Nywoman an older single traveler explores Japan
Nov 12th, 2017, 01:15 AM
#41
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Japan a wrap.
Am very sad that this is my last day and night in Japan. Spent the morning repacking, and again chastising myself for taking such a small suitcase. No room for gifts or other purchases. Went to have lunch at a department store. It is amazing the amount and variety of restaurants that are on the top floor of each department store. Then went on to a Zen temple, but had no energy for any more sightseeing.
Last night was again one of those serendipitous occurrences. Took myself off to Shanbashi, which according to the web is a neighborhood of debauchery, and only to be briefly visited. However, it is also the area where the Izakayas are to be found. Took a tram and started walking, true it is still early around 8 pm but so far it looks very tame.
Walk into a posh bar called The Bardyyyz, only because I followed somebody and it looked so high design, It was, there were 4 bartenders to two guests, supposedly they get busy later. Ordered a blended Whisky which was very good and expensive $18, had sort of suspected this to be the case. My bartender spoke some English, so I asked him for a place to eat.
He first makes a phone call, then walks me personally to a tiny place in a back alley.
There are hundreds Sakes on display maybe 8 seats at the counter and a back dining room. I am made to feel very welcome, though the bartender had warned me it was all Japanese speaking, it turns out the several people at the counter spoke English, as did the chef though very limited. I had a Sashimi platter preceded by a kelp soup with a quail egg that was spectacularly good. It was served with Sake, which came in an earthenware pot, whereas the others were served in hand blown glassware from Okinawa, as were the plates and sake glasses. The place is run by a husband wife team, it's tiny but they seem to do well. The place is called Kaito, am totally unable to read the address in Japanese.
When I leave around 10.30 pm the streets are filled with young people who are out for a night on the town, just as it should be.
Don't see anything to be concerned about at all.
Tomorrow, bus to Fukuoka airport, Tiger airlines to Taipei and train to Hualien. It will be a long day with an early start.
Sayonara
Am very sad that this is my last day and night in Japan. Spent the morning repacking, and again chastising myself for taking such a small suitcase. No room for gifts or other purchases. Went to have lunch at a department store. It is amazing the amount and variety of restaurants that are on the top floor of each department store. Then went on to a Zen temple, but had no energy for any more sightseeing.
Last night was again one of those serendipitous occurrences. Took myself off to Shanbashi, which according to the web is a neighborhood of debauchery, and only to be briefly visited. However, it is also the area where the Izakayas are to be found. Took a tram and started walking, true it is still early around 8 pm but so far it looks very tame.
Walk into a posh bar called The Bardyyyz, only because I followed somebody and it looked so high design, It was, there were 4 bartenders to two guests, supposedly they get busy later. Ordered a blended Whisky which was very good and expensive $18, had sort of suspected this to be the case. My bartender spoke some English, so I asked him for a place to eat.
He first makes a phone call, then walks me personally to a tiny place in a back alley.
There are hundreds Sakes on display maybe 8 seats at the counter and a back dining room. I am made to feel very welcome, though the bartender had warned me it was all Japanese speaking, it turns out the several people at the counter spoke English, as did the chef though very limited. I had a Sashimi platter preceded by a kelp soup with a quail egg that was spectacularly good. It was served with Sake, which came in an earthenware pot, whereas the others were served in hand blown glassware from Okinawa, as were the plates and sake glasses. The place is run by a husband wife team, it's tiny but they seem to do well. The place is called Kaito, am totally unable to read the address in Japanese.
When I leave around 10.30 pm the streets are filled with young people who are out for a night on the town, just as it should be.
Don't see anything to be concerned about at all.
Tomorrow, bus to Fukuoka airport, Tiger airlines to Taipei and train to Hualien. It will be a long day with an early start.
Sayonara
Nov 12th, 2017, 08:23 AM
#44
Understand. After visiting Auschwitz/Birkenau I said no more holocaust sites. However, I chose to visit Nagasaki rather than Hiroshima because it often seems to get overlooked. Unfortunately, I visited the Peace Park the day the election results in the US were coming in... Doubly depressing.
Nov 12th, 2017, 11:05 AM
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Hello NYWoman. Just found this. It brought back lovely memories of our trip to Shikoku and Naoshima last year. I have to say we were a bit underwhelmed with Naoshima... might have been too much hype and too many tourists! I remember the dark Ando house. Loved Yayoi Kusama's Pumpkin On The Shore. Thought the prices at the Benesse House were outrageous.
We had good weather though. Got the ferry from Takamatsu after a week driving around Shikoku (Iya Valley and Nagoro Scarecrow village!), stayed one night in Naoshima but probably wouldn't do that again. Could easily be done in a day. We stayed near the ferry terminal and went back the same way via Takamatsu to Shodoshima and finally back to Kobe.
There is a Setouchi Explorer website run by a Frenchman I think with details on what's going on. There are various other islands nearby which are marketing themselves as Art Islands. Ogijima, Teshima...
Enjoyed your comments on Kyushu and Nagasaki. I was last there in 1978 and it's time to go again. I seem to remember a huge Peace Memorial there, large white statue with arms outstretched. Can't remember if there was a Peace Park or not. Maybe it has all been rearranged in the intervening 40 years?
We had good weather though. Got the ferry from Takamatsu after a week driving around Shikoku (Iya Valley and Nagoro Scarecrow village!), stayed one night in Naoshima but probably wouldn't do that again. Could easily be done in a day. We stayed near the ferry terminal and went back the same way via Takamatsu to Shodoshima and finally back to Kobe.
There is a Setouchi Explorer website run by a Frenchman I think with details on what's going on. There are various other islands nearby which are marketing themselves as Art Islands. Ogijima, Teshima...
Enjoyed your comments on Kyushu and Nagasaki. I was last there in 1978 and it's time to go again. I seem to remember a huge Peace Memorial there, large white statue with arms outstretched. Can't remember if there was a Peace Park or not. Maybe it has all been rearranged in the intervening 40 years?
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