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.

Japanese Italian and Secret Sushi

 Tyler Reporting:

(Continuing my ongoing transcription of my Morning Pages journal entries detailing our 3-week trip to Korea and Japan.)

Day 9 - This was a long haul. We got up, grabbed our bags and headed out from the ancient hotel at Yuda Onsen. Fortunately, we just the few packs to carry because most of our luggage was being shipped ahead. Still a long, hot walk to the train station.

On the walk to the station, there was this foot bath. But, Otto's face may give you an impression about how hot it was.

Another day, another train ride.

From there, it was a short-ish ride to Hofu, where Y had lived for 3 years teaching English. We managed to track down her old apartment, and then -after a restroom break at YouMe, a grocery store- we were directed by a helpful local lady to an Italian restaurant that was quite good, with tasty ingredients and sort of a Japanese twist on traditional Italian. 

The "kid's table" at the Italian restaurant. Probably happy to have a break from more kaiseke meals.

Then we made a trek to a shine in town that was beautiful...but HOT. Especially having to climb all the steps to the top of it. Also, humorously, we walked into a design companies office, thinking they were a boutique store. There was also a foot soaking pool to help to cool down.

The shrine is at the top of these steps. Get ready to sweat!

I believe these are prayers or wishes. The ox and horse are linked to the shrine, and you see their images and statues everywhere. 

The kids "fishing" for good luck.

The main shrine building itself.

After a long, hot trek back to the train station, it was onward to Miyajima Island and another loooooong train ride (about 2 hours this time), but I don't think any of us minded its length as a way to beat the heat. We got off the train, walked a few blocks and boarded a ferry to the island itself. It's small and quaint here, though it gets overrun by tourists during the day. But, since it was early evening, we walked up the quiet streets, through a tunnel and to our hotel that is a nicer, more modern version of where we stayed in Yuda Onsen. 

Our first view of the island, from the ferry. You can see Miyajima's famous torii gate in the water on the center-right.

There are semi-tame deer all over the island, trying to snag tourists food. At first the parents in the group were all "don't touch the deer." But, when the deer come up and start nuzzling you, it's a little hard to enforce that rule.

The tunnel we'd pass through coming and going from our hotel. Meant for cars, more frequently used by pedestrians.

That evening was just settling in (read: the kids throwing a fit about the room situation until we relented and let them all share a room), then baths, and finally dinner.

Day 10 - The next morning, we awoke for breakfast and then set out to check out the island. First it was down to a busy shopping street. (Where I got delightful lemon shaved ice.) Past the orange torii gate and shrine both scenically placed in the harbor and the catching a shuttle bus to the two rope lines up Mount Misen. 

The bustling pedestrian shopping street. The Japanese (and the South Korean's for that matter) love their pedestrian shopping streets.

The main shrine on Miyajima. When the tide is in, it appears to float on water. The tide was out when we were there.

The orange torii gate. Consistently listed as one of Japanese most beautiful destinations. It is pretty cool and iconic looking.

You take two separate gondolas (or "rope lines") to a viewpoint, but then it's another 30-minute hike to the summit. And the hike to and from there might have been the most I've ever sweat in my life. It was comical.

Taking in the view as we go higher and higher on the rope line.

Looking back down the lower rope line. In the distance, you can see Hiroshima, across the water.

The boys ran ahead and were supposed to wait at the Shrine (of Eternal Fire), but carried on to the summit, which created some confusion as we got spread out. But, once we were all there, the view was stunning. We rested for a bit, and then it was back down... 30 more minutes of hiking, two rope lines and a shuttle for some (though J, the boys and I just hiked down that last part).

The Shrine of Eternal Fire. Mount Misen has a number of supernatural claims to fame, including this flame which has been kept going since a Buddhist monk set it 1200 years ago.

Another deer strikes a pose amongst the shrines and offerings.

We all made it! Sweaty, but in one piece... if not as a single group.

My attempt at a panorama from the summit.

Back in town, people were getting hungry and cranky. Stella was basically going sideways the whole day. So, it was snacks, drinks in the park while the tame deer there tried to steal our stuff.

We quickly bathed and the adults went out to an amazing sushi dinner for J's Birthday, which happened to be that day. I mean really good, and in a neat, sort of hidden off the street restaurant.

The "blink and you'll miss it" entrance to Miyajima Sushi Tensen, the sushi restaurant we went to.

The chef, preparing a round of food for us. Everything was super thoughtfully prepared and excellent.

Then some late evening beers in the bedroom, until we all crashed. 

It's the next morning, and now it's time to brave Hiroshima. I say "brave" because it will undoubtedly be an emotionally challenging experience. But now it's time to wake the kids and get cleaned up for breakfast. Onward!