While international travel remains off the cards, all we can do is dream of overseas adventures. Simon Day found himself longing to visit Japan.
For 18 months I hadn’t missed travelling. My twin sons were born on Boxing Day 2019 and for a year-and-a-half I’d been buried in the joy and pain of becoming a new parent. I’d been privileged to spend a large part of my 20s living and travelling overseas, and since returning home to Aotearoa had been constantly planning my next adventure to sample the sights, flavours and experiences of the world. But now my priorities had shifted. The restrictions of Covid-19 felt irrelevant to my bubble. I couldn’t see beyond my little boys.
Then one day I went to my favourite ramen restaurant. Greeted in a harmonious chorus by the staff – “Irrasshaimase!” – I was immediately transported back to Japan. The steaming bowl of noodles and an Orion beer in a frosted glass made me yearn to walk through the norenof an izakaya in a Tokyo backstreet.
I’ve visited Japan twice. I remember when I first arrived the feeling of being transported to another planet. The bright neon lights and the liveliness of everything had swamped my senses. Now, a plate of edamame and a bowl of broth and noodles had made me suddenly want to jump on a flight and experience it all over again.
While all I could do was dream of grabbing my passport for a flight to Narita International Airport, suddenly I started to see Japan everywhere. On a flight to Wellington as I stared out the starboard window across the west coast, Taranaki’s symmetrical cone made me think of Mt Fuji. Walking around the bars and restaurants of our capital’s laneways, I was reminded of my first night in Osaka, lost in the alleys of Shinsekai. Instagram posts from Queenstown featuring that town’s somewhat infamous onsen made me long to return to Hokkaido.
There’s inspiration everywhere you look, New Zealand’s natural beauty sharing many similarities with Japan. So while we’re still trapped in the confines of our borders, we’ve collected some of the best and in many ways familiar locations across Japan to keep you inspired for the day we return to international travel.
Illustrations: Ross Murray
Mt Fuji
The first time I saw Mt Fuji I was entranced. Speeding between Tokyo and Osaka on the shinkansen, its perfect snow-capped cone gradually appeared out the window like it grew in front of my eyes. It’s easy to see why the mountain, rising an imposing 3,776 metres from the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, has become a spiritual and artistic muse,.
The sunrise from the summit of Mt Fuji is so special it has its own name – goraiko (御来光, literally “arrival of light”). The altitude allows for a view like no other, as the sun rises from the early-morning sea of clouds that shroud the island. The official climbing season on Mt Fuji runs from early July to mid-September, with the round trip up and down taking between eight and 12 hours, depending on the trail taken. Many hikers choose to walk through the night to catch goraiko at the summit – for these climbers, or for anyone who needs them, mountain huts dotted along the various routes provide hikers with a place to rest and refuel.
Next time you walk the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, dream of climbing Mt Fuji.
Illustrations: Ross Murray
Caving in Okinoerabujima
The remote coral island of Okinoerabujima is part of the Amami Island group, and sits between Kyushu and Okinawa. Accessed by ferry or plane, the island is famous for its 300 limestone caves.
The Shoryudo Cave is the largest and can be explored without specialist equipment. The 3.5-kilometre cave – with its first 600 metres open to the public – is full of ancient stalactites and stalagmites sculpted over millennia and its emerald pools glow under the headlamps of visitors. For the more seasoned explorer there are more advanced options across the island as well. It’s like a luxurious version of the Waitomo Caves.
After you’re done spelunking, consider heading out to Cape Tamina located on the north-western side of the island. Stare in awe at the limestone walls of the 52m-tall cliff as the crashing waves showcase the beauty of nature’s erosion – just remember to keep an eye on your footing to avoid any slips, it’s a long way down.
Skiing in Hokkaido
The train that ploughs its way from Sapporo to the ski town of Niseko feels vastly different to the bullet trains that catapult you between the main centres. It’s tiny and chugs slowly through the thick snow of the northernmost island, first along the coast then up through the forest and into the mountains.
The snow at Niseko was unlike any other I’d experienced. After one night of heavy snowfall the town was blanketed deep in white columns. The powder is thick and fluffy, the flakes visible as they fall through the sky. Skiing on these fields is like floating on a cloud.
But the best thing about skiing in Hokkaido is relaxing in geothermal hot pools of a traditional onsen, many of them set outside in stunning natural environments. The springs are rich in minerals and have a raft of reported health benefits for your skin and muscle recovery.
But onsen are more than just ski rehab, they are an important part of the Japanese way of life, and unique etiquette means they’re a cultural immersion too. Leave your inhibitions in the changing room as you’ll be bathing (in gender-specific pools) in the nude.
Illustrations: Ross Murray
Surfing in Shikoku
Four years ago I bought a surfboard and a wetsuit. Embarrassingly, I’ve worn the wetsuit once (I accidentally put it on backwards) and never taken the board out of its bag. Watching the surfing at the Tokyo Olympics – the first time the sport had been included in the games – made me want to unpack the board for the very first time.
The smallest of Japan’s four main islands, Shikoku is a microcosm of the country’s natural beauty. With mountains, rivers, beaches and ocean, Shikoku provides access to everything a more adventurous traveller is looking for. It’s also considered one of the best places in Japan for surfing.
The island’s southern coast, in Kochi and Tokushima Prefectures, is where you’ll find the best waves, with a number of beaches and point breaks. But Shikoku’s most famous surf is its river mouth breaks and during typhoon season surfers come from around the world for these waves. If the swell is quiet, get your adrenaline hit canyoning at Nametoko Gorge or zipline through the Iya Valley.
Perhaps the next time I visit Japan I will pack my wetsuit and surfboard. I can only dare to dream.
Keep going!
Rosamund, Christina, Elle, Kiri (and Lou!) are just some of the faces coming to your screens in November.
Rosamund, Christina, Elle, Kiri (and Lou!) are just some of the faces coming to your screens in November.
What are you going to be watching in November? With thanks to our friends at Nando’s, we round up everything coming to streaming services this month, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, Neon and TVNZ OnDemand.
The biggies
The Wheel of Time (first three episodes on Amazon Prime Video from November 19, weekly thereafter)
It seems that every new big-budget TV series wants to be “the next Game of Thrones”, but Amazon’s The Wheel of Time actually could be. Starring Rosamund Pike, and based on a series of seemingly unadaptable fantasy novels, the show has been shooting for two years and is rumoured to have a budget of US$10 million per episode. There’s no indication so far if it’ll be any good, but it absolutely warrants a watch. / Stewart Sowman-Lund
Cowboy Bebop (on Netflix from November 19)
It feels like it was years ago that Cowboy Bebop started filming in New Zealand (spot the Sky Tower in the trailer), but the John Cho-led series is finally coming to our screens. Based on one of the best anime series of all time, which is also on Netflix right now if you want to brush up, it revolves around a group of ragtag bounty hunters chasing down criminals across the solar system while dealing with their own existential angst and loneliness. The source material is super fun, and if this is even half as good, it’ll be an unqualified success. / Sam Brooks
Yellowjackets (on Neon from November 16)
Lord of the Flies meets Alive meets Now and Then: that seems to be the elevator pitch for Yellowjackets, the story of a group of high school soccer players who survive a plane crash, descend into anarchy, and spend the ensuing decades putting their lives back together after their eventual rescue. With Karen Kusama (Jennifer’s Body) directing, and an all-female main cast including Melanie Lynskey, Christina Ricci and Juliette Lewis, this promises to be a riveting and sometimes disturbing series about people finding their way back after being pushed to the very edge. / Catherine McGregor
Kiri and Lou (season four on TVNZ on Demand from November 11)
What if you could make a home-grown kids’ TV show that combined the endearing quirkiness of The Muppets, the deadpan hilarity of Flight of the Conchords, and the emotional education of Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood? Oh, and make it gorgeous, please? It’s been done. Kiri and Lou is a claymation musical comedy with songs by the original Front Lawn duo, Harry Sinclair and Don McGlashan. It is utterly charming and delightful and you should all go and watch it now, especially if you’re an adult in need of a bit of TLC. / Thalia Kehoe Rowden
The notables
Hawkeye (weekly on Disney+ from November 24)
Yes, it’s that time again: another Marvel TV show. This time it’s Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye who’s been gifted the full series order. Set after the events of Avengers: Endgame, Hawkeye will see the titular archer team up with his 22-year-old protégée, played by Hailee Steinfeld. Not a lot is known about the plot, but it’s poised to be Marvel’s first attempt at a proper Christmassy adventure, set in a snowy New York City. Expect plenty of action – and archery. / SSL
Yellowstone (season four on Neon from November 8)
If you’re a New Zealander, chances are you’ve either never heard of Yellowstone or are vaguely aware it’s the Kevin Costner western that you scroll past on your way to the latest HBO must-see. If you’re American, things are a bit different. Yellowstone isn’t just popular in the US, it’s grown to become one of the biggest shows on television, with its third season finale episode the most watched cable entertainment programme of 2020. If you’re already a fan, you don’t need us to tell you to watch season four, which continues the story of the Dutton family and their mega-ranch on the border of the Yellowstone National Park. For the rest of us, this could be the nudge we need to start a new lockdown binge. / CM
The Great (season two on Neon from November 20)
If The White Lotus and Succession have taught me anything, it’s that it is usually worth pushing through the first couple of episodes of a show about extremely unlikeable people doing extremely unpleasant things. The Great, a pitch-black, very modern period comedy about the rise of Russian queen Catherine the Great, was like that – hard graft for the first hour, pure bliss for the rest of its stellar first season. As Catherine, Elle Fanning is utterly hilarious, as is the rest of the cast, but the clear standout is Nicholas Hoult as her husband, the needy, psychotic and very stupid emperor Peter. / CM
Gossip Girl (all seasons on Neon from November 27)
Yes, you can now watch the original Gossip Girl legally, in its entirety. You’re welcome. / SB
The movies
Passing (on Netflix from November 10)
This is one of my most anticipated films of the entire year, definitely don’t miss it. Based on Nella Larsen’s 1929 novel, Passing follows two mixed-race childhood friends who reunite as adults. While Irene (Tessa Thompson) identifies as Black and is married to a Black doctor, Clare (Ruth Negga) “passes” as white and has married a prejudiced but wealthy white man. If the reviews out of Sundance are any indication, Passing looks like it’ll be one of the major Oscar contenders this year. / SB
Finch (on Apple TV+ from November 5)
Under any kind of normal circumstances, I would say no to Tom Hanks. Haven’t seen Castaway. Don’t care for Captain Phillips. Not interested in Sully: Miracle on the Hudson. Hanks’ whimsical tricks don’t work on me. But Finch is different. Finch has a dog. Finch has a robot. And Finch has Hanks in a post-apocalyptic survival story. Still stuck in lockdown, with climate warnings landing every day, this is the kind of feel-good escapism I need right now. I say yes to Finch. / Chris Schulz
Home Sweet Home Alone (on Disney+ from November 12)
Did we need a Home Alone reboot/sequel/revival (it’s deeply unclear which this actually is)? ABSOLUTELY NOT. The original two, let’s never speak of the rest, hold up perfectly well! But if Disney is going to defibrillate this franchise, they could do worse than picking up Archie Yates (the delightful sidekick from Jojo Rabbit) as the lead, and throw in Ellie Kemper and Rob Delaney as the not-so-hardened crims out to break into his home. Good for them! / SB
This post is made possible by our friends at Nando’s.
The rest
Netflix
November 1
The Claus Family
SeaChange: Season 1-3
The Coming Back Out Ball
Wild Wild West
November 2
Camp Confidential: America’s Secret Nazis
Ridley Jones: Season 2
November 3
The Harder They Fall
Lords of Scam
November 4
Catching Killers
November 5
The Club
The Unlikely Murderer
Big Mouth: Season 5
Gloria
Narcos: Mexico: Season 3
Meenakshi Sundareshwar
Love Hard
We Couldn’t Become Adults
Yara
Zero to Hero
A Cop Movie
November 6
Arcane
Father Christmas
November 9
Swap Shop
Your Life is a Joke
November 10
Gentefieid: Season 2
Passing
Animal
November 11
Love Never Lies
November 12
Red Notice
November 15
Lies and Deceit
Jack Frost
November 16
Johnny Test’s Ultimate Meatloaf Quest
StoryBots: Laugh, Learn, Sing
The Dressmaker
November 17
Riverdale: Season 6
Christmas Flow
Tear Along the Dotted Line
Tiger King 2
Keeping up with the Kardashians: Season 7-8
November 18
The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star
Carlos Ballarta: False Prophet
Lead Me Home
Dogs in Space
November 19
Hellbound
Blown Away: Christmas
Cowboy Bebop
Love Me Instead
Dhamaka
tick, tick … BOOM!
Procession
The Mind, Explained: Season 2
Extinct
November 20
New World
November 22
Outlaws
November 23
Masters of the Universe: Revelation: Part 2
Reasonable Doubt: A Tale of Two Kidnappings
Waffles + Mochi’s Holiday Feast
November 24
Selling Sunset: Season 4
True Story
Bruised
Robin Robin
November 25
F is for Family: Season 5
Supercrooks
November 26
Light the Night: Part 1
School of Chocolate
Green Snake
A Castle for Christmas
Spoiled Brats
Dig Deeper: The Disappearance of Birgit Meier
November 28
Elves
November 29
14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible
November 30
The Summit of the Gods
More the Merrier
Charlie’s Colorforms City: Classic Tales with a Twist
Charlie’s Colorforms City: Snowy Stories
Charlie’s Colorforms City: The Lost Valentines Musical
Coming Home in the Dark
Neon
November 1
Will
Royals: Keeping the Crown
November 2
Recovery 29
A Mild Touch of Cancer
The Green Hornet
November 4
Dark Side of the 90s
The Devil’s Advocate
November 5
Blaze and the Monster Machines: Season 5
Paw Patrol: Season 6A
Gravity
November 6
Love and Listings: Season 1
Love and Listings: Season 2
Elizabeth Is Missing
Message in a Bottle
November 7
Monster Hunter
November 8
Yellowstone: Season 4
Dexter: New Blood
Goodfellas
November 9
Dark Side of the Ring: Season 3B
November 10
The Legend of Korra: Season 1
The Legend of Korra: Season 2
The Legend of the Five
November 11
Louis Theroux: LA Stories
A Horse For Summer
Wiener Dog Nationals
November 12
My Pet and Me: Vet Tales
The Witches (1990)
The Witches (2020)
November 13
Teen Mom 2: Season 9
Lion
November 14
15 Minutes of Shame
November 15
Blue’s Clues and You: Season 9
The Last Boy Scout
November 16
Yellowjackets
November 17
Bubble Guppies: Season 5A
Fist Fight
November 18
Vice Versa: Crusaders
The Flash: Season 8
There Is No “I” In Threesome
Dolphin Tale
Dolphin Tale 2
November 19
Sunny Bunnies
Eat Pray Love
November 20
The Great: Season 2
Magic Mike
November 21
Shadow in the Cloud
November 22
Pale River
November 23
Catfish: The TV Show: Season 7
Green Lantern
November 24
Dragon Soldiers
November 25
Your Highness
November 26
Gossip Girl: Seasons 1-6
City of Angels
November 27
Made in Dagenham
November 28
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
The Little Things
November 29
Swashbuckle: Season 5
Clash of the Titans
Wrath of the Titans
November 30
Colossal
TVNZ on Demand
November 1
Lie With Me
Australian Gangster
Kiri and Lou
Doctor Foster
Wonderful World of Puppies and Kittens: Season 2-3
