Blogs from Akita, Japan, Asia
February 20th 2010
This year I spent Valentine's Day in Akita with the boy. Took the night bus on Wednesday night from Tokyo and arrived Thursday morning. After some much needed sleep we went spent a lazy Thursday at his place just enjoying each other's company. We cooked up a delicious batch of chicken kabuli and got unintentionally drunk on two gingerhais. (Black Stone shochu is far too smooth to be 40%!) It was pretty nice night regardless :) Friday we went to Meat Men with everyone for Chika's birthday - the same place we went for my birthday in December. It was just as delicious the second time around and only cost $40! Considering the amount of meat and alcohol you get it's totally worth it. I couldn't go there more than once a month though. It's just ... read more
December 10th 2009
This past weekend was an adventure and a half. I visited the bf for my 25th birthday in Akita, which is a 40 minute train ride, 30 minute bus ride, 1.5 plane ride, 40 minute bus ride, and 1.5 train ride away. So basically it takes me 6-8 hours to get from my door to his which is a long ass time but it's definitely worth it. :) The night I got there we decided to go to a favourite spot of mine - Futen. It's this awesome izakaya (only sits maybe 10 people tops) and the owner is fantastic. Ordered up some delicious yakitori (chicken on a stick), some Okinawan style grilled onigiri, and then had some mimigaa (pron. mee mee gaa) just to try something new and exciting. For those who aren't in the ... read more
November 25th 2008
Tazawako, in the north of Honshu, was one of our favourite stops. We stayed in the superb youth hostel by Lake Tazawako where we ate the most incredible traditional Japanese food and found some great company. It was a very peaceful and tranquil place, with the most beautiful onsens you'll ever find. We'd love to come back and experience this in winter! ... read more
July 7th 2008
When one thinks of Japan what do we think about? Ninjas, anime, comic books, and samurai of course. In modern Japan there isn't much in the way of Samurai anymore. Sure there are the splash of them in pop-culture and video games but they aren't much of anywhere else in my wonderings. Up in Tohoku you find a lot of history along with some pop-culture thrown into the mix. Kakunodate is the samurai spot in Tohoku. This old castle town has the most well preserved samurai houses that are lined behind beautiful black painted wooden fences. They are mostly free attractions but a couple of the houses, including the oldest and biggest, are pay to enter. They city is also famed for its swinging cherry trees that line the samurai district and along the river bank. ... read more
June 10th 2008
We all hoped into the car and off we headed for a day at Lake Tazawako. It was about an hour drive across the boarder into the Akita Prefecture. The lake is one of the largest in Japan and is still an active volcano. Okasan and Otasan (mother & father) are like my adopted family and love to take Megs and me anywhere tourist to show us around. The drive there was beautiful with luscious scenery of mountains still some with snow was breath taking. We passed lots of farms along our way also, it really felt like we were going deep into the country side of Japan. When we arrive Okasan took out a beautiful Japanese lunch which she had made at home. It had Onigiri (rice balls), vegetables with mayonnaise, fresh scallops, omelets, tomato ... read more
June 9th 2008
The Naniwa hotel was a comfy nights rest, and the hosts as helpful as ever, despite their limited english and yesterdays misunderstanding! I am certainly glad I speak some lingo - several people I have met have had no or limited ability, and even in the major cities like Tokyo, have struggled to get their needs met or point across. A bit of charades always comes in handy, but anything slightly complicated can get mixed up, even if you do speak Japanese!! A gorgeous, clear warm mornning dawned, and I decided after my early waking habit to get the earlier train just before 9am. The Akita shinkansen, originating and terminating at Akita (Tokyo bound/ from) means the trip to Tazawako and nearby Kakunodate is quick and painless, but reservations are a must. Being a monday morning, ... read more
June 8th 2008
My night in the smokey business hotel was fairly good and the reception staff tolerant of my internet use, requests for ice for my failing Achilles, and where to find a chemist! Like clockwork I woke at 4 or 5am, to a very bright morning, no rain, and calm weather. The early sunrise has been the case ever since my arrival and time spent in Kyuushuu farther south. I cannot, however, get my head around how a country similar in latitude to New Zealand can have such an early dawn. Kanazawa has several districts that provide evidence of it's once fame as a feudal stronghold - the family known as the Maedas settled in this area, established several cultural identities, and maintained control over the early Kanazawa town. It is now a large city with many ... read more
March 17th 2008
Located in Akita Prefecture and no train station really close by, Nyuto Onsen is not the obvious choice for the tourist in Japan. However, if you developed a taste for onsen and want more, Nyuto Onsen is the place for you. Listed in Robert Neff's book Japan's hidden hotsprings, Nyuto Onsen might be different from what you would expect: No glossy swimming pool type baths and fancy ryokans, but ramshackle wooden buildings and perfect rotemburo (outside baths) instead. Ever wondered what onsen looked like in the time of the samurai? My bet is that it looks a lot like the baths found in Nyuto Onsen today. The best place to stay is probably Tsurunoyu Onsen (red point on map) where the guest rooms actually are 350 years old samurai guard quarters, but it is often fully ... read more
December 4th 2007
My weekend started bright and early on Sunday; which really means before the sun was up. My co had gotten the earliest tickets to Tazawako, so we were out of Sendai by 6:37am. Lake Tawazako is the deepest lake in Japan. Legend goes that Princess Tatsuko and a dragon god fell in love and their passionate love making is what keeps the lake from freezing over in the coldest of temperatures. The tourist information center had nothing but good things to say about this and were very helpful in getting the bus schedule and everything to us. My co and I ended up at the Tazawako station at 8:30am and without further ado we set out to a little exploration hiking. Yes, we did this with our packs on. It being a Sunday and everything, there ... read more
October 31st 2006
Naruko is one among many places to claim to have originated the kokeshi, a cylindrical wooden doll emblematic of Tohoku. Naruko is accessible by train on the JR East Rikū-Tōsen Line, some 40 minutes from Furukawa, an interchange station with the Tohoku Shinkansen line.... read more
