Snow, Onsen and Crab!

[rbjhan]

I didn't plan anything other than two dinner reservations in Kyoto.
The idea was to go with the flow (weather forecast) ha ha ha.

Well forecast was we *might* get snow the day after.
So I had this one extra day, having been to almost everywhere in Kyoto, and a JR West Pass.....
Ah stars all lined up that I should go to Kurashiki and get myself a customised Traveler's Notebook!

From Kyoto to Kurashiki, the fastest way is Shinkansen to Okayama then transfer to local line.
Ah but JR West Pass holders can't use Tokaido Shinkansen between Kyoto and Shin Osaka!
So I needed to go Kyoto - Shin Osaka (on a non Shinkansen) - Okayama - Kurashiki.

Having been through those "All Reserve Seats Ltd Exp Train" BS a few times already, I'm determined to find one with non reserve seats! Also there's the fact that Kyoto Station ticket office was packed to the rafters....

Lucky! A Haruka was about to depart!
*Haruka is the Airport Express train to KIX, but it goes through Shin Osaka/Osaka first. Most of the limited express trains in JR West lineup have eliminated non reserve seats for some reason this one is the exception....probably because too many clueless foreigners take it

It's the Hello Kitty Haruka.


Kitty is everywhere!




Non stop to Shin Osaka, then transfer to a Sanyo Shinkansen to Okayama.
See how empty this train was? We'll come back to that later...


If you are confused by all the different Shinkansen names, may I introduce this?

I've been to Kurashiki before, remembered there weren't many restaurants for lunch....so I had a Gyukatsu in Okayama station.

 

[rbjhan]

After lunch I took a local train to Kurashiki.
Walked to the Bikan historical quarter.

Last time I was here it was autumn, on a weekend. Whole place was chokers.
Winter had a very different feel to it.


However I was not here sightseeing....
Ladies and Gens, I present ....TSL Kurashiki!

 

[rbjhan]

Basically, this store has some kind of special agreement with Traveler's Notebook that they can sell TN products, but also their own accessories and customise TN covers for its customers (only if you buy a new cover in store though).
@ShelleyB

So there's the normal TN things.


But also a lot of TSL's accessories.


A few on display
These are quite simple.


However they have photos of everyone's design!
Trust me I flip through all of them

 

[rbjhan]

I wanted a regular size camel but it was sold out
Got an Olive instead.
Planning stage of my cover.


*I arrived about 1pm, and the store was not busy at all.
Finished planning in about 30 mins and they told me to come back at 4pm to pick up.
So if you want to do this plan some extra time.
They can ship to your hotel in Japan ofc, not sure internationally though.

When I came back she was working on mine!
*Got permission to take this.


So, my cover.
Front is a stamp, a TSL brass plate, and I changed the closure system.


Back is their special "Year of the Snake" patch.


Also added an inside pocket + stamp.


Okay I went a little overboard
This came to about 19K Yen.

 

[ShelleyB]

Okay I went a little overboard
This came to about 19K Yen.

That is so cool. And 19k well spent in my opinion. I shall definitely have to get there one day.

 

[rbjhan]

That is so cool. And 19k well spent in my opinion. I shall definitely have to get there one day.

I know! I looked at it and think, anything I wouldn't do now? Nope.

This cover is my diary now. Need to think about how to re-organise the others

 

[ShelleyB]

I know! I looked at it and think, anything I wouldn't do now? Nope.

This cover is my diary now. Need to think about how to re-organise the others

I particularly like the inside back pocket you added.

Sadly don’t envisage being close by in the next few trips. But should be a possibility in trip envisaged in Jan 2028. Yes I am the sort of person who plans trips years in advance. This is why I need notebooks!

 

[rbjhan]

I particularly like the inside back pocket you added.

Sadly don’t envisage being close by in the next few trips. But should be a possibility in trip envisaged in Jan 2028. Yes I am the sort of person who plans trips years in advance. This is why I need notebooks!

Many different pockets to choose from too! Shape, size, colours...
I was going to place it in front, but she said because I had the two brass plates there, with all the stitching it might not be good...so moved to the back.

Your planning is ahead of mine!
I had Oct booked and some vague ideas of going to Tohoku in Apr 26, but nothing beyond that...

 

[rbjhan]

During the wait time I scrolled around a bit...

So nearby Kojima is famous for denim.
There's a whole little alleyway full of demin shops.


I'm not sure about this though


Another shop selling chopsticks.
Ah this would made a very cute wedding gift.


Swans!
Errr those two were constantly diving....I couldn't get a picture of them not doing this...

 

[rbjhan]

So I went back to the shop maybe at 3.40pm.
This being Japan, they handed over the cover right on the dot at 4pm.

My dinner was at 7pm and by my calculations I needed to like REALLY hurry
RUN RUN RUN

Got on the Shinkansen at Okayama.
Man it was full...I only managed to find a middle seat.
Luckily some people got off at Himeji and I moved to an aisle seat. That's when I realised something was going on.....the car was so full people were standing!

This picture was taken when it wasn't sooooo bad...


I've never seen a fully occupied Shinkansen before.

Shin Kobe, more people poured in....now we were at 110%.....WTF...
So I researched a bit...turned out this was the day before a long weekend!
Acutally I knew this when booking hotels, just somehow didn't connect the dots in my head

Arrived at Shin Osaka, oh my timing was just right, another Haruka! Looked like I would even have time to go back to the hotel and drop off things, phew!

 

[rbjhan]

Remember the Buri (Yellowtail) I had in Toyama?

Yeah I booked another Buri dinner, this time it's shabu shabu.


Menu


1st dish, front one was lotus roots, top left was sesame tofu.... top right avo with Buri miso


2nd dish, vegetables.
Front was spinach with buri, top right was potato mash...top left wasabi greens.


Buri sashimi

 

[rbjhan]

Buri stew


And finally the shabu shabu!


After the shabu finished, they handed over an egg and some rice, so I made my own Zosui (rice porridge).




Dessert was a whole tamato!


Japanese fruits are expensive as hell but there are good reasons....this was nothing like the tomato at home....

 

[rbjhan]

Ah I forgot, actually I did plan another thing in Kyoto.
Made reservations for a hair salon at 8.30pm that night! (both restaurant and salon were within a few mins walk from hotel)

Yeah my friend had been telling me Japanese salons were great for quite some time.
Finally I was confident in my language abilities to go....apart from how you like the haircut (that was the easy part), need to make some chitchat or it was gonna get awkward!

Haircut + head massage, took a little over 1 hour, 5900 Yen. Yeah this was like 10 times better than anything here.

They had this thing where you lay there and get water on your hair for like 5 mins straight (before the head massage), it was great!



Picture from Google maps.

 

[Justinf]

Not to worry!
Nothing scandalous just crab legs...

Hold on, you didn't mean the yellow ones did you???
Those were .....eggs.......
So you beat the eggs, pan fried into sheets, and cut.

Crab legs. I can sleep at night now.

 

[Justinf]

I wanted a regular size camel but it was sold out
Got an Olive instead.
Planning stage of my cover.
View attachment 435333

*I arrived about 1pm, and the store was not busy at all.
Finished planning in about 30 mins and they told me to come back at 4pm to pick up.
So if you want to do this plan some extra time.
They can ship to your hotel in Japan ofc, not sure internationally though.

When I came back she was working on mine!
*Got permission to take this.
View attachment 435334

So, my cover.
Front is a stamp, a TSL brass plate, and I changed the closure system.
View attachment 435335

Back is their special "Year of the Snake" patch.
View attachment 435336

Also added an inside pocket + stamp.
View attachment 435337

Okay I went a little overboard
This came to about 19K Yen.

I love the little intricacies that we all have on here.
I would never have known this is a thing, but even my untrained eye can tell this is superb craftspersonship.
This is what travel is all about.

 

[rbjhan]

I love the little intricacies that we all have on here.
I would never have known this is a thing, but even my untrained eye can tell this is superb craftspersonship.
This is what travel is all about.

Wait till you see my fountain pens....or not ha ha

 

[rbjhan]

Saturday came, hmmm, where was the forecasted "cold front"?

Well breakfast first, let's worry about weather later!
This was the famous Nagoya style brekkie, order a drink and get free food.
*Not the ice cream and Danish!


Next to Bukko-ji.






Stationery shop TAG.
Who wants an Anna Sui + Pilot VP?

 

[rbjhan]

Okay maybe move to next hotel first.

Umekoji Potel
*honestly, whoever came up this name was certainly trying to be cute, but that back fired, spectacularly. Even the taxi driver thought it was Hotel....I had to correct him, then he tried to voice-search on the map, AI also thought it was Hotel....//facepalm


I booked this one way back in July last year. For some reason it was only 20K Yen for the two nights of the long weekend. That was an incredible deal! Later when I checked in Jan they were asking 65K for the same two nights, a different room (better view) but still...

This was not a business hotel.


My room was a Japanese style twin on the top floor (5F).


The sofa was actually very comfy!


Bathroom


Shower


View

 

[rbjhan]

There's an outdoor terrace with fantastic views of the Umekoji Park and beyond...(you can see Toji in the distance).
I think that's the view of the more expensive rooms.


On each level there's a lounge and they are all different!






Apparently in the afternoon and evening there were drinks available in the lounge, including alcohol...ah but I was never there before 10pm....

The public bath was very interesting (pictures from Rakuten travel).
They were going for the old style sento look!


I didn't mind this. But holy cow no one needs the fixed shower head! Honestly...



*This was a family oriented hotel....I've never seen so many kids(think preschooler) in any place I stayed....

 

[rbjhan]

There weren't that many things in the immediate area of the hotel.
Went to Kyoto Station for lunch.
I LOVE oden!


Vegetables stir fry gyutan.


Naturally I must visit Itoya Kyoto inside Isetan...
The Lamy x Itoya was very pretty! But alas I am not a fan of their nibs...
Also I think a Safari costing 6600 Yen is criminal


If you've been to Kyoto, you must remember the gigantic stairs in Kyoto Station?
Well there were some competitions going on that day, running up the stairs!


Oh that was great fun!