Table of Contents
- Failure of Fuji View
- Numazu Nostalgia
- Advancing on Atamai
- Straight to Shinbashi
- Across to Asakusa
- Through Tourist Troops
Despite being the longest of our travel segments in Japan, this is also the most straightforward, taking us northeast up the coast along the Toukaidou Honsen (東海道本線 "East Sea Road Main Line"). And yet, it still consists of a total of four segments: two long and two short, alternatingly. First, there's a long segment to Numazu (沼津 "Swamp Harbor"), followed by a short hop across the mountains to Atami (熱海 "Hot Sea"). After that, there's the main segment - longer than all other segments today combined - taking us to Tokyo's Shinbashi-eki (新橋駅 "New Bridge Station"), and after that all that's left is a short subway ride to Asakusa (浅草 "Shallow Grass").
Here's the breakdown of our trip today:
- From Shizuoka to Numazu with the Toukaidou Line for Mishima
- From Numazu to Atami with the Toukaidou Line for Atami
- From Atami to Shinbashi with the Toukaidou Line for Takasaki
- From Shinbashi to Asakusa with the Toei Subway Asakusa Line for Asakusa
That's plenty of Toukaidou Lines, isn't it? The reason for that is that in Japan, it's typical for major railway segments to be named and and the stations numbered, even if there's no single service running it end-to-end. In the case of the Toukaidou main line, this is especially extreme. Traversing several different regions of Japan over the course of its 600km length, it is, in fact, owned by three different companies: JR East (from Tokyo to Atami), JR Central (from Atami to Maibara) and JR West /from Maibara to Kobe).
Before all that, we have another fantastic mixed Japanese breakfast, just Robert and I today. Interesting, how each day one person less sits here with me. One more day and I would have been all alone.
After that, it's time to say goodbye to Aka and Ban in their cute cat kingdom...
...and then, we leave yet another empty room behind on our journey.
As mentioned before, our travel route today is pretty straightforward. As such, we now have the opportunity to experience one more...
Failure of Fuji View
Originally, Robert and I had intended to walk to the station. However, our host will have none of that, and insists on giving us a ride into the city. Works for us!
On his suggestion, we have him drop us off at the Shizuoka Kenchou (静岡県庁 "Silent Hill Prefectural Office"), which - like many tall government buildings in Japan - features a Tenboudai (展望台 "Expanding Hope Pedestal" = "Observation Deck") on its upper floors.
The way to the Tenboudai is not exactly obvious. Fortunately, all we have to do is stand around looking reasonably tourist-y - an easy enough thing to do with us being westerners and carrying all our baggage - and a security guard comes up and asks (in Japanese of course) if we are looking for the Tenboudai. Since I luckily understand as much and confirm that, he shows us the way to the correct elevator, and even goes as far as pushing the button for us befor wishing us a good day through the closing doors. Once at the top, we emerge in a spacious bu rather empty lobby with a number of padded stools, and windows all around.
Thus, we get one last panoramic look of all of Shizuoka, all the way to the ocean and the hills surrounding the city.
However, our hopes of getting to see Mt. Fuji are once again dashed by the clouds. At least this time around we have an image showing how it could look from here on a clear day.
Things we can see from up here include the Sunpujo Kouen, which is literally at the foot of the Shizuoka Kenchou...
...as well as the three (or should I count the big double-hill as two, thus making it four?) hills that I climbed during my solo-stray through Shizuoka. I wonder which one of them is the eponymous "Silent Hill".
Other things that can be found up here apart from a view include the mysterious kettle room...
...as well as a drinking water fountain. Those are ever-welcome, especially on hot days like today... or literally every day since we've come to Japan. The above-average temperatures for the season yet persist.
After we've seen everything up here, we head back down to ground level and walk over to the station, which is only about 5 STEPs away.
Once at the station we make our way past rows of (mostly yet closed) food shops and restaurants up to the platform.
Again, since we're now travelling up the Toukaidou Honsen, there's really now need for exact scheduling anymore since the trains run frequently at regular intervals. As such, a train to Numazu is soon to arrive.
That takes me back over 4 years, which was the last time I've been in this area. Time for some...
Numazu Nostalgia
Ride Duration: 54minApproximate Distance: 54km
Average Speed: 60km/h
This ride takes us northeast along Suruga-Wan (駿河湾 "Good Horse River Bay") past Shimizu (清水 "Pure Water") and Yui (由比 "Reason Ratio") to the city of Fuji (富士 "Rich Soil"), which sits at the foot of the eponymous mountain. Literally. The peak of the mountain is still roughly 25km away, but there are no other mountains in between, meaning you can ascend from there to the 3776m high summit of Mt. Fuji at a lovely gradient of roughly 15%... on average. At its worst, the gradient is over 25%! Anyway, from there we continue past Katahama (片浜 "One-way Beach") along a route that I've travelled twice before: Once on my initial ride to Numazu, and then again on my daring bike ride up the lower flank of Mt. Fuji (see Book II ~ Chapter 22 ~ Nutty Numazu).
The train to Numazu is moderately full: Not so full that all seats are occupied, but still full enough that some people prefer to stand.
Since I've already captured the seaward view of this train segment on my last time in Japan, this time I'm facing inland. That way lie mostly towns, with a few fields in between. We also cross two notable rivers: First Okitsugawa (興津川 "Interesting Haven River") and then Fujikawa (富士川 "Rich Soil River").
(Click here to view the video if the website fails to load it)
Speaking of which, it is at the crossing of Uruigawa (潤井川 "Wet Well River") that we can kiss our final chance for a glimpse of Mt. Fuji goodbye: It would seem that this cloud bank is persistently hanging around all over Mt. Fuji and the surrounding mountains.
Meanwhile, by the time we reach Numazu, the sun is shining once again.
Our transfer train stands ready just across the platform. We quickly board it, and are as such ready to go...
Advancing on Atamai
Ride Duration: 20minApproximate Distance: 22km
Average Speed: 66km/h
This short ride takes us east through the mountains south of the impressive geological landform of Hakone (箱根 "Box Root"): A complex volcano with a compound double-caldera and a lava dome in its middle. It's a popular tourist spot due to its hot springs and views of Mt. Fuji (on clear days, that is), and you can even get there by public transport. Bus is the most straightforward, but if you want an adventure, you can always take the train from Odawara (小田原 "Small Field Meadow") to Gora (強羅 "Strong Silk") - which notably contains several "dead ends" where the train switches direction because there isn't even enough space for a proper switchback in the narrow valley - then continue from there via cable car to the peak of Souunzan (早雲山 "Fast Cloud Mountain"), and then take the Hakone ropeway from there to Togendai (桃源台 "Peach Source Pedestal") at the shore of Ashinoko (芦ノ湖 "Reed Lake"). And if that's not enough, you can then proceed to take the Hakone Pirate Ship lengthwise across the lake. Ah well, fun though that sounds, that'll have to be an adventure for another visit. As for us, all we pass are the towns of Mishima (三島 "Three Islands") and Kannami (函南 "Box South") before the train enters the tunnel and does not emerge until shortly before Atami.
This train is notably less full than the last one, with plenty of free seats. But there's still enough Japanese people aboard the car to outnumber us by an order of magnitude.
Short though this ride should be, it still takes us through all the different landscapes: First there's cities and towns, followed by fields and rivers, and finally forests as we head into the mountains. After the tunnel, there's even a short section where our train runs directly parallel to the Shinkansen tracks, and gets overtaken by one of the speedy bullet trains.
(Click here to view the video if the website fails to load it)
At Atami, our connecting train for once does not stop on the same platform. However, there's a stream of people who ostensibly also just came here to change trains, so we follow them to the next platform over...
...where the train to Tokyo is soon to arrive. This one is of notably more modern design than any train we boarded ever since coming to Japan this time around.
Straight to Shinbashi
Ride Duration: 1h 43minApproximate Distance: 103km
Average Speed: 60km/h
This leg is longer than all other legs of today combined. First, it takes us around Sagami-Wan (相模湾 "Mutual Mock Bay") past aforementioned Odawara, then Ooiso (大磯 "Great Seashore") and all the way to Fujisawa (藤沢 "Wisteria Swamp"), which for once does not have anything to do with Mt. Fuji despite the first Kanji being pronounced the same way. After that, the track cuts inland past the Miura Hantou (三浦半島 "Three Gulfs Peninsula"), and then the familiar names start. First, we pass through Yokohama (横浜 "Sideways Beach"), then Kawasaki (川崎 "River Cape"), and finally, Tokyo, where the Shinbashi station is still a good ways in.
This train notably features a mix of both lengthwise and crosswise seats, roughly half of which are taken from the start.
And as we get closer and closer to Tokyo, the train only ends up getting fuller and fuller. Not crowded, mind you, but still full enough that people have to stand.
Since this ride pretty much takes us through half of the Radiant Metropolis, it should not come as a surprise that we pass mostly town and cityscape along the way, with only a few extended green areas, especially near the beginning. We also cross a number of notable rivers. The ones seen in this video are, in order of appearance: Hayagawa (早川 "Fast River"), Sakawagawa (酒匂川 "Alcohol Stink River"), Sagamigawa (相模川 "Mutual Mock River") and Tamagawa (多摩川 "Many Chafes River"). That last river also marks our crossing into the heart of Tokyo, with all its tall buildings and shiny skyscrapers.
(Click here to view the video if the website fails to load it)
Along the way we also pass a limited express, the name of which was totally not influenced by Microsoft.
Eventually, we arrive at the busy Shinbashi station, where we get off and leave the station building for a bit.
Since it's already past noon, we're looking for a bite to eat. Unfortunately, this station does not feature a food mile like the Shizuoka station did, and neither are there any restaurants in any of the nearby streets that we check.
We eventually find a mall, but it turns out that one contains mostly fashion stores, and no food places either. This defies my expectations. I'd have assumed there'd be plenty of food places around a big station such as this one.
Eventually, we head back to the station and go the other way, east instead of west. And apparently, that's a more auspicious direction, because before long we run into a sushi restaurant in the underground walking mall.
It's a cozy and nicely decorated place, with traditional seats at the counter, as well as some tables, one of which gets claimed by Robert and me. And just in time before last lunch order is called!
After some consideration, I go for the Zodiac Sushi - a selection of 12 different types of mostly Nigiri - while Robert tries out a Sushi bowl. Both also feature a bowl of miso soup, as well as complimentary green tea. And since the food is cold, the tea is hot. It's an unwritten rule in Japanese restaurants that complimentary drinks always have the opposite temperature than the food served.
Following this late but satisfying lunch, the two of us remain underground and head for the station of the Toei Asakusa Line...
...the next train of which arrives before long. Also note that we're now within the area of automatic platform barrier doors again, because clearly a platform without automatic doors is not safe.
Anyway, with this, we're now almost at our destination. All that's left is to ride this last train...
Across to Asakusa
Ride Duration: 13minApproximate Distance: 7km
Average Speed: 32km/h
This last part takes us through most of the northern half of the Asakusa Line, past stations such as Takarachou (宝町 "Treasure Town"), Ningyouchou (人形町 "Doll Town") and Kuramae (蔵前 "In Front of the Storehouse"). Incidentally, the full length of the Asakusa Line runs all the way from the Skytree to Haneda Airport and measures about 25km, so we're travelling roughly half it's length right now.
With us now being within Tokyo, the trains start getting fuller. This one is at the point where it's hard to find a seat, so I end up standing.
Also, the trains here have hi-tech displays above every door that show heaps of useful information at each stop, such as connecting trains, and where the exits are in relation to the cars. That's what I call 21st century!
Now, since this is a subway, there won't be video for this ride, because that would be rather boring (come to think of it, I wonder how long it'll be until subway windows are outfitted with displays that show beautiful landscapes and the likes while driving through the tunnels?). Instead, let's just skip ahead to the point where we reach Asakusa station and get off there.
With that, we have almost reached our destination. Now all that's left is making our way...
Through Tourist Troops
Up until right now, we were more often than not the only Westerners within the mile. That now abruptly changes. Arriving at the surface on a backroad of Asakusa, the ratio of Westerners suddenly reaches lower double digit percentages.
I mean, not that this is even remotely unexpected. Asakusa is a famous tourist hotspot after all, and here's one reason: The famous Kaminarimon (雷門 "Thunder Gate") with its huge lantern, marking the entrance of the extended temple grounds of Sensou-Ji (浅草寺 "Shallow Grass Temple").
From there, we continue past a bar that is totally Not Suspicious...
...and shortly thereafter reach our Ryokan in a backroad nearby.
Bea and Brett have already checked in, and after unpacking we should head out together for dinner. However, that, and what else happened in Tokyo is a story for another chapter. So until then, stay tuned, and be of great cheer!
