Week 10 Touring Japan

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Wed 18
Another day without a sleep-in. Ah well it could be worse, I could be getting up early to go to work. Today we began our trip South into the mountains towards Mount Fuji, where the air is colder and the autumn colour is at its height.

We were up early to grab a 7.30am breakfast near the Kamakura train station where we caught a bus for the 30 minute journey to the Hokokuji Temple. The gardens here were lovely with an amazing bamboo forest, lovely flowering shrubs and a stone zen garden. We watched a lady make us green tea and then sat and drank it while viewing a serene vista and listened to the gentle trickle of a small waterfall coming off the hill above. The tea is served with two sweets that taste very sugary and the local way to drink green tea is to eat the first sweet before you drink your tea and then to have the other sweet at the end. This gives it a totally different taste and is very pleasant.

We took the bus back and returned to the hotel to collect our luggage. We then commenced an intricate journey that involved changing onto 3 different trains for a travel period of over 3 hours starting with a local stopper train along the coastline to Fujisawa, changing at the main JR station of Odawara until we finally reached Hakone-Yumoto. The vistas were enjoyable and we saw lots of the small towns, the beaches and sea and the beginnings of the mountains. The striking red, orange and yellow foliage stretches for miles and is punctuated every so often by groups of evergreen trees and swathes of bamboo. It is a nice way to interact with lots of locals and to see more of the country than you would if you were on a coach, but boy is it tiring as there always seem to be steps, long walks between platforms and lots of hanging around, all while carrying a pack. At least the trains are on time.

When we arrived in Hakone half of us grabbed a sandwich and the others went to get noodles at a place where you had to sit on the floor on tatami mats, which is far too hard on the old knees and back. We caught a taxi up the hill to the new hotel where we quickly dumped the bags and immediately caught a bus to our next outing in Sengoku. The ride was just under an hour which took us through the mountains on a very scenic route with wonderful autumn colour and glimpses of rivers, waterfalls and boulder-strewn rapids. We then walked to the Mononofu No Sato Art Museum where they have an exhibition of samurai warrior effects plus some Endo period exhibits. The samurai stuff was very interesting and impressive and included the fabulous and colourful armour, swords, spears and bows. There was an opportunity to dress up in some replica armour but it was expensive and we were tight on time so didn’t bother but we looked at photos of other people who had, some of whom had added very modern props into their pose such as sitting on a motorbike in full samurai regalia.

On to Lalique glass museum - don't ask me why its here, but perhaps this famous glass is particularly popular here? Half of us went for coffee instead as the entry price too high for our budgets. Those who did the tour said it was very good but steep at over ten pounds entry fee for a 30 minute tour. We walked into the village and caught the bus to take us back to Hakone but it was packed and we had to stand squashed like sardines for the hour and a half that it took, with delays due to traffic and roadworks so we were very tired and glad that dinner was in the hotel..

After a quick shower the group met in the restaurant for a traditional Japanese meal called Nabe Shabu Shabu which was a bit like a fondue in principle but with boiling water in which you cooked your meat and seasonal vegetables, which you then dipped in a highly flavoured sauce. The meat was sliced very thinly and you had to wave it around in the water for a minute or so to cook through and that waving action is what the name shabu shabu means. Lots of extra little dishes kept arriving including cooked smoked fish, deep fried white fish that you dipped into dried green tea, miso soup, rice, tofu, squid, etc. I managed to use my chopsticks but made quite a mess when I dropped a ball of minced chicken into one of the sauce bowls and it splashed all over me and the table. Luckily I wasn’t in the white trousers tonight. It was a very sociable way to eat and I enjoyed the food very much but it was a long day and so I had an early night.

Thurs 19
Yet another early start and a full day planed with loads of travel on trains and buses which is starting to lose its appeal as its very arduous. It was really too dark to appreciate the view from our rooms last night, but we are in a wonderful setting in a colourful forested valley overlooking a fast river with mini-waterfalls and little bridges. The sound of rushing water in your bedroom is very soothing but is quite deafening if you open the windows, as we are actually above a wier. The hotel is on a tiny slither of land between the river and the main road that winds via hairpin bends through the whole Hakone valley. There is no pavement and you take your life in your hands every time you leave the hotel with lorries and buses thundering past you inches away from where you are walking. Exciting.

Another new experience of a traditional Japanese breakfast with lots of unusual things on the tray, some of which I liked and a few that I didn’t even attempt. I stuck to smoked fish (a bit like kipper), a chunky vegetable soup and rice of course. And blissfully we got some coffee We were in a hurry and left quickly to get the bus to the station as we needed to get ahead of the Tokyo daytrippers that would mean huge queues and delays everywhere. We took a little “switchback” train to Gora that climbed the mountain in a zig zag, which meant that you changed direction at each junction - apparently there are only a couple of these switchbacks left in the world. We climbed high into the mountains and the autumn colour on the trees was spectacular. Unfortunately it started to rain and that was pretty much the theme for the day - wet and cold. We changed onto a funicular railway which took us very high up to the top of the mountain, where we changed onto the cable car. We are doing so much travelling, on so many different vehicles, that I feel like Charlie Boorman in “By any means”.

The cable car passed over the thermal yellow and grey steaming rocks where the hot water for the onsens (hot volcanic spring bath) originates and the smell of sulphur started to get strong. As we approached the summit of the first mountain everyone scanned the horizon for their first glimpse of Mount Fuji but due to the weather we passed
by were Fuji lurked in the mist, rain and low cloud and we didn’t see a thing. The ride continued to the top of the next peak where we got off and took photos of a giant poster that showed the view we would have seen if the sun had been out. Luckily we got to see Fuji the following day so the photos on this blog are real.

Next we went to the cafe for another traditional activity of eating eggs that have been cooked in the volcanic water which turns the shells black, which is very unappetising to be honest, particularly when the air stinks of sulphur. You are supposed to live an extra seven years for each egg that you eat and I was tempted to recreate the scene of Paul Newman in the "no man can eat 50 eggs" bit from Cool Hand Luke (check out the clip on YouTube if you don't know the film) but I settled for only one in the end.

The rain appeared to have eased up so we opted to walk down the mountain on a beautiful nature walk that meandered through the forest. It was pretty being amongst the autumn foliage and you should have been able to see fabulous views of the mountains and the lake from here but the rain had got worse not long after we started and as it was very steep it was easier to continue that try to climb back up. In fact at times it was very unpleasant with pouring rain, slippery footings and cold sniffling noses but actually I wouldn’t have missed this experience and I enjoyed the serenity of the place. We didn’t see another person on the whole of the trek which lasted over an hour and the sounds and sights of nature at her best was magical.

We stopped for lunch at the edge of Lake Ashi, dried off and warmed up. Next we took a pretty cheesy “pirate ship” along the length of the lake to a fascinating reconstruction of the main Checkpoint station from the early 1600’s - Hakone Sekisho. The emperor Togukawa set up 53 checkpoints throughout Japan to control the entry of arms into Edo (Tokyo) and to stop women from attempting to leave Edo and this one was the primary checkpoint with a reputation for its strictness. Along with the replica building and models of the people who would have lived and worked here, there was a small museum with some fascinating artifacts from the period, models and pictures of the royal processions that happened every 2 years and drawings of the various punishments given to people caught trying to get through the checkpoint without the proper permissions - very gruesome.

Talking of proper permissions, Japan appears to run on a huge amount of very strict rules that everyone obeys without question. This produces a very organised and efficient community that works like clockwork but some of the rules dont make any sense whatsoever, but nobody will change them as “rules are rules”. For example when you get on the bus you have to show your ticket or pass which is rigorously checked and then when you get off you have to show it again to the same bloke, even if you have only gone one stop. Everything is orderly, things run on time, people queue where they are meant to, they do as they are told. Not necessarily connected to these comments, an interesting fact is the high number of suicides in this country - 3000 per year on the railways alone.

The day continued with a walk through an avenue of huge old cedar trees on either side of the old road that once stretched the length of the country - pieces of this avenue exist in various places and it really gave you the feeling of how the route looked in ancient times. By this time we were absolutely shattered and needed to get off our feet, so we caught a bus back to the hotel which took about an hour. We repacked our bags to send one on to Kyoto, where we will arrive in 3 days time.

Fri 20
Grrrrrrr the morning started with bright sunshine and its a travel day. After another early start and fish based breakfast tray, we caught a bus to Odawara and then caught the first of two high speed bullet trains, firstly to Osaka, via Nagoya and Kyoto - the proper name for these trains is the Shinkansen train. Just after we left Odawara we saw Mount Fuji on the horizon for a few minutes - you will have to excuse the photo but the train was travelling VERY fast, definitely over 150 miles per hour. We bought a picnic lunch at Osaka to eat on the next bullet to Hiroshima, via Fukuyama and a whole load of other places ending in vowels.

At Hiroshima main station we dumped the bags into lockers then caught a tram to the Peace Park and had a good look around the various monuments, including the iconic domed building that is the last ruined building they have left standing to commemorate the atom bombing and the destruction of the city. The gardens are huge and cover the main area that was completely wiped out as it was directly under the bomb blast. From here we went to the Atom Bomb museum where I had the good sense to get an audio guide, which was invaluable. The exhibits, models and commentary are excellent and you cant help but get emotional about the loss of life and suffering of the thousands of people caught in this tragic event. It is very well done and is factual rather than casting blame.

We met up afterwards and went for another meal cooked on a hotplate, but this time the chefs cooked for us. The dish I had was pork, cabbage and noodle based and I had a couple of beers to wash it down By this time it was about 8pm but we were on the move again and another tram ride took us to the ferry station where we shopped for provisions for the next couple of days as there are no shops near us on the island, then caught the boat over the Inland Sea to Miyajima Island.

We were collected at the pier by the hotel bus and taken to the lovely Miyajima Seaside Hotel, which is not really a hotel but more like a traditional ryokan (inn). You change your shoes for slippers at the entrance and the rooms are traditional where you wear different types of slippers for each area, (including special ones that you only wear in the toilet area), there are tatami mats on the floor, sliding paper shoji screens and we sleep on futons on the floor - that are only one inch thick. It was dark when we arrived but the rooms had lovely views of the mainland lights and the black sea between. I was absolutely shattered and ached all over, so I had a glass of wine, unpacked and got an early night as, yes you have guessed it, we had another early start of 7am in order to get ahead of the crowds who will arrive in the morning, this being a public holiday weekend.

Sat 21
Wow, the view I awoke to was absolutely stunning. A wide bay full of oyster fishing floats, the distant view of Horoshima city, a beach and trimmed trees and a little fishing boat harbour right outside my window. If that wasn’t enough, tame wild deer wander past every couple of minutes. Its a fabulous setting and it took my mind off the fact that I could hardly move, as futons and I are not really compatible. There are extra ones in the cupboard so think I will do a princess-an-the-pea enactment tonight and pile up a couple between me an the solid floor, as I need to sleep on something softer.

We got a westernised breakfast this morning and there were some things on the tray that were familiar sand although there were still local dishes it was a nice gesture. We left early and got the hotel bus down to the ferry port where we walked along the shore to the O-Torii Gate which is the huge red “floating” Shinto shrine that is an iconic and instantly recognisable image of Japan and is also a World Heritage site (including the primeval forest we visited later). It is over 16 metres high and 24 wide and is made from camphor and cedar wood. The tide was out when we arrived so it wasn’t giving the full floating illusion, but it was nice to see if without the hoards of people who were there when we passed by a few hours later.

There is a nice complex of different shrines and temples there too and we had a really pleasant wander around (called Itsukushimajinja Shrine). I lit some incense at the Medicine Buddha temple where you are meant to touch the areas on his statue where you have pain and then touch yourself in the equivalent place while asking him to help make you better. I was tempted just to hug the whole statue and rub it all over me, but settled for a more dignified approach. We also saw the red five-storied pagoda which was built in 1407, but didn’t go in.

We walked quite a long way up the hill where we caught the first of a two stage cable car that took us almost to the top of Mount Misen, over pristine primeval forest which was stunning, as it has not been touched by man and was scattered with red-leaf maple trees and all of the normal autumn colour. You could see lots of other islands, the floating oyster beds, and the delta of the mainland around Horoshima from the ride, which was one of the longest I have been on.

Miyajima Island is deemed to be one of the three most scenic spots in the country and has been a sacred place for centuries, in fact the whole island was considered to be a god. In the past it was only priests and the elite who were allowed here and no deaths or births were allowed on the island - not sure how that worked, but I guess if you looked a bit dodgy you were put into a boat or sent to the mainland until you recovered, croaked or sprogged. There are hundreds of the tame deer, which are cute to see and photograph but are a real nuisance when you are eating as they try to nick your food, even jumping up behind you to try to reach over your shoulder. They wander around everywhere, have right of way on the roads and I even saw them sitting with the monkeys on the top of the mountain. There are lots of crows too who are said to be god’s messengers.

When we got to the top you could walk up to the shrine at the very top of the mountain where there is an eternal flame that was originally lit in 806 by Kobo Daishi, a great Buddhist priest and founder of the Shingon sect, but it looked quite a vertical hike so we went to see the troop of monkeys instead. They were fun to watch but you had to be careful as they went after anyone with food on show. Joyce and I opted not to stay any longer and took the cable car down to the town where we wandered the very touristy shopping street. We bought some street food, including tasty corn on the cob and some pressed shrimps on a stick that were grilled on a type of BBQ. We passed by the largest o-shakushi in the world - this is a wooden rice scoop that looks a bit like a spatula, and yes it was big but not something I would recommend you made a special journey for. We did partake of several momiji manju though, which are maple leaf-shaped steamed buns that are filled with different flavourings and that you can see being made on a conveyor-belt type of production system at the back of several shops. They were yummy.

We had a free afternoon and It was great to have some rest. Watched a bit of sumo wrestling on tv just before dinner, which made me feel less fat.

Sun 22
As usual we had an early start of 7am. Ferry to mainland, caught a local train, caught a bullet train and eventually arrived at Himeji where we dumped bags in lockers and walked through the city to the World Heritage site of Himeji Castle.

The castle was a genius construction, with 3 layers of moats, a maze approach with deadends and gates all overlooked by firing holes where the defenders would shoot both guns and arrows, 15 separate wells to protect the drinking water supplies and massive, thick, splayed-out walls all of which sits on a huge hill that dominates the whole valley.

You can see from the pictures what a stunning example this is of an original structure and yes, we did walk up to the very top. The castle appears to have five floors in the main building but its another trick and actually has six.

As I wasn’t interested in buying souvenirs so went to a noodle bar with Russ and had a beer, then walked back through a market and the main shopping street to the station where we met the others and got our second bullet train of the day to Kyoto. It had started to rain and we got soaked in the 10 minute walk to the new ryokan (inn) where we are for 3 nights. Its smaller and not quite as nice as the one on the island but its central and clean and a whole lot more traditional. Futons on the floor again and these are even thinner so I stacked 3 together and got a reasonable nights sleep. Getting up in the morning was another thing altogether and involved a vertical six-point turn which was not at all elegant.

Mon 23
A long day of travel and sightseeing started after another traditional breakfast where they were kind enough to try to find us some little stools to sit on instead f the floor. We walked 10 minutes to the station and caught a local train to Inari where there is the shrine dedicated to giving prosperity to business ventures. It was a bit of a climb up the hill through town, but the sun was shining and it was a lovely day. Today is a National Holiday and so everywhere was really busy.

We were lucky as in the main building of the shrine a big ceremony was taking place with loads of priests in full regalia, lots of people who looked like local bigwigs and lots of bowing going on. We think it was either a new business venture that was having a blessing ceremony, or an established one that was moving into some new area that needed luck and prosperity. It was interesting to watch but we were not allowed to take photos.

The main attraction at this site is the row upon row of torii arches that form great long tunnels all the way up the huge hill. In total there are over 10,000, each one is sponsored and maintained by a company or business venture and is inscribed with their details, date and messages You can tell which ones are no longer in business as these have not been looked after. These tunnels of torii are fun, as you glimpse the lovely forest trees through the gaps, which at this time of year is spectacular with autumn colour. Its hard to describe, so see the photos of the torii.

We then caught 2 more trains (REALLY sick of this now) to Nara, where we walked (up hill again) through the main shopping area of the town where we stopped for lunch. Todays dose of culture was a massive complex and garden full of shrines and temples, including another fabulous pagoda and also the largest wooden building (by volume) which housed a great Buddha. We spent hours here in Nara, as the place was beautiful and very interesting and although it was heaving with people there were garden areas where you could get away from the crowds and chill. The whole complex was again full of tame deer too. We did do a lot of walking, which was just as well as we were going to have a huge dinner later.

We met back in town at 5pm for an “all you can eat” yakiniku, or meat grilled over fire. Yep, I was getting my much longed for meat fix and a BBQ, so I was in seventh heaven. We had 2 small round cooking pots pots filled with the BBQ fuel (think it was wood) and plate after plate of raw food which we cooked ourselves. It was a feast and we were really greedy. It was such a shame that we had well over an hour on the train to get home as we all wanted to just roll over and sleep. We had plenty of beers to wash down the mass of beef, chicken, pork, mushrooms, onions, sweetcorn and more meat. It was fabulous.

We got back to the ryokan really late and I was exhausted. I hit the floor, only barely cushioned with 3 futons, as soon as I had undressed and slept well until the temple bells started just before 6am. Oh yes, we are right next to one of the largest temples in Kyoto, which looks great from the window, but boy do those monk chaps love to bang great big prayer bells, chant and bang all kinds of metal drums early in the morning.

There are loads of photos, not necessarily in the correct order. Enjoy.

I have not had internet for several days now, so will load this blog while I have the chance, sitting in a coffee shop by Kyoto train station. Its a day early again, but tough.

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Comments

[robbie]

WOW
Hi Laines - finally a picture of you, you could have written all this and not been near the place!! now we know you are out there. Sounds truly amazing, loving the blog. continue to enjoy, love robbie