The day began crisp with clear blue skies. It was a perfect day to explore Kinugowaonsen. We took the hotel shuttle bus to the station and discovered rather quickly that that was basically the beginning and the end of this little town. There were a few tourist shops selling souveniers and mystifying dry food packages, a chemist, a cafe in the station and a covered hot spring footbath in the square. We went for a wonder and discovered an activity that appealed – a little river ride.

Self diagnosed with arthritis in his knee and a pulled muscle in his other leg, and three quarters of a century behind him, he gingerly makes his way down the 150 steps, across the river pebbles and clambers into the flat bottomed traditional wooden boat and folds himself carefully near the bow. I tuck myself around him to wedge him in. You can’t deny his tenacity.

Another twenty passengers of assorted ages, jostle their way onto the craft and sit crosslegged, three abreast demonstrating their incredible flexibility that comes with a lifetime of sitting and standing from a position on the floor. The boatman takes his pole and our cruise downstream on the Kinugowa River begins.

Kinugowa means angry monster and in 2015 the river demonstratd its angst after heavy rains, breaking its banks and deverstating Joso city and displacing more than 100000 people.

The boatman was a comedian and had the passengers giggling and laughing throughout. Of course the two grey haired oldies up the front demonstated their dour demeanour or possibly just didn’t get it! We travelled over small rapids, into open areas where the river widened and the current continued to pulled us through the green waters framed by the steep cliffs draped in green, gold and orange foliage under a cloudless blue sky. It was all a bit Zen really!

The previous day, John noticed that the tourist train SPACIA X would be leaving Kinugowaronsen station bound for Asakusa, out next destination. He booked two seats. There was just one problem, we had five hours to fill in between check out and departure.

We ran into an English couple waiting at the bus stop to go to Edo Wonderland, a cultural theme park focussed on the Edo Period (1603-1867) which was a couple of kilometres away. They told us a little of what to expect and how to use the bus. Sounded like a perfect three or four hour sojourn.

We arrived at opening time and it was quiet.Soon after, busloads of school children decended and made the experience even more fun. The park is realistically reconstructed with staff and visitors dressed in period attire- samurai, ninjas and townspeople. We visited a Samurai village, the Edo Museum and attended a Ninja show. It was wonderful!

Spacia X is very comfortable and after two hours we arrived at Asakusa station, walked three minutes across the road and checked into the first of our two Tokyo hotels.