Holly's Reviews Page 6/10

This time, I came to Toji Temple mainly for the Kobo Market held on the 21st of every month. The market was much bigger than I had imagined, stretching from the temple grounds into the surrounding area. There were antiques, vintage items, secondhand kimono, household goods, handmade products, and food stalls. Even casually browsing takes at least two to three hours.
I’ve been twice. The first time, I arrived close to 2 p.m., and many antique vendors were already getting ready to pack up. The next time, I arrived a little after 6 a.m., which was too early. Many vendors were still unloading, and the food stalls didn’t open until after 7, so I nearly starved. Based on my two visits, around 8 to 11 a.m. is the best time to browse. Most stalls are set up, the food stalls are starting to open, and the crowds haven’t completely filled the place yet.
What appeals to me most about the Kobo Market is the wide variety of goods and the feeling of treasure hunting. It isn’t focused on any one particular type of item. If you like antiques, kimono, or old objects, it’s easy to keep browsing until your legs ache and still not want to leave. If you happen to be in Kyoto on the 21st, I think Toji Temple is well worth adding to your itinerary specifically for this market.

I made a special trip to Oyama Shrine this time to fulfill a vow. The day before, I had briefly lost my wallet. There were two police stations nearby, and one happened to be close to Oyama Shrine, so I decided to report it there and visit the shrine afterward. As it turned out, I actually got my wallet back at that police station, so I wanted to make time the next day, no matter what, to return and thank the deity.
Oyama Shrine itself was also more worth exploring than I expected. Its most famous feature is, of course, the gate at the entrance, which blends Japanese, Chinese, and Western styles. The top level is fitted with stained glass, and the roof even retains the oldest existing lightning rod in Japan, making it one of Kanazawa's most iconic landmarks. On the other side of the grounds, the East Gate was originally the Chinese-style gate of the Ninomaru Palace at Kanazawa Castle and was later relocated here. From the rear of the shrine, you can also connect to Kanazawa Castle via the Nezumitamon Bridge area, so it works well to visit both attractions together.
I also really liked the garden on the shrine grounds. It's a pond-centered strolling garden, with islands designed in the shapes of gagaku instruments. You can also spot some frog-shaped decorations and details nearby, which add a touch of cuteness to the solemn shrine.
I originally came back specifically to fulfill my vow after finding my wallet, but after walking around, I realized that Oyama Shrine itself has a lot of distinctive features. It really is an attraction with a character that's uniquely Kanazawa.

Taisho Pabron is one of the cold medicines I always keep at home. When I started flying to Japan again after the pandemic, I quickly bought a box to keep on hand, because it’s reassuring to have when I suddenly get a slight sore throat, runny nose, or other cold symptoms. It’s also really common in Taiwan. In the past, about half my coworkers at the office had some on hand, so if you started feeling unwell on the way to work, you could ask around and usually borrow some. It was honestly kind of crazy.

Even though it’s easy to buy in Japan, I still carry a few packets with me while traveling in case I suddenly feel unwell in the middle of the night or while in transit. You also need to be especially careful when buying it now because, due to Japanese regulations, drugstores generally only sell one package at a time. You can’t just grab several boxes like before, so that’s different from before the pandemic.

So if you already use it regularly, don’t assume you can stock up on many boxes at once when shopping in Japan now. For me, though, one box of 40 packets is more than enough to keep at home. I go to Japan pretty often anyway, and even if I don’t go, someone around me will, so there’s really no need to stock up.

I visited Wakura Onsen because I had planned it as a stop along the way to Nanao City. Luckily, I unexpectedly caught a Pokémon-themed train that wasn't on the regular schedule, which was such a pleasant surprise. If you like Pokémon, you can check the train schedule in advance.
The 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake had a major impact on Wakura Onsen. When I visited, many inns and facilities were still being repaired, and there were clear signs of the disaster around town. However, Noto has continued rebuilding over the past few years, with strong support from Pokémon. This year, the collaboration was expanded further, with Pokémon manhole covers installed in six cities and towns in Noto and Noto Satoyama Airport temporarily transformed into "のと里山ポケモン・ウィズ・ユー空港." Judging from the publicity photos, the overall recovery has clearly progressed considerably since my visit.
If you visit Wakura Onsen, I highly recommend stopping by the main Noto Milk shop. It's located in downtown Wakura Onsen and is an easy walk from the bus terminal. It specializes in milk and gelato made with fresh local milk from Noto. There are many flavors to choose from, and quite a few feature ingredients from Noto. Every flavor looks tempting, so the real challenge is deciding which ones to get. That's when I regretted being there alone, because no matter how much I ate, I could only try two flavors.

JR Kanazawa Station is a major transportation hub for traveling throughout the Hokuriku region, as well as the main transfer point for sightseeing around Kanazawa. The side with the Tsuzumimon Gate is the East Exit/Kenrokuen Exit. Most buses to city attractions such as Kenrokuen Garden, Kanazawa Castle, and the Higashi Chaya District depart from this side.
The other side is the West Exit/Kanazawa Port Exit, which does not have the Tsuzumimon Gate. Many highway buses to Shirakawa-go, Takayama, Nagoya, and other destinations depart from this side, so be sure to check whether you are at the East or West Exit before boarding. Although the two exits are connected by a straight passage, it is quite long and takes a fair amount of time to walk.
The Kanazawa Station Tourist Information Center inside the station is also very useful. It is near the Shinkansen ticket gates, and you can pick up sightseeing information for Kanazawa and other parts of Ishikawa Prefecture, as well as purchase a one-day bus pass for Kanazawa. The center also offers services such as luggage delivery to your accommodations and free rentals of umbrellas, rain boots, and wheelchairs.
There are also station-exclusive capsule toys, and a mailbox at the West Exit has a very local-looking doll on top. At first glance, I thought it looked a little creepy, but the longer I looked at it, the more oddly distinctive it seemed.

Omicho Market is well worth adding to your Kanazawa itinerary. The first floor is the liveliest part of the market, with fresh fish, fruits and vegetables, prepared foods, and various local Kanazawa products all concentrated there. The Omicho Ichibakan building also has a basement level and a second-floor dining area where you can buy daily necessities, eat, or take a short break.
If your main goal is to explore the market, I recommend coming in the morning. Although this isn't a traditional morning market that only operates early in the day, many fresh fish shops start packing up in the afternoon, so there will be far fewer options if you arrive too late. Some shops also have shorter hours on Sundays and national holidays, so if you want to see the entire market, it's best not to come too late.
The first floor isn't just seafood; there are also many fruit shops. It's great for travelers who can't conveniently buy a whole box of fruit, since you can choose a portion to eat on the spot. The seafood shops still retain much of the feel of a traditional market. Most products are intended to be taken home and cooked, but some large fish shops also offer freshly grilled seafood that you can eat in the seating areas they provide.
If you're traveling with seniors, children, or a larger group, I would recommend going straight to the second floor to find a restaurant. Seating at some of the popular seafood rice bowl places on the first floor can be cramped, while restaurants in the second-floor dining area usually have more space and make it easier to find seating for groups. They also offer a wider variety of dishes. For example, the restaurant where I ate on the second floor had a kids' meal, making it a more child-friendly option.
Overall, Omicho Market clearly retains the feeling of being “Kanazawa's kitchen.” Although it's also a famous local tourist destination, it still feels very local and not overly touristy. The fruit and vegetable shops, fresh fish shops, food shops, household goods, and other non-seafood products actually give the first-floor market even more character.

If you're coming with luggage, I'd recommend storing it before exploring. There are several coin lockers around Atami Station, as well as staffed luggage storage services. I left mine at ATAMIX before walking around the shopping streets. Otherwise, with the crowds and stopping to browse the shops, dragging luggage around would be really tiring.
The shopping streets in front of the station, Heiwa Street and the neighboring Nakamise Shopping Street, are packed with stores, but their biggest feature is the huge amount of food. In addition to Atami's signature onsen manju and dried fish, as well as Atami Pudding, which has practically become synonymous with the city, there are also dessert shops that have become popular in recent years. Still, Atami Pudding remains the most popular dessert.
I originally wanted to try Atami Pudding too, but gave up as soon as I saw the line. I had more plans afterward and didn't want to spend too much time waiting. As I walked around, I noticed that it wasn't just the pudding—many famous shops can have long lines during peak hours, so I canceled my plan to eat here.
Overall, Atami Heiwa Street Shopping District has the lively atmosphere of a hot spring tourist destination, with long-established shops, souvenirs, and modern desserts all mixed together. It's quite a good place to buy souvenirs, so I'd recommend stopping here for some final shopping before leaving Atami.

At first, I actually only came to Kanazawa FORUS to buy shoes. The sole of my shoe suddenly came unglued during my trip, and if I didn't replace them, I probably wouldn't be able to keep walking for the rest of my itinerary. I asked some experienced travelers where they recommended buying shoes, and they mainly suggested this place because it had lots of styles at reasonable prices. That's why I came here. I never expected that what was supposed to be just an emergency stop would turn out to be such a surprisingly great place to shop.
First, I definitely have to praise the staff at ABC-MART. I have fairly large feet, so women's sizes aren't easy to find. A staff member told me that certain symbols on the labels of women's shoes indicate styles that come in larger sizes, so I could focus on those first. I ended up finding a pair that fit me really well. I relied on them for the rest of the trip, and they didn't rub my feet at all. They saved my itinerary.
After buying the shoes, I originally just wanted to find something to eat, but when I looked at the floor guide, I discovered that A Happy Pancake, which was very popular and always hard to book at the time, also had a location here. I could even be seated right away without a reservation, so I really felt lucky. Unfortunately, it's closed now, so there's one less place where you can easily enjoy A Happy Pancake.
The truly dangerous part was realizing after buying my shoes that you can't just casually browse this building. Besides the Pokémon Center on the 5th floor, there's also a large capsule toy and Ichiban Kuji area nearby, along with stores like MUJI, LOFT, JINS, and Sanrio. On other floors, you'll also come across familiar brands such as UNIQLO, KIDDY LAND, and L'OCCITANE.
I almost couldn't tear myself away from the capsule toy area next to the Pokémon Center. Then I went downstairs and saw LUSH, so of course I had to go in and restock my favorite shampoo bar. LUSH also offers tax-free shopping. Finally, there was a Starbucks on the first floor, but they didn't have the limited-edition Frappuccino I wanted at the time, so I managed to protect the last bit of money in my wallet.
Kanazawa FORUS is right next to Kanazawa Station, so it's very convenient to get to, and it has a fairly complete selection of brands. I only wanted to buy a pair of shoes in an emergency, but I ended up going from shoes and pancakes to Pokémon, capsule toys, and LUSH. This place nearly drained my wallet dry. It's kind of dangerous.

AEON MALL Okayama is really huge. If there are specific brands you want to visit, I recommend checking the floor and location before going in, or you can easily wear yourself out walking around inside. But its size also has advantages: the selection of brands is very comprehensive. You can shop at brands familiar to Taiwanese travelers, such as DAISO, 3COINS, JINS, and MUJI, all in one place. I especially thought the MUJI here was very large.
Compared with running around different areas of Osaka or Tokyo for different brands, here you can get almost all your household goods, clothing, glasses, drugstore items, and souvenirs in one place. It’s a great stop for getting all your shopping done at once. Another especially traveler-friendly feature is that many specialty stores offer tax-free shopping, and the official website lists which stores provide it. There’s no need to check each brand’s website, which saves a lot of trouble. Definitely a plus.
For the best shopping order, I also recommend visiting the individual stores first and then shopping at the supermarket on the first floor last. The supermarket stays open until 23:00, much later than the other stores in the mall, which close at 21:00. Besides the timing, if you buy a lot of food at the supermarket first, carrying it all around while shopping can be pretty tiring.
Discounts on prepared foods starting in the evening are also very popular. When I went close to 8:00 p.m., there was still food available, but many popular items were already gone. Since the supermarket itself is large enough, it usually won’t be completely cleaned out, but if there’s something in particular you want to eat, don’t wait too late.
Also, after arriving in Okayama on Tigerair Taiwan and getting into the city, many tourist attractions are already about to close, so AEON MALL is actually a great option at that time. You can also use it as a one-stop shopping destination on your last day. For me, AEON MALL Okayama’s biggest advantage is being able to buy everything in one place, with a comprehensive selection of brands and a supermarket that stays open later. The shopping convenience is even better than in many major cities.

When I visited Kyoto before the pandemic, I happened to wander near the SOU・SOU Kyoto store. It wasn't open yet, but the brightly colored, distinctive patterns in the window made my friend and me stop and look for a long time. I later learned that SOU・SOU is one of Kyoto's most iconic design brands.
This time, I mainly came to restock on their “tabi socks,” or split-toe socks. I especially recommend them for women with larger feet—not because the women's socks come in especially large sizes, but because their men's socks are just as colorful as the women's, with lots of patterns to choose from. So even if you need men's sizes, you aren't limited to black, gray, and blue. They're also made in Japan, aren't as expensive as you might expect, and have a split-toe design. After buying a pair myself, I became a loyal customer.
Another unique thing about SOU・SOU is that different stores carry different items. When I visited the Tokyo location before, I searched the men's section for a long time but couldn't find any women's clothing. I thought it had sold out, but when I finally asked a staff member, I learned that the women's store was across the street, not where I was. Kyoto has a similar setup. The stores are concentrated in the same area, but clothing, tabi, and different collections are sold separately. So if you can't find what you want, the quickest thing to do is ask a staff member. It may not actually be out of stock—you may just be in the wrong store.
There was also a funny little incident this time. When I was passing through the area the next day, some international travelers suddenly stopped me to ask for directions. I was wondering what to do because my English isn't very good, but it turned out they were looking for SOU・SOU. I immediately realized, I know this one! I could open the map without a translation app and take them to an easy-to-recognize intersection so they could walk there. It was a sweet little travel moment.