Up early, and travelling by train, taxi, ferry & lots of walking we set off on our next adventure. But of course, plans and reality can often differ. We had intended taking the cable car to the top of the mountain and walking back down. The only tickets on sale were round trip tickets and an explanation that the footpath was closed. We confidently set off, convinced we’d be able to find our way down. We couldn’t! So what we…
Lucky lucky me … Hidemi, my Japanese friend, and I went to a restaurant at the foot of Mt Takao this week. Ssshh don’t tell Geoff that our trip got off to a shaky start because I got off at the wrong station. Hidemi is so patient and I soon met up with her and we made our way by train and then courtesy bus. Set in fabulous gardens with carp ponds and a water wheel … and a lot…
Japanese manhole covers come in many designs and depend on the location, utility type and manufacturer. There is a Japanese Society of Manhole Covers … and a growing number of manhole cover spotters. I guess I am one of them since I have been taking photos of them since we arrived! Matsumato Ueno Park, Tokyo Two Pokémon manhole covers were recently placed in Ueno Park … but Pokémon themed manhole covers have been installed in over 150 locations all over…
Japan must be the world leader in vending machines … at the end of 2018, the number of vending machines in the country was nearly 3 million, or a vending machine for each 37 citizens! But why??? Firstly, it is safe; it is unheard of for people here to break into a machine for cash or stock. And it seems that anyone with a small plot of land that has people walking past it thinks that it is a good…
Remembering the buzz of London 2012, I was so excited that we would be in Tokyo for the Olympics. We were delayed getting here … but so were the Olympics. We didn’t have any tickets since they had all been sold prior to the event in 2020. However with the announcement of no overseas spectators, it looked possible, but then came news that capacity would be limited and there would be a raffle amongst existing ticket holders to see who…
With a car on this trip, we took the opportunity to drive out of Matsumoto to visit the Daio Wasabi Farm at the foot of the Northern Japanese Alps. Tourist information told us that this was one of the largest wasabi farms in Japan. On the way there, we could see people with cameras on a tall temporary structure looking across the road. So of course we stopped. We paid our fee (a fundraiser at a local arts event) and…
400 year old Matsumoto Castle has the oldest five storey tensui (donjon tower) in Japan. It was built on plains with the impressive Japanese Alps in the background. I love the cunning of the construction … from the outside it appears to have five storeys but it actually has six. The third floor has no windows and was used to secretly house warriors during wartime. Another queue, this time for 80 mins and fortunately mostly in the shade. We are…
With two public holidays – Marine Day & a one off holiday for the Olympic Games, we thought we would escape Tokyo for a couple of nights. It seems that a good percentage of Tokyo had a similar idea so the journey took much much longer than planned. Note to selves … setting off at 9 am on a public holiday is not a good idea! The Japanese Alps are a series of mountain ranges, rising to over 3,000 metres,…
I am very fortunate to have made a lovely Japanese friend, Hidemi (thanks to our respective daughters for introducing us!) and we recently went to see an exhibition of Japanese lighting. I have posted a few photographs below but it is impossible to recreate the staging of them in such a fascinating building. The Hyakudan Kaidan, dating from 1931 and once a restaurant, is now attached to a very swish hotel, that serves as an upmarket wedding venue. Each of…
Summer is undoubtedly the poorest season to view gardens – it is very hot and there are no displays of flowers. But on a positive note even if they are limiting numbers we can get in. It is fascinating that even when ringed by high towers, the gardens are remarkedly peaceful. This garden, dating from1654, has a tidal pond and 2 duck hunting grounds. I love the props for the limbs of old trees rather than chopping them down because…