Osaka [大阪]

After spending most of the morning in the shinkansen, we got to Osaka in the early afternoon and after dropping our bags at the hotel we popped off the Osaka castle. Sadly like most Japanese castles the original castle was destroyed quite a while ago but this replica was built in its place, from the inside it basically functions as a very large themed museum to the castle (personally I thought Himeji was a nicer place to visit, mainly on account that it has original castle left to walk around in - giving it a more authentic feel)

Osaka Castle


Moinet's


The Osaka speciality of things on sticks covered in breadcrumbs and deep fried - along with the grimicing mascot.

The famous Glico illumiated advert by the river...

Yanaka [谷中]

A very large cemetry in Tokyo, North of Ueno park [上野公園]. A beautiful sunny day, and whilst Greg took his dad to Harajuku and Meji-jingu shrine my parents and I spent the morning cycling around Tokyo, first going to Koishikawa Korakuen gardens [小石川後楽園] just to the west of Tokyo Dome...

Asakusa [浅草]

I spent the morning with my parents cycling down to Bunkyo-ku civic center where we went up to the veiwing platform to have a look about town. We then went to meet Greg and his dad then headed to Asakusa...

There happened to be a cosplay convention just outside the Asakusa temple...

Harbin Part II

Some post conference sightseeing snaps...

The museum and tomb of a regional emporor...
(my professor knows his Chinese history, unlike me)

The burial mound of the Jing dynasty emporor

Central Street - pedestrianised and cobbled

St. Sofia Church - now a mini museum of the photographic history of Harbin.

Harbin Part I

View from my bedroom, sorry... 'suite' on the 29th floor...

SunIsland - where the Ice Festival usually takes place every winter

Despite it being the middle of summer (and it being damned hot) they do have a Ice Sculpture museum; a big freezer room where they have ice sculptures all year round: costs 80yuan to get in and 15yuan to rent the compulsary legwarmers, shoes and jackets that you need to not freeze once inside.

We also went to 'Polar World' which was, as I usually find aquariums and zoos, depressing. Animals in tiny confines being stared at by humans through panes of glass. On the otherhand much further north of the city there is a tiger reserve where you can drive through their cages and take photos of of tigers and ligers (lion-tiger hybrid). Every so often you would see a splattering of chicken feathers where a tasty chicken had been had.

Miaow?

Best of all, after the little bus excursion, they dropped you off on a caged pedestrian walkway where the majority of visitors took too banging on the cage and shouting at the (disinterested) tigers trying to get an interesting response. On the walkway there was an enterprising lady selling live chickens and bits of raw beef. The first of which could be thrown over the fence to feed the tigers, the second could be dangled on the end of some provided string presumably to do a bit of 'tigering'. I personally think 50yuan is a good price for a whole live chicken, but would be more tempted to take it home as a pet than watch it become a snack on moving legs...

For some added cuteness there were fluffy baby tigers to have photos taken with.

Noto Peninsula [能登半島]

[Part 8 of 2008 Winter Road Trip]

We drove up the Noto Peninsula from Kanazawa, just to see what it was like.

It was windy.

But on the brightside we did see a glimpse of the Japan Sea. The Japan Sea was enjoying the wind and crashing happily about on the coast. We did at one point venture out of the warmth and protection of the car to have a little walk, battling against the strong winds to have a look at Ganmon [巌門]. We walked down to the edge of the sea, then went down some stairs that we installed in a tunnel the the mass of rock that formed part of the coast line. It was dark. We came out at the edge of a sea-eroded arch. However, the sea was rapidly and rather energetically approching the rock that we standing on. And as all the signs painted on the wall of the cave-like place that we were currently standing in were all pointing in the direction from which we had just came and said 'EXIT' we thought we'd better leave before the sea decided to take us with it.

Kanazawa [金沢]

[Part 7 of 2008 Winter Road Trip]

Kanazawa [金沢] is in Ishikawa Prefecture [石川県], up near the inside of the 'elbow' of Japan, facing the Japan sea. Unfortunately, the weather was not so good when we went. So the photos all look a bit dreary...

Parts of the town had the traditional mud walls, which were partly covered in straw sheeting when we went (we thought it was to stop them from getting too damp. Anyway, this is apparently the Nagamachi district[長町] of Kanazawa - where the samurai used to live.


Wondering around the Nagamachi district, we came across a very nice little ceramics shop (which also included a small museum and coffee shop - but we just went into the shop part). Unfortunately, the things that we liked were around a million Yen...so a little out of our budget. The ceramics were very impressive, we were particularly taken by some small tea cups (with lids) which had very fine Japanese calligraphy penned on the *inside* of the cup. One of them was barely bigger than a thimble.

Kanazawa also has a very funky looking torii [鳥居](usually a gate to a temple) outside the main railway station. Underneath the torii is a water fountain, which both tells that time and tells you occasionally that 'Kanazawa is good!'.

Shirakawago [白川郷]

[Part 6 of 2008 Winter Road Trip]

Several villages spanning Shirakawago [白川郷] and Gokayama [五箇山] make up the UNESCO world heritage site, which protects the traditionally, steep-sided thatched roofs of these farm houses. Luckily for us, it had snowed a little the night before so it looked quite pretty.

a view of Ainokura [相倉] and a Gassho [合掌] in Ogimachi [荻町]

We had booked in to stay in one of the Gassho's, which provided hefty dinners and breakfasts. The first Gassho that we stayed in was also entertaining two other familys; both familys had four generations with them; a great grandparent, grandparents, mothers and fathers and several children. In total about 16 people were seated around the main tatami room eating dinner.

Dinner and breakfast...and there was alot more than is shown in the photos...

Fishies being cooked in the open fire in the middle of the tatami room. Despite there being no visible form of ventilation in the room the room was not smoky at all. Which was a bit strange. Sadly we were quite far from the fire, so it was also rather chilly at our side of the room.

Small Village of Ainokura [相倉] made up of traditional Gassho-style farm houses [合掌]

The second Gassho we stayed in, was smaller but much cosier (only 8 guests, only 2 of which were Japanese). The room was quite nice here, as was the food....

We found our places to stay through this website [http://www.vill.shirakawa.gifu.jp/e/] just click on 'Accomodation' in the index, and it will take you to a list of places to stay. Generally you have to phone up the place to book.