3 Weeks in Japan - The Post COVID Version!

drron · Dec 3, 2022

@MARTINE you had better get cracking. Unfortunately we will not be getting back to Japan until late September next year but in the 9 months from there will be 4 trips. First in late September will be 10 days before a cruise to Cairns. Then Christmas with the family in Tokyo.. Then cruising from Bali to Yokohama with a cruise around Japan for the cherry blossoms plus another 2 weeks looking at other spring flowers. Then a few weeks later back to drive around Hokkaido.

Although we will not be staying in ryokans as we can no longer easily get up from near the floor we hope to be staying twice in our favourite hotel in Kawaguchiko which comes with an in room onsen.

This thread certainly got me cracking with our plans.

rbjhan · Dec 3, 2022

The next morning I started early, took a Meitetsu train to Iseshi, destination is ofc Ise Jingu 伊勢神宮. The Grand Shrine is dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu, it's Japan's most sacred shrine.
The shrine is rebuilt from scratch every 20 years according to some old tradition. Last one was completed in 2013.
Note: there are actually two main shrines. Naiku and Geku, means inner and outer shrine. They are about 6km apart. Inner shrine is where you want to go if short on time (like me!).

Got off the train at Iseshi, put my bag in a coin locker (had to buy a drink from vending machine to get the 100 coins!) and went on the bus to Naiku (thankfully the bus takes IC cards...).

When you cross the wooden Uji Bridge, it's officially the shrine grounds.

Apparently the river water of Isuzugawa has purifying powers! Lots of visitors washing their hands here.

The main shrine is on top of these stairs, but no photos allowed passing this point.

So I'm just going to describe it...the actual shrine of Amaterasu (Kotai Jingu皇大神宮) is surrounded by several sets of fences. General visitors are only allowed to go beyond the outermost one - as picture above.
Paying guests can go one further level in, I saw one group led by a Shinto priest (probably not the correct name but you know what I mean) praying inside.

There are many auxiliary shrines on the grounds but I'm not going to visit them...one thing left is to get the Shuin 朱印!
As you can see this is actually incredibly simple for a Shuin...later I will post some others with more flair

I guess they know they are Ise Jingu so no need to be fancy?

Passing Isuzugawa again on the way back.

MARTINE · Dec 3, 2022

drron said:
@MARTINE you had better get cracking. Unfortunately we will not be getting back to Japan until late September next year but in the 9 months from there will be 4 trips. First in late September will be 10 days before a cruise to Cairns. Then Christmas with the family in Tokyo.. Then cruising from Bali to Yokohama with a cruise around Japan for the cherry blossoms plus another 2 weeks looking at other spring flowers. Then a few weeks later back to drive around Hokkaido.

Although we will not be staying in ryokans as we can no longer easily get up from near the floor we hope to be staying twice in our favourite hotel in Kawaguchiko which comes with an in room onsen.

This thread certainly got me cracking with our plans.

Which hotel @drron ?
Your trips sound great

rbjhan · Dec 3, 2022

MARTINE said:
Thanks for this great thread
I love Japan and its time to start planning another trip
One of my favorite Tokyo hotels is the Palace Hotel in Maranuchi…sublime - beautiful food (especially breakfast ourside on the water) service, ambience and those flower arrangements!!
You have inspired me

Thank you!
Ah yes many great hotels in Tokyo. My problem is I often spend so little time in the hotel in Tokyo, find it a little hard to justify the costs...
I do love the Marunouchi area though.

rbjhan · Dec 3, 2022

MARTINE said:
Which hotel @drron ?
Your trips sound great

I'm gonna have a wild guess and say Shuhoukaku Kogetsu....

rbjhan · Dec 3, 2022

So what's left to do in Ise is ofc the Oharaimachi, the traditional approach to the inner shrine.
It's full of shops and restaurants!
Even the Starbucks looks fancy ha ha

Lunch is gyudon in a restaurant in the Okage Yokocho*, called Butasute.
*It is kinda recreated Edo period streets.

I also had Akafuku (mochi with red bean paste outside) and matcha for tea in Isuzugawa Cafe.

MARTINE · Dec 3, 2022

rbjhan said:
So what's left to do in Ise is ofc the Oharaimachi, the traditional approach to the inner shrine.
It's full of shops and restaurants!
Even the Starbucks looks fancy ha ha
View attachment 309405

Lunch is gyudon in a restaurant in the Okage Yokocho*, called Butasute.
*It is kinda recreated Edo period streets.
View attachment 309407

I also had Akafuku (mochi with red bean paste outside) and matcha for tea in Isuzugawa Cafe.
View attachment 309408

Okay @rbjhan where do you fi d the best Agedashi Tofu - my fave Japanese dish

rbjhan · Dec 3, 2022

MARTINE said:
Okay @rbjhan where do you fi d the best Agedashi Tofu - my fave Japanese dish

Err, it's literally everywhere?
Must confess I can't taste the difference!
You are not asking about Melbourne are you?!

rbjhan · Dec 3, 2022

The reason I decided to skip the outer shrine was I booked another ryokan for the night!
Toba International Hotel. Toba is only a short train ride away from Iseshi, and there are shuttle buses every 30 mins or so from Toba station to the hotel.

My room is in the Harbour Wing.

Great views.

Problem is, you can't control the aircon, at all. So it is permanently set at 25!! Oh I was not happy when I found out....

So I tried to spend as little time in the room as possible...

Onsen here is very special. They have a collaboration with Mikimoto, and the onsen water is full of pearl powder...

MARTINE · Dec 3, 2022

rbjhan said:
Err, it's literally everywhere?
Must confess I can't taste the difference!
You are not asking about Melbourne are you?!

No - not Melb (I go to Kenzan)
Japan
I like to ask when people have found a particularly good one

rbjhan · Dec 3, 2022

MARTINE said:
No - not Melb (I go to Kenzan)
Japan
I like to ask when people have found a particularly good one

Ha, like I said I can't taste the difference.
But, Kyoto is famous for tofu. There are some specialty restaurants doing all tofu dishes, like Okutan for example. I imagine theirs must be good?

MARTINE · Dec 3, 2022

rbjhan said:
Ha, like I said I can't taste the difference.
But, Kyoto is famous for tofu. There are some specialty restaurants doing all tofu dishes, like Okutan for example. I imagine theirs must be good?

Duly noted for next trip
Have also seen new Hyatt opening in Kyoto which is on agenda

rbjhan · Dec 3, 2022

MARTINE said:
Duly noted for next trip
Have also seen new Hyatt opening in Kyoto which is on agenda

Park Hyatt near Kodai-ji? Yeah excellent location. Depends on the price I guess.
Personally I would always prefer one with onsen though

At the moment booked Onyado Nono Kyoto for my next trip.

rbjhan · Dec 3, 2022

Dinner time!

The famous Ise-ebi! Can I say that I'm not sure what the fuss is all about?

I would say the meal was on par with Kikuya maybe. Definitely nowhere near Bousui.

rbjhan · Dec 3, 2022

Their breakfast buffet was quite nice though.
Yes you must wear mask and gloves for the buffet.

Stunning view, sadly not my table...

If you like being warm (like every single Japanese person), I'd say this hotel is a great choice. Sadly for me it's a big NO, despite the Mikimoto onsen! sigh...

MARTINE · Dec 3, 2022

Only thing I love as much as Japanese food is the ceramics upon which it is served -gooorgeous and great to buy in Kyota

rbjhan · Dec 3, 2022

MARTINE said:
Only thing I love as much as Japanese food is the ceramics upon which it is served -gooorgeous and great to buy in Kyota

Yeah but can you imagine being a dish-washer in Japan?

rbjhan · Dec 3, 2022

Took the shuttle bus back to Toba station, this time I came prepared! Had enough 100 Yen coins for the locker

Mikimoto Pearl Island ミキモト真珠島
It's a great museum about pearls, cultivation and Mikimoto Kokichi, the founder of this company.

The island is accessible via this bridge.