Friday, July 31, 2015

#Japan Travel ♪ By Tsukuba Express (TX)! 45-min from Akihabara! Use the Tsukuba-san 1 Day Pass to go around Mount Tsukuba!!!


#Japan Travel ♪ By TX Tsukuba Express! 45-min from Akihabara! Use the Mount Tsukuba Pass to go around Mount Tsukuba!!!

45-minute from Akihabara
A trip to Tsukuba 
- With Tsukuba Express (TX) 1-Day Pass -

Don't you feel tried of living in a city life like Tokyo for a long time?
Don't you wanna have a short trip away from city?
You can breathe the air and feel the slow-paced life that can't experience in Tokyo
What a pleasant experience!

Even if you're just a tourist first visiting Japan or have been Tokyo for many times,
this times we really wanna recommend you the countryside of Tokyo!
Not only feel the fresh air,
but also feel relaxed in the nature!


Then, we have discovered a HOT SPOT accidentally!
Where is it???
It is Mount Tsukuba!
Located at Ibaraki, north to Tokyo, 
so it is not far away.
Let us bring you to the freshness!!
Follow us!!!

Maybe you might recognize that we have mentioned <Tsukuba Express (TX)> before.
Just 45-min from Akihabara, Tokyo to Tsukuba, Ibaraki.
Then take a 45-min bus ride to enjoy the Japanese field.
Hop on the cable car for 10-min to enjoy the beautiful scenery from the mountain.
Land on the top of the Mount Tsukuba to overview the land of Kanto!
Also, there is a Mount Tsukuba Shrine and an classic-style street around.

Wanna enjoy the same route of trip?
You need a <Mount Tsukuba Pass>.

Okay! Let's go!


▲ Mount Tsukuba Pass by Tsukuba Express (TX) 

Our partner of this trip
<Mount Tsukuba Pass>

Until now, we always planned everything and destination to visit before starting the trip!
But this time, we first bought a pass for transportation and 
follow the route written on the pass.

Here you are!!
<Mount Tsukuba Pass>



~From the starting station Akihabara, Asakusa, and Kita-Senju, most of the main stations to Tsukuba Station by Tsukuba Express (round-trip)
~FromTsukuba to Mount Tsukuba Shrine by bus (round-trip)
Reach Mount Tsukuba (Two peaks: Mt. Nantai (Male peak) / Mt. Nyotai (Female peak) by cable car or rope-way (round-trip)

All-in-one PASS
Mount Tsukuba Pass

Not yet finished!!
Take this pass with you to 
surrounding hotels, hot springs, restaurants, and shops.
Of course you might enjoy more discount!

Count from Akihabara
Adults (12 years and older) ¥ 4,300
Children (6 years and older) ¥ 2,180

Tsukuba Express HP (English)

More info about Mount Tsukuba Pass (Japanese)


See ya, Tokyo!



▲Starting station of Tsukuba Express (TX) , Akihabara Station

Our journey starts here
Tsukuba Express starts at Akihabara Station
and our destination is Tsukuba Station

The time required (Akihabara ~ Tsukuba)
Rapid 45 minutes
Commuter 49 minutes
Interval fast 52 minutes
Local 57 minutes

Let's check the position of the route between Akihabara Station and Tsukuba Station>









▲ Came to the ticket counter

A ticket office of Mount Tsukuba Pass
Next to the ticket machines in Akihabara
* Not available at ticket machine

Calculated from Akihabara
Adults (12 years and older) ¥ 4,300
Children (6 years and older) ¥ 2,180

Before the train started running,
let us check the discount and bonus to enjoy with this Pass!



★ Privilege 1 : A premium train from Akihabara to Tsukuba!

Tsukuba Express
from Akihabara to Tsukuba
Just 45-min! Easy and fast!
Just one way, no transfer!!




★ Privilege 2:  Bus from the station to Mount Tsukuba

Direct transfer from Tsukuba Station to the entrance of Mount Tsukuba
Direct bus within Mount Tsukuba area
Enjoy the good weather and beautiful scenery!




★ Privilege 3: Many discount!

Using the pass, 
to enjoy a maximum discount of 10% or receive free gift
at surrounding hotels, hot springs, restaurants and shops.

Representative of Tsukuba "Oyako-don"(Chicken and eggs bowl rice)
and 
"Tsukuba Udon"




Next...
why we chose to come to Tsukuba

Look at the above sweet!
Wow!! Mount Tsukuba is one of the 100 major mountains in Japan!




@ Mount Tsukuba

Mount Tsukuba is located in Ibaraki Prefecture, 
is one of the 100 major mountains in Japan!

Two peaks: Mt. Nantai (Male peak) / Mt. Nyotai (Female peak) 
can be reached by cable car or rope-way.
Also, there are stone steps and wooden stairs.
Since it is closed from Tokyo, it attracts many people to come to visit!



★ Privilege 4: Ride of Cable car

To both Mt. Nantai (Male peak) / Mt. Nyotai (Female peak)
either way is fine!

Although mountaineering is good,
we just got the full use of the Pass to take the cable car to the top of the mountain- Mt. Nantai (Male peak)
So sad that we didn't go up to the Mt. Nyotai (Female peak)



@ Mount Tsukuba - Mt. Nantai (Male peak)

Oh!!! How refreshing!!!
Less than an hour from Tokyo, then we can enjoy this beautiful scenery!
Don't wanna miss it, right?

Again!! Let's review!



▲ From Akihabara

Start the trip at Akihabara
Get the <Mount Tsukuba Pass>!

Privilege : TX roundtrip  / Tsukuba bus service  / cable car, rope-way / discount and gift
Fee: (From Akihabara Station) adults (12-year-old and older) ¥ 4,300 / child (6 year-old and older) ¥ 2,180


▼ Tsukuba Pass-related information (in Japanese)





▲ Reach the forefront of the Science City - "Tsukuba"

Japan Representative, Tsukuba Science City
The city is quiet and clean 
You might be familiar with University of Tsukuba.

Next to the station, there are LOFT and ADIDAS and some shopping malls.
Before going to Mount Tsukuba, just come here to shop, have sushi!
What a perfect schedule!



▲ Expo Center

Science Exposition- Tsukuba Expo '85 was held here.
Therefore, Tsukuba and advanced science are always linked together.
To commemorate the Expo held here, 
An "Expo Center" was built here!



▲ Take picture in front of the Expo Center

Although it is a scientific frontier city,
you can still feel the beauty of Tsukuba in this large piece of green.
Fine weather in nature
Let's take a "scientific" pose!!


▲ Public facilities in the style of Science City

Feel like to take the spaceship1
Actually, it is charging kiosks for smart cart   
Cool!!! The science city!




▲ From Tsukuba station to the entrance of Mount. Tsukuba

Take the bus to arrive the entrance of Mount Tsukuba!
Remember to show your Mount Tsukuba Pass!



 ▲ Where to ride the bus?

It is located at the A4 exit of Tsukuba Station.
Check the schedule of buses 


▲ A bus tour

Enjoy the leisurely pace of Japanese farm landscape
Just 40 minutes ~

From the entrance "Numata" of Mount Tsukuba
Let's take a walk along!



▲ Tsukuba's hillside stone path

You can enjoy the rural scenery on the stone path of Tsukuba.
  These stones were from Edo period!
"Tsukuba Road" is selected as one of the 100 Japan's Road.  



▲ Tsukuba old post office

At the end of the stone steps is an antique old small building
A western building built in the early Showa period (1939) 
It was a Tsukuba post office site
A nostalgic wonderful experience of Tsukuba Travel



▲ Take a walk

Sunshine, lush trails
nostalgic soul, retro stone road


▲ Let's have lunch here!

Using Pass to enjoy discount at specific restaurants.
Enjoy our first meal in Tsukuba.
<Kanda-ya>, is found in the coupon book!
Oyako-don (Chicken and egg rice bowl) was so great!



▲ Enjoy nice view, and gourmet 

Nice atmosphere of typical Japanese countryside restaurant + souvenir shop 
Enjoying the beautiful rural scenery outside the window while having delicious meal.





▲English menus

Recently, many foreign tourists visit Mount Tsukuba
It is great to have English menu and recommended dishes!

Oh!!! Oyako-don using Chicken and egg of Tsukuba, 
and Tsukuba Udon!




▲ Oyako-don on the left and Tsukuba Udon on the right

Glad that we ordered the right food!
Want some seasoning?
Here you are 
"Shichimi" (seven-flavor chili pepper)




▲ The best combination"
Oyako-don with shichimi topping!

You might find "Shichimi" in most of the Japanese restaurants.
It is a perfect with bowl rice!

You know what Shichimi is famous in Tsukuba.
Why?



Secret 1
Tsukuba is a mixture of chili pepper seasoning contains mixture of seven spices.
Plus, the peel of orange originally from Tsukuba.

That is the characteristic of Shichimi of Tsukuba.



Secret 2

A store called "shinkyotei" located in front of the Mount Tsukuba Shrine at the entrance of the Mount Tsukuba.
(2-min walk from  Kanda-ya)
There are souvenir of Tsukuba Shichimi"
The owner (Miyoko grandma) is the secret actually!!



▲ Oh!!! It was introduced by TV program.

Shichimi introduced by a NHK's TV program!
Popular huh!!



▲ Miyoko Grandma ~

Find pleased to see her gentle smile
Say Cheese!!!


▲ "Miyoko's Shichimi"

Yellow powder with dry peel of  Tsukuba-produced orange!

If you say black eggs and manju is souvenir of Hakone.
Then "Miyoko's shichimi" is the souvenir of Tsukuba.



▲ Using powder to make tea

Wanna taste the real flavor of "Shichimi" ?
Miyoko grandma made us a cup of tea!!
Not bad!!

Thanks!

Continue to our trip to Mount Tsukuba.


▲ Japanese landscape everywhere

Walking into the territory of Tsukuba Shrine
Oh! We see the cable car!
An amazing scenery 



Wanna try the Tsukuba's ice cream?

let's take a rest on the way to the top!


▲ Sugimoto-ya

A shop has 100 years of history.
Now is the fourth-generation owner.
20 kinds of ice cream are available.
Instead of saying it is a ice-cream, it is like a museum. 



▲ Tsukuba-san-yaki (Snacks)

Taste good~~
Say cheese~




▲ Tsukuba Shrine

Japanese Shinto shrine dedicated to mountain
Mt. Nantai (Male peak) / Mt. Nyotai (Female peak)
It is a shrine for good marriage. 



▲ Timetable of cable car

Cable car of Mt. male runs from 9:00 to 17:00
At every 20-minute and 40-minute


▲ Cable car ride ~

A short 10-minute cable car journey
Window across the green




▲ Finally, we are on the top.

Hilltop restaurant and observation deck
view of 360 ° 



Wow!!!!

Limitless of view
Feel the sunlight 
Refresh!!!!



Feel the fresh air and warm sunshine!

Don't forget to get the Mount Tsukuba Pass
to visit Mount Tsukuba!!

Tsukuba Express HP (English)

More info about Mount Tsukuba Pass (Japanese)



1 comment:

  1. Great Japan Travel Info you have shared with us. It’ll help people a lot planning a trip to Japan.
    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete