A New Era for Japan

When we returned to Tokyo, Erica again volunteered to be our guide. Our first stop was to Chidori-ga-fuchi Greenway.

The cherry blossoms were at the height of their blooming period now and the Sakura Festival was in full swing. Cherry blossoms ranging from white to light pink formed a gorgeous canopy over a walkway crowded with adoring fans. The adjacent waterway was teeming with boats paddled by those willing to wait for hours for a chance to experience a romantic ride. Then we walked to the Yasukuni-Jinja Shrine which commemorates those who died to protect their country. It’s a controversial shrine though so here’s more of the history:

Yasukuni

There were stalls set up selling many interesting looking foods.  After taking a look around, we headed for the Imperial Palace but it was closed so we just took pictures across the moat and of the famous bridge on the outskirts of the grounds.

Next we grabbed some lunch and toured the Roppongi district - a vibrant area with businesses, interesting architecture and wildly expensive fruit. This is a pair of mangoes that cost over $300 and a single musk melon would set you back $175.

Of course, there was also very high end shopping as well but I didn’t even bother to look at the prices.

We learned that adzuki beans can be made into many forms and packaged beautifully. It can be flavored in many ways but is pretty chewy. We weren’t inspired to buy. 

The photo album is available in the link below.  If you want to see explanations for the photos, you have to click on a picture then click on the “I” inside a circle for more information and page through them one at a time.  

Click here for more photos

Rie, Erica and Leo were so very patient with our endless questions about all things Japanese. Our conversations ranged from everyday life to history and politics. Since many of the sites were religious in nature we discussed Buddhist and Shinto religious beliefs and practices. Leo was raised in the Catholic faith and shared with us that there were many Christian martyrs in Japan because Christianity was outlawed here during the Shogunate.  

Leo and Dermot's Haka in front of the Rugby Stadium

We were so lucky to visit Japan during two very important events - cherry blossom season and the announcement of a new Era. The emperor of Japan was abdicating and his son was ascending to the position of emperor. Any time this happens in Japan, it is considered a new era and it’s big news. Everyone was waiting to find out what the new era would be named. The announcement happened when we were traveling on a train. I used Google Translate to ask the lady sitting next to us if the announcement had been made and she said she was watching the broadcast live and very kindly tilted her phone to let us watch as well. We saw the solemn ceremony in which the kanji are written on a framed paper which is held up for all to see. This sets off a flurry of interpretation, activity and we’re told even the stock market reacts. 

As we neared the end of our trip we all went out to dinner at at a place of our hosts’ choosing. Imagine our surprise when they picked “Sizzler!” All over Japan restaurants have plastic models of the dishes outside and this was no exception. They were shocked to hear Sizzler was mostly out of business in the states. “But the salad bar is so good!”

We shared one last dinner of sushi and toasted our amazingly thoughtful hosts. It had been so very wonderful to spend time with Rie and her family and we certainly hope to get together with them again soon!

Kyoto, Japan

At Fushimi Inari Taishi

Kyoto was the capital of Japan for many years before Tokyo, and is now considered its cultural capital. But this is not just a quaint historic relic of a town - it's a very busy city especially at rush hour when we arrived. Our hotel room was tight but included a washing machine, kitchen, and many great features in the bathroom. More on that later.

For our first dinner in Kyoto we found a restaurant near the hotel with the grill in the table and we sampled the condiments and spices and cooked our food right in front of us. We had a busy night posting the blog, catching up on some responsibilities and researching Kyoto.  

After breakfast the next morning and catching up with family, we headed for Kiyomizu-dera which is a very famous temple. Many people dress in traditional Japanese outfits to visit the temple. On the walk there we passed many smaller shrines and shops. The streets became more crowded with people as we approached the site. People pray, purchase items, and perform various rituals as well. Inside the main temple there is a solemn, pious atmosphere and no photography is allowed but click the following link for more information and photos: Kiyomizudera

In the smaller shrines and shops you could buy items for just about anything including passing examinations, finding love, conception, easy delivery, good health, long life, etc. We didn’t understand most of the religious significance, but there was nearly a festival atmosphere about it all. Dermot and I enjoyed people-watching nearly as much as the temple. At the end of the visit, I started trying to photograph couples who were both dressed traditionally.

The next day we toured the very historic Nijo-jo Castle, once again, photography was not allowed inside the castle but the painted screens were beautiful. A search of “Nijo Castle Screens” on the internet will give you a taste of the opulence. Our photos are of the exterior and the gardens which were also lovely.  The audioguide helped explain the history and significance of the architecture and art.  Here's more info: Nijo-jo

As we walked back to our hotel we toured a water garden shrine, a street market and then you’ll see just general things we thought were interesting along the way. The streets of Kyoto are a mash-up of old and new.  Older style houses of two stories are sandwiched between much taller modern buildings with no rhyme or reason. Many of the entryways are unique. 

The following day we visited Kinkaku-ji the iconic Zen Buddhist temple covered in gold. Its popularity makes it a bit less zen and a little more tourist hot-spot but you can’t blame the tourists - it is a wonderful sight to behold. We walked around the garden taking shots from various angles then browsed the goods on sale before heading to a late lunch. More information here: Kinkaku-ji

We’ve enjoyed stopping at whatever restaurant happens to be nearby when we’re hungry and haven’t been disappointed yet. The place we stopped for lunch had no English menu so we took a leap of faith and enjoyed the outcome. 

A Chinese man at the next table highly recommended we stop at Toji before we left and we decided to make it the evening stop. The gardens and shrine were all lit and it was beautiful.

All of Japan is anticipating the Sakura (cherry) blossoms. Plum trees blossom in February and as they fade, the cherry trees bloom. Photography of the temple statues or anything under the roof was not allowed. It was a place of prayer for followers. Here's more info and pictures: Toji Temple

We left and had dinner of fish and chips at an Irish pub to see what it would be like.  Dermot still wouldn't chance trying a Guinness though!

One night’s dinner stands out though in our memories - the place right across from our hotel had counter seating for 10 with a cooking surface in front of each person and two tables. We got seats right in front of the cook and got to watch her prepare every meal.  Though some of the raw foods were mysterious, our seafood teppanyaki was delicious. It was dinner and a show.

Click here for our photos

We've used Google maps to get around and that's worked pretty well once we got used to it here. Of course, it will take you down back alleys if that's the quickest way and we noticed that no matter how dark  or deserted it looks, we still feel safe here.  Japan has the reputation for being a very safe place to travel.

Our last day in Kyoto we took the bus to the train station and put our bag in storage, picked up the tickets we had reserved on-line then got a quick breakfast. The train station is huge and crowded but we were able to get directions in English.  The train dropped us right in front of Fushimi Inara Taishi. The weather here has been warmer and more pleasant to walk. This is a favorite temple of many and there are many shrines all along the way. This one has thousands of shrines all erected by businesses hoping for success.  Click here for more information:  Fushimi Inari Shrine

We had read that it's difficult to get a picture without other tourists until you get higher up but the higher you go, the more they warn you about the wild boars and monkeys!
 We went all the way to the top of Mount Inari and were rewarded with sweeping views of Kyoto and quite a workout.  My step counter reported we climbed 52 floors!

The train whisked us back to Kyoto train station where we had lunch and did some shopping. We noticed one kiosk had a perpetual line of people buying boxes of something that looked like a cookie.  We had no idea what they were but picked some up as a gift for Rie and her family.

We were very excited to try the bullet train for our return trip to Tokyo.  Dermot took a video of it as it arrived.  Once on board we enjoyed plenty of legroom and a very smooth ride. The speed was pretty surprising. We traveled from Kyoto to Tokyo in two hours.

Okay, I promised more on bathrooms and I'm sure you were just holding your breath for me to get back to that. Bathrooms in Japan need a whole blog page. I could wax poetic about the shower/bathtub and toilet but it would take too much time to write all the pampering features that are built into the home. These links will get you started on the wonders:

Click here for info on bathing in Japan

And more here.

Public toilets are no less surprising. In rest stops, they have a holder for your umbrella, special seat inserts for toddlers and even a baby holder so you can wash your hands while the baby safely sits close by.   

A tap on top of the tank of flush toilets allow users to conserve water by washing their hands in clean water flowing into the tank destined for the next flush. Genius! With all the emphasis on conservation, why don’t all new toilets in the U.S. have this feature?! 

Public bathroom info here

Not all public toilets are so nice though, at the Fushimi Inari Shrine there were mostly squat toilets and a long line of women waiting for the one "Western toilet." 

Well, this post has certainly gone down the toilet! 

Japan!

A Reunion in Japan!

Our next big adventure is to Japan where we have another reunion planned!  When I was in high school, our family hosted an exchange student from Japan for 11 months. Rie was quiet, very thoughtful and an absolute pleasure to be around. She wrote to our family and kept in touch over the years and had even visited us in Florida several times - most recently in Orlando about 18 years ago. 

When I contacted her about visiting Japan, she very kindly offered, actually insisted, that we stay in her and her family's apartment.  Traveling to Tokyo is a very long trip and we were pretty wiped out. Thank goodness Rie and her husband Leo picked us up because I think our brains wouldn’t have been up to the task of navigation! Arriving at the house, we got to meet her daughter Aimi.

We had coordinated our visit to coincide with Rie’s vacation, arriving a few days before it started to get over the worst of the jet-lag. We did so with alot of walking in the sunshine during several perfect spring days. Rie lives in a suburb of Tokyo very near where the 1964 Olympics were held and most of the buildings are very modern. 

Rie, Leo, and Leo’s sister Erica took turns showing us around the area and taking care of everything for us. Leo and Erica are Japanese by ancestry, but were raised in Argentina before settling in Japan as adults so they shared their insights into Japanese culture. Leo shared how the Fukushima disaster demonstrated how the Japanese people function more as a community than a society.  One small example is that people only bought one bottle of water per person a day so that nobody would do without. 

Staying with their family has been such an incredible gift! It’s been so great to see Rie interact with her daughter and husband. Spending time with her brought back so many good memories - I  even got to cook with her in her kitchen!

Rie took us by train to a nearby town called Kawagoe - famed for its historic buildings, temples and shrines. Many people were wearing traditional dress - kimonos and hakamas (for men)! It was pretty touristy, but it was a wonderful day. 

Here are some general impressions: the primary rule seems to be that everyone tries not to inconvenience anyone else so everyone is polite and deferential. The streets and even subways are so quiet and clean! The children are adorable dressed in their school uniforms and most people dress very nicely. I’m in love with smart toilets (the seat is always warm) and how all the electronic appliances talk to you.  I don't understand, of course, but am still charmed.

Most store signs are in Japanese which makes trying to find a particular type of store a challenge. We noted the differences in convenience store contents - for example there's a considerable selection of face masks and very exotic-looking foods.  

There are an incredible number of temples and shrines here! Some are peaceful, an oasis of calm, while others are overrun with tourists. We even got to experience Kabuki theater but no photos are allowed so you’ll just have to come to see it yourself! Very melodramatic! 

On Wednesday we went to see the new fish market. It's huge and also includes wholesale vegetables.  There are walkways above the real action for tourists to view the commerce but also be out of the way.  We got there in the afternoon so the fish had all been moved and the veggies mostly boxed and gone. There's also a retail market but we wanted to buy seafood for a paella so we ate lunch at a restaurant first so the seafood wouldn't get warm. By the time we got to the market, most stalls were already closed and there was no seafood to be found.  So we made a new plan and rode the train taking in the sights of the city and then to Hama-rikyu Gardens - Click here for more info and pictures!  The juxtaposition of huge trees and natural landscapes with towering buildings as a backdrop was fascinating for me.  Though Rie could see this park from her office a few blocks away, she had never visited. 

That night we had a family dinner with Erica.  Rie and I made paella and Erica brought a smorgasbord of vegetables, breads and dessert.  It was all fabulous! 

Click here for pictures of Tokyo and Kawagoe

On Thursday we prepared to go on a trip for a long weekend.  It was an auspicious day because cherry blossom season was officially announced.  A highly trained official does so when the fifth cherry blossom bud on a specific imperial cherry tree opens. 

Leo and Rie had a great weekend planned to go spend a few nights in her brother's house in Kobuchizawa several hours away. We had lunch at the rest stop and were grateful that Rie helped us order through the machine because instructions were only in Japanese and even confusing for her! 

What a surprise when we arrived - it was a traditional Japanese house, a Minka!  Though built less than 10 years ago, it featured traditional building methods with reclaimed cypress, tatami mats with shikibuton, shoji screens, an irori, and a small picturesque garden. 

Leo offered an interesting insight into the culture. He said that the outside of a house or kimono may be nice but the inside is more highly decorated. The inside is what you share only with intimates. We ate around a small, low table and talked well into the night exchanging memories and views as the wind whipped around the house. 

The next day we went to Yatugatake - a scenic area where you can see the mountains of three different ranges and buy special bread and milk products.  A sign saying "This is John Deere country" made us chuckle. Though far away and through haze, we saw all of Mount Fuji!!

Leo made Argentinian Barbeque with sausages and pork for lunch and we had a tremendous steak, sweet potatoes and wine from Argentina for dinner. In between we visited the Suntory Whisky Hakusho distillery.

The next morning we noticed the temperature had dropped below freezing. Heading for Shirakawa-go, Leo drove through mountains, some of which were covered with snow. The ski lifts were still running.  Many more of the houses were in the Japanese style than modern. Leo and Erica had also explained that due to the frequent earthquakes, modern houses are built differently and not expected to last more than about 20 years.  After that, they are demolished and rebuilt.  

We arrived in Shirakawa-go and went straight to lunch - very fun as we cooked part of the meal on what looked like a lantern.  I tried to move the top a bit and the leaf under the food caught fire!  Disaster was averted with a few frantic puffs. Afterwards we strolled thru the interesting town. This community evolved a unique social system. The large, thatched roof houses are unique in Japan.  We toured one of the houses with its massive central irori that constantly emitted smoke which permeated all floors of the house and helped preserve the thatch.  Click here for more history and great pictures.

Kanazawa 

Leo drove us to Kanazawa where Rie had booked us rooms for the night and we braved the frigid winds to explore the tea house area.  Finding no open restaurants, we went to the train station and had a wonderful dinner of tempura and sashimi. Train stations are fantastic here with tons of shops and restaurants.

There was snow that night and during the morning so we'd bundled up as much as we could. The breakfast buffet at the hotel had many good choices and we left feeling fat and happy. Kenroku-en is one of Japan's best gardens and it really lived up to its reputation.  Though the cherry blossoms were generally not open yet, the plum trees were glorious. 

Or next treat was entering a traditional tea house situated in a lovely spot in the garden and attending a tea ceremony! We were served confections and green tea by a woman wearing a kimono as we sat with our legs folded under us for a long as we could. 😁

Next we headed to the 21st Century Museum of Modern Art but the ticket line was so long we only visited a few open areas - still a very interesting time. Note the pictures of people who look like they're walking on the floor of a pool. This is a work by an Argentine artist.

Click here for photos outside of Tokyo

We then headed for the train station for lunch.  Rie, Leo and Aimi had a six hour drive back to Tokyo to return to work after spending all their vacation treating us like royalty.  They had taken care of as many of the details of the next step of our plan as possible and we parted with hugs knowing we'd see them again in Tokyo soon.