View over Lake Toya
Mount Yotei-zan seen over Lake Toya at dawn

If you are contemplating a vacation in Japan, you've come to the right place. Unless you are particularly adventurous, and have already spent some time learning the language, you would be better advised to read the introductory page first, which describes a journey from Tokyo south to Nagasaki by train. Even better, why not look at the excellent web site run by the Travel Addicts from Reading, who have nearly 100 photographs on their comprehensive site. You would also be wise to confine yourself to the Tokyo region and towards destinations in the south where bilingual signs and announcements are the norm, and hotel staff are more used to dealing with gaijin. That's not to say our trip to Hokkaido was hard, but the lack of any English signs can be disorienting and some knowledge of the language is essential.

Lake Chuzenji
The weather is changeable in northern Japan, and colder than further south.

I will leave you to read about how to plan your route, where to get advice (try the wonderful Renato at Nippon Travel in Oxford Street) and so on by reading my other Japan page without repeating everything here. Suffice it to say the Japan Railpass works as well in the north as it does anywhere else, and the people are even friendlier as they have to try harder to understand what you want to do.

Welcome
The welcome at a traditional Japanese inn starts before you enter the front door.

The trip I am describing was made in May 1999. It included Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido the most northerly island in Japan, then further north to Sounkyo, Toya-ko onsen, and Hakodate. From there, we crossed to the main island of Honshu and visited Owani Onsen and Tazawako before taking the boat from Niigata to Sado Island. From there we returned by jetfoil and took in Aizu Wakamatsu and the temples of Nikko before returning via Tokyo.

Sounkyo Gorge
Slate cliffs by the gorge outside Sounkyo as you walk beside a fast flowing stream

The flight to Tokyo from London leaves later in the day, and so there was time for us to spend two hours at Kensington High Street underground station collecting for Christian Aid with a 92-year old Mary Mason in her wheelchair, before lunch and a late departure to Heathrow via the train from Paddington. The Heathrow Express is the only train in the UK which runs to the sort of schedule which Japanese trains maintain, and has anything like the degree of comfort.

Fireworks at Toya Lake
Spectacular fireworks every night at Toya, launched from fast moving speed boats darting across the lake

Waterfall
Spectacular waterfalls for several km alongside the river and road in Sounkyo gorge

The best place to stay in Sapporo is The Monterey Hotel. You can see it from the train. It was built in 1992 in the "Victorian Grand Tour" style, and has an internal courtyard where the usual buffet-style breakfast is served. They call it the "Queen's Court" - what else? In town, you can visit the Sapporo Brewery, but don't expect to see any beer because the building now houses a shopping mall. A very upmarket and expensive pack of English Darjeeling tea sported a picture of a carton of Waitrose channel islands milk on the front. I suppose if that's the Japanese idea of a suitably distinguished accompaniment to the tea, they aren't wide of the mark. Apart from shopping, there's not much to do in Sapporo. It's just a place where you can regroup and recover from the flight before setting out into the magic of Hokkaido.

Which we did the following morning! But first, let me say something about why the Japanese are never seen toting baggage around with them at home, why there is no room for luggage in the trains there, and why they look so unused to the idea when pulling enormous cases around in London. The reason is the baggage forwarding service. For the price of $10 or so (depending on the weight and how far you want it sent) your bag can precede you and be waiting in your room when you arrive at the next-hotel-but-one. Wonderful, reliable, cheap, and let's have some of it over here please! Hence before setting off inland we consigned our bags to Toya Lake and just took enough for the one night.

Toya Lake
A tranquil early morning scene

Had the Japanese not been so welcoming, the next place might have been a disappointment. Ever been to a winter resort out-of-season? That's what Sounkyo was like. We got there by train to Kamikawa and then by local bus. The hotel was one of a number of brutal 1960's buildings designed to house skiers in the Winter and bus tours the rest of the year. Our arrival just after lunch was the occasion of some confusion, as they tried to work out what we have reserved and where to put us. In the end, the staff opted for the best they had, including sumptuous food served in our Japanese-style suite. I don't think we had booked or paid for it, but like so many other things in Japan, I can't be sure. All the shops in the foyer were locked up and deserted, but as we lazed in the communal bath soaking away any tensions of the day, any thoughts that the place might be depressing were banished by the arrival of a number of tour buses during the afternoon.

Mount Usu
Mount Usu was a short bus ride from Toya. Mount Showa Shinzan appeared spontaneously from flat, cultivated fields in 1944. Both were steaming peacefully when we ascended the cable car and walked around the rim. During the second World War, the local postmaster (an amateur geologist) bought all the by now useless fields and set about studying the progress of a forming volcano. His data now represents the most complete study of how volcanoes are formed and the progress over time.

Suddenly the place sprung into life, and groups of ladies (and the occasional male retiree) sought out gift food, chattered, showed of their best nylon outfits and generally made merry. Friday 14th May looked promising. Blue sky and sun, but with a cold wind. The shivering staff in powder blue nylon suits lined up to bow to the departing guests as I stirred raw egg into hot rice for my breakfast. Edwina Currie eat your heart out.

The OK thing to do in Sounkyo is to cycle or walk the gorge, and so swathed in multiple layers of clothing we set out on foot towards the bike station. The bikes were parked in perfect lines, but walking seemed the better option until two miles or so up the gorge, our progress was blocked by a gate. The guard explained the path was cut off by snow just ahead, so that was the end of our plan to walk and catch a returning bus just beyond the gorge, and admire all the different waterfalls along the way. As we turned back, a sudden mountain storm engulfed us in hail and rain. The view from the 7th floor public baths in the hotel never looked so good as we soaked away the penetrating cold.

Sounkyo Gorge
You can walk up the Sounkyo Gorge, or take a bike.

Next day, the bus back to Kamikawa was as usual on time, and travelled at a stately pace towards the railway station. Never take for granted that any bank anywhere in the world will behave as a bank in the UK, especially if you want to change travellers' cheques. Even cheques denominated in the local currency. Sucking of breath between the teeth on the part of any Japanese official is not a good omen, and even without understanding the precise reasons, it was apparent my request at the station bank was not likely to be successful. I'm not clear why, but that's my experience in many countries, including the US which is not set up for foreigners. Still, the train was on time of course, and this local service took us to Toya Lake via Sapporo.

Unfortunately at the foot of Mount Usu was a tawdry group of shops selling gift foods and Japanese tourist tat, plus a few interesting tanks of fish. The museum provided a useful diversion, but looked sadly neglected as we awaited the bus back to the hotel, so perhaps oblivion is not something to mourn in the case of these buildings anyway. Superb food is the reward you get for sitting and sleeping on the floor, and this hotel was no exception both in the case of breakfast and dinner alike. Always ask for a Japanese room - it makes sense.

View over Hakodate
Reflections of Faith

Toya Lake
The lakeside boasted a collection of sculptures. This one was a multi coloured parabola of steel rods reflected in a concave mirror. The rooftop communal bath must have the most spectacular view of any baths I have enjoyed.

Next time we visit Hokkaido, it will be summer and we will essay the Daisetsuzan National Park. For now, a spectacular local train took us alongside the horseshoe-shaped bay of Uchiura towards Hakodate. Here the Motomachi district was the home of the merchant classes in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A group of lovely churches - Catholic, Episcopalian and Russian Orthodox - cluster atop a hill with views over the port. Hakodate has more worthwhile churches than restaurants, so take a packed lunch and dinner if you plan staying overnight, because the choice is limited.

From Hakodate, a train travels under the tunnel to Honshu. The tunnel is almost as long as the Channel Tunnel, but no one makes as much fuss about it. We changed trains at Aomori and arrived in Owani Onsen late in the morning. Never trust a hotel map. They always make hotels look as though they are a short and easy stroll from the station. This ryokan certainly wasn't, and Robert had to exercise his most ambitious Japanese on an optician who called a taxi on his mobile phone to carry us in the opposite direction to the hotel. Just another example of the kindness we have always experienced from the Japanese. It was also hard to understand why Renato thought Owani Onsen "unmissable". The public baths looked suitably therapeutic and not at all fun, but an azalea festival in a hilltop park provided a couple of hours of entertainment which, on a fine sunny day made all the difference.

Tazawako
The Lady on the Lake. A figure set several metres from the shore near the Prince Hotel.

The first shinkansen of this trip took us up into the mountains to Tazawako, but on a single track the train was moving as slowly as the Eurostar through Kent. In similar fashion, this train would accelerate to 186mph on its way to Tokyo. The Prince Hotel was beautifully set by a quiet lake. Unfortunately the dense mist and rain hid the views, which was a pity.

Okesa on Sado Island
This was the style of local dancing, very slow, in beautiful costumes, but how do they see where they are going?

Always keep your travel plans flexible in Japan because the weather can change suddenly and dramatically, the trains are frequent even in out-of-the-way places, and fast enough to take you to another part of the country where the weather may be better. Read the guide book carefully, or you may speed past somewhere well worth a detour. Kakunodate was one such place where we stepped off the train, left our luggage in one of the convenient lockers found in many public places, and walked down the main street to see the Samurai houses clustered by a tree lined road a few minutes walk away. The remainder of the journey down the coast passed numerous paddy fields. The further south we went, the more planting had been done and the more advanced the growth.

To Sado Island
Three days is not enough to see Sado Island. The coastline is spectacular. There are many other sights, and we did not venture south where the world-famous Kodo drummers are located.

The ferry to Sado Island leaves from Niigata. There is a boat and a jetfoil. We soon discovered why the fare in both directions was the same, even though we knew from the timing that we were travelling outward on a ferry, but returning by jetfoil. As we stepped on board, the captain and uniformed crew were lined up to bow to us. When we presented our tickets, a man dressed in a dinner jacket was called to carry our bags up to a stateroom. This consisted of a bedroom, sitting area, TV and video, even a balcony. The green tea was served with style by the man with the tuxedo, and we sailed out of the harbour as the sun set. Such treatment cost very little extra, and was as much of a surprise as "Club Class" on the ferry between the North and South islands of New Zealand.

The capital of Sado-ga-shima is Ryotsu. Most of the hotels are faded. Most of the clientele is retired. The island is famous for its Kodo drummers and for the style of the dancing (Okesa). The Lonely Planet guide quoted the experience of an American tourist who recommended the local buses as the best way to see the island. He suggested a three-and-a-half hour tour of the north coast. The timetable was all in Japanese of course, and it took Vicky all evening to match the Kanji of the place names with the Lonely Planet map.

Telephones and Festivals on Sado
Of the many strange sights in Japan, what more wacky than telephone booths in Ryotsu crafted in the form of Okesa dancers? A seaside festival is a colourful and noisy affair.

The round trip involved three buses, and we soon found we were the only passengers on board, once a group of middle-aged women had been dropped off at a fishing village, where large numbers of their cousins and aunts turned out to greet the bus. The bus driver was convinced Robert's Japanese was fluent. He stopped for photo opportunities and made detours for our benefit. Somehow the bus arrived at its destination on time, where we waited for the second bus on the return leg.

In Japan, catching the right bus is not normally a problem, providing you can work out in advance what time it leaves for your chosen destination. Even if you cannot confirm the destination from the bus itself, once a bus comes along at the time you expect, that's your bus. Deciphering the timetable takes some doing if there is no Romaji version, but if you can only master the times, you are home and dry. Luckily Vicky seems to be something of an expert in pattern recognition. Thus we were able to see the other sights on Sado: the goldmine near Aikawa; the seaside park at Senkaku-wan bay, with a side trip to a fishing village called Himezu where a carnival was in full swing; and Ryotsu itself.

Our return to the mainland was by way of a fast jetfoil, which allowed us a fast connection for the local train to Aizu Wakamatsu. You can usually buy lunch at any railway station, either a bento (lunch in a box, consisting of sushi, sashimi, sandwiches or salads) or more western-style fare.

Gardens
I can't resist Japanese gardens. Whether they are raked gravel, rocks, lakes, trees, open spaces or temple precincts. Here are a few examples.

The train to Aizu Wakamatsu took us through the mountains, with views of sparkling lakes and rivers, paddy fields and valleys. Finding "Tourist Information" at Aizu station is not easy. It consists of a desk tucked away in a travel agent. I can tell you which hotel to avoid in this town: it's the business-style one where we spent two nights. Hot room, lost booking, casual staff - all very un-Japanese and rare in our experience. What was not rare was the difficulty and delays associated with changing travellers cheques, even though ours were in Yen. In a large bank in this large town, it took 5 staff 15 minutes. Many services in Japan are bureaucratic and over-staffed. That's the downside of otherwise excellent service where there are so many staff to help.

Nikko
Nikko

Aizu Wakamatsu makes the most of very few historic buildings. It's not really worth more than a casual visit, certainly not more than one night, but the castle and a re-constructed Samurai house were pleasant diversions. Nikko on the other hand is high on my list of must-see sights anywhere in the World. The Seikoen hotel is a treat. Japanese-style rooms in a beautiful setting right in the heart of town near all the temples and gardens. The lovely "strolling garden" looked at its best in the Spring sunshine. It was included in the day ticket which covered many of the most important sites. I recommend at least 3 days in Nikko. Not only are there a number of fine temples and shrines, but the Koegen Falls and Lake Chuzenji are a short bus ride up into the mountains. The lake is surrounded by hills and you can walk to a temple by the shore or sit and have lunch whilst watching the clouds roll over the mountains. Wonderful.

Garden in Tokyo
There are gardens right in the heart of Tokyo. Bigger and more open, but still worth a visit.

The last part of this particular trip was Tokyo. There are a couple of ways to get to and from Tokyo by train, and two different stations with alternative train companies at Nikko. The best way depends on whether or not you are in a hurry and if you have a Japan railpass. With the railpass you take a local train to Utsonomiya which takes 45 minutes then catch a Yamabiko shinkansen to Tokyo (53 minutes). Be sure to reserve a seat because day trips to Nikko are very popular and trains can be packed. In Tokyo I recommend the Keio Plaza hotel. It's big and comfortable and located right by Shinjuku metro station. The Yamanote line is Tokyo's equivalent of the Circle Line and it is owned by JR so your railpass includes the fare. The fact it runs in a circle is the only similarity, however, because it runs strictly to time, is air conditioned, reliable and gets you to your destination with the minimum of fuss. Don't believe all those people who warn of dire consequences and officials to pack you into the trains in Tokyo. Most of the lines are quite comfortable and safe. The only threat, as Chris and Linda observed in their travel addicts pages, is groping by bored businessmen, and probably western tourists are unlikely to be targets in reality.

Two forms of eating
Two forms of dining. The first is in a ryokan where you have no choice but to lay back and enjoy the food. The vending machine is a much more intimidating form of catering. Work that one out if you can!

How easy was it to break away from the normal tourist routes and head north? Do you need a basic understanding of Japanese? Will school kids point and laugh at the Westerner's "big nose"? Should you stick to Nikko, Tokyo and the south? The answer to all these questions is probably "Yes" but that's only part of the story. Learning some of the language is not hard, and will help a great deal. If you're like me, the written characters still remain a mystery, but at least you can check with a bus driver that you have the right route, or get to the correct platform quickly when changing trains.

You may cause more of a stir in Hokkaido than Nagasaki, but most Japanese will still be incredible helpful and welcoming, so you need have no fear that your presence as a tourist is resented. And no, schoolkids don't point and laugh as the guide books say. They do want to practise their rudimentary English, but that's the same as kids almost anywhere in the non-English speaking world. Your first trip to Japan should still be to the South, but as it may be the first and last, you'll want to see the major sights and most of them are south of Tokyo. Having cut your teeth on Kyoto, Hiroshima and so on, why not head for Hokkaido? No reason at all, and given the time, I would have ventured further into the national park region, or rented a car. They do drive on the same side of the road, and most of the major road signs still have the main towns written in Romaji. So there you are, Hokkaido and northern Japan in a nutshell. Send us an e-mail if you want more advice, or just want to comment from your own experience. Good luck!