Because of all the rain we had to find ways to explore the city, while staying dry. So we figured, we should go and see one of the museums. We consulted our guide and quickly realised that the Edo Tokyo Museum is the most interesting one. So off we went. From the outside, the museum… Continue reading Tokyo: Edo Tokyo Museum
Tag: Japan
Tokyo: Kabuki-za theatre is open again
While writing yesterday's post about Ginza I looked at my blog post from our previous visit (here) I remembered that the Kabuki-za theatre was still a large building site. This time, when we visited in early April 2013, it was different. It was opening day and lots of people went there to visit the old… Continue reading Tokyo: Kabuki-za theatre is open again
Tokyo: View from the Hilton
From Matsumoto we took the Super Azusa train to Shinjuku Station. The travel time is 2,5 hours and it is a another very scenic ride. Upon arrival in Tokyo Shinjuku, we just walked to the Hilton Hotel, where we were staying. We arrived too early, before 3pm, so we could not yet check into our… Continue reading Tokyo: View from the Hilton
Matsumoto
Apart from the Matsumoto Castle there is not much to see in Matsumoto. We briefly visited the City Museum to learn about the castle, the city and its annual events but left after 30 minutes. We then strolled south from the castle across the Metoba River until we hit the 'frog' street - apparently there… Continue reading Matsumoto
More gassho-zukuri houses in Shirakawa-go
After our brief visit to Ainokura we travelled to Shirakawa-go, the largest village with gassho-zukuri houses. We first stopped at the Shiroyama Tenshukaku view point to glance over the village with its old style houses with those large triangular roofs. It is a very pretty sight, all year round. Probably even more so in autumn… Continue reading More gassho-zukuri houses in Shirakawa-go
Ainokura gassho-zukuri houses
We travelled from Takayama one hour on a bus to reach the Gokayama region. This region is famous for its traditional gassho-zukuri houses, which have survived for hundreds of years because the region's secluded location in the upper reaches of the Shogawa river. This is also the reason that Gokayama's lifestyle and culture remained very… Continue reading Ainokura gassho-zukuri houses
Takayama: Yatai, miniature temple and Sakurayama Hachimangu shrine
Takayama is known for its two famous festivals, which date back to the 17th century. One in autumn and one in spring, when 11 (autumn) or 12 (spring) huge elaborate yatai (floats), adorned with medical dolls are paraded around town, a spectacle that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors. The yatai are symbolic of the… Continue reading Takayama: Yatai, miniature temple and Sakurayama Hachimangu shrine
Takayama: Ryokan and Temple
We stayed two nights in Takayama, as we had plans to explore the town and its surrounding area. So we stayed in a Ryokan, which is called Koto No Yume. It is not a traditional one, as it has about 18 rooms and is aimed at Western tourists - it provided the right mix of… Continue reading Takayama: Ryokan and Temple
Takayama: Miso and sake
Back to my posts about Japan. So after Kyoto, we travelled to Takayama. This is a small town, 110km northeast of Nagoya in the Central Alps. It used to be known for the skilled carpenters employed by emperors to build palaces and temples in Kyoto and Nara. Nowadays it is known for its small streets… Continue reading Takayama: Miso and sake
Travelling from Kyoto to Takayama
So, Kyoto was the easy part. We stayed in a very nice Western-style hotel, knew exactly what we wanted to see and if we did not rely on our feet, we just hopped into a train or taxi to get to the next sightseeing spot. If we were unsure were to go, there was always… Continue reading Travelling from Kyoto to Takayama
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