Nagano - Japan

All of our Japan itinerary, hotel and travel information can be downloaded here.

Day 6

Today we travelled to Nagano with the main point of the visit being to see the famous snow monkeys! The train from Tokyo to Nagano station is about 2.5 hours and is covered by the JR pass we now had activated.  The ride itself was very beautiful and from our comfortable seats the vistas from the window became gradually more mountainous and snow-capped.  

These chocolate crisps were actually Ok

To save time, even though we had our bags, we decided to try to connect to the monkey park from Nagano station prior to travelling to our hotel (which was around an hour commute from the station via another train).  At Nagano station we bought the one-day pass to the monkey park which is 3,200 yen for adults or 1,600 yen for children and covers:

·         One-day unlimited use of the Nagaden Train

·         One-day unlimited use of the Nagaden Express Bus between Nagano Station and Kanbayashi Onsen

·         One day unlimited use of the local Nagaden Bus between Yudanaka Station and Kanbayashi Onsen

·         Admission to the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park

Considering that the entrance to the monkey park is only 800 yen for adults but the train or buses aren’t covered by the JR pass, it is just about worth purchasing if not just for convenience.  We marginally missed the train from Nagano station, so we took the bus instead which was convenient and comfortable. 

Snowy landscapes were very different from urban Tokyo

Upon arrival, there was a slushy and icy tarmacked road to negotiate before we reached the approach walk to the monkey park which was as much a highlight of the visit as the park! The forested and snowy lane was a peaceful and beautiful scenic experience.  Needless to say, Kate and I exchanged the odd snowball over the 30-40 minutes it took us to get to the entrance of the park.

Evidence of the hot springs that attract the monkeys

The park itself was quite busy with tourists, many of whom like us must have travelled to the region purely for this experience.  The park is not expansive, there are only two main areas you can go and staff are regularly feeding the Japanese macaques to encourage them down from the mountainous areas to be within photo shot range of the eagerly snapping visitors.  Monkeys therefore have the ability to go where they please, but with such readily available food there’s little reason to stray too far meaning there are an abundance of snow monkeys, some so brave and habituated to the tourists that they are impartial to camera phones in the face.  Others are a little grumpier and keep their distance. 

Tourists enjoying the monkeys

Japanese Macaque posing for photo

The hot spring area (which isn’t open to human bathers by the way) is the place where you’re most likely to see a number of tourists gathered round hoping for that prime National Geographicesque shot of the bathing monkeys.  We were fortunate enough to see one in the middle of the spring, perched casually on a stone whilst a few others came and went with their main intention seemingly to have a drink from the spring. 

The photo you show your friends

The reality!

If you like nature and you like monkeys, I’d say it’s worth the visit (which can also be done as a day trip from Tokyo).  Don’t expect it to be an ‘at one with nature’ experience, more of a competing for elbow room to get that wonderful shot which doesn’t necessarily reflect the experience in the slightest.  However, where else are you gonna see monkeys hanging loose in hot springs?  As we waited for the bus to take us to the little town of Yamanouchi-machi where our hotel was located, a lovely & giggly shy Japanese couple who were heading back to Tokyo with very limited English offered to drive us.  It was such a sweet gesture and we accepted.  After a fair bit of traipsing around we were glad to have comfortable and direct passage to our destination! Thank you both!

Yudanaka Seifuso

After our comfortable but small budget room in Tokyo, we had booked ourselves into a nice, traditional Japanese Inn known as a ‘ryokan’ called ‘Yudanaka Seifuso’, not cheap but in the top three hotels in the area and with its own ‘onsen’ (hot springs bathing facilities).  It was everything you would expect from traditional Japanese accommodation, sliding doors, paper walls & futons on the floor for beds.  

Room at Yudanaka Seifuso

It was shoes off upon entering the accommodation and run by a family, with hospitality normally reserved for family.  Traditionally speaking, men and women bath separately, and nude.  Fortunately, there is a private onsen here which is open to couples, so Kate and I got to enjoy the experience together in the privacy of our own bathing facilities, we certainly felt like VIPs!  

Onsen at Yudanaka Seifuso

We struck gold by dining at a traditional local restaurant –I didn’t capture the name as it didn’t seem to have one in English, but further research suggests there are a lot of homely, similarly priced traditional style restaurants in this town!  We got adventurous with some horse sashimi.  It actually looked a lot like tuna but the taste was quite unique and the meat itself a little chewy, but overall quite nice.  We then had some chicken katsu style rice and a hearty bowl of ramen, all washed down with some local beer. 

Restaurant in Yamanouchi-machi

Horse sushi washed down with local beer

I can’t move on without mentioning the amazing, traditional breakfast at our ryokan.  At 8am we had a knock to come downstairs where there was a tray of miso soup, pickled vegetables, fruit and a large lump of salmon waiting for us.  Absolutely incredible and even though there wasn’t much else to see in this quaint little town, we were sad to be leaving the hospitality of our hosts.

Breakfast at Yudanaka Seifuso

Tokyo - Japan

All of our Japan itinerary, hotel and travel information can be downloaded here.

Day 3

Today we travelled to Toyko.  Osaka was a great city, but from a tourist's perspective without the gift of time, one full day was enough as there is a lot to see elsewhere.  Our 7-day JR Pass became active today, so we took the subway to Shin-Osaka and from there reserved our seats at the JR Office for the train to Tokyo station. 

Japanese trains are comfortable and efficient, and the friendliness and mutual respect between staff and commuter is something we could all learn from.  The train conductor will even bow to the patrons whenever leaving the carriage!  Unless there is an ‘accident’ (there were a fair few of these) trains will generally leave to the minute that they are scheduled to do so.   It is possible to use the JR Pass without reserving a seat provided that the train has non-reserved carriages, they sometimes do they sometimes don’t.  Of course, there wouldn’t be a guarantee of getting a seat.  

Japanese Trains Rock

Japanese culture is very non-confrontational, so you may find that even if you accidentally board a ‘Reserved Only’ train you probably won’t have any problems.  There was one instance for example where it took a while and a lot of sweating for the assistant at the platform to word, in the least confrontational way, that the woman at the information desk was incorrect to inform us we could board a certain train without reserved seats, but he said we could get on it anyway. 

View of Mt. Fuji on train from Osaka to Tokyo

The ride to Tokyo was a speedy 2.5 hours, meaning we still had plenty of time to enjoy the day.  After checking in at our budget but well-located hotel (Horidome Villa), we headed out to Asakusa to visit Sensoji temple via Nakamise street.  This shopping street marks the approach to the temple and whilst touristic, has a nice vibrancy with many tourists, both foreign and Japanese, opting to buy or rent kimonos which lends to the atmosphere.  There are lots of stores to buy souvenir trinkets or snacks and you can even rent man-powered rickshaws to take you through in style if you wish.  The drivers look really friendly, but we would feel a bit weird being literally carted around by a person! 

If you’re looking to get something to eat, there are also some nice side-streets in the area where you can get some more traditional food and a drink in you.  

Nakamise Street

Sensoji is a nice example of a Buddhist temple and it’s also the oldest in Tokyo.  You’ll be rubbing shoulders with a lot of tourists and it therefore doesn’t have the relaxing experience of some temples you could opt to visit, but it’s worth seeing and you can experience the traditional architecture with views of the modern Tokyo skyline in the background. 

Sensoji temple

The evening was all about Akihabara.  Just one metro stop from our hotel, this area is alive with amusement arcades, restaurants, anime and games shops, electronic stores and more.  When I say and more I really mean it, as it is even home to the biggest porno shop you’ll probably ever see.  I’ll leave it to your imagination, but I’m not sure if your imagination will suffice to conjure up the range of items required to fill 5 floors of debauchery!

Vending machines were everywhere

The arcades were not quite what I was picturing.   Whilst they have some of the more traditional style arcades consisting mostly of the ‘candy-grabber’ move the claw and pick up a prize format, the main pull was the more gambling style machines that are seemingly irresistible to a portion of middle-aged Japanese men.  The sound coming from these smoky rooms of row upon row of machines with their intense music competing for non-existent audible space was borderline intolerable.  The games looked like a combination of luck and skill, some involved guiding metal balls into holes that are bought from the machines directly.  The players are all completely in the zone, staring intently at their own machine and hoping to get lucky.  The only ladies to be seen were those keeping the beverages coming. 

Arcade in Akihabara

During our adventures around Akihabara we found a store dedicated to collectible cards.  Floor upon floor of individual game cards were on sale ranging in price from the inexpensive to extortionate.  On the upper floors groups of men and boys were gathered around tables either playing or trading their cards.  Again, not a woman in sight other than the caricatured and scantily clad anime figures featured on the front of most of the cards.  The gamers seemed really happy and it felt more comfortable to see people interacting with each other, rather than with machines.

Card games are pretty popular here

I’m certain that there was more to see, from other traveler’s pictures there seems to be shops selling retro games and consoles which I would have loved to have found but we had no joy.  That night, we had our first taste of sushi in Japan at a nearby restaurant. Whilst we didn’t catch the English name, we got a photo of it, and if you’re in the area it’s hard to miss.  Very reasonable prices and good service.  A lot of fun and recommended if you’re in the area.    

Sushi restaurant in Akihabara

Oh yes

Day 4

Today got off to a good start with some brunch in a downstairs beer hall.  These are often smoky places (strange in the otherwise strictly no smoking public areas of Japan) which serve up draft beer and usually good value lunch specials.  The food was excellent, and I even unwittingly received British style bacon which was an absolute result.  

Japan 1 - China 0

Following this we visited Meiji, which is Tokyo's most famous Shinto shrine located in a 200-acre forest in Shibuya.  We had perfect weather, it was fresh and sunny meaning that we got dapples of sunlight filtering through the canopy of the trees as we meandered along the spacious graveled paths.  

Forrest near Meiji Shrine

The walk is a massive highlight, considering that you are in one of the top 10 most populous cities in the world you can get such a vast sense of space just minutes from a busy subway platform.  Good weather is a must as it is all outdoors, but you would need to wrap up warm as we did in February.  At the main shrine there are people offering up coins and clapping for their prayers to be answered, as well as some leaving their wishes in the forms of notes tied up and left for the higher powers to grant.   

Later we went to the city center of Shibuya and witnessed the Shibuya crossing, Tokyo’s answer to Piccadilly Circus.  The people are so well behaved here, it’s rare you will see individuals cross even the smallest of quiet streets without the little green man’s permission.  You wouldn’t want to cross prematurely here however.  There is a big expanse separating commuter’s vehicles from every direction as pedestrians eagerly wait the opportunity to cross. It is fun to stand and watch the lights change at least once and see people merge from all angles and try to negotiate their own paths. 

Shibuya Crossing - Tokyo

We were greeted by a robot in a shop window and after a brief interaction waved goodbye and went to see if we could get a feel for a ‘Robot Restaurant’ with mixed reviews.  Whilst we opted not to part with our cash for the high-ticket price and what seemed to be a tourist trap, but the area was really cool.  We ultimately came across ‘Blackhole’, a ‘yakiniku’ or grilled/BBQ meat restaurant.  The service here was good as was the quality of the food.  A little bit of a splurge but still cheaper that home, you can order sensibly and have great quality food and superb dining experience.

Happy Robot

Black Hole - Tokyo

Day 5

Close to our accommodation (around 15 minutes via public transport) is the Tsukiji Fish Market where we went for breakfast.  Now, if you are hardcore you can get up early (or stay out, as some say you need to be there early as 2am) for a chance to register to be a part of the famous tuna auction.  To be honest, we didn’t fancy it and perhaps we missed a trick, we’ll never know but it seems like a big gamble for something you might not ultimately be able to take part in.  

Tsukiji is actually a wholesale fish market

Anyhoo we went there early(ish) to get our fill of raw fish.  There are lots of streetside restaurants on the approach to the market, which is actually wholesale supplier, to sample the local catch of the day.  There are plenty of options and even a couple of good coffee shops.  The place is great to look around even if you’re not a fan of sushi, after scanning up and down a few streets we found an indoor sushi bar to park ourselves at and sample the delights.  Proper yum.

Enjoying oysters at Tsukiji fish market

Fishmonger on the approach to Tsukiji market

Sushi at the inner-market near Tsukiji

A short walk from the Tsukiji fish market will get you to the Tokyo Kabukiza Theater.  This traditional Japanese theater was originally constructed in 1889, but has been rebuilt more times than Robert Downey, Jr’s career.  When I initially investigated purchasing tickets online prior to departing for Japan, they weren’t yet available.  When I checked again, all the cheap tickets had sold out! This lead me to do a little more research, as I didn’t want to miss out on this key aspect of Japanese culture.  I ultimately came across this gem of a page, ‘Tokyo Cheapo’, which among other useful tidbits explains how it is possible to takes your change and purchase tickets for an individual act on the day of the performance.  Well that was totally fine with me, as 1.5 to 2 hours is plenty to get a taster of the show (rather than buying full day tickets which are likely for multiple acts spread over an entire day, equating to 6+ hours of performance).  In a nutshell you need to check out performance times, rock up, queue if need be and buy your ticket at a fraction of the price online.

Tokyo's Kabukiza Theater

We were in luck and arrived 5 minutes prior to the next performance with tickets still available.  We were also seated (online it mentioned standing but I couldn’t see anyone doing this).  Although we were at the back, there wasn’t a major impact on the viewing experience.  The show itself was great if not a little confusing.  We forgot to get the translation machines so we sat back and absorbed the weird and wonderful world of kabuki which involves elabourate costumes, questionable intonations and impromptu giggles from the audience.  It was bizarrely good and would recommend to anyone who has the time to visit.

No photographs were allowed inside the theater.  Here's one.

The previous day we had booked tickets to watch a show called “Panasonic presents WA (Wonder Japan Experience)”.  We didn’t quite know what to expect and we certainly weren’t prepared for what turned out to be the best show we had ever seen.  After a busy day at the fish market and the theater, we didn’t have time for a sit down dinner, so we made the most of the good quality food and readily available microwave at a 7/11 near the show venue. 

Kate washing down her microwave carbonara

Two microwaved carbonaras and Asahi dry beers later, there we were being lead into a funky waiting room with lockers to put our stuff into.  

I don’t want to go into too much detail as it’s the kind of show that sucks you in and trips you up, there are plenty of surprises.  Without offering up any spoilers, make sure you get floor tickets (rather than seated VIP) and get ready to be dazzled.  The performers in the show are of the highest quality, and the organization of the entire thing is epic with stage managers and staff ensuring that the experience is interactive and safe (considering the audience are often part of the stage).  

So much fun!

You are constantly engaged with something to look at in all directions, and the variation and boldness of the performances is out of this world.  I can’t recommend it enough and if you have the chance to go you will undoubtedly leave with a smile on your face.  It’s also great for children as well as adults who want to party.  Very bizarre, just go see it for yourself.

Perhaps that's why it's called WA!!!!?

Osaka - Japan

All of our Japan itinerary, hotel and travel information can be downloaded here.

Day 1

We arrived at Osaka Kansai Airport late afternoon.  We then made our way upstairs from arrivals and headed towards the train station within the airport.  Here, in the JR office, we were able to exchange our vouchers to get our pre-booked JR passes and mention the day we wished to have them activated.

From here we made our way to our budget hotel accommodation, Hotel the Lutheran, which is just a stones throw from Osaka Jo (Osaka Castle).  All our hotel and travel information is available on our itinerary here.  The hotel was pleasant and the staff welcoming, every hotel we stayed in had a bath (not full sized) and the type of toilet you would expect from Japan with a heated seat and lots of weird yet wonderful squirty options!

Gyoza (Japanese Dumplings)

Day 2

The following day we visited the castle, which was great and free to enter aside from the museum which is the fancy looking building in the photographs.  It was worth it though, and there were around 8 floors of Osakan and Japanese history with a cool viewing platform at the top.  It is nice to walk around the castle grounds in general and get a sense of the architecture and more traditional times.  There are a couple of souvenir shops as well as places to buy snacks.  We happily spent 2-3 hours here.

Osaka Castle

We didn’t have too much planned for our first full day, which meant that we were able to head to our next location relatively early that evening, the must-see area of Dotonbori.  It’s famous for the vibrancy of the restaurants, street-food hawkers and elabourate LED and 3D decorations along the main strip.  Some say you have to come on an empty stomach, some say you have to avoid eating here as it’s overpriced and touristic.  Whilst it was dark when we visited, it was still earlyish so the crowds weren’t as mad as people say it can get, we tried a bit of steak from a street food vendor (which was expensive) then found a restaurant with a lot of locals dining in which was much better value.  It was also novel for us, ordering from the machine outside before going in.  

Dotonbori at night

The area really is alive and worth a visit when in Osaka and embodies a lot of the cliché, albeit fun, Japanese craziness you imagine before coming here.   They say you should have your photo taken with the running ‘Glico Man’ who’s the symbol of the area.  I’m not sure why and to be honest I’m a little confused about Japanese culture in general, such as the fascination with anime and all things cute.  I guess that’s the main reasons why we’re here, to learn more about the people and this wonderful, bizarre country. 

Glico dude is behind us, honest