pancake, the local specialty, for dinner. Will thought it was rather bland but Robyn and I enjoyed ours.
Cooking pancakes
Saturday, 22 July 2017
Japan 2014 Day #11: Morning Markets and Shirakawago
Wednesday, 24 September
On the previous day Robyn had stumbled on the J-Hoppers backpackers hostel and had booked us a half-day trip to the village of Shirakawago, a UNESCO World Heritage site about an hour out of town. The problem she had encountered was that while she had been able to book the tour she hadn’t been able to pay as the lines for the credit card transactions were clogged – seems this happens a lot on Public Holidays and Sundays. Nobody in Japan that we encountered seemed overly fussed about it, which we found rather surprising.
With the payment out of the way, we wandered around to the markets – which we found rather disappointing after the guide book build-up – finished up some shopping in the old town shops and had lunch before joining the tour at the train station.
Recent road developments in the area have reduced the drive from Takayama to Shirakawago to 50 minutes from the previous duration of 2 hours. We passed through about 14 tunnels on the way, the longest of which is the 3rd longest in Japan at a touch under 11 kilometres. An impressive piece of work.
The day had started to cloud over and we were worried that the approaching summer storm – remnants of a typhoon that had swept through the Philippines, up the coast of China and across the Korean peninsula – might ruin things, but the light drizzle was really more of a nuisance than anything else. And we had come prepared with our rain coats.
Skirakawago Village is a wonderful little place, perfect for walking around for an hour or two, checking out the local sake museum – where we got to try the local brew for free – the thatched houses, the shrines, and the inevitable souvenir shops. Will wasn’t overly impressed as he is a pure city-boy, but Robyn and I enjoyed the slow pace and lack of crowds.
Dinner that night was back in Takayama at a small restaurant where we had one of the best meals we’d had on the trip; fantastic food, cheap and it provided me with a chance to try some warm sake. We were first in the restaurant, closely followed by a group of Western school-girls (which was a portent of what was to come over the next few days) and the place was full within about 15 minutes. I’m not sure if this was because of its reputation, its appearance in a guide-book, or its location. In any event, it was a great way to end the day and we headed back to the hotel replete and well refreshed.
On the previous day Robyn had stumbled on the J-Hoppers backpackers hostel and had booked us a half-day trip to the village of Shirakawago, a UNESCO World Heritage site about an hour out of town. The problem she had encountered was that while she had been able to book the tour she hadn’t been able to pay as the lines for the credit card transactions were clogged – seems this happens a lot on Public Holidays and Sundays. Nobody in Japan that we encountered seemed overly fussed about it, which we found rather surprising.
With the payment out of the way, we wandered around to the markets – which we found rather disappointing after the guide book build-up – finished up some shopping in the old town shops and had lunch before joining the tour at the train station.
Another street in Takayama old town
Samuari statue near the markets
Recent road developments in the area have reduced the drive from Takayama to Shirakawago to 50 minutes from the previous duration of 2 hours. We passed through about 14 tunnels on the way, the longest of which is the 3rd longest in Japan at a touch under 11 kilometres. An impressive piece of work.
The day had started to cloud over and we were worried that the approaching summer storm – remnants of a typhoon that had swept through the Philippines, up the coast of China and across the Korean peninsula – might ruin things, but the light drizzle was really more of a nuisance than anything else. And we had come prepared with our rain coats.
Shirakawago lookout
Robyn's new new friend
Skirakawago Village is a wonderful little place, perfect for walking around for an hour or two, checking out the local sake museum – where we got to try the local brew for free – the thatched houses, the shrines, and the inevitable souvenir shops. Will wasn’t overly impressed as he is a pure city-boy, but Robyn and I enjoyed the slow pace and lack of crowds.
Suspension bridge from bus park to the village
Thatched cottage with pond
Thatched cottages
Dinner that night was back in Takayama at a small restaurant where we had one of the best meals we’d had on the trip; fantastic food, cheap and it provided me with a chance to try some warm sake. We were first in the restaurant, closely followed by a group of Western school-girls (which was a portent of what was to come over the next few days) and the place was full within about 15 minutes. I’m not sure if this was because of its reputation, its appearance in a guide-book, or its location. In any event, it was a great way to end the day and we headed back to the hotel replete and well refreshed.
Japan 2014 Day #10: Through the Mountains to Takayama
Tuesday, 23 September
Another Public Holiday! The Japanese seem to have them about once a fortnight! Probably not but it certainly seems like it.
The local bus took us back to Odawara station with Mt Fuji peaking over the mountains to the north, or west, or somewhere. It’s easy to get confused when traveling in the northern hemisphere.
The trains today were a Shinkansen from Odawara to Nagoya (about 2 hours) and then a limited express, wide view (ie big windows, whereas the Shinkansen has smaller aircraft style ones) to Takayama through the Japanese Alps, about 2 hours 20 minutes. All up we traveled about 448 kilometers in around 260 minutes, averaging 172.3 km/hour. I’m guessing the Shinkansen regularly cruises well over the 200kph mark. Quite a remarkable ride, and relatively smooth as well.
The trip through the mountains was okay but I suspect would be far better in autumn, when the leaves are changing colour, or in winter when the landscape would be covered in snow. As it was we got some good views of wildish rivers, and gorges. I say “wildish” as most of the rivers we crossed appeared to be rather well-managed with weirs and concreted banks controlling the water flow. It seems that just about every flat surface between the mountains and the sea in Japan is either commercial, housing or farmland and associated infrastructure. The land around the railway lines through the mountains appears rarely free of some sort of man-made change. I was coming to the conclusion that Japan had the most controlled environment I had ever seen. With 120 million people in a land area about one and a half times that of the state of Victoria I’m hardly surprised.
Takayama is a small town in the mountains, famous for its morning markets, shops and timber work. Our hotel – which we later discovered had truly dreadful wifi – was a short, hotel-supplied bus ride from the station. We checked in, chucked a few clothes into the sink to soak and Robyn and I went off to explore the old town while Will stayed back in the hotel, presumably to swear at the wifi connection while trying to contact his mates back in Australia.
Will joined us in town and we found a restaurant serving the local specialty Hida beef. The main style in restaurants here consists of purchasing plates of sliced meat and vegetables and then cooking them yourself on a gas grill on the table. Butchers at home could learn a thing or two from this. Luckily enough we knew the drill as we have a similar restaurant in Glenferrie Road. The meat slices were small, and the total amount of food was less than we had been used to, but maybe we were slowly lowering our intake. Not such a bad thing.
Another Public Holiday! The Japanese seem to have them about once a fortnight! Probably not but it certainly seems like it.
The local bus took us back to Odawara station with Mt Fuji peaking over the mountains to the north, or west, or somewhere. It’s easy to get confused when traveling in the northern hemisphere.
A faint Fiji from the hotel balcony
The trains today were a Shinkansen from Odawara to Nagoya (about 2 hours) and then a limited express, wide view (ie big windows, whereas the Shinkansen has smaller aircraft style ones) to Takayama through the Japanese Alps, about 2 hours 20 minutes. All up we traveled about 448 kilometers in around 260 minutes, averaging 172.3 km/hour. I’m guessing the Shinkansen regularly cruises well over the 200kph mark. Quite a remarkable ride, and relatively smooth as well.
Shinkansen approaches
Shinkansen interior
The trip through the mountains was okay but I suspect would be far better in autumn, when the leaves are changing colour, or in winter when the landscape would be covered in snow. As it was we got some good views of wildish rivers, and gorges. I say “wildish” as most of the rivers we crossed appeared to be rather well-managed with weirs and concreted banks controlling the water flow. It seems that just about every flat surface between the mountains and the sea in Japan is either commercial, housing or farmland and associated infrastructure. The land around the railway lines through the mountains appears rarely free of some sort of man-made change. I was coming to the conclusion that Japan had the most controlled environment I had ever seen. With 120 million people in a land area about one and a half times that of the state of Victoria I’m hardly surprised.
Takayama is a small town in the mountains, famous for its morning markets, shops and timber work. Our hotel – which we later discovered had truly dreadful wifi – was a short, hotel-supplied bus ride from the station. We checked in, chucked a few clothes into the sink to soak and Robyn and I went off to explore the old town while Will stayed back in the hotel, presumably to swear at the wifi connection while trying to contact his mates back in Australia.
A street in Takayama old town
Bridge statue
Will joined us in town and we found a restaurant serving the local specialty Hida beef. The main style in restaurants here consists of purchasing plates of sliced meat and vegetables and then cooking them yourself on a gas grill on the table. Butchers at home could learn a thing or two from this. Luckily enough we knew the drill as we have a similar restaurant in Glenferrie Road. The meat slices were small, and the total amount of food was less than we had been used to, but maybe we were slowly lowering our intake. Not such a bad thing.
Will cooks
Japan 2014 Day #9: Hakone
Monday, 22 September
The next day dawned bright and clear and we were able to get a glimpse of the top of Fuji from the hotel ballcony. That boded well. After a confusing Japanese breakfast – Will and I were both sure the waiter said “fried lice” but we got congee instead – we headed off for the Ropeway again with the idea of following it and the Cable Car (what you and I would call a rachet train) all the way to the end.
This time the expected views of Fuji came through pretty well so our time in Hakone had achieved what we aimed for.
The train dropped us at Hakone-Yumoto Station, which was almost back to where we picked up the local bus the previous day. A bit of a wander around trying and buying some local dessert specialties and it was time for Katsudon for lunch.
We basically had nothing planned for the rest of the day so we caught the Cable Car (train) back up the line and then wandered over to the Pola Museum of Art. This museum reminded me of the Tarawarra Art Gallery in the Yarra Valley, only three times bigger. With a few Picassos, a few Renoirs, more Chagall than I could count and one Van Gogh, the collection was interesting and, I would have thought, bloody expensive.
The local bus took us back to the hotel and another encounter with Toady’s Fish. I opted for it this time – wasn’t bad for a toady.
The next day dawned bright and clear and we were able to get a glimpse of the top of Fuji from the hotel ballcony. That boded well. After a confusing Japanese breakfast – Will and I were both sure the waiter said “fried lice” but we got congee instead – we headed off for the Ropeway again with the idea of following it and the Cable Car (what you and I would call a rachet train) all the way to the end.
This time the expected views of Fuji came through pretty well so our time in Hakone had achieved what we aimed for.
Fuji appears
The Hakone ropeway
The cablecar station
Will tries for the best view
The train dropped us at Hakone-Yumoto Station, which was almost back to where we picked up the local bus the previous day. A bit of a wander around trying and buying some local dessert specialties and it was time for Katsudon for lunch.
Drying squid
Wandering the streets
We basically had nothing planned for the rest of the day so we caught the Cable Car (train) back up the line and then wandered over to the Pola Museum of Art. This museum reminded me of the Tarawarra Art Gallery in the Yarra Valley, only three times bigger. With a few Picassos, a few Renoirs, more Chagall than I could count and one Van Gogh, the collection was interesting and, I would have thought, bloody expensive.
Entrance to the Pola museum
The local bus took us back to the hotel and another encounter with Toady’s Fish. I opted for it this time – wasn’t bad for a toady.
Japan 2014 Day #8: On a Clear Day You Can See Mt Fuji
Sunday, 21 September
We were up early on our last day in Tokyo, headed for the Hakone area about 90 minutes outside the city. We had decided on this area as we’d been told that you get the best views of Mt. Fuji from the nearby Lake Ashi. Oddly enough, the day in Tokyo dawned bright and clear and a light sprinkle of rain overnight had cleared out the air to provide us with a long-range view of the mountain from our apartment. That turned out to be a good thing.
So it was off to the familiar Shinagawa Station to catch the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Odawara Station. The train barely seemed to pick up much speed before we arrived after 27 minutes. The Hakone area is a major tourist destination close to Tokyo and as it was a Sunday we expected the place to be rather crowded. Maybe we were a bit early as the bus from the station to our hotel wasn’t overly full – which was a good thing given we had three large suitcases to lug around. I lost track of the number of stops before ours but I’m guessing it was around 40 or so, most of them hotels. It seems this is a hot springs area and each hotel has been situated to take full advantage of the resultant spa baths, rather like Hepburn Springs in Victoria.
Our hotel was, to put it mildly, non-descript. A boxy affair that looked like it had been built by the Russians in the 1960s.
It gave good views over the valley below and had the added advantage of only being three or so stops from the end of the bus line and the lake. Robyn had booked the hotel through the tour group in February and was told at the time that we had been lucky as the hotel was offering a dinner, bed and breakfast package at that time. The trouble was, as we found out at reception, that our voucher didn’t mention this. That didn’t matter as I was traveling with a lawyer, and five minutes later we had all the requisite meal coupons to cover us for our stay. I’m not sure if the bloke at reception realised Robyn was probably right after all, or just gave in to the inevitable.
After check-in we headed down to the lake, grabbed a spot of lunch and then our place on the tourist “pirate ship”; basically a tourist cruise ship decked out to look vaguely piratical. The day was clear, the lake was calm, and Fuji was clouded in. We started to make jokes about the scenery artists moving the clouds in for the day so the tourists wouldn’t get over-excited.
A brief stop at the end of the lake for an ice-cream (the wasabi flavour was sold out unfortunately), a barbequed squid on a stick and it was back on the boat for the return trip.
It seemed too early to head back to the boring hotel so we opted for the Hakone Ropeway, a cable-car to the top of a nearby hill. On the way up we read that you could pass straight through the first station and get the best views of Fuji around in a long section between towers before the second station. It was still bright and sunny where we were but only the shoulders of Fuji, about 30-35 kilometres away, were showing above the surrounding hills. We didn’t spend long at the second station before Will and I spotted a break in the clouds and the top of the mountain. We rushed back to the cable-car for the return journey but the scenery artists had finished their latest cloud motif and Fuji was gone again. On a clear day you CAN see Mt. Fuji, but not this day.
The dinner that Robyn had scrounged for us turned out to be Western style with a choice of beef or “Toady’s fish” – I went for the beef, the others for Toady’s surprise.
We were up early on our last day in Tokyo, headed for the Hakone area about 90 minutes outside the city. We had decided on this area as we’d been told that you get the best views of Mt. Fuji from the nearby Lake Ashi. Oddly enough, the day in Tokyo dawned bright and clear and a light sprinkle of rain overnight had cleared out the air to provide us with a long-range view of the mountain from our apartment. That turned out to be a good thing.
So it was off to the familiar Shinagawa Station to catch the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Odawara Station. The train barely seemed to pick up much speed before we arrived after 27 minutes. The Hakone area is a major tourist destination close to Tokyo and as it was a Sunday we expected the place to be rather crowded. Maybe we were a bit early as the bus from the station to our hotel wasn’t overly full – which was a good thing given we had three large suitcases to lug around. I lost track of the number of stops before ours but I’m guessing it was around 40 or so, most of them hotels. It seems this is a hot springs area and each hotel has been situated to take full advantage of the resultant spa baths, rather like Hepburn Springs in Victoria.
Our hotel was, to put it mildly, non-descript. A boxy affair that looked like it had been built by the Russians in the 1960s.
Hakone hotel
It gave good views over the valley below and had the added advantage of only being three or so stops from the end of the bus line and the lake. Robyn had booked the hotel through the tour group in February and was told at the time that we had been lucky as the hotel was offering a dinner, bed and breakfast package at that time. The trouble was, as we found out at reception, that our voucher didn’t mention this. That didn’t matter as I was traveling with a lawyer, and five minutes later we had all the requisite meal coupons to cover us for our stay. I’m not sure if the bloke at reception realised Robyn was probably right after all, or just gave in to the inevitable.
After check-in we headed down to the lake, grabbed a spot of lunch and then our place on the tourist “pirate ship”; basically a tourist cruise ship decked out to look vaguely piratical. The day was clear, the lake was calm, and Fuji was clouded in. We started to make jokes about the scenery artists moving the clouds in for the day so the tourists wouldn’t get over-excited.
Will tentatively contemplates the pirate's life
A brief stop at the end of the lake for an ice-cream (the wasabi flavour was sold out unfortunately), a barbequed squid on a stick and it was back on the boat for the return trip.
Waiting for the grilled squid
Robyn finds a new friend with a better beard
It seemed too early to head back to the boring hotel so we opted for the Hakone Ropeway, a cable-car to the top of a nearby hill. On the way up we read that you could pass straight through the first station and get the best views of Fuji around in a long section between towers before the second station. It was still bright and sunny where we were but only the shoulders of Fuji, about 30-35 kilometres away, were showing above the surrounding hills. We didn’t spend long at the second station before Will and I spotted a break in the clouds and the top of the mountain. We rushed back to the cable-car for the return journey but the scenery artists had finished their latest cloud motif and Fuji was gone again. On a clear day you CAN see Mt. Fuji, but not this day.
Fuji in cloud
The dinner that Robyn had scrounged for us turned out to be Western style with a choice of beef or “Toady’s fish” – I went for the beef, the others for Toady’s surprise.
Toady's fish
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