Tokyo - bus trip to Mt Fuji and 'the Amazing Race'

Thursday 19 September

Tokyo - bus trip to Mt Fuji

Wikipedia: "Tokyo is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area in the world. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family. 

Tokyo is often thought of as a city but is commonly referred to as a "metropolitan prefecture". The Tokyo metropolitan government administers the 23 Special Wards of Tokyo (each governed as an individual city), which cover the area that was formerly the City of Tokyo before it merged and became the subsequent metropolitan prefecture. The population of the special wards is over 9 million people, with the total population of the prefecture exceeding 13 million. The city hosts 51 of the Fortune Global 500 companies, the highest number of any city.

Tokyo has been described as one of the three "command centres" for the world economy, along with New York City and London. 

In 2012, Tokyo was named the most expensive city for expatriates, according to the Mercer and Economist Intelligence Unit cost-of-living surveys, and in 2009 named the third Most Liveable City and the World’s Most Livable Megalopolis by the magazine Monocle.  The Michelin Guide has awarded Tokyo by far the most Michelin stars of any city in the world.

Tokyo hosted the Summer Olympic Games in 1964 and will host the Summer Olympic Games again in 2020."

David and I are probably (definitely?) too big for Japanese beds, and with the time difference while travelling it made for little sleep last night.  We were also aware that we had a full day trip to Mt Fuju (9 hours) and had to wake up at 6am in order to shower, breakfast and be in the lobby to be picked up by the bus company at 8.25am.  Knowing us we would have fallen asleep at 5am and slept through, so we had all our alarms set!

There was a special breakfast for guests in the Manhattan so as we waited for the lift to go up, another couple came down saying the queue was a mile long, so we took the lift down to the Baron and had an American breakfast of frankfurter, bacon, wedges, baked beans and scrambled egg.  Plus a small cup of what looked like custard, but was more salty than sweet, and the inevitable green tea, all very nicely served and very quick.  I tried coffee but it wasn't that great, I don't think the Japanese take coffee seriously. 

So we went back up to our room on the 13rh floor to sort ourselves out for the day and back down in the lift to the lobby on the 3rd floor.  At that time of the morning you have to expect the lift to stop at every floor to pick people up.  Usually when the lift is full (10 people?) you stand back and wait for the next lift, there is no such thing as a full lift here, every floor we got pushed back further and further as little people got in, and of course their luggage came too.  I couldn't believe it, it was so funny, I am sure David would have counted how many people we had in our lift by the time we reached the lobby.

The lobby was as busy as ever and there were obviously several tour groups going out that day.  By 8.30 they had thinned out and then we spotted a busy little Japanese lady holding a hard backed file in her hand with lots of names, and our names were ticked off and down we went to the bus.  This was a transit bus taking us to the pick up point for our tour, the bus was already half full and our little lady went round the bus sorting us out into the correct spot for our tour.  We asked about our tour for the next day which was a half day tour of the city, we were worried that we wouldn't be back in time for our transfer bus to the airport.  She said that it wouldn't be worth the risk as times vary according to the traffic.  So we cancelled the tour for tomorrow.

We had a nice trip through the city, it had been dark when we arrived the previous night. Our tour started from the Dai-ichi Hotel in Shimbashi, and we boarded another coach with a different guide, the seats were all very comfortable with plenty of leg room.  

The guide was very informative and told us what to expect during the trip.  It took a little while to get through the city and out into the country.  

Our first stop would be in about an hour and a half, there would be clean 'refreshment' rooms and a shop for food and drink if we needed it.  

She did explain about the ablutions,

most Japanese toilets have a variety of choices to wash your bottom, full spray, half spray, or bidet spray - or no spray.  She did suggest not to lean over the toilet when trying this out, better to keep seated........Some cubicles would be the crouching style, and please take care to put your feet where indicated!  Wow, can't wait!

The general store was certainly busy but it was packed with random packets of little cakes and biscuits, sweets, cubie doll toys, all set out on tables in the middle of the store, drinks in the refrigerators, including iced green tea of course, which I have to say is very refreshing. 

So back on the coach and on with the trip, an hour and a half to Mt Fuji.  

We drove along the Tomei Expressway and were really out in the country,

 

so nice to see ordinary villages and houses some criss crossed with telephone wires,

 

shops and hoardings all in Japanese hieroglyphs, and paddy fields covered with hay during the summer.  

Most of the rice grows during the rainy season.  We glimpsed our first view of Mt Fuji and then started our ascent up to the 5th Station, a very twisty and windy road, but very beautiful.

Wikipedia: "Mount Fuji, located on Honshu Island, is the highest mountain in Japan at 3,776.24 m. An active stratovolcano that last erupted in 1707–08, Mount Fuji lies about 100 kilometres south-west of Tokyo, and can be seen from there on a clear day. 

The first assent recorded was in 663 AD

The first ascent by a foreigner was by Sir Rutherford Alcock in September 1868, from the foot of the mountain to the top in eight hours and three hours for the descent. Alcock's brief narrative in The Capital of the Tycoon was the first widely disseminated description of the mountain in the West.  Lady Fanny Parkes, the wife of British ambassador Sir Harry Parkes, was the first non-Japanese woman to ascend Mount Fuji in 1869. Photographer Felix Beato climbed Mount Fuji in the same year."

We were very high up where there was no vegetation, the mountain was awesome and we were so lucky that we were able to see it clearly, most of the time it is shrouded in mist.  There were some facilities there, but badly in need of cleaning - crouching doesn't do it for me.  There was a shop full of souvenirs, and packets of little biscuits and cakes, sweets of all descriptions and yet more 'cupie dolls', but apart from the fridge magnets (compulsory buying), nothing to really catch my eye.

So back on the coach and off for lunch at Hakone Lake Hotel.  A delightful spot and one of the best international holiday resorts in Japan, it has spas and a large historical zone.

 

We were given the choice of a western style lunch or Japanese Sashimi, we chose Sashimi - miso soup, salmon, scallops, squid, red cod, rice, soy sauce, spicey fried onion wasabi and a pot of green tea, and we loved it.

Then off to the Hakone Sky Gondola, (sometimes called a 'Ropeway') which is the world's second-longest cable car.  

Just a short ride in the bus and our tour leader got her little flag out and ushered us into the terminal, the cable cars are very big, would seat 16 or so.  

They go a long way up the mountain, and the views are wonderful, but we had strict instructions to get off at the second station as we wanted to see the ancient craters of Owakudani Valley.  

These craters (known as the Great Boiling Valley) are part of a volcanic valley with active sulphur vents and hot springs.  

Wikipedia:"There is also a road to a visitor's center just below the Kuro-tamago hot springs site. Present day activities surrounding sulphur vents are the result of massive land slides in the past, construction of concrete barriers and stabilization of the area have been under way for many decades."

The visitors centre was very busy with many coaches and cars crowding the car parks.  The centre itself was interesting, but I just don't get the things they are selling, I tried hard to buy some mementos but unless I was going to spend thousands of Yen on a leather bag or a kimono, the choice was limited.  The best thing there was the shrine, just simple and so Japanese.

 

 There was also a place which captured hot spring water and apparently used to boil eggs, a speciality:

Wikipedia: "Kuro-tamago hard-boiled eggs - a local specialty of eggs hard-boiled in the hot springs. The boiled eggs turn black and smell slightly sulphuric; consuming the eggs is said to increase longevity. Eating one is said to add seven years to your life. You may eat up to two and a half for up to seventeen and a half years, but eating a whole third is said to be highly unadvised."

Japanese bus driver cleaning his tyres while he waits for his passengers to come back!

And so we moved on to Lake Ashi, created 3,000 years ago by a volcanic eruption, where our "Pirate Boat" was anchored.  

It was all a bit 'Hollywood', but a bit of fun, and had good toilets!!

 

We cruised up and down the lake and there were some beautiful resorts dotted around the waters edge.

 

 We got off at Odawara and were taken to the station where we were to get the bullet train back to Tokyo. The tour ended here!

The guide gave us our train tickets and a wee map of the underground trains, and explained how to get onto the metro line at Tokyo to take us back to our hotels.

 Like it was so simple (she's done it all her life).  We did however take a photo of a street map of Shinjuku showing where our hotel was that a fellow traveller had wisely brought with him.

So this felt like we were in the 'Amazing Race', and our challenge was to get back to our hotel without ending up in an 'opium den'.  No problem the bullet trains only go one way.  We were all together, the train was coming and we all piled on.  So lucky, lovely empty carriages with plenty of room to relax and take in the countryside.  The lovely Japanese guard in his beige uniform and peaked cap, so smart, came into the carriage and bowed politely, checked our tickets and so politely told us we had to go three carriages down as we were in the 'reserved' carriage.  Ah well, not the first time........  It wasn't easy walking down the train going at such speed, opening carriage door after carriage door, the train was packed with commuters, and at the next to last carriage one of the other tourists on our bus came back to tell us that we would not get two seats together, we would have to grab a seat where we could.  Which we did and fortunately we were in the same carriage.  

It was a very fast train when it got going, but there were quite a few stops where people got off, and David and I were able to sit together for most of the journey, which was about 40 mins.

Tokyo Station, no worries, check our underground map with the signs, oops all in hieroglyphs, she should have given us the other one?

Well, we knew it was the red line, so follow the signs, hoping we get on the right side.  We get taken along by the throngs of white and black business men, and end up on the right platform (fingers crossed) at least we had our ticket.  Train comes screaming in, doors open and we all get pushed in, doors close, I grasp the closest handle hanging down from the ceiling and sway along with all the others.  I frantically look for the maps usually painted above the doors which list the stations en route. Thank god they were in words, and there was Shinjuku, now all we had to worry about was if we were going the right way.  Yep, we past a few stations I could recognise, sweet!  Incredibly we swayed above a lady sitting down with a suitcase, and she was from Nelson, here on business and was also getting off at Shinjuku, not at the same hotel, but heading to south Shinjuku like us.  So half an hour later we helped her off with her suitcase and she showed us the way to the right exit.  Good so far.  So I got out my trusty iPad and checked the photo we took of the street map, we knew how to get to the hotel from here, now which road are we on, looked for road signs, all in hieroglyphs.!  

 

Mmmm, looking up at the sky to see if we recognise any high rises?  No, Davids internal antennae isn't as good as it was, but we turn left anyway.  Think we recognised the highway the bus drove down, carry on walking and looking up.

 

We'll go one more block and then turn left again, must be some where around here. Big crossing ahead, lots of people, should ask, this guy looks like he would know, smart dresser (black and white) with brief case, he will probably speak English.

 

David turns round and asks this non-black and white guy on a bike with baseball cap on back to front! I don't know how much English he could speak, or understand, but he whipped out his iPhone and pressed a few keys, pressed some more, then turned it around a bit and pressed some more and his face lit up, he got off his bike and said follow me (I think) he carried his bike a block or so, up some steps and turned to the right, and there it was "Washington Shinjuku".  We were so grateful for his kindness, we were all bowing and gushing our thanks it was such a cool experience!

With no 'deviations' we were able to arrive at our pit stop and give ourselves a high five as we shimmied around our tiny room!

We finished the day with a Manhatten dining experience, why not, it was our last chance for a flash night out before arriving back home.  So 25th floor here we come.  No one to meet and greet, we walk further into the restaurant, a waiter spots us, but before he reaches us 'waiter san' a head waiter rushes up and does his best to say they are full, in broken English. So David cooly looks at three empty tables and says "really?".  Waiter San says there would be an hour wait, we sit down to contemplate, we have had enough adventures for one day.  Waiter San comes back to ask if we have made a booking, "no, but we are guests at the hotel."  Mmmmm.... I think we can fit you in, bowing, bowing, ordinary waiter shows us to our table with the most spectacular views over the city.

Waiter San comes back and tries to chat in broken English, explains the special menu for house guests, David chooses 4 courses with fish entree and desert, I choose 3 courses with salad entree and no desert.  David changes his mind, over some jolly chat with waiter san about New Zealand, only half of which I think made any sense to waiter san, and decided to have the same as me.  David chooses a bottle of Guwertztraminer to go with the meal and to have it straight away as we were thirsty!  

Ordinary waiter comes along with a bottle of red wine! And begins to pour it when David stops him and tells him it is wrong.  Waiter san comes and apologises and checks the order again.  We get our Guwertztraminer and David is served fish, no no wrong again, but eats it anyway, then two salads arrive.  Mains are ok, extortionate, but ok.  Dessert spoons arrive and are given to me, and waiter san is nowhere to be seen, on reflection, he is a little like John Clease!  And we didn't ever mention 'The War'.

David calls for the bill and he tells me later that they had given him a credit for Y5000 (about NZ$63).  He thinks that was for the wine!

And so with one day left before arriving in New Zealand we roll into our bed and try to get some sleep.