Picking up the pieces in Japan.

[drron]

Mrsdrron also took a few shots of the fruit.

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Those are our favourite grapes-Kyoho- always get a few bunches if they are in season. A taste similiar to old fashioned Isabella grapes.

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And a Fuji cake.

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[drron]

We then had a late lunch at a sushi go round.OK price and quality.
As we could not see Mt.Fuji she took photos of the pictures around the hotel.

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We are obviously going to have to come back a few times.

 

[drron]

That afternoon I decided to go native.

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Sunday arrived and it was time to leave Kawaguchigo.Fuji had one last trick to play on us.It looked like the clouds were going to clear.

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But that was as good as it got and by the time we checked out in complete cloud again.
What a breakfast can look like.

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And the weather forecast rubbed it in.

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Yes sunny tomorrow.

 

[drron]

We can thoroughly recommend the Hotel Regina.Really nice room, obviously great views of Mt.Fuji and pleasant staff.Is a bit expensive but all that boast direct views seem to be.We will return but not in September.
First signs of autumn as we get into the shuttle bus.

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Looked in the shop at the station.More Mt.Fuji souvenirs.

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But green tea shochu!
Now the train into Kawaguchigo is a private railway.But often saw a JR train here.And they do insist on seeing your JR pass even though it gives you nothing more.

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A selection of stations with their Thomas emblems.

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[drron]

Some views along the way.

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Persimmons are coming into season.
We then had to wait at a station for a train coming the other way.The Boso Express.

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[drron]

Some more scenes from the train.

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Now the white building at the foot of the hill plus attachments mightn't look much-

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But it is Japan's Maglev testing facility.
The last pics before arriving in Otsuki.

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[drron]

There was something wrong with our Asuza limited express when it arrived at the station.

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It was 4 minutes late.
Note as we lose sight of Mt.Fuji the weather improves.Beautiful countryside.

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Note the fishermen in the second picture.

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Because the train was late we missed our connection to get to the shinkansen to Kanazawa.No problems with the JR pass-just book on the next one.So soon on the rapid service to Tokyo on the Ueno line.At Tokyo many different kinds of shinkansen.Double deckers.

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Old fashioned.

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And ones with really pointed noses.

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At Tokyo we bought lunch boxes.Mine is tuna plus salmon roe.The ones from Shinjuku on our first leg were better.

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[drron]

In Kanazawa we stayed in the Crowne Plaza.It was a holiday weekend and booking late meant a bit expensive.The Holiday Inn had only 1 room available and it cost the same per night as the 3 nights at the CP.However the CP only had standard rooms available.Certainly the lobby and public areas are impressive.

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models of lantern floats for festivals.
At checkin told no upgrade available but as gold ambassador we got breakfast plus the mini bar such as it was was complimentary.The room.

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Note how the carry on nearly fills the space between the bed and wall.The bathroom was so small the door had to open out.

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The view.It is right at Kanazawa station.

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[drron]

That night we went to dinner at an all you can eat Sukiyaki restaurant, 2400 yen per head- $A30.
Well they give you the meat and you can have as much veggies and noodles as you want.There is also sushi, some salads and desserts but they did not look particularly exciting.This is the meat for 1 person.

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We went back for lots more mushrooms, some onions and shallots.
The pot is divided into 2 so that one person could have sukiyaki the other shabu shabu. But we love our sukiyaki.

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[love_the_life]

Mt Fuji, nearly, nearly not quite. So tantalising.

 

[drron]

Breakfasts weren't too bad. Mine the first day was some fruit- the melon here is so juicy and tasty unlike the bland pieces of flesh you get in Aussie hotels.Then a nice omelette and finished with a pikelet, a piece of french toast and some waffle with ice cream.A kid again!

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The stuff to the right of the smoked salmon is "baked beans".
Then we set out for the 21st Century Museum.Normally shut Mondays but today was a public holiday and it would be shut tomorrow,Tuesday.With a JR pass you can catch JR busses and they have 2 set up for tourists.Both go to Higashi Chaya but one goes via Kanazawa castle and the Gardens.The Museum is the stop before those.Where you get off the bus is something I admire about japan.

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Yes trees.Not just the shaped and decorative ones but the old trees which are venerated in Japan. With today being Respect for the Aged Day this was appropriate.

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Would we take as much care of an old tree?
And more early signs of autumn.

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[drron]

Before we got to the museum there was an upmarket handicrafts gallery.No photos inside but fortunately you can see through glass.

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Then the museum. Sculptures scattered around the grounds.

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[drron]

We went through the free exhibits. There were 2 exhibitions with a fee. One was Chinese callighraphy which we didn't want to see and the other was Japanese art since 1980. We went to the gift shop for that exhibition and didn't really like what we saw so passed.
An interesting display on the changing attitudes to death and dying and what happens to the body after death.Very interesting and challenging. One out there idea was to have special coffins, when the body is placed inside add the right amount of luminescent bacteria and then hang the coffins under the Brooklyn bridge.So dead people become works of art. After a year the body has been consumed by the bugs so that coffin is replaced by the next victim/artist. Hmmm.
But an interesting exhibition where the viewers become the art.

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An interesting illusion the ladder but it shows just how thin the layer of water is.

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[drron]

Also on over the weekend was a street Jazz Festival and the museum was one of the venues.In time to hear this group.They were really good.

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The saxophone player was the leader and by the laughs he got also a bit of a comedian.Throughout the performance a young Japanese fellow probably about 8 sat beside me.He was really into it and obviously had a good sense of rhythm.He enjoyed it when I began clapping along with the music and joined in.Who needs language?

 

[drron]

Interactive sculptures.

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As were these. Several scattered around and if you soke/yelled into one others could hear you through another at some distance.

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[drron]

In one corner of the property is an old house from Tokyo finally moved to Kanazawa.

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A beautiful spot.

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[drron]

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Not sure why the little stone is tied up.
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A well worn stone.

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[a330j]

Planning a trip to Japan next year, will follow your trip with interest

 

[drron]

The last of the museum.Another place for free music but sadly nothing on when we were there.

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Hmmm.

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Walk-synthetic, dont walk-real grass.

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Another tree being respected.

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And across the road a different sort of respect.

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[OATEK]

Channeling Shintaro?

That afternoon I decided to go native.

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