{"id":2612,"date":"2024-03-22T15:55:53","date_gmt":"2024-03-22T07:55:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/?p=2612"},"modified":"2024-09-08T00:26:03","modified_gmt":"2024-09-07T16:26:03","slug":"japan-2023-drive-to-sea-of-japan-benten-iwa-rock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/japan-2023-drive-to-sea-of-japan-benten-iwa-rock\/","title":{"rendered":"Japan 2023 : Sea of Japan, Benten-Iwa Rock, Niigata"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#8dd2fc45;font-size:15px\">\n<li><strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Japan 2023 Trip Itinerary<\/span><\/em><\/strong> <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nov 1 &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/japan-2023-introduction-and-arrival\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Arrival at Nagoya, around Nagano Station<\/a>, Stay : Sotetsu Fresa Inn Nagano-Zenkojiguchi<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nov 2 &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/japan-2023-jigokudani-snow-monkey-park-nagano\/\" data-type=\"URL\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bus trip to visit the famous Snow Monkey Park, Nagano<\/a>, Stay : Sotetsu Fresa Inn Nagano-Zenkojiguchi<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nov 3 &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/japan-2023-togakushi-taisha-shrines-nagano\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Easy trek at Togakushi 5-shrines, Nagano<\/a>, Stay : Sotetsu Fresa Inn Nagano-Zenkojiguchi<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nov 4 &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/japan-2023-zenkoji-temple-nagano-happo-pond-hakuba\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Visite to Zenkoji Temple and hiking at Hakuba Happo Pond<\/a>, Stay : Hotel Hakuba<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nov 5 &#8211; <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/japan-2023-hakuba-mountain-harbour-hakuba\/\" target=\"_blank\">Relax at Hakuba Mountain Harbour and Oide Park,<\/a> Stay : Hotel Hakuba<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nov 6 &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/japan-2023-drive-to-sea-of-japan-benten-iwa-rock\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Drive to Sea of Japan, Ben-ten Iwa rock<\/a>, Stay : APA Hotel &amp; Resort Joetsu Myoko<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nov 7 &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/japan-2023-kiyotsu-gorge-naena-waterfall-niigata\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Drive to Kiyotsu Gorge and Naena Waterfall<\/a>, Stay : APA Hotel &amp; Resort Joetsu Myoko<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nov 8 &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/japan-2023-lake-suwa-nagano\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Drive around Lake Nojiri, train ride to Lake Suwa and Tateishi Park<\/a>, Stay : Beni-ya Hotel<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nov 9, 10 &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/japan-2023-shizuoka-city-shizuoka\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Train ride to Shizuoka and Nihondaira Terrace<\/a> sunset, Stay : Nippondaira Hotel<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nov 11 &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/japan-2023-atami-shizuoka\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Walk around Atami City<\/a>, Stay : Super Hotel JR Fujiekimae Kinenkan<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nov 12 &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/japan-2023-numazu-shizuoka\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mount Fuji, fresh seafood at Co-op and Numazu City festival<\/a>, Stay : Super Hotel JR Fujiekimae Kinenkan<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nov 13 &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/japan-2023-numazu-shizuoka\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mount Fuji, Shira-Ito Falls, Fujisan Sengan Shrine, Mount Fuji World Heritage Center<\/a>, Stay : Super Hotel JR Fujiekimae Kinenkan<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nov 14 &#8211; <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/japan-2023-mount-fuji-shizuoka\/\" target=\"_blank\">Mount Fuji, Hamamatsu Station and Overall Experienc<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/japan-2023-mount-fuji-shizuoka\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">e<\/a>, Stay : Hotel Route-Inn Tokoname Ekimae<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ninjawifi.com\/?pr_vmaf=nDepktvWNv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"https:\/\/ninjawifi.com\/?pr_vmaf=nDepktvWNv noopener\"><img data-attachment-id=\"2464\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/northern-hokkaido-2018-day-1\/banner-copy-1\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/banner-copy-1.jpg?fit=1280%2C270\" data-orig-size=\"1280,270\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"banner-copy-1\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/banner-copy-1.jpg?fit=300%2C63\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/banner-copy-1.jpg?fit=780%2C165\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"780\" height=\"165\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/banner-copy-1-1024x216.jpg?resize=780%2C165&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2464\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/banner-copy-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C216 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/banner-copy-1.jpg?resize=300%2C63 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/banner-copy-1.jpg?resize=768%2C162 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/banner-copy-1.jpg?resize=284%2C60 284w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/banner-copy-1.jpg?w=1280 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><figcaption>advertisement<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>The 3 days 2 nights flew by so fast as it is time to shift towns again. It&#8217;s hard to say goodbye to the mountains of Hakuba. We will make for a longer stay in the future as the view is perpetually breathtaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/photos.smugmug.com\/photos\/i-QHwnxB7\/0\/CZKFtwsN6Hz4XTksrHMRz8McxJV2XVg7nKQMSL94D\/X3\/i-QHwnxB7-X3.jpg?w=780&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8220;Never can say goodbye&#8221; &#8211; song version by Communards. That song was in my head all morning. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Our road trip today will bring us north to Niigata prefecture, along the Sea of Japan coast and inland again towards our hotel at Joetsu city. The drive from Hakuba northwards was thru windy and sparsely populated areas with quite alot of bad roads (for Japan standards) but most probably because of rockfalls and landslides. It was truly rural and local Japan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>About and hour later, we saw <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.michinoeki-otari.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">roadside station Otari<\/a> and as always, we had to stop and have a look-see. Selling mostly fresh produce from nearby farms, we didn&#8217;t have much to buy except using the super clean toilets. It had a public onsen too but time did not permit us the luxury. Funnily, there was a T1000-like sculpture featuring 2 dinosaurs doing head massage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/photos.smugmug.com\/photos\/i-9xXzGDN\/0\/D3PXFWvjcQFSvntxK7K57hSBLfz9FcmwrNKGq4Xg3\/X3\/i-9xXzGDN-X3.jpg?w=780&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dancing or fighting? <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/photos.smugmug.com\/photos\/i-LsnCn7D\/0\/DpCSqKKQbz9gfC5FP92kGQhM2J862svGMrw2XBmNL\/X3\/i-LsnCn7D-X3.jpg?w=780&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Re-adjusting our 3 small travelling bags since parking is a plenty.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Before long, we were driving along the Sea of Japan coastal road with strong winds t-boning our little square Kei-car forcing it to swerve a couple of times. We also stopped at <a href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/zJUdSe7eFhBNUAsM6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kiyashiki Post Office<\/a> to purchase some stamps from a cute postal worker. Sometimes they sell special postcards but this branch was a little too small and local.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/photos.smugmug.com\/photos\/i-KQhBkDQ\/0\/pJdsscnQ7bKr2SXQ85kkXTC6N4TMVmhs3CkStxLG\/X3\/i-KQhBkDQ-X3.jpg?w=780&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Stamps at 100yen each<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We were getting hungry as we reached our lunch destination at mouthfully-named <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/t2CaC3grtdHSwFPv7\" target=\"_blank\">Roadside Station Dream Marine Nou<\/a> at Itoigawa township. This U-shape coastal roadside station is famous for, not surprisingly, its fresh seafood and especially crab. Everything crab-by can be purchased from a number of shops with outdoor seatings dotted along the walkway. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/photos.smugmug.com\/photos\/i-nnjgzXJ\/0\/DNsz9GXx2RztqdsBfddQh4L5qRV2P2HShmgs6ndq3\/X3\/i-nnjgzXJ-X3.jpg?w=780&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">YES!! Outdoor dining FTW<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/photos.smugmug.com\/photos\/i-qjPbSrJ\/0\/DZKdnhF6T6N5KSs7JvctLQ3z5LM3qx4sVR5mKrZRj\/X3\/i-qjPbSrJ-X3.jpg?w=780&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">No english menu ya. Get your Google Translate app out<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Elaine really wanted a good crab soup coz we had a very good experience at Hakodate, Hokkaido and lo and behold, she spotted only one shop at the corner that served it. Costing only 500y, it was a steal!! Along with it, we bought mostly sashimi style lunch with much chicken-duck talk and hand gestures with the vendors. Instead of eating at the dining space, we had our lunch along the coast overlooking the Sea of Japan. The overcast sky and the gentle wind made it better. The crab-stick and soup are fully recommended but the scallops &#8211; no fight with the ones at Hokkaido. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/photos.smugmug.com\/photos\/i-hZpQrg5\/0\/DQsT4ScJFtt6DHCPVRnLd8PHrbMhf4WB6dtpSThjp\/X3\/i-hZpQrg5-X3.jpg?w=780&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Crab hunter spotted a crab soup stall<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/photos.smugmug.com\/photos\/i-f4XqZTV\/0\/CQFfvgTmj8bXX7DfKnpL6RcvHZR3fWKLqVcvQwnjt\/X3\/i-f4XqZTV-X3.jpg?w=780&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Surprisingly, it was really warm and cozy in this part of Japan.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/photos.smugmug.com\/photos\/i-d2sBtbD\/0\/D3CHdCxM8R4m2B62bDRh3z7s8wq8js726CQ7m63FB\/X3\/i-d2sBtbD-X3.jpg?w=780&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bestnyer&#8230; and all of them under 500yen each<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/photos.smugmug.com\/photos\/i-dbzW5Gg\/0\/CqPQcnrRSqPCbSHBcV2SppTSBk5RhndCgDqZLVrNf\/X3\/i-dbzW5Gg-X3.jpg?w=780&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Scallop looks big but Hokkaido scallops gets the win hands down<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>After getting our tummies filled, we walked to an adjacent shop called <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/NgygTh5eCxmFLqeeA\" target=\"_blank\">Leaf Kitchen<\/a> (\u30ea\u30fc\u30d5\u30ad\u30c3\u30c1\u30f3) to have a look-see&#8230; mana tau&#8230; saw &#8220;Crab Ramen&#8221; large words on the banner. Cannot resist. We bought it for 1200yen and it was filled with lots of crabs (not crabsticks) and super delicious!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/photos.smugmug.com\/photos\/i-Hg7fL8r\/0\/FMkHhkMqBP5rzMfvBVKPGFfDxCRJj6wWCjF9ccXpx\/X4\/i-Hg7fL8r-X4.jpg?w=780&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Crab ramen &#8211; 1000% recommended!!! <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We left the roadside station for <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/bQRcdmqHyBwncpww5\" target=\"_blank\">Benten-Iwa Rock<\/a> (\u5f01\u5929\u5ca9) &#8211; part of the <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/discover-itoigawa.com\/see-do\/history-culture\/benten-iwa-rock\/\" target=\"_blank\">Itoigawa UNESCO Global Geopark<\/a>. It is a massive rock protruding from the sea with a lighthouse and a small shrine, connected by crimson-colored Akebonobashi Bridge. Easily climbing up to the top, we had a bird&#8217;s eye view of the surrounding area. It would&#8217;ve been better if the weather was better but we take we were given.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ohya.. the parking can be hard to find as it is under the highway. Here it is : <a href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/cNUP9fENvoKpqzha7\">https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/cNUP9fENvoKpqzha7<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/photos.smugmug.com\/photos\/i-S9f87rm\/0\/RWwKqw8mVXVQcPCqtxwPnTdMnLGgSsbr9VBfRQD9\/X3\/i-S9f87rm-X3.jpg?w=780&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Some information for rock lovers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/photos.smugmug.com\/photos\/i-jbR5zx3\/0\/CQ9QXvm7QbbS6RjbQ7k5MRKr4DSHxTjZJSFhVprs\/X3\/i-jbR5zx3-X3.jpg?w=780&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The approaching bridge. There were fishermen on the right of picture<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/photos.smugmug.com\/photos\/i-qnjG6WR\/0\/FKHNN56JttGH9HWzVG9Rn46TD26jTWnmZ8PQ4VPwK\/X3\/i-qnjG6WR-X3.jpg?w=780&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Looks different from another angle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/photos.smugmug.com\/photos\/i-VHNnD2X\/0\/DxWKnGVpWpZ4qGwgTMxKNVW8kLVkwbk4z58pzvCQH\/X4\/i-VHNnD2X-X4.jpg?w=780&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The summit had a surprising good view of the surroundings<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>On the way to our next hotel, we stopped by a relatively new farmer&#8217;s market (<a href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/9J9unv4LxErHWes76\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u56db\u5b63\u5f69\u9928 \u307f\u3087\u3046\u3053\u3046 \u8fb2\u7523\u7269\u76f4\u58f2\u6240<\/a>) and &#8220;shangkhla&#8221; (rural) <a href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/cfh1gMqHAdQshuDG9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">7-11 Arai Nagamori<\/a> to get our dinner for the night. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/photos.smugmug.com\/photos\/i-RCKqrVh\/0\/D9tCkvFPH8BhdzGx3Kp4XGKfpGBXZp35hnR4KWbcg\/X3\/i-RCKqrVh-X3.jpg?w=780&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Modern looking farmer&#8217;s market with Mont.Bell products too<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/photos.smugmug.com\/photos\/i-3LF8HVC\/0\/FNnHXfcft6HPbLVJtjV84DcbgNpwgvpzHMCH7LtNv\/X3\/i-3LF8HVC-X3.jpg?w=780&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The dinner area<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/bRDV7E6FWX1ndpFZ7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hotel APA Resort Joetsu Myoko<\/a> is located atop a small hill with golfing greens while overlooking the majestic Mount Myoko. The hotel is filled with predominantly weekday golfers getting their driving fix. After our in-hotel 7-11 dinner, we slept like a baby after the 125km drive from Hakuba.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/photos.smugmug.com\/photos\/i-qtXqfRx\/0\/DDGrCVcF9kknr9BKHXgGzS3GRkkP7sxv7V2qLfkdw\/X3\/i-qtXqfRx-X3.jpg?w=780&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Manage to capture a &#8220;before&#8221; unpacking room<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/photos.smugmug.com\/photos\/i-3w58FGs\/0\/DQTpRbnwQwWQZKMK6m969mpwFZnrxwR4Rt2xWjhZt\/X3\/i-3w58FGs-X3.jpg?w=780&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Had a big-ass window with Mount Myoko. This is where we had our dinner too. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-pale-pink-background-color has-background\">Itoigawa area had groundshakes of magnitude 5 on the Japanese Ritcher scale of 7 during the Jan 1, 2024 Noto Peninsular Earthquake. We wish for a quick recovery and restoration of Noto Peninsular. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#f6dede\">\n<ul class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#f6dede\">\n<li>Useful links:\n<ul>\n<li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/discover-itoigawa.com\/see-do\/places-events\/roadside-station-marine-dream-nou\/\" target=\"_blank\">Roadside Station Dream Marine Nou<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/discover-itoigawa.com\/see-do\/history-culture\/benten-iwa-rock\/\">Benten-Iwa Rock<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>From our experiences :\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>The Sea of Japan (West Japan) deserves abit more credit. It is really beautiful and we will visit it in the near future, for certain.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mapcodes are codes you can enter to your car&#8217;s GPS unit sort of Google maps but needn&#8217;t key in the words. I prefer using mapcodes. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Driving in Japan is on the left hand side of the road. Try to make stops at rest stations as everyone of them has its own unique charm and things to sell<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The 3 days 2 nights flew by so fast as it is time to shift towns again. It&#8217;s hard to say goodbye to the mountains of Hakuba. We will make for a longer stay in the future as the view is perpetually breathtaking. Our road trip today will bring us north to Niigata prefecture, along &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2679,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[4],"tags":[502,501,494,493,503,504,495,498,112,382,505,496],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Nov6-Title.jpg?fit=2440%2C1408","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pc0No-G8","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2628,"url":"http:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/japan-2023-kiyotsu-gorge-naena-waterfall-niigata\/","url_meta":{"origin":2612,"position":0},"title":"Japan 2023 : Kiyotsu Gorge &#038; Naena Waterfall, Niigata","author":"Teetoo","date":"April 22, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Today's road trip to the famous Kiyotsu Gorge at Tokamachi was going to be a 170km round trip adventure, so we got up pretty early to start our day. Our drive saw us passing the Chikuma River at Iiyama city, where cherry blossom trees lined up, making it a famous\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Travel&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Travel","link":"http:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/category\/travels\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Nov7-Title-e1719980172241.jpg?fit=1200%2C693&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Nov7-Title-e1719980172241.jpg?fit=1200%2C693&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Nov7-Title-e1719980172241.jpg?fit=1200%2C693&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Nov7-Title-e1719980172241.jpg?fit=1200%2C693&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Nov7-Title-e1719980172241.jpg?fit=1200%2C693&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2478,"url":"http:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/japan-2023-introduction-and-arrival\/","url_meta":{"origin":2612,"position":1},"title":"Japan 2023 &#8211; Nagano, Niigata &#038; Shizuoka : Introduction and Arrival","author":"Teetoo","date":"December 22, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"It's our first trip back to Japan since 2019, and we were incredibly excited for this long-awaited journey. As always, we opted for the ever-reliable Singapore Airlines to travel from Penang to Nagoya's Chubu Centrair Airport via a short layover at Singapore's Changi Airport. Since I can't sleep on airplanes,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Travel&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Travel","link":"http:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/category\/travels\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Japan-Blog2023-0025-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Japan-Blog2023-0025-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Japan-Blog2023-0025-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Japan-Blog2023-0025-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Japan-Blog2023-0025-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2589,"url":"http:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/japan-2023-hakuba-mountain-harbour-hakuba\/","url_meta":{"origin":2612,"position":2},"title":"Japan 2023 : Hakuba Mountain Harbour, Hakuba","author":"Teetoo","date":"February 23, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Hotel Hakuba has got to be one of our favourite hotel as it has a partial view of the Japanese Northern Alps. As the sun rose above the mountains, it casted a brilliant orange glow on the tip of the Alps summit - it was really a sight to behold.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Travel&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Travel","link":"http:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/category\/travels\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Nov5-Title-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C692&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Nov5-Title-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C692&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Nov5-Title-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C692&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Nov5-Title-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C692&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Nov5-Title-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C692&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2740,"url":"http:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/japan-2023-mount-fuji-shizuoka\/","url_meta":{"origin":2612,"position":3},"title":"Japan 2023 : Mount Fuji, Shizuoka","author":"Teetoo","date":"December 1, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I woke up really really early at 6am to take my morning walk to Fuji Yumeno Ohashi (bridge) as forecast for the day was super clear sky. Japan weather forecast tend to be quite accurate - so off I went on a chilly morning walk. The predawn blue-pinky-ish sky casting\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Travel&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Travel","link":"http:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/category\/travels\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Nov14-title.jpg?fit=1200%2C692&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Nov14-title.jpg?fit=1200%2C692&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Nov14-title.jpg?fit=1200%2C692&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Nov14-title.jpg?fit=1200%2C692&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Nov14-title.jpg?fit=1200%2C692&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2660,"url":"http:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/japan-2023-shizuoka-city-shizuoka\/","url_meta":{"origin":2612,"position":4},"title":"Japan 2023 : Shizuoka City, Shizuoka","author":"Teetoo","date":"September 8, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Woke up early to have a morning walk along the shores of the lake - weather forecast mentioned a dull cloudy morning and it was accurate. demit. After the walk, Hotel Beniya's breakfast was a welcoming re-load with a sumptuous spread. Japanese breakfasts tend to be low in fat and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Travel&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Travel","link":"http:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/category\/travels\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Nov9-title.jpg?fit=1200%2C692&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Nov9-title.jpg?fit=1200%2C692&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Nov9-title.jpg?fit=1200%2C692&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Nov9-title.jpg?fit=1200%2C692&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Nov9-title.jpg?fit=1200%2C692&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2564,"url":"http:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/japan-2023-zenkoji-temple-nagano-happo-pond-hakuba\/","url_meta":{"origin":2612,"position":5},"title":"Japan 2023 : Zenkoji Temple, Nagano &#038; Happo Pond, Hakuba","author":"Teetoo","date":"January 25, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"We woke up early, bought our breakfast at the nearest convenience store (konbini), and took a morning exercise walk to Zenkoji Temple since it was within walking distance from our hotel, Sotetsu Fresa Inn Nagano - about 2km away or 30mins walk one-way. The streets were quite empty with only\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Travel&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Travel","link":"http:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/category\/travels\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Nov4-title.jpg?fit=1200%2C692&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Nov4-title.jpg?fit=1200%2C692&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Nov4-title.jpg?fit=1200%2C692&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Nov4-title.jpg?fit=1200%2C692&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Nov4-title.jpg?fit=1200%2C692&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2612"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2612"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"http:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2612\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2627,"href":"http:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2612\/revisions\/2627"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2679"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tee-too.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}