"...but they are substantially wider than most other bus. class seats. (Which matters to me, as I am substantially wider than most other passengers.)"

What one of the better lines here ever imo.

You're right. I should set up a paywall for my posts, they are so good.

Yay, a Japan trip report....what will you do in Hiroshima and Miyajima for 3 days? I guess chill out, not that there's anything wrong with that.
I have never taken the Airport Limo either - but I have only a little bit of luggage....
Enjoy!

What are you doing up at this time? When the sun comes up head over to Shinjuku Gyoen that was closed the last time you were there. The fall colors are peaking there and at the ginko avenue close to the National Stadium. Should be good viewing all throughout Tokyo now. May even last for your time in Kyoto. Always a good time to be in Japan. Report often kudasai

Aloha!

Excellent timing, Don. Grey skies and wet, heavy snowfall back here in the Boston area. Good time for an escape.

Did you pick the Strings because of its location near the Shinagawa Station, loyalty to Intercons, a combination of factors or...? How is the hotel?

Very interested to hear about the direct JAL flight since we are prisoners of United.

We spent an inspiring day in. Hiroshima last summer but had no time for Miyajima so I am eager to hear how you spend 3 days. Even more intrigued by what you might select to do in Kyoto on this rpeat visit. I

I look forward to following along if you are indeed "inclined" to write so the rest of us marooned folks can travel vicariously. Enjoy.

Hi Don,
DH arrived the day after you and took the airport limo and it took him over 2.5 hrs to get to his hotel, ha ha!
I did suggest the Narita Express but a local colleague thought he'd find that more difficult.

Glad to hear that your trip is off to a fine start and looking forward to the updates should you be so inclined.

BTW I updated my profile pic to show Mt. Fuji. DH took the photo from the lounge at the Hyatt Regency.

Now that Jeane and I are actually going to Japan, I will be following along with interest...

The timing has worked out well. I collapsed and fell asleep around 7pm local time, woke up after 4-5 hours and wrote the topic post, then slept for another 5-6 hours. Looks like I'm good to go.

Mara: This'll be my 1st trip to Hiroshima. I plan to spend a day at Miyajima, a half-day at the Peace Park, and the remaining time exploring the city. I'm a city bum by nature, and I enjoy heading out and taking heading down that street with an interesting look.

Peter: Shinjuku gyoen sounds like a great idea. I very much enjoyed your suggestion for the terrific park (whose name I've forgotten) near the Tokyo Dome, as well.

MaryA: The Strings is a favorite hotel of mine. A step below Four Season class, but excellent. (They address me by name, and they always remember my preferences without my asking -- for example, making the bed with a double sheet rather than the too-warm-for-me duvet.) Also, I've got an incredibly good rate of 19000Y, including breakfast.

sassy_cat: The view from of Fuji-san the Hyatt Regency can be wonderful. On my 1st trip, my Former Beloved & I stayed there (then the Century Hyatt), and on 2 out of 3 days we could see her from our room.

How fun! We took the JAL Dreamliner over to Tokyo on November 15 from Boston (and returned on AA thru Chicago on Thanskgiving). Cattle class on JAL was more comfortable than AA but so warm. I have never felt hot on a plane before - we boiled! Unfortunately, the food in cattle class was so-so - sounds like they made a better effort in business class.

If you are by the Tokyo Dome, we had a phenomenal meal at a restuarant called Washoko-Enn. A foodie Tokyo-ite took us there.

The park near the Tokyo Dome is Koishikawa Korakuen and it is also at peak koyo viewing according to yesterdays JG reports. I am now thoroughly jealous.

To get to and easy entrance for Shinjuku Gyoen take the Marounuchi Line to the m-9 stop Shinjuku Gyoenmae which is across the street from the park entrance.

Yes the Hyatt Regency in Shinjuku often has wonderful views of Fujisan this time of the year. You have to be above the 6th floor to get the views though. You usually will get only the early morning view as after 10:00am or so Fujisan starts to cloud over for the day. One day last November we had a full days view and into sunset which was spectacular.

Aloha!

Not sure if you saw this Don, as we posted at the same time:

"Now that Jeane and I are actually going to Japan, I will be following along with interest..."

A bit hard to accept those folks who choose price first, then complain bitterly about mistreatment in 'cattle class'. Hey, spend a few more bucks and get upgraded to 'sheep, hog or monkey class'.

Other things I like about the Strings: the decor is very much contemporary, with lots of clean lines and dark woods. The reception is on the 26th Fl, which hosts an atrium going up to the remaining 7 or 8 floors that comprise the hotel. The main dining room is in this open area (there's also a Chinese restaurant, open for dinner only, off to the side), and a small stream flows through the area. Very welcoming ambiance.

Room sizes vary a lot (though none I've seen are tiny), and the bathrooms are huge and superb: large, glass-enclosed shower and separate bath; hardwood floor, excellent lighting, and plentiful amenities. The room shapes tend to be a bit funky, and you're always told that you've got an upgrade. (This time I was upgraded to a "corner room." Well the way the hotel is shaped, every room is a corner room.)

It's colder than I expected. Think I'll first head over to the Ameyoko shopping street near Ueno to see if I can score a knit hat, maybe a quick check in Ueno Park, then over to Shinjuku Gyoen. By that time, maybe the sun will have shown his face.

I forgot to mention that in Kyoto I'm planning to go on a cycling tour -- very much looking forward to that. At least I think that I am -- hoping that the course will be on relatively flat, bicycle-friendly terrain. We shall see.

Hawaiiantraveler, eat your heart out.

DonTopaz - I guess my experience in Hiroshima was somewhat off-putting as it was a nasty rainy day so I went to the Peace Park and Museum, which was quite crowded, and didn't linger. I did get to Okonomiyaki Mura for lunch though. I was on a day trip from my base of Kurashiki.

Then later I also spent one night in Miyajima - that I highly recommend....

A very successful day.

Breakfat at the Strings was excellent: top-notch buffet with Japanese and Western choices, as well as an omelette station. I had a cheese omelette, a bowl of fresh raspberries and blooberries, a roll and coffee. Walked over to the JR ticket office next door to exchange my voucher for a JR Rail Pass, plus get reservations for the trains that will take me down to Hiroshima and then back to Tokyo via Kyoto.

When making train reservations, things go much more smoothly if you write down (or better, print out) the reservation information with date, depart/arrive cities, train number, and depart/arrive times, and give it to the JR agent. For example:

November 29 Shinagawa Shin-Osaka Hikari 507 09:40 12:30
November 29 Shin-Osaka Hiroshima Sakura 557 12:59 14:28
...

Headed off to Ameyoko street to try to find a hat and maybe gloves. I got off at the right station, but it seems that you also have to make the correct turn when leaving the station. Which I did not do, so I walked in the wrong direction, for neither the first nor last time. Eventually found a subway station, postponed the Ameyoko search, and headed over to Shinjuku Gyoen.

Shinjuku Gyoen is an absolutely gorgeous park in the western part of Tokyo. I crave the parks in Tokyo because their tranquility and nature provide the perfect flip side to the frenetic movement, the noise, the glass-and-steel that surround them. Tokyo for the most part lacks the small neighborhood parks that you find in Paris, but the large parks are an absolute haven. Shinjuku Gyoen is a spralwing place, with some parts perfectly manicured and some parts completely wild (sort of like Tokyo, I suppose). There was some fall color, though very different from the fall colors that you'd see in New England. The palette in this location has many more colors at the darker end of the spectrum (especially the deeper burgundies), than does New England. A few photos of the park are at
https://picasaweb.google.com/115487652514785346128/JapanNov2012?authuser=0&feat=directlink in the unlikely event that the link works.

Eventually made it back to Ameyoko, and scored a great hat and a pair of gloves that a man my age should not wear. Now off to dinner .. cheers,

Really beautiful photos! No photos of the hat and gloves?

I'm hoping my husband makes the effort to go to Shinjuku Gyoen but he's busy giving seminars apparently and now his Japanese colleagues have added in an unexpected overnight trip to Kyoto. I guess he'll experience Shinjuku station and the bullet train!

Great photos! Thanks!

Great shots Don! Looks like you got to Ameyoko a little later in the day as it looks dark. Hope you took a bento into Shinjuku Gyoen....great place for lunch.

Since you mentioned your bike escapade in Kyoto later you might want to take a 1/2 train ride out of Shinjuku on the JR Chuo line to the Nishi Tachikawa stop and walk right over the bridge and into Showa Kinen Park which is THE park in Tokyo. Tachikawa is a suburb of Tokyo. Go pass the Tachikawa stop to the next stop at Nishi-Tachikawa. You can get off at Tachikawa but the walk is longer to the front gate from the station. At Nishi Tachikawa you can walk over the over pass and into the Nishi-Tachikawa gate. The ginko tree tunnel here is legendary especially in the koyo season. Rent a bike inside the front gate area and have a blast exploring this Tokyo gem if you have the time and inkling.....

http://www.showakinenpark.go.jp/english/index.htm

what a perfect time to be in Japan you dog.....

Aloha!

Beautiful photos - worth visiting Tokyo just for that.

Just a few of the things that I love about Japan:

- It is clean, clean, clean. Hotel rooms (even the very most modest ones) are clean, streets are clean, subways are clean. Shinagawa station is enormous, with more than 17 gajillion people passing through every day minute, and you won't find even a scrap of paper on the ground.

- People cooperate to make the place work. The place is clean in large part because there's a tacit agreement to keep it that way. People line up to get on the bus or escalator. (Italians, especially, please take note. No, wait, please don't: there's a certain charm in a culture that combines over-the-top anarchy with over-the-top style.) People usually don't chat on cell phones in public, and, if they do, it's always with their hand covering their mouth.

- The food always looks delicious. Usually tastes pretty good, too, though some items would seem to be very much an acquired taste. The Ginger Ale is a total delight and actually tastes like ginger, even leaving your mouth with the requisite tingle. Wilkinson Ginger Ale is my go-to brand; if anyone has other reccos, I'll listen.

- The instant gratification of vending machines. It was cold this morning, and as soon as I felt the slightest chill I knew that, by some sort of Japanese law, it is illegal not to have a vending machine more than 200 feet from wherever you are in any city, at any time. 110 yen later, a warm can of coffee was in my not-yet-gloved hands.

- I'm suddenly average height.

Thx all for comments. As requested, a photo of the gloves (390¥, or about US$5.00): https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ex6bbBowONN_9RKIeCXAoNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink

HT: No time for Showa Kinen this trip, but thx for the suggestion. Will do next time. It was actually about 11am when I reached Shinjuku Gyoen, but the day was obviously very gray. Got there via Marunouchi Line and Shinjuku gate, exited via Sendagaya gate/Chuo Line.

I love the gloves, they made me smile! Were you inspired by the koyo colors?

Great pics of the fall colors. Whetting my appetite for my trip next year.

Don, I agree with your observations about Japan. I was amazed by how clean and orderly every is - not an easy feat given the size of its population. And I truly miss the vending machines and its variety.

More Japan nostalgia. I miss

1 The extraordinary trains that take you wherever you want to go, in style and perfectly on time
2. The beautiful presentation of food in restaurants and markets
3. My favorite meal: a really good green tea, miso soup and sushi
4. The discreet use of cell phones
5. Customer service
6. The exhilaration of wandering around temples and shrines.
7. The access to coastline
8. The bathrooms with separate showers and tubs
9. The restorative public baths

Thanks for letting us share in your trip, Don. Enjoy.

Travel day to Hiroshima yesterday. Great views of Mt Fuji from the Shinkansen, rising out of the transmission lines and drab gray apartment buildings with their cheerful pointillisms of red and white and green laundry. The autumn colors were splendid between Tokyo and Osaka, and seemingly well past their peak after that.

If Fuji-san was shy on your trip, here's what she looks like from the train:

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Xe9Iia7aRjhLfVQ2KWL4dtMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/U8MokU1QMRjNU1I5t1ZcqdMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink

Surprised to see that the trains were well packed (even the green car) for a mid-morning departure. I suppose that JR is doing the same as the airlines -- making less-than-prime-time seats available at lower prices through various packages/tours.

The train in Japan is really a decent way to travel. You know that you'll be on time, the ride is smooth and quiet (in contrast to any Amtrak train except for their designated Quiet Cars), and the stations are extremely functional, even if lacking in charm. The cultural bit where certain train personnel bow when entering/leaving a car sets a nice tone, I believe. Says to me that the service people on the train are showing respect and thanks to the people who patronize the trains. The uppity crones and queens who dominate United's international cabin crews would do well to pay attention to this. Indeed, if the President of UAL Corp is reading this, I urge you to instruct your international FAs to implement this practice.

I'm staying in the nondescript Sheraton at the train station. It's fairly new, and my 19th fl room is very large. The hotel is a long hike from downtown, and the view is mostly of parking lots and another nondescript hotel. Personnel I've run into have seemed eager to please. English language skills among the staff is not at the level of Tokyo hotels, but that's to be expected. (And the least-skilled of them surely knows more English than my 50-word Japanese vocabulary.) The price is right (10,000Y/nite), but I'd probably look for a more centrally-located place next time.

Off to Miyajima today, maybe.

Don, I was researching lodging in Tokyo earlier today. Looks like the price is right for the Strings and it gets great reviews. How would the location be for first-timers?

Craig,

I rate the location of The Strings as fair-to-good, but not great, if you're using it as a base for several days. The best part of its location is fantastic access to JR lines: to/from Narita, to/from Central and Western Japan (Osaka/Kyoto/Takayama/Hiroshima/etc), and the Yamanote line that encircles central Tokyo. Also great access to/from Haneda. For me, the downside of its location is that the area around the hotel immediate vicinity (Shinagawa) is distinctly uninteresting, with no noteworthy parks or attractions or nice shopping.

In practical terms, if it's a high priority for your hotel to be in a place where it's easiest to get to a bunch of different places in the city, then The Strings is a very good location. On the other hand, if it's a high priority for your hotel to be within easy walking distance of nice restaurants and shopping plus one or two attractions, then I'd choose a different location.

In that latter category, my first choice is the Grand Hyatt in Roppongi. Superb hotel and service, every bit as fine a property (maybe more) than The Strings, and in a location with lots of shopping, restaurants, and some interesting walks. Great access to the subway just across the plaza from the hotel. For those who are >62, the Senior rate at the Grand Hyatt is fantastic.

HT is a big fan of the Shinjuku area, and I'm starting to believe that it's indeed a reasonable area to stay. Lots of choices at different price points, with the Park Hyatt at the top. (Caution: Shinjuku covers a very large area - you might choose a hotel in Shinjuku that is a long, long way from another attraction that's also in Shinjuku.)

One neighborhood that offers both transportation convenience and immediate-neighborhood goodness is Ueno: direct and fast train access to Narita, on both the Yamanote Line and the Tokyo metro (subway), and a lot to see and do in the area. The downside of Ueno is that it lacks the upscale hotels that are found elsewhere. (I'm staying at the relatively new Mitsui Garden in Ueno on my way home, so I'll be able to report about it. But I believe that it's a standard Japanese business hotel: rooms are small, clean, functional, and without charm.)

I understand that figuring out the best choice can be a bit bewildering, but here is the good news: Any of the above choices are good ones, and you won't be making a mistake.

3 kvetches about the Sheraton Hiroshima:

1. No wireless. This is amazing to me. The hotel is new, and my only internet access is via a LAN cable? No excuse for that.

2. Glass-top desk. Glass-top desk looks very nice. And is 100% useless with an optical mouse. (With limited options for using the laptop elsewhere -- see Kvetch #1.)

3. The Toto has a washlet, of course, but does not have a heated seat. This is an insult to my ass (it was cold this morning), and I fart in the general direction of whoever made this unfortunate and unacceptable equipment choice.

Go to the top of Mt Misen on Miyajima and be one with the monkey.....just don't stare into their eyes

I'd forgive the unheated Toto just to be in Japan.

Aloha!

There is just something so civilized about heated toilet seats! Every single time I sat on one, i thought this is sooo nice.

Don, thanks for the hotel and location commentary.

A cheerful day, with some somberness for balance. It was a day to explore the city rather than Miyajima.

I trammed over to the Peace Park, which was overwhelming, especially the Atomic Bomb Dome. The atomic bomb exploded almost directly above the building at 8:15am on Aug 6 1945. The building largely survived, but all of the people inside, as well as about 70,000 others nearby, died instantly or within a few days. The site evoked the same type of cold and empty feeling inside as I've gotten at Auschwitz/Birkenau, at the "Jewish quarters" of Prague and krakow that have no Jews, at the little towns in the Jura mountains of eastern France where the WWI memorials list the names of more dead men (and boys, presumably) than you'd think could have possibly lived there in the first place. Immeasurable suffering, attributable only to militarists and nationalism.

Downtown Hiroshima didn't strike me as being much different than a whole lot of other mid-size city downtowns. Not an awful place to be, but, after coming from Tokyo, it's like being in Pittsburgh after visiting New York or Chicago.

One especially pleasant exception to the humdrum was Shukkeien Garden, about a 10-minute walk from the train station. The garden is a perfectly gorgeous place, with a lake, plenty of paths, and some special spots here and there. Obviously a popular wedding place, as well, as two were going on during my time there.

One of the things that makes Japan work is that everyone obeys the rules, period. If you're waiting to cross the street and the pedestrian signal is red, you wait and wait until it turns green, no matter that there's not a car within 500 yards. (If you did that in Boston, btw, you'd likely be arrested for loitering.) Now this whole rule-following thing goes against my nature, but I try to do the when-in-Rome bit as best I can. So, at the ticket window for Shukkeien Garden, the sign says it's 250¥ (about $3.00) for adults, and free for people 65 and older. Now today is Nov 30 2012, and I turn 65 on Dec 1 2012. So I showed my ID at the ticket window, explained that I'm 65 tomorrow. The young lady at the ticket office smiled and reminded me that I was only 64, and not 65. No sense of scolding in her tone, she was simply doing what is done. (I'd have paid serious cash to see how Bob Kimball would handle the situation.) Anyway, I paid my 250¥ with a big smile, realizing that the reminder of the country's mindset was worth far more than the admission fee. And certainly the park itself was worth every yen.

Photos of Shukkeien and the Atomic Bomb Dome:

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/HU2uK3J7AUAz-KaR5wCvvNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/zjU1drP2gMU9pRtSM4WbpNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink

Not to brag or anything but a picture I took of the Atomic Bomb Dome was used in the Fodor's Japan guide. I usually have the camera facing me when I snap pictures so that was quite an accomplishment.

That is a place I don't think people forget visiting.

A friend was in the same situation as you regarding his 65th birthday while visiting in Hong Kong. However, the ticket seller at the told him that you are one year old the day you are born and thus gave him the over 65 discount.

Love the story about only being 64 today.

Well as it's already Dec 1st in Japan I'll wish you a Happy Birthday Don!
Keep your eyes peeled for those senior discounts today.

Happy Birthday Don -- what a great trip report and equally wonderful pictures.

You should have told her, "But it is December 1 in America already!" She might have believed you...

I share your appreciation for the Japanese respect for rules! And for the heated toilets.

I noticed that the more expensive the hotel, the more likely you will be charged for wireless.

The Dotonburi Hotel in Osaka amazed me. $92 per night included late checkout (12 PM), free wifi, free internet in the lobby (three computers), laptop rental if you needed (if I recall correctly) and one free five minute phone call to anywhere in the world.

I liked the Shukkeien very much as well, but judging from your photo, it is even lovelier in Autumn than it was in Summer.

Wonderful account of your interaction with the ticket vendor/steward of values.

Omedetou gozaimasu.

Great report. Yes, the Atomic Dome and Peace Museum are so well done and moving-I'll never forget it.

Loved your "average height" and "loitering" comments!

Kyoto is surely one of those places that every traveler should visit once. And, like so many other places on that list, your first visit is never your last one. There's just so much to explore, so many things that you've never seen before, so many positive experiences.

This is a city of charming streets, awe-inspiring gardens and temples, and surprises around so many corners. No skyscrapers here -- there's a strict limit on building heights -- so the scale is much more human than elsewhere in Japan and the rest of eastern Asia.

I signed up for a cycling tour of the city with the Kyoto Cycling Tour Project ( http://www.kctp.net/en/ ), and that turned out to be a fantastic way to enjoy the sights. With them, you have a tour guide, and you can have up to 4 people in your group (your choice of how many). My guide, Keiko, was wonderful: she spoke excellent English, and she knows and loves Kyoto. The entire trip was on streets and back alleys of Kyoto, and I felt completely safe 100% of the time. The cycle was a comfortable, 8-speed, and it was an altogether wonderful experience. There's a choice of tours/routes, with half-day and full-day tours available. I will say that I had excellent, if a bit chilly, weather. There's no canceling if it rains (if it's a light rain, they'll supply a raincoat; if it's a heavy rain, a walking tour is substituted).

A few photos of SHinbashi-dori (one of my favorite streets anywhere), some Geishas/Kabuki performers who had drawn a crowd while walking to their theater, and this typist on a bicycle:

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/hBYWfnmgb3Cx0b1960QcPNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/J1wdS-HT41gCP2ZhS5VaUdMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/jU3_kCw2uaADFE4xCILXhtMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/MTtVk3ifP9B0sNfCV9G-7tMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink

Great photos, thanks for sharing! I am so jealous - I know someone else visiting Kyoto now as well....I won't be there til April....

Was just thinking about Kyoto's history, human scale, interesting neighborhoods/streets. My not-so-unbiased conclusion:

Kyoto : Japan :: Boston : USA

Sasusangendo right next door is a classic

So is Arashiyama

Enjoying all of your reports

Aloha!

Another good day. I did, in fact, spend much of the morning at Sanjusangendo. I'm not that much of a temple person (either Asian-style or Brookline-Newton style), but Sanjusangendo is surely worth a visit. It's be interesting to compare the Buddha count at Sanjusangendo with the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery in Sha Tin (Hong Kong), which is also worth a walk uphill to visit. Took in a cold stroll down the Philosopher's Path, then a short visit to the garden at Nanzenji, then headed back to Kyoto Station to warm up.

Isetan has a huge department store there, with plenty to look at. The quality available at higher-end Japanese stores is often way, way superior to anything in the States. Got a few pairs of winter socks -- the kind that I can only find in Japan, that you wear around the house and are so ultra-soft that the toes jump with joy. Shame that they don't sell other garments in my size.

The Hyatt is really a wonderful place to stay. The decor is contemporary and understated, very much in keeping with Japanese culture. Lots of wood throughout, with plenty of care given to the details. While the room is obviously not that of a ryokan, there's still a wood carving with a berry outcrop that suggests the decoration in the alcove of a fine ryokan. Staff are attentive without being either obtrusive or fussy. This is consistent with other Hyatts I've been to here (Regency & Grand Hyatt in Tokyo, Regency in Hakone/Gora). The location here in Tokyo is the biggest drawback for me. It's about a 15- or 20-minute walk to the train station (downhill going to the station, uphill coming back); the other ways to get there are a city bus (2 mins walk from the hotel, but not a very comfortable way to travel) or a cab ($8 each way).

Time for evening cocktails at the bar.

Following and gathering info. Hope the cocktails were good.

loving this as we anticipate our visit next fall..

had i been at the ticket booth i would have been the perfect gentleman as I asked to speak to the GM... and by the time i finished with him it would be my birthday...

Cocktails at the Hyatt Kyoto are 50% off between 17:00-19:00 in the Touzan bar only

DonTopaz - you do know that Boston and Kyoto are sister cities, right.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sister_cities_of_Boston

Enjoying your report, Don.

I did indeed head to the Touzan bar, and it's one of the nicest bars I've ever been in. [I suppose there are two ways to look at that statement. On the one hand, I've been in an awful lot of bars, so top-of-the-list should be a good thing. On the other hand, a great many of those bars have been places like Herbie's, or the Blue Sands, or the Dew Drop Inn, none of which will have ever appeared on any list except those kept by local Sanitation Departments.]

But back to the Touzan. I ordered up a beer, which was fine, but I soon realized the error of my ways when the fellow at the end of the bar got a Campari on the rocks (without soda, a bit bitter for my taste, but whatever). It wasn't the red liquid that was interesting -- it was the ice cubes. These didn't come from a machine or a tray; they looked hand-chiseled, all relatively large but each a slightly rough shape. And they weren't those airy-fairy thin things that melt in 30 seconds, these were rugged ice cubes, the kind of ice cubes that a guy can appreciate. (I have no idea if ladies get a different style of cube. Nothing would surprise me.) Not only were the ice cubes reason enough to enjoy the place, but the seats at the bar were terrific. Not those uncomfortable things where your legs don't reach the floor, but upholstered seats, low enough to be perfect, and wide enough to accommodate even the most generous of rumps. So I stayed for several more drinks (vodka & tonics after the 1st biiru), enjoying a light dinner (beautiful tempura prawns and some fried potatoes) at the bar.

My favorite food on this trip has been okonomiyaki. I'd heard about it before but never got around to trying it -- that mistake has now been corrected. If you've never had okonomiyaki, it's a wonderous comfort food that seems to be the marriage of egg foo yong and crepes, on steroids, plus sauce. Apparently there are a zillion varieties -- the ones in Hiroshima all had a layer of noodles -- but most seem to have some greens, some fish and/or meat, and all I've tasted have been scrumptuous.

If you're new to visiting Japan, you can do yourself a world of good by learning just a very few words. By default, Japanese (at least most of those in cities) will assume that a Westerner knows no Japanese at all, except maybe arigato, and possibly hello and good morning. So if you can learn another dozen words, you'll suddenly jump to a high tier of esteem. Fodor's actually has a very good page with Japanese terms (http://www.fodors.com/language/japanese/). I find the most useful to be "_____ o onegai shimasu", which you can use to ask for almost anything: a beer (Biiru), the check (Okanjoo), an item that you want to buy at a shop (Kore), etc. Trust me: learn that expression, and you'll see a lot of smiles on faces.

u-n-i-t: I had no idea, or maybe just forgot, that Boston & Kyoto were twinned.

Back to Tokyo this afternoon, flying home tom'w. Cheers,

Don-I am enjoying your report and gathering info for our trip. Thought your comment re temples in Brookline and Newton was quite funny. They are significantly different from the Asian ones which I like very much. To me, you can't see too many temples in Asia, although DH may not agree.

The trip is over already, wow. Thanks for taking us along Don. Bet in Tokyo you will be staying in the Ueno area and taking the Kesei liner to NRT right?
What no limo bus

In the Touzan Bar(and every bartender worth his/her salt in Japan for that matter) we love the way a Japanese bartender will shake a martini with such vigor and rigorous ritual,it is a sight to behold.

The big round ice balls I wrote about in my last trip report about Kyoto are carved and saved for the pure shot "on the rocks" drinks. The bartender at Touzan told us that the huge round ice balls only minimally comes in contact with the alcohol cooling it and keeping the drink cool but not melting like the smaller cube would so as to preserve the flavor of the alcohol and not dilute it with water.....they think of everything. Over our stays at the Hyatt we've gotten to know the bartenders and have witnessed the actual carving of ice many times.

Aloha!

carving of ice??? you expect us to fall for that??

rhkkmk,

For the amount the 5 star hotels in Japan charge you should expect ice carvings by the bartenders, haha

Aloha!

The ice cubes have now sold me on paying the big bucks for a 5*.

Oy, the Man from AlohaLand is right: I've checked in to the Mitsui Garden Hotel in Ueno, from where I'll be taking the Keisei whatever-it's-called to Narita in the morning. A lot is due to the timing of my flight: it's an 11:40 departure, and staying in Ueno lets me take a 9:21 train (arrives 10:02) and comfortably make the flight.

The Mitsui Garden is by no means luxe, but it certainly is adequate. Room is very decent-sized with a double bed, bathroom is also more than adequate. I did reserve a not-the-cheapest room, and that's usually a very good idea at most hotels in Japan. (The extra 2000 or so yen will usually give you a much, much nicer room.) The subway is in front of the hotel, the JR station is across the street, and the Keisei station another 100 yards away. It's a nice walk or a short subway ride to Asakusa, where I'm looking forward to visiting the Maguro Bito kaiten zushi (conveyor belt sushi) joint.

I am all aflutter. It's announced that my flight will be a JAL X Ghibli special decal Flight! No plain old unadorned airplane for this man. ( http://tinyurl.com/c83y4dk )

you can suffer thru the fancy plane..

I guess I need to do some research on different kinds of Japanese foods...beyond sushi, and tempura.

Karen

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2035.html

Aloha!

Manly ice and comfortable chairs! Now I really do have to go back to Japan for that.

JAL will have KFC on that pretty plane to Boston.

Back home in Arlington, and none too soon. I was getting bored with everyone being polite, and trying, against my nature, to respond in kind.

I already miss many of the foods, especially the bread. Oh, goodness, the bread. If you think that white bread has to suck, you need to stop in Japan. Several types of white bread that are dense, full of flavor, and with great texture. The Hyatt in Kyoto serves a chicken sandwich with tarragon mayo, avocado, and bacon that by itself is worth the trip to Japan, in large part due to the bread.

It's certainly not just the traditional Japanese foods that make eating in Japan a pleasure. The Japanese are excellent at borrowing other cuisines and turning out good stuff. Curry might be the best example: it's a staple everywhere, and the curries can be wonderful. An exception to this might be hamburgers: I've had only a few, but none have been good. And many places insist on cooking them well-done. (Why bother?)

Return trip was as easy as a long trip could be. The Keisei Skyliner is terrific: comfortable and a lot quicker than the Narita Express. Bigest problem with the Keisei is that it goes only from Ueno & Nippori, which are ok parts of town but not exactly glitzy. And I will admit that some parts of Ueno Park are among the only places in Tokyo that seemed to me to be just slightly dodgy. The non-stop from Tokyo to Boston takes 90 minutes less than the BOS-NRT flight, and it's REALLY nice to have just a cab ride home instead of dealing with a connecting flight.

-- 30 --

Welcome home Don and thanks for the live reporting. We needed it.

Aloha!

I agree with ht! Great report!

Welcome home, Don. I'm glad you had a nice trip. I know exactly what you mean about the food in Japan. Among the things I miss the most about Japan are the bakeries and sweet shops. There is just so much variety and so many great things to sample. Just thinking about it makes me want to go back.

ride your bike over to iggy's near fresh pong and get fab bread

Don-

Great report...I've been following it daily. A couple of questions for you as I am planning my first trip to Japan for Nov. 2013.

1. In general, how did you find the fall colors to be, traveling in late November? At peak? Slighly past peak?

2. Did you make it to Miyajima. I see you referencing it on your day in Hiroshima, but don't see any detailed report on it.

MB

How cold was it in Nov? Food on the plane..good, bad or indifferent?

Answers:

MinnBeef: The fall colors were beautiful, though it's difficult for me to say whether or not they were at peak. At some parks, I'd find deep reds and yellow alongside trees that were still green. In other locations, things had turned brown. My frame of reference is New England, and the Japanese fall colors seemed in many ways to be different in nature from what I've known at home. As I mentioned earlier, there seems to be a broader spectrum of colors, which I suspect is due in part to many more species. Also, keep in mind that I was at sea level most of the time; higher elevations would likely have a different schedule. In short, though, the time I went was excellent for fall colors, for this year at least.

I did get to Miyajima, but it was an overall meh day for me. The day was cloudy/drizzly, I wasn't feeling very energetic to begin with, so it was more of a pro forma ticking the I've-been-there box.

kmnrnn: It was in the 40s and low 50s, occasionally with some wind. Which is actually not any problem as long as you've got the right clothing. I was expecting slightly higher temps, but it worked out just fine as soon as I got myself a knit hat and a pair of gloves. It amazed me that I was virtually the only person who was wearing headgear; then again, very few Japanese men lose their hair so they had protection that I lacked.

Food on JAL was pretty good, certainly better than on any US airlines. Only thing I wasn't crazy about was the Wagyu beef on the flight home -- and I should have known better, as I prefer lean beef and Wagyu is known for its high fat content.

Great report. But you did not tell us if you found some neat souvenirs.

Don, whereabouts were you on the train line when you got that fabulous photo of mount Fuji?

And where did you spot the geishas in Kyoto?

Loved your report

Sue_xx_yy,

The closest views of Fuuji-san are between Shin-Yokohama and Nagoya, roughly 30-45 mins after leaving (or arriving at) ShinYokohama. Sit on the right side (Row D in Green Car, probably Row E in Ordinary Car) if heading toward Kyoto/Osaka/Nagoya. If heading toward Tokyo, it's the same row designation, but obviously the right side.

Saw the Geishas while on the bike tour of Kyoto. They were on their way to the Kabuki theatre somewhere in Gion, and a small crowd of photographers were trying to keep up with them and snap their pictures.

There are always a small group of Maiko (apprentice Geishas) in the Shinbashi-dori in Kyoto, hanging out near the shrine.

Thanks Don. That bike tour was a half day one or full day?

Just caught up with the end of your report, thanks for taking us along and sharing your photos.
This probably sounds daft but it looks warmer in your photos than the temps quoted maybe your lens has a rose tinted glow.

My husband's trip was a resounding success business-wise but he saw nada. The good news is that he's been invited back in the spring and even better he (or better still I) get to choose the dates. I think I can fit in a trip in April to coincide with sakura and school break! Yay!

just reread for pointers...thanks

we have our res on the dreamliner and look forward to the experience---back of the bus of course--row 16 which is almost the front of economy..

let me say here how easy it was to work with the FF desk at American for these Japan Air tickets. even though they are not my prefered airline, i find their staff the easiest to work with. 25M miles for one way Boston to Japan.