Tokyo Disneyland

Tokyo Disneyland

Let's skip straight to the good part.

The journey from Takayama to Tokyo was straightforward, and navigating my way to Tokyo Hilton Bay had by this point become something close to muscle memory. Bags dumped, evening ticket acquired, I was through the gates not long after the 3pm entry time.

The music hit first. Then the sights. Joy...instant, uncomplicated, and entirely close to the heart of this Disney loving adult hitting the park alone. I regret nothing. I savoured everything.

I won't bore you with a ride-by-ride breakdown. What I will say is that the Japanese parks have a particular energy to them — the music is somehow more upbeat, the atmosphere more earnest, and watching locals who know every move to every song and perform them without a trace of self-consciousness is one of the more quietly delightful things you can witness. 

My single greatest achievement of the day, perhaps of the trip, was $134 worth of Baymax merchandise. In one transaction. I am not sorry.

Tomorrow: Tokyo DisneySea. We plan to open and close the park so wish us luck!

Goodbye Takayama!

Once again, some might find this helpful

This was the line at 08:55 for the 09:36 train. 10 minutes later, it would stretch all the way down the station

The train journey was scenic through the Japanese Alps

Guess who's ready!

Let's go

How cruel is this. And this was only the beginning

Literally the happiest ride ever. The staff dance and jump with immense energy and joy

B-A-Y...M-A-X!

My sparkling lychee, raspberry sorbet drink

Made happy with a heart-shaped pink straw!

More happiness!

I haven't seen an electrical parade for years!

I love the Tangled float

This monorail is decked out for DisneySea's 25th anniversary

Some of my purchases...not bad for day 1

Takayama

Ready for hoba miso

Today is one of those days where my energy levels have not sufficiently recovered from accumulated sleep debt to blog with any degree of finesse. Thus, a pictorial essay it shall be, with words kept to an absolute minimum.

This was my second visit to Takayama and therefore most of the major sightseeing highlights had already been ticked off on a previous trip. Instead, the day evolved into exactly the kind of tourism I excel at: food and shopping.

I was particularly pleased to track down the things I had specifically come hunting for — vintage second-hand kimonos to repurpose and upcycle, along with sashiko embroidery kits so I could continue my ongoing quest of acquiring hobbies faster than I can complete them.

There may also have been several entirely unnecessary bonus purchases thrown into the mix, alongside a slightly shameful visit to Uniqlo. Because apparently no matter how far you travel in search of traditional Japanese craftsmanship, sometimes you still end up buying another airism tank.

Why is there a line for breakfast at 0645 and why am I not at the front of it?

Miya River running through Takayama dividing it into the Old Town and the more modern Western half

Miyagawa morning market

Coffee break

Scrunchies made from vintage silk kimonos

Sanmachi

Lunch at Kyoya. We were only able to get a reservation for 11am. We took it. 

Hida beef cooked on miso and hoba leaves

The staff did the cooking for us because of our table lay out

My set meal

Itadakimasu!

Nakabashi bridge

Ramen for dinner

Most happy with this unexpected acquisition. A pair of earrings made with origami and Japanese lacquer.

Kamikochi

Taisho pond - Kamikochi

A short entry today. I am tired. 4:30am has a lot to answer for.

Getting to Kamikochi requires some commitment. From Matsumoto Station we took the 08:01 train to Shin-Shimashima Station, arriving at 08:31, before transferring to a reserved bus into the valley. Private cars are banned from Kamikochi entirely, which is both an environmental policy and, on a busy day, a significant logistical chokepoint. Our travel agent had organised the bus reservation on our behalf. The ticket itself inspired moderate confidence — a printout of an email with English stickers applied, presumably so we could identify what we were holding. It worked. We arrived safely (at around 0950). We are choosing not to dwell on the stickers.

A note for the detail-oriented: there are no ATMs in Kamikochi, credit cards are unreliable, and while there are some restaurants and shops near the bus terminal, stocking up on snacks and drinks beforehand is strongly advisable. There is a luggage storage room at the terminal, but no coin lockers.

Breakfast at Hotel Buena Vista was excellent

Hopefully this information will be helpful to someone...

Information posted at Matsumoto Station

Waiting for the bus at Shin-Shimashima station

The bus drive was very scenic

Windy turns a plenty. So drug up if you're prone to motion sickness

Made it Kamikochi

Kamikochi sits within Chubu-Sangaku National Park at around 1,500 metres, ringed by the Northern Japan Alps and centred on the glacially clear Azusa River. We visited Taisho Pond and Tashiro Pond, walking easy, flat trails with occasional boardwalk sections through the valley floor.

Was it beautiful? Yes. Genuinely, unambiguously beautiful — still water reflecting jagged peaks, pristine air, the kind of scenery that makes you feel briefly virtuous for being outdoors. Have I seen better? Also yes. It was busier than expected, and I would genuinely prefer not to know what it looks like when the season properly peaks. We were glad we went. We were also glad to leave at a reasonable hour.

We arrived back at the bus terminal shortly after the 13:30 service had departed. We collected our stored luggage, bought onward tickets to Takayama via a transfer at Hirayu Onsen, and joined what was then still a short queue. Shortly afterward the queue exploded. A meaningful number of people missed the 14:00 bus entirely. Buses run every half hour, so the consequences were inconvenient rather than catastrophic but I would have been annoyed it that was me!

Jays schooling the group on our route

THE bridge

Path is sometimes narrow and often wide, but always nearly flat

Tashiro pond

The bus terminal in Takayama sits conveniently next to the station, which sits conveniently next to our hotel, Mercure Hida Takayama. We checked in, found the onsen, and went out for Hida beef — the local speciality, and the only acceptable way to end a day in Takayama. Richly marbled, meltingly tender, and entirely worth every yen. 

Now....sleep time.

Our room at Mercure Hida Takayama

Very modern bathroom

No bath but nice shower

And a fabulous view of the railway tracks. Yay

A5 Hida beef

Tempura set

Another great day for the Nakaninjas!