Wednesday, 21 August 2013

Japanese Adventure - from Tokyo to Akita and return......

Travelling home  to New Zealand was a long haul option  until I opted for a stop over in Japan with my nephew and his wife.
What a lovely adventure that was. They live  and work in the northern prefecture of Akita, a four hour trip from Tokyo by shinkansen or bullet train so I had to navigate the train system from Narita Airport via the express train to Tokyo Railway Station (about an hour trip at speed) and then explore  the bewildering array of suburban trains lines,underground trains and a metro system before I located the shinkansen train platform.  The system does not allow for lateness,trains arrive and depart on time and with speed. The platform is marked with your carriage number so you stand in position ready to board smartly-two minutes and it is gone:a snake-like  move- smooth and sinuous  completely unlike anything experienced on NZ Rail!

The trip took me through the urban suburbs of Tokyo and cities such as Sendai,home of the devastating earthquake and tsunami two years ago. Try as I might I could not identify the iconic landmarks we saw night after night  on our televisions - victim of the floods and carnage unleashed that day. The city is huge and from where I sat much repair work had been done to get the city back to life but for the people their lives will never be the same again.
John told how his sister-in-law had to climb out of the top of the train carriage to escape from the wreckage of the suburban train as she was making her way home after work and how she and her brother sheltered together in a local shelter that night fearful of the toll the earthquake had taken that day.

The train continued up the coast for about two and a half hours before it  turned inland and crossed over the mountains and inland plains reminiscent of the Southern Alps.

Clear rivers and water falls were prominent as heavy rain had been experienced in recent days(it is the rainy season so entirely expected). The trees were beautiful,conifers of rich green hue and lots of towering trunks close to the train.I did see two little bears chasing each other across the grass as we passed.

.It was still raining as we travelled north towards Lake Tazawako, the deepest lake in Japan and home to Tatsuko ,the dragon lady and by the time I alighted at the station thunder was brewing and heavy clouds signaled a downpour ahead.
 I was exhausted by the time I arrived as too scared to sleep on the train in case I did not wake at the lake stop station so kept walking around the area to keep myself awake. It was a public holiday so little was open for the traveler,especially one who did not speak Japanese.
I was meeting John and Kazumi at the station and from there we were going to stay at a spa hotel nearby in the mountains. What a treat that was.
We explored the lakefront until the rain drove us back to the car. A beautiful walkway offered but it was too wet to contemplate so back to the car and a stop for refreshments at a local cafe before heading off to find the hotel-no mean feat as it is a mountainous area a little like Murchison and little hideaway places snug in the bush sites. In winter this was a ski resort and the whole area would be covered in deep snow.

That night we had a traditional Japanese meal  served in the dining room with an array of dishes, both hot and cold, raw and cooked, eaten with chopsticks and served in cooking pots with rice and meat, the meat simmering away in a pot like a fondue. A delicious thinly sliced pork which you cook yourself in the pot. Fish  vegetables,pickles and salads  were served in a variety of bowls to tempt your appetite and served with plum wine,beer and green tea. Fresh fruit was served at the end of the meal.
John told the story of locals heading into the outdoors  fossicking for mountain vegetables and being attacked by bears -in some cases killed as they harvested the prized items. Scary....
Later that evening we had a spa in the hotel. This is a traditional holiday treat for Japanese and a range of rituals are associated with the spa.
A dressing gown is supplied to you  and women tie it right side over and belted with a tie. A small towel is provided for modesty as you enter the pool and a larger one to dry off on. You wash and shower before entering the pool area in a special area with seats and toiletries arranged for your use.Pristine conditions at your service.
I have to say it was an exhausted traveller who fell into bed that night many hours after arriving in Japan that day.