Tokyo to Oita and back

Our first day in Tokyo was a match day. Keen to explore something before the game we opted for a walk through the nearby Shinjuka Gyoen National Gardens. As with much of Japan they were immaculate,

and calmly reflective.

Calmness however, soon gave way to noisy anticipation. We had a quick team photo in the hotel lobby before setting off for Tokyo stadium and the match against Wales.

One of the Wallabies strengths is the line-out. With Rory Arnold at 6ft 10 inches he is pretty hard to get over! Here we have just robbed Wales of their line out ball.

Unfortunately the Welsh started each half with a drop goal and had an opportunistic intercept try. Just after the second half drop goal Wales led 26 to 8 and then followed a very intense 35 minutes as Australia had the upper hand and looked like they could win. Despite coming within a point and scoring three tries to two they fell short at the bell with a 29:25 loss. A really heart stopping match and disappointing result which looks likely to mean a quarter final berth against England rather than France.

We stayed at a hotel in the hub of Shinjuku. Night time in this area is brighter than day!!

The following day Michael and I set off to collect our “camp cars” which were going to be home for the next couple of weeks. We then travelled back through Tokyo to collect the rest of the team. This was an extraordinary trip on expressway viaducts and we easily traversed this huge city at a steady 80 kph.

Our trip South, to our first night stop near Mount Fuji, also included many long tunnels (up to 5kms).  Absolutely no traffic lights - brilliant! We just looked down on the hubbub below.

Travelling by camper-vans had many pluses. Evening meals were a treat.

Japan has many unique aspects but one that really took some getting used to were the toilets. Heated seats and an electronic arm with all sorts of button driven gizmos were the norm. 

The one below was in our first camp site and inside a wooden shack. You could be forgiven for looking down and thinking you were flying an aircraft. As all the instructions were in Japanese I for one was reluctant to press any in case I was jettisoned off the seat. I hasten to add not in a James Bond through the roof type ejection – but who knows how powerful/hot/cold that inverted shower will be when it hits your bottom!

As an offset to the environmental expense of constantly heated seats many cisterns had a top which formed a small sink.  The cistern refill water flowed through an outlet so you could wash your hands! How is that for recycling?

This first site was at the foot of Mount Fuji and we awoke to a sunny day where you could just see its top (at 3776 metres) poking above the cloud.

As we moved down the main island of Kyushi we had a wonderful site on a lake where, shortly after arrival, we all enjoyed a swim. By contrast to that activity the following morning was a very peaceful start

with only humming bird moths in the hedgerow to disturb the tranquility.

Our next journey stop was Kyoto home of the Samuri. We visited a “museum” that was very informative and included a dramatic demonstration. There was quite a “woosh” as the Katana swept through the air. The distance of our view point a mere two metres away seemed somewhat inadequate. 

A key visit to most countries is to take in a castle or two. Japan is no different although their designs certainly are. Being wooden structures most have been rebuilt following fires. An exception is Himji castle which with its grounds is huge.

There are many outbuildings, walls and moats. Even with layout plans exploration was a challenge. Indeed our planned days itinerary was rather disrupted as one of our team lost their way when returning to the ‘vans. (What happens in Japan stays in Japan so no names, lets just say too senior to be ticked off….)

As we moved into Western Honshu a “must see” was Hiroshima. What a sobering place to visit. The peace park memorial contains the remnants of the Administrative building with its Genbaku Dome. This is now a world heritage site. Nearby was an “in utero” survivor with a range of pictures and harrowing stories. 

This should be a compulsive visit for the likes of Kim Jong Ong, Hassan Rouhani and indeed Trump. (Maybe the UN should mandate that any new leader of a country with nuclear capability has to visit the site within 3 months of appointment.)

Over the river memorials continued. This is one dedicated to children.

There were bus loads of visitors including many school children who, on this occasion, held their own service. A very poignant and moving visit.

Although Japan obviously suffered some significant damage during the war there are other sites that have suffered damage from the numerous typhoons. 

One such example is the Iwakuni bridge. It was built in 1673 and is described as a “brocade sash” bridge arising from the rippling effect of its five arches. These are built through a series of short timber cantilevers one on top of the other gradually leaning out until they meet their counterpart from the other direction. The change in slope makes for an interesting variety of steps! Sadly the current replicated version is from 1950 but I am sure all would agree a beautiful structure.

Only four piers were in stone with the lead up spans supported on timber trestles.

We covered quite a few miles travelling down the main island of Honshu so opted for a ferry from Yamaguchi across to the Southern island of Kynshu and saved some 250kms of driving.

Our site inland from Beppu was up in the mountains and stunning. The clear warm start to the day forewarned of the heat that would be present for the match.

Oita stadium has a covered roof which was a blessing in the hot humid conditions. As with previous stadiums it is a stunning bit of high quality infrastructure. 

Spectators aside the players must have appreciated playing in shade. The 45-10 result was expected but Uruguay have improved substantially since 2015 (where the result was 63-3). 

Some of the camp sites were brilliant. The shop sold us two of these dishes and some wood so we could have a sumptuous BBQ.

Baeddan felt he should contribute by ensuring he had some exercise to generate a suitable appetite. After this meal I hope to be this tall…..

C’mon hurry up – I’m starving…

After Oita we got on another ferry this time to Yawatahama on Shikoku island. A key drawcard for selecting this route was a vine suspension bridge. Our family had no problem with the crossing but some really struggled. Sonia eventually helped the high heeled lady each step of the way while her husband (once he had got across) could only watch in awe! High fives and lots of laughter once the crossing was finally completed!

Others just thought the whole experience was very cool but certainly not a challenge.

The following day another novel experience. We started on a boat,

which took us to the Naruto whirlpools. There are many parts of the world with quite strong currents through various narrows but this is the first that I have seen that generates whirlpools.

Not a good place to swim….

but a great place to get wet. (Although the boat was quite full most went indoors and there were only a few up for a shower - well facilities in the 'vans were limited!)

Back on the main island we stayed near Kakegawa. The smaller castle following a fire has been rebuilt but nonetheless is very attractive.

It overlooks the city but the view to the North is the biggest drawcard. 

On a clear day Mount Fuji can be easily seen (although it is a little faint in this shot). It is just a shame the view is clouded by so many man made trees. This actually highlights one disappointment – almost everywhere there are forests of power-lines. The streetscapes of most towns are frankly really ugly. Only in some new areas such as the centre of Tokyo and Hiroshima do power-lines take alternative routes. The feel of such areas is a wonderful relief from the norm.