Reporting from Tokyo
May 18th, 2011, 02:37 AM
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Reporting from Tokyo
We arrived in Tokyo on May 12, the first stop on our 5-week trip to Japan. This is our seventh night in Tokyo--we make a quick jaunt up to Nikko tomorrow, followed by several more destinations--so I thought it would be fun to do a quick write-up of my impressions before moving on (if I don't get too thrown off by the Japanese keyboard!). I'll post a link to some of my pictures when we return home in late June.
Our 14-hour flight from New York to Tokyo on Continental was long but uneventful, and free since we used frequent flyer miles. (By the way, "we" means my husband and me.) The nicest part was landing in early afternoon, which I think helped reduce the jet lag. We took an airport limo bus to the Tokyo Dome Hotel in Chiyoda-ku, which is just a few blocks from where we have stayed for the week, the lovely boutique Hotel Niwa Tokyo (94,000 yen for 7 nights). We walked from the Tokyo Dome and found our place quite easily. It's around a quiet corner just off a busy main street, very close to Suidobashi Station on the Mito subway line, so it's a nice location. Our room is small but perfectly appointed, with relaxing mood lighting and shoji screens on the big window overlooking the street from 8 floors above. A small refrigerator, flat-screen TV, and all the amenities we needed make it a wonderful place to come back to each evening.
First impression of Tokyo: everybody, and I mean everybody, waits at the crosswalk for the light to turn green before crossing a street--quite a change of pace after New York! As a result, in the morning armies of people walk down the street together, followed by a break, then another army. In our neighborhood, depending on the time of the morning, there were three basic armies we watched from the local coffee shop: the dark-suited working men and women came first, followed a little later by the casually dressed college students, and then, later still, by the uniformed elementary students. Our first night in the neighborhood it was raining so there was yet another army--the umbrella armada. I think we were the only people among hundreds we passed who were not carrying umbrellas.
Couldn't quite figure out the mask thing that's going on--quite a few people, everywhere we have gone, have been wearing white masks over their noses and mouths. Is it to protect themselves from germs, or to protect others from their germs?
The fashion scene, even in our low-key neighborhood, is just amazing. Tokyo girls are really into layers--black tights or other leggings (over-the-knee socks are popular), short skirts, interesting tops topped with jackets or vests, handbags with little stuffed animals attached...and for the working women, high heels and lovely sleek skirts, tops, vests, sweaters--just lovely. And of course most people are thin, so their clothes look great on them. It's fun to sit back with a coffee and watch the passing parade.
We aren't big on the night scene, so most of our activities have been daytime events, with one exception: the first night we arrived, we took advantage of our proximity to the Tokyo Dome and attended a Yomiuri Giants vs. Yokohama Bay Stars baseball game at the dome (a great place to be in the rain!). We bought our tickets through japanball.com just before we left for Tokyo -- $150 for 2 "better" seats and the service charge (tickets were waiting for us at the hotel when we arrived). It turned out that we could have bought tickets at the dome when we arrived since the stadium was only about 2/3 full, but we were happy to avoid the confusion that undoubtedly would have ensued had we tried that. Japanese baseball was all that it's reputed to be -- cheerleaders and giant stuffed characters entertaining between innings, constant (really constant) coordinated cheering from the throngs in the bleachers, beer girls plying the aisles, bento boxes for sale on the mezzanine, and, oh, baseball in between all the action. A great way to start our trip!
During the week we visited many different neighborhoods, relying for our organization on Insight Guide's excellent "Tokyo Step-by-Step", which outlines walking tours through the high spots of Tokyo. The first was a walk from Nippori Station to Ueno Park, through the cemetery and the traditional neighborhood of Yanaka (great!) and on to Ueno Park. We spent some quality time at the wonderful Japanese collection of the National Museum in the park--very impressive collection, well presented, with excellent written commentary in English. Our second morning we spent at Tsukiji fish market, arriving about 7 a.m., just in time for the vegetable auction, which we enjoyed watching. Exploring Tsukiji was an adventure in ogling strange fish, dodging the little transport trucks that plowed their way up and down the wider aisles, snapping pictures, and marveling at all the action. We saw our first Westerners there--not a sign of any our first day in Tokyo, which was really quite amazing. After we left the market we walked on to the river and enjoyed the beautiful sunny weather as we strolled along the river promenade and across the bridge to Tsukudajima Island and the traditional neighborhood nestled there. In the afternoon we headed for the Imperial Palace grounds and East Garden (huge!), first stopping at the military shrine, Yasukina-jinja, where dozens and dozens of tour buses were disgorging middle-aged to older Japanese visitors to the shrine. There's a nice garden behind the shrine and a war museum where we stopped for a look in the lobby but decided not to enter since it seemed that all the explanations were going to be in Japanese.
On another day we went to the Marunouchi and Ginza neighborhoods for something completely different -- upscale shopping (we looked but didn't partake) and a couple of neat small art museums--the Idemitsu Museum of Art and the Bridgestone Museum of Art. Both are quite small collections, which we like, and not overwhelming but beautifully presented. The view from the Idemitsu of the Imperial Palace moat and grounds is exceptional. Because it was the third Sunday of the month we got to spend time at the twice-monthly open-air antiques market at the Tokyo International Forum, a dramatic building and a lovely way to spend an hour or so. Unfortunately, everything I wanted to buy cost $250, so I passed. We also really enjoyed what we called the "Ginza passagiata"--a long stroll down Ginza past the department stores (where we bought food for dinner), made particularly nice because it was Sunday and the street was blocked off to cars, populated instead by umbrella tables and chairs and what seemed like thousands of people (and lots of cute dogs) taking in the scene. People watching heaven. We topped that off with a drink at the Old Imperial Bar at the Imperial Hotel--pricey but just what to doctor ordered after a looonnng day of walking!
On yet another day we explored Asakusa and the striking Senso-ji shrine. Found some very nice craft stores (hand-stenciled towels, ceramic vases, etc.) where we will return to make purchases if we still have money left at the end of our trip. Later in the day we made the obligatory pilgrimage to Shibuya so we could see (and video) the Shibuya Crossing scene. Quite impressive! We tried to find a recommended restaurant in Ebisu, not far from Shinjuku, but ended up getting quite lost for the ony time during the week, so we finally called it a day and headed back to our neighborhood, but not before getting lost one more time. All's well that ends well, though, and Suidobashi Station magically appeared in front of us when we had just about given up hope of figuring out where we were! (Always seems to be much harder in the dark.)
We easily learned how to use the Tokyo subways--they are fantastic. Well marked, with signs in both Japanese and English and large maps thankfully marked *You Are Here*, and they take you anywhere you want to go. We each bought a 2,000 yen Pasmo card (same as the Suica card, but a different company) and refilled them twice during the week--we have about 1,000 yen left on each of them and will use that up when we our return. On most of the lines the stops are announced in Japanese and English, which helped improve our pronunciation of the place names we passed. One station we visited had signs stating that the first 4 cars of the train were reserved for women before 9:30 in the morning. That's a first!
We also used the JR Chuo train line to get to the pleasant suburb of Mitaka today for a visit to the wonderful little Ghibli Museum--highly recommended for fans of Totoro and the other animated characters of Hayako Miyazaki. (Reserve your tickets for the museum before you get to Japan since entries are limited.) Though there were lots of kids there, the museum appeals to adults as well. And what could be better than taking your picture with a giant robot statue on the rooftop?
We had some really good meals during the week, a few of which I'll mention. Most of these were for lunch (we tended to eat a nice meal at lunch and then snack for dinner in our room or in a park). In the Yanaka neighborhood we ate at Hantei, 2-12-15 Nezu, Bunkyo-ku--an excellent spot for kushiage (breaded things on sticks). The set lunch was 3,100 yen and included raw vegetables, 8 kinds of kushiage, potato tofu, rice, pickled fish, pickles, and a delicious red bean pudding.
A few blocks from Tsukiji market we had sushi at the counter at Kanno--2,500 yen for the two of us. In Hibiya Park we ate delicious curry at the pretty Matsumotoro Restaurant, right in the park. Very good!
In Asakusa we made our way up and down Kappabashi dori, the kitchen-supply street, which was great fun and had as a reward the simple but delightful Kappabashi Coffee, where we had iced coffee and an intriguing bento lunch (everything tastes better in a box, I think). Across from Ueno Station we enjoyed a lovely tempura lunch at Oto Oto, at the edge of the park. And in Mitaka we had a nice break from Japanese food at the Cafe Forte, an Italian bistro where we ate on the small patio. All in all, the meals we had in Tokyo were top-notch and not all that expensive (mostly about $50-$60 for two). No tipping and holding off on the alcohol (though we did have a beer at most places) made all the restaurants quite affordable.
All in all, we have spent a very happy week in Tokyo. Not much sign of any earthquake impact, aside from a few escalators in subway stations turned off to save power (I need the stairmaster anyway),and a reduced schedule of trains to Nikko. I think I felt one very little tremor the first night we were here, but nothing since. If you are thinking about visiting Japan but have been afraid to do so because of the earthquake and nuclear scare, Japan definitely needs your business and I think you'll have a great time. As for us, our next stops are Nikko, Kamakura/Enoshima, Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kanazawa, Kyoto, and Miyajima, followed by 2 weeks in Hokkaido. Tomorrow we activate our 14-day JR Pass. (We were aided by two wonderful young JR ticket agents at Tokyo Station in making seat reservations for all of our train trips to come--they made it extremely easy for us.) I hope I'll get a chance to post again from the road. If not--when I get back in late June!
Our 14-hour flight from New York to Tokyo on Continental was long but uneventful, and free since we used frequent flyer miles. (By the way, "we" means my husband and me.) The nicest part was landing in early afternoon, which I think helped reduce the jet lag. We took an airport limo bus to the Tokyo Dome Hotel in Chiyoda-ku, which is just a few blocks from where we have stayed for the week, the lovely boutique Hotel Niwa Tokyo (94,000 yen for 7 nights). We walked from the Tokyo Dome and found our place quite easily. It's around a quiet corner just off a busy main street, very close to Suidobashi Station on the Mito subway line, so it's a nice location. Our room is small but perfectly appointed, with relaxing mood lighting and shoji screens on the big window overlooking the street from 8 floors above. A small refrigerator, flat-screen TV, and all the amenities we needed make it a wonderful place to come back to each evening.
First impression of Tokyo: everybody, and I mean everybody, waits at the crosswalk for the light to turn green before crossing a street--quite a change of pace after New York! As a result, in the morning armies of people walk down the street together, followed by a break, then another army. In our neighborhood, depending on the time of the morning, there were three basic armies we watched from the local coffee shop: the dark-suited working men and women came first, followed a little later by the casually dressed college students, and then, later still, by the uniformed elementary students. Our first night in the neighborhood it was raining so there was yet another army--the umbrella armada. I think we were the only people among hundreds we passed who were not carrying umbrellas.
Couldn't quite figure out the mask thing that's going on--quite a few people, everywhere we have gone, have been wearing white masks over their noses and mouths. Is it to protect themselves from germs, or to protect others from their germs?
The fashion scene, even in our low-key neighborhood, is just amazing. Tokyo girls are really into layers--black tights or other leggings (over-the-knee socks are popular), short skirts, interesting tops topped with jackets or vests, handbags with little stuffed animals attached...and for the working women, high heels and lovely sleek skirts, tops, vests, sweaters--just lovely. And of course most people are thin, so their clothes look great on them. It's fun to sit back with a coffee and watch the passing parade.
We aren't big on the night scene, so most of our activities have been daytime events, with one exception: the first night we arrived, we took advantage of our proximity to the Tokyo Dome and attended a Yomiuri Giants vs. Yokohama Bay Stars baseball game at the dome (a great place to be in the rain!). We bought our tickets through japanball.com just before we left for Tokyo -- $150 for 2 "better" seats and the service charge (tickets were waiting for us at the hotel when we arrived). It turned out that we could have bought tickets at the dome when we arrived since the stadium was only about 2/3 full, but we were happy to avoid the confusion that undoubtedly would have ensued had we tried that. Japanese baseball was all that it's reputed to be -- cheerleaders and giant stuffed characters entertaining between innings, constant (really constant) coordinated cheering from the throngs in the bleachers, beer girls plying the aisles, bento boxes for sale on the mezzanine, and, oh, baseball in between all the action. A great way to start our trip!
During the week we visited many different neighborhoods, relying for our organization on Insight Guide's excellent "Tokyo Step-by-Step", which outlines walking tours through the high spots of Tokyo. The first was a walk from Nippori Station to Ueno Park, through the cemetery and the traditional neighborhood of Yanaka (great!) and on to Ueno Park. We spent some quality time at the wonderful Japanese collection of the National Museum in the park--very impressive collection, well presented, with excellent written commentary in English. Our second morning we spent at Tsukiji fish market, arriving about 7 a.m., just in time for the vegetable auction, which we enjoyed watching. Exploring Tsukiji was an adventure in ogling strange fish, dodging the little transport trucks that plowed their way up and down the wider aisles, snapping pictures, and marveling at all the action. We saw our first Westerners there--not a sign of any our first day in Tokyo, which was really quite amazing. After we left the market we walked on to the river and enjoyed the beautiful sunny weather as we strolled along the river promenade and across the bridge to Tsukudajima Island and the traditional neighborhood nestled there. In the afternoon we headed for the Imperial Palace grounds and East Garden (huge!), first stopping at the military shrine, Yasukina-jinja, where dozens and dozens of tour buses were disgorging middle-aged to older Japanese visitors to the shrine. There's a nice garden behind the shrine and a war museum where we stopped for a look in the lobby but decided not to enter since it seemed that all the explanations were going to be in Japanese.
On another day we went to the Marunouchi and Ginza neighborhoods for something completely different -- upscale shopping (we looked but didn't partake) and a couple of neat small art museums--the Idemitsu Museum of Art and the Bridgestone Museum of Art. Both are quite small collections, which we like, and not overwhelming but beautifully presented. The view from the Idemitsu of the Imperial Palace moat and grounds is exceptional. Because it was the third Sunday of the month we got to spend time at the twice-monthly open-air antiques market at the Tokyo International Forum, a dramatic building and a lovely way to spend an hour or so. Unfortunately, everything I wanted to buy cost $250, so I passed. We also really enjoyed what we called the "Ginza passagiata"--a long stroll down Ginza past the department stores (where we bought food for dinner), made particularly nice because it was Sunday and the street was blocked off to cars, populated instead by umbrella tables and chairs and what seemed like thousands of people (and lots of cute dogs) taking in the scene. People watching heaven. We topped that off with a drink at the Old Imperial Bar at the Imperial Hotel--pricey but just what to doctor ordered after a looonnng day of walking!
On yet another day we explored Asakusa and the striking Senso-ji shrine. Found some very nice craft stores (hand-stenciled towels, ceramic vases, etc.) where we will return to make purchases if we still have money left at the end of our trip. Later in the day we made the obligatory pilgrimage to Shibuya so we could see (and video) the Shibuya Crossing scene. Quite impressive! We tried to find a recommended restaurant in Ebisu, not far from Shinjuku, but ended up getting quite lost for the ony time during the week, so we finally called it a day and headed back to our neighborhood, but not before getting lost one more time. All's well that ends well, though, and Suidobashi Station magically appeared in front of us when we had just about given up hope of figuring out where we were! (Always seems to be much harder in the dark.)
We easily learned how to use the Tokyo subways--they are fantastic. Well marked, with signs in both Japanese and English and large maps thankfully marked *You Are Here*, and they take you anywhere you want to go. We each bought a 2,000 yen Pasmo card (same as the Suica card, but a different company) and refilled them twice during the week--we have about 1,000 yen left on each of them and will use that up when we our return. On most of the lines the stops are announced in Japanese and English, which helped improve our pronunciation of the place names we passed. One station we visited had signs stating that the first 4 cars of the train were reserved for women before 9:30 in the morning. That's a first!
We also used the JR Chuo train line to get to the pleasant suburb of Mitaka today for a visit to the wonderful little Ghibli Museum--highly recommended for fans of Totoro and the other animated characters of Hayako Miyazaki. (Reserve your tickets for the museum before you get to Japan since entries are limited.) Though there were lots of kids there, the museum appeals to adults as well. And what could be better than taking your picture with a giant robot statue on the rooftop?
We had some really good meals during the week, a few of which I'll mention. Most of these were for lunch (we tended to eat a nice meal at lunch and then snack for dinner in our room or in a park). In the Yanaka neighborhood we ate at Hantei, 2-12-15 Nezu, Bunkyo-ku--an excellent spot for kushiage (breaded things on sticks). The set lunch was 3,100 yen and included raw vegetables, 8 kinds of kushiage, potato tofu, rice, pickled fish, pickles, and a delicious red bean pudding.
A few blocks from Tsukiji market we had sushi at the counter at Kanno--2,500 yen for the two of us. In Hibiya Park we ate delicious curry at the pretty Matsumotoro Restaurant, right in the park. Very good!
In Asakusa we made our way up and down Kappabashi dori, the kitchen-supply street, which was great fun and had as a reward the simple but delightful Kappabashi Coffee, where we had iced coffee and an intriguing bento lunch (everything tastes better in a box, I think). Across from Ueno Station we enjoyed a lovely tempura lunch at Oto Oto, at the edge of the park. And in Mitaka we had a nice break from Japanese food at the Cafe Forte, an Italian bistro where we ate on the small patio. All in all, the meals we had in Tokyo were top-notch and not all that expensive (mostly about $50-$60 for two). No tipping and holding off on the alcohol (though we did have a beer at most places) made all the restaurants quite affordable.
All in all, we have spent a very happy week in Tokyo. Not much sign of any earthquake impact, aside from a few escalators in subway stations turned off to save power (I need the stairmaster anyway),and a reduced schedule of trains to Nikko. I think I felt one very little tremor the first night we were here, but nothing since. If you are thinking about visiting Japan but have been afraid to do so because of the earthquake and nuclear scare, Japan definitely needs your business and I think you'll have a great time. As for us, our next stops are Nikko, Kamakura/Enoshima, Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kanazawa, Kyoto, and Miyajima, followed by 2 weeks in Hokkaido. Tomorrow we activate our 14-day JR Pass. (We were aided by two wonderful young JR ticket agents at Tokyo Station in making seat reservations for all of our train trips to come--they made it extremely easy for us.) I hope I'll get a chance to post again from the road. If not--when I get back in late June!
May 18th, 2011, 01:04 PM
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Don, Forgot to mention a stroll around Shinjuku and a couple of hours spent at the beautiful Shinjuku Park not far from the station--all made so much better by the lovely weather we've had almost all week. When we return we're staying at the B in Ikebukuro. What would you say we shouldn't miss before we head home?
Ht, we have a rental car reserved for the 10 days of exploring after we leave Sapporo, rented through tocoo.com. Looking forward to it--and hoping the English GPS that comes with it keeps us from getting lost!
We have a taxi booked for this morning to take us to Ueno station for the train to Nikko--even traveling light (1 small roller bag each) we don't want to mess with luggage on the metro during rush hour!
Ht, we have a rental car reserved for the 10 days of exploring after we leave Sapporo, rented through tocoo.com. Looking forward to it--and hoping the English GPS that comes with it keeps us from getting lost!
We have a taxi booked for this morning to take us to Ueno station for the train to Nikko--even traveling light (1 small roller bag each) we don't want to mess with luggage on the metro during rush hour!
May 18th, 2011, 01:40 PM
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The bad thing about English GPS is usually no one can read English to explain it to you,lol. Don't worry though its very easy to use in Japanese or English version. Just have them explain what buttons to push before you leave and have them program your first destination for you. Rental car agencies usually have a laminated picture card that explains how to use the GPS. Having phone numbers of your destinations are helpful as the gps is easy to program with destination phone numbers. I envy you right now as I sit here at work wishing I could be driving through the lavender fields of Furano.......
Aloha!
Aloha!
May 18th, 2011, 03:05 PM
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Hi, I'm in Japan too. Right now I'm in Kyoto and I'm on the budget plan. I flew over with Singapore Airlines from LAX and the flight was eventful. Free ice cream, wine, two full meals, and the fasten seatbelt sign was turned off four minutes after take-off. I also received miles from Continental. The round trip ticket was $960.
I'm staying at K's House in Tokyo, Ito, Mt. Fuji, and Kyoto. I've been staying in a seven person dorm for about $32 USD a night.
If I had to do it over again, I would have purchased a JR Rail pass for the second week of the trip. This is my first time in Japan, traveling by myself and it has been an experience. The people leave me alone unless I have a question and then they are very helpful.
K's House has a lot of common space where the travelers have a great chance to meet each other. I can pick up a bottle of wine for about 700 Yen and share it with the travelers. In Tokyo, they had free drink night and they brought us several bottles of Japanese wine.
I used chopsticks for my last two meals. My white shirt was still white when I finished, but it wasn't pretty. I have gone to McDonalds for breakfast a few times but never lunch or dinner.
Often I will go to a take-out restaurant and spend about 500 Yen and bring it back to the hostel where they have a complete kitchen for cooking. The hostel also has private rooms.
I agree, the Japanese economy is hurting thanks to the news media. People don't need to cancel their trip to Japan just because the moving sidewalk has been turned off to save electricity.
I'm staying at K's House in Tokyo, Ito, Mt. Fuji, and Kyoto. I've been staying in a seven person dorm for about $32 USD a night.
If I had to do it over again, I would have purchased a JR Rail pass for the second week of the trip. This is my first time in Japan, traveling by myself and it has been an experience. The people leave me alone unless I have a question and then they are very helpful.
K's House has a lot of common space where the travelers have a great chance to meet each other. I can pick up a bottle of wine for about 700 Yen and share it with the travelers. In Tokyo, they had free drink night and they brought us several bottles of Japanese wine.
I used chopsticks for my last two meals. My white shirt was still white when I finished, but it wasn't pretty. I have gone to McDonalds for breakfast a few times but never lunch or dinner.
Often I will go to a take-out restaurant and spend about 500 Yen and bring it back to the hostel where they have a complete kitchen for cooking. The hostel also has private rooms.
I agree, the Japanese economy is hurting thanks to the news media. People don't need to cancel their trip to Japan just because the moving sidewalk has been turned off to save electricity.
May 19th, 2011, 03:49 AM
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Thanks for the tips on the GPS, ht. I'll report back on how that all works out for us.
Wally--I've been reading your posts about your trip--very interesting! Sounds like you've had some rewarding experiences.
Today we traveled to Nikko; we are staying overnight at the Turtle Inn, a small, simple inn in the residential neighborhood just below the temples. It's friendly and informal and does the job, with 2 comfortable futons in our Japanese-style room, a small table and seating pads, and a bathroom down the hall. Seems a little overpriced at 9,000 yen per night for the two of us, but it's about as cheap as we could find in this tourist attraction just two hours from Tokyo. Because the whole area is seriously hurting, economically, owing to the precipitous drop in tourism, the inn is offering us free Western breakfasts (normally they charge 1,000 yen per person) and, if we were staying more than a night, discounts on the other nights.
Tourism is indeed REALLY down here--there were a few tour buses in the parking lots here today, toting Japanese tourists to the temples, but we saw only about a dozen other Westerners in the whole temple complex, normally a mecca for Western tourists. We stopped in at the tourist office to pick up a map and the friendly agent there thanked us profusely for coming to Nikko (and Japan), acknowledging that the tourism the area so depends on is at rock bottom at the moment. That's bad for the local economy (many restaurants along the main street in Nikko center are currently closed, and the big annual festival scheduled for the last couple of days was canceled), but I sheepishly admit that it's good for us because we got the opportunity to see Nikko without the usual throngs. It's an amazing place--gorgeous temples, decorated to the hilt, set among towering ancient trees. Much better than I expected it would be!
The World Heritage area is walking distance from the train station, though you can also catch a local bus for about 240 yen (it takes the Pasmo card!). We bought a combination ticket that gives access to the 4 major temples for 1,000 yen, and we spent the day moseying around. The weather and light were spectacular, making for some great photo ops. It took us a while to find an open restaurant for lunch, but we finally found one that served tasty udon noodles in a rich chicken broth, 780 yen each. After the temple area closed we wandered back to the inn and then over to the venerable Kanaya Hotel for a drink at its atmospheric Dacite Bar. Really fun. The hotel (built in 1875) is a little past its peak but has a great history that it proudly displays through pictures throughout the public areas.
Loved Nikko and are so glad we made the time to visit (free with our JR Pass, which we activated today). Tomorrow, we head back through Tokyo and on to Kamakura and Enoshima.
Wally--I've been reading your posts about your trip--very interesting! Sounds like you've had some rewarding experiences.
Today we traveled to Nikko; we are staying overnight at the Turtle Inn, a small, simple inn in the residential neighborhood just below the temples. It's friendly and informal and does the job, with 2 comfortable futons in our Japanese-style room, a small table and seating pads, and a bathroom down the hall. Seems a little overpriced at 9,000 yen per night for the two of us, but it's about as cheap as we could find in this tourist attraction just two hours from Tokyo. Because the whole area is seriously hurting, economically, owing to the precipitous drop in tourism, the inn is offering us free Western breakfasts (normally they charge 1,000 yen per person) and, if we were staying more than a night, discounts on the other nights.
Tourism is indeed REALLY down here--there were a few tour buses in the parking lots here today, toting Japanese tourists to the temples, but we saw only about a dozen other Westerners in the whole temple complex, normally a mecca for Western tourists. We stopped in at the tourist office to pick up a map and the friendly agent there thanked us profusely for coming to Nikko (and Japan), acknowledging that the tourism the area so depends on is at rock bottom at the moment. That's bad for the local economy (many restaurants along the main street in Nikko center are currently closed, and the big annual festival scheduled for the last couple of days was canceled), but I sheepishly admit that it's good for us because we got the opportunity to see Nikko without the usual throngs. It's an amazing place--gorgeous temples, decorated to the hilt, set among towering ancient trees. Much better than I expected it would be!
The World Heritage area is walking distance from the train station, though you can also catch a local bus for about 240 yen (it takes the Pasmo card!). We bought a combination ticket that gives access to the 4 major temples for 1,000 yen, and we spent the day moseying around. The weather and light were spectacular, making for some great photo ops. It took us a while to find an open restaurant for lunch, but we finally found one that served tasty udon noodles in a rich chicken broth, 780 yen each. After the temple area closed we wandered back to the inn and then over to the venerable Kanaya Hotel for a drink at its atmospheric Dacite Bar. Really fun. The hotel (built in 1875) is a little past its peak but has a great history that it proudly displays through pictures throughout the public areas.
Loved Nikko and are so glad we made the time to visit (free with our JR Pass, which we activated today). Tomorrow, we head back through Tokyo and on to Kamakura and Enoshima.
May 21st, 2011, 07:04 AM
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Thank you April...a beautiful, detailed start...5 weeks..great adventures are ahead for you two. My visit in 2007 was actually a "revisit" and was very meaningful to me in many ways, having "lived" there for two years (1946-48), as a "guest" of the United States government...say what? So my 2007 trip was purely nostalgic while marveling at how exceptionally far the nation had come since then. Will you be getting to Kyushu at all? That's where I "lived"...in the remains of a little village, now a sparkling renowned <i>onsen</i> resort! I'll be very intersted in your comments of beautiful Kyoto, also. Visited in 2007, but I sweetly recall a happy three day leave there and nearby Nikko. Both were left untouched due to a sensible, tacit war-time agreement between the two countries.
Have a wonderful time, April. You will. Pix please!
Have a wonderful time, April. You will. Pix please!
May 21st, 2011, 07:29 AM
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April, the main thing I was thinking of was spending time in the parks of Tokyo -- and it looks like you did that. (Don't settle for just 1 park. Plan on 1 park per day -- it's a great counter-balance to the ypical frenzy of the streets, the subways, and the shops.) I'd also include a stroll through Harajuku for a different sort of people-watching experience. And some time going through any of several mega-stores in Akihabara, though that might be a guy thing.
May 25th, 2011, 03:38 AM
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We actually visited Nara for an overnight trip from Kyoto in 2005 when we first traveled to Japan. Very lovely indeed, but with only 3 days in Kyoto this time we will take a pass.
I'll wrap up the Tokyo report with a brief account of our 2-day visit to Enoshima and Kamakura, doable as a long daytrip from Tokyo. We were glad to have two nights there, though. We took a morning train from Nikko to Tokyo Station and then transferred to the Yokohoma-bound train and on to Fujisawa, where we picked up a taxi to Enoshima Island, about 15 minutes away. The taxi let us off just across the causeway, at the base of the island, where we joined a huge throng of Japanese tourists who were visiting the small shops and food stands along the main street that leads up to the shrine and most of the way around the island. It kind of put us in mind of the throngs that crowd the lower part of Mont St. Michel in France--same touristy kitsch, only Japanese-style.
Our ryokan hotel was Iwatomo-ro, a very nice place with extremely helpful staff. Not too much English spoken, but we all basically understood each other. Our tatami room was large, with a small additional space that fit a table and chairs and overlooked the sea. If it had been clear (dream on!) we would have been able to see Mt. Fuji from the room. There was a small bath in our bathroom and the public baths were quite nice--the women's bath had a stained glass dome for a ceiling, and pretty stained glass doors. When I bathed in the morning I was the only person there, which was kind of nice.
We spent the afternoon walking the island, which has several small temples, a pretty garden filled with annuals, and a wild cave where the walk ends at the top of the island, which we didn't enter (it cost money and neither of us really likes caves). By the time we returned to our room we were ready to relax and get ready for our first full-fledged ryokan meal. It didn't disappoint, except that it was way too much food (served in our room).
The next day (Sunday) we spent in Kamakura and the nearby Hase. We bought one-day passes on the Enoden train line, a cute little line that makes its way along the coast to Kamakura, passing through a narrow corridor lined in places with houses on both sides. With the pass it was easy to get off and on at the several stops along the way. We reached Hase about 8 a.m. (after a large Japanese breakfast at the ryokan) and walked up the road to the giant Buddha (which is not in fact in Kamakura itself). There were very few people there at that hour, so we were able to enjoy the Buddha in virtual solitude. It's really impressive, with a great setting--it seems to tower above the mountains behind it. Of course I took lots of pictures. Then we walked back toward the station to visit the Hase-dera temple, which is definitely worthwhile with its many different shrines and pretty garden.
We hopped back on the train and a few minutes later were at our final destination for the day, Kamakura city. We followed a busy shopping street that led directly to the main temple complex. Kamakura was the busiest of the main tourist sights near Tokyo that we had visited--perhaps because it was Sunday and a beautiful sunny day. There was lots to see in the temple complex, including a wedding ceremony taking place on a platform in the center of the area. We also hiked about 15 minutes up the road to a large Shinto shrine (sorry, don't have my notes with me) which was simpler and much quieter--interesting to see the differences.
At the end of the day we made our way back toward Enoshima on the Enoden line, stopping at another station to find an appealing restaurant. We settled on Amalfi Ristorante, right along the coast above the coast road crowded with traffic (reminiscent of the Pacific Coast Highway along the beach in Southern California, with surfers doing their thing in the smallish waves in front of the restaurant). We'd been in Japan for about 10 days and were ready for some non-Japanese food, so it was a nice break, if a bit expensive.
I'll start a new report for the next stage of our trip, to Takayama, Shirakawa-go, and Kanazawa (we're in Kanazawa now). Suffice it to say that Tokyo and its nearby sights were a treat!
I'll wrap up the Tokyo report with a brief account of our 2-day visit to Enoshima and Kamakura, doable as a long daytrip from Tokyo. We were glad to have two nights there, though. We took a morning train from Nikko to Tokyo Station and then transferred to the Yokohoma-bound train and on to Fujisawa, where we picked up a taxi to Enoshima Island, about 15 minutes away. The taxi let us off just across the causeway, at the base of the island, where we joined a huge throng of Japanese tourists who were visiting the small shops and food stands along the main street that leads up to the shrine and most of the way around the island. It kind of put us in mind of the throngs that crowd the lower part of Mont St. Michel in France--same touristy kitsch, only Japanese-style.
Our ryokan hotel was Iwatomo-ro, a very nice place with extremely helpful staff. Not too much English spoken, but we all basically understood each other. Our tatami room was large, with a small additional space that fit a table and chairs and overlooked the sea. If it had been clear (dream on!) we would have been able to see Mt. Fuji from the room. There was a small bath in our bathroom and the public baths were quite nice--the women's bath had a stained glass dome for a ceiling, and pretty stained glass doors. When I bathed in the morning I was the only person there, which was kind of nice.
We spent the afternoon walking the island, which has several small temples, a pretty garden filled with annuals, and a wild cave where the walk ends at the top of the island, which we didn't enter (it cost money and neither of us really likes caves). By the time we returned to our room we were ready to relax and get ready for our first full-fledged ryokan meal. It didn't disappoint, except that it was way too much food (served in our room).
The next day (Sunday) we spent in Kamakura and the nearby Hase. We bought one-day passes on the Enoden train line, a cute little line that makes its way along the coast to Kamakura, passing through a narrow corridor lined in places with houses on both sides. With the pass it was easy to get off and on at the several stops along the way. We reached Hase about 8 a.m. (after a large Japanese breakfast at the ryokan) and walked up the road to the giant Buddha (which is not in fact in Kamakura itself). There were very few people there at that hour, so we were able to enjoy the Buddha in virtual solitude. It's really impressive, with a great setting--it seems to tower above the mountains behind it. Of course I took lots of pictures. Then we walked back toward the station to visit the Hase-dera temple, which is definitely worthwhile with its many different shrines and pretty garden.
We hopped back on the train and a few minutes later were at our final destination for the day, Kamakura city. We followed a busy shopping street that led directly to the main temple complex. Kamakura was the busiest of the main tourist sights near Tokyo that we had visited--perhaps because it was Sunday and a beautiful sunny day. There was lots to see in the temple complex, including a wedding ceremony taking place on a platform in the center of the area. We also hiked about 15 minutes up the road to a large Shinto shrine (sorry, don't have my notes with me) which was simpler and much quieter--interesting to see the differences.
At the end of the day we made our way back toward Enoshima on the Enoden line, stopping at another station to find an appealing restaurant. We settled on Amalfi Ristorante, right along the coast above the coast road crowded with traffic (reminiscent of the Pacific Coast Highway along the beach in Southern California, with surfers doing their thing in the smallish waves in front of the restaurant). We'd been in Japan for about 10 days and were ready for some non-Japanese food, so it was a nice break, if a bit expensive.
I'll start a new report for the next stage of our trip, to Takayama, Shirakawa-go, and Kanazawa (we're in Kanazawa now). Suffice it to say that Tokyo and its nearby sights were a treat!
May 25th, 2011, 06:41 AM
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April:
Seems like not too many visitors take in the MIHO Museum near Kyoto. I enthusiastically recommend it. Very unusual (I.M.Pei design)..Its a 15 minute train ride followed by a 40-minute bus ride into the hinerlands. We went early in the day, had lunch at the MIHO and were back in Kyoto by 2. It's a fairly small museum to take in.
stu
https://picasaweb.google.com/stuartt...hoMuseumIMPei#
Seems like not too many visitors take in the MIHO Museum near Kyoto. I enthusiastically recommend it. Very unusual (I.M.Pei design)..Its a 15 minute train ride followed by a 40-minute bus ride into the hinerlands. We went early in the day, had lunch at the MIHO and were back in Kyoto by 2. It's a fairly small museum to take in.
stu
https://picasaweb.google.com/stuartt...hoMuseumIMPei#
May 25th, 2011, 09:02 AM
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I just discovered this report and am now happily following along. (I so much enjoyed your Aeolian saga!)
It's been about 20 years since my last Japan trips but I hope to return in the not-too-distant future so will be taking notes!
It's been about 20 years since my last Japan trips but I hope to return in the not-too-distant future so will be taking notes!
May 25th, 2011, 04:07 PM
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tower, I think you mentioned this museum before. I wanted to go there but it closes after June 5th for over a month. Unfortunately for us we will be there June 6-21! Maybe on another trip to Japan we can see it. It does look interesting!
May 26th, 2011, 01:57 AM
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Oops. The space bar on Japanese computers is smaller than on U.S. computers, and the next key over gets you to Japanese characters or some other action--which seems to have happened to my last post. Anyway, what I meant to say is we will see if we can fit the Miho museum in to our Kyoto time.
eks -- your trip reports and postings are always a treat. Thanks for reading mine! (By the way, we are returning to the Aeolis in September for 3 weeks--just can't get enough of those islands!)
eks -- your trip reports and postings are always a treat. Thanks for reading mine! (By the way, we are returning to the Aeolis in September for 3 weeks--just can't get enough of those islands!)
Jun 16th, 2011, 02:23 PM
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We returned to Tokyo from 12 days in Hokkaido on June 14 (I'll update my Hokkaido report in the next day or two) and spent our final 2 days in Japan seeing some of the sights we had missed in May and doing the shopping we had put off til the end of the trip since we hadn't wanted to lug stuff around with us for 5 weeks. It was great to be back in the city! This time we stayed in Ikebukuro, a completely different neighborhood from Chiyoda-ku, where we had based earlier. Quite a difference! Ikebukuro is much more youth-oriented and abounds with shops, cafes, and restaurants, though there are also some quiet residential areas to be found if one ventures off the main thoroughfares. There were also two or three people sleeping on the street near the station--the only homeless people we saw in Japan.
Our hotel was the trendy but reasonably priced Ikebukuro b, a few minutes from the train station, on the busy Meiji dori. We really liked the b. It is decorated in bright colors--our room was a nice green and orange combination--and has nice modern touches, including a super shower in the bathroom (the only shower we had in all the places we stayed throughout Japan!). Our 9th-floor room was long and narrow, with a window overlooking the busy street. Breakfast (included) was served in the wine bar of the adjoining Italian restaurant, Salvatore Cuomo's, which is a Tokyo chain that serves excellent pizza and other Italian dishes. Both Japanese and Western choices were offered in the buffet breakfast, as well as pasta and meatballs in deference to the Italian setting. It was a fun place to stay.
We had flown from Kushiro, a small city in southern Hokkaido, to Haneda airport, which is much closer to Tokyo than is Narita airport. It was really easy to take the monorail from Haneda to a station on the JR Yamanote subway line for the ride to Ikebukoro. So much faster than the lengthy (and expensive) ride from Narita to the city. Next time we fly to Tokyo we will definitely try to get one of the new international flights into Haneda.
We were lucky to have a dry June day yesterday for our final day in Tokyo. The temperature was still nice and cool (in the 70s) but the humidity has started to increase. The male office workers who were so impeccably dressed in dark suits and ties in May have ditched their ties in anticipation of the hot and humid summer that's just days away. People will be coping as best they can with the cutbacks in air conditioning in buildings and subways that are being undertaken as a power-saving measure in these tough times for Japan. (Lots of fans featured in store displays these days!)
After breakfast we took the metro to beautiful Yoyogi Park with its stately forest, heading first to the iris garden next to the Meiji-jingu. We were so fortunate in our timing, since (1) mid-June is the peak blooming time for the amazing and colorful array of Japanese irises that fill a huge, meandering swath and (2) we were early enough (arriving at 9:15) to be able to see the garden in relative peace, unmarred by the hordes of (Japanese) tourists who poured off tour buses and marched into the garden just as we were leaving. We shared the irises with a few photographers and artists who were trying to capture the beauty of the flowers, as was I. They were the most beautiful group of flowers I've seen since Monet's garden in Giverny.
We went on to the Meiji shrine, which had its fair share of visitors but is large enough to accommodate a huge number without seeming overwhelmed. It was quite an impressive place, and the people who were visiting were extremely respectful, turning back to bow to the shrine as they passed through the torii at the end of their visit.
We exited the park at its southern end, which took us into Harajuku and Omotesando. Very fun neighborhood, with stylish (and expensive) shops and lots of interestingly dressed people, though no cos-players as far as we could tell, since it was a weekday. Off the main street we found the Ota Memorial Museum of Art, which offers excellent ukiyo-e exhibitions. The one on display yesterday was a wonderful set of prints with odd and unusual subject matter by the 16th-century woodblock artist Kuniyoshi. A real treat!
We were hungry for lunch by then and walked down Omotesando dori where we found an inviting soba restaurant on the first floor of Omotesando Hills shopping center, called Kurruka 3. We had great seats at street level right next to a window where we could watch the passing style parade as we ate cold soba with meat and vegetables in black vinegar--a perfect lunch. We were brought a carafe of hot water toward the end of the meal and told how to make "soba yu" by adding the water to the leftover vinegar in our bowls to make a warm soup to finish the meal. Delicious!
Enough culture and eating, however--we needed to shop! The rest of the day was spent hitting a few spots we had highlighted as good possibilities for gift-buying (including gifts for ourselves). The Oriental Bazaar, located across from the restaurant, provided some decent possibilities and we did buy a few things there, but it wasn't quite as interesting as we had hoped it would be. We also visited the Traditional Crafts Center next to Ikeburo station, which had beautifully crafted items from all over Japan but was quite expensive. Finally we headed back to Kappabashi-dori in Asakusa, which we had first visited in May and where we had seen in one shop a nice rustic vase we had plans to buy on our return. We found the shop again and were happy that the vase was as nice as we had remembered it, so that was a happy purchase. Walking Kappabashi-dori again was great fun and we were able to pick up some nice gifts (trays, cups, chopsticks...) for reasonable prices. We wondered how we would be able to fit everything into our small roller bags, but eventually we did find places for all of our purchases in the nooks and crannies of the suitcases and a backpack I had purchased in Kyoto with present-storage in mind.
We were pretty exhausted after all that shopping and walking, but we wanted to experience a little of the Ikebukuro nightlife on our last evening in Japan, so we headed out again after dropping everything off and ended up at a crazy place in Sunshine City, a few blocks from the station, called the Gyoza Stadium. It features 7 or 8 famous (?) gyoza chefs (well, the people who they have hired to work for them) who make various kinds of gyoza dumplings and sell them out of a bunch of little stalls in a section of a funky amusement park in the Sunshine City complex. We settled on 3 different kinds of gyoza for our last bit of Tokyo cuisine--a fun way to end the trip.
We loved our five weeks in Japan and were so glad we had not canceled after the March earthquake and subsequent nuclear mess. As I noted in this and other reports, Western tourism in Japan is way down and the people who work in tourism-related industries are so appreciative of the travelers who are coming to the country. We were happy to do our part and were rewarded with a great trip to a beautiful and fascinating part of the world.
I'll post a link to my photos in the next few days.
Our hotel was the trendy but reasonably priced Ikebukuro b, a few minutes from the train station, on the busy Meiji dori. We really liked the b. It is decorated in bright colors--our room was a nice green and orange combination--and has nice modern touches, including a super shower in the bathroom (the only shower we had in all the places we stayed throughout Japan!). Our 9th-floor room was long and narrow, with a window overlooking the busy street. Breakfast (included) was served in the wine bar of the adjoining Italian restaurant, Salvatore Cuomo's, which is a Tokyo chain that serves excellent pizza and other Italian dishes. Both Japanese and Western choices were offered in the buffet breakfast, as well as pasta and meatballs in deference to the Italian setting. It was a fun place to stay.
We had flown from Kushiro, a small city in southern Hokkaido, to Haneda airport, which is much closer to Tokyo than is Narita airport. It was really easy to take the monorail from Haneda to a station on the JR Yamanote subway line for the ride to Ikebukoro. So much faster than the lengthy (and expensive) ride from Narita to the city. Next time we fly to Tokyo we will definitely try to get one of the new international flights into Haneda.
We were lucky to have a dry June day yesterday for our final day in Tokyo. The temperature was still nice and cool (in the 70s) but the humidity has started to increase. The male office workers who were so impeccably dressed in dark suits and ties in May have ditched their ties in anticipation of the hot and humid summer that's just days away. People will be coping as best they can with the cutbacks in air conditioning in buildings and subways that are being undertaken as a power-saving measure in these tough times for Japan. (Lots of fans featured in store displays these days!)
After breakfast we took the metro to beautiful Yoyogi Park with its stately forest, heading first to the iris garden next to the Meiji-jingu. We were so fortunate in our timing, since (1) mid-June is the peak blooming time for the amazing and colorful array of Japanese irises that fill a huge, meandering swath and (2) we were early enough (arriving at 9:15) to be able to see the garden in relative peace, unmarred by the hordes of (Japanese) tourists who poured off tour buses and marched into the garden just as we were leaving. We shared the irises with a few photographers and artists who were trying to capture the beauty of the flowers, as was I. They were the most beautiful group of flowers I've seen since Monet's garden in Giverny.
We went on to the Meiji shrine, which had its fair share of visitors but is large enough to accommodate a huge number without seeming overwhelmed. It was quite an impressive place, and the people who were visiting were extremely respectful, turning back to bow to the shrine as they passed through the torii at the end of their visit.
We exited the park at its southern end, which took us into Harajuku and Omotesando. Very fun neighborhood, with stylish (and expensive) shops and lots of interestingly dressed people, though no cos-players as far as we could tell, since it was a weekday. Off the main street we found the Ota Memorial Museum of Art, which offers excellent ukiyo-e exhibitions. The one on display yesterday was a wonderful set of prints with odd and unusual subject matter by the 16th-century woodblock artist Kuniyoshi. A real treat!
We were hungry for lunch by then and walked down Omotesando dori where we found an inviting soba restaurant on the first floor of Omotesando Hills shopping center, called Kurruka 3. We had great seats at street level right next to a window where we could watch the passing style parade as we ate cold soba with meat and vegetables in black vinegar--a perfect lunch. We were brought a carafe of hot water toward the end of the meal and told how to make "soba yu" by adding the water to the leftover vinegar in our bowls to make a warm soup to finish the meal. Delicious!
Enough culture and eating, however--we needed to shop! The rest of the day was spent hitting a few spots we had highlighted as good possibilities for gift-buying (including gifts for ourselves). The Oriental Bazaar, located across from the restaurant, provided some decent possibilities and we did buy a few things there, but it wasn't quite as interesting as we had hoped it would be. We also visited the Traditional Crafts Center next to Ikeburo station, which had beautifully crafted items from all over Japan but was quite expensive. Finally we headed back to Kappabashi-dori in Asakusa, which we had first visited in May and where we had seen in one shop a nice rustic vase we had plans to buy on our return. We found the shop again and were happy that the vase was as nice as we had remembered it, so that was a happy purchase. Walking Kappabashi-dori again was great fun and we were able to pick up some nice gifts (trays, cups, chopsticks...) for reasonable prices. We wondered how we would be able to fit everything into our small roller bags, but eventually we did find places for all of our purchases in the nooks and crannies of the suitcases and a backpack I had purchased in Kyoto with present-storage in mind.
We were pretty exhausted after all that shopping and walking, but we wanted to experience a little of the Ikebukuro nightlife on our last evening in Japan, so we headed out again after dropping everything off and ended up at a crazy place in Sunshine City, a few blocks from the station, called the Gyoza Stadium. It features 7 or 8 famous (?) gyoza chefs (well, the people who they have hired to work for them) who make various kinds of gyoza dumplings and sell them out of a bunch of little stalls in a section of a funky amusement park in the Sunshine City complex. We settled on 3 different kinds of gyoza for our last bit of Tokyo cuisine--a fun way to end the trip.
We loved our five weeks in Japan and were so glad we had not canceled after the March earthquake and subsequent nuclear mess. As I noted in this and other reports, Western tourism in Japan is way down and the people who work in tourism-related industries are so appreciative of the travelers who are coming to the country. We were happy to do our part and were rewarded with a great trip to a beautiful and fascinating part of the world.
I'll post a link to my photos in the next few days.
