Travel2Japan Vol 1 celebrates the joys of discovering Japan. It focuses on TMT--Travel Multi-Tasking where visitors want to do as much and see as much as possible. The emphasis is on the "terroir" of the country: In this case, culinary, hotels, snow monkeys and a few off-the-beaten track destinations.

1. Travel2Japan!
Enhancing the Value and Joy of Discovery
Summer, 2013
In this issue:
A few of my favourite things
Culinary Bliss
Hellbent for Adventure: Jigokudani
Making the Right Accommodation
Yamaguchi: The Entrance to the Mountain Forest
Travel2Japan is a TalkingTravel.ca Publication

2. Greetings from the Editor-in-Chief
These are a few of my favourite things
Page 2
Culinary Bliss
Celebrating Food in Japan
Page 3
Hell-bent for Adventure
Hanging out with the Monkeys in Jigokudani
Page 10
Making the Right Accommodation
The Travel2Japan hotel advisory
Page 14
Yamaguchi
Exploring the Entrance to the Mountain Forest
Page 18
Picture This
The Tokyo Skytree
Page 21
Talking Travel
Destination Training
Page 22
Gochiso Sama Deshta
“Thank you for the great meal!”
Back Cover
Cover Photo: Kaisen Don for breakfast. A variety of fresh seafood and tofu on a bed of steamed rice
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3. Welcome to the very first issue of
Travel2Japan
After many visits to Japan, and pretty well exploring
small towns and big cities from Okinawa to Hokkaido, I
thought I would, in the spirit of encouraging travel and
discovery, share some of my experiences.
In this first edition, I just had to talk about the amazing
food scene throughout the country, as well as some of
my accommodation success stories. I’ve also included
two of the many off-the beaten track destinations, both
of which are well worth the effort: Jigokudani and
Yamaguchi. For starters, as I always spend a few days
in Tokyo at the beginning and end of each trip…
These are a few of my favourite things…
I’ve come to look forward to spending quality time in
some of my favourite places in Tokyo before heading
out of the city to explore further. There are many
restaurants, hotels, shops and attractions that I love to
visit…so here are just a few.
Air Canada Flight 001/002. From Toronto, Air
Canada operates a direct flight to Narita Airport. It’s so
convenient. Settle in with a good book and an ipod full
of music. Watch some movies, take a few cat naps
and you’re there!
Narita Airport Limousine Bus. Again with
convenience as the theme, grab one of these buses at
Narita and travel directly to your hotel for about 3,000
yen. Downtown Tokyo is about a two hour ride.
Courtyard by Marriott Tokyo Ginza Hotel. This 4
star property is perfectly located for exploring Tokyo.
10 minute walk to the Tsukiji Market and 10 minutes
to the Ginza subway station. Lots of convenience
stores in the area—and the hotel itself is both
comfortable and friendly.
Culinary Delights
Sushi Dai. I have been going to this upscale sushi
restaurant for 8 years. If you want truly melt-in-your-mouth
fresh sushi this is the place to go in the
Ginza/Tsukiji area. Chefs prepare the food in front of
you, by hand, one dish at a time.
Tsuzuku. This tiny izakaya, hidden on a backstreet
near the Ushigome-Yanigicho Metro Station is
reservations only. The atmosphere is cozy, the
service is friendly and the seafood is fresh and sooo
tasty. They have a good selection of sake and other
drinks to complement the outstanding food.
Shinshu Osake Mura-(Nagano Sake Village). This
is a standing sake bar in Shinbashi where you can
sample different Nagano sakes and munch on tasty
treats. It`s a great place to `stand` and `taste`before
heading out for dinner.
Okonomiyaki Street: Get off at the Tsukishima
Metro station and head over to an entire street of
Okinomiyaki restaurants. This grilled pancake is
available with all sorts of ingredients (octopus, squid,
kimchi etc). Cook it yourself or have the server do it
for you. It’s delicious. Try it with Sochu mixed with
grapefruit juice or cream soda. Yum!
Shopping: Kinokunya (books), Disk Union (new and
used records and CDs), 100 Yen Store (everything),
Tokyu Hands (everything), Muji (clothing and
housewares), Uniqlo (clothes).
And the shrines and temples, the views of Mt.
Fuji, the museums and so much more…
My ‘Welcome Back to Tokyo’ drink at Shinshu
Osake Mura, the standing sake bar in Shinbashi
Steve Gillick: Writer, Photographer and Editor

4. Fresh Yakitori – grilled meat, seafood or vegetables on a skewer, at the Sunday outdoor market in Kochi, Shikoku
CULINARY BLISS
Bliss is defined in Wikipedia as “an emotional state that is characterized by perfect happiness (feelings of enjoyment,
pleasure, and satisfaction). Culinary Bliss refers to a state of euphoria (intense satisfaction) based on food and drink.
It refers to that dish placed before you where the appearance is so pleasing, the aroma so tantalizing that the first taste
results in laying down your chopsticks and just relishing the intense, creative, pleasurable sensations that the food
unleashes, as the flavours wend their way through your senses, creating that explosive taste-bud ‘wow’.
Most people travel in the pursuit of pleasure, whether it’s a beach vacation, a journey of adventure or something in-between.
But the one aspect that links them together is the food in which the destination specializes. Now I did meet
a travel educator once who shocked me by stating that he would never visit a country where he could not order
western food for all his meals. This was not due to any food sensitivities. To him it was a matter of principle that if he
was spending money to visit a country, there had to be some compromise for him to eat his breakfast of bacon and
eggs. But this person seems to be the anomaly, as most people enjoy tasting, trying, sampling and indulging all their
senses in the pursuit of good food. Japan is so ideally suited to these travellers, whether your preference is fish, meat
or vegetarian. And by the way, the most popular foods-sushi and sashimi taste so different in Japan from what most
people taste in their home town in the U.S or Canada. We are talking about melt-in-your mouth, fresh seafood and
real, honest-to- goodness freshly prepared sushi rice: the creation and pride of the resident passionate chef.
Mything my Meals. A common Myth-perception about visiting Japan relates to the cost of meals. There are in fact
sushi restaurants where the set menu will cost 30,000 Yen (roughly $310.00 US). But you can find upscale speciality
restaurants in every city in the world. In Japan you can easily eat according to your budget, and the range of eating
establishments stretches from food concessions in the Tsukiji fish market, to fresh ready-to-eat meals available at
convenience stores, to chain restaurants, and food courts in both shopping malls and department stores. You can eat
lunch for as little as $5.00, with an average price being about $15.00 per person at a food court. And the great thing
about Japan is that almost without exception, food services are clean and the food is freshly prepared.

5. Sampling Sake throughout the town of Tsukioka Onsen, Niigata

6. Culinary
Rules of Engagement
7 Eating tips when in Japan
Sometimes travelers get caught up in fascinating
rumours about a destination, so much so that they
hesitate to even travel for fear that they’ll offend others,
feel embarrassed or question their ability to learn and
laugh off any ‘mistakes’.
Before I list some of the key tips to finding comfort in a
Japanese restaurant, travelers can be assured of two
things.
1) Chopsticks. All restaurants in Japan use chopsticks.
Some will have forks for those who are chopstick-challenged.
There is a tourist rumour that you need to
bring your own chopsticks from home in case you end up
in a restaurant that uses washable chopsticks that could
Contemplating culinary perfection in Kotohira, Shikoku
result in health concerns. This is a myth! First of all, many restaurants use single-use (disposable) chopsticks.
Those that don’t are usually clean and sanitary. I know of one chopstick-challenged traveler who brings a
compact fork/spoon contraption that she bought at an outdoor store just in case she finds herself in a situation
where only chopsticks are available. Her attitude is no fuss—no bother--she just uses her own utensil, folds it up
in a plastic bag and washes it for later use.
2) Visual Dishes. Many restaurants feature plastic displays
of the main dishes. Therefore when you see something you
like, you can point to the dish. Bur even when there is no
display, many menus include pictures of the dishes, so you
can see what best whets your appetite. And remember that
many guide books (and websites) have the names of dishes
in both English and Japanese. All in all, I have found that
dining in Japan—whether upscale or more popular, is a very
pleasant and friendly experience. Many Japanese know
some English (although they may be reluctant to use it) but
this means that there is a fair chance your requests will be
understood. And one more note… I have been to many
restaurants where a friendly Japanese patron who
understood and spoke English, offered to assist in ordering
food. This in turn led to many pleasant –and educational—
conversations about Japanese cuisine. So you win either way!
A tempting display: plastic Ikura-don:
Salmon Eggs on rice
3) Eat the Leaf! In North America we are used to using leaves in our cooking to add flavour (the Bay leaf is the
most popular). You set it aside and eat the food on which it lies. Not so in Japan. The tasty leaf you will find on
your chirashi or in other dishes is the perillo leaf (Shiso, in Japanese). Curl it around the rice in your dish, pop it
in your mouth and savour the flavour.

7. 4. Don’t drown your food in soy sauce. In North America we have
a tendency to overuse salt in our foods. Therefore it’s not uncommon
to find patrons in Japanese restaurants literally bathing (or drowning)
the delicate flavour of sashimi or sushi in a bowl of soy sauce. While
you can enjoy the same experience in Japan, you will find that in
more upscale Japanese restaurants, the chef is very hands-on. He
makes the sushi by hand, places it on your plate by hand, you eat the
sushi by picking it up in your hand (not chopsticks) and…the chef will
advise which pieces of sushi are best eaten with soy sauce—which
are best eaten with ground ginger and which should be savoured with
no additives.
Even if the chef advises that soy sauce should be used, you carefully ‘kiss’ the sushi or sashimi with the
soy sauce to apply a thin layer and complement the flavour, resulting in what many refer to as “Umami”
(Pleasant savoury taste).
5. Don’t stick your chopsticks into your rice like two trees. This is a major
dining faux pas (or shitsugen) in Japan and other Asian countries where
chopsticks are stuck into a dish of rice at funerals. In between bites or at the end
of the meal, you can lay your chopsticks across the bowl or plate, or if chopstick
rests are provided (hashioki) then lay the tips of the chopsticks on the holders. If
you are using disposable chopsticks, simply lay them on top of the paper
wrapping from which they came.
6) Drink your miso soup from the bowl or cup. The ingredients in your miso
soup can be plucked out using chopsticks but then you should not start looking
around for the spoon. Just pick up the bowl or cup and drink the liquid broth.
7) Slurp! It’s absolutely ok to slurp your soup, slurp your noodles and anything else you wish.
Everyone around you will be doing it to inhale in all the flavours at the same time. Put aside your
parents’ warning ‘not to slurp’ your food. In Japan is perfectly acceptable.
A sign for the Butatama Ramen Restaurant…savour the flavour and get ready to slurp!

8. Niseko Club Village prepared the most incredible Hokke: Delicately grilled succulent fish with agadash tofu on the side
and an unexpected surprise--unlimited sake within a 180 minute time limit
Onigiri (rice calls) stuffed with salmon, seaweed, small fish, plum, miso, pickles, vegetables, tuna…and more

9. Okonomiyaki—ready for snacking at one of the Asakusa Temple festivals.
You can visit Okonomiyaki Street in Tokyo, and make your own ‘pancake” from a batter made with seafood or meat and
vegetables. It’s very yummy (oishi).
Oysters galore in Hatsukaichi City, close to Myajima. You can dine on fresh fat raw oysters, oyster steamed rice, boiled
oysters in broth, deep-fried oysters, miso soup and of course, sake

10. Above, sampling
sake from Ehime
province in
Matsuyama City.
Below, Snake
Awamori (Habu) is
very potent
alcohol with the
added bite of a pit
viper in the bottle
Only available in
Okinawa.
Beer still ranks as
the most popular
alcoholic beverage
followed by sake
and then shochu.
To toast before
you drink, say
“Kanpai”, literally
‘Dry the Glass’ or
‘Bottoms Up’.

11. Hellbent for Adventure?
Hang out with the Monkeys in Jigokudani!
Dramatic place names are attractive to
travellers, especially to those looking for status
and the prestige of saying “I visited ____ on my
last trip”. And there is no shortage. Just a quick
Google reveals such places as Heavens Door
(UK), Hell (Cayman Islands), Hell (Michigan),
Hell (Norway), Hell (Texas), Hell for Certain
(Kentucky) Hells Gate (New York), Hellhole
Canyon (California) and of course there is
Intercourse (Pennsylvania), Crotch Lake
(Ontario) and Blow Me Down (Newfoundland).
But I actually did spend some time visiting
Hell’s Valley in Japan, locally known as
Jigokudani. This is the place where you can see
the snow monkeys bathing in hot springs. It’s
slightly off the beaten track but the
photographic rewards are well worth the effort.
From Tokyo you can take a train to Nagano and
then a second train to Yudanaka. Then a local
bus will take you to the Kanbayashi Onsen stop
where a “Monkey Park” sign points to a path.
You walk though a forested area for about 30
minutes before arriving in Jigokudani.
We stayed at the Korakukan Ryokan, a
traditional guest house located very close to the
entrance to Monkey Park. The rooms have the
traditional tatami mats on the floor and your bed
consists of a thick duvet and blankets laid out
on the floor, like your own personal cocoon.
After a day of touring you can soak in either the
indoor or outdoor hot spring (onsen) and then,
wearing your slippers and Yukata (kimono),
both supplied by the guest house, you come
down to a delicious multi-course dinner of miso
soup, pickled vegetables, fish, tofu and rice. As
some of the Japanese guests spoke English,
we had a great chat with them and shared small
bottles of sake during the dinner. The total cost
for our stay, including dinner and breakfast the
next morning was about $90.00 per person.

12. Jigokudani or Hell’s Valley, is named after the
many hot springs and boiling water that oozes
and steams out of the crevices in the ground.
The main attraction is the snow monkeys
(Japanese Macaques) who, during the winter
months, come down from the mountains where
they have been foraging for food, and immerse
themselves in the hot springs inside the park.
You can see monkeys of all ages and sizes
enjoying the hot steaming waters; sitting,
playing, and seemingly meditating while
tolerating the click of cameras from the tourists.
All this takes place under the watchful eye of a
park warden. Fortunately during out stay, there
were only about 10 other tourists and after the
mandatory close-up shots of peaceful monkey
faces, most of the visitors put down the
cameras and just shared in the tranquility,
uniqueness and privilege of eye-witnessing this
famous nature spectacle.
Once you head back for the evening
(depending on the season, the park closes at
3:00 or 4:00 pm) and you head toward the
outdoor hot bath at the Ryokan, it is not unusual
to find monkeys either scampering out of the
bath when they see you approaching or, in
some cases, the monkeys stay put and you can
share your soaking experience with a simian
relative!
We checked out of the Ryokan the next
morning after breakfast, walked the 30 minute
path and caught the bus and train back to
Nagano. All in all, this was an amazing
experience: One of those times where you say
to yourself “There are 6 billion people in the
world, and here I am with 10 others, sharing an
incredible travel-experience-bond”.
If you are hell-bent on a having a great
adventure, you might consider including
Jigokudani on your next trip to Japan.
The Korokukan Ryokan at Jigokudani

14. MAKING THE RIGHT ACCOMMODATION
Location is a major factor. The Courtyard Tokyo Ginza is a 10 minute walk
to the hustle, bustle, traffic and amazing food at the Tsukiji fish market.
Confused by too many travel ‘experts’ telling you where to stay? The best way to gauge if a hotel will
be right for you is to use the tried and true formula
Location + Lifestyle + Attitude = Your Best Choice
And of course each individual has their own concept of how each of the three factors serves their needs
the best. It’s all a matter of personal interpretation. And this is also why too much dependence on online
travel advice sites can lead you off in the wrong direction. Hotels constitute a very personal aspect of
any holiday. Therefore advice from people who have actually stayed or at least visited the hotel (e.g.
travel agents, travel advisors, the Japan National Tourism Organization etc.) is much more reliable than
from anonymous online trip advisors.
I was amused when I recently checked out a small
hotel on an online advice site. While all the reviews
were quite good, one person claimed to have left
something in the room when they checked out.
The hotel was contacted three hours later and the
staff were not able to locate the missing object.
Therefore the hotel was deemed to be ‘terrible’.
At least when you seek personal testimonials
about a hotel, you can look the person in the eye
and guage whether this accommodation is really
for you or not.
Tatami Room at the Hagi No Yado Tomoe Ryokan
(In the town of Hagi)

15. Location- Decor- Attitude:
The Courtyard by Marriott Tokyo Ginza Hotel Ginza has it all
Terms of Reference:
Location: Some people prefer to stay in the
heart of a city for the excitement, the energy,
the transportation connections and the nightlife.
Others may prefer to stay some distance away
for the peace and quiet or for a specific cultural
experience, while still others might choose a
hotel right out of town for the natural setting and
solitude.
Lifestyle refers to your own needs. This may
relate to the star-rating of the hotel and your
preference for 1 star or 5 stars. Lifestyle can
also be affected by everything from the colour
scheme used in the rooms and hallways, to the
amenities in the rooms or how ‘green’ the hotel is in terms of their environmental footprint.
In Japan, lifestyle can relate to the type of room you are looking for: Western or Japanese. Western
rooms mirror those you will find anywhere in the world—one or two beds, a bathroom, a television, a
desk etc. Japanese rooms –also known as tatami rooms, are a different experience.
Tatami: These straw mats cover the floor of the room and are used for all activities including sleeping.
The furniture in a tatami room may be knee-high or shorter, with the idea that you sit cross legged, with
your legs in front of you or side saddle. The chairs --more like chair-backs-- offer back support as you
sit at the tea table. Tatami rooms usually have a television, a storage closet where you’ll find the futon,
blankets and pillows that the house-keeping staff will lay out on the floor for you at night time. Rooms
will have a washroom, equipped with a Japanese bathtub—which is usually very deep for soaking.
Other lifestyle factors may relate to the type of hotel: a high story hotel with hundreds of rooms, a small
hotel for a more intimate stay, a Ryokan (a traditional bed and breakfast), a business hotel (usually 2-3
stars) for convenience and cost, and of course ‘capsule’ hotels which the author has scrupulously
avoided to date.
Attitude: The attitude of the hotel, as a whole, is
often what inspires people to return. Do you
receive an enthusiastic greeting when you arrive or
robot-like demand for a credit card? Is the decor of
the hotel and your room to your liking or does it
remind you of something that your grandparents
would love—or at the opposite end of the spectrum,
something that would be better placed in Las
Vegas, rather than Tokyo? Does the staff make a
concerted effort to smile, be friendly and act helpful
or do they try to look busy whenever you approach
the front desk or the concierge. And lastly, does the
hotel leave a good impression on you when you
check out—are they friendly and wish you a good
trip onward, or is the check-out an impersonal
business transaction from an unsmiling clerk who
just wants you to pay the bill and leave?
A smile conveys the attitude of the Niwa Hotel:
friendly, helpful and positive

16. All these factors come into play at any hotel, anywhere in the world. Here are some hotels that I
recommend. Updates will be added in future issues of Travel2Japan.
The Travel2Japan Hotel Advisory
Tokyo-Courtyard by Marriott, Ginza—this is one of my favourites. Great location—only a 10 minute
walk to the Tsukiji fish market, 10 minutes to the Ginza Metro station, 10 minutes to the Kabuki Theatre
and shopping. The colours used in the hotel are comfortably warm—both in the lobby, corridors and
rooms. Free internet for guests, exercise room. Friendly, helpful staff. Convenience stores in the area
for picking up water or snacks. I really enjoy staying here.
Tokyo-Hyatt Regency, Shinjuku—easy access from the Nishi-Shinjuku Metro station. Great views of
Mt. Fuji if you’re facing the right direction and are on a high floor. 15-20 minute walk to the Shinjuku
subway as well as the main shopping area of stores and restaurants galore. Good décor. Friendly and
helpful staff. Convenience store and some shops in the basement.
Tokyo-Tokyo Hilton, Shinjuku—literally across the road from the Hyatt and so very similar features
and amenities exist in terms of very easy Metro access and close to the Shinjuku shopping and
restaurant areas. Convenience store outside, around the corner. Helpful staff. Popular hotel for
weddings and conferences.
Tokyo-Niwa Hotel—accessible by train/Metro, this hotel offers a quiet alternative from the downtown
hustle and bustle. Beautiful property built around a garden (niwa) with very pleasing décor, comfortable
rooms, beautiful tea pots in each room, free internet and friendly staff.
The view from one of the suites at the Rhiga Royal Hotel.
The Chigoku Mountains in the background- Hiroshima Castle and the Moat in the foreground

17. More recommended hotels —Listed alphabetical by city, with the region in brackets.
Hagi (Chugoku) Hagi no Yado Tomoe
Ryokan. A friendly, warm place to stay. Rent
bicycles here to explore the pottery shops and
other attractions in Hagi. Very good dinners
and breakfasts.
Hakone (Kanto) Ichi Noyu. We did not stay
here but toured it extensively. Great tatami
rooms with in room onsen—as well as full
onsen on main floor. Historic building, not far
from the main shopping area of Hakone.
Tatami rooms. Friendly staff.
Hiroshima (Chugoku) Rhiga Royal Hotel-great
location right in front of the Castle. 10
Sayabashi—the covered bridge in Kotohira is only a
10 minute walk from the Kotosankaku Hotel
minute walk to the Peace memorial—easy walk to the many shopping malls—about 15-20 minute walk
to Michan—one of the best okinomiyaki restaurants in the country.
Jigokudani (Chubu) Korakukan Ryokan. Very friendly place to stay—just 10 minutes from the
entrance to the Monkey park where you can find the snow monkeys in family groups bathing, playing
and just hanging out. There are indoor and outdoor onsens in the Ryokan. Great dinner and breakfast.
Kagoshima (Kyushu) Shiroyama Kanko Hotel. Great views of the volcano –sakurajima—from the
top floor—good location—comfy rooms.
Kochi (Shikoku) Hankyu Hotel-business hotel so it’s in the 2-3 star category but great location—good
access to streetcars to go to the Ryoma memorial or the famous Dogo Onsen. About a 10 minute walk
to the Sunday market, the castle or the downtown shops. Very friendly place.
Kotohira (Kyushu) Kotosankaku. This is a Ryokan-Hotel—It looks huge from the outside but the
friendly staff do their best to provide personalized service and this tends to ‘shrink’ the hotel down in
size. Rooms are tatami style—very comfortable. There is a wonderful onsen (hot bath) in the
basement. Exceptional dinners are included with the room. Location is just a short walk from Konpira-san,
the shrine that draws thousands to the town as part of the 88 temple pilgrimage around Kyushu.
Naha (Okinawa) Okinawa Nahana Hotel and
Spa. Friendly staff—easy walk to the downtown
area and shopping—and very close to some
really good izakayas for drinks and meals,
Niseko (Hokkaido) Hilton Niseko Village—
great location in the mountains for winter/summer
activities. 24 hour indoor/outdoor onsen. Very
friendly and comfortable place to stay.
Takayama (Chubu) Rickshaw Inn—stayed here
on three occasions. 10 minute walk from the
train station—5 minutes to restaurants or the
morning markets. Very friendly place to stay.
Shuri-jo (Castle) is located in Okinawa’s capital
city, Naha, about 20 minutes by taxi or 40 minutes
by bus from the Okinawa Nahana Hotel

18. YAMAGUCHI: Exploring the Entrance
to the Mountain Forest
A version of this article first appears in Steve’s column in www.travelindustrytoday.com (April 19, 2013)
Yamaguchi prefecture is tucked away in the
north-east corner of Honshu Island, in the
Chugoku region of Japan. It’s an area in which
one can absolutely fascinate over the small
towns, history, nature and ambiance, before
continuing eastward toward Kyushu to explore
its own bounties of pottery, fugu snacks and the
fiery attractions of volcanoes, mud baths and
shochu (Kyushu’s home grown alcoholic
beverage of choice).
The historical translation of “Yamaguchi” is the
“entrance to the mountain forest’, but literally
the name means Mountain (Yama) Mouth
(Guchi) and refers to the Chugoku mountains
and the ancient volcanoes in the region. For
travellers looking to go beyond the standard
tour itineraries and discover Japan from a
different perspective, Yamaguchi is a real gem.
My friend and I took the train from Shinjuku
Station to Shinagawa Station and then switched
to the monorail to Haneda airport. On the way
we caught a glimpse of Mt. Fuji’s snow covered
peak, emerging from a pre-dawn greyness into
the first light of the morning. The total travel
time was under one hour.
The flight to Ube airport was about 90 minutes
and then we took the bus to Shin-Yamaguchi
and a final bus to the former castle town of
Hagi. We went there for three reasons.
1) to visit the pottery shops 2) to explore the old
samurai mansions, and 3) to visit the temples.
We got off the bus and wandered through a
maze of small streets until we found the Hagi
no Yodo Tamoe Ryokan, checked in, rented
bicycles and started to explore.
Hagi is a relatively small town on mostly flat
ground, so bicycling is the perfect way to get
around. The pottery area is famous for “Hagi
ware”, traditional pottery known for its humble
forms and the use of a translucent white glaze
made of feldspar and ash. But in fact we were
the ones who were humbled once we started to
look around.
Now I should say from the get-go that I am not
a ceramics expert in any way shape or form
and I would not know a kiln from a microwave.
So why spend an entire day looking at the
shops? I happen to collect sake cups (to go
along with my sake collection) and Hagi ware is
known for simplistic beauty and superior
craftsmanship (as well as the supreme
friendliness of the shop owners in explaining
the respective artist who created the
masterpieces that each shop sells). Sake cups
sell anywhere in equivalent Canadian dollars
Bicycling down a street of Samurai mansions in Hagi
Hagi-ware - Sake Cups

19. The water fountain (Chouzubachi) at Rurikoji Temple for washing the hands before prayer
from $25.00 to $150.00 and become prize
possessions of sake aficionados (aside from
the fact that it makes the sake taste sooo much
better). And in addition to the white glaze, Hagi
ware is characterized by a small chip in the
bottom of each piece that historically, made the
produce unacceptable to be given as a gift of
tribute to the ruling feudal lord, and allowed that
piece to be sold at market. The tradition of the
‘chip’ has continued to this day.
Hagi’s other treasures include back streets
where one can visit old samurai houses. The
daimyo or feudal lord would live in the Castle,
which in Hagi’s case, was built in 1604 but was
mostly destroyed in 1874. The lord’s
retainers—the samurai warriors who pledged to
defend the feudal lord--- lived in the nearby
castle town or Jokamachi, and some of these
samurai mansions have survived and offer a
glimpse into the past. One of the themes that
draws travellers to Japan is the samurai era
and many will want to soak up the history and
stories of that time period. For example, on the
nearby island of Ganryu-jima, between Honshu
and Kyushu, is the venue where the historic
dual took place in 1612 between the legendary
swordsmen Myamoto Musashi and Sasaki
Kojiro.
The ruins of Hagi Castle are only a short bicycle
ride away, as are the Tokoji and Daishoin
Temples where members of the Mori clan are
buried. The traditional, simple yet powerful
architectural lines of the temples, complete with
fields of lanterns and the tranquility of Zen
gardens, offer a serene place to wander, learn
and reflect. This too follows a theme for
travellers to Japan, and emphasizes ‘silence’,
‘meditation’, ‘religion’ ‘temple architecture’ and
‘gardens’.

20. Back to our Ryokan after a very fulfilling day we
soaked in the hot bath, donned a yukata
(kimono) and flip flops (provided for each guest)
and then made our way to the dining room
where we sat cross legged at a table about 2 ½
feet off the ground and savoured the flavour of
delicious sashimi, rice, grilled fish, steamed
vegetables and miso soup, along with Sapporo
beer. A Japanese businessman at the table
next to us heard me speaking English and
invited himself to our table. He bought a round
of beer and in a hilarious, somewhat inebriated
state, engaged me in teaching him about
Toronto and Canada. One of those memorable
encounters.
After an equally delectable breakfast the next
morning, we headed out to Akiyoshidai National
Park. As we approached the park the
landscape turned from an almost scrub brush
appearance to karst (limestone) outcroppings
and spires, and we also passed fields that
showed the results of yama-yaki—the tradition
of setting fires to re-energize the soil and
stimulate crop growth.
The main attraction in the park is Akiyoshido,
the largest limestone cave in Japan. While only
one of the nine kilometers of the cave was open
to the public, it’s still a fascinating journey into
the centre of the earth to see the cave
formations, including the ubiquitous stalactites
and stalagmites. We are the only visitors in the
cave and we do one of those “there are 6 billion
people in the world and at this point in time we
Scenery along the narrow roads in Hagi
are the only ones on the planet appreciating
this cave right now”. In the park, aside from the
cave, there many walking trails on the plateau,
so the visit was an adventure both above and
beneath the ground.
After returning to Yamaguchi City, we spent the
following day exploring the Rurikoji Temple with
its five-storied pagoda, the Joeiji Zen Temple
and garden, and the modern Xavier Memorial
Church, dedicated to the visit of St Francis
Xavier to the city in 1551.
Yamaguchi prefecture is one of those off–the-beaten-
track destinations for most North
American tourists who tend to favour the Tokyo-
Kyoto corridor when they visit Japan. But
sometimes getting off the track is the best way
to learn and understand a country. The
‘Entrance to the Mountain Forest’ provides
insight into Japan’s history, traditions, natural
attractions, crafts and small towns.
Statue on Ganryujima Island depicting the
historic duel between Musashi (L) and Sasaki
The Five-Storey Pagoda at the
Rurikoji Temple

21. The entrance to the amazing cave at Akiyoshidai

22. The Tokyo SKyTree is currently the tallest tower in the world at 634 Meters. While the tower appears in the customized colour of
“SKYTREE White” during the day, in the evening the colours alternate between “Iki”, a pale blue light representing the Sumida
River, and “Miyabi” (shown here) where the colour “Edo Purple” showcases the structure of the SkyTree. Take the Toei-Asakusa
Subway Line to the Oshiage Station and then take in the scenery—including Mount Fuji—from the 450 m observation level.

23. i
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Destination
Master Class
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What you see is what you sell…but
what about all the rest?
The world will never look the same again
to you or your clients

24. After an amazing lunch (for two) at Benkei Kaiten Sushi Restaurant in Niigata City,
the cashier adds up the different colour plates, each indicating the price of the selected dish.