Chuzenji (Part 2)

This is Lake Chuzenji. It’s hard to tell from the picture, but a wind was blowing continuously over the water, forming ripples that made the lake look almost like a moving Zen garden. It must be nice to play by the lake in the summer when Tokyo becomes very hot and humid - you can even rent a paddle boat to ride. However, in early spring the cooling effect of the lake makes this area freezing. When I came here there were only two other Japanese tourists, taking pictures of this scene with their huge digital SLR cameras.

I ate lunch at this noodle shop near my hotel. When I walked in, the shop was completely empty except for an old man sleeping at one of the tables, next to an enormous portable heater with an open flame. I said “Sumimasen” several times, but he still did not wake up, even as I got closer. It seemed like a perfect image of a sleepy town, the owner sleeping in an empty restaurant, not even waking up when a customer arrives. I exited and went through the other door which has a bell, and he woke up, greeted me, and invited me to a table next to the heater.

We chatted in Japanese and I told him my usual story – I’m visiting from America, my family is originally from Japan, I’m here to sight see and study Japanese. It was interesting to hear how differently his voice and mannerisms was from other Japanese I met. He spoke in a deep, gruff tone that I’ve heard old men use in Japanese TV shows, and his attitude was friendly, but very low key. I asked him if a lot of American tourists come here, and he said they do, in the peak travel season in Autumn. We also talked about how hard reading Japanese can be, and he showed me his newspaper, which was filled with kanji, most of which I did not recognize.

I ordered a bowl of yuba udon, which is the specialty of Nikko according to my Rough Guide book. After I told the owner I wanted to try it, he called out to his wife, who appeared from a back room and began to prepare it. Yuba ryouri, as its called, is a dish of milky, thin strips of tofu rolled into sheet - you can see it at the top of my bowl in the picture. The udon was underneath the yuba sheets. When I asked the owner if yuba was a famous dish, he said it was. He also told me that Japanese people think it’s good, but it gets a mixed reaction from Westerners. By the time I got to the restaurant, I was famished, as I had hardly eaten anything the entire day. Overall, the meal was very good. The yuba was soft, yet had a slightly chewy texture that was enjoyable. The broth of the soup had a slightly strange flavor that immediately brought back memories of strange Japanese food my family would make on Japanese New Years. I finished the entire bowl quickly, thanked the old man, and went on my way.

I spent the rest of the afternoon writing and watching Japanese television in my room. I was surprised at how tired I felt, even though I did not do that much sight seeing. I suppose the trip from Tokyo to Lake Chuzenji took over 4 hours, and the entire time I was carrying my three bags of heavy luggage. Having so many bags makes it difficult to move around, and I noticed that most of the Japanese tourists were only carrying a miniature roller bag, a type that I have never seen in the US. When I travel with Jen in April I will be sure to only take a light suitcase and an almost empty backpack.

The hotel provided a yukata to wear around the room, so I decided to try it on. It was very comfortable!

In the evening I went to the hotel’s onsen. Going to an onsen was high on my list of things to try in Japan, but I didn’t even realize until later that this particular hotel had one. I was slightly confused about the rules at first – you are supposed to change into the onsen attire (a brown robe and slippers), then walk down to the onsen from the hotel lobby. After walking through a maze of wooden tunnels, you arrive at the bath itself. The onsen is divided into seperate sections for men and women, which is appropriate since you enter the bath naked. After you enter the right section, you take a shower in the public area, then hop in!

I had a mixed reaction toward the onsen. I understand that this isn’t the nicest onsen in Japan, so I’m reserving judgment against all onsens until I try other ones. For me, the water was a little too hot. Since the bath was indoors, the hot air in the room collects and makes almost a choking effect, which is amplified by the sulfur smell of the water. However, it did feel nice to be in the warm water when it was so cold outside. I went at night, so even though there was a window that looked outside, I could not really see anything. At some point, three really fat Japanese men came in and entered the bath. It may just be may American prudery, but it was slightly off putting to see these big ol’ fat naked guys jump in the water next to me. However, as I walked back up to my hotel room through the outdoor tunnel, I felt very refreshed and relaxed. I think I will try it again tomorrow.

Nikko and Chuzenji (Part 1)

There are tiny little shops that sell amazing food all over Shinjuku. 100 yen is just a little more than a dollar, so as you can see, you can buy a delicious bowl of ramen for less than 3 dollars, or a grilled beef bowl with egg for less 4. Not to mention the food tastes much more fresh and flavorful than the Japanese food you can get in the US.

The morning I left was the only day where the sky was completely clear. Shinjuku looks totally different in nice weather.

After 3 hours of traveling, by subway, then bullet train, then another local train, I finally arrived at Nikko Station. I was shocked at how much less urban the surrounding area was, just outside of Tokyo. On the train ride over, I could see beautiful old Japanese houses covered with roof tiles, and it reminded me that all of Tokyo once looked like that too.

Once I got to Nikko, I then hopped on a bus to take me to the town I wass staying in called Chuzenji, named after the nearby lake. I was still carrying both of my huge suitcases and my heavy backpack, and none of these items fit into the tiny overhead compartments in the bus. Since the bus was full, I had to cram the suitcases in the leg space and sit cross legged for the 50 minute ride up. It was an interesting ride. To get from Nikko station to Lake Chuzenji, the bus takes a path that my map calls “Irora Zigzag Road.” It’s a winding path that travels up a giant mountain near Nikko.

So far on my trip, my main guidebook has been a book called Rough Guide to Japan. In many ways, it’s excellent – it is packed with useful information about the cheapest and most convenient ways to get around, and it points out great places to eat and stay. It even sometimes has really interesting historical information about the cities and tourist sites. Basically, it has been fantastic in preparing me for things I may not have anticipated in this country I am not familiar with.

It did not, however, warn me that the area I am staying, Chuzenji, would be freezing in early spring! It’s cold enough for snow to cover the ground, and there’s a sharp, biting mountain wind which makes it even worse. However, it seems that the local Japanese have made the best of things and made these delightful snow men.

I hope they melt soon.

Chuzenji is a tiny, one road town. A few shops like these dot the road that leads back to Nikko station, but otherwise the area is fairly empty. To give an example, when I checked into my hotel, the receptionist informed me that all the local places to eat close by 5PM. For dinner, I would have to make a reservation at the hotel’s restaurant or walk 20 minutes to an Indian buffet inside another small hotel. This hotel’s restaurant serves Western food at about 15-30 dollars for dinner, so I ended up going to the Indian restaurant. It wasn’t nearly as good as Indian food back in America, but it was very interesting to meet the Indian owner, who spoke excellent Japanese and very little English.

It shouldn’t be, but in my mind when I see another person who looks like a foreigner to Japan, I assume they are able to speak English fluently, like they are Americans. Obviously this is not true, but it’s just another example of the biases I’ve built in my mind being an American, and it’s a strange feeling when these are proven false. Anyway, I told the restaurant owner in Japanese that I loved Indian food, and when I came back from getting my second helping of food, he left a small plate of tandoori chicken on my table.

Lake Chuzenji itself is incredibly beautiful, and this bridge was only a few minute’s walk from my hotel. It was sort of unreal how pretty the surroundings were.

My hotel, from the outside. My room also looks out onto the lake.