We took a taxi from the hotel to Keisei Ueno station. I had etickets over the internet, but had to exchange them at the window for the real ones. We were an hour early but could not take the next train as it was full. An hour later we were on the way in the […]
Cash is king. Do not expect Visa, AMEX, or Mastercard to be acceptable everywhere, and even when the shop has a terminal, that they will work. The same for ATM’s. From Narita. Several buses and trains ferry between Narita and Tokyo. Choose the one that gets you nearest to your accommodation. Busses end at Tokyo, […]
A very wet day, but I set off to check the hotel and Ueno Park to which we will return – if all goes well. The hotel staff were wearing masks as news of the corona virus broke. Ueno Station is also where were to catch the train to Narita. We had no intention of […]
Hilary decided to stay in the room as the weather has become wetter and colder. I set off for Shibuya Pedestrian Scramble again, stopping first at Shinjuku Gyoen, forgetting that it’s closed on Monday. This is one of Tokyo‘s largest and most popular parks, located just a short walk from Shinjuku Station. Spacious lawns, meandering […]
Tokyo is the capital city of Japan, and world’s most populated megalopolis – the metropolitan area spreads over three prefectures with 38 million habitants. Today we focused on the Tokyo Dome, a very large entertainment/leisure complex very near our hotel, in which the annual International Quilt Festival is in progress. It comprises a baseball stadium, […]
People going to the quilt expo are also interested in the blue dye process here. I eventually found a possible shop on google in the Asakusa district, on a side street to the main one, Fabric Str. It required a 20 min train ride with one stop, and a 1km walk before and after. Fabric […]
Another long day. We set off for Shibuya to find the Goretex shop, using the subway. Good and bad. It is very confusing and disorienting. Google maps is a help to determine the lines to use but determining which they are when in the subway is another matter. The signs lines are coloured and numbered […]
As anyone who has travelled in Japan will tell you, the trains are the best way to get from A to B. However I struggled to decide how best to travel from Narita to Tokyo and Fujikawaguchiko. There are many trains, but they leave from several stations, and are not all direct. Busses are cheaper […]
My next photo spot was Oshino Hakkai, or “Eight Seas”, the eight pools of water that are the main attraction at here. Bridges and pathways lead around and over these mineral-rich spring ponds surrounded by traditional thatched roof buildings, slowly spinning water wheels, and an amazing view of Mt. Fuji. Many restaurants, souvenir shops and […]
Several places are recommended for good views of iconic Mt Fuji which is the tallest mountain of Japan and an active volcano, peaking at 3,776 meters. Today I hoped to shoot from several spots around the lakes. I drove a short way to the small carpark on a peninsula on the eastern side of the […]