Two Weeks in Japan

Staying in Koyasan, it was really cold but it was also calm and reflective. I only stayed one night, it would have been remarkable to have been able to stay longer.

Quick Tips:

Buy the Japan Rail Pass prior to going, it made deciding to travel about less stressful.

I also think creating a balance between staying in the big cities and in the smaller towns is the best way to really understand the country. By going to Koyasan and Hakone we had some time to relax in between cities like Tokyo and Osaka.

Best Way To Get Around:

Public transportation - the trains and subways are ultra punctual. It is remarkable how many places you can get to with out a car and really with out even using a taxi. During our two week stay we only took a taxi twice and that was when we arrived and when we were leaving.

I rate my lodgings on a few things; size of the room for the cost, cleanliness, friendliness and helpfulness of the front desk staff and proximity to other things to see and do in the area I am visiting. The Asakusa View Hotel did very well in all the categories for me.

The size of the room was great, we had plenty of room for the two of us and the large amount of luggage we tend to travel with. There was a sitting area and a closet that could actually hold a fair amount of things if you did want to unpack, had there not been the Japanese room standard hot water heater I would have thought I was in any of the mid-range hotel in the United States. We did have internet access in our room for our lap top, which helped to find good maps of the city.

The room did feel a little worn, but not dirty, and it was well maintained. The staff at the front desk was very helpful. Even with the challenge of us speaking no Japanese, check-in and out were problem free and our messages and the cell phone that we had ordered for the trip were quickly provided without us even having to ask.

The hole has 28 floors of rooms, if you happen to have one in the teens or further up you have some great views. From one direction the Sensoji Pagoda at the Asakusa temple would be visible; however we had a better view facing out over Tokyo to Mt. Fuji.

While the on site dining was not outstanding for dinner, the breakfast buffet was a mix of Japanese and “continental” offerings. The selection was small compared to some hotels, but far larger than you would find a Days Inn and the staff was constant with refilling and replacing to keep the food very fresh and hot.

With a strait walk from the hotel in one direction you easily find the Asakusa metro station on the Ginza line station. A few short blocks in another direction from the hotel and you are at the Asakusa Shrine and Sensō-ji. There are also a number of quick places to eat nearby including Mr. Donut and Freshness Burger, if you don’t wan to pay the slightly high prices for dinner in the hotel. The added bonus to the area was that it did run at a slightly slower pace than the rest of Tokyo, which was nice after busy days of traveling about.

I would go back to this hotel, but for one thing – the bed. It was the hardest bed I have ever experienced, the traditional floor mat beds at other places provided a better nights sleep.

When we arrived in Tokyo we were given the option to visit the Tokyo City View or the Tokyo Tower to see a view of the city. Our guide explained that the observation deck at the city view at Roppongi Hills was higher than the one at the tower so that was the one we selected. The location was very easy to get to by the subway system, but it seemed very expensive (1,500 yen, which did include the art museum on the same floor).

We were very lucky and the day was clear so we were able to see Mt. Fuji, however if you have a hotel room several floors up (we did in Asakusa and Ginza) you will have the same view. Another downside was that the floor to ceiling windows made the desk VERY hot. With the help of our guide we were able to see key sites; however after 5 minutes we had seen all that there was to see. We did visit the art museum, and if you are a modern art fan then it is a very good stop and helps make the ticket price a little more bearable.

I cannot comment on the early morning experience that all the guide books say you must try, since getting up that early was not in my plan. I can say that by lunch time the area was still humming and worth the few blocks walk from the Tsukijishijo metro station on the Toei Oedo line. If you are interested in getting a feel for the speed of life that is Tokyo with out the Neon glow found in Ginza or Shinjuku, this is the place to go.

The streets leading up to the dock provide a great opportunity to fill your kitchen cabinets with bowls, dishes and any other necessity. The stalls are filled from the floor to ceiling and those not selling wares are packed with workers getting a quick meal. Barely able to fit the cook, much less any guests, the sidewalks are lined with make shift tables of all sorts and exploring here does require staying alert to avoid steaming bowls of food and the constant blur of bicycles zipping around.

Most of the sales had ended inside the market area by the time we reached the area, but it was still a buzz with trucks and carts zipping around moving the fresh product out into the city. Several restaurants / stalls in this area have been written and proclaimed at the best place to eat in a wide range of guide books. They are not too hard to find, they are the ones with long lines and hour waits to eat. Not able to compare the food at one of these establishments with the one I did experience I cannot say that one is superior; I can say that we walked right into a sushi bar and sat down, no wait. The food was great, even fish that I typically avoid were enjoyable and the serving for the money was definitely fair. I don't know the name (see the photo), but if you are looking to get a good meal I don't think you can go wrong by straying from the guide books when in the area.

Time of year and day of the week are key in visiting the imperial palace, unfortunately for me neither were in my favor. Unlike Windsor Castle or some other palaces since you cannot actually tour the palace or go main gate at this "attraction" is really a photo-op. The placement of the palace, the surrounding area and the moats are very impressive, not to mention photogenic. The potion with in the city does make it easy to see without having to go "out of the way".

If we had been able to walk through the gardens (only open on specific days) I may have left with a more positive review of the stop. That being said, f I have not gone to see it since I was already in Tokyo I would also been disappointed that I missed the opportunity.

This was my first shrine, so I had no idea what to expect and only looking back can I have anything to compare the experience to. Located in Tokyo, the shrine is nestled back in a beautiful park that is made up of trees from all over Japan. While there may not be sweeping views of the area, you immediately feel calm when entering the park. The gravel path that cuts through this forest and weaves under a series of Tori Gates allowing you to forget that you are in such a busy city and let all your stress and negativity remain behind.

We visited on a Monday, late in the day, and while there was a steady stream of people entering the park, never did it feel crowded. This I found was not the case in many of the other shrines in Japan, this with the towering trees that surround the inner precinct make it a perfect area for reflection. During our time here there was a small ceremony taking place, which gave us the opportunity to hear the drums being played. Another bonus for all visitors is that there is not an entrance fee, which unfortunately was common at so many of the other very crowded shrines in Japan.

While there are other buildings in the park, we did not take the time to visit them, but given the opportunity to return I would start my journey once again by visiting the Meiji Shrine.

I am completely torn as to whether I would recommend the Harajuku area of Tokyo to anyone visiting Japan. Travel websites and guide books all say to visit the Harajuku area to see the youth culture, the street fashions and an alternative to the corporate Tokyo and there are so many popular culture references to the area that it does make you feel like you cannot miss the experience. Since we were already in the area after visiting the Meiji Shrine it seemed as it was the thing to do. We walked from the Harajuku station to Omotesando, down Takeshita Street, lined with small shops and food stands. The people, more precisely, the teens are what put Harajuku on the map were very few. It might have been that it was a week day afternoon or that we are several years to late, but the students that filled the narrow streets were not original.

The walk did give us the chance to see yet another size of Japan and the Japanese people. We enjoyed ice cream and fruit filled crepes, treats were very popular street food, with several carts on the street, all with very long lines. Afraid that we had missed the clothes and culture the area is known for because of the week day visit, we returned on a Saturday morning to give it one more chance. All that we saw was more tourists than our Monday visit and I was disappointment in seeing the "customs" that we had tried twice to see for sale in shop windows. For me the magic of the style was that it was completely organic, this took it away.

In the end, if you have a generous amount of time in Tokyo then take a walk around the area, but if time it tight there are many other areas that should not been missed.

If you consider your self a traveler, the souvenir takes on a different meaning than the $15 T-shirt or kitchen magnet. For my husband and I finding the right thing to represent that travel experience is always a challenge, but the Oriental Bazaar offered us some good options. The location we visited was near to the Harajuku area and a short walk from stations on the Hanzomon, Ginza, Chiyoda, Fukutoshin metro lines. With three floors the store has a very wide selection and it very open compared to the other shops selling Japanese gifts.

Like all souvenir shops you can pick up chopsticks and tea pots, but there was a very wide range, both in style and in price. What really impressed me was the antiques and larger pieces that were for sale on the top floor. We found a men's antique kimono, while I do not really know how antique it actually is, but it looks very authentic and higher quality than anything we saw elsewhere. It does not look like just another mass produced item, so we felt good about our memento.

We actually visited on the day we were leaving Japan to get a bunch of things to bring back to friends and family. I was able to find some great things to bring back for the unknown person (oops I forgot to get a gift for cousin Julie!)

We had been walking around Tokyo for 8 or more hours and were very tired, but we had to check out Kiddy Land. I was looking for a place to sit while my husband bought dragon ball z toys (we are forgetting that this is a grown man) and he says I have to check out the register. Shopping with us was Bjork! She was buying tons of Barbies and other dolls for her daughter. The store clerks were taking all the toys out of the packages and the little girl really did not seem to care. Anyway, I could not believe that here we were in Japan with Bjork!

The Asakusa area of Tokyo is talked about as an area with some of the older building of the city, a place to see old Japan and is the home of the Sensō-ji Temple. The best way to get to the Sensō-ji Temple is to take the subway to the Asakusa station and walk the few blocks. From this direction you enter the complex from the front, walking up the street in through the Hozo-mon gate. We were staying at the Asakusa View Hotel, which was pretty much parallel to the main hall, so we walked the few blocks we walked the few blocks and entered in the back of the complex.



Unknowingly we made a good decision to head out of our hotel early; we arrived at the temple complex before it got too busy. The walk had been short, but we got very turned around and found our way into the series of buildings in the back, but the Hexagonal temple and the Awashima Hall. These smaller buildings were beautiful and the area was quiet, with no other people wandering around. In front of the two buildings was a small garden area with Kio, stone bridges and stone pagodas and off to the side of the Awashima Hall the small grouping of monuments to important Japanese figures proved interesting to look at. This is a great place for some photos and to quietly reflect. Unlike the M Shrine, the fact that you are in a city is more apparent, there is no forest area to block out the buildings and traffic. However, keep in mind that this is an older area of the city so it is still quieter than other areas of Tokyo.



When we walked around to the front of the Main Hall, there were a lot of people; tourists, students and workers. It was a perfect place to just watch people; students were getting their fortunes and buying lucky charms. Other people were making wishes, praying participating in all aspects of the Temple. We could have easily sat there all day watching and as promised by the guide books, the area was less frantic than the areas of the city we had visited the day before. It is a wonderful place to see tradition is action and even participate yourself. We purchased a bundle of incense and lit it in the large incense burner to cleanse our selves and hopefully insure a safe journey. The burner sits in the middle of the court yard, in front of the Main Hall. On either side of the burner are buildings selling at sort’s medallions and incense. There are the fortune sticks as well and while we were there these were very popular with all the students, but we did not see any that were in English to be able to try out.



Further wandering in this main area between the Main Hall and the Hozo-mon Gate will take you past Tori Gates purchased by wealthy Japanese, statues and other monuments. Many of them were marked with English and made for an interesting read. One, the shrine to Hume no Heinai Do, is not very unique in style but the story is very interesting to read and is worth the exploration of the area.



If you had entered the complex from the front, then you would find yourself where we exited, the HOZO-mon Gate. This is another very popular photo opportunity, the red gate with giant red lantern. On the other side of the gate is the Nakamise- dori, a road lined on either side with stalls selling souvenirs, mostly sweets and toys. We found ourselves here right as everything was starting to open. This was nice because the sweets venders were just starting to make their treats and you could watch them with out large crowds. We watched one man make imagination for quite a while; he was so quick that I wished that we had our video camera with us. As we walked further down the road away from the shrine area the crowds got bigger as the tourists arrived on their way to the shrine. This is not the best place to purchase your typical souvenirs, price wise there are better places, but if you are looking to sample or buy some interesting sweets it is great. We bought a lot of little things to eat, all we enjoyed and they are wrapped in paper decorated with the Asakusa area icons which made for an interesting souvenir of sorts it self.

At the end of the stalls is another large gate at the main street, here you just have to be aware of your surroundings. As soon as we were back on street we were approached by guys looking to be guides or offer directions and maps for a few yen. It felt that we could have very easily agreed to some sort of tourist geared tour of the city, and while it was nice to have someone offer help to find our way to our next stop, it was not free help we were being offered.

I rate my lodgings on a few things; size of the room for the cost, cleanliness, friendliness and helpfulness of the front desk staff and proximity to other things to see and do in the area I am visiting. The Hotel Grand Via in Kyoto did a wonderful job in all these categories.

The room itself was reasonability sized room, with two chairs and a small oval table to make up a sitting area, a desk and a low dresser with a large flat screen TV, with both CNN and the Discovery Channel available in English, and of course the Japanese room standard hot water heater. The desk was curved, which for navigating an unknown room in the dark is a very nice thing and the counter space in the bathroom was generous. The window looked out over the train tracks, which while not the most picturesque was actually an enjoyable way to watch people. We able to access the internet from our room and there was a very good selection of soaps, combs and the like available to us, more than just the standard lotion, shampoo and conditioner bottles that you find in the majority of hotels. The only problem I had with the hotel room was that there was not a lot of room for both my and my husband’s suitcases to be open in the room.

The hotel is new and had no visible wear; everything was very clean and had a nice array of toiletries for use. When we had returned to our room before the cleaning crew had a chance to come through we said that it was fine and it did not need to be cleaned that day. This option was unacceptable to the management, the room had to be cleaned everyday and they extended their cleaning hours to work around our using the room.

Front desk worked very hard to help us, and even with the challenges of us not understanding any Japanese, they had our bags shipped to our hotel in Osaka (we were not taking to large suitcases to Koya-san) with no problems.

As far as location, I am not sure you could ask for anything better if you are looking to use public transportation. The position directly above the train station made travel out of the immediate area very east. The bus station was also right outside the building and there was always a long line of taxi’s waiting as well. If you are looking to see the city on foot some of the larger attractions were not a comfortable walk, but you had many quick and inexpensive food choice across and under the train station in the shopping mall, or find some fresh foods in the Isetan department store which shares Kyoto Station with the hotel

Extras like the daily newspaper are nice and there are three options for breakfast; a buffet with a mix of "American" and Japanese foods, a continental breakfast in a restaurant over looking the city and a traditional Japanese style breakfast. For dinner however the restaurants were more expensive than what we were looking for and we choose to explore the area more.

This was a hotel I would return to given the opportunity, you really cannot beat the ease of using the public transportation system and aside from it being a little pricy I had no complaints.

Clearly staying at a Buddhist temple is not your typical hotel experience, it is an experience that any true traveler should put on their "while in Japan" list, however they may want to wait until a warmer time of year.

Prior to going to Japan I will admit that I knew nothing about this option or had the idea ever crossed my mind. When my husband suggested the stay it seemed like the right thing to experience.

A bus stop is directly in front of the temple and the main entrance to the Onikon Cemetery so it was not hard to find and we did not have to do a lot of walking. When we arrived at the front entry, there was a very helpful young woman that spoke enough English to take care of the check in process. She explained the rules of staying at the temple; you must bathe between 4pm and 9pm, meal times are set and that we were welcome at the morning ceremony. We were given a small map as well that showed the small complex and she explained at what times the gates closed and were to come in, this was very comforting as there are no "you are here" signs.

We had selected to have a private bathroom, at my request to my husband. The only one available at Shojoshin-in is in the guest house. The house is only a few steps away from the main building and is traditional in style with paper sliding walls and the woven straw floor mats. The hall front has sliding glass that looks out to a small garden and the bathroom was "modern", with a double sink and the three types of toilets. The shower / bath combination was traditional, with the wooden tub and the stool and bucket in the shower section. We had one room for sitting with a kotatsu table, a TV, yukata’s to change into and a hot tea water heater. The second room was our bedroom with the futons already laid out for us. It was a very calming space, but it being February and that we were in the mountains it was very cold even inside. The rooms are heated only with space heaters, one in each of the main rooms and one in the bathroom. They did take a while to get the room to a temperature that we could take our coats off, but at night the monks put hot water bottles with heated stones in the futons which made them very cozy.

The heater situation was the same in the main temple, where we went for our dinner and breakfast. We sat on floor pillows for our traditional Japanese style - vegetarian - dinner and breakfast, both of which were really good and a wonderful part of the experience.

Aside from the break from the busy city life that this visit provided, the best part of the whole stay really was the morning ceremony which we were invited to attend. No mater your religion it is very interesting to see and hear the morning prayers.

As a piece of advice to anyone going to the area, no matter the temple you are staying at - DO NOT bring any luggage – the cable cars and buses are just too small. We elected to have our suitcases shipped from our hotel in Kyoto to our hotel in Osaka and it was the definitely the right thing to do.

I rate my lodgings on a few things; size of the room for the cost, cleanliness, friendliness and helpfulness of the front desk staff and proximity to other things to see and do in the area I am visiting. While this hotel did well in all these categories, if in Osaka again we might select another hotel.

This hotel is designed for the business traveler, and it had that feel. It did not bother me, but for anyone looking for a more relaxed / vacation feel, this may not be the best choice of hotel. It was clean, looked very new and maintained. The lobby was open with many places to sit and several places to eat, which was nice since when we arrived our room was not yet ready. The front desk staff was very efficient with getting us a room as quickly as they could, and our luggage that had been shipped to this hotel from our hotel in Kyoto was quickly located. Our "guide" helping us to our room had very good English skills, better than we had experienced in some of the other hotels, and told us about the area while showing us our room. She gave the impression she was interested in our visit and us in a more relaxed style then the typical Japanese host.

As soon as we entered the room it felt a lot bigger than we expected, it was probably the largest of the four hotels we stayed at during our Japan trip. We had two chairs with a small table, a desk, stand with a flat screen TV, dresser with hot water maker and plenty of free space to move around. The bathroom offered a separate sink area from the toilet and shower which is nice when traveling plus one. There was some English programming, mostly news and internet access from the room, again think business traveler.

Aside from the typical tea available in the room we also had instant coffee, which was a welcomed change. Our windows looked out over the neighboring shopping mall, which after a good twenty minutes of navigating we were actually able to find our way to in search of a quick lunch.

The location of the hotel above a department store and the subways and train stations made it easy for travel by public transportation, but difficult to navigate when looking to get to the streets of Osaka. There may have been some great "you are here signs" but we did not find them and often found ourselves walking in circles. Once on the streets we did not have to go very far to find many great places to eat and shop, we did have to travel a little way by train to get to the museums and aquarium. Again this is a very business minded hotel.

This bed was not as hard as our first night (Akasusa View Hotel), but it was also not as comfortable as we would like. The breakfast buffet had a very large variety, very European in style with many Japanese options as well. They had fresh squeezed juices and to my pleasure large cups of coffee. In the end we had no problems with the hotel and would recommend it to anyone traveling to Osaka on business.

I rate my lodgings on a few things; size of the room for the cost, cleanliness, friendliness and helpfulness of the front desk staff and proximity to other things to see and do in the area I am visiting. Aside from a few points for the nice view of the city and the clean sheets on my bed, I would not give this hotel any positive remarks.

The room was beyond small, and even if I were traveling alone would have felt that there was little space to move in the room. We had a king size bed which was about four inches from the wall on one side, and connected to the nightstand / minibar and the wall on the other. One chair, a small round table and square ottoman made up the only other furniture, with the flat screen TV hung on the wall to take up as little of the useable area as possible. The door into the bathroom slid, as to not take up any space in the very narrow entry.

In the bathroom the shower was connected to the bath, similar to a traditional Japanese bathing area. It was modern in every way, with many different jets and sprayers and from our shower / tub window we could see the Tokyo Tower and Mt. Fuji. The hotel felt as if it were designed for the business traveler that is not going to spend any time in the room. Even if only in town for business I am sure some room for your suitcase would be nice.

All that being said the room was clean, with only a slight bit of continual use showing, and it had internet access available. My largest complaint with the hotel was the overall feel, after feeling welcome in other hotels and being treated as if my stay was important to the staff, arriving at the front desk I immediately felt as if my stay was an inconvenience to the employees. This being the sixth stop on our journey, this was the first time we were not escorted to our room or offered helped with our bags. Here the modern styling felt cold and uninviting, as if we needed to be part of an elite group to be staying here. When we prepared to leave and asked about getting a cab, we were simply told to go down to the street level and it would be easy to flag one down. Had this been the case I might have been fine with this statement, however we had to walk several blocks and cross traffic to find an on duty cab, with our luggage.

The location was nice, a few blocks from the Ginza shopping area, a train station was also within walking distance and it appeared that we were also very close to the fish market. We did get lost trying to find our way back to the hotel after shopping and when we went looking for a place to eat in the evening there did not appear to be many. If you can read / speak Japanese it might have been a different story. We imagine that there had to be some places on the upper floors of the office buildings, but on our own we could not find where they were.