Conclusion : Japan Trip

I must blog some of my feelings after this trip.

The feeling is always pleasant to meet old friends after a break of about 8 years. Seeing the kids have grown up, I feel sad because I am growing up. Well, this is part and parcel of life. We all know death is confirmed once birth happened.

J suggested that he did not want to go back to the same places as we did in year 2001. However, we still returned to 2 places ie Ito's home and Asakusa Sensoji. Maybe for my next trip, I will drop Asakusa Sensoji.

The short path from Kokuya to Snow Monkey Park was memorable. J agreed with me on this part. We walked in a path with tall trees on both sides. Some parts of the path were covered by snow. The 3 of us have to hold hands to prevent any accidental falling. There was not a single bird chirping or other people. We walked and unsure if we were on the right track. What if the wild boar charged at us? What if we were attacked by some animals? What if we fell and no help was available? Plenty of "what if" which we did not seriously consider at that time.

While travelling from Shin Osaka to Shin Yokohama on the Hikari train, I asked the train crew when I would be able to see Fuji-san. He replied at 10.15am. True enough, slightly after 10am, we saw Fuji-san ahead and at 10.15am, it was right in the middle of the window of the train. We did not manage to get good shots as the train was travelling very fast.

The trip to Kawaguchiko was also memorable. Seeing snow-capped Mt Fuji at different angles and different times of the day also created a deep impression. At times, the peak was covered by clouds. At other times, the sky was so clear and blue, we saw smoke pluming out from the peak. The water in Lake Kawaguchiko was calm but maybe we were not at the right place, we did not see the reflection of Mt Fuji on the lake. We wish we have more time at this place because it was so different from home. No noisy traffic, no hordes of people, the feeling was so refreshing and relaxing.

Finally I saw the famous snow monkeys bathing in their own onsen in JIGOKUDANI-YAENKOEN instead from the webcam at
http://www.jigokudani-yaenkoen.co.jp/livecam/monkey/index.htm

I have been viewing the above website since my Japan trip has been confirmed. I know it is silly to go all the way from home to see monkeys bathing. But this trip was coupled with a luxurious stay in Kokuya. Thanks to Zeno from Kokuya and Patricia from home, without their advice and suggestion, my family would not have such a memorable moment in Shibu Onsen.