Japan - Ashikaga, Hachioji, Kawagouchi, Kamakura

In the process of planning this year's Asia trip I was invited to go hiking on the Nakasendō Trail.  I did this hike in March 2017 so I decided to join my friends after their hike to travel around the outskirts of Tokyo.  This includes Ashikaga, Kawaguchiko and Hachioji.

We flew from Singapore and arrived at Tokyo Narita Airport in the late afternoon.  Our plan was to store our heavy luggages at the airport and bring only what we need for a week in Japan.  We quickly found the luggage storage window as we exited the baggage claim area into the arrivals floor.  There are several luggage storage locations at Terminal 1 and we were lucky we found the one that was perfect for us, for arrival and departure. I think the cost was ￥1,000 (slightly less than $10) per piece of luggage per day.  It was worth the money not having to lug our luggage all over Tokyo.

Our next stop was to buy a bus ticket and take the bus to Ashikaga, about 2 hours away.  Again, we were lucky to find the bus ticket counter right across the luggage storage window.  Each ticket costs about ￥40 (less than $4).  It was dark we couldn't see anything outside.  We arrived at the Ashikaga train station and showed the taxi driver a picture of the Toyoko Inn Ashikaga.  The taxi ride costs ￥700 and took about 5 minutes.  We tried to find something to eat but everything was closed.  We found a convenience store and bought some surprisingly tasty snacks.

We met our friends for breakfast the next morning in the hotel lobby and then took a train to the world-renowned Ashikaga Flower Park.  This is where 150-year old wisteria trees are displayed.  Every spring the wisteria flowers bloomed and tourists from all over the world come and see this beautiful flowers.  Here is a link to their website:  Ashikaga Flower Park  Unfortunately, it got warm early in the season and much of the wisteria were already fading.  However, the garden has many other beautiful flowers that we enjoyed.  We also walked around the small town and enjoy some very tasty Japanese meals.

Withered purple wisteria hanging on trellis

My 5 female traveling companions in Japan at the Ashikaga train station

Map of the Ashikaga Region

Ashikaga Flower Park

A wonderful lunch of soba noodles and tempura

A visit to one of the local temples

A "fast-food" budget restaurant that serves delicious meals

At the Ashikaga hotel we sent our heavy luggage to the Toyoko Inn at Kawaguchiko.  This is the nice thing about traveling in Japan.  You can send your luggage to any of your forward destinations, at a reasonable fee.  I don't know of this service being available in any other country.

I showed my Japanese friend Akemi my itinerary.  She saw that we had a free day the next day and suggested that we go to Nikko to see the Toshogu Shrine, an UNESCO World Heritage Site.  This was an excellent suggestion because we not only saw the shrine but there was a parade of "1,000 Samurais" as well that day.  It was a Saturday and it was very crowded.  We lined up on the route of the parade and had an excellent view of some of the traditionally dressed samurais.

Young Samurais

Old Samurais

Inside the Toshogu Shrine.  See more pictures at the link above

Japanese women dressed in traditional kimonos

Following Nikko we took a train to Hachioji and stayed at the Toyoko Inn there.  On the 9th and 10th floor of the Hachioji train station are many restaurants.  We had a nice Japanese dinner at one of the restaurants.  The next morning we walked to the car rental agency and picked up a rental car.  Our trip leader decided that it is more practical for us to drive to the places we'll be visiting the next couple of days than depend on public transportation.  Our first stop was to the Chureito Pagoda where, on a clear day, you get a beautiful view of Mount Fuji.  This is my second trip to this Pagoda, and like the first, it was a cloudy day.  It was quite a hike up to the top where the Pagoda is but nevertheless, you get a good view of the area.

The Chureito Pagoda with Mount Fuji covered by clouds

On the way to the Shibazakura Festival we tried to find a decent Japanese restaurant.  It was a Sunday and many of the restaurants were closed.  Eventually we stumbled upon a restaurant that serves Japanese pancake.  The flower festival is a big event, with many tour buses coming from all over Japan to see the display of flowers.

All types of flowers blanket the area

More flowers at the Shibazakura Flower Festival

We checked in to the Toyoko Inn at Kawaguchiko that evening.  This is a new Toyoko Inn and we got a break on the room rates - about $50 for a double room.  Why stay at Toyoko Inn?  It's a big chain of budget no-frills hotel with clean rooms and a simple breakfast in the morning.  Their rooms and amenities are quite standard at every hotel.  That evening we picked up our extra luggage that we shipped from the Ashikaga Toyoko Inn.  In the morning we had a better than average breakfast, maybe because this is a new hotel or because there were many guests.  

We drove to the Oshino onsen (Japanese spa) by the lake.  It was a very reasonable sum of about $10.  We had a nice soaking in the hot bath.  After that we walked around the beautiful lake. 

View of the lake

A view of Mount Fuji from the hotel in Kawaguchiko

Fishermen by the lake

Map of the area

The next day we drove to the port city of Numazu.  We stopped at a popular restaurant that is famous for its seafood.  Raw seafood is as common as cooked seafood in Japan.  Of the 5 of us, four of us ordered the same bowl of mixed raw seafood.  Only 10 bowls of that dish is served a day, probably constrained by fresh supplies.  However, just as we started eating, someone in the group started feeling sick and ask us to call an ambulance.  Apparently, she is allergic to raw shrimp.  An ambulance came and took her to a local hospital about a couple of miles away.  She was given some medicine to counter the allergy and release a couple of hours later.  With all the medical care that she received her bill was about $35!  And the ambulance ride was free.  In the US this would have cost at least a $1,000.  That is the sad state of the medical care in the US compared to other countries.

Seafood restaurant where we ate in Numazu

Four of us ate this bowl of raw seafood.  One had an allergic reaction to the raw shrimp

Hospital Bill for treating my friend's food allergy - ￥3,880 or US$35

On the way back to the Hachioji we stopped at the Gotemba Outlet Mall.  Apparently, this American shopping concept has spread to Japan as well, with tourists from China the predominant customers.

Our group split up after Hachioji.  We took a train to Tokyo, specifically to the Shimbashi station where we'll be staying at the karaksa Premier Hotel.  We were to spend the last 3 days of our trip in Tokyo, meeting friends and going to Kamakura, the ancient capital of Japan.  The Shimbashi area is known for its bars and restaurants where office workers hang out after work.  It is next to the Ginza area, known for its high-end shopping.  On the first evening we had dinner with my friend Takashi at the Ore no Kappou Ginza Honten, a popular Japanese restaurant.  The restaurant served traditional Japanese food and was crowded with after-hours office workers.

Ore no Kappou Restaurant in Ginza

One of the many busy streets in Ginza

A delicious unagi (eel) rice bowl

On the second day, my friend Akemi and her friend, Miyako took us to Kamakura.  We spent an entire day visiting the different temples and shrines in the area.  This is my second visit to Kamakura, a very popular tourist attraction, even among the Japanese.

Delicious Japanese pancake at bills Shichirigahama near Kamakura

One of the many temples

A poster on Kamakura

Japanese girls in traditional kimonos

Schoolchildren we met at the train station.  They are classmates of Akemi's grandson

Big Buddha

3 praying monks

A shrine

Our final stop on the third day before we leave for the airport for our flight back to the US is the Tokyo Fish Market.  This is a 20-minute walk from our hotel.  This is the old Tsukiji Fish Market.  The fish market itself has moved to a new location about 1.5 miles and it is now called the Toyosu Market.  However, all the shops and restaurants surrounding the old Tsukiji market are still there and there are throngs of tourists visiting the area.  They sell not just fish-related food items but all kinds of food items.

Busy street in the Tsukiji Fish Market

Wholesale fish market has moved. Retail is still here

Though short - one week, it was a wonderful trip to Japan.  The people are very nice, the food delicious, and every place was clean.

A Slow Start to 2019

Normally by this time of the year I'd have been to several places and written several posts.  But this year has been different.  I was expecting two new grandchildren - one in January and one in March.  Because of that I stayed in the US and did not make my first international trip until late April.

Even then I made several trips within the US, before that first international trip:

1. 3 ski trips - Purgatory, Telluride and Flagstaff
2. 2 camping trips - Tucson and San Diego
3. 1 trip to New York City to visit the family

Below are some pictures of the trips above:

Ticket to the Stephen Colbert Show in NYC

Camping in San Diego

Skiing in Telluride

My first international trip for 2019 was a month-long visit to Singapore, Bangkok and Japan.  If you've been following my blog, you will probably know that I visit Singapore, my native country, almost every year.  This time I am bringing my girlfriend, Doris, with me, on her first visit to Singapore, Thailand and Japan.  I've written about Singapore and Bangkok several times in this blog so I will not repeat myself.  However, I want to include some pictures from the trip:

A "Pretty Boys" Show in Bangkok

Iconic Marina Bay Sands Hotel and Casino in Singapore

Mango sticky rice in Bangkok

Needless to say, we ate a lot and put up with the relentless heat and humidity.  We saw a lot of friends and relatives, always sharing a delicious local meal or beverage.  We showered in the morning, in the afternoon and at night.  The humidity is persistent.  We spent two nights at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, relishing its food and amenities and the neighborhood.  The highlight, of course, is swimming in its rooftop infinity pool, overlooking the neon-lit skyscrapers in the central business district of Singapore.  We visited the world-renowned Gardens by the Bay and hiked the Treetop Walk at MacRitchie Reservoir.

A 4-day visit to Bangkok was full of eating and shopping.  The highlight was seeing a "pretty boy" cabaret show.  These transvestites are so realistic that you can't tell that they are actually men even when you are up close.  We had excellent breakfasts at the Novatel Siam Center Hotel.  Across the street at the Paragon Center is a food court serving authentic Thai street food.  We ate twice at the nearby Ban Khun Mae, a popular local restaurant.  We ate and shopped at Chinatown.  The shops there are a reminder of what some of the local shops looked like in early Singapore.  They even speak my native Chinese dialect.  Our visit coincided with the coronation of the new Thai king.  On our visit to the popular Chatuchak Weekend Market we ran into traffic blockades around the city.

We also made a 1-day side trip to Johor Bahru in Malaysia.  JB, as its popularly called, is at the southern tip of the Malayan peninsula, separated from Singapore by a causeway.  In order to go from Singapore to JB (and back), you will have to go through the respective Immigration on each side.  Taking the bus or train is easiest.  You alight from the bus, go through Immigration, get on the bus again, then go through Immigration on the other side, then take the bus again.  Even on a weekday, it was crowded and took about an hour to cross.  Driving is even more challenging because you have to contend with traffic jams and picky custom officials.  It was not an especially memorable trip.

On the way back to the US, we planned on a week long visit to Japan.  That trip is described in the next post.