Nippon Express - Part Two
A short flight from Hiroshima took us 400 miles south to Naha City, capital of Okinawa, Japan’s tropical island situated in the Filipino Sea. Bright blue skies and intense heat greeted our arrival but Naha is a big and largely unappealing city on first inspection so we retreated to the rooftop pool for an afernoon’s R&R - the view from the pool wasn’t too bad though.
We’d book tickets for the two-hour ferry ride over to Zamami Island the following morning so headed out to see what the city had to offer by way of night-time entertainment. The nearby winebar and shop at the Orion Hotel was shut, Orion beer has a central role in contemporary Okinawan culture, similar to Guinness and Dublin. We headed to the Street Food Village and a selection of stalls offering a variety of Okinawan cuisine. It’s almost impossible to eat badly in Japan but we made a mis-step here, ordering a selection plate that transpired to be various boiled pork and offal products. Still, it was an lively locals spot and the orion beer cool and tasty. Things picked up at our next destination, the Ukishima Brewing pub - the bar owners impromptu rendition of ‘Living on a Prayer’ a particular highlight. We’d stumbled on a nicely charismatic part of the city, full of little bars and restaurants, like a kind of tropical Brixton Market.
An early start the following morning to catch the fast ferry out to Zamami island, an enjoyable 90 minute journey past lushly forested islands with attractive-looking white sand beaches and turquoise seas. Zamami itself had a low-key port area with a handful of restaurants plus one local shop selling essential provisions for the day. Our destination was Furuzamami beach, a hot and hilly 20 minute hike away but worth it when we arrived- all the fantasy tropical beach boxes were ticked off here; white coral sand, emerald green forests and crystal clear seas. It was busy but not packed (it’s not Italy) with loungers, umbrellas and food available. I managed a decent swim in what felt like a giant swimming pool, albeit one with a better view than I usually have in Acton.
Sooner than we’d have liked it was time to leave Zamami and head back to the mainland. The evening traffic in Naha city didn’t enhance our mood nor the endless city sprawl as we crawled our way eastwards towards Nanjo and our base for the next few days. I’d struggled to find anywhere that wasn’t a ‘resort’ hotel and wasn’t quite sure Kaiza wold live up to the billing, a minimalist jungle hideaway 15 minutes from the local beach. I shouldn’t have worried, it was a little slice of paradise and the manager Shoto couldn’t do enough for us, starting with driving us down to the only restaurant open by the time we had arrived. This turned out to be a perfectly-situated Nepalese restaurant, the Karika Canteen on the beach with superb curries, friendly staff and ice-cold Orion. A pretty fine end to the day.
After a restful nights sleep and superb breakfast at Kaiza we decided to explore the local area, hiking down the hill past the restaurant and onto Mbaru Beach. We continued onto the Hyakuna Beach and sought out a shady spot close to freshwater stream. The heat was fierce and the shallow sea provided little by way of cooling, more a warm, salty bath. After a couple of hours we retraced our route back to an elegant Taiwanese cafe for lunch, in truth the setting was more impressive than the food. We retreated back to Kaiza to read, laze in hammocks and make use of their private outdoor onsen. Dinner and drinks, a very good Awamori Mojito, was once again at the wonderful Karika Canteen.
For our last day in Okinawa we once again took a fast ferry and visited a local island via a local bus and ferry from Azama to Kajima - public transport in japan is just so exceptionally good; cheap, punctual and extensive. Kajima island is just a short 15 minute hop but feels like a world away, we took bikes and explored an island of cane fields and hidden coves. Kajima is a spiritual island, home to many sacred places with ties to Okinawa’s creation mythology which was lost to us but it was a very mellow place to while away a day. Food options were limited but the tuna sashimi bowl we eat at this cafe was one of the best meals we eat on our trip, so fresh and simply sublime.
Our regular dinner options was closed that night so we’d stocked up on beer and noodles for dinner and headed down to the beach for a swim and sundowner. Our few days on Okinawa were coming to an end, there was just time to head back to the Orion shop the next morning to pick up some of their excellent t-shirts before picking up the monorail to the airport and a flight back to Tokyo.
The final phase of our trip to Japan was about to begin. Back to Tokyo and a rather smart hotel next to the new Olympic Stadium. We had an appointment to meet an expat banker, a friend of my sister, at a bar in Roppongi. It was fun evening with a few too may drinks taken, first at this yakitori joint and after at this expats bar run by a City fan from Middleton.
Ever since we’d planned this trip one activity was at the top of the list, to climb Mount Fuji and watch the sunrise. Practically, this involved an overnight stay on the mountain and i’d managed to snag a couple of berths in a mountain hut at 3500m. Bleary-eyed we made our way to Shinjuku Bus terminal and the 9am express bus to Fuji Subaru 5th Station, the start of the climb. There are plenty of other ways of getting here from Tokyo but the express bus is by far the most direct and convenient, it pays to book ahead as places, and buses are limited. It was very busy by the time we arrived, bus loads of tourists come up here to take photos and buy souvenirs. We loaded up on snacks, picked up our wooden walking sticks and headed up the mountain.
The trail starts off on a gravel path through the woods, not too steep and with view down towards the lakes below - so far, scenic. After an hour or so the path goes up quite steeply and through some small, porticoed tunnels, presumably to protect against falling rocks. Beyond here is the 6th Station and a change in rhythm and landscape. The greenery disappears and a rather stark landscape of grey-brown lava presents itself, it’s slow going on steep, uneven terrain and as we closed in on 3000m, the altitude starts to bite. We stopped for lunch and a chance to regroup at the 7th station, we had plenty of time to get to get to our hut up to 3500m. The crowds has thinned out and the day-trippers vanished although we met some on the way up who were trying to conquer the mountain in a single day, a meaty undertaking.
The afternoon ascent was slow, one of the enjoyable punctuation points along the way was stopping at the mountain huts to get the wooden walking poles branded with various icons and markers that mark your ascent. As you progress up the mountain so too do these markers towards the top of your pole. The scenery doesn’t really change, all grey lava and riders above sihouetted against the afternoon sun.
We arrived at the Goraikan hut in the afternoon sun, a little tired but relieved to have made it in good time and without injury. It was a fairly spartan set-up but perfectly comfortable with two 40-bed bunk rooms and a communal dining hall. It was a peaceful place to watch the light fade over the lakes nearly 4km below us with a cup of hot sake. The lights went out at 10pm followed by a fitful sleep, interrupted by climbers preparing to leave from 1am to head up to the summit in time for sunrise.
By the time we were ready to leave at 2.30am there was a line of climbers’ head torches snaking below us and a shuffling procession above making their way to the summit. It made for tortuously slow going with frequent stops, it felt like all 4000 of the permitted climbers were on the final ascent. By around 4am with the first light visible in the sky we passed through the Tori that makes the summit of the climb, we had the luxury of a little time to find a decent spot to watch the sunrise.
The last time we’d watched a sunrise together was over the Grand Canyon back in 1989, it felt pretty special to reprise that moment 35 years later on Mount Fuji. The sun duly rose and it was beautiful, a serene moment to start our last full day in Japan.
By 5am it was time to head down the mountain, we stopped for breakfast back in the Goraikan hut and suitably fortified descended at some pace. The downward path is on a loose, scree-like lava, better to half-run rather than attempt to slow down your momentum. Within a couple of hours we were back down at the penultimate station and by 10am enjoying coffee and ice cream back at the base.
Back to Tokyo for one last hurrah. It was surreal to enter the same hotel reception we’d left the day before, this time covered in the dust and dirt of fuji, at least the receptionist was impressed with our adventure. There was just enough time for an afternoon nap before heading out into the city for one last time. We met friends from home in the hotel bar, their adventure was about to begin as ours was ending. Out to Sibuya then, first to the Oslo Brewing Co for a couple of beers and tacos from the onsite truck. Next, cocktails at the nearby excellent and stylish Bellwood. More friends joined us so we headed back to Oslo Brewing for a few more beers. Predictably, we ended up doing shots in a low-key vinyl bar. A fitting end to a long and magical day.
How to finish this piece and sum up our first trip to Japan? I was expecting busy cities, ancient temples and quaint districts and our trip provided all of these and more, it really is a country that has it all. The food and beer was (almost) universally excellent and at times sublime, I loved the daily evening rhythm of apertivo, dinner and drinks we settled into during our city stays. The transport infrastructure is superb, not just in the main tourist destinations but country-wide. Most of all though I’ll remember the graciousness and politeness of the people and the prevailing sense of calm and order. A truly wondrous destination.