My friend Susan convinced me that travelling in Japan was a breeze with a Japan Rail Pass and Toyoko Inn membership.
After unsuccessfully trying to get on a walking tour to the Dolomites in September 2009, and thanks to a half-price offer on Singapore Airlines, I decided to tag along with Susan and Choo, quite disrupting their planned itinerary in the process!
Arriving at Nagoya's Chubu airport, I encountered the first of many efficient and polite service personnel working in the vast rail network in this country. A quiet express train whisked me to the centre of Nagoya, where I dove into the maelstrom that is Nagoya JR Station.
Armed with a duly endorsed JR Pass, I was ready to criss-cross the country for a week. First I had to find the correct platform for the train to Matsumoto where I was to meet Susan and Choo. They had flown into Tokyo. I had already been coached by Susan to reserve a seat on the train even though I could just jump on any train with my Pass.
Rolling through the Kiso Valley and then into the Japan alps, I arrived in Matsumoto, to be surprised by the many new buildings in the vicinity of the Station. I also discovered that a music festival directed by Seiji Ozawa was taking place. Too late! All the tickets had long been sold out.
Being a member of Toyoko Inn has its privileges: one can have early check-in and special daily discounts. This had a significant effect on our accommodation budget. We subsequently stayed in Toyoko Inns in Kanazawa and Gifu. We came to expect rooms comfortably catering to all the needs of travellers. Lonely Planet seems to think that the rooms are small, but I felt very comfortable in all of them.
From Matsumoto, we visited Kamikochi, then headed for the "Alpine Route" to Murodo where we stayed in a ryokan high up in the mountains. We descended to the coast the next day and spent 2 nights in Kanazawa. Gifu Hashima was our HQ for the rest of the week. From here we visited Magome-Tsumago and Takayama.
The week's travel was just perfect, and it was such a pleasant surprise to discover myriad walking tracks in Japan. I will be back...
