Anyone know Japan towns/cities well?

[Brian]

Can anyone assist with some advice?

I may be going to Japan over November, and am trying to plan my trip. So far everything except 3 days is planned. I am looking for somewhere to go for 3 days, inbetween Kyoto and Tokyo and surrounds. However I am not necessarily looking for somewhere that is all shrines and temples. That is fairly well taken care of. And it doesn't have to be filled with architecture or hot baths. Basically we love to browse old areas that have lots of dingy little antiques stores that I can spend my days in. I didn't think it existed until last time I found an area of Takayama filled with antiques stores and interesting little shops. So I am hoping there are towns or cities that have old areas with shops like this worth spending a few days in. I don't mind large cities with areas like this, or smaller towns. Something that will keep us occupied for 3 days.

Anyone know any places worth visiting? I am considering checking out cities like Kobe, Nagoya, Yokohama or Shizuoka.....but don't know the smaller places worth looking at.

Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka are taken care of.

I have thought about Nara, but that might be not worth 3 whole days? Izu area is expensive and will be on a tight budget. Would have to be easy to reach from the shinkansen line btwn Tokyo/Kyoto.

So..what advice does anyone have? What is out there for antiques hunting and might be interesting with a little (but not too much) castle/temple vibe?

 

I'm flying blind here, so any info would be appreciated.

 

Brian

[Steve Waszak]

Hi Brian,

 

I lived in Kamakura for seven years, and would recommend it HIGHLY. It's only an hour or so from Tokyo by train... It's got several little cool antique shops, superb old (OLD) temples and shrines, the Daibutsu (must be seen), etc...

 

Cheers,

 

Steve

[Brian]

Thanks Steve, that is definitely one that I am seriously considering.

Do you think it is worth spending 3 days in, or would it be best to do it as a single day trip from Tokyo one of the days I am there?

 

While I am at it, does anyone know of any old area in Tokyo that would be good to walk through to find old antiques shops? (You know the type...wall to wall old relics and brick-a-brack...usually some fittings and such hidden away)

Most antiques shops I saw there are modern classy sparse places with only top end ceramics and art)

 

Brian

[Rich S]

Brian -

 

I hate to inform you, but you won't be allowed to enter Japan!

They have a list of Nihonto collectors, much like the US terrorist

list. They don't want Nihonto collectors taking all the good stuff home

with them. You'll be either turned away or arrested at Narita airport.

Sorry to have to tell you that you'll have to cancel (then maybe some

of us can have a chance :-)

 

Rich S

(have a good time, we expect a report when you return)

[Steve Waszak]

Three whole days may be a bit much, especially since it's so close to Tokyo. If you're a good walker, you can cover much of the town in one, FULL, day... If you're a real explorer type, though, you'd need more than a day, I expect.

 

I've never been to Kanazawa, but I hear good things about that town, too. I imagine there are good spots in Kyushu as well, since that was a particularly martial area, even during the relatively pacific Edo period...

 

I can't recall very well if there are any great spots in Tokyo proper for hole-in-the-wall style antiquing... As you note, Brian, there are many places which have high-end items and have posh addresses (Ginza, especially)... Perhaps some of the forum's more experienced travelers could chime in here... ;o)

 

Cheers,

 

Steve

[Ford Hallam]

and if Dr Steins warning wasn't enough I would add that once the Sushi Chefs union discover your filthy habit of marinading sashimi in the shoyu you'll definitely be deported ...if not asked to commit seppuku with a yanagiba

 

Just a concerned friend

[Guest reinhard]

I lived in Kamakura for seven years, and would recommend it HIGHLY. It's only an hour or so from Tokyo by train... It's got several little cool antique shops, superb old (OLD) temples and shrines, the Daibutsu (must be seen), etc...

 

This is my recommendation too. The perfect place for just strolling around and some of the "old spirit" is still there.

 

reinhard

[Rich S]

Actually for sashimi or sushi you need LOTS and LOTS of sake'

and wasabi ! And remember, lots of sake' and in the morning you

can't feel you teeth; lots of wasabi and you can't feel your tongue

or smell anything,but your sinuses will be perfectly clear for months :-)

 

Rich S

[Stephen]

Rich S

(have a good time, we expect a report when you return)

 

and pix.....

 

 

Mr. Green with envy

[Bugyotsuji]

Shizuoka is one place that is rumoured to have some antique shops, but I've not been yet.

 

Do you know what the three days will be? The first weekend of each month has a Toji antiques fair in Kyoto. Almost every weekend has one somewhere.

 

Instead of doing three days in one place, how about doing a day trip to Nara, and then one to Kurashiki, for example, and one somewhere else? Kurashiki has a bit of everything, including a few jam-packed antique shops.

[Brian]

..They don't want Nihonto collectors taking all the good stuff home

with them. You'll be either turned away or arrested at Narita airport....

 

Rich,

Ah yes, but once they find out my budget, and realise that all I can do is help them clear out some of the junk they are happy to see leave the country..not only will they allow me in, but they will assign me a free guide to help me remove these items. I am sure they love the Westerners who help them rid the place of all the low class stuff, and leave them with the valuable good stuff :lol:

 

Last time, they almost didn't give me a visa from SA, saying "not enough money going with"

Still have to tackle that one this time.

 

Ford...aww gee....and i thought you are supposed to smear the wasabi on the sashimi

 

Thanks for the ideas folks. Keep em coming, they are very helpful. Will definitely do some of the ideas here. Kyoto will be in the middle of the month, so will miss the market there. Will have 2 weekends in Tokyo though, and really want to do one or 2 antiques markets. I LOVED Yasukuni shrine one last time. But it is really difficult researching them, as one website will say X is on every Sunday, and the next page will say it is on only the first and last weekend etc.

Does anyone know which shrine markets are every Sunday?

Is Yasukuni every Sunday, or only the first/last Sunday? And what about the Togo shrine one?

 

Also, does anyone know exactly what happens at the Taikai. Is it just lectures, a show, and/or ?

 

Lots of questions....

 

Brian

[IanB]

Brian, Takayama, up in the mountains. It has lots of antique shops and has an entire area into which the authorities have moved old buildings to give you an impression of being in an Edo period town. I would also visit Nagoya, if for nothing else than to see the Tokugawa Art Museum. More National Treasures than you can shake sticks at. Matsue - a rinky-dinky little castle that is all original, antique shops and lovely scenery. Tottori - sand dunes and the Watanabe Museum. The latter has about 480 armours on show, forests of yari and standards walls covered in jingasa and examples of almost any weapon you can think of and many you can't. Ever seen a folding yari? They have a section devoted to items belonging to the Ikeda family with some really good things. Finally how about Seki ga Hara? There used to be a 'War Land' theme park there that has to be the ultimate in bad taste, but the little museum attached has some good stuff. Enjoy.

Ian Bottomley

[Brian]

.....last time I found an area of Takayama filled with antiques stores and interesting little shops. So I am hoping there are towns or cities that have old areas with shops like this....

 

Been there, done that

It was lovely, and I am hoping there are other areas that are similar. The antiques shops (there were plenty) were great. Every one has some fittings and lots of old stuff, and top to bottom with old collectibles at some good prices. Is that a lost thing nowdays?

I would go back, but I think I have done that now.

Even Hiroshima had an old area with 5-6 old antiques shops that didn't look too commercial and had various fittings and stuff. So I guess I expected every town/city to have something similar.

Ian, Nagoya sounds good, and you say there are some shops too? It's on the way back from Kyoto, so do-able.

 

Brian