Izu Grand Pal Park and Conveyor Belt Sushi

The last day / third day of Izu.

I woke up in the morning, took a morning bath without children with my friends (because kids were sleeping), ate breakfast buffet, and went to a place called Izu Grand Pal Park.

The admission fee was once again reduced with a coupon, but I had to buy a separate voucher, so it seems a little expensive. .

The weather on this day will be cloudy and it will rain. .

The 13-year-old boys team ziplines while it is still not raining.

In this park, there was a place where you could play without using a ticket, so I finally went there, but it started to rain. . .

Even if it is noon at a nearby roadside station, it is closed on Saturdays. Is it because it was raining? ? After having bite in a crepe shop that was open, We decided to go to Revolving Sushi.

I bought dried fish as a souvenir at Michi-no-Eki (roadside station). Just after this, I saw the news that dried fish were affected by the lack of sunshine due to the continuing rain. There was a footbath here too. Capybara is in the center.

If you drive a little, a sushi restaurant. This revolving sushi seems to be a popular shop and it is full even though it is a halfway time in the evening. Not everything is 100 yen per a dish, so if you choose carefully, the bill didn't get too much.

The sushi restaurant was so crowded that we ate in two groups. After having eaten, two pairs who return to Tokyo and me and the other pair will return to Shizuoka. We'll miss them after the trip. .

I got on a friend's car in the direction of Shizuoka. Thank you.

By the way, I will arrive at the house where my mother, brother and sister-in-law are.

There are various things from here, but that is another story. .

Japanese
by peacewing

Atami castle and retro bowling at Ito

A total of 8 children and adults arrived at  the Ito Station.

After arriving at Atami Station, we will do the footbath in front of the station like we three did yesterday. At this time, I bought a towel for 100 yen.

Then take a bus to Atami Castle. We wanted to get on the ropeway so We got to the bottom of the ropeway station. On the way, From the bus, I saw a famous a statue of Kanichi and Omiya. (A guy kicking a woman. Will you be criticized internationally?　Don't be stiff.

There is a hidden treasure house (a museum for adults) just below Atami Castle, and there are three sensitive 13-year-old boys,  they were so excited.

A view from the ropeway. It is a superb view. Atami is similar to Monaco.
Slopes, buildings and the sea.

Ride through the ropeway and graze the hidden treasure house (there is a funny statue at the entrance)

To Atami Castle. The admission fee was a little cheaper using the coupon.

Take the elevator to the top, take a picture, and then go down.

By the way, this Atami castle was built in 1959, so it's not a real historical building like an old military commander XX made. But the exhibition was an introduction to Japanese samurai culture.

Japanese trick art is wonderful.

At the gift shop, they gave out little presents for those who can blow shells.

There is a game arcade in the basement and you can play as much as you want! You don't have to pay a plus fee, so you will end up playing kids here for a long time.

Another mother and two children are joining us to meet in Ito, so it's time for us to leave Atami Castle.

When we go down on the ropeway, We saw an actress and camera crew.

Take the bus back to Atami Station and get in time for the train. Since there are only about 3 trains in an hour, if you miss one, there is a lot of waiting time.

From Ito this time, we went to the hotel by bus and joined my friend. It became more lively.

The pool, hot springs and other family restaurants at night. If you have a large group and many children, it's just easy to eat at the family restaurant.

We separate to the two groups :13-year-old boys who wants to bowl and two moms and who wants to drink in the inn room with children who is too little to enjoy bowling.

This place uses handwritten score. I did not know how to calculate, but another mom knew.

It ’s a very low level battle.

Sons have little experience, but there is a margin of growth.

I've always been bad at bowling. .

In this way, the night of Ito's second day was over.

First day at Tokyo

Going to Atami

Ito and seven goddess

Retro bowling shirt. How about for a present?

Love
by peacewing

Seven Gods of Good Fortune in Ito, Izu Peninsula Shizuoka

I arrived at Ito by train from Atami in about 20 minutes.


Japan at the beginning of July this year was unusually chilly, and it rained or stopped that day. The friends who went to Mt. Omuro haven't been able to get to the inn yet, so the three of us were going by taxi.

When I asked to ask something at the tourist information center in front of Ito station, the guy told me the highlight of Ito.

An old inn called Tokaikan does not do business as a hotel right now, but you can visit it, or the shopping street has a hot spring of Shichifukujin (Seven Gods of Good Fortune) and a stamp rally.

Get a taxi with various maps and coupons.

This time we stayed at Tokyu Harvest Club Ito. (very different/luxurious to the one we stayed last night!)

We waited for about 30 minutes in the lobby and joined my friend.

Two sets of mother and two children and one set of mother and son.

It got noisy at once.

After check-in, go to the pool and hot springs.

At night, the restaurant in the hotel was expensive so we ate at nearby Jonathan.

The next morning, after a buffet breakfast, everyone went to Atami Castle by train.

Everyone walks to Ito Station. Walk along nice scenery riverside while it rains. I wanted to go to Tokaikan when I had time but we couldn't have time.

Check Shichifukujin when going through the shopping street. There were 6 gods, but where was the other god?. I did n’t take a photo of everything.

Ebisu, the god of prosperity and wealth in business

Juroujin (寿老人) is the god of the elderly and longevity

Hotei (布袋) is the god of fortune, the guardian of the children, patron of diviners and barmen, and also the god of popularity.

Daikokuten (大黒天)  is the god of commerce and prosperity.

Seven god teacup




Japanese bath salt. Instant hot springs at your home

Business Card
by peacewing

Going to Atami (Famous hot spring place)

Staying at Akasaka, Tokyo

Leave Akasaka around 9:30 in the morning and head for Atami.

Looking at the timetable in Jordan,　https://world.jorudan.co.jp/mln/en/ it is 4390 yen per person for the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Atami, and it takes 37 minutes for the Shinkansen from Tokyo.  2nd option is "Izu no Odoriko" (Izu Dancer) train takes 1 hour 21 minutes and costs 4000 yen per person. 3rd option is Tokaido, the local train takes 1 hour 53 minutes and 1940 yen.

Other friend families go by car. Since only 5 people can ride in the car, it is already over capacity, so we talked about going by train.

I decided to get to Atami around noon, so I didn't hurry and my son had to pay an adult fee this year so I decided to save and go on the Tokaido.

I thought that it would be possible to sit down during the daytime on weekdays, but it seems that there are many people thinking about the same thing. By the way, there is a reserved seat on this Tokaido, and it was 780 yen per person if you buy a seat in advance. I regret that I should have done this. Well, it ’s a reflection on the next time.

The Tokaido Line didn't start from Tokyo Station and was quite crowded. I told the children that they would sit properly when they had a seat, and then they were vacant little by little, and at around Chigasaki we could sit in a box seat. I didn't feel like opening the snacks and rice balls that I wanted to eat on the train.

My daughter slept on the train because of the jet lag. I couldn't sleep. my son kept watching a smartphone.

We will go to Omuroyama with the team and the line heading by car, but it seems that it takes time to go to the lift platform by train and bus because I don't know the area very well, so we decided to meet up with them in Ito until then, we three would kill some time in Atami.

Atami is famous as a luxury hot spring town. I've been there once or twice. There were a lot of slopes so didn't want to go far from the station. So we have about 3 hours before going to Ito.

1) Footbath in front of Atami Station

Before that, there was a sign in the building in front of the station to leave some heavy luggage but it wasn't open that day. A person in the same building says there's a coin locker so you can leave it.

The footbath was busy in front of the station. A small towel for towels was sold for 100 yen, but I wanted to use the one I brought.

The footbath in front of the station seems is called Ieyasu no Yu. Named after the famous Shogun who build Edo Era.

Daughter willing to enter, but son does not. Teens are difficult to handle.

Locomotive in front of the shopping street. After the footbath, we will have lunch somewhere in the shopping street near the station.

My son likes ramen and he's a picky eater, but he just ate ramen yesterday so I suggested Sashimi lunch but he can only eat tuna.. Moreover, the price is high because it is a sightseeing spot. After all, to a Chinese restaurant that was a little reasonable. I asked for fried rice and fried chicken and a daily special for me. A cafeteria that is loved by the locals.

After that, walk around the shopping street and eat hot spring manju (100 yen)

Take a photo with a Konjiki yasha's sign. . (Face erased) I know this scene but I didn't know the story about this, but I read the outline on the web earlier. Well, that's how it happened. .

I'm heading to Ito soon after the 100 yen store.

Sightseeing gets tired. I want to go with shoes that are easy to walk.

Seven gods of good fortune at Ito

Spiritual
by peacewing

Stay at Tokyo, Akasaka.

I went back to Japan this summer with two children.

The next day we arrived, We were going to Ito (Shizuoka) with my family and friends, so I stayed in the city for a night booked in the reservation site.

It's not a hotel, it's like a private residence (with private bathroom with shower), it's not a fancy place or anything, but it's in a convenient location and the reviews are good, so I decided here. My two children were quite big (13 and 8), so I didn't want to sleep on a tight bed, so it was attractive to have a single bed for each person. This room has two bunk beds and the area is nice.

I've lived in Tokyo for many years, but I am not familiar with Akasaka or the inside of the Yamanote Line. I arrived at Akasaka around 5:00 in the evening and was full of people after work.

The impression of Akasaka is modern buildings and old shopping street merged.

Since two suitcases were sent to my brothers' house, I will arrive at the inn with a small suitcase packed with four days of changing clothes and each of us carried backpack one by one.

The subway stairs are painful. Later, there I found out was an up escalator, but I didn't know where it was. It's hard to live on foot for us who are used to car life in the U.S.

When we checked in, there were no people at the front, later we finally took a breath in the room. Well, when I wanted to open a suitcase, I couldn't open a small key! Whether the inside is rusted or not, it's unexpectedly strong and won't break. What should I do. .

When I talked to the owner at the inn, he said, “Oh, I ’ll take a look.” We were hungry and decided to eat it at a nearby ramen shop. Buy a meal ticket and sit at the counter. Japanese diners are cheap and delicious, but I'm worried about the our luggage. .

After the meal was over, I went back to the inn and When I asked the owner, he visited a friend luggage store and broke the key!

I was saved. .

The inn itself had a hard futon, but if you stayed elsewhere, I had to broken the suitcase (made of cloth). Thank you Inn owner! !

By the way, there was a convenience store nearby and I bought a snack, so we ate it and fell asleep at 9:00 due to the tiredness of the trip, but we woke up at 2 o'clock in the morning. .

We tried to hang around the morning city when the sky was a little bright at around 5 o'clock. Crows and people are walking around at times like this.

Yoshinoya. We ate breakfast here. 1700 yen for 3 people. Cheap and delicious.

 band men sitting across us talking about last night gig, youth dream.. (overhearing of course)

Then visit Hiei Shrine. I've seen it on TV. It was nice to have an escalator. At this point it is 7am. There were some people who worshiped. I have been asking for work luck and love luck.

A sports car company next to it?

There was a TV station TBS, so I wandered around, but I didn't know whether a regular customer could enter, so I dismissed.

We will return to the hotel and go to Atami to meet my friends and their family.




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