90 Minutes from Tokyo Wide Open Maebashi Gunma
90 Minutes from Tokyo Wide Open Maebashi Gunma
Overview
John Daub takes a family road trip 90 minutes north of Tokyo to Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture, seeking open space and a camping experience. The journey highlights the stark contrast between the cramped environment of central Tokyo and the wide-open landscapes of the suburbs. Upon arriving at IKEA Maebashi, John is struck by the spaciousness of the facility, which features a local Daruma (traditional Japanese doll) display unique to the Takasaki region.
Originally, the plan was to camp overnight with a new family tent, but a approaching typhoon forces a last-minute change of plans. John discusses the logistics of driving on the Kan-etsu Expressway, including toll costs and the frequency of service areas. The video also features a cultural observation on Japanese parking habits, where drivers almost exclusively back into parking spots, contrasting with American habits.
With camping off the table, the family pivots to staying at a lodge that allows outdoor barbecue. John plans a stop at Costco to gather supplies, maintaining the spirit of the outdoor trip despite the weather. The vlog captures the flexibility required for family travel in Japan and offers insights into regional differences just a short drive from the capital.
Highlights
- 00:00:31 John compares the spacious IKEA Gunma to Tokyo stores, noting the local Daruma display.
- 00:02:31 Leo tries out the large slide at the IKEA play area, initially scared but eventually succeeding.
- 00:04:10 Breakdown of driving costs: 4,000 yen in tolls and rest stop frequency on the Kan-etsu Expressway.
- 00:04:53 Camping plans cancelled due to Typhoon Number 1; switching to a lodge with barbecue facilities.
- 00:06:31 Observation on Japanese parking culture: nearly all cars back into spots, unlike in America.
- 00:07:43 Plan B: Heading to Costco for sausages and meat to barbecue at the lodge.
- 00:08:24 John signs off with a traditional Matane (see you later) from Gunma.
Timeline / Chapters
- 00:00:00 Intro at IKEA Gunma
- 00:00:31 IKEA Space & Daruma Display
- 00:02:31 Leo on the Slide
- 00:03:38 John Tries the Slide
- 00:04:10 Highway Driving & Tolls
- 00:04:53 Typhoon Change of Plans
- 00:06:31 Parking Culture Observation
- 00:07:43 Costco Run & BBQ Plan
- 00:08:24 Outro
Japan Travel Tips
- Highway Rest Stops: On the Kan-etsu Expressway, Service Areas (SA) and Parking Areas (PA) appear approximately every 15 kilometers. SAs have restaurants, while PAs usually have vending machines or convenience stores.
- Toll Costs: Expect to pay around 4,000 yen (approx. $30 USD) in tolls for a round trip from Tokyo to Gunma.
- Parking Etiquette: In Japan, drivers almost universally back into parking spaces to facilitate a safer and quicker exit.
- Weather Flexibility: Typhoon season can disrupt outdoor plans quickly. Have a backup plan (like a lodge with indoor facilities) when camping.
- IKEA Amenities: Regional IKEA stores in Japan often feature local cultural displays (like the Takasaki Daruma) and larger play areas than urban Tokyo locations.
Japanese Language & Culture Notes
- Daruma: A traditional Japanese doll modeled after Bodhidharma, symbolizing perseverance and good luck. Takasaki City in Gunma is famous for producing them.
- Kan-etsu Expressway (Kan-etsu Jidoshado): A major national expressway connecting Saitama Prefecture (near Tokyo) to Niigata Prefecture, passing through Gunma.
- Service Area (SA) vs. Parking Area (PA): Both are highway rest stops. SAs are larger with dining options; PAs are smaller, often just parking and vending machines.
- Parking Habits: John notes the cultural difference where Japanese drivers back in (gyaku chusha), whereas American drivers typically pull in head-first. This is often taught in driving schools in Japan for safety.
- Matane: A casual way to say "see you later" (mata ne), commonly used by John to sign off.
Food & Drink Guide
- Barbecue Meat & Sausages: Planned purchase at Costco.
- Where: Costco Gunma (near Maebashi).
- Context: Intended for outdoor barbecue at a lodge after camping plans were cancelled due to rain.
- Price: Not specified, but John notes they will buy more than needed and freeze the rest.
People
- John Daub: Host and narrator. American expat living in Japan for 30+ years. Enthusiastic about camping and exploring regions outside Tokyo.
- Kanae Daub: John's wife. Mentioned as the decision-maker regarding the camping cancellation due to the typhoon.
- Leo: John's son. Featured playing on the IKEA slide and needing restroom breaks during the trip.
Key Takeaways
- Space Contrast: Gunma offers significantly more open space compared to Tokyo, evident in store layouts and parking lots.
- Travel Flexibility: Weather events like typhoons require quick adaptation; switching from camping to a lodge saved the trip.
- Cultural Nuances: Everyday habits like parking direction differ significantly between Japan and the US.
- Family Travel: Long drives with children require frequent stops (every 15km on this highway) and entertainment (play areas).
Notable Quotes
- 00:00:31 "I've never seen anything like this. It's pretty cheap. I guess it's a cafe that could compete with IKEA's cafe."
- 00:02:31 "I gotta admit that he was scared to do this Uniqlo slide. Kanae was not, of course, but eventually he goes and slides down to the bottom."
- 00:04:53 "My feeling was let's do camping anyways. I could see in her eye she's like yeah, the heck with that. If you do it, we're gonna have some problems here."
- 00:05:36 "Nothing's worse than putting away a tent in the rain because then you have a wet tent."
- 00:06:31 "All the cars back into the parking spot, all of them except for that one right there. That one didn't back in, but you can see that's probably an American."
- 00:08:24 "It's Gunma, what do you do? You gotta go shopping, you gotta do a little shopping."
Related Topics
- Camping in Japan
- Driving in Japan vs. America
- IKEA Japan Locations
- Gunma Prefecture Travel
- Family Road Trips from Tokyo
Search Tags
#only-in-japan-go #gunma #maebashi #ikea #camping #road-trip #family-travel #driving-in-japan #typhoon #costco #japan-travel #expat-life #tokyo-suburbs
Full Transcript
00:00:31 John Daub: I've never seen anything like this. It's pretty cheap. I guess it's a cafe that could compete with IKEA's cafe. The inside looks at how much space there is compared to Tokyo. It's wide open, and they have the Daruma (traditional Japanese doll) which is famous in Takasaki right here. I thought that was really cool. They give it a kind of local flair to the Uniqlo's all around the world, and then this play area.
00:02:31 John Daub: Kanae and I, we've been driving for 90 minutes, so it was good to take a break. And Leo, of course in Japan you have to take off your shoes. He found some weeds out in the parking lot and check this slide out. This is really cool. I gotta admit that he was scared to do this Uniqlo slide. Kanae was not, of course, but eventually he goes and slides down to the bottom. It's kind of really slippery and you go down much faster than I realized. Look at that, she kind of took a dive there at the end. Look at the hills like yeah, I'm not doing that. RU has got the Leo emoji. I got to update that, he looks a little different now. Eventually he got the courage and did it, but I think in Tokyo we have slides in the park, but we had nothing like this because the shops just don't have enough space.
00:03:38 John Daub: That's a lot of fun. They also have books in there. It's a cool place I've seen in Gunma. All right, I went up and did this with Leo as well. Here we go: three, two, one, oh. That kind of was jarring there. It's a lot of fun. We just don't have a lot of stuff like this in central Tokyo, which is why living out in the suburbs even is kind of a little bit nicer, right?
00:04:10 John Daub: We traveled about 90 minutes. I think it's maybe closer to an hour. It took us two hours because we stopped at parking areas and service areas, which are like highway rest stops along the way. There's one every 15 kilometers it seems on this Kan-etsu Highway (Kan-etsu Expressway). So if you need to use a restroom, you only have to wait about 15 minutes for the next parking area or service area. Service areas have restaurants, and parking areas are pretty much just a park, maybe there's a convenience store, but there's just vending machines there. And of course the tolls: it's about thirty dollars in tolls, four thousand yen to get to where we are. It's not cheap.
00:04:53 John Daub: I wanted to go camping. I spent some money to buy a really nice family tent because Kanae wanted to do it comfortably. She didn't want to do it in one of these pup tents, which is what I usually camp in. But then this happened: tonight in the middle of the night this typhoon's gonna hit. We can't predict if it's gonna go inland or out to sea. Probably out to sea. My feeling was let's do camping anyways. I could see in her eye she's like yeah, the heck with that. If you do it, we're gonna have some problems here. So this morning we had to change our plans and now we're gonna stay at a kind of a lodge that allows us to barbecue outside. We'll see if I can show you that, but I thought it'd be cool to share with you.
00:05:36 John Daub: This is not there's not a lot out here, but what is here it's wide open. Actually it feels like there is a lot out here, it's just spread out. That's kind of cool. This is the typhoon, which is typhoon number one. We don't typically name the typhoons in Japan. It's supposed to go over Chichi-jima, so it's quite far off from land. I don't think it's going to impact us at all, but she didn't want to camp. And to be honest, it's a big tent. I didn't want to have to put this away in the rain tomorrow morning because there's a 90% chance of rain until afternoon. Nothing's worse than putting away a tent in the rain because then you have a wet tent. I really wanted to go camping. I was really looking forward to this for a very long time, but what are you gonna do?
00:06:31 John Daub: It does look like America, but the one thing I want to show you before we tune out here: all the cars back into the parking spot, all of them except for that one right there. That one didn't back in, but you can see that's probably an American. Oh, that one also went in front first, but look, that's the exception. All of them back in. I don't know why, but in Japan they just... I guess they're thinking about the getaway, isn't that weird? All these are backed in right here, all of them. How do you get the stuff into the trunk? Here you can kind of do it because there's a way to get in between there, but we got space. In Tokyo it's not that easy exit, but it's hard to get in. Backing in is painful, I guess it's easier in small spaces. But in America everybody goes head first. I'd say 95%. I don't know, what do you think about that? Leave me a comment below. Maybe it is a skills issue, I don't know. But for me I'm just happy to get out of here.
00:07:43 John Daub: I'm happy to be back in Tokyo, but I'm really disappointed that I can't camp. I got a new chair, I got a new barbecue, I was ready for this and I don't know. Bottom line, we're going to go into Costco, get some sausages and some meat to barbecue. It's going to be more than we need. I think there's a freezer at the place so we can take it back home. But we don't, and Leo's stopped using diapers and we're going to the restroom here. What is this, that's not... this little TMI maybe, but we've got a discount here.
00:08:24 John Daub: All right everybody, time to go into IKEA. Matane (see you). It's Gunma, what do you do? You gotta go shopping, you gotta do a little shopping. I'll keep you updated. See you in another live stream, maybe later today, definitely tomorrow.