[Sam]'s Japan trip (Kobe/Miyajima/Hiroshima/Osaka/Takayama/Kyoto)

[samtcy]

Thanks for those good reminders of the beauty on Japan, Samtcy. My wife and I took a bullet train from Kyoto to Yonago in our last trip. It was raining but was worth the trip even just for a day to visit an old friend (to use the free pass of JR). Yonago is less traveled place. Unspoilt and inexpensive fresh sea food. Like eating in the good restaurant but paying little more than hawker centre prices. Fantastic scenery also... Look forward to explore this area again soon before my friend is too old (me too). Thanks for these beautifully taken pictures which mine pale far away.

Ah...Yonago is near Tottori, correct? I've considered going Tottori/Amanohashidate in my upcoming trip, but then decided to go Kanazawa instead.
I would like to visit the western coast of Japan in future though. Will be going there next month for my 4th trip and there's still so many parts of Japan that I would love to visit/re-visit.
Thx for taking the time to view and your kind comments.
--Samantha

 

[samtcy]

241) Tourists arriving...


242) Morning market


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[KYFoong]

I see that you are already bitten by the Japan travel bug. Yes, Yonago is in Totorri prefecture. Mt Daisen is also known as mini Mt Fuji. Go shoot shoot shoot; each day different scene. Well you would have to take bullet train up to Okayama and then change to JR express. Kanazawa is very nice too....Fukui, Toyama etc...but the place I like best is Nagano. You can make a trip there via Kanazawa. Sorry to confuse you with so many places that you do not know where to start and end. Limited by $$$ and time (haha at least for me they are). I stayed in 1 of the small town (Saku) there for a couple of weeks. Sweet memories keep coming back as I grow older (I mean older...). Fantastic place for photography. I also love Kyoto. ..arh so many nice places to visit. I envy your opportunities to visit. Again it is by choice that you create your own priorities. Stop stop else people think old uncle write too much

 

[samtcy]

I see that you are already bitten by the Japan travel bug. Yes, Yonago is in Totorri prefecture. Mt Daisen is also known as mini Mt Fuji. Go shoot shoot shoot; each day different scene. Well you would have to take bullet train up to Okayama and then change to JR express. Kanazawa is very nice too....Fukui, Toyama etc...but the place I like best is Nagano. You can make a trip there via Kanazawa. Sorry to confuse you with so many places that you do not know where to start and end. Limited by $$$ and time (haha at least for me they are). I stayed in 1 of the small town (Saku) there for a couple of weeks. Sweet memories keep coming back as I grow older (I mean older...). Fantastic place for photography. I also love Kyoto. ..arh so many nice places to visit. I envy your opportunities to visit. Again it is by choice that you create your own priorities. Stop stop else people think old uncle write too much

Yup. Been bitten by that bug ever since last nov.
I'm taking overnight train from Tokyo to Okayama.
I am also planning to go Nagano in future but not this time round since I'd rather take pics of the monkeys with snow. Will go during winter the next time, and drag hubby with me.
Yes I love Kyoto as well. Kiyomizudera...Arashiyama....Fushimi Inari...ahhh...photographer's heaven.
1 thing I'd like to do in future is to make it a long trip, travel from Kyushu and make my way up to Hokkaido. Will require 2-3weeks I guess.

 

[samtcy]

246) Came across this interesting residential building at Takayama while walking towards the train station.


247) Outside a pharmacy


248) Locker room at Takayama station


249) Bus tix to Shirakawa-go


250) 50mins later and we arrived at the bus drop off point at Shirakawa-go. The building next to the bus drop off point is a tourist information counter.

 

[samtcy]

251) Crossing the bridge that links the bus drop off point to the village itself.


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255) Cold drinks.

 

[samtcy]

256)


257) This is one of the homestays available at Shirakawa-go I believe


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[samtcy]

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[KYFoong]

Yup. Been bitten by that bug ever since last nov.
Will go during winter the next time, and drag hubby with me.

Best thing to do...spouse is also good for the ears and their comments are without hold..hehehe. Keep your pictures coming....

 

[jamestan75]

If you want to visit both Hiroshima & MIyajima in 1 single day, then it will be kinda rush for you. But if you have a separate day for exploring Hiroshima, then it should be fine. You can catch the evening low tide if you want. There will still be ferry from Miyajima to Miyajimaguchi after 8pm. To be safe, check the ferry schedule before hand.

To take the ferry to Miyajima, here are the directions:
From Hiroshima train station, take the JR Sanyo line to Miyajimaguchi station (26mins journey). If you have JR pass, this will be covered. If not, then it costs 400yen.
The once you arrive at Miyajimaguchi train station, just walk to the ferry terminal (just opposite the train station, follow the crowd and you won't miss it) and take the short 15mins ferry ride to Miyajima island. There are 2 ferry operators. If you are using JR pass, make sure you are boarding the JR ferry since it will be covered by your JR pass.

Half day should be enough for the Bamboo garden in Arashiyama + Scenic train. Don't think you really need to prebook it way in advanced though.
I booked my scenic train tix once I arrived at Saga-Arashiyama station 1hr before the Scenic train's departure time.

Unless you intend to walk through the entire route at Fushimi Inari, otherwise about 2hrs here should be more than sufficient for photo-taking opportunities. I think I had 1 or 2 mosquito bites here but no biggie. Wasn't too big a deal for us back then.

hi,

yes, spending a day each in Hiroshima and Miyajima. Thanks for the ferry info.
I will getting JR Rail Pass too.

By the way, did you watch the Japan rail show at 8pm Channel 8, Ponsa and Leeteng went to Arashiyama and Banboo garden. Saw they took the open air train, there is also a staff with mask, is that the scenic train you refering to?

is this the scenic train you took?
http://www.sagano-kanko.co.jp/eng/index.htm

 

[samtcy]

Best thing to do...spouse is also good for the ears and their comments are without hold..hehehe. Keep your pictures coming....

Haha...ya, slowly posting up more pics in small batches...still at doing day 6.

 

[samtcy]

hi,

yes, spending a day each in Hiroshima and Miyajima. Thanks for the ferry info.
I will getting JR Rail Pass too.

By the way, did you watch the Japan rail show at 8pm Channel 8, Ponsa and Leeteng went to Arashiyama and Banboo garden. Saw they took the open air train, there is also a staff with mask, is that the scenic train you refering to?

is this the scenic train you took?
http://www.sagano-kanko.co.jp/eng/index.htm

I didn't watch the show.
Yes, there's only 1 scenic train at Arashiyama. This is a better link I found: http://www.sagano-kanko.co.jp/index.html
Check the schedule and make sure the train is in operation on the day you will be going there.

I'd advise you, take JR train from Kyoto to Saga-Arashiyama station. Once you alight there, buy the scenic train tix (scenic train station is located just nextdoor to Saga-Arashiyama station) for a timing that's at least 1hr later (so you have time to stroll thru bamboo groves). Don't board the scenic train from this stop where you bought your tix from. There's another stop that's located at the end of the bamboo groves, board the train there instead. Or else you have to walk all the way back just to board the train.

I took the scenic train on my day 8 of this trip so will be posting pics of it soon. Currently Takayama pics are day 6.

 

[TWmilkteaTW]

nice.. keep posting. : )

 

[samtcy]

nice.. keep posting. : )

Thanks...here's a few more.

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[samtcy]

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[samtcy]

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[samtcy]

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---End of day 6---

Coming up next, Day 7, Takayama-Nagoya-Kyoto

 

[jamestan75]

I didn't watch the show.
Yes, there's only 1 scenic train at Arashiyama. This is a better link I found: ??? ?? ?? ?????????
Check the schedule and make sure the train is in operation on the day you will be going there.

I'd advise you, take JR train from Kyoto to Saga-Arashiyama station. Once you alight there, buy the scenic train tix (scenic train station is located just nextdoor to Saga-Arashiyama station) for a timing that's at least 1hr later (so you have time to stroll thru bamboo groves). Don't board the scenic train from this stop where you bought your tix from. There's another stop that's located at the end of the bamboo groves, board the train there instead. Or else you have to walk all the way back just to board the train.

I took the scenic train on my day 8 of this trip so will be posting pics of it soon. Currently Takayama pics are day 6.

just curious,

the scenic train is 600yen per way from point A to point E.

example: at scenic train first station (point A) i but tickets for point B to Point E(assuming last station).
so if we alight half way at point C, do we need to buy another ticket to point E?

I find your pics really nice, what camera you using?

 

[samtcy]

just curious,

the scenic train is 600yen per way from point A to point E.

example: at scenic train first station (point A) i but tickets for point B to Point E(assuming last station).
so if we alight half way at point C, do we need to buy another ticket to point E?

I find your pics really nice, what camera you using?

Hmm, good question, I've never thought of doing that when I was there. I've checked the website again but I am also not sure if you can do so using the same ticket. However I would speculate that you cannot stopover at the stations in between and take a later train to resume your travel because the tickets will assign seats to you, so if you alight then board the next train, then chances are that you won't have seats. However if you get the 1 way ticket from 1st stop to last stop, you don't have to board at the 1st stop. You can board from 2nd stop...as long as you are boarding the same train that is stated on your ticket.

I know this because I bought my train tix from the 1st station, and then I walked through the bamboo groves and came across the 2nd station just at the end of the bamboo groves. The train staff there told me I can board the train from that station instead of walking back to the 1st station to board. But since it was about another 30mins away from our boarding time so me and hubby decided to take a stroll back to the 1st station instead of sitting 30mins at the 2nd station waiting for the train.

I'm using D700 & Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 & my Panasonic Lumix LX5 which I also brought along for the trip. I usually bring my D90 for travels since it's smaller but this time round, hubby wanted to use the D90 so I had to bring my D700 instead.

 

[rosewood1969]

249) Bus tix to Shirakawa-go

Wow,that's an expensive bus ride!how long was the journey?