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  • Robert Arnold

Japan

A 20-day adventure by Robert Read more
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  • Trip start
    September 19, 2023
  • Robert ArnoldJapanTraveler

    Nagoya & Suzuka Day 1

    September 21, 2023 in Japan ⋅ 🌧 31 °C

    After 26 hours of travelling the day before, this was my first full day in Japan.

    Starting with the hotel breakfast, after first being given a more traditional croissant and toast a tray of goodies, none were labeled so they were all a surprise!

    After spending a large amount of time figuring out the Japanese transport network I finally had the right rail passes and cards to get to Suzuka to collect my ticket for the race. Although there was nothing happening on track everywhere was open, so I took a look at the pits from the main grandstands and rode some of the attractions in the Suzuka theme park, including a motorbike styled rollercoaster and the large Ferris wheel overlooking the track.

    In the afternoon I headed back to Nagoya in search of food. Walking past the Science Museum, which is a ridiculous building with a rocket parked next to it.

    After finding some ramen I headed back to the hotel... just as the heavens opened!    Read more

  • Robert ArnoldJapanTraveler

    Suzuka Day 2

    September 22, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Practice day at Suzuka meant that I had access to every grandstand around the circuit. So I spent the day roaming around finding the best views and practicing my photography, starting at the chicane, then over to Spoon corner at the far side of the track, then to the iconic bridge section and finally making my way over to the 'S' curves.

    Getting back to the hotel was a challenge thanks to the 2 hour queue for the shuttle out of the circuit. I'm mentally preparing myself to walk there and back instead on race day.

    In the evening I wandered around Nagoya in search of food and found a great Yakitori bar with very cheery staff who were very excited to talk about football when they discovered I was British!    Read more

  • Robert ArnoldJapanTraveler

    Suzuka Qualifying

    September 23, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    On Saturday I found my seat for the rest of the weekend, on the entry to the 3rd corner, entering the S section of the track. I also realized this was the Red Bull fan grandstand, although I soon found that the biggest cheers were for Perez as there was a large Mexican attendance.

    From my seat I could see the start lights (and just about the top of the cars down the main straight), turn 1/2 and the run up the hill into the S. It was staggering watching the cars fly through the these corners on their hot laps, they change direction so quickly it barely seems real.

    After qualifying I decided to wait at the track for a while instead of queueing for the bus, there was a track walk however the queue was already busy 2 hours before it opened so I decided to give it a miss. Instead I watched the driver interviews, amazingly everyone sat on the ground to ensure that others could get a good view. A surprise appearance from Sebastian Vettel was also great!    Read more

  • Robert ArnoldJapanTraveler

    Suzuka Race Day

    September 24, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    After setting off extra early to avoid the queues I arrived at the circuit just in time to watch the Porsche race. There was an airshow by the Japanese "Blue Impulse" group which made me appreciate just how incredible the Red Arrows are in comparison. The crowds were massive but everything was running smoothly. I stocked up on 500¥ Heineken (around £2.50) and got ready for the main event.

    The race itself was action packed, I got a glimpse of Lando leading briefly into the first turn, and lots of views of Russell battling with his alternative strategy. We couldn't hear any of the commentary (most of it was in Japanese anyway), so the Mexican group next to me and I were very confused as Perez rejoined the race for a couple laps.

    After the race I finally got the opportunity to walk the track, down all the way to the first corner, appreciating the "buzzing corner" beehives that Vettel has set up.

    Whilst leaving the circuit I discovered that the Japanese also partake in the tradition of stealing everything from the circuit, as all of the driver flags were being carried away... except for Lance Stroll    Read more

  • Robert ArnoldJapanTraveler

    Atsuta Shrine

    September 25, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Before leaving Nagoya for Tokyo I spent the morning exploring Astuta Shrine, it was a very serene place with many customs that I didn't fully understand.

    The shrine is home to the legendary Kusanagi no Tsurugi sword, which was used by the god Susanoo in Japanese folklore to slay the eight headed serpent Orochi. This is also the plot of the video game Okami

    Although the legendary sword is hidden from the general public, there was a museum displaying various swords donated to the shrine, including a few that you were allowed to hold, I never realized how huge a katana actually was!    Read more

  • Robert ArnoldJapanTraveler

    Shinjuku

    September 25, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Taking the bullet train to Tokyo I arrived in Shinjuku where I am staying for the next week. Upon getting off the train I spent half an hour walking around the labyrinth that is Shinjuku station, which is mostly underground with multiple different levels and so densely populated that GPS just gives up. After a while my goal changed from trying to find the correct exit to just trying to find sunlight. Once I finally reached the surface my hotel was only a 5 minute walk away.

    Shinjuku is one of the largest entertainment hubs in Tokyo, the scale of the place is incredible, all through the night the streets are brightly lit up with various advertisements and music videos. I explored the area to find Godzilla street, as well as the 3d cat billboard.

    Although there are huge streets with thousands of people passing through, there are also small densely packed alleyways, a famous area of these being the Golden Gai district, an area full of tiny bars, some being so small they can barely fit 10 people in! This district has a very cosy atmosphere as travellers from all over the world meet    Read more

  • Robert ArnoldJapanTraveler

    Shibuya

    September 26, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Shibuya is the commercial hub of Tokyo, with every shop you could imagine being found there.

    Coming out of the metro station you are immediately greeted by the Scramble crossing, one of the busiest pedestrian crossings in the world - Google says an estimated 3000 people cross during every green light. It is complete chaos but somehow it just works. Next to the crossing is my first stop, the statue of the most loyal dog, Hachikō.

    After petting the dog I headed over to the various game companies stores, including the massive Pokémon centre, the Nintendo shop, and the Capcom store full of Monster Hunter merchandise. The highlight of the district however was Tower Records, a record shop spanning over 9 floors selling every album you could think of. I bought a lot of Japanese albums that I had been unable to buy from home before.

    Moving out of the center the crowds very soon fade away as I got to Yoyogi Park, a large green space which also has the gymnasium used to host events in both the 1964 and 2020 Olympics. After a short rest I wandered over to Harajuku to look at all the weird Japanese fashion shops.

    Finally, whilst returning back to my hotel I took a detour to the "Shelter" music venue. A tiny bar that upcoming Japanese rock bands perform at, which serves as the inspiration for the bar "Starry" in the anime Bocchi the Rock. Unfortunately the show's popularity meant that there was a queue all around the building to get in, and the performances were all sold out.    Read more

  • Robert ArnoldJapanTraveler
    1

    Mt. Fuji

    September 27, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Setting off at far too early in the morning, I took a bus tour over to the area around Mt. Fuji. I hadn't much hope as apparently clear views can be quite rare (with the summit being visible around 20% of the time) and it was forcast as cloudy for the day.

    After a couple of hours of travel our first stop was the 5th Station, the highest point of Fuji accessible by car, at an altitude of around 2300m. Fortunately the weather was a lot clearer than forecast and we had stunning views all the way to the top, as well as of the surrounding areas.

    We made a brief stop for lunch at a restaurant just outside the Fuji-Q amusement park, which was heartbreaking as it was full of giant rollercoasters that I didn't have time to ride.

    Our last stop was Lake Kawaguchi, adjacent to Fuji this offered some of the best views of the volcano. We had a short boat ride across the lake which allowed for amazing unobstructed views - at this point a few clouds had rolled in but the summit was still clearly visible.

    Finally I took a ride up a ropeway to an observation deck near the top of the hill next to the lake. The area was crowded, but I headed further up to the top of the hill, past the "beware of the bears signs" to a small Shinto shrine. This was much more peaceful, with the calm only being broken by the occasional scream heard from the theme park below.    Read more

  • Robert ArnoldJapanTraveler

    Akihabara

    September 28, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    In the morning I headed over to Akihabara "Electric Town", an area famous for its various games and retro tech stores. The place was packed with various shops selling merchandise for every game you could think of, new or old.

    I also spent some time exploring the arcades, which consisted of multiple stories, with various crane and "gatcha" prize games, retro arcade cabinets, and modern games. I tried my hand at the original Ridge Racer, as well as a classic "bullet hell" shooting game... I wasn't particularly great at either!

    On the way back I had a change of pace and stopped off at the grounds of the Imperial Palace, unfortunately it's very difficult to see the palace itself, but the various gate houses surrounding it, and the ruins of an old Edo castle were still impressive.    Read more

  • Robert ArnoldJapanTraveler

    Zutomayo

    September 28, 2023 in Japan ⋅ 🌙 30 °C

    In the evening I headed over to Kawaguchi to see the band Zutomayo (Midnight Forever). This was one of the main reasons for travelling all the way to Japan in the first place, so my expectations were high. However I was hesitant as the tour was titled the "primitive" 5 year anniversary tour, so I was worried that it may be a little bit simpler than some of the performances I'd seen online.

    I was very fortunate to have won the premium seating in the ticket lottery, so my seat was only a few rows from the front. And as the show started my fears of a simple show evaporated as the curtain fell to reveal the set was an entire vintage cafe, with the stage hands dressed as waiters to maintain the illusion, suddenly I understood the mistranslation!

    The band set off into a two and a half hour set of their experimental funk-rock-jpop fusion, the entire performance was a sensory overload of sound and colour, as with each new song the stage would be illuminated in a different style.

    The lead singer ACAね゙ (pronounced a-ka-ni) performed brilliantly, whilst the lighting was set up perfectly so that her face was almost always in sillouete, allowing her to remain anonymous even whilst dancing around the stage wielding a giant glowing sword!

    The highlights of the performance included the Open Real Ensemble, a duo which used a magnetic tape machine attached to a fishing rod to synthesise some very unique sounds, and the lead singer playing a solo on the "Electric Fan Harpsichord" - essentially using an electric pickup to play a desk fan like a guitar.

    The crowd was also unlike any I had seen before in a concert, waiting patiently for the band to tell them when they should sit, and when they can stand and dance. Between songs after the applause had finished the crowd would go silent in anticipation of the next song.

    (Photography during the performance was forbidden so I've included some images from their official photobook to illustrate what an Electric Fan Harpsichord looks like)    Read more

  • Robert ArnoldJapanTraveler

    teamLab Planets

    September 29, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    In the morning I headed over to teamLabs, an interactive modern art museum, famed for its giant full room art pieces.

    The guidance when visiting the museum was to wear shorts - the reason for this became clear immediately as you have to climb a slope through running water to get to the first exhibit.

    Most of the displays are in large mirrored rooms, making the area feel infinitely large - the most effective area for this was the LED light forest. Seemingly endless strings of lights constantly changing in different patterns.

    My favourite exhibit was the digital koi pond, where you waded throught knee deep water, with fish that would react to movement - if one swam into you it would burst into flowers, leaving a trail wherever people walked through.

    On the way back I also took a detour to see the Tokyo Tower, very similar to the one in France, but this one was also next to a Buddhist temple.    Read more

  • Robert ArnoldJapanTraveler

    LiSA

    September 30, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    On to the second concert of the trip, LiSA has written music for some of the most popular anime - including Sword Art Online and Demon Slayer, as well as the Japanese version of the new Spiderman film. Her musical style is punk-rock with a j-pop twist.

    The performance was very high energy, with the crowd constantly chanting (sometimes even in English so I would understand what was happening). The light pens that the audience use add a unique element compared to western concerts.

    LiSA herself was very laid back, constantly joking with the crowd and the rest of the band. For one of the final songs she walked into the crowd while singing, amazingly everyone remained stood next to their allocated seat, unimaginable in a western performance. She also managed to perform countless lightning fast costume changes between songs.

    (I can find myself in the group photo, on the first floor balcony to the right)    Read more

  • Robert ArnoldJapanTraveler

    Kyoto Day 1

    October 1, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    After a slight delay caused by me missing the Shinkansen I arrived in Kyoto. The difference between this city and Tokyo is like night and day. The endless skyscrapers replaced with views of mountains in all directions, and noticeably less busy.

    I spent the afternoon exploring the Imperial Palace grounds, a vast garden filled with shrines and foliage. It would have been a place of great tranquility, if not for the noise from the birds, which from Googling I believe to be the Brown-eared Bulbul. Which has a call similar to a squealing pig.

    In the evening I headed into the market and had my first conveyor sushi! The best by far was Snow Crab, which of course meant it was the most expensive dish on the menu!    Read more

  • Robert ArnoldJapanTraveler

    Kyoto Day 2

    October 2, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Setting off early, my first destination was the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, a spectacular bamboo forest where you could hear the branches of bamboo creak and rattle in the wind. From there I climbed a hill to a great view of the rest of Arashiyama Park.

    The second stop was a short walk away... followed by a large slog up a bigger mountainside! The reward at the top was worth it however, as I arrived at the Iwatayama Monkey Park.

    Not only did this park boast a fantastic view of all of Kyoto, there was also a huge number of wild Snow Monkeys. As a twist, guests are allowed to feed the monkeys, but they can only do so from within a building - the monkeys on the outside reaching in. It was an amazing experience to have them take food right from your hand! Outside the monkeys were very relaxed around humans, wandering very close to you, even with their babies.

    My final destination of the day was Kinkaku-ji, an absolutely astonishing temple decorated with gold leaf.    Read more

  • Robert ArnoldJapanTraveler

    Mt Inari & Nara

    October 3, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Another early start, this time I headed to Fushimi Inari, where thousands of Torii gates weave their way up the hillside. Hoping to beat the crowds I arrived at around 8am, but the main shrine was already getting fairly crowded. Setting off down the trail was also busy, the trail starts with a short flat circular route but then splits to lead back to the main shrine or off up Mt Inari.

    The climb to the top took around an hour, although it was a hot day you were always in the shade of the endless Torii gates. As I climbed higher the trail quietened allowing for some incredible moments where I could appreciate the trail with barely anyone around.

    Every few minutes of climbing it seemed like there would be another rest stop, and another collection of small shrines, some of these places must have had over a hundred shrines alone. Other rest stops offered amazing views over Kyoto.

    After completing the trail and returning to the main shrine I found all of the tourists buses arrived, so I retreated to my second destination.

    A short train ride away from Kyoto is Nara, a huge park filled with some magnificent shrines, however it is famed for its wildlife. The park is filled with amazingly docile deer that are not bothered by people at all, some even letting you pet them!

    You can purchase deer food - which seemed to be some kind of biscuit, at which point the deer will become much more interested in you. Many of the deer have learnt to bow if you do, before receiving their food... often this results in deer running up to you whilst rapidly nodding their heads!

    However my favourite deer was the one that had learnt to stand within one of the shrines, bowing as people queued up to feed her. I also enjoyed watching the American tourists get chased by hoards of deer after teasing them with their food.    Read more

  • Robert ArnoldJapanTraveler
    1

    Matsumoto

    October 5, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    After a stop over in Niigata to watch a second Zutomayo concert I made my way to Matsumoto.

    The main draw of this city is its castle, one of the oldest surviving Japanese castles. Exploring the interior of the castle had many museum pieces, mainly focusing on the period where guns were first introduced into Japanese warfare. The steps into each floor got progressively more steep, I wouldn't want to be a samurai having to climb this castle.

    Painted black it looks very striking, even more so at night!

    My dinner for the night was more ramen, with a side of gyoza. Maybe some of the best ramen I've had so far!    Read more

  • Robert ArnoldJapanTraveler

    Kamikõchi

    October 6, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    After a traditional Japanese breakfast of fried chicken and cake I caught a bus from Matsumoto deeper into the Japanese Alps.

    Kamikochi is a valley between some of the largest mountains and volcanoes in Japan. As the bus snaked its way through the hills I caught glimpses of snow monkeys, as well as many natural hot springs.

    The valley floor itself is 1500 meters above sea level, making it significantly colder than the previous destinations - while Tokyo was often above 30 degrees, it was around 7 degrees here. Shortly after arriving there was a light drizzle, making it feel like authentic British hiking weather.

    The trail was mostly flat and easy going, it was only after I'd set off I realized I was missing the one piece of hiking equipment all of the Japanese hikers had - a bell to scare away bears! (Un)fortunately I didn't spot any on my travels though.

    The entire area was ridiculously beautiful, with a river of perfectly clear blue water running through dense forests surrounded by huge mountains. As the day progressed there were breaks in the clouds allowing for some stunning views of the mountain peaks.    Read more

  • Robert ArnoldJapanTraveler

    Tokyo (again)

    October 7, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    My final day was spent making my way back to Tokyo. After dropping off my luggage I headed over to Shibuya for some last minute souvenir shopping, and grabbed a huge chocolate and strawberry waffle from the 109 building for lunch!

    In the afternoon I met up with my friend Oscar, who moved to Tokyo a week ago to study Japanese. We went over to Akihabara to look in some tech shops before touring some arcades, where we were generally terrible at rhythm games.

    For dinner we went over to a standing sushi bar, with the highlight being grilled Conger Eel. Finally we ended the night in a darts and games bar. Of course the dart boards were digital and would automatically track your scores as you played (including being able to detect when I repeatedly completely missed the board). We then somehow got caught up in a Japanese pub quiz - somehow we did averagely despite barely understanding any of the questions!

    And that's a wrap for Japan! Writing this now from the airplane home. This really has been an unforgettable experience and I hope I will get the opportunity to return again soon    Read more

    Trip end
    October 8, 2023
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