Not Quite Ready to Climb Mt. Fuji Yet!

 Nice Farming Scenery En-route to Mt. Fuji via Japan Rail

The decision to come to Japan was a quick one for us. We had not planned on visiting Japan this summer at all. Our older son got a new job and he was sent to Tokyo for a month of training.

Immediately, he invited us to Japan and from deciding to go until we arrived we had about two weeks to get ready for this trip. We did not really think about what we wanted to see or do in this unique Asian country.

Mt. Fuji seen from the Kawaguchiko Station

One of the tourist places we wanted to visit was Mt. Fuji. We were in Japan four years ago but we were only here for four days so there was hardly enough time to visit the many great places in Tokyo. This time we have eight days and we could do a little more.

We woke up early in the morning at 6:am trying to catch the train to Mt. Fuji. Because of our lack of Japanese language and being not familiar with the train routes, we were up extra early just to make sure that we did not miss the train.

One of the Restaurants on 5th Station at Mt. Fuji

We took a number of different trains before we got to Mt. Fuji.
Looking back if we had taken the highway express bus from the Shinjuku Station in Tokyto, we would have got here much faster, and more direct.

After taking the final train to Fujisan Station, we caught a bus which took another hour and straight to  Mt. Fuji.

Climbers Doing Their Warm Up Exercises to Get Ready

 By the time we got to the Mt Fuji's 5th Station - where most people started their climb, it was around 10a.m. and there were a lot of people.

5th Station, Mt. Fuji

5Th Station - a busy place full of hikers, tourists, young and old.

Climbers Dressed in Full Gear for Their Climb

While many hikers had come to Mt Fuji ready for the climb to the summit  many tourists like us were contented to stroll around and take a few pictures.

The Trail not too Difficult at the Beginning

Looking at all the climbers getting ready for the climb, we followed them and started the hike from the 5th station.

Japanese Children Climbing Mt. Fuji

At the beginning of the trail, the hike was not too bad; it was like any other ordinary hiking trail.

The trail to the summit of Mt. Fuji was very well marked and easy to follow at the lower level.

Dressed Properly and Ready for the Climb

We saw all kinds of people hiking up.  Kids, parents and kids  older folks and people who came well prepared and were dressed in their full climbing gear.

Tourists like us not  dressed for climbing

However, there were people, just like us, who were not dressed for it but simply starting hiking because they were at Mt. Fuji.

Sandals not Recommended for Mt. Fuji 

Spectacular View from Mt. Fuji!

As we reached higher up on Mount Fuji, the view below us opened before us. It was spectacular! We were fortunate as we hiked up the mountain on a reasonable clear day and we could see the scenery far below.

My husband and I attempted the trail to the summit

However, the higher up we went, the colder the temperature it became.

As we did not plan to climb Mt Fuji at all on this trip, we were not dressed properly for the climb to the summit.

Looking down from Mt. Fuji from around the Sixth Station

The only clothes we had on were just a summer T shirt; my husband in a pair of shorts and I in a pair of Capri and sandals.
There was no way we could make it to the summit in outfits like that.

We decided to descend the mountain, spent the night at a small town at the base, and try to climb again the following day

Kawaguchiko Train Station at Night

We went shopping and bought clothes appropriate for climbing and spent the night at a local inn in Kawaguchiko

Tomorrow, we will be ready and make it to the summit of Mt. Fuji!!!

R.T.
Mt. Fuji Area
Aug. 2013

Problems of Electronic Communication in Japan; Difficult to Get Wifi at Starbucks & McDoanlds'

 

No Problem Finding an Internet Cafe at Asakusa - A Prime Tourist Spot

Before we left  Canada, we thought we made all the necessary preparation to ensure that we would have channels of communication with out son in Japan.

My husband learned how to Skye, and use the gmail phone so that with our labtop computer, we thought we would always be able to communicate our son via emails, Skye and google phone.

A Tokyo Internet Cafe - Cubicles with Computers  

I also brought my cell phone ( Unlocked for international calls) with me so that I could text our son. We were willing to call him if the need should arise knowing full well that the roaming charge would be very expensive.

We have heard numerous horror stories about someone being charged for roaming when they were travelling and being unaware of the phone turning on accidentally. To prevent this accidental huge charges, I signed on with a phone company called Mobilicity in Canada. They have a pre charged long distance plan which means a customer has to pre load a certain amount of money into the " Wallet" before him/her can make long distance calls. Many people, including myself see it as a positive thing because when the wallet runs out, no more long distance or charges can be made on that cell phone.

I went to the company's phone booth in the mall closest to where I lived and deposited a fairly good amount of money into my wallet to make sure that there would be enough for me to make these international text messages and phone calls when we were in Japan. I asked the phone company staff specifically that if my cell phone would work in Japan after it had been unlocked, the answer was a definite Yes.

An Internet Room with No Privacy - Two or Three Computers in One Cubicle

I was happy knowing that we have at least two ways of communicating with our son in Japan once when we got there: Our cell phones and our Computer!

What could go wrong with that?

Both did!  First, we were hugely disappointed that neither my cell phone nor my husband's cell worked in Japan. We could neither text nor call on our cells. However, Er. was carrying his cell phone from the States, his worked fine with no problem at all.

U Can Have a Private Place in an Internet Cafe Like This

We relied solely on our labtop for communication. Going to Macdonald or Starbucks and using their WiFi. We found out that Macdonald's and Starbucks were not that generous in Asia, and Japan. Many of these two restaurants did not offer the same WiFi convenience to their customers as their North American counterparts.  We went to a few Mac's and Starbucks where they told us they did not offer this service. What a disappointment!

We did quite some runaround before we could get  WiFi connections in some local bakery restaurants instead.

The worst part was our computer died on us two days after we landed in Japan. After that, we had no ways of communicating except by hotel phones or going to the Internet Cafe.

 We are sure that there are a lot of Internet Cafes in Japan, the country being so well connected electronically. However, signs of these establishments were purely in Japanese, therefore we were unable to understand them even though we might be staring at them.

After our day visit at Asakusa, we needed to communicate with Er about our dinner plan. The only way we could do it was finding an Internet Cafe and email him. What better place to find an Internet Cafe than in Asakusa - a prime tourist attraction location.

If U Get Tired Playing or Working in the Internet Cafe, Take a Nap!

We did find an Internet Cafe without much problem and used it to communicate with Er.  A one to - three hour use of the computer was around  Can. $ 11.00. The first time use was higher as you must become a member and paid that $3.00 membership fee. But when we needed to use the computer, we needed to pay and use it.

So we gained a new experience with the Japanese Internet Cafe in Tokyo!

R.T.
Internet Cafe, Asakusa, Tokyo
Aug. 2013

A Visit to Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan

Entrance to Asakusa, Tokyo

 We planned to visit Mt.Fuji this morning, but we were too tired from our other day's activities, so we would do it the following day.

We changed our plan of places to visit.














Asakusa, a famous tourist attraction was on the agenda for our visit today.

We were in Tokyo in 2009 and visited Asakusa and we knew what to expect.















 It is a busy fun shopping, entertainment district  packed with shops that sell Japanese arts, crafts, traditional food and sweets and various items.

On our last visit, the place was so packed with people that we were shoulder to shoulder and we were literally moved by people behind us.

This time, it was still busy but it was not packed as before.

A Huge Roof Provided Much Needed Shade for Visitors

The place seemed less crowded because this outdoor shopping place has been expanded to include a huge roof with air conditioning providing visitors with some refuge from the scorching sun.

A Green Tea Ice Drink Booth Drew a Lot of Thirsty Customers

It was quite comfortable strolling along the car-less streets and sampling what the shops had to offer.

Many Interesting Traditional Shops Lined the Street

I always love taking my time looking at the items displayed and learning about the traditional arts and crafts there.

Many Displays Outside the Shops

But my husband could not stand my window shopping pace and he found a MacDonald and parked himself there while I went exploring the many interesting shops myself.

A Traditional Theater in Asakusa

" In the Edo period, this area was the most famous amusement quarter in the Edo city and was called "Okuyama"

A Costumed Staff Outside the Theater

 Many people came to see street performers and other spectacles here.

After the Meiji period the prosperous district moved to the west ares of Sensou-ji called "Asakusa Rokku: and it flourished as the most thriving entertainment downtown in Japan."








Asakusa is more than a shopping and entertainment district.

 It also is a place where a temple and a quiet beautiful garden can be found.

An Oasis in the Midst of a Big Busy City, Asakusa, Tokyo

In Japan, you  always see a temple or a pagoda no matter where you visit.

Add caption

What impresses us most has been the outstanding and very courteous services we have received from all staff in the service, retail , taxi and restaurant industry during our visits in the various cities.

The services we  received were outstanding such as this young fellow who served us an ice cream. We did not speak any Japanese but he tried his best to converse with us in English.

The best part of visiting Japan is when we meet friendly, fun and polite young Japanese on our visits. We also met other Japanese tourists and visitors from other countries  who were always ready to chat and help us out if we were lost or would like to have a picture taken with them such as these two beautiful girls in elegant kimonos in front of the ice cream shop.

We would like to thank you for a beautiful memory during our visit in Tokyo! You have made our journey so much more fun and memorable!

R.T.
Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan
Aug. 2013

Staying Around the Gotanda Station Area

After our visit to the Deer Park in Nara, we boarded the local  train to Kyoto. After a 45 minute train ride, we reached Kyoto and from there, we took the Bullet Train back to Tokyo, a little more than two hours of ride. This time, we did not buy the reserved tickets knowing that there would be fewer people going from a small town to Tokyo than the other way around. We were right and we got two seats with no problem all the way back to the big city.

Starting that evening and for the following four days, we would station in Tokyo and plan to make day trips within the GTA area. Stan did all the planning and booking of our accommodation in Japan. This time we wanted to stay in a Ryokan - a traditional Japanese guest house right by the Gotanda train station.

 We were able to walk from the station and found the inn by ourselves after asking for directions at the local police station and couple other people on the street. I was in Japan about forty years ago and few Japanese could understand English at the time. But this time, we were surprised that when we asked for directions in English,  more Japanese were able to understand us and were most willing to lend us some help.


We checked in the Japanese inn, called Er. on the hotel phone and we were able to meet him at the train station in ten minutes' time at around 8:30pm since his place was also close by. It was very convenient indeed!

After we met Er, at the station, we found a restaurant close by and had our dinner together.
Since we were eating in a Japanese restaurant, the menu was in Japanese. Er has no idea what the menu said and the waiting staff was very busy and with very limited English. Fortunately, we were able to read a few kenji characters and  able to order some food from the menu though we were not 100%  sure what the dishes were.

Poor, Er, it must have been very difficult for him in Tokyo for the past few weeks without any knowledge of Japanese. There are restaurants with bilingual menus. Stan and I are the adventurous type,  always venturing out of our comfort zone to experience and discover new things. All the dishes we ordered were good, except for the pork dish which was too fatty for us. Hey, we did pretty good considering we did not understand the menu.

After dinner, Er, asked us to go and visited his apartment just a stone throw from Gotanda Station.

This is the apartment provided by his company and he has been staying there since he landed in Japan. It is almost identical as the place we stayed in Nara! Small, but has everything and comfortable.  We visited with him for about an hour and headed back to our inn.

It was good to see where Er, was staying in Tokyo. Next time when we Skye him, we would know exactly where he is and what his apartment looks like!

R.T.
Tokyo, Japan
Week of Aug. 25, 2013

Deer Park in Nara, Japan - A Fun Experience for Kids and Adults Alike

 There were a lot of things to see and do in Kyoto and its surrounding area. Therefore, we planned our stay for two nights while Er. headed back to Tokyo for the later part of the weekend.

We checked out of the hotel next morning and it was drizzling. We had not had good weather for the past couple of days. It has been raining since we left Tokyo.

Instead of  taking the 15 minutes walk to the train station,  we took a cab there and boarded a train heading to Nara, another city about 45 minutes away from Kyoto.

Stan suggested we visited this city because of its famous attraction - The Deer!

The Deer Park is located right next to the Todaiji Temple in Nara.

Todaiji Temple

It was a little inconvenient for us today as we already checked out from our hotel and we had our luggage with us.

Fortunately, we were able to have our suitcases stored at the Todaiji Temple's  reception area after we entered the temple ground. It made the rest of our visit much lighter and enjoyable.

The deer in the Park were free to roam around on their own

It kept on drizzling for hours. We got excited when we saw deer roaming in the park freely and sitting in front the temple ground.

 According to the material we read, there were about one thousand deer in the park. They were very tame indeed.

The day when we visited the deer were everywhere except inside the temple.

Visitors can pat the deer to your heart'c content!

The deer were very friendly and had no fear of people at all. They let people come close to them and did not scurry off when approached.

The deer came close to the visitors and would not go away!

Visitors could stroke the deer to their hearts' content, take pictures or feed them with the special deer crackers sold at the park by vendors.














Some of the deer were down right aggressive, following park visitors around and poking their noses into people's bags, clothes, and cranking their necks up to our faces sniffing for food.

As soon as the deer saw visitors with some deer food in their hands, they would right away follow these visitors and looking for their share of the food being given out.

The Deer Park in Nara - a fabulous place for tiny animal lovers!

 It was nice watching the interactions between the animals and people: Some visitors were so aggressively pursued by the deer that they had to shoo them  away.

 But the kids loved them! They squealed with delight whenever the deer ate and licked the food off their hands.

The deer were drawn to visitors to the park

A couple of deer kept sniffing our suitcases thinking that there might be food in there.

A couple of the deer were very curious in our luggage.

The deer were very persistent in their efforts looking for food.

Eventually, one of them chewed the luggage tag and swallowed it. He did it so fast that we did not even have time to stop him.

The deer went after our food during our lunch on the park bench

As the weather turned nice and the sun came out, we sat down on a park bench, took our  lunches out and planned to enjoy our sandwiches in the park.

 No sooner  had we taken our packed lunches out, the deer surrounded us and started poking their noses and aiming at our food. We could hardly had a moment to ourselves as the deer refused to leave us alone fighting for a taste of our food!

The deer could be aggressive at times!

We knew we would not have a chance with our lunches because we were clearly outnumbered by these aggressive hungry deer.


The Deer Park in Nara was one of the best experience we had with animals. I wish we could have our two sons here when they were young.  Kids would definitely have a fun and fantastic experience with the animals.

I highly recommend this place to parents with children!!! Free admission to the Deer Park and  you can play with the deer as long as you wish!

R.T.
Nara, Japan
August, 2013