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Japan 2024
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Japan 2024

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    6. syyskuuta 2024
    EattravelmoveJapan 2024Matkaaja

    Night in Sydney

    6.–7. syysk. 2024, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    We took the bus to Sydney to start our 5 week journey to Japan. Checked into our favourite Sydney hotel, the Grace. Of course, it's not a holiday without cocktails🍹🍹🍸🍸

    A steak dinner at Kingsleys Steakhouse for our last Aussie meal.Lue lisää

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  • EattravelmoveJapan 2024Matkaaja
    1

    The flight ...

    7. syyskuuta 2024, Japani ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    After a great stay at the Grace Hotel, we took the train from Wynyard to Sydney International Airport. It's the first time we've taken the train, and it was super easy and only $2 each.

    Check-in for NH890 with ANA was easy, but the lineup for security was the worst we've ever seen. The line did move pretty quickly, and we got through and went to the Air NZ lounge for breakfast.

    We boarded our flight on time, and we were on our way. The food, drinks and service were fantastic, and we arrived on time at 8.35pm Tokyo time. Getting through border control was quick, especially with only carry-on bags!

    We had arranged a pick-up through Booking.com, and our driver was there waiting for us. It was less than 30 minutes' drive to check in to the Bon Tokyo Asakusa. It's really hot here, still 28c at 9.30pm. We went for a short walk to grab some things from a nearby convenience store before getting some sleep.    Lue lisää

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  • EattravelmoveJapan 2024Matkaaja

    Tokyo

    8. syyskuuta 2024, Japani ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    OMG, we seemed to pack a lot into our first day, I don't think we'll keep this pace up.

    An early morning coffee at Tully's in Nakamise shopping street - I love a good covered shopping street in Japan. We took the metro from Asakusa to Euno station to sort out our shinkansen tickets to Nagano next Friday - managed to work out the vending machine.

    The next stop was Yanaka ginza, a beautiful old school shopping street where we wandered for a while - it was early before most shops opened, so that saved me some money. We walked to Nishi-Nippori station and took the metro to Nezu station, and walked to the beautiful Nezu shrine. It's over 30c, so the coolness of the shrine gardens was fantastic. We walked back past people, setting up for a festival.

    We went back to Asakusa and had a beer and snacks at Asahi tower, near the golden poo! We decided we needed a katsu and went to Katsukishi - we lined up for 10 minutes. The food was great, but it's been a long time since I've sat crossed-legged on the floor. Hip mobility is my new goal!

    A rest in the arvo before heading to Meiji Jingu stadium to watch the Tokyo Swallows defeat the Hanshin Tigers - I chose the right baseball cap!

    Headed back to Asakusa after the game for snacks and drinks at Jonathon's family restaurant - what a fun day.    Lue lisää

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  • EattravelmoveJapan 2024Matkaaja
    3131

    Tokyo

    9. syyskuuta 2024, Japani ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    We had breakfast at Dutour Cafe this morning before walking in and around Asakusa. We wandered around the Senso-Ji temple complex - we have been here last trip, and this time, there were many more tourists.

    We took the metro to Ginza, shopping central in Tokyo, and wandered through the Mitsukoshi department store food hall. The selection of fresh food was amazing and we bought some stuff for lunch. The next challenge was finding a seat outside in the shade - we located a shady spot near a water mister and enjoyed our bento and juice.

    We wandered through Ginza Itoya, a multilevel stationery store, which is very impressive. We took the metro to Skytree Tower, Tokyo's tallest building, to walk around another market. The 15-minute walk home in 33c heat almost melted us.

    We have a reservation at Chez Olivier's, a Michelin starred French restaurant we went to 5 years ago. We stopped for a drink at Kamiya Bar in Asakusa, an old-school wood panelled pub. We then took the metro to Chiyoda city to the Sky Gallery Lounge Levita, located on the 35th floor with awesome cityscape views and cocktails.

    We arrived at Chez Olivier's, and we had the most amazing degustation menu. It was a quiet night, and the service was very personalised with the chef delivering many of the dishes. We were so stuffed we got a taxi back to our apartment. A great night out!    Lue lisää

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  • EattravelmoveJapan 2024Matkaaja
    Morning workout with a view
    Gayle enjoying breakfastCheese toast hmmmmMos BurgerAsakusa Smiles Bar2Jonathons restaurant3Robot waiter

    Tokyo

    10. syyskuuta 2024, Japani ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    It was a much quieter day today, we went to Tomorrow cafe, an old Japanese style Cafe in the old part of Asakusa. The seating was tight for us big foreign folk. The breakfast was very good, we had cheese toast with scrambled eggs, miso soup and salad with a coffee. We wandered around the heavily touristed streets, checking things out. It's mid-30s and humid as a bastard.

    We wandered around the Matsuya department store, and their food hall is fantastic. There are many floors of shopping, including a home wares floor that had a very Ikea feel 😄

    Lunch was the iconic Mos Burger, I love this, it's so much better than Maccas or the like.

    We rested in the arvo to avoid the heat of the day. We enjoyed an arvo beer at 'home' and then went on a small pub crawl. Starting at Sumidagawa Brewing and then Asakusa Smiles Bar ( I couldn't make that up).

    Dinner was at a Japanese chain family restaurant, Jonathon's, I read about it in a Japanese detective novel (as one does). It's a cheap and cheerful place, and with $7 double whiskey highballs, I'm not complaining.

    Konbanwa    Lue lisää

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  • EattravelmoveJapan 2024Matkaaja
    2Kyosumi Gardens
    2Lunch boxes from Matsuya food hallTrattoria Takahashi

    Tokyo

    11. syyskuuta 2024, Japani ⋅ 🌙 29 °C

    We went to a small bakery a few blocks away from our apartment; we spotted it on our wanders last night. We got some bakery items (OK, I got a breakfast hotdog) and a custard tart thing and good coffee - we'll come back here.

    We took bus 33 from near our apartment to Kyosumi Gardens. A lovely japanese garden, with its own lake (some blue green algae, no judgement, it's really hot). We walked around, sticking to the shade, and it was really awesome, always miniature versions of larger landscapes.

    After the heat, it was time for a good old-fashioned, recreated Edo-era village, and it was inside an air-conditioned museum. The displays were interesting, and english explanations were good. Did I mention it was air-conditioned!

    We decided it was time for a more modern museum and took the metro to Ginza - we're getting accustomed to train changes and exit door strategies, it's fun. We found our way back to the Mitsukoshi department store (we didn't realise there was a museum on the 9th floor before) and visited the Art Aquarium museum. It's fish in cool aquariums with very cool light displays. I don't do it justice with my simple choice of words. It is quite spectacular and, I would imagine, a lot of hard work to maintain.

    It was time for lunch, so we took the familiar Ginza line back to Asakusa and bought lunch to take 'home'. We bought gyoza and a sushi bento from Matsuya food hall, omg, this place is amazing 👏

    You know what comes after a holiday lunch on a hot day, that's right, an arvo nap. Some clothes washing was also squeezed in - this is how you travel with carry-on bags, regular washing 😄 🤣

    We had an arvo snack and icy cold beer at the apartment before heading out in search of drinks and food. We stopped for happy our drinks at Jonathon's - suntory whiskey highballs with fresh ginger and non-descript white wine.

    I think its going to be Yakiniku for dinner, but we'll see! Change of plans, one needs to be nimble, the Yakuniku place is temporarily closed. It's going to be Trattoria Takahashi! Don't be judgemental;the japanese do international cuisines very well. The pizza was beautiful and we enjoyed a drink or two.

    The owner of the Trattoria discovered we were Australian and was very excited. His wife studied at Macquarie University, and he'd visited many times; we spoke to her on his phone as she spoke really great English. This is what travel is all about to us!    Lue lisää

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  • EattravelmoveJapan 2024Matkaaja
    1

    Tokyo

    12. syyskuuta 2024, Japani ⋅ ☁️ 33 °C

    Last full day in Tokyo - well, at least until we fly home next month.

    We decided that no trip to Tokyo is complete without a wander around shinjuku, especially the Kabukicho area. It's like Las Vegas - a bit dirty and ugly in the light of day. I've read these Tokyo detective novels, focussed on the Host and Hostess bars of Kabukicho, so I'm enjoying the real-life observations.

    It's hot again, so we headed underground to Subnade, a shopping mall. We wandered around for a while before getting hungry. It was a grilled pork specialty restaurant, in fact, only pork from Hokkaido. It was quite delicious, especially with a cold 🍺

    In the evening, we went for a quiet drink at Sumidagawa Brewing. We wandered down to Trattoria Takahashi, and our mate Kazo was there to welcome us. We had a cheese plate and bubbles followed by a fantastic pasta carbonara. Kazo's wife, Miwa, popped in after work, and we chatted with both of them over wine.

    This is what travelling is all about, meeting lovely people and getting to know them over a few drinks 🍸 I'm no diplomat, but Miwa studied in Australia and they both love Australia and even sell Aussie wines; let's encourage more international students and cultural exchanges, rant over 😀

    We exchanged details and will definitely keep in touch!    Lue lisää

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  • EattravelmoveJapan 2024Matkaaja
    3

    Nagano

    13. syyskuuta 2024, Japani ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    It's time for us to leave Tokyo for the next stop on our japanese adventures. We took the Ginza line from Asakusa to Euno station to take the shinkansen (bullet train) to Nagano. Of course, it's obligatory to purchase some food for the trip and the food stores inside the station do not disappoint! We got an egg and katsu sandwich, a mango and cream sandwich along with some assorted dumplings.

    Nagano is in the Japanese Alps, and it was an hour and forty minute trip. We took some video along the way and enjoyed our lunch.

    Our apartment, Compass, is about 5 minutes walk from the station. The apartment is quite spacious, although the 5th floor location without an elevator will certainly keep us fit 😄

    We weren't up for too much excitement on night one, some cold drinks and snacks from the 7/11, and a card game in the arvo. We know how to 🥳

    A quiet night in front of Netflix is needed to recharge the batteries for some shrine action to follow the next day.    Lue lisää

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  • EattravelmoveJapan 2024Matkaaja
    Bus no.70
    Avenue of cedarSki resort run in background

    Nagano - Shrine day

    14. syyskuuta 2024, Japani ⋅ ☁️ 34 °C

    After breakfast, we took bus number 70 to Togakushi shrine - there are actually three shrines, and they hold great significance to the Japanese.
    The bus ride is quite the trip, about an hour to the main shrine at the highest point. We got off there, checking out the main shrine (about 1 km) before winding our way down (mainly down) to the middle and lower shrines.

    Many people travelled with bear bells, yep, there's bears in them there hills! We didn't see any, and I'm sure the throngs of tourists scared them away. We did stop for icecream half way, to recharge our batteries. When we reached the lower shrine, we were ready for the bus home. We'd probably walked 7 or 8 kms, so not too much, but it was 34c even though we were mainly in the shade.

    The bus home was packed, so our tired feet got no rest unfortunately 😕

    After cooling down and freshening up at our apartment, we were in need of nourishment. We went to a Thai restaurant nearby, and it was operated by Thai people, I greeted them with a 'sawadee ka' in my dulcet Australian accent. We enjoyed a particularly good green chicken curry, and I know it may come as a shock, but we had a couple of alcoholic beverages 😋. No photos, sorry, we were famished.    Lue lisää

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  • EattravelmoveJapan 2024Matkaaja
    12

    Nagano - not a shrine day

    15. syyskuuta 2024, Japani ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    It's looking like rain storms today in Nagano. After breakfast, we wandered around the older part through a covered shopping street - why do we not do this at home? We love checking out supermarkets in Japan as the food selection is usually great, and the smaller packaging is so unique.

    It's a rainy Sunday arvo, so we decided to go bowling 🎳. We took bus number 51 to the suburbs, think Mitchell Canberra people. The amusement centre, Round 1, was enormous and packed! The booking of lanes was Japanese style, involving terminals with human assistance and mild confusion 😕 The lady that assisted us was super helpful, we just had to wait for a free lane, but we were in an organised, numbered queue 😀

    Bowling fun ensued, and beverages were consumed, ordered from the console at our lane. We didn't quite get the message that our drinks were ready for pick up, but a lovely kid in the next lane translated the message and even walked me up to make sure I got my order. This is the true beauty of Japan - polite and kind people.

    We managed to win a prize as there was a random one-off contest - they gave Gayle a flower necklace but then exchanged it for a photo booth coupon.

    A fun afternoon followed by a 5 km walk back to the apartment.

    I have included some photos of random stuff you can purchase from vending machines, you're welcome!    Lue lisää

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  • EattravelmoveJapan 2024Matkaaja
    Fried chicken

    Matsumoto castle

    16. syyskuuta 2024, Japani ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Today is a public holiday in Japan - Respect for the aged day! I was going to make a funny remark, but most of my family and friends, and if I'm honest, myself fall into this category 😄 We should get day a off in Australia to celebrate those that no longer work - how Aussie would that be?

    We decided that we should take a local train to Matsumoto to check out the castle. It's one of the oldest surviving original castles in Japan, built in the 16th century.

    We got off the train, and a loop bus took us right to the castle gates, very organised. There was a gathering of people on the grounds, with tents and food stalls - we'd stumbled upon a craft beer festival with a castle backdrop, pretty convenient 😀

    We took a heap of photos and stopped for a bite to eat.
    There was a long wait, over an hour, to get inside the castle, so we decided against it.

    We walked around the town on our way back to the station, and we really liked the place. There seemed to be a lot of good pubs and restaurants and the place had a friendly atmosphere.

    We took the express train back to Nagano, about an hour ride. We'll get our bags packed and ready for tomorrow's shinkansen to Kanazawa.

    We needed a cocktail at the end of the day, so I located a rooftop bar at the Metropolitan Hotel. The view was great, and the cocktails were better!    Lue lisää

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  • EattravelmoveJapan 2024Matkaaja
    Train bento
    Beer vending machine in our hotelSuper moonKatsu setTempura setNoto peninsulaThe mighty Nissan starHigashi Chaya districtCurry chicken cutletShinkansenTrain lunch

    Kanazawa so far

    17.–21. syysk. 2024, Japani ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    We took the shinkansen from Nagano right on time at 12.06 and arrived right on time at 13.36, japanese efficiency. There were some glimpses of the sea as we zipped down the west coast but lots of tunnels tbh.

    We have made a habit of organising our next train tickets as we arrive in our destination; this required assistance from a very helpful JR lady to work the connections to Nagoya for next Saturday.

    We located our apartment hotel, Weskii, with little difficulty, and then found a nearby supermarket to grab some supplies for our 4 day stay. We love a good japanese supermarket, and small packaging is good for travellers. We basically bought beers,snacks, and breakfast items.

    For dinner, Gayle located a local restaurant with good reviews, and we set off. The place was a local destination - a family run affair. The food was great - we ordered a tempura seafood and vege set and a katsu set, with a couple of icy cold 🍻

    The next morning, after a very good sleep (we have our own large beds), we had breakfast at 'home'. Breakfast was a toasted cheese sandwich and pod coffee - luxury 😋. We went and picked up our rental car, the mighty Nissa Star, and set off to the Noto Peninsula. The car GPS took a bit of learning, but we got there.

    The Noto peninsula was quiet and lots of natural beauty. We stopped to take in the views of the sea of Japan and for an icecream🍦

    We drove back to the apartment, dropped the car off, and took a loop bus from the station to check out a few of the sights. We checked out the Higashi Chaya district, the old Geisha district. We saw lots of tourists dressed in kimono and many more sweaty tourists like ourselves.    Lue lisää

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  • EattravelmoveJapan 2024Matkaaja
    122Mos Burger again....1

    World Heritage Suganuma Gassho-zukuri Vi

    19. syyskuuta 2024, Japani ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    We woke up to thunderstorms early this morning, which was promising as it might cool things down a bit. Gayle made us scrambled eggs for breakfast with a good pod coffee.

    We headed off in our mighty Nissan highway star, into the mountains east of the city, to Suganuma. It's a world heritage listed site of traditional thatched or grassed roofed buildings. The drive, whilst only less than 60kms, took well over an hour. The roads were quite good but winding and narrow in spots. The scenery was amazing; it's so verdant with thick vegetation over towering mountains with low hanging clouds. It's green for a reason as we got batches of rain showers during the trip. It's a much more pleasant 26c, which was a relief.

    It stopped raining just long enough for us to wander around the World Heritage Suganuma Gassho-zukuri Village. Cars arrive at the top of a hill, and there's an elevator that takes you to the bottom of the valley where the village is located (of course, this is Japan, after all). It's a mix of original restored houses with others relocated there for their preservation. There were hardly any tourists there, which was awesome - not an instagram influencer in sight!

    The road trip also included some impressive tunnels that burrowed through mountainsides for kilometres, and these were the back roads. Driving in Japan has been surprisingly easy, once you get the hang of the GPS 😄 🤣 The speed limits are low and drivers seem quite courteous so I'd recommend it to others. The best thing was being able to easily get to the hard to get to places!

    We could also drive to a Mos Burger for a late lunch, yum.    Lue lisää

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  • EattravelmoveJapan 2024Matkaaja
    12Pork cutlet

    Kanazawa - castle and gardens

    20. syyskuuta 2024, Japani ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    We dropped the rental car back today, so we're back to public transport. Today, we took the loop bus to check out the main city sights.

    It's another sizzling hot day, 32c and humid, so I've got the hat and long sleeve shirt on - feeling full on tourist dag!

    We stopped at Kenroko-en Gardens first; it's quite a large garden with lots of paths, ponds, and manicured trees. They really like to stretch and twist the tree limbs and then support them with posts. The crowds are more intense here than at the Gardens we visited in Tokyo.

    We walked across to the castle grounds and meandered through the grounds until we reached the castle - it's a reconstruction, and sprawls over a large area. I must say that I preferred Matsumoto castle - there were fewer people there, too.

    We jumped on the loop bus and got off at the station for lunch. I've come to like a katsu and curry set - we washed it down with a cold kirin beer. Back to the apartment for a rest until the sun goes down.    Lue lisää

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  • EattravelmoveJapan 2024Matkaaja
    Interesting shaped building
    Bbq restaurantRibs ... so tenderThe dodgy part of townOur train arrives

    Nagoya

    21. syyskuuta 2024, Japani ⋅ ☁️ 33 °C

    The trip from Kanazawa to Nagoya involved three trains, and our transfers were tight 😳 We took a shinkansen to Tsuruga first, and we needed to transfer to a limited express train to Maibara - we had 8 minutes and the station was packed. We made it and then had a luxurious 13 minutes to transfer to the shinkansen to Nagoya for the final leg.

    Arriving in Nagoya station was like landing at a disaster evacuation centre; the crowds were insane and it was chaos. We always like to organise our next train tickets upon arrival, so we set out to find the right shinkansen vending machine. So, most machines are just for same-day purchase or for ticket pick-up! We eventually found the correct machine and got our green car tickets for Okayama for Monday - we'll then get a local train to Kurashiki, our next destination.

    We looked at JR rail passes, but they've increased in cost 50% recently, and they're not worth it! The passes can only be bought before you come to Japan and in 7, 14 & 21 day passes - as we're here for 34 days, the pass didn't make sense for a lot of reasons.

    Anyway, we found our way to our hotel , the Toyoko Inn, a chain business hotel, and checked in. The room is pretty small but will work.

    We decided to head out to Noritake Gardens - the ceramic maker - it's in a nice redbrick building with nice gardens surrounding it. We were a bit underwhelmed by it all and wondered why so many people were there. We walked through an Aeon shopping centre nearby before heading back to the hotel.

    We bought some drinks from a convenience store - I love how you can buy a whiskey highball in a can for under $3! After a drink and watching sumo wrestling on TV (we've got into even though we have little idea what's going on), we went to a BBQ restaurant. It's American style BBQ, and the food was really good - we ordered too much. In Japan, they do lots of international cuisines really well - so no judgement, people 😅

    As an aside, we seem to be staying near the red light are of town 😜    Lue lisää

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    Nagoya

    22. syyskuuta 2024, Japani ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    We took the hotel shuttle bus to the station - we realised they had a shuttle bus after we arrived. We had breakfast at a Doutor - another cafe chain that has reasonable coffee and the breakfast hotdog 🌭 😋

    It's a bit rainy, so we took the subway to SCMaglev and Railway Park - it's a big arse railway museum. Even though we arrived just after it opened, the place was busy, packed with screaming kids and their tired parents! The museum was a large space, so the crowds did disperse pretty well. If you're a train geek, this place is amazing. We wandered around for an hour and a half, and I bought a toy shinkansen - very excited.

    We took the subway back to Nagoya station and went in search of lunch. We came across a second floor restaurant and had some yakitori and sashimi and a beer.

    We enjoyed a whiskey highball and some chips, which we bought at a nearby Lawsons. You're never too far from a convenience store in Japan.

    We then decided to go to a Saiseriya, an Italian themed chain restaurant. Now, before shaking your head, a half litre of drinkable wine was ¥400 or about $4 - it's god's own country. Tonight, the temperature is very pleasant, with a cool breeze - I didn't even break into a sweat.

    We're heading further south to Kurashiki, apparently the Venice of Japan - let's hope it's not sinking.    Lue lisää

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    Kurashiki

    23. syyskuuta 2024, Japani ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    We took the shinkansen from Nagoya to Okayama - this was N700 Nozomi and we passed Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe on the way. We, of course, grabbed some food for the journey and a small wine bottle with a thimble for a glass 😄

    Arriving in Okayama, we then took a local train the final 20 minutes to Kurashiki and walked to our apartment for the next three nights. We decided we'd go to a nearby supermarket and grab some breakfast items and also something for dinner. The choice of precooked and packaged meals is astounding. We bought some gyoza and some cooked and marinated chicken pieces and salad for dinner and some wine to go with.

    After an afternoon snack and wine, we went for a walk to the Bikan historical area. It's full of old storehouses' lining canals. This place was a prosperous industrial and trading town. And had Japan's first modern cotton gin.

    The streets had lots of people wandering around - we think it's some sort of holiday - autumn equinox. It was actually very pleasant, the first cooler evening, with a beautiful light breeze. There was even a light projection show for passers by - a mini enlighten!

    We returned 'home' for our dinner and watched a Japanese singing show on TV - limited TV entertainment 😄    Lue lisää

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  • EattravelmoveJapan 2024Matkaaja
    22

    Kurashiki - Okayama sidetrip

    24. syyskuuta 2024, Japani ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    We decided we needed to visit another castle, so we took the train to Okayama - it's about 20 minutes on a local train. It's always fun being on holidays while everyone is going to work; they seem to start late here.

    Arriving in Okayama, we took a streetcar 🚊 (not named Desire) to the castle. It's a black castle; that's not a racial slur; It's just coloured black instead of white. It was a bit cooler today, which was great. We walked around the castle and checked out the nearby gardens.

    When we got back to Kurashiki, we were a bit peckish, so we went to a Tonkatsu restaurant and shared a set of crumbed and fried goodness with a cold beer, of course. For not the first time, our food was delivered by a robot waiter - what would the unions in Australia say!

    In the evening, we went to the other side of railway tracks (quite literally) in search of okonomoyaki. For those that are not familiar, this is a very filling pancake of cabbage, sometimes noodles, and other additions - very addictive. Our restaurant was owned and operated by an older lady whom, whilst speaking no English, made us feel very welcome, and the food and accompanying beers went down well.

    We stopped for dessert on the way home at an Italian restaurant, Saizeriya; a chain restaurant with reasonably priced wine. They also have robot waiters 😄 🤣 A fun day.    Lue lisää

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  • EattravelmoveJapan 2024Matkaaja
    1Japan's Venice?
    Kurashiki from the shrineDonuts1Girl (Gayle) on bridgeKaraageAttempt at cocktails

    Kurashiki

    25. syyskuuta 2024, Japani ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    We set off exploring the city this morning. We climbed the stairs to the central shrine, and there were some great views of the city from up there. After making our requests for good fortune to the Shinto gods, we descended and stopped to refuel - donuts and coffee!

    We wandered through the old part of town, Binkan. The Venice of Japan, apparently - it's actually very picturesque. I was randomly interviewed by a local TV station about our visit to Kurashiki; specifically what food we ate during our stay. As people will know, we're not much into food and drink 😜

    We sorted out our tickets for the next part of our journey to Onomichi for tomorrow, and then we were a bit peckish. We went to a food court at the Ario shopping centre - now, food courts are a little different in Japan, the food is actually real food here. We went for karaage for me and crumbed chicken for Snail - very appetising.

    We did a bit of retail therapy at the nearby Mitsui Outlet mall before heading back for our holiday siesta.

    We headed out for cocktails in the evening - found a pub that made a passable negroni and some other good attempts at other cocktails. Look, at times, you don't always get what you expect - they try to deliver what they read in the cocktail recipe book, but google translate doesn't always work - let's leave it at that 😉

    It's been a fun stay in Kurashiki - it's a bit quieter and definitely off the beaten track for foreign tourists. People have been very friendly and helpful, which always gives you a great impression.    Lue lisää

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  • EattravelmoveJapan 2024Matkaaja
    Okonomoyaki

    Onomichi

    26. syyskuuta 2024, Japani ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    We took a local train, an old yellow clunker, from Kurashiki to Onomichi - just over an hour. We could see the water as we pulled into the train station. Onomichi is an old port town on the Seto Inland Sea, a body of water with scattered islands between Honshu and Shikoku.

    Onomichi still overlooks working shipyards across the water, with an industrial look but a relaxed feel. We dropped our bags at our hotel and went for a meander about town whilst waiting to check in. It's really a pretty town, harbour on one side, and steep hills on the other. We wandered through the long covered shopping street (every town has one) looking for places to eat and drink at later. We did stop for a freshly made lemonade, made from shikuwasa, an indigenous citrus, very tasty.

    We also worked out where we can rent our bikes to ride part of the shimanami kaido cycling route - this is the plan for Saturday!

    In the evening, we set off to find predinner cocktails 🍸 Gayle's research paid off; we stopped at Bar 8, a quirky and eclectic bar that had a good selection of whiskey and other spirits. We settled on negronis and cosmopolitans, and at ¥800 per drink and the friendly owner, well be back.

    We had our hearts set on another okonomoyaki and went to Hina on the main shopping street. A Hiroshima style okonomoyaki, with noodles, was prepared for us, and we demolished it in short order, washed down with a cold asahi.

    Our hotel, Urashima Gangi, is on the waterfront, and we have a fantastic view of the harbour.    Lue lisää

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  • EattravelmoveJapan 2024Matkaaja
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    Onomichi day 2

    27. syyskuuta 2024, Japani ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    We walked to a bakery on the shopping street we'd spotted yesterday. We got some 4 cheese focaccia and a bagel to have for breakfast.

    I spoke with the hotel reception about luggage transfer for our Saturday ride to our next destination, Ikuchijuma. There's a luggage transfer service available between participating hotels - they pick up and drop off on the same day. The reception lady was super helpful and confirmed everything with our arrival hotel. Hopefully, it will all work out 🤞

    We set off to take the ropeway to the top of the hills to check out the views. A ropeway is a cable car, and they certainly packed us into the car; we were like sardines. We did get some good photos, so it was worth it.

    Lunchtime was a restaurant near the station that Gayle found online. The ordering process was using a vending machine that spat out tickets that you handed over. It was cool as it was ordered and paid upfront. The food was reasonably priced and very good - it was definitely a family run affair. We ate karaage, gyoza, and very tasty fried rice.    Lue lisää

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  • EattravelmoveJapan 2024Matkaaja
    Lemon beerOkonomoyakiBar Ochi

    Shimanami Kaido cycling

    28. syyskuuta 2024, Japani ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    We were up pretty early to get organised for our cycling trip. After breakfast from our favourite little bakery, we organised our luggage transfer to our next hotel at Setoda Port on Ikuchijima Island.

    We went to the bike rental company, and they are very organised with QR codes to assist with booking in English. Unfortunately, the choice of bikes was limited, but Gayle got a bike with a basket, and I got a medium-sized cross bike (a hybrid) - my bike was a bit small 😳 It could have been worse; I saw this guy that was like 6"4 on a medium sized bike and he looked super uncomfortable.

    The first stop was to take a ferry to Mukaishima Island; we cycled around the coastline until our first bridge. You wind your way slowly up the hill to get on the bridge; it's actually a cycle and pedestrian bridge underneath the motor vehicle bridge. They're so clever here.

    We then cycled through the middle of Innoshima Island to bridge no.2, taking us to Ikuchijima Island. It was cloudy but still hot, and we stopped multiple times to load up on water. We rode along the coastline to our destination for tonight, Setoda Port. We dropped our bike at the drop-off centre at the Tourist Information centre and wandered along the main shopping street - the place is small, it was the shopping street!

    We were able to check-in to our hostel - yep, I booked us into a one-star hostel😄 and laid down to recover. Our bottoms are a little tender as we haven't ridden in a little while. We had a couple of beers at the hostel lounge in the arvo to rehydrate.

    Our bags arrived right on time at 6pm; I was a little nervous about the whole luggage transfer process 😬

    With fresh clothing, we headed out to a nearby okonomoyaki restaurant, continuing our pursuit of the perfect okonomoyaki. We had a seafood okonomoyaki, and it was very good - the restaurant was very local and filled up with locals during our time there. I also tried a local lemon beer, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

    We then went to Bar Ochi, which was just around the corner; a lovely little bar run by an older gentleman. We had a lovely chat in broken English and enjoyed a couple of cocktails.

    It's time for me to climb up into my bunk bed - living life on the edge.    Lue lisää

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    View walking from the local busBackpacker wife - we had to walk up a very steep hillVery steep hill we walked up but look at that viewBreakfast pancakesIn case you are hungry waiting for the busSandwiches for our train ride - they're really freshGayle is in her happy placeView from our hotel room - that's the castle on top of the hillPinacolada

    Matsuyama

    29. syyskuuta 2024, Japani ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    After our cycling trip, we headed off to our next stop, Matsuyama; the largest city on Shikoku. Shikoku is the smallest and least populated of Japan's four main islands.

    We needed to take a highway bus from Ikuchijima Island to Imabari; this involved a local bus to a highway rest stop. I'd booked the highway bus online but was relying on google Maps to find the bus stop. There was a cafe at the rest stop so we had some pancakes for breakfast. I asked the friendly lady at the cafe for directions, and she pulled out a detailed description of how to get the other side of the road to catch our bus.

    Finding our bus stop, our bus arrived right on time (Japanese efficiency), and the bus ride provided great views as we traversed the remaining islans connected by two more impressive bridges.

    Arriving at Imabari station, we picked up some sandwiches and bakery items for our train trip to Matsuyama. Japan is quite a good place for independent travellers; with well-connected public transport and helpful locals.

    Upon arrival, Matsuyama station was madness and mayhem for some reason. We found the correct street car to take us to our hotel. As we couldn't check in until after 3 p.m., we located a laundromat. The sexy, very non-instagram reality of travel, 😄 🤣, you need clean clothes.

    In the arvo, we grabbed some beer and snacks and played cards in our room, waiting for it to cool down before we went out for dinner and drinks. We located a Thai/Vietnamese restaurant for dinner as we felt like something with a bit of spice. Whilst we live Japanese food, it's not hot or spicy, and you need a bit of chilli from time to time.

    A long day started before 6 a.m., so we returned to our hotel and our twins beds for an early night.
    Tip for travellers: double-bed are often small in Asia, and if you're accustomed to king-size beds, then book twin beds for a good night's sleep. 😀    Lue lisää

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    Covered shopping street near our hotel
    11Weird mannequinDogo onsen21My angelTonkatsu setStreetcar

    Matsuyama sightseeing

    30. syyskuuta 2024, Japani ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    After a great night's sleep, we went to a Tully's Cafe for breakfast. Yes, I had a breakfast hotdog and a coffee. We wandered through the covered shopping street (we so need these back home) and then walked to the ropeway, which takes you up the hill to the castle.

    The views from Matsuyama castle were great, looking out in every direction, including to the sea. Matsuyama castle is one of the 12 original castles remaining in Japan, and it's in remarkably good condition for a 400 year old castle. It wasn't too busy, being a Monday, so we went inside to take a look around. We, of course, had to remove our shoes to walk through the multilevel main castle building. It was really fascinating as it now housed displays of swords, armour, and other interesting antiques.

    We took the chairlift back down this time - there were little WHS concerns here - no seatbelts, but there was a net if you fell out!

    We walked back to the streetcar and took it to Dogo Onsen, an area quite famous in Japan for (you guessed it), it's onsen. Apparently, even the Japanese royal family come here! We walked through yet another covered shopping street, which was very touristy but pretty. We didn't really want to go to an Onsen - it's so hot outside that we didn't really feel like bathing in hotspring water today. We did, however, see a public foot bath. I soaked my feet and had a lovely chat with a local lady who was doing the same thing. In the meantime, there was a cool clock with a mechanical display going off at 1pm - check out the video, and you'll understand.

    It was lunchtime, so we took the streetcar back towards our hotel where Gayle had eyed a Tonkatsu (crumbed pork cutlet) restaurant. We sat down and ordered our chosen meal sets and some beers. They were delicious and only ¥900 for a meal set that included crumbed pork cutlet, rice, shredded cabbage, miso soup, and green tea. It was time for an afternoon nap 😴    Lue lisää

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    Hiroshima

    1. lokakuuta 2024, Japani ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    We took the ferry to Hiroshima, marking a new form of transport whilst in Japan. It was a super jet and took only 80 minutes, including a stop at Kure. The scenery was great; the Seto Inland Sea has so many small islands. It was an easy tram ride from the port to Chuden-mae station, a short walk from our hotel, the Knot.

    The Knot is quite a new and funky hotel, with reception on the top floor doubling as a rooftop bar. They give you tokens for use for free drinks and snacks; a clever idea.

    We were hungry as there had been limited options at Matsuyama port or on the ferry, and it was after 2pm, so we headed to the nearest Mos Burger 🍔 After satisfying our appetites, we took the streetcar to Hiroshima station and organised our final train tickets for next Saturday. We wandered back to Hondori and checked out the shopping street (yep, another covered shopping street).

    In the evening, we popped up to the hotel rooftop bar for a couple of drinks before heading out for dinner. There are a lot of Australians staying at the hotel, too many, if I'm honest.

    I'd found a cool looking steak restaurant online, and we went to see if we could get in for dinner. We were lucky as it's an 11 seat restaurant! We sat at the counter and could see the chef doing his magic while the barman/waiter took care of everything else. The food was amazing, I had local wagyu, and Gayle had a Hokkaido fillet. Both were incredibly tender and flavoursome. It was a great experience, and we'll try to come again for lunch before we go.

    In an effort to help all of our food digest, we strolled up to Peace Park and around the Atomic Bomb dome. Whilst we visited on a previous visit, this place always has such a powerful emotional impact on us. It's now such a serene park with ghostly ruins of an old government building; but borne out of such a horrible event.    Lue lisää

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