I woke with the rising sun at 5:15 am, ugh. Four hours of sleep is not enough, but it was hard to stay asleep with the car door slamming noises as well. People started lining up for tickets shortly before 6 am with the offices opening at 6:50 am for the first bus departure at 7:30 am. The Alpine Route stretches across the mountains between Nagano and Toyama. There are several different modes of transportation you take and the whole journey across can take 7 hours with waiting times. I was only going as far as Murodo where Japan’s highest altitude hotel and onsen were, and where the famous snow corridor was. Due to the lack of snow, this year it was only 13 m high instead of the usual 17-19 m. This was probably the best website I’ve encountered in Japan in terms of English information. Everything but the timetables had been translated.

I wanted to get here super early because the crowds were supposed to be intense as it was the weekend after the opening weekend. They estimated over one hour waiting lines at each station. No thank you.

It was pretty warm out already in the sun, but I wore a lot of layers anyway with my snow pants. I joined the line at about 6 am, and ate my breakfast there. I had bought food ahead of time although they sold things at a station shop (at a higher price). Many other Japanese people were waiting along with loads of skiers and snowboarders. There’s no ski resort, but plenty of places to go backcountry. It’s always impressive to me to watch people strap them on to their packs and hike with that weight. I easily got my ticket for a round trip between Ogizawa station and Murodo and took my spot in the next line for the first part of the transportation chain, riding the trolley bus.

Electric buses are rare in Japan. Unlike Czech Republic, where the inner city of Plzen was filled with them, this is the only trolleybus line in all of Japan. Plenty of Japanese tourists were eagerly taking pictures of the buses. The tunnels through the mountain took years to complete and claimed many lives. After waiting about 5 minutes, and catching the first bus at 7:30 am, we unloaded at Kurobe Dam 15 minutes later. It’s like the Hoover Dam of Japan and is the tallest one here. I climbed the many stairs to emerge from underground on the observation deck. The views were stunning. Seeing snow capped mountains is my favorite. I then descended a bazillion stairs to walk across the dam to the next station and wait in line again.

The next round of waiting took about 10-15 minutes before I managed to get on the cable car. The cable car took 5 minutes before we were at the next station, Kurobedaira. They handed us a number to tell us when we could get on the ropeway to help keep the lines down. In the meantime, I went to the deck observatory and got my photo taken at the altitude marker. The temperature was still pretty warm here although there was snow all around. After a quick 5 minute ride on the ropeway - with amazing views - I switched to another trolley bus at the next station. Again it only took about 10 minutes waiting before I could board and another 10 minute ride, before I finally arrived at my destination, Murodo!

I arrived at about 9 am at the already crowded station. It was rather confusing to find my way out towards the snow corridor. It was finally cooler at this altitude, 2450 m (8000 ft). Following the stream of people down the street, I encountered the highest part of the snow corridor, 13 meters tall this year. I got the famous bus shot with the snow towering overhead. Some years the snow is 17-19 m tall! It’s really cool to see the stratification patterns where the snow has melted and refrozen over winter. Next, I stopped by to catch a glimpse of the lake that was still completely frozen. I put on my crampons at this point because there was plenty of snow on the ground and I was slipping everywhere in my hiking boots. Interestingly enough, the top layer was kinda crusty and melted so you didn’t sink through like with the powder at Mt. Asama.

My goal was to summit Mt. Oyama, the main peak of the Tateyama range, at 3000 m. I wore too many layers and got hot quickly. It was slow going and rather steep up the first bit. You had to be careful not to slip. I made it to the mountain hut at 2700 m (a rise of 300 m from my starting point) and ate lunch. The wind was really strong at this peak so then I was thankful for all my layers! I was accompanied by some skiers, snowshoers, hikers, and snowboarders. Had a nice conversation with one guy and his group as we climbed at about the same speed. One again, they were surprised to hear that I was hiking by myself.

I started the last bit of ascent. It was extremely rocky and more like the bouldering I was used to in Maine. The patches of snow, ice, and bare rock made it tricky with the crampons. I really need the full on 6-8 point spike ones. Suddenly, the cloud cover started coming in pretty quickly and whiting out everything. Soon I could barely see in front of me. I decided to turn around at this point. It cleared a little bit, but after the partial descent I had started, I realized I was ill equipped. It was incredibly difficult going down. One of the hardest things I’ve done. My shoes didn’t grip at all and I slid a lot. I can’t imagine doing it much further than the short distance I managed. The rest of the way back was easy enough as it was just sliding down on snow for short bits. You had to watch out for hollows and cracks under the snow though.

I made it back to the hotel (the highest altitude hotel in Japan). I wanted to go to the onsen (also the highest altitude one), but mother nature had determined it was not to be. After buying some omiyage, I began the journey back. Hordes of people had flooded the route and my wait times were bad, but not awful. Most people were going in the opposite direction. I’ve never been so glad I started early. I made it back to my car and got ready to do the drive back on local roads. I ended up stopping in Ueda at a FamilyMart around 6 pm to take a nap. I was so tired from the lack of sleep last night. I could barely keep my eyes open while driving. The one hour nap rejuvenated me and I finally got home at 9 pm. What a successful, fun trip!

Side note: The next day I realized I had forgotten my glasses there! I must have left them in the restroom in the morning when I put my contacts in. I contacted the staff via the website and they got back to me saying they found them! They even wrapped them up nicely and mailed them to me by pay on delivery. Yay!

After school today, at 7 pm, we had our welcome and goodbye enkai in Takasaki at the Georgian House. It’s a fancy place, designed in a British style, that serves French food. Everyone was having parties there including S’s school so I swung by the station to pick him up. I got to see Ichigo-sensei again! Wah! She’s so lively, it’s fantastic. She had been back to cook for the handball girls and they were concerned for me. Guess they felt the rockiness with the JTE now teaching them. Whoops, but it’s quite sweet. It’s been an adjustment. It was a night of good food and I got to chat with another teacher N-sensei. With a mix of English and Japanese, it was nice to get to know her better.

I was planning to leave directly for Nagano on my trip after the enkai when I realized I had forgotten my mini spikes for my shoes at home. I’d definitely need them for the snow on the Alpine Route. As I had to drive back towards Tomioka anyway, it wasn’t a big detour. Our enkai ended late at about 9:45 pm. I changed at home into my sleeping/hiking clothes before starting the drive. I decided to pay the 3000 yen for the tolls so I could get there an hour faster. I left my place at about 10:35 pm and arrived at Ogizawa station at 12:40 am. I managed to shave off 25 min from Google’s ETA thanks to empty roads. The last bit of toll roads wasn’t even in operation. The last stretch was pretty cool thanks to the full moon reflecting off the snow capped mountain peaks. Luckily I only saw a tanuki on the road, and didn’t run into any other animals.

It was chilly out, but refreshing. There were several other cars in the parking lot and more pulled in while I was getting my futon ready. The bathrooms were open and so clean. Ah, one thing I absolutely love about Japan. With the back seat down and the two front seats pushed forward all the way, my futon fit perfectly. It was really comfortable actually with my comforter and two blankets keeping me warm. The moon shone down directly overhead.

Papa forgot to turn his alarm off so up he went at 6:15 am. I manage to doze off again for a bit while he showered. We ended up heading downstairs pretty early for breakfast. My good mornings apparently convinced the staff enough that I understood Japanese so I got the buffet explanation in Japanese, whoo. It was really yummy! Made to order pancakes, waffles, and eggs, smoothies, salad, fruit, yogurt, bread, and other breakfast items. I ate a ton. We checked out shortly before 10 am and I said my goodbyes at the station. They headed off to the airport and I got on a train to Kyoto again. (I didn’t check their train schedule, and apparently they got on the wrong train!)

My first stop was the KyoAni shop on the outskirts. The studios for Kyoto Animation are also there - they make Free!. The shop was absolute heaven. I’ve never seen so much beautiful Free! things in one spot before. All the posters as well. I manage to restrict myself to a mousepad, postcard sketches that came in an eight pack, and a pin of Makoto. If only I had more money… There were two other girls already browsing when I came, and they were still busy when I left, ha. Next up was the Kyoto Pokemon Center - center #5 for me. It was really tricky to find. It had just opened a week or so ago, and there were no signs nor was it on google maps. I managed to find out it was inside of a Takashimaya department store on the 5F. Even then I thought I was wrong, because I had to wandered through the whole floor before I found the center. It was definitely small and tucked away.

The temperature kept as I took the bus to Nanzenji Temple. I came in via a back way through old streets filled with traditional Japanese villas. The Buddhist temple itself was amazing. Everything had just sprouted and was a fantastic shade of bright green. The temple grounds were huge and extremely restful. There are several buildings you can pay to enter, but I only went inside the main temple building that has some famous rock gardens. I sat by the garden for a while, relaxing. There’s also a brick aqueduct from the Meiji era on the grounds which seems out of place next to the temple buildings.

From Nanzenji, I walked to Heian shrine, past the zoo, a huge toori gate, and the art museum. I took a break in a park by the shrine. All the walking and heat. The shrine itself was modeled after the imperial palace. Afterward, I walked over to Chion-in, a huge Buddhist temple complex. I entered via a tucked away path lined with lanterns. Took another break here and relaxed in the sun with a tank top on. The hottest day yet! Apparently the temple was closed for a private event, but some others and I were in the middle of exploring and exiting. There were almost no people till I came out by the main entrance and temple. Most of the grounds were under construction so it wasn’t that interesting. I then walked through another park and Yasaka shrine to emerge back at Shijo Dori shopping street.

I stopped at the most famous matcha cafe, Tsujiri, and only had a 30 minute wait before I got a spot. The parfait was delicious, but I think I enjoyed the first cafe I went to with A in September more. Then I went to get okonomiyaki for dinner at a tucked away, traditional place. The food was meh, I’ve had better, but it was a nice atmosphere. A quick stop to H&M to kill some time - big city shopping - before I headed back to the station to grab my things and wait for the night bus back to Tomioka.

 
At midnight, I boarded the bus for Kyoto. Once again I got little sleep, but managed to feel awake enough upon arrival. I planned to meet my dad and his two work colleagues at 8 am in Kyoto station. After changing clothes (from freezing Tomioka to 75 degrees Kyoto) and dropping my stuff off in a locker - where I had to pay twice because I locked my phone inside - I killed time at McDonald’s. It was the only place open before 7 am with outlets. Yum, egg mcmuffin and hash browns. City shock - already the guy taking my order spoke English to me. I found Papa and his colleagues easily enough by the west gates as his head towered over the others. It didn’t feel like we hadn’t seen each other in 9 months.

We headed to the bus depot where we bought day bus passes for everyone before boarding the bus to Ginkakuji, the silver temple. We got there shortly after it opened so it was crowd-free! Last time I had been here was during Silver Week, and there were so little people this time, it was even more peaceful.Then we walked back to a bus stop along the Philosopher's Path. The sakura were long gone except for a few straggler blossoms. We caught the bus to Nijo Castle. The castle gate was even further under construction this time. The gardens still had some blooming sakura and almond trees.

We had such great weather too! It actually got really hot in the sun. We made a pit stop to buy some sunscreen, before finding lunch. They wanted to eat ramen so with the help of tabelog, I found a tiny ramen shop. It was very traditional with counter seats only, run by a couple, serving their family recipe. They were so friendly! She helped us order outside with the pictures on the door, although I could actually read the menu. Moments like this make me realize my progress. Last September, I was helpless, and now I actually know katakana and some kanji. One of my dad’s coworkers is from China so she knew kanji well. We got a delicious, filling lunch. So much food as per usual. The sweet owner kept offering us extra pickled things, and showing us how to eat the food with the raw egg.

Our next stop was Fushimi Inari shrine. Once again, the lack of people astounded me. It was busy, but not unbearable. We walked partially through the woods and all the little tucked away shrines. Then we headed over to Gion, the old part of Kyoto. We took a break at a matcha cafe that sold the famous Tsujiri matcha products. We didn’t want to wait in line at the other places ha. We each got some ice cream. It was very yummy, but I think my local cafe’s is better! While walking through Gion, there was a lot of traffic and people in uniforms. Apparently there was an old car “race” going on. They drove from Nagoya to Kyoto. Got to see some sweet cars.

We took the bus back to Kyoto station before getting on the rapid train to Osaka. Five minutes after we left, Papa asked me about my luggage. I realized I had forgotten to swing by the locker with my stuff. Whoops. I get off at the one stop the rapid train stops at before Osaka, and take a local train back to Kyoto. Of course, at this point my Suica card was all confused and it didn’t let me through the gates. Luckily, the attendant was sympathetic that I forgot my luggage and had to return and he cleared my card. Finally, I’m back on another local train to Osaka and I get there at 7:10 pm, about an hour later. My dad was staying right by the Shin-Osaka station at a fancy Marriott. I found our room, and we met his colleagues again to head out for dinner at a sushi place.

The English menu is sketchy and the staff barely speaks English, but between their efforts and mine in minimal Japanese, we get our food ordered. It was really yummy! We got a variety of things to share like sushi, sashimi, and tempura. Afterward, Papa and I crashed pretty hard. So exhausted from all the walking and jet lag for him.

Once again an early wake up as I was going on a long countryside walk with Ebachan, A, and some other people he knew. Ebachan is the guy who I rent my car from. He’s fantastic. He lives on the far side of Maebashi though so it took about 1 hr 15 min to get there. Another Japanese guy and I were the only punctual ones though. We got served tea and snacks while we waited, and Ebachan switched out my winter tires. (I hope it’ll be okay even though I will probably drive in snow in Nagano in two weeks). A showed up shortly after, and we were both gifted with a jar of young bamboo! I’m curious how to cook with it.

The rest of the folks joining us showed up pretty late and we set off at 10 am, one hour delayed. The weather was gorgeous and so warm! I could have been wearing shorts. We walked along some very countryside roads before following a wooded path among azalea bushes. They hadn’t started blooming yet, but I imagine it’ll look stunning. Our first stop was Akagi shrine which was an old shrine, nestled in the woods. After some more countryside walking, we made it Akagi Senbonzakura, Gunma’s best place to see the sakura with a 1.3 km sakura lined road, and over 1000 trees. It was really beautiful. The wind would set petals swirling into the air. I was shocked by the number of cosplayers getting pictures taken amongst the trees. There were performances going on like taiko and a monkey show, plus food stands selling festival food and local products. The carpet phlox was just starting to bloom as well. So much pink!

After our picnic lunch under the trees, we started our journey back. We passed an enormous line of cars. They said they had been waiting over 2 hours to get a parking spot in the lot. The line just kept going. As we passed, we gave drivers some updates, and one car even turned around. Parking is a real issue in Japan. I feel in America, people would open empty lots by their houses and just charge for parking to make a bit of extra money. We also passed Gunma Flower Park, another site I’d still really like to visit! A followed me on the long drive back to Tomioka. We got stuck in some crazy city traffic in Maebashi that only reminded me of how glad I am to be in a small city. A was spending the night to pick up her storage drawers that I got for her, and hang out with me.

After a quick foot soak for A’s sore feet, we left to go get some dinner. I wanted to try to eat at the Iranian restaurant, but it was closed although the website said they should have been open. So we wandered towards two of the other restaurants I like even though their menus are all in Japanese. We ended up stumbling upon an Italian restaurant and bar, Il. Pino, in the small alley garden that I like. Luckily, that means a katakana menu and A is a pro at reading katakana. I ended up with a prosciutto pizza and A, margherita. It was delicious! We stopped by the Tomioka Silk Mill afterwards to see the sakura all lit up. Many blossoms had already fallen, but it was still cool to see. On the walk home, I took A through the park near by school which also had some lanterns hanging among the sakura. It looked beautiful at night as well.

Keeping Your Mobile Number with Google Voice

Dialer app in Hangouts

There are several options to keep a US phone number while abroad. For example, T-Mobile has good international travel plans, and Project Fi by Google provides cell service in 120 countries so you can easily keep your number and phone, and travel.

One option when you’re leaving America, and you don’t want to give up your US number, is to port your number to Google Voice. Google Voice is an application that works on computers and mobile phones via its website or Google Hangouts. I currently have my Google Voice account number sync with my Google account so I get emails whenever someone texts me or leaves a voicemail (Google will put the message into text for you and you can download the mp3 to listen to it), and I also get a notification via Hangouts on my phone. This will need to be adjusted in your settings, otherwise you only get email notifications and have to access the website.


Porting your number to Google Voice will cost you a flat fee of $20. It will end your current cellphone plan and take about 24 hours for the number to transfer. I did mine at the airport before departure. Google Voice is a VOIP, voice over internet protocol, which means by using your Google Voice number you are making calls or texts via the internet and can only use it while connected to wifi or mobile data. To transfer your number back out, you need to unlock your number and give it to your new cellphone provider.

To test the service, I recently made a call on my phone after installing Hangouts Dialer which merges with the regular Hangouts app on a new tab. I typed in the number for my credit card company and hit call. It worked perfectly! I have also texted and called my family, but need to add the +1 country code in front of their numbers in my contacts. You can do this via the computer via the website or Hangouts in Gmail too. All free!

It is free to make calls within US & Canada with a US number. You can check the rates here to other countries and from other countries. It ranges from 1 cent to $2 per minute.

To transfer your number to Google Voice:

Don't cancel your cell phone plan before you start the transfer. You'll need your phone to be able to accept calls to complete the porting verification process.

1. On your computer, open Google Voice.
2. Accept the terms and services for Google Voice.
3. Click I want to use my mobile number.
4. Type your mobile phone number, and then click Check for available options.
5. Click Port your number. This will charge a $20 fee.

I did the process on my mobile phone, but you need a browser that will show the desktop version of the site. To be safe, I’d recommend doing it where you know you’ll have computer access: either after coming to Japan or before.

The Google Voice Website

I had to peel myself out of bed early this morning as it was samurai festival day! The official name is the Castle Town Obata Cherry Blossom Festival. I got a ride with L, another ALT in Tomioka, to a middle school in Kanra right next to the Rakusan Garden. We finally managed to figure out how to park in the parking lot after driving in circles. The gym was packing with all the volunteers and costumes. From elementary schoolers to adults, everyone had a part to play. There were three guys that helped us put on our samurai outfits. About 18 ALTs were participating. The guy tied up my clothes much looser and less fancy than the expert lady I had on Friday night, but it was more comfortable to breathe.


Although clouds had been predicted, the sun shone and it got hot! I was wearing too many layers. We had some extra time where we could enter Rakusan-en without paying! Many people were walking around taking photos. I met two of my students! One was playing the flute and the drums in a mobile shrine and the other watching. As the start of the parade grew nearer, we lined up and off we went. There were samurai on horses and such a variety of costumes. We walked through the main street lined with sakura with so many people cheering. Every once in awhile, we’d do the rallying cry and draw our swords. One guy even shouted that he saw me on tv. I did see some more of my students who were very excited.

At the halfway point, we got a 30 minute break to drink tea and have a cookie. The sandals were not very comfortable, but the snack was refreshing! I was already very hungry. We looped back through the streets to a field where many stands and a stage was set up. We got to return to the gym at this point, change, and eat lunch. I ran into both my Japanese teacher and Ichigo-sensei too. After lunch, I ended up walking through the festival with L and K. We saw some fighting demonstrations and bought food from the stands. I got myself a chocolate banana crepe for dessert. I ran into more some students from Shimonita too.


L dropped me back at my house around 2:30 pm. I drove over to Nukisaki Shrine next to get some photos of the blossoms there. Sadly, both the main tori and gate were under construction. Then I headed to Maebashi Park to do hanami there with the Gunma International Club. I stopped by a supermarket on the way to pick up dinner. There was heavy traffic at the park, everyone wanted to see the blossoms! The sakura trees lined a canal and were dotted around the park. People were strolling and eating on their tarps. After rushing around to get some photos before sunset, I ate my dinner while hanging out on our huge tarp with a beautiful view. My friend Y showed up as well, and we walked under the pink illuminated trees that reflected stunningly in the water. Now I’ve properly experienced hanami! A full weekend of cherry blossoms and all the walking, again. I finally got home at 8 pm.

K’s mom had made French toast and strawberries for breakfast, but she had already left for work before we got up. We headed off to our first hanami stop in Tokyo. We met a huge herd of people as we headed towards the Imperial Palace. Unbeknownst to us, the palace was open to visitors for the sakura without having a reservation today! Everything was set up and organized very neatly for the incoming visitors. Japan is so good at making lines! After passing through security checks - both checking bags, and a pat down or metal wand check - we entered the gates amongst heavy security personnel. The blossoms weren’t that impressive, but it was cool to see the grounds and buildings.

Outside the palace, all along the water, there were blossoms. Absolutely breathtaking. We walked alone the moat through Chidorigafuchi Park. So many people were out walking, rowing boats or waiting in line. Wonderful tunnels of sakura. We walked through a neighboring shrine, Yasukuni, with more blossoms as well. This shrine holds the official sakura tree that determines the start of the season. We made our way towards an outer moat where more sakura waited. We stopped for lunch at a cafe at a nearby station for some Italian food. Then more walking and more trees! I took so many photos but it was all so beautiful and different from every angle.

We tried to stop at a cafe to take a break, but they were all full with lines! We even returned to Tokyo station and wandered all around that area trying to find a place. Finally we managed to get into one for some cake and matcha drinks. We hung out for a bit, waiting for sunset to approach so that we could get into Rikugien Garden when it was darker. A short train ride later, we joined the line of people waiting to get into Rikugien. K got in line to buy us some dango while I went over to the huge weeping sakura to get some photos in while it was still light out. This tree was already past its prime, but still beautiful! The dango were yummy! The sky slowly grew darker as the hordes of people increased. Eventually, we felt it was dark enough for good photos and ventured into the crowd.

There was an unmoving mass of people encircling the tree. It was only fifty years old, but looked really impressive. I shuffled my way to the front to get some close up shots. Moving was near impossible, but luckily the crowd thinned out as we headed further into the garden. There was another towering sakura tree and some more illuminations. Next, we returned to Chidorigafuchi Park to get night time photos. The nearest station had a bunch of staff directing traffic - we were only allowed to use one exit. The guy even switched to speaking English with his megaphone when he saw me! That’s a first. The prime photos areas were jammed as well and required some maneuvering to get through the crowd. The lighting was fantastic though and the trees still looked gorgeous.

Back at Tokyo station, we stopped by a bakery to get some small things for dinner. K’s family is so kind. They treated me to everything today and bought me shinkansen ticket back to Takasaki station so I could travel back in one hour instead of two. I was so lucky to have K show me around today! We had a lot of fun! I managed to get home at 11:15 pm, after a bit of a sleepy drive. Parking cost more than I expected - supposed to be 500 yen a day and I parked for 27 hours and had to pay 1100 yen. Still cheaper than taking the train to Tomioka though!

I left school two hours early today to go to Kanra, a neighboring town. K, the ALT there, had invited a bunch of ALTs to be in the the samurai festival on Sunday. As promotion for the festival, NHK was doing 5 minutes live filming in Kanra. So I got to be on tv at 6:40 pm! K did all the talking in Japanese and I stood in the background looking very foreign. The street was lined with sakura outside, very beautiful! We were there from 3 pm to 7 pm. After getting dressed, we had rehearsal on what to do. There was also a group of six graders in kimonos with staffs, another girl, a group of older samurai guys, one of which would ride a horse on Sunday, and a bunch of preschoolers wearing costumes that their parents made. So cute! It was cool to see how they filmed it too, lots of rehearsal runs, with and without the camera. The camera guy was really good. He walked smoothly and even crouched and stood back up with that heavy thing! I was really impressed. I’ve never seen or been in live filming before. After we got changed, they even gave us dinner (a bento) and tea for free.

I had to rush off to catch my train in Takasaki as I was spending the night in Saitama - near Omiya - at my Japanese friend, K’s, house. I realized I had forgotten my omiyage at home though so I had to hurry back and grab it. I managed to find the right parking lot with cheaper overnight parking and speed-walk to the station. Caught the 8:07 train with minutes to spare, whew, but no time to eat dinner. The food sat, warm on my lap, emitting delicious smells. K picked me up at the station and we walked to her house. I met her dad and finally got to eat dinner at 10 pm. She even had yummy miso soup for me. I ended up in a comfy, warm futon soon after, before her mom came home. Their house was really nice! A cool mix of traditional and Western.