Daniel's Top 10 Experiences in Japan: Number 7

Number 7: A Winter Visit to Hell Valley

For our good friend Laura​'s birthday last year, we set course for the mountains of Nagano Prefecture, to a little hot spring town located in the affectionately named Jigokudani, or "Hell Valley."  We stayed in a small Japanese Inn, where we checked our shoes at the front door and transferred into slippers to protect the woven straw mats that composed the majority of the floors.  The cozy lobby was cluttered with kerosene heaters, posters advertising local businesses and festivals, souvenir keychains, coat racks, and Japanese calligraphy.  We headed up to our Japanese-style rooms on the second floor, then soon made the trek to the basement to try the natural in-house hot spring.   Below ground level, the walls looked to be cut from the earth, with water droplets forming from the steam emanating off the baths.  The water was worthy of its location in Hell Valley, because it about seared the flesh off my leg when I stepped in.  Carson​ and I had to leave the cold-water faucet running for a good 5 minutes before the bath was a suitable temperature.

At check-in, we were given a key to the various hot spring baths located along the main street of the town.  Each one had different kinds of water (mineral-rich, muddy, clear, etc) and was supposed to cure a different ailment (bad joints, muscle pain, you get the idea.)  In the morning, with frost dusting the tree branches and the occasional snowflake alighting on my head, I donned the robe and winter vest provided by the inn, slipped into some wooden sandals at the front door, and set off to try out a few baths.  I wandered the narrow, winding streets of the town, avoiding icy patches on the brick roads until I got too cold, at which point I'd pull the key from the pocket of my vest and enter the nearest hot spring for a few minutes, until sweat was dripping off my nose and my skin had turned red.  I'd then towel off, get dressed, and continue my walk, grateful for the cold morning air.  Exploring the maze-like town before most of the occupants were awake is one of my favorite memories of the trip.  Japanese streets are usually narrow and cramped, and I've actually come to like them a lot (granted, I rarely have to drive on them, which I imagine would change my perspective a bit).  The streets of the town were especially windy and narrow, with power lines and drain pipes, heating units and mailboxes all latching onto buildings and hanging over the streets.

Later that day, we headed further up the valley, parked the car, and made a short hike through falling snow to the famous monkey hot springs.  Sure enough, there were monkeys everywhere, playing in the snow and chasing each other and eating food provided by the park's staff.  And of course, monkeys taking baths.  The four of us watched the little guys do their thing until we couldn't feel our fingers, then headed back down to civilization.

Soft boiled eggs, cooked using the natural water from "Hell Valley" hot springs.

Me, Jorden, Laura, and Carson in the lobby of our Japanese inn.

Monkey life.

A big fancy Japanese inn (not the one we stayed in) I found during my morning walk.

The snowy path up to the monkey hot spring.

Jorden walking the streets of the hot spring town.

Experience number 6 is right around the corner!

Daniel's Top 10 Experiences in Japan: Number 8

Number 8: Climbing Japan's Three "Holy Mountains."

It wasn't long after moving to Ishikawa prefecture, bordered on one side by the Sea of Japan and on the other by mountains, that Jorden and I heard of Japan's thee holy peaks.  Of course, everyone's heard of Mt. Fuji, Japan's tallest mountain.  But there are two others - and both not too far from our city - which have achieved "holy" status.  Full disclaimer: despite having climbed all three, I never did my research to discover why exactly they're any more or less holy than any other mountains in Japan, since Shintoism essentially teachers that everything has a deity associated with it.  Sorry!

Anyway, I decided to roll these three experiences into one for the sake of convenience.  The mountains in question are Mt. Haku (2,702m, 8,864ft) Mt. Tate (pronounced tah-tay; 3,003m, 9,852ft) and of course Mt. Fuji (3,776m, 12,388ft). Sure, they're not much compared to Colorado's peaks... but they made for some great, scenic hiking.

Our first adventure was soon after arriving in Japan, when Jorden and I borrowed a friend's car and did a one day up-and-back on Mt. Haku. Actually, you can look back over this blog to this post and see a bunch of pictures from when we climbed Hakusan the first time!  Escaping the humid, stifling heat of the city was great, and for most of the day we had perfect mountain-climbing weather. But as we closed in on the summit, clouds rolled in and completely obscured any view. Last year I got my revenge, however, when our friend from church, Shiro, invited me to do an overnight trip. We started in the afternoon and hiked for a few hours, then spent the night at a shelter hut. We were up and at 'em the next morning by 3am, and managed to summit just as the sun was rising.

Tateyama proved to be quite the experience as well. I climbed with Shiro, my friend Joe, and John of brother-in-law fame, back in August 2014.  But for the entire hike we were in the clouds, being saturated with moisture and battling both the wind and icy footing. At the summit, the wind was gusting so hard that I opted for the "three points of contact" rule so as not to be blown into oblivion.

For Fuji, I did a solo trip in June of this year, the weekend before climbing season started (in order to avoid the crowds).  I retraced the steps that Jake, Dad, and I tried many years ago. This time I wasn't forced by a typhoon to spend the night in a bathroom, and instead climbed to the 8th station for dinner and a short sleep. The next morning I hit the trail again at 2am to make the 5:30 sunrise. Though the wind was miserably cold and strong, the views from the top were amazing, and I even got a clear view of the sunrise.

Not having a car, Jorden and I didn't get many chances to go hiking and escape the urban areas of Japan. So, these three trips definitely make my list!  Now, here's some pictures:

The Fuji trailhead.  By climbing while the trail was "closed," I avoided the legendary crowds of people on the summit!

The hearth at the mountain lodge I stayed at on Fuji.

Me at the summit of Fuji.  The wind was inflating my rain coat so I look like Superman.

The caldera of Mt. Fuji!  Right before sunrise.

The summit of Fuji, with the sunrise in the background.

Looking towards Tokyo, seeing the sunrise.

Our first trip to Hakusan... couldn't see anything!

...And my second attempt, when a bunch of friends.  This time we saw the sunrise!

About to head down Hakusan after watching the sunrise.

John, Joe, and I at the top of Tateyama.  We were inside a cloud the entire time so we were soaked when we summited.

Shiro, Carole, and Russ making their way over the glaciers on Mt. Tateyama.

The elevation marker on to of Mt. Tateyama.

Curios what made the #7 spot?  Stay tuned!

Daniel's Top Ten Experiences in Japan: Number 9

Number 9: A Road Trip into the Noto Peninsula, May 2015

We've made many trips into the beautiful, rural peninsula that composes the northern half of our prefecture. But, our recent trip with our friends Laura and Carson during Golden Week (a slew of Japanese national holidays in early May) was definitely the best. We set off for the city of Nanao first to witness their legendary Seihaku Festival, wherein enormous parade floats the size of buildings are pulled and maneuvered through the streets by fleets of people.

Next we drove all the way to the tip of the peninsula and stayed in an epic guest house where we had a 100-tatami mat main room (about 1,770 square feet!) and several other stories with rooms, hallways, stairs, a stage, and lounges all to ourselves. On the first floor, we even had free access to a public bath. The guest house was a stone's throw away from Mistukejima, a Noto island landmark.

That night, we dined at the famous Nihonkai Club restaurant/brewery, something we'd been meaning to do for years.  Founded by a guy from the Czech Republic, the Nihonkai (or "Sea of Japan") Club brews award-winning beers of all colors and flavors.  I particularly enjoyed their Imperial Stout.  In a country where virtually all the major beers taste the exact same, it was a breath of fresh air (or a gulp of fresh brew?) to have some fresh-made variety.

Upon waking, we set out to have a cup of coffee at Nizami Coffee, a favorite coffee shop that was the subject of a recent Japanese movie.  This enormously popular roaster/seller draws a huge crowd despite it's extremely rural location (there are no trains that run that far up into the peninsula, and the bus ride from Kanazawa takes about 4 hours).

Next we took a long, leisurely drive along the coast of the peninsula, stopping off to see such points of interest as Japan's oldest lighthouse, a rock in the shape of Godzilla, A crazy-expensive Japanese inn that's lit completely with kerosene lanterns, a town celebrating Boy's Day with hundreds of carp-shaped banners, AND Senmaida, or "1000 Rice Fields."

The Noto Peninsula is something I'll never forget, and something I already miss about Ishikawa.

Jorden and I with one of the huge Seihaku Festival floats in the background.  They're four stories tall!

The main room (1,770 square feet) of the guest house we stayed in... and we had it all to ourselves!

Me at Mitsukejima, a 5-minute walk from our guest house.

Jorde, me, Laura, and Carson at Rokkasaki Lighthouse, Japan's oldest.

Jorden and Laura waiting for our food at the Nihonkai Club restaurant/brewery.

The adventurers at Senmaida, or "!,000 rice fields."

Jorden enjoying the view of the Boy's Day decorations.  The carp-shaped banners signify strength and vitality.

Stay tuned for Part Three!

Daniel's Top Ten Experiences in Japan: Number 10

Hello faithful readers!

As time has gone on and Jorden and I have become accustomed to our life here in Japan, it's become harder and harder to keep this blog current.  We're no longer surprised when we see octopus tentacles in our grocery store, or Shinto priests in full regalia riding bicycles on their way to work.  We're used to the cute things our students say, and quirks and hiccups of living life in a place where we're still working hard to understand the language.

But, our time in Japan will soon be at an end.  As you've probably heard, Jorden and I will be returning to the States on July 23rd, which by my account is about 10 days away.

So, to wrap up our time in Japan, I've decided to do a daily series: Daniel's Top 10 Experiences in Japan!

Without further delay, here is part one:

Number 10: Nara in the Fall (November 2013)

My old friend from high school, Hans, made a trek out to Japan to visit us in the fall of 2013.  We set off for Osaka and Nara, about a 4-hour train ride from our home in Ishikawa prefecture.  We spent the first day in Osaka, seeing the castle and exploring the modern, neon-lit streets.  Osaka's been described to me as "the less-classy Tokyo," and I definitely agree with that statement.  It's got all of the metropolitan hustle, infrastructure, and buildings.... but with more of a casual, sloppy vibe.  We sat down for Thanksgiving Dinner in an Izakaya, or Japanese pub, and clanged our beer mugs together before feasting on fried balls of octopus (expat life...) We visited the Osaka aquarium, and rode a huge ferris wheel with views over Osaka Bay.

But the best part for me was our journey to Nara, the ancient capital of Japan.  It's peppered with temples, shrines, and parks -- and crawling with hundreds of semi-domesticated deer, all of which have had their antlers sawed off due to their propensity to head-butt tourists in an effort to get snacks.  In November, the trees were beginning to erupt in reds and yellows.  We walked for most of the day, with clouds threatening rain and deer threatening our pockets. We saw the Great Buddha, countless temples, and a few amazingly manicured gardens, made even more spectacular by the falling leaves.

At the temple of the Great Buddha.  The building is enormous!

Stopping at a tea shop during our walk.

One of the infamous Nara deer, looking for a handout.

Hans and I enjoying Nara in the fall.

Jorden impersonating a deer.

That's all for now - thanks for reading, and be ready for Part Two!

Kaga Part II: Redemption

Hello all!

     Some of you may remember a blog post I did a few years back detailing a very lame day trip to a rural hot spring town called Kaga. If you don't, I don't blame you--I don't remember much about it either. Basically, it was a very haphazardly planned trip that amounted to a whole lot of wandering around.

     But I've been wanting to go back and redeem that experience ever since, and finally had a chance this week. My school was administering its entrance exam on Tuesday and Wednesday, so I decided sort of last-minute to take advantage of the mid-week timing. You wouldn't believe how far in advance Japanese people plan their vacations. We have a friend who works as a travel agent and he told us that most folks plan their vacations for the same time and place every year, so they just go ahead and book the next year's stay when they're on their way out. Now you realize how little chance I stand trying to plan a trip 5 days in advance.
     But lucky me, I managed to snag a reservation for one night at a ryokan, a traditional Japanese hotel, in this quaint little hot spring town. Ryokans are special for many reasons: the facilities are top-notch, the architecture is very traditional and reminiscent of Edo-era Japan, the food is typically an array of fresh, local cuisine, and the service is out of this world. But probably most prominent about the ryokans in this particular town are the bathing facilities.
     You guys have heard us talk plenty about public baths in Japan, but I really can't say enough about them. They're awesome. The ryokan I stayed in had one big community bath (both indoor and outdoor) as well as 5 private baths you could reserve. Here's a shot of the community outdoor bath:

 

     For obvious reasons, cameras are prohibited inside the bath facilities, so I yoinked this photo from the hotel's website. But had I taken a photo, you would have seen a blizzard outside and not a single other person in the bath. Awesome. I kind of felt like one of those snow monkeys we saw on our trip to Nagano last year.

 

 

     So, needless to say I made ample use of the bath while I was there. As for my room, well, the first priority for me was the massage chair. YES.

 

 

But also...the room was pretty nice.

 

     Okay. About the service: I have been told by many Japanese that the service at ryokans is really spectacular. I have always responded with, "Well yeah, but the service everywhere in Japan is great." But now I understand. This, ladies and gentlemen, is a different breed. It was almost annoying at times how helpful the staff was being. The moment I got off my train at the station, the chauffeur was waiting at the gate for me with a sign. When I entered the hotel, the staff greeted me happily, took my bag, and seated me for a cup of tea. I even had my own personal attendant who escorted me to my room, gave me a tour, brewed me another cup of tea, and then asked me what time she might come back to make my bed for the evening. She laid out my yukata, a Japanese-style bathrobe, and I honestly think she would have dressed me had I requested it.

 

Behold. Yukata.

 

Oh, this was also taken from the website, but she totally did this. I thought she was leaving, so I followed her to the door. But then she turned around, sat down on the floor, and I was hovering over top of her like a creep. She proceeded with a deep bow and said something to the effect of, "We are unworthy of your magnanimous presence in our humble dump of a hotel...please take your time." Then I felt weird and thanked her and encouraged her to get the heck off my floor.

 

     At one point later that evening I was walking around the lobby in socks (because you can't wear shoes inside and I wasn't feeling keen on the four-sizes-too-small sandals provided to me in my room) and a concierge spotted me, called me by name, and came running with a pair of slippers, these ones a bit larger. (Sigh. You're just SO helpful, aren't you?)

 

 

 

Mmmm...toe wedgies.

     Well, all that to say, the service was impeccable. There's a saying that when you're staying at a ryokan, you shouldn't have to lift a finger, and I think that was literally the case with my stay. As for the food, well, I am unlike most Japanese in that I don't find ryokan food particularly tasty--especially considering the steep cost. It's local and fresh and the aesthetics get a 10 out of 10, but there's just not much to sink your teeth into. So, I opted for dinner at a local katsudon restaurant. I did, however, get a breakfast plan at the hotel, which...we'll just say, met my expectations. 3 points to the reader who can identify any of the objects in top right.

 

This one goes out to Daniel. He just LOVES a good Japanese breakfast.
 

     But hey, no complaints. It was an awesome retreat and I continue to be blown away by Japanese customer service. They sure do know how to make someone feel special (weird prostrate bowing and all). And I'm happy to have redeemed my Kaga experience and gotten a real taste for what the town has to offer. Hope to visit you again someday, Kaga!

As always, thanks for reading, friends!

-Jorden

A Very British Christmas

     Well hello again and Happy New Year to all! Can you believe it's 2015? Why, it seems that just yesterday we were all stocking our pantries with jugs of water and Costco-sized jars of peanut butter in preparation for Y2K! How quickly the last 15 years have passed.
    As for Christmas, Daniel and I opted for a more traditional celebration this year. Not that we haven't loved eating soba noodles and hearing Japanese shamisen music drifting through supermarkets during Christmastime the past two years, but y'know, we were just longing for some familiar yuletide things--like eggnog and ice skating. So we packed our bags and headed to the most Christmasy place we could dream of: that's right, London!
     It was the first time in Europe for both of us, and I must say, she left a good impression. We were there for six days, the first three of which were Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day respectively, so most businesses and touristy places were closed. We took it easy those days and enjoyed the scenery and some tasty food. During the second half of our trip, however, we were able to squeeze in a lot of sightseeing, so it was ideal. Here's some of the highlights of our trip!

Day 1: Christmas Eve. Woke up around 4AM thanks to jet lag. Enjoyed a continental breakfast at our hotel, which entailed an assortment of cheeses, croissants, fresh fruit, yogurt, and tiny jars of jam! Walked through central London's Hyde Park (there are a TON of geese and pigeons, guys) and made our way to Winter Wonderland, an outdoor amusement park with vendors, rides, ice skating, and lots of festivities. Sort of felt like walking through Hogwarts at Christmastime. Ate some fresh donuts and sipped mulled wine. Daniel couldn't resist the bumper cars. After that, headed to the Hansom Cab pub for our Chirstmas Eve dinner: roast turkey and vegetables for Daniel and a venison pie for me. We even got to open Christmas crackers! We went back to our hotel in Nevern Square wiped out and ready for bed around 7:30.

Outside our hotel

This is pretty much what all of residential London looked like.

Happy Christmas!

Day 2: Christmas Day. Off to Trafalgar Square after breakfast. Public transportation and most businesses closed, but a surprising number of tourists out and about. We happened to meander into St. Martin's in the Fields church just as their 10:30 Christmas morning service was beginning. After a Christmas eucharist, we went back to the Square where we munched on some mulled wine bread (that's right--bread and wine AND wine-flavored bread) and shared a table with the sweetest little British family you ever did see. At 2PM, our "Charles Dickens Walking Tour" began. Led by our zealous guide Mary, we explored some of London's lesser-known back streets for about two hours with a group of probably 50 people or so. It was fascinating! Mary read excerpts from Dickens' writing that pertained to each particular venue on the tour. It was wonderful to enter his world for a few hours.

Walked by Buckingham Palace on the way

Typical.

Day 3: Boxing Day. This was our shopping day...and everyone else's in the whole of London. SO MANY PEOPLE. We started at the world-famous Harrods department store, which as it turns out, is more like a museum of collector's items and gold-infused perfumes and spy gear and multi-thousand-dollar coffee table books. Daniel even found a hover craft for sale. Next we walked through Oxford Street and Piccadilly Circus hoping to find some London souvenirs, but the heavy crowds and high prices deterred us somewhat. We found lunch at the Blue Posts pub, then headed back to the hotel to freshen up for our theater night. Classic American BBQ dinner at the Big Easy, eggnog lattes at Starbucks, and then the Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theater. A spectacular show!

Day 4: Took a morning tour of British Parliament. An absolutely fascinating place.

Then across the street for a tour of Westminster Abbey. Wow. Extravagant architecture, statues, frescoes, dramatic ceilings, pillars, tombs...and these things date back to centuries before America even dreamed of becoming a country. I couldn't believe how OLD England is. There was so much fascinating history in the walls of that church (literally, because people are buried in them) that we couldn't finish looking at everything within the few hours we had allotted ourselves. (Regrettably, photography isn't allowed inside the church, so I don't have pictures to show you.)
My favorite part was stumbling across "Poet's Corner," where renowned writers like Chaucer, Byron, Browning, Hopkins, and several other English greats are buried. I had no idea.
After the Abbey, we made our way to the Strand Palace Hotel for an afternoon tea. It was a feast of desserts! Chocolate eclairs, cream puffs, fruit tarts, chocolate mousse, macarons, and scones with jam and clotted cream. Holy smokes.

With plenty of sugar pumping through our veins, we trotted on to the British Museum and stayed there until closing time at 5:30. The museum is huge, so once again, we found that we didn't have nearly enough time to see everything we wanted. Although perhaps the most famous artifact held there is the Rosetta Stone, my personal favorites were the ones from the ancient Near East. Just looking at everyday objects like earrings and pottery and knowing they date back to Nehemiah's day was mind-blowing. I remembered verses like these ones from the book of Isaiah: "When that day comes, I will take away from those women all the fine jewelry they wear on their ankles, heads, necks, ears, arms, noses, fingers, and on their clothes. I will remove their veils, their belts, their perfume, their magic charms, their royal robes, and all their fancy dresses, hats, and purses." I had often wondered what kind of "fine jewelry" the women wore in those days, or what "magic charms" would have looked like. Welp, there they were, right in front of me. Preserved after some 2500 years. Pretty cool.
We ended our day at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese (I know) where we dined on some British pub classics: fish & chips for Daniel, bangers & mash for me. Again, I was reminded of Harry Potter as we made our way through the seemingly never-ending staircases and cellars of this restaurant. Such a warm ambiance--nearly every table occupied, and ales disappearing faster than the bartender could serve them up. A really fun night.

Day 5: Breakfast at the Ace Cafe per Daniel's dad's request. It was a hearty English breakfast of fried eggs, toast, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, bacon, and sausage. None of that miso soup with rice nonsense that the Japanese are so fond of for breakfast! Quite a contrast.
After breakfast we caught a double-decker bus to our first destination. And in case you wondered, yes, they are just as fun as they look:

His explorin' face.

 We hopped off at the Tower of London, where, after waiting in some pretty substantial lines, we took a tour with a "beefeater" and learned some of the Tower's fascinating (and bloody) history. We saw the infamous Tower ravens, which, as superstition has it, protect the crown jewels and in fact all of England. Supposedly these greedy birds are each fed 8 ounces of raw meat daily, as well as biscuits that have been soaked in blood. Now tell me that isn't creepy. You can read further raven-lore here at the most reliable source, Wikipedia of course.

oHhHh heEeEeY.

After the tour we explored the grounds on our own a bit, but once again the heavy crowds were a little impeding (as was the cold), so we opted not to see the crown jewels.
On to the famous next-door neighbor of the Tower of London, the Tower Bridge. Here we could learn a little of the bridge's history and then, most importantly of all, walk across it! The most recent addition is a glass section in the bridge's floor, allowing pedestrians to look down at all the busy Londoners below. Take a look!

Next to the Tower Bridge is the London Bridge, so we headed there afterward for the "London Bridge Experience." It's kind of a theme park-type attraction where actors guide you through rooms that have been made to look historically accurate with the story they're telling. It was a little creepy (Londoners sure were liberal with their beheadings back in the day), but amusing nonetheless.
Next, a quick 311-step climb to the top of the Monument, built in the 17th century to commemorate the Great Fire of London. From here we had incredible views of the city:

The last attraction of the day was Shakespeare's Globe Theater, which we were lucky enough to reach just as the final tour was beginning. Again, I was really impressed by the history and architecture. A well-worth-it tour.

As we headed to get dinner, we crossed the Millennium Bridge, which provided us with the most breathtaking views of night-time London. St. Paul's Cathedral ahead, London Bridge to our right, and Shakespeare's Globe just behind us. Really beautiful.

St. Paul's Cathedral

London Bridge illuminated in blue with Tower Bridge in the background

Our last meal in London was at the Old Cock Tavern, another lively pub with an especially Christmasy and cheerful ambiance inside. We sipped our cider and ale and gave thanks for a wonderful holiday in Great Britain.

There's my boy.

Next morning, we were off to Japan once again. Happy Christmas!