Japan #9

Sort of our honeymoon! A three-week long trip, tiring but fulfilling.

  • Day 19 – Eating around Tokyo

    A relaxed but busy day of… eating. We spent a lot of time building social bonds, not much to show in photos haha.

    Visual Portfolio, Posts & Image Gallery for WordPress

    20200107-IMG_20200107_142054

    Liquor is SO damn cheap here. I mean it’s probably not great, but cheapness is a virtue of its own

    20200107-IMG_20200107_144052

    Famous katsu place in Akiba

    20200107-IMG_20200107_163405

    A hedgehog and owl cafe

    20200107-IMG_20200107_183845

    Back at another izakaya for dinner, this time at a friend’s recommendation (near where she lives)

    20200107-IMG_20200107_183847

    20200107-IMG_20200107_184943

    20200107-IMG_20200107_191504

    20200107-IMG_20200107_205453

    We went to Denny’s across the road afterwards to scratch that dessert itch

    20200107-IMG_20200107_204750

    20200107-IMG_20200107_213211

    Okay it was mostly MY dessert itch…
  • Day 18 – Back to Tokyo

    It’s a long day of travel today, back to Nagano station, then from there to Tokyo.

    Visual Portfolio, Posts & Image Gallery for WordPress

    20200106-IMG_20200106_101502

    Breakfast at the ryokan. This place is so damn cosy, I could stay there endlessly

    20200106-IMG_20200106_102833

    20200106-IMG_20200106_104222

    Himechin river..? 🤔

    20200106-IMG_20200106_114357

    20200106-IMG_20200106_114409

    The staff are really generous and give us a lift to the nearest major station. This saves us an extra transit leg and a lot of time, we were so grateful for this!

    20200106-IMG_20200106_115647

    On the way out we stopped to get a nice view over the area, we’re not that far from some of the old Winter Olympic venues

    20200106-000523470004_4A

    First shots on the Fuji Superia Premium 400. I dunno, I feel the like scan probably isn’t doing it justice. I forget what lens I used but this should’ve been a slam dunk for the camera – tonnes of light, speedy film, infinite depth of field from an aperture around f/5.6 or f/8, there’s no excuse to not be tack-sharp

    20200106-IMG_20200106_125151

    It’s a while until our shinkansen departs, so there’s time to drop off our bags and get some lunch!

    20200106-IMG_20200106_133505

    20200106-IMG_20200106_133621

    20200106-IMG_20200106_142338

    20200106-IMG_20200106_152757

    This is a much better way to remember which locker you picked

    20200106-IMG_20200106_153115

    20200106-IMG_20200106_154952

    20200106-IMG_20200106_161018

    I mostly like Kobeya because of their cute uniforms, but the pastries are good too

    20200106-IMG_20200106_181842

    Back at the hotel, I’m sorely tempted to buy a ridiculous and expensive pizza

    20200106-IMG_20200106_201619

    Prawn bisque in a can, I just… don’t know
  • Day 17 – Snow monkeys at Jigokudani Onsen

    We have a bit of a trek today, and it is well and truly snowing now. After breakfast we take the bus to the base of the Jigokudani trail, then you have to make the remaining 1.6km on foot. It’s not that far but the snow slows you down a lot. The path is wide enough for about 1.5 people most of the time, thankfully there’s not too many tourists today.

    Visual Portfolio, Posts & Image Gallery for WordPress

    20200105-_DS85799

    I’m really glad that we’re well prepared for this, we have plenty of warm clothing and good boots for the snow

    20200105-_DS85805

    The end of the trail leads to a small village, then the onsen pools are just a little further ahead and up some steep stairs

    20200105-000523430019_19

    This playful little one kept running back and forth between some rocks and this tree branch

    20200105-000523430016_16

    20200105-000523430009_9

    This is more of the Tri-X, I’m pleased with today’s shots as well

    20200105-000523430004_4

    You can’t quite discern it but there’s a lot of phototographers in the background, it seems this is a pretty popular photography destination. I guess I’m one of them now

    20200105-_DS85870

    20200105-_DS85900

    When they’re not in the pools, they’re mostly sitting around looking cold

    20200105-IMG_20200105_120331

    Changing film out here wasn’t well advised but I didn’t have a choice

    20200105-IMG_20200105_161233

    These daruma are made with a toy somewhat akin to a jaffle iron

    20200105-IMG_20200105_161303

    Town mascot for Shibu Onsen I guess?

    20200105-IMG_20200105_162209

    This is the biggest ryokan in town!

    20200105-IMG_20200105_191600

    The menu at the little place we had dinner, really someone’s home that they happen to open as a restaurant

    20200105-IMG_20200105_213415

    Super duper questionable electrical work

    Tonight we decided to try a different izakaya, we got word of a place a couple blocks away called Izakaya Chokkun, named after the owner I think. It’s much livelier and is clearly the hangout of choice for expats and the like. There’s lots of photos on the walls, and visitors have autographed pretty much every blank space on the walls, which is really cool.

    The owner is a real larrikin and loves talking, it’s a very cosy and comfy little place. Like the place we tried last night, the whole billing this is pretty vague. Chokkun goes a step further and doesn’t bother having a menu either – he can make pretty much any usual izakaya food, and you can ask for something specific. But he’d really rather you didn’t, and just eat whatever he feels like making. 😂

    By the time we were done we’d ordered a few beers, some fried chicken, and some sake, and that was 2500 yen for the whole lot. I like this place.

  • Day 16 – Yudanaka

    We’re on the way to Yudanaka, an onsen town not that far from Nagano. Nagano was the venue for the 1998 Winter Olympics, so we know the snow will be nice at this time of year. Yudanaka is also famous for its snow monkeys, which love to hang around and bath in the natural onsen pools. We arrive a bit before it starts getting dark, and settle in to our room at the ryokan.

    Visual Portfolio, Posts & Image Gallery for WordPress

    20200104-IMG_20200104_140608

    What a homie. An absolute bro

    20200104-IMG_20200104_140636

    This is the mascot for Nagano Station, Asahi Sakura. She’s part of the Tetsudou Musume (Railway Girls) project by Tomytec, they sell figures and little bits of merch for each station/line that they represent

    20200104-IMG_20200104_173606

    One of the inns has this adorable set of terraria hanging out the front

    20200104-IMG_20200104_173158

    Yudanaka maintains an old-town vibe and the main strip with all the inns is shared use for pedestrians and cars. That’s why you can stroll up the road and find nice little things like this out the front of some businesses

    20200104-IMG_20200104_163249

    A long time ago when I first came Japan we visited Miasa Pokapoka Land. I’d love to go there again, it was a nice little hotel in the middle of nowhere

    20200104-IMG_20200104_140719

    You can tell that the snow monkeys are a popular attraction, they even have branded rail cars for the route

    20200104-IMG_20200104_180637

    Darth is probably on his way to an onsen

    20200104-IMG_20200104_220735

    Not every ryokan has its own onsen, but ours has access to someone else’s onsen, you just have to make a booking. They even have a shuttle service to take to you and from the onsen, it’s a private booking so we have the place all to ourselves for an hour or so. It’s up the hill a bit so we also have a fantastic view out over the town

    20200104-IMG_20200104_174331

    It’s snowing pretty solidly by the time it gets dark

    20200104-IMG_20200104_205351

    20200104-IMG_20200104_233944

    Peeled, cut, and cooked just for us when we got there

    Adrian and I went out to see what the nightlife is like after dinner. It’s a small town but we heard there’s a couple of izakaya nearby that serve people. We’re used to eating dinner a bit later, so we were still hungry before it was time to go to sleep.

    We couldn’t be bothered to rug up so we went for the closer option, a little place just down the hill. I think there was only one or two other people there, but it was cosy and we could get a beer, so that was enough for us. For all the times I’ve been to Japan before, I don’t think I’ve had this “proper” izakaya experience before. It’s not so much that you run up a bill while you’re there buying food and drinks, it’s more that you’re paying for your time there.

    We stayed there for maybe an hour or an hour and a half, had a couple drinks, and some chips that the oba-san prepared from scratch for us. We made small talk and it was nice, I forget how much it was but I think we paid a couple thousand yen each or something.

    Which is a lot, objectively speaking, but that’s not really the point. I think you’re meant to go there with a bunch of friends, have a good time, and while away the hours eating and drinking. At the end of the night you all pay some amount that vaguely represents how much you consumed, and everyone’s happy. You can think of it as rewarding a big night, because you know they can afford to give you a volume-discount on liquor…

  • Day 15 – Ine

    We’ve visiting the village of Ine today, in the far north of Kyoto prefecture. Its main claim to fame is the houses built right onto the waterfront, called Funaya. It’s like living right on top of your boathouse, which makes sense because Ine is an old fishing town.

    The population has been shrinking steadily over time, probably owing to its remoteness and lack of accessibility – we had to drive here because there’s no trains, and the nearest stations are at least 10km away.

    Visual Portfolio, Posts & Image Gallery for WordPress

    20200103-IMG_20200103_123736

    20200103-IMG_20200103_132223

    Local fish for lunch, at the restaurant waaaay up the hill from the waterfront

    20200103-IMG_20200103_143540

    Not sure if it’s still true, but the signs say that Ine is/was one of the three biggest fishing grounds in all of Japan. I can believe it, there’s a lotta boats here!

    20200103-IMG_20200103_150608

    The buildings on the right are funaya

    20200103-_DS85786

    Now that Elena’s back in Kyoto again, we met up with her to go take some photos. For a road trip like this, the more the merrier!

    20200103-000523460030_30A

    20200103-000523460031_31A

    20200103-000523460034_34A

    This is Fuji Pro 400H, one of my favourite films I’ve tried so far. As seems to be happening more and more, it’s discontinued now -_-

    20200103-IMG_20200103_153751

    20200103-000523460035_35A

    Being so quiet, it was blessedly easy to just stand around on the middle of the road and take photos

    20200103-IMG_20200103_154306

    20200103-IMG_20200103_160648

    20200103-IMG_20200103_161719

    20200103-000523430023_23

    Some of the funaya around the bay

    20200103-000523430022_22

    Shot on Kodak Tri-X, at least this one isn’t going away anytime soon. I’d need to see some big prints or scans to appreciate the results, but I think I like it for a b/w film

    20200103-IMG_20200103_162645

    20200103-IMG_20200103_181103

    I think these two are mascots for local produce, but I’m not exactly sure what. Some sort of beans, judging by the hair accessories

    20200103-IMG_20200103_181111

    Black soybeans..? That’s what I’m getting from their website, http://ajim.info/

    20200103-IMG_20200103_182214

    It’s a dog run, aka. bring your dog here and let them do the zoomies!

    20200103-IMG_20200103_210750

    Back in Kyoto for the night, we had okonomiyaki at a restaurant in a big department store food court

    20200103-IMG_20200103_222640

    Pie Face is truly everywhere, wow
  • Day 14 – Arashiyama bamboo forest

    Arashiyama is one of the places that you visit for that Old Japan vibe, and you’ve surely seen its bamboo pathway in pictures before. Arashiyama is a very touristy area, which is fine by us because we want to do touristy things today.

    The first of which is kimono rental. There’s quite a few places offering it, no surprise, so we picked one that seems good. The store is tiny and didn’t have room for anyone extra to go in and gawk, but their wares are good. You pay a bit more for the nicer options but it’s definitely worth it – the material quality is nicer, and the designs are more elegant.

    Visual Portfolio, Posts & Image Gallery for WordPress

    20200102-IMG_20200102_102551

    Beeeeg train station

    20200102-IMG_20200102_112416

    I couldn’t tell what this is from the outside, but google tells me it’s an orgel (music box) museum. Guido Reuge was apparently an esteemed Swiss orgel maker, and this is his collection.

    20200102-IMG_20200102_132335

    20200102-000523460001_1A

    A very nice design, and a good midpoint between youthfulness and refinement

    20200102-000523460004_4A

    Alex was keen so he got one too. Very suitable.

    20200102-000523460005_5A

    20200102-000523460011_11A

    The recognisable bit of the bamboo forest. It was pretty busy so we couldn’t take many photos here

    20200102-000523460026_26A

    We got out of the middle of town, to walk along the bank of the Katsura river and take photos

    20200102-IMG_20200102_212728

    Huuuge dryers! I honestly don’t know what you need such large dryers for, unless restaurants are bringing their linen here or something

    20200102-IMG_20200102_212741

    Easily big enough to sit in!

    20200102-IMG_20200102_224011

    This blows my mind, it’s a washer and dryer purely for sneakers.

    I finished off the Delta 3200 yesterday, so I loaded up Fuji PRO 400H today for Arashiyama. It’s a nice film that shoots well, and the colours are perfect for this sort of portraiture. A bit muted but nothing you can’t adjust to your tastes later on.

    This coin laundry is right on the corner next to the Airbnb house we’re staying at. It’s kind of a novelty to me because these practically don’t exist for me back home. I went and dropped in a small load of washing so it could be done by the time we’re done with dinner.

  • Day 13 – New Years Day in Kyoto

    We all have a well-deserved sleep in and go out for traditional new year activities. Shimogamo shrine is a bit of a trek north, but we want to go there because it’s the major shrine for this sort of thing, being close to the old imperial castle. As expected there’s a lot of visitors, but it’s not crowded which is nice.

    Visual Portfolio, Posts & Image Gallery for WordPress

    20200101-000523410007_10

    Got the Delta 3200 loaded back into the camera, after a lot of hassle getting the film leader back out of the cassette. That’s Alex’s Bessa R2A in the frame

    20200101-000523410009_12

    20200101-000523410018_21

    High speed film is really not the best for portraiture, but it does the job.

    20200101-000523410024_27

    Could’ve been a lot worse, given that the sun was barely above the horizon at this point, and there’s a lot of tree cover overhead sucking up the light

    20200101-IMG_20200101_171712

    We hung around the river taking some photos for Michelle, she needs some professional profile pics to use

    20200101-IMG_20200101_204713

    Are YOU actions inconveniencing someone?? We turned this into a running joke for the rest of the trip, but I do really like this aspect of Japanese culture. They’re just a lot better about not being in other people’s way.

    20200101-IMG_20200101_214445

    ANGRY ROO!!

    20200101-IMG_20200101_221224

    I don’t know what a Hoboclim is, but it’s pretty tasty

    20200101-IMG_20200101_221529