Japanese spaghetti

Just to give you an idea of how many subway lines criss-cross Tokyo, here is a subway map. This does not include the lines operated by the country's major rail line, Japan Railway (JR), that also serve Tokyo commuters.

Looking at the map you will see a solid oval in the middle of the map. My guess is that this represents the lands of the Imperial Palace in central Tokyo. To the left of that oval, where 3 red lines bend close to one another is Shinjuku station. Actually it looks like there are 5 stations containing the name Shinjuku in that area. Further left, and a little bit up, near the edge of the map is a station labelled Ogikubo. If the map continued to the left the station I will be living near, Nishi-Ogikubo, would be the next one on that subway line.

Oh, and those subway lines are run by different companies.

Arms and Armour

I will be making a small detour on the return trip from the Hiroshima area. There is a small island in between Honshu and Shikoku called Omishima. On Omishima is a museum that purportedly houses 80% of Japan's Samurai swords and artifacts. Definitely worth a visit since I will be in that area and since it is such a small island it is probably not a very big tourist destination, which is an added bonus.

On Sunday, March 9th I will be travelling to Okayama prefecture to visit the Bizen Osafune Japanese Sword Museum. They hold katana (sword) crafting demonstrations where they use traditional Japanese blacksmithing techniques. The English website does not contain very much information about their demonstrations but thanks to my contact in Japan I was able to find out that the demonstrations are held on the second Sunday of each month.

Also, thanks again to my Japanese contact Makoto-san, my friend and I may have an opportunity to visit and meet Yoshindo Yoshihara perhaps one of Japan's most famous sword makers. Makoto-san offered to contact Yoshindo-san on my behalf and see if it is possible to visit his workshop and it looks like on March 24th we may get to do that. Arigatoo gozaimasu Makoto-san!!

The run around

I seemed to have been getting the run around from some of the hotels on Miyajima. Some of the smaller Japanese hotels (both Western style and Ryokan) charge per person in a room and prefer a minimum of two people in a room. I had been attempting to book a room in a Miyajima hotel, that offered rooms specifically for single travelers, since October. Unfortunately I never received an e-mail back to any of my reservation requests until just recently and was told that there was nothing available. (Personally I don't think their website was functioning properly and it was not submitting my reservation requests.) I found a second hotel on the island and tried to book it only to be told again that nothing was available.

Then I tried a family run ryokan called Watanabe Inn. Unfortunately they don't seem to want my Yen. I was told that it was not possible to book a room for a single traveler. So, I offered to pay the normal two person rate but be the only person occupying the room. Now this is an especially good offer to a ryokan since most of them seem to work meals (breakfast and dinner) into the nightly room rate. I was offering to pay them for two meals that they wouldn't have to make...pure profit for them. Again I was told that it is impossible and to find another place to stay:

We are very sorry it is impossible to pay two person rate for one person stay.

Please look for another inns.

So I have decided to book a room in a hotel very close to the Hiroshima port. This will allow me to visit Miyajima but it will also make it very easy for me to take the ferry to Matsuyama the following day.

Hotel headaches aside, I am happy to know that a very good friend of mine from Phoenix will be flying over and staying in Tokyo with me for two weeks. This is great news! Party on, Garth!

Things are coming together

Happy New Year!

Things are coming together for my trip. Airline tickets have been purchased, hotel reservations have been made for the days in Hiroshima and Kyoto (though I am waiting to hear back from the hotel in Miyajima), and I have been granted permission by the Imperial Household Agency to visit Kyoto Gosho.

My departure date is rapidly approaching and there is still much to do before I am ready, such as learning the words of things I don't want to be served in restaurants (octopus, raw chicken and horse sashimi immediately come to mind).