Toba, Mie

We made a quick pit stop at the wife’s parents place in Inabe, Mie, and then head out to Toba for a mini vacation. My wife’s sister has been staying for a couple months with the parents, and she joined us with her 2 children. We stayed in Toba, which is a coastal town with a history of pearl divers. Toba also has a ferry to check out the nearby islands and more importantly a big aquarium which is a no-brainer traveling with 3 small children.

Ise Shima Limited Express

The Kintetsu Train line boasts a number of express trains which are convenient for mid distance travels. The Ise Shima train connects a number of cities between Osaka and Nagoya and runs through Mie’s various tourist spots. What was unusual about the Ise Shima Limited Express train was the observation deck found in the lead car. There was a glass wall between the deck and the train operator, and there was a huge wind shield to enjoy the view. The spectacular view out the front is unique, but the bonus of watching the train driver’s routine was quite memorable as he performed his duties at each stop. The kids really loved it and made the 1+ hour trip go really fast.

Toba Party

Toba Seaside Hotel sits on the water with a nice view of the ocean and neighboring islands. Like a lot of resort hotels in Japan, the hotel has multiple hot-spring baths, spa facilities and food options for a relaxing stay. The Onsen experience takes a little getting used to, and it’s been over 3 years for our daughter, she questioned… “everyone is naked? with strangers?” The genders are split into separate areas, so it’s not that shocking. However, she got over her shyness and the only thing that really bothered her was the heat of the baths. They tend to run a bit hot for smaller kids. At least for me, it’s not that uncomfortable when you realize everyone else is also naked and it’s impolite to stare at strangers even with their clothes on, so people don’t do it in the baths either. One nice perk of staying at an Onsen is the complimentary robes you get to wear all day. We kept these on walking around the resort and during our meals.

Food is a big part of the stay, and we opted for the buffet-style dinner and breakfast. Many places will serve multi-course (kaiseki) meals in the room itself, which will tend to run more expensive and less appetizing for kids. Our buffet was quite tasty, and we found most dishes quite tasty. Since this was still one of our first meals in Japan, we are probably biased towards everything seeming fresh/different than food we get at home, but we couldn’t complain with a nice assortment of sashimi, sushi and local foods. One thing I found interesting was the plate with 9 slots. Why haven’t I seen plates like this at buffets in America?! It’s the perfect portion size and keeps all your selections separated… I might have filled about 3 of these over the course of the meal. Maybe we should file a patent and propose these become standard at all buffets in Vegas. Another random factoid, buffets are called ‘Vikings’ in Japan. I assume the word was borrowed from the concept of ‘Smörgåsbord,’ and that was probably too difficult to pronounce.

Toba Aquarium

For traveling families, the Toba Aquarium was a great choice with a great number of local fish, penguins and even a Capybara. We spent a few hours here, watching seal/sea lion trick shows, marching penguins and a walrus act. I don’t want to get into the ethics of these types of entertainment, however the animals looked to be well taken care of and the staff generally pleasant. There was good variety of attractions and we felt it was worth the time and admission if you are already in the area.