Travel Bergs
Travel Plans
When planning a trip, we think these ideas might be helpful. We made a list when we first started to travel which is different from today’s ideas as now we make more use of technology.
1) Use the internet for everything- ideas on where to travel, country details, booking hotels, reviews, blogs, travel alerts, money exchange, booking tours.
2) Take a computer, iPad or phone to use the internet for emergencies, confirming bookings, GPS if driving, local maps, transportation, taking photos and keeping in touch with home.
3) May want to purchase small amounts of foreign currency before leaving.
4) Take some American cash for emergencies.
5) Write a journal and keep the following items in an attached envelope taped in your journal (I use a 9-inch by 6-inch coiled notebook): emergency numbers, emails of family and friends, list of passwords, itinerary, copies of passports and drivers’ licenses, travel insurance, eye prescriptions, copies of birth certificates, maps, and names of local contacts. We make duplicate copies to be carried by both of us in our luggage.
6) Pack early and then repack lighter.
7) If possible use only carry-on luggage as it simplifies your transportation. For example, no waiting at carousels for luggage, airport transfers, train/bus travel, and using domestic flights that only allow carry-ons. One drawback is a limited wardrobe but careful choices make it work.
8) Book local tours when possible as they are cheaper and better.
9) Pre-book hotel for the first night or more as you arrive tired and don’t want the hassle of finding a hotel.
10) Be flexible and prepare for changes.
11) Take reading material as difficult to buy in a foreign country. I take books and my husband a Kindle (better idea).
12) Take all prescription medication and eye contact solution for the duration of the trip. Phone number and email (if possible) of your home doctor.
13) I found it helpful to know the dress code for women and if possible buy clothing locally. While in India I bought a sari and in Myanmar bought a skirt and peasant blouse. In Morocco, I bought a djellaba (a long loose hooded garment with full sleeves) which was popular and warm. The local people seem to appreciate your effort.
Chapter 2
Japan
Books to Read
“Lonely Planet Japan” ( also Kindle Edition)
“Lonely Planet Tokyo”
“Lonely Planet Japanese Phrasebook and Dictionary”
“Lonely Planet Best of Japan” (also Kindle Edition)
“Lonely Planet Beautiful World Japan 1st Ed.” (2019)
· These are only a few Lonely Planet books on Japan. There are many!
“Memories of a Geisha Girl” by Arthur Golden
“Hiroshima Nagasaki The Real Story of the Atomic Bombings and their Aftermath” by Paul Ham
“Fallout The Hiroshima Cover-up and the Reporter Who Revealed It to the World” by Lesley M.M Blume
“Midway The Battle That Doomed Japan, The Japanese Navy’s Story” by Mitsuo Fuchida and Masatake Okumiya
“A Geek In Japan Discovering the land of Manga, Anime, Zen, and the Tea Ceremony” By Hector Garcia
“When We Were Young and Brave” by Hazel Gayno
Seasons
If you visit Japan in the autumn the golden colours of fall are everywhere and in the spring, the exquisite blossoms of the Japanese cherry trees are unforgettable. The blossoms blow onto the streets, gardens and rivers with abandon joy. Wonderful memories to capture forever! Winter must be amazing too especially if you like to ski. Many visitors go to Hokkaido to ski, the furthest northern island.
Transportation
On our first full day, we used our cards when visiting the Imperial Palace taking Japan Rail (JR) trains from Shinagawa Station to Tokyo Station always checking which exit to take as train stations are huge and you can end up far from your planned destination. This can be confusing so we needed to plan. Transportation is so well organized that the trains are never late, arriving on the exact minute. It’s amazing how they can schedule the arrivals and departures to the second. Sometimes we just stood on the platforms and marvelled at the exactness of the system.
Occasionally, when you're travelling on the train you will find two different names used for the same place which makes it somewhat confusing. For example, Fukuoka is also called Hakata so we had to be aware of that when we boarded the train. There are usually information centres at the train stations which are most helpful to provide directions, maps and information. We often took advantage of the hospitality offices.
Tidiness and Use of Small Space
One thing that impressed us, on arriving in Japan, was the tidiness of everything including streets, hotels, gardens, taxis, trains, - everything. They often wore masks to protect themselves and others so it was easy to follow their pattern. Another thing that impressed us was the use of space, for example, the hotel rooms were very small with everything compact and miniature yet with all the amenities; private gardens were small but impressive, and food was usually served in small dishes of tasty bites with a large selection at our hotels. Speaking of food, breakfasts were offered in American or Japanese cuisine in many places. John usually chose the Japanese variety with fish but I stuck to the American style breakfast - more conservative. Good use of space makes total sense for heavily populated countries.
Weather
In the spring we had one day in Unzen, Kyushu when it poured all day long. It rained so much that we only went out for lunch taking the hotel’s provided umbrellas and then returned to our warm room for the rest of the day, only going to our designated dinner room to eat. We did not go for a soak here.
On this day, April 24th we used Skype and contacted both our sons on their birthdays. It was 5:30 p.m. in British Columbia and 9:30 a.m. in Japan. Nice that we could talk to them both and found they had both had busy productive days. We usually phone our children on their birthdays and sing Happy Birthday. We didn’t want them to miss our traditional off-tune duet of Happy Birthday!
Spas and Onsens
We could have dug our own with provided shovels but chose to use one already made. We soaked in the man-made hot pools and then slid into the cold river to swim- a memorable occasion. According to their website, in winter, they turn the river into a large open-air hot spring which can fit up to 1,000 people. I read that there are nearly 30,000 hot springs in Japan so no wonder it is known as the World’s No. 1 hot spring country.
When we stayed at Fujiya-mae in Kawayu they had marble onsens and wooden onsens at either end of the building. Men and women were separated as usual but they switched the location each day so you could experience both types of onsens. Besides all these wonderful experiences, the most fabulous experience was the riverside onsen and the famous shack Tsubo-yu Onsen in Yunomine Onsen Village, Tanabe, about three kilometres from Hongu.
After our soak in the Tsubo-yu Onsen we hiked to Hongu and had lunch in the “Kitchen” and then took a short trail to a huge Torii Gate, the largest torii in the world.
It stands 33.9 meters tall and 42 meters wide and was originally built on a sandbank joining two rivers; but in 2000, it was erected at the entrance to the Oyunohara sandbank. We saw several Torii Gates in Japan but nothing as large as the one in Oyunohara.
Safety and Kindness in Japan
While out walking we experienced the helpfulness of people who were willing to show us where a restaurant was, leaving their own street business behind to help. No stealing in Japan! We had this happen several times and found it impressive.
Another experience that is offered in Japan is free tour guides to show you an area of interest. They will spend all day with you, if you wish, and all they ask is to cover their lunch cost and transportation if that is required. A small gift of appreciation was suggested but not necessary. We knew about this before we left home so we brought a few small gifts and wrapped them beforehand. They were always appreciated and it didn't matter about the value of the gift. We used free volunteer guides several times and were able to experience Japanese culture more intimately and with more detail than if we had done it on our own. Often the guide would meet us in the lobby of our hotel and sometimes we travelled by train with the guide to another area. It was a wonderfully fulfilling experience, which I think is unique to Japan. We contacted these guides, in three different towns, whom we found on the internet.
We always felt safe on the streets in Japan, even at night. In that way, it is similar to Iceland. Two wonderfully safe countries.
Fish Market
Visiting a fish market in Japan is a must since fish is a basic Japanese food. We saw huge tuna, tiny sardines and everything in-between. We saw octopus, eel, crab, shellfish, abalone and many we couldn’t identify. There are many fish markets throughout Japan and seafood is always on the menu.
Japanese Gardens
There are very large public gardens and small privately owned gardens, and everything in between. Japan is renowned for its intricate meaningful gardens.
There are several gardens in the Palace area one of them being Ninomaru Garden which has symbolic trees planted in the northwestern corner of this garden with 260 donated trees from each of the prefectures of Japan covering 30 varieties. There are several public parks within the grounds with some having bronze monuments of historical figures. There are also ponds and a moat within the Imperial Palace.
We went to Nara, about 45 minutes from Kyoto to visit the beautiful Deer Park. We met our guide, Yoshi, from the English Goodwill Guides (EGG) connected with the YMCA. Deer Park has hundreds of deer roaming throughout the park and you can buy deer cookies to feed them. There are more female deer than male deer because the male deer fight. There are many paved paths within the park which go to special places like the pagoda or the Shinto shrine. Our guide told us that gardens are very prevalent in people's homes using stone, moss, water, stone lanterns and greenery. We saw some examples of this when we did a tour of private gardens.
We explored the Okayama Korakuen Garden in Okayama with a local free “goodwill” guide. Historically, Lord Tsunamasa of the Ikeda Clan of Okayama took more than ten years to complete this magnificent garden and is one of Japan’s three most celebrated landscaped gardens. Okayama Castle is part of the garden which we also visited.
In Kanazawa, a city on the west coast of Honshu, we enjoyed walking in two beautiful parks – Kenrokuen Garden and Kanazawa Castle Park. The park had exquisite pine trees supported by wooden poles.
The gardeners start on November 1st to set them up to protect the branches from heavy snow. There is a 3.5-metre fountain that changes depending on the level of the water in the Kasumigaike Pond. It is the oldest fountain in Japan.
Japanese Food
We have always enjoyed Japanese sushi food so it was not difficult to appreciate the food in Japan. One of the popular places for sushi in Japan was called Kaiten-sushi Toriton in Tokyo. It's on the 6th floor of Solamachi shopping complex at the base of the Tokyo Skytree. We sat on benches outside the restaurant and waited until they opened at 11:00 a.m. and finally we were invited in and sat at a conveyor belt and ordered some plates from a tablet sheet and wrote down what we wanted and took other dishes from the conveyor belt as it moved along.
We made Japanese tea from powdered green tea and steaming hot water, which was available in front of us, using a lever to get the hot water. Prices for the food were according to the colour of the plate, so if you didn't want to pay too much you chose the colour with the cheapest cost and I can't remember what colours they were. The food was excellent and I think we visited this a couple of times while we were in Tokyo. The cost of our meal was 1, 263 yen which amounts to $14.84 Canadian. We often chose sushi places because we liked the flavours but saying that we went to different restaurants with international foods, Indian food being one which we also enjoyed. Ramen Noodle cafes are also popular which we enjoyed when we were visiting Takayama and also Bento boxes, offered at train stations before boarding. Bento is homemade packed Japanese lunch boxes with multi compartments for rice or noodles, meat and vegetables. These are now common throughout the world.
One of our most memorable experiences with food was on October 28, 2016, my birthday. We took a train from Kyoto to Kii-Tanabe and arrived just before noon. Interestingly, on this trip, we experienced the fact that the seats on the train can turn 180 degrees for couples to face one another and visit. Also, on this trip, John presented a beautiful birthday card to me and said he has a gift. I hinted he was teasing and he said, “No, actually I do”, and he presented me with two pairs of free slippers from our hotel. I found other free items in the APA Hotel and asked John about the hairbands and he told me that’s what they were so I decided to take a couple and give them to Ann and Carolyn, our daughters. As it turned out they were not hairbands, but CONDOMS!
Along this train trip, we spotted persimmon trees growing on terraces up the mountainsideOn departing the train, we asked at the tourist center where Kawayu was and the helpful lady gave us maps and told us to take #2 Bus to Kawaya/Fujiya-mae, the last one along the road was ours, #1. There are ten onsens in Kawayu. Arriving at Fujiya-mae we entered a large reception area where two staff members greeted us. Our room on the second floor was called Sakura. It was a sizable room with a large cupboard at one end filled with futons, duvets, sheets and pillows. At the other end of the room was a closet to hang our clothes and put our suitcases. This was very different from the small hotel rooms we had experienced. Under the screened window were two soft chairs and a small table, a fridge, kettle and water. There were three smaller rooms: toilet, two sinks, a tub. I guessed the area to be about 24 feet by 24 feet.
We enjoyed unbelievably delicious food during our stay at this remarkable Kawaya Onsen on the Kumano River. We dressed for supper in provided kimonos and yukatas. We tried to sit cross-legged but found it uncomfortable so we sat with our legs out and under the low table. Soon an older Japanese woman arrived with dishes of food and she kept coming with so many dishes we couldn’t keep track of them. Fortunately, we were hungry and ate well. We cooked rice in a rice pot adding a raw egg over the rice. We cooked meat, tofu and vegetables on teppans which are flat grills around which guests are seated. Many dishes were brought to our table including cooked fish beautifully decorated. In the end, we had to stop eating as we were so full. I guess this was the signal to our server to stop bringing dishes. Our dessert was fruit- persimmons, grapes and Asian pears. This magnificent event is often brought to mind when we think of the fabulous Japanese food we enjoyed.
Another experience with food was in Okayama. We visited the 7th floor of the Aeon Shopping Mall for supper. Of the many restaurants, we selected one called Kushikatsu. Wooden skewers of food were deep-fried in a recessed pot of hot fat in the center of your table. Kushiage (deep-fried skewers) started in Osaka in 1929. We fried chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, onions, sweet potatoes, lotus, potatoes, mushrooms and cheese. The food is dipped in a batter and then into crumbs before lowering it into the hot fat. A sheet of instructions in English of “dos” and “don’ts” with the hot fat and how long to cook items was on each table.
The price was a flat rate which included dessert and coffee. They also served cold cooked crab with pliers and forks which we tried. You could also get chocolate covered marshmallows or doughnuts. This was another opportunity to become familiar with different foods and customs which we wholeheartedly relished.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Okonomiyaki -Japanese cabbage pancakes, cooked on a grill in front of you. First, they made a crepe about four inches across, seasoned it then covered it with at least three cups of cabbage. Pre-cooked soba noodles were part of the mix. They broke a raw egg onto the grill making a four-inch circle to match the crepe size. They added requested items then put the pancake upside down onto the egg and let it cook for a few seconds, turned it over and painted it with a sauce, decorated it with green onions and slid it over to us. John had shrimp on his and I had corn, cheese and nuts. It was just as much fun watching them make Okonomiyaki as eating it.
Hiking
There are wonderful hiking trails outside the cities and one area is the Kumano Kodo, a network of pilgrimage routes in Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture. As you hike into the forest and mountains you will find shrines along the pathways. There are brochures available that describe the length of the routes and transportation. We hiked from Yunomine Onsen to Hongu Town, about three kilometres. It was very pretty with forests of Japanese cypress. We didn’t meet anyone on the short hike although they are well-travelled. The trails are well marked so you don’t need a guide, however, you can hire guides. We would have liked to hike more in this region and perhaps, if we visit Japan again, we will hike many more trails.
We also hiked in the Japanese Alps about an hour’s bus ride from Takayama to Hirayu. We walked for 30 minutes from the Information Center and came to the Hirayu Falls, about 64 meters high and six meters wide, considered to be one of Japan’s 100 most beautiful waterfalls. We had to hike around a snow slide to get to the falls but it was lovely.
Japanese engineering skills were obvious in this area with bridges, weirs and dams to control the river flow. Much use of cement was obvious, even putting a skim of cement on the hillside to prevent erosion.
We also hiked in the Yamanouchi area when we trekked to view the snow monkeys. The park had a well-groomed path for an easy hike to reach the monkeys’ location. The forested area had mainly evergreen trees of cedar and pine but some scattered cherry trees displaying their colourful blossoms were visible.
Snow Monkeys
The Snow Monkey Park in Yamanouchi is a popular tourist attraction for both foreign and Japanese tourists. The snow monkeys are fed barley by park workers who supervise the care and safety of the monkeys with so many visitors. The monkeys seem right at home with the tourists and move easily past and around them while the camera shutters are working frantically to get the perfect photo. As it was a warm day when we explored the monkey area we soon found that the monkeys wisely retreated into the hills as the day became warmer. If we hadn’t arrived early we wouldn’t have seen them as they disappeared into the tall trees on the hillside. Believe it or not, the snow monkeys enjoy soaking in onsens! They didn’t choose the warm water when we saw them as it was a warm day but many computer photos show the monkeys soaking in the warm water. I suppose the best time to see the monkeys enjoying the warm water would be winter when there is lots of snow. We were glad to have made the effort to visit this area after our granddaughter had told us about them in her earlier visit.
While in this area we stayed in a wonderful ryokan called Yudanaka Shimaya, a family-run friendly accommodation featuring hot-spring baths and Japanese-style rooms, only a short distance from the train station.
Sleeping on Futons
Atomic Bomb Disasters in Japan
We visited both Hiroshima and Nagasaki with memorials of the devastating effects of the atomic bomb. In Hiroshima, the Atomic Bomb Dome is part of the Hiroshima Memorial Park and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996. The dome is Hiroshima was the only structure left standing in the area where the first atomic bomb exploded on 6 August 1945.
The dome has been preserved in the same condition as immediately after the bombing. The museum is a huge building of artifacts, videos of the actual bombing and interviews from Japanese survivors. A tragic story! On May 27, 2016, President Barak Obama visited this site and left a message with two origami cranes that he made himself and the message read, "We have known the agony of war. Let us now find the courage together to spread peace and purpose to a world without nuclear weapons." There were many displays of devastation including metal that had warped off roofs, metal girders cracked and bent, utensils coated and crusted with radiation, child's bicycle, steel frames twisted by the extreme heat and burned-out streetcars. An atomic bomb exploded in the air above Nagasaki at 11:02 a.m. on August 9, 1945, three days after the Hiroshima disaster. Most of Nagasaki was destroyed and a tremendous number of lives lost. It was just as tragic as the bombing of Hiroshima.
Museums
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
August 6, 1945
This museum was designed by Kenzo Tange and construction began in February 1951 and completed in 1955. It is located in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, in central Hiroshima. The park was established to comfort the souls of the victims of the bombing. This saddle-shaped monument covers a cenotaph holding the names of all the people killed by the bomb.
Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum
The museum was opened in April 1996 as part of the 50th-anniversary projects for the Nagasaki atomic bombing.
There are many pictures, photographs and artifacts exhibited in the museum telling the story of the bombing and Japan’s desire for peace.
Not far from the museum is a Peace Park which has a huge statue symbolizing the desire for peace. A beautiful water fountain frames the statue as you walk into the park. It is a peaceful setting and makes one contemplate the tragedies of war.
Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture
This fascinating Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture gives the history of art and crafts that tell the story of how Nagasaki developed and the history behind the lives of samurai warriors. The port of Nagasaki was the first port opened to foreign trade in 1858 which began an exchange with Western countries and new learning and technology came flooding into Japan.
While visiting the museums in Nagasaki, we met a group of schoolgirls who wanted to chat with us to practice their English and also to have a photo taken with us. We thought, sure why not, and we posed with the girls. Kind of fun!
The Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation - Tokyo
Robots are well established in Japan and are used in industry and entertainment as well as basic tasks within the house. Some of the robotic companies are Sony Corporation, Honda, Toyota and Toshiba. It is interesting to note that historically, as far back as 1796, the Japanese had mechanical dolls used in puppet theatre where the dolls could shoot arrows, serve tea or paint Japanese characters.
Toy Museum in Okayama
We toured a toy museum in Okayama which features 5,000 toys.
It had numerous dolls, samurai toys, kites, spin tops, windmills, animals – especially wooden cats, old rocking horses, and dolls that stacked inside one another similar to Russian nesting dolls. Some dolls are called Daruma figures and looked like pumpkins. They are treasured since olden days and have the power to answer prayers. The ever-popular Sarubobo doll was also displayed which I will describe later in this chapter.
Ohara Museum of Art in Okayama
Many European artists were represented: El Greco, Paul Cezanne, Monet, Gaugin, Picasso and others I did not know. Japanese scenery art was also displayed along with bronze statues. It seems that the old European masters are still recognized as great artists throughout the world.
Obuse Museums
We took a short trip to Obuse from Yudanaka on an electric train, a fun, slow-moving train. Obuse is a pretty place with breweries, museums, galleries, temples and chestnut trees. First, we walked all the way to Ganshoin Temple to see a famous Phoenix painting on the ceiling by Katsushika Hokusai. It was painted more than 160 years ago and still retains the vibrant colours. I took several photos of the phoenix and after realized I wasn’t allowed to take photos! We then visited the Hokusai Museum, a historical one, but didn’t gain much knowledge as the signage was in Japanese. There are other museums in Obuse but we cut our tour short to catch the train back to Yudanaka.
One different experience in Obuse was to watch a street vendor cook chestnuts in a type of portable oven while his wife sold bags of chestnuts to customers. Of course, we bought some and thoroughly enjoyed them. They tasted much like a sweet potato when cooked.
Sumo Wrestling
It was interesting watching the thong-wearing heavy men go through their exercises of lifting legs, stomping, squatting, raising their arms and clapping, rinsing their mouths with water and throwing salt over the ring before entering. The object of the game is to try and make your opponent touch the ground (except the soles of their feet) or be pushed outside a marked circle. It requires great strength and agility. Sumo wrestlers are actually not fat, albeit obese, but have muscle mass.
They eat about ten times more than a normal person in order to retain their size. The wrestling bouts only last a few minutes. We were fortunate to actually see the Morning Practice to experience the authentic interchanges of Japanese sumo wrestlers.
Geisha Girls
One always hears of geisha girls so it’s part of the culture I want to mention. We saw many girls dressed in the typical geisha gowns in the streets of Tokyo and Kyoto, who by the way may be tourists as you can rent geisha costumes for the day and wear them on the streets. A tourist geisha tea ceremony is often available for visitors where the geisha girls practice specific protocol. We had an opportunity to see a geisha dance performance when we visited the Asakusa Culture Center in Tokyo which was arranged by our guide. Fortunately, we had seats in the front row and were able to appreciate all the movements of the dance. There were four performers – three girls and one man. We had a photo taken with them as a keepsake.
Geisha girls are not prostitutes but are highly trained in the arts of music, dance and entertainment. They spend many years learning to play various musical instruments, sing, dance and be perfect hostesses in a party of men. Their makeup of white face paint, red lips and dazzling kimono draw the attention of many a tourist.
I wonder what it would feel like navigating the Tokyo streets dressed in a geisha kimono, wooden clogs, wig and a white painted face, to see the reaction of other people? It wasn’t for me!
Origami
Origami is the art of paper folding but it is far more complex than just simply folding paper. They make wonderful objects of varying styles but the most popular is the crane.
We received origami gifts on our trips to Japan and I have them glued into my journals, especially paper cranes. Paper cranes are the most popular form of origami as the crane has always symbolized success and good fortune.
Apparently, origami improves the learning of spatial relationships and is taught to children in their early years. It also helps with hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills and mental concentration and many other attributes to stimulate the brain.
Sarubobo Doll
We bought several of these dolls to give to the grandchildren and kept one for ourselves which is still hanging in our study window. You can buy different colours which symbolize different attributes but we bought red, the most popular colour. We first saw these little stuffed dolls in the Toy Museum in Takayama. They are made in various sizes but we bought small ones. They are human-shaped but faceless and are traditionally given to grandchildren or daughters as a charm for a good marriage, good children and to ensure a well-rounded couple. The colours of the Sarubobo were associated with different wishes :
Red for luck in marriage, fertility and childbirth
Blue for luck in study and work
Pink for luck in love
Green for luck in health and peace
Yellow for luck in money
Black to remove bad luck
Purple for longevity and success
Realizing this I’m not sure why we chose red except it was the favourite colour. Perhaps green would have been a better choice of colour. Saru means “monkey” and bobo mean “baby”. If you go to Shirakawa-go, a rural town in the Prefecture of Gifu, you will see these dolls everywhere and better understand the significance of them.
Nagasaki to Unzen
This journey from Nagasaki to Unzen took two hours by bus, a pleasant ride through forests and planted crops. It was a narrow road making me nervous but the driver maneuvered the bus with no problems. We came to Obama on the sea and then shortly to Unzen, Kyushu. As usual, we walked from the Information Center to our onsen having to walk through walls of steam coming from sulfur pools as we crossed the bridge. We stayed in Unzen Fukudaya Onsen, the tallest building in the area with lovely and comfortable accommodation. We explored the area as we waited for our room to be ready, hiking over the steam bridge once more and onto more wooden walkways around many hot pools, up to a temple, and then to a cross, a memorial for Christians who had been martyred and thrown into a hot pool. We returned to our room to rest as John was suffering from a cold which tired him quickly. The hotel staff made up the futons for us and left them so we could rest when we wanted to. The usual plan was to make up the futons while we ate dinner. We dined in a special room, Subaru Room, and were served many dishes starting with appetizers, several salads and main dishes of beef, tofu, pork and vegetables. A parfait of cool vanilla pudding filled with fruit and hot green tea finished off the meal. Although the portions are small, the many dishes made for a huge meal. This ryokan was one of the best with its many amenities and closeness to the town centre.
On this day, April 24th we used Skype and contacted both our sons on their birthdays. It was 5:30 p.m. in British Columbia and 9:30 a.m. in Japan. Nice that we could talk to them and found they had both had busy productive days. We usually phone our children on their birthdays and sing Happy Birthday. We didn’t want them to miss our traditional off-tune duet.
We left Unzen, Kyushu by public bus with many school students using the bus and getting off at different school locations as we continued to Isahaya. We then boarded a JR train to Hakata, with each mode of transport taking about 1 ½ hour. In Hakata, we bought Bento boxes before entering the Shinkansen bullet train for Tokyo, a 2 ½ hour trip, over 1000 kilometres! We liked the fast Shinkansen trains!
Finally, some Do’s and Don’ts in Japan
Don’ts
1) Don’t wear your shoes inside when visiting Japanese homes.
2) Don’t skip the line when waiting for trains.
3) Don’t eat on the go when you’re in Japan.
4) Don’t get into a bathtub before showering first.
5) Don’t blow your nose in public.
6) Don’t leave a tip.
7) Don’t speak loudly on public transit.
8) Don’t point in Japan.
9) Don’t pour soy sauce on your rice.
10 Don’t give or receive things with one hand.
Do’s
1) Do dress conservatively.
2) Do embrace Japanese vending machines.
3) Do walk, drive and ride on the left.
4) Do slurp your noodles.
5) Do bow appropriately.
6) Do learn some basic Japanese phrases.
7) Do take advantage of public transport.
8) Do hang onto your rubbish to dispose later.
9) Do book your Japan accommodations in advance.
In Conclusion:
We enjoyed both our trips to Japan. Tokyo is a large city but very navigable. Some visitors only go to Tokyo, like our grandchildren who enjoyed all the gaming areas. However, we found all facets of Japan interesting and with easy public transport, safe environment, good accommodations, quiet and helpful citizens and the delicious food we were mesmerized by Japanese hospitality. Comparing all the Asian countries we visited, I think westernized Japan is probably the easiest country to visit. Try it and see.
Itinerary for Japan 2016
October 15-19 Tokyo
October 15. Arriver 4:30 p.m. to APA Hotel - Shinagawa Sengakuji Eki- Mae + 813-5475-6801
October 16 Fish Market +
Page 76. Sengakuja Stationeries to Ginza and Asakusa
October 17. Day trip to Kamakura with guide. Chiyoko Matsurmaura. Time:
See letter / Hotel pickup
October 18. Page 75 Imperial Palace
* See Day 4 Itinerary
October 19- 22 Takayama See note page
October 19 Hotel/Walk around town
October 20 Market
October 21 Day trip via bus - Ogamachi
October 22 Bus- Check schedule times - early departure
Stop at Shirakawa - visit
- Gassho - Zukuri
Bus on to Kanazawa
October 22-24 Kanazawa
Hotel /wonder
October 23 Tour with Tony - see notes
October 24-28 Kyoto Doreen looks after this
October 24 Orientation in Kyoto - walk/explore
* ask about tickets for theatre for October 27th
* ask about possible 72 hour subway pass?
Consider Bus Day Pass for 500 yen a day
October 25 Tenji-san Market located at Kitano Tenmangu from 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
October 26 Tour to Nara
October 27 City Tour - Nine hour tour of Kyoto's cultural and historic attractions
October 28 Depart for Kawayu Onsen
October 28-29 Kawayu Onsen
October 30 /31 and Nov 1 Okayama
Mitsui Garden Hotel +8186 235-1131
November 2/3 Hiroshima
Hiroshima Washington Hotel +8181 553-2222
November 3 Visit Miyajima a.m.
Back to Hiroshima in p.m.
November 4 Train to Himeji Castle (Page 380)
Continue on to Tokyo
November 4/5 Tokyo Super Hotel Shinjuku Kabukicho Phone: +813-3205-9100
Shinjuku Ward, Shjijuku-ku Kabukicho 2-39-9
November 5 Flight from Narita to Vancouver
Itinerary for Japan 2018
Source for Trains: Rome2rio.com
April 10 Depart: Vancouver 13:25 (1:25)
Arrive: Japan- Narita Airport, Terminal 1 15:15 (3:15)
- 9 hours 50 minutes
-go to Terminal 2 - take Narita Express (N'EX) to Shinagawa
April 11 - 15 Tokyo APA Hotel Shinagawa Station
-take train with JR Pass to Shinagawa 4 nights
-Cherry Blossom Tokyo - late blooming possible
-Shinjuki Goen NP or Koganei Park
Activate JR Pass
Passmo $5000 yen - purchase at airport - cash
Tourist stuff - www.hyperdia.com
Western Tokyo - one day ideas
Meiji Shrine wooden grounds Walk to
- Shuyuku, Shibuya and Harajuku
- Meiji Temple, Asakusa Kannon Temple Senso-ji
- Cruise on Tokyo Bay $123 Viator
*Check out Uneo Park /Pandas
April 12 National Museum of Emerging and Innovation
- opens @ 10:00 am, closed Sunday
April 13 Morning Practice at Sumo Stable, Tokyo
*See Viator sheet, should have info re: location from
Beauty of Japan . See voucher section EARLY RISE
Possible - PM - Odaiba- Oedo- Onsen - Monogatai
- Ticket on line (feet in water) Hours 9 - 8
April 14 Asakusa Culture Center - Free performance
Tickets 10 am 1st Floor of Culture Center - 85 people
-30 standing -1/2 hour Performance: 1:00 and 2:30
Location 2-18-9 Kanimarimon, Taito-Ku, Tokyo
*Guide will meet us at 8:30 at APA Hotel
- take us to Asakusa for day
April 15 Travel to Takayama - Ryokan Murayama 3 nights
- in 2016 we had room 128
- Note: cherry blossoms lining Miyagawa River
- Higashiyama walk - above the city , well-signed
- temples, torii gates (tourist map)
April 16 Explore Takayama - float parade
Lunch - Heranraku, 3 minute walk from station
April 17 Bus to Hiraya Bus Terminal ( 5 springs to visit)
Hirayu Onsen - explore area Gero - nearby town
Shinhotaka Ropeway did before again?
Travel : Train Express - 50 minutes OR
Bus - 90 minutes
Japanese Restaurant - Sakurajaya - hard to find
-excellent reviews (book) Phone 577 57 7565
April 18 Travel to Fukuoka Daiwa Roynet Hotel 2 Nights
Ltd Express to Nagoya - 2 hours 30 min.
From Nagoya to Hakata (Fukuoka ) -Shinkansen - 4 hours?
April 19 See Sight Sheets
Dazaifu: Day trip town nearby Explained in Lonely Planet
April 20 Travel to Nagasaki - JR Kyushu Hotel Nagasaki
www.visita city.com
From Hakata (Fukuoka) to Nagasaki
- 2 hours Ltd. Express Kamome
- sit on left side - view
* ask for bus and train schedules at tourist office or station
Pages 692 - 693 in Lonely Planet
1 Street cars - 100 yen per trip
2 Day pass 500 yen at tourist office - Nagasaki station,
tourist info desk or major hotels
3 Dejima Island ( page 693)
Site: Unzen Tourist Information for Nagasaki and Unzen
On computer to follow map * Most Important ones
April 21 *9:30 Nagasaki Peace Park - 1 hour 30 min.
*10:55 Nagasaki Atomic Bomb - 1 hour
*12:40 Nagasaki Museum of History - 1 hr 30 min.
Lunch - Ramen Udon - best in country 1 hour
*Megane Bridge - 30 min. - oldest in Japan/ icon
*Kofukuji - 1 hour - oldest Chinese Temple
*Sofuku-ji - 1 hour - Zen Temple
Return to HOTEL - rest
7:00 Yakitori meal
April 22 *9:30 Nagasaki Chinatown
- 1 1/2 hours - 8 minute walk
11:10 Nagasaki Prefectural Art Museum
- 1 hour- 11 minute walk
12:50 Dutch Slope
Lunch
13:40 Confusius Shrine ( not sure)
*15:20 Grover Gardens - very good
*16:10 Oura Church - very good
Restaurants in Nagasaki
1 Char-Grilled Yakitori Torimasa Ebisu
(4.5/5 rating) - 0.4 km nearby
2 Fukasaya ( Nagasaki Station
- Nagasaki Castella Cakes - tea snack - local item
- Find cake snack in Amu Plaza
- Fukusaya, Sho-o-ken and Bunneido 3 castella shops
- Linked to bus station - Mirai Nagaski Coco Walk
- restaurants, Ferris wheel 5th floor
- movies on 6th floor
-Noodle dishes famous - Champon and sara udon
-Toruko rice - rice pilaf includes curry pork and salads
3 Votatsu 0.4 km Sashimi and seafood
April 23 + Travel to Unzen- Hotel Unzen Fukudaya 3 Nights
Bus from Nagasaki to Unzen
Bus Times: 9:10 - 10:51
13:10- 14:51
16:10 - 17:51
Directions to Unzen Fukudaya Ryokan:
From : JR Isahaya station - 60 minute bus ride
- Shimalelou Bus - out of station take stairs on right side
Center - bus times to Unzen
1 Hot-spring Health Resort Unzen Fukyia Adults 1000 yen
2 Unzen Yokayu - hot springs - reserve private session
3 Walk through the Unzen Hall - Promenade
4 Cable car from Nitatoge parking lot
-1333 metre tall Myokendake.
-Great view of valley
Need umbrella and warm clothing.
April 24
April 25
April 26 Travel from Unzen to Tokyo
1 Bus to Isahaya 60 minutes
2 Train to Hakata- main station in Fukuoka
3 - take Limited Express Kamome 1 1/2 hours (Unzen to Hakata)
4 Hakata( main station in Fukuoka) to Tokyo - Shinkansen
- (8 1/2 to 9 hours from Unzen to Tokyo)
* Go to Trandor baker at Fukuoka station and buy for train.
APA Hotel - Shinagawa 2 nights
April 27 Not planned but many day trips available
April 28+ Travel to Yamanouchi, Shimaya, - Yudanaka Onsen -3 nights
Fr: Tokyo Station take Hokuriku Shinkansen to Nagano.
Electric train from Nagano to Yudanaka Station
Shimaya Ryokan site : shimaya-yudanaka.com/en
April 29 Visit Jigokudani Onsen, Snow Monkey Park
April 30
May 1 Travel to Chiba APA Hotel and Resort Tokyo Bay Makuhari
From Yamanouchi to hotel -desktop Google icon - over 4 hours
Walk to Yudanaka station , electric train to Nagano,
- walk 4 min to Nagano St and take Hokuriku-
Shinkansen to Tokyo station , walk 3 min to Yaesu South Exit
- Take Keiyo Line to Kaihimmakuhari Station
37 min(12 stops), walk 11 min to APA
May 2 Travel to Narita Airport Terminal 1 - Hotel has shuttle
Flight to Vancouver, CANADA 16:50 (4:50)
May 2 Arrive Vancouver 9:25 am 8 hours 35 minutes
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