Chugoku Sanyo, San-in 中国地方山陽、山陰 - Hotel Flex ホテルフレックス, Cafe 43 (Kyarantotorowa キャランとトロワ)

Stayed 22.04.2015 - 23.04.2015 (2 nights)

Reserved thru' Jalan.net.

- Single Room (with breakfast) = 5,500 yen (facing buildings; 11 m2)

- Twin Room (with breakfast) = 11,000 yen (facing river; 23 m2)

Atypical. It was definitely atypical for me to choose a hotel which is not near the train station especially when I am staying in a city area. Came upon Hotel Flex when I was searching for accommodation in Hiroshima and was immediately attracted to its minimalist concept. Had second thoughts when I found out about its location (from the train station, we have to cross two bridges with our luggage) but could not suppress the desire to spend at least a night in this designer hotel. Have planned to stay in Hiroshima for three nights; eventually decided to allocate the first two nights for Hotel Flex and the last night to stay put in Via Inn Hiroshima, which is located just beside the train station.

Designer hotel. Situated on the riverbank where Kyobashi river and Enko river diverges; rooms facing east can get an excellent view of the river. Hotel Flex employs similar operating philosophy like other budget business hotels; however what makes it stands out from its competitors is its affordable yet boutique quality. Utilisation of white and blue as the main colour scheme and wooden parquet flooring bring out this comfy ambience that makes guest feel at home during their stay. Despite the small floor area of their guest rooms (only 11 m2 for single room), excellent space optimization was able to create adequate walking area within the compact living space. In fact, I was already quite enraptured by the dimmed lights in the lobby upon arrival at the hotel in the evening. It is amazing to see how different elements complements one another - bare and rustic concrete walls, modern wooden furniture and sophisticated chandelier lights, all in one space. Everything in general was good, and Hotel Flex is definitely one place that I will fondly remember Hiroshima city for.

Designer cafe. Cafe 43 occupies the first floor of Hotel Flex and both the hotel and cafe share the same service counter. Semi alfresco style with subtle European flair, makes you want to enjoy a moment of luxury here, allowing time to sweep past slowly over a cup of coffee or relaxed meal. On our first night here, we decided to try their popular handmade pan galette (a pancake made with buckwheat flour). Ordered two different kinds to share - caramel nuts (キャラメルナッツ) and berries with creamy vanilla sauce. Each order comes in three mouth watering pancakes, all crispy golden brown on the outside and soft on the inside. Their version of pancake is thicker and dense in texture. For me, one order was too stomach filling; will recommend to share with other 2 person especially if you decide to have it for dessert after lunch/dinner. My stay with Hotel Flex also came with breakfast; each set came with a sandwich, yogurt, fruit and drink (coffee, tea and juices). There is a variety of sandwich fillings to choose from; had duck ham and raspberry, and chicken and basil on two separate mornings. Both were equally good. Breakfast is something I treasure a lot whenever I am on holidays; and such simple and well balanced breakfast in a conducive environment is the best way to start off the day right. 

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Hotel Flex ホテルフレックス
〒730-0014　広島県広島市中区上幟町7-1

Approx 10 mins walk from Hiroshima JR Station.
http://www.hotel-flex.co.jp/

Cafe 43 (Kyarantotorowa キャランとトロワ)
1st floor of Hotel Flex
Operating hours: 0700 - 1000 hrs; 1130 - 1500 hrs; 1700 - 2100 hrs
http://aglolywithatable.net/43/hiroshima

Chugoku Sanyo, San-in 中国地方山陽、山陰 - Tottori Hanakairo Flower Park 鳥取花回廊

Visited 22.04.2015 (Wed)

For Mt Daisen. On Day 7, we visited two other attractions in the San-in region before heading southwards back to Okayama. The first was Tottori Hanakairo 鳥取花回廊, the biggest scale flower park in Tottori Prefecture which has been operational since 1999. Apart from being able to enjoy greenery and flowers here all year round, what makes this flower park so attractive is its strategic location where the majestic Mt Daisen can be seen in the background. Mt Daisen, standing at 1,729 m high, is the tallest mountain in the Chugoku region and does bear some resemblance to Mt Fuji, the symbol of Japan. Here, visitors get the best of both worlds: the magnificent Mt Daisen with blooming, vibrant flower fields captured within the same frame.

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Highlights:

(1) Circular Walkway (展望回廊). This is how the name of the flower park came about. The sheltered 1 km long, elevated at about 30 m above ground level, pedestrian walkway runs around the Flower Dome, which is the heart of this flower park. While strolling leisurely along this circular walkway, visitors are able to get a good overview of the various themed sections of the flower park, such as the European style garden designed with symmetrical pattern and the Floating Flower Bed where flowers are planted in a grid pattern within a pond 40 m wide in diameter. There are four buildings located at all cardinal directions of this 50 hectares huge compound and are connected by the circular walkway. The entrance to Tottori Hanakairo is via the West Hall Building. Restaurant and shops are housed within the Wooden Hall located just beside the West Hall Building. The South Hall Building is an oval shaped glass greenhouse where many tropical and subtropical plants native to Brazil and Asia are groomed in. 

Circular Walkway in the background. Floating Flower Bed is one of the themed section of the flower park where flowers are planted in a grid pattern. 

Flower Dome, the symbol of Tottori Hanakairo.

Interior of Flower Dome.

Allured by the orchids.

(2) Flower Dome (フラワードーム). Upon stepping into this dome, it breeds familiarity almost instantaneously. This dome, 50 m wide is diameter and standing at 21 m tall, is actually similar to the conservatory which we have at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore. A greenhouse by construction, the environment here is suitably adjusted to support a variety of plant growth. Despite being smaller in size, I personally feel that the landscaping here is equally spectacular and does not pale in comparison to the one we have in Singapore. For people living in South East Asia like myself, it is intriguing is to see coconut trees planted indoors (a plant that is commonly seen back at home). The dome is also filled with a good variety of gorgeous orchids and begonias which are such a pleasure to look at. On the path leading from the West Hall Building to Flower Dome, we were also brightened up by showy and blooming tulips and Holland inspired decorations on the day of our visit.

(3) Flower Hillside (Hana no oka 花の丘). This is the best spot in the entire flower park where an unobstructed view of Mt Daisen and flower carpeted field in the foreground can be seen. The type of flowers occupying the fields differ with season as well. On the day of our visit (considered late spring), the field was decorated by a mixture of yellow and orange coloured poppies, swaying brilliantly as the breeze swept by. Spent a huge portion of my time here admiring and embracing the beautiful scenery standing right in front of me; and was rather reluctant to leave this picture perfect moment. Another factor which contributed to this memorable visit was the weather. Was blessed with exceptional weather conditions that day as well - clear blue skies, comfortable sunshine, cool temperatures and occasional gentle breeze. The facet of Mt Daisen was appealing as well; with the last remnant of snow stuck between grooves on the summit seen clearly from afar. 

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Tottori Hanakairo Flower Park 鳥取花回廊
〒683-0217 鳥取県西伯郡南部町鶴田110
Operating hours:
Apr to Nov: 0900 - 1700 hrs (last entry at 1630 hrs)
Dec to Jan (Illumination event): 1300 - 2100 hrs (last entry at 2030 hrs)
Jan (after Illumination event) to Mar: 0900 - 1630 hrs (last entry at 1600 hrs)
Admission fee:
Apr to Nov: 1,000 yen
Dec to Mar: 700 yen
* Half price for foreigners
http://www.tottorihanakairou.or.jp/

How to get there?

(1) By complimentary shuttle bus from Yonago JR Station Bus Terminal Platform 5.
Bus schedule: http://www.tottorihanakairou.or.jp/site/page/hanakairou/access/shuttle/



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Commemorative stamps:

Chugoku Sanyo, San-in 中国地方山陽、山陰 - Adachi Museum of Art 足立美術館

Visited 22.04.2015 (Wed)

Best. After spending an enjoyable morning with flowers and Mt Daisen at Tottori Hanakairo Flower Park, we returned to Yonago JR Station to connect to the next complimentary shuttle bus to our next destination - Adachi Museum of Art. Note: Complimentary shuttle bus departing from Yonago JR Station has ceased operation. Currently, bus service is only available from Yasugi JR Station. This was a place of interest which I almost gave it a miss largely due to its expensive admission fee (2,300 yen). However, I was totally captivated by the pictures showcasing what the museum had to offer and wanted very much to see it for myself. The landscape gardening already looked amazingly breathtaking simply on paper media and to some extent, felt a bit surreal. Seeing is indeed believing and I am glad that I eventually made my way here before concluding this chapter of my expedition in the San-in region! To date, I am still ranking this as the best landscaped garden I have ever seen in Japan.

Highlights:

Picturesque. Adachi Zenko (1899-1990) was a successful businessman but his passion and love for art and gardening gave rise to the establishment of this museum in his hometown in 1980. Apart from 165,000 m2 of beautifully landscaped gardens, the museum also houses an extensive collection of paintings and ceramics from influential artists. Unlike other gardens which I have visited before in Japan (usually public parks), visitors are not allowed to venture into these aesthetic gardens here. I can totally relate to the painstaking efforts invested to maintain the landscape/compound in such impeccable state while admiring these gardens from behind the glass panels. It is a pleasure to admire how the well-sculptured gardens harmonised with surrounding natural mountainous landscape, and this fully resonates with Adachi Zenko's belief that a Japanese garden is a "living painting". Its beauty has won itself three star listing in the Michelin Green Guide Japan and ranked top among all other gardens in Japan for consecutive years as part of Shiosai Project.

The first scene which made me awed in exhilaration was the Dry Landscape Garden, the main garden of Adachi Museum of Art. The central rock formation resembles a mountain from which a river flows, which is represented by the white gravel stones laid out smoothly on the ground. In this enclosure, seats were also provided just in front of the tall glass panels for visitors to admire the well balanced landscape comfortably. Standing in front of this therapeutic scenery, a sense of calmness was instilled in my mind unconsciously. I truly think I can sit here all day long to marvel at this artistic masterpiece!

Living Picture. This particular window frame definitely lives up to its name as a living framed painting. The garden view through this window is reminiscent to a Rinpa School (one of major historical schools of Japanese painting) folding screen. A different view of this elegant garden through the same window is experienced throughout the day, due to shifting sunlight, and year, due to changing seasons. If you cannot imagine how different it looks like at different times of throughout the year, you can refer to this postcard showcasing the transformation across four different seasons, which is also available for sale at the museum shop.

There are a handful of outdoor sections where visitors can come closer to these gardens. One at the Pond Garden and the other at White Gravel and Pine Garden. The latter was inspired by Yokoyama Taikan's painting bearing the same name, and the contrast between the green pine trees and white gravel hills is remarkably sensuous to the eyes. Kikaku Waterfall, standing majestically at 15 m tall, can also be seen in the backdrop, adding another dimension to this graceful living picture.

Tea with a view. There are coffee shops and tea houses situated at different areas of the museum where visitors can take a break in. If you are a fan of Dry Landscape Garden like myself, the coffee shop named Midori 翠 should be the one to head down to. The other coffee shop named Taikan 大観 is surrounded by the Pond Garden and serves curry dishes and light meals in addition to drinks and sweets. At Midori, I extended my "visual therapy" and had the luxury to enjoy a panoramic view of the garden while sipping away an expensive cup of tea (cost 1,000 yen for 1 cup of coffee/tea). Despite the pricey tea, being able to embrace this beautiful scenery once again (for the last time) made the drink worthwhile.

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Adachi Museum of Art 足立美術館
〒692‐0064 島根県安来市古川町320
Operating hours:
Apr - Sep: 0900 - 1730 hrs
Oct - Mar: 0900 - 1700 hrs
Admission fee = 2,300 yen
http://www.adachi-museum.or.jp/

How to get there? 

(1) By complimentary shuttle bus departing from Yasugi JR Station 安来駅.
Bus schedule: https://www.adachi-museum.or.jp/en/shuttle_bus

Chugoku Sanyo, San-in 中国地方山陽、山陰 - Day 7 Tottori Hanakairo Flower Park 鳥取花回廊, Adachi Museum of Art 足立美術館

Day 7: 22.04.2015 (Wed)
* Day 7 of 7 Days Sanyo & San'in Area Pass

Tottori Hanakairo. Background: Mt Daisen.

Breakfast: Kai Izumo 界 出雲

Kai Izumo > Tamatsukuri Onsen JR 玉造温泉駅
by taxi. [850 yen]

Tamatsukuri Onsen JR 玉造温泉駅 (0851 hrs) > Yonago JR 米子駅 (0921 hrs)
by Yakumo 10.

Yonago JR Station Bus Stop (0930 hrs) > Tottori Hanakairo Flower Park 鳥取花回廊 (0955 hrs)
by free shuttle bus.

Visited Tottori Hanakairo Flower Park 鳥取花回廊. [500 yen, discounted price for foreigners]
http://www.tottorihanakairou.or.jp/

Lunch: Tottori Hanakairo Flower Park 鳥取花回廊.

Tottori Hanakairo Flower Park 鳥取花回廊 (1230 hrs) > Yonago JR Station Bus Stop (1255 hrs)
by free shuttle bus.

Yonago JR Station Bus Stop (1315 hrs) > Adachi Museum of Art 足立美術館 (1352 hrs)
by free shuttle bus. *16.04.2017 update: Free shuttle bus departing from Yonago JR Station to Adachi Museum of Art has ceased. Free shuttle bus departing from Yasugi JR Station is still in operation.

Adachi Museum of Art

Visited Adachi Museum of Art 足立美術館. [1,150 yen; discounted price for foreigners]
https://www.adachi-museum.or.jp/en/

Adachi Museum of Art 足立美術館 (1550 hrs) > Yasugi JR Bus Stop (1610 hrs)
by free shuttle bus.

Yasugi JR 安来駅 (1618 hrs) > Okayama JR 岡山駅 (1838 hrs)
by Yakumo やくも 24.

Collected luggage from Toyoko Inn Okayama Eki Nishi Guchi Hiroba 東横イン岡山駅西口広場.

Okayama JR 岡山駅 (1912 hrs) > Hiroshima JR 広島駅 (1952 hrs)
by Sakura さくら 571.

Dinner: Ekiben on board train.

Checked in: Hotel Flex ホテルフレック
http://www.hotel-flex.co.jp/english/

Dessert: Cafe 43

- End of Day 7 -