Deluxe Tour Japan Winter 2016 (Part One: The Planning)

(*This blog post was written a month after the trip, but I changed the post date for organizational reasons)

December 2016

I have been living in Japan for just over 3 years now. This is the first time that anyone, family or friend, has come to visit me. I was finally able to convince my two brothers to come to Japan for the winter holiday.

We decided on the trip in September, so that is when I began my initial planning. It's their first time in Japan, in a foreign country even. What can I show them that is special about Japan? What do they WANT to see? We all know there are plenty of sights to see, and with both brothers in the opinion of "I'm up for anything" I decided that we would do the regular tour of the Japan, only we would see EVERYTHING, and I mean everything within two weeks.

Crazy, right? That should be nothing new haha.

So, first thing is first: the flight. It was a little more difficult to find a good, cheap flight because their time of travel was Christmas/New Year season. It was also their first SUPER long international flight, so I didn't want to burden them with layovers as much. In the end, they chose a DELTA Flight for about $1700, round trip from Detroit to Tokyo (Haneda) and one layover in Minneapolis. Not bad at all.

Second was the itinerary. Of course, I wanted them to get the most out of their trip, which meant traveling efficiently, BUT we were also on a budget. In most cases, I would recommend the Japan Rail Pass to anyone coming to visit Japan for at least a week. I recommended the same plan to my brothers, but in the end we chose not to get it. Why? It was really because they were coming to see me (and Japan), but essentially we would be together for the entire duration of the trip. I was their guide also; they couldn't get around as easily without me. That's fine and all, but since I am in Japan on a working VISA I am not eligible for the JR Pass. And unlike them, I did want to budget myself for the trip, which meant I didn't want to pay the cost for the bullet train. (This made some things a little difficult, but looking back I don't regret it).

The trip dates were set for December 22nd to January 2nd. Below is a copy of the itinerary as it was just before they came (there were some minor changes later, which I will mention in the daily recaps).

JAPAN TRIP ITINERARY       December 22nd ~ January 2nd
Dec. 21	Detroit	Check-in at Detroit Metro Airport (DTW) *NEED: passport (ticket will be received at check-in, visa upon arrival)	5 a.m.~ *2-3 hours prior
		Departure	7:14 a.m.
Dec. 22	Tokyo	*Bus from Nagoya to Tokyo, Shinjuku > Haneda \610 50m	6:15~12 p.m.
		Arrival at Haneda Airport (HND)	2:10 p.m.
		Limousine Bus to HOTEL GPLEDAIBA, Odaiba  43min \520	3:30 p.m.*
		GUNDAM FRONT TOKYO (Diver City 7F) http://gundamfront-tokyo.com/jp/ Full Entrance \1200	4:30 p.m.
		Diver City (Gundam Café 2F, etc.)
		Fuji TV Building, Rainbow Bridge Odaiba
		Bus / Train to Hotel, 1hr \380	8:45 p.m.~
		Check-in (by 12 a.m.) at Best Western Tokyo Nishikasai 134-0088, Tokyo, Edogawa Ward, Edogawa-ku, Nishi Kasai 6-17-9 03-3675-8900     \16,500	~10 p.m.
Dec. 23	Tokyo	Check-out (by 10 a.m.) TOKYO METRO DAY PASS \600	8~8:30 a.m.
		Tokyo Station  Nishi Kasai > Tokyo (Tozai Line) \200 24min luggage storage (\600)  JR East Travel Service Center or locker*	9:00
		Bunkyo Civic Center Observation Deck Tokyo > Korakuen (Marunouchi Line) \170 13m
		Pokemon Center MEGA Ikebukuro Korakuen St. > Ikebukuro (Marunouchi Line) \170 12m
		MEIJI SHRINE (5 a.m.~6 p.m.) – HARAJUKU Crepes Ikebukuro > Meiji jingu mae (Fukutoshin Line) \200
		TOKYO TOWER (9 a.m.~11 p.m.) \900 Meiji jingu mae > Naka-meguro > Kamiyacho (Fukutoshin/Hibiya) \200
		AKIHABARA Homemade Curry (Bread), Anime everything Kamiyacho >Akihabara (Hibiya Line) \200 30m
		Claim luggage at Tokyo Station (30 min walk from Akihabara)**
		Train to Kamata (JR Keihintohoku Line, 34 min, \220~310)	6 p.m.~
		Check-in at Guest House Kamata (4-10 p.m.) 144-0031, Tokyo, Ota Ward, Ota-ku Higashi Kamata 2-6-7 070-3548-1408    \9,000 Food – Hamazushi 11m walk	7 ~ 8 p.m.
Dec. 24	Yokohama	Check-out 8-10 a.m.	9 a.m.*
		Train to Yokohama Cup Noodles Museum (Kamata Keihintohoku Line > Sakuragicho, 52 min \310)
		Cup Noodle Museum 10 a.m.~ My CUPNOODLES Factory \300 Chicken Ramen Factory \500	10 a.m. ~ 12 p.m.
		Red Brick Warehouse to Chinatown (24min walk)	12 p.m. ~
		Train to Shinjuku (Motomachi-Chukagai Minatomirai Line >> 1 hour 5min, \650)	4 p.m.
		Bus: Shinjuku Bus Terminal 4F to Nagoya \5,200	17:50
		Arrival in Nagoya	23:20
Dec. 25	Okazaki	Make MOCHI at the Yamamoto Family’s house, Okazaki \620 (2) (Lunch = Oden, Dinner = Handmade Sushi)	8 a.m. ~ 8 p.m.
Dec. 26	Osaka	Bus to USJ (3hr 20m \2,700)	6:30 a.m.
		UNIVERSAL STUDIOS JAPAN	9:50 a.m. ~ 9 p.m.
		Universal Citywalk Takoyaki
		Train to Umeda Station, walk to Umeda Sky East Sakurajima > Umeda \180 20m
		Bus to Hiroshima (Overnight, \5,510)	24:00
Dec. 27	Hiroshima	Arrival in Hiroshima	5:30 a.m.
		Atomic Bomb Dome – Museum – Peace Park – Hiroshima castle, etc. ALL DAY SIGHTSEEING BUS PASS
		Hiroshima okonomiyaki
		Bus to Kyoto (Overnight, \5,010)	24:20
Dec. 28	Kyoto	Arrival in Kyoto	6:45 a.m.
		Yasaka Shrine / Gion – Kiyomizu dera – Fushimi Inari
		Bus to Nagoya: 2 hour 30min, \2,550 *tickets can be reserved one-month in advance	Every 30 min from Kyoto St.
Dec. 29	Nagoya+	Sakae, Oasis 21, Osu Kannon, Illuminations, Nagoya Castle, Naan Curry
Dec. 30	Nagoya+	Nagoya Aquarium, Yakiniku, Nabana no Sato?
Dec. 31	Nagoya+	FREE DAY!!! Udon, Taiyaki
		Hatsumode in Gamagori	Midnight
Jan. 1	Shizuoka	Drive to Shizuoka from Gamagori (with Taka)
		Toyokawa Inari Shrine
		Check-in at Face to Face Guesthouse 418-0056, Fujinomiya, Nishimachi 22-18 81-090-2680-9707      \10,000 (4 people)
Jan. 2	Tokyo / Detroit	Mt. Fuji morning	SUNRISE
		Train to Haneda Airport	9:30 a.m.
		Check-in at Haneda Airport	1:30 p.m.~
		Departure from Haneda Airport (HND)	4:25 p.m.
		Arrival at Detroit Metro Airport (DTW)	6:14 p.m.

As you can see, the first few days were very very detailed, and that first week itself was very busy. It was my first time ever planning such a trip, so I didn't want to miss a detail, or find myself unprepared. Most of our traveling between cities would be done by bus, a cheaper method, though it does take more time. We would visit the most popular places on the main island of Honshu, and try to get in some personal time too.

Our main points of travel were:

Tokyo > Yokohama > Okazaki > Osaka > Hiroshima > Kyoto > Nagoya > Gamagori > Mt. Fuji

In the next post I will talk about our travels in Tokyo.

PART TWO: TOKYO, DAY ONE>>

STUDY ABROAD: WEEK 45* Mt. Fuji

JULY 12

Our trip to Mt. Fuji begins early this Saturday morning. Our bus wasn’t scheduled to leave until a quarter to seven, but I was up well before six repacking my bag. I had finally decided which clothes would be necessary for the excursion. If it was hot going up the mountain, light and breathable clothing was best, but on the other hand, the peak of the mountain would undoubtedly be cold.

I started off in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, lax enough for the bus ride, and also good for temperate weathers. In my bag I had my under clothes, for when things got colder, a 2-liter bag of water, and a couple snack bars. This was my white bag’s last journey, and it became very full once I put in my wind breaker jacket, gloves and knit hat. I doubled checked on my money and my ticket and I was out the door just after 6am to wait for the others in front of the subway station. As I waited, I checked my messages for any last minute notifications. It was good I did, because one of the girls asked me to bring an extra roll of toilet paper, just in case. It was almost time for us to meet, but I rushed back to my room and grabbed the toilet paper anyway.

Then it was 6:15am, we started to walk towards the station vigorously, but slightly hungry from not eating breakfast. In due course, we stopped at a convenience store just outside the station to grab a few last minute things. I figured a bag of granola would be a good compliment to my supplies. However, at the time, I was fasting, and I still intended to fast as long as I physically could. But if the climb became difficult, I had supplies on hand to save me.

(Gateway Fujiyama, Kawaguchiko Station)

Four hours on the bus later, we arrived at Kawaguchiko, but just the first stop on our trip. From there, we took another hour long bus up to the 5^th station. The 5^th Station is more of a tourist spot than anything. It’s the beginning or end for many people who chose to visit Mt. Fuji. For us, it was just the beginning of our hike, though it was halfway up the mountain. We stopped to go to the last free bathroom before starting our climb. It seemed to be that any bathroom along the route would cost a donation of 200 yen. That was the only option, however, as the trails were clearly marked and there was no bushes for one to escape into. I took the chance to throw on my long under pants, since I expected I would not have the chance to before we reached the 8th station. The 8th station would be our lodgings for the day, or rather for the end of the day, and only for a few hours as we prepared to make the final climb.

(Our arrival at the 5^th station and the view of Mt. Fuji from the last free toilet.)

Refreshed and ready to take on Japan’s most famous landmark, we approached the map at the trail head. The trail we were looking for was marked in blue, and that trail was on the other side of the mountain. We started off on the completely wrong side of the mountain. With no other choice, we checked out the visitor center for information as to whether there was a way to reach the other side of the mountain. We could go by bus, but that would cost us a couple hours and almost twenty dollars. The only other option we had was to change our lodging reservation. The clerks solved the matter for us immediately, and THEN we were off to tackle the mountain.

The trail started off at a decline, which didn’t make sense if we were climbing a mountain, but eventually it started to gradually incline. Horses occasionally passed us on the trail as they escorted their riders from the 5th to the 6th station. When we started our journey, we were muddled amongst a large group of people. Several young men started to pass us on the left, and I overheard one say to his friend, ‘Hey, do you speak English?’

I couldn’t help but throw in my own comment to their conversation, ‘Japanese is fine, too.’ That’s how we made our first acquaintances of the day. We took a picture with them en route, but their pace eventually put them farther ahead of us, into the woods.

The trail through the last bits of wood the trail was nice solid Earth, put after that it became something more like gravel. The trail began to wind in a gradually inclining zigzag. I tried to slow my pace and stay with our little group, but as my legs warmed up, so did my pace. I would end up walking ahead, and then waiting at the next turn, or the one after that. I was in the zone, just me and the mountain. I would meet with the group of young men, pass them and then they would in turn pass me by again as I waited for the girl’s to come in sight. First it was ten minutes, then fifteen. After we passed the 7th station together I told them that I would meet them at our lodgings if I went too far ahead. That was when the trail became fun.

The gravel paths were a toll on my legs, but the other kind of path was considerably more fun. Large rocks like a huge uneven staircase, roped off on either side to bar against one’s wandering. I felt the strongest at those points, strong and fast and free. It was on my way up one of these parts in the trail that I passed a middle-aged woman who seemed to be having some troubles breathing. I slowed my pace and watched her, and then I finally asked, ‘Are you all right?’ She stopped for a moment to catch her breath and said she was. I watched her a little longer as she rested, and once she finally pushed forward, then I too continued on my path. After that, I ran into the group of young men again as they had stopped to rest near one of the stations. We had a few moments of ‘international relations’ and then I started on the next leg of the trail.

(3.8 kilometers from the summit of Mt. Fuji.)

At a quarter to 6, I reached our mountain hut. It wasn’t as prehistoric as a hut sounds, but a nice suitable lodging. They even sold snacks and ramen for three times the usual price. Now all I had to do was wait for the others, so I sat on the bench across from the entrance. Time passed, strangers passed, the young men from Kyoto University passed, and I waited. Then, a woman sat next to me, and it was the same woman that I had encountered on the trail. She seemed to be really tired, drained from the climb. She told me it was her first time climbing Mt. Fuji, even though she had lived in the nearby town all her life. When I asked her about her lodgings, she told me that it was up near the 9th station. I was shocked. That would take at least another hour, if not longer at her pace. I was worried whether or not she could make it, but she insisted she was fine and soon got up to hit the trail again.

(The trail was consistently packed with hikers.)

By now, I had been sitting in front of the lodging for some time. The greeter took notice and approached me, asking about the reservation. It was well past six, but the others had still not arrived. He told me I could wait inside for them, but I chose to stay outside and wait. It could have been any minute. In fact, it wasn’t until almost 6:30pm that they arrived. You could see the wear in their faces as the crested the last of the stairs to the station platform. I was only cold from sitting still.

We finally regrouped and entered the hut, paid our lodging fee (about $100) and waited to be served dinner. I could understand why many people would camp, or simply time their climb so that they wouldn’t have to stop for a few hours. It was good that we had the chance to stop. The girls were tired, and we were all hungry, and a bit cold. Though we weren’t the last to arrive, we somehow ended up being the last to receive dinner, Japanese curry. They also provided us with a bag of breakfast, also known as two rolls and some jam. The sleeping arrangements were set in large rooms lined with group bunks and sleeping bags. It wasn’t much for the price, but I suppose any sort of shelter is a commodity up on top of a mountain. We lied down to sleep sometime past seven, but I hardly slept a wink. I couldn’t sleep with the other people in the room snoring, the lights outside blinking, and the voices of various visitors as they passed the hut. I did the only sensible thing, and that was to get out of bed.

First, I visited the bathroom, donated my 200 yen and sat in the main room for a bit. There, one of the women who ran the hut, was greeting people who came by for wood burnings. Each station provided its own brand to mark one’s journey as they pursued the summit. Joy was carrying a stick of her own. I understand it was a great souvenir, but I found it was an obstacle when climbing. I talked with the woman briefly, and then sat in the warm room with another guest who was having altitude sickness. I was surprised that I felt perfectly fine at all. So I sat there, and waited, counting off the time until it made sense to dress for the weather again and wake up the crew. We planned to leave before all the other groups clogged up the trail, which meant at 11:30pm it was time for round two.

(The great full moon watched over our last leg of the journey.)

JULY 13

Our second round up the mountain started out in the same fashion as the first, with a slow and gradual trail of gravel. I kept catching myself ahead of the group, but I would wait. There was no question that I could reach the summit, but I was here to do it with my best friends. I paired myself up with Rachael, who trooped onward despite the then oxygen levels. That’s why we had cans of oxygen with us. Joy also had something of a cold, so she used the cans as well.

I sent Joy and Aurianne on ahead, as Rachael and I brought up the rear. Maybe we had to rest at every turn of the trail, but we never stopped. We gave light to the couple that decided to climb without flashlights, and I met another couple from Australia. Then, as we were nearing the peak, we passed a small crew of emergency men. They were surrounding a woman who had collapsed on the trail from tiredness; it was the same woman who I talked to only a few hours before. I hung back as Rachael went on, eavesdropping on their conversation, she seemed all right, but I didn’t ask until one of the men proceeded up the trail. He said she was all right, but they were going to have someone help her to the nearest station and then probably take her down to the 5th station. I felt empathy for her because she tried so hard, but also there was a faint sense of disbelief that the one woman I talked to would be that woman.

There had been many once in a lifetime encounters during our climb. Now, all that lied before us was the final climb to the gates of the mountain shrine. Joy and Aurianne would be waiting for us. We climbed in the deepest dark of the night, guided only by our little lamps and a trail occasionally lit with torches, two amongst many, from all over the world. We met with the summit at half past three in the morning, a good hour before sunrise. Joy and Aurianne were huddled together against the cold air, facing the east horizon. Rachael quickly settled down with them. There was nothing to do, but wait. I couldn’t sit still, so I went off in search for a bathroom to no avail. After that I stayed standing so I could move around and stay warm in some way. We should have brought some more aids against the wind.

Dawn started to peek over the horizon, causing everyone to rise from their seats to take pictures. We took our pictures, too, as daylight filled the air. There I was, July 13th, the dawn of my own birthday, atop one of the world’s wonders. It was wonderful.

(We reached the summit! I couldn’t have done it without these amazing women. I can’t thank them enough for sharing this experience with me.)

Wonderful until the cold started to bite at us again. We saw what was needed to be seen, and it was time to start our descent. Almost the entire descent was more difficult than the ascent, in my opinion. Whether that was because I had not gotten any sleep, and the very little rest that I did receive over the past day hardly gave my legs a chance to recover, or if it was just navigating down the loose gravel for hours… we also needed to go to the bathroom. The entire way down that’s all we were thinking of. Unfortunately, there was no place to go until we reached the 7th station. After that, it was still hard on our legs, but we bore with it until we returned to the 5th station.

(The view as we descended the mountain at first light was breathtaking.)

We had just enough energy to look at the souvenir stores and grab some snacks before we boarded the bus back to Kawaguchiko. I had successfully fasted on my way up and down the mountain, but once the trial ended, I needed something to keep me awake and functioning. It was my birthday, so until our bus back to Nagoya came back we loitered around the station, ate lunch and a few sweets from the convenient store. For the first time, I was knocked out on the bus, all the way back to Nagoya. The walk back to our apartment was painful, and we were still half-asleep; it was the complete opposite of our departure. We will sleep well tonight.