Traveling to Japan... My 2012 trip

[maichan]

Great photos, really appreciate your sharing them along with your insights.

I have to ask though, what is Okonomiyaki? It looks delicious..........

Thanks, there is more to come.

Okonomiyaki.... also called Japanese pizza, but more like a pancake of sorts..... difficult to describe. Main ingrediants are the batter, cabbage and noodles. Other ingrediants are added.... green onion (negi), octopus (Tako)..... all sorts of things.... In the case of this restaurant it is grilled on the table you sit at. It's tasty. First time I had it was my first trip to Japan.... my first meal in Japan. Never had it before that time. My friends ordered one for me.. it was a Tako-okonomiyaki... it was covered in Japanese Mayo, and I wasn't used to that flavor.... but I ate the whole thing. Now, okonomiyaki is one of my favorite Japanese dishes. Here's a better description on Wikipedia.

[Stan Sakai]

Thanks for sharing your travelogue and photos. I love okonomiyaki. It's one of the things I really wanted to eat when last we went to Japan--that and curry. My mom used to make it at home, but the noodles was new to me. I learned that is more a Hiroshima influence. Have you tried monjayaki? It's kind of a Tokyo-style okonomiyaki.

I remember that Godzilla statue--near the McDonalds, right?

I took a lot of pictures of manhole covers myself.

You collect die cast cars, huh? My lunch buddy, cartoonist Mike Kazaleh collects them--Matchbox cars. Whenever I travel abroad I try to buy one for his collection. It started when Sharon and I went to the Eiffel Tower in Paris. There is a post office on the first floor that sold die casts of mail delivery cars. I bought one for him, and it's since become a tradition.

[maichan]

Thanks for following along Stan! I always have a great time when we go to Japan, and I can't stop telling people they should go if given the opportunity.

I have never tried monjayaki - I'll have to give it a try one day. There is a small okonomiyaki restaurant in Torrance called Doya Doya. I've only been there once, but the okonomiyaki was good. I had an extra helping of negi, and boy did they pile it on - it was a little mountain of negi! Give the place a try if you're ever in that area of Torrance.

I don't recall a McDonalds nearby the Godzilla statue.... but the was a First Kitchen directly besides it, and to the other side is Hibiya Chanter (Toho Hibiya Building).

Yes, I collect diecast cars (or 'minicars' as they are called in Japan). I've worked in the parts department at a Toyota dealership for the past 25 years and somewhere along the way I became hooked on collecting 'toy' Toyotas. I have hundreds of toy cars in various sizes... all of them Toyotas. Online, my alter ego is Toyotageek.

I still have more pictures to share, and will try to get more online ASAP.

[maichan]

Day 7
Friday - we would go to Nagoya and visit my sister-in-law. We would take a Shinkansen from Shin-Yokohama to Nagoya.
To get to Nagoya we would ride a 700 series Shinkansen (JR Central).



The ride to Nagoya takes about one-and-a-half hours. This is a view along the way.... (Mt. Fuji was not to be seen this day, as it was shrouded by clouds).


At Nagoya, we would have to transfer to a local express train to Ise, our final destination.


Here is a view from the ride from Nagoya to Ise... more rice fields!


Arrived at Ise! Kintetsu Ujiyamada Station.


My sister-in-law picked us up from the station and we dropped off our luggage at her apartment. Then we headed for a quick visit to the outer shrine (Gekū) of Ise Jingu.

Ise Jingu is considered the most holy shrines in all of Japan.
An exerpt from Wikipedia...

Ise Grand Shrine (伊勢神宮 Ise Jingū?) is a Shinto shrine dedicated to goddess Amaterasu-ōmikami, located in the city of Ise in Mie prefecture, Japan. Officially known simply as Jingū (神宮?), Ise Jingū is in fact a shrine complex composed of a large number of Shinto shrines centered on two main shrines, Naikū (内宮?) and Gekū (外宮?).

Outer Shrine (外宮 gekū): Sometimes called toyouke-daijingū (豊受大神宮), it is dedicated to Toyouke-Ōmikami, the goddess of food, clothing, and shelter (life's basic needs). Pilgrims are supposed to visit the Outer Shrine before visiting the Inner Shrine.

Isejingu website in English

This is a map of the Outer Shrine grounds.


Upon entering the grounds, we spotted a wild boar...
A lot of my photos from here are slightly blurry or over-exposed. It was late in the day, and under the canopy of trees it was actually quite dark - my 8 year old digital camera isn't the best for these conditions.




Gekū. Once you enter this Tori (gate), photos are no longer allowed. We entered and said prayers in front of the shrine.


One of the outer buildings... I think these are used for special events and ceremonies.






After visiting the outer shrine we returned to my sister-in-laws apartment and relaxed a bit before dinner.
My brother-in-law was working late that day and we wouldn't see him until after 10 pm, so we went ahead to have dinner at a Tonkatsu restaurant... I had Karaage-katsu (chicken katsu).

[maichan]

Day 8

This is the apartment complex where my sister-in-law lives with her husband and their 3 1/2 year old son. After the Great earthquake of 2011, they wanted to make some changes in both work & where they lived...They moved here from Yokohama less than a year ago.


The view from their apartment.


We started the day by going to a small restaurant for breakfast.


Once we were done with breakfast we went to visit my brother-in-law at work. His family runs a wood working business that has been in continuous operation for over 400 years.




They make over 2,000 different products.
Items made range from display boxes to amulets and other items used and sold by shrines and temples throughout Japan.




After we toured the family business, the wife of my brother-in-laws elder brother took us sightseeing.
First stop was Meoto Iwa - the Wedded Rocks.


The numerous frog (kaeru) statues represent the messenger to the kami




Meoto Iwa.


Futami Okitama Shrine


Day 8 to be continued...

[maichan]

...day 8, continued.

Ise Tour Guide PDF

After we headed back to the family business where we would walk to Kotaijingu (Naiku) the Inner Shrine.
Along the way we walk along Oharai Machi street and pass through Okage Yokocho.

Located in front of the Torii Gate of the Ise-jingu Naiku (Inner Shrine), Okage Yokocho embodies a nostalgic town of the Edo and Meiji Period. This small shopping district that offers visitors an opportunity to go back in time to the 19th century. The district is packed with over 50 amazing shops and restaurants in the area of nine square kilometers. In addition to the food and shopping, visitors can also enjoy Japanese taiko drum performances and traditional paper plays from time to time.

Okage Yokocho was built in 1993 by Akafuku, the time-honored local sweet shop with 300 years of history. In order to revitalize the area and to thank Ise-jingu Shrine for its successful business, Akafuku invested 14 billion yen in this project, which was equal to its annual sales. Some buildings have been relocated to reconstruct the streets of Ise-ji Route (the pilgrimage route to Ise-jingu), and it took seven years to complete the site. You will find the typical housing structures of old Ise town everywhere on the streets.

Enjoying chilled cucumber 'Kyuuri' on a stick.


Ise manhole cover.


Okage Yokocho


Lunch at Fukusuke... with the local Ise beer 'Sinto'


...and Ise Udon


Next door is an Omiyage (Souvenir) shop selling many item related to dogs (Inu). We bought one of the small Inu omiyage. There is a tale of a pilgrim that could not travel to Naiku, so the pilgrim wrote a prayer on a piece of paper, and sent his dog with the prayer to the shrine. The small Inu statues represent that dog.


Taiko Drummers outside the Udon restaurant attract a lot of attention.


Sake factory and shop


Still more to come...

[TigerRider]

Thanks for sharing the pictures! It's really a little bit like joining you on yout travel. I like it very much.

"Schinken und Wurst" was my highlight so far.

Greetings
Jens

[maichan]

Heading over to the Inner Shrine Kotaijingu (Naiku) we first encounter Ujibashi Tori.
This is the main gate to cross Ujibashi Bridge which spans the Isuzugawa River.






Sake offerings...




Hiyokebashi Bridge


Temizusha
Before entering the sanctuary of a shrine, visitors purify themselves by rinsing their hands and mouth.
At Kotaijingu, visitors may purify themselves at either Temizusha or Isuzugawa Mitarashi


First Torii - Dai Ichi Torii
According to my brother-in-law, you should always pass through a Torii, never around it, which is considered bad luck.


Isuzugawa Mitarashi




Second Torii - Dai Ni Torii


Up these stone steps is the entrance to Naiku, the Main Shrine. Beyond the Torii at the top of the steps, no photography is allowed. While I did witness some tourists snapping photos, I respectfully did not.


Geheiden and Mishine-no-mikura - these buildings store divine treasures and food offerings






Returning to Ujibashi Bridge

[maichan]

Finishing up with day 8.... it was a busy day, eh?

This is the same Sake shop we passed earlier in the day. This photo shows the entire front of the building.
All the shops were beginning to close up as it was late afternoon. The streets were much less crowded with people than before.


Another view of some shops along Okage Yokocho to give an idea of more architecture.


A small eatery, serving up fresh grilled seafood. Patrons can select from various live shellfish and other seafood and have it grilled while they wait.




My wife had a clam.


A little ways further was an even smaller stand serving scallops.




Here is the Udon restaurant we ate at earlier, now it is almost empty and you can get a nice view of the actually setting.


After a busy day of experiencing just a few of the attrations of Ise, we returned to our lodgings and rested up a bit. My brother-in-law finished work early (he usually doesn't get home until 10pm) and we headed out for dinner at a Korean style BBQ restaurant. We had a room to ourselves with seating on the floor. The table has a grill in the center and you cook your own food. We had all sorts of delicious items including various slices of beef and pork, Ika (squid) and other seafoods, and veggies....







After several servings I was getting full, but my brother-in-law kept ordering more food. My wife and I told him, "Thank you, but please, no more. It was good but we are full." He eventually stopped ordering food, and we later learned from my wife's sister, the reason he kept ordering more meat was that his parents were treating us all to dinner. Later we extended a large round of thanks to his parents when we saw them the next day.
The end result...


And so ended our busy day in Ise!

[maichan]

Day 9 - Journey to Iga-ryu Ninja Museum and Iseshima Ooedo Onsen.

Today my sister-in-law and her husband were taking us to Iga-Ueno to visit the Iga-ryu Ninja Museum. Iga-Ueno is about a 2-hour drive from Ise.

Before heading out on our trip, we had a simple toast breakfast at home. Gee, that coffee mug sure reminds me of home...


...and a small bottle of the locally cultured Yogurt.


After breakfast we stopped by Ise Jingu once again, this time to visit Sengukan Museum.
This museum explains Jingu and Shikinen Sengu (the 20 year ritual of rebuilding).
Unfortunately no photos are allowed inside the museum, however you can visit the museum website (Japanese language only) to get a brief glimpse of the museum and a short video.






After Sengukan, it was time to hit the road...
I like road trips because they give me the opportunity to see the countryside and some nice scenery.


We encountered several tunnels along the way.




And some interesting road signs.


We stopped at a rest area to have some lunch.


I had some Udon with a croquette.


Then, after lunch we were back on the road.


Soon we were in Iga-Ueno, and after parking our car we spotted this local transport - a ninja van!


The Iga-ryu Ninja Museum was a short walk from where we parked, and on the way we passed Nishi Elementary School, where kids were playing in some soccer matches.


Just before the entrance to the museum grounds was this little grouping of stones.


Unfortunately our day was just about to take a turn for the worse. As soon as I took this photo, there was a commotion and as I turned around I saw my sister-in-law face down on the ground. She had been carrying her 3 1/2 year old son on her back when she slipped on the uphill gavel path. My nephew was fine, but his mother was hurt and in a lot of pain. She had a big gash on her knee and although she said she was fine, after seeing her injury I think she was in a bit of shock as she was feeling lightheaded and sick in the stomach. It was obvious she could not go further, so we took her to a clinic to have her knee looked after. The clinic cleaned and dressed the wound but told her to go see a specialist as soon as possible. She was doing much better by that time (laughing and walking), and agreed to go see a doctor the next day. So, the Ninja Museum was called off for the day and headed back to Ise. My sister-in-law and her husband had already made plans for all of us to stay overnight at an Onsen resort in Iseshima, about an hour past Ise. They both wanted to go ahead with these plans and then they would go to see a doctor later the next day. After some discussion, we all agreed it was okay to go ahead with their plans. So, we headed off to Iseshima... it would be about a three hour drive to get there.

On the way, there was this old deserted roadside Onsen resort (Natori Kenkoland) ... it looked the the perfect place for a haikyo (urban exploration). I know I've seen pictures of this place once before, but had no luck searching for any info on it.





Sunset. It would be dark by the time we reached Iseshima. My sister-in-law was feeling much better - her knee was bandaged and she could walk without much pain. It was just too bad she couldn't enjoy the onsen that evening or next day...

[maichan]

Day 10 - October 22, my birthday!

Monday morning we awoke to this view out from our room at the Iseshima Ooedo Onsen.

An Onsen is a a public bath (hot springs) place and they are very popular throughout Japan. I have enjoyed several onsen on previous trips, but I was a little more shy about using this facility as it was very popular with lot's of people.... so this time I didn't take part in the onsen experience. This onsen facility was much larger than any onsen I have ever visited, and was basically a large hotel with public baths. Families come here to spend time together - from grandparents to grandchildren and all the generations in between. There is also a buffet style restaurant where we had dinner the night before and breakfast in the morning.





Hotel entrance.


A view of the inland side from the hotel looking towards Shima City.


After breakfast we packed up and were ready to head back home to Ise.
Here is some scenery on the way back to Ise.




After we got back to Ise, my sister-in-law went to see a doctor about her knee injury, while my wife & I stayed at their home and played with our nephew. We also packed up our belongings as we would be leaving Ise today to head back to Kamakura. We would drive by car to Nagoya and visit a train museum along the way. After a few hours my wife's sister returned home and the doctor said her knee was doing okay - and she was feeling and moving about much better than the day before. Then we were off to Nagoya.

On the way to Nagoya we stopped at a rest area for lunch.


I had a curry plate...


...and my wife had seaweed (aosa nori) ramen...


...and we all shared some fried chicken (karaage) which this area is popular for.


After lunch we were back on the road to Nagoya.
We drove over some interesting bridges...




And finally made it to the museum.
The museum is the SCMAGLEV and Railway Park, and is run by the Central Japan Railway Company.


I thought this was interesting.... you purchase your tickets from vending machines.
I also purchased an audio tour which was in English.


This is just a brief view of the main display area inside. Vist the website for more photos and information. This place is a "must see" for any "densha otaku" train enthusiast! This definitely was a great birthday for me!





After the museum it was still a bit of a drive to Nagoya station where we would board our own Shinkensen back to Yokohama...


Ise was a great place to visit, and I learned a lot and experienced a lot. I'm very grateful to my sister-in-law for her hospitality and brother-in-law and his family for taking time from their busy schedules to make our stay more enjoyable.

We would get back to Kamakura late in the day, and there were only a few days left to our time in Japan.

[maichan]

Day 11 - Rest and relaxation

After our busy days at Ise, we were ready for some R&R.
It's been so long since we got back from Japan, I can't really recall what we did this day, but since I took very few photos, I think we just sat around the house in Kamakura. I think there was a storm blowing through, so it was wet and windy outside, and that just made for another reason to hang out at home and spend some time in town.

I did take a picture of lunch - a homemade bowl of udon.


And we did go into town and do a little shopping. Along the way I spied this police car. Did I mention I like Japanese police cars.

[maichan]

Day 12

This would be another easy day and we would spend some time in downtown Kamakura with my mother-in-law.

Before we went into town I spent some time in my in-laws little garden and took a few photos of some flowers and bugs.






A neat little leaf-hopper.


Then I took a short walk around the neighborhood while my wife and her mother were getting ready.
There are vending machines everywhere.


I hung out at the corner of the local intersection...


...and watch a mother and her kids as they watched wild carp in the stream...




Then my wife and her mother showed up. Behind them is the local 3F convenience store


We took the bus into downtown KC .... that's what we call Kamakura - KC for Kamakura City.
Along the way were more vending machines...




...and is this neat little shop with a mail box in front of it...


...and more vending machines...


We got off the bus in front of Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū at the end of Wakamiya Ōji.
Wakamiya Ōji is the city "main street" and Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū is a Shinto Shrine and is one of Kamakura's most notable features.











San No Torii at the end of Wakamiya Ōji.


We were getting hungry and stopped at this popular Crêpes shop.






Kids on a school field trip.


We did some shopping for souvenires for friends and family back home in the states, then we head to Kamakura station to catch the bus back home. We waited for the bus in front of this McDonalds.


After our bus ride we took some back streets to get home...

[maichan]

Day 13

Another day where we took it relatively easy. We mailed some packages and took a brief trip into Yokohama for shopping and lunch.

This house in Kamakura is empty and will be leveled to make room for some apartments.


Here is the local post office. I love these old Japanese mailboxes.


Bic Camera building in Yokohama.


We had lunch at a Pasta restaurant in Yokohama.




Back at Kamakura, my wife's parents took us out for dinner at this local Hamburg restaurant.


Corn soup, salad and beer.


Hamburg with daikon (shredded Japanese radish).

[maichan]

Day 14

All good things must end.
Our last day in Japan.

This was another day where we just hung out. We were mostly all packed up, so I decided to take in some of the local scenery and try to find the local hobby shop on my own (pick up some last minute goodies for myself).

Entrance to the local cemetery.




Waiting for the train to pass by.


Pizza anyone? Most restaurants with delivery service use various types of scooters...


A local flower shop. You find a lot of these throughout any town - they sell both cut flowers and live plants.


Bicycle parking...


Kuro Neko Yamato delivery service - similar to UPS, but the vans are much cooler looking.


Lonely train tracks.


Neighborhood back-street.


These type of images are my favorites.... images of daily scenes.

I found the hobby shop after making a couple of uncertain turns, and bought those last minute goodies I was after.
Then it was time to head back to Narita airport.
We would take the NEX - Narita Express...




Some scenes from along the way from Yokohama to Narita.
It's a fairly long ride to Narita, which is out in the country on the other side of Tokyo.











It was evening by the time we got to the airport. Check-in was smooth and quick.




Our plane awaits us...


This was a fun trip. Actually, they all are.
I can't wait to go back.

I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.