Last Day

Our last day in Tokyo was warm and sunny so we visited the Rikugien garden. We then wandered around the Ameyoko street market near Uneo Station, buying very little.

After collecting our bags from the hotel we found the elevator entrance to the subway station. We had to change from one train to another which was waiting at the opposite platform. There was another change of trains but we either got on the wrong train or missed yet another change as we ended up in Yokohama. We realised we were going the wrong way so hopped off and caught the next train headed for the airport. Fortunately it took us directly to the international terminal. There were no English announcements or guides from the time of our third train and we relied on a mapping app to confirm we were finally on the correct train line.

Our Qantas flight was delayed 2 hours due to some "maintenance" requirement. We are now waiting at the domestic terminal for our flight to the Gold Coast.

Japan was a lovely country to visit. We were made to feel welcome and always felt safe. It has so much recorded history and so many beautiful places to enjoy. Hopefully we will catch up with many of you over the next few weeks now we are back home. Sayonara

Shibuya

The statue is of the famous Japanese dog Hachiko who waited 9 years for his owner to return on a train. The owner had died after catching his morning train, but the dog did not know this and went to the station every day to meet his master.

Hachiko died in 1935 when Shibuya Station would have been completely different to what it is today. In terms of daily passenger numbers Shibuya is the largest station in the world. Extensive renovations are being done which adds to the chaos in the area around the area.

We visited the Ota Memorial Museum of Art to see the historical collection of woodblock prints. The woodblocks are carved with tiny chisels and several blocks may be used to print the different colours.

Asakusa

We went in search of quality outdoor clothing but didn't buy anything as it was all for skiing or snowboarding, which we don't need.

Our hotel is opposite the Senso-ji Temple. The original temple was destroyed during WWII but the reconstruction attracts millions of visitors every year. There are hundreds of small shops and restaurants catering for visitors and locals.

There is a supermarket under our hotel and locals buy their groceries and take them home on their bicycles. From the 13th floor lobby of the hotel we see the Asahi beer company buildings. The 300 tonne gold statue is meant to represent the foam on top of a beer while the building the glass. Not surprisingly the statue it is known as the "golden turd".

Back in Tokyo

We left the Fujiya Hotel early and caught the bus to Odawara Station where we had breakfast. While we were waiting at the platform for our bullet train, two other bullet trains whizzed through the station at an amazing pace. 

As it was a lovely day we decided to head back to Ueno Park to see the Van Gogh and Gaugin exhibition at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. These valuable artworks were within touching distance of visitors. Security was minimal by western standards but the Japanese walked slowly and orderly past all of the works with the whole gallery in near silence. 

We are very happy with our final hotel - The Gate Hotel in Asakusa. The lobby is on floor 13 where there is a fabulous view towards the Tokyo Sky Tower. We are on the 10th floor with a view in the opposite direction. We ate at the hotel restaurant and the food was lovely.

Gotemba Premium Outlets

There were low clouds and the threat of rain so we decided to visit the Gotemba Premium Outlets. This involved 2 buses to get there but the trip was through interesting scenery. The picture was not taken today because of the weather, but we did see Mt Fuji before clouds blocked it from view.

Anita indulged in shoe shopping and we had yet another Italian meal. Our return trip was via the scenic bus route then the historic train. The bus driver spoke constantly through a microphone, presumably describing where we were or where we would be going. Bus and train drivers speak out loud confirming they have done things like check each of their mirrors before driving away from the stop. For train drivers this is accompanied by a strict regime of hand signals.

We made the mistake of dining at our hotel. It was expensive but not very nice. The dining room lacked atmosphere and there were as many wait staff as there were diners. We are looking forward to better food options in Tokyo tomorrow. 

Fujiya Hotel Garden

While the buildings of this hotel might be tired and in need of a serious makeover, the attractive garden is very well maintained. There are several greenhouses where the gardeners propagate plants for the garden and to sell to hotel visitors. Some of the greenhouses are heated by hot water from the thermal springs.

There was a reasonable collection of bonsai trees and many trees in glorious autumn colours. There is a shrine, an outdoor swimming pool and the inevitable pond full of orange and black koi fish.

If you walk through the back of the garden there is a path leading to a viewing point where Mt Fuji can be seen. It is a 40 minute uphill walk so I am not sure I will need to do that. 

Hakone Travel Pass

We purchased a Hakone travel pass that allowed us to use the local buses, trains, funicular railway, aerial gondolas and cruise boats. The train took us through scenic national park from Miyanshita Station (altitude 419 metres) to Gora (altitude 555 metres). There we changed to the funicular which took us to Sounzan (altitude 755 metres). 

We hadn't had breakfast expecting to find shops or cafes but the only place for a decent coffee was from a small converted Airstream caravan. Our next leg was by what the Japanese call a "ropeway", which is a scary term for the enclosed gondolas suspended on twin steel cables. There were seats for about 10 people in each gondola and it felt secure even though at times we were 200 metres above the ground.

At Owakudani (altitude 1044 metres) the area is an active volcanic zone with sulphurous fumes, hot springs and volcanic ash. The walking trails in the area have all been closed for months because of the fumes. From viewing points we could look down on the area where steam and fumes were rising. Trees have lost their leaves due to the heat from the steam and fumes. This is the closest we are likely to ever get to an active volcano and it was spectacular in itself, but in the other direction we had a clear view of Mount Fuji. 

From Owakudani we went down the other side of the volcano on the gondolas which took us to Togendai-ko (altitude 741 metres). We had to walk down several sets of steps to Lake Ashi to board the cruise boat which sailed the length of the lake. We completed our circuit by catching a bus back to our hotel.

Fujiya Hotel Disappointing

We picked this 4 star hotel in the Hakone area because it is rated number 2 for the area on TripAdviser and because of its history. Our assessment is that it is shabby and deserves a "terrible" rating on TripAdviser - our room is large enough but it smells musty, the bathroom has mould and missing grout, the door has a simple push button lock, and there is a doorway into an adjoining room, etc.

The foyer, dining rooms and other areas of the hotel certainly retain their grandeur from when it was built in 1878, but the corridors are very tired. Unfortunately the pictures on line do not show these failings. The outside of the hotel is very impressive, but the inside is disappointing especially in comparison to our last hotel. 

We traveled from Takayama to Nygoya Station where we changed to a bullet train, but there was an hour and a half wait. At Odawara Station we caught a local bus which should have taken 30 minutes, but took close to an hour because of heavy traffic. The area is a weekend getaway for Tokyo residents and the roads were all very busy. Tomorrow we will explore the area.

Hida Folk Village

Anita spent the afternoon at the resort while I headed for the Hida Folk Village. I walked there and on the way saw a hairdresser so stopped for a haircut which is quite good since my request was all in sign language. The hairdresser said "cutto" so I figured we were on the same page. I followed up with a soak in one of the foot baths that are located around the town. 

The Folk Village opened in 1971 after more than 30 traditional buildings were relocated there. The timber structures were originally built during the Edo Period (1603 - 1867) so have either shingled roofs or thatched roofs. Many are located around a pond which was constructed in 1931 to provide water for rice paddies. In the past people swam in the pond during summer and skated on it in winter. The ice was cut and stored in an ice house for later use. It was covered with sawdust, presumably to prevent the blocks of ice from sticking together.

The autumn colours were dazzling in the sunlight. At 1.30pm a siren sounded and an announcement was made that there was a fire drill. The Japanese take these drills very seriously as there was extensive artificial smoke pouring across the pond. I saw 3 fire trucks and one paramedic unit. The village staff and the fire fighters were running to perform their duties. Half a dozen hoses spouted water into the pond.

Around the largest building with a thatched roof a series of water spouts erupted from the ground. This is an ingenious system to get a lot of water onto a building in a short time. The fire drill was as interesting as the Folk Village itself.  

Takayama

It was foggy this morning so we could not see past the hotel car park. At 9am when we caught the shuttle bus into town it was still only 3 degrees. We walked to the river where there is a market selling fruit, vegetables and other produce. A couple of the merchants had kero heaters burning to keep them warm. 

We followed a walking trail through the older areas of Takayama. An excellent free map allowed us to understand what we were seeing along the way. It was Saturday morning and we saw a few dogs out with their owners. Most of the dogs we have seen are either being carried or pushed in a pram! 

At a coffee shop I ordered hot chocolate but did not expect this decadent concoction. It was delightful!

Hotel Associa Takayama Resort

After we arrived at Takayama Station we had to work out where to find the shuttle bus that would take us to our accommodation. We had no idea when it would arrive so we just had to sit and wait - for about half an hour. The bus filled with Japanese tourists, mostly women, who come to the resort for the hot springs.

The hotel is 4 star and in comparison to our city hotels in Japan it is palatial! Our suite is 4 times the size of our room at the ANA Crowne Plaza - and it does not smell of cigarette smoke! An unexpected bonus is the view from our room of the northern Japanese Alps. The photo was taken through our window.

The onsen is very large with several different pools and hot tubs. Some of the pools are outside where we soaked contemplating the wonderful view of the mountains. No photos of course because cameras are not permitted in the onsen. 

Toyama

It was another sunny day when we traveled our first leg of the day to Toyama about 40 minutes from Kanazawa. I had wanted to ride on the Torokko Electric Train through Kurobe Gorge but we didn't have enough time on our Toyama stopover. Instead we walked around Toyama, bought a very light weight backpack, and had lunch.

The scenery on the second leg of our travels today was wonderful. The trip from Toyama to Takayama was about one and a half hours and all the way we had delightful views of autumn colours on the hills with the river below. The scenic views were interrupted when our train passed through a couple of dozen tunnels. The train climbed over 500 metres and at the end of the trip we caught glimpses of the snow covered Japanese Alps. I was able to take photos through the train window.

Kaga Onsen

We caught a thunderbird train to Kaga Onsen to see the Kakusenkei Gorge. Kaga Onsen is a collection of four hot spring towns south of Kanazawa. An onsen is a hot spring that generally has bathing facilities. There are thousands of onsens all over Japan. They were traditionally used as public bathing places and today play a central role in Japanese tourism.

We caught a bus from the Kaga Onsen station to Yamanaka Onsen which is where the Kakusenkei Gorge runs parallel to the town's main street. We initially walked in the wrong direction and walked up a very large set of steps that led to a shrine. It would not be visited by too many tourists on foot!

Several bridges cross the gorge and there are old wooden buildings along the pathway. It had been raining and the rough path was slippery so we did not venture far. The autumn colours were attractive in many places along the river.

There was one downpour of rain but we were able to spend time inside a shop selling local laquerware. 

Buddhist Statue Kanga Onsen

From the Kaga Onsen station we could see this huge statue. It doesn't feature in tourist brochures but is apparently 73 meters high and is a depiction of the Buddhist deity Kannon with a child in her arms representing a compassionate mother. It stands in stark contrast to the fairly dull buildings that dominate the district. 

Even when I tried to find more information about this statue using google, there wasn't much detail. According to one website the statue was built in the 1990s when Japan was flush with money. It can be seen from many places along the train line so it is surprising there is not more information about it in tourist literature. 

Kanazawa Castle

Across the road from the Kenroku-en Park is the Kanazawa Castle. Most of the castle was destroyed by a fire in 1881 but a section was rebuilt. We did not go inside but wandered around the castle gardens.

Kenroku-en Garden

We packed our bags this morning because the hotel was moving us to a non smoking room - thank goodness! 

There are two bus loops taking visitors to the city's key locations - one bus route goes clockwise and the other goes anticlockwise. We bought a day pass and headed for the Kenroku-en Garden which is in the top 3 of Japan's gardens. 

It was a delightful sunny day and the gardeners were taking advantage of the weather preparing trees for the snow season. They secure about 800 ropes from the top of a pole to branches to prevent the trees from being damaged by the weight of snow. Throughout December and January Kanazawa is covered in snow. 

There were lovely autumn colours throughout the garden but this roping activity attracted the attention of most visitors, including ourselves.

Travel to Kanazawa

We had a day with things not going to plan. We were up earlier than necessary and decided to wait in our hotel room using the internet, but there was no internet connection. Our train was delayed by 15 minutes which is unusual in Japan. The conductor used an ipad to show us an English explanation for the delay as "accident/injury".

The worst thing has been allocation of a smoking room at the ANA Crowne Plaza Kanazawa. We are certain we requested non smoking rooms at all hotels, but our booking suggests otherwise. Until today we have been impressed with the limitations placed on smoking in Japan. Almost all trains, buses and public places are smoke-free. There are designated smoking rooms or bays, and in Kyoto there was a fine of 1,000JPY for smoking on the street.

It is much cooler here and will be 5 degrees overnight and drizzly. Tomorrow should be sunny but the maximum will only be 15 degrees. Kanazawa is on the northern coast of the main island of Honshu, bordered by the Sea of Japan and the Japanese Alps. 

The Kanazawa Station is another impressive transport structure. There is a huge Tsuzumi Gate made from redwood. A tsuzumi is a Japanese hand drum of Chinese or Indian origin. The timbers in the gate resemble the strings of the drum. In the station there is a model of the gate and the picture shows the curved top. The forecourt is covered with a massive glass dome.