Introduction

For those who have not been to Japan, there maybe some benefit of having a quick look at the first two posts. Then check out the pictures on the other posts. If you want bigger pictures, and a quicker flic through, click on a picture once, then arrow through on your desktop.

For those who have already visited Japan, and are considering NOT returning to Tokyo or Osaka, your time may be better spent ignoring the first two posts, and instead paging through the enjoyable, informative and easy to read :

OFF THE BEATEN TRACKS IN JAPAN

a journey by train from Hokkaido to Kyushu

by

John Dougill

CHERRY BLOSSOMS

see the following posts:

Okayama, Nagano, Niigata, Tokushima, Takamatsu

AUTUMN LEAVES

ah, go look at  

Sendai

Why the blog ?

The following blog tells of two blokes, and their trips to Japan.

One of them had been to Tokyo twenty years earlier, and loved it, for its vibrancy.

The other, the author, preferred not to go to such a large city.

Also as there was a dog to consider, did not wish to be away for more than a week.

The idea of 'living out of a suitcase' was not appealing, thus he decided to select a town to stay in, see it's sites, plus those of places in the vicinity.

Why this blog ?

You won't find the best pictures on it, nor the most comprehensive detail.  I hope rather to plant a seed to encourage you to perhaps go to more than just Tokyo by presenting a central location you can go to for a week, and towns nearby worthy of popping into.

Twice we have encountered couples far from Tokyo who spoke no Japanese. 

In Hirosaki, north Honshu, we bumped into a couple of thirty year olds who said they just decided to jump on a plane, and then catch a train to where-ever. I asked if they had any problems ? They answered 'no problems'.   They were in love but !

Then in Matsue, west Honshu, at a mossy shrine at sunset, we met a couple of sixty year olds.  Why Matsue  ? we asked. "Why not ? " she responded. They had also encountered no problems.  She was French, and he was English, you see. Probably also in love !

If you want prettier and professional pictures, plus more comprehensive data,  the web is wonderful for checking any and everything. 

Was it difficult as an English speaker to be understood ?

We had studied Japanese, yet, as a pair of klutz, were not able to converse. However, we were able to ask the simple questions, like "where is the bus stop?" and "do you have bananas?"

And actually, as bus is busu in Japanese, and banana in Japanese is banana, if one just used the word with a querying tone, you would be directed, and on many of an occasion, you will be walked towards your desired destination.

Japan is very well set up to cope with English speaking tourists:

train station signs on the platform are also in English;

most towns, have a tourist information office with someone who can speak at least a bit of English, and are able to provide you with English language maps;

many restaurants have pictures of their cuisine on their menus, and often have colourful plastic examples in the windows;

toilets are almost always similar to ours,  sometimes heated seats, and invariably spotlessly clean. Often lots of buttons to choose from when it comes to flushing. I pushed the alarm button once, and had two hunky, concerned chaps come rushing in.  Blokes, the lady cleaners are not perturbed at your urinal use, so just keep on with your business !

Is Japan expensive ?

Travel sections describe the luxury hotels of Tokyo, and at the bottom say that they were $790 a night!

Thank goodness there are many many hotels, spotless and clean, that charge, for two (that we booked into) from $80 AUD a night.


Food.

Food is cheaper than Sydney, as are restaurants (unless you accidentally walk into a businessman's restaurant - but that story will come up in the Nagoya post).

Sushi restaurants, which we have a penchant for, ranged from around forty five dollars to occasionally, ninety.  This includes food for two Aussie males, and a couple of sakes.

Buffet breakfasts in the hotel range from around $12 to $25, with most around $16/20.  This includes all kinds of Japanese food and enough euro food for the fussy.

Convenience stores ("conbini" in Japanese) have prepared food, hot or cold, for considerably less then what you'd pay in Sydney.

Supermarkets, ("supa" in Japanese) also have prepared food in their basement food halls.  A lot of this they dramatically reduce the price of after about 4 pm.



Japan is a land of wonder.  The people are polite and helpful.  It is safe, and honest.  Why, we left a wallet on the ground near a vending machine, in a busy park, and 45 minutes later when we returned for it, there it was, as we left it.



***  Perhaps it would be a good idea to get from your Doctor a summary of your current medical situation, and a list of the pills you take.  Note you CANNOT take Endone (and some other pills that are  available here) into Japan. If caught you will probably be put on the next plane back to Australia.



@ ~ @ ~ @  The helpful people staffing the tourist information centres are there to help.  They do it patiently and they do it well. Seeing Japanese is not your native tongue, when going off the beaten track, make sure you understand their instructions. Ask often, if needs be, as this is better than getting on the wrong bus ! 

?????  And lastly, as everyone is different, the things I like may bore you to tears.  I hope you use these posts to stimulate your desire to visit Japan outside Tokyo and Osaka, yet still recommend you do some research before you go, to make sure you may also like what is presented here.

a few extra tidbits

Well there are a few more towns that became difficult to squeeze in ( or I have forgot how to edit the map)

MAY 2025 a few points

1)  Carry about $2,000 to $2,500 worth of Yen each.  If you're out and about, in Japan's dongas, well, credit card may not be as usable.  Of course, in Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, mostly card will do.

2)  If you're feeling a bit uncertain how to / which public transport, chat to your Tourist Bureau clerk about hiring/chartering a cab.  Perhaps, they could jot down  a note in Japanese which you could show taxi drivers.  As you'll wake up dead one day, don't be stingy. Offer about Y25,000 for a 3/4 hour morning. Have your tourist brochure to show the places where you want to go. (at the tourist bureau, get the English brochure as well as the Japanese one)

3)  If you wish to be free with your itinerary, consider to fly to your selected town instead of lugging your suitcase on a bullet train.  

4) and consider staying there a few days to save the horrid packing and unpacking.  The local tourist bureau ( at the railway station)  clerk can give you all the great local sites.

5) Carry a card with you at all times with your hotel's name and address in Japanese

6)  Make sure you take two Japanese style plug in converters so you can charge your phone at night.  The extra cost on using your own mobile is slight, as long as you turn off roaming while out.  You can use the hotel Wi-Fi at night to check whatever.

7) look one place you can spend cheap and have a better time is at restaurants. The expensive ones can be expensive, AND the two we accidentally went to ( $200 + for we two) actually served less desirable food for snooty service.  The most enjoyable were the wee local backstreet restaurants, from $39 to $90 for 2

8)  Don't fart around the bush at the restaurant, for they wont understand you, and you wont understand them. If the chosen restaurant doesn't have pictures, then order something you feel safe with  " sushi no moriawase onegaishimasu" - a selection of sushi please.  It is really convenient having the English word sushi pronounced sushi in Japanese, as ramen is ramen. 

9)  sorry is "sumimasen",    please is "~~~kudasai",   railway station is "eki", and hotel is "hoteru"  If you have time to shop, get a wee Collins Guide to Japan which has lots of simple phrases, and tips.

10)  BE QUIET Don't talk on the delightful small local trains, or any trains unless necessary, then whisper.

11)  DO NOT use your mobile on public transport

15)  Oh ~~~~~  the Japanese are not all sweet, they have this ability to .....  er... ummm  ...  not understand a word you say, yet stand with a slight hint of a smile.  It makes you want to ~~~~ , but ~~~~.  Anyway, we will NEVER win when this happens, and it is well and truly, a thousand fold,  counterbalanced by the help they offer

16) Oh, I know a very good butler who likes even washing undies, shall I call him ??

17)  Hotels.com are wonderful. They have fully refunded 3 times over the years ( the 2011 tsunami, 2020 covid, 2024 dog carer illness). Well, what with currency variations, refunds have either been up a dollar or two, or down a dollar)

18) Book early, for tourism in Japan is rampant.

19)  room size, at least 23 sq metres for two, and a bit more if available

20) Camera trickery make Tokyo hotels look big, aaaagh, but be careful. Also, Tokyo hotels cost ~~~~

21)  Hotels as per restaurants, the cheaper business class are much friendlier and yet vastly superior than 2 /3 star hotels in Australia

22)  The razors in Japanese hotels were designed with harvesting rice stalks in mind

23)  in non Tokyo / Kyoto hotels often the windows open somewhat, to save putting up with the warm air con, which may have dials, but invariably they don't work ( a story there for another day)

24) if you hire a car you are brave.  The problem is the reverse of Italian drivers. We Australians are not used to such slow slow driving. ZERO ALCOHOL while behind the wheel

25) No matter how right you are, do NOT argue, for you'll lose.  and do NOT raise your voice, heathen !!  Also Japanese jails are , well, you'd have a much bigger shock than you would here

26)  Travel insurance not for the luggage, but to cover surprise health issues.  Don't scrimp, tell the truth.  And DO NOT take Endone and other pills over without checking

WHERE TO ?

TOP THREE TEMPLES, TOP FIVE GARDENS,  

THE BEST CASTLES, THE MOST FAMOUS SHRINES

Well, you could visit any of the above as they are easy to find on the internet.

And you know ? You would be there with thousands of others, all eager to be able to go home and say "I went to ~~~~ !"

Yes, you would see stunning temples, shrines, castles and gardens, with the hoards of folk. 

Please consider:  

the temples and shrines in Japan are nothing at all like the cathedrals and churches at home;

the Japanese castles look totally dissimilar to those in Europe, &

gardens in Japan are exquisite in a very different way to Anglo/Euro ones. 

So rather, if you go to a shine in Matsue that would probably not be on any 'best of ' list, it could easily enchant you with its beauty, and you could be the only one strolling through. 

Rather, climb a castle at Kyosu and be amazed at its beauty, be tickled pink by the volunteers helping you try on a samurai outfit, with no one else in sight. 

Rather wander around, with hardly another soul in sight, through the park near Akita Station and be scintillated at the azalias in full bloom. 

In short, all of Japan has many many sights that are not common to Anglo/European eyes.  You can see these sights with the hoards, or you can pop into the less famous and still see something stunningly different than what you would at home. 

Have the time of your life.  Explore Japan other than Tokyo, Osaka.

The weather !   When it get closer to your trip, type in the Google search bar, "10 day weather for selected town"

SIGHTSEEING TRAINS, and then again ....

There are many tourist/sightseeing trains in Japan, more than the links below show.  When searching the particular area you are considering, they are usually listed as one of the things to do.

These trains have special seating too, and often stop for a wee minutes or two at special places to let you take photos.

And then again, if touring the bush in Japan, the ordinary, often one man trains, provide beautiful scenes.

glorious "special" trains

Trains two

Aomori and Noshiro

We went to Aomori and Noshiro in early May, 2012. We stayed three nights in each city.

Aomori has a population of 290,000 and Noshiro has 55,000.

We flew into Tokyo, stayed overnight, then bullett trained to Aomori.  This trip took three hours.

AOMORI

The waterfront Nebuta Museum is surrounded by red metal slats, twisted and turned. The museum celebrates the annual Nebuta Festival when several metre high, made similar to lantern (?) like floats make their way down the streets.

Art in the museum.

Fish markets.

Tulips on the street.

The tourist info centre is near the top of this seaside building.

Street sculpture.

In Munakata's Art Gallery grounds.

HAKKODA

If you are a cable car /ropeway kind of tourist, take the hour bus trip from Aomori to Hakkoda Ski Resort.

HIROSAKI

Hirosaki is a delightful town 45 minutes south by train.

The Castle Gardens are beautiful.

The temple district amazing.

RESORT SHIRAKAMI PLEASURE TRAIN

That is what Japan Travel calls the tourist train that runs from Aomori to Akita along the north-western coast of Honshu.  The trip takes about five hours, including wee stops for photo taking.

For train lovers, a must.

There is live music.  And the views:

To eat rice from north eastern Japan is to taste rice totally differently. A bowl of rice, just rice is a joy.

NOSHIRO

Noshiro is the second last stop of the tourist train, and is about an hour from north of Akita.

On the last day in Noshiro we hired a taxi to take us around to the sea side tower, and other places of interest.  At times we asked the driver if she would mind waiting while we walked around. After about an hour and a half, we returned to the hotel, and got our wallets out.  She would only take the equivalent of twenty dollars !  I tried to give her more, but her response was "I hope you enjoyed Noshiro". 

Kanayu is an old magnificent building built using the local cedar.

Kaze no Matsubara is one of the largest pine groves in Japan.  It is next to the sea, and provides many a peaceful path to wonder down.  If lucky, you too can see the national bird of Japan there. (Our shot is blurred unfortunately).

A shrine at the entrance.

Ah, a week earlier and Noshiro Park would have been ablaze of azalea colour.

Just out of Noshiro was an abandoned train ! Next to an abandoned train tunnel used as a sake warehouse.  Now did we go to see the train or the ~~~~~

AKITA

Akita is an hours trip south of Noshiro. There are beautiful gardens with a stunning array of azalias.  There is a renovated castle with an elevator in it. There is the Serion Tower at the port, with views from 100 metres up. And museums .  Walking down a street we saw our first ever yellow azalia ! We only had a day but hope to go back and stay for a week. 

Asahikawa

 

We visited Asahikawa in late June 2024.

We flew to Haneda, where we overnighted before travelling on to Asahikawa.

We stayed in Asahikawa City, which is in the central part of Hokkaido, and has a population of 322,000. 

 

The airport:

 

 

The trains:

So close to the driver, " why, hello there"  with a smile returned.

Pretty trains:

Which door ? Check your ticket for the door  number, then look on the platform. Easy.

The town

Tokiwa Park

Smelt the fresh pines in the spitter. 

The rocks don't change, they're there for eternity, like the souls they hold.

Park is prettier than the lousy photographer shows. If not for the light rain, a pleasant hour could be spent sauntering.

Ueno Farm

 

BIEI

Wonderful fields of flowers around Biei.

Rather than get up early and take the 40 minute train trip for the 9.30 bus tour, noong decided to take his time and catch a later train, then charter a taxi. Easy, been done before. 

Yet .... Not one taxi to be seen.  The info bureau near the station said that the taxi drivers stop taking charters around 11 am, or earlier,  as they did this day.

Ah, so ....

The next bus tour was three and a half hours away, so we decided to ski-daddle back to Asahikawa.

Oh, while waiting the hour for the return train, the rather large taxi rank saw but one taxi drop someone off. Must be extremely busy elsewhere in town, or, the rich taxi drivers do not need to see who is queueing at the station.

FURANO 

Ah, so.

Three cable cars, each about two hours from Asahikawa are good enough reason for this tourist to come to town.

On the first day in Japan, we visit the local tourist bureau, for maps, pamphlets, and times.

Everything I need to know is in order from my notes of desired activities. A planned holiday.

'Please, how is the best way to go to Furano Ropeway ? Times ?'  I ask.

We decide to train the first half of the trip, as trains in Japan are fun. At Furano town we got off the train, and went to the local tourist office and asked where to catch the bus to continue the trip. To the ropeway.

Thank you, that was easy.

Three hours after leaving Asahikawa, we arrive at the resort hotel from whence the ropeway operates. Excited, in we go.

Me: "Ropeway please"

Them: "sorry no ropeway." and they show me the small print at the bottom of their brochure that says the ropeway won't operate till July, a couple of weeks away.

Ah, so.

Strange that the two different tourist offices didn't inform of this. Maybe they thought we wanted to look at a stationary ropeway car.

Oh well, we had enough time to browse at the nick nack shop and buy two T shirts, eat an apple and board the bus back.  

It was a day away of five and a half hours, and the T shirts are lovely. the apple sweet, the flies in the bus shelter irritating.

KURODAKE

 

Success, we get to our second ropeway and cable car.

Oh, what the ? 

When  was the ordinary town bus that took us the two hour trip manufactured ?  1951 ? 

Had the suspension been tendered to since ?

Bang, smash. I stood up and checked the road surface, yet it looked like a normal sealed road.

The panels of the side of the bus wobbled noisily. Surely they'll become loose ?

For the return trip, I noticed a different advertisment on the side of the bus, oh great, a different bus, not so much noise.

How silly of me, for the return bus was just as noisy, clang, rattle (no roll).

Oh well, it was a good time to close the eyes and try Buddhist calming.

Beautiful, the chairlift, which has me balancing with a backpack on the front.  Slight fear is good, eh.

But no need to worry about a big bear grabbing our feet and dragging us away for lunch, for we had a couple of bear bells !

SAPPORO  

The day before we went to Kurodake, the cable car had been closed due to adverse weather.

So, as the day scheduled for Asahidake Ropeway was rainy, with a mild wind, and considering the trip would be two hours on a Buddhist meditation inducing bus, we decided to take the one hour twenty express train to Sapporo.

Beautiful town, nice wide garden park to be seen from the TV Tower.

TOKYO 

Japan's big cities have much greenery. This is just off from the monorail terminus.

Is this the best shot of the monorail ?  Really ?

I didn't know there were mud flats in Tokyo bay ?  From the monorail that services Haneda Airport.

Shrine near Haneda Airport, and the JAL City Hotel

That's almost it folks, just ......

LASTLY

Beautiful freshly ground coffee at 4.30 am, for a couple of dollars, at your local convenience store.

Sushi trains are different in Japan, in that, the order is placed on the tablet above, then, after a wee warning, the food trundles along the 'train'.

Beautiful, fresh. The Japanese wouldn't tolerate anything else.

The IT used can all be changed to English. There's a ticket when you enter the restaurant, and one when you leave. Simply scan the QI code at the till, and pay. The machine will give correct change of course.

The hotel has Kellogg's Corn Flakes, and much much more Japanese and Euro food. 

Better still, like many hotels away from Tokyo and Osaka, the windows open, ah, no need for the air con.

Asahikawa recomended ?

Definitely.

Hokkaido only became Japanese in 1869.  Therefore, there's none of the splendid old charm that the rest of Japan has.

However, it is still Japanese in so much that counts: helpful people, stunning food, gardens, ropeways and trains.

With the greater distances, perhaps it could be of benefit to hire a car ?

And make sure that the ropeways are operating on the day you'd like to visit !

A kind comment came saying : It seems like there were some unpleasant things this trip

Gee, you know, there's a famous (?) Japanophile philosopher who said : when we reach perfection ourselves, perhaps then we can expect perfection in others

The author responded with :  They were learning things, not unpleasant things, and being weird (?) so, on holidays things happen. A rattling bus is an experience. If I could go back there now, I would have everythging as was, I would