Gorgeous Takayama

I was lucky enough to have 3 days to explore the stunning Takayama area. I caught the highway bus from Shinjuku, $120 return. 5 and a half hours including 3 short rest stops along the way. I took the cheapest option but you can also get the train via Nagoya for around $290 return. It takes 4 hours by train. The bus station is right next to the train station and directly in front of the train platform there is a information booth with free wifi and maps in different languages. There is also free wifi in the old town area but it didn't work too well for me.

I stayed at a ryokan near the train station and was able to walk everywhere I wanted to go including the Hida Folk Village. The folk village entry fee is 700 yen. I spent a few hours wandering around looking at the traditional houses and buildings, enjoying the free tea and rice cakes. When I was there they had a music display on (the instruments were cool but the singing was awful) and the men were harvesting the rice field.

Walking back towards the train station from the folk village I came across beautiful flowers growing along the borders of the fields.

The morning markets are worth a visit. The Miyagawa markets along the river are the bigger ones.
The apples and hida beef steamed buns were my favourite.

Other places worth checking out for food options are: Heianraku, opposite the Kokubunji temple, a cheap and cheerful izakaya with tasty home cooked style meals and a great atmosphere,

 I had the meatballs and stir fry vegetable set that came with corn soup and rice. Think it was 900 yen.

Center 4 Hamburgers up towards Shorenji temple, you will need to book or wait for a table, its only a tiny space at the back of another shop. They also do take away and delivery. Best burger I have had in Japan., photo does not do it justice.

 I had the cheeseburger set with fries and a chocolate milkshake. 1,600 yen

For traditional food, check out Kyoya, on the canal on the road to the Floats exhibition hall.

 I had the Hida beef, miso, leek and shitake mushroom cooked on a magnolia leaf which came in a set with miso soup, rice and mountain vegetables for 1,800 yen.

Other highlights were the beautiful shops and breweries in the preserved old town - Sanmachi suji

 The cedar frond ball above the doorway indicates a sake brewery

The Takayama Museum of History & Art is worth a look, it is free entry and has some interesting displays. Not a lot of signs in English but enough to get the idea. The Festival Floats Exhibition Hall is pretty good too, 820 yen entry which comes with a souvenir photo of the festival at night time and a very high tech English guide.

There are some beautiful shrines along the Higashiyama walking trail and some nice spots to watch the sunset.

A beautiful place to visit and very easy to get around. Put it on your list!

Kamakura in our cranky pants

Kamakura for me was a bit underwhelming. I was feeling pretty grumpy as I had found out I had to head back to Australia sooner than I expected. Apparently there is a limit to how many tourist visas you can use in a row. D'oh! (180 days max in a 12 month period, in case you were wondering.) It was a public holiday too, so the crowds were a bit mental which may have added to our meh feeling about the place.

It is an easy day trip from Tokyo though, We went via Shinagawa, on the JR Yokosuka line, 690 yen, 46 minutes. There are a few different train and ticket options depending which part of Tokyo you are travelling from. 

We started by getting off the train at Kita-Kamakura and picking up the Daibatsu Hiking course from next to Jochi-ji .

The trail is 3km long and winds past a few shrines in the hills before finishing up at Daibatsu (Great Buddha).

A few young guys were enjoying smashing tiny plates at this shrine.

We also stopped at Zeniarai benten, the entrance to the shrine is through a short tunnel.

We skipped the queue to wash our money in the natural springs, supposed to bring financial success but seeing as they use paper money here, it seemed kinda silly.

After stopping at a few other small shrines we made it to the bottom of the hill, paid our 200 yen each and got to stare at the giant Buddha.At 850 tonnes, it is a big Buddha indeed.

There is literally nothing else to do in this area except take photos of the Buddha from different angles. So I did. Oh and you can line up to see inside the Buddha statue but the line was about an hour long so adios to that idea.

Next we walked down a bit further to the beach. It was pretty lame and there were girls wearing high heels on the sand.  Double lame.

We got some ice cream and decided to call it a day. So long Kamakura. Maybe we will come back one day in a better frame of mind.

Ryokans - not for everyone, especially not klutzes

A last minute decision to travel to Takayama left me with limited accommodation options. I didn't want anything too expensive as I was travelling on my own but I wanted something close to town so I could walk to all the sights easily. Takayama is a traditional old town in a picturesque mountain area with many onsen nearby so it it not surprising I ended up in a ryokan.

A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn. I stayed at a ryokan call Yado Matsui, a cheaper style ryokan at 4,500 yen a night per person. Ryokans can get very expensive depending on where they are located, whether they have private gardens, natural spring onsens and the standard of the meals they provide.

 The entrance, shoes off everybody!

Rooms in ryokans are made using tatami mats and sliding doors. Bathrooms are shared, some have private toilets The beds are futons on the floors with pillows filled with buckwheat or beans. Usually dinner or breakfast is included, depending on your package selection. I opted to skip the breakfast add on at 1,000 yen. Pickles and miso in the morning just ain't my thing!

I understand the appeal of trying out the traditional style accomodation and the owner was very friendly despite the language barrier but these places just aren't my cup of tea. I try to follow the etiquette and I remembered to take off my shoes at the door. But when the owner was showing me my room, I stepped onto the tatami mat with my rubber slippers still on. Big no, no! I apologized profusely but the pain in her eyes is still brutally clear to me, even now, days later.

When it was time to use the shared bathroom late at night, I tried to walk on the balls of my feet. I attempted to slip quietly down the stairs. I urged myself to be silent as a ninja as I tiptoed into the bathroom for my midnight tinkle but it was not to be. The sliding door rattled, the steps squeaked even when I thought I had avoided the soft spot. One rubber shoe slid off and bounced along the hallway. It was no good, I am no ninja, I am no dignified yukata wearing local, I am just a western klutz, out of my natural habitat.

I returned to my bed and tried to beat my buckwheat pillow into something more comfortable. I rolled onto one side and then the other, eventually falling asleep. The next morning I was woken by sunlight blasting through the crack in the curtains and the sounds of my ryokan neighbour coughing up something from deep within his lungs.

After a nice hot shower downstairs, I dried off as best I could with my teeny tiny towel. I ate some breakfast at the low table in my room and went to brush my teeth in the pair of sinks in the hallway next to my room. Halfway through my teeth brushing, my phlegmy neighbour joined me, he attempted to make some conversation in Japanese and then proceeded to continue coughing up whatever he had swallowed last century into the adjoining sink.

In the end, you get what you pay for. This was budget accommodation and it was close to everything I wanted to see, it did the job.  Just be aware, if you want to stay at a ryokan, maybe just try it out for a night or two and see if you like it rather than booking it for a week or something crazy.

My Top 10 Tokyo things to do

As my time in Japan starts drawing to a close, a few people have asked me for a list of my favourite things to do in Tokyo. Nothing too different from what the guide books will tell you but here goes:

1. Asakusa - Senso-ji temple is a must see, looks beautiful lit up night Check out the guardians at the main gate and then wander up the shopping arcades to the main temple and pagoda. Next to the main shrine is Asakusa Jinja, a small Buddhist shrine. If you are looking for traditional clothing the store right next to the Buddhist shrine has a great range at reasonable prices. Lots of great shops and izakayas in this area. Also only a short train ride from Ueno Park or you could catch the ferry from here down the river to Tsukiji fish markets & Ginza - see my previous post:  Rolling down the river

 2. Ueno Park - choice of many museums, shrines, lake, zoo. Tokyo National Museum is an interesting way to spend a few hours. 620 yen admission. The zoo is 600 yen, worth is just to check out the super cute pandas and monkeys.

3.Meiji-jingu located right next door to the craziness of Harajuku this shrine area is a nice, relaxing spot to cruise around in at your own pace.

4. Harajuku & Omotesando -  Definitely worth having a wander around these two shopping areas. Sundays you are more likely to see people dressed up in their cosplay gear. Oriental Bazaar shop has some good quality souvenirs on Omotesando. Lots of tasty food options around here too especially if you have a sweet tooth, Lindt, Max Brenner, Ben & Jerrys....The architecture of the big brand name stores are pretty impressive too.

5. Shopping in Ginza - shops open at 11am. Worth checking out the 12 floors of Uniqlo. Sony building has lots of fun gadgets to play with and the basement of departments stores have food halls with amazing things to make your stomach grumble.

 6. Imperial Palace East Gardens - closed Mondays & Fridays, gardens around the ponds are my favourite spots. Free entry but they give you a tag at the gate which you need to return when you exit. Close to Ginza if you need a break after shopping or a stroll to work off your lunch.

7. Edo Tokyo Museum - 600 yen, closed Mondays, my favourite museum in Tokyo. Lots of scale models and interactive displays - see my previous post Edo-Tokyo & Sumo museums- Head to Popeyes afterwards for a taste of some of the 70 beers on tap.

8. Golden Gai bars/ wander around Shinjuku/Karaoke -  the Golden Gai bars are tiny, elbow room only drinking holes in the red light district of Shinjuku. Drinks are not cheap but the atmosphere is great. Shinjuku is a great place to wander around anytime of the day or night, lots of great restaurants, shops and people watching. And everyone needs to do some karaoke while in Tokyo. You will see the signs for Big Echo and other karaoke chains all over town. They are often all inclusive deals with drinks and or food packages.

9. Akihabara - electric town! Still worth checking out despite the prices not being as awesome as they once were. Also lots of interesting geek shops and anime weirdness. Hit up Tsukada Nojo izakaya for tasty dinner and drinks afterwards.  (Also Kanda is not too far if you are looking for ski gear)

10.Festivals/Sumo/Baseball - it depends on what time of year you are visiting Tokyo but if you can manage to make it to a festivals or see some sumo or baseball that is where you will see the locals in their element. Festivals are free to attend and are on throughout the year but mainly in summer. Sumo tickets go on sale a month before the tournament begins. Sumo is on during January, May & September in Tokyo. Tickets are available online at http://sumo.pia.jp/en/  and baseball tickets through http://www.japanball.com/tickets.htm