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Mike and I are headed to Japan for almost 3 weeks. Besides visiting some major cities, we will hike for 9 day hike on the ancient Nakasendo Way Trail between Kyoto and Tokyo. Okumaya devam et
  • Heather Parry

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  • Heather ParryGezginLand of the Rising Sun

    Heading to Japan

    8–28 Eyl 2024, Kanada ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Hi Folks, Mike and I are normally packing our suitcases for Europe this time of year but this fall we are heading west to Japan. This trip has been years in the making with the seed planted before COVID by our Vancouver friends, Nancy and Caroline, who were keen to hike the ancient Nakasendo Way trail between Kyoto and Tokyo. For all of life’s good reasons they cannot join us this time but Mike figured – having just clocked in at 4 score years – that there was no time to delay if we were going to take on this challenge. We say good-bye to Lucy on Tuesday morning but we have friends from Edmonton, Margie and Bob, coming to stay so she will be well taken care of. We arrive in Narita outside of Tokyo on Wednesday afternoon having lost an entire day ( I always fine that confusing). We RV with my sister Helen at the Old Imperial Bar on Thursday at 6pm. Our Victoria friend Ian Fleming and his traveling companion Brenda Cholin will be along as well. So we will be a cheery group of 5 with about 5 words of Japanese between us.
    It seems Japan is the destination “du jour” with the number of tourists going to Japan having almost doubled since last year. Some of the areas report serious “over tourism” so we’d better get there before they start restricting entry, like some other hot spots. All travelers report that the Japanese people are very welcoming, the food is great, the scenery is captivating, the cities are super well organized and – always high on my list of concerns – the plumbing is top-notch. I am also feeling positive about the Japanese culture of having slippers available when you are indoors. Mike had a panicky moment reading the tour notes when “evening gowns” were mentioned! Turns out this refers to a garment called a yukata, a housecoat that may also be worn as loungewear. That sounds most relaxing.
    We are packed up armed with e-Sim cards, and apps to assist with everything from translation, payments to local transportation planning. We’re hoping the worst of the typhoons are past but are expecting very hot temps and some rain. Our 20 days will include time in Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo and Nikko. But most importantly, we will spend 9 days hiking 135km on the ancient Nakasendo Way trail which winds between Kyoto and Edo ( modern day Tokyo). We’ll take this part of the trip as part of a Walk Japan group tour that includes accommodations, most meals, sherpa services for luggage and guides. We're all hoping that the past 6 months of walking will be enough preparation for what we're facing. Helen is keen on seeing some of the modern Japanese architecture, Ian will undoubtedly find the art galleries, MIke will find the beer and I will be relaxing in the hot baths (onsens) and enjoying my yukata and slippers. I wonder if they have wine?
    So on, on we go.
    More news from Osaka.
    Love Heather/Mom/Grandma    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Heather ParryGezginLand of the Rising Sun
    Welcome to Japan
    A robot cleaning the airportMany vending machines all overThe coastline coming towards OsakaStaying cool while walking aroundHelen and I at Osaka CastleView from our HotelYoung chef serving us Saki to taste1First dinner togetherHistorical costumes at the museumMany public sculptures and art1No eating,drinking or talking on phonePlastic food models in DotomboriIan and Mike cooking up the sukiyakiGuady neon lights2Huge food models

    Osaka - Japan’s Kitchen

    14 Eylül 2024, Japonya ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Hello from Osaka. Mike and I arrived in Japan on Wednesday afternoon after an uneventful WestJet flight to Tokyo Narita. We wisely stayed overnight in Narita and carried on to Osaka on Thursday morning. Osaka is a large port city on the main Japanese island of Honshu. At almost 3 million people, it is 3rd more populated after Tokyo and Yokohama. The Meiji Period established in 1868 overthrew the feudal system (shoguns) and reestablished imperial rule (emperors) - under Emperor Meiji. During that time Japan rapidly industrialised and there were significant connections to western ideas and culture. Osaka was the industrial hub of Japan in the Meiji period and it continues to be known as the Manchester of the Orient. Osaka sits on a large bay with many rivers flowing through it and so as you move around the city you are always crossing bridges and waterways. Flying into Osaka we could see the extensive ports and industrial areas near by. Having been mostly flattened by bombs in the second world war much of the infrastructure and housing is relatively new although there are a few historic sites such as the Osaka Castle, which we took a look at. The climate here is “humid subtropical” and man o man have we been feeling the humidity! The temps are currently in the low 30s but feel much higher. Unfortunately, this wave of heat is continuing into the week which may make the hiking more challenging than expected as we start out.
    On Thursday, right on schedule, Mike and I rendezvoused with our three travel/hiking buddies. My sister Helen - who had been in the country for a few days chasing down some architectural wonders - and Ian and Brenda. Unfortunately , Brenda’s luggage didn’t make it - darn Air Canada - but it showed up yesterday much to her relief. Our first dinner together was delightful as we happened across a little spot with only eight place settings – a tiny spot much smaller than my kitchen at home. The young chef made us a lovely meal, including a variety tasty starters and a variety of main dishes. We also tasted a few sakis ( I’m not sure if that is the plural for saki but we had more than 1). Mike and I are staying at the very fancy Imperial hotel overlooking the main river. The hotel has a lot of staff sporting white gloves who frequently bow deeply as you go by. (Mike thinks he deserves more of this kind behaviour from me at home.) We’ve managed to visit the Osaka castle - standard stuff with moats and gates. Mike I decided to hit the history museum yesterday to get out of the heat. So we got a bit of culture. The group all joined up again last night to see the Dotombori area which is the main entertainment district known for gaudy neon lights, huge signage, large plastic food models and crowds. Dotombori is also the hub for Osaka’s food culture “ kuidore” meaning eat til you drop. We didn’t do anything too wild and crazy and opted for a sukiyaki place where we cooked some very tender beef, noodles and veg hot pot style. It was a full participation meal.

    My first impressions of Japan are very positive. This is an extremely orderly society. There is no graffiti anywhere and the very busy streets are clean. People actually obey the walk signals - although Mike doesn’t because he comes from a long line of jaywalkers on his Mother’s side. There are signs not to eat or drink on transit or talk on cell phones in public which people politely obey. There’s no garbage anywhere and interestingly, there are few garbage cans anywhere so one wonders where all the garbage goes. We carried ours around in backpacks until returning to the hotel. Oh, and toilets have more options than our new Rav 4 hybrid!! Today is Saturday and I reluctantly leave this beautiful hotel and my very nice kimono behind. We’re headed to Kyoto for a couple of nights before starting our hike. More from there.
    Love Mom/ Heather/Grandma    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Heather ParryGezginLand of the Rising Sun
    Praying for cooler temps
    Bamboo forestPublic art kimono fabricLots of cool warrior headdressesFushimi Inari shrine1Much needed beer to cool downBeautiful gatesBeautiful zen gardens1Official start of Nakasendo WayDinnerFarm vegetable Vending machineWalking group at Hikone CastleSeparate slippers for the toilet areaMike and Ian in evening gownsDinner in yutakasBedroom at ancient inn

    Lessons in Comparative Religion

    17 Eylül 2024, Japonya ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Kyoto is considered the cultural capital of Japan. It’s a busy tourist destination with dozens of Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, palaces, gardens, and well preserved neighbourhoods from the Edo period. On Saturday we took the train from Osaka to Kyoto and set out in the heat to check out some of these historic sites. We did not see any Geisha wandering around but did see many tourists dressed in traditional costume being photographed. Mike was tempted, but it way too hot for me to be wrapped up in heavy brocade robes. After a few temples and lovely gardens we retreated to the air conditioned hotel. Sunday Mike, Helen and I joined a bike tour and visited the famous bamboo forest outside of Kyoto. In BC bamboo can be an invasive scourge but in this setting the bamboo forest was very majestic and peaceful. Brenda and Ian chose a Kyoto walking tour that turned out to be about 18 km in length and more akin to the Grouse Grind. So glad I dodged that bullet. On Sunday evening we met our Walk Japan fellow hikers for dinner. There’s a young family from Australia with a cheerful 13-year-old son - who has been assigned IT support, a friendly couple from Singapore and an Australian lady whose husband flatly refused to do the walk with her. Our two guides are very friendly, informative, and quite open about answering our questions. We’ve quickly become oriented to the many customs and etiquette of traveling in Japan. A lot of shoes on , shoes off. The Japanese greatly respect what is best described as boundaries in all parts of life. There’s a great deal of value placed on courtesy and consideration for those around you. Mike got into trouble in knee temple when he sat down on a fence to put his boots back on. A security guard firmly, but politely shooed him off. We got the answer to the “no garbage can” question. Seems that the Tokyo terrorist attack in the 80s led to the removal of most garbage bins there, which resulted in much cleaner public spaces and so this approach was adopted everywhere in Japan. We’ve learned that there are garbage cans in the train stations. Other than that you have to schlep it back to the hotel. Yesterday we trained away from Kyoto and visited an Edo period castle and the the site of the battle of Sekigahara - a seminal moment in Japanese history which led to the unification of clan factions and the start of the peaceful Edo period. The Shogun’s ( Commander in Chief) clan home was in Edo,now known as Tokyo, and he built a number of major roads in Japan, so that the other regional Commanders could move back-and-forth from Edo to Kyoto and beyond. The Nakasendo Way was a major route in this trail network.
    Last night we had a very unique experience staying in a very old guest house. We slept - on tatami matts on the floor. There was one shower room that we took turns using after being briefed on that etiquette. Lots of rules about what towels to use and where to step. The group sat down to dinner in yukata robes and we cooked hot pot in the centre of the table. It was a bit like having dinner in pyjamas with a group of, relative, strangers. The beer and a bit of sake lightened the mood. The biggest challenge of the stay was getting up off the mats!! Something like an airborne roll was required. Boy those matts are hard on the knees.

    Our walking starts in earnest today and everyone in the group is concerned about the continuing heat and humidity. Even the folks from Australian & Singapore are feeling it so imagine how we poor Canadians are feeling.

    That’s it for now.
    Love Heather/Mom/ Grandma    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Heather ParryGezginLand of the Rising Sun
    Nakasendo way signage
    Persimmon treesWaiting for a trainShoes on, shoes offLovely bridges along the wayDesigned to scare evil spiritsBlock ink printsLes CanadiennesA much needed restSome lovely stone paths through forestsSoaking feet with a beerTrying out crazy Japanese footwearJapanese inn dinner for 1Morning national exercise regimeA quiet moment before breakfastRice being harvestedWalking out of MagomeTonight's dinner offerings5Yukatas for dinnner

    Sashimi, saki and sore feet

    20 Eylül 2024, Japonya ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    After 5 tough days of walking along parts of the Nakasendo Way, tonight our merry group of 11 is comfortably lounging in a traditional Japanese inn somewhere around the area of Tsumago - in the Niso mountains. The trip has been very well organised and led by an excellent Walk Japan guide named Tetsuo who, unfortunately, couldn’t control the weather. The high temperatures and humidity have been a challenge and a few of us took some short cuts offered by the guide. Helen soldiered on in most cases given that her personal motto is …..“ a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.”. Where as Mike and I subscribe more to the motto “……they said it couldn’t be done, so we didn’t do it”. Kidding aside, given the unexpected humidity and heat, most of the group have taken advantage of some shortened routes on a couple of the days. But it’s still been an amazing experience and we’ve enjoyed lots of sights. We’ve made many stops including at a couple of good museums, There are shrines and buddha temples along the way and interesting sights like farmers harvesting rice, There are 69 ancient post towns along this route and some of the buildings in these villages are virtually unchanged from the Edo period. Today we visited Tsumago and Magome - probably two of the most well preserved post towns. These small villages have avoided adding electric poles and vending machines. Our guide explains things like the old wooden Proclamation boards along the way that served to pass information from the Shogun to the locals - things like , watch out for those pesky Christians.
    For the most part we are staying at traditional Japanese Ryokan inns. We were at a very interesting inn in a tiny place called Shinchya last night. The proprietress has been serving Walk Japan groups for 30 years and she cheerfully welcomed us. We were treated to an outside pond to soak our feet while sipping some much needed beer in our yukatas ( lightweight kimonos). In typical fashion, we sat down to a sumptuous feast for dinner. The meals have been very good and so varied. I’m struck by the beautiful presentation of each small dish - there is often some pickle, seasonal vegetable tempura, some tofu, sashimi. Last night we even had fried grasshopper. Hmmmmm, a wee bit salty for my taste. At every meal there is miso soup of some kind and rice. [ it is much like China where the rice is meant to fill you up if the other fancier food does not]. What I love even more than the food are the exquisite dishes used to serve each little taste of food. I miss my friend Karen who would know all about the types of ceramics used. So we are eating well. And there is a bit of plum wine going around. Last night the Aussies and the Canadians got into it and had a party. You know what a party- starter Mike can be when he has his Spotify. I’ll enclose a picture of us dancing in those crazy wooden sandals called ceta. Whoever thought that was a sensible shoe design hadn’t walked very far. It’s a wonder no one broke an ankle while swinging to Dancing Queen.
    Tomorrow the walking gets even more serious as it is 24 kms with some very big climbs. There is a chance of slightly cooler (27) temps. Hopefully the humidity will also drop. So we’ll bandage up our sore feet, fill the water bottles, grab the poles and head for the Niso hills.
    That’s all for now from somewhere on the Nakasendo Way.
    Love Heather/ Mom    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Heather ParryGezginLand of the Rising Sun
    Walking through rice fields
    Walking in shadeThanks for the poles, Diane1Finishingbthe soba noodle lunchLots of forest trailsBrenda and Ian by waterfall1Lots of colourful flowers enroute3 amigos1Pizza place owner entertaining usLots of up, ups to get over the passesAnd lovely butterfliesSome boardwalks across bogsLovely trailsMike as the post CommanderToo much sakiDressed up for dinnerTraditional room at the innLovely ancient post townsViews over the sacred mountain1Shinkansen

    Wrapping up the Nakasendo Way

    24 Eylül 2024, Japonya ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Good news from Japan - the oppressive heat broke on Sunday but, the bad news, it poured rain - the tail end of tropical storm Pulasan that came up from Shanghai, I believe . Our ever flexible Walk Japan guide, Tetsuo, adapted the program for the day and we spent more time in some cultural spots including a recreated post town “check point” in Kiso Fukishima. There, we had a chance to “play act” in Edo period costumes. Of course, Mike was selected to play the head Commissioner - the big ichiban. We also made an interesting stop for lunch in the Niso mountains at a place that served pizza, of all things!!! Ian was over the moon . I think he’s pretty much ready to trade his right arm for a hamburger right now. The little spot was run by an elderly couple with a small wood-fired oven who seemed to really enjoy having guests. They entertained us with traditional folk songs playing some kind of Japanese lute and an harmonica. On Monday we awoke to clear, sunny skies, cool temperatures and, mercifully, no humidity. Somebody’s prayer was answered. We enjoyed a wonderful day hiking up over a mountain pass. We also got our first ride on a bullet train known in Japan as the Shinkansen. The original Nakasendo Way was over 500 km long but much of that has been paved over. We’ve walked about 135 km of the trail on some of the most scenic stretches which has given us a real look at Japan outside the cities. Today was our last hike of 17 km from Karuizawa over the Usui Pass. We hiked in a comfortable Victoria-like temp of 18 degrees. The mountain trails were slippery in places and we had to check for leeches a few times, but overall it was a nice hike to end on. Last night was our final traditional Japanese inn. It’s been fun wearing the colourful kimonos (yukata) each night and we’ve enjoyed soaking in the onsen baths. However, I’ll be glad to be sleeping off of the floor tonight. It’s not the getting into bed that’s the problem, it’s getting out and since the walls are often paper - literally- there’s not much to lean into. Most of our meals have been eaten kaiseki style with many small plates of local and seasonal foods. We’ve eaten an amazing array of dishes, and there’s always a balance between salty,crunchy, tart and lots of mushrooms or miso umami- flavoured bases. We’ve had lots of soba noodles and an abundance of rice. Last night we had another spectacular feast of at least 12 courses including puffer fish sashima that I found rather chewy and tasteless( you gotta trust the chef !!) I still can’t quite get the hang of chopsticks, especially for things like soft eggs, and tofu which I manage to spray all over me so I generally avoid them. Sometimes there are spoons for soups but nary a knife or fork. As rare as garbage cans here.
    Our general Japanese etiquette is much improved, although I made the mistake of putting our lunch trash in the washroom bin at the train station, evidently a no, no and Helen made the ultimate “faux pas” and wore her toilet slippers throughout the inn. Horrors!! She has undoubtedly ruined the Logan family reputation in Japan for generations to come.
    For our enophile friends heading to Japan (not to be confused with our wino friends), we tasted some very nice white wine from vineyards around Nagano. Worth a shot in a sea of beer and saki.
    We’re currently traveling away from the mountains and speeding towards Tokyo on a bullet train. Tomorrow we say sayonara to most of the walking group and start a 2 day tour of Tokyo.
    In closing, I am sending Helen’s daily haiku:

    Mist through dappled light
    Hides majestic mountain tops
    Down,down to Edo

    More from Tokyo,
    Love Heather/ Mom    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Heather ParryGezginLand of the Rising Sun
    1
    Workstation capsules n the metro1The old & new in Tokyo12 storey Uniqlo storeSusuki HustlerHappy birthday HelenPlease, no more tofuShinkyo bridge in NikkoIntimate, peaceful gardensLots of school children in NikkoScarecrow that looks like Hulk HoganWedding at Shinto shrineBurial place of first Shogun (TokugawaPath to enlightenmentSee, hear, speak no evilColourful koi fish

    Tokyo - the old and the new

    25 Eylül 2024, Japonya ⋅ 🌬 23 °C

    It’s time to say sayonara to Japan. Tomorrow, Mike and I head back to Victoria via Calgary, Brenda and Ian catch an Air Canada flight home from Osaka and Helen heads back to Tokyo to RV with my brother Mac for a few more days.
    After our hiking trip we had two full days in Tokyo but we barely scratched the surface. My lasting impression is glass skyscrapers, huge flagship stores featuring global brands like Pokemon and Porsche. The Uniqlo store is about 12 stories. Flashing neon lights, crazy fashions.
    Our Tokyo walking tour was mostly focused on old historic sites and neighbourhoods. I would love to return and take in some of the many museums and neighbourhoods that we had no time to explore. The Tokyo transportation system is amazing and, like everywhere else in Japan , there are abundant, clean public facilities. Boy, the Japanese really get the gold medal for transportation and toilets. We took Helen out for her birthday on Thursday night to a roof top bar in Japan - Roof Dogs. It was fun and we drank some Veuve Clicquot.
    I’ve enclosed a picture from Tokyo for my grandson, Malcolm. He loves cars and here is a new one called Hustler. Lots of these little, square compact vehicles.
    On Friday we headed to Nikko - about 2 hours north of Tokyo. ( thanks for the recommendation, Nancy). Nikko has a large complex of Shinto shrines and Buddha temples and includes the burial temple of the first Shogun ( Tokugawa Ieyasu) - who we’ve been hearing a lot about over the past 2 weeks. I’m pretty sure I have the whole Edo Period history down pat now and will be glad to give a masterclass when I return, with saki pairings of course. I am intrigued that the Japanese still venerate the Edo period. Helen thinks it is because the architectural splendours from that period are elaborate and unique to Japan, and the Edo period largely defined what Japanese culture is today.
    We did get in a wee bit of shopping yesterday and picked up some colourful yukatas (kimonos)from a tiny shop. The shopkeepers carefully draped and tied the garments and explained how they are worn properly. Up til now, we have simply been throwing them on like old housecoats but now we know better and they will be a thing of beauty.

    In the past few days we’ve walked through some really exceptional gardens. Every small stone path leads to a new view and these gardens are carefully planned to be intimate and peaceful. There are loads of colourful koi in the ponds. Maybe they don’t have racoons here? Mike is on deck to built me some Japanese garden features like a waterwheel.

    We’ve enjoyed the Japanese cuisine but, ashamed to admit, I am craving some basics and we chose wine and cheese for dinner tonight. No rice or tofu in sight.

    Some final thoughts from the group……..

    Brenda: “ crunchiest grasshoppers I ever ate”
    Mike: “ if I ever eat tofu again, it will be too soon.”
    Heather: “can’t wait to get home where there is only a single toilet flushing option - not 10”
    Ian: “ are there any downhills in Japan?”

    Helen’s final haiku:
    Old, yet new to us
    Japan in late summer sun
    Surprise and delight

    Signing off from Japan. Thanks for traveling along. See you soon,
    Love Heather / Mom    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
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