A Three Week Spring Holiday in Japan
in 2018
Article and pictures
by John and Doreen Berg
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| From our 2016 visit. View the article . |
While wintering in Los Ayala, Mexico enjoying the sun, surf,
hiking and socializing why would one's thoughts flow to spring travel? Seems that for us the need to hear the
screams of a jet engine flows in our veins.
Plus you mention rain or a travel destination and Doreen vicariously is
on the first plane! For her, travel is a
delight and there's no point asking her for a favourite destination visited as
all spots are her favourites. One could
safely conclude that she is addicted with the travel bug. A bit of a rambler and diversion, now a need
to focus on our second trip to Japan.
At this point in our lives there are a few constraints as to
the countries we might visit. When
younger and healthier we simply viewed a map, read an article or two and
selected a destination and we were off on our trip. Today the longer ten-plus-hours flights are
no longer desirable plus the availability of medical standards of the country
is considered. Thus our destination needed
to be relatively close, within a ten hour flight time and a first world
country. Europe was discarded as we've
visited it a number of times. Central
America was briefly considered but again we had visited before and felt the
cultures were somewhat similar to Mexico.
South Korea and Taiwan were major considerations before we decided to
fly to Tokyo, Japan and explore other areas from the ones we'd been to in the
fall of 2016. Plus the journey to Japan
would give us the opportunity to experience the cherry blossom season.
The following is being provided as a framework for you, the
intrepid traveller, to extract ideas and build your own journey throughout
Japan. Plus incorporate our early Japan
blog to provide a wider research base.
Itinerary and Transportation
Before our departure we purchased
two three-week J.R. Rail passes. Because
of the number of train rides and longer distances we would be travelling, the
purchase was cost efficient for our trip.
Do research and determine the amount of train travel you will be
undertaking. Not always will the train
pass save you money! For exact train
costs go to www.hyperdia.com/en money, to determine if the pass is economically
feasible for your excursion.
Our arrival at Narita Airport started with a bump. The airport was experiencing strong cross
winds and the plane was briefly on two wheels before dropping onto all the
wheels on the runway. Doreen spoke with
the pilot and he said, "Yeah, a rough one and we call that a
"40" landing! Fortunately this
event was not a foreshadowing to our trip.
At the Narita Airport we purchased a Pasmo card and placed
5000 yen ($60.00 Can) on it. We found
the use of the subway an easy and fast method to move around Tokyo. The amount of money on the card lasted for
the time we were in Tokyo. The card's
cash balance may be claimed when you leave at the airport. Just go to the information booth located at
every set of exit turnstiles.
We activated our J.R. rail passes and took the Narita
Express to Shinagawa Station and left the station by the west exit to the
street leading to our Apa Hotel.
Tokyo - four nights
We booked an extra night to compensate for our jet lag.
Highlights
Tokyo Skytree -
Panoramic view from the lower observation deck is spectacular on a clear day.
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| Doreen climbing the Skytree |
Senso-ji - Most
visited Buddhist Temple complete with tourist style shopping street.
Sumida Aquarium -
located near the base of Tokyo Skytree.
Excellent display tanks plus a penguin pool.
Morning Practice at Oguruma-beya
Sumo Wrestling Stable. Pre-booked on
the internet. We found it extremely
interesting and took numerous, probably hundreds of photos. Practice time was about one hour and a half
and at the end we were able to pose with a few wrestlers for a photo
opportunity.
Spending a day with
our volunteer free guide, Hiroyuki Fujii (Hiro) visiting the Asakusa
Culture Center to view Asakusa Geisha Ozashiki Odori Dance. Doreen had researched the free performance at
home and our guide incorporated it into our day's activities which included a
park filled with cherry trees in full bloom and having tea in a tea house
eating a thick green frothy tea with a sweet bean cake. A wonderful day with a local individual.
Travel
 |
| Posing with the big boys! |
From the Shinagawa
Station to Nagoya Station by JR Tokaido Shinkansen Line, (two hours) and from
Nagoya to Takayama Station (two hours fifteen minutes) by JR Takayama Line a
limited Express train. This train has
oversized windows to offer panoramic views.
Very popular tourist train. The
Hida service departs from Nagoya every hour.
Takayama - Japanese Alps (three
nights)
Highlights
Our shopping visit to the two morning markets
plus viewing and photographing the spectacular cherry blossom displays along
the Miya-gawa River.
Takayama Festival: Explored the townscape and watched the famous
17th Century to multi-tiered floats moving through the streets. This was part of the festival.
Outdoor Hot Pools:
A 90 minute bus trip to Hirayu Onsen to
enjoy the Hirayu-no-mori Hotel. Numerous
outdoor hot pools. Excellent
experience. Later a hike to a
waterfall. Check at the tourist office
for further information and read our earlier blog as we had visited the area on
our first trip to Japan.
 |
| Amazing watching the crews manhandle the massive floats through the streets |
Non-highlights
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| One of the many beautiful cherry blossom trees viewed in Takayama |
I had left Canada with a slight sniffle which morphed into a
three handkerchief per day cold plus one Kleenex box per night cold. Unfortunately the cold reduced my energy
level but more significantly the cold reduced my appetite and I love the
different Japanese food dishes. Only
after a few bites and I was full. For
me, a huge disappointment as we both enjoy the different Japanese food
types. My lack of appetite would
continue until near our trip's end.
Travel
Purchase tickets early as the Ltd. Express to Nagoya is busy
(two hours and 30 minutes). From the
Takayama Station on the JR Hida Express to Nagoya is about 150 minutes
transferring to a Shinkansen train to Shin-Kobe again transferring to a second
Shinkansen train to Fukuoka (also named Hakata). A very comfortable four plus hours trip
enjoying our bento boxes that we had purchased at the Nagoya Station, watching
the passing landscapes and playing cribbage.
Hakata Fukuoka - two nights
Highlights
In 2016 we had a free volunteer tourist guide to visit the
largest sitting Buddha in Kamakura. Thus
it was a must for us to visit the Nanzoin Temple in Sasaguri, just 15 minutes
from Fukuoka. Sasaguri's major
attraction is the massive bronze statue of the Reclining Buddha, which is the
same length as New York's Statue of Liberty.
It was a bright sunny day to enjoy a leisurely walk from the train
station from the village of Sasaguri.
Along the well marked route passing smaller Buddha statues, as well as
picturesque streams, bridges and gardens.
This statue is the largest reclining Buddha in the world measuring 41
metres long, 11 metres tall and weighing 300 tonnes complete with a beautiful
backdrop of forest with varying shades of green.
The train trip from the Hakata Station to Kido Nanzoin-mae
Station took 21 minutes. A relaxing ride
from a busy city through a pleasant countryside to our day's activity.
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| We were impressed with the overall size of the Buddha. Huge feet! |
Health Update
Could my situation become worse? Still a terrible cough with a huge flow of
mucus was further complicated with the cold affecting my lower back. Each cough was a painful experience. One I would wish on no one! Choices are either go home or go on!
Nagasaki - three nights
Travel day from Hakata (Fukuoka) to Nagasaki was about two
hours by JR Train. We were pleased we
purchased JR Train passes as we are saving monies because of the numerous and
long train rides we are experiencing.
Train left at 9:15 and as usual we had reserved seats so no concerns or
worries about finding seats. Reserved
seats are available with JR passes without cost. Arrived at the Nagasaki Station promptly at
11:24 - right on time. The Japanese
train system is simply unbelievable for punctuality with the trains leaving and
arriving exactly at the times indicated!
A short walk to the JR Hotel located at the station
followed. We stopped briefly at the
tourist office collecting maps and pertinent information and brochures. This gathering of information was a habit
that occurred upon our arrival at each destination in any country. We found this a worthwhile practice to
enhance our research information from our pre-trip research plus obtaining a local
map.
Highlights
Nagasaki Peace Park
established in 1955 near the epicenter of the explosion that took place on
August 9, 1945. We experienced a
brilliant sunny day to leisurely wander the amazing park of peace. A spectacular water fountain displayed like
dove flying left a lasting memory. The
fountain was constructed for the souls of Atomic bomb victims who died
searching for water with their hideously burned bodies.
Nagasaki Atomic Bomb
Museum: A short walk from the Peace
Park the Atomic Bomb Museum commemorates the victims for the atomic
bombing. Certainly well organized and
needless to say, a rather striking reminder of a devastating historical
event.
Both of us left with the thought "Was a mass
devastation of human life and physical hardships justifiable?"
Megane Bridge A peaceful calming spot to visit after Atomic Bomb Museum
The Megane Bridge, also called Meganebashi or Spectacles
Bridge, located in a quaint neighborhood, is an iconic landmark. The Megane Bridge (the first bridge built in
1634) plus others span the Nakashima River.
We spent a pleasant few hours walking along the shallow river and
watching adults and children feeding the Kio fish. A peaceful area to enjoy the quiet ambiance
of the area. Caught the tram back to the
hotel.
Nagasaki Museum of
History and Culture: Billed as one
of the most prominent museums in Japan!
When we started there was no English signage so we moved very quickly from
room to room. The highlight was viewing
a live theatre production and had our photos with the actors.
Unzen - three nights
Our bus trip from Nagasaki-Ven-ei bus terminal, ac short
distance across the street from our JR Hotel was the first of only two bus
trips. The direct ride takes about one
hour and 40 minutes costing 19000 yen one way.
The best views are from the right side.
An alternate route was to use our rail pass which required a train ride
then a bus trip costing about the same.
The bus trip was direct and comfortable.
Bus Timetable: Nagasaki to
Unzen
9:10 10:51
13:10 14:51
16:10 17:51
Upon our arrival we asked for directions to Unzen's tourist
office. In the tourist information center
we obtained an excellent Unzen Walk Map and viewed the interesting displays outlining
the entire national park and further hiking information to surrounding areas
may be obtained.
Highlights
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| Just some examples of the many different interesting and tasty foods we were served. |
On a rainy
down-pouring day we spent a wonderful day relaxing at our Ryokan. We enjoyed a private
onsen sitting in the sheltered warm water with a view open to the exterior so
small was the enclosure we could hear the wind and rain raging in front of us
with a cooling breeze periodically entering our comfy enclosure.
Hiking the well marked paths in Unzen-Amakusa National Park.
Easily accessible from our Ryokan this gem boasted dozens of onsens and
tree-lined paths, trekking through volcanic landscapes.
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| One of the many hot pools along the Unzen hiking trails. |
Tokyo- two nights
Left Unzen Fukudaya Hotel to catch the 6:50 am bus to
Isahaya. At Isakaya, one and a half
hours later we departed the bus and hiked a short distance complete with local assistance
to the JR station where we caught a train to Hakata (one hour thirty-five
minutes). Here we purchased our bento
lunches before boarding the Shinkansen to Shin-Kobe (two hours and 24
minutes). Finally at Shin-Kobe we
transferred to our last train going to Shinagawa Station in Tokyo (three
hours). Upon our arrival we decided to
eat dinner in the Shinagawa area as there are numerous restaurants close by followed
by a taxi ride home to our Apa Hotel.
This was our longest travel day of our trip.
Therefore an extra night in Tokyo to rest and
revitalize. Turned out the extra rest
day was not needed. While we had
numerous train transfers they went smoothly as we checked with an employee to
determine the departing track number , walked to the appropriate track, found
the exact spot where our reserved car would stop and waited for the train to
arrive at the exact designated time.
Easy peasy.
Highlight
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| What the future holds for us. |
Shimaya Onsen in Yudanaka to View the
Snow Monkeys
We thought the trip would be a bit more complicated but as
it turned out it was rather straight forward. Subway to JR Tokyo Station and
caught the Hokuriku Shinkansen (one hour
twenty minutes) to Nagano Station and transfer to Nagano Electric Railway to
Yudanaka Station and about a ten minute walk to our hotel, Yudanaka
Shimaya. At Nagano there was a short wait
before we could board the train.
Highlights
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| Shared a ride to park entrance with an Australian family |
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| One of the many snow monkeys we watched playing and eating. |
A short train ride to Obuse, a nearby town, to spend the day
visiting museums and wandering the town center and watched a couple roasting
chestnuts. Needless to say we purchased
a small bag and sat on a bench munching on hot chestnuts while people
watching. Granshoin Temple  |
| Doreen enjoying the roast chestnuts. |
ceiling painting of a mythical bird and when viewing it seems to glare in all directions.
A special highlight
for us was that three months prior to our visit our oldest granddaughter and her boyfriend had visited Yudanaka and
stayed in the same hotel! The owner, Mr.
Yamoto, connected us and gave us photos of them when they had stayed there.
It was fun to receive her
pre-visit input and worthwhile suggestions and once back in Vancouver to
share a meal while comparing our separate Japan visits.
Returned to Tokyo spending one evening before our return flight
to Vancouver, Canada. Once again, we
thoroughly enjoyed our Japan holiday. We
appreciate the Japanese culture for their care of visiting tourists always
lending a helping hand, their cleanliness on the streets and in the buildings, their excellent train and subway
transportation , their delicious food varieties, and their diverse environment
of surrounding oceans and Japanese Alps as well as many water sources
throughout the country including hot water streams for the many indoor and
outdoor onsens.
HOTELS
General Hotel
Information
*booked
using Booking.com (easy to cancel and book)
*Wi-Fi
available in the hotel rooms and free of charge
*
Breakfast included unless stated otherwise and included in hotel price
*all
non-smoking rooms
* all
with ensuite features
Apa Hotel Shinagawa
Sengakuji Eki-Mae, Tokyo
* Well
appointed room #1924
* Onsen
fun experience
*
Subway five minutes away
*
Shinagawa train station twenty minutes walk
* $6.00
to $8.00 Taxi ride from Shinagawa Station to hotel
*Cost
per night $240
Ryokan Murayama,
Takayama
*meals
separate - choice to eat at Ryokan (book ahead) or eat downtown
*excellent
meals at Ryokan
 |
| Doreen dressed in local costum to go to dinner. Kind of fun. |
*Shuttle
to train station each day
*Cost
without meals - $192.68
Daiwa Roynet Hotel,
Fukuoka
*close
to train station and central
*excellent
hotel
*Cost
per night $164.80
JR Hotel, Nagasaki,
Kyushu
*excellent
hotel located at the station
*central,
easy to get to main attractions
*Cost
per night $153.63
Unzen Fukudaya, Unzen
*Our
splurge - Ryokan style hotel
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| Beautiful park setting when visiting the reclining Buddha |
*breakfast
and dinner included in the room rate
*meals
were excellent - served in a private dining room for two
*able
to rent private onsen for couples
*Cost
of hotel per day $311.81
Apa Hotel Shinagawa
Sengakuji Ei-Mae, Tokyo (second stay)
*Returned
as easy to get to and easy to explore Tokyo from here
*Cost
per night $190.50 (cheaper than our earlier stay at same hotel)
Ryokan Shimaya, Yudanaka
*very helpful
and friendly staff
*owner
provides a free shuttle to Monkey Park entrance
*Breakfast
extra (American or Japanese)
*Close
to train station and restaurants
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| Sensoji Temple is buzzing with people complete with many stalless. One of the spots we visited with Hiro our volunteer guide. |
*Cost
per night $205.77
Apa Hotel and Resort
Tokyo Bay Makuhari, Chiba
*ideal
as near Narita Airport
*onsens
*avoid Chinese restaurant - poor food
*shuttle
to airport with cost
*Cost
per night $137.03
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| An interesting way to roast chestnuts. |
