kotoshi, shichi gatsu ni Nippon ni iku tsumori desu

For the discussion of matters not relevant to Study Group mailings. idle chit chat, rants and raves - whatever is on your mind or care to share about.
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Yxoc
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kotoshi, shichi gatsu ni Nippon ni iku tsumori desu

Mon Apr 17, 2017 2:38 am

Well I am on track to realise a long term goal and I am very excited.

This September I will travel to Japan with my family. So far the only firm stakes in the ground are inbound and outbound flights to Tokyo - arriving on 24th September and departing in the evening on 12th October. The rest is up for negotiation.

Provisionally I am thinking the bulk of our travel will focus on the region encompassed by Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka, and whatever is within reasonable train commuting times from this area. High on my list of desires (which are not necessarily aligned with the rest of the family) is to see bucket loads of the following:

1. Temples
2. Shrines
3. Castles
4. Gardens

And

5. Go on lots of hikes in the more accessible woodlands and mountains (have two sons aged nine and eleven)
6. Eat my fill of good Japanese food.

Clearly a mere eighteen days of travel will place severe limitations on these ambitions. :(

We plan to buy a JR pass of some kind once the limits of our travel are determined.

Japan-guide.com has been my main source to date for information on top suggestions for items 1 through 4, but any advice forum members care to give about must see/do locations or events will be gratefully received. Clearly wooden structures are a focus point for my interests, but I am generally up for anything that involves experiencing a different culture. I am also a museum geek and would like to get a bit of a feel for Japanese history.

Lastly, each year of the last two years we have hosted Japanese students who have done an exchange with the local agricultural college. All four of these students reside in the Gifu region and we are hoping to catch up with their families and spend a couple of days in that area.

Regards to all.

Derek
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Re: kotoshi, shichi gatsu ni Nippon ni iku tsumori desu

Mon Apr 17, 2017 11:48 am

Sounds like it will be a really fun and event packed trip.

Try and go to the Tokyo-Edo Museum - http://www.edo-tokyo-museum.or.jp/en/. It is one of my favorites.

I have only been to Meiji shrine for New Years day offerings, but it is suppose to be nice. It is in a nice area, next to Harajuku and Omote-sando. Lots of nice cafes in Omote-sando area.

Sensō-ji temple in the Asakusa area is nice. Asakusa is a fun area with lots of restaurants and shops. Tokyo Skytree is in the same area (but not close).

Have not been to the Ginza Kiddy Land toy store in a while, but it should be fun (but also touristy). More info here - https://matcha-jp.com/en/670

If you enjoy Ghibli studio movies, you should plan a trip to the Ghibli Museum You need to buy reserve tickets well in advance. A japanese travel agency like JTB can purchase tickets for you. You have to check to see how far in advance you need to purchase tickets. Could be longer than a month in advance. The museum is located in Inokashira park. More info at http://www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/welcome/

Are you planning a trip to Tokyo Disneyland? I have been there a couple of times, and it was fantastic, but very crowded. The park is divided into Disneyland, and Disney Sea. There are several resorts to stay at close by, or within Disney Sea (if cost is no object). One day would be rushed to see both parks. 2 or 3 days would be ideal.

You can spend days around Shinjuku Station. Here is a cool guide - https://matcha-jp.com/en/953. Do find your way to the New South Gate exit. There you will find Tokyu Hands (great hardware/variety store) and Takashima-ya (a high end department store). I forget exactly, but up in the upper floors of Takeshima-ya there are some great restaurants, casual and sit down. Also great little dessert cafes. In the basement of Takashima-ya, there is a large fantastic food court. Really good sashimi at relatively inexpensive prices. The restaurants get crowded so eating early around 5 - 5:30pm is best. The food courts usually close at 8pm.

Food at convenience stores in Japan are a fantastic bargain and very good as well. One of my favorites is a ham, cheese, lettuce, and tomato sandwich at Lawson's. Don't be afraid to try any of the food there. The food is always fresh. Also try some of the small Hagen Daz ice cream cups. They always have unique flavor. I also love the yogurt in Japan.

The Takenaka Carpentry Museum in Kobe is highly recommended. It is like a 5 minute walk from the JR Shin-Kobe station. Plan on at least a 2-3 hour visit. http://www.dougukan.jp/exhibition?lang=en

Kiyomizu-dera temple is fantastic, but very crowded. http://www.kiyomizudera.or.jp/en/

If you get a chance, stay in Nara and visit Tōdai-ji temple. I believe Tōdai-ji is the largest wooden building in the world. It also houses Japan's largest Buddha. http://www.todaiji.or.jp/english/map02.html

Free wifi is scarce in Japan. You can find it at most Starbuck's or in the train stations, but not in very many other places. It is very convenient to rent a portable wifi hotspot device to use with your smartphones. Here is some info on that http://en.wifi-rental-store.jp
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Chris Hall
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Re: kotoshi, shichi gatsu ni Nippon ni iku tsumori desu

Wed Apr 19, 2017 9:36 pm

You can overdose on gardens, temples and shrines in Kyoto in a mere 5~6 days...

Hikes/walks:

If you can manage any of the Kumano Kodo, you will not forget it: http://www.tb-kumano.jp/en/kumano-kodo/suggested-walks/
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Yxoc
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Re: kotoshi, shichi gatsu ni Nippon ni iku tsumori desu

Thu Apr 20, 2017 7:47 am

David and Chris,
Thanks for the resources. The Ghibli museum sounds cool (just started introducing the boys to Princess Mononoke tonight!)

Sounds like there's so much to do and see just in Tokyo. I had not stumbled across the Tokyo-Edo Museum in my web searches, would you see that in addition to the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno park?

Todaiji and Kiyomizudera are definitely on the list

We were probably not planning to go to Disneyland or any of the other western style attractions.

Your point about wifi connectivity is a very practical one, had not thought about that stuff much..

Chris I'll definitely add those walking trails to the list. Seems like Nara is a bit of a hotspot for cultural experiences. I don't have a feel for the scale of the japanese countryside yet but would it be fair to plan trips to Nara destinations from a base in Osaka?

Derek
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Re: kotoshi, shichi gatsu ni Nippon ni iku tsumori desu

Thu Apr 20, 2017 10:57 pm

Yxoc wrote:David and Chris,
Sounds like there's so much to do and see just in Tokyo. I had not stumbled across the Tokyo-Edo Museum in my web searches, would you see that in addition to the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno park?
You can find all kinds of stuff just wandering around the right districts. I was once wandering around Shibuya and ended up visiting the Salt and Tobacco Museum (has now moved to Sumida).
Yxoc wrote:Todaiji and Kiyomizudera are definitely on the list

Chris I'll definitely add those walking trails to the list. Seems like Nara is a bit of a hotspot for cultural experiences. I don't have a feel for the scale of the japanese countryside yet but would it be fair to plan trips to Nara destinations from a base in Osaka?
Ryōan-ji (the one with the famous rock garden) was nice, although busy. I think it has a regular garden too, but would need to check my photos.

I visited Todaiji in Nara as part of a day trip from Kyoto (caught the train, took about an hour I think, it was 10 years ago...), so it is probably doable from Osaka as well, provided you have fairly ready access to a JR station. The JR train pass was invaluable - two Shinkansen rides and various local (and not so local) trains over the week we were touring around pretty much made up for it I think.

Iain
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Re: kotoshi, shichi gatsu ni Nippon ni iku tsumori desu

Fri Apr 21, 2017 4:10 pm

I think it will take around 30 minutes by train from Osaka to Nara.

When planning your trip, check carefully the status and schedules for the places you wish to visit. There is a lot of construction and renovation taking place ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. I think the Edo museum is closed for several months beginning in October, and the main hall at Kiyomizu-dera is surrounded by scaffolding for renovation work.
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Yxoc
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Re: kotoshi, shichi gatsu ni Nippon ni iku tsumori desu

Thu Apr 27, 2017 5:14 am

Thanks Iain and David,
Sounds like with the much lauded JR pass in hand, an hour or two's travel from a central base will give pretty good reach to a lot of interesting destinations, so that's very pleasing to know.

I have noticed on the Japan guide that many of the big name sites have long term renovations underway - not sure really if there's much I can do about that nor if it should prevent me from travelling to a site I would have gone to otherwise. I think I will just go to places as planned and accept what I get. Though it may be a bit of a shame for me personally, it's nice to see a country investing the resources needed to keep their cultural works in top shape.

Derek
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Chris Hall
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Re: kotoshi, shichi gatsu ni Nippon ni iku tsumori desu

Thu Apr 27, 2017 9:26 am

Yxoc wrote:... it's nice to see a country investing the resources needed to keep their cultural works in top shape.

Derek
They do a lot of that in Japan, more than any country of which I'm aware.
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Evans
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Re: kotoshi, shichi gatsu ni Nippon ni iku tsumori desu

Sun May 21, 2017 10:05 pm

Yxoc wrote:
Mon Apr 17, 2017 2:38 am
Lastly, each year of the last two years we have hosted Japanese students who have done an exchange with the local agricultural college. All four of these students reside in the Gifu region and we are hoping to catch up with their families and spend a couple of days in that area.
During my one day in Gifu during my TV show trip, we did two things in Gifu. One was the Ukai (cormorant fishing). Gifu has an Ukai museum (lunch at the cafe was pleasant) along the Nagara river and there's a nice trail for walking or biking that leads past the homes of some of the Usho (master fishermen). In the evening, you can buy a seat on a spectator boat and watch the Ukai proceed in the same way it has for hundreds of years. We also took the tram up to the top of the mountain to visit Gifu Castle, where Oda Nobunaga lived for 7 years. There is also a "Squirrel City" or something up there that your family might enjoy.

While you're in Tokyo, don't forget to just wander around a bit. I found some really great little shrines and things on side streets between residential buildings. Google Maps can be a pretty good guidebook.
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Yxoc
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Re: kotoshi, shichi gatsu ni Nippon ni iku tsumori desu

Fri May 26, 2017 3:45 pm

Jacob,
I'm sorry I missed your reply earlier, the forum changes have disorientated me somewhat when it comes to tracking activity on discussion threads. I appreciate your input given that you have inside intel. Kyoto and Nara are definitely on my list, as well as the two major temples you mention. I note that the Ise shrines are Japan's most sacred but I am wondering if they are inherently interesting and attractive for more worldly reasons such as the temple structures and natural settings - would you recommend a visit? To you and Evans both - I am starting a first draft of our intended itinerary. I will post it here shortly and I would appreciate your thoughts.

Derek

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