Day 15 and return to Tokyo

 

Day 15 and return to Tokyo

We checked out of our Osaka hotel after breakfast and caught a cab to the train station. This time I learnt how to use the app and successfully ordered a taxi. Japanese train stations look for all the world like airports. Full of people and facilities they have an energy and buzz of exciting things happening. If the timetable says that the train leaves at 9.50, then that is precisely when it departs, not a second earlier or later.

Johnny booked us into a very comfortable and spacious Green Car and we were supplied with face towels soon after we settled in. The bathrooms were as big as our home bathroom and included not only toilets but also bidets. The journey to Tokyo was going to take two and a half hours so we took with us snacks and drinks, but the train also had a prebooked catering service if you wanted it. Johnny had the window seat and kept nudging me to see the passing sights, but I was deep into reading a very entertaining book I had brought with me. We finally caught sight of Mount Fuji as we sped between Shizuoka and Yokahama at 285 Km per hour. There was a bit of cloud at its lower reaches and it rose majestically in the distance.

Amongst the crowds at Nihombashi station we saw a posse of sumo wrestlers that were transiting through, dressed in their kimonos and sandals. They were attracting a lot of attention from children and were not averse to having their photos taken with them. It was a sunny and yet cool day by the time we reached Tokyo so it was no trouble to walk the short distance to the hotel The locals have definitely noticed that the weather has turned and has stated tending towards cooler days. We had dressed lightly as negotiating crowds and lugging furniture always makes us feel hotter.

We checked in our luggage and headed out for a walk about. The hotel was in the Nihombashi area and there was lots of pavement traffic. Families were out and about, enjoying the weekend. .Around the corner from our hotel there was a  huge lobby area with restaurants and a photography exhibition happening.  We bought lunch and took it to an area where we could watch all the excitement. At street level, we passed a gallerythat sold llittle olourful sculptures of fantastical animals. The prices were unbelievable. I was sure that Ginny could easily make something similar with air dried clay. Then we took a walk through the nearby streets to scout out some possibilities for dinner. By then it was nearly 3pm so we returned to the hotel to check in and go up to our room for a rest. it was nice to make a quick call home and see our Fam Dinner Group  at Reynard, settling in for a BBQ chicken dinner. 

Day 14 Hiroshima and Miyajima

 Day 14 Hiroshima and Miyajima

It was going to be a long day so we again had a fortifying breakfast before getting a taxi from the Vessel Inn Hotel to the Osaka railway station. Here we met Trudy (from Geelong), who was staying at the Granvia Hotel next to the station, and our meeting point, and joining us on the tour of  Hiroshima and Miyajima. The WA boys, an Indian lady, a lady from the Nederlands and two Canadians also joined our group. We took two trains from the meeting point to Shin-Osaka station and a Nozomi shinkansen to Hiroshima. A tour guide and a large bus were waiting for us at Hiroshima station.

Hiroshima was a modern and spacious city. I guess they had a blank canvas to work on after the devastating bombing at the end of WW2. We took a short ferry ride across the water to Miyajima island, which had been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There were so many shrines and a marvellous temple that sat virtually on the water. Another big drawcard was the large red Tori Gate that stands in the sea and made a dramatic approach to the island.

We walked along the arching sweep of the harbour, beneath a large stone gate and across to the multi branched temple complex. Trudy was relying on a walker and decided to stay by the shore, rather than plough on with the rest of us. The place was full of deer, which could get quite aggressive, ripping open any plastic bags you are carrying, or trying to eat the very clothes you wear. At one stage, an angry posse came for me and try as I might, I couldn’t fend them off until another tourist stepped in and helped.

After the temple, we took the road through the village shops to get some lunch. We tried to find Trudy but she had escaped into the shops. Johnny and I had a sit down lunch in one of the restaurants, with Johnny ordering a prawn tempura with noodles, and I had a rice dish with some of the oysters that were farmed in the sea around Miyajima. Walking back to the ferry terminal Johnny bought some of the local cakes (maple leaf shaped with a bean paste filling) and those wretched deer chased him biting through the plastic bag that the cakes were in.

We were all looking for Trudy, who had settled in for a rest some distance away, with a massive bag of toys she had bought for her grandkids. This was priceless as all morning she had complained about travelling with her brother, as all he wanted to do was shop, shop, shop.

From the ferry terminal back on the mainland, we again boardered the bus and made for the Peace Garden in Hiroshima and the associated museum. We saw the remains of the building that survived the atomic blast at ground zero. We walked through the Peace Park and the various memorials were explained to us. The museum housed an emotional exhibition, not only of the devastating events related to the bombing of the city, but of so may personal stories of the ordinary people and the horrors they went through. We saw the images of Sadakko and read the story of her initial survival and consequent death. the thousand paper cranes have become a symbol of desperate hope.

The bus then took us back to the railway station where by now it was nightfall and we bought some sushi boxes to have on the train during our trip back to Osaka. Then it was another quick rail trip and a taxi ride  back to our hotel, made even more pleasant by our chatty Indonesian driver who was keen to practice his English on us. 

Day 13 Osaka

 

Day 13 Osaka

We got up early even though we had a late start for the tour as the Vessel hotel staff warned us that the breakfast bar gets very busy. I went back to exciting Japanese breakfast and ended with toast and jam. Today was going to involve a lot of walking today so I felt justified in overstocking.

We had two train journeys to get to where we were meeting Osaka John, the tour guide, at the Osakajokoen station, close to the Osaka Castle. We thought we had it organised with a QR code bur the two trains were from different companies (the Metro and JR) so we had to buy an additional ticket. Rather than contending with the pedestrian traffic on the surface, we used the underground path called the Namba Walk.

We expected to see Liz on the tour but she must have booked with another guide. The WA boys were there, as well as two gay couples from Texas.

The route around the castle was an opportunity for a history lesson by our guide John, a western Australian who had moved to Japan 25 years ago, married a local and now had three adult children. He had a nice way of explaining what we were seeing and setting it into context. We were surprised to hear that the castle building was just under 100 years old and was a concrete version of the one that was previously burnt down. It looked quite old, and is built on the foundations of the previous castles from the 1600s.. It was surrounded by a beautiful moat and we could see tourists taking little river trips past the castle. We stopped to take a photo near a lovely restful Japanese garden.

At about 12.30, with two more train trips (and a LOT of stairs), we wended our way back down the hill to where we were scheduled to have lunch. This was in the “Amerian Village‘ district where, after the war, designers moved into warehouses in the area and set up a trendy fashion district. A lot of the locals were interested in taking on the American fashion vibe of the time. Apparently there is a sort of fashion show on weekends where a walkway slides out from the front of the shop and designers can parade their latest work. High above one of the buildings there was a small Statue of Liberty. Everything here was young and edgy, even the lamposts were twisted, gnarled and coloured. We went up an amazing curved escalator but resited the temptation to go into the pinball arcade with the youngies.

We went on to a restaurant and ordered the traditional Japanese pancake with octopus. It was terrific. Then it was on to the Madison Avenue area with all its high end shops. The roads here were so incredibly wide. I think the guide said it was 40 metres across and below the road ran another rail line. In the midst of all this conspicuous consumption, John took us to see a temple that sits in the lower levels of a hotel complex. Apparently, the only way to ensure its survival was to strike a deal with a company that wanted to build over the site, in exchange for maintaining the temple. It seems to work. The monk came out to say hello and give us a sticker as a souvenir.

For a contrast, John the guide led us into that crazy area that we had explored by ourselves yesterday, next to the canal. It was again an assault on all the senses. John led us through some of the smaller laneways, and we found an unusual shrine where the buddah was covered in moss. As it survived a fire during the world war 2 bombings of Osaka, locals pour water over it to ensure it won’t burn in the future, and the water has encouraged moss to grow. We also found a nice wagyu beef restaurant that we made a booking for, for tonight. Then we plunged into the malls which were again full of humanity, touring, tasting and buying. By this time the the ladies from Texas has had enough and went their own way. The rest of us set off towards the fish market. Unlike the one in Tokyo, this one did not prohibit photos. The seafood in Japanese markets is truly impressive.

We said goodbye to John at this point and worked our way back though the market to buy some fruit. Johnny particularly missed having fruit while we have been on holiday. We sat on a seat outside a subway station, eating fruit salad and enjoying the kiddo videos that Britty had sent.

On this trip we have had highs and lows in terms of meals. The wagyu beef dinner we had at Kitan-In  was the definite high. We had the full banquet, starting with a seasonal mushroom soup, then a chicken cesare salad. Meanwhile the chef (and owner) theatrically sliced two massive rib eye 300g steaks from an enoumous joint and presented them for approval, before gently BBQing them to perfection. The preparation was pure theatre as he sliced and cooked each meal while orchestrating the rest of the staff in their various roles. 

Then the steaks were left to rest on a high smokey shelf, before they came to us with a few thick cut chips and a selection of specialist breads. It was a huge meal, but my god, it was a good one. Chef talked us into finishing off with a shot of coffee. I think this was to show us that his establishment could meke coffee as good as Melbourne. He was right. 
As he saw us enjoying the steaks so much, he recommended Victor Churchill in Armadale.Melb. It's a specialist steak restaurant with top shelf beef. If Kitan-In recommends it, it must be great.