Today I decided to head north to Nikko, a town in the mountains home to the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu (the famous Shogun James Clavell fictionalized in his book). The guidebook listed two ways I could get there - take the Tobu line or take a shinkansen and then trasfer to a JR local line. The book recommeded the option over the second as being less of a hassle so even though the JR option would have been free to me, I chose to try the first.
I got to the Tobu entrance no problem, it was very easy to find. They had the standard map with prices and ticket machines so I saw how much it was going to be (1320), hit the english button, and purchased my ticket. Except, instead of 1320 it was for 1300. Strange. I head up the the turnstiles and it doesn’t want to let me in. < sigh >. I walk over to the guard to try and explain the situation but he doesn’t speak english so he walks me over to help desk where the ladies there are marginally better. I piece together that the issue is I’m 20 short, but I can’t figure out why or what I should do next. Eventually we work it out that I’m supposed to go back down stairs.
Next to the machines is a line with an actual cashier that I’m hopeful can help me out - I’m getting a little frantic since I only have a couple of minutes before my train leaves. I ask him if he understands english to see I can explain the situation to him and get a surly wakarimasen. At this point I decide I’ve consigned myself to trying to buy a completely new ticket from him but he sees my previous ticket and I’m able to just pay a 20 yen fare to get a new, different ticket. This one is completely in japanese so I’m a bit confused but I know I’m supposed to get on car six. So I double check the reader board as to the track I run back upstairs to the platform. I think I’ve found the right track but the train has a different destination marked on it. I’m starting to freak a bit more since I’m at the 2 minute mark, I run back to the help desk and confirm I have the right train with the ladies there. I run back and start looking for car numbers like some of the other trains have, but I can’t find any. I finally just hop on and we’re off like 10 seconds later.
Now, these local trains are bit different that the nice ones in Tokyo. First of all, there is no “you are here, next stop blah” indicator, all you get is a map with station names also in english above one of the doors. The announcer speaks all in japanese and although each station has a combination english/hirigana/kankii sign being in the last car you can’t see it for the smaller stations until you pull out of the station. Now, if had any wits on me I would have realized that the reason the train wasn’t labelled with my destination (Tobu-Nikko) was that I was going to have to transfer. The map even showed the junction point. Now, at each station there are signs as to the next stop down the line. We pull into the station where the line diverges and I see 2 destinations listed as whats next. I stupidly gamble that this train will get me where I want to go. I loose. I hop off as soon I’ve realized mistake and I’m literally in the middle of nowhere. The station is just a tiny strip and is completely disserted but the smells coming down from the mountain are just wonderfull. I wait 25 minutes until a train coming the other direction and work my way back to the trasfer point. 20 minutes later I’m in Nikko after a 3+ hour ordeal.
Nikko is just awesome, favorite place so far. The temples and shrines are in the midst of old growth timber and the place has a magical ambiance to it. Going into some of the temples, smelling a combination of freshly wet forest with the slightly musty temple aroma and the lingering hint of incense takes takes you back in time. It quickly gets late though and I have to leave before seeing everything so I can make it back to Tokyo to meet Teman before it gets too late.
I go the JR route back which involves taking a local train and then transfering to a shinkansen to make my way back to Tokyo. Shinkansen have both reserved and unreserved seats - normally reservations cost a little more but they are free with the JR pass. You just walk up to a ticket desk, let them know where you want to go (Tokyo, onigaishimasu) and then convey your smoking preference. You can get tickets for a specific train however if you’re lazy you don’t have to specify a train and just get tickets for the next available. The ride back is mostly uneventful, except for the part where I wake an older sleeping salaryman who I think is in my seat before I realize the seats are lettered from right to left on this train, not left to right. Doh!
I get home just after Teman and we head out for this place he’s been wanting to try that has 40 japanese microbrews on tap. After a little searching we find it and its well worth the trouble. Up to this point most restaurants just have a single “nama birru” or draft beer and its always your typical lager. I had yet to see a japanese microbrew. This place had a huge selection and almost nothing was a lager - IPAs, pale ales, stouts (including some nitro tapped options), you name it. We tried half size after half size sampling their menu and I was very impressed, the Japanese can really do some good beers.
We had to leave around 11 since the trains stop at midnight. The trains were packed with people on their way home after a Friday night out. Its a very different atmosphere than the morning commute where everybody is practically silent. At stations you would see people making a mad dash for their connection to make sure they made it home before the last train.