Nagoya – BLOGPASTOR

Tag: Nagoya

JAPAN JAUNT 2016 – DAY 11 & 12: HIDA-TAKAYAMA & NAGOYA

25 January 2017 blogpastor Leave a comment

Saturday, 5 November 2016

On the way to the morning market at Hida Takayama

The realization that soon the vacation was about to end slowly dawned on me. I guess that was one of the reasons I had been feeling listless. Yet at the same time there was that desire to return to the usual rhythm of work and prayer I was used to back in Singapore.

We took the shinkansen from Kanazawa to Hida-Takayama a town in the midst of the Japanese Alps. We wanted to visit its old town and its morning market. We would stay overnight there, and then leave for one last evening in Nagoya before flying back to Singapore.

By now I have gotten used to the lack of trash bins in Japanese streets. As a Singaporean I am so used to having bins at hand in many places. It was frustrating from day one when I found the opposite to be so in Japan. I learned that everyone is expected to be responsible for their own trash. I had to keep mine in my pocket or backpack until I could find one in the shopping mall toilet or somewhere else. Most times it ended up in the trash bin in my hotel room at the end of the day.

In the background the morning market looks bright in the late morning sunlight — In the background the Miyazawa morning market looks bright in the late morning sunlight

The crowds have thinned by late morning and it was not congested

You can step down to the river bank and take a nice walk

Beautiful carp feed on the fish food which can be purchased at the morning market

A child enjoys climbing the slopes while mum shops

We walked a short distance from the station to the Miyagawa morning market by a river. It was a picturesque street market about 1 km in length with shop houses on one side and temporary stalls on the other side. Behind the market were other streets that preserved the old town from another era.

Hide beef at a Michelin restaurant for lunch (Credits: Judith)

Old street with many snack and souvenir shops

Walking along historically old houses on both sides of the street

Beautifully wood grain walls of an old house

Joy needing a ride from Simon — Joy hitching a ride from Simon

Feeling tired and weary but still smiling and waiting

We later traced our steps back and ate Hida beef at a popular Michelin restaurant. Waiting was a hassle but the beef was so tender and juicy that we were fully satisfied. We returned to the tourist area and spent an hour or so exploring other parts of the souvenir shopping belt. I was feeling tired and listless and rested at tiny café with a table and chairs outside. There I sat and observed people and traffic pass me by until I got bored and took out my Kindle and read. Later we got together again and sauntered along a street with san machi old houses on both sides till we reached a temple. I was ready to retire for the day and from the heavy steps of others I knew others felt the same way too.

Sunday & Monday, 6 & 7 November 2016

Hotel Country Takayama — Country Hotel Takayama

The Country Hotel Takayama was conveniently located opposite the station but the service and the rooms were average for that price (4,200 yen). Takayama is a popular tourist area and since we were out most of the day it made sense not to pay more for a better hotel. In fact, the hotel in Dormy Inn Nagoya that we had booked would cost 45 yen more but had much better rooms and service. It even had free onsen and ramen in the late evening for its guests.

Nice hotel rooms and comfortable bed (Credits: Judith) — Nice hotel room and comfortable bed at Dormy Inn Nagoya (Credits: Judith)

Free ramen at the dining area at night around 9pm

The next morning we took the shuttle to Nagoya airport where some spent their remaining yen on more snacks and souvenirs before departure. There was even a special sale on for Hida beef. In the plane, I caught up some movies and took a nap when I could. The flight was pleasant. As I recalled the whole tour I cannot help but give thanks to God for his presence with us in all the many high points of spectacular views, cultural insights, great reasonably priced food, and God incidents. Japan is a lovely, safe and sad place to visit. Sad because I do feel for the cultured well-mannered Japanese people and the emptiness and hollowness of their souls. Lord, have mercy on the Japanese people and pour out your Spirit upon them as You have promised through your prophets. Help Your workers in this forlorn harvest experience breakthroughs in fruitfulness.

JAPAN JAUNT 2016 – DAY 1: NAGOYA

14 November 2016 blogpastor Leave a comment

It was a vacation I looked forward to with some anticipation. I had enjoyed my first Japan trip to Kyushu island two years ago. This one was on the main island of Honshu. This was a tour from Nagoya through the famous Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine route to Toyama and Kanazawa and back. Most of us were from the hiking group.

Arrived at Nagoya airport in the early morning

It was a night flight, and for me this meant a sleepless flight, a movie night. I admire those (like my wife) who could sleep despite cramped and upright space. I caught a Korean movie titled, Canola, a grandmother- grandchild story about the transforming power of unconditional love. And surprise, surprise: I did sleep.

Roger, Simon, Tan and me: the men in the group waiting for the bus to the city

When was I going to feel more relaxed, more like I was on vacation? Close to the date of departure, there was the rush to get work done. There was the anxiety of packing right for this mixed hiking and sightseeing jaunt. Even after landing in Nagoya in the early morning, I had to remind myself, I am in Japan. I am on vacation. I had to tell my soul: You are in Nagoya.

Group photos: this group loved group photos. Group photos at airports, at every new place we went, every grand scenery and memorable building. Click, click. 1, 2, 3. Click, click. Good thing I brought my tough and handy Olympus TG3 camera. Bright LCD screen, unlike phone camera screens that darken under the sun. The ladies wore colourful jackets, blouses, shoes and they enlivened the photos. The men were unremarkable. The ladies knew how to pose in a variety of ways; the men stood like they would for the class photograph. Click, click. 1,2,3. Click, click.

The hotel we stayed in was Sanco Inn, a ten minute walk from where the airport bus dropped us off. We could not check in until 3 p.m. so we left our luggage there (this would be standard procedure) and went out to look for lunch. There was a nearby eatery and straightaway we faced our first fun challenge of getting our orders and requests across. Separate bills please. They could not grasp it. They brought beer! Separate receipts. They got it finally. Receipto. Receipto. But the idea of separate receipto for each couple is foreign to them. So we adapted, we adjusted, we learned. The food was oishii. The yen was stronger than two years ago so the prices we paid were similar to what you would pay for Japanese food in Singapore. However, you felt satisfied, you felt better parting with your yen because of the freshness and the quality and authentic taste of what you had.

Surveying the shopping area near the hotel

Tan and Kenny practising patience outside the 100 yen shop

What did you have for dinner? Japanese. Oishii.

We spent several hours walking around their shopping area in cool temperatures and under a grey sky that threatened to drizzle. Nothing much in this area near the hotel. Except the 100 yen shop. Where the ladies spent considerable time surveying and bought few things. Singaporeans are experienced strategic shoppers. They did not want to lug around all the things they bought. They would buy later, near the end of the jaunt.

That night we packed for two days of hiking. We had to pack for an overnight stay in the mountain. Stuffed what we needed in the backpack. The rest of the luggage would be sent over by takkyubin to Ace Inn Hotel in Matsumoto.