From Cherry Blossom to Snowy Mountains...TR Apr 2016

[rbjhan]

I am really bored....so next TR is here!

MEL-NRT return by JQ
Narita - Kanazawa - Kyoto - Takayama - Toyama - Mt Tateyama - Matsumoto - Tokyo.
As the name suggests, there were two main focal points in this trip. First half was Chasing Sakura (from Kanazawa to Takayama), 2nd half was the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route.
Note: budget was tight this trip, I managed to spend only $4700 for two weeks including everything, of course FX rate was 82 back then...

 

[rbjhan]

This was before the direct MEL-NRT route being switched to QF, instead JQ was running it.
I only paid about $500 for the return ticket, certainly great price. As for the experience, hmmm, let's just say that I vowed not to fly budget airlines longhaul ever again...


Landed at NRT about 9am, exchanged JR Pass, took the next available NEX to Tokyo Station and it was close to lunch time already.
JR Pass queue was loooong Caught a lucky break here as the staff pluck several people (including moi) from mid-queue to another window, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to catch the 10:48 NEX.


Obviously I wanted gyutan for lunch...


Hokuriku Shinkansen was newly opened back then. Must say it totally lifted the tourism in Kanazawa....I wouldn't have planned this trip otherwise.


* Note about JR Pass: don't automatically assume you need one, the national JR pass is expensive and must be used in consecutive days. This trip in fact was the only time I bought the national 7 day pass.
Calculate the cost of each trip, add them up to see if a pass will pay off or not (I use Hyperdia).
I have seen so many people buying it only for one or two Shinkansen trips...that's just throwing good money out of the window.

 

[rbjhan]

Arrived Kanazawa late afternoon. Thank the lord I booked Via Inn which was directly connected to the station building, and only cost 5500 Yen per night!
Room was small, standard Japanese business hotel.


At least the view was not bad.


Dinner was at the famous local sushi restaurant Mori Mori.


Didn't sleep at all on the flight, so day 1 ended early...

* Went back to Kanazawa in 2019, that hotel was a lot better.

 

[VPS]

More Japan to whet my appetite - BRING IT ON - thanks

 

[LadyC]

I am very much enjoying all your Japan TRs. They are making my feet very itchy!

 

[rbjhan]

Day 2 started in Kanazawa Castle.
Full blossom was reported 6 Apr that year, which was roughly 5 days earlier than normal. And this was 11 Apr, I was too late //weeps



The original Kanazawa Castle is long gone. What we are seeing here is the reconstruction which does not include the main keep. The Maeda family (feudal lord of Kaga) was very wealthy, hopefully one day we can see the castle in all its glory...

The long storehouse.




*Toshiie Maeda, the first lord of Kaga was a very powerful figure during the Sengokujida. The Kaga domain 加賀藩 was said to have annual earning over 1 million stones of rice, hence called Kaga Hyakumangoku 加贺百万石.
Judging by the long storehouse alone, I imagine the main keep would have been very impressive.
This, and Azuchi Castle built by Oda Nobunaga, are the two I really want to see but no longer exist...

 

[rbjhan]

Next stop was Kerokuen Garden, created as the outer garden of the castle.
Still some blossom left...




Nagamachi長町 samurai district


Inside one of the restored samurai houses

 

[rbjhan]

Lunch at Omicho market.
Maguro (tuna) on rice.


Kanazawa is the main production centre of gold leaves in Japan. You will find almost everything here comes with gold leaf! No kidding, more to come.

 

[rbjhan]

Higashi Chayagai 東茶屋街


Chaya means teahouse, a chaya is kind of exclusive restaurant where guests were entertained by geisha...nowadays most of the chaya had been converted into shops and cafes.

Ice cream with gold leaf


Thank god the matcha was a normal version...


Kazuemachi, another Chaya district just across the river from Higashi Chayagai.
Sigh, missed all the Sakura in Kanazawa.


Bought some gold leaf

 

[rbjhan]

Day 3

Breakfast


Since I managed to cover all the sites in a single day, changed to an earlier train in the morning — so that I could go to Ninnaji for Omuro Sakura asap.
*Omuro Sakura, famous late blooming cherry tree variety. Ninnaji is the go to place if you missed the full blossom elsewhere.

JR Kanazawa Station




Cream Puff, gold leaf version


This is the mascot of Kanazawa, don't ask why...

 

[rbjhan]

Thunderbird limited express to Kyoto


Ekiben of course.


Lake Biwa

 

[craven morehead]

I am really bored....so next TR is here!

MEL-NRT return by JQ
Narita - Kanazawa - Kyoto - Takayama - Toyama - Mt Tateyama - Matsumoto - Tokyo.
As the name suggests, there were two main focal points in this trip. First half was Chasing Sakura (from Kanazawa to Takayama), 2nd half was the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route.
Note: budget was tight this trip, I managed to spend only $4700 for two weeks including everything, of course FX rate was 82 back then...

Just found this TR

 

[rbjhan]

Just found this TR

You haven't missed anything only started today.

 

[rbjhan]

Drop off luggage at the hotel, made a mad dash to Ninnaji.
Full blossoms!




Sakura tunnel..




Crowds were insane though!

 

[rbjhan]

Next stop Uhoin, also known for late blossoms, but in a quiet part of town. I prefer this little temple to Ninnaji.

 

[rbjhan]

Dinner is Gyukatsu, with sliced cabbage, miso soup and rice.


*Gyukatsu, is a variation of the popular dish tonkatsu. Instead of pork, it's deep fried beef (gyu) cutlets.
It is served rare (according to the menu the cutlets were only fried for 1 min), very tender with the crunch batter outside.

 

[rbjhan]

Booked Hotel Excellence Kyoto Station since I had the JR Pass and planned a few trips outside Kyoto. Found this one on Jalan, never heard of it before. Decided to try as the reviews were mostly positive and the price too good to resist (7000 yen in Sakura season)!

Probably the smallest room I've stayed in all of Japan! Suitcase had to go under the bed...tbh I’d rather have a smaller bed but a little more space.


Typical prefab bathroom you will find in most business hotels. It is called a unit bath.


Free breakfast was very basic.


I don't recommend staying in JR Kyoto Station area as a general rule. Personally prefer Kawaramachi Shijo/Sanjo. This one is by far the best I've stayed.

Also note, Kyoto is a difficult case re hotels. During peak season you won't find anything representing good value...I've seen capsule hotels charging 10K Yen in the first few days of April...

 

[rbjhan]

Day 4
I’ve booked a 11 am tour of Sento Imperial Villa. Went to Nakaragi-no-michi before that. It’s by the Kamo river next to Kyoto Botanical Garden. Very pretty, and very quiet.



Weeping cherry trees. Probably a few days off full blossom, but still worth a visit.




*I realised I mentioned different cherry trees a lot without explaining.
The most common type in Japan is called Somei Yoshino 染井吉野. When people talk about blossoms anywhere, it's always refer to the conditions of Somei Yoshino. In Kyoto is it generally a few days either side of 1 Apr.
There are of course early or late blooming types, weeping cherry is a common late blooming tree, the Omuro in Ninnaji is another one. As my flight landed 10 April, I knew I would miss the Somei Yoshino in Kyoto, planned only to see the weeping cherry trees.

 

[rbjhan]

Map of Imperial Park. Sento Imperial Villa is at the souteast.


The only Sakura left.

Clearly the best season to visit Sento Imperial Villa is autumn…






Our guide was very enthusiastic, unfortunately he only spoke Japanese. Me and a few foreigners were left with the audio guide, sigh.

 

[rbjhan]

Lunch at Yayoiken


Weather wasn’t looking good, and finally the rain started around lunch time. Bought an umbrella and soldier on…Heian Shrine, another late Sakura spot, famous for its weeping cherry trees.


I imagined all the petals would be gone in a few days...