The Jukebox Clan Does Japan

[jukebox333]

I'd seen Mazda offered a tour of their Hiroshima plant, but it was unavailable through last year. Then around Feb they announced tours would restart in April. I kept a close eye on the web page and was able to get places in the English langauge tour the week we were in town.

This was a lot better structured than Toyota - a proper tour with a narrative, plus a peak at the assembly line. Having said that, you weren't allowed to photograph the line - and at the time we passed by, it was stopped for some reason. But at least we saw it - and could see engines being readied to be placed in CX-90 shells.




































It was about two hours all up, and was interesting enough that you didn't need to be a petrol head - although it helps!

FWIW, I'd say I definitely enjoyed this more than Toyota.

 

[jukebox333]

After Mazda, we slipped in to the city for dinner.

We headed to Okinomimura, a multi story food court dedicated to selling okinomiyama



Another victim of over tourism, we started on the 5th floor, only to discover all the stalls there were pre-reserved for tour groups. Perversely, the okinomiyamas were being pre-cooked and plated up before they even arrived, which kind of defeats the whole purpose of going, and seeing the theatre of the dish being prepared... or getting one customised to your taste. Oh well.

We found a place on the 3rd floor that had spare seats, and the head cook welcomed us in.









Soon the place was full, and our amusement for the night with a group of middle aged Brits, who customised each 0f five orders to within an inch of its life - no spring onions on one, no seafood on another, add cheese to two... eventually, we could see the cook and his assistant totally lost track of who needed what, and these okinomiyakis had to have autopsies done on them to determine whose was whose. The sheer exaspiration on the cook's face as he was trying to sort this out was priceless. I'm sure we bonded over an eyeroll!

Well fed, it worked out the tram was the most direct route home, so we trundelled out to the last stop on the #2 line, Miyajimaguchi Ferry Terminal. It feels like the slow way there, but with no train connections needed, and no walk from the JR station, arriving at the tram station right next to the ferry terminal was a blessing.




By the time we hit the island, we were in need of more drinks, so stopped in at the Lawsons. The collection of umberellas left behind after a rainy day just felt like such a perfect metaphor.




Moving day tomorrow. Our last hotel in Japan; Destination, Osaka...

 

[rbjhan]

If I'm going to Hiroshima, it'll be for the Sailor factory tour

 

[markis10]

Our last hotel in Japan; Destination, Osaka

World Expo?

 

[jukebox333]

Oliver admits that he doesn't remember his 2008 visit to Japan - he was only 7 at the time - the memories he has are vauge, and reinforced by the photos of the trip we have.

But I love that he "gets" the joy in recreating some of those photos 17 years on...






















Levon isn't as sentimental, but I do hope one day he, too, will understand.

 

[Quickstatus]

Sailor factory tour

I remain surprised that people still use fountain pens in the age of cheap ballpoints

 

[Quickstatus]

but time is a finite resoruce when you are travelling,

Especially when able to travel with family

I defy anyone not to get emotional.

I'm enamoured by your amazing thread @jukebox333.
While travel is often a box ticking exercise and your journey is well trodden by others, your thread consistently comes back to the human connections between you and your family and the community you are visiting.

Isn't this the reason we travel?. You thread reminds me of Mark Twain: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

The reason that there is pushback against tourists in many places, is that tourism these days often lack those human connections.

 

[rbjhan]

I remain surprised that people still use fountain pens in the age of cheap ballpoints

I have some shocking news, people still use dip pens even!
Yes maybe some do not look for cheap pens....who's that crazy person? me obviously.

Edit, add a photo, I'm not joking!

 

[jukebox333]

Especially when able to travel with family



I'm enamoured by your amazing thread @jukebox333.
While travel is often a box ticking exercise and your journey is well trodden by others, your thread consistently comes back to the human connections between you and your family and the community you are visiting.

Isn't this the reason we travel?. You thread reminds me of Mark Twain: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

The reason that there is pushback against tourists in many places, is that tourism these days often lack those human connections.

Thanks very much!

There have been so many small, almost inconsequential, interactions I haven't mentioned - a random Tokyo businessman helping Wen and I get a Suica card issued from a machine, a woman serving in a combini taking great joy in counting my change out in English, then being blown away when I thanked her in Japanese, the coffee shop owner on Miyajima, the worker at the ferry terminal who was visibly relieved when Levon and I at the head of the queue to board didn't rush the boat... time and time again, the five of us had the most wonderful, gentle, interactions with everyday people here in Japan.

It made all five of us all dispair for the behaviours of the selfish tourists, totally oblivious to themselves and their heavy footprints.

But I have felt such great joy in doing what we have done, and the way we have done it. Like my Lapland trip, I hope a few AFF'ers can take little things away, and make good use of some of our experiences. It's a small "give back" for the help and generosity I've known here for over 14 years.

 

[Quickstatus]

who's that crazy person?

And I tell Mrs QS she is nuts to collect spoons..

 

[rbjhan]

And I tell Mrs QS she is nuts to collect spoons..

There are occasionally some practical use of my pens and inks....

 

[Pushka]

I had the chef of a busy restaurant leave his work station to personally thank us for coming as I’d said, in Japanese, the meal was delicious.

 

[Quickstatus]

@jukebox333
Did you come across any Yatai food (eg ramen) carts?

 

[drron]

It is those little things we have always loved about Japan. The best time was when we visited Tokyo 2 months after the great Tsunami and Fukushima. Virtually no tourists. Many people stopped us to thank us for coming. Felt truly humble.
The fact though was that at that time the backround radiation level in Tokyo was lower than that in Melbourne. Yet you had environmental activists going around campaigning for the 2020 Olympics to be taken off Tokyo due to the radiation problem they would have. They had a worse impact on Japan than the stupid tourists of the las couple of years.

 

[jukebox333]

@jukebox333
Did you come across any Yatai food (eg ramen) carts?

I've actually not come across any that I can recall...

 

[jukebox333]

So it's our last internal travel day today. These are always high stress, low value, simply because we are lugging our bags and backpacks, and homeless 10am - 3pm, and today was no exception.

A later start, in time to be the Curry Laboratory's first customer of the day for the third day, and then we said goodbye to Miyajima.



We gave ourselves 45 minutes in Hiroshima station to buy brunch, and then it was on a Nozomi for a fast 80 min run with just two stops to Osaka. The train, at 10:45am was surprisingly full.



Our hotel in Osaka is in Umeda, so we hopped on a JR local to get from shin-Osaka to Osaka Umeda, and were able to drop our bags off early. We found a coin locker in the station - hint: go to one of the private railway or JR Stations, not the Osaka metro, and you're likely to find lockers near the gates.

We headed down to Tsutenkaku and Shinsekai Market, and easily killed a couple of hours there wandering around looking at the sights before it was time to check in. We'll revisit this area by night - probably tomorrow.















Accomodation in Osaka is the Hotel Dans Le Coeur in Umeda, with an entry right off one arm of the spiderweb underground mall that joins the five stations together here. Rooms are a good size, and clean and tidy - and I love that we can access the subway, JR, and Hanku lines all straight from the hotel.





Time for some laundry before we head out for the night.

 

[rbjhan]

I've actually not come across any that I can recall...

It's not a thing in most places....Fukuoka is famous for it, I'm actually not sure about anywhere else...

 

[jukebox333]

Rested up, we did the cliche thing, and went to Dotombori.

It never disappoints, and is always sensory overload:


















I'd been tipped off somewhere online that behind the hustle and bustle, there was a photogenic laneway in Dotenbori, and sure enough, following my Google Earth pin, I made my way to Hozenji Yokocho, a lane off the beaten track, with less crowds, and loads of atmosphere. Well worth making the effort to find:



















By now, sleep in a proper bed for the first time since Kyoto was calling!

 

[trendwhore]

Umeda's great. I've made that my place to stay in Osaka these days.

View attachment 439683

This goes down to a bar called Fanny Mae, I've not yet been there but all reports say it's awesome. Old guy Rolling Stones enthusiast runs it

 

[jukebox333]

Wendy's not a huge fan of big cities and big crowds (!) but I knew there was a side to Japan that would push her buttons, so yesterday morning we had a walk to Minoh Falls scheduled. We're both morning people, so the 7am start wasn't an issue. I offered the excursion as an optional one for the kids - they all declined - but I still wanted to go, to honour what Wendy had missed. I was so glad I did.

Minoh is on the north edge of Osaka - an easy train ride on the Hankyu Railway. The terminal at Osaka has quite the grand entrance, nice and deserted at 6:45am



Hankyu is a railway company for trainspotters - lovely deep claret trains, plush green velvet seat covers and wood paneling, all shiny and spotless.



Schoolkids on the train silent, everyone getting a peaceful start to the day



It's a short walk from the station through the streets of Minoh to reach the trailhead. Just before you get there, you're greeted by the Ooedo Onsen Monogatari Minoh Kankō Hotel. Imposing!



There's Yuzuya, a small boutique bakery on the way, too. I was too early for them, however - a lot of places don't open till 11am





Sign at the trail head



I was a little worried by this statue, however. Looks like there's a hisotry of people needing help getting there..



But the path was wide and asphalted, and the slope gentle, so off I walked...

Within about 100m of the start, the sound of falling water took over. The trail follows the valley carved out by the water cming down from the falls. It is your constant companion as you walk up the slope.

Soon, the views started revealing themselves





As did more signs. I could hear the monkeys up on the slopes, so wondered if I would encounter any



It was about 8am at this point, and as I climbed, the air got noticably cooler...