Gotemba April 3, 2012
Posted by Dru in Chubu, Japan, Kanto, Travel.Tags: Chubu, Fuji, Fuji Speedway, Fuji-san, FujiQ Highlands, Gotemba, Gotemba Premium Outlet, Gotemba Premium Outlets, Gotenba, Hakone, japan, Kanto, Kawaguchiko, Mitsubishi Estate, Mt. Fuji, Oyama, Premium Outlets, Shizuoka, Shizuoka-ken, Susono
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Author’s Note: Dru’s Misadventures has moved to HinoMaple. Please venture on over there to read “Gotemba” complete with photos. http://wp.me/s2liAm-gotemba
Gotemba is a small city located at the foot of Mt. Fuji. It is surrounded by the towns of Susono and Oyama but most people will consider that entire area to be Gotemba for simplicity. Gotemba itself is located on the south-east corner of Mt. Fuji on the east side of Shizuoka and at the border of Kanagawa. It is literally at the border between the Kanto and Chubu regions of Japan. While Shizuoka is technically within the Chubu region, most consider everything to the east of Mt. Fuji to be part of Kanto and due to the geography, Gotemba falls on the east side of Mt. Fuji. Gotemba itself has only one major attraction aside from Mt. Fuji, and that’s a large outlet shopping mall. In the surrounding areas, to the north of Gotemba is the town of Oyama which is famous for Fuji Speedway. Both of these are the only famous destinations for any travellers to the region, although there are a lot of natural places to visit.
The most famous and obvious attraction in Gotemba has to be Mt. Fuji. Gotemba is the location for the entrance to the Gotemba hiking trail. This is probably only for the real adventurists as it is considered the most difficult way to hike up Mt. Fuji as it is the longest trail. Due to the proximity of Gotemba to Mt. Fuji, you can usually see Mt. Fuji on most clear days. Mt. Fuji is a very fickle mountain. I have heard many people complain about the problems of heading out to the foot of Mt. Fuji only to be greeted by clouds instead of the majestic mountain. Due to its isolation from other mountain ranges and its height Mt. Fuji is often obscured by clouds. In order to see Mt. Fuji, you need to go there on a perfectly clear day. If there are any clouds in the sky, it is highly likely that they will slam into Mt. Fuji and hang out for a while leading to a huge disappointment. Gotemba is one of the few places you can visit and not feel too bad if Mt. Fuji is obscured. Most people visit Hakone, and I actually recommend visiting Hakone over Gotemba, but it can be harder to see Mt. Fuji as Hakone is located in the nearby mountains which can make seeing Mt. Fuji a little harder. Kawaguchiko is the other famous place to see Mt. Fuji but aside from FujiQ Highlands, an amusement park, there is nothing to do there. Gotemba can be better but only if you enjoy shopping.
Currently, Gotemba is well known for its shopping opportunities. If you tell anyone in Tokyo that you are going to visit Gotemba, almost everyone will ask if you will be going there to go shopping. The outlet mall in Gotemba is called Premium Outlets and it is an American brand of outlet malls run by the Simon Property Group. In Japan, they set up a joint venture with Mitsubishi Estate who operates the Premium Outlet Mall chain in Japan. The Gotemba branch is the flagship mall in Japan and well known among people in Tokyo. It is a destination for people with long lines to get into the mall on weekends and holidays. The easiest way into the mall is to purchase a ticket on one of the special direct buses. These buses run from Shinjuku and Tokyo Station. They leave in the morning and return by dinner. All you have to do is show up at the station, board the bus and then board the same bus to return back to Tokyo. Tickets for the weekend do sell out quickly so it is best to reserve seats ahead of time. For those who can’t get tickets, you can still easily take a regular highway bus. A highway bus is a long distance bus that uses highways to get from A to B, but on the way to Gotemba there are several bus stops on the Expressway itself. There is also a train service but the best option for this is via Shinjuku but it is more expensive than the bus. For most people, shopping at Gotemba will not be very different to shopping at any other outlet shop in the world. Most of the shops are the same as in America, but there are several Japanese brands that you can’t find elsewhere. Depending on your own fashion sense, you may or may not enjoy shopping in Gotemba but if you enjoy shopping anyways, you can always spend a day visiting Gotemba and attempting to see Mt. Fuji up close at the same time.
To the north of Gotemba is Oyama, the home of Fuji Speedway. Fuji Speedway is the most famous race course in the Kanto region. It was host to the F1 Japan Grand Prix in the past and considered the most beautiful race course in Japan. This is mostly due to the fact that you can easily see Mt. Fuji from the track. Today, the track is used mostly for local racing championships and Toyota sponsored events. The track itself has undergone several changes over the decades. Due to financial difficulties by its owner, Toyota, the track was discontinued as an F1 circuit but continues to be used for national races and local events. Unfortunately, it appears that the racing course will not be used as an F1 circuit in the foreseeable future. It is a bit of a shame but when compared to Suzuka’s greater history, Fuji Speedway will probably continue to suffer from the lack of attention.
As I mentioned in the beginning, Gotemba is not a place most people will ever visit, nor will they really want to. It is a beautiful place to go but compared to the more popular areas such as Hakone, Gotemba will be overlooked a lot. For nature, people will visit Hakone. For Mt. Fuji hikes, people will go to Kawaguchiko. For shopping, most tourists will stay in Tokyo or visit one of the outlet malls that are easier to visit such as the Mitsui chain in Makuhari. For locals and people living in Tokyo, Gotemba will be a place to visit once in a while. If you can justify a visit to the region, I recommend doing so, but unfortunately, I doubt most will want to spend the time to go there.
Note: Unfortunately I have no photos of Gotemba Premium Outlets. I almost never go there to take pictures, only to do shopping. 🙂
Tokyo Sky Tree March 27, 2012
Posted by Dru in Japan, Kanto, Tokyo, Travel.Tags: 634, Asakusa, Burj Khalifa, japan, Musashi, Narihirabashi, Oshiage, pagoda, roppongi, Sky Tree, Sky Tree Town, Solamachi, Sorakara, Sorakara-chan, Sumida, Sumida-ku, tokyo, Tokyo Sky Tree, Tokyo Solamachi, Tokyo Tower, Tokyo-to, tower, TV Tower
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Author’s Note: Dru’s Misadventures has moved to HinoMaple. Please venture on over there to read “Tokyo Sky Tree” complete with photos. http://wp.me/p2liAm-Nv
Tokyo Sky Tree is the newest landmark in Tokyo. It is a culmination of planning and building that spanned over 5 years. Tokyo Sky Tree was officially unveiled to the public when the designs were published at the end of 2006. Tokyo Sky Tree is currently the tallest tower in the world and second tallest structure in the world after the Burj Khalifa. Sky Tree was built because of the rapid growth of skyscrapers in Tokyo. In the past, Tokyo Tower, which stands at 333m, was the tallest structure in Japan. With an ever changing landscape and advances in technology, Tokyo Tower was quickly becoming a regular structure rather than the tall tower that was needed. Tokyo Tower is a fully functioning TV Tower that broadcasts terrestrial television and radio programs across Tokyo. With the large towers in Roppongi creating greater problems for Tokyo Tower, the need for a new taller structure was conceived and Tokyo Sky Tree was built.
In 2008, the ground-breaking ceremony for Tokyo Sky Tree was held and the pace of construction has been furious. Like many buildings, the foundation is the hardest part of any construction. It took almost one complete year before the foundations were finished and the main structure could begin to be built. From that point it was very noticeable that Sky Tree was growing daily. It took two full years to reach a height of 600m and aside from a few moments where the tower seemed to stop growing for a month or so, it was very easy to see progress being made to the external structure of the tower. Tokyo Sky Tree is topped by a large antenna that stands 36m tall. The 36m tall antenna was built inside the base of the tower and jacked up to its final position. It was about 10m from its final resting height when the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake struck. Thankfully the main structure held up and the tower structure was completed soon after checks were made along the entire tower.
There is a lot of symbolism and technology within Tokyo Sky Tree. The first aspect of Tokyo Sky Tree is the shape. While most pictures will show a circular structure, it is far more complex than that. The design was created to start as a triangular base as it slowly transforms into a circular design by the time it reaches the observation decks. The triangular base was designed to minimize the effect of shadows on the surrounding area. Whether this is true or not is unknown by myself as I don’t have the means to test it out. The next piece of technology is the use of old technology. It is often promoted by the designers that Tokyo Sky Tree was built using old ideas with modern technology. Utilizing the ancient designs of pagoda in Japan, they created a centre column with the structure hanging from it at the top. This allows the centre column to “float” independently from the outer structure and help protect it from catastrophic failure in the event of an earthquake. Of course this is using modern upgrades to the design and modern technology and materials. The final symbolism in the structure is the height. Tokyo Sky Tree stands at 634m tall. 634 can also be read as “mu(tsu) (6), san (3), shi (4)” or “musashi”. Musashi is the old name of the region. Musashi Province was an area that encompassed Tokyo, Saitama, and part of Kanagawa. It can easily be thought of as the entire region that also includes Chiba.
The official mascot of Tokyo Sky Tree is Sorakara-chan. Sorakara-chan can be loosely translated as the girl from the sky. The simple backstory of Sorakara-chan is that she found Tokyo because Tokyo Sky Tree was able to cut above the clouds and shine very brightly. You can already find her items and souvenirs at the base of Tokyo Sky Tree before the tower has even been opened to the public. It is a typical marketing ploy by the operators of Tokyo Sky Tree and she will definitely make money for them. Tokyo Sky Tree is not just a TV tower. It is also a full scale shopping complex. The main floors are occupied by Tokyo Solamachi. Tokyo Solamachi is the name of the shopping complex that occupies the main building at the base of Tokyo Sky Tree that stands a mere 7 stories tall. Tokyo Solamachi isn’t very special as it consists mainly of a typical shopping mall but they have added a dome theatre and aquarium to the top floors. It will be the focal point for the entire neighbourhood and create a bit of competition for neighbouring Asakusa and Kinshicho. It is unlikely that the new area, coined “Sky Tree Town” by the developer will take off immediately. It will take time to build up but it will be very popular once it opens in May.
While Tokyo Sky Tree itself is complete, the entire structure and Solamachi won’t be open to the public until May 22nd, assuming there are no last second delays. It will be a very popular destination at first and there are sure to be lines to go to the observation deck and lines to get into the shopping complex for the first year or so. Whether or not it will give people enough reason to keep visiting is anyone’s guess. It is likely that the complex will do well into the future. It has the potential to draw a lot of people to the tower as it is located just a stone throw’s away from Asakusa.
This is the first in a series of posts about Tokyo Sky Tree. To read more, please head over to Tokyo Sky Tree (Opening Day)
Tokyo – Daimon March 13, 2012
Posted by Dru in Japan, Kanto, Tokyo, Travel.Tags: Chuo-ku, daimon, Hamamatsucho, Haneda Airport, japan, Kyu Shiba Rikyu Gardens, Minato-ku, Prince Hotel, Prince Park Tower, Shiba, Shiba Koen, Shiba Park, The Prince Park Tower, Tokugawa, tokyo, Tokyo Monorail, Tokyo Prince Hotel, Tokyo Tower, zojoji
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Author’s Note: Dru’s Misadventures has moved to HinoMaple. Please venture on over there to read “Tokyo – Daimon” complete with photos. http://wp.me/p2liAm-Mz
Daimon is an area that is fairly unknown to a majority of tourists in Tokyo. It is better known as Hamamatsucho or even Shiba. Being Tokyo, many neighbourhoods are so close to each other that it can be difficult to distinguish between the different areas. This is one such area. Stretching from the east side of Hamamatsucho Station all the way to Tokyo Tower, the Daimon area is not the most entertaining areas but one of the secret gems of Tokyo. For those with little time, there is no real reason to visit, to be completely honest, but if you have the time, you will be rewarded with beauty and tranquility that is not found outside of the area.
Daimon itself is a very bland area. It is a modern symbol of how most of Japan’s cities look. It has the appearance of being a small city in Japan with rows of boring rectangular buildings. In all directions you look, you will find it difficult to tell where you are unless you can see Tokyo Tower. Adding to the blandness is the fact that the area around Hamamatsucho is very busy transfer point as it is the end station of the Tokyo Monorail which runs to Haneda Airport. The east side of Hamamatsucho is the home of the Kyu Shiba Rikyu Gardens but unfortunately I haven’t visited that area yet but I hope to do so in the near future. The garden is considered the most beautiful in Tokyo and must be worth a visit. I often just head straight from Hamamatsucho Station to Zojoji which is just a few minutes on foot.
Zojoji is a very beautiful Buddhist temple located near the foot of Tokyo Tower. It is a large complex that houses one of the most tranquil temples in Tokyo. I have visited many temples and shrines but Zojoji is one of the few inviting temples that encourage people to go inside and pray. In some temples and shrines, the prayer area can feel a bit strange as the doors may be closed, or the setting can feel a little less inviting. It is worth the time to just sit down and soak up the atmosphere inside the temple itself. It is a very quiet atmosphere where you can only hear the various prayers people make as they throw their money into the collection boxes. As I mentioned in a previous post about the best temples and shrines in Tokyo, Zojoji is one of the most picturesque. With Tokyo Tower in the background, you can really get a good sense of history and modernity. The surrounding grounds are also interesting with a small hall adjacent to the main one. Behind the small hall is a mausoleum for some of the members of the Tokugawa shogunate, one of the first shogun clans to rule Japan. They are revered in Tokyo and I would say one of the most, if not the most important clan in Japanese history. Unfortunately you do have to pay a small fee to enter the mausoleum grounds itself.
To the south of Zojoji is Shiba Park. It is not a very popular park and very often overlooked by most people. Most tourists will cut through Zojoji to head directly to Tokyo Tower. I prefer a small stop in Shiba Park as it is somewhat of a unique park in Tokyo. The entrance makes the park look like a very small park. It is an open field with trees in the back. What is hidden is a large mound with stairs heading up the mound at the back of the open field. Few people, aside from the locals visit this area. It is a wonderfully quiet area with mostly local tourists exploring the area. There are a few monuments in the area but for those longing for some nature, specifically a forest like feeling, this area is perfect. With trees blanketing the entire hill, you will be hard pressed to find a lot of natural sunlight as the trees filter out most of the sunlight. There are a lot of interesting corners of the park that can be explored. It won’t take a long time to explore the entire park but it is worth it if you have the time.
Flanking Zojoji are two hotels. The Prince Park Tower is located to the south of Zojoji on the west side of Shiba Park. It is a tall modern tower that is a nice hotel to stay in, albeit somewhat less convenient than many other hotels. There is a small open field located next to the hotel that is a nice way to cut through to Tokyo Tower rather than going through the main route next to Zojoji. On the north side of Zojoji is the Tokyo Prince Hotel. This is one of the most written about hotels in Tokyo. Various novels that are set in Tokyo often use the Tokyo Prince Hotel as one of their locations. While it is often referred to in various novels, it is also well known for its swimming pool. In the summer, the pool is open to the public for a fee and it is one of the most popular swimming pools in the city. This is mainly due to the good views of Tokyo Tower next to the hotel itself. Unfortunately, for a regular tourist, this is probably not an important place to visit and the building itself is architecturally boring. The area itself is more important than the hotel but for the curious, there is no harm visiting the hotel itself.
Aside from Zojoji and being a way to access Tokyo Tower, Daimon is not really an important place for tourists to visit. I feel that it is a very nice hidden gem in the city and worth a visit for Zojoji alone. It doesn’t take a long time and you can easily visit Tokyo Tower at the same time. Combining it with an afternoon trip to Roppongi can help as well, and Tokyo Tower is pretty well connected to other areas of Tokyo via the Tokyo Metro System. It can be difficult to choose but if time is on your side, make plans to visit the Daimon area.
(Top 3) Chinatown’s In Japan February 21, 2012
Posted by Dru in Japan, Kansai, Kanto, Kyushu, Tokyo, Travel.Tags: Chinatown, Chinese Street, Chukagai, Chuukagai, japan, Kobe, Kobe Chinatown, Minato-mirai, Nagasaki, Nagasaki Chinatown, Nanjing Machi, Nanjingmachi, Top 3, Top 3 Chinatowns, Toyoko, vancouver, Yokohama, Yokohama Chinatown
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Author’s Note: Dru’s Misadventures has moved to HinoMaple. Please venture on over there to read “(Top 3) Chinatown’s In Japan” complete with photos. http://wp.me/p2liAm-LA
There are 3 major Chinatown districts in Japan. They are located in Yokohama, Kobe, and Nagasaki. I have had the pleasure to visit each one and all of them are different. To me Chinatown is a tourist destination that isn’t really an actual Chinese area. When people say you must go to Chinatown, I feel like I am about to head to a tourist trap with various vendors hawking their wares. Japan, unfortunately, continues this stereotypical trend. Being of Chinese descent and having visited China I feel that Chinatown is not a great representation of Chinese people or China in general. While the surrounding areas may be more representative, I feel as if I entered an amusement park where stereotypical Chinese culture is on display.
The biggest Chinatown in Japan is in Yokohama. Located at the end of the Minato-mirai Line, which happens to be connected to the Tokyu Toyoko Line, is the Chinatown where most people will visit when they come to Japan. It also happens to be the most crowded and touristy of the three Chinatowns. I found that the area is almost completely filled with Japanese people and various restaurants selling different types of buns. I never had a great time visiting Chinatown in Yokohama and rarely recommend it to tourists. Japanese people tend to love it there and think that the food is all authentic Chinese food. Unfortunately most of it is Japanese variations of traditional Chinese dishes. It can be hard to get excited when the Chinese chefs adapt their dishes to Japanese tastes, but that is how they make their money. I may also be slightly biased due to the fact that I found a small worm/maggot in a buffet lunch and all they did was use the tongs to throw it in the garbage. Not the most hygienic method of fixing the problem if you ask me. If you enjoy large crowds and Japanese style Chinese food, Yokohama’s Chinatown is a nice place to visit.
As you can tell, bigger does not equal better. Kobe has the second largest Chinatown in Japan. It is actually called Nankinmachi (after Nanjing) rather than Chukagai (Chinese Street). It is one of the best Chinatowns in Japan, in my opinion. It is lined with various food stalls and a few touristy souvenir shops as well as the stereotypical Chinese style architecture of Asian styled red roofs. Once you get past the touristy look of this Chinatown, you can get a lot of good food and a large variety of it too. Kobe’s Chinatown is also less crowded than Yokohama which makes it a lot easier to move around. Sometimes trying to get around in Yokohama can be a challenge as there are people spread across the entire street making it nearly impossible to move faster than a snail. In Kobe, this is not a problem at all. The only problem with the Kobe Chinatown is the fact that it is very touristy. It is hard to escape the fact that they do cater to tourists but thankfully I also saw many Chinese tourists when I visited so it couldn’t be that bad. I’m sure they are curious as to how Japan views Chinese culture just as Japanese people are curious to try sushi in other countries.
The last Chinatown, and smallest is Nagasaki. It spans just a few blocks and it is lined with various large and small shops. Like the other Chinatown’s, it is dominated with restaurants but the unique feature of this Chinatown is the number of other types of shops such as fireworks and medicine shops. You can easily notice a huge difference in atmosphere in Nagasaki. I felt relatively safe in Yokohama and Kobe however in Nagasaki I felt it was a little dangerous, comparatively. It could also be the fact that I walked in the area around midnight. In Nagasaki, it is common to see Chinese people as in Kobe but you can also eat the famous Nagasaki Champon, Sara Udon, and Kakuni Manju. These are all delicious, yet Japanese variations of originally Chinese dishes. I do enjoy them the most as they are fairly close to Chinese tastes. Due to the size of Nagasaki’s Chinatown, it is difficult to elaborate a lot on the different things in Chinatown as there really isn’t a lot.
Chinatown in Japan is something that a resident should see once in their stay in Japan. However for the average tourist, I doubt a trip to Chinatown would be very high on their list of things to see or do. I find it to be overly touristy and focused on Japanese people. As with many other Chinatown’s in various other countries, I rarely visit them. I prefer to go to the real thing. I have already visited Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Beijing. I doubt I could find anything that is specifically Chinese in any Chinatown in the world, even in my hometown Vancouver. The food is good, for the most part, but dealing with the crowds and tourist activities is not as enjoyable for me. I would much rather go to a normal Chinese restaurant in another area than head to Chinatown. In fact, for people looking for a more authentic Chinese food, Ikebukuro is reputed as a secret Chinatown. Many Chinese people take up residence near Ikebukuro leading to many Chinese restaurants being located there. It is also somewhat contentious as the Chinatown merchants in Yokohama have complained openly about the idea of starting a Chinese Business Association in Ikebukuro as they feel it will create a rival Chinatown to their destination. I doubt things will really change in the near future but who knows about the long term.
