The Alps

​Did you get confused reading the title of this blog? Don’t worry, I haven’t changed continents. Do you remember I told you I wanted to get off the beaten path? Well that, we did. The Japanese Alps are a collection of mountains in the western central part of Japan. There are multiple national parks here all clustered together. Jessica and I absolutely love being outside. We love the natural beauty of things, we love, hiking, and we love seeing animals in their natural habitats. So much of Japan that you hear about are the big cities. That’s not typically what we love, and so I knew that we needed to see other parts of Japan on our trip. I had considered going up to the northern island that is all national parks, but when I did some exploring, it didn’t seem like the perfect fit for our trip, so we ended up here. Now, our hotel, Ryokan Gizan is absolutely lovely. Our room is very Japanese style and is huge! The breakfast is lovely (including our own little flames to cook our own Hida beef), but what really sets it apart, are the private natural hot springs. Oddly enough, since these hot baths are private, we could wear our bathing suits in them. In the evenings, they even offer free sake and little tubs to help it float around while you are enjoying the onsen. 

However, the area that we are in is very strange. Most of the things in this little village are closed, and even some of the hotels are abandoned and overrun with weeds. On our first night, we went to four different restaurants before we finally found one that was open. However, if you Google this area, it’s very popular. I’m not sure we did it correctly, but I am so glad we came!

When we left Kanazawa to head to this area, I looked at Atlas Obscura, one of my favorite websites that guides me to interesting places. I saw that not too far off of our route there was an abandoned village of statues. It was truly just the thing that horror films are made about. In fact, local lore says the statues come alive at night. So, from what we can understand, a wealthy businessman in the area decided he wanted to create this giant park (we later learned we only saw half of it!) in the late 1980s. He wanted to create a peaceful place that families could visit. He had hundreds of statues built in China and shipped over. (The second half of the park are statues of his friends and family.) He passed away in 2012, and it has slowly fallen into disrepair since then. Weeds and vines grow heavily, while most statues remain in great condition. If you know someone in the horror film industry, I think this would make a great start to a storyline! 

While we hit the jackpot with our hotel in this ghost town, we did not, however get as lucky with weather. We came here to hike and see the gorgeous mountain peaks. But, Mother Nature decided seeing the mountains in the rain with looming clouds was better for us. Jessica and I love hiking and often find hikes that are seven to ten miles long, and sure, we’ve climbed some mountains, but our favorite hikes are ones with beauty, and some challenges, but nothing too hard with rock scrambles or anything, particularly in a place where weren’t packed and fully prepared for difficult hiking. However, the choices of trails here has been extreme. Most were labeled as hard, sometimes twenty miles long, and up steep mountain sides. Oh, and did I mention it was raining? And that the ropeway that gets you partway up to some of these trails was closed?

We weren’t going to let the weather stop us, it just adjusted our plans. We did find a hike that looked more like a stroll along the river’s edge for about five miles that looked lovely, so we chose that one. Just how do you get to the trailhead? Oh, you ride a FULL bus (keeping in mind it is the low season) thirty minutes. From there, we were at the heart of the Kamikochi, a beautiful valley in the heart of the Chubu-Sangaku National Park. Here there were several lodges and camp grounds, but the further we wandered, the fewer people we encountered, and Jess and I got to enjoy the outdoors like we enjoy doing.

The path was mostly flat, wide and graveled. The lands were a lush green, often with ferns several feet tall and moss growing high on trees. Most people we encountered on the paths were, what we believe were retired Japanese hikers (granted it was a Thursday, and the kids are not on holiday here). We heard new bird calls and came across many turtle doves. There were warning signs for bears and the bell salesman hit it big here! In fact every fifty meters or so on the trail, there was a bear bell for us to ring, even though most hikers had them. Jessica and I just laughed every time we passed one. Not because we have no fear of bears, but because we learned an important lesson last year (albeit, it may just apply to grizzlies). We had worn our bear bells on hikes in Waterton, Banff, Jasper, and throughout Glacier. On our last night in Glacier, we went to a ranger program where the ranger told us, “Whatever you do, don’t wear bear bells. One of grizzly bear’s favorite food is a small dying animal. Ringing a bell sounds an awful lot like a whimpering animal. So, just know when your bell rings, you’re telling the bear, ‘Dinner time!’” 

That being said, while it was not crowded, there were enough people that we never felt unsafe, and aside from the birds, we saw nothing. Not a frog nor a deer nor a squirrel (which are apparently very rare here). UNTIL the last half mile of what ended up being about a ten mile hike. Then, we saw them: the Japanese monkeys! I am not calling them this because they are in Japan, but really that is what they are known as. They are the only native species in Japan, and they live more north than any other primate in the world (aside from us!). You’ve probably seen famous photos of them bathing in the natural hot springs. They’ve found ways to stay warm! We spotted one little guy just off the path, enjoying, munching his way through the bamboo. After a few minutes, we noticed lots of movement high up in the trees and realized there were probably six or eight all around us. We did not bother them at all, they seemed to be used to hikers. Oddly, the other hikers were not at all impressed with them either. I guess these guys are more common here, but to this Alabama girl, seeing a monkey in the wild is always thrilling. 

Our walk started out in drizzly clouds but finished in full-fledged rain. We were soaked, but thrilled to have gotten outside and enjoyed some of this area, no matter what. It also meant I got to enjoy Japanese hot chocolate for the first time! 

On our second day in the mountains, we woke up to pretty heavy rain and the possibility of thunderstorms later on. As this did not appear to be good hiking weather, we decided to drive to the nearest large town that we had yet to explore about an hour away, called Takayama. When we did a little bit of searching online ahead of time, we really couldn’t find very much to do, but we decided it would occupy some of our time and certainly be safer than trying to climb a rocky mountain peak, and a thunderstorm. What we discovered was more than we could have hoped for! The little town was beautiful with a large river, running through the middle of it and tiny, narrow streets of old wooden buildings that still held so much of their charm. There were great gift shops that were not nearly as crowded nor as expensive as some of the ones we had been in in previous places. We found some adorable unique things, and each walked away with a new bag, knowing that we will probably need it on our way home! 

We also discovered a long line of people at a small food stand. We decided this meant that we should obviously join it and see what all the fuss was about. I want to remind you that we have eaten A LOT here and have eaten some incredibly delicious food. But today, I believe I can safely say, I’ve found the most delicious food I’ve eaten in the entire trip: hida (heeda) beef sushi. The local beef is sliced thinly and cooked in a flame for the briefest of moments then put over a bed of rice. I started with a ginger and soy sauce one, but it didn’t take long until I went back to try the trio of different flavors: ginger and soy, wasabi and soy, and ponzu sauce (a sort of citrus jam). Honestly, this little adorable town is worth it, even if just for the beef, and even if it is a trek to get here. 

We also stumbled upon another crafting store and decided to take advantage of some time indoors on this rainy day. All over this part of Japan, we’ve seen odd little colorful dolls. These sarubobo dolls (which translates to happy monkey baby) were first created by women to give as gifts to their youngsters in hopes of bringing joy and good health. They purposely have no faces so that their expressions can sort of mirror how you are feeling. We chose our favorite colors, but each color does have particular wishes attached to it. 

Before boarding the train into Tokyo, we made a quick stop at one of Japan’s most well known and best preserved castles: Matsumoto Castle. As girls who have spent a lot of time in the UK, it is hard for castles to impress us, so we didn’t bother to go inside the castle from the 1500s, but instead enjoyed a stroll around the impressive moat!

We left the car behind, and while I didn’t really mind driving here, I must admit that I’m eager to hand the driving over! Our next few days in Tokyo will mostly rely on public transportation and then Jessica will take over driving in the countries that drive on the right side of the road. We know that we’re a bit spoiled by renting cars, but it does offer us that freedom and independence that we are so accustomed to! But don’t get me wrong, I LOVE trains and subways!

While our time in the Alps was not exactly as we had hoped and imagined, we made the most of it and had a fabulous time!

Kanazawa

​Kanazawa was sort of a last minute add to our itinerary, mostly based on a location that worked to help us see some other things, and we heard it was a beautiful spot to see, so we added two nights in to this city on the western coast of the main island.

We had picked up a car when we left Hakone. Sure, driving is intimidating and probably not necessary in this country with so much public transportation, but after this, we head into the national parks with hopes of doing some great hikes, so a car makes sense. It meant we got to enjoy the countryside yesterday, with some entertaining roadside stops and a visit to a remote village. Driving on the other side of the road takes some concentration, but thankfully a year in England helped prepare me! Apple Maps made things easy, drivers seem to be understanding with very little road rage, and signs to places are generally in Japanese and English, so it was not too bad! 

Much of the drive was on a large highway, sometimes with Fuji in the rear view. We stopped at a large roadside  stop with absolutely stunning bathrooms and an entire food court. Why not try a little something? So, we tried some venison dumplings, and well, they did not disappoint! When we needed some more snacks later on in our five hour drive, we stopped by a Lawson’s. 7-11s, FamilyMart and Lawson’s are all over the place and offer a similarly wide variety of items, but we had not really explored a Lawson’s yet. Well man, we hit the jackpot! The candy type cheese (which tasted like tiny babybels) and the crispy croissant snacks in truffle butter flavor were truly fantastic! 

Shirakawa-go was our first destination of this road trip, and it was adorable and in a gorgeous setting. The tiny village in the valley has ancient roots, but it became more of what it is today about 300 years ago. It was often used as a hideout for samurai and their families that had lost or fallen from grace. The homes with thatched roofs were designed to look like praying hands. The attic levels are meant for silkworm farming. We enjoyed just wandering through the village, looking at the small rice paddies, and eating a delicious sugar and cinnamon crepe (I’m sure they had those in ancient times!). 

While in Kanazawa, which is a coastal city, we ate three delicious meals of sashimi. It was all utterly delicious, even though I feel like I’ve eaten a whole koi of raw fish (don’t worry, I don’t think any of it was actually koi😉). Our first night we were the only customers at Katzumoto Katzumoto. We sat at the counter, and had a gorgeous salad with flowers, an egg, and even carrots cut in the shape of a butterfly. For lunch the next day, we ate lunch in a former geisha’s house at Banrai with an amazing spread of sashimi. On our last night, while we spent more than intended, our meal at Shokudo Tsuki of grilled asparagus, tuna sashimi, and sushi rolls was divine! 

We started our touring of Kanazawa at Kenrokuen, the famous gardens on the hillside overlooking the city. They were tranquil and elegantly simplistic. Water flowed freely and the grounds were covered in moss. 

When we decided to visit Kanazawa, we could tell that it was not nearly as much of a tourist city as some that we have visited as there were not nearly as many tours offered. But, we found one that worked perfectly, a walking tour of the city that included some visits to learn more about old crafting techniques along with a traditional lunch. When we showed up to meet our guide, we realized we were in for another incredible treat: our own personal tour with another retired teacher! Tomo was delightful, and such a joy to spend our day with!

We walked through a shrine and learned a little more of the history of the area. At one point, several hundred years ago, Kanazawa was a powerful area. (Also, since it has not been a powerhouse in a few hundred years, it bypassed damage from many recent wars, so more buildings remain intact here.) When shoguns had the power above the emperor, the areas around the country were generally ruled by lords. The former lords of this area was the wealthiest, so they were viewed as a threat to the shogun. The lord built up a castle with large defensive walls, and around the city, several samurai neighborhoods were built as an outer layer of protection for the lord. Although much of this time was peaceful, and one lord greatly valued the arts, defensiveness was still crucial for this area. 

We even visited the “Ninja Temple.” It was one of the coolest buildings I’ve been in. While it is still a Buddhist Temple, it was built as a defensive building. It is not all that large, in fact at the time it was built, buildings were not allowed to be over two stories tall. While it appears that way from the outside, it is actually four stories and multiple “layers.” There are twenty-nine staircases, including hidden ones that are revealed by moving planks of wood or in the backs of closets. One staircase is light colored so that from the inside, servants could see where feet landed and puncture the thin fabric to easily injure approaching enemies. The well is said to have connected to a tunnel that went all the way to the castle, miles away. There were sliding doors that revealed new passageways designed to confuse attackers and the money collection area could easily be lifted and become a deep trap. Truly incredible architecture! We couldn’t take photos inside, but here are the light stairs from the outside: 

Tomo’s first stop on the crafting part of the tour was to a Japanese lacquer studio. This practice has been in place, in some form or another, for thousands of years, finding ways to protect and water seal works of art. For the last few hundred years, it has been made in a similar way by taking sap of a particular tree. The urushi is cleaned, purified, and mixed with different chemicals to creat different colors. (We were told not to touch anything in the studio as it may cause us to itch. The internet has now told me it is a relative of poison ivy, so no wonder!) It’s a long, careful process which is most often passed down by generations like the mother and son that we met. 

We also visited a wagasa factory. These are the carefully and ornately decorated paper umbrellas you see in Japan. The factory we visited had been in place since the late nineteenth century. The handmade paper that covers the bamboo pieces is so strong that snow and rain don’t damage it. Not only is the outside a work of art, but the woven string on the inside adds a glorious touch. The factory we visited is the only one left in the area, but celebrities from Michael Jackson to David Attenborough to the emperor of Japan have all visited the shop. 

Tomo also took us to a gorgeous, well preserved home in the samurai district. When I think samurai, I think of a warrior with a sword. This is not exactly correct. Think of it as more of an aristocrat who probably had a job/high role in the community. Sure, during times of war, they were called up to fight, but most of the time they were more right hand men to the lords. It was a title that was inherited. The simple, but elegant house had no furniture (which was common), but had glorious private gardens. Our time with Tomo was delightful and educational! 

With only a little bit more free time in Kanazawa, we wandered through the fish market as well as the wide variety of shops that were in the stunning train station. Yes, although we drove a car to Kanazawa, we visited the train station just to try the shopping, and I’m so glad we did. Notice the clock outside. Look closely. 

Yep, the CLOCK is a fountain! Amazing! 

Our time Kanazawa was brief, but I think it was enough for us to get a great taste (we did eat a lot…). Our hotel (Hotel Amanek) was in a very convenient location and it was simple and perfectly adequate.  I enjoyed our time here, but I’m not sure I’ll feel the need to come back here on my next trip to Japan. 

Fuji Five Lakes

When Jessica and I planned this trip, we always had the intention of making sure that we got out of the big cities and saw some things off the beaten path. We decided to stay fairly central in Japan rather than take the time to venture too far to the north or the south. And so we began to find some exciting and unique areas in central Japan. One of them that came up was the Fuji Five Lakes region. Because of our time in England, we keep calling at the Lake District, although that is not what it is called. However, I believe I could compare it in beauty to England’s Lake District. 

Rob and Samantha eagerly agreed to join us on an adventure. We found a pretty neat spot where we could have separate cabins but still be staying in the same area (Kawaguchiko Country Cottage Ban). So, we got to spend one more weekend with them while we were here in Japan! 

Although Fuji is enormously tall and looks over this area, she had alluded us until we caught a quick glimpse of her on our train ride from Kyoto to Hakone. On Friday, when we arrived to the lake area, we could see her from our front porch, and she showed off her beauty all night. We were able to go find a lovely viewpoint and see her across the lake!  

On our first full day here, I believe it rained for about 30 hours straight. It was never very hard rain, but it meant that seeing Fuji again or enjoying some of the hiking areas around was a lot more difficult. But of course, we made the most of things. We went into a couple of caves around here that even have ice inside of them, we went to a gem museum where we fascinated at all sorts of beautiful stones, we went to a nostalgic toy museum which was honestly more on the creepy side than the adorable one, and we also went to a music museum, which was fascinating in and of itself. The museum has a gorgeous setting with rose gardens all around, and it almost feels like you have been transported to Europe. In fact, the sidewalk is lined with British flags. As soon as you enter, you can rent a stunning evening gown to wear around the property while you visit. Inside there are multiple buildings with all sorts of history about musical instruments. Concerts of different types go on about every 30 minutes in a couple different locations. We went to one where automatic instruments played. I really only knew of the piano that could play on its own, but we watched one piano with a xylophone and cymbals that also played at the same time and another with violins on the inside! Another room hosted a giant pipe organ, along with figurines, holding instruments. When the pipe organ began playing, the figurines played their instruments at the appropriate time on the appropriate beat. They even had workshops where you could make your own music boxes. Honestly, it was a baffling and astounding sort of place. 

For dinner, we went to an amazing small local place (Izakaya Tatsumi) where we were able to order more tapas size plates so that we could try everything including delicious sashimi, Wagyu beef on skewers, fried cheese, and fried rice balls. (Thankfully, they started us off with a small salad of lettuce and cucumbers!) 

Sunday, though, the sun came out in full force, and I couldn’t have been more thankful we had an extra day here! Rob and Samantha took the kids to an activity park where the kids had a blast with putt-putt and laser tag, while we went chasing some waterfalls. After all the rain, it seemed like the perfect time, and the three waterfalls we found did not disappoint. They were stunning, a bit secluded and even part of a shrine. We also wandered around a park where the hydrangeas and view of Fuji were both in full bloom. 

In the afternoon, wish a mix of blue skies and clouds we went to a popular spot in the city, the Chureito Pagoda. While it is lovely on its own, it was the reward of the view after all of those stairs that makes it such a popular spot! 

On Sunday night, to celebrate Father’s Day, Rob decided he wanted to grill out, and thankfully, he shared with us! The cabins we stayed in had great grills and Rob bought some delicious cuts of meat, and well, we tried them all! 

It was such a treat to get this bonus time with my friends, but especially in such a gorgeous place!