Japan #6

Saturday April 5th saw us having breakfast at the hotel. It was very crowded with more coach parties - lots of eggs, bacon and clashing of cutlery, which always makes me a little sad as you can have that sort of thing at home.

Before heading off to explore Takayama's old town, we had a little wander round the gift shop attached to the hotel. There was nothing there to tempt us, but R did have to do a hasty retracing of his steps when we stepped outside into the sunshine and he realised that he had put his phone down whilst examining something. If I have to rely on him for his sense of direction, he relies on me to make sure he goes about without randomly shedding his belongings - wallet, phone, keys, glasses; it's a constant litany.

The old town itself has been beautifully preserved with many buildings and streets dating back centuries. Homes, shops, cafes and sake breweries pepper the streets and rickshaws ply their trade with tourists.

 

Takayama Jinya is a beautiful traditional Japanese building, which used to serve as Takayama's Government office. We took off our shoes and padded round the route through the many rooms. My favourite bit was sitting in the sun on a veranda overlooking the garden.

One of my favourite shops in the old quarter was a traditional sashiko embroidery shop. A simple running stitch of white thread on indigo dyed fabric is used to produce beautiful items of clothing, cushion covers, table runners and other decorative pieces. It was all very expensive but beautiful and we left emptyhanded but pondering on a wall hanging made of embroidered old kimonos - not the one shown below:

Twice a year, Takayama hold a festival featuring old floats. During the festival, a portable shrine (mikoshi) is carried around the town in a parade. The mikoshi contains the shrine's Shinto deity and the festival is the only time that the deity leaves the shrine. Festival floats are pulled through the streets with several of the floats being decorated with mechanical dolls which can move and dance. We saw one of the floats being prepared:

After catching the end of the morning market, we stopped by a 7-11 to pick up food for a picnic and then went and sat by the river to enjoy it. When we first arrived, we were the only ones there but, being visible from the bridge, we obviously gave people ideas. By the time we had finished lunch we had started a trend and many people had joined us, sitting on the bank eating and enjoying the sound of the rushing water.

After lunch, we visited one of the many sake breweries to do a tasting! The different types of sake were kept in vats. You paid a certain amount and received 6 tokens. Each token allowed you to taste a sample of sake by placing a small plastic cup under a tap and pushing a button which dispensed a set amount. They ranged from very dry through, dry, slightly sweet to sweet and from younger ones to the most aged. We tried the most aged one - most were clear but this one had a yellowish tinge. Neither we, nor the pair of German lads also doing a tasting, liked the older one. Our favourite was slightly sweet and, obviously, the most expensive one available. We avoided buying any and wobbled out into the sunshine.

Having wandered around the Takayama Museum of Art, we visited the Crafts Experience Centre which  showed various craftspeople demonstrating their trade. For the equivalent of £10 - £15, you could take part in your choice of workshop.

R wanted to make a bamboo lamp and, not fancying any of the other workshops, I was more than happy to sit down and watch him. After choosing a suitable length of bamboo, a pattern template is taped in place and drills of various sizes used to make the holes. R is quite handy with a drill and had no problem quickly finishing the lamp. The chap running the workshop, then split the bamboo down the back - as the bamboo dries, it will split anyway and it is better to split it in a controlled manner down the back, than risk it splitting randomly and ruining your design. He also gave me a semicircle of bamboo, drilled with holes, which he said was a foot massager. I don't know about that, but it's certainly very handy for storing paintbrushes and pencils in my garden shed!

R's light is the one on the right. We still have to fit it with a suitable bulb at home:

Clutching R's lamp, we set off to walk the Higashiyama Walking Course; a pleasant 3.5km route through Takayama's Temple Town, suburbs and a park. We didn't have a map but the frequent signs were easy to spot and we had no difficulty following the route. It was nice to see a few of the less touristy bits, with people working in their gardens and going about daily life.

After returning to the hotel we were very tired. We had supper at Coco Curry House again as it was easy to get to, cheap and delicious. Afterwards we tried the other Onsen bath. This had a much nicer outside part with trees, several pools and a mini waterfall. It was, however, much more crowded and I preferred the quieter, smaller bath that we had used on the previous evening.

During breakfast the following morning, I was kept entertained by watching children choosing what they would like to eat and putting it on one of the children's trays provided. My favourite was one little girl, aged about 5, who decided that 5 cherry tomatoes and 2 chips (with accompanying ketchup) was just the thing!

Picking up some miso on a leaf, we assumed that we would just eat it cold to accompany the other dishes. Not so! A waitress came along and placed the dish of miso over a candle which she lit and informed us to leave it for 3 minutes to heat through. After 3 minutes it was bubbling nicely and made a tasty accompaniment to breakfast.

Making an early start, we set off on the 2 hour drive to Tsumago, in order to walk the old Nakasendo Trail to Magone. We paused briefly en route to use the facilities of a small market. Here we bought a small set of wooden measuring spoons - we already have one set at home, but they are usually in the dishwasher when needed, so we decided that another set just for bread making would be ideal.

The path between Magone and Tsumago is a well maintained section of the mountainous Nakasendo route that connected Tokyo to Kyoto. It is about 8km long and takes about 2-3 hours to walk at a leisurely pace. Most people walk from Magone to Tsumago, consequently we decided to park in Tsumago, take the bus to Magone and then walk back to our car. On arriving in Tsumago, however, we realised that we had just missed the connecting bus and there wouldn't be another one for over an hour. As the whole walk is only supposed to take 2-3 hours, we decided to set off and do it in reverse, taking the bus back to Mr. Lawrence at the end. It turns out that there is a very good reason why most people do the trail in the other direction - the route from Tsumago to Magone is nearly all uphill!

Thankfully, the route was mostly shaded by trees and there was a certain grim satisfaction to be had by doing it the hard way!

Periodically, we would come across bells suspended from wooden frames. Thinking them to be some sort of pilgrimage ritual, we cheerfully rang them at every opportunity. It was only towards the end of the walk (ie. the beginning if you're doing it the recommended way) that we spotted the signs .......

We'd even stopped for a picnic lunch by the river halfway. It must have been like the Twix advert - 'It doesn't matter if you choose left or right, they're both chewy, crunchy and delicious'! Since returning home, I was telling a friend who used to live in Canada about the bears. Apparently, it is common amongst Canadians to wear a bracelet with bells on whilst out hiking to deter them. Unfortunately, in a sort of Pavlovian development, the bears in some areas now associate the sound of the bells with food; it's like ringing a dinner gong!

We stopped for refreshment at a free tea room - yes, it was actually free - and chatted to some people on a walking tour who came from all over the world. It was a restful interlude as we sipped our green tea whilst squinting through the smoke of the wood fire. We left at the same time, the group carrying on downhill and us continuing to slog upwards.

Nearing the end, we passed a man working in his garden. He seemed remarkably friendly and encouraged us to have a little look around. Despite his sign lowering expectations, his garden was lovely; full of small statues and items made out of recycled materials. We added our small change to a collection near a bird bath and continued on our way.

Reaching the end of the trail, we walked up the main street of Magone, full of tourist shops and cafes. It took us a while to work out which bus we needed and longer still to get over the disappointment of us having to wait an hour and 45 mins for the next and last bus of the day. I was a little worried that, being the last bus, it would be full, but as most people had started the trail from this point that wasn't an issue.

We killed some time in a cafe, with R having a matcha tea and a sweet chestnut cake. The bus back to Tsumago took 30 minutes and then we had the 2 hour drive back to our hotel. The journey back wasn't without incident - the skies suddenly darkened and we were treated to spectacular lightning, hailstones and then a snow storm. We had to drive quite slowly to avoid skidding and Mr. Lawrence didn't like it one bit!

Supper was a return trip to Coco curry house - it was handy and we were too tired to go anywhere else. A hot onsen warmed us up nicely and reduced any aches from the long uphill trek and the tense drive home. Even so, I was glad to get into bed, which incidentally had been stowed away and then remade in our absence!

Breakfast on the 7th April was a busy affair with even more coach tourists. We were seated in a separate room which was a little disappointing as it reduced my ability to people watch. 

After exploring the hotel's Japanese garden, complete with carp and ducks, we checked out, put our cases in the boot and drove to the Valor supermarket that we had briefly pottered round a few days before. Here we bought a Japanese kitchen knife. We had spotted some at the market in Kyoto earlier in the holiday, but, whilst beautiful, they had been very expensive. Here they were much cheaper and one now hangs in pride of place on my knife rack; I use it daily and love it! 

Parking back at the hotel, we walked back into the Takayama old quarter and purchased the sashiko embroidered wall hanging, made from old kimonos, that we had admired on our previous visit. It is currently being framed with UV resistant glass as I don't want the indigo fabrics to fade. R wanted to buy a small bronze ornament which we saw outside a shop............ until the shopkeeper informed us that it was being used as a weight to hold down the paintings which were actually for sale! He consoled himself by buying a £1 tap wrench from a junk shop - he does like his tools!

Souvenirs safely stowed away, we drove to the Utsue Forty Eight Waterfalls on the way back to Kanazawa. The waterfalls (despite the name, there are only 13) lie in a park spanning 800 hectares of natural beauty. A well-maintained stone path climbs 1km up to the top waterfall. We climbed as high as we could before being stopped by the snow and path repair work. R walked along looking like Gandalf, carrying a staff supplied at the bottom of the trail to aid walking/ward off bears!

From here, we drove along the winding mountainous road to Hida and then Toyama. The scenery was spectacular but, after the  unpredictable weather of the day before, I was a little nervous about the conditions. We stopped briefly at a supermarket to buy gourd sushi and lemon crisps (both much nicer than they sound!) and then, after a wee nap in the car, continued on to the Daiwa Roynet Hotel in Kawazawa. This was the same hotel that we had stayed at before, only this time it wasn't a 'concept' room. There was no colourful rice paper screen and it was more compact.

On arrival at the hotel, Mr. Lawrence was parked in the tower multistorey car park. We had to unpack our cases etc. then park him on a platform which then lifted him upwards and stored him elsewhere. Mr. Lawrence wasn't keen, but at least there was no danger of any snow!

The cumulative effects of the gluten present in most of the food were making themselves more apparent. I had stomach ache and, after using the onsen, spent the evening curled up in bed reading my book. R foraged at a local supermarket and had a supper of veg, tofu and noodles. He too used the onsen but drew the line at the Betty Boop style peepy toe slippers provided - admittedly, only after I had laughed like a drain!

On the morning of Tuesday 8th, my stomach was still playing up and I had little for breakfast. R rescued Mr. Lawrence form the car park and returned him to the car rental place, wishing him 'Merry Christmas' well in advance as he left!

Having taken medication, I managed a walk to Kanazawa Castle. The blossom was more fully out than on our previous visit and, because it was quite breezy, some of it was starting to drop. The castle itself (which was closed last time) was a tad disappointing. The castle had burned down and been renovated several times, so what is visible today is merely an empty reconstruction. Some original broken shards of pottery were on display, as was a picture of a tiger. Tigers were quite the theme and were apparently used to show the owner's dominance over even this powerful animal.

The castle roofs are made of lead - not only to make them fireproof but also so that, in the event of a siege, they could be melted down and cast into bullets:

We walked back to the station and had a coffee in Starbucks. Then R retrieved our cases and we caught the Shinkansen train to Tokyo. R enjoyed a picnic on the train but I was still feeling too yucky to eat.

Before going to Japan, I had read the guide book and discovered that it is apparently considered rude to blow your nose in public there. The alternative, however, seemed to be far worse, with the snorting and sniffing accompanying our train journey resembling some sort of agricultural pumping equipment. We had also witnessed someone in the street doing the thing that so appeals to footballers: occluding one nostril and blowing to clear the other. I fail to see what's wrong with a Kleenex if that's the only alternative!

From Tokyo central, we took the local train to Shinagawa and, after nearly missing our stop, walked the 10 minutes to our final hotel, the Miyako City Hotel. This was very nice, although the temperature in our room was set to 25 degrees and the thermostat failed to go below 20. The toilet was also a little over-eager, with the lid lifting every time we entered the small bathroom, or even walked by the open door. R tried fooling it by trying to sneak past but the toilet won every time!

A drink for R in the bar finished the evening off nicely.

Breakfast on Wednesday 9th was a little disappointing as there was no form of protein available for vegans. We don't ask for much - a bit of tofu or some beans would have been perfect. The dining room also seemed to be full of pushy people, shoving to the front of the queues; I won't mention their nationality, but they made it quite unpleasant.

For our final day, we took the metro to the Imperial Palace, the main residence of the Emperor of Japan. The gardens were beautiful and, apparently, the Emperor himself feeds the many carp found in the pond.

Hearing the sounds of shouting, that sounded like some sort of martial art being practised, we peered through a hedge and saw a military drill taking place. There was a lot of bowing and shouting as they straightened up and it was all fascinating to watch. 

The Palace and gardens are built on the site of the old Edo Castle, the ruins of which can still be seen. We sat in the sunshine enjoying the view and it was all very pleasant.

Leaving the Palace, we took the metro to the waterfront and went in search of the first restaurant that we had visited in Japan, the one with the delicious vegan, GF menu. Sadly, I was feeling quite dreadful by this point and failed to eat much of the food. Not feeling up to much, we found a grassy bank in the sunshine and R people watched whilst I had a little nap. Making our way back to the hotel, reflections of aeroplanes coming into land at Tokyo airport appeared on the windows of the skyscrapers overhead. It was a little unnerving. Arriving back at the hotel, I went straight to bed and R went foraging for supper and impulse bought a bottle of sake.

On Thursday 10th April, our alarm went off at 4.30 and we had a quick shower before doing the last of the packing and taking a taxi to Haneda Tokyo airport. For both of the flights home, our ordered vegan meals failed to appear and the poor flight attendants were left scrabbling around trying to find something for us to eat. To be honest, I wasn't that bothered at this point, 2 weeks of gluten having left me feeling uncomfortable and a bit sandbagged. In addition, throughout both flights the bell seemed to ring constantly with warnings of turbulence - as if we hadn't noticed! That, the lack of food and more agricultural pumping equipment noises meant that our journey home was exceedingly unpleasant, and I was very happy to finally land at Heathrow. We collected our luggage, took the train to Terminal 2 and the bus to the long stay carpark, then drove home. We were in bed by 10pm and awake again at 1.30. I don't know if it's just getting older, but jet lag seems to take longer to shake off these days and it was virtually a week before our sleeping patterns were back to normal.

So, were the awful, long flights and the lack of GF food worth it? Without a shadow of a doubt. The lack of litter and graffiti, the politeness of the people (until they get on a bike, at which point they develop a glint in their eye and they would be happy to run you down like a rat!), the public transport, scenery and gardens were all fantastic. As is the food if you have a normal diet.

We also felt extremely safe; if there was any crime, we didn't see it. R was happy to walk about holding his phone for directions - try doing that in London and it wouldn't last 5 minutes. The pride that the Japanese take in their work, however menial, was also a joy to see. The people are beautiful, despite the urge to dress as Geishas or dye their gorgeous black hair and dress up in a peculiar school girl look with tights, ankle socks and bunches. This last habit was a little disconcerting! More importantly, they have a fine taste in pyjamas and their toilets and public baths are second to none.

Would I go back? In a heartbeat!

Well done if you made it to the end of these posts. I'm glad to get my memories down so that I can relive the holiday whenever life gets a bit tough. I hope all is well in your corner of the world.

Toodle pip for now. x