Isaac@Chubu and Hokuriku
爾德@中部和北陸

Isaac@Japan

Aurora during the flight over the North Pole

2024 Christmas Break

東京 Tokyo 松本 Matsumoto 奥飛騨平湯温泉 Okuhida Hirayu Onsen 高山 Takayama 下呂温泉 Gero Onsen 富山 Toyama 金沢 Kanazawa 白川郷 Shirakawago 五箇山 Gokayama 加賀山代温泉 Kaga Yamashiro Onsen 名古屋 Nagoya

December 2024 - January 2025

Isaac went to Chubu-Sangaku and Hokuriku in this Christmas break, extended to Tokyo at the start and Nagoya at the end due to limited flight options between the UK and Japan. As Isaac's parents' 10th anniversary, the trip included three onsen (hot spring) towns as Isaac enjoyed onsen and the foods and activities coming with onsen ryokans (hot spring inns). It was Isaac's first visit to the UNESCO world heritage sites of Shirakawago and Gokayama, his first time having osechi-ryori (New Year cuisine) in jubako (tiered wooden food box) and his first time enjoying the food in the 130-year ryotei Kinjohro.

It was a pity that the Noto peninsula was not available for visiting after the 2024 New Year Day earthquake, but Isaac helped supporting the disaster recovery by getting his parents purchasing the food and products from the Noto peninsula.

From Cambridge to Tokyo (via London)

Ahead of the almost 14-hour flight from London to Tokyo, Isaac took the opportunty to enjoy the food, juice and ice-cream and play hard in Heathrow Airport.

Once he had been well fed and entertained, his parents could get some quite time and rest.

東京 Tokyo

Eat Hard @ Tokyo

Some of the places in Tokyo have been witnessing Isaac growing up - from sleeping in a pram to sitting on a baby seat having baby meal to sitting on an adult chair having the same food as us. Isaac has grown up quickly and changed noticeably.

Although the price tags have got up substantially, what haven't been changed were the hospitality and quality of dishes here. We could still enjoy the same teppanyaki, uni(urchin)/kaisen(seafood)don, ichigo daifuku (strawberry mochi), unagi (eel) and the same Yonezawa beef (米沢牛).

松本 Matsumoto

奥飛騨平湯温泉 Okuhida Hirayu Onsen

高山 Takayama -> 下呂温泉 Gero Onsen

下呂温泉 Gero Onsen

Nice to have dinner served in your room

Also having the breakfast served to your room

富山 Toyama

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金沢 Kanazawa

Kanazawa - nicknamed "Little Kyoto" was the home of Maeda-shi (前田氏), the powerful million koku (unit to measure volume of rice output) Kaga daimyo (加賀百萬石大名) for hundreds years.

To demonstrate obedience to the ruling Tokugawa Shogunate and absence of political ambitions, the Maeda pursued the glamour and lavishness of Kyoto, having retained the most refined gold artists and art works.

Kanazawa is also renowned for its Omicho market, ryotei (料亭) and chaya (茶屋). It serves the best crab dishes too.

白川郷 Shirakawago
五箇山 Gokayama

The historic villages of Shirakawago and Gokayama were registered as UNESCO world heritage sites in 1995, characterised by the gassho-zukuri (合掌造) houses.

Unfortunately these historic villages are under heavy pressure from soaring number of visitors every day.

We joined a day-trip local tour to these villages for convenience and hopefully bringing in less traffic.

御節料理 Osechi-Ryori

It was Isaac's (and his parents') first time having osechi-ryori (literally festive cuisine), where each item have it meaning for the New Year.

Although the items are tranditional and served cold, they have higher quality and better taste - way above ordinary bento (which is already good quality).

敬賀新年 Happy New Year

Since the Meiji Restoration, Japan has adopted the Gregorian calendar where new year are now celebrated on 1 Jan across Christianity, Shinto and Buddhism.

Further to first time having osechi-ryori, it was also the first time starting our new year in a traditional ryotei - the 130-year Kinjohro. Also followed the local custom of having a walk in Kenroku-en (兼六園) and enjoying the tea there.

加賀山代温泉 Kaga Yamashiro Onsen

The third and last onsen town in this trip - Kaga Yamashiro. Isaac enjoyed the making and eating of onsen tamago (egg) and all the food, desserts and milk come with onsen.

Isaac also had a few crafting sessions to fulfil his "artistic spirit", making candle, decorating music box and engraving chopsticks with gold powder.

Trains Day

Isaac loves riding different trains, so he enjoyed this day even it was a stressful day.

JR West designed its train line and schedule with obsession in the Japanese punctuality - leaving only 8mins to change at Tsuruga Station from Hokuriku Shinkansen to Limited Express Shirasagi (including down one level, passing the ticket gate then down another level) and only 12mins to change at Maibara Station from Limited Express Shirasagi to Tokaido Shinkansen (including passing the ticket gate, getting up the stairs crossing the bridge to another platform), all to be done with three suitcases and one 6-year old boy.

The trains are all thoroughly cleaned and comfortable, with only one flaw - JR West over-estimated in getting hundreds of passengers transit to the right trains (passengers from the 12-car Hokuriku Shinkansen were split into the 9-car Limited Expressed Thunderbird to Kyoto/Osaka and the 6-car Limited Express Shirasagi to Maibara at the same time) within 8mins so our second ride (Limited Express Shirasagi from Tsuruga to Maibara) was delayed by 4mins. While 4mins-delay is common elsewhere in the world, it meant repeated apologies from the conductor and we were left with 8mins to complete our transit in Maibara Station to the 16-car Tokaido Shinkansen (with three suitcases and one 6-year old boy).

名古屋 Nagoya

Nagoya, the metropolis and manufacturing centre in Chubu with the largest seaport in Japan.

As the final stop of the trip, boxes of snacks were ordered to deliver here to take home.

It also houses the Legoland Resort in Japan. It is a shame that by all means this Legoland Resort far outperforms its counterpart in Windsor UK, in cleanliness, price, food, wait time and hospitality.

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From Nagoya to Cambridge (via Tokyo and London)

Took the first train to Nagoya Chubu Airport for an early flight to Tokyo Haneda Airport for transit back to London. Isaac spotted Fujisan (Mount Fuji) by himself on the 1st flight and saw aurora for the first time on the 2nd flight over Alaska/north pole.