After the Tokyo Dome shows I needed a cheap and quiet place to stay.
The Fuji Mountain was quite majestetic from photos,
and I wanted to see it. When looking for cheap places to stay
I found Hotel Kawaguchiko. This was a Ryokan hotel,
where you get a basic room, sleeping on the floor,
no luxury, and all the free green tea you can drink.
No internet, but by miracle I found internet weak but
still working some place through the window at night time
when nobody was working, so for a few days this was the IORR office:
The room was really cheap only like 30 dollars or so
and that was perfect for a rock bottom touring budget.
And guess what - when I opened the window this was my view:
Best thing with Japan and especially Kawaguchiko was
the great and cheap food. This was the great breakfast
I had, nothing like it, and sure I will go back one day
to enjoy Japan and especially Kawaguchiko more:
After a few days at this nice little Ryokan hotel
I told the landlord I had to go to Sapporo for two days,
but then I would be back. He kindly reserved the same room
for me, not the best room in the house, but a room I knew
I could use to get a connection to internet at night time.
When I went back to Tokyo on my way to Sapporo I enjoyed
the peaking cherry blossoms which were all over the city.
Everybody was enjoying the time, having picknick under
the cherry blossom trees:
Going north in Japan to Sapporo the temperature and weather
changed a lot. The white you see is snow, and the building
below is the Sappory Brewery. Wherever there is a brewery,
and whenever they have a tour, I try to do it:
Five great Sapporo flavours ready for tasting:
After the Saitama show there was time to go to Hiroshima.
Just outside the city there was this island wich I made it
to on the last ferry before sunset. When the Stones are
first priority you often end up coming too late or just
in time and this was one of the times I made it:
Time to say goodbye to Japan and hello China.
When the Stones played Brown Sugar in Nagoya
Mick said "this is for Shanghai".
What he ment to say we may not be able to
play this song at our next show so we will
play it with some extra energy tonight here in Nagoya.
... more to come ...
Bjornulf