Randomness

Posted on by helenhmk

Sometimes it’s the unplanned which gives you the most joy. This morning after breakfast we went for a walk in a random direction, with no map… passing shopping centres and movie theatres and ended up in the back streets of houses in Chichibu. We came across a closed coffee roaster and patisserie…. and thought ‘let’s see if we can come back here later’. We sent a link of the location to our friends who liked the idea of visiting.

We returned to the coffee shop a couple of hours later… tried some coffee beans… bought some to take home, got a take out coffee (as we had bought 200g), went next door and purchased a small cake and biscuits, and sat outside reflecting this was a fabulous random find! 🙌

Sadness….

Posted on by helenhmk

JR East is retiring its famous Suica Penguin… which is part of its marketing for… practically everything. Seeing it in Japan makes me feel a little sad. It is a well known character, and it’s everywhere.

But with all big business the change will bring about new characters, oh and new marketing = $$. Not sure which one I like from the three finalists featured in this article.. what’s your favourite?

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/09/09/japan/suica-card-penguin-design-retire/

Reading in hotels…

Posted on by helenhmk

Sometimes a hotel will include ‘a library’ or ‘a reading corner’, this hotel comes with a manga corner… which as shown by the photos has a healthy amount of manga for the avid manga reader. It was good to see some titles I had read in English… would love it if public libraries in Australia took this approach. The chairs were extremely comfortable…!

Eating in Chichibu

Posted on by helenhmk

Weekend trip with Tokyo friends… within less than 24 hours in Japan, we’ve had some great food… thankfully we’re here for a few more weeks to enjoy more….

Waraji- katsudon
Buta don
Otoshi
Tofu, lettuce and shirasu salad
Karaage
Miso potatoes
Highball w local whiskey
Donburi- various types…

Breakfast…

Posted on by helenhmk

… I always look forward to a Japanese breakfast! This was Yayoiken in Suidobashi.. they have a number of places in Japan – even one in Sydney! Breakfast set with extra raw egg for me and crumb fish for Kym, and free rice and tea refills. Cost less than $15 sets you up for a day of adventures

Landed….

Posted on by helenhmk

A daytime flight is a delight…

Watching movies, reading and having a light snooze was the perfect way to pass the day while getting to Japan. Even managed to see Mt Fuji in the distance before dropping through the clouds to land.

Following a long car ride… so many trucks..!! (we have big bags and we’ve done the train transfer and it’s not worth the stress) we caught up with a friend over beer and pork!

Can it be adjusted..?

Posted on by helenhmk

Travelling with Brompton’s overseas is always an experience. Today it’s the second leg of the journey from Sydney to Tokyo. Checking-in for the flight is a liberating moment as you finally get rid of the suitcase/s, and take that fateful look at the weight of what you packed.

Our bike cases, which contain bike, helmet, poncho weigh around 21-23. Kym’s bike case is lighter than mine, but I have the added advantage of four wheels, and easier manoeuvrability. My case is on the heavier side… now I know there are people with Brompton who travel with soft bags and find they work well (your faith at the care baggage handlers have in Australia is admirable). These cases enable us to effectively get the bikes to the hotel in Tokyo and we don’t touch the cases until we are coming back (thank you hotel!). We have learnt over the years to avoid, where possible, taking large bags on trains in Tokyo.

My bike bag was 23.6kg… ‘can you adjust the contents of the suitcase? We want to ensure luggage is 23 and below’. Was the question asked… explanation of travelling from Adelaide previous day and indication we would remember and modify for the next flight. Minor hesitation from the counter attendant…. and the heavy bag was accepted and case sticker was applied. Weph! On the upside the next bag placed on was 9.6kg!