Those going to Hakone from Tokyo pass through the Odawara Train Station (小田原駅). I found it to be a rather sleek place. Like most of Japan, it was clean as a whistle. Although lacking in dirt, the station was not lacking in signage. If you look closely you can see an arrow pointing to Odawara Castle (小田原城). We didn’t check out the castle or any other on this trip except the one in Himeji. We figured that all others would pale in comparison so why bother. Next time we’ll skip Himeji and check out all the others. 😉

Posted on September 18th, 2008 under Japan. Tags: hakone, japan pictures, odawara. Comments Off on Odawara

Himejijo (姫路城) is probably the most impressive castle in Japan. The city of Himeji is a relatively short side trip from Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, and Okayama. We went on a Saturday, which was a mistake, just before the cherry blossoms peaked. It was so crowded inside that we could barely move. In fact, we couldn’t move at times. But we still had a good time, especially on the grounds.

If you decide to visit Himeji, your best bet is to go on a weekday. If you must go on a weekend, be sure to get there before 11 a.m. The afternoons can get very crowded with people inside the castle.

Himejijo and the grounds are featured prominently in the Shogun miniseries. We had a good time watching it after having been there.

Posted on September 17th, 2008 under Japan. Tags: castle, cherry blossoms, himeji, japan pictures, sakura. Comments Off on Himeji Castle

Most visitors to Hakone (箱根) do what is known as the Hakone Loop or Hakone Round Course. Part of the loop was under construction early in 2007 so we had to take a bus instead of use the ropeway. The sign says that 64 days after we were there both railways would be operable. We still got to use the ropeway (pictures coming here in the future) for another leg of the loop. Now you get the ropeway from two locations in the loop.

As the picture suggests, you can see Mt. Fuji from the ropeways (weather permitting). You also get to take a boat in Lake Ashi with spectacular views. The loop is lots of fun for the variety of transportation modes you are treated to: bus, boat, ropeway, train, cable car, etc.

Posted on September 16th, 2008 under Japan. Tags: hakone, japan pictures. Comments Off on Hakone Loop Ropeway

As mentioned previously, we rented bikes near the Arashiyama train station and road around the area and up to Sagano (嵯峨野). Along the way we traversed the famous path through the bamboo forest. It was take-your-breath-away fantastic. I road down one bamboo path with my camera taking a video the whole time. I’ll share that video with you in a later entry.

Can you see the one blossoming flower in the above picture? You may need to click on it to expand it to full size.

Posted on September 14th, 2008 under Japan. Tags: bamboo, japan pictures, kyoto, sagano. Comments Off on Bamboo in Sagano

This yakiniku restaurant can be found on the top floor of the Shinjuku NS Building.

Posted on September 13th, 2008 under Japan. Tags: food, japan pictures, shinjuku. Comments Off on Yakiniku restaurant in Shinjuku