Where to next? Why Japan of course.

I came home with around 80,000Y, so I spent about 45,000Y over the 3 days, 15,000Y being for the Nozomi ride from Shinagawa to Kyoto. Worth every yen!

at the Great Bell, Todaiji Temple

Do I exchange the yen back for Aussie dollar? Nope, put it away for the next Japan excursion.

A couple of options come up. I think Tokyo will still be problematic for some months with the continuing rolling power outages. Thus transport around that part of the country will be disrupted for some time.

Notwithstanding my Jetstar experience, using Osaka as the entry point gives access to central Japan and southwards, where the impacts of the tsunami and the radiation issues will be minimal. Blue Mountains City Council has a sister-city relationship with Sanda City, about 50kms north-west of Osaka. Maybe Sanda can be used as a base.

In March next year, the Asian Champions League will be on again. This time Central Coast will be playing. The way the competition is structured, a team from Japan and a team from South Korea is in each group. With my brother Andrew and his mates already making plans for Japan (or Korea as a fall back), I know I will get to Japan again.

Look out for a Blog for the Central Coast Mariners 2012 trip.

The expensive long weekend is over - Tuesday 15th March

Hey, what's money anyway? I often say to family and friends when the prospect of me and/or Veronica travelling comes up in conversation - I don't spend my money at the pub or on the pokies, travel is my 50's midlife crisis. Even more enticing when a football game is a drawcard.

Japan is often said to be expensive, but that really depends on your accommodation tastes, and whether you make your own way around, or travel in organised groups. A bed in decent hotels should only cost 5,000Y to 8,000Y (about $60 to $80).

Where this trip came unstuck money wise was my change in flights home. In my haste and desire to sort out flights quickly, I went online. Not able to get a flight until Wednesday night from Tokyo on Qantas (I had a return ticket for the next Sunday), I bought another one on Jetstar from Osaka for $600.

Back at home, I spoke to Qantas who said that had I phoned them they would have got me an earlier flight at no extra cost. Strong lesson learnt there!

What about travel insurance I hear you say. Well that is unresolved, but I am not hopeful as it was my choice to change flights online myself - there was no directive from the Australian Government to leave Tokyo (strongly worded advice though on the Smart Traveller website.)

Get out the blinkers and ear plugs! - Overnight Monday 14th March

Yes I can be a snob, short tempered and lack tolerance. All these hidden traits returned on the evening flight  JQ20 from Osaka to Gold Coast.

When I first went to Japan, it was on the cheap, and only happened because Jetstar were commencing the Japan route and tickets were $520 return to Osaka. I'll have one of those I said. The flights were fine, but the wait time at Gold Coast both ways was long and painful, making the trip about 16 hours either way.

The second time with Veronica we decided to pay the extra freight and when with JAL on their direct flights. Day over, night back. Excellant. This time, I went for the Qantas direct flights because they were both night flights, thus eliminating 2 nights accommodation. All good so far. But then the need to change flights.

The choice

I could have come home via Cairns, but chose the Gold Coast route. Good choice, the Cairns plane was delayed 6 hours!!


The Korean Doll

With everyone seemingly seated, and adjacent seat vacant, I thought I had won the lottery. The only vacant seat on the plane, and its next to me! Alas, soon the Cabin Steward announced that 'we are waiting for one more passenger. We have found her at Immigration. She will be on board in a few minutes".

And then the Korean Doll walked in (at this stage I thought she was a very tall Japanese girl). Struggling down the aisle with - I kid you not - 3 items of hand luggage, she knocked a few people in the head as she opened up every locker looking for space. Funny that, no space.

The nice man I am, I actually help her get her things in by juggling locker items. Otherwise we would still be on the tarmac. She was grumbling something as she sat down, so I commented, not quite under my breath, what do you expect when you get on last?

And her bling! I thought Snoop Dog was re-incarnated!


The mobile phone

I forgot to mention the Korean Doll was on her mobile as she came on to the plane, and continued as we sat in the seat, taxied away, and were sitting at the end of the runway ready to go. Now I know it is a myth that mobile phones actually affect plane electronics nowadays, and that not using a mobile phone is more for passenger comfort. But hell, should she get away with this as well. No I hear you say. Another, not quite under my breath - turn off the phone. She did.

Ear plugs

The number of children on a plane increases expotentially as the fare discount increases. Thus JQ20 had about 20 kids under 5, plus babes in arms. Lucky I bought the trusty ear-plugs.

The bag rustler

A guy sat next to me in the lounge with a magazine in a brown plastic type, crunchy bag. When he took it out, I could not resist a peek - would this be a flash of flesh. No - it was a manga magazine. That guy sat in front of me in the plane, at least I knew he had something to read.

But he did not read it, he proceed to move the bag everywhere. Into the seat pocket. Into the overhead locker. Back into the seat pocket. Under his feet. Back into the locker. It was so bizarre I should have laughed, but at one stage I tapped him on the shoulder and in my best english told him to leave the book and its crunchy bag in the overhead locker. He proceeded to move it around again. I forgot to say that this did not happen in quick succession - no it happened like torture, with 30 minutes or so between every movement. It was so bizarre that a Cabin Steward also came down and asked him "is everything all right , Sir?". He didn't ask me.

Photos in the plane

I don't now whether it was 3:00am or 4:00am but I know I was asleep...until I thought I heard someone taking photos. Not just some simple point and click job like mine, but the digitised sound of a 35mm proper camera. Surely I must be dreaming.

No. It's JQ20. So the guy "one out one back" is busily shooting the TV screen in front of him. I worked out what he was doing. He was taking a shot of every screen as it scrolled through the tourist information for Australia!! Another: I kid you not. Now he got my best reaction. I turned around, leaned over, and gave a scowl, and lifted up one of my eye covers (I was wearing blinkers) so that he could see the white of my eye. I think he knew I meant business.

Shine Road - Sunday 13th March

While my room at the Fujita Hotel might have been on special, food and drink prices reflected the 4 Star rating. On this sort of trip, the thought of paying 10,000Y to eat was not retained long. Off to find an 'izakaya' Japanese style pub.

Shine Road - in under the sign

There are eateries everywhere you go. Choice is not difficult if you use two basic rules. 1. go where Japanese are eating. 2. be willing choose something off a menu you may not understand. Now whether Shine Road was an izakaya or not, it was cheap, pleasant, quick and good food, and had a number of locals coming and going. The menu comprised seemingly endless varieties of meat and vegetable, as long as you wanted it fried and put on a stick. Very nice, especially the sweet potato.

After the long bike ride, a good Japanese beer was needed, so I ordered a Kirin, not in a glass but in a bottle - assuming it to be 360ml or so. Aw no, a bloody big bottle. Had to be polite and knock it off quick time.

Which way is Nara again? - Sunday 13th March

The walk to Hotel Fujita from JR Nara Station was only 500m, along Sanjo-dori which is the main pedestrian route to Nara Park. Central Nara was surprisingly low-rise, with myriads of lanes accessing small shopping complexes.

The Hotel offered bikes for hire, the comfortable single-gear jobs, with a basket on the front. Extremely practical for holding a back pack with jumper, camera and water. I really enjoy being able to get out on a bike, even for a short time, to explore the back lanes or to enjoy observing locals being locals. I have had the pleasure of doing this in San Francisco, Kyoto and now Nara.

families urging on a home run

Since Nara Park and its numerous cultural sites was on the plan for tomorrow, I headed in the opposite direction westwards along Sanjo-dori before turning south along a canal-side bicycle road. Sunday afternoons for 20 years have been occupied by playing soccer, or watching one of my 3 kids play. Baseball is the major sport in Japan and it was not long before I passed by a game in progress, being watched by a group of reserved but attentive families.  Along with some 5 other people I leaned up against the chain-wire fence, hoping to witness the game-winning home run. Alas, after some minutes, no-one had connected with a pitch, so I moved on.

my bike at Daian-ji Temple

Found the main Nara Fire Station and looked around like a kid in a candy store. I need to learn Japanese and then have the gumption to knock on the office door! Another trip maybe. Lanes criss-crossing crop fields got me to the Daian-ji Temple.

Such places are very spiritual. In the time I was there, a man sat almost motionless on a seat in what seemed to be quiet contemplation. I felt uneasy taking his photo, even from a distance, as if I would disturb his space.

a beautiful avenue

As I write this blog some weeks after being in Nara, I have yet to actually work out where my bike odyssey took me. I did pass by this fantastic shrine which had an covered avenue of trees leading to it that was spectacular. A 'discovery' like this of the beaten track provides an enduring memory of the bike ride. At this place, a lone old man - maybe in his 80's - offered short simple prayers before engaging me with a smile. Then I was the only person at this place, that was established some 800 years ago.

Farmer resting in his field

Later on, I observed a lone farmer resting in his field. I wondered if his thoughts were like mine - this is the sort of landscape and rural dweller that have been consumed by Friday's tsunami.




By this time I had the bug for traveling along paths and tracks across the rural outskirts of Nara - or atleast I thought it was Nara. At a railway crossing I had to wait with 2 motor scooter riders as a single carriage train rolled by. I could see a station up the line to the left, and multi-storey buildings to my right in the distance that I took to be Nara. So turn right I did do.

Obitoke-dera Temple

Through kilometres of laneways, past at least 4 Volunteer Fire Corps sheds, and a few more rail crossings, I turn up at the Obitoke-dera Temple. By this time is was nearly 4:30pm, and there was only 4 Japanese folk and myself at the temple. I was keen to have a look around, and paid my entrance fee - not knowing that I was now entitled to the guided tour. At this point, one of the Buddhist priests greets me and led on the tour. A small amount of information was available in English, and I had read already on my tourist guide that this temple is renowned as a place where 5-month pregnant women come to pray for easy delivery of their child. This enabled me and my priest guide to communicate by gestures and recognition of symbols, not language. It was very nice. The priest insisted on me having the Temple guide, in Japanese, to take home. These experiences might seem trivial, but this was the intent of exploring these sites of rich importance and significance to many Japanese people. This makes the country special.

After the spiritual interlude, back on the bike, and in hindsight another wrong turn! Finally I got near enough to a main road to read the signs. Only 9kms to Nara - in the opposite direction to the way I was going! I need new batteries in the human GPS.

Atleast the ride in was flat, getting back to Hotel Fujita just on dusk which was handy as I did not have any lights. A great 3 hours!

Quiet streets of Tokyo - Sunday 13th March

I got away early from the Hostel and wandered around Kuramae and Asakusabashi for a while. I found a Cafe Veloce. Unfortunately not like the super cafe next to Kyoto JR Station, this one was a pale imitation. No latte!

Volunteer Fire Corps station

Of more importance and interest though was finding one of the numerous Volunteer Fire Corps 'garages' in Asakusa, just up from the hostel. The whole volunteer fire corps thing is amazing to me, and I harbour the notion of one day training with them! Fire brigades in Japan are some 400 years old, and originated when castles had there own fire teams to protect the rulers as well as the buildings.

In the context that the conurbation of Tokyo has 23 million people, the Tokyo Fire Department is a massive organisation with 81 Fire Stations (and 205 fire branches of that station)  literally every few kilometres. The fire corps structure sits under the fire branch, is made up of volunteers, with the equipment usually being a hand-pulled pump. I kid you not! It is somewhat counter-intuitive. How can it be?

But think for a moment about the context. High density, adjoining buildings. Lots of wooden or light construction buildings. Congestion. Regular earthquakes. When you look up at a thirty storey building, it is easy to miss the little Fire Corps shed tucked away in the laneway. Volunteer Fire Corps in Tokyo exist primarily as the first responders in their immediate local area in disasters. The Corps are organised and disciplined. The minimal equipment is mobile.

Going in to the Toei Kuramae Station, and having to buy a ticket, it was only a few seconds of me staring at the instructions before the Station person came up to me to help. The smiling and earnest support he wanted to provide bought a smile to my face as well. Another great service interaction, but it is just more than that. I believe it is genuine interest in my welfare both as a customer and as a visitor. Don't expect this service in Sydney!

Shinagawa ~ where's the traffic?

The Toei Line trip finished at Shinagawa and with 30 minutes to spare I took a walk around. Shinagawa is a working centre, made up mostly of high rise offices and government buildings. Of course on a Sunday morning I would not expect it to be buzzing, but it was literally deserted, with only a few 'company men' with briefcase in hand going off to the offices.

A baseball family

In a little park I did see a family of four practicing baseball, and what a peaceful and beautiful sight it was. Mother and son, father and son, amongst the concrete and glass.

The river side was quite nice and it too, peaceful. A great pathway lead around the river for some 3 kilometres. In quiet contemplation I could only imagine the teeming hordes of humanity that will occupy these spaces this time tomorrow.

Nozomi 221 - Kyoto here we come!

In to Shinagawa Shinkansen station. Did I mention that I love trains? Since I did not have a Japan Rail Pass (which prohibits travelling on Nozomi bullet trains) I splashed out and had bought a ticket on a Nozomi Shinkansen to Kyoto. Stopping only at Shin-Yokohama, then Nagoya, then Kyoto. 560 kilometres in 2 hours 15 minutes! Yes, that makes it about 260 kph.

Leaving Japan earlier than planned - Saturday night, 12th March

I finally got to K's House Hostel in Kuramae about 9:00pm and after checking in, went looking for food and a telephone. I had bought a 1,000Y phone card at the Hostel which should get me about 20 minutes talk time.

Corner grocery and convenience stores are literally on every corner. Going in to the Lawsons I found that they had nothing fresh to eat. I ended up getting the last 2 vanilla creme puddings - which I love but did not expect to be too filling! As I found out later, the lack of food was the first consequence of the earthquake in Tokyo, as workers were stranded overnight Friday, and bought out all the food in the city!

When I did get in contact with home, Liam candidly told me that Mum was not happy (with me being in Tokyo, as well as not contacting when expected) as well as letting me know of the extended family and friends making contact concerned about my welfare.

Veronica let me know the latest about the nuclear reactor problems (of which I had heard very little, as the constant TV coverage was focusing on the personal tragedies unfolding around Sendai).

As a consequence of these home concerns, as well as the uncertainty about the next few days, I decided to look at alternatives to leave Tokyo early. Back at the hostel I got on to the internet. Trying Qantas, I could not get a seat out earlier than Wednesday night.I tried Jetstar and found that I could get a flight out from Osaka on Monday night, so I bought it for $590A. An expensive long weekend was looming.

For anyone traveling to Japan, Hyperdia is a fantastic train timetable website. Using that, I worked out that I could get to Kansai Airport (Osaka) in about 10 hours with 9 changes of trains, if the Shinkansen was not working. I walked to the nearest JR station at Asakusabashi and confirmed that Shinkansen (bullet trains) would be running south on Sunday, so an option arises to go to Kyoto or elsewhere on Sunday. I got a Shinkansen ticket for 10:00am Sunday to Kyoto, with the intention of going straight to Nara.

QF21 last plane in to Narita - Saturday 12th March

Qantas did a great job at short notice to put us up for the night. On returning to the airport at 8:00am for the planned 10:00am flight, Qantas were still not sure if the flight was going to leave on time, late, or at all. Given that the unfolding disaster in Japan was becoming clearer, fellow passengers all took this uncertainty reservedly.


We got away about 10:30am after filling up the plane with late transfer passengers from canceled JAL flights. About 1 hour out from landing, updates on the Tokyo situation started to be drip fed by cabin staff. First it was about the stoppage of all other flights at Narita, including internal to Japan so no transfers would happen. And for those passengers not able to transfer, advice was given that no accommodation as available around Narita. That news would have deflated a few!

A bit later was the news that there were no express trains running to Tokyo, so local trains would be the go. But be warned, they will be crowded and there could be a long wait.

After de-planing, we discovered that Narita Airport was effectively devoid of passengers, apart from us! Apparently our fight was the last one in, and no flights were going out. So the immigration area was a breeze. And the crowded local trains? Only our plane load was on them so they too were fairly empty.


I had to use the Keisei Line this time to get to Kuramae, rather than via JR. No problems, there were Keisei service staff at the desk to give passengers detailed instructions (in writing and with a mud-map) about which trains to use to get to the ultimate destinations. Another reminder of the superior service that is common in Japan.

I had promised Veronica to contact when I landed. I didn't work out well for that. I did find a pay-phone, but it needed a card. Having found the vending machine for phone cards, the machine would not accept notes (lots of electronic devices were playing up it seemed). So, no phone. And then I noticed that the next train was leaving in 5 minutes - and not knowing when the next one would be, I ran for that one.

Going to the Keisei Line platform I ran in to Bruce the Japanese Canadian guy I briefly chatted to at the Mercure. Bruce was able to use his mobile to email Veronica to let her know I had arrived.

I could help if I really wanted to - Saturday 12th March

I tend to shy away from aggressive situations, and have a particularly well developed disdain for violence, drunkenness and loutish behaviour. So how was I going to fit in with a bunch of rusted-on Sydney FC soccer fans? This question had troubled me in the weeks before the game, especially as I had read more and more of the fan forums. I was pleased I was traveling alone - I was expecting a few of them would be watching the game from the local Kaban (Police) station!

That sleep-depriving dilemma of mine was superseded by the real problems of the earthquake and tsunami.

Whiling away the time on a plane can be a challenge. My emergency service volunteer brain started to take over. Should I find one of the Kuramae or Ginza volunteer fire corps and offer my help? Should I make contact with my NSW Red Cross colleagues and say " Hey, I am in Tokyo, what can I do?"

While very noble of me, I also realise that the Civil Defence Forces, disaster volunteer services, Fire Departments as well as the volunteer fire corps number in the hundreds of thousands. And then there is the small thing of language!

The plane was somewhere over Guam when this sobering conversation with Veronica came to me:

T: "Hey, things seem pretty normal here in Tokyo. Yes, the Hostel is fine. Weather is nice. Haven't felt any after shocks"
V: "Kevin Rudd is advising all Australians to leave Tokyo. The Fukushima thing is getting more fuched. Apparently the water supply is contaminated and George Negus says there is a 150km exclusion zone"
T: "I found a volunteer Fire Corps station is Asakusa. Amazing. Volunteer sheds with human-pulled fire pumps all over Tokyo. Lovely ordinary people serving their communities, just like me"
V: "Your Mum is freaking out. Madeline says you are an idiot for going over in the first place. Go south for God's sake. Jetstar have flights out of Osaka. Get out of Tokyo. Change your ticket."
T: "I've got 4 days spare now I am not going north for the soccer. So I have volunteered with the Red Cross and will go up to Fukushima on Tuesday - or as close as we can with our paper protection suits."
V: "Do you remember when we got those macadamias from Basim. And I had to buy the heavy duty nut cracker...I suggest you don't go."

Fair call.

So you got to Tokyo. Why? - Saturday 12th March

There are a myriad of thoughts as news broke and the 'inconvenience' this might cause to my holiday....its more than 250kms from Tokyo...very little damage in Tokyo...I wasn't going to the affected area....I have spent a fair whack of money on this...

I also have taken a strong interest in the disaster management systems in Japan and was aware of very sophisticated warning systems for tsunamis and the like. I harboured a hope that warning did work and that casualties would be a minimum.

However, I got to see the news at the Mercure Hotel, and it looked bad.  I found the power of nature demonstrated in the tsunami enthralling.

I chatted to a Japanese/Canadian guy at dinner who predicted that power problems in Tokyo will immediately affect transport and general business. He said that workers would be stuck in Tokyo (Friday night) and that food will be short - having been bought by stranded office workers.

Texts started coming in from family and friends. "Tony's not going is he?" Veronica left the decision to me. At this stage I was comfortable with waiting till the morning.

Qantas staff were great in the unfolding drama at the airport. They put me up for the night at the Mercure Hotel nearby after I had said I could not get back home tonight. I got a single room, so Veronica stayed over with me.

I joined the line for the shuttle bus back to the airport. Qantas checked us in but would not confirm we would be leaving on time or at all.

Madeline sent me a text - "is it worth it just for a football game?" Well, as this blog title said before the disaster happened, is not just about the football. I did find out from a Sydney FC guy flying on the same plane that there was only a 20% chance of the game being on. (It was cancelled later in the day, as was a J-League football for a month).

Veronica's eyes and tears said more than her words. I was aware that she would rather me not leave. However, in those hours on Saturday morning before the flight boarded I did consider the uncertainty my trip would bring family and friends.

Would I be trapped? Would I get to Tokyo and then be trapped by transport problems? I was going to be staying in Tokyo for 4 nights, and had intended to walk around most days. So transport problems were not a real barrier.

Would I be a burden to Japanese society by being there? To me this is a significant issue to consider. If power and resources are scarce for locals and those affected by the disaster, am I just one more mouth to feed? Yes, but relative tot he size of the population, miniscule.

Would I just be a disaster tourist - in reality or perception? In reality I was going to be going about 150kms north-east to Mito, which was affected by the earthquake by only minimally by the tsunami. But given the transport issues, Mito was off the agenda. Whether I was percieved as a disaster tourist, well thats for others to decide.

Risk of after shocks. Yes, a significant concern but one that would be shared by some 25 million others in Tokyo. In the previous 2 trips to Tokyo, Kyoto and other places the signs of potential disaster are everywhere. Active volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, typhoons.

Travelling to Japan at anytime has an underlying level of risk of natural disaster. Is it an unreasonable risk? Probably not, and one that I am willing to accept.


In hindsight I must say I underestimated the extent of concern for my well-being, even if some aspects of that concern was misplaced by exaggerated reporting by Australian media in particular. It is comforting to realise that many people were genuinely interested in how I was getting on.

Back in Australia safe and sound, the ongoing problems with the Fukushima nuclear power plant strengthened the reasoning for returning home. Who knows how difficult it may have been by Sunday 20th to access and leave Narita Airport.

I have no regrets about firstly going over, and then coming back early. Sure, it was an expensive long weekend, but just money was lost and not my life. My experience needs to be put in to proper perspective with the (probably) 30,000 people who perished in the tsunami.

And I can get to Japan again if I want.

A necessary change of plans - Friday 11th March

The earthquake and tsunami north-east of Tokyo on Friday 11th March was breaking news as Veronica drove in to pick me up from work, to take me to Sydney Airport for QF21 leaving at 10:05pm.

As Veronica rang with the news I was in earnest conversation with my office buddie about disasters and the volunteer emergency services structures in Japan. Another work colleague had just spent 10 days around Tokyo on a disaster management study tour.

We got to the airport about 7:00pm, with news reports describing extensive damage from the tsunami and likely significant loss of life. About 8:30pm Qantas advised passengers that the flight would be re-scheduled for 10:00am next morning.

Ultimately I did fly to Tokyo, arriving at 6:00pm on Saturday 12th. Given the changing and escalating scale of the disaster and the uncertainty that brings for family and friends - I decided to fly home early. I left Japan on Monday evening from Osaka, about 500 kms south of Tokyo - having spent about 50 hours on the ground.

The Blog posts have been done belatedly. The good intentions of setting up a Blog beforehand came to nought, and soon as I arrived hone I was back into the work grind.

Those 50 hours started with hours of uncertainty and contemplation, and ended with the delights of Nara Park. I hope you enjoy these stories.

Accommodation is all sorted

For the first time, I am taking the night flight from Australia with Qantas, so I should be in Tokyo by 9:00am on Saturday 12th March.

I have booked for 4 nights in K's House youth hostel in Kuramae - near Asakusa. Being an older single traveller, bunking with others can be hit and miss. So I have gone for a single room for the first night, and am on the 'wait list' for a single for the other 3 nights.

I look to the lounges and kitchens to be the best places in hostels to meet other people and share ideas and experiences. The room thing is a minor issue, and it allows conservative old me to go to bed at 10pm.

K's House hostels are great, with 2 in Tokyo, plus Kyoto, Horoshima, Ito, and Hakuba.

After Tokyo, is off to Mito, about 1 hour north by train. These 2 nights in a hotel will be my equivalent of a luxury stay. I will use Mito as the base to get to the football match in Kashima-kinju which is about an hour away on a local train line.

I plan to spend 2 nights at Narusawa Lodge in Nikko. The lodge is a minshuko, or family run bed and breakfast. I am really looking forward to this stay, although it is only for 2 nights. My other stays in Japan have been in youth hostels at one end, then 3 or 4 star hotels at the other.

The last day will be spent in old Narita before flying back to Australia on the night of 20th March.