Category: 旅のしおり / COLO’s Traveler Guide

Times listed are the timetables at the time of the visit.

Day 1

Tokyo Haneda 0625 (Japan Airlines JAL641) >> Kagoshima 0815
Kagoshima 0850 (Japan Airlines JAL3741) >> Yakushima 0930

Tour: Shiratani Unsui Gorge Half-day Trekking

Overnight stay: Yakushima Green Hotel

Dinner: Iso-no-kaori

Day 1 Tips
– I found a sushi restaurant “Iso-no-kaori”, which serves local fish. There was a hotel with a good reputation in front of the sushi restaurant, so I decided to stay there. It was a nice combination of the sushi restaurant and hotel, no need to worry about going back to hotel after having local shochu.

Day 2

Tour: Shiratani Unsui Gorge Half-day Trekking

Yakushima Anbo Port 1300 (High Speed Boat 128) >> Kagoshima Port South Pier 1535

– Satsumachi Shops at Kagoshima Chuo Station

Kagoshima Chuo Station Bus Terminal 1730 (Airport Bus) >> Kagoshima Airport 1810
Kagoshima 1910 (Japan Airlines JAL652) >> Haneda 2050

Day 2 Tips
– There is a ferris wheel on the roof of the Kagoshima Chuo Station, and you can see Sakurajima Island just in front of it. It was a nice sunny day, I took the ferris wheel.
– I bought some Satsuma-age (local fish cake), Karukan (sweet bean curd), local pickles, and green tea from Chiran region before returning from Kagoshima. The freshly made Satsuma-age was delicious.

Day 0

– Itsukushima Shrine
– Rokai Boat

Hiroshima (Shinkansen) >> Fukuyama

Fukuyama Station (Tomo Railway Bus) >> Tomo Port

– Tomonoura (Tomo Port)

Tomo Port (Tomo Railway Bus) >> Fukuyama Station

– Bar Akatsuki

Tips for Day 0
– I found a small boat called Rokai Boat (Rokai Fune) at Itsukushima Shrine. I passed through the torii gate on the boat and paid respect to the shrine on the sea. This seems to be very traditional way of visit this shrine. The boat service is operated only when weather is good at high tide, mainly on weekends. It was fortunate that I can ride it.

Day 1

Fukuyama (Tomo Railway Bus) >> Tomo Port

– Tomo no Kumo
– Houmeishu (Local liquor)
– Amo Chinmi

Dinner: Yiki-sanchi

Overnight stay: Tomonekoan

Tips for Day 1
– Take a walk in Tomonoura old town. I found a store that serves delicious sweets.
– I went to Amo Chinmi to buy fish cakes and had a chance to make hand-rolling fish cake by myself, which was then freshly baked.
– Tomonoura area has traditional liqueur called Houmeishu. Many shops are still in old-style buildings, nice visit.
– I stayed at an inn that had been converted from an old private house.

Day 2

Tomonoura 1100 (Setouchi Cruising) >> Onomichi 1200

Lunch: Yasuhiro Sushi

Onomichi 1428 (etSETOra train) >> Hiroshima 1735

Dinner: Teppan-ya (Okonomiyaki – Hiroshima-style pancake)

Hiroshima 2001 (Nozomi64) >> Shin-Yokohama 2327

Tips for Day 2
– Took a boat from Tomonoura to Onomichi, operated only on weekends and holidays. The boat passed channel along small islands, nice view of Seto Island Sea. I wished it was a sunny day.
– After eating okonomiyaki in Hiroshima, returned home by the last Shinkansen but Hiroshima was indeed far away. There were many people coming in and out the car at Shin-Kobe, Shin-Osaka, and Nagoya stations that I could not sleep even though I was drunk. Taking a flight could be a good idea but Hiroshima Airport is located a bit too far from the city.

Times listed are the timetables at the time of the visit.

Day 1

Tokyo 0616 (Shinkansen Kagayaki 501) >> Toyama 0823

– Tateyama Alpine Route

Dentetsu Toyama 0853 >> Tateyama 0948
Tateyama 1000 >> Bijyodaira 1007
Bijyodaira 1020 >> Murodo 1110

Overnight stay: Hotel Tateyama

Tips for Day 1
– I stayed two nights in Murodo. For most of the people traveling Tateyama Alpine Route, Murodo is a place to stay for a few hours max. This time, I had clear skies from the evening of the second day till the morning of the last day, so it made sense to stay two nights. Murodo is full of tourists in the daytime, but it is a quiet place in the mornings and evenings. I have a feeling that one night would have been enough if only the weather had been better though.

Day 3

– Tateyama Alpine Route

Murodo 0800 >> Midagahara 0815
– Trekking at Midagahara
Midagahara 1055 >> Bijyodaira 1130
Bijyodaira 1140 >> Tateyama 1147
Tateyama 1200 >> Dentetsu Toyama 1304

Dinner: Sushi Ei Hanayagi

Toyama 1940 (Shinkansen Kagayaki 516) >> Omiya 2131
Omiya >> Yokohama

Tips for Day 3
– Sushi Ei Hanayagi is my favorite restaurant in Toyama. My favorite sake “Kachiuma” was on the menu. I drank 4 cups. Thanks to this, the Shinkansen train back to Omiya took only a few minutes from Toyama.
– I bought some “pressed sushi” at Junpu-ya in Toyama Station. I could take it home at room temperature.