Overseas Adventure Travel
Japan’s Cultural Treasures
April 17 through May 2, 2023
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Page 1 - Tokyo and Hakone Day 1
Page 2 - Hakone Day 2 and Kanazawa Days 1 & 2
Page 3 - Kanazawa Day 3 and Kyoto Day Day 1
Page 4 - Kyoto Days 2 & 3
Page 5 - Kyoto Days 4 & 5
Hakone, Japan – Day 2
When we drove into Hakone the previous day, we passed by some cherry blossom trees in bloom. These were the first we had seen. We were thrilled that the cooler temperatures in this mountainous area had made the blossoms bloom later than in Tokyo. When we came to breakfast, one of group told us that she had walked up to the Lalique museum close by to see the cherry blossoms. Since we had plenty of time before the morning tour, a few of us went for a walk to see them. It was a very enjoyable walk in a beautiful area. Along the way, we spotted gates to an interesting looking facility.
It was the Museum of the Petite Prince. It is dedicated to Little Prince short story written by French writer Antoine Saint- Exupéry. Googling the museum, it looked like a wonderful place to enter a replica of the town described in the book and other things that were in the short story. Unfortunately, due to Covid, the museum closed a month before we arrived. Here is a link to an article showing what the experience was like: https://thesmartlocal.jp/the-little-prince-museum/. It looked like quite an enjoyable place to visit even if you had not read the short story.
As we crossed a small bridge and got closer to the Lalique Museum, we could see the gorgeous cherry blossoms.
They were so pretty! We were glad that Barbara and Goldie were there to take our photo in front of the trees.
We were thrilled to finally experience the first of two things we hoped to see while in Japan. The other was Mount Fuji. We didn’t have long to wait for that. On our way to our first destination, Lorie spotted the mountain behind us. I turned quickly and was able to take a photo of it. I was lucky since many of us on the bus didn’t see it.
We drove to Lake Ashi, which was formed in the caldera of Mt. Hakone after the volcano’s eruption 3,000 years ago. There was an interesting memorial along the banks. I can’t imagine what it was for. The words on it convert to Hakone Garden Stage, which doesn’t make much sense to me.
Right on time, our large touring boat arrived. It was much larger and nicer than what I was expecting. I didn’t take any photos of the boat’s interior. It had two levels for sitting and viewing during the cruise. All of us headed to the top deck, since it was a lovely day and we wanted to see everything.
We were fascinated with the pirate ship looking vessel that passed in front of us.
The scenery around the lake was was enjoyable to look at as we cruised along the lovely lake. We could also see the Hakone Tozan cable car. It goes to the top of a mountain nearby. Katy told us that she had taken a group on it up to the top of the mountain at one time. While there, an earthquake knocked out the electricity and shut down the cable car, so they had to walk down the mountain. It took several hours. Not a good experience for Katy or the group.
On this short cruise, the boat would make two stops to pick up and disembark passengers. At the first one we saw the pirate ship and its sister docked. Other than our group, there were just a few other passengers on the boat, so it was a short port stop.
On our way to the second stop where we would disembark, we were finally able to get a nice view of Mt. Fuji in the distance towering over another mountain. The cameras were clicking away to capture it.
As we moved across the lake, we could see more of it, but the clouds were covering the lower part of the mountain. It was still a thrill to get to see one of our main objectives of the trip.
We pulled into the second port where there was a large orange torii gate.
We were going to take a short walk to where we would meet the bus. It would be a special walk, since we would be walking along the only remaining section of the Tokaido Trail, which originally went from Kyoto to Tokyo. It would take five to seven days go the whole route. The rest of the trail has been replaced by a modern highway.
The large trees were planted 400 years ago to mark the route. There was a monument on one side of the trail and lovely flowers along the way.
When we got to the end, we boarded our bus to go to our next destination. The scenery there was so nice. We were so lucky to have had so much great mild sunny weather.
We stopped at a shop where a local artisan created amazing inlaid wood objects.
He told us how they create their products using only the natural colors of the wood they use. I wish I could have taken a video of how he showed us how these colorful pieces of wood were put together to form a design, but I was too enthralled by what he was doing to do it. The plexiglass around him also made it difficult to take a photo without putting the camera right up against the plexiglass.
After seeing this demonstration, we had to buy something to take home with us. We purchased a bowl like the one on his table in the photos. We are so glad we did. We just love it. Our group purchased many items from his store that day.
We next went to lunch at a nice restaurant. We thoroughly enjoyed the fried chicken lunch. I can identify it and the salad.
From the restaurant, we walked along a river to our next destination. Katy pointed out the Japanese rock garden.
It was a most enjoyable walk. Since we were going to meet with two geishas, Katy pointed out the geisha training center along the way.
We went to a room in a modern hotel along the river, which was in an above photo. We met with the mother/manager of the geisha house and one of her geishas.
Katy interpreted for us while the ladies told us about their life and profession. We had plenty of questions for them and learned so much about geishas. Probably the biggest misconception is that they are prostitutes. That has been illegal for many years and was never what geishas were trained for. Geishas are performing artists and entertainers trained in traditional Japanese arts styles. They dance, sing and play musical instruments. They are also conversationalists and hosts. They showed us some of their skills.
In recent years, geishas have become less popular, and their ranks are dwindling. It is kind of sad since they keep alive so much of the old traditional ways. They are trying to become more mainstream and entertain women in what was previously a male only type of entertainment. We hope they succeed. Everyone was able to have their photos taken with the ladies.
After we left the meeting, we had the option of going back to the hotel, since the tour was done for the day or taking an optional tour that Katy offered to do for us. She was going to have the bus drop us off at the Hakone Ropeway that would take us to the volcano’s caldera. We were thrilled to be able to see it. The ropeway was another name for a cable car. They had nice cars with large windows to see below.
We took a several minute ride up to the top of the mountain where we were able to look down at the steaming caldera. Surprisingly, there was a big mining operation happening there. They obtain sulfur and other minerals.
In addition to the many retention walls in the caldera, there was also a couple of nice facilities on the grounds with dining, shops and tourist information.
It was quite an interesting place to visit, and we were so glad that Katy set it up for us. For dinner that night we were going to the hotel’s buffet. It was a very good buffet with lots of delicious selections. It was nice not to have a set menu for a change.
One of the activities at the hotel was karaoke. Katy told everyone that wanted to go that she would be there. Several went and had a very good time.
Transfer to Kanazawa, Japan – Day 1
In the morning while we were packing, I noticed that the bed I was sleeping in was a trundle bed. The underneath bed had a much softer mattress. I wish I realized it two days earlier. After breakfast, we got on the bus to go to the Odawara train station. There was an impressive equestrian statue of Hojo Soun, a 15th century leader outside the station.
Katy told us to buy a box lunch there to eat on the train. We would be taking the 10:07 AM Shinkansen (bullet train) to Nagoya, a one-hour trip; and then transferring to an express train for a 3-hour trip to Kanazawa. We bought lunch early because we wouldn’t have enough time in Nagoya to shop for a lunch. I liked the sleek look of the bullet trains.
As we were standing on the platform waiting for our train, several sped by that weren’t stopping at Odawara. I was lucky enough to be able to have my camera ready when one of the bullet trains came by.
Katy told us that we would be passing by Mt. Fuji about fifteen minutes into the ride. Since we were traveling at 166 mph, we wouldn’t have much time to take a photo if it was visible. Soon enough we could see the mountain in the distance, but there was too much cloud cover to see much of it. We were disappointed. Soon a mountain was totally obstructing the view, so I thought I lost the opportunity to see more of it. Once we passed the mountain, we had a very good view of the Mt. Fuji. I couldn’t believe it. I was trying to take photos of it with my Canon mirrorless camera but flying by so many things at a high speed, it couldn’t focus on the mountain. I figured I would see what my iPhone camera could do. I took a couple of quick shots and thought I had wasted my time doing it. At least we got to see a much fuller view of Mt. Fuji with our eyes. A while later, Janice who was sitting in front of us turned around and showed me the photo that she had taken of the mountain with her mobile phone. I was surprised it came out so nice. So, I looked at mine and couldn’t believe that I had a shot without any poles or trees obstructing the photo. I was thrilled about it.
We got off the bullet train in Nagoya and waited for the limited express train we were on. Not long after boarding, it was time for lunch. The box lunch was actually a wooden bento box. It was a better meal than I had expected.
As we were rolling down the tracks, I saw a large Buddha statue in the distance. It was the Great Buddha of Nagahama Biwako. I was so glad I got to see the 92-foot-tall bronze statue, rather than sleeping on the train, which was very tempting. Riding in the train was a real treat with so many interesting things to see.
We arrived at the Kanazawa train station just before 3:00 PM. Katy arranged for taxis to take us to the Kanazawa New Grand Premier Hotel. This would be our home for the next three nights.
It was the nicest hotel we had stayed in so far in Japan. The room was very comfortable. The beds were great and there was a nice sitting area. We were very glad to have a chest of drawers and a closet.
The bathroom was about the same size as the other hotels, once again with a Toto toilet.
At 4:00 PM, Katy took us out on an orientation walk of the area. About a block from the hotel was the impressive entrance to the Oyama Shinto shrine. I would have to check it out another day, since we were on the move. Walking down the main road, we could see some old rock stairs leading up the hill. There must be something to see on the hill. We would find out the next day.
There were some interesting statues along our route. We were enjoying Kanawaza even though we hadn’t been there very long.
After showing us the area near the hotel, she gave us the option of going back to the hotel or exploring in the old samurai district. Once again, it was a pretty easy decision to see where the samurais lived during the Edo period (1603 to 1867). The area was very attractive and well maintained. The area has been carefully preserved with many of the homes behind large walls.
As we were walking along a canal, I saw a restaurant that had a rather unappealing name.
We crossed over the canal to head back to the hotel. One of the large houses had a lovely garden.
That evening we went to a very nice restaurant.
They had a delicious beef dish along with a fish meal. For most of the meals provided by OAT, we had a choice of chicken or fish, so this one was a real treat. I normally ordered the chicken dishes, but I do believe that I should have ordered more of the fish ones. They were really good.
The name Kanazawa translates to marsh of gold. 90% of Japan’s gold leaf production happens in this city. As a result, they have lots of items for sale that are related to gold. The restaurant had a gold flake wine that some of us ordered. It was unique.
It had been a long travel day, but we were happy to be in this lovely city. We looked forward to our tours there.
Kanazawa, Japan – Day 2
The hotel's breakfast buffet was another good one. There was always something new to try.
In the morning we took our bus up to Kenrouken Garden. It is on top of the hill where the rock stairs we had seen the previous day led up to. This garden is considered to be one of the three best in Japan. It was the outer gardens of the Kanazawa Castle. As we started our walk, it was obvious that this was a special place, so beautiful. Everything was so nicely manicured. I apologize for putting in so many photos of this gorgeous garden, but I just couldn't cut some of them out of the review.
Many of the ancient trees had supporting structures to keep the large branches from breaking off.
We came to a large statue of Yamato Takeru, the twelfth emperor of Japan.
There were so many beautiful ponds, statues, trees and flowers to take in. It was such a treat to be able to visit this garden in such gorgeous weather.
We came to a covered enclosure to sit in while Katy told us about the park and its history.
We then continued our walk through this most beautiful Japanese garden.
At one side of the garden, we could see the beautiful watchtower of the Kanazawa Castle. We walked further down to see the tower from the front. This is the only original part of the castle that remains. We did not visit reconstructed castle itself.
We could have stayed at the beautiful garden for the rest of the day, but we had other things to do on the agenda for the day. We next went to the Omicho Market, which has been Kanazawa’s largest fresh food market since the 17th century. Katy broke us into smaller groups and gave each group a thousand yen and the assignment to bring back some items that we were not familiar with. We were also supposed to write down the phonetic spelling of the product and what it was by asking the salespeople about them. This would force us to communicate with the locals. It was a fun assignment and we got to see so many unique products that we were totally unfamiliar with.
I got a kick out of the gold flake covered ice cream. It is edible gold flake, but I didn’t try any since it couldn’t have improved the flavor of the ice cream.
We went to a nice restaurant for lunch. They had some great bread, which is something that most of the restaurants didn’t serve with meals.
We next went on a walk through the Higashi Chia Gai area. This is the area where the geisha’s entertained customers in the teahouses. It was quite a nice part of town.
Our destination on the day’s tour was to a gold leaf experience. Since I knew nothing about gold leaf, I was looking forward to learning about it. When we walked into the building, there was a room with walls covered in gold leaf and a statue in the middle of the room. We were told a little about what we would be doing and then a short light show was started in the room shining all over the gold leaf. It was rather cool.
We were then taken to an area where a woman was cutting the gold leaf into the standard square size. The leaf is so thin that it would seem to be very hard to work with, but she had no problem. The leaf is one ten thousandth of a millimeter thick. When converted to inches, it is 1/254,000 of an inch thick. Now that is thin!
We then moved to a room where we sat at tables. We were shown different designs to select for postcards we were going to make. The cards had a sticky pattern on them. We were given a little kit with a couple of small sheets of gold leaf and a brush. They showed us how to apply the gold leaf to the card. After it was applied, we brushed it and the pattern was displayed. It was interesting to be able to create something in gold leaf.
After returning to the hotel, I wanted to visit the Oyama Shinto shrine we passed by during our orientation the previous day. I walked up the many steps and walked toward the lovely shrine. Once again, no photos were allowed inside the shrine.
I looked back at the gate I had just passed through.
There were some very nice statues on the grounds.
I got a kick out of the statue with the frogs on it.
I walked behind the main shrine and there was another smaller one and a lovely pond area.
I came to the Boshi-jyunpu Statue. It is supposed to be of an acrobatic mother and child. Appreciation and gratitude is supposed to be the theme of the statue. I don’t get it. It appears to be a squatting woman with a swan on her back and a baby on the swan’s back. It is a pretty statue though.
There were several blooming cherry blossom trees close to the shrine. People were taking photos of them, just like I did.
As I was leaving the shrine, I noticed the intricate wood carvings on the gate. This was a very enjoyable place to visit and walk around. I was so glad I had the time to see it.
We were on our own for dinner. Several people in the group wanted to have tempura for dinner. Katy told us that she was going to a food court in a large department store that she had pointed out to us during the orientation walk. She said there would be several restaurants that had tempura. Most of the group went with her. We had other plans. That night we were going to have wagyu steak for dinner. When we were on our orientation walk, I saw an advertisement for Rokkakudo Seseragi, a steak restaurant, in front of the shopping mall, which was right across the street from the department store. Katy said she would make reservations for us. We would be going with our neighbor Claudia and another member of the group, Chuck.
It was a very attractive tepanyaki style steak house. They put big bibs on us.
They asked us if we wanted sirloin or a filet. With wagyu, the sirloin is the better and more expensive cut because it is marbled more. Below is what the steak looked like. Now that is marbling!
We were given several different appetizers along with a salad.
While the chef was cooking vegetables and crisping garlic, we were given some rice, miso soup and another small salad.
The steak didn’t take long to cook. It was cut into small pieces to eat with chopsticks.
Our first bite of the steak was heaven. I have never tasted a more delicious or tender steak. I couldn’t believe how good it was. I have now been spoiled and will compare all steaks to wagyu. I took a photo of the chef. He made the experience a lot of fun.
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