Yesterday we checked into our traditional hanok room: It’s very much a b&b operation, though we didn’t elect to have breakfast here since the neighborhood has many coffee shops and restaurants, not to mention small art galleries. Today we walked through the 2nd and 3rd royal palaces (apparently 1st royal palace was believed haunted, what …
Category Archives: Korea_Japan_2019
Tokyo Day 3
Today we headed down to Kamakura to see the Dai Butsu (big buddha) and the beach. We took JR train most of the way then transferred to the quaint Enoden train. After walking up the hill with all the other tourists, we arrived: And yes they still let people go inside (which my dad did …
Tokyo Day 2
Weather was better for day two so we took the train up to Omiya. When my dad was stationed here it was “Camp King” but is now a Japan Ground Self Defense Force base. Walked out to the base and got a few surreptitious pics but nothing impressive. Then again I wasn’t detained either, so …
Tokyo Day 1
We had a rainy day so we didn’t go too far. Started out by going up to a couple of malls in Shibuya, with a cool mural and near the famous “scramble crossing”. Then we headed to Asakusa. This station is a landmark (in the distance) in one of my dad’s post-WWII Army photos. There …
Travel Day – Tokyo
Yesterday we travelled to Tokyo, taking the Hida Wide View Express from Takayama to Nagoya through picturesque valleys. Hard to see but there are fisherman in the photo above, with almost comically long poles, longer than fly fishing poles. Then in Nagoya we changed to shinkansen, which zipped by Fujisan though it wasnt even partially …
Takayama Day 2
We went to the Hida No Sato folk village, which was more of an open air folk museum as it gathered structures and crafts from around the country. This display both showcased a home, and also traditional woodcutting equipment. There were also weaving, papermaking, etc. live displays. My grandparents would have loved this place. Here, …
Takayama Day 1
I like trains, which is good because this trip involved a number of them. First, we had to get going relatively early to catch the “Thunderbird” from Kyoto to Kanazawa. From there we needed to find and transfer to the Shinkansen, but only for a short trip to Toyama. From there we picked up the …
Kyoto Day 2 and 3
Day 2 was a light-ish day, but I ended up walking a lot. My wife took a break in the hotel while I went off to do the Philosophers Walk trail in NE Kyoto. It’s a pretty trail along a canal that a professor at nearby Kyoto U used to walk while thinking, uh, deep …
Travel to Kyoto
This was a long travel day. Flew Jeju to Gimpo, found the Gimpo Int’l terminal (eventually) then Gimpo to Kansai Int’l Airport (Osaka). Figured out (eventually) how to buy a train ticket, took train to Kyoto. Figured out (eventually) how to buy a subway ticket and took that to hotel. Our hotel (Kyoto Hotel Okura) …
Day 2 Jeju
Weather improved in Jeju, was going to get more photos of the resort but didnt get many. It really is a beautiful place. Azalea bushes I think? So many blooms! Yesterday was another package tour. Started slowly riding the small local horses. Then a local brewing operation that makes “millet wine”. …and a traditional village …
Out and About 