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Japan

March - May 2024
A 77-day adventure by Kristyna Read more
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  • TravelerJapan
    1
    Day 1

    Day 1 - Heathrow

    March 1 in England ⋅ 🌧 4 °C

    A rather sluggish start this morning when my alarm went off at 4.00am- definitely not something I can ever get used to! After a needed cup of coffee we loaded up the car and set off for Heathrow. The nerves began to set in but the excitement was definitely the most overpowering feeling of all. We have managed to get our bags down to 11 and 12kg which works out at about a 1kg a week which as a massive overpacker I’m pretty proud of! Gave our last goodbye hugs and through watering eyes we waved goodbye to my parents and set off.
    After a good last hearty breakfast and the standard browsing in duty free we found our gate and got ready to board the plane! 14 hours is a LOT of movies if I can’t get to sleep so fingers crossed and will touch base once we have landed in Tokyo! 🤞🏼    Read more

  • TravelerJapan
    211
    Day 2

    Day 2

    March 2 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    What a long flight! I got a grand total of an hours sleep with Jacob managing maybe two or three but between us we didn’t do so well on that front! Luckily there were lots of movies to watch but still felt like the flight was never going to end. I definitely got to the irrational stage where all you can think is GET ME OFF THIS PLANE! However despite being sat in the middle of the plane we managed to peak a glimpse of Mt Fuji as we soared over Japan, it really is breathtaking and I’m really looking forward to getting up close in the coming weeks, there is something really majestic about it.
    Finally got off the plane in Tokyo- what a relief and I’ve never been bombarded by technology more than at 8am this morning getting through immigration. Trying to understand what the hell this talking machine wanted me to do whilst the very sweet lady was trying to explain to me but sadly her English wasn’t the best was a bit of a headache whilst running on very little sleep and lots of coffee! However, we carried on through and hauled our bags off the belt. They definitely felt heavier today than yesterday so I’m starting to wonder if I should take my bragging about it being so light back! But all jokes aside we got to Tokyo safely and in good spirits and that’s what matters.

    We then got new SIM cards except they aren’t physical you just scan a QR code?! This may sound very non gen z of me but I thought that technology was incredible it was like something out of sci-fi! To be completely honest I slightly lost the plot with the SIM cards but Jacob is very confident so I left it up to him and so far so good!

    We then slowly made our way towards the train line slightly dreading our first attempt at understanding the squiggles and complicated maps but we discovered the hardest part is actually buying the tickets as there seem to be about 7 different options for what appears to be the same journey and the prices vary hugely so we are going to go to Tokyos main station tomorrow to investigate as a very nice lady suggested that we should get some kind of tourist card which is apparently much cheaper! So far everyone we’ve met here has been SO lovely and friendly it’s such a nice culture here!

    After taking the express train through the outskirts of Tokyo we managed to navigate the Tokyo subway/metro and very much took a “London tube” approach in order to end up near our hostel. Unfortunately we couldn’t check in until 4pm which did test my sense of humour this morning when all I wanted to do was sleep but they did agree to hold our bags for us which made a huge difference!

    Feeling like I had a bounce in my step from losing the weight of the bag we visited the imperial gardens and saw the first few glimmers of the cherry blossom, I’m SO excited for them to be in full season I think on mass it will look truly spectacular! We also found a small off the beaten track ramen bar where you ordered from a vending machine and then they would sit you inside it was rather bizarre but I’m gathering that’s quite normal here! We were the only tourists in there and they didn’t speak much English at all- always a good sign I think it means you’ve really found where the locals like to eat! Killed some time wondering around and enjoying being in a new place and then headed to the hostel for some much needed r and r! A very relaxed night tonight I think!    Read more

  • TravelerJapan
    1
    Day 4

    Day 3

    March 4 in Japan ⋅ 🌙 2 °C

    I’m back with update over the last few days and we’ve been pretty busy! Yesterday we started off the morning by travelling out to almost as far east in Tokyo as you can go to see one of the famous immersive art exhibitions, after lots of research we were reassured we didn’t need to pre book which was rubbish as all the tickets were sold out for the day so we will come back another time! Instead we walked near rainbow bridge and along the pier which was a lovely view with the skyscrapers behind, the sun came out and it became a rather beautiful day. I then spotted a rather yummy looking sign of Japanese pancakes and insisted this was breakfast - very nutritious I know! For those who don’t know in Japan they deep fry their pancakes and as a result are incredibly fluffy on the inside with a little crunch on the outside- in short they are delicious and only £4 so ticked all my boxes!! We were actually quite lucky to find this place as we discovered that on Sundays nothing opens till 9am at least and it was about 7.30am when we left - it’s not often that I am awake before the shops are open I can tell you that!

    We then walked past a “museum of gas” and we were rather curious so wondered inside as it was free entry, I’m not entirely sure I understood how the exhibition linked to gas nor can I really describe what it was. I think the best way to give you a picture is a wacky slightly off the wall exhibition aimed at kids maximising their creativity through fun activities.

    We then took the metro to the Shibuya neighbourhood which is famous for having the busiest crossing in the world with an estimated 2500 people crossing every two minutes which is over 2 million people every day, and I can say it lives up to this fact! Whilst we waited patiently for the green light to cross it seemed as though the whole of Tokyo joined us to cross- Shibuya crossing is made up of several intersections that you can cross which makes it slightly like a mine field as if you cross the wrong one you have to fight to get through the people to get to the right intersection. The only thing I think I could relate the experience to is how I imagine Oxford Street in London on Black Friday, you literally had no space whatsoever to move, Jacob and I linked arms as to not lose each other as I think finding each other again would have been impossible! It’s a very surreal experience as you would think that the Shibuya crossing would just be full of tourists and yes there was obviously more tourists here than we had seen so far but the absolute majority were locals crossing to go shopping or go about their day and didn’t bat an eyelid at the scale of the crossing.

    Shibuya is known for being the youth hub of Tokyo with its luxury brands and vintage shopping it is thought that many fashion trends come out of this neighbourhood and spread across the world. As we walked out of the metro station the first shops we saw were Louis Vuitton, gucci and prada all in a line. It wasn’t hard to believe this is the fashion hub as people strolled past in really quirky outfits that I expect will be the next trends in the west with time. We took a long stroll through Shibuya and ended up at Meiji Shrine- with grounds expanding over 170 acres there was a lot to explore! The actual shrine itself was set back in the forest and had a beautiful huge wooden Torii (the gate like feature) which marks the transition from the normal world to the sacred. People were writing their wishes and prayers on little wooden panels and hanging them up, it was a really beautiful shrine and not too busy which was lovely. We then strolled the gardens and enjoyed looking at the ponds and visited a sacred well which dated back to the edo period. By this time I was starving so we found a small very cramped little noodle and ramen bar which had such little English I didn’t really know what I had ordered until it came. I’ll attach a photo so you can all see but it was pork with noodles in a broth. I was starving so eagerly dug in only to be hit with a wall of spice, coughing and spluttering everywhere I quickly realised that I needed to understand how to ask if a dish was spicy or not!! This was seriously spicy and I’m not amazing with spice either so quite a dangerous combination!

    After wondering through the narrow streets and taking in the atmosphere we headed to the government building for sunset. Now that might sound a bit strange as most people would probably go to Tokyo tower or the sky tree but firstly the government building observatory deck is free and secondly no one knows about it so it really wasn’t that busy at all! We sat and watched as the sun melted behind the horizon and cast a pinky light over Mr Fuji in the distance and the hustle and bustle of Tokyo below. It was truly beautiful and the contrast between nature and the largest city in the world was extremely picturesque!

    Now that night had descended we felt this would be the best time to visit shinjuku which is known for the entertainment district and neon lights of Kabukicho. Now this was the Tokyo that you have seen in the movies and how I imagined. Fun light up buildings and streets lined with colourful signs it felt like we had gone 50 years into the future! As we meandered through the streets we quickly discovered that Kabukicho is also the red light district after several “peak shows” were advertised! The whole area felt like a fever dream and seriously out of this world! By this point I had done 27,000 steps and we were both feeling rather jaded so we headed back to our hostel which was such a good find by the way! It’s 7 floors of which 5 are hostel rooms - 8 people to a room, whilst the ground floor is a coffee shop with a communal area and in the basement there is a bar and restaurant! At night we quite often hear music floating up from the basement and our host said that they may be willing to turn a blind eye to our age (drinking age in Japan is 20) so hopefully we will get to try do Sake at some point!!
    P.S to those who aren’t already aware you will see from the photos I’ve decided to grow out my fringe!    Read more

  • TravelerJapan
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    Day 6

    Day 4-5

    March 6 in Japan ⋅ 🌧 3 °C

    Day 4
    We started off the day by going to a rather bizarre shrine that had over 1,000 statues of foxes- that’s right foxes. In Japanese culture foxes are messengers of Inari who in Japanese mythology is the god of rice cultivation and prosperity, so this shrine was dedicated to Inari with thousands of fox statues! What’s lovely about the Japanese shrines is that there is always incense burning so it really adds to the atmosphere as you try to immerse yourself in Japanese mythology. We were lucky that we could kneel in the shrine but obviously with no shoes on and we weren’t allowed to take pictures within the actual shrine itself. As we knelt down monks came out and began chanting and going through a ritual with a drum I later looked this up and found out that It is often used to symbolize the beating of the Buddha’s heart and is believed to create a deep resonance that helps practitioners connect with the Buddha’s wisdom and compassion. It is also seen as a powerful tool for meditation and mindfulness. There were only 4 of us in the shrine when this happened and it was very spiritual! I’m not a Buddhist but kneeling there listening to the mantras and the drum it felt really spiritual and connecting to some higher power somewhere. Also, all the Buddhist shrine are beautifully decorated with gold and painted ceilings, it really is a breathtaking sight!

    After this we took a leisurely walk to Hie Shrine which is known for having several red arches in a row, this is not the one in Kyoto that has hundreds but Hie Shrine is very quiet and still beautiful. Hie shrine is known for blessings of love and prosperity. We were lucky as the sun was shining and the brillaint blue sky framed the shrine and made the gold and red really stand out! After paying our respects we visited some gardens. This in my opinion was not worth it! It was a 40 minute walk and Google maps took us along this footpath right next to the motor way so it wasn’t particularly scenic! Once we got to the gardens it wasn’t really a garden it was just a small waterfall and all the other footpaths had been shut due to recent landslides. I was not very amused by this having trekked all the way up but Jacob spotted on a moat some people in rowing boats. We headed down and rented a rowing boat for a few hours and also a fishing rod and this quickly improved my spirits. Now we were extremely unsuccessful with the fishing but we certainly tried to look the part if nothing else! But it didn’t matter it was lovely to be on the water in the sun and we had a view of lovely green forest one way and then huge skyscrapers the other, that really sums up Tokyo in my mind. The calm and tranquil meeting the biggest metropolitan jungle in the world!

    Day 5
    Now today was incredibly varied and probably my favourite day so far! We started the day in Asakusa learning how to make sushi! We made kawaii temari sushi which translates to “cute sushi balls”. This type of sushi was traditionally eaten by Geisha girls and it lives up to its name- it is very cute! We got one on one teaching as for some reason the other people in the class were making different types of sushi but it worked out well as it meant it felt like a private lesson. It was very easy to make and not challenging in the slightest. You make a rice ball and then using pressure you add whatever main ingredient for example tuna or salmon and then you add your toppings of caviar or micro herbs. Unsurprisingly, Jacobs looked very professional and beautiful whilst mine looked cute but since they are meant to be “cute sushi balls” I’ll take it! Now I had a lot of fun making very pretty cute sushi balls but I didn’t really stop to think about making ones I could actually eat. For those who don’t know I don’t eat fish really at all and as I stared at these raw tuna, salmon, scallop and shrimp sushi balls they were no longer as cute as I originally thought. I powered through and ate almost all of mine but couldn’t quite stomach finishing the last few so Jacob eagerly vacuumed them up. And yes, I thought they were absolutely insufferable so my plan to get used to fish so far is incredibly unsuccessful.

    Since we were in the area with time to spare we visited the Senso-ji temple which is probably the most famous temple in Tokyo as it is absolutely huge! With a great hall stretching across the main square with a five story pagoda reaching towards the clouds with massive lanterns hanging at every entrance it is incredibly dramatic and spectacular even in the pouring rain! Lots of people dressed in kimonos kneeling in the main shrine paying their and people arriving in rickshaws really made it an extremely bustling site! Once Jacob saw the calligraphy I got in my notebook he immediately hopped on the bandwagon and bought a notebook and is determined to fill it to the brim! In every temple you can ask the monks to write out a kind of stamp in calligraphy called Goshuin that proves you’ve been to that temple, it is a incredibly delicate art form and we are now both determined to collect as many as possible. Hundreds of stalls and alleyways with unique shops surrounded this temple so we strolled around the markets and I bought some chopsticks and enjoyed looking at the painted fans amongst other goods.

    The last activity of today was going to watch the Sumo wrestlers train. Now when I went before it was really strict and you had to be very respectful. You couldn’t eat or drink or talk loudly. This experience couldn’t have been further from what I was expecting. We arrived and were told our seats had been upgraded to front row which was AMAZING and we were brought chicken hotpot to eat whilst we watched! The experience started off with a traditional geisha girl dance which was very beautiful using a fan. Then our host introduced the two sumo wrestlers who we would be watching and took us through all the rules of sumo wrestling. We then watched three matches and it seemed very unfair as in sumo they don’t have weight divisions so this rather scrawny sumo wrestler compared to the other one unsurprisingly lost! It really looks like a brutal sport. They start by crouching down on their tippy toes I might add! And then launch themselves at each other trying to grab onto the cloth that wraps around them and wrestle the other sumo out of the circle. We then got a chance to ask the sumos lots of questions and got to take a photo with them. It was a very surreal experience and Jacob and I came out feeling like we were just in a fever dream! But all jokes aside it is a very impressive sport that they take unbelievably seriously, and when you are throwing yourself at a 200kg man - I can’t blame them!    Read more

  • TravelerJapan
    1
    Day 6

    Day 6

    March 6 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    We decided that today would be temple and shrine day so that we could fill up our notebooks but it was also just a nice way to see different neighbourhoods within Tokyo and also visit very quiet hidden away shrines which felt much more authentic when the monks don’t understand what you are asking so I’ve learnt how to say “hello can you stamp please” for my notebook, extremely basic I know but it’s done the job so far! In a few of the temples they did the calligraphy in front of us and it really is beautiful I would love to be able to do that kind of thing but I’m pretty sure mine would end up more of a scribble than anything else!! It was pouring with rain today all day so we stopped at a few vending machines along the way to get the staple coffee in a can which was hot to warm us up a little and improve morale ! Whilst we ducked inside to have a bite of lunch we then planned the journey to Odawara castle which is where we would meditate with a monk! This was our first experience with the over ground train system which was a little more complicated and a lot more expensive but we managed to secure our tickets and get on the right train - which was a double decker ! Such a bizarre thing but I guess it shouldn’t be that foreign of a concept, if we can have double decker buses then why not double decker trains?!

    As we stormed out of the skyscraper horizon it quickly became rolling hills and small villages with extremely dramatic mountains looming in the background. Getting off the train with a gleam in our eyes we headed towards the castle. Odawara castle was the home of the Hōjō clan before they were defeated by Ise Moritoki of Izu and you could imagine a grand clan- Hōjō who ruled over the majority of the kantō region before falling like many empires have over the millennia.

    We were extremely lucky that no one else had booked this experience today so it was just the two of us and this lovely monk who has had the most interesting life! Born in Germany and then raised in Japan he has now been a monk for over 30 years and spoke perfect English- which has been a first since we’ve been here and was just the most special man, he had such a lovely aura and you immediately relaxed in his presence. He spoke to us about meditation and what it meant to us, he then went on to explain how meditation is about bringing the mind and body together and to imagine our everyday lives as a bottle of water with sand in being shaken up all the time. He said the role of meditation was to stop the shaking and to let the sand settle so that we could have a clear mind and help with happiness. He said the most important thing in meditation is your abdominal breathing and he took us through the best ways to sit, where to focus our energy and how to stay focused and “zen” during the meditation. We then meditated for 2 sets of 13 minutes with Leo- the monk ringing his bell and saying a few words of encouragement to help re centre us in the meditation when we needed it. It was tricky at first to get into the meditation with lots of different things fluttering across my mind but Leo said thoughts are like clouds, they come and go but you are the sky and this actually really helped me focus. Once I got used to the idea and got in the “zone” I think I could have sat there for HOURS. My mind was completely clear, I didn’t think about anything at all not a single thing which is rare for me as I always struggle to stay focused in meditation at home. Leo was brillaint and guiding us through and also answering all my questions and giving tips when I struggled with anything. Definitely my favourite experience so far to date!

    We took a night stroll along the beach before heading back to the station and we are currently on the train heading back to Tokyo and I’m very ready for me bed but what an incredible day - how lucky we are to be in this beautiful country- truly blessed.    Read more

  • TravelerJapan
    22
    Day 7

    Day 7

    March 7 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ -1 °C

    SNOW MONKEY DAY!!
    Today was the day that we trekked all the way from Tokyo to Nagano to visit the snow monkeys of Jigokudani national park! This was a day trip I have been literally dreaming about as this is what first attracted me to going to Japan. I know that may sound strange- you want to go all the way to Japan to see monkeys? But yes I did!! The monkeys live in the mountains and during winter they come down to the onsen hot springs to bathe and warm up to survive the very bitter winters of Japan and I have been desperate to see this!

    The day started a little rocky when we bought the train tickets to get to Nagano as they were extremely expensive and very much over our budget for travel a day, but a small perk is that it was a bullet train which can get up to 200mph, and even with this speed it still takes 2 hours to get from Tokyo to Nagano! Once settled in we watched the skyscrapers zip past at top speed as we hurtled through the countryside which was a lot of fun. Once we crossed the border into Nagano the scenery very quickly became snowy and beautiful mountains covered the whole horizon looking like something out of a cgi screen, it’s definitely the most picturesque train journey I’ve ever taken!

    Stepping off the train a bitter cold wind hit my face and I quickly pulled out my hat and gloves and zipped my coat up to my chin. From Nagano station we had to take a 45 minute bus and to secure the tickets we had to get them out of a vending machine! We piled onto the bus with only about 10 other people and after steadily winding our way up through the mountains the bus came to an abrupt halt and the driver said something in Japanese which I assumed was “you are here”. Clambering down I looked around the snowy outcrop and realised we were in the middle of nowhere, as I turned to ask the bus driver which direction to go he sped off back down the mountain and out of sight. Slightly disgruntled we began walking up the mountain road hoping we were headed in the right direction. After a few minutes we saw a big sign saying “monkey park this way 2km walk”. Feeling more confident about our direction we picked up the pace until we reached the entrance of the park. Entrance is a slight over exaggeration, it’s a small gift shop at the bottom of a steep trail upwards with an arrow pointing up. We began clambering up the trail and following it as it meandered up. After about 10 minutes it flattered out and the huffing and puffing and rosy red cheeks subsided a little. The problem with this trail is that the snow had become so packed that it was like pure ice. It was incredibly slippy and every step felt like I might go slip sliding back down to the base and have to start again. But this would probably be the least of our worries if we did slip as running parallel to us was a very sheer drop down the mountain that didn’t look very survivable! After just over an hour of gingerly following the trail upwards we reached the snow monkeys. Huddled in groups to keep the warm in and wallowing in the hot springs it is just how I had imagined!! The area was almost empty of other tourists which was very lucky as in peak season it is apparnelty heaving but we were just outside peak so I guess that really helped and we seemed to time it well as when we left a huge tour bus arrived with quite the crowd of people all heading up the see the monkeys.

    Sitting near the hot springs I began to capture the snow monkeys scarlet faces and piercing hazel eyes. We watched them play together and saw mothers clinging to their babies to try keep them warm and of course, we saw many taking advantage of the natural hot springs looking more than content. After a while of just observing them and taking lots of pictures we felt like we had seen the monkeys in their full glory and I had lost feeling in my nose so we decided that it would be best to wind our way back down. Enjoying the scenic walk back we braved the ice death trap once more and timed it perfectly as a bus arrived just as we reached the bottom. We decided to head straight back to Tokyo as it was already 5pm and most things shut between 5-5.30pm so we hopped back on the bullet train and waved Nagano goodbye and started racing back across the country, we then finished off the evening with a glass of plum wine in our hostel bar which is DELICIOUS!    Read more

  • TravelerJapan
    Day 8

    Day 8

    March 8 in Japan ⋅ 🌙 1 °C

    The journey out of Tokyo!

    I have to say I was quite happy to leave Tokyo I felt as though it was time to move on to different areas of japan and todays plan was to travel to Yamanashi prefecture to Fujikawaguchiko which is known for its very dramatic mountains and views of Fuji! The morning didn’t start as well as I had hoped as in the final stages of packing I couldn’t find my wallet with my card and a fair bit of cash in. I tore my bag apart and checked all my pockets and still couldn’t find it, I knew I had it when we got back to the hostel the night before so I went to lost and found and it wasn’t there, just as I was about to give up hope Jacob text me saying he found it in my coat pocket- which was the very first place I looked. I did the walk of shame to collect it from my coat pocket and repacked my entire bag. Jacob did very well to not get frustrated with me for waisting 30 minutes looking for something that wasn’t lost and managed to refrain from calling me an idiot which quite frankly I would have deserved! With everything now accounted for we took the metro to Shinjuku and ended up running for the bus terminal as I had delayed us so much we only had a matter of minutes to get the bus. Huffing and puffing we charged up towards the bus station only to see our bus drive off in the opposite direction. Feeling very put out we reached the bus station and went to buy a ticket for the next bus although it was sold out and so was the next one. Feeling extremely guilty and starting to get a little worried about how we would get there I was relieved when I found that the 1pm bus had two seats left at opposite ends of the bus! Securing these tickets we went to get some food to recharge us and improve our moods!

    Boarded the bus which took about 2 hours and dropped us at kawaguchi station we then walked 25 minutes to our hostel. The walk towards the hostel was very exciting with huge mountains everywhere you looked and mt Fuji dead ahead but of course, covered in clouds! Hopefully we will see it in its full glory soon!

    Our hostel is very traditional as well as the general area we are in, we had to take our shoes off at the entrance and were shown to our dorm, which to our surprise is basically double bed bunk beds with a curtain. We thought we had just booked two beds but it is one double bed above someone else’s which is really weird! We dropped all our stuff and went to get some food and the restaurant required us to also remove our shoes and it had a big glass window at the back which would have a beautiful view of Mt Fuji if it wasn’t for the cloud and now snow!!
    A very unexciting day today but looking forward to being somewhere new and exploring tomorrow!    Read more

  • TravelerJapan
    1
    111
    Day 10

    Day 9-10

    March 10 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    Day 9

    Decided to combine these days as not a huge amount to report!
    We are in such a lovely area though, littered with mountains and small farms it feels very rural and haven’t seen any other tourists. We decided today was hiking day today so Jacob found a trail he wanted to do which took us across a mountain range and over a few peaks so we set off up the incline. We stopped every now and then to enjoy the beautiful views of Mt Fuji which was finally clear of clouds so we could actually see the peak! As the altitude increased so did the snow and therefore ice, it was becoming increasingly tricky to continue the route safely as the last thing we wanted was to slip on the ice and hurt ourselves on top of a mountain and have to hobble back down! So we reached the first peak in about 2ks which was lovely, there was a small shrine on top and no one else there and a pretty view of Mt Fuji! It was really breathtaking.

    Unfortunately we decided this would be as far as we would go as after this the trail was pure ice and snow and without spikes or poles it would just be stupid to risk it really. Disappointed we clambered back down and then found a cable car which we took down the mountain we had just walked up and headed towards lake Kawaguchiko. This is one of the “five Great Lakes” that surround Mt Fuji and this is meant to be the best for views of Fuji and it didn’t disappoint it was beautiful but incredibly cold still! Sadly we couldn’t kayak or fish on the lake as the “stormy conditions keep us off the water”, please look at the photos attached and see if you think it looked stormy!! It was extremely frustrating but there was quite a gusting wind that was bitterly cold so I’m sure that this was what kept us off the water.

    Since we were in the area we went to the gem museum which had huge crystals as big as me! We then caught a bus around the other side of the lake to see if the boathouse there would let us kayak but with no success!! Feeling rather frustrated we started to walk back along the lake which is very pretty but again quite chilly so my scarf was wrapped tightly around my neck and I was desperate to get a warm coffee or some food to warm up and regroup!! However everywhere we walked past was shut. I guess this is what happens once you leave Tokyo everything shuts much earlier! After an hour and 30 minutes we came across an open food place and I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to eat in my life!! I had a rice dish with beans and curry sauce with melted cheese on top, this sounds disgusting I know but it was delicious, but then again I could have probably eaten a whole horse I was so hungry so it may not be as good a second time around!!

    Day 10

    We moved on again today so packed our bags and headed off to the bus terminal and we were met by hundreds of people which was quite a shock in this very small quiet town! Grabbed some breakfast and then loaded onto the bus. This bus didn’t have any compartments for bags and as we piled on Jacob quickly realised that there was only one free seat left so he gave me the seat. Bless him, Jacob had to stand for an hour with his massive backpack on before someone got off and he managed to get a seat. For those thinking I should have offered to swap half way through I did but he was adamant that I should sit- probably because he knows he copes better with sore tired feet then I do! We then hopped on another bus where we both got seats and arrived in Shizuoka prefecture and we are staying in Shimada which is known for its green tea so will have to try that at some point! We then headed to a super market to get some snacks for tomorrow and found matcha flavoured kitkats - I thought they were foul but Jacob loved them! We found all sorts of strange things in the shop like whole octopus!    Read more

  • TravelerJapan
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    Day 11

    Day 11

    March 11 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Today we decided to reattempt a hike as it’s much warmer this side of Fuji and the hike we found was slightly lower altitude so hopefully less snow and ice!

    We had to take two busses and a train and then walk a mile just to get to the trail and we finally arrived at the base of Mt Mankanho which we had to walk through this tiny rural village to get to. All the houses had small allotments and were growing all their own vegetables and lots of the houses were made out of corrugated iron sheets! Quite eye opening coming from the super modern architecture of Tokyo! This village was beautifully quiet, the only noise was the river flowing from the mountain through the village and the rustle of leaves in the breeze. We found the start of the trail and quite quickly started climbing at quite an incline! Stopping regularly for water breaks and dried mango and also to pluck oranges growing alongside the trail which we quickly discovered were not ripe and a bit gross - and don’t worry these weren’t from anyone’s allotments.

    After about 4K I was beginning to wonder if this hike was really worth it, but with words of encouragement from Jacob I managed to continue on. For those who don’t know, and I’m sure most of you do, I don’t hike as a general rule. But I guess new country and trying new things and all that crap meant that I found myslef huffing and puffing to the top of this mountain. Was it worth it? Absolutely. It was stunning, stretching views of Shizuoka city with Mt Fuji framing the city and the view of the velvet blue sea made me feel like I was on top of the world. It was absolutely beautiful and a really clear day so we could see for miles and got some great views throughout the whole hike!

    We then headed back down the mountain along some rather narrow passageways and makeshift steps when we finally reached the village, feeling like I wanted to collapse I knew I had to just do one more mile to the bus stop and then I could relax. It was the longest mile of my life, at every corner I thought it can’t be much longer surely and yet it always was! We eventually reached the bus stop and made our way back and then grabbed some food. This was the only place open that we could find and it was a tiny glorified bar really, the lady spoke next to no English so our Japanese was put to the test! We were able to order and then the food came and it wasn’t the most tasty meal but it filled a hole if nothing else!    Read more

  • TravelerJapan
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    Day 13

    Day 12-13

    March 13 in Japan ⋅ 🌬 12 °C

    Welcome back to another blog but I’m afraid I will disappoint some as there isn’t a huge amount to report really!

    Day 12
    Yesterday we had a fishing trip booked which we were really looking forward to but we woke up to torrential rain. I messaged the tour operator asking if it was still going ahead but got no reply so we took a bus and then a train to the meeting point for 1pm. It was then 1.10pm and then 1.30pm and our guide still hadn’t shown up. We went into a kiosk (like a small corner shop) in the station to get some breakfast and picked up a few sandwiches except they had mayo in so I couldn’t eat it! A very poor start to the day, no guide and no food. We walked to a nearby cafe to have a light bite before wondering around trying to find something to do. However, literally everything was shut because of the rain and the only things to do here are basically fish and hike. It got to about 3.30pm and we decided to throw in the towel and head back. We started the journey back and even though we thought the rain couldn’t get any worse the heavens opened and I discovered that my coat is not that waterproof and neither are my trousers. By the time we hobbled up to the bus stop with my trousers stuck to my legs and my coat dripping the bus driver gave us quite a look as we sat down with a bit of a squelch! Hanging all our stuff out to dry after trying to squeeze all the water out we hid in our room. It didn’t stop raining till about 6pm when we quickly headed to our nearest 7/11 to pick up some snacks and also pot noodles- very nutritious and managed to get back before the rain started again! So all in all a bit of an uneventful day.

    Day 13
    Despite there being little to do near where we are staying, for our last day in Shizuoka we decided to travel to Hamamatsu city and explore. It took us about 2 hours to get there and then we took a bus to the Hamamatsu flower park, this was very pretty with huge animals crafted out of flowers and greenhouses with massive palm trees and exotic plants. After wondering around the gardens and enjoying the fountains and sunshine we stumbled across Hamana lake. This is the 10th biggest lake in Japan and is known for its biodiversity as the mixture of salt water and fresh water create a unique habitat for many fish and other wildlife and is where the Japanese eel industry was born! Unfortunately, due to the wind we weren’t able to fish or kayak once again so we walked along the lake for a while before heading back to the station and then onwards to go back to our hotel room. We definitely had a little too long here but in a way it was good as it meant we had some down time which is always nice to take a little break from the busy sight seeing ! We are off to Kyoto next and I’m super excited as we have some really fun activities planned that I can’t wait to share with you all!    Read more

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