We thought we'd have a very laid back last day in Tokyo - a late start, a long morning coffee at our fave local (Byron Bay Cafe), a bit of a walk and a return visit to Shibuya and Shinjuki for some shopping, and not much else.
I'd read that the canal district of Naka-Meguro was pretty lively and interesting so we walked there from Ebisu Station - but we couldn't find any arty little laneways despite my best efforts.
But the canal was very pretty - and just imagine it in Spring when all those cherry trees are in bloom.
It was a very stylish area - the shopping would be great if I only had more room in my suitcase.
We ended up walking all the way back to Shibuya .... Tokyo's Times Square.
I just love the Shibuya pedestrian crossing - the busiest in the world. We didn't bother viewing it from L'Occitane Cafe or Starbucks this time - just watching it at ground level was fun enough for me.
We then caught the train to Shinjuki and walked around the buzzy lanes of electronics emporiums and Pachinko parlours on the Western side of the station. (We'd only looked at the glossy Eastern side streets on our previous visit)
I didn't come all this way to find a McDonald's!!!!
We found a great place for lunch in one of the laneways - yakitori for me and soba noodles for Rob. We're both much more confident in our food ordering now.
And a beautiful dessert to follow: 2 of my favourite food groups; green tea (matcha) ice cream and red beans (with rice balls). I savoured every mouthful as it will be a long time before I can enjoy great matcha ice cream again.
We leave Tokyo tomorrow after the most wonderful three weeks in Japan and South Korea, in Seoul and on the islands of Kyushu and Honshu. Our family in Seoul and our dear friend Haruko (and her friends and family) in Japan have made our visits memorable and unique. We have been able to share some wonderful experiences that we would never been able to, on our own and met some beautiful people that we would never have been able to engage with as non Japanese and non Korean speakers. Genki de Japan and bai bai. We will hopefully see you (and Seoul) again soon.
Our last day with Haruko started the best way possible - with a FLAT WHITE coffee from the Byron Bay Cafe, only 2 minutes walk from our hotel. The BEST coffee, and tasting just like home. The only place in Japan we have been able to order a flat white - that tastes SO GOOD!
With careful planning and a delayed flight Haruko was able to join us for our day trip to Kamakura - about 50 minutes on the JR Yokosuka Line from Tokyo Station. Kamakura is a coastal town and a popular tourist destination, sometimes called the Kyoto of Eastern Japan (but much smaller and quieter than Kyoto). It was the political centre of Japan many centuries ago when its many beautiful shrines and temples were established.
We got off the train at Kita-Kamakura (on the outskirts of the main township) so we could visit Engakuji Temple - the first stop on our plan for the day ....
This temple was founded in 1282 and is one of the leading Zen (Buddhist) temples in E. Japan. We loved the calm peaceful setting of this temple, and its setting in the surrounding forest.
Excuse all the pictures of Rob and me- but Haruko takes a great picture and it is such a novelty to have all these nice pictures of us together, travelling Japan!
This is what a 700 year old tree looks like - planted when the temple was established.
The temple complex is very drawing worthy......
and more of Rob and me ...... Haruko made us look good today ......
This beautiful temple bell is also 700 years old ......
I watched closely as this lovely man completed the "temple stamp" for a visitor - in their special temple book.
A short 10 minute walk and we reached the Kenchoji Temple. The Kenchoji Temple is Kamakura's oldest and most important Zen temple - founded in 1253. the temple complex today is very extensive.
There was another 700 year old tree at the entrance to this temple.
The garden behind the temple's main Hojo (hall) is rather beautiful. It was designed by a Zen master.
This temple looks a picture in Spring when the cherry blossoms are out. The trees lost their leaves early this Autumn because of the recent tornado. Fierce, salt laden winds did a lot of damage - hope they'll recover over winter.......
Next stop was the spectacular Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. Haruko tested us both on our shrine visit preparation. Rob passed with flying colours ........
It's the season for the blessing of the 3, 5 and 7 year old children. They are all so photogenic! (BTW We always gain parental permission for these shots)
This little girl thought I was OK; she gave me a pebble! Haruko said that as she gave it to me she said "you can use this!"
She was pleased when I put the pebble in my bag - for later!
After a morning of temple viewing we strolled down the busy retail laneway leading from the shrine to Kamakura Railway Station - looking for some appealing, late lunch spots.
Haruko thought we'd like this cafe - a favourite haunt of John (Lennon) and Yoko during their regular stays in Kamakura back in the seventies. Rumour has it that John and Yoko loved the fluffy pancakes here. Unfortunately today Iwata was closed!
With our time together rapidly coming to a close we had a simple lunch of locally made sausage (German style) and then really splurged with matcha tea gelato dessert - the best quality we've experienced ever! We ordered Level Max (there were 6 levels) of matcha flavour and it was intense and oh so creamy!
This girl had flight to catch - so in the end it was a rushed goodbye - but just as well as we felt so sad that our time together was over - for now! Haruko (and her friends and family) has made this trip a unique and wonderful experience for us - and one we will never forget. Thank you Haruko Sunny.
We followed Haruko back to Tokyo an hour or so later and ended off the day with some shopping at Tokyo Station and a glass of plum wine raised to dear Haruko back in our hotel room at Hamamatsucho.
You can't see Hakone in a day! But we got a quick overview of what it might be like for the visitor yesterday with our short visit. It involved a lot of transport: local trains, fast trains, a boat, a ropeway and a few bus trips too.
Our day started with the short trip on the Yamanote line to Shinagawa Station - another chance for us to be part of the "human river" that's always a feature of this busy, crowded railway station.
We caught the Shinkansen to Odawara about 35 mins SW of Tokyo through Yokohama. Here we bought our Hakone "Free" Passes (which actually cost about $50 each). The pass enabled us to travel pretty much anywhere, by any means, all day at Hakone.
Haruko and I spent a while figuring out our day's plan of action!
We caught a local train to Hakone-Yumoto Station, where the real transport fun began. The train from Hakone-Yumoto to Gora Station has to climb steep mountains and pass through 2klm of deep tunnels. It's so steep that the train has to reverse direction three times in a very clever switchback manoeuvre.
We crossed bridges over deep ravines too and passed lots of attractions along the way - like Hakone's famous open air museum and sculpture park.
We reached Gora feeling so happy that the sun was out and the clouds were clearing. We were hopeful of a good Mt Fuji viewing! Feeling optimistic we didn't catch the ropeway at this stage of the day deciding instead take a sightseeing bus so we could see the beautiful fields of Suzuki grass at Sengokuhara.
There were quite a few "alpine resorts", beautiful gardens and the famous Pola Museum of Art along this road.
The fields of grass at Sengokuhara only look like this for a short time in Autumn (right now). It's an area of wild grassland, quite unusual in densely populated Japan..... and looking beautiful today.
The same colour as my hair!
It's very popular with Japanese tourists and day-trippers too!
The grasslands are near the small village of Kogen. We took advantage of the stop to enjoy some local soba noodles for lunch .
Our bus tour took us to what is usually the end of the ropeway ride at Togendai-Ko. We joined the queue and took a ride back to its highest point at Owakudani.
Harrison Redford on the cable car - with heavy clouds forming!
and not just clouds in the sky - clouds of steam too - we were over an active volcano!
emitting clouds of hydrogen sulphide and sulphuric acid (among other gases)
We were feeling cold and windswept by now and reconciled to having no view of Mt Fuji today. We made our way back to Togendai-Ko on the ropeway with the light rapidly diminishing.
Where we caught the "pirate ship" (?) for the cruise on Lake Ashi, our final transport adventure for the day at Hakone.
In the gathering gloom this was as close as we were going to get to the famous Hakone Jinja Shrine today.
We had such a brief look at Hakone today. You would need at least 3 days to get a fuller experience. Hakone is so diverse in its geography and its offerings. We didn't even experience any of the hot spring onsens for which it is famous too!
Instead, for us, it was one last bus ride back to Hakone-Yumoto from Motohakone-ko (on the lake) then two more Shinkansens back to Tokyo Station, where we met up with Haruko's brother Shin (at his office building right near the station).
We walked to nearby Nihonbashi where Shin knows a lot of great eateries. With some difficulty (because most places were booked out) he found a great sushi place where we enjoyed a fantastic meal. This was the starter. I think was whelk (?) with wasabi flavoured gingko nuts.
then appetisers .... sashimi tuna, foie gras of fish and fish eggs .......
then main course. Such an amazing meal for us - but probably not so unusual for Shin and Haruko. The standard of Japanese food, and its presentation constantly amazes us.
We caught a taxi then to the upmarket district of Roppongi with Shin pointing out the Imperial Palace and the Parliament buildings on the way. Kyoko met up with us at Roppongi. She'd just finished her work day (at after 9pm).
Lucky for us Roppongi was lit up in preparation for Christmas already - making a fabulous glittering scene with Tokyo Tower in the background. Tokyo Tower is very close to where we're staying at Hamamatsucho - but on the other side of it!
Roppongi looks very glossy at night.
We felt sad to say goodbye to this lovely couple tonight. It has been wonderful to spend more time with them this visit and get to know them better. They could not have been more generous and welcoming to us.
We had another Tokyo Tower sighting at the end of the day back at Daimon - Hamamatsucho Station. The place was alive tonight with this street band playing the coolest, rocking-est, improvised jazz with incredible skill!
But the canal was very pretty - and just imagine it in Spring when all those cherry trees are in bloom.
It was a very stylish area - the shopping would be great if I only had more room in my suitcase.
We ended up walking all the way back to Shibuya .... Tokyo's Times Square.
I just love the Shibuya pedestrian crossing - the busiest in the world. We didn't bother viewing it from L'Occitane Cafe or Starbucks this time - just watching it at ground level was fun enough for me.
We then caught the train to Shinjuki and walked around the buzzy lanes of electronics emporiums and Pachinko parlours on the Western side of the station. (We'd only looked at the glossy Eastern side streets on our previous visit)
I didn't come all this way to find a McDonald's!!!!
We found a great place for lunch in one of the laneways - yakitori for me and soba noodles for Rob. We're both much more confident in our food ordering now.
And a beautiful dessert to follow: 2 of my favourite food groups; green tea (matcha) ice cream and red beans (with rice balls). I savoured every mouthful as it will be a long time before I can enjoy great matcha ice cream again.
We leave Tokyo tomorrow after the most wonderful three weeks in Japan and South Korea, in Seoul and on the islands of Kyushu and Honshu. Our family in Seoul and our dear friend Haruko (and her friends and family) in Japan have made our visits memorable and unique. We have been able to share some wonderful experiences that we would never been able to, on our own and met some beautiful people that we would never have been able to engage with as non Japanese and non Korean speakers. Genki de Japan and bai bai. We will hopefully see you (and Seoul) again soon.
