Lyon, Popanz & Forester

    Michinoku Walking Tour

    (Rural Northern Japan Walking Tour)

    This page has the coordinates -- the specifics -- about people and places and things on our trip.

    Esprit Travel Corp.
    2101 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 101 
    Santa Monica CA 90403 
    310/829-6060 
    Fax: 310/828-3564 

    In addition to being President of Esprit Travel, Steve Beimel is also Editor-in-Chief of The Kyoto Diary

    Restaurants

    Most dinners were included in the tour, but we ate in several restaurants worth noting and had some recommendations by members of our group: 

    Morioka
    Cafe Ôre in the Park Avenue building 
    Italian for a change of pace. 

    Shokudouen Korean B-B-Q
    A block or two behind the hotel 
    We needed some beef. Recommended 

    Hideyoshi Yaki Tori
    Three floors: good, better and private 
    Highly recommended by Julian, an experienced Japanese traveller in our group who also led us to the next restaurant. 

    Sendai
    Shabu-shabu-tei Honten 
    In the multiblock shopping mall across from the train station, first set of elevators (on the left going in) 8th floor. 

    Kyoto
    There is a food court on the tenth floor of the new train station. At least one notch above most food courts in the U.S. We ate at Ten Ichi tempura house. Items cooked one at a time and served hot--at totally different meal than tempura that has sat in the kitchen and then on your plate while you eat the rest of your meal. (A chain that also has restaurants in Tokyo.) 

    Hotels

    Narita Ryokan (hotel)
    Ohgiya hotel - Japanese Inn Group Ryokan 
    "Typical Japanese style hotel, two stories" 
    Access: 10 minute walk or 5 minute taxi from JR Narita station 
    Tel (0476) 22-1161 
    Fax from U.S.: 011-81476-24-1663 

    Kyoto
    We stayed at the Kyoto Dai-san Tower Hotel (one of several "Kyoto Tower Hotels - the main hotel is across the street from the station, this one is a couple of short blocks away). Clean comfortable room. Recommended by the Lonely Planet. (075) 343-3111 fax (075) 343-2054 

    Web sites of interest (mostly discovered after the trip, of course):

    DESTINATION JAPAN - Lonely Planet A good online introduction to Japan. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/dest/nea/jap.htm

    Japanes Specialty Cuisines An introduction to some of Japan's favorite specialty cuisines. [We have links to several dishes from this page and other.] http://www.bento.com/l1-3.html

    "Japanese Sceneries If you are looking for pictures of Japan, there are  many great pictures here." http://www.asahi-jc.com/picture.htm

     "Daruma Magazine is the only English language magazine devoted solely to Japanese art and antiques. It began publishing in 1994, with a mission to channel the more interesting of the innumerable articles in Japanese on arts and antiques to Westerners and other Asians who do not understand Japanese. The editorial content also includes original articles in English on Japanese art and antiques. http://www.darumamagazine.com/

    Mike Newman's Narita Layover Page http://net.saipan.com/personal/mike_newman/narita.html#do
     

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    Updated July 3, 1998 
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