19 September 2018 - Tokyo, Japan - Part 7

I returned to Tokyo in preparation for my flight home to LAX. This trip has been good for me as I was able to truly relax and recover from my busy life. My only regret is that I wish my girlfriend could have joined me on this adventure. So, what to do on my last day?

I started with a walk through the Asakusa area. I wanted to see the Kaminarimon, with its giant chōchin, at the outer gate of Sensō-ji temple.

I did a little bit of shopping at Don Quijote. This store has everything including a smattering of weird Japanese products.

As I headed for the airport, I enjoyed a cold beverage from last few vending machines I would see on this trip. Gonna miss my Milk Teas, coffees, sports drinks, and other unique flavors...

Here is a video I made during the trip...

17 September 2018 - Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan - Part 6

Today, I arrived for a few days of exploring the city of Kanazawa. I'd like to say it makes me think of a miniature Kyoto. It has some serious historic charm and context. As I departed the Shinkansen station I was greeted by a rather interesting archway...

After checking into my hostel I walked a few blocks to explore Omicho Market. This is a traditional Japanese seafood market similar (yet less crowded) than Tokyo and Kyoto's versions. You can see numerous stalls of stores and restaurants. I enjoyed some fresh sushi from a local shop here.

After lunch, I walked east to find the Higashi Chaya district. This historic area contains a number of former Geisha houses. Most of the buildings are now shops and restaurants.

Next, I hiked over to the Kanazawa Castle. Once again I wanted to learn more about Japanese architecture; moreover, there is some amazing wood joinery here to explore. The original castle dates back to 1580, but most of it has been burnt down and replaced. The current restoration is based off the 1871 history.

I finished my tours with a walk through the Kenroku-en Gardens. It is one of the top 3 gardens in Japan. I enjoyed a snack at one of the local tea houses and took my time on a relaxing walk. I'd like to visit this garden again someday.

15 September 2018 - Hakuba, Nagano, Japan - Part 5

I've always wanted to visit the Swiss Alps so when I heard that there was an alpine range in Japan I naturally wanted to see it. Turns out this place is mostly about ski resorts, so my visit in September is during offseason. Good enough for me as I just want to relax in peace and quiet. Maybe I'll do some hiking too. I decided to start with a good dish of Curry...it seems that my stunt at the start of the trip has not soured my love of this food.

Over the next few days, I would do some hiking around the resort areas and enjoy two of the local Onsens. I needed it as I was still sore from my epic hike a few days earlier.

The small town feels here was fantastic and reminded me of the small town I grew up in. On my way to one of the onsens, I found a Buddhist graveyard and temple along the edge of the woods.

The first Onsen I visited was more of a place for the locals, hidden amongst the back part of the town. It was small but met my needs. I did luck out however because as I was leaving from my bath, an entire high school tennis team showed up (noisy teenagers...oh crap...I'm old).

Here is another Onsen I visited the next day. It was more of a roadside rest location for tourists. While larger and nicer quality, it lacked some of the rustic charms the other location had. I enjoyed my hot bath nonetheless.

Off to Kanazawa in a few days...

14 September 2018 - Matsumoto, Japan - Part 4

With one week remaining of my vacation, now was the time to challenge my language skills and go somewhere new (to me). The further away from big cities like Tokyo you go, the less English you will find.

I took a train with the goal of heading to the Hakuba Alps in Nagano, home of the 1998 winter Olympics. Along the way, I had to switch from the JR Chuo line to the JR Oito line in the town of Matsumoto. Since my next train did not depart for a few hours, I decided to explore a local castle.

After about 15 minutes of walking, I found the castle grounds. This is a smaller castle but has a nice park surrounding it. I took a tour of the castle. The concept of Japanese Wood Joinery is something the creative part of me finds absolutely fascinating. By cutting wood into unique shapes and fitting them tightly together without nails or screws, these buildings can stand for centuries.

Outside the Castle, the local park was bustling with a beer festival. I enjoyed myself a libation and found some Takoyaki (fried octopus balls). What a great day!

Onward to Hakuba...

13 September 2018 - Fujikawaguchiko, Japan - Part 3

So I had to cancel my visit to Hokkaido. This required some serious last minute planning and booking. I decided to explore to the northwest, starting with the resort town of Fujikawaguchiko. I was so stressed about the rescheduling that I needed a few days of hiking and onsens to relax. While I have been to this place before, it still makes me happy. It takes about an hour by train to get here.

There is a nearby set of trails that I have been wanting to try out for a few years. It starts behind the Tenzozan Park, a gondola fed temple/restaurant/giftshop high on the side of Mt. Tenjo-San. I still don't understand the story of the rabbit and raccoon here.

According to the signs, the trail to the top of Mitsotage-San is a 6 hour round trip. I took my day pack, a rain shell, and some tea and juice (hydration) and gave it a go.

The trail was long. However, after about 3 hours of hiking, I finally made it to the summit of Mitsutoge. Too bad it clouded over. There were these quaint mountain huts that had beds for rent. What a great idea! I did find it mildly entertaining that there were beverage vending machines at the top of this mountain.

I took solace in my achievement (both distances hiked and altitude gained). I love the mountains almost as much as I love the ocean. I hiked back down the other side of the ridge following a service road. You would need a serious 4x4 to get up this beast. I think I may of overexerted myself as my final few miles were very sore. I know how to solve this problem. I hot bowl of Japanese Ramen and a visit to the hot baths of an Onsen.

To Be Continued...

11 September 2018 - Tokyo, Japan - Part 2

For my second day in Tokyo, I decided to go do some serious walking at Ueno park (mainly to work off all that curry I ate the day before). It was a little bit overcast, but the temperatures were nice. For being in the middle of a metropolis, this place sure is peaceful.

I met up with my friends once again and we decided to have some Okonomiyaki (cabbage pancake). What a fun combination of flavors (salty and tangy)! We split a few different combinations including a seafood-themed one.

After our meal we decided to go see what new arcade games had been placed in Sunshine City and Akiba. The most notable find was a "3D" game of tabletop Pong. I think it uses magnets to move the cube along the surface. The refresh of an old classic was very entertaining.

I got some bad news today. As I tried to book my bullet train to Hokkaido, it turned out that the earthquake damage was still limiting travel. Sadly, I canceled my reservations, paid the penalties, and replanned the rest of my trip to go somewhere else. Luckily, there are other places I still need to explore. First, I'll go somewhere familiar...

10 September 2018 - Tokyo, Japan - Part 1

Somewhere around July 4th there was a sale on Delta.com for Asia travel. While I had not planned a trip to Japan, the price of a round trip ticket popped up as $760. Having seen recent prices in a range of 1200-1500 I just couldn't resist. So...おかえりなさい (Okaerinasai - Welcome Back).

My big plans for this trip include a little time in Tokyo to visit friends and then potentially my first visit to Hokkaido, the north island of the nation. That might not happen however due to recent earthquakes and landslides in that area. I remember my first trip to Japan over a decade ago. At that time it was scary and full of culture shock. Now, at this point in my life, it feels very familiar.

While I am here in Tokyo I think the time has come to do the Go-Go Curry World Champion eating challenge. It consists of 2.5kg of rice/curry, cabbage salad, 2 pork cutlets, 4 jumbo shrimp, 4 hot dogs, and some hard-boiled eggs. It costs about $25 and there isn't much of a time limit (some people have finished in less than 4 mins...some have taken as long as 90mins)

Well, my friends, it didn't go as well as I had hoped. I had a good strong start but after 38 minutes called off the stunt to avoid participating in a public health emergency. The first half of the dish was pure junk food bliss, but the rest was just salty/greasy suffering.

Seriously, I can eat a lot of food. This dish (and maybe jet lag) humbled me this day. To be continued...