It really IS overwhelming to arrive at Narita or Haneda and simply take a train into Tokyo. Anglicized script is spare, those that can speak a bit of English, even more so.
But settle into a plush hotel with onsen (baths), drink a bit of Sake, eat the first of many superlative meals, and you are almost ready for what is next.
I began my trip in Yokohama, last week of January, under warming blue skies.
The waterfront to this 2 million plus city only 45 minutes south of Tokyo has long been the portal for foreigners, and to this date has had such things as an international school, the S. Korean Embassy, the largest Chinatown outside of China, world class gardens such as Sankien, an array of ships including the floating museumNYK Hikawa Maru and a working cadet trainer:
The 69 storey Landmark Building boasts the fastest elevator in Japan to a 68th floor observation floor, affording views in every direction.
Being an art and museum buff, I headed to the Yokohama Museum of Art, which easily takes its place as a preeminent facility. Going to Japan and seeing a collection of predominantly European surrealist pictures may seem weird, but art travels, and there was a good tie-in to some Japanese surrealists of the the 1930's who endangered themselves simply by producing such art. An excellent exhibition.
Yokohama has a huge Chinatown- bigger than that of San Francisco, and it was a hoot to see crowds of eager Japanese buying steam buns and everything else from street hawkers. Unlike Vancouver or S.F., the Chinese stay in the background; they hire local Japanese to do the sales.
If you ever wanted to see a Snoopy or tin toy or instant cup noodle or doll museum, they are all there in Yokohama. Plus a silk museum, model railway, trolley, and several others devoted to everything from Nissan engines to horses.
The Landmark Building houses an enormous mall with its obligatory food court- something unlike I had ever seen. A whole floor devoted to fancy sit-downs, cafeteria style and in between eateries. Their plastic replica foods gave a good idea of what was on the menus:
Well fed and entertained, I flew to Sapporo from Haneda, to arrive in dead of winter conditions. -10 degrees C, winds from the Siberian north, snow piled high. I got a bus transfer to the premier ski resort, Niseko
There I met up with my in-laws for what was supposed to be a week's guided skiing. This trip was coordinated by SnowLocals, who really do know the area well, besides being mega pro skiers. Local guiding by Rising Sun out of Niseko.
That night it snowed about 30 cms, and this is what we looked out at from the window at dawn:
Skiing Niseko was unlike anything I had ever done in sixty plus years on the slopes. One could push a ski pole right up to the hilt, and with skis on, we were wading through thigh high powder. Once you got going downhill, it billowed up over face. The joke is to bring a snorkel. Not an exaggeration.
When the skies cleared, volcano Mt. Hotei appeared- magnificent!
The skiing- equally so:
From Niseko, we travelled to Furano in Eastern Hokkaido. Same story there- just less people to track out the new snow. At both resorts our guide hiked us up to the peaks above the lifts, and through side gates to off-piste areas. We also were happy on silky smooth groomers.
Then it happened. After lunch at Kamui ski area, I was exiting the lodge, and my knee, which had been bothering me a bit, suddenly started to really hurt, and within minutes I could put no weight on it. My ski holiday was over. The next morning I went to Dr. Kato's orthopedic surgery office, wherein he diagnosed a self-reduced rotational dislocation. Fortunately the pain had eased with the reduction, and though limping a bit, I was now able to get around.
My in-laws Nancy and Brian went on to ski Sapporo Teine Highlands and Kiroro without me, while I amused myself in Sapporo.
Sapporo's big claim to fame, in addition to hosting the 1972 Winter Olympics, is the annual snow and ice sculpture festival. Reputedly this event brings 2,000,000 visitors, but many of those are local residents, so the crowds, while large especially in the evening, are not crushing. Here are a few images:
Sapporo has other attractions as well. We stayed at the Jasmac Plaza, a very Japanesey urbane hotel with a stupendous onsen and boggling breakfast array. It seems people put on their kimono like Yakuta, go to the onsen, put the Yakuta back on, go for breakfast, back to onsen, etc.
The skin tones were more florid than typically Japanese!
Also in Sapporo was a contemporary art museum, unfortunately with almost no translations, and several other galleries that were either closed due to holidays or, in one case at Myanomori, getting ready for the National Holiday.
The touristy entertainment area of Susukino has endless bars, restaurants- there is even a Ramen Alley, and above all, neon to match Times Square. This is also the centre for an array of Ladies bars, Health Clubs, Soaplands etc. All clean healthy fun....
Expect cold in the winter- as low as -15 C at night. Buildings tend to be overheated, so the transitions are a bit brutal.
Near Sapporo is the historic town and previous capital of Hokkaido, Otaru. With a good port and easy access to the fishing grounds, it became prosperous because of the herring industry and latterly has become a very popular tourist town. By 9am the bus compound is full and innumerable processions of Chinese, Korean, and Japanese tourists are headed to the main canal area and shopping streets.
There is a music box emporium, a converted net warehouse, which attracts literally thousands of people daily:
There is also a Venetian Glass outlet featuring vastly outpriced wares, but also a very interesting museum with a Medici family table setting with gold inlaid glassware, and the Venetian gondola that transported Chuck and Di around the canals of Venice some 30 years ago.
Some lovely old wooded buildings....
I flew back to Yokohama and made trips into Tokyo to see the Mori Museum- again, truly international class featuring an exhibit by the Argentinian artist Leandro Ehrlich:
Also went to Yamatane Art Gallery, an austere small gallery devoted to the treasured Japanese woodblock/calligrapher/watercolour Nihonga artist Yamazaki Taneji.
We also drove to Hakone to see the well known Outdoor Art Museum. There are many outdoor sculptures including some by Henry Moore, a full on Picasso museum with many of his pieces spanning 7 decades, kids play areas, and a contemporary pavilion with all kinds of interesting rotating exhibits.
My final two days were spent in Asakusa and Ueno, North Tokyo. There I took advantage of free guiding services, to see the huge temple complex Senso-ji, the National Museum, and partake of National Foundation day celebrations in Ueno Park.
There I got to beat Taiko drums and help carry around a miniature shrine replica- a Mikoshi.
The nearby shopping arcades are a big draw day and evening:
and the Tokyo Skytree tower is clearly visible from everywhere in the area:
Asakusa is the area in which several famous knife makers are located, plus other stores along Kappabahi Kitchen Town fabricate the plastic food replicas so commonly displayed outside restaurants.
If there are three things that characterize modern Japan, they have to be anime, robots and toilets. I'll close with photos of each:
These creatures (the toilets) are wonders. The seat is warmed, there are any number of wash cycles, auto-flushing, post rinse... you name it. I wanted to lug one home.
Please remember that CruisePlus is way more than just cruises. Do contact us to help plan your next trip to Japan. Or elsewhere!
Peter Frinton
pfrinton@shaw.ca
Luxury / Adventure Specialty travel planner
