20251214 Tokyo to Takayama

2025-12-14  Japan, here we come! Leaving home early and, surprisingly the traffic was fine—right up until we hit the airport. From there it was bumper-to-bumper as we crawled around the roundabout and up the ramp to the drop-off zone. I now wait patiently for the family to arrive. Phil checked in our luggage then we made our way through immigration, past duty-free, and straight to a café for breakfast.

With his iPad at his side Owie pigs out on some pancakes licking his plate clean, it’s a pity he didn’t do that with his veggies.

Boarding was delayed, but that’s pretty standard for Jetstar so Sharyn and I wandered through the shops leaving the boy's glued to their iPads. Eventually boarding began and we settled in for what would be a long flight to Tokyo.

The flight was smooth, except my TV didn’t work, so I had to move seats, no big deal—I actually ended up with more legroom—but I was now in the middle row, right next to the toilet. To make it worse passengers from the left side of the plane continually walking past us. After a while I’d had enough and redirected them to take a different path. Then came that moment—a lady decided to change her child’s nappy, OMG. When she opened the door, the smell wafted straight through the cabin and let me tell you it wasn’t pleasant.

After landing, we collected our luggage and walked up the road to our hotel, once Phil checked us in, we grabbed a bite to eat at the restaurant before heading to our rooms for a good night’s sleep.

Hotel Narita, just a small walk from the Airport.

Our room for the night.

The boys wait kinda patiently for Dad so we can fill our bellies before heading to our rooms.

2025-12-15 Phil was up early to collect the hired van while the rest of us enjoyed a relaxed breakfast at the hotel smorgasbord. Once he returned we packed the van with luggage and

Ash and Hamish fill in time and challenge each other to a game of chess while waiting for Dad to arrive.

With the van packed, we all piled in and braced ourselves for a long—but hopefully exciting—5½-hour drive along the E20 to Takayama, as much as one can with three boys.

Sharyn handled the navigation while Phil tackled the traffic leaving Tokyo, and they both did a great job as the traffic became less leaving a big city. We spot the Tokyo Skytree in the distance and many high rises as we head out of the big city.

I managed a fly by photo of the high rises along the Sumida River in Tokyo, the larger one is the Eins Riverside Tower.

Just one of the many busy overpasses that surround the city.

Graffiti art depicting one of Australia’s mammals appears beneath the overpass. The word “ODENECH” is part of the graffiti or street art; it has no standard dictionary definition and its meaning is likely specific to the artist who created it.

Tokyo Skytree's began with a need for better broadcasting, construction starting in 2008 and was completed in 2012, becoming Japan's tallest structure at 634 meters (symbolizing "Musashi") to replace the older Tokyo Tower. It quickly became a major landmark, withstanding the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and serving as a symbol of resilience, blending traditional Japanese aesthetics with modern engineering.

Passing the Skytree and crossing the Sen River, we joined the E20 Chūō Expressway (a toll road), with plenty of tolls along the way. As we left the big city behind, traffic thinned out and the drive became much more enjoyable. We stopped en route for lunch and a much-needed toilet break—or a few toilet breaks. 

Check out the facilities here, Japanese high-tech electronic toilet known for advanced hygiene features like water spray and temperature control, and check out the high chair they provide for safely holding a baby while using the restroom.

It’s now 2:28 p.m. as we pass yet another lake—Lake Suwa—whose shores were once home to ancient Jōmon settlements, with archaeological discoveries revealing habitation dating back to prehistoric times. Along the route, we notice countless cemeteries, underground tunnels, and towering overpasses. As we climb higher toward Takayama, the temperature steadily drops, and snow-capped mountains rise around us, the snow is so beautiful.

Lake Sagami was created by damming the Sagami River and today is used for water supply, hydroelectric power, and recreation.

This type of sprawling, hillside cemetery is a notable feature in Japanese cities.

The kids were growing restless so to pass the time, Sharyn and the boys entertained us with spooky stories about the old Queenslander house in Wilston—especially the eerie recording of a deep voice saying “Jimmy James” that appeared after Sharyn recorded her snoring. Phil even went as far as to search the name back 100 years but no history was found. Then came the music and of course it was a poo song by the Poopy Man, now that I have never heard before but the kids loved it.

The Poopy Man Song

The poopy song even made Ash crack a smile which is 

quite rare these days as a teenager.

One of the many Toll booths at the Matsumoto Interchange (IC) in Nagano Prefecture in Japan.

The image displays a welcome billboard for Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture, which is renowned for its "Flower Garden Movement" and its historic castle.

This is a photo of the concrete arch dam located on the Azusa River. The dam stands at 155m in height and 355.5m in length. Construction was completed in 1969 and it created Lake Azusa. The dam is part of a pumped-storage hydroelectricity system operated by the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO).

This is a photo of a large piles of excavated material, likely gravel or sand, 

covered in snow ofIndustrial equipment and structures, including conveyor

 belts and covered processing areas.

A pee stop at the image at the Sawando Onsen Yunogo Park.

The tunnel connects Nagano and Gifu Prefectures, passing through the Northern Japanese Alps, it’s approximately 4.5 kilometers long. The tunnel opened in 1997, providing a crucial year-round route through a region previously difficult to traverse in winter via the Abo Pass.

The scene is really starting to change as we edge closer 

to our destination and it’s so beautiful.

The image shows a snowy mountain landscape in the Okuhida Onsen area of Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, Japan where the area is known for its  breathtaking views of the surrounding Northern Alps.

We are not far from from our destination, it’s been a long interesting journey through some amazing land scape to end up at Takayama, an historic city in Japan's mountainous Gifu Prefecture were we will stay for a few days.

A map of our journey from Tokyo to Takayama.

One Journey Done