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A single ticket provides access to all the regional modes - including the pirate ship

Hakone-jinja is known for the waterfront torii-of-peace, but it’s mostly a torii-of-instagram. I liked the big cedars (that rivaled vancouver island)

Bullet Train Regional Train Mountain Switchback Train Cable Funicular Train Gondola Pirate Ship Now the Bus 7 car free modes this trip

What I really like is the Suica app that lets you tap your phone as a transit pass (for buses and subways) vs carrying a transit card. It works across multiple cities and can be refilled on the fly.

Ok. Excellent dinner at the Gora Brewery. Great food and a really nice DIPA. Nice design with rock garden behind the kitchen. First euro style efficient windows I’ve seen (centre mount w alu sills 🤓). And! A hot spring fed foot bath between the brewery and cafe.

Stars competing with the Tokyo Glow

Runaway truck ramp. Can’t help but imagine a Dukes of Hazzard scene with a car leaping over the train.

Today we’re walking the Tokaido road, a stone path laid down in the 1600s to connect Kyoto and Tokyo (Edo)

Tea and a snack at the thatched timber Amasake Tea House.

Prettier than my usual takeout lunch

🗻Fuji from the Shinkansen 🚄

Fuji at 300kph

Landed at our cute little loft at the end of an alley in Kyoto

Very hot today so the double papered shoji screens are keeping the place cool. The cavity between the screen and window is much hotter.

It’s 30c Feet in the water time

Nice 2 sided benches

Every city should have this

And it’s lovely at night. Soft lighting, adjacent homes and shops and a bit of greenery (that feels rare at this scale)

Trying to imagine how to re-create this in Vancouver

West orientation, on a hill overlooking the city. Great spot for catching evening light (for the last 1200 years or so) and a boat load of tourists (more recently) Something to be said for UNESCO sites. Prayer bell reverberated at many levels.

Another nice stroll on a 30c day… the philosophers walk

The Face House A nice bit of weirdness to balance the Serene/subdued/historical city.

Apparently it was very much disliked because it didn’t fit the local “character” but now it draws many visitors