My trip was broken down into three sections:
Like
my first trip, this trip also started in Osaka with my arrival at the new
Kansai Airport. Osaka, itself doesn't have much to offer the tourist,
but it is an excellent central point to make day trips from. You
can easily visit Kyoto, Kobe, Nara and Himeji from Osaka. On my first
four days in Osaka, I visited Kyoto and Nara. Another advantage of
Osaka, is the accomodation is generally cheaper and more available than
the surrounding touristy area.
Osaka is a concrete jungle with some interesting buildings. I
spent most of my time in the Umeda district, near Osaka station, a very
lively area. You can get lost in the underground shopping mall,
Whity Umeda
(I have to wonder where the Japanese got the word "Whity". We used
to have a goldfish called "Whitey"). Or if you prefer street level,
you can stare in awe at all the tall buildings. There is the Umeda
"OS" building, the Sky Tower and this one shown, aptly named Maru-biru
(Japanese for round building). Since my hotel ( Hotel
Kansai ) was amongst these tall buildings, finding it wasn't always
easy. It takes getting used to.
In Osaka, I also experienced my first Japanese baseball game, the Hanshin
Tigers at Koshien Stadium.
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Nara
has much to offer and is a good day trip from Osaka. The most famous
part is the Todaiji Temple, or Daibutsuden, home of the largest
historic Budda statue in Japan. The wooden hall is the largest structure
in the world. For 1000 Yen, you could paint your own message using
Japanese black ink, on a tile used in the roof restoration project.
I signed my name and 'ZOINKS' (in Katakana) so the spirit of Shaggy will
be forever enshrined in this temple. If Shaggy ever visits, I hope
there won't be any ghosts!
If
your boots are made for walking you can cover most of the interesting points
in Nara in a day. There are so many interest temples close to each
other. If you want to avoid crowds, go to the Museum
of Photography. There are probably more people working in that
museum than visitors going through it! Even if you don't know any
Japanese it is worth it, because as they say, pictures are worth a 1000
words! Nara has also two major ponds Sagi-ike, Ara-ike.
These Koi (Japanese Carp - think of them as large goldfish)
were photographed from a bridge at Sagi-Ike. I used cookies
to draw them close to where I was standing (carp are scavengers - they
will eat almost anything!) Note the curious on-looker on the right
hand corner.
The
focus and highlight of my trip was a bicycle trip around Lake Biwako.
This 5 day trip was interesting despite some of the rain I had to endure.
I think an adventure like this is one of the best ways to come face-to-face
with the Japanese people and culture. For if you venture off the
tourist path, you will meet few (if any) foreigners and you will no doubt
become accustomed to the Japanese way of life. It helps to know some
of the language and customs of course, but general common-sense and courtesy
will go a long way. Read my survival
guide.
Biwako is situated just NE of Kyoto. The entire lake is in Shiga prefecture and Otsu, at the bottom of the lake, is its capital. As you can see in Otsu, the start of my trip, it was quite misty and cloudy. It's a pretty tranquil morning in Otsu harbor. Since I bicycled around the lake I returned back to Otsu and stayed at the same hotel. The next day I returned back to Osaka, and got lost in pouring rain. Ugh! The only time I get lost, and it's pouring!
From a bicycling point of view, the east side of the Lake is more interesting
and accessible than the west side. Fortunately I went around counter
clockwise, so I enjoyed the east side first. Half-way up is the city
of Omi-Hachiman, my first stop after Otsu. You can take the cable
car to the top of a mountain where you get a splendid view of the city
(which I'm sure is even more splendid when it isn't misty).
Street of Omi-Hachiman |
Cat taking nap near shrine on top of mountain. You can see Omi-Hachiman below. |
| Near Omi-Hachiman is the Chiomeiji temple. With 808
steps leading to the top, it's not for the weary or faint of heart.
I was about to definitely strike this off my list of things to see, until
curiosity lead me up one step at a time. Somewhere along the way
I lost count, so I'll take their word for it, that there were indeed 808
of them. Needless to say the worshippers at this temple must be in
great shape!
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But as you can see, the climb was well worth it.
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In Hikone, I was looking for a hotel at night, and totally by chance,
I came across a BMW motorcycle dealership. How about that!
The manager Hisayoshi Tanaka welcomed me in, and was very interested to
hear that I ride a BMW R75/5! Mine is an older '72 model. Like
many Japanese his spoken English was fair (but he could read English much
better than I can read Japanese) so with my Japanese and his English we
somehow managed to communicate. Somehow our common interest in BMW
motorcycles made this much eaiser. He showed me around the shop.
I noticed prices were about 20% higher than in the USA, but considering
BMW is a foreign import, it was not unreasonable. Mr. Tanaka was
nice and showered me with many souvenirs.
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We discussed the possibility of a motorcycle tour, next time I come
to Japan. Bringing my motorcycle over would be expensive, but there
is a possibility of renting a BMW for a week or so. He told me there
are at least 2000 members in the BMW motorcycle club in Japan. It
would be a great way to meet more Japanese!
Nagahama
is further up the east coast of Lake Biwa, there is an interesting castle
which looks like the one in Hikone, but it is not original. It is
a museum. Around the lake there is camping grounds and cabins everywhere.
In April it was all empty (the season had not yet started) but I can imagine
how busy this place must get in the summer. Another good reason to
visit in the spring. At the top of the Lake, you have a smaller lake
to one side, Lake Yogo (which can easily be circled on bicycle) and then
through tunnels you arrive at Nishiazai and Makino-cho
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| This is the canal linking Kyoto to Lake Biwa,
providing water for the City. |
One of many belltowers you see in Japan, next to temples.
Note the bell which is painted gold. |
Leaping Tiger gardens.
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Since Tokorozawa isn't on a main train line, you usually have to transfer several lines to get to your destination. This meant I was juggling an array of train schedules and lines. It's a wonder I only got mixed up once. Learn more about trains, and to avoid getting mixed up, in my survival guide . I managed to visit Kamakura, Sendai and Ishi-ku. I was supposed to visit Nikko, but I ended up seeing Sendai instead.
For
many, Kamakura (just west of Yokohama) is a must-see tourist trap.
Arguably it has a rich history, and you probably have seen pictures of
this famous green bronze Buddha statue somewhere. Heck, it was on
the front cover of my tourist guide Japan Solo.
Near Kamakura, a short train ride away, is Eno-shima an island
on the Pacific coast. It is connected to the mainland by a long walkway.
It's interesting and worth the visit, I think, even though there is no
mention of it in my tourist guide. You'll find a Shrine smack dab
in the middle, half way up top the island. For those who hate climbing
stairs, there are escalators - for a price. Being cheap, I walked
to the top. There are lots of restaurants, souvenir shops along the
way. Too bad I didn't have time to stop, relax and eat lunch.
Some of the views were magnificent, as you can see by the photo below.
At the top was a cheezy amusement center and tower. The Japanese
go for that sort of thing. Down the path to the ocean side, you reach
the Pacific Ocean. What a view. I noticed lots of Japanese
fishing. I didn't think you'd catch anything with those rough waves,
but then again, maybe it's possible. Here you can take an underground
cave tour, but figuring it wouldn't be greatest place to be in case of
an earthquake, I decided to stay out in the open.
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| The hustle and bustle of Sendai
Right by the train station. |
Sendai Castle (though not the original)
This is the site of the castle ruins |
Soldier who died by combat
wounds |
The
final part of my trip was to Ishi-ku. There, you can visit the tallest
Buddha in Japan. Over 300 feet high. However this Buddha has
no historic value (it was constructed in 1993), and appears to be a large
temple. You take your
shoes off before entering of course, then you take an elevator to the
top. The view wasn't that great, all you really see is a lumber factory
and forest below on a hazy day. You then walk down some steps, take
another elevator ride down to the worship hall (3000 gold statues - you
can pay lots of money to have a statue put in your name). So, it
was a series of crazy elevator rides and total modernity. It's interesting,
but there are better things to see in Japan.
In
closing I must not forget the Yamada Family. Hiromi is my brother's
girlfriend, and she took me around Ishi-ku as well as to Mt. Tsukuba.
Then her family invited me over for dinner to have Chinese food.
Her family welcomed me openly and was very generous. We enjoyed talking
about my entire trip, since this was my last day. Here they are shown,
adopting a Beanie Baby which I gave them
as a gift. The next day I returned back to Osaka for the flight
home.
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