Japan 2017: 22 September: Kawaguchiko

Breakfast was the supermarket food we purchased yesterday. The okonomiyaki was pretty good for warmed-over supermarket convenience food, and I also sampled the dumplings, purely from a quality-control perspective. I judged them eminently suitable for lunch after a long walk.

Our plan for the morning was to finish packing, dump our bags in the left-luggage room, and walk as far around the lake as we could go in the time available to us, before returning to the hostel for lunch (the surviving dumplings) and a bathroom break before catching a bus to the train station.

The weather was perfect for walking, with low clouds brushing across the mountaintops and creating enough shade that it remained cool throughout the hike. There were enough breaks in the cloud to create constantly changing light on the mountains, which is always one of the pleasures of mountainous areas. We walked to the bridge that spans the eastern end of Kawaguchiko lake, crossed the bridge, then turned west along the lake shore. Lots of fishermen, feathered and otherwise, out for a morning fish. We paused to sit on a dock and watch a white stork (heron?) fishing amidst a flotilla of squabbling ducks, and a nice Japanese gentleman offered to take our picture. So there will be at least some documentary evidence that I was here.

We walked for a little more than 2 hours before reaching the end of the lakeshore walkway, then caught a bus back to the bridge so we could walk east and south around the part of the lake we hadn't seen yet. Where the western lake is less poplulated and more natural, this eastern part is the luxe hotel district, which contained the accommodations we hadn't considered staying in. They're undoubtedly more luxurious than our hostel, but also considerably pricier, and much farther from the station area, so they would have been logistically far less convenient. And K's House Hostel was a lovely space with very friendly staff, and easily walkable into town when necessary or convenient.

The walk back to the hostel was about another hour, and the dumplings were a nice light lunch, washed down with Kirin beer from a machine in the lobby. (We need more beer vending machines in the West. *G*)

Had a nice nap on the hostel couch after lunch, and took some time for blogging before we headed for the bus. We left our last gifts (maple sugar candy) with the hostel staff as a small thank you. We had one for the daughter of one of the staff, who was hanging out watching TV while her mother cleaned house for the next wave of guests. She was probably about 6, and knew enough to say "thank you" in English.

No significant trouble training to Tokyo. We caught one last glimpse of Fuji, coyly baring a shoulder through heavy cloud, then off to our last stop before home. Graham, if you're reading this, you really need to come to Japan and ride the rails. Japan is like Disneyland for railroad engineers.

This time, we chose to stay at Hotel Mystays Ueno. It's a chain hotel, about 100 times the size of any place we've stayed thus far, and nowhere near the swank end, but clean and modern and very convenient: about a 10-minute walk from Ueno train station, near lovely Ueno Park, and close to a great many restaurants and museums—though mostly art museums, as it turns out. Nothing against art museums, of course.

The room at the Mystays was tiny. No, really... Tiny even by Japanese standards. The double bed fills all of the room except a 6-inch gap between the foot of the bed and the window; a 1.5-foot gap between the bed and the wall that supports the world's smallest and cutest desk, hugging the wall; and a shoulder-width corridor leading past the bathroom to the door. On the plus side, the bathroom is one of the biggest we've had thus far, with ample head and shoulder space for me. And the shower is great: a ton of pressure and endless hot water.

Took time to shower and relax a bit, then headed out in search of dinner. Shoshanna checked TripAdvisor in search of good local places, and conveniently, the one that was both top-rated and close to us was an okonomiyaki place. Only about a 15-minute walk too. So we headed there through the gathering dusk, and found ourselves at a tiny old wooden home, with room for fewer than 30 people. It's one of those places where you squeeze your feet under a low wooden table, and cook your meal on a grill mounted in the table right in front of you. That means it's hot—particularly with a dozen or so open grills scattered through the one-story structure. And they have no air-conditioning. They have a warning at the door to warn off anyone who might have troubles with the heat.

It was cool enough outside that with whirring fans everywhere, the temperature wasn't too uncomfortable. After ordering, you're handed a bowl of glop: an egg, the ingredients you specified, and some batter. You mix 'em up, drop them onto the grill, flatten everything out with a spatula, and then relax while it cooks. Periodically, you peek under the edge to see how it's doing, and when it starts browning, you flip it. When you're done, you quarter it with the spatula, scoop a quarter onto your plate, and leave the others to stay warm on the grill. You paint the pancake with tangy BBQ sauce, squirt on a little mayo, and then devour it. Excellent, and washed down nicely with Sapporo beer.

Fractured English of the day: the menu states that the staff will deliver your beer, but that you have to "make your own water". We assume they mean that you have to fetch your own pitcher of water, as there's a rack of pitchers at the back of the restaurant, but the purpose of not serving water eludes me. Maybe they hope you'll buy more beer?

Wandered home through dark, mostly deserted streets, very glad to know that Japan has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. I wouldn't call the area "seedy", but it is dark, not well populated after dark, and off the beaten track.

Continue to 23 September: Kawaguchiko to Tokyo