Traveling Japan in a Pandemic
In the opening months of 2020 we planned a short trip back to our ‘hometown’ of Kanazawa, Japan in Ishikawa prefecture. Little did know that a Pandemic was going to hit the world. The trip was a bittersweet affair, as our main purpose was to say goodbye to some friends who were permanently closing their restaurant.
Our plan was to travel over a three-day holiday weekend in mid-March. We intended on taking the shinkansen (bullet train) there and back to make the trip as easy and hassle-free as possible. Life had other plans.
By the tail end of February Covid pandemic was starting heat up. Cases were increasing in Japan and we got nervous about doing the trip. We felt especially uneasy about being on a train for five hours. As much as we wanted to see our friends before they closed their doors forever, the risk felt a little too high. So, we decided to call off the trip.
Of course, we didn’t end up canceling our trip, as it would make this journal entry somewhat pointless. Rather we chose to adjust our plans and think about alternative ways to travel. We decided that the safest option was to rent a car and make our way across the country independently.
We drove six hours to visit a restaurant.
I regret nothing!
After crunching the numbers and discussing the Covid risk, we decided to roll the dice and take the chance. It should be noted that in March of 2020, Covid cases were quite low in Japan, especially compared to the EU and China. Outside of Tokyo, the number of cases was under well under 100. Our risk assessment was based on this data.
Making The Trip Work
Everything around the world was just starting to grind to a halt at this point. Though it was still early in the year, we had an unsettling feeling that this might be our last trip away from home for 2020. We still had a trip to Uzbekistan planned for May, but had already started pulling the plug on that. Just two weeks after this trip, Japan would institute its first voluntary lockdown.
The addition of a car meant the trip was going to take more work on our part. We had to make some adjustments, like padding the trip with an extra day. Having a car gave us more freedom, which we planned to take full advantage of.
We originally had no plans to visit Toyama when we were using the train, but having a car let us stop for Toyama’s famous black ramen. It also afforded us a great deal of mobility in Kanazawa. We wouldn’t have to rely on public transportation or the generosity of friends to get around.
All for Rubinaa
Essentially, we made the trip to Kanazawa so we could visit our favorite restaurant, Rubinaa By the Bay, one last time (really, more like five last times) before they shut their doors forever. It might seem like a lot of fuss to go through, bordering on ridicules, to go to such lengths to dine at a restaurant. We drove six hours for Indian food, but we regret nothing.
Rubinaa wasn’t just a restaurant. It was our favorite restaurant in the whole world. It’s where we dined after we got engaged. It’s the place we celebrated every anniversary, birthday, and most of our Christmases. They even catered our wedding. The owner and staff are like family. This wasn’t just a restaurant closing for us. This was a part of our history that was about to disappear. If we had missed this, we would have regretted it for the rest of our lives. It sounds dramatic, but Rubinaa was more than just bricks and mortar.
Pandemic Blues
Covid was very much on our minds during the trip. We did our best to limit interaction, but we were still going out to restaurants and bars, and we even stayed at a hotel. Admittedly, we were not as careful as we could have been. Masks were scarce, places were packed, and social distancing wasn’t being strictly enforced yet. People were still going out and living life like it was 2019.
It was a tad frightening at times to see the majority of people not taking any precautions. Businesses, in particular, weren’t doing enough to safeguard. It couldn’t be helped that masks were sold out, but things like social distancing could have been enforced much more. Even more shocking was seeing food items sitting out unwrapped and exposed in bakeries. Things like this forced us to choose a little more carefully in where spent our time and what we partook in.
In a roundabout way, this is how we came to spend our first night at the Henn na Hotel, Strang Hotel. The hotel is manned by robot dinosaurs, which made for an interesting stay. It also limited our interaction with people, since check-in and check-out were done digitally.
Our review of Henn na Hotel.
Doing the Greatest Hits
Since we weren’t strangers to the city, we did something like a greatest hits tour. No need to reinvent the wheel. We just wanted to relive our best moments; visiting our old haunts, favorite bars, tracking down our favorite snacks, and seeing our friends. The city had changed a bit. Some parts for the better, some for the worse. The craft beer scene in Kanazawa had noticeably improved, which was most definitely welcomed.
Dai Nana Gyoza
Other places, like Dai Nana Gyoza, didn’t fare as well. For those not in the know, Dai Nana Gyoza is a Kanazawa institution with their signature white gyoza (dumplings) in a no frills, greasy spoon setting.
Our review of Dai Nana Gyoza.
The Sweetest Treats
We stopped by our favorite coffee shop, Deeds, which we still mail order beans from. The two of us walked around the city center, gobbling up the unique treats of Kanazawa, like Maple House’s rich and delectable cream puffs. We strolled around the Samurai Houses, the Geisha District, and dropped by Kanazawa Castle, and even found a little time to visit the beach.
Our review of Maple House.
Our review of Deeds.
Kanazawa Phonograph Museum
The best sight we got to revisit was the Kanazawa Phonograph Museum. If you like music and records, this is a great place to visit. For us, it’s very special since we held our wedding ceremony at the museum. We hadn’t planned on returning, and it just sort of happened at the spur of the moment. These are the little surprises that make traveling an adventure.
Read more about the Kanazawa Phonograph Museum.
Rubinaa
The highlight of each day was visiting Rubinaa. Since this was our main reason for visiting, we made sure to eat there at least once every day on this trip. We ran through the entire menu, and then some. Each meal there was an experience, spent with an assortment of friends. Exquisite food should be shared with the people you hold near and dear to your heart. It’s hard to describe what made their food so incredible. A combination of quality ingredients and care, mix with astute attention to detail. It’s one of those things you just have to experience yourself in order to fully understand. Nothing written will ever do justice to the cuisine.
We have tried to articulate our feeling in our review of Rubinaa by the Bay. Yes it is permanently closed, but our review stands.
One Last Naan for the Road
On our last day, we planned to have lunch at Rubinaa as soon as they opened so we could get an early start back to Tokyo. We needed to return the rent-a-car before 9pm that night. We planned to finish lunch by noon and that would give us nine hours to drive back, which was more than enough time. Just as we were about to leave for lunch when I got a call from a friend that wanted to meet up with us before left. We knew it was going to throw our schedule off, but we’re suckers for reunions.
I became more beast than man. A monster reincarnation of Mario Andrett.
After packing the car with take-out and saying goodbye to everyone, we ended up leaving over 90 minutes later than we had planned. We still had enough time to make the six hour trip; that is until we hit traffic. Seems that we weren’t the only people who decided to take a trip that weekend. As we got closer to Tokyo the traffic got heavier and heavier, until it was bumper to bumper. We watched the minutes melt away as we slowly inched along.
Down to the Wire
After two hours the traffic finally started to break up. Down to the wire, we had an hour to drive all the way across Tokyo, get gas, and return the car. We had serious doubts that we would make it in time, but that’s not something that’s ever stopped me.
Naomi was so sure we wouldn’t make it that she phoned the rental shop to tell that we wouldn’t make it in time. The staff was really cool, and told us they would wait for us a little after closing.
As the traffic started moving faster, I became more beast than man. Weaving in and out of lanes like a hybrid Looney Tunes’ character that had no fear of bodily harm. A monster reincarnation of Mario Andretti, petal to the metal. I knew it would be a miracle if we would get there in time, but I was hell-bent on making it.
Somehow, we beat the odds and made it back to the rental shop, two minutes before 9pm. I was quite proud that I was able to make it before the official closing time. Fairly sure the staff was happy they didn’t have to wait around, as well.
Reflections on the New Normal
It was interesting to see how Japan was handling and reacting to Covid at the time. The majority of the cases, then as now, were in Tokyo. Japan has, for the most part, marginalized Covid and has tried to keep its focus on the Olympics. Much of life has continued here unobstructed, with the masses marching dutifully to work every day and most businesses opened.
Still, there was an unmistakable hint of apprehension from people that knew we were from the Tokyo area. Some of our friends opted not to meet us, for which I don’t blame them. Health and safety should always come first. Surprisingly, they seemed quite content to be out with other people, as long as they weren’t from Tokyo.
Considering everything that would happen with Covid after this trip, we are incredibly glad we decided to take a chance and go. Maybe it wasn’t the smartest move, but in the end it all turned out ok. We didn’t catch corona, nor did any of the people we met. Call it dumb luck on a fool’s errand. We lived to tell the tale.
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