Day Trip to the Snow

Tuesday was spent jumping on the Joetsu line Shinkansen for a day trip to Yuzawa, an easily accessible snow town north of Tokyo in the Niigata prefecture.

Stepping out of the station I was instantly greeted with piles of snow lining the sides of the streets.
I was back to being like a kid again. Quickly running up to the nearest pile and making a snow ball to throw at Fitzey.

I climbed up a pile stacked against a wall just because I could.

Walking through the streets to find food I was constantly picking up and making snow balls to throw through the air... I was no doubt grinning like an idiot the entire time!

I was keen to check out the Kogan Ropeway, a cable car to one of the ski resorts in Yuzawa. Fitzey didn't have waterproof shoes like I do and decided not to come up, but I wasn't missing out on that experience so went alone.

I can't even begin to describe how beautiful the sight was up there. The ropeway ascends 500m toward the heavens and the view is absolutely spectacular. I'll let the photos do the talking here!

After finding and trudging through the deepest snow I could find - deep enough to sink in just below my knee - and jumping off a little hill into it a few times, I went inside to grab a beer.

I sat my arse down in the best snow I could find and just stared off into the rolling snow-covered mountains. It was truly blissful.

The time came and I had to leave; Shinkansen back to Tokyo.

That night Fitzey and I had plans to check out Kubukicho in Shinjuku - Tokyo's biggest red light district.

We ended up getting in contact with and meeting up with Anthony and Mike from the j hoppers in Osaka, and a bunch of others from their latest hostel. A Japanese girl managed to get us into a private karaoke room with unlimited drinks for around $25 a head.

The group of ten or so danced, sang and drank well into the morning, catching the first train home after 5am.

Needless to say the next day was not the most productive.

Today we caught the Shinkansen back to Osaka from Tokyo. I think we got on the wrong train because this one stopped at every stop and took around 4 hours. Plenty of time to catch up on some reading though!

Last night in Japan tonight. Tomorrow at 11am we jump on a plane for our next stop, Bangkok, Thailand!

Cars, Trains and Lights

Saturday night at the capsule hotel was a bit of an experience - probably one I would be happy to not have repeated though!

Fitzey and I were basically the only foreigners in the whole place; the populous was largely middle aged Japanese business men.

The toilet area only contained squat toilets. The showers were only communal seated shower areas much like those found in the onsen wash up area.

After checking in you were able to pay an extra 200 yen for checked baggage storage; no bags allowed in the capsule and they wouldn't fit in the provided locker. Every time I needed to get something from my bag I had to ask at reception.

The beds themselves weren't too bad, but the bean/rice pillows weren't the comfiest of this trip! I had to sleep with ear plugs for the first time due to the snoring of all the Japanese around me - oh well! At least it was long enough to fit in...

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Sunday was my visit to the Osaka Auto Messe .. wow.

It was a total overload - so many amazing cars and so many people. I managed to navigate there from the capsule hotel without too many dramas - it is hosted at INTEX Osaka.

Walking to the event was just a constant stream of incredibly modified street cars - Osaka has the best car scene in the country. Walking through the car park after definitely solidified this!

I could post a hundred photos right now but I'll try to restrain myself to show only a few to get my point across about how crazy the whole experience was.

That last car is a Honda Odyssey - a family van we have back home.

One of the most interesting things is walking through and seeing hordes of guys standing around taking photos. You think "oh what car must be getting this much attention?" Getting closer you see that it is just a promo girl standing in front of the car posing for photos. Men with their cameras flock and looking at their view finders, are only taking photos of the girls. Why bother?

That said, this phenomenon is not new to me. I experienced exactly the same thing at the Super GT race I saw on my last visit. As soon as a girl was on stage, men would flock to take photos - crazy culture indeed!

That night Fitzey and I walked through Dotonbori for a while after checking into our next hostel. The new hostel was a private room for the price of a dorm, a nice welcomed change of pace with peace and quiet!

Dotonbori is one of the popular night life areas in Osaka, close to the JR Namba station. We ended up not actually going in anywhere, just walking around and taking in the sites. Its a very cool area with a river running down the centre and lights everywhere - and plenty of photo opportunities!

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Today we checked out of the hostel in Osaka with our sights set for Tokyo, where we will be spending the next three nights before heading back to Osaka for one night then Bangkok!

We jumped on the shinkansen bullet train to Toyko, an easy three hour trip that covers half the country!

The train ride was spent either reading or listening to an incredible podcast I have been told about earlier - Serial. It's a true story based around a murder that happened in 1999 and even after one episode I can highly recommend it!

Given the nature of a podcast story I was able to listen and take in what was being said, while staring out at the beautiful scenery as life flew by at 300kph. A great train ride indeed!

A snow capped Mount Fuji (above) was quite a treat to see!

I checked into the latest hostel upon arriving in Tokyo - a quick train and subway ride from Tokyo station where the shinkansen terminates.
This place is easily the most beautiful hostel I have ever seen - maybe even hotel for that matter!

Everything here is handmade from wood sourced in Hokkaido, with stunning accents used around wherever possible.

It was then time to jump on a local train to Akihabara Electric Town. It was not my first time visiting here but it was just as outrageous as I remember. Streets are covered in anime and video game signs, lights are everywhere at night and stores are nothing but electronics, video games, arcades and anime. 

My time in Akihabara was spent wandering through the stores and surrounding streets, taking in all that this cultural hub of Japan has to offer. 

Farewell J-Hoppers!

Thursday morning was another one of Mr Yano's excellent morning walking tours. Our group consisted of Fitzey and I, a Vietnamese guy Tom and an Australian girl from Brisbane, Eloise.

I had been on this same tour years ago - we talked through Temma and its shopping areas, with most of what was told I had already heard. 

We went into a little food shop and I had to buy what looked like a japanese parmigiana. It turned out to be a crumbed meat patty topped with tomato paste and cheese; almost tasted like home!

The tour usually involves visiting the Osaka Housing and Living Museum; something I remember doing quite well last time. To my pleasure it was actually closed on the day of the tour - awesome because it meant I didnt need to spend the 600 yen doing something I had already done and didn't enjoy that much the first time around!

As an alternative, we walked around a few local streets in Osaka and Mr Yano described some of the housing.

The tour concluded at an okonomiyaki restaurant. This one was very cool because you actually got to make your own. The table of five was presented with three steel jugs; we were told to mix thoroughly and pour onto the hot plate. Each one was then topped with a rasher of bacon. 

After letting them sit for a little, we were given utensils to flip them, much in the same way you would an omelette. After letting sit for a little while and a few more flips, the lady from the restuarant came over and topped them with "okonomiyaki sauce" and mayo - curiously tasting exactly the same as the "takoyaki sauce". Some type of fish flakes were then added and let to sit, and the result was amazing.

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Friday I had planned to meet up with Ellie to go get Kobe Beef in Kobe - something I had done last time and was very keen to go back. Fitzey wasnt interested in spending the 3,150 yen given he'd also already had it, so I was very glad to find someone to go with!

Once again going to Steak Land, the result was worthwhile. The meat just melts in your mouth and you cannot help but savour every single bite. It is truly incredible meat. 

The two of us then wandered around Kobe some more; something I didnt do much of last visit. Its actually a very nice city, essentially divided up between the mountain side and the harbour side. To the north is a beautiful array of mountains and to the south a large shipping port and shopping area - very cool.

We went up a government building to the 24th floor to check out the view, a great free activity.

We walked around some more, checked out a few shops, and finished up by checking out the "japanese iron man" statue - Tetsujin. 

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We had to check out of J-Hoppers today as all availability was booked out. Like last time, it was a fantastic stay at the hostel, in many part thanks to the awesome staff working there, and the resulting great crowd of people that it attracts!

I visited Hiroshima, making the use of the seven day rail pass we activated yesterday. On my last visit I didnt make it into Hiroshima itself so was interested to see the Peace Park Memorial and A-Bomb Dome. 

Unfortunately every three years the A-Bomb Dome undergoes a surveyance and is covered in scaffolding, to ensure that it is kept in a perpetual state of repair. I guess that is fair enough given that sixty years earlier an atomic bomb was dropped six hundred metres above the building and all that stands today is an unrestored damaged building - very interesting stuff.

The Peace Park Museum was a rather harrowing experience. Walking through in near total silence you were able to see old articles of clothing and other objects recovered from the blast. There was a wealth of information including the impact of the bomb on people and buildings and how many people died as a result - 200,000.

We caught the train back to Osaka after grabbing a quick bite to eat, and have now checked into a Capsule Hotel in a different district - Shinsaibashi. 

Tonight has been a night of recovery and relaxation. The last few days have been pretty hectic so it has been a good chance to catch up on blogging and do the washing!

Tomorrow we are off to check out the Osaka Auto Messe car show - I can't wait!

Only in Japan

Yesterday I was invited to go to an "owl cafe" by Haley from the hostel. Apparently it was a place you could go drink and there were owls perched around the place to pet and hold.

For 1300 yen (around $14AUD) you get a beer and you can sit down for an hour in this little room full of owls. Only in Japan.

This was my first real experience being up close with owls and I have to say, they are fucking intimidating creatures. 

You were able to walk around the different perches in which the owls were tethered down to and pet them, either on their beak or their head depending on the breed of owl, very cool.

It must have been feeding time while we were there because these owls had dead mice that they were just devouring.. brutal stuff. 

That night I went on another of Mr Yano's tours; this time to a takoyaki shop. 600 yen bought all you can eat takoyaki; a good meal for the night.

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Today Fitzey and I, in a hungover state from a late night drinking with people from the hostel, decided to hire bikes and cruise around Osaka. One of the main points of interest to ride to was the Osaka Castle - a castle built in the 1500's - which was very cool.

We rode around through the streets of Osaka which was a great experience in itself. Bikes are so common in Japan and everyone is very accepting of cyclists, getting out the way wherever possible.

We got to the castle and were feeling hungry. Outside there was an okonomiyaki stall set up; an Osakan food that can only really be described as a cabbage based omelette. Not exactly sure what was in it, but either way it was veeery tasty.

The castle itself was very impressive. You can go inside the castle for the museum and see all types of ancient historical art from between 1500 and 1700 - scrolls and paintings in particular. 

The view from the top, 6th floor, was beautiful. 

That evening we met up with Rowan who'd we had been hanging out with for a chunk of our time in Osaka and hit up the Umeda Sky Building, which offers fantastic outdoor 360 degree views of the city.

The night ended like most nights so far in Osaka - chatting to people from the hostel and drinking. Good times and good people.