Two years ago… – A Belated Trip Report Part 3 – Hakone, Odawara and Osaka

Hello! I’m returning with part three of my trip report, links to previous parts will be in the comments. Enjoy!

Day 5 – Grilled Fish – Monday, March 25

I had one more morning at the ryokan, Motoyu Kansuiro, before taking off to meet my friend Hiro once again. I still wasn’t getting enough sleep but I was feeling pretty blissed out anyway from the constant onsen baths and the epic dinner from the night before.

I unlocked the door to the room at 7:30 a.m. so the bed could be made, then I was promptly served tea and breakfast at 8:30 a.m. Another several course meal was served in the room, laid out all at once in front of me. It was the usual large Japanese breakfast but for me this was a first experience: miso soup, salad, whole grilled fish, rice, pickles and a lemon bar for dessert. My host did an amazing job of serving and explaining the meals with an elegance that can only come from a lifetime of training and experience. She complimented my Japanese, but it was probably more about the effort than the actual skill.

After breakfast, I took one last dip in the onsen then returned to my room to assess and strategize once again how to optimally pack my bag. Before departing, I took one last glance around the room and admired the look and smell of the tatami and the peaceful view from the window of tangled trees and lush gardens. I checked out at the front desk, changed from slippers to shoes at the door and asked the staff in Japanese if they could take my picture (“Shashin wo totte morae masu ka?” I said this so many times, I doubt I’ll ever forget the phrase in my lifetime). I began walking toward Hakone Station for a few minutes only to realize I left a secured envelope with my Passport, JR Pass and 10,000 yen at the front desk. I ran back and retrieved the envelope while feeling like an idiot because I already received a friendly farewell where they waved me off and bowed as I left the premises. I changed from slippers to shoes (again) and awkwardly walked out a second time, I got over it quickly enough though and resumed my leisurely stroll while taking pictures of the unreal beauty of Hakone.

Ryokan review: Motoyu Kansuiro in Hakone is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever spent a night at. The building definitely shows its age (I’m not sure how old the building even is but I can guess that it’s been rebuilt one or two times at least), it is steeped in history and has served as host to politicians, royalty and celebrities alike over the centuries. Spending a night here was the biggest splurge on my trip and I can tell you that between the amazing food and the constant onsen visits I definitely got my money’s worth. The atmosphere was otherworldly and I’m almost glad I couldn’t get to sleep because I was able to walk around the eerie hallways at 2 a.m. and enjoy a canned beverage from the vending machine in a small piano lounge surrounded by historic ornaments and knick-knacks in what felt like a completely empty and somewhat haunted building. I very highly recommend staying here on your next trip if you can afford to spend a little extra, my stay here for one night was 30,000 yen. Totally worth it.

I walked for awhile and made it past the station but not before enjoying the best matcha soft-serve ice cream cone I’ve ever had. Feeling a sugar high coming on, I became ambitious and wanted to explore the area near the canal and take pictures for a bit. On the bridge over the water, four Japanese guys asked me to take a picture of them in English so I obliged then asked the same of them in Japanese (with my favourite phrase of course) and they were all too happy to reciprocate. The guy who was tasked with taking my picture was mocked by his friends as he swiveled his shoulders back and forth and leaned in every direction trying to frame a shot. They instructed him on how to take a better picture and the whole ordeal made it easy for me to smile as I could barely contain my laughter. After thanking them I continued along the river taking more pictures, but then Hiro messaged me that he’d arrive momentarily and I had gone so far out that I broke a sweat trying to race back.

I met Hiro at his car and as soon as I settled into the passenger seat he handed me a gift, a condiment called yuzu kosho. At this point, I dug around in my backpack and pulled out a little box containing his gift that I’d brought from Canada: a Toronto mug with maple tea and a maple cookie inside. I know there are maple trees in Japan but maybe it would still remind him of his time in Canada. Our big plan for the day was to drive to Owakudani, take in the sulphuric smells and eat some black eggs which are said to add seven years to your life (they’re just regular chicken eggs but turn black when boiled in the sulphuric hot springs). It was an extremely windy day and the sight of many kids chasing down their hats had us laughing, but it was the clear sight of Mount Fuji that left us both speechless. What amazed me was the reverence that the locals had for Mount Fuji even after seeing it day in and day out for their whole lives.

We breezed through the Geo Museum (Hiro is also not one for museums) and took off in the car for Hakone Shrine. We stopped by Lake Ashi to see the Torii Gate but, sadly, it was under repair so we then moved on up to the shrine where I had my first proper Shinto shrine experience.

After Hakone we headed to Odawara and immediately grabbed lunch, unfortunately the gyoza place that Hiro had in mind was closed so we went to a very casual dumpling restaurant instead and wouldn’t you know it, it was delicious. We quickly stopped by my hostel which Hiro had recommended to me because his friend is the manager, I checked in and threw my bag in the room then we chatted with his friend and the girl who was working the front desk for a few minutes. Finally feeling digested from the dumplings, we walked around the grounds of Odawara castle then explored the museum and the lookout tower which were part of the castle itself. It was at this point that we both admitted we never read any of the information displayed in museums, had a good laugh about it, then decided to leave. We strolled around some more while I took pictures then we headed to the train station to explore the shopping arcade and meet up with Hiro’s wife, Mizuki. After locating her and awkwardly introducing myself, we headed off to a kamameshi restaurant that they were excited to show me.

As we took our seats in the restaurant, they explained to me that kamameshi consists of a variety of dishes which are steam-cooked in iron pots. Sounds good to me! Between my limited Japanese and Mizuki’s limited English or shyness (couldn’t figure out which it was), Hiro was working overtime to do the translation work. Regardless, we had a fun time and the food was excellent, I liked everything though some of the dishes might be a challenge for less adventurous eaters. After dinner we parted ways but as I walked back to the hostel alone I suddenly realized that I wasn’t ready to return yet. Instead I walked around for another couple of hours taking pictures of the backstreets of Odawara under the glow of streetlights and attempting to get long exposures of the castle grounds without a tripod. I finally returned back to the hostel and passed out immediately around 10 p.m.

Restaurant review: I’m pretty sure the restaurant we went to was called Soushu Torigin and it looks like they have a pretty standard izakaya menu in addition to the kamameshi dishes. Located in downtown Odawara, highly recommended.

Hostel Review: Plum Hostel. I stayed here based on Hiro’s recommendation and I have to admit I was a little underwhelmed with this hostel, it was cramped and ventilation in the small room full of mouth-breathing men left something to be desired. I otherwise might’ve settled on something else when booking but the location was excellent and the price of 3300 yen a night was pretty darn good value.

Tastiest food: Ryokan Breakfast
Estimated walking distance: 15 km

Day 6 – Burgerstand – Tuesday, March 26

I suddenly woke with a jolt at 4 a.m. and realized I wasn’t going to fall back asleep so I laid in bed for an hour and a half endlessly googling questions I had about the Japanese language. At around 5:30 I grabbed my sweater and camera and left the hostel, heading past the station and far into the hills of residential streets hoping to get a great view of the surrounding mountains (I didn’t). I had crossed paths with only half a dozen people heading for work over the last hour, but it was when I was aimlessly wandering a few kilometers from the hostel at 6:30 a.m. that I had a bizarre chance encounter. I could suddenly hear the \*clack\* \*clack\* \*clack\* of someone running in high heels and as the sound grew closer they turned the corner at full speed, I could tell immediately that they were startled by my presence. The woman, fully done up in business attire and make up asked me with a puzzled look, “Hi… Are you staying at plum hostel?” I was kind of surprised and told her that I was, then it dawned on me that this was the girl that checked me in the day before and gave me the nickel tour of the hostel. We had an awkward chat before she continued running off to whatever it was that she was late for, presumably her second job. I continued walking and shooting photos for another hour and a half while pondering the chances of that encounter before stopping in at Sukiya for some 8 a.m. curry — it was the only thing open that could satiate the massive appetite I had already worked up. I headed back to shower and check out, then said goodbye to Plum Hostel forever as I went off to meet Hiro one last time for a sushi lunch.

I took some money out from the 7-Eleven ATM as I was finally starting to see the end of the cash I had brought with me. I was worried about having difficulties with my card as I’m always paranoid about this kind of thing, probably from an experience I had while visiting New York when I was young. I headed to the coin lockers in the station but needed some smaller bills so I bought a pack of four mysterious but artfully crafted desserts to share with Hiro later. When I tried to put a 1000 yen bill in the change machine I realized it was out of service, luckily at this moment Hiro messaged me and told me I could throw my stuff in his car. I dashed across the station and met up with Hiro who was about to take me for life changing sushi but when we got to the restaurant we realized it was closed, a woman popped her head out the door and said “juu-ichi han” which meant they open at 11:30 a.m., secretly I was happy about this because that curry rice I ate earlier was quite filling. We drove around for a bit to kill the time but when we got back it was full and we had to wait outside. I bombarded Hiro with questions regarding the Japanese language and he was happy to answer them all.

We noticed some patrons leaving — finally it was our turn! We took our seats at a tiny counter in front of an even smaller sushi prep area which was home to two sushi chefs that looked like they were performing a dance routine. How they knew not to get in each other’s way could only come from years of experience, they also didn’t stop moving for a second which was perhaps the more impressive part. I ordered a wide assortment of fish and Hiro ordered the local Odawara fish special. We shared a couple of rolls because he had some with Shiso leaves in them (a minty Japanese leaf) which he insisted I try. Every bite of nigiri was too amazing for words, I wish I could eat there everyday. After paying and thanking the chefs we got in the car and headed for a bridge that provided all at once a view of Sakawa River, Mount Fuji and some cherry blossom trees which were starting to bloom in the Kanto region at this time, the blossoms were being shy but the rest of the view was so peaceful. Hiro told me that we were moments away from his home and the school he attended as a child, I thought this was wild and never imagined when I met him seven years ago that I’d be here with him one day.

We took a couple pictures and enjoyed the desserts I had purchased earlier which he explained were chestnuts inside of a crunchy powdered pastry. They tasted as good as they looked and were apparently a specialty of Odawara. I insisted he take one home to Mizuki, he then told me about how she began her career as a pastry chef making this very confection. We then headed back to the train station so I could catch the Shinkansen to Osaka and we made some loose plans to meet in Yokohama at the end of my trip. Even though I would see him again before heading to Canada I became oddly emotional and felt very grateful for all of the places he showed me over the last few days.

Restaurant review: Tenshirouzushi in Odawara. This little sushi joint is the real deal. Apart from the tiny counter on the first floor, there is a second floor with four tables where you sit on tatami mats. From reading other reviews, it sounds like there are no English menus and the staff doesn’t speak English, but if you’re brave enough to at least ask for a recommendation in Japanese, I guarantee you’re in for some amazing sushi. I believe dinner is expensive but the lunch sets were a great deal at around 2500 yen (in 2019).

It was now time to head for the Kansai region, more specifically the Shinsekai district of Osaka. I felt like I had seen so much already between Tokyo, Hakone and Odawara but Osaka was a very different beast and I couldn’t wait. The bullet train ride was enjoyable, especially with my 7-Eleven beer and sandwich, but admittedly my ass was getting pretty numb on the hard seat by the end of the ride. I made my way through Shin-Osaka Station then mindlessly followed Google’s instructions to take the subway to Dobutsuen-Mae station and then Pax Hostel. On the short walk there I could already feel a different vibe, the city struck me as a little more grimy and colourful and the people immediately seemed a little more relaxed. Upon entering the hostel, I was immediately impressed with the layout and look of the place. Everything was wood or custom designed and a slide was attached to the loft for a fun and easy descent. A staff member checked me in and showed me around, she was incredibly kind and recommended some okonomiyaki restaurants for me to try by making notes on a map. After dropping off my stuff in the room, I threw a long overdue load of laundry in the wash and admired the view from the rooftop of the building. After throwing everything in the dryer I was left with an hour to kill so I explored the Shinsekai area and admired the Tsutenkaku tower, now lit up in full purple neon. It was okonomiyaki time, but the first restaurant recommendation was a bust because they were inexplicably closed, and the second recommendation was a no go as well because you either needed at least two people to a table to maximize the grill space or they were full…I watched my confidence slowly disappear as I couldn’t make heads or tails of what the employee was trying to tell me. I finally found a place around the corner with an empty counter so I checked it out, ordered okonomiyaki but for whatever reason I was bombarded with questions from the server that I just couldn’t understand no matter how hard I tried. Maybe I couldn’t understand them because they were speaking with the Osaka dialect I always hear so much about…or I was just getting a harsh reality check about where my language skills actually stood. I did well enough to get a beer but didn’t get the bonito flakes with my order, I could have tried again to ask but after the first bite I was way too satisfied to bother.

After returning to the room, I was asked if I had a lighter by a friendly hostel dweller. I did and asked if I could join him for a smoke on the rooftop. Now, I don’t smoke but once in awhile I do indulge when travelling. Earlier I had purchased a pack of peach flavoured Piannisimo menthols which I knew would get some laughs whenever I revealed its pink packaging, and I have to admit I miss menthols now that they’re banned for sale in Canada. As predicted, I met many Japanese guys that would laugh and yell “Woman cigarette!” when they saw the package but I ended up giving half of them away because without fail they’d always ask for one and exclaim “Ohhhh peachy!” with a smile after smoking it with glee.

On the rooftop I formally introduced myself to the lighter guy, named Liam, who told me he’s from Belgium which surprised me as he seemed to have no accent of any kind. He then introduced me to Satoshi, an Osaka native. Satoshi asked if I was interested in checking out a live performance at a small art space around the corner, and having nothing better to do I happily agreed and we headed over while Liam stayed behind to do some work. When we arrived, the steep door price to see a solo saxophonist suddenly didn’t seem worth it and we realized instead that the real party was outside of the club in the shopping arcade. Satoshi was friends with the guy running the burger stand outside of the club, which was now done serving food for the day and instead became the friendly neighbourhood alcohol purveyor. Another friend of Satoshi joined us for beers as well, he didn’t speak any English but always happily nodded along with what you’d say and had a calming presence. I began talking to the burgerstand bartender and our conversation quickly turned to movies. He was telling me about an upcoming film festival featuring Guy Pearce and got excited when I brought up Scorsese and Goodfellas. We then dove into talking about all kinds of cinema and Chinese directors like Jia Zhangke and before I knew it I had been there for over an hour and had ordered my third beer already. We all enjoyed the saxophone music from outside but were happy to have not paid for it. After the sax man an experimental band took the stage that I can only liken to Yoko Ono at her most uninhibited. It was quite late at this time but it seemed like the whole neighbourhood would pass through the covered shopping arcade to stop for a drink at the burgerstand-turned-bar as if it was a nightly ritual. I realized that for hours now I had been the only foreigner hanging around but was having an absolute blast talking to Osaka locals in between their impenetrable Japanese conversations amongst themselves.

Our Belgian friend Liam finally showed up and at this point we moved our shindig into the art space because, as it turns out, our burgerstand bartender also runs the (now defunct) establishment. Satoshi suggested that we run back to the hostel to grab his two guitars and a hand drum and when we returned we set everyone up in a circle with random percussion instruments. To varying degrees of success we began playing and singing songs we knew, didn’t know or just plain made up. As it turned out, some of the girls hanging out there worked at the hostel and the one that gave me okonomiyaki recommendations revealed that tomorrow would be her last day at the hostel, this gave the atmosphere a going-away celebration vibe.

At some point I noticed the place smelled of wood, there were weird objects hanging from every square foot of the ceiling and the space itself was quite ugly and odd looking in its resemblance to a second-hand hardware store (it was an art space after all). There was now a large group of people filling the place with laughter and conversation which gave off a warmth that had been fueling our sing-along for several hours. The burgerstand bartender served us a couple more beers and bestowed a Koto upon us, it was kind of broken and out of tune but underneath all the guitars and noise it had a nice rhythmic sound. Satoshi had a nice voice with just enough of his Japanese accent coming through to make him sound cool as hell when he sang, I particularly enjoyed his renditions of Les Champs-Elysées and What a Wonderful World. Later, the whole room successfully sang Country Roads as I believe many people are taught this song as schoolchildren in Japan and I led the group in a rather melancholy sing-along of Kyu Sakamoto’s Ue o Muite Arukou, undoubtedly a highlight of my life.

After another hour or so of jamming and joking around, Satoshi, Liam and I said our goodbyes to everyone and went down the street for Chinese food at around 2 a.m. I didn’t catch the name of the restaurant but it was cheap and plentiful enough to help fight off the inevitable hangover. After returning to the hostel we said goodnight to each other and headed to our respective rooms, I fell asleep just after 3 a.m. All in all, this turned out to be an amazingly fun night.

Tastiest food: Sushi lunch at Tenshirouzushi
Approximate walking distance: not a clue