Nakasendo Trail - Part 3 ...and into Tokyo

 Tyler Reporting:

(The final installment detailing our 3-week to trip to South Korea and Japan. In this entry, I'm back to my Morning Pages.)

Day 18 - Sooo many days apart. The last entry appears to be Miyajima which was roughly 2/3rd the way though our trip. Still, I'm pretty sure this is the longest break in doing Morning Pages since I started doing them. So, it's a bit weird coming back to them. Still, no guilt! No worrying I "broke the rules."

Where that left off, we were on the fourth day of the Nakasendo trail hike. It's been successful so far, and we had caught a train to some resort town (Editor's note: Karnizawa), after spending the day in Matsumoto. I'm not sure I summarized that, but... (Editor's Note: I had, so let's skip ahead a bit in this entry.)  ...but we go to the resort town (Ed. Again: Karnizawa).

To be clear, this is a Japanese resort town, not a Western one, so it definitely had a different vibe. For one thing, the Shrine outside of town is purportedly good luck for both people looking to get married, and for pets. So, there's lot of bridal shops... and people walking their dogs.

The next morning, we have a taxi called to the hotel and it took us up to the shrine in question, which also featured a sacred 1000-year-old tree. 

The 1000-year-old tree that served as the spiritual center point for the Shrine where our last days hiking set off.

In addition to pets and people seeking marriage, this shrine seemed to be a sort of one-stop shop for all sorts of good luck. Here's a shrine for people hoping for the National Football Team ("the Ravens") to do well.

The trail departed from the just beyond the shrine and was much rougher than the previous sections. Just a lot of muddly winding downward. Then passing through want could be called a ghost town, with abandoned bus, hotel and other buildings. 

This was pretty representative of our hiking trails the last day. Steeper, muddier and often rutted by a small backhoe that was being used for trail maintenance.

The abandoned bus and a hotel sign, just some of the relics in this previously abandoned outpost of civilization.

Then! Leeches! First Otto had a mysterious bleeding sport on his leg. Then Stella noticed one on her sandal! This led to us downloading off the mountain as quick as possible, but not before Stella discovered a couple more on her, I found a pair on my shoes and Sarah ended up having 3 in the toe of her shoe, when we reached a bus stop to regroup.

Bandaging Otto's "mysterious" injury. Wiping the blood away, it turned out to be just a tiny pinprick, but it would. Not. Stop. Bleeding. 

After we realized there were leeches in the area, certain members of our party were understandably creeped out, so we double timed it to a road and bus stop we knew was ahead. But still passed a number of neat sites.

At the bus stop, we made a check to see if we had more leeches on us. Which we did. Including this fella I had to fish out of Sarah's shoe.

After that, it was just a little farther, first through a tunnel, and then down a long, abandoned train track to a tiny train station where we boarded out train headed to Tokyo. But I think we were all happy to be going to the city.

This tunnel, which was part of an abandoned train track, was pretty cool, and helped put a little physical (and emotional) distance between us and Leech Land.  

While it was fun to travel with friends, it is nice to have Stella and Otto get to spend time together. Probably commiserating about their insane parents who drag them into the forests of Japan.

Mission accomplished! This gate marked the end of our hiking the Nakasendo.

That said, Tokyo was still a punch to the face. We are staying in Shinjuku, a neighborhood that seems to be a 7-day-a-week party. Just making Vegas seem like it's slacking big time. If it was just Sarah and I, or me and some buddies, it would possibly be a good time, but less so with the kids. 

Welcome to Tokyo! Shinjuku Station, where we got off to find our hotel, is recognized as the busiest train station complex in the world, with 3.6 million people passing through it *each day.*

Day 19 - The start of the day was Harajuku Street for cotton candy and crowds. Then the aquarium. I was a bit dubious. We've been to a lot of aquariums: Seattle, Dallas, Chicago, Cape Town, Lisbon, now Tokyo... possibly more. I wasn't sure if it was a tradition I was 100% behind, but it was something to do with the kids. And, in the end, it was a fun time. Maybe, like burgers and Italian food, it's fun to see the little differences. 

Otto has a history with oversized cotton candy, so this was a must-do on super-busy, super-hot Harajuku Street.

Obligatory artsy jellyfish picture, at the aquarium.

Actually, this might be my favorite picture from the trip. Stella looking up at an aquarium bowl suspended above her.

Located on the top of a shopping mall, naturally, the aquarium had a number of sort of surreal visuals, like the penguin exhibit where you could see the city behind them.

Bubble Waffles! Lots of people, but no shortage for fun food for everyone!

Since it was located above a mall, we had a chance to go by this One-Piece store. Can you tell Otto likes One Piece? There was also basically an entire floor dedicated to Pokemon, which we spent a good amount of time wandering through.

Then for dinner, Stella, Sarah and I did a tonkatsu restaurant in an underground mall, and then went and saw a projected light show on the side of the Shinjuku Municipal Building. It was a pretty great show, even if Sarah felt like she was having a nervous breakdown coming home, as we tried to navigate Shinjuku Station's underground alleys and the perma-Vegas crowds.

The Municipal Building projected light show. It started with a life-sized Godzilla animation, which was fun. But the second halves more surrealist show was more visually beautiful, if harder to photograph properly. 

Shinjuku! Can't stop, won't stop!

Day 20 - Today was Sarah and I's Anniversary and our last full day of the trip. Otto decided to stay in, while Sarah, Stella and I went to a garden on what felt like the far side of Tokyo. (An hour-long train and bus ride.) I think the tranquility of the garden helped Sarah right her ship a little after the previous night. 

Photographing the photographers, and the small, but beautiful (and thankfully peaceful) garden.

Stella and Sarah pose on a bridge in the garden, behind them towers the SkyTree. Our next destination.

Then we tried to go to the Tokyo SkyTree, but couldn't get tickets for a reasonable hour, so we just sat under it and had some beers and food before heading back to the hotel. 

At the base of the SkyTree. At 634 meeters, it's the tallest tower in the world, and the third tallest structure. Sadly, we couldn't go up in it, but I snapped this vertical panorama which broke perspective.

Then we basically dropped Stella off and picked up Otto for a fancy sushi dinner, to celebrate our Anniversary and the end of the trip. It was... fine. I tihnk the sushi at the Miyajima spot spoiled us a bit, since it was so excellent, and this felt a bit like they were going through the motions. Still, not the worst end to the trip. 

Now we are back in our hotel room that is so small it feels like it's made of beds. The kids are looking at screens, while Sarah and I have our last Japanese beers, and I catch up on my "Morning" Pages at 8:30pm. 

I feel like it's been a good trip. I feel like it's left me with a lot to think about and unpack, and also helped refill me a bit to help dive back into routine life when we get home. There are things that feel like Chapter Ends, and things that feel like Book Ends. This feels like both. On to the Two Towers, figuratively speaking. 

As always (even when headed home) onward!

One last view of Tokyo's endless sprawl, as we fly back home, via a layover in South Korea.

Nakasendo - Part 2

Tyler Reporting

(Continue my entries for our 3-week South Korea and Japan trip. Like the previous entry, this one is transcribed from notes I made on a piece of paper, over a couple of days.)

Day 15 - Woke up in our guesthouse in O-Tsumago. Traditional Japanese breakfast, then pack up and head out. Nice, short-haired landlady takes our picture before we wind our way down into Tsumago proper. 

The photo taken by the landlady of the guesthouse we stayed in. Not sure why I called out that she was "short-haired" but my notes are pretty rough.

Tsumago is a great little post town, and since we slept nearby, we are there before the crowds. Get coffee and treats, then a short bit later we stop again for soda-flavored shaved ice and miso-rice sticks. Decide to do short hiking option to Nagiro station. 

The hike into Tsumago. O-Tsumago, I believe, translates effectively to "old Tsumago" and is now an outlying settlement.

Exploring Tsumago. We got the feeling it got quite busy later in the day, but quiet while we were there.

Plotting our path. A near constant process.

Pleasant hike up through "settlements" (as the guidebook we are following calls them), running water seems to be everywhere. 

Just outside of Tsumago was the location of an old castle. The castle itself is long gone, but it provides this excellent view back into town.

Winding path through a mix of bamboo and pines. 

Another pretty section of the trail.

Some the hike followed residential roads. This one was so narrow we'd have to step into these little side areas to let cars by.

Take train to Kiso-Fukushima and consider doing a day hike to some waterfalls, but after getting toasted sandwiches and beer (and getting lost in Kiso's maze of footpaths), we decide to just check out the river that runs through town instead. We walk along the river, soak our feet in a foot bath and check out a "view" that is overgrown, and then check into our hotel. 

A luna moth Stella spotted at the train station. Hand for scale.

Walking along the river in Kiso. We could see this bridge from the hotel room, and the next morning we'd see monkey's climbing on it.

Another day, another foot bath.

Another view down the river, with the houses perched along its edge.

It's a nice, traditional place, though nicer than most of the others. Have a traditional dinner, bathes and then call it a night.

A sake dispenser. Across the street from our hotel was a sake brewery. So Sarah and I checked that out before dinner. You could buy special coins at the front counter, and then use those to taste pours of different sakes.

Day 16 - Wake up for breakfast. The night before, we were given the choice of traditional or Western breakfast. The kids chose traditional, and that proves to be a mistake for them. Since there is very little they like in it. Pack and take a taxi to the train and take that to Yabuhara.

After finding hangry Stella some snacks it's all up, up, a great day for up! First, through the town, then switchbacks in the woods. Ahead of us are a couple of guys form the USA and behind us a couple from Japan that I begin calling "Team Bear Bell" since you can hear the bear bells jingling if they started to catch up.

Eventually reach Torii Pass because of the Ontake Shire with it's large torii gate near the pass itself. 

The final climb up to the Ontake Shrine. (It would turn out there was a more gradual path around to the top... but this was more dramatic.)

The torrii gate from which the pass gets its name.

The Ontake Shrine, nestled amongst the trees.

The official marker, marking the pass, just a little farther up from the torrii gate.

Going down is quick and the terrain muddier. Reach the post town of Narai shortly and have a lunch of cold soba needles. Then we go to check out a large wooden bridge just outside of town.

Narai, another scenic post town, though you can probably tell how hot it was in the middle of the street.

Narai's old bulletin board. Each post town had one of these relics from earlier times.

The old wooden footbridge, just outside the main stretch of town.

After that is a quick 2km walk along a river to the neighboring town... were we sit for 2+ hours at the train station, before catching the train to Matsumodo. 

The scenic train station that we spent a little more than 2 hours waiting for our train at.

In Matsumodo, we wait at the train station, noticing a large number of girls wearing kimonos; until our shuttle driver flags us down and takes us to our guesthouse, with its quirky-yet-historic feel. There we have maybe our favorite of our traditional izakaya guesthouse meals, which includes raw horse meat. 

The guesthouse we stayed at. It seemed like this place had a history of some repute.

After dinner, we feel the aftershock of a larger earthquake than had occurred earlier in the day. Then I take a bath, where the youngest son of a Japanese family gawks at me like I'm some strange monster.

Day 17 - Breakfast buffet this morning. Still, Otto barely eats and then gets food at the Family Mart. Take a shuttle to see the "Raven Castle," a famous moated fortress in Matsumoto. They head to Frog Street where the kids play in the river for a bit, before going to get hamburger... which like Italian a few days before is entertaining to see the differences in presentation, toppings and sides.

Matsumoto Castle. Also called the Balck Raven Castle because of its black and white paint job.

Matsumoto and the river that runs through it. An oasis of water and green threading through the urban environment.

Relaxing and taking the day off from hiking.

Then wander to the train station where we have a series of mess ups resulting in us taking a different train than planned, the ticket woman trying to get me to pay for the tickets I should have, me throwing a fit... but eventually getting to Karnizawa fine. Long, hot, straight walk though Karnizawa, but we are checking in at our hotel now, resting and waiting for dinner.

Nakasendo - Part 1

 Tyler Reporting:

(The last few entries, I had been transcribing my journal here. But, as we set out on the Nakasendo hiking portion of the trip, I shipped my journal ahead to Tokyo. So, this and the next entry are transcribed from some rough notes I made on scraps of paper.)

Day 11 - Got up, had breakfast and caught a small ferry to Hiroshima. Saw the A-Bomb Dome, Peace Park and went to the Museum there. Powerful. Upsetting. Also crowded. They were getting set up for the 79th Anniversary in 2 days. At the Memorial For Children, two girls talk to Sarah for part of their homework assignment. 

The A-Bomb Dome. Because the bomb detonated almost directly above this structure, it largely remained standing and is one of the few remaining, preserved structures.

I didn't take any photos in the museum, because it didn't seem appropriate. But appropriately, it was a difficult experience. A worthwhile one, but one that leaves you feeling hollow.

The Children's Memorial. Dedicated to children who lost their lives as a result of the bomb.

Sarah talking to the two High School girls. They asked her a number of questions and gave her a demonstration of how to fold a paper crane.

Afterward, have super tasty okonomyaki, in a neat, cramped little restaurant on the second floor of a building. Then too much shopping. I was basically over shopping this day the way Stella was over the heat yesterday.

The kids cooking up their okonomyaki on their table top.

We had okonomiyaki in Osaka on our first trip to Japan, but there seems to be a lot of regional variation. But, its effectively a stack noodles, veggies, meats and egg cooked on a flat top... in this case on our table top. Sarah and I both liked this a lot more than the previous time we tried it.

Considered going to a Hiroshima Carps baseball game, but Sarah accidentally got us lost going there, so we threw in the towel and headed back to Miyajima Island. Had dinner at an OK place on the front strip, then back to the hotel for baths and beer.

Day 12 - Got up and had an "American" breakfast. Basically, the hotel was convinced that we (or at least the kids) didn't like Japanese food... so they made us all an odd hybrid breakfast. Fries for breakfast! Then it was ferry to train to bullet train... but J and I messed up buying tickets. Their family got stuck with 1st class ("Green Car") tickets, so we were sadly split up on our last train ride. With them off to Kobe, it was just us for Kyoto. 

Chaotic arrival, but cute hotel. Conveyor belt sushi for Otto, followed by a walk down the narrow alley street that runs along the river. Back at the hotel, I went out and walked through the shrine near out place, then through the Gion neighborhood. Then Sarah and I had beers at a walk-up counter across the street from our hotel.

With this second visit, Kyoto becomes park of a small club of foreign cities I've visited on more than one occasion (Paris, Santiago and Reykjavik being the other three). It is surreal to be here again and be like "oh yeah, I remember this."

Conveyor belt sushi. One of the things that Otto insisted we do on this second trip. His happy place.

Streetside beers with my favorite traveling companion. (The women to the right and her partner spent waaaaay more time taking pictures of her eating eating her food than they spent actually eating the food.)

Day 13 - Prep day! Lots of getting ready to hike. Souffle pancakes for breakfast. Then shopping for supplies, followed by fancy shaved ice, followed by Magic and Pokemon card shopping. Went back to our hotel, packed and dropped our bags off at a convenience store to have them shipped to Tokyo. Then tempura dinner in a tiny, one-conter restaurant. Then down time (Boring!) in the room, except for when Stella and I ventured out for a walk through the shrine from the previous night and along the river.

Fancy shaved ice! Though, I think it was here that Otto decided that he preferred regular shaved ice. In fact, he probably just prefers a pile of shaved ice, sans flavor.

I know Sarah is on the fence about Kyoto, but I definitely liked the area we stayed in, overall. Especially in the evening when it lit up nicely.

Another photo from my evening walk with Stella. I'm pretty sure we visited this shrine on our previous trip, but it was neat to come here in the evening, when the lanterns were aglow. 

Day 14 - Wake up, packed and hit the road: Bus to Bullet Train to regular train to bus again.  Then we began the Nakasendo trail! 

Hiking first up through a super cute -but hot- village, passing multiple water wheels. This trail has more hikers. Not a ton, but a few, and all seemingly headed in the same direction. Stopped for lunch at a rustic restaurant that served buckwheat noodles. Then up, over a pass, down through a construction site detour, stopping to take in two waterfalls. (Cue a ton of photos...)

One of the numerous waterwheels that added to the ambiance of the village where our hike started. Over the first couple of days, water and waterwheels were a reoccurring theme. I loved how stream systems invariably were braided through these villages. 

Setting out on the Nakasendo. Starting with an uphill climb through a scenic, but exposed village.

Pretty regularly on our hike, you'd come across these bear bells, which you are supposed to ring to scare off bears in the area. We'd ring them just for good luck.

The charming little restaurant we ate lunch at on our first day.

Sarah in her happy place: Hiking through the wilderness.

And it's easy to understand why she is smiling, with scenery like this.

Unlike the Kumano Kodo, the Nakasendo isn't a pilgrimage trail, so you didn't get the regularly occurring shrines, but that didn't mean that we weren't periodically coming across small shrines, headstone, rocks with poetry carved in them and other signs of the trail's lengthy history.

Sarah and our shutterbug posing by a scenic river.

A section of the trail, winding down through the trees, strikingly.

It is pretty amusing how obsessed the Japanese seem to be with putting chibi characters on *everything.* Even then construction detour signs had them.

Sarah posing next to the Feminine Waterfall (the other one was the Masculine Waterfall). Despite the humorous optical illusion, Sarah is not as tall as the waterfall.

Then, on to the village of O Tomago where we found our inn for the evening. It's really cute, and really traditional. Dinner is at 6pm. 

Checked into our traditional inn, wearing our traditional yakutas, laying on our traditional futons and looking at our traditional smartphones.