Tripping through Shizuoka

A friend of mine from Nagoya moved to Shizuoka prefecture (Japan) a few months ago. I waited until she had gotten settled in before heading over for a visit. I took several local trains, changing here and there to Shimizu city; the total travel time was about 3 hours.

The university in which my friend works, is very close to a recently declared World Heritage site -- Miho no Matsubara -- famous for its pine trees and view of Mount Fuji.

Sloping stairs leading down from the pine forest and beach: 

Inside the pine forest. 

According to the tourist office, there are over 54,000 pine trees here:

Miho no Matsubara attracts all the tourists, but it was this shore-hugging road, along Miho beach, which should be explored. To find it, at the Miho no Matsubara pine tree, go out onto the beach and turn right. Walk along the beach until you see the road emerge on your right.

The Miho beach road, completely uninhabited...even on a Saturday! 

Near the end of the trail, I spotted this tall, white lighthouse:

There were lots of bilingual signs and something which surprised me: 15.6k Pacific Coast Bicycle Route map! Apparently, you can rent bicycles and enjoy cycling all along the coastline. We saw several people peddling around with rental bikes; I am not sure if they were free or not...

Maps showing the route and current location:

Between Miho no Matsubara and the Pacific Coast Bike Route, we came across a hotel, which had an 足湯 [ashi - yu = hot spring for your feet]. It was free, so we joined some locals and dipped our feet in the warm water. 

Cats can get their feet wet! 

We hopped on a local bus back to town and while walking near the station, I spotted the cutest post box ever -- a London bus! I want this:

Unfortunately, our time in Miho no Matsubara did not produce the famous view of Mount Fuji depicted in Hiroshige's famous woodblock print (HERE). However, travelers are still highly encouraged to visit this remote area of Japan. If you are in the Hakone/Mt. Fuji area, it's not far by train. I hope you'll visit Shizuoka prefecture! ^_^

~ Information ~ 

Miho no Matsubara is located close to Shimuzu city, in Shizuoka prefecture. 

Access from Shinjuku: 
Odakyu line to Odawara. Change to JR going to Atami. Change again going to Numazu. Get off at Shizuoka city or Shimizu. Total travel time: 4 hours by local train. You can get there faster via the Romance Car from Shinjuku, or shinkansen from Tokyo station, but it's over $60 one way. By taking local trains, you can get there for about $20 one way. 

There is a bus from Shimizu station to Miho no Mastubara (Maps and information in English can be found at the station). You can walk along the beach trail or through the pine forest for free. 
The Wiki page is HERE. Tourist information is HERE.

Interested in cycling around Japan? THIS website and THIS ONE should help. Enjoy! ^_^

Hinata Yakushi Hiking Course - 日向薬師

In mid April, a friend, who had been watching my hikes on the blog, asked if we could go for a hike together. The area we chose was near Isehara city, in Kanagawa -- Hinata Yakushi hiking area. We began the trail near Ooyama, hiking in a reverse loop. Please enjoy the photos!

The area is accessible by bus from Hon Atsugi station, on the Odakyu line, so it's convenient for those living in the Kanto area. Trails are very well marked and maps were seen at trail heads. If you bring your car, there is free parking, vending machines and clean toilets available before starting your hike.

Trail head, map with approximate hiking times, 

the trail follows a large stream: 

At the top of the above trail is an old temple, which is currently being rebuilt. I didn't take any photos, but if you are interested in seeing temple re-constructions, this trail will allow you to see construction work taking place. After the temple, you can follow the trail to Ooyama, or turn left, following the road down. We took the latter, leading us past some camping areas and a pagoda.

Map showing our current location, 

a river crossing, 

follow the kanji in the circle to hike the hinata yakushi trail:

 Once off the road and on the proper trail, we hiked through a large forest. On a hot day, this is the perfect hike, as the trees offer great protection from the strong sunshine. Near the end of the trail, you'll come across numerous cabins, which can be rented from Isehara city. This is a long, full day hike, so come prepared with cooking materials to make lunch, lots of water and an emergency kit in case of injury.

Cutenekko loves hiking! A forest deity,

 a sign post & cutenekko near the camping area:

The hike was all downhill from this point. Following the stream, I was surprised to find a fisherman fly fishing on the banks. The end of the trail has a large center for hikers with information, clean toilets and vending machines. We chatted with two volunteers there who were very friendly and helpful. This is a moderately difficult trail, as it's long and very isolated. Most hikers prefer the more popular Ooyama route.

Fly fishing, Isehara city hiking center information, 

cutenekko at the end of the trail:

I loved this hike so much, I plan to go again. There are numerous trails in the area, so it's worthwhile to give them all a try. Enjoy hiking in Japan!


~ Information ~ 

Hinata Yakushi Hiking area is located near Isehara city, in Kanagawa. 

Access: 
Odakyu line to Isehara station. Tranfer to the Kanchu bus #20, near the north exit. A timetable is HERE. A hiking guide from Isehara city is HERE. 

OR 

Travel on the Odakyu train to Hon Atsugi station. Transfer to the Kanchu bus #9. City information on the hiking trails in this area is HERE.  

A professional hiking map is HERE (PDF) 

Houkyouzan 宝筺山

Back in late March, I joined my monthly mountaineering club for a hike in Ibaraki prefecture. Located 1.5 hours by express train, north east of Tokyo, Houkyouzan was our destination. There are a few famous mountains in Ibaraki -- the most popular being Tsukuba mountain; Houkyouzan is Tsukuba's neighbor.

The hiking trail began after a 20 minute taxi ride. Even though it was on a Friday, we saw many groups, including children, enjoying hikes in this area. 

Trail route markers, our group and a stone monument, 

found at the beginning of the trail:

The trail we selected followed a small, descending stream. A tree, twisted around another, was very unique. When I took a closer look, it looked like a ribbon circling the tree!

Trail climbs up; small waterfalls, the ribbon tree:

This mountain is only 461 meters in height (1,512 feet), so it was my easiest hike yet. The view looked down to farming fields and over to Tsukuba mountain. It was my first hike after buying a new pack -- a 40-liter purple Osprey -- which I am learning to love. ^_^

Following the stream, views and cutenekko at the summit: 

The best part of this tour was our lunch -- we made cheese fondue!! Everyone had to bring some vegetables or bread, etc for the feast. It was incredible. Dessert was prepared and taught by my hiking friend Ms. S; she showed everyone how to make roasted marshmallows -- a rare treat in Japan. ^_^ I was too happy eating the caramelized gooey goodies.

Preparing the fondue, roasting marshmallows, 

a happy cutenekko, more hiking:

The unique feature of Houkyouzan was the view -- on a clear day, hikers would be treated to Mt. Fuji in the distance. Alas, on our day, despite the sunny skies, we couldn't see the country's prized mountain.

Sign posts explaining where Fuji can be found, more route markers,

a city map for hikers: 

Rather than hail a taxi back, we took the local bus to the station. Walking past farmer fields, we got great view looking back at Houkyouzan....

View of Houkyouzan, our bus stop, 

empty rice fields: 

Even though it was late March, the weather during this hike was perfect -- sunny skies and 25 degrees Celsius. Between May to July, leeches are a big problem in the mountains of Japan, so I'll show one more mountain before taking a break from hiking for the next few months.

I hope you enjoyed scenery from Ibaraki prefecture.. check in again to see more of Japan. ^_^

~ Information ~

Houkyouzan is located near Tsukuba city, in Ibaraki prefecture. 

Access:
From Akihabara, take the Tsukuba express to Tsukuba city. Travel time: approx. 1 hour. From Tsukuba station, you can take a local bus or taxi to Tsukuba mountain or Houkyouzan. If you take a taxi, be sure to share with other hikers. The ride is 20 minutes and will cost ¥4,000 ($40) one way. 

This mountain is an easy hike under tree cover; it's good for beginners. Trails are wide and well signposted. Have fun! 

Map:  HERE  (PDF) * Our group took route #5 up and route #6 down.  
Wiki page: HERE (日本語）

Arabian Daze - 16

Let's continue stories from an 8-day Middle Eastern cruise onboard

 the Costa Fortuna ship.

You can find earlier Arabian Daze stories in the Litter Box on the right. 

Click under "April" and "May". 

For the fifth day of this cruise, we visited a very tiny fishing village in northern Oman called Khasab. Our huge ship looked like the big bully in the school yard compared to the local fishing boats: 

For this port, my friend selected the activity. She chose a full day outing on a wooden ship to enjoy the Fjords of Khasab.  

The inside of our small boat: 

As Khasab is nicknamed the "Norway of Arabia", the Fjords are one of the few sightseeing points in this area. The village is not well developed for tourism yet; it's not known if the Omani government is planning on increasing tourism here. Regardless, it was an interesting stopover to see one of the more rural spots in Oman.

More tourist boats: 

We steamed off slowly, catching glimpses from time to time of a herd of wild dolphins.

The views were nice, but I wasn't as impressed as an earlier tour from Muscat to Nizwa.

 

The best part of this tour was the lunch. I enjoyed rice, hummus, raw vegetables, curry, naan and tandori chicken. I think I ate three plates!

Unfortunately, the smaller boat made my friend a little seasick, so in the evening, back on the Costa Fortuna, I had to eat dinner alone. It was another Captain's Gala Dinner, so I pigged out on risotto, cheeses, cured ham, as well as roast duck. When I returned to the cabin, my friend was already sleeping, but I noticed the towel art for the day -- a cute dog. 

Scenes from dinner

The ship left Khasab to head back to the U.A.E. I'll share more photos next time.

~ Information ~ 

The full day Fjords of Khasab tour in this post was booked online at: Khourshem Tourism. The website is unavailable now, so perhaps they went out of business?? Sorry... Another tour company is HERE.

Cost per person: $40 USD including, lunch, drinks, tea, fruit, snorkel set and towels. Free pick up and return from the cruise ship. 

The wiki page about Khasab is HERE.

Arabian Daze - 15

Let's continue our journey through two countries in the Middle East: the U.A.E and Oman. 

You can catch up to all the stories HERE (part 1) and the previous installment HERE (part 14). 

To read more, just click on any "Arabian Daze" post in the Litter Box on the right.

In part 14, we had completed a half day tour of Muscat city in Oman. Our cruise ship departed for the next port at 2pm. Due to having almost a full half day on board, my friend suggested trying some of the ship's onboard activities. Scanning the "Today" newsletter,* my travel mate pointed out one class: napkin folding.

The class was hosted by three of the ship's staff, who whisked us through some very funny dialogues and napkin art. I took photos of our various creations...

#1: an elegant fan 

#2: a candle (although I teased my friend, it looks likes something a little more sexy..... LOL)

#3 and everyone's favorite: a rose

#4: a doll with no head...so, I added a head -- my own! (laugh)

#5: a chicken

After laughing ourselves silly at the napkin folding activity, I pressed my friend to try out the ship's afternoon tea. We were surprised to find lots of teas and coffees, along with pastries and fruit.

Later in the evening, it was time for our dinner. The dining room on the Costa Fortuna has a dress code for all evening meals; I wore a dress I bought at a recycle shop, which cost me $22.

I love cheap fashion.

All cats love fish, so I ordered grilled salmon. The chef didn't disappoint. Look at that presentation!

The fourth evening's dinner on the cruise was a surprise -- Italian music blared over the speakers and the waiters came out asking every woman if they wanted to dance.

Shall we dance? 

There was even a conga line, in which guests eagerly jumped out of their seats to join:

Later in the evening, upon returning to our cabin, a cleaning staff member had created this on our bed -- a peacock!

While we slept, our ship tugged onwards to the next port. Check back to see where we went exploring next. ^_^


* Every evening, a newsletter was dropped off by the cabin which included information about the port, dock times, restaurants and activities available. Onboard Costa ships, this newsletter is called "Today".


~ Information ~ 

This cruise was part of an 8-day cruise through the Middle East, on the Costa Fortuna. Cost per person, inside cabin, was $515 USD. (airfare not included)

Ship information is HERE. 

The current position of the ship is HERE (with webcams).

WGT & Caffe Michelangelo

Last month, I met up with a friend from Chiba, whom I hadn't seen in over a year. With both her children now in school, she had free time in the afternoons, & invited me out for lunch. We decided to meet up in Shibuya, so I chose the funky shop, Weekend Garage Tokyo, a 10 minute walk from the station, in Daikonyama.

This place was really cool! The food was great and cost under $10. Enjoy the pics!

Outside of the shop, simply known as "WGT":

They have picnic tables outside and open air tables for those who love the sunshine...^_^

The lovely and talented Ms. N, with our appetizers, consume soup:

The inside has a very Soho vibe -- designer chairs, concrete walls, funky art and an open kitchen.

Wall art:

Back projection screen played surfer flicks: 

View to the kitchen: 

My friend and I ordered the same thing from the lunch menu: chicken salad sandwiches. Big and brash, with a bold taste; in short this was one of the best sandwiches I had ever eaten.

 We were both excited to see lemonade on the menu, which is a rare thing in Japan, so we ordered one each. The drinks were the perfect mix of sweet and sour.

For a lunch place in Tokyo, the price was the biggest surprise: soup, salad, sandwich and one drink came to ¥980 or $9.80. Being able to eat a lunch set menu for under ¥1,000 is very rare in the big city. 

WGT is highly recommended! 

I had never been in the Daikanyama area, so I wanted to explore a little more. A student of mine recommended trying out this Italian cafe -- Caffe Michelangelo: 

The shop's open facade appeared like a restored Japanese house, updated to European tastes. 

This place is geared for chic ladies; tons of fashion magazines dominated the glass walls: 

After ordering, I asked the wait staff if I could take photos. The inside garden area was a personal favorite.

Those little cherubs seem to be saying: "Hey you! Books here! 

How about reading something instead of looking at your phone?"

Garden alcove with fountain. This area was both cool & quiet: 

Park benches:

I ordered a dessert set, which consisted of a tiny cake and pot of tea, setting me back (gulp) ¥1,250. ($12.50) This was place was more expensive than my earlier lunch!

Caffe Michelangeo has a great atmosphere, but the prices were a bit much for me. Starbucks regulars might be inclined to grab a coffee here, rather than at your local outlet, to enjoy the garden atmosphere and ambiance.

It's important to note that behind this cafe is a huge Tsutaya book store, which has a large selection of English books. Many people visit just to see the unique architecture of the building -- the theme being: a library in the woods. The winning design was selected from a pool of 80 entries and was won by Klein Dytham Architecture firm. You can check out more about the bookstore HERE.


~ Information ~ 

WGT (Weekend Garage Tokyo) is located near Shibuya station, in Tokyo. 

Address: 1-1 Grava Daikanyama, Daikanyama Shibuya, Tokyo, 150-0034
Website HERE.
Open: 11.30 ~ 24.00 

How to get there: Take the West Exit at Shibuya Station, near the bus/ taxi area. Cross over the walking bridge, following the train tracks for 10 minutes. The shop is on your right. Google walking directions are HERE. 


Caffe Michelangeo is open 11:00 ~ 22.30. Prices are ¥500 + table charge & taxes. Payment at the table. 

!! Note: This cafe does not handle separate bills, so if in a group, be prepared to split the bill, or whip our your calculators. 

Website is HERE.  Map & directions are HERE. You can walk from Daikonyama station or Nakameguro station (both Tokyu Toyoko line).