When you think of Tokyo, a concrete jungle usually comes to mind. I was surprised to find that there is like an actual jungle along a river walk at Todoroki Valley. This valley feels like you are in the countryside and the waterway is surprisingly clean. There is also a beautiful little temple at the end of the walk. I would never have though to come here if I wasn’t on the tour, so I was glad to have been shown another side of Tokyo. 

We had lunch at Matsubara-an Keyaki and I got the cold soba noodles with sesame sauce. I enjoyed the entree of rare sliced duck, and the noodles were delicious.  I liked the homely atmosphere of the restaurant, and being able to watch the noodle maker at work was interesting.

I love city parks so Meiji Jingu was a great place to visit. It’s amazing that this tranquil place is right in the middle of the city. I’ve been to many city parks around the world, but I don’t recall a park that has such a grand forest. To think that Shibuya and its famous crossing among the skyscrapers is nearby, yet another world away. It was interesting to see the ornamental sake drums, and learn about the rituals of entering the shrine. Even though the shrine is a reconstruction it still has an old world feel.

Next door to the Meiji Shrine we visited Yoyogi Park where is quite famous for people watching, especially on the weekend when people get dressed up and congregate around the Harajuku area. The park has a good mix of open spaces, water features, and some densely forested patches. It was a bit rainy when we went so not so much people watching. It’s a beautiful park whatever the weather, and I will come back here one day to see the cherry blossom (sakura) season.

Among the many things that Japan is associated with is the designer shopping experience. Visiting Beams Japan in Shinjuku was a good introduction to Japanese retail experience and design aesthetic. I liked how they represent each prefecture of Japan throughout the store. If you are looking for unique gift ideas then you will find many things here that are beyond the ordinary.

I couldn’t visit Tokyo without having a sushi experience, and what an experience is was at Asahizushi Sohonten. We had a 6-course meal which was a wonderful introduction to sushi cuisine. In addition to the usual pieces of sushi I’m familiar with we tried some dishes that I had never tried before.

The Keio Plaza Hotel was an ideal base for exploring Tokyo. Situated near Shinjuku station it was easy to get to from Haneda airport and there are lots of good shops and food options nearby. The hotel itself is massive, taking up a whole city block. My room was comfortable and the check in staff were polite and professional.

The Shinkansen is the most famous high-speed train in the world. Taking this train is a must-do activity on a visit to Japan. Sure enough, everything I had heard about the Shinkansen was true. The modern train stations are easy to navigate, the trains leave on time (to the second), and the carriages are clean and spacious. And the ride is so smooth that you barely realise you are going so fast. And yes, even the toilets on the train are those wonderful Japanese-style wonder-toilets.

We got a first glimpse of the stream on the bus on the way to the lake. I kept wanting the bus to stop, so I was glad that we instead got to return by bike. The stream is like out of a fairy tale, with fast-flowing pristine water, and waterfalls along the way. The road is easy enough to travel on with not too many big hills, and it follow the path of the river so it is scenic all the way. The walking path looked incredible.

At Lake Towada we had lunch at Towadaya Shokudo where has a very homely feel like it is in someones house. The matriarch of the house came out and took out orders with a baby wrapped around her back in the traditional Japanese way. As this was the first thing we did after arriving from Tokyo it felt like different pace of life to that of capital. Our lunch was fresh fish caught from the lake just outside, and I had the fried version which was tasty.

Lake Towada was a real surprise for me. The canoe guide was very knowledgable about the lake and canoeing, and his passion for nature and the lake stood out. The thing I noticed was how clean every thing is here. Having travelled extensively through Asia where the environment is not much considered, it was heartening to be in a place with no trash and such clean water.

Dinner at the Hoshino Resorts Oirase Keiryu Hotel was a buffet style. One detail I especially liked was the tray plate which into 9 little plates. Rather than piling on a big pile of food this made you think about getting smaller samples of more things. Aomori Prefecture is famous for apples so of course I had to try the various apple desserts.

The Hoshino Resorts Oirase Keiryu Hotel is a hotel you can tell has been designed to blend in with its environment. The hotel faces the Oirase Stream and is built wide rather than high.  Having the river as a view from my room was a bonus. My room was spacious and the bed was very comfortable.

The Tsuta Onsen is in a traditional old wooden building with the hot water coming from the hot springs below. The rooms are modern with the latest amenities but they keep within the traditional Japanese style (apart from one western-style room). The onsen is set in a natural environment with a number of walking paths in the surrounding forest. There is a beautiful little lake nearby and the paths are well-maintained. I have never been to an Onsen before, but I suspect this is a far better experience than visiting a city Onsen.

We had a set lunch at Hakkouda Resort Hotel. I enjoy the Bento Box lunch set where a selection of food style is picked out for you. I tend to stick with what I know when confronted with an unfamiliar menu, so this style of eating is ideal. We had sashimi with assorted picked vegetables and it was all good.

The Hakkoda ropeway is a stunning way to reach Mt. Hakkoda. The cars of the ropeway glide over a forest. We were there at the end of September so the trees were just starting to turn yellow. You could notice the colour changes the higher up we went. It must be an incredible sight in the midst of Autumn. The view going up and down gave a fair indication of the surrounding view, including being able to see Aomori city and the coast.

We stopped off at Hotate Goya restaurant which is famous for scallops. Being at a seaside city it seemed appropriate to stop for some kind of seafood. At the restaurant the scallops are live in a tank, and as a bonus you get to try and fish them out of the water using a fishing rod with a hook. It’s a bit of fun and you know that your scallops are as fresh as they come. The restaurant had a great ambiance, with hanging lanterns that are used in the Aomori Nebuta festival, which the city is most famous for.

Overall this was a balanced introduction to Japan in a short space of time. Starting in Tokyo seems like a natural choice for any visit to Japan. A life time of visits to this amazing city will never be enough. I would be happy to pass through here every time I come back to visit another place in Japan (and I will be back!) I also enjoyed visiting a place I wouldn’t have thought to visit. I enjoyed the nature of Aomori Prefecture. It was great to enjoy such an interesting place without the crowds of the more famous places.