Hiking up and over Kunozantoshogu in Shizuoka
Today I took a train, walked through the city then strolled up a small mountain, took in the view of Fuji, hopped on a short ropeway ride across an inaccessible ravine, marvelled at a temple, walked down a thousand stairs, went to the beach and caught 2 buses.
I was back in my hotel by 1pm.
According to every website, the main tourist thing to do in Shizuoka is to catch a tour bus to the top of Nihondaira and look at the view, then catch the ropeway and look at the temple and descend the steps you are supposed to walk up not down.
The top of this small mountain is very developed there is an absolutely enormous hotel on the edge of a cliff facing right at Mount Fuji.
I was determined to walk the whole way from the nearest train station, but you cannot! The ropeway company has made damn sure you cannot get from the top of the peak with the view to the temple without taking their ropeway. There are giant barbed wire fences and guards.
The top also has a lot more construction going on, more view hotels are needed, because you see, this is one of the 'Three new views of Japan'. Really, thats a thing, with its own big wikipedia article and everything.
So I had to take a ropeway rather than climb across a ravine between peaks, but the walk up to the main peak from the city was great. Hardly any people despite being pretty easy, only about 90 minutes from the station to the top at an easy pace, and amazing scenery in the forest.
I had a high confidence there would be no bears.
The ropeway station and construction mean its actually really hard to look back at Shizuoka from the top, which seems idiotic, I could glimpse the view occasionally, but it seems like they have tried to not let you see that?
As for the ropeway experience, it was cheap, and a very short ride, but despite the wait of no more than 10 minutes, a number of elderly Japanese people cut in front of me, generally they would ask to go past to go to the bathroom, then rejoin the line in front of me.
Once a couple of people did this, and others noticed, they also developed a sudden need to go go the bathroom, and perform the 'piss n cut' manoeuvre. I see you, you know what you did, now lose sleep and feel shame.
The temple here is called Kunozantoshogu, it has a small entry fee, I paid. It is a real temple, still in original condition apart from the barriers erected to stop people plummeting down the steep steps, according to wikipedia it contains - 'the deified spirit of Tokugawa Ieyasu'
The so called 1000 steps from the beach up to the temple which I walked down not up are more of a ramp than steps. And I saw no one at all walking up them, then once at the bottom, I had to find a bus, and the real adventure began.
Another beautiful day in Shizuoka. Since I am now old I find myself talking about the weather a lot. Before you know it I will start calling all young people lazy and talking about how music is just noise (pick your cliche of choice to insert here).
On my journey to the start of the hiking trail from Kusanagi station I came across the neighbourhood recycling centre. I studied their multi compartment bin and shipping container setup wiith roller doors. No really I did, and took photos, and emailed them to people with recommendations. Thats how I holiday.
At first I thought this was the start of the trail, it sure looks like it. But its not, its just basic sort of a temple, and the path behind it just leads to old people playing grass golf, or grolf as I have decided to call it.
The start of the trail is once again in tea fields, complete with Fuji view, perhaps number 4 famous Shin-View?
The light in the forest during the walk up to the peak was amazing, again. I stopped a number of times to appreciate the surroundings without worrying about sneak bear attack.
Once I got to the summit area hotel zone, there were many cats. This one was my favourite, he looks as angry as I always do.
Appreciating the famous view of Fuji. Theres less and less snow, during the typhoon or maybe the day I travelled to Shizuoka when it rained, there must have been a lot of snow on Fuji, but it seems to have mostly melted.
I remember at the same time last year, there was none, and I thought it was stupid that you are not allowed to climb it apart from in July and August.
The summit marker, lined up with Fuji. The missing tile really bothers me more than it should. I suspect this is where everyone takes a photo, and every single one has that missing tile, beautiful Shizuoka, slightly busted.
Like I said in my convoluted description above, they seem to have gone to great lengths to prevent photos of the Shizuoka city, no idea why. This is the best I could do, standing on something I shouldnt be standing on. A small man with a light up baton approached. I tooke 3 big steps and out ran him.
After trying repeatedly to find a service road, path, hole in the fence, I finally gave up and decided theres no way but the ropeway. They took five of my hard earned dollars to fine me for wanting to walk.
The view out of the ropeway car was ok, but it was the same view only better once I got off of it.
Here are some school kids coming back from visiting the temple. Theres thousands of them with color coded hats. They know to remove their hats and bow at the enshrined deified spirit monster that lives within.
A bit more temple / shrine. The grounds were ok, nothing spectacular.
I suspect the children were very excited to see this. For whatever reason this temple has a heap of model toys on display, receiving a blessing from the high priest for their glue and paint work.
This is one of your red colorful temples. Theres a few varieties of Japanese temples. Wooden ones are worth more, check for concrete and steel with wood cladding though, thats your equivalent of veneer in what appears to be solid hard wood furniture.
Here, have some view. I am shooting directly into the heart of the sun here.
The view down the coast was ok, theres a lot of greenhouses right alongside the beach. I wonder if theres seaweed drying inside? Not sure why else you would want greenhouses so close to the sea.
Here is the bottom of the path that leads down the hill from the temple. People write about the thousand step journey as the greatest achievement of their lives. It should take no more than 10 minutes and is more like a wheelchair ramp.
Just another way the human race has descended to the point of imminent failure.
The stunning beauty of Japanese beaches. Obviously preparing for a North Korean invasion with so many concrete fortifications. I didnt step out onto the 'sand' in case they have also added landmines.
Actual proof miracles do happen, the bus arrived at the advertised time. I was GOBSMACKED....
But then after a short ride, as the only passenger, I got thrown off at a random point in the middle of nowhere!
Fortunately some other people turned up here soon after and my confidence grew that another bus to take me a bit further would come, and sure enough it did.
So happy was I with the bus situation, I rewarded myself with a cake lunch. But thats not the exciting bit, the matcha latte was superb.
If you really believe the tea used in it was from the local tea fields you have been hiking around the last couple of days, then it must be true.
Good cheap ramen in Shizuoka
My first night in Shizuoka, I thought it was all a bit quiet and boring. Then last night I went to a new level of quiet and boring at the other end of the train line at Shimizu.
Tonight I went for a longer lap around Shizuoka, and at first it was still quiet and boring, but then I found the busy bits, including streets shut off from traffic for pedestrians, the so called red light district, and lots of places to eat.
Actually I think the other night I was one or two streets either side of the busy parts, and missed them entirely before heading back to the station for dinner.
So there you go, on a scale of Shimizu to Tokyo, Shizuoka ranks above Shimonoseki, Toyama and Nagano, probably at about the level of Kanazawa, but defintely below Sendai, Sapporo and the other big cities.
I have slept in lots of cities in Japan, and still have 3 new ones to go on this trip - Kobe, Gifu and Yokohama. Although I have visited Kobe and Yokohama on day trips.
I will of also be staying in places I have stayed before - Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo again as my last stop. So there you go a huge list of cities.
Tomorrow I am going to Kyoto, but I couldnt get a cheap train ticket until later in the afternoon, I usually like to time my train journeys for a 2pm arrival so I can get to my hotel to check in at the earliest time of 3pm.
So far this has all been a very procedural update, so let me tell you the story of 3 school girls trying to ride one bike. It did not go well.
The girl in control could basically not see where she was going at all, as she rode the wrong way up a one way street in traffic, and it all ended badly with a hilarious collision with a post box.
How do you celebrate such an event? Selfies of course, after arranging yourselves and the bike with the post box in shot.
And on a related note, its big news that school children in Japan who naturally have hair any other color except pure black are not being allowed into the school until they dye their hair 'Japanese black'.
Perhaps this wouldnt be big news, but one girl has decided to sue the government over it, you can google this yourself if you want, just include the words Japan girl hair black government.
Another look at what is the main street, still very quiet. I moved on, starting my big loop around the city.
My journey took in many interesting sites, such as a shop that sells only umbrellas. Its forecast to rain tomorrow so marked this shop on my map just in case.
Then, near the castle, I found another shopping street, even more deserted, but so very neat and tidy. No restaurants along here at all, quite weird.
One of the few stores that was open is bowl world. They have lots of bowls because theres no stores nearby serving food that need bowls.
They do not have anyone here to sell bowls though, maybe it works on the honor system, or its the local trade-a-bowl.
Not actually on the deserted shopping street but nearby I found this awesome model car shop. Its huge and so neat and organised. Every model car in the place is from one specific brand, Ebbro. I just researched it, its a new Japanese brand fast building a global reputation for excellence in model cars!
There was a husband and wife sitting at the counter inside reading their phones, I came in and they spoke to each other, I know exactly what they said, 'look at this round eye who has no intention of buying anything trying to take a photo'.
The best photo was this one taken from the outside.
At the end of quiet shopping street is this shrine, which is at the base of the castle (I think). I decided to mess about with my camera for a while.
This one is handheld, 1/20. My camera has no optical image stabilisation.
This one is a long exposure, not handheld. Another good feature of my camera is the screen pulls out of the back and can flip up, out, down etc. so you can use it as kind of a mini tripod to take shots like this.
One of the busiest parts of town is Tsutaya, an amazing book shop, open to midnight, starbucks inside the store. People just hang out in here not intending to buy things, me included. Plus they have bathrooms.
Here is one half of the busy night life street. Its Friday night so its closed off. There are a few signs up saying its the official Halloween street of Shizuoka, whatever that means.
In Japan Halloween is orange and purple. Everything has to be orange and purple themed.
There were lots of places to eat around here, but I ended up having ramen, again, how predictable. It was really cheap and quite nice, especially when you add the various pickled vegetables.
I ordered from the ticket machine, thus ensuring I dont have to utter a single word all day, however I somehow ordered an option with no meat in it.
I only noticed as I was finished that there was no meat, perhaps there was supposed to be meat but the guy forgot, oh well, it was about $7 so I wont complain.
Heres a gyoza shop, with many lanterns. Their sign took my eye, 'The woman dumplings, The meat dumplings, The man dumplings'. I will get 1/2 a dozen woman dumplings please..... 'breast or leg?'.
The local book off has the super mario odyssey bundle that was released today.
They also have a huge selection of second cartridges and old game systems. Some of the carts are $2 each, I thought these things were all collectors items now?
Should I buy up big and re sell on Australian ebay? Somehow I dont think its that easy.