Oct 17, Tokyo, too good to be true, back to rain...

AS if on cue, the Fosters are here, it should be raining...our last day is defined to be wet and dap all over again. Although 24, its dreary so we drag our feet getting out after 11am.
  After wearing all these nice comfortable cotton yukatas (like summer Kimonos) I am on the hunt for one to take home. Ted is bored to tears with my shopping but finally at Takashima I find not only a nice yukata but some lovely touristy souvenirs too.
  Later I return to the food floor at Isetan. We buy glorious chocolate cake, French cheese, rice crackers and lots of inure, salmon eggs for a snack later.
  After an afternoon rest and a bit of a repack, it;s off back to the little sushi resto we have been to twice already, but we have a reservation and it's not so busy this evening. But the whole area of Shinjuku is jumping. I have been very impressed with the mackerel up at the Sea of Japan but we find it unbelievably expensive as a sushi order here, and probably not so good. One set dish, several individual  sushis and 2 beers is $100.
  Back to our hotel, we savour the silky chocolate cake, finish the sake and the cheese and crackers.
On CNN news here the US election is sheer nonsense. Glad we don't have to listen to much of that.
  Next morning we wake to sun, damp at first, but it;s too late for us as we return to Calgary today.
  We are booked on Air Canada's direct Tokyo Calgary flight in Premium Economy. There are 8 of us in the 16 seats so Ted and I both have 2 seats (window and aisle) to ourselves, which is a comfortable way to come home. The food onboard is not Japanese! But the steak is very good probably their kobe or hido beef.
  However, much to our chagrin, there is a computer problem on the Dreamliner and we sit 1.5 hours on the tarmac before lifting off. The pilot makes up half an hour by taking a southerly route south of Russia and Alaska but we still come in an hour late. I get about 3 hours sleep on the 9.5 hour flight, Ted none. I also watch a young and very amusing Nicholas Cage in "Raising Arizona" which whiles away a few hours.
  Our house guest Deb Young is there at Calgary airport with our car at 11:20am so it's gonna be a long day before we hit the sack.
  It's been a wonderful 70th birthday trip, many beautiful places, culturally so different from anywhere I've ever been before. I can't rationalize why so many nations still hate the Japanese or understand the things they did to people in the wars, when they are such nice, friendly, orderly people in their own country. Service everywhere was amazing even when they could not speak English. But the herd mentality is definitely still there, from kindergarten, and school children and adults dutifully lining up for everything.

Oct 15-18 Tokyo in sun - as a tourist at last

We wake to blue sky, sun, 24 and finally sightseeing weather. The hotel is full so people are all traveling here in Japan. First off to the modern Tokyo Municipal building and up to the 42nd floor viewing area, free. It's hazy from pollution and still no sign if Mt.Fuji. But a good overview of this huge city, largest in the world, and some of the nice downtown buildings. Its not a patch on Shanghai's Pudong, but attractive all the sae.
  Way off you can see the dome which is probably in preparation for the 2020 Olympics. Unlike Beijing, Tokyo is not selling Olympic paraphernalia big time yet. I had hoped to pick up a small memento or two but prices for small things are still a bit outrageous. No sign of their mascots yet!
  But the popularity of all these little furry toys and toons is unbelievable. Everyone has them hanging from everything, extraordinary really.
 You can see some large green spots in Tokyo and we know that Shinjuku park is waiting for us out there. The cocoon building is a marvel of elliptical steel and glass but we skip touring that.
  We walk back up through the busy shopping area - similar to Oxford and Regent Street in England. We follow the Insight guide recommendation of an old established tempura restaurant in an old wooden building tucked into this frantic shopping area. We have to wait in line with the other locals, no sign of tourists, and enjoy a very good feed of freshest fish and seafood and veggies in a light tempura, but it's expensive. We order a set meal of soup, rice, pickles, plus tempura shrimp, mushroom bouquet, lotus, small fish large fish, as well as some wonderful shrimp stuffed mushrooms.
  We then walk it off strolling around the beautiful Shinjuku park, with its separate Japanese, French and English style garden. People are all out strolling, picnicking (it's Saturday) and enjoying this lovely fall day. The colors have not started to turn so it will be a picture in another 3 weeks!
  Back to the shopping area, we go to Isakaya where I check out the white canvas Balenciaga bag I spotted someone sporting recently. turns out it is C$1000+. Pass!! But Ted finds a sake he likes in the marvellous food floor in the basement, equal to anything Harrods and Fortnums can offer.
  I've also found the great little snack food of almonds mixed with tiny crispy fish that go well with the sake or beer. After a soak and a few tot of sake it is off to bed at 10:30 and sleep soundly  til 7:30.
  Sadly, the CNN news program runs an article about our previous premier Jim Prentice being killed in a small plane crash in Kelowna. Even more sadly my wonderful optometrist who has improved my visual quality of life for over 30 years, went down in the same plane.
  It is sunny and cloudy but 23 and we stoke up at the great breakfast buffet for a heavy day of sightseeing. First the subway, with is really easy to get the hang of, to Tokyo station and walk to Imperial Park gardens. This is where the imperial family actually reside in a huge park, populated by many many Japanese out enjoying the day, and lots of tour buses too.
  First we run the gamut of huge crowds out for a Tennis anime, more young people outfitted in gear to support their favourite toon characters.
  We enjoy the red brick tony Craft Museum, which is really a lovely art gallery, then use the same ticket to tour the National Art Gallery of rather mediocre art.
  Over the highway bridge, we enter the massive Imperial Set Garden area, and later to Kitanomaru Park, former home of the imperial guard. Some of the original buildings still stand.
  Within walking distance is the famed Ginza shopping area. We tour the impressive Tokyo International Forum Building, then visit the Sony building, home of futuristic electronics. In the basement we have a beer and franks at the German style pub, then back on the subway exhausted at7pm. At 8:3 I muster the energy to walk over the tracks to have a disappointing crepe in the lovely rooftop garden at the Brittany restaurant. We pick up fruit and desserts at our local Family Mart and crash after a soak.

Oct 14: Sunny Nikko!

We are delighted to wake to sun shining through our window and view of blue sky over the top of the local hills at last. We checkout at 10 leaving our bags there, and take the bus back to the Treasure Museum we missed yesterday. It is set in a gorgeous garden where colors are just starting to turn. It is mall but has some exquisite art pieces and many portraits of the 13 some shoguns who ruled here.
  There is a big festival coming up on Sunday. This is why we had to play around with our dates in June to get hotel accommodation. They are prepared the site with a huge pile of soil up the middle of a long uphill drive to the main temple. Horsemen/archers will gallop up this track here on Sunday, shooting arrows at targets at the end of the run. thousands of people are expected so we are glad we won't be battling them. There is also to be a peony show, a cake competition and plenty of food and entertainment for the masses.
  We return to town where I shop for lunch (cream caramel, fruit in jello cookies and nuts and raisins to sustain us over the train train back. The train ride back is very orderly, reserved seats, quiet - no cellphones on trains here. When you board they announce - turn off ringers on phones, make calls in the corridor, etc. the toilets are immaculate as usual. There are no big battles through Tokyo station with bags this time, and we know where we are going.
  Back to the hotel at 6:30pm, our bags are back in our room, we unpack and I find my ski jacket at last. It's no so cool this evening but I am glad of it and cosy for the walk over the tracks. Nightime in Shinjuku is much like the Ginza, huge buildings, neon lights, action, lots of young active people out and about clubbing in this huge entertainment district.
  The older part of it used to be seedy, it probably still is, but we have missed out going down Piss Alley this trip! We return to the little sushi restaurant where we had lunch on ur earlier stay, but have to wait for a table. Its all very fresh and good, all lashed down with sake and beer.
  We have a nice quiet corner room so back at 10:30 I soak in my big bath and we are out cold until 8am in our very comfortable bed.
  

Oct 12 Nikko, first capital of Japan

We are up at 8am in sun ready for an adventure to Japan's famed first capital. It takes 3 trains to get there, the local JP (free to us with our JP passs) and served seats on the 1hour fast train to the nearest large station, then a local 45 minute run (like London underground trains) to Nikko. Our hotel is right opposite the station and within 20 minutes, at 3pm, our room is available. We are much higher, it is much cooler and we are regretting that the down jackets we brought for cooler weather are left in Tokyo!
  Its $200+ for the night in a so/so hotel but the buffet breakfast is big and good and the room is warm and cosy.
  The sun we were promised is hiding. We can't really see the mountains surrounding the town. We walk up the main street which has a lot of touristy restaurants and shops, closed and a lot of rather seedy run down looking houses in between. there are many many shops selling candies and cakes, it seems to be a speciality of the area and this time of year. Chestnuts feature everywhere, as does wood carved touristy items.
  We walk up to the local noodle shop recommended by the hotel and Lonely Planet, a sort of greasy spoon, but warm and cosy and steamy, and busy. The dumplings are to die for, although they don't serve a dipping sauce, we make one up from soy, vinegar and child on the table. They don't speak English but their menu is in English so you point to the same thing on the Japanese side of the menu, and you're rolling. The bowls of ramen noodles are huge, Ted's with taste pork and mine with vegetables. We can't finish but we are warmed up and cosy before we leave.
  After we get home, I soak in the bath (a big one for a change that I can lie in) and Ted goes out to find sake. Back at the hotel, we find an English station (CNN) on the TV, catch the news and are in bed by 10.
  We wake to a cool cloudy, raw, cold day! We put on everything we have brought,  and eventually I have to give Ted my cashmere scarf/wrap to warm him up. I have my gloves, his are back in Tokyo!
  We pick up a daily bus pass to visit all the sites. There is a famous lake and hiking up the mountain, where on good days you can see Fuji, but it's not going to work today!
  There are many many tourist buses in town and some very high end hotels, so lots of tours and especially big tours of school children, learning about their country's history. It's impressive the way the Japanese take their kids to all these important historical places.
  First we go to famous Rinnoji Temple, over which a total building has been erected to renovate the temple. We think a lot of this work is being done prior to 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Inside we see the huge 3 gold, yup its gold, covered buddhas and its interesting to watch the renovation work being done. The beautiful patina on the dark red lacquer takes something like 40 different stages to perfect. No photos everywhere so I have no record of any of this, part from in our heads. You also have to remove shoes everywhere so Ted is challenged tying his laces everywhere! I have my flying slippers tucked into my camera bag so its easy to ski them on and off, as I don't want to be in my socks.
  The famous new Treasure House museum is closed today!!
  We walk up the mountain/hill to the famous Togeshu Shrine, home of the first shogun, leader of a 250 year old dynasty. The main temples complex of many other temples is a mass of gorgeous carvings, thousands of bronze/stone lanterns, intricate painted wood screens (3 monkeys, sleeping cat, sleeping dragon, crying dragon, roaring dragon.) It's a haven of tourist mementoes, the monks here are skilled merchants selling everything to get you to heaven and enlightened on the way!I buy a lucky charm for my purse and a bell to go with my bell from Llasa in Tibet, but it doesn't sound so sweet.
  Monks demonstrate in one temple how you bang two metal sticks together to create a sound but it only echoes a certain way if you do  it under the painting of the roaring dragon. Go figure!
  Up the hill we continue to climb to the Futurasan Shrine and famous Taiy-In, the burial site of the 3rd Shogun. We walk through the avenues of massive cedars planted hundreds of years ago, but its all rather dull without sun.
  There are no colours to the trees yet, it is coming soon, but its not quite cool enough overnight to start the maples.
  I am glad I have brought my merino wool hoodie, wool cardigan and rain jacket. But by 3:30 we are chilled and bus/walk back to town for hot soup (soy milk, broth and local specialty yuba (soy skin.) Then back to the noodle shop for gyoza, edamame beans and return to our cosy room at the hotel. And bed exhausted at 11pm.
 
  

Oct 11: Back to Tokyo - finally sunny!

After our sojourn in the Onsen and another beautifully presented sushi/sashimi dinner at Orizura, where we were virtually the only people there, we find the town practically deserted after the big Japanese holiday.
  We wake to 24 sun and a few clouds today and enjoy wandering around Kinosaki but are unsuccessful finding anywhere open for breakfast! We settle for street food of buns filled with crab or beef (very tasty) and yogurt, fruit and coffee from the local 7-11 style store. I buy food for the train trip which is going to take us all day to get back to Tokyo.  But first we visit one of the hot pools and are bowed out of the hotel, first by the men who later disappear to their chores, and later the ladies. All very formal and caring. We ask for a cab for the 5 minute ride (cobbled streets, heavy suitcases, not an option to walk...) and find the hotel has paid for it for us!
  The local train takes an hour to the nearest small terminus Fukuyama?, then 1.5 hours in a speedy, flashy looking bull-nosed train to Kyoto, a quick change to the 2.5 hour Tokyo train. then the local JR train from busy Tokyo station in the rush hour!!! back to Shinjuku. We shlep our heavy bags through all these stations and are glad it's a wee downhill walk back to our hotel. Even though we miss the right exit from the largest train station in Japan.
  We arrive back at Hotel Sunroute at 6pm to be told our bags are already in our room and we have an upgraded room ($300 extra for 4 nights) where we an at least lay our two suitcases on the floor to pack.
  We cross the rail track over the bridge to the big Takashima department store and pick an Italian restaurant with good pizza, sort of caesar salad and great gyoza dumplings, which we are getting addicted to. Its windier now but weather is supposed to stay warm for our trip north to Nikko so we pack an overnight bag, Ted his backpack, with very little for the 2 day jaunt.

JAPANESE ONSEN EXPERIENCE

First, let me say, to have the Onsen experience, you have to have o qualms about walking around everywhere in the nude. There are no clothes in the onsens, which ar2e separate for men and women, fortunately. You have the tiniest towel to take in and you fold it and put it on your head so as not to get wet. It's a faux pas to put it anywhere near the water.
  There are 7 different onsens in Kinosake and the hotel gives you a pass to get you into all of them. One is two levels with Arabian baths, saunas, jacuzzi, and is Norma ally closed but it's a holiday so it's open for us. WE don't manage to go to them all as its a tiring experience in all this hot water.
  Protocol is everything. YOu go in take off your shoes and put the in a locker, or leave your clogs (which have your hotel's name on them but I can't remember what that looks like...so I lock mine away withTed's sandals.
  You part company, he to blue you to pink. There you put all your clothes, etc  in a locker and get a key. You then sit on little plastic stools with a plastic basin, in front of a tap, spray and scrub yourself like crazy. You wash off your stool for the next person!
  The hot oils are extremely hot so I just dipped in and out mostly. Other water features were good, sitting on a bench with hot water running over the top all over you, sitting with your feet in a warm bath, sitting on a rock outdoors at a lovely waterfall, sometimes looking at the view over town.
  AFter a mastectomy and breast reconstruction, I wondered if I could do this. In fact, it was easy, nobody stared, a child looked quite seriously at my body at one point, but women of all shapes and sizes just carried on with their daily ablutions. It is obviously still a place ordinary people come, but there were also a lot of lovely bodies in there, obviously glitterati in for a trip. Of course, the high end hotels all have their own pools, some rooms even have their own private ones, and they have all their meals there too, so you would never see the at the public onsens I am sure.
  Each hotel has their own pattern for yukata, overjacket and clogs. At night it is charming seeing and hearing everyone clopping along the cobbled streets going from one onsen to another, restaurants, etc. Everyone wears their yukata so it's OK to do that.
  I read that one hotel has its own black Oondon taxi to take you from one to the other wearing only your yukata and clogs, an interesting feeling for sure...
  This is a big seaside resort in summer, we are not far from a very sandy shoreline but we didn't have time to go there.
  Back home I fall asleep in a chair at 9pm and am asleep at 10pm. WE sleep well o the floor that night.

Back north to Kinosake Onsen (hot springs) on the Sea of Japan

A highlight of our trip is the 2 days jaunt back north to the Sea of Japan and the famous hot spring area. WE take a ab to the unbelievably impressive Kyoto station, a destination in itself and wait in a comfortable waiting room til our JR train arrives. It looks like a bulletin train but it's only the 2nd class bullet trains, sleek and stylists, quiet and fast. A very comfortable way to travel, we didn't need the green seats, first class.
  We went to the JR station to check on our schedule a day or so ago. We have one minute to change trains at the sort of half way point. 86 minutes, first train, 64 minutes second train. They assure us it is doable, you get off, cross the platform and gets on the other one. Car 3 to Car 2, fairly close. It works like a charm.
  Into Ryokan Yamamotoya, a 350 year old spa hotel, we have a gorgeous corner room with a wrap around verandah over a private cliff garden. WE are finally doing the Japanese thin with futons on the floor to sleep. But they come and make up and take away your beds so it's not so bad. If you order breakfast it comes in your room, all set up just-so eautifully on your low table, so you do have to sit on the floor for it, but Ted pulled up a chair all the same. Lots of little interesting tastes, a whole fish with head, hard to eat with chopsticks, but interesting.
  They supply you with a gorgeous blue/white pattern yukata (cotton kimono robe) and wooden geta clogs. They take a it of getting used to, Ted doesn't even try, just takes his sandals everywhere. Those feet would never fit into anything else...
  Our ryokan has its own small pool but we never actually try it.
  WE find out on day 2 (it's almost $1000 for 2 days here...so not spending any more time here...) that if you don't have breakfast in your room, you are screwed as there is really where else open in the morning. Lots of restaurants for lunch as there is a big day trip crowd here.
  WE have dinner at the recorded restaurant above a small fish shop where the sushi/sashimi is fresh and good (clam, bream, salmon, ahi, sea urchin, mackerel and whitefish. All decorated with shreddeed daikon. WE also order a set meal with sashimi, tempura, rice, pickles, miso soup for $24, very reasonable. It's busy at 6pm because, like most things here, it closes at 7!