Latest news with #Seiji
SoraNews24
07-07-2025
- SoraNews24
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Seiji's stroll in Okutama takes a dark turn. With a fierce heat wave hitting east Japan, our Japanese-language reporter Seiji Nakazawa had the idea to flee to the coldest place in Tokyo that he could find. That escape plan was a success, as you can read about here, but it was on Seiji's trip back that he ran into trouble. To recap, Seiji's quest for the cold had taken him to Nippara Limestone Cave in Okutama, at the northwestern edge of the Tokyo city limits. The cave is located high in the mountains, and getting there requires first a train ride out to Oku-Tama Station, and from there a bus ride to the Shonyudo bus stop, from where it's another 10 minutes on foot to the mouth of the cave. After emerging from his soothingly cool subterranean sojourn, Seiji retraced his steps back to Shonyudo bus stop, only to realize that he now had a very long wait for the next bus back to Oku-Tama Station. As shown on the timetable above, there are only five buses a day on weekdays from Shonyudo, at 8:50 and 10:55 in the morning, and at 1:11, 2:38, and 4:11 in the afternoon (and no buses at all on weekends). Seiji had just missed the 2:38 bus, which meant that it'd be more than an hour and a half until the next one. So rather than stand there and veg out, Seiji decided to go exploring. There aren't many other tourist attractions near the cave, but the nearby neighborhood of Nippara has a cool vibe to it. It's a very small rural community, but the wooden buildings and faded signage make it feel like you've wandered into a pocket dimension where time stopped moving 50 or 60 years ago. In the light of an early summer late afternoon, the scenery takes on an especially nostalgic glow. As a matter of fact, the atmosphere was so pleasant that before he knew it, Seiji had walked all the way to a different bus stop, Higashi Nippara. Seiji could see that he would still have to sit and wait for quite a while until the next bus came by. However, there was also a local area map posted at the bus stop, and giving it a quick glance, Seiji was surprised to see that he'd already made what looked like quite a lot of progress towards Oku-Tama Station. ▼ Shonyudo bus stop (yellow), Higashi Nippara bus stop (green), and Oku-Tama Station (blue) So once again, instead of twiddling his thumbs, Seiji made the decision to move his feet, and figured he'd just walk the rest of the way to the station. Right away, this felt like a great plan. Not to knock the exciting stimulation of big city life, but for a guy whose apartment is in Shibuya and whose office is in Shinjuku, two of the busiest and most crowded parts of Tokyo, all of this tranquil greenery was a very welcome change of pace. But another change of scenery was waiting for Seiji when he reached the Nippara Tunnel. This is a 1,100-meter (3,609-foot) corridor through the mountains, but since Seiji had already spent part of his day underground, and had been walking for a lot farther than 1,100 meters to get here, he figured it'd be no sweat making it to the other side, so in he went. It didn't take long, though, for Seiji's mental state to change. The tunnel is long and curved enough that you can't see the other side as you enter, and as you advance, the light from where you came in gets dimmer and dimmer. If you're in a car, your headlights will make sure the area around you is always illuminated, but on foot, the pools of shadows between the sparse interior lighting grow darker and denser the further in you go. Making things even creepier, a constant deep, dull rumbling began to fill Seiji's ears, but looking around, he couldn't find its source. It turned out to be the noise made by cars driving in other sections of the tunnel, but with it being so long, you can hear the sound even when the vehicles are nowhere to be seen, making the reverberations freakily unsettling. Seiji was now so far into the tunnel, though, that turning around and going back the way he'd come probably wasn't going to get him out of there any more quickly than soldiering on, so he took a deep breath and pushed forward. And then, finally, he saw the literal light at the end of his tunnel ordeal. Basking in the liberating sunlight, Seiji glanced at his watch and saw that he'd been in the tunnel for 10 minutes. Psychologically though, he felt like he'd been in there for two hours, what with how the anxiety had warped his sense of time. This wasn't Seiji's only time-based surprise on his walk, either. Remember how when he checked the map way back at Higashi Nippara bus stop he'd thought he'd already walked half-way from Shonyudo to Oku-Tama Station? ▼ Again, here are Shonyudo bus stop (yellow), Higashi Nippara bus stop (green), and Oku-Tama Station (blue) on the map. Well, it turns out that map isn't drawn to exact scale. On foot, it's about 20 minutes from Shonyudo to Higashi Nippara… …but from Higashi Nippara, you've got 1 hour and 45 minutes more walking to do before you get to Oku-Tama Station. In the mapmakers' defense, the map does list the amounts of time (by bus) from one stop to the next, and if Seiji had bothered to do some quick arithmetic, he would have noticed that the combined times from Higashi Nippara to Oku-Tama Station are a lot longer than the total from Shonyudo to Higashi Nippara. Or he could have paid attention to the text at the bottom-left of the map, which says that the total bus ride from Higashi Nippara (東日原) to Oku-Tama Station (奥多摩駅) takes 30 minutes, and that the ride from Shonyudo (鍾乳洞) to Oku-Tama Station is 35, just five minutes more, which is another clue that Higashi Nippara isn't anywhere close to the midpoint. ▼ Granted, the way this is presented is a little unusual, since ditto marks are rarely used in Japanese, but still, the information is there. ▼ The whole walking route from Shonyudo to Oku-Tama Station via Higashi Nippara So yeah, even though buses are pretty infrequent from the cave, there are two good reasons Seiji didn't see anyone else trying to walk back to the station. That's not to say it's not a doable little adventure, but if you're going to try retracing Seiji's path, you'll want to make sure you've got comfy shoes and strong nerves. Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
SoraNews24
28-06-2025
- SoraNews24
Tokyo day-trip hot springs: Beautiful Mt. Fuji-view bath is just one highway bus stop from Shibuya
We head to the outlets do zero shopping, but have zero regrets. What's the best one-way distance for an onsen (hot spring) getaway day trip? You don't want to go somewhere too close, because part of the relaxing atmosphere of a hot spring soak comes from putting some physical distance between yourself and the stress sources of your everyday life. Go too far from home, though, and you're going to wear yourself out just getting to the onsen and back. After giving it some thought, our Japanese-language reporter Seiji Nakazawa thinks that about two hours away from home is the sweet spot, and so he's making it his personal quest to find great day-use hot springs within that travel time from downtown Tokyo. And today, he's even found one that's just a single bus stop from Tokyo's Shibuya neighborhood, and just two stops from Shinjuku. Of course, we're not talking about a regular old city bus here. Instead, Seiji hopped on a highway bus from Shibuya's Mark City building at 10:30 in the morning, then settled in for a ride all the way out to Gotemba, in Shizuoka Prefecture, arriving at 12:42 in the afternoon. Gotemba has two claims to fame. For starters, it has a gigantic outlet shopping mall, split up into multiple terraced hillside sections. Many of the stores and shoppers here hail from overseas, and if you're into high-fashion bargain-hunting, you could easily spend a whole day here. In fact, it's because of the Gotemba Premium Outlet that there are direct buses to here from downtown Tokyo. The other thing Gotemba is famous for is being one of the last sizeable cities before you get to the foot of Mt. Fuji, which means that the town has some impressive views of Japan's tallest mountain. As a matter of fact, there are particularly nice vantage points from the luxurious Hotel Clad, which is adjacent to the outlets. But Seiji wasn't here for an overnight stay, so he wouldn't be able to take in the view from the guestrooms. That didn't mean he'd have to be content with looking through the hotel's lobby windows, though, because the property's attached hot spring bath facility, Konohana no Yu, is available for day-use, and the hotel's restaurant buffet is open to non-overnight guests too. ▼ Konohana no Yu entrance. Note the 'no bathing suits' sign; this is an authentic onsen, and you'll need to be naked when in the baths. Adult admission is 1,700 yen (US$12) on weekdays and 2,100 yen on weekends and holidays, and private baths are available for an additional charge. ▼ Women's and men's bath entrances After undressing in the locker room and showering, it was time for Seiji to soak, and while the indoor bath area was spacious and appealing… …the highlight of an onsen trip is always the rotenbeuro, or open-air bath area. Because of its hillside location, the view from the bath area is wide-open and expansive, while still providing plenty of privacy for bathers from anyone outside the baths. Even though we're in Japan's rainy season, when the weather tends to be especially muggy, the rotenburo is situated such that there was a nice breeze, allowing Seiji to take an extended soak without getting uncomfortably sweaty from the atmospheric conditions. Really, the only bummer was that Mt. Fuji isn't just Japan's tallest mountain, but its most notoriously shy one as well. It's often hidden in clouds and fog, and that was true on this day too. The view was still beautiful, but if you've got your heart set on seeing Fuji from the bath, you'll probably want to check the weather report before you decide to get on the bus. But if the weather cooperates and you are able to see Mt. Fuji? The view from the baths is breathtaking, as you can see in the photos of clear-sky days that Konohana no Yu provided us with. Even without being able to see the mountain, though, the combination of soothing hot spring water, which Konohana no Yu pumps in directly from the source, and alpine air quickly melted/blew away Seiji's stress, and in place of it, he now felt hunger, so it was time to head to the buffet, which is served in the Hanagoromi restaurant on the hotel's first floor. The lunch buffet is priced at 3,300 yen (US$23) for non-hotel guests and is served from noon to 3 p.m. Seiji recommends going towards the back half of that window, since the place tends to get crowded during the lunch rush, and when he sauntered in there was still plenty of delicious, freshly prepared food on offer. ▼ The croquettes, using potatoes grown in the town of Hakone in the neighboring prefecture of Kanagawa, were a standout, as were the just-baked croissants. ▼ The lobby area has panoramic windows so you can take in the scenery while you dig in. After eating his fill, Seiji headed back into the baths, and as proof that this place is still worth visiting on a cloud day, when he was finally finished with all of his indoor bath, outdoor bah, and sauna sessions, he checked the time… …and saw that he'd been here for a total of five hours! Konohana no Yu's baths are open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., but if you're looking to follow in Seiji's footsteps and do this as a day trip, the more important consideration is the bus schedule. One-way prices are almost the same between the outlets and Shibuya or Shinjuku (1,800 yen versus 2,000 yen, and by either route it's roughly a two-hour ride, with the first buses of the day leaving Shibuya at 8:30 and Shinjuku at 8:05. Buses between the outlets and Shinjuku are far more frequent, though, and while the last bus back to Shibuya leaves the outlets at 4:10 in the afternoon, the last one for Shinjuku doesn't depart until 7:20 on weekdays or 8 on weekends. With Shinjuku and Shibuya not being all that far from each other, depending on where you're starting from the best plan might be to do what Seiji did and take a morning bus from Shibuya to the outlets, but return to Tokyo on a bus bound for Shinjuku Station or the Busta Shinjuku highway bus terminal. Another option is to make your way by train to JR Gotemba Station, which is still a 15-minute drive from the outlets, but there's a free shuttle bus that'll save you a taxi ride. Full details for buses can be found here on the Gotemba Premium Outlets website, and information for the Gotemba Station shuttle bus is available here on the Konohana no Yu website (both in English). Location information Konohana no Yu / 木の花の湯 Address: Shizuoka-ken, Gotemba-shi, Fukasawa 2839-1 静岡県御殿場市深沢2839-1 Open 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Website Photos ©SoraNews24 (unless otherwise indicated) ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
SoraNews24
25-06-2025
- SoraNews24
Our search for the coldest place in Tokyo to escape Japan's heat wave takes us below the earth【Pics】
It's off to Okutama as we flee the heat wave and downtown Tokyo. In most years, the weather pattern in Japan goes like this: the temperature gets progressively warmer through the spring, plateaus for a bit with a spike in humidity for the mid-June rainy period, and then thigs get really scorching in July. This year, though, it feels like the rainy season got mostly skipped, with just a few days of showers before a fierce heat wave that kicked in last week. The sudden shift had our Japanese-language reporter Seiji Nakazawa desperate for relief, but he had a feeling this heat was going to be too hot to beat. So instead of fighting it, he decided to run away from it. After Googling 'coldest place in Tokyo,' Seiji found out about Nippara Shonyudo Cave, also known as Nippara Limestone Cave. Located in Tokyo's northwestern Okutama area, the cavern is far from the city center and high up in the mountains, and Seiji had his fingers crossed that it would be an oasis of coolness as he hopped on a Chuo Line train departing from Shinjuku Station in downtown Tokyo. 16 limited-express stops later, Seiji arrived at Ome Station, which is already rural enough to almost make you forget you're still in Tokyo. He was still very far from the cave, though, and next he needed to transfer to the Ome Line, which takes you further into the countryside. 14 stops later, and roughly two hours after getting on the first train at Shinjuku, Seiji reached the end of the line, Oku-Tama Station. ▼ Yes, this is still Tokyo. Oku-Tama Station serves as a gateway to outdoor activity areas of Okutama, so in addition to some shops and restaurants, there's also a bus stop. The closest bus stop to Nippara Limestone Cave is Nippara Shonyudo, which is only serviced on weekdays, and even then, buses are few and far between. Looking at the timetable, Seiji counted just five departing from Oku-Tama Station at 8:10 and 10:15 in the morning, and 12:30, 2, and 3:30 in the afternoon. If you're planning to visit the cave on the weekend, you'll instead need to get off at Higashi Nippara bus stop, which is quite a bit farther from the cave entrance than Nippara Shonyudo (25 minutes vs. 10 minutes of walking after you get off the bus). ▼ Oku-Tama Station bus departure schedule for weekday (平日) and weekend/holiday (土曜・休日) buses going to Higashi Nippara (東日原) and Nippara Shonyudo (鍾乳洞) The bus pulled away from the station, and soon after started gaining elevation as it wound its way up the inclining roads. Along the way it passes through the town of Nippara, which is a very small community, but Seiji was still amazed that anyone lived this deep in the mountains. Around 40 minutes later, the bus reached the Nippara Shonyudo bus stop, but like we mentioned, it doesn't drop you at the mouth of the cave. You've still got a 10-minute walk to go, most of it uphill. ▼ The walk from the bus stop to the cave However, Seiji was already enjoying the cooler temperatures up here in the mountains, compared to the downtown Tokyo heat he'd had to endure earlier that morning. He was also enjoying the gorgeous greenery that covers the mountains at this time of year. The forests are so dense that it started to feel like he'd left human society behind, but then he spotted the rest stop/snack shop for visitors to the cave… …and then, finally, the cave entrance itself. The cave can be visited between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., with adult admission 900 yen (US$6.20) and payable in cash only. Living in the big city doesn't give Seiji too many opportunities to go spelunking, and he felt a little tense as he approached the mouth of the cave. He even took a moment to stop and steady his nerves, noticing, somewhat embarrassingly, that a chill had starred running down his spine. Oh, wait a second… …that chill was coming from inside the cave! Even before stepping through the entrance, you can already feel the cool air from inside seeping out. And once you do head inside… …it only gets colder! Though you'll obviously want to watch your step, the Nippara Limestone Cave interior isn't especially treacherous, and can be navigated with decent walking shoes, so hiking boots aren't a must. Much of the accessible route is a stone tunnel, but periodically there are wider chambers to wander through. Along with cool temperatures and ruggedly captivating geology, the cave also has something for history buffs, as it was used as a training and meditation site by Kukai, a wandering monk who trekked across Japan in the late 8th/early 9th century founding temples and writing poems. Moving at a leisurely pace and stopping to take pictures, it took Seiji around 40 minutes to walk the complete course to the back of the cave and then back to the entrance. Fog forming on his glasses as he emerged from the cave, Seiji realized that he'd been underground long enough to have forgotten the sting of the sun on his skin, which was exactly the sort of heat relief he'd been hoping for. So while we're not sure if Nippara Limestone Cave is statistically the coldest place in Tokyo, we can say that it's plenty cold enough. Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
SoraNews24
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
Is splendid alfonsino ochazuke from a vending machine too fishy, or splendidly delicious?
First we had to track down the vending machine in question. Our Japanese-language team of SoraNews24 reporters sometimes receive requests from readers to investigate a particular topic. Since we've been known to tackle just about anything under the sun, many of the requests we receive are of a zany nature. Writer Seiji Nakazawa was intrigued by one such mission we received not long ago (though tame by our standards): 'In the neighborhood of Sasazuka 2-22 [in Tokyo] there's a vending machine that sells some kind of ochazuke set called 'splendid alfonsino rice meal' [kinmedai gozen in Japanese]. It's a bit pricey at 660 yen [US$4.55] so I can't bring myself to buy it, but I hope you can review it.' Now, it's not so uncommon to find vending machines selling meals these days in Japan, but ochazuke (a dish of poured tea or dashi soup stock over rice with toppings) from a can was a new one to Seiji's ears, especially with fish involved. He decided to fulfill the request and promptly hopped on a train to the Sasazuka district of Shibuya Ward just to the west of Shinjuku. The neighborhood seemed to a be a quiet, residential area, far from the hustle and bustle of downtown Tokyo. Seiji had pictured the vending machine as fairly large in size in his mind, but as he walked around, he didn't see anything like that. There were plenty of vending machines, but they were all the standard kind selling bottled drinks. However, as he was scanning the contents of one machine row by row, he spotted something a little bit fishy on the far right in the middle. There it was! The splendid alfonsino ochazuke rice meal was indiscreetly tucked in with the drinks. ▼ 金目鯛飯善 = splendid alfonsino ochazuke rice meal Seiji inserted some money into the machine and claimed his prize, which turned out to be about the size of a canned coffee. It seemed to contain a variety of packs with ochazuke ingredients. He rushed back to the SoraNews24 office to pop open the bottle. There was liquid dashi, some toppings, and a fillet of splendid alfonsino. Impressively, it wasn't freeze-dried, but was fresh fish vacuum-sealed in a plastic wrap. Everything definitely seemed like a step up from regular supermarket ochazuke. He quickly got to work preparing the ochazuke by placing the fish on some cooked rice. The dashi had a strong aroma as he began to pour it on top. He also saw some of the oil from the fish start to mix into the soup, which gave it an air of luxury. Here was the fully prepared dish complete with freeze-dried toppings. It was rather pretty and not something you'd think came from a vending machine. Thankfully, its taste lived up to expectations, and he thoroughly enjoyed the dish. As Seiji was eating, he realized that the directions provided another way of preparing the ochazuke by cooking it along with rice. Not knowing what that other style tasted like was going to bother him, so he went back to Sasazuka to get another can from the same vending machine. When cooking it with rice, you're supposed to add the liquid dashi and fish directly into the rice cooker before turning it on. You'll sprinkle the other toppings on the prepared rice at the end. Seiji cooked it with one cup of rice, which was perfect for a single serving. He was a little concerned about whether the full flavor would come through or if it would be diluted in this version, but after about 15 minutes of cooking, the unmistakable aroma of the fish began to waft out. When it was done, he popped open the lid to see the fillet of fish resting on the bed of cooked rice. Was this really going to taste like ochazuke…? Adding the freeze-dried toppings felt like adding nothing but little sprinkles to the mix, but he nonetheless followed the instructions and then mixed everything together. Here was the finished product. Seiji took a bite and instantly relaxed because it was even better than he'd expected. The white fish was subtly present throughout the rice, and the dish's overall flavor was even more apparent than in the earlier ochazuke. It seemed his concern had been completely unfounded. All in all, he decided that while the more traditional ochazuke method is quick and convenient, the rice cooker method takes the meal to a whole new level. Seiji would like to extend his thanks to the reader who asked him to find the splendid alfonsino ochazuke meal set in a random vending machine. It turned out even better than he imagined–and was certainly a way better quest than that time he had to pose for a sexy office calendar. All images © SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
SoraNews24
27-05-2025
- SoraNews24
Japan's second-most-beautiful day-use hot spring might be underrated【Photos】
Shizuoka seaside town offers an amazing experience even if you're not staying overnight. Living in Tokyo, you tend to get in a pattern of thinking in terms of train lines for cool places to go in your free time. Doing too much of that, though, means you'll miss out on some awesome outside-the-train-line-defined box, as our Japanese-language reporter Seiji Nakazawa was recently reminded. The other day, Seiji was talking with a buddy who's really into motorcycles, and the subject of onsen (hot springs) came up. Seiji's friend says that there's one place in particular he and his fellow two-wheeled enthusiasts like to ride to and take a nice long soak. Though it's affiliated with a hotel, the Akazawa Higaeri Onsenkan, as the place is called, is open to day-trip users too, and Seiji's friend highly recommended it. The problem, though, is that Seiji doesn't have a motorcycle, or a car, and with the Akazawa Higaeri Onsenkan being located out in Shizuoka Prefecture, and not within walking distance of any train station, Seiji figured he was out of luck. After doing some checking, though, Seiji found out that there is a free shuttle bus from the nearest station, and you can get to that station from Tokyo in just about two hours. That's how Seiji ended up on the Izu Kuyko Line, heading towards Izu-Kogen Station after riding the Shinkansen from Tokyo's Shinagawa Station to Atami. It's also possible to make the trip without having to transfer by taking the Odoriko express train from Shinagawa straight to Izu-Kogen, but the total point-to-point time and price is about the same either way you go. Stepping out of the train and onto the platform, Seiji was already feeling invigorated by the clean countryside air. Near the station's Yamamo Exit he found the place to wait for the Akazawa Higaeri Onsenkan shuttle bus, with the posted timetable showing one to three buses per hour between 9:50 a.m. and 8:15 p.m. From the station, the bus heads up a mountain road, and arrives at the hot spring about 15 minutes later. It wasn't just Seiji's friend's recommendation that had drawn us to this place, though. According to the rankings on Japanese travel site Jalan, the Akazawa Higaeri Onsenkan has the second-most beautiful view in all of Japan for a day-use hot spring. So what kind of view does it offer? Well, while you have to take a mountain road to get to this place, the backside of the building offers… ……an absolutely stunning ocean view. It's especially awesome when you're sitting submerged in the outdoor bath, since the tub has an infinity pool-type design, where the edge visually blends into the ocean. The view from the indoor bath is no slouch either… …nor is the one from the sauna… …but it's the outdoor baths that really earn this place it's second-most-beautiful day-use hot spring in Japan honors. The view is so incredible that Seiji describes it as something you don't just see, but as something you feel. With the wind, sky, and sea all simultaneously seeming to calling out to him, he felt all of his accumulated big city stress melt away. The Akazawa Higaeri Onsenkan charges an admission fee of 1,600 yen (US$11) ordinarily, or 2,000 yen during peak seasons, so it's not the cheapest day-use hot spring around, but it's definitely one of the most beautiful. For those looking to splurge a little more, they also have private family/couple baths with attached changing areas, which cost an additional 3,500 yen per hour on weekdays or 4,500 yen on weekends and holidays. We've been talking about the day-use baths so far, but right across the street from the Akazawa Higaeri Onsenkan is the Akazawa Onsen Hotel, which has its own baths. The hotel wastes no time giving you a glimpse of its views, with windows that look out over the bay from the lobby. The restaurant's dining area has a great view too… …and, of course, so do the guestrooms. Guests staying at the hotel also have access to the Akazawa Higaeri Onsenkan's baths, but the hotel's own are stunning too, if more modestly sized. But even if an overnight stay isn't in the cards, the day-use hot spring baths are an experience you'll never forget. Location information Akazawa Higaeri Onsenkan / 赤沢日帰り温泉館 Address: Shizuoka-ken, Ito-sho, Akazawa 170-2 静岡県伊東市赤沢１７０−２ Website Akazawa Onsen Hotel / 赤沢温泉ホテル Address: Shizuoka-ken, Ito-shi, Akazawa Ukiyama 163-1 静岡県伊東市赤沢字浮山１６３−１ Website Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
