2024-11-13 Takayama to Tokyo Another Shinkansen off my list today š thereās to ways to get to Tokyo from Takayama, either south through Nagoya or north through Toyama and back through Naganoā¦ so off to see the Sea of Japan and another part of the country side!
Iām sure youād get sick of it eventually being in these tiny freezing old dying towns full of old people, but fuck this place is pretty.
Blep.
Stopped at Toyama to change to the Shinkansen back to Tokyo. Cute little station area with a few shopping buildings and lots of train station food.
Sadly the meat and cheese izakaya wasnāt open.
I kept seeing this amazing sushi which looks like a pizza but if the crust was rice and everything else was just fish. I thought it was salmon but itās trout and yellowtail. Both of which were delicious. Sorry to the ladies at Station Soba TATEYAMA SOBA & Masunosushi MINAMOTO for not being able to understand that you were asking if I needed a curry bib. Also for touching the angry guyās plate. Awkward.
Incident averted, food consumed, time to chill at the station until the train comes. I had to wait for two to pass because I wanted a left hand side window seat, in the hopes of getting some nice views on the way.
My Shinkansen is five minutes late and Iāve started to question everything I knew about Japan. š
We left very promptly and headed out. Ive got a ātrain deskā seat which has more leg room and just enough space for a laptop. Itās going to suck if someone sits next to me because Iām a chonk.
Someone turned up later and I curled into a ball in the corner.
Got into Tokyo station without any further incident and a short hop to Shin-Nihonbashi station, then off to the Dormy for check in. Top floor, right next to the spa and the free ice cream!
Chilled in the room for a bit and wandered over to Akiba, looking for Yusha Kobo Keyboard Specialty Shop, hidden in the back streets and full of keyboard nerd joy. Lots of ortholinear keebs, which I hadnāt really played withā¦ and they feel horrible. Iām a chonk who needs a wide shoulder pose so itās not gonna work anyway.
Off to more Aki. Lots of Book Off and ā¦ Hard off.
Lots of other little stores I couldnāt possibly remember, but poked my head in and marvelled at.
Red light strip, and a really well stocked radio supply store.
More wandering around and wondering what leads people to stand ing there dead eyed trying to flog themselves and their coworkers.
Lots of air soft guns, more wondering wtf is going on.
Yodobashi camera!
Wandered around a lot. TIL how good image stabilised binoculars are (and that I really can only use a monocular). How amazing hasselblad cameras are to use. How much they cost. How I still want one.
Bailed, found some takoyaki and tayaki at Croissant tayakiā¦ with egg and cheese was rather moorish, and the flaky pastry red bean tayaki was tasty.
Stumbling home I got waylaid by someone sending my something distracting and I got way off my path. As in stumbled past a ramen shop I realised it said Yuzu and took a second look. Nooommmmm. Hamaya is delicious and different.