Tochigi

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.Les mer