Because of my continued jet lag, I’ve been unable to update this blog as frequently as I had hoped after my return. Even after a few days of being back home my biological clock refuses to set itself. This means I wake up at 3-4am, go to work insanely early, return home and shortly thereafter go to bed. I blame my persistent jet lag on my lab, which has no windows and the weather which has been overcast all week. Anyways, for everyone anyone waiting, here is my first post of many to come regarding my trip to Japan!
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KEIO PRESSO INN Shinjuku
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| This was the first hotel we stayed in, a simple business hotel in Shinjuku. It was unremarkable but clean, and my first Japanese business hotel experience. The shower and bathroom was expectedly small, however I found the water pressure to be more then adequate and the toilet with the obligatory control panel was fun to play with. The best part was the free internet (via Ethernet cable), and the complementary breakfast, which was basically some free rolls, juice, and coffee. The location was also nice, somewhat close to Shinjuku station and the lower floor had a convenience store. |
| Yudanaka Onsen Seifuso |
This was the first Ryokan experience we had in Japan. The one bit of advice I would give for anyone venturing to this Ryokan is to get a detailed map of where its located (google maps seemed to work well). By foot, its about a 3-5min walk from the train station, however its rather difficult to determine which Ryokan you should enter since most don’t have english signage. Thankfully, with my iPhone and comparing the Kanji on a few signs we were able do locate our Ryokan after some searching.
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| The fantastic kotatsu in our guest room. |
Some reviews on Japanese Guest Houses claimed the rooms were not "immaculate", however I was more than satisfied with their cleanliness. Our room was much larger than I had expected, about 14 tatmi mats, and included a kotatsu which was fantastic. Even though we arrived rather late, I was able to try the outdoor onsen (my first Japanese onsen experience). Although I was slightly adverse at being naked, the outdoor bath was great and quite soothing. The staff were extremely nice and helpful, and breakfast the next morning was one of the best Japanese breakfasts I’ve had. On our way out, they provided us with a map to the monkey park as well as some apples for the road. I highly recommend this Ryokan to anyone considering it. The building is beautiful with the courtyard garden, and with two onsen baths there’s always one open for each gender.
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| Korakukan Jigokudani |
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This was our second Ryokan; we were going to stay here for two nights however they wouldn’t let us check in late. The hike to the Ryokan is about 1.8Km by foot, although I believe there is a road that will bring you closer however this is closed in the winter. This is completely unnecessary however; the walk was nice despite the layer of ice that had formed. Thankfully the weather was nice although it if were snowing I could imagine the hike to be much more treacherous. The building itself was interesting, and as many had commented before, seemed like parts were falling into disrepair. This added to its character however, and once again our room was nice and large with a fantastic view of the valley leading up to the monkey park.
Once we had settled in we headed to the monkey park, a short walk from the Ryokan. I believe the entrance fee was around $10, however it was worth every penny as
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| Trail leading to Korakukan Jigokudani. |
this is the only place in the world that you can get within feet of “wild” Japanese Snow Macaques. The park itself is rather small compared to what I had expected, there is a small waiting room with some souvenirs and, ironically enough, an open WiFi access point. Amazingly enough I was even able to connect while I was at the Ryokan with my Eee PC, although it was a rather weak signal. Dinner was great, and included crickets which I did try. They weren’t bad at all, I believe they were cooked in some soy sauce, although I had a hard time getting my mind off the fact they were crickets.
Later that evening we tried the onsen, which smelled slightly of sulfur however this was expected. The indoor onsen was more to my liking; there was also an outdoor one that was in full view to anyone on the trail to the monkey park. I was slightly hesitant to try the outdoor onsen, since as I mentioned previously monkeys did use it often and I was afraid of infecting myself with monkey poo. No need to worry, its been about two weeks and I still feel fine to the best of my knowledge. It was very soothing for the short time I spent outside and on a clear night the view of the stars is fantastic and well worth the naked walk outside. If your planning on going to this Ryokan I would recommend going for one night, as the monkey park can easily be covered within 1-2 hours and any other attractions are a 1.8km hike away. Although slightly run down, it was quite an experience and well with the trip.
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| Hakata Green 1 |
| What can I say, this was literally the cheapest place I could find in Fukuoka, aside from a youth hostel or capsule hotel. It was basically an older version of the Presso Inn, without some of the amenities such as free internet or breakfast. There was a computer in the lobby we could use; however their service was the bare basics. There was no coin laundry that we could find, and the shower was slightly smaller than the Presso. Like I said, it was as cheap as I could find and you get what you pay for. The room was clean and it was a place to sleep which is about all we used it for. The location directly to Hakata station was nice however. It should be noted there is a Hakata Green II, however as my travel companion who was forced to stay in Fukuoka for an extra night has reported, it’s an exact copy of Green I and the same price. |
| Hyatt Regency Kyoto |
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| Viewing Bamboo Blade on the guest room TV. |
In contrast to the Hakata Green I, the Hyatt Regency Kyoto is one of the best hotels I’ve stayed at. The service was amazing and the guest room was immaculate and brand new (I believe the hotel opened on 2007). The best part was they included a 42inch flat panel TV, along with a DVD player which allowed us to sample some of our Akihabara purchases. When we arrived bellhops with white gloves were quick to take our bags and lead us to our room once we had checked in. They were even kind enough to show us how to use the TV and other things in our room, and asked us if we’d like a newspaper delivered in the morning. The mini bar was expectedly full and we filled out the card for breakfast to be delivered the following morning. The bathroom was the best part, with a deep Japanese soaking tub and shower, which I immediately used. There was even a personalized letter from the manager with the weather forecast for the next few days
The next morning when we checked out they called a taxi for us, which was compensated, and told us when we returned the day
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| One of the best parts about the Hyatt, the bathroom. |
after the taxi from the station would also be compensated. Even though Matt absolutely loathed the Hyatt because of their ridiculous and possibly intrusive service, I was extremely impressed. If I even stay in Kyoto again I’ll be sure to stay at the Hyatt. Their prices are rather steep, expect to pay about $40 for a “garden” breakfast which is basically an nice assortment of pastries, fruit, and coffee or tea. However, like I said, you get what you pay for and in this case much of that is service and amenities.
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| Shirakawago-Shimizu |
| Out last Ryokan, Shirakawago-Shimizu, was located in the small village of Shirakawago in the Gifu prefecture. Shimizu Ryokan is located in a 200 year old house with only three guest rooms. We were able to easily find Shimizu in the dark and dinner was served shortly after we arrived. Dinner was great as expected, and it was fun getting to know our other guests who ate with us around the fire. Later that night we all ventured to the local bathhouse, which I HIGHLY recommend even if your adverse to mass nudity. The only problem I had was with the kerosene heater in our room, which would turn off after 2 hours (I think this is a safety feature). I would recommend Shimizu to anyone visiting Shirakawago. Our hostess was amazing, and its location somewhat on the edge of Shirakawago means slightly more privacy during busy times of the year. |
| Marks Inn Sapporo |
| Marks was literally the only place we could get reservations, as we were staying in the midst of the Sapporo Snow Festival and every hotel in Sapporo was booked solid. This was basically a repeat of Hakata Green I, your standard business hotel with the bare minimum. There was a complementary breakfast in the morning with pastries and coffee, and internet was available in my guest room which was a plus. Aside from that, it was a place to sleep and that’s about it. |
| Hilton Tokyo Narita Airport |
| Due to a snow storm in Sapporo, our flight was canceled causing me to miss my connecting flight out of Tokyo. This meant I had to re-schedule my flight and spend another night in Tokyo. I picked the Hilton on a whim after I found a deal on a deluxe suite with breakfast included. To be honest I had been spoiled by my previous experience in the Hyatt, which is what I expected when I arrived. In every aspect the Hilton was un-remarkable, service was standard, and my suite seemed like it was out of the 90s. I don’t think I would stay at the Narita Hilton again unless they remodeled their rooms, instead I would recommend the ANA plaza, which is where I should have stayed at. There was, however, an AM PM in the lobby. |
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