Photo Trip Report: Japan in a Van

[buksida]

Are you still using your old camera for these photos - if so looking forward to seeing what the new one does better?

These are all on the D7200. I used the new one in Korea (next trip report) mostly for low-light shots which it was better for.

The biggest challenge was getting the shots I wanted without people in them.

[buksida]

Another attraction of the area was the wild snow monkeys that flitted across the pathways seemingly unfazed by the humans snaking along the trails.

By early afternoon the weather had begun to close in with mist and light rain enveloping the mountains. It was time to take the bus back down and reunite with our van to drive to the next road station and settle in for the night.

Food on the road was sourced in local supermarkets such as Family Marts and 7-Elevens which are way better than what Thailand has to offer in its 'sugar express' shops. Fresh sushi and sashimi and a bottle of South American wine for very little cost made most of our meals since restaurants at road stations closed early. I may have mentioned that wine in Japan costs about a third of what we get fleeced for here in Thailand.

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To follow: Matsumoto

[Big Boy]

What miserable faces those monkeys have,

[buksida]

Prolly tired of watching tourists traipsing through their back yard!

[Nereus]

Prolly tired of watching tourists traipsing through their back yard!

There is a place where they bathe in hot springs.

The Jigokudani Monkey Park

[Dannie Boy]

The girl with the umbrella looked happy, although that could have been the reflection from Buks grin?

[buksida]

Can anyone else see the absurdity of trying to take a selfie with a mask on in a national park? I reckon an entire generation has lost the plot!

[Big Boy]

What miserable faces those monkeys have.

Why so many people on and around the bridge?

[buksida]

The bridge was the central point where the busses dropped off and where the cafes and tourist shops were. The Insta crowd didn't need to walk far from it to get their selfie social media exposure at Kamikochi.

We wanted to get as far away from it as possible!

[pharvey]

What miserable faces those monkeys have,

I wouldn't want to take him on.... And taking on the likes of the young lady is a very distant memory!!

The bridge was the central point where the busses dropped off and where the cafes and tourist shops were. The Insta crowd didn't need to walk far from it to get their selfie social media exposure at Kamikochi.

We wanted to get as far away from it as possible!

You certainly wouldn't want to do any sightseeing in China then (though it does have some beautiful sights..)!!

Cracking photo's yet again - despite the cold, seems a wonderful time of year to visit with all the colours. I think one thing that struck me with Japan was the distinct (and similar to UK/European) seasons rather than areas I was living/working and had visited in SE Asia at the time. The LHG has never visited, but has always wanted to do so, especially in the Spring and see the Cherry Blossoms - a big "event" in Japan.

As mentioned previously, these reports are certainly making me want to visit again, but this time actually spending time to see the country rather than Power Stations!!

[buksida]

Day 5
Today we headed for Matsumoto Castle, touted as one of Japan’s national treasures. Entry fees for attractions in Japan are much cheaper than in Thailand and there is no dual pricing which is a refreshing trait of a first-world country. It cost us 700 yen, or around 175 baht each to get in.

The castle was impressive, but so were the crowds. Nearly everything you do in Japan involves a queue and they’re very good at organizing them.

We wanted to leave the van in the castle car park and walk into town to a restaurant that had great reviews online. When we finally found it we were met with another queue so the reviews at least were accurate. I’m not one to queue for food when there are hundreds of eateries around so we headed for Matsumoto’s quirky tourist street to grab some Udon noddle curry.

Very little is displayed in English so we had to use the Google Translate app and camera on the signs to figure out what we were eating.

It was time to get back on the road and check out the next road station where we would be staying after a planned trip back into the Alps the next day. For this evening, we drove up to Ogisawa, the starting point for the ‘Alpine Route’ trip.

At 1,500 meters elevation, the deserted car park was cold, to say the least. Temperatures dropped to zero that night so several layers were needed for sleeping. We decided to stay here so there would be no traveling the next morning, one of the advantages of having a campervan.

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To follow: Japanese Alps

[caller]

So many fantastic photos. It all looks amazing.

[buksida]

Day 6 
Today’s adventure had been meticulously planned by the Mrs who had been watching Thai YouTubers travelling in Japan. The 'Alpine Route' as it is known is a very popular tourist attraction though a little hard to get to. 

Our first encounter at 06.30 was the car park attendant telling us we couldn’t park the RV in the empty 24-hour car park where it had been all night and had to move it down the hill. This actually did us a favour as it meant we didn’t have to pay for parking.

We’d booked the Alpine Route tickets online fearing overcrowding and scanned a QR code at the automated machine on the day to get the tickets. The return trip costs 12,300 yen each or around 2,900 baht. Fortunately, there were very few people on the 8 am electric bus that took us through a tunnel (Japan has a LOT of tunnels) to the first stop at Kurobe Dam, the highest in the country at 1,500 meters. 

Cold doesn’t come close to what I felt at the ice-covered viewpoint over the lake but the views made up for it. We walked across the dam to the next station on the route which involved a funicular railway up the mountain to another viewpoint and souvenir shop. 

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To follow: The Alpine Route to Murodo

[Dannie Boy]

I’m sure there are many like me that will get to their end and think, “I wish I’d done so and so a few years ago” - I don’t think that will be your case Buks - Looks like an amazing experience!!

[buksida]

We certainly felt our age on this trip and were physically tired a lot quicker after hiking as much as 10km per day, hence we didn't have the energy to discover any of Japan's nightlife!

I'm already planning the next road trip since I know the clock is ticking and we won't have the energy to do such things in a decade or so.