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DSL
Keeper of the wheelie bin

Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73081

You mean the one that said “触れないでください”? Of course!

15th Sep 2023 12:46 pm

DSL
Keeper of the wheelie bin

Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73081

OK, it’s lunch time back home so good time for food pics!! On our last trip to Japan (May - Jun ‘19) we tended to avoid “local” restaurants, plus up to leaving Yokohama we were in international hotels with effectively full board through their lounges. Now we don’t have that crutch and have, like last trip, headed straight for Mickie Dees …… NOT.

Local restaurants are an intimidating sight.

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But we took a brave pill and dived in. This is one in a department store at the JR station. Food was really good and surprisingly cheap. This lot for 2 was ~£9.

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You can keep it really cheap with specials.

We also do a bit of a Google on restaurants so have a bit of intel on where is good. Plus take a snap of the menu of places which have a decent queue. Locals tend to know where to go and don’t hang around for sub-par nosh.

Where we’re thinking of going tomorrow in different department store.

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Re what you are eating, it’s great to have menu with pics as above. Plus they have electronic ticket arrangements, well ours did, for queueing. Google Translate is absolutely fantastic and essential, even for something as simple as “sold out” along with what the dish is we’re missing out on.

Anyone that’s been to Japan will have seen the plastic food outside restaurants.

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Great for seeing what is available to eat. We haven’t used them in anger yet but our plan is to take a couple of pics and say “one of these and one of these” by pointing.

And finally, can’t forget breakie this morning. I’d forgotten re the dimpled plates and the massive choice in Japanese (as opposed to International) hotels. All scrummy!

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15th Sep 2023 1:10 pm

DSL
Keeper of the wheelie bin

Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73081

And a few random pics from the last couple of days. We don’t have a rail pass this trip, just using “local” trains so no Shinkansen trains.

2 of yesterday’s 3 trains.

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On one there was a slight lack of leg room but the train was pretty empty so no playing kneesies with strangers. The other 2 trains were much better.

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Once in the hotel we had an urgent issue to attend to. Travelling light means we need to do laundry. Recycling can only go so far!!

Luckily a combo of dual language and GoogTrans came to the rescue and freshness is restored.

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And not a sign you se outside lifts back home. Also clocked tsunami evacuation route signs today.

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Finally some pics from Hamamatsu Castle, or as we thought of it, the nice looking sauna at the top of a hill. We were dripping like crazy.

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Three handsome looking chaps, one a bit soggier than the other 2.

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Yes, I’m jealous of the whiskers.

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And one serious Samurai.

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Fantastic views over the city and out to the air base, deffo called for a pano.

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15th Sep 2023 1:50 pm

DSL
Keeper of the wheelie bin

Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73081

Been a bit lax at bunging up the old pics, will remedy that in a mo. Now in Kyoto, had a few days in Nagoya after Hamamatsu. Weather is pretty wet, but looking good for tomorrow.

Meanwhile, back in Blighty it’s got to be getting towards lunchtime so here’s a pic of tonight’s scoff. Pretty yummy, and even better as that was dinner sorted for £10, for both of us.

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21st Sep 2023 10:36 am

DSL
Keeper of the wheelie bin

Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73081

OK, pics time so upgrade yer broadband and clear our yer hard drives.

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Flower Garden near Hamamatsu.

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It’s a lot more subtle than this time last year in Canada but Halloween fever is gripping this part of Japan.

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And then on to Nagoya. Big(ish) city so back to lots of concrete and railways, well mostly. A fantastic little garden to flop in before we could check into our hotel. It was a bit hot & humid but lovely and cool here.

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SWEEEEEEEEEEET hut for the MowBot.

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And when in central Japan you obviously have to eat ………….. Indian!

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This is the menu from the eatery a few along, deffo a bit intimidating for us!

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From the Toyota museum in Nagoya

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Note the little hoola skirts the tyres have. Very strange!

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And finally had a good view of Mt Fuji from the train. We’ll train set at the JR train museum.

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AC is deffo a big plus in these temps but the Nagoya Science museum take it to a new level.

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Bit of ice from Antarctica.

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There was no windchill so not too bad, we had -10c for a few mins to acclimatise, then 10 mins in -30c and back to -10c again before we hit normal temps, well AC. It means we had a 65c temp range that day. And these school kids were having a bit of a contest to go through the 20 mins or so without resorting to the parka. Three did it but we’re looking relieved when it was finished.

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They also had a Tesla generator, will bung up the vid once I’ve uploaded it.

And finally some pics from Nagoya castle. The main tower isn’t open anymore but some reconstructed bits are open.

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Tomorrow is off to look at temples NW of Kyoto, weather forecast is good if we could follow what was on the TV. We’ll see and take brollies with us anyway.

21st Sep 2023 10:50 am

DSL
Keeper of the wheelie bin

Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73081

PS Forgot the trip up N of Nagoya to a museum that showed Japan after the end of the Edo period, once it opened up.

We haven’t had a safety notice for a while but here’a catch-up. Top right, no Browning 9 mils nor cutlasses but Glocks, Magnums and sabres are allowed. Also what have Corgis done to get banned?

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Passed these, wasp type things that were mahoosive and one decided to buzz MrsDSL, not quite a girlie scream but not far off!

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I know how they feel, diet is not going well!

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It was a bit of a sweatfest walking round the museum, luckily for the good peeps of Nagoya the train back wasn’t busy.

21st Sep 2023 11:26 am

DSL
Keeper of the wheelie bin

Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73081

21st Sep 2023 11:30 am

DSL
Keeper of the wheelie bin

Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73081

OK, waaaaaaaay behind on pics but we’ve been a bit busy plus suffering from a little bit of a cold (MrsDSL) and ManFlu (moi). Lots of fantastic sights/pics from Kyoto and Nara but here’s a few deer pics from Nara. Once you get out into the temple & parks area they are everywhere and mega cute. You can buy packets of rice cookies for ¥200 (£1.10) to feed them and then the adventure begins. We made sure we decided who got fed, usually on the quieter routes and chose the deer that weren’t mobbing the tourists with a fistful of cookies.

But, in the interest of safety, the warnings! TBS we did see a bit of d2d head butting, one woman who got nerfed as she was getting shirty with a large male dear, plus MrsDSL had her shirt nibbled today! They are 99% cute and most like a little head pat or do reciprocal bowing when cookies are around (looks very Japanese), but watch out for the rogue 1%!

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Right, clear out yer buffers, much cute deerness incoming!

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Yes, it was a tad hot and humid!

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MrsDSL eyeball to eyeball with a rather cheeky chappie!

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Who thought the map looked tastie!

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28th Sep 2023 8:04 am

DSL
Keeper of the wheelie bin

Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73081

And the rest of the pics.

We found out why the Corgi is banned in the above signs pics, he has a tendency to eat all the pies!!

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Couple more signs. No cheering footie fans here! Maybe they are cheering coz they got to the pies first!

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And watch out for rather cute snakes and creepy crawlies!

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Mind you, no warnings re this praying mantis.

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I put my foot in close for scale and he was off up my leg like a shot. Obviously thought a nice shady tree had just sprouted. No girlie screams were issues by me, was way beyond that. He got up to my knee before phone was used as an emergency flicking device, thanks to the gods I wasn’t wearing shorts!!

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Kyoto is kind of famous for its temples, there are lots of them. Here’s a few pics of some of the ones that can be visited.

The first one had hundreds, or is it thousand, of little carved Buddhas.

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My faves.

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SWEEEEEEET!

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And another just down the road.

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And the rest.

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Prob a samurai would have no problem but no way was I able to budge it vertically.

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Bit of calculating and we think it was somewhere between 250 - 300kg so no way was that happening. I did manage the puny bar next to it.

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It was getting a bit busy but this is one of Japan’s most visited sites, and on a Sunday!

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And SWEEEEEEEET little sake barrels. One might just make it into our packs on the way back.

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Tasting the water that makes sake in Kyoto. Think of it as proto-sake, without the rice and yeast.

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And the world famous 15 islands rock garden. Perfectly manicured and not a bit of gravel out of place.

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All watched over by various dragons.

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More manicured gardens.

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This sand castle would have needed a big bucket!

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Where the “no footie fans” sign is, right in front of this temple. Maybe it’s too much like a footie cup.

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Minor interruption from temples, this shows typical fuel prices. And the media is complaining it’s at it’s most expensive ever. Top is regular gas, then high octane then diesel. It’s ¥182/£.

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And the world famous fushimi-inari toris. Lots and lots of them, hiding the fact that you are climbing up a honking great mountain.

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We went up the back of the hill mountain. Much quieter.

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Mind you, it was a hell of a hike to get up to the summit with no rest stops, icecream vendors or drinks machines, which we passed a-plenty on the way down!

And to finish, some food shots. It’s bound to be near lunchtime back home.

Chicken thigh roll and nuggets from a food market. Lovely!

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Hit the spot!

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Grilled chicken in egg on rice.

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Ordered from a machine, luckily that had an ENGLISH button!

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And Matcha icecream that was absolutely lovely.

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That led us to try matcha (green tea) in a proper restaurant/cafe.

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Let’s just say that it’s an acquired taste and the ice cream lead us into a false sense of security. That’s matcha (proper) ticked, won’t do that again.

28th Sep 2023 9:36 am

PROFSR G

Member Since: 06 Mar 2017
Location: Lost
Posts: 5043

2009 Discovery 3 TDV6 Commercial XS Auto Stornoway Grey

Fab pics Del but you really shouldn't have brought the family pet!

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-66944513 yµ (idµ - eAµ) ψ=mψ

28th Sep 2023 1:27 pm

DSL
Keeper of the wheelie bin

Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73081

Not sure the bears are that stupid!

So far we have had no interaction with robots.

28th Sep 2023 11:25 pm

Moo
D3 Decade

Member Since: 13 Aug 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 14389

2005 Discovery 3 TDV6 S Manual Zambezi Silver

Japanese toilets are pretty close to robots

. The last hotel I was in in Tokyo could differentiate between male and female and prepare the seat accordingly as you approached!

New Defender L663 110 SE (known as Noddy!)

Sold Volvo XC90 R-Design (known as Basil)

Sold - D4 HSE (Known as Gerty)

No longer the Old Buses original owner

231,000 miles and counting
05 S manual owned from March 2005
D4 Face lifted
Still original injectors and turbo
V8 Front brakes
BAS Remap, Allisport Intercooler and deCat
EGRs blanked
T-Max split charge
Hanibal Expeedition rack
Prospeed ladder
Duratrac tyres
IID BT
BAS FBH control

28th Sep 2023 11:30 pm

DSL
Keeper of the wheelie bin

Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73081

They are a bit scary when you walk into the bathroom and they start doing things. And gradually getting used to the short baths. I like a soak in the tub but these call for a bit of contortionism.

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And that’s a relatively long tub by Japanese standards!

28th Sep 2023 11:35 pm

DSL
Keeper of the wheelie bin

Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73081

OK, we’re now in Osaka. Had a bit of a wander round the foodie area to the south of the hotel. Loved the 3d advertising.

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No idea what this is!

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Very fishy!

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And roast dragon?

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Lots of fugii (sp?) on show, some fresher than others. No way am I brave enough!

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Crab leg anyone?

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Settled for octopus balls. Could eat them once they cooled down that is, mush got a bit scorched after I dived in outside the shop!

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Getting busy again.

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And the onsie wearing Mario Cart peeps from Tokyo have arrived.

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On these jollies we have different(ish) rolls, one of mine is getting from A to B. Bit shocked today to find the absolutely fantastic transport planning app just shut up shop and decided it didn’t want to play any more!! This is not the web page I wanted to see!