JapanChibaSanrizuka35°47’2” N 140°22’46” E
April 14, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
What better way to organise another overseas family trip than to visit the same country they've visited before the pandemic started?
This time around, the family of four hope to cherish some new memories while being surrounded by the blossoms that Japan can offer.
It begins with the reunification of the siblings.
I arrive in Narita International Airport Terminal 1 on an overcast day and waited for my sister to arrive before we checked-in at Hotel Nikko Narita.
I tried to capture my sister entering the arrival hall but she was too quick, fortunately when I was looking she stood there right in my field of vision. And once more, a year of being apart has ended.
As we chatted about our individual flights, my sister and I headed to the Nintendo Check-in Centre in the Visitor's Lounge and had some selfies with Mario and Toad. We then boarded the free shuttle service to our accommodation.
It was an elegant hotel. There were quite a number of guests. I suppose seeing the Japan Airlines logo on top of their building might have something to do with that.
We planned to obtain our dinner from the Lawson Convenience Store in the lobby...but before we left,
Ohhhh...that exquisite joy you will feel when your bottom finally reunites with a warm toilet seat. I did not realise how much I've missed using a bidet.
I had a smoked salmon bento while my sister had a pork onigiri with some cabbage salad and crumbed fried mackerel. There is sheer delight from getting delicious meals that the price of convenience stores can offer.
My sister paired her meal with a peach alcoholic beverage but I had mine with a lemon yuzu sour.
It didn't take long for us to fall asleep after a good meal and long day of travelling.Read more
JapanChibaSanrizukaAirport Terminal 2 Station35°46’24” N 140°23’14” E
April 15, 2023 in Japan ⋅ 🌧 14 °C
My sister and I had a restful sleep-in and we enjoyed some convenience store bought french toast paired with long black drip coffee (but no need for aeropress, etc). It was a perfect combination.
We hoped to bring along some of the liquid body soap and shampoo and conditioner and fabric and linen freshener with us as they smelled amazing, but we remained good guests.
We took the free shuttle service back to Narita Airport. We decided to just wait for mom and dad in the terminal that they will arrive in and it was a great choice as their estimated time of arrival turned out to be one hour in advanced.
We had lunch at N's Cafe and Dining court. We both had some golden crispy pork Tonkatsu set. Very tasty and moist inside. The oolong tea was a perfect compliment that washed the palate.
We then visited the Anime Road up in the second floor. And then it was time to meet up with mom and dad.
We waited with bated breath, and wondered what held them back as all the passengers from Cebu have already exited the arrival hall. What a beautiful reunion, some lengthy tight hugs were in order. They then explained that the customs held them back as they brought some latundan bananas that the officers did not allow them to exit with. We had a hearty laugh at this anecdote.
Mom and dad were a bit peckish and to prepare for our trip up to our accommodation about three hours away, they had some snacks at a nearby Starbucks outlet. Mom had some chamomile tea and cinnamon roll, while dad had some waffle and decaff coffee Americano. As they enjoyed their afternoon tea, we chatted some more about their flight.
We then boarded the Keisei Skyliner train service to Ueno. As we were preparing to cross through the rain to get to the JR train station, a random act of kindness from a Taiwanese lady gave mom her umbrella as she no longer required it for she was about to head to the airport. We then took the Shinkansen train (Yamabiko 69) to Koriyama. It was a tight schedule with a few minutes to spare in between services as we hoped to not arrive too late in our accommodation. The final train trip for the day was a train service to Inawashiro. We definitely felt the country town vibes as we kept getting whisked away from the metro area. The passengers appeared to be more homely and yet seemed content.
There was light rain in the station, luckily there was one taxi available. I felt so bad as he was eating his dinner, but quickly he stopped and helped us out. Unfortunately it was a regular car size and was unable to accommodate the four of us and our luggages. He tried to fit the luggages in but finally, somehow with plenty sumimasens and hand gestures we manage to convince him to take my sister and dad first and then he can just return and fetch me and my mom.
Luckily not long after he left another taxi came in. He was a jolly fellow, he looked like he knew already where we were headed.
On our way to the accommodation we saw a glimpse of the Kannonji river Sakuras. They were in full bloom! To our relief and delight, we saw a signboard at the hotel reception that the Sakura festival for this group of cherry blossoms was going to be held this weekend! We felt so blessed indeed.
Unfortunately though we could not avail the dinner service of the hotel as they still required pre arranged booking.
Luckily there were some snacks and microwave available in their souvenir shop to save the day.
It didn't take long for us to turn in for the night after a long day of travelling.Read more
JapanFukushimaInawashiro MachiArayashiki37°32’32” N 140°8’60” E
April 16, 2023 in Japan ⋅ 🌬 11 °C
It was dark when we arrived last night at Hotel Listel Inawashiro and we could barely make out the silhouette of the area.
We were greeted this morning by the view of the lake and the mountains! They weren't kidding when they stated the rooms featured lakeview.
This morning we were able to appreciate more the design of this hotel built in 1993. It had dated decor and carpet, however we are impressed that there are no musty smell in the corridors and in the rooms.
We availed the buffet breakfast to make up for the dinner we had last night. They had an extensive selection of food. There were some Japanese cuisine dishes and some Western options too. We were very satisfied and ready to take on the cool climate outside.
It was very surreal for my sister and I as we experienced Hanami for the very fist time. The cherry blossoms were flying around like were in the anime scenes we've grown up watching. We were so pleased having selected this place as there were no obnoxious foreigners, mostly there were only locals enjoying the cherry blossoms viewing in their quiet, yet happy and relaxed manner. There were no tourist buses as well. We basically felt like we were locals too and it was not over crowded unlike our experience in Kyoto in which there were more humans than the scenery itself. There was an abundance of selfies and photo taking to commemorate this special experience.
It is said there are about 200 Yoshino and Weeping Cherry trees growing along the Kannonji riverbanks. The river has also been left untouched and not been adapted to suit the needs of the town and its natural curves have been respected.
After enjoying the views in the riverbanks, mom and dad decided to rest back in their room, whereas my sister and I took the free shuttle service to Inawashiro to checkout some local cafe as well as obtain some groceries and replenish our pocket money.
We braved our reluctance to try a local cafe that did not have any English sign outside their establishment, but boy oh boy it was such a wonderful, rewarding experience.
It was a quaint cafe restaurant being run by what seemed to be the grandma in Japanese shows full of warmth and strength. She readily obliged getting us a menu in English and my sister and I were touched by the effort in her menu. It was a rough translation in English. And so we did our best as well to communicate with her in Japanese. Thank goodness for Google and for our love for Japanese shows.
The Neapolitan Pasta was steaming as it arrived. It was the perfect balance of umami, piquancy and sweetness. My sister and I remembered our grandmas who always poured their hearts to their tasty meals. My sister had some delicious blended coffee and the after we finished, our tummies and souls were refreshed. By the time we left we have made her smile a few times, complimenting her meals and asking her about her business hours in rough Nihonggo, it appeared like she appreciated our efforts.
We continued on to 7-11 after stopping by a local playground that was empty but was full of Sakuras. We couldn't really pose due to the on and off rain and the unrelenting gusts.
As we checked out in the convenience store, we once more amused some local as we struggled with paying at the electronic cash register, luckily the lady was very patient with us and was also laughing and bowing with us. There was plenty of sumimasens indeed.
Our shuttle service lady was ahead of time once more and we were greeted by the sunset over Lake Inawashiro when we delivered mom and dad's afternoon tea in their room.
I finally managed to try a public onsen (public bath) before dinner. I made sure to review the proper etiquette from a YouTube video prior to my visit. It was a truly relaxing experience and I wondered what my hesitation was all about.
We decided to sleep early tonight in preparation for a visit to some more blossoms tomorrow.Read more
JapanFukushimaKitakata37°39’3” N 139°52’30” E
April 17, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C
Today, we were greeted by a misty, 0 degree morning. The mountains surrounding our accommodation were snow capped. But it did not dampen our hopes to see the Weeping Cherry Tree blossoms.
We had booked ourselves the first trip to Inawashiro station.
My sister and I had some pancakes and natto onigiri for breakfast. We were saving ourselves some space for the onslaught of ramen sampling in our destination.
We boarded the train service from Inawashiro to Aizu Wakamatsu. I asked a personnel which track to go to for our destination and I appreciated that he spoke some English. Mom had to visit the toilet however it was very rushed as the train to Kitakata was departing very soon after we arrived.
The main road leading out from Kitakata station was cobblestone lined and instantly the place feels idyllic. We noticed a Thai family were also looking for the Nicchusen Weeping Cherry Trees. We were following one another as we navigated through the small waybys of this country town. We appreciated the clear waters freely flowing in their canals. No wonder the town has been hailed as one of the 100 exquisite waters of Japan that makes it ideal for their well-known ramen.
We managed to just reach the end of the blossom peak for these trees, however they remained beautiful. We walked for about two kilometres that were flower strewn and it still stretched out to about 3 kms. There were only a minimum amount of foreign tourists and once more we appreciated how we managed to avoid the flocks of raucous foreigners.
We enjoyed some pastry goodies from Forte Bakery. They had a food stall just next to the weeping cherry tree lanes. I had some Japanese conceived melonpan, my sister and mom enjoyed some cinnamon rolls and my dad had some ham and cheese. My sister bought some potato bread to take home. We were all surprised that the cinnamon bread had some custard filling whereas my melonpan had some chocolate custard filling. The crisp cookie dough top layer was then layered by the light yet creamy filling on every bite that delighted my tastebuds.
We then started our trek to our chosen ramen shop after we had been refreshed by our late morning tea. Unfortunately they have sold out and could no longer accommodate us. Much to our disappointment, we started to make our way to a ramen shop near the train station in the hopes that they would be able to appease our hunger. However they were only manufacturing ramen in a box and no longer operating as a restaurant. Defeated, we started walking back to the station. After we have emptied our bladders, my sister remained encouraged and decided to check out a nearby ramen shop. Luckily they were open and we got to try the 3rd top ranking ramen in Japan.
It was a different kind of broth, for it was savoury pork that was laced with ginger, and it was the first time I've tried ramen with corn and bamboo shoots. It was delicious.
As we enjoyed our meal, the table across us depicted a scene that touched our hearts. It was what seemed to be brothers having a lunch out, and one of them appeared to have some disability that affected his mentation as well as his mobility. Such devotion from the older brother. And they were not young, and we've surmised that the older brother has looked after his younger brother since their parents have died.
After the meal we decided to go to the nearby retro cafe called Renga coffee to take some light meal with us for dinner. It was a beautiful, red brick building from the Showa era, repurposed from being a rice storage. Apparently it has been in business for 45 years and the building has been there for 114 years! The coffees were delicious, but unfortunately there was no takeaway service.
We hoped that the souvenir shop next to the cafe sold some ready made meals. Thank goodness they had some so my sister and I no longer needed to walk for another four blocks to obtain some dinner.
The couple who manned the shop were very friendly and very helpful too. Mom thought she would get a box of the adzuki filled mochi (sticky rice ball) that contained 6 pieces however the lady advised her that the expiry date would be tomorrow. We noticed that she also changed the pieces to those that were not on display.
On our way back to Inawashiro station where we will get picked up by the hotel shuttle service, we saw a mix of country folk returning home from work as well as some students. My sister and I noticed some young girls wearing short uniform skirts and heavy makeup. We realised those types of students also existed here.
Back at the hotel, my sister and I enjoyed some onsen. It relieved her of her foot discomfort. She was very happy she finally got to try it too and like me, forgot what all the hesitation was about. It was another relaxing end to our day.Read more
JapanFukushimaInawashiro MachiKawageta37°32’19” N 140°8’28” E
April 18, 2023 in Japan ⋅ 🌧 10 °C
We were greeted by some clouds and sunshine this morning. The snow capped Bandai mountain showed its peak. And the cherry blossoms were even more vibrant under the sun's rays.
We enjoyed a leisurely stroll next to the calm waters of the Kannonji river. There were plenty of Japanese visitors, although we did see a some Vietnamese vloggers, a small group for Filipinos, and a Caucasian family.
It was unnerving to witness how some elderly people attempt head down the river bank to take photos from that point of view despite their mobility. We had to help one who got stuck and appeared to topple over had she been left on her own. She expressed her delight and gratitude however we could not understand what she was saying, but we reassured her with plenty of daijobu's (no worries at all).
Just next to the cherry blossoms display next to river are some yatai (food stalls). Naturally, it piqued our interest.
For brunch we enjoyed some okonomiyaki (pancakes with vegetables and meat), and some oven baked sweet potato. We also enjoyed some warm sweet sake (non-alcoholic) to down what we've consumed. They were all very tasty.
We walked further down the river until the end where it almost met up with Kawageta train station. There was a small convenience store that we browsed through but they didn't have ready packed meals.
We went back to the hotel and had a lovely afternoon nap. When we woke up it was raining. For dinner, I quickly went back to the yatai (food stalls) but to our dismay they were already closed. Prior to heading back to the hotel, I took some quick snaps of the night illumination of the Kannonji river cherry trees. It was mesmerising to see the flower petals absorb whatever light colour is thrown at them.
On the way back to the hotel, I bought some more bread for breakfast from the super friendly local who also served us earlier today. I got some melonpan, croissants, danish pastry.
Fortunately the hotel's souvenir shop still had some ready made meals that sufficed for our needs to tide us through the night.
My sister and I also managed to finish some laundry in the coin operated machines then had another visit to the onsen before dinner.Read more
JapanFukushimaInawashiro MachiKawageta37°32’19” N 140°8’28” E
April 19, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
We woke up today to clear skies. Mount Bandai remains snow sprinkled in the distance. After we had some light breakfast of coffee and melonpan bread we got from the food truck near the cherry tree festival site, we prepared to make our way to a local restaurant. Google translated the name of the establishment to "Hot Kitchen."
It was our first time to experience dining in zashiki (tatami seating) as their tables were full. It was operated by a local family, and immediately we felt their warmth and delight to host some foreigners for lunch.
We ordered some omu rice. It came with some miso soup with barley as well as some salad. Everything was well balanced and seasoned and truly delicious. They have been so kind to serve a complimentary dessert composed of milk curd and a sliver of dates and together they were really tasty.
After we've put our shoes back on, we've expressed our gratitude for the meal on our way out.
We marvelled at the streets of Kawageta as we walked back to the sakura site. It was quiet and we could not hear any babies crying, nor any children.
This time we brought a picnic blanket and tried to do what locals do which is to sit under the sakuras and relax. Of course as tourists we had another photoshoot to commemorate this fleeting moment. We saw a couple dressed in their wedding attire who came with a photoshoot team. They looked so in love and happy. There was a moment when they were surrounded by the falling Sakura petals as a gentle breeze passed by.
Mom and dad headed back to the hotel first while my sister and I spent more time by the petal strewn river. We saw some Filipinos amongst the gentle stream of crowds. There was a lady doing some upbeat dancing in front of her camera for her Tiktok audience.
For dinner, we were hoping to buy some yakisoba and pair it with some barbequed meat and the creamy and moist sweet potato that we have yearned for, however some of the food stalls were closed. So we ended up buying some savoury Chinese pancakes (called Xi'an Bing) that was filled with ground meat and some vegetables) We also got some karage fried chicken with yuzu sauce.
On our way back to the hotel my sister and I wanted to stop by a bench next to some sakura trees. A lady was just finishing her book read when we got there. We had another photoshoot there.
Back at the hotel, we marvelled at the sunset over Inawashiro lake and then headed back out with mom and dad for some night photography of the Kannonji river Sakuras. The flowers soak up the changing light colours and there was an enchanting music in the background to compliment the magical experience. There was a bit of a crowd. I only saw two caucasians there and mostly Japanese visitors.
My sister and I then went to the onsen and to our dismay there were obnoxious, disrespectful and inconsiderate Vietnamese bathers, loud and trying to splash water in the pools.
After that annoying experience, we enjoyed our meal from the food stalls back in our room and not long after we've turned in for the night.Read more
JapanFukushimaInawashiro MachiKatadaInawashiro-eki37°32’47” N 140°6’12” E
April 20, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
This morning my sister and I decided to finally try the outdoor onsen. It was a beautiful experience. We had the whole place to ourselves and it felt like a private onsen with the views of lake Inawashiro and some mountains over the distance and on top of some mountains there stood some windmills. I watched the sun set into the clouds and thought of the twilight scene in the anime film Your Name.
We then had some light breakfast and ensured there is enough space for the upcoming late lunch in the cafe across Inawashiro station. We have affectionately called the proprietress "grandma" or "oba-chan" in Japanese.
We booked the hotel shuttle at 1130 in the morning and when we got to oba-chan's place she had a sign saying she will be back at 1pm. We then took that opportunity to shop at 7-11 and obtain our groceries for breakfast tomorrow.
In the convenience store parking lot we encountered some very cute cars that can only be found here in Japan.
In oba-chan's place we marvelled at the dried flowers and plants hanging on her table next to the window where she had some charcoal heated kettle setup ready for cooler days.
We ordered some plain toast and to our surprise it came with a squeeze dispenser that already combined butter and jam altogether. Mom and dad also enjoyed the Neapolitan pasta. They also loved the brown sugar jelly that came with the matcha drink that I ordered. We then ordered some takeaway for dinner. Oba-chan was startled when when we asked for four curries to take away when she served our pastas. She asked us to wait for so she can check her stock and then she gave us the go signal.
There were a few more people who came in as we were having our meal, and we waited til things quieted down a bit before paying for our bill. We thanked oba-chan for the delicious meal. Secretly my sister and I were excited for our dinner even though we were very full from the late lunch. Later on we found out the literal translation of her establishment's name is "Optimism Outside of Inawashiro Station."
When we returned to the hotel, we checked for the closing hours of the Inawashiro Herb Garden just across the road and it turns out we only have 45 mins left to spare. We hurriedly tried to capture some photos of the room filled with Japanese umbrellas with mirror effects, as well as of Hotel Listel Inawashiro behind rows of canola flowers. There were also some carp windsocks (called Koinobori) flapping in the wind in preparation for the upcoming Children's Day festival in 5th of May. The carp symbolises courage and strength because of its ability to swim up a waterfall.
After the photoshoot, mom and dad headed back to their room whereas my sister and I visited the grove of cherry blossoms near the cemetery close to our hotel to say goodbye to the sakuras of Kannonji river and to thank them for their spectacular show. We didn't stay long though as the bees were swarming us. We guessed it was that phase of the blossoms where the bees are most attracted to.
Back at the hotel my sister had another dip in the onsen followed by a family portrait where all of us are wearing a yukata to commemorate our stay at Hotel Listel. We then planned for our itineraries over the next few days as we enjoyed our dinner and then we turned in for the night.Read more
JapanTochigiAshikaga ShiYanadachō36°18’55” N 139°31’6” E
April 21, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
This was our longest stay in one place here in Japan and it has truly been a memorable visit. Seeing a different side of Japan away from the touristy cities of Tokyo and Osaka and Kyoto has given us the chance to have a more intimate experience.
For the last time my sister and I enjoyed a final onsen visit. There were clouds and haze that decreased the visibility of Lake Inawashiro and the windmills on the horizon couldn't be seen.
We then had a heavy breakfast to prepare us for our trip to Utsunomiya. We bade goodbye to our home for the last six nights. We appreciated the warmth of all the staff there.
For the final time the shuttle from Hotel Listel took us to Inawashiro station where we took the train service to Koriyama. In this train, mom engaged in a conversation with a Japanese English translator who was assisting a group of tourists both foreigners and locals alike. It was amusing to see how two Americans and two Japanese managed to converse in a very limited way. They've shared stories about their children and of their grand children.
In Koriyama station, we got to experience a Yamabiko Shinkansen train blitzing past at its full speed. It drove by in a blink of an eye and the sound of it rushing surprised us.
When we arrived in Utsunomiya, it was very warm. Our accommodation for the next two nights was just walking distance from the station. The staff member in the reception utilised a handheld translating device to communicate with me and then she assisted me with the automated cash register that will handle my payment.
After having a small rest we then went back to the train station in search of late lunch. There was a mall just next to it and it was very convenient to have multiple food selections available. My dad had what seemed to be some beef innards stew, mom had some tuna and mayo onigiri (rice balls wrapped in seaweed sheet). My sister and I explored a rice curry restaurant, she had some butter chicken whereas I had some shrimp green curry with some spicy egg and fried eggplant. We thoroughly enjoyed them.
From Utsunomiya Station we took the train to Oyama station and then transferred to the train to Ashikaga Flower Park. It was more packed compared to our country town experiences the past few days, but still not as congested as in Tokyo nor Osaka area.
Google wasn't lying when it stated that the flower park status was busy. There was an abundance of tourists. Immediately upon entering you get a whiff of the wisterias.
We arrived two hours before closing time. After a couple of quick snapshots we decided to try some wisteria soft serve ice cream first before continuing our tour of the park. It was a delicious ice cream, the wisteria scent was not overpowering. I had the pure one, whereas mom, dad and my sister had a mix with vanilla ice cream.
There were white, light pink, dark pink and purple wisterias. The night illuminations have brought out a magical quality to them. It was challenging to get some photos in which there were not much people in the shot. There were also some displays that featured some waterways to reflect the illuminated wisteria and other flower beds/arrangements. There were plenty of photographers with professional equipment and tripods. But it was nice to know that there were more locals than foreigner tourists.
When the clock struck 8:30pm, the whole place began to play the same song that was used in the Inawashiro Herb Garden to remind customers that it was time to go home. I was under the impression that it was a proprietary audio clip but now realised perhaps the government owns it and shares it to tourist spot establishments. The song is Auld Lang Syne, and there is a lady who keeps telling everyone thank you for visiting and take care.
On our way home we visited a 7-11 to get some breakfast so it would be easier for our early trip tomorrow. We arrived close to 11pm and we have a 7am wake up call and so there was not much time to spare, so we got into bed quickly in the hopes of getting some rest.Read more
JapanIbarakiHitachinaka-shiMawatari36°24’9” N 140°35’40” E
April 22, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
We had a quick breakfast this morning in preparation for our trip to Ibaraki prefecture. Come to think of it we travelled from Fukushima prefecture to Tochigi prefecture yesterday.
Back at Utsunomiya Station, my sister bought some camembert cheese sponge cake to have as a treat for our trip. Then we travelled to Oyama, and then took the train to Katsuta. It was an almost 3 hour train trip. We saw a lot of lush hills and plenty of tilled fields ready for planting.
When we arrived at Katsuta station, we saw a gentleman with a signboard advertising a return shuttle + day pass to the Hitachi Seaside Park. We followed his directions and when we got down to the street level we saw a winding queue of people bound to the flower park.
It was a flowing line of people as there was a continuous stream of buses to service the tourists. We were also quite delighted as they offered discount for visitors above 65 years old. As always, Japanese people are very efficient.
When we arrived at the venue, we were greeted by an expansive space after we entered the gates. There were multiple food trucks offering different dining options and heaps of tables and chairs both in the shade and under the sun available for the guests. We decided to have some lunch first. I had some yakisoba (stir fried noodles and vegetables and some meat) and mom and dad and my sister had some nikumaki onigiri (meat wrapped rice) and some potato with cheese. For dessert we had some of the camembert sponge cake that my sister bought earlier. After we had our fill, we began exploring the park.
Just close to the dining space, there were some tulip beds beneath a canopy of trees. There was also a small windmill there, most likely an attempt to give it the well-known tulip and windmill combination in the Netherlands.
We then decided to head to visit the area where they've planted the nemophilias. From a distance one would have thought there was an ocean on the horizon, but actually, they were blue hills -- filled with nemophilias in full bloom. Based on the Hitachi Seaside Park website, the hills turn to red in autumn as they cover it with the deciduous summer cypress.
There was a procession of people walking towards the lookout (miharashi). From up on miharashi hill, you can see the Pacific Ocean, and looking back towards the park you can see a field of canola also in full bloom and behind it are some traditional village houses. Mom and dad decided to relax in the benches just below the blue hills.
We saw plenty of visitors bringing along their pets, mostly dogs, but some brought their bunnies with them. They were excellent subjects to photograph with the blue hill as their background.
When my sister and I had our fill of the beautiful view up there, we joined mom and dad for afternoon tea. We wanted to try some dried sweet potato gelato. We were disappointed though that it was sold out. We ended up just buying some nemophilia macarons, however they were nowhere near the delicious wisteria ice cream in Ashikaga flower park. We couldn't determine any nemophilia scent in them, but it did its job tasting like macarons. Still it was a good pairing with a cup of coffee.
Afterwards we walked to where the rose gardens are but unfortunately they were not in bloom. We were surprised that there was an amusement park called Pleasure Garden and it had a ferris wheel, a roller coaster and other rides in this huge flower park.
We sought assistance from a park staff member to direct us to where the bus stop where the shuttle back to Katsusa station is situated. He told us to return to the West Gate exit. We were joined by a mass exodus of people as it was already closing time at this stage (5pm). But we didn't have to wait long as the buses were continuous like this morning. And everyone were very obedient sticking to the queue.
The train back to our accommodation has been much slower, as the services were limited and kept waiting for other train passengers from different train line services.
We decided to have a quick dinner when we arrived back at Utsunomiya Station around 9pm. There was a nearby McDonald's. They had a seasonal offering -- a crumbed chicken seasoned with yuzu (Japanese citrus lemon) mayonnaise sandwiched between rice patties. It was very delicious and was perfect as a meal before sleeping.Read more
JapanTochigiMatsugamineTōbuutsunomiya-eki36°33’29” N 139°52’53” E
April 23, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
Today is Sunday and we are very glad to be able to visit a church. Also today we celebrate Lola Soteng's birthday. She would have celebrated her 94th.
We had some light breakfast and planned to sample the Gyoza that is popular here in Utsunomiya. We then took the bus from Utsunomiya Station to a bus stop walking distance away from Matsugamine church.
This beautiful, Romanesque style church is probably the only one built with Oya-ishi (locally produced volcanic ash stone with green-greyish colour) in the world and designed by a Swiss architect Max Hinder (1887 - 1963) from Zurich. The church's website says this was his last work on churches in Japan before he returnedEurope.
My sister had a chat to the parish priest as he arrived whilst we were busy photographing the facade. He was grateful for our visit and was welcoming us all.
There was a bunch of Vietnamese people whom I thought were fellow tourists just hanging out inside the church. I was annoyed as they were talking loudly amongst themselves and I was trying to pray. Later on they started singing in their language and they had a wonderful harmonisation. I was humbled and I prayed for forgiveness.
Afterwards we tried to locate Miyajima street, also known as the Gyoza street. On our way there we passed by Orion Square -- an open mall with high skyline type ceilings similar to the one in Himeji. There was a band playing some ethnic music that was upbeat and they were using some windpipe and drums. We stopped to appreciate them along with a relaxed, Sunday morning crowd.
When we arrived at the gyoza street, immediately we saw the queue for Utsunomiya Minmin Honten. It is a 65 yr old establishment that has withstood the test of time. We joined the wait for takeout as the onsite dining queue was much longer. After being attended to, we looked for a spot to eat. It took us quite awhile to find an ideal location. We tried a nearby Omotesando Square mall but it did not have any public facility. Finally we gave up and we decided to sit by a small stream. We drove some menacing pigeons away, and excitedly, we finally tried the renowned gyoza. At first bite, we understood why they've have such a following. Their Gyoza is seasoned perfectly with an exquisite ratio between the meat and the wrapper (which had a nice bounce/resistance as it was perfectly grilled and was not greasy.)
After we've enjoyed our meal, we took the bus back to Utsunomiya Station and picked up our luggages from our accommodation in Richmond Hotel then headed back to the station. We then took a rapid service to Shinjuku station. We found ourselves needing to adjust our minds to the huge influx of people in Tokyo compared to the less populated areas we've enjoyed these past few days. JR Shinjuku station is a maze but we've managed to locate where the elevator lifts are to get to the Metro trains where we had to ride the Marunouchi line which will get us to Yotsuya-Sanchome station.
From there it was a bit of a walk to our AirBnB accommodation in Daikyocho called J Guest House, a minimalist, traditional Japanese futon style beddings.
We had an easy dinner as we were all very tired from lugging around our baggages, it was comprised of instantised corn soup along with Domino's Pizza (one was grilled chicken teriyaki and the other was salty pork galbi) along with some potato wedges and a few pieces of Japanese fried chicken and some 7-11 salad.
It didn't take us long to settle in and greeting each other "oyasumi nasai" (good night.)Read more
