Biei and Furano

It has been a long while being inactive with thia blog, and at laat I was able to write one again, this time with an another adventure I had weeks ago.

I have been to Biei and Furano in Hokkaido, but the main objective of being there was to join the Biei Century Ride; a road bicycle ride that totals 160 kilometers (or 100 miles, hence the century ride). But unlike other century rides which is held for only a day, this one is always held for two days; the first day being 60 kilometers, and the second day 100 kilometers. I participated in the 60km first day. Although I wanted to participate on both days, travel times and the fact of being there for the first time along with other transportation reasons, forced me to do only the more reasonable 60km ride.

Everyone who knows Biei and Furano will be wanting to go there many times, because of the overwhelming beauty of nature it presents. I was one of those who are longing for a trip there yet could not find the right time until this Biei Century Ride came across my line.

Tokyo Kokutai 2013 Stamp Rally Adventure

These two months, I went on stamping at different cities and municipalities in Tokyo. What kind of stamping anyway?

For those of you in Japan who might know, Tokyo, centering the cities and municipalities of Tama district, will host the 2013 National Games here in Japan, and in lieu of that, these places in the Tama district are having this Stamp Rally campaign, from July 21 to the end of October. Each city or municipality bears a stamp located in a designated establishment within it. It can be a merchandize shop, a train station or an educational institution, but most of these stamps are located inside the gymnasiums.

One night in August when I got home from work, my eyes put attention on a poster in a station that says Kokutai Sutanpu Rari- 「国体スタンプラリー」 and on the other day, I begged for one booklet at the station office inside the station, and when I looked at the back of the booklet, there are 30 stamp points of each cities and towns there. At first I though I could not do everything because of the locations of these places, but later I changed my mind and decided to go in every city and put its stamp on the booklet. One of the main reasons is that I could travel at last to the places, even hidden and har-to-reach places in Tokyo where most of the people do go for tourism or some special purposes. I though of traveling around Tokyo some years after I arrived here in Japan to work, so this would give me the opportunity to go around.

Here was the schedule of my stamp rally adventure.

Day 0.5 - Mitaka. (Complete)

Day 1 - Tama, Inagi, Chofu. (Completed)

Day 2 - Hachioji, Hino, Tachikawa, Musashi-murayama, Mizuho, Higashi-yamato, Higashi-murayama, Kodaira, Kokubunji, Kunitachi (Completed)

Day 2.5 - Fuchu (Completed)

Day 3 - Koganei, Nishi-tokyo, Higashi-kurume, Kiyose, Musashino, Machida, Komae. (Completed)

Day 4 - Akishima, Akiruno, Hinohara, Hinode, Fussa, Okutama, Ome, Hamura. (Completed)


スタンプラリー日程

零点五日目：三鷹市（完了）
一日目：多摩市、稲城市、調布市（完了）
二日目：八王子市、日野市、立川市、武蔵村山市、瑞穂町、東大和市、東村山市、小平市、国分寺市、国立市（完了）
二日目（２．５）：府中市（完了）
三日目：小金井市、西東京市、東久留米市、清瀬市、武蔵野市、町田市、狛江市（完了）
四日目（最終日）：昭島市。あきる野市、檜原村、日の出町、福生市、奥多摩町、青梅市、羽村市（完了）


There maybe people who are also grueling this challenge by traveling by train, car, bus, or even biking. I did this adventure by train, bus and walking. The reason for walking is that some places are hardly accessible by bus, and walking would be the best choice for those who have no cars. As a matter of fact, it would be also a healthy adventure, since it may be a two-kilometer walk or more.

So in September I started to travel and stamp.

The first stamp I got was from Mitaka. I live in Chofu, one of the host cities of the Tama District in Tokyo, but the nearest from my place is the Osawa Sogo Grounds, which is in Mitaka, so I went there first and had a stamp of Mitaka.

Then, the other day, I went to Parthenon in Tama, a gymnasium in Inagi and the Gegege no Kitaro merchandize shop in Chofu, where the stamps are located. Going to the locations in Tama and Chofu was easy, but going to Inagi was the toughest. There is a bus going to the gymnasium but during the time I went there, there was no scheduled bus going to the gymnasium at that time. So I walked from Wakabadai station to there, and it's worth the walk. Along the walk before I reached the gymnasium, I got to see beautiful houses and a water wheel underneath a brigde named Kasayato-oohashi. Somehow seeing these houses and the wonderful view took my tire away.

Trip to Kobe and Osaka

Last January 2010, I had a trip to Kobe and Osaka via plane. I had accumulated enough mileage to book a round trip flight to Osaka by Kansai Airport (10,000 miles can get you a round trip flight for Osaka).
On the day of arrival to Osaka, I planned on riding a ship to Kobe Airport from Kansai Airport. Then from Kobe Airport I rode an unmanned train to Sannomiya, then a JR Sanyo Line train from Sannomiya to Maiko, where the Akashi Kaikyo bridge is just nearby.
I went in the museum under the bridge and around it. Just spent almost the afternoon walking and for almost three hours I left Kobe and went to Osaka.
There in Osaka I visited the surroundings of Osaka Castle and then the castle itself, and the night caught me there. Then after an hour I headed to Osaka Station and dropped there going somewhere, walking around, before heading to the hotel where I slept for the whole night.

The next day, just after eating breakfast at the hotel, I already checked out and walked all the way to Osaka Station. It may be too near for a train ride, but too far to walk. Then I boarded a train to Universal Studios.
Even if I went there, I did not enter since I did not want to spend most of my time there and I was planning to go somewhere else near Nanba. So I just spent my time having lunch there and explore the area before I head back to Osaka proper. I rode the Loop line train to a station ( I can't remember the name) and rode a subway to Shinsaibashi.
When I get off at Shinsaibashi Station, I walked all through the underground passage and went up, knowing that I will end up on a very crowded place. As I believe, that is the busiest ang theost crowded place in Osaka. I went to explore some places there, going south, and ate a variant of okonomiyaki before I reached the very huge Namba Station. In the restaurant I told the waiter there that I would want to eat okonomiyaki and he said that they have okonomiyaki. But when I was looking at their menu, my eyes did let me forget about okonomiyaki and instead ordered another, and just realized minutes after that I went there to ate okonomiyaki when a customer beside me prepared to cook his okonomiyaki. But it was delicious wnough anyway that I did not almost regret the food that I ordered and ate.
Then I went to Namba station and look for a train schedule that will bring me to Kansai Airport, then I found this semi-special express train named Rapid-ß. But before I bought ticket I still looked over a place just south of Namba Station, and the place was just wonderful at night. Anyway, I did not have much time to loiter around there and hurried up to buy train tickets and ride already. The Rapid-ß train just came minutes way ahead of its departure time.

Walking trip to Nara

For weeks of being drowned in the office, I was not able to concentrate too much to work, that I came to think of traveling again to a place I have not been yet. One day I came across a drama on a Japanese TV, which setting is on a peaceful and slow-paced place called Nara. Watching the drama on TV itself, Nara is definitely a best place, especially if you are interested in history of Japan and the goodness of nature.
So I decided to go to Nara on the last days of March, for two days and a night of traveling.

I took a seat reservation for a midnight bus going directly to Nara (departing in the evening and arriving in the early morning). At first, the bus stopped briefly at Tenri Station, and then about twenty minutes more to JR Nara Station and 3 more minutes to Kintetsu Nara Station, where I got off.

It was 6:35 in the morning and obviously all the shops there are still closed (except for 24-hour convenience stores). So I went walking through the Nara Park. Nara Park by the way is being called the Deer Park, because you can see even one deer everywhere you go. The park itself is the haven of deer.

In that morning, I went first in front of the Prefectural Office, then in front of the museum, to Tobihino, Kasuga Taisha (the first temple in Nara I visited), Todaiji, and Nigatsudo. Kasuga Taisha was not opened yet when I went there (I was too early that is why), so I just took photos of its outside and went back on the road and headed for Todaiji.

to be continued...

Hakone Trip

It's good to be back.

As of this time, it's my third time to go to Hakone. This time, I brought my friends there and enjoy interesting views and transport. Hakone, by the way, is an attraction town where you can enjoy almost all public transport system (trains, buses, cable car, ropeway gondola, ship). If you want to go and have fun to somewhere you could also enjoy different transports, I highly recommend this place.
Although this is the only place I savored the varied transport system, I am sure there are many other places in Japan that offers different transports (like in Hakodate, which also has many different transports too.)

By the way, I collected many photos shot in Hakone and I post it here.

And also, I also add here the best way to go and enjoy Hakone, on my opinion.

箱根への旅

使用した交通：小田急線（新宿～箱根湯本）、箱根登山電鉄（箱根湯本～強羅）、箱根登山ケーブルカー（強羅～早雲山）、箱根ロープウェイ（早雲山～大涌谷～桃源台）、箱根海賊船（桃源台港～箱根町港）、箱根町内各種バス

Trip to Hakone
Used transports: Odakyu Odawara Line (Shinjuku - Hakone-Yumoto), Hakone Tozan Railways (Hakone-Yumoto - Gora), Hakone Tozan Cable Car (Gora - Sounzan), Hakone Ropeway (Sounzan - Oowakudani - Togendai), Hakone Pirate Ship (Sightseeing Cruise) (Togendai Port - Hakonemachi Port), Various buses in Hakone

Trip to Niigata and the Mountains

Journey to Niigata City and Yuzawa Town, Niigata Prefecture
Lines used:
JR Rapid Moonlight Echigo (Shinjuku-Niigata), JR Uetsu Line (Niigata-Murakami-Niigata), JR Joetsu Line (Niigata-Echigo Yuzawa-Takasaki), JR Takasaki Line (Takasaki-Omiya), JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line (Omiya-Shinjuku)

新潟県新潟市と湯沢町への旅
利用した路線：
JR快速ムーンライトえちご「新宿～新潟」、JR羽越線「新潟～村上～新潟」、JR上越線「新潟～越後湯沢～高崎」、JR高崎線「高崎～大宮」、JR湘南新宿ライン「大宮～新宿」

Kyoto and Nagoya

On the first day of my work in the office, I researched for some cheap traveling course, until I came across the Seishun 18 Ticket, which is available at this time at JR Ticket Offices. It is a ticket that can be used to all local and rapid trains of all JR lines in Japan.
I bought one for myself (it costed 11,500 yen for five days/people of travel) and somehow it was too cheap. Imagining you can travel across Japan through these slow trains for 5 days at this amount.
So I planned my first trip, and it was in Kyoto and Nagoya.
















Journey to Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture and Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture
Ralways/Lines Used: JR Tokaido Line (Tokyo - Odawara, Ogaki – Maibara - Kyoto), JR Moonlight Nagara (Odawara – Hamamatsu – Toyohashi – Nagoya - Ogaki), JR Tokaido/Biwako Line (Kyoto – Maibara – Ogaki – Nagoya), JR Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen (Nagoya – Shinagawa)

京都府京都市と愛知県名古屋市への旅
使用した鉄道・路線：JR東海道線（東京～小田原・大垣～米原～京都）、JRムーンライトながら（小田原～浜松～豊橋～名古屋～大垣）、JR東海道線・琵琶湖線（京都～米原～大垣～名古屋）、JR東海道山陽新幹線（名古屋～品川）

I came to Tokyo station from AOTS Tokyo Kenshu Center in Adachi-ku. I rode the Joban line train to Ueno, and change to Yamanote Line to Tokyo.
At Tokyo station, I looked at the guide board to see if I could ride the Moonlight Nagara train (this train is a rapid train that operated at midnight) but I had the plan to ride on the station when this train reached just passing the midnight (so that I could only use one slot in my Seishun 18 Ticket). So I rode the Tokaido Line to Odawara. When I was inside the Tokaido Line train, I saw from the announcment that the seats of the Moonlight Nagara train are full, and it suggested to ride that train in Odawara because some of the seats will become un-reserved. So I kept myself inside the Tokaido Line train and waited for the station where it will arrive just passing the midnight. Eventually, it reached Ofuna station by 23:54, so I got off there and when 0:00 came, I let my Seishun 18 ticket stamped.
Then I rode a Tokaido Line train to Kozu (this is two stations short of Odawara) and I got off there, and waited for another train to Odawara. And upon reacing Odawara, I waited and rode the Moonlight Nagara train to Ogaki (Ogaki is a station in Ogaki City in Gifu Prefecture, and this train will pass Shizuoka and Aichi Prefectures, pretty far).
Since I rode the train, very few seats are vacant, and I was not able to sit at once. When the train reached Numazu station (in Shizuoka), I transferred to the aisle of the train at sat there). I was not comfortable with my posture there, but I was sleepy, so I have to put my backpack in front to put my head on while the train is running. The very long distance of that trip so far from station to station took one hour (from Shizuoka to Hamamatsu). And in Hamamatsu there was a stopover for about thirty minutes. And it ran again to Toyohashi station (in Aichi Prefecture) after thirty of more minutes and stopped again for about thirty minutes.
Between those trips somehow I managed to sleep. Not even have the feeling of embarrassment because I was not the only one who was doing that. Upon departing Toyohashi, a few minutes, someone get off and so I was able to sit (at last!!!). But when the train reached Nagoya, all of the people when I was in get off, and I was being called to get off the train (kind of embarrassing) and transferred to the next train. They disconnected two cars in Nagoya and the route to Ogaki became just only 6 cars.
It was really cold and chilling, to think that the air temperature in those places can reach as low as 0, especially when the train stops before Ogaki station.
Snow was already falling when the train reached Gifu, and I was lucky enough to see but it was very cold. I was standing inside the train and beside the door.
When the train was about to stop in Ogaki station, it seemed that the people were about to chase the empty seats of the train that was waiting there, so I braced myself, and when the door opened, I ran up and down through the waiting train, and luckily I was able to sit. The train was only a local train to Aboshi (a station in Hyogo Prefecture where Kobe is the capital city).
I was not able to take a nap because I was amazed by the snow pour, and when the train reached Maibara station, many of the people got off and fell in line in the platform. Figured that there was a rapid train to come, I also got off and waited. Ten minutes later, the rapid train came and I rode in, and since I haven’t seated in a normal seat, I found a emergency foldable seat and sat there, somehow managed to take a nap, before the train reached Kyoto.
The train was late for about six minutes, but at last the train reached Kyoto, and I got off. It was sunny, and I needed sun to compensate the heat because it was too cold.
Wondering this degree of coldness despite the sun, I meanwhile stopped in an underground mall, went to Starbucks to buy breakfast and three Kyoto tumblers. For about 20 minutes, I went out, and surprised in what I saw.
It was snowing outside. I called my close friend and my father in the Philippines and said that it is snowing in Kyoto. Then I planned my trip to two temples (Kiyomizudera and Ginkaku-ji).

Snow was still pouring when I reached Kiyomizudera, and I was lucky enough to see the sights on a true winter season (the Japanese call it Yuki-Gesho 雪化粧). It was really a beautiful Yuki-Gesho. Having a nice walk and taking of pictures inside the Kiyomizu-dera while snowing seems a very great experience for me.
After my trip inside the temple, it stopped snowing and have another trip to a nearby temple, which is in Ginkaku-ji.

The concept of the Ginkaku-ji is not as literal as Kinkaku-ji (which is painted gold). Ginkaku-ji should be somehow painted silver, but it is not. In fact, Kiyomizu-dera is more interesting. And at that time, it was already sunny.

I wanted to go to To-ji but it seemed that I have to catch a train to Nagoya and reserved for a seat in the Moonlight Nagara train again, which will pass in Nagoya. So I stopped awhile in the Kyoto station and took pictures there (Kyoto station by the way is really enormous).
Taking a train through Moonlight Nagara will take me to Tokyo station early in the morning of the next day, but when I went to Nagoya in the evening for a reservation, the personnel said it was full. All the more, it said that the seats of the Moonlight Nagara will become un-reserved in Atami station, Shizuoka’s nearest city to Tokyo. Thinking of that travel and calculating the time, I have to stay up to 2:30 in the morning in Atami station only to ride the Moonlight Nagara and in the middle of the very cold season. Very rare people can afford to do that. So I changed my mind and purchase a Shinkansen ticket to Tokyo from Nagoya. It was really expensive. It costed me for about 11,000 yen. It is almost the same price as my Seishun-18 ticket.

Anyway, I stopped in Nagoya to see the JR Central Towers and buy a Starbucks tumbler limited in Nagoya. I took pictures of the towers and went inside the underground mall. Then at 21:45 I took the bullet train back home in Tokyo. I reached Shinagawa station at 23:15 and took the train to Shinjuku at 5 minutes before 12 in the midnight.