Umadz's Nippon Adventures

Trip to Kobe and Osaka

2012-01-22T20:17:00.004+09:00

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

2008-04-06T23:45:00.008+09:00

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

2007-11-04T17:34:00.000+09:00

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

2007-01-31T22:36:00.000+09:00

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

2007-01-17T06:52:00.000+09:00

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.

The Journey to Kofu City and Boso Peninsula

2006-08-18T09:27:00.000+09:00

This is the week of O-bon Yasumi, or generally referred to as natsu-yasumi, when some of the companies can take a week-long vacation. My company offered us to take a week-long vacation, so I used it for some travels I made.
I didn't have enough money to travel to farther places, although I really liked to go to the Japan Sea side prefectures and Nagoya, but somehow I had a wonderful view of places in two prefectures I have been.

Journey to Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture
Railways/Lines Used: Keio Takao Line Semi-special Express (Fuchu - Takao), JR Chuo Line (Takao - Ohtsuki - Kofu), (Kofu - Ohtsuki - Hachioji)
Time Spent: approx. 5 hours

山梨県甲府市への旅
使用した鉄道・路線：京王高尾線準特急（府中～高尾）、JR中央線（高尾～大月～甲府）（甲府～大月～八王子）

text later.
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Journey to Boso Peninsula, Chiba Prefecture
Railways/Lines Used: TWR Rinkai Line (Ohsaki - Shin-Kiba), JR Keiyo Line (Shin-Kiba -Kaihin-Makuhari - Soga), JR Uchibo Line (Soga - Awa-Kamogawa), JR Sotobo Line (Awa-Kamogawa - Soga), JR Keiyo Line (Soga - Tokyo), JR Chuo Line (Tokyo - Shinjuku)
Time Spent: approx. 9 hours

千葉県房総半島への旅
使用した鉄道・路線：東京臨海高速鉄道りんかい線（大崎～新木場）、JR京葉線（新木場～海浜幕張～蘇我）、JR内房線（蘇我～館山～安房鴨川）、JR外房線（安房鴨川～蘇我）、JR京葉線（蘇我～東京）、JR中央線（東京～新宿）

This was a travel that I got so lucky, especially on the choice of what train to ride first.
Before that, I came from Ohsaki station where I played some arcade games, and chose to take the Rinkai Line train to Shin-Kiba (the other choice is to take the Yamanote Line to Tokyo, and take a long walk in order to change to Keiyo Line, which is farther and tedious). Knowing that using the Rinkai Line is expensive (because it is not a JR line although it has Suica-driven wickets) I thought that I can have a cheaper ride because I though Rinkai Line connects to Keiyo Line through Shin-Kiba station without exiting the wicket, like in Ohsaki station, which I can connect from Shin-Kiba to Ohmiya station on one train. But upon reaching the Shin-Kiba station, it says there that I need to exit and enter the wicket to JR Keiyo Line. So that change of trains was expensive. FYI: Shin-Kiba is an end point of Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line, so those who will want to use the JR Keiyo Line (this is also the only line that can take to Disney Resort, you may use the Yurakucho Line.

初めて見た新都心に立ち寄った

Taking the JR Keiyo Line, I rode the train bound to Kaihin-Makuhari. While in the train, I have seen posh places like those within the Shin-Urayasu station, where beautiful houses and condominiums are plenty) and especially the Kaihin-Makuhari itself, where the Makuhari Messe is located. But due to the chase of time, I planned to go there once my trip to the Boso Peninsula is finished.
So from Kaihin-Makuhari station I rode the train to Soga, and in Soga I rode the Uchibo Line train to Awa-Kamogawa. Unlike the Keiyo Line with in-line seats, the train of Uchibo Line has fronting seats, indicating that the line is long for a trip. Actually, it was a long trip.

房総半島はこんなに。。。

I departed from Kaihin-Makuhari at 1500, and hope to get back there at 2000.
But the travel by Uchibo Line is long indeed. It was a three-hour journey before the end station, which is the Awa-Kamogawa, where it connect to the Sotobo Line.
While inside the Uchibo Line train, I have seen many wonderful things, such as small rock islands and tracks along the slopes.
I was looking for an interesting place within the Uchibo Line, but the most urbanized place so far is in Kisarazu and Tateyama cities. Kisarazu has a station where you can get a local train going directly to Tokyo, but in Tateyama, you have to ride a Limited Express train called Boso View Express if you want to go directly to Tokyo.
When the train passed Kisarazu station, it is where the rural beauty can be seen. Great things can be seen within the Kisarazu and Kimitsu stations, where it passes a small tunnel under a plateau...
After reaching the Kimitsu station, the tracks become united. So the stations within that one-track railroad for sure has a long-time interval of arrivals/departures.

tuduku...

Travel in Hakodate (Part 1)

2006-05-12T23:34:00.000+09:00

One of the most remarkable things I have done in my life is traveling to a place called Hakodate.
The City of Hakodate is located in the southern peninsular part of Hokkaido in Japan. According to history, Hakodate belongs to the first three cities in Japan that opened its ports for trade internationally (the other two were Yokohama and Nagasaki cities).

Why Hakodate?

Originally, when I rode once a Yamanote line, I saw this JR East Japan advertisement about the norihodai (ride-all-you-can) joshaken for one day, and it said it is also valid for going to Hakodate via Hakodate station. For 6000 yen, you will be able to enjoy the train trip within the JR East Japan areas (those are Kanto, Hokuriku, Tohoku and Koshin areas, of course including Hakodate). Knowing and being amazed in that advertisement, I made up my mind going to Hakodate using any available train bound to it.
Before the confirmation, I consulted some of my Japanese friends in the office (who were also used to travel abroad) and they told me why not go there by airplane. It is cheaper since some travel agencies can offer plane and hotel packages for a very friendly price. I did have second thoughts since I really wanted to travel by train, but in the end I decided to go by plane anyway.
I already did some research about the trains that can go directly to Hakodate from Ueno (yes, it is from Tokyo) using the Hokutosei and Cassiopeia Shindai trains. But it is expensive (at least 25,000 yen one-way) compared to what I found in a pamphlet which offered round-trip travel that costs at least 29000 yen, and you can have at least a night stay in a hotel already. Of course there are other cheap train fares.
That's one reason why I chose Hakodate. But there were other option cities in Hokkaido, why not Sapporo or Asahikawa, to name a few? Among Sapporo, Hakodate and Asahikawa, I found Hakodate the best especially when it comes to the night view and historical figures. And the other thing was, my mind was already set in traveling to Hakodate.

久しぶりの羽田空港

On the departure date I had to catch the plane to depart from Haneda Airport at 1115. I got a convenient way to go there (using trains only, although there was a bus in Chofu Station going to Haneda Airport, I was not so sure about its arrival time, and it costed 1400 yen). I ride the Tokyo Monorail in Hamamatsucho station (Keio line to Shinjuku, Chuo Line to Kanda, Keihin-Tohoku Line to Hamamatsucho) and for around 30 minutes from Hamamatsucho I arrived at Haneda Airport Terminal 1.
The airport's terminal 1 is for those who will flying on JAL planes, while terminal 2 is for ANA planes (click here for more details). I was about to fly on a JAL plane so I got off at Terminal 1.
During my AOTS training in Japan three years ago, I and my friend, together with his boss and coordinator, went to Hiroshima by riding an airplane in Haneda Airport. For that very long time, I kept on recalling the places we went inside the airport, until I came to remember that we rode an ANA plane. So those that I was looking for are on the other terminal so I just went to window shopping befor checking in.
At 1100 I boarded the plane and sat beside the window, and the plane departed just in time. While in the air I was able to see Mt Fuji (I was unfortunate because I didn't have my camera in my hand) and it looked awesome (there were still snowcaps on its summit). I was also able to see the mountain in Yamagata and Aomori.
The plane arrived in Hakodate about 10 minutes ahead of its scheduled arrival time. Upon getting off the plane, I went out straight (of course, no troublesome transactions unlike those in the international airports) and took a bus, lucky enough because it bounded straight to the hotel (JAL city) that I was going to stay. For 310 yen it was the most convenient.

到着してから休まずホテルを出た！

Upon entering the hotel and checking in, I didn't took a while and went out to the steep streets. I found this torii and had a picture of myself (I was really prepared for this and I had a tripod). And after a few minutes I went to a Russian Orthodox Church (Hakodate does not seem to be pure Japan when it comes to structures) and Saint John's Church. Going further I walked underneath the cable car (where you have to ride to see the yakei) and the slope streets.
of course, that afternoon there were too many people around, especially those near the port.
The Aka-renga ni Hakodate is just too terrific. Although smaller than those in Yokohama, everything novelty is stuffed in. Fine dining, of course, it has.
Going out a little bit of the red brick warehouse were more restaurants and wet markets (those sold in the wet market are seafoods popular in Hakodate), and the Hakodate Beer plant.
...

from bubaigawara to shinjuku (JR)

2006-05-03T22:29:00.000+09:00

始点：分倍河原（東京都府中市）
終点：新宿（東京都新宿区）
経由：立川（立川市）、拝島、高麗川（埼玉県日高市）、高崎（群馬県高崎市）、小山（栃木県小山市）、大宮（埼玉県さいたま市大宮区）、赤羽（東京都北区）、錦糸町（東京都墨田区）
利用した鉄道：ＪＲ南武線、青梅線、八高線、両毛線、宇都宮線（湘南新宿ライン）、総武線、中央線

Start station: Bubaigawara (Fuchu City, Tokyo)
End Station: Shinjuku (Shinjuku ward, Tokyo)
Passed Stations: Tachikawa (Tachikawa City, Tokyo), Haijima(Akishima City, Tokyo), Komagawa (Hidaka City, Saitama), Takasaki (Takasaki City, Gumma), Oyama (Oyama City, Tochigi), Omiya (Omiya ward, Saitama City, Saitama), Akabane (Kita ward, Tokyo), Kinshicho (Sumida ward, Tokyo)

Railways used: JR Nambu Line, JR Ome Line, JR Hachiko Line, JR Ryomo Line, JR Utsunomiya Line (Shonan-Shinjuku Line), JR Keihin-Tohoku Line, JR Sobu Line, JR Chuo Line

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Since it is my first time to spend the golden week here in Japan, I made my first day adventurous. I was still in the Philippines when I planned this thing but what happened today was a little bit different from what I planned. I am living in Chofu and the most accessible JR station near my house is the Bubaigawara station (the other one is the Inadazutsumi station but it is farther from Tachikawa Station, which I made my first change train in this adventure).
Using the Keio Line from Tobitakyu to Bubaigawara, I started my JR train adventure in Bubaigawara station (1130). Riding a Nambu Line train, I reached Tachikawa at around 1147.

Going to Okutama shall be done later...

While at the Tachikawa Station platform, I was thinking if I have to go straight to Okutama using the Ome Line, because I'd gone through a research about Okutama being a paradise for me, and it was a sunny day. But I wanted to know what I shall see more in the Gumma and Tochigi prefectures that is why I went instead to Takasaki using two lines (Ome and Hachiko lines). It is better to go to Okutama with somebody.
I departed from Tachikawa at around 1206.
Within Tachikawa and Haijima, the surroundings seemed to look a quarter rural, but you can already see a lot of hatake (farm fields). For more than ten minutes I got off at Haijima, and waited for a Hachiko Line train going to Kawagoe that will arrive at 1220.

Most parts of the Hachiko line has one common rail (usually a railway line comes in two rails for each direction). This is another line that uses common rail (the first time I ride a train passing on a common rail was in the Sagami Line) and the time interval of every train arrival is very long.
I reached the Komagawa Station at around 1245, when another train was waiting for its departure to Takasaki. At first, I hesitated to ride in because the train, although small, was really something like riding a green car, so I went out of the Komagawa station and confirmed the prices.

Hindi pupuwede sa Pilipinas ang mga eki na ganito...

The Komagawa Station does not have a wicket. The only thing you have to do is buy a ticket and ride the train (without inserting the ticket in the wicket). The station has a Suica scanning machine but you may not do it because it is open (sayang at hindi ko nakuhanan ng picture) and you can pass freely. And furthermore, there are staions like this that doesn't have a station personnel (something you might not believe). Some stations in the Hachiko Like are like this.
For sure, having such stations in the Philippines is not recommended (even those who are very honest to themselves may not recommend; sa Batanes puwede pa).

Of course, I want to be honest so I used my Suica to go back to the station. I rode the train waiting there anyway (because there were people standing inside), but I stood in front so I would be able to see the path and its surroundings (I usually ride in the front car near the driver of the train when it is possible). The train departed at 1302 and it is an hour-and-a-half ride to Takasaki station.

(to be continued...)