So what about Canada?

I am back home for some weeks now and all of my trip seems so distant and long ago somehow. But there's so much left to tell. Anywhay, no way just walking away leaving this blog unfinished. So i start with a swift report on my visit to Canada.

I spent some days together with Kathi in Ottawa, so glad to be reunited once again. We went around this not that well known capital and i liked all the garish neo-medieval architecture. As there's not enough space for two in the student's dormitory single room, and i hoped to see somewhat of the country after all, we soon hit the road!

Besides the somewhat calmer mood of Canadians over their southern neighbours, they prove to be real revolutioners concerning speed limits, which are as low as in the US, just that nobody cares.

Moreover if you leave the Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal axis, you quickly get to know the ambiguity of the term highway, which may not imply more than a paved strip through endless woods, one typical thing for Ontario.

As i recently had my temple-and-any-other-traditionall-stuff-hangover from Japan and still remember the corn-one along our way west in the US, it's the forest-and-lakes hangover you get up in the borealm. Nonetheless the mostly slight hilled landscape can be very impressive and we did some hiking tours in the provincial parks; at least as far as we got without snowhoes (we tried them only once at Mt.Tremblant).

Mid march in Ontario still proved to be mid winter, but temperatures weren't that bad anymore (people wearing t-shirts above 0°C). Nonetheless winter tourism isn't that develloped, and the "closed for season"-sign got our companion everywhere we went. The farther north you get, the less dense population gets and the heavier industries. Final leader was Timmins, a 50.000 soul logging town, stretching out 40km in every direction (The "Welcome to"-sign inmidst the taiga really was fun). All in all, from a visitor point of view, Canada turned out not to be that different from the States after all, an impression rehabilitated only by what we saw from Quebec and its own culutral touch, and me being so glad getting my hands on real food again, after having had to drop low from japanese delicacies to ever recurring burger or steak menus *puke*
Montreal with its multicultural flair and cool places to hang out, became our welcome back to civilication after having left behind 3000km of boreal forest.

And once again the day to say good bye came far to early. But from now it's only one more month until my love will come back too. Let's see about what adventures settling down rather than travelling foreign lands will bring along. Here the map of places we went:

Oh Canada....

I slept well in my in the basement room i got, spent my last money to get to Westminster, Elephant&Castle and for a steak pie with a half stout. I realize it has really been a long time since i have been the last time to London, and after so long a time in Tokyo this metropolis rather looks small as for the buildings as well as the dimension.
I am experiencing reverse culture shock, which isn't too surprising, but funny anyway to be enstranged by something you have known for your whole life. Here is a list:

• People are open and emotional.
• People are loud and noisy.
• People are dressed casually.
• Blond women catch my eye (especially my very own one...)
  
• There is so much more space, people blocking entrance/exit areas anywhay (just an international phenomenon)
  
• Eating with knife and spoon at every meal.
• Meals are large, and there is so much meat and no rice and I am having a hard time.
  
• Everyone speaks english.
• I have to think about how to do and say when I want to pay in a restaurant.
• You better tip.
• Waiters putting the change on the table rather carelessly. (Probably because off having forgot above)
• No shoes off/slippers on inside living spaces.
• So many really old houses..

The flight from London to Ottawa was very relaxed. Rather spacious seats, good meals, only no window at my seat, so i head to look out of the one to the front seat, and i could as there was now stupid shutting policy. More frozen landscapes. I saw the southern tip of Greenland, attached to an iceberg stiched polar sea, then the vast lands of New Foundland, patterned by frozen lakes, great, but couldnt take any pictures.

Now in Ottawa together with Kathi again. -4 degrees and lots of snow, and that where I just had welcomed spring temperatures.

Lift Off

Ok just a little update as i am now in London for some 24 hours, enough to make it to the center village and have some fish and chips and of course beer with nothing else going with it.
The flight would have been ok, but somehow, lights were turned out and everyone had to pull down the shutters, on a day flight, so to rather watch the stupid TV program than the vast landscapes of the frozen sea north of russia. Of course i couldnt stand such ignorance for too long, and took some time to stare out anyway.
And as always Heathrow offered its regular troubles, this time it was delayed baggage, so basicely all people from all planes arriving waited in the small baggage hall (really small in comaprison) 90min for their luggage.

But Baywaters is a cool place, rather touristy though, but with a good spirit, am getting somewhat of the expected reverse culture shock, amazing to be in an really international city again. But its strange, i really have to change habits again, I nearly forgot to tipp at the cafe tonight.
Futhermore English isn't the signmark of foreigners anymore, but of course in London people are from anywhere. And it wasn't so easy to find soe non-asian food for me.
And yes, Jetlag has its impact too, awake now for 24hours something.....

Icy wind...

It turned out, i had made the online reservation at the wrong hotel at the wrond prefecture (Fukushima in Tohoku) so rather than showing me the way, the tourist information made a new reservation for me (Business Hotel Senba).
Tokushina City is one more of a standard middle size Japanese town, and hasn't really much to offer (who said Shikoku was remote anyway....).

Nearby Naruto has its whirlpool in the sea between Shikoku and Awa-Iji. The time was rather good, as around full moon the phenomenon has its strongest appearence. Nonetheless there was no drain visible, only water turning around in the circle, which was impressive anyway. The boat went straight into it, so it was turned around by the water, then we went back again.

Despite 15° in Tokyo and even in Vienna, there was an icy wind continuing to blow for three days which finally brought me down, so i am now lying in bed of totally new J-Hoppers Osaka, rather than visitin castle, history museum and aqaurium...
Let's see how my condition will be tomorrow...

Naruto Fotos

Spirits

From Matsuyama i went on the 100km something to Saijo. Not only didn't i get a temple stay (probably for henros only), i had to call 5 different hotels until i got a room, they where either "full" or "on holiday" as i was told on the phone. Aoki Hotel right next to the station gave me a room finally. More temples in Saijo, but i only made it to two of them, as i found out about a walkway up to temple number 60, the most remote one around Saijo, promissing escape from the heavy artery traffic.

That promise was kept and so i made my path along the chine of Shikoku mountains. You sure know the shape of these from samurai films or similar, it's totally steep at the foot, getting flat once you made that. For me, i was totally exhausted after the first path, moreover i somehow underestimated the distance, so it took me three hours to make it. 900m high there was still much snow, and it was freezing, so no rest for me at the temple, better this way anyway, as i arrived back in the urban sprawl around sunset. So no more temples on that day for me. But Houju-Ji (No. 60) definitely was woth it.

Next day brought enlightment of some different sort, i visited Asahi brewery. Everything was made up for presentation including an hourly shuttlebus to and from the factory. I got my single person guided toor, from the second floor you look down through windows to the ground level where all the silos, boilers, quality check laboratorys and botteling lines are. The guide explaining in english (read from a sheet), we chatted half english half japanese. This way i learned the stuff i drink taking it for beer so far, actually is happoushuu, with it's share of malt reduced, it slips through taxation levels, making the stuff cheaper (still around 190Y a can). Unfortunately no fotos allowed on the tour.

Next day was Zentsuu-ji (Station Hotel, shabby and rather far from the station). I visited temples 72 (Mandara-Ji) to 75 (Zentsuu-Ji), the whole walk was somewhat more relaxed than the day before, only around 5km one way. The latter temple was the place of the boyhood home of Kobo-Daishi, the founder of the pilgrimage.

Next will be Tokushima, my hub over to Osaka, not many plans for there, Naruto has a giant whirlpool.

Saijo & Zentsuu-Ji Fotos

Matsuyama

I landed on Shikoku at the Port of Matsuyama. As i was totally powered out by moving on day by day, i stayed there for three nights to get some slight rest and organised again. I finally decided to skip Hiroshima, because i didn't care for the atomic bomb memorial, and I've already seen some Toori in the water, so no need for more. Being a rather busy business town not so different from any other middle sized Japanese city, Matsuyama has an impressive castle on a hilltop just in the towncenter. Structure and interior date back from 1850 something, so it stand a closer look too. (Most of the rebuilt in the 60ies castles i have seen so far didn't).

By the Botchan Ressha, a former steam train now running on electricity i went over to Dogo Onsen, just on the town outskirts and took a splash in the Honkan, where once more the structure of the historic facilities remains up today.

But the main thing on Shikoku is the 88 temples pilgrimage, making a tour all around the island. In fact i thought about doing the whole thing by cycle, but despite being on the same height as places like Tel Aviv or Malaga, this part of Japan is rather cold at that time of the year, so i chose the itinerary I am following now. Nonetheless as I am here, i'd like to get a glance of the path, so i am following parts of it by foot. In Matsuyama, i went from Temple No. 48 (Sairin-Ji) to 51 (Ishite-ji). Most of the time, i had to walk along roads with heavy traffic. But it's really impressing how the atmosphere changes once you enter the temple area. The structures itselves might not be so vast and impressing like those let's say in Kyoto (no queing all along the gardens) but the feeling is all so different.

Most pilgrims equip themselves with a kitschy white shirt, a hat, a walking stick, a bracelet and a ticket from the next travel agency, to carry them by bus from one temple to the next, doing the route in some 10 days. The few serious once, doing actually the whole way by foot, don't need any of these. A white scarf or something similar is all those i met on the road wore.Next day i will take the bus to Saijo, more temples there, and as i didn't make it to the Sapporo brewery on Kyushuu (!) i will visit Asahi's here.

Stayed at: Superhotel Matsuyama
Matsuyama Fotos

Steam

The Shinkansenride lastet only for 40 minutes, then i had to change for the relay zubame (so the line to hakata is definitely not finished yet). And i forgot my book during the unexpected change. This time i didnt have the whole dorm for me alone in the youthhostel i stayed. Having left my luggage i hopped on the next bus up to Naka Dake, once more an active Volcano. No hiking up there, as "for safety reasons" you have to go by your own car along the tollroad or take the ropeway, so the operating companies have the safety of a steady source of income. In fact the steam ascending up from the bottom of the caldera really is awful, put all chemistry experiments together and you get it. Nontheless it was an exciting experience!
As i needed to walk a bit i hooked on a path further down, leading to the next peak, promising once mor 360° view. But as it was rather steep and icy, i decided to stop halfway, as i could see most of the valley and the neigbouring cones, from where i went.
Aso Fotos!

Thanks to a hint from a guy i chatted with over supper, i took the bus over to Beppu rather than the train the today. This took one hour more, but the view of the ever changing landscape was great. We went over a mountain pass, and it snowed heavilly! Glad to have safely arrived i checked for accomodiation and everything else i needed, then started to visit the "Hells" Beppu is famous for, it's a variety of natural hot-spring phenomena, put up for mass tourism, there's a small geyser and various pools of steaming hot spring water, i only really liked the "Pool of blood"-Hell, the water coloured red by the clay ground. As I'am at the very Onsen mekka of Japan, no way avoiding the hot springs, i tried Hyotan-Onsen, offering Rotemburo, Steambath and a Waterfall bath, very relaxing climate there.
Tomorrow, since i have time until the ferry at 4pm, I'll go for one or two more hells, try the mud-bath and hope to visit the infamous sex-museum (not covered in official tourist information;-)...

Beppu-Fotos.

Sandbath, cones and space center

Where there are volcanos, hotsprings never are far, as i waited for the rocket launch day, i went south to Ibusuki, famous for its sandbath on the beach, you lie into the warm sand and are buried up to the neck, it can get really hot, but its just so relaxing. Only the constant sound of digging shovels is somewhat scary, reminded me of a burial ground. Anyway the salty thermal water is everywhere, steam from the beach, steam from the canals along the road and even the bath at the youthostel i stayed at, had it's own onsen.

As bathing is best after a long hard day, not that i needed a pretext, i went further south to the symetric cone of extinct Kaimon-dake. It takes 2 hours along a narrow path winding up around the mountain. The last kilometer contained some climbing and ladders, but i really enjoed the first serious hike, since my passage over Gas-San last september. On the top, 900 meter above the close seas level, i had a stunning 360° view, wow!

Ibusuki Fotos

As today was the assigned day for a rocket launch, i hopped on the jetfoil (a calm ride, despite the rough sea) down to Tanegashima, where rifles were introduced to japan, to watch the launch. Unfortunately it was cancelled, so i had to content myself with a visit of the spacecenter, together with the launch facilities situated in front of a great beach scenery.
Tanegashima Fotos


I will stay in Tanegshima business in tonight, and would like to even longer, as the island is very nice, but as it's definitely time to get farther up north, it'll be the jetfoil once more, and i wont be able to avoid the shinkansen on my way to Aso-san, despite my intention to use no more rapid transport once in Okinawa...

Under the volcano...

I left the ferry somewhat weak in the knees. As Kagoshima welcomed me with bright weather, and unuasual high temperatueres, i went straight over to Sakura-Jima, on the other side of Satsuma bay.


Once having been an island, sakurajima now is a peninsula, as major eruptions connected it with the main island. Smoke is raising from the Crater top just all day long, bringing ash-rain from time to time. In fact Sakura-jima is a construction sight on its own. There are artifical hills meant to protect the port form downpouring lava, and they built giant drains to draw possible lava flows into the southern part of the bay. Around the mountain top, which is off limits vor all visitors there is one construction sight next to the other. You don't see much of that, as it's rather distant. The view is great anyway.

Kagoshima itself has some mediterranean flair, people are very stylish again, but not so uniformed like in Tokyo. And having left Okinawa, thinking, my Japanese became good enough, i had a very hard time getting the Satsuman dialect at all. It's very differentfrom anything I've heard in Japan so far, the sound of it is very light, and there seem to be many As and Es.

Kagoshima is more over full of history, as it's omnipresent hero Saigo Takamori coinitiated the Meiji Restoration, leading the opposition to it afterwards. Moreover, Kagoshima has been the landing site for Francisco Xavier, the first Catholic missionary entering Japan. So i just needed to go to one of the few catholic churches in japan and was warmly welcomend by the people there, hearing i come from catholicistic Austria ;-)
I stayed at the nice but somewhat old Busines Hotel Suzuya, the newer and cheaper option would have been one of the hotels just right when leaving the station.

Kagoshima Fotos.

Leaving the Ryu-Kyu realm

I only spent one full day in Naha, which is a nice middle size town, if it wasn't for the circulation, which is horrible. But strolling along the backroads is always a fun thing in Japan. I did some sightseing, like Tsuruba Pottery district, Shuri-Castle and the Budokan. I hoped to go to the wartime Naval headquater too, but an incredibly lousy busservice including uninformed busdrivers (certainly unique in all Japan) prevented me from that.
Okinawa main island also serves as the base for US-army troops, one full day spent in the city, i saw nothing of any GIs, the bases all being up north. Of course that didn't keep locals from taking me for an American, which got me several frosty non-welcomes in shops and restaurants. But certainly no way for a Japanese (even though Ryu-Kyuan) to resist japanese politeness, so until leaving the atmosphere had got friendly all the time.

What I actually witnessed of US-army presence in Naha, were several overflights of fight jets directly over the city and at low height, making even more noise than all the cars on a major road together. What i got out of an embarressed shopkeeper, is that those flights seem to be rahter regular. The following day has one more long ferry ride (25h), and one more early morning leave, arrgh! The next morning will be Kagoshima, on the volcano island Kyushuu.

Naha Fotos

Cutting through the waves up north...

Once again a ferry ride and once more strong waves conveyed by wind from the north. I hoped to get some sleep during the journey, so i layed down at once after boarding at 6. Although luying flat on the matrass, i completly lost balance, only this time this was no alcohol induced waggeling, but rather the some 100m long vessel itself, lifted by the rough sea, giving me moments of levitation, then hitting the water surface again, So i opted for a rattan armchair in a windowed corridor (thanks for the hint dad), to spend my wake there. Going by ferry is not so popular anymore, as regular flights link even the remotest Okinawan islands with the rest of Japan and its not much more expensive taking the plane if you book early. Therefore one line going to the southern islands stopped passenger transport at all.

The ships of Arimura Line are part Cargo part passenger ferries (very common on all islands) and there is only one ferry a week back to Naha. There are several classes, the first, the regular one, with cabins for 6 people and a 2nd class-type with bunk beds equipped dorms, no sign of tatami dorms i read about on the internet. Although going by ferry might not be the most convenient way of travelling anymore, as it takes 14h from Ishigaki to Naha (around 450km) it's a good way to experience the distance between the islands and let you feel that you're actually in the middle of the sea, a fact the japanese seem to try to make you forget.

Despite an island country there is not much sense for the sea here (except fishing). In Honshu you'll never see anything of the sea, if you not really go for it and Tokyo is even worse in that regard (artificial Odaiba doesn't count!). On the other hand this isn't really surprising regarding the countries self chosen isolation, where it was forbidden to leave the country for several hundreds of years, neither were tall ships allowed to be build. So even today, the ocean seems to rather mark a definite border than something accessible.

Welcome to the jangeru!

To Iriomote it takes 40min by speedboat, enough for me to be ready to puke, but just right for a copassenger who slept during the passage, dispite all the shaking and horrible noise on the open deck (we have a winner....!).
In Iriomote it's all Yamaneko (Wildcat), tours, shops, dorms, even a marathon is named after them! As there are only some hundred of these critters, which naturally avoid human civilization and moreover are only active during nighttime, you never see the real ones, but tons of signs instead, warning you to not roll them over on the street (otherwise being severely punished...;-O

Iriomite is covered with jungle forest, human settlements nestled along the westside coast. I went up Urauchigawa, a scenic river bordered by mangroves. From the landing site there is a path crossing the whole island. Most visitors including me stick to the nearby waterfalls, which can be reached within 45mins. But that's quite fine to get a glance how a jungle looks like. There were quite a few cool things to see.

Not only did i forget my umbrella in the bus (i never have one longer than a week), but the pension i had made the reservation at, told me they wouldn't pick me up when i called them to, because they were on vacation ("...but this is Ryuu-Kyu!"). As my mobile didnt work in the jungle the boat company let me use their phone. Of course not much choice this way, so i ended up in rundwon Pension Taira, without meals but moldy walls instead. Actually this seems to be nothing uncommon for Uehara, the village i stayed, as all Hotels here are totally run down. Only the price isnt. A real backdrop considering the beauty of this island.

Having had enough of no warm water, no mirrror in the bathroom, and no sink (therefore no shaving, how did this place make it into LP recommondations after all?) after one night i had the luck, the clerk at deserted Uehara port getting me a room at Pain-Kan. After all the troubles with accomodiation i enjoyed a decent room near the beaches (swimming, once more at great sites), eating wild boar carpaccio at the near izakaya and drinking yamamori-sake together with the people from pain-kan! So i got glance of life on that island too.
Today after a short morning dive, i took the bus to south side Ohara port, as Uehara was still closed for northern winds conveying high tides, and watched the jungle landscape through the windows. One more speedboat-ride back to Ishigaki, taught me about northern winds strengh, as the vessel jumped several times, after hitting the waves. Tomorrow i continue back to Naha by early morning ferry.
One funny thing i heard about ishigaki: Visitors from nearby Taiwan like to buy apples as souvenir gifts, as they are thought to be so cheap (1 apple is 150-200Y).

Far from Tokyo...

Entering the half cargo half passenger ferry in the dark, i had the chance to watch the dawn (sun didnt really break through) on open sea. Arrived at around ten o'clock in Ishigaki-City, 2200km away from Tokyo and already close to Taiwan. I left my luggage at the somewhat shabby but internet-equipped Rakutenya, went straight on to Taketomi-Jima, a small island just close to Ishigaki, where a traditional village has been preserved and is a major tourist destination now. Once more unpredictable rain didnt keep me off the beaches, which were deserted until i arrived. Met a bunch of friendly people today.

I think I understand now, what irritated me first, as people rather say "Nippon" than "Nihon", the first being considered carrying a rather nationalistic undertone and which i didnt hear so far except from right-wing-car-mounted speakers. I first thought it to be such a nationalist turn, but obviously it is more a way how people are expressing their cultural distance from Japanese main islands. Like during a conversation over some delicious grilled fish today: "You know, this is Japan. But this is Ryuu-Kyu... It was Ryuu-Kyu."

Ishigaki-Fotos

Finally I updated my maps:

Größere Kartenansicht

Miyaku. part 2

Yesterday i went to Irabu, just short from Miyaku main island, rented a bike and went around the island and its neighbour island connected by many bridges. More great beaches there, and a pilot training site, whith starts every 10 minutes until noon. I finally jumped into the water at Nakanoshima-beach, the most beautiful, being sheltered by overhanging cliffs. Unfortunaltelly the occasional rainshowers turned into continuing rain accompanied by strong wind, which made me return after being soaked within 10 minutes.

Today it finally cleared up, making the island even more beautiful, once more snorkeling from a deserted beach. Great. Tomorrow i will go on to Ishigaki, departing at 5 in the morning...

Miyako-Jima

I got in the plane at Haneda airport, which is built on reclaimed land and reached via Tokyo Monorail. After having checked in my luggage (it's enough to be there 20min in advance) it took 2,5 hours to reach Naha airport on Okinawa, where i was welcomed by rather high temperatures and humidity.

I didnt see much of Naha, because i had to take the ferry the same day, and thanks to a lousy busservice (No destinations on bus-timetables, 20min delay etc) i had to skip Shuri-Castle. Okinawa is a car society as Japanese use to say, and the only american thing for me to experience, as i did only see one westerner during the whole day, so the Americans seem to rather stay on their bases. Ok, there are lots of Steak-Houses though, of course i eat champloo instead , the obviously name-giving dish for the Samurai Champloo anime (both great!!!). From the rather run down Shinko (New Port) in Naha, it takes 8h by ferry to get to Miyako. I slept well and didnt get sick.

At Miyako port i was picked up by the proprietor of the Kuromonchou-Minshuku, who is a totally nice guy, later that day, he showed me around all over Miyako main island from north to south with his car, told me a lot, and in the evening we had dinner together with one of his friends, exchanged sake and home made Schnaps from Austria. Today we did some snorkeling on the eastern coast, the water being warm, but probably not what you need for that kind of activity, so we had enough after 30min. But i am relaxed knowing now there'll be no problem swimming in 20degree warm water (just as air temperature). Only backlash: it is really cloudy and rainy all the time, and you're not able to foretell the next shower (which normally is over again after half an hour something again).
Watch the Fotos!

Goodbye Tokyo!

Last days in megalopolis! Having left my room with its great view, said good bye to all friends and collegues, i am on my own now once again.

To miss no experience i decided to stay the last night in a capsule hotel in Akihabara, the part of town where all the computer nerds an otaku kids make their shopping dreams come true.

Tomorrow i take the plane down to Naha, Okinawa's main town and from there take the overnight-ferry to Miyako-Jima the same day, an island even farther south, already close to Taiwan. I'll stay there at Minshuku Kuromonchou, the house having been built around 100 years ago, something really special regarding the past, as okinawa islands where the only part of Japan being conquered by US-troops.

I hope to find calm weather there, it's said to have around 20°C, unfortunately it'll be rather clowdy. nonetheless i hope i can go swimming, as the beaches should be magnificent. Saturday i will go on to Ishigaki, the most southern Part of Japan, before returning to Naha, and from there going north again up to Kagoshima.

Some Akiba-Fotos.

Where we went....

As I have mentioned before, my girlfriend and I travelled to central Japan during the winterholidays.
We started in Hida-Takayama, the capital of Gifu prefecture, famous for its quater of dark wooden buildings dating from the Edo period and also its beef, which in fact is delicious, but somewhat expensive. You eat it together with cold soba noodles. Takayama is rather small and very calm so its perfect for just walking around. And i spotted snow for the first time, since i came to Japan!
We stayed overnight at a youth hostel adjunct to Tenshoji one in a row of buddhist temples at the east end of the city. A great place! Overall there seem to be much more temples than Shrines in Central Japan, just opposite to eastern part.

Further up north is Shirakawago a narrow valley beneath a reservoir. Ogimachi is its largest village consisting mainly of old farmhouses (gasshotsukuri), with their triangle shaped roofs, beneath which silkworms where bred in former times. The silkworm waste then was buried in the ground under the living space, where it transformed into a base material for gunpowder, and remained the main source for it for several hundred years. We stayed in one of these old houses. Otherwise than stated on their homepage they didnt serve dinner at the fireplace, where a small stove directly is put on the ground. So unfortunately we missed that experience.

Finally we arrived in Kyoto, the must-see-town of Japan. There we got a glance of Kansai-livestyle. People seem to be much more relaxed over there, walk slower, talk louder and laugh more. Kyoto is the spiritual center of Japan. As a tourist you experience that as a decent sightseeing tour threatens to turn into a temple-marathon. We tried to avoid this, but had a somewhat hard time doing so, as non spiritual facilites where practically all closed down for the Year End period. Nevertheless the temples are impressive, not least because of vast meditational gardens surrounding them. Personally i liked Touji the most, because of the magnificent groups of buddhas and boddhisavatwas inside the lecture hall.
Our base there was Shimaya, just between towncenter and the station, the atmosphere there was one of the best i witnessed in Japan so far!

Happy New Year!

After a short but pleasant journey over to Kansai we celebrated New Year back in Tokyo! Despite theses days being the main holiday season here, it is rather a quite time, families coming together often from far distances. And there are just no fireworks at all. As my girlfriend returned today, we had to get up early and skipped heavy partying, instead dancing to the tunes of the danube waltz home, after we heard the temple bells starting around midnight. Later on we followed customs and visited a shrine in the neighbourhood bowed and drank some warm sake afterwards.


Much happiness and all the best for 2008!
It's the Year of the rat now!

Japanese New Years customs
Photos from our the Journey

Trade

As it seems to be the appropriate time to talk about consumption, I continue with two major trading spots in Tokyo.

Tsukiji Market Japans largest one and also one of worlds largest wholesalemarkets. But the main thing of interest there is fish. Auctions taking place there in early morning, and you can watch all steps of fish being processed. Away from the hectic tuna auctions the goods being delivered to merchants, who saw the big animals and sale pieces of several kilos weight, which move on to the sushi-stores, were they once again are sliced up into much more tinier pieces, fitting on a small rice ball now. Besides fish you can get anything which used to be living in the sea. Especially in the morning it gets very hectic and you really have to be careful about all the small pick-up-carts entering even narrowest galleries, its already difficult to pass on foot without stumbling over anything. We ended our visit with a plate of freshest sushi possible. It was delicious, but as it was early morning and also some special titbits topping the rice, it turned out to be a particular challenge. And again it was early morning!

The other one is Tokyo Stock Exchange. Again one of worlds largest as probably anyone knows. But no hectic there, as floor trade has been put down and anything is computerized now. Instead of closing everything down for public too, as the paranoiacs did in New York and Chicago, they put up a giant screen where the quotes of all major listed companies are displayed. Nowadays there are only some system maintenants working there along with agents from finance news corporations. The giantesque arrangement seemed to be rather useless, but it reminded me of those science fiction movies as well as the funny Go for it (“Zwei bärenstarke Typen”). As this place is not among major tourist spots i had my guided tour together with only one guy from the Netherlands being into commodities trading.
Very interesting tour!

All fotos on Trade!

Hakone – Fujispotting and Leaves Hunt

After several weeks in central Tokyo it was definitely time for me to get out and experience some nature. So i took the Romancecar last Sunday and went over to Hakone, just at the border of the Kanto plain. As it was the right time, weather was promising and it was the last day of a long weekend, this japanese tourism hotspot par excellence was crowded just like back at Shinjuku station where I started my trip.
At Hakone Yumoto, I had to change for the Tozan small railway up to Gora, a way which is said to be scenic, but as it was just like metro at rushhour i couldnt get much of the scenery.

Up there, i had to change two more times, first for the Tozan Cable Car, then for the Hakone Ropeway. Just a fine variety of means of transportation i had there! When the Ropeway made it over the final ridge up to Owakudani, the reason why this spot attracted hordes of visitors became evident as the Fuji was raising in front of a bright autumn sky!
What an impressive view!

But Owakudani is an attraction by itself, as the mountain crest is covered with sulphuric hotsprings and steam fuming out of the rugged ground. Unfortunately the nature-trail leading right through the moonlike landscape was closed down by the time, so i had to content myself watching it from some distance. Furthermore Owakudani also has its culinary speciality, that is black eggs, which are boiled in pools of the said hotsprings, giving them a dark colour thanks to a chemical reaction.

By then i definitely had to escape from the crowds and make my way down to lake Ashi along a hiking trail, leading through a forest in full autumnal decoration. It is momijigari season, the time Japanese are hunting for turned red leaves and its considered to be just the autumn equivalent of cherry blossom, well covered in weather reports. And in fact, besides the famous radiant red you have all kinds of different colours.
After stopping at a temple and a tea house, both well hidden in the forest i got to the lakeshore of Togendai from where i took the megakitschy pirateboat ferry down to Hakone-machi, which is once again offering great views of the Fuji. Down there is the reconstruction of Edo-period Hakone Checkpoint, one of many posts serving to collect taxes on goods arriving form outside Edo as well keeping the few female inhabitants of the city inside (and therefore the daimyos loyal?). From there I walked over to Moto Hakone with its famous Shrine.

That's where I decided, to stay overnight as i definitely wanted to hike a little bit more and soak in an onsen without being worried about getting the last connection back home. So I stayed at Moto Hakone Guesthouse (Just a walk form the lakeshore up to Ashinokomae bus station, (0460-3-7880), where i got a small but cosy room for the night.
After having spent the evening at the great Mori no Yu, I got up early the next day and made my way back to Yumoto along the Stone Paved Edo Time Highway, going down from the vulcanic heights along a scenic valley. Back at Yumoto i dipped once more into an onsen pool at the rustic Kappa Tengoku, before finally returning to Tokyo.

All Hakone fotos!

In the ropeway up to Owakudani