Our Kansai Trips
Last Thursday, Su noticed from the social media that the Hong Kong – Yonago direct flight operated by Greater Bay Airline will discontinue from September 2025 because of insufficient patronage. She instinctively checked on the prices from booking.com and booked for us a short holiday later this month – eight days – to Yonago, while the planes are stilling flying. Such is the pleasure of living with someone mercurial.
Now, I had yet to grapple with the details of our last two trips to Kansai in May 2024 and 2025. I thought I’d better take stock before embarking on the next journey to Kansai.
First, why Kansai. The short answer is we need to be in Kobe, which was the city with a Masonic temple at Kirby Hall which was within walking distance from Tor Road. The Freemason fraternity in Hong Kong had been visiting the place every year for many years; and I probably made my first visit there some 30 years ago. Now, the lease for the temple had run out and the building was pulled down shortly after the meeting in 2024, and for which reason the Hong Kong brethren and their spouse turned up in force – over 93 attended – to mark the occasion, compared with about 35 in May 2025 when the Lodge had rented accommodation to hold the Installation Meetings in a hotel on Rokko Island.
In 2024, Su planned an eight-day trip, staying in Hotel Monterey in Kobe before leaving on a train journey to a few cities including Himeji, Okayama and Kurashiki, visiting the Himeji Castle and Kokoen Garden, other parks and many eateries, and discovering traditional Japanese run small restaurants. While in Kobe, we met up with Avis Lau and her Japanese but America-trained husband for a good Japanese meal after which they took us to a champagne and wine bar. We all had a great time. Earlier, again through Avis and her husband, Su had arranged at least two other meals, a dinner featuring Kobe beef in a small Japanese restaurant which seats no more than 6 to 8 patrons and a lunch in a French restaurant – run by a Japanese lady – which seats no more than five tables of two to four each. Armed with such experience from last year, Su was much better equipped for the 2025 meals in Kobe.
Fast forward to May 2025, I had made some notes during the trip on my phone, but was too lazy to turn them into blogs, particularly after Su had posted hers together with photos throughout our trip. This year, Su planned a longer trip – 12 days, carefully packed a smaller carrier bag within the big one so that on the seven days we were travelling on trains on the JR West Line, we carried only the carrier bags, leaving the big suitcases with the Royal Park Hotel in Kobe after the first night and to which we returned for the last four nights before flying back to Hong Kong, all well thought out by Su beforehand.
Day One was hectic, for I had a late dinner the night before and had to get up early to pack. It began to rain rather heavily after we got into the taxi. Fortuitously, we had accepted the driver’s offer to take us to the airport direct for $200 all inclusive. Things went smoothly at the airport, and Su even experienced for the first time no card get through. We bought two bottles of Singleton and got two free glasses which served us well in the next 12 days. We then tried the lounge near Gate 1, which was our departure gate, but Su then decided to go for our usual joint near Gate 60, taking the train etc. We stayed there for nearly an hour and left around 1250hr, only to realize we needed to walk to Gate 1. We arrived at 1:08 pm, apparently the last passengers to board. The flight, which was shared with JAL, was not full. It was still taxiing at 1355hr. The flight was to take about 3 hours. It was an A350-900 aircraft, and it finally got off the runway at 2 pm.
The trip from Kansai Airport to Kobe brought back many memories. In the early days when some brethren in Kobe operated hospitality services, things were on auto pilot. A bus – fully air-conditioned – awaited us and there were full bar services on board, from beer to whisky, with Peter Nunn as principal bar tender and me, one of his assistants. The bus journey seemed to take longer then. In later years, we would make our trips separately, in small groups, sometimes by ferry if the weather is good, otherwise by bus. Last year and this year, we took the bus from the Kansai Airport, getting our tickets at the machine near the bus terminus, at 2,200 yen each. It was getting dark and the bus went to Rokko Island before getting back to the bus terminus near Sannomiya Station, when it was raining. We were lucky to have caught a taxi, but the bad news was we could not make the Taxi driver understand where we wanted to go. Su struggled with the phone and we finally made our way to Royal Park Hotel. It was a short but somewhat adventurous trip. Having checked in, we ventured out for food and got into a restaurant about to close for the day. We were the only guests, but the chef happily waited on us. It was a rather expensive dinner with Kobe beef and sake and we even bought some souvenirs. After dinner, we walked to JR station to redeem our train passes for the next seven days and walked back to hotel in rain, having free coffee downstairs.
The next morning, we had our well-kept cup noodles in room before packing up for our train journey to Okayama and having our large suitcases stored at Royal Park Hotel. Su also tried to put more Japanese cash on her phone, but that would be another story.
It was straight forward getting to Okayama. We got off and walked to the food court, first at Starbucks for coffee, spending about 1000 yen while waiting for the restaurant to open at 11 am. It was a very famous eatery; the name literally meant my wife’s sushi. Su ordered food. Afterwards I tried my HSBC debit card which worked for the first time since I had it last year. We then got back on the train for Matsue.
It was a two and a half hours journey. We got off the train and took a taxi to the New Urban Hotel. The taxi driver didn’t realize that his door caught my jacket; and we almost had an altercation. Having checked in and had a bath at the hotel, we got out for the restaurant Su had identified, only to find that it was all booked up for the next two days. A chef like guy suggested we went to another restaurant at the next block, which proved a miss. Eventually, we ended up in a local restaurant, which was good value. It was very windy and cold. The next day, we took the train to visit 出云大社 Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine, famously known for being dedicated to the Shinto deity of marriages.
First, we learnt about train scheduling and that most train journeys require pre-booking. We walked to the shore to see and feel the waves and we looked at the shrines and took pictures; and we had coffee before taking the train back to the hotel. Su decided to explore the area around the train station for eatery, but because it was Sunday, many places were closed. Eventually, we stumbled upon a restaurant which specialized in sushi and ended up with another expensive dinner, though rather memorable.
The next morning, we left Matsue New Urban Hotel by walking through Shinjikookashi South, the bridge by the side of Lake Shinji, a brackish water lake connected with the sea. At Matsue JR station, Su adjusted our train tickets to embark at Yonago 米子 instead of 安來 so that we could leave luggage at the alpha-one hotel which is only 6-minute walk and within eyesight from the train station. We had some crash training on boarding trains and on train schedules; and we made the connections in good time including waiting 20-minute plus on a local train at Yonago. The highlight of the day was the Adachi Museum of Art which was a 20-minute drive by shuttle bus (free) from the train station. We arrived before 1 pm. The Museum is a very user friendly and aesthetic place with gardens beautifully and artistically manicured and maintained. We spent more than an hour in the main coffee shop overlooking the picturesque gardens under blue sky. The Grand Gardens are to illustrate harmony between natural beauty and Japanese paintings. The staff were very good at taking pictures for us. I enjoyed the gardens much more than the paintings and other items.
We woke up late at alpha-one hotel in Yonago, past 830am. Su decided to have a dip, before breakfast which closed at 930am. We ended up almost missing breakfast. We had a crash course on how the system worked, after the lady in charge called for assistance from reception when a young man arrived with an i-pad. Su’s plan was to walk to the posh hotel at Kaike she had booked for the next day after breakfast. It was to be a 5-km walk. We started off from hotel at 10:45 am, following her GPS and finally arrived after 1.5 hours, having walked about 6 km. It was a nice and modern hotel with a Nepalese young man at reception who spoke proper English and who gave Su clear directions on where to have Ramen and public transportation back to Yonago station. Su documented the rest of the day’s sojourn which ended with dinner next to the hotel, ran by someone with a dog and a cat in the restaurant. We were the only customers; and the exciting sashimi dinner rendered our cash level dangerously low.
The next day was Su’s birthday; and we were all geared up to stay in the Kaike Onsen hotel, to check in at 3pm. Having done a recee the day before, we knew exactly what to do and what to expect. The plan was to take a local train to the fish market at Sakaiminato. Su decided to take the 0933h service, after storing a hand carry bag at the train station locker at 400 yen, having left the main luggage at the alpha-one hotel. It was to be a 50-minute ride on a 2-car train, with extremely cute decorations. The Mizuki Shigeru Road features 177 bronze statues of yakai (Japanese monsters). Su also tried to get cash at the ATM Lawson bank machine, but failed. The train passed through Yonago Airport which we then found out that it runs direct flights to HK, 2.5 hours, by Greater Bay airline and ANA. The train arrived the fish market town in 45 minutes. We went to the visitors centre and started walking to the market. It took about 40 minutes. We arrived at the retail market first. Su then took us to the wholesale market; but businesses had finished. We went back to eat, spent nearly 5000 yens, before walking back to the train station for the 1:35 pm service. We finally caught a bus to our Yugetsu Kaike Hotel at 2:33 pm which took more than 30 minutes; and checked in by 15:20 h.
We went back to Yonago on 15th May after spending a night at this rather luxurious hotel with a huge room and a private outdoor bath. Su paid extra to stay for two more hours, finally leaving around 11:30 am for the bus to the train station, first amending the train schedule before packing up luggage at alpha one and resuming a 2-hour train journey towards Okayama. The plan was to get to Kurashiki to stay for one night. We boarded the express which departed Yonago at 1:36pm. By 3:40 pm we were at Kurashiki and we disembarked. Su was sure that we could board a local train for the hotel, which would take about 20 plus minutes. The platform was jam packed. In about 10 minutes a local train pulled up and we boarded, standing. The train called at three stations before arriving at the terminus of Okayama. We were baffled. To cut the long story short, we took another local train back to where we disembarked, losing an hour, but ended up at roughly where we needed to be. Life could be puzzling at times.
We checked in Dormy Inn which featured hot spring, but much cheaper than the one we stayed in last year by the river. We washed up and had a dip and went for dinner at the same place we went last year. The chef had become Su’s FB friend since, which was why she came back this time. We were low on cash in Yen, but Su had messaged him and he agreed to accept US$. We ended up with his menu which came up to 25K yens. I gave him US$200 and he gave me 4K yens back.
The next day we left Kurashiki and Dormy Inn for the JR Line to Kobe and Royal Park Hotel, but not before making a round to the Kurashiki Kokusai Hotel for a brunch with sake. This was a hotel turned into a restaurant. Back at Kobe, we met our brethren from Hong Kong and had dinner together. The next day was all Masonic businesses at Rokko Island, ending with dinner in yet another hotel. After dinner, we took a brother to the champagne and wine bar we went last year. The following day which was Sunday we went for a Kobe beef lunch with three other brethren and in the evening went for a sushi dinner in the same restaurant Avis Lau took us last year, feeling fully satisfied. Still, Then on the last but one day, we went to the same French Restaurant we went last year for an 8-course lunch with full wine pairing for each course, covering caviar, leaf tuille, cheese, cabbage and shellfish , yellowfin tuna, vegetable tempura, sole, grilled fish consume, tile fish, duck, and desserts. We were so full that in the evening, we could only share a ramen between us.
On the last day, we checked out at 11am as planned and walked to Daimaru for Su’s last minute shopping and ended up on the 7th floor having a simple set lunch, before returning to hotel for final repacking. We then lugged the bags to the bus terminus bound for the airport. We made the 2 pm bus, met Ernest and his daughter, and arrived airport at 3 pm. Checking in and immigration clearance was efficient and by 3:40 pm we were all done. We ended up with more shopping at Duty Free, loading up 2 litres of Deveron and more facial products by La’mer.
