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Japan

October 2022
Another trip we were booked to take in 2020 and was cancelled due to Covid. Inspiring Japan is a 15 day tour run by Inspiring Vacations - a travel company we have not travelled with before Read more
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  • Brad and Mandy PearceJapan
    Day 1

    Gold Coast 》Cairns 》Osaka

    October 17, 2022 in Japan ⋅ 🌧 20 °C

    Our delayed trip to Japan begins today. Fortunately, Japan has relaxed a lot of their restrictions - PCR test not required and no Visa required. Just need the Covid vaccinations and mySOS app for entry into Japan.

    Caught the early morning flight from the Gold Coast to Cairns. Left in drizzly weather but fine and warm in Cairns. Masks are optional on domestic flights. The next flight we managed to secure a row for the 2 of us so a bit of room to spread out. Actually, plane was only half full, if that and masks were only required when disembarking at Osaka (and everywhere else so far)

    Osaka immigration etc. went like clockwork, particularly if you had your mySOS app completed with a blue screen you tended to walk through pretty quickly. We managed to negotiate catching the train with a little help with purchasing tickets from the machine. The hardest part was negotiating our way out of the train station to our hotel.

    Hotel room is small but comfortable. It's about 9pm local time by now and we had not really eaten since Cairns apart from a couple of snacks so we negotiated our first Japanese dining experience which was basically pointing at a picture of the dish we liked the look of to make our selection. We made good choices too - absolutely delish!

    Well, tour starts tomorrow. Should be fun. Only 1 pic today - more tomorrow.    Read more

  • Brad and Mandy PearceJapan
    Day 2

    Osaka Castle

    October 18, 2022 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Met up with our group in the lobby - quite a large group of nearly 40 people (probably too large but we shall see) First stop was Osaka Castle built in the 16th century set amongst attractive gardens. Well, it was first built in the 16th Century but damaged when lightning struck stored gunpowder. Centuries of neglect and the run-down castle was eventually destroyed during WW2 when the US bombed arsenal holdings. It has since been rebuilt as an exact copy - only completed about 25 years ago - and serves as a museum.

    We then continued to the shopping district known as Dōtonbori famous for its street food and shopping plus a famous neon sign of Glico running man. Not sure what the attraction of this sign was but it was interesting to explore some of the unusual shops in the area and we tried some the local dishes such as yukisoba (a fried noodle dish) and okonomiyaki (a savoury pancake). Both excellent choices!

    We spent far too long at this free time stop (almost 4 hours) in my opinion as we still had to drive to Kyoto for more activities - but I'll cover Kyoto in the next post.    Read more

  • Brad and Mandy PearceJapan
    1
    Day 3

    Day 2-3 Kyoto

    October 19, 2022 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We left Osaka for the relatively short drive to Kyoto where we visited the Fushimi Inari Shine dedicated to Inari, the god of rice and saki. It consists of over 5000 red torii gates winding its way through the hills behind the shrine. Quite a dramatic setting.

    That evening we had an optional tour of Kyoto by night where we wandered through the narrow alleyways of the geisha district followed by snacks and saki at a local bar. The snacks and drinks turned out to be an hour and a half of unlimited drinks (saki, whisky, sour, plum wine, beer, and soft drinks) with many dishes of traditional Japanese dishes (sushi, sashimi, pork balls, smoked fish etc.) Turned out to be an excellent night after a tiring day walking over 17km.

    The next morning we spent visiting various temples, gardens, and shrines. The trees are just starting to change colour and will be spectacular in another 2 or 3 weeks but the areas are very attractive nevertheless.
    Tofukuji Temple - grand sanmon entrance gate, includes 24 sub-temples and four distinctly different zen gardens, each facing in a different direction.
    Heian Jingu Shrine – Shinto shrine is very impressive, with its enormous torii (sacred gate) standing almost 25 metres high.
    Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) - This is a Zen temple and UNESCO World Heritage Site, with two floors covered entirely in thin layers of pure gold, set within a beautiful
    classical Zen garden.
    Arashiyama Bamboo Grove - massive stands of bamboo with pathways winding through it. Not as spectacular as the tourist photos would have you believe, but pleasant enough.

    Around Kyoto, many young girls (and boys) dress in traditional geisha dress (kimonos etc) not sure if it is just for fun or has a more cultural significance. An interesting day capped of with great weather. Walked another 12km so my feet thanked me when I took my shoes off.    Read more

  • Brad and Mandy PearceJapan
    1
    Day 4

    Whirlpools and bridges and gardens

    October 20, 2022 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We drove to Naruto Strait, and toured the Naruto whirlpools. These tidal whirlpools, created by the fast tidal current, can measure up to about 20 metres in diameter. Interesting, but not really worth the boat ride to look at them.

    We headed to Takamatsu and visited the open-air museum of Shikoku Mura for a glimpse of old village life. Over 20 restored traditional buildings and structures were relocated here from all over the island and includes farmhouses, storehouses, production workshops for soy sauce and sugar, a thatched kabuki theatre and a vine suspension bridge. The bridge looks terribly unsafe and you will see the photos of me hanging on for grim death. Enjoyed this visit though would have liked to have spent a bit longer.

    Then we visited the Ritsurin Garden, an exquisite traditional garden– it’s a National Treasure and arguably one of the most beautiful gardens in the country (at least that is what the brochure says). I loved this garden, very peaceful. Unfortunately we arrived a little late in the day and we lost a lot of the sunlight, Also, the autumn colours will be better in 2-3 weeks.    Read more

  • Brad and Mandy PearceJapan
    Day 5

    Mainly a travel day

    October 21, 2022 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    An early start this morning, on the way to the picturesque castle town of Matsuyama, we’ll stop at Matsuyama Castle just for a photo stop.

    Visited the Ishiteiji Temple, one of the 88 pilgrim temples. Followers of the Buddhist monk, Kükai strive to visit each of the 88 temples - and get their book stamped or special garment stamped before they die. The book or garment is then cremated with them and gains them entrance to heaven..

    Drove a couple of hours to catch the ferry for the hour and a bit crossing from Shikoku Island to Kyushu Island. Then another hour to reach the hotel at Beppu - a town renowned for its hot springs. We were going to have the hotel buffet but decided 3850¥ (@$40pp) was a bit much so had a la carte at the other restaurant. Unfortunately we made poor choices but that is just part of the experience of travelling to other cultures.    Read more

  • Brad and Mandy PearceJapan
    111
    Day 6

    That was a Hell of a day

    October 22, 2022 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    That got your attention didn't it! However it is not what you think.

    The first hell refers to the hot springs at Beppu - a geothermal area known as hells.
    Hot springs dotted all over this island (Kyushu) and the city of Beppu is home to over 2,000 hot springs Each 'hell’ (or jingoku) is distinctly different. The largest, Umi (Sea) Jigoku, earned its name for its vivid turquoise colour. The oldest hell, Chinoike (Blood Lake) Jigoku is blood red. Despite the name it was very attractive area.

    We travelled south to Nagasaki, one of two cities in Japan destroyed by an atomic bomb during World War II. I'm sure the 9th August 1945 at 11:02am would have been hell for the residents of Nagasaki.

    We visited the Peace Park and the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum. Nagasaki Peace Park is located near the hypocentre of the atomic bomb blast. The Peace Statue points up to the sky with its right hand to warn of the atomic bomb and its left arm is horizontal to represent the wish for peace. The are many statues and sculptures that have been donated from many countries around the world to support the need for peace. The photo of the black monument represents the hypocentre of the blast. The bomb went off 500 metres above this point.

    The museum was very interesting with photos and other relics from the period that were found after the bomb, as well as many stories from survivors. 75,000 people lost their lives in the attack and its aftermath.

    That night we had a ramen dinner and then drove up to the lookout over Nagasaki (apologies for the quality of the night photos - Brad didn't take the camera and I was just using my phone, but I did manage to get a short video of fireworks that only lasted for about 30 seconds)    Read more

  • Brad and Mandy PearceJapan
    Day 7

    Stepping up to a church, shrine & garden

    October 23, 2022 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Nearly every stop today involved climbing many sets of stairs and our legs felt it at the end of the day.

    First stop was the Twenty-Six Martyrs Monument, dedicated to 26 missionaries and Christians executed here in the 16th century, when missionary activities were prohibited. They became saints in the 20th century. The style of the museum and church reminded me of Gaudi style in Spain (Barcelona - Sagrada familia) with its mosaics and free flowing architecture. The stories about the hidden Christians was really interesting.

    Next stop is the city’s major Shinto shrine, Suwa Shrine, that sits atop a hill overlooking Nagasaki. There are 277 stone steps leading up the mountain to the shrine complex. When we arrived a young couple had just got married and we basically gatecrashed their wedding. They seemed very happy and probably gave them an extra memory on their special day. Not sure if the etiquette was correct though.

    Also at the shrine were s small children dressed in traditional clothes. At ages 3 and 7 for girls and 5 for boys, they are presented to the shrine but I haven't got the full understanding of this yet - will have to google it. What I do know though is they are just so cute.

    After a lovely lunch beside the harbour, we visited Glover Garden. This open air museum has six Western-style buildings from all over the city that were relocated here – grand mansions that were once home to Nagasaki’s foreign residents, such as European diplomats and foreign traders. Fortunately many of the steps were replaced with escalators and travelators. The buildings were magnificent as were the views over the harbour.

    Nagasaki is a very pretty city - it's our last night here - off to Hiroshima in the morning.    Read more

  • Brad and Mandy PearceJapan
    Day 8

    Hiroshima

    October 24, 2022 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    We had a fairly long driving day from Nagasaki to Hiroshima and encountered our first rain showers, but only as we were travelling and didn't effect any of our tours.

    Arriving in Hiroshima we immediately visited the Peace Park with its iconic Atomic Dome building which managed to survive the blast somewhat intact. It is now World Heritage listed. The eternal flame is supposed to keep burning until the last nuclear weapon is destroyed.

    Initially we were not supposed to visit the museum but about half our group decided it was important to see and so glad we did. The displays were similar to the one in Nagasaki but a little better laid out. When we left the museum we were rewarded with a beautiful rainbow - a true sign of peace.

    Back to the hotel we had a special dinner of okonomiyaki dinner (Japanese savoury pancake). We had this in Osaka and I preferred that one but it was still a pleasant night.    Read more

  • Brad and Mandy PearceJapan
    Day 9

    An island, a castle and a fast train

    October 25, 2022 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    An early start as we took the ferry to Miyajima Island known for its 'floating' vermilion torii, which becomes partially submerged at high tide and Itsukushima Shrine (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). There are walking tracks and pagodas and sika deer everywhere. Could have stayed much longer than the 2 hours but we had quite a bit travel to do.

    Next stop was the magnificent Himeji Castle, the largest surviving example of a traditional Japanese castle. The shape of the roof is said to resemble a bird in flight so is often referred to as the White Heron Castle. The climb to the top of the keep consisted of 7 storeys of steep narrow stairways that I found the safest way to come downstairs was backwards, like a ladder. Fantastic building.

    After the castle we had to experience the bullet train, or shinkansen. It was only a brief 30 trip to Osaka.

    Finally we had an optional tour of a sukiyaki dinner. Fine strips of wagyu beef, pork, tofu and vegetables cooked on the table in front of you. A nice end to a tiring day.    Read more

  • Brad and Mandy PearceJapan
    Day 10

    Kanazawa

    October 26, 2022 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    We travelled to the city of Kanazawa, on the northwestern shore of Honshu. During World War II, Kanazawa was Japan’s second largest city (after Kyoto) to escape destruction by air raids. This means that parts of the old castle town, such as the Nagamachi samurai district and chaya entertainment districts, have survived.

    We toured the Kenrokuen Garden, heralded as one of the three most beautiful gardens in Japan. Very peaceful - not sure if I preferred this one or the one we saw in Kyoto - both very nice.

    We had a walking tour of Nagamachi samurai district and the Higashi Chaya District, famous for its well preserved wooden teahouses where geisha perform. Didn't see any geisha, more a haven for restaurants and shops selling products with gold leaf - a speciality of the area.

    As we didn't have an optional tour booked, five of us found a wonderful Sri Lankan restaurant. Every single dish was delicious. If you are ever in Kanazawa, go to The Spice Box.    Read more

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