Originally Posted by
jib71
Very nice. In all the times I've hung out in Yamanashi, I've never actually ridden Minobu line.
Originally Posted by
RichardInSF
Contrary to evergrn above, I was disappointed by the state of conservation and display of much of the art at the Hakone open air museum. Their sole Monet is badly in need of conservation and is mounted where a glass door swings in front of it. There is not a single real Picasso in the entire large-ish building they have built and labeled "Picasso" in huge letters. Their sole Rodin is a lonely looking Burgher of Calais, who are normally presented as a group.
Ah man. Well, I'm not a museum/art guy, so I defer to your opinion! Reasons Hakone Open air museum is one of the few museums I actually enjoy are the pleasant walks, moving sculptures, art you can walk through, foot onsen, the general atmosphere of the place. I don't really care for paintings and other indoor exhibits, but I did not know that none of the items in the Picasso pavilion were real.
Flying out of KIX is no reason to stay in Osaka ... unless of course you’re really keen on Osaka in and for itself. Kyoto is the cultural heart of Japan whereas Osaka....
I can totally understand why TBS wants to stay in Osaka, though, regardless of where Kyoto lies in his priority list. Hotels in Osaka provide better cost performance than those in Kyoto (generally speaking), he wants to take advantage of his Diamond status at Hilton, and Hilton Osaka is convenient for catching Hankyu train that takes you straight to the heart of Kyoto's touristic area (rather than Kyoto Station). I also think that, while Osaka may feel similar to Tokyo to a first-time Jpn visitor, TBS has been to Jpn multiple times now so he may actually end up appreciating Osaka's distinct vibe.