Nakasendo tours in spring 2011

Spring – known as haru -- is an ideal time to visit Japan when cherry trees erupt in a stunning display of blossom. Crowds gather under the best trees for traditional hanami – or cherry blossom viewing -- parties.

The best time to witness this spectacular sight is at the end of March and beginning of April. Why not join a Japan Travelogue 10 night Nakasendo tour. Starting in Tokyo we then head to the Kiso valley in central Japan, where we walk from village to village through beautiful countryside along the ancient Nakasendo road. We end our trip in the old imperial capital, Kyoto. Along the way, we stay in traditional Japanese inns, many of which have been run by the same family for generations.

Alternatively, try our 14 day Highlights of Japan tour. In addition to stays in Tokyo and Kyoto and three nights walking the Nakasendo Way, we also visit Kamakura, Hakone, Nara, Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Full details of all our tours and custom options are available at www.japantravelogue.com.

Suica & N'EX: A great travel savings package

Looking to make a saving on travel fares in Tokyo? Check out the convenient Suica & N'EX travel card. It includes a round-trip ticket between Narita Airport and the Tokyo/Yokohama area on the Narita Express train plus 1,500 yen preloaded on a Suica smart card.

For full details and terms and conditions visit the JR East webpage via this link:


http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/suica-nex/index.html#category01

Images of Old Japan

On our Nakasendo walking tour we pass through old post towns and villages that date back centuries. The Old Photos of Japan blog by Kjeld Duits is a great resource that compliments this look back with photos dating from the Meiji(1868-1912), Taisho(1912-1926) and Showa (1926-1989) periods.

For more images of old Japan visit: http://www.oldphotosjapan.com/en/

Images of the old Nakasendo

Here is a selection of woodblock prints of the places that Japan Travelogue's Nakasendo walking tour passes through. These prints date back to the 1830s and form a part of a series of prints published as The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kisokaido. This work was a collaboration between two artists, Ando/Utagawa Hiroshige and Keisai Eisen. Walking along the Nakasendo today it is still possible to see glimpses of Japan as it was during the artists' time.

1. Nihonbashi (Tokyo). Eisen


2. Karuizawa. Hiroshige.


3. Narai. Eisen.


4. Yabuhara. Hiroshige.


5. Kisofukushima. Hiroshige.


6. Nojiri. Eisen.


7. Midono. Hiroshige.


8. Tsumago. Hiroshige.


9. Magome. Eisen.


10. Ochiai. Hiroshige.


11. Nakatsugawa. Hiroshige.


12. Oi. Hiroshige.


13. Okute. Hiroshige.


14. Hosokute. Hiroshige.


15. Mitake. Hiroshige.

Article about Kyoto as seen by a foreigner

A great article by Pico Iyer about discovering Kyoto captures many of the aspects we recognize.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/93348289.html

The Japan Rail Pass option

The Japan Rail Pass can offer a very economical way to travel within Japan. The pass comes in two types: Green (first class) and Ordinary. These passes can be purchased as 7 day, 14 day and 21 day passes. They offer unlimited travel on Japan Rail train, bus and ferry networks for the duration of validity. There are some restrictions, however. Passes are not valid on Nozomi class shinkansen bullet trains on the Tokaido and Sanyo lines.

Before purchasing a Japan Rail pass, find out the approximate cost of your total rail travel in Japan to see if the Japan Rail Pass options offers you a real saving. You can do this by using a convenient journey planner website that also allows you to find out the cost of your journey. Go to http://www.hyperdia.com/ and type in the departure and arrival points (including dates and times). You can choose between reserved seating and unreserved (cheaper) seating ticket prices. Then compare the total cost of all the journeys you plan to make with the price of a corresponding Japan Rail Pass. Sometimes it is cheaper to buy rail tickets individually rather than a Japan Rail Pass. The Japan Rail pass is ideal for people who plan to use the JR train network extensively during their stay in the country.

Japan Rail Pass website: http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en003.html

Street styles in Tokyo

The streets of Tokyo are great for people watching. You can follow street fashion in there at:
http://www.style-arena.jp/en/street/

Summer of Japanese Festivals

Some summer festivals in Japan to check out.

1. Tenjin Matsuri in Osaka held on 24 & 25 July. A 1000 year old tradtion. A festival on land and water in Osaka. Follow the whole festival from beginning to end at the website below.
http://www.osaka-info.jp/tenjin_matsuri/main_en.html

2. Nebuta Matsuri in Aomori held between 2 - 7 August. One of the largest festivals in the region with impressive floats.
http://www.nebuta.jp/english/index_e.htm

3. Akita Kanto Matsuri in Akita city from 3 - 6 August. Impressive balancing of a stack of lanterns hanging from a huge pole is one of the highlights.
http://www.kantou.gr.jp/english/index.htm

4. Yamagata Hanagasa Matsuri held in Yamagata from 5 - 7 August. About 10,000 dancers parade with decorated hats and floats.
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/indepth/history/traditionalevents/a44_fes_hanagasa.html

5. Awa Odori is one of the largest dance festivals in Japan held in Tokushima from 12 - 15 August.
http://www.city.tokushima.tokushima.jp/english/awaodori.html
http://web-japan.org/atlas/festivals/fes19.html

A history of travel in Tokugawa dynasty Japan

Breaking Barriers, Travel and the State in Early Modern Japan by Constantine Nomikos Vaporis.

This is recommended reading for anyone interested in the history of the Edo period and the developement of the travel inside Japan at this time.

Planning your trip: Timing.

A few things to consider when planning your walking trip to Japan.

1. The time of year to visit.

End of March to the beginning of April is best for cherry blossom viewing. The landscape is transformed by this truely amazing natural spectacle. But be aware cities like Kyoto are very busy with both domestic and overseas tourists. Booking accommodation well in advance is strongly recommended. Some hotels are fully booked several months to a year in advance for the end of March and beginning of April.

July and August. This is a particularly hot and humid time Japan and is best avoided, unless you are thinking of heading for the higher regions such as the Japan Alps and Mount Fuji or going to one of the summer festivals (matsuri). The official climbing season for Mount Fuji is during July and August when the huts and emergency facilities are operational.

October through November. This is a great time to visit. The climate in central Japan is ideal for walks in the forest and mountain trails. It's generally still warm in the lower areas, like Kyoto and Tokyo, but starting to cool down during the day in higher altitudes. Nights in higher areas are chilly. Autumn colors start to set in from mid-October through to November and make for breathtaking scenes in rural Japan in particular.

Golden week is a string of public holidays that start on the 29th of April through to the 5th of May. Around these dates it feels like the whole of Japan is on the move and train and air travel and tourist attactions are best avoided.

2. Some festivals (Matsuri) to consider.
You might like to synchronise  your visit to coincide with some Japanese festivals.  Listed below are some of the better known ones.

- April & October. Takayama Festival.
http://www.hidanet.ne.jp/e02/ematsuri/ekigen.htm

- May (3rd weekend- Sunday and preceding Friday and Saturday of May). Sanja Festival in Asakusa, Tokyo.
http://www.asakusa-umai.ne.jp/e_asakusa/matsuri/index_spr_e.html#5

- July. Gion Festival in Kyoto.
http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/visitkyoto/en/info_required/traditional/kyoto_city/02/

- October (22nd). Kurama Fire Festival in Kyoto
http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/visitkyoto/en/info_required/traditional/kyoto_city/18/

3. Ryokan.

Staying at a Japanese inn including enjoying a traditional kaiseki meal is a highlight of visiting. You can choose from super luxury to cheap class of inn. If you stay at a luxury class Japanese inn for several nights running you will soon discover that the awe-factor tends to fade with repetition of the experience.  Instead, treat yourself to a night at one of the top ryokans and enjoy their fabulous service and kaiseki dinner then move on to a hotel or moderate ryokan using it as a base to explore the wide choice of restaurants a city like Tokyo and Kyoto, for example, have to offer.

Two luxury ryokans in Kyoto (*prices are a guide only. Please contact the inns directly for prices).

1. Tawaraya.
Anenokoji-agaru, Fuyacho, Oike-agaru, Nakagyo-ku
Kyoto 604-8094, Japan
Tel:  +81 (0)75 211 5566
Fax: +81 (0)75 211 2204
Prices from around JPY50,000 per person per night based on double occupancy and two meals.
http://www.japanican.com/hotels/shisetsudetail.aspx?ar=A41&st=6232046

2. Hiiragiya.
Nakahakusancho, Fuyacho Anekoji-agaru, Nakagyo-ku,
Kyoto 604-8094, Japan
Tel:  +81 (0)75 221 1136
Fax: +81 (0)75 221 1139
Prices from around JPY35,000 per person per night based on double occupancy and two meals.
http://www.hiiragiya.co.jp/en/

Aizenkobo hand-dyed indigo textiles in Kyoto

Aizenkobo workshop in Kyoto is a great place to visit for handwoven and hand-dyed indigo textiles. Working in a machiya-style traditional Japanese townhouse located in the Nishijin textile district of Kyoto, Utsuki-san uses a traditional Japanese indigo-dying techniques to produce beautiful and long lasting textiles and garments.


This friendly shop near Imadegawadori not far from the Kyoto Archeological museum.

See: http://web.inet.or.jp/people/aizen

Images of Tokyo in the Meiji and Taisho periods.

The National Diet Library has an amazing collection of images of Tokyo from the Meiji (1868-1912) and Taisho (1912-1926) periods. It's an interesting resource that helps one to understand how the physical landscape of Tokyo has changed over time.

The link to the National Diet Libarary is here:

http://www.ndl.go.jp/scenery/e/category/index.html

Highlights of our Nakasendo tour

Our 10 night, 11 day, Nakasendo walking tour starts in Tokyo and ends in Kyoto. We travel through the beautiful Kiso valley section of this historic road. For more information please visit our website at http://japantravelogue.com/nakasendo.php
Or contact us at tours@japantravelogue.com

We look forward to welcoming you to Japan!

2011 Nakasendo tour dates

We are pleased to announce the 2011 dates for our Nakasendo walking tour. For full details please visit our Nakasendo tour page at:
http://www.japantravelogue.com/nakasendo.php

We look forward to welcoming you to Japan!

Cherry Blossom forecast for 2010

Accurately forecasting the start of the cherry blossom season is notoriously difficult and the Japan Meteorological Agency has in the recent past taken a hit or two for getting it very wrong. It no longer provides this service. Instead, here are the latest predictions from the Japan Weather Association Report to give you a rough idea of when to enjoy this magical season in Japan.

http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/indepth/seasonal/sakura2010/

This is a particularly busy time in Japan with both domestic and overseas tourists flocking to the best cherry blossom viewing sites. Accommodation in places like Kyoto fill up several months in advance of this season with some hotels and inns accepting bookings a year in advance. Perhaps a good time time to start planning your visit to Japan in 2011.

Shoes and slippers etiquette at a Japanese inn.

Adhering to the correct etiquette for shoes and slippers is very important when staying at a Japanese inn. Get it right and the inn keepers will feel confident that you know how to live in a Japanese setting, making for a more relaxed atmosphere all round.

Firstly, leave your shoes at the entrance before stepping up on to the raised wooden living area of the inn. When you get out of your shoes try to step directly on to the raised floor of the house and never linger barefoot in the entrance next to your shoes.

Slippers are usually provided by the inn. Please use them when walking along the corridors of the inn.

When entering a tatami-matted room always leave your slippers outside the room in the corridor. Only ever set foot on a tatami floor in stocking or bare feet.

Toilets in the inn will also have their own exclusive toilet slippers which should be worn only while in the toilet area, leaving the ordinary slippers outside the door.

How to put on a yukata at a Japanese inn.

Japanese inns provide comfortable yukatas or cotton kimonos to lounge in. These are usually worn after bathing. Yukatas at Japanese inns are also worn to dinner and they function as pyjamas too. There are many types of yukata, but the ones that are provided by inns are usually standard white and blue with a simple belt as shown in the video. Remember to fold the left side of the yukata over the right and keep the belt knot at the back. In the cooler months there is a coat called a "haori" which can be worn over the yukata to stay warm. You can also wear leggings and a long sleeved t-shirt underneath to keep out the cold, although a warm cup of sake or two should do the trick just as well!

Traditional theatre in Tokyo & Osaka

If you are interested in traditional Noh, Kabuki or Bunraku theatre and want to plan your visit to Japan to coincide with a performance you can find out about schedules by visiting the National Threatre of Japan website.  Here you can find listings for Noh, Kabuki and Bunraku perfromances in Tokyo and Osaka. Tickets can be purchased online from outside Japan but delivery is limited to within Japan. 
http://www.ntj.jac.go.jp/english/index.html