Miyajima Island/Himeji City

Miyajima Island at High Tide


This morning we had the option to enjoy a walking tour (departure time 7:00 am sharp) of the island, or we could “sleep in” to the late hour of 7:30 am. Since this would be my only opportunity to see the semi-submerged version of the Tori Gate by daylight I chose option A. (Although, I do admit that I did grumble a bit at 6:30 am when I had to get up, get ready and be packed.)

I promised my male colleagues I wouldn’t publish this fact, so clearly I’m a liar, but I did find it cool that the ladies in our group all made the morning walk, while the men chose to not to join us. Only poor Mr. Hori-san, our organizer and handler was required (as a host) to join us, so wasn’t able to sleep late.

During high-tide the Itukushima Shrine takes on a whole new, nearly pristine personality. Today, in particular, the morning air was clear and gorgeous and it was well worth getting up to catch this view. (In truth, I didn’t really begrudge the missed sleep, as I had planned to get up early anyway. I was hoping to take a quick tour of the Miyajima Aquarium, but unfortunately, that was one thing I just didn’t have time for.)

Here you see Cindy-san, me, and Arline-san enjoying the morning air in front of the Tori Gate at high-tide. During our walk, we also wandered further up the hill, checking out some of the other Ryokan on the island, including the Iwaso, where the royal family stays when they come visit the island.

By the way, here’s a tip for those of you who do decide to spend the night, here. As much as the island relies on tourism for its economy, it is a day tripper kind of place, and at night this bedroom community shuts up pretty tight. If you plan to stay on the island, be prepared for deep quiet and an early night. Also, be sure to buy a meal package from the inn you’ll be staying at, because you’ll have a hard time finding anyone to serve you a meal after dark.

Here’s our first group photo. Look how well rested the men look after their extra hour of sleep.



Hiroshima

On our way back to the train station we did get another opportunity to snap more photo of Hiroshima Peace Park from “the other side.” More window hanging allowed me to capture this excellent photo.

The bullet train ride to Himeji provided a welcome nap time for our whole group.



Himeji

Once in Himeji, we checked into the Hotel Nikko Himeji, which has a fabulous location just across from the train station. For people on a whirlwind tour of Japan, Himeji’s premiere attraction is the Himeji Castle, which is an architectural feat, and really well worth seeing. It can been seen in a few hours, and with careful planning JR Pass users can arrive by bullet train in the morning, tour the castle for a couple of hours, and then return to the train station by late afternoon. For those with more time, however, the Hotel Nikko is a great central location, and allows you bit more time relax. (Okay, the relaxing is theoretical as we haven’t really had time to do that yet.)

Once we hauled our luggage across the street from the train station, we checked in and were immediately hosted by Himeji city personnel to a lovely Teppan Yaki lunch at the hotel. If you’re not familiar with Teppan Yaki, think Benihana without the theatrics.

After lunch, we were whisked away to the Kookoen Garden, which is located just outside the Himeji Castle. Here we enjoyed a traditional Japanese-style tea and then had some time to wander through some of the most gorgeous Zen gardens.

Eventually we were escorted to Himeji Castle which lived up to all the hype I’d ever heard about it.

Cherry Blossoms, Cherry Blossoms, Wherefore Art Thou, Cherry Blossoms?

The gorgeous gardens of Kookoen and Himeji Castle reminded us all that we were in search of blooming Cherry Blossom trees. Just outside the castle the air was too chilly, and no way were the Sakura trees going to bloom. Inside though, imagine our wonder when we found a warm, protected patch that had actually confused one of the trees into thinking it was spring.

Our whole group was pretty overjoyed by the blossoms, so we stood around for about five minutes snapping photos and generally congratulating ourselves. We’d already learned that a Japanese tradition is to set up a picnic (complete with Sake, of course) under the blooming trees to celebrate the start of spring. Sadly we had no sake with us.

The coolest moment, however, was when a group of Japanese people wandered around the corner to see just WHY the Americans were making so much noise. We excitedly pointed to the cherry blossoms, fully expecting to be mocked for our enthusiasm. Instead the Japanese group started chattering excitedly, pulling out their own cameras and snapping the tree from every angle. Cherry blossom season is a BIG deal in Japan.

Himeji Castle

Again, inside the Himeji Castle, I learned enough Japanese history to write a thesis, with no possible way to recount everything on this blog.

The main point being that this castle is best known for having the most modern and elaborate defensive system of its time. Also, it is the one wooden structure in Japan that has never been burned due to war, lighting or other adverse circumstances.

Again the views alone are worth the trip, but as with all historical things that end in a great view, a steep uphill climb must first be accomplished.

Not a fan of heights in the best of circumstances, I was a little, um, petrified to climb up the steep, uber polished wooden stairs built for five-feet tall, slender Japanese men in my sock feet. Totally a white-knuckle ride the whole way up. No elevators, you see, in these historical buildings. However, once at the top, there was no way I would have traded the experience for anything in the world.

Restaurant Mille

Again that evening we were hosted by the city personnel of Himeji, and even the mayor joined us for dinner. Here we learned that the people of Miyajima were wrong. You see, the best Sake in all of Japan is actually brewed in Himeji.

Not being a rude person, I felt obligated to try ALL the cups of sake that landed before me.

After dinner, we participated in an ancient Japanese custom known as Karaoke. At this point my memory becomes a little fuzzy, or maybe I intentionally lost track of just how much alcohol I ingested before returning to the hotel. In the photo, our wonderful, wonderful Hori-san gets to let down his hair a bit and perform some traditional songs for us. And Cindy san and Takahara-san perform a complicated dance number to “One Way or Another, I’m Gonna Getcha, Getcha, Getcha."

Osaka City/Miyajima Island

This morning, my premonition radar still hadn’t adjusted to the new time zone, so I still had no idea that this morning’s tight schedule (eat breakfast, check out by 8:30 and be ready to leave by 9:00 am) was in fact a pattern we’d follow the whole week. Getting out of bed at 7:00 am shouldn’t be that hard, but somehow the general lack of down time, and the sake evenings made getting up at 7 am harder and harder each day.

Osaka Castle

Our first stop today was the Osaka Castle. This is a famous location for cherry blossom viewing in Japan, but in the photo, you’ll notice the branches are bare. Although we knew we were about two weeks too early for Sakura (Cherry Blossom) season, we’d been told off a warm front in Japan, which might mean the early arrival of blossoms. Naturally, our mission for the week would be to seek out actual blooming trees.

The castle’s 8-story Main Tower is a museum today, providing numerous artifacts, drawings and facts about the history of Western Japan and the Tokugawa Shogunate. The tower is absolutely worth visiting for its grand views of Osaka.

APTEC Group

Before I forget, our hosts are a group of government officials from an organization known as APTEC (Asia Pacific Tourism Exchange Committee), which is a consortium of representatives of local cities that don’t necessarily have the same international recognition as do the big-name cities like Tokyo or Kyoto. The group invited several journalists for the purpose of visiting some of Japan’s oldest and most famous wooden structures, many of which have been listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Hiroshima

After our morning in Osaka, we were (hurriedly) escorted to the Shinkansen bullet train for our ride to Hiroshima Station. Our departure time was 11:29 and I believe we hit the station at 11:22. Yikes seven minutes to get upstairs, while hauling our luggage. My tension level was escalating, but the Japanese are masters at getting people where they need to be, on time. I shouldn’t have worried, the seven minutes was plenty. (Of course there was no time for shopping. And the train stations in Japan have such lovely shopping arcades. Good for my budget, though.)

Upon arrival in Hiroshima, we were met by a bus that would carry us directly to the Miyajima Ferry terminal. The bus took us right by Hiroshima Peace Park, the site where the infamous A-bomb was dropped during World War II, but since Hiroshima wasn’t a part of our official itinerary, a stop wasn’t scheduled for us. So imagine if you will, five journalists fighting for window space, and hanging out the bus trying to snap quick photos before the light turned green.

Miyajima Island

Although Miyajima isn’t necessarily one of Japan’s top-tier destinations (or at least not for international visitors), visually it is extremely famous for the red Tori Gate that rises out of its coastal waters. This gate is often referred to as “the symbol of Japan.”

Our ferry ride to Miyajima Island gave us a great early view of this famous icon, and I was most surprised to learn that the base of the gate is not in fact completely submerged. The tidal levels in Miyajima can change up to ten feet, meaning that half the time, visitors can actually walk to the base of the gate.

It was a little daunting, upon our arrival in Miyajima, to learn that we would be followed by local media (from Hiroshima) for the day. So we were photographed, filmed and interviewed about our impressions of the island. Our first stop was a local Momiji Manju bakery. These are a type of waffle cake stuffed with red bean paste. Somewhere in Japan there is footage of me (looking like a prison matron as my group affectionately called me) baking Manju.

After the bakery we wandered (if the term “hurry up, we’re behind schedule” can possibly be synonymous with wandering) over to the island’s famous Itukushima Shrine. Along the way we were accosted by the wild deer that populate the island. They tried to eat everything in our hands, and apparently are quite partial to paper products.

We also were fortunate enough to witness a Shinto wedding procession and here you see an image of the happy bride and groom.


Itukushima Shrine

We were fortunate enough to be given a comprehensive tour of the Shrine by its head priest. He gave us a fascinating overview of much of the ecological problems facing Miyajima and Japan in general. The fact that the Shrine exists, in spite of hurricanes and floods, is a huge testament to the facility’s original architects, as well as the commitment of the locals who always come out to help in times of trouble.

In this picture you can (sort of) see how the floorboards are not tightly interconnected with spaces left deliberately between each board. The construction is intentional, in order to allow flooding waters to flow over and around the floorboards. This might not be great for the wood, but better than the alternative, which would be to have the whole floor sweep away with the pressure of the rising water.

Truthfully, we learned pages and pages of historical, geological and ecological information. I almost feel like I could write a Masters Thesis just on this shrine alone. However, there isn’t enough space on this blog to include everything, so suffice it to say that Miyajima and the Itukushima Shrine are definitely a must-see addition on any itinerary that includes Hiroshima or even southwester Japan.

The remainder of the afternoon we wandered around the island enjoying, the Daigangji (100 Tatami Mat) Temple, the Tahoto (Treasure) Tower and the Daisoin Temple. We were even allowed 45 WHOLE minutes for shopping. Heaven. Of course with camera crews following us around, the shop owners all wanted to know if we were famous, and we spent much of our time using broken English and hand gestures to explain just how famous we were not.

Kinsuikan Ryokan

We would spend the night at one of the local Ryokan (Japanese Style Inn), the Kinsuikan Ryokan. We enjoyed traditional accommodations, sleeping on a rolled out Tatami mattress. The floors in the rooms were super polished (clean enough to literally eat off of), and needless to say, shoes are strictly forbidden inside.

Kinsuikan was also the site our evening feast, and oh yum, what a feast it was. Sushi, shabu shabu in soy milk, grilled meats and tempura, finished off with cherry blossom wine and more beer than the human mind can imagine. We did learn, from the Miyajima City government officials, that Miyajima does produce the best Sake in all of Japan.

After dinner, when the tide had risen to its highest level, we were treated to a night cruise around the Tori gate. Upon our return I was feeling quite mellow, but did sneak upstairs to enjoy the (indoor) hot springs bath, which had a fabulous view overlooking the shrine.

On My Way Back to Japan

Now I know that when I travel, I ALWAYS say <> is my favorite place to travel, but Japan is truly one of my favorite places. The people are so gracious, and I always feel like I’m being welcomed home when I visit here.

At 10 hours, the flight isn’t too horrible and since we were lucky enough to fly United Airline’s Business Class, the flight was actually pretty darn great. Plus we arrived in the late afternoon, which means that our only immediate obligation was an informal (or at least as informal as the Japanese can get) welcome dinner, after which, we were pretty much able to get some sleep right away.

Our entire group would eventually be comprised of five journalists and three local hosts (babysitters, as we called them.) Three of us flew together from Los Angeles, and upon our arrival, enjoyed personalized motor coach transportation (yes, a whole 48-seat bus just for the three of us) directly to the Hotel Nikko Osaka.

The hotel was as deluxe as you’d expected a Nikko property to be, but truthfully we weren’t given a lot of time to enjoy it. Upon check in, we had a whole thirty! minutes time to freshen up for dinner. How quickly my fantasies of a short nap were dashed. This probably should have been foreshadowing of exactly how packed our week would be, but high on little sleep and sake anticipation, I had not yet tuned into my psychic “oh my gosh this is going to be a crazy week” premonition vibe.

For dinner, we feasted on Shabu Shabu, sushi, beer and sake. It was like being on the Star Ship Enterprise. If we wanted something, all we had to do was ask for it, and whatever we wanted appeared before our very eyes. Somehow my desire always ended up being some version of sake or another.

Japan’s Sake Culture

In fact, it was here at this restaurant that I learned that most Japanese tend to look down on warm sake. Imagine my surprise! The logic behind this is that most sake that used to be imported out of Japan was of a lower quality. So people would warm the inferior sake up, in order to improve the flavor. Thus, in Japan, warm sake is nearly synonymous with cheap sake. Dandy, with me, I have no problem drinking my high-quality sake cold.

Shinsaibashi Street

After dinner, we did a little walking through Shinsaibashi, an entertainment promenade through the center of Osaka. Look out 99 Cent Store, Japan has the equivalent in its 100 Yen store. I however, have vowed to behave myself, shopping wise this year, as I have no desire to repeat the shopping mania that made up my trip last year. So, I was pretty good on my first day of watching my Yen. No random acts of shopping for me. Or at least not yet.

My Last Day in Tokyo

This morning there was a certain reluctance in waking up. Although this isn’t the end of my trip, just the end of the Japan portion, I’m not yet ready to leave the city. I haven’t seen so many things, haven’t even been to the Ginza yet, and feel as if I’ve barely scratched the surface.

However, I was very much looking forward to my trip to the Tsukiji Fish Market. (Unfortunately my camera misfired today and none of my photos of the market were saved, which is unfortunate as I took some great ones. I guess this means it might be time to buy a new camera.  Anyway, I’ve posted a picture here from the JNTO library, just to give you an idea of what the market looks like.)

The market was everything I expected it to be. Outside there were hundreds of small shops selling seafood, kitchenwares, produce and other products. Inside the main hall there was a giant warehouse, auction area, and wholesale fish market. Such fun, although the market does close to tourists during peak tuna sales times, as tourists just get in the way.

Being in the way was easy to do, because no matter where we walked we were in jeopardy of being run over by bicycles or small carrier trucks. At the market, I indulged my need for raw fish, and bought some large, red egg caviar (so yummy) and some grilled eel on a skewer. Also yummy.

After returning from the market, the remaining couple of hours I had left before my bus left for the airport, I spent more time investigating the little district by my hotel. Last night, being Sunday night, many stores and restaurants weren’t open, so during Monday noontime there was a lot more to see. I wanted to stop at the Ginza (kind of on the way back from the fish market, but I was worried a little about timing, plus Caren and Will’s bus left two hours earlier than mine, and so I stayed with them on our way back to the hotel.)

In Akasaka, I ate lunch at a rotating sushi restaurant. So Good! I had piles and piles of plates, and was starting to feel a little guilty about how much I was eating, until I saw the business man next to me was eating about the same amount.

On my walk back to the hotel, I walked through the Hire Shinto Shrine, located directly adjacent to the hotel, snapping as many photos as I could. (Only half way through had I figured out my camera problems, so all my photos of lunch and some of the Shrine had also been lost.)

Although I tried hard not to spend too much time here, I realized that I had dawdled a bit, just taking in the peace of the area, and by the time I got back to the room, I was feeling a bit of pressure to get packed and ready. Things were thrown haphazardly in the suitcase, but due to all the giving away of tequila, I had plenty of space to pack everything, with room to spare. (Although I’m NOT spending more money in China.)

The flight to China was uneventful. We flew in a 767 (not my favorite plane, as a) they are very noisy, and b) my one plane crash was in a 767.) Even with the strong head winds (we were nearly 30 minutes late), the flight was not that turbulent. I had a row of three seats all to myself, joy, and spent the time napping, playing computer games, and catching up on my notes.

What was really interesting to me about the China entrance policies is that they have a reputation for being very strict, very difficult, but I didn’t find that to be true in any way. Getting the Visa took just a few days, and getting into China was a snap. We had to fill out a health card (for Avian flu purposes) and I obsessed over whether I should answer honestly about having “shortness of breath” or not. In the end, we tossed our health card on a big pile, and no one ever even looked at it.

Immigration was equally easy. They asked if I’d been to China before, and that was it. Stamp. You Pass. At customs, they waved me through, and I was officially a visitor to China.

Outside of customs, I was met by my guide, May and my driver Mr. Su. I just love May. She is so sweet, and so funny, and just adorable. If you ever find yourself taking a Pacific Delight Tours program in Beijing, be sure you request her, if you can.

For about 15 seconds upon my arrival at the hotel, I considered going out for a snack, but ended up having noodles delivered by room service instead. Heaven. I didn’t even have enough time to unpack my bags before I fell asleep.

The Shy Mountain

Local legend has it that Fuji is a shy mountain, only revealing herself some 100 days out of the year. For my trip to see this elusive lady, I’d been toying back and forth with the idea of taking my own transportation to Hakone (an excellent location for Mt. Fuji viewing) or enjoying an organized city tour to the same place.

Both had advantages, the escorted city tour would actually take us part way up the mountain, but by setting my own schedule I might be able to fit in a quick stop at a Japanese Onsen hot spring. It NEVER occurred to me that no matter my decision, I might not be able to see one of Japan’s most famous icons.

I’m woman enough to admit that I don’t really enjoy a lot of group travel situations. I far prefer making my own decisions, and being the star of my own show. However, because the article I’m writing about Mt. Fuji is for a trade magazine, I ultimately figured it would be better to take a guided tour which would be of more interest to the demographic I’m writing for.

The program was well developed, and my kudos to JTB. Had it been a lovely spring day, the type normally serving as the setting for the Mt. Fuji pictures you’ve seen, this probably would have been the ultimate photo-taking opportunity. For our group, it ended up more as a “Let’s see what the weather is doing this hour” kind of day.

The Weather Outside is Frightful

The fickle weather, which ranged anywhere from a light rain sprinkle, to snow flurries to gale force winds, caused our itinerary to be a fluid one. I think this picture of a man trying to keep his hot dog stand from blowing to kingdom come pretty much best describes the weather on the mountain.

The weather kept our poor group leader constantly on his toes. It probably should have been a sign of things to come, when he raced us out of the visitor center, so that we could get inside the mountain gate before they closed it due to bad weather.

“Once we’re inside,” he explained, “there’s no way to turn around till you hit the fourth station.” Hmm. Because of course you want to be trapped on an uphill climb in snow storm conditions. However, none of us yet realized how dramatically the weather actually could change. By the time we’d hit the fourth station, Mother Nature was having a total hissy fit.

For the four minutes I was actually able to brave the Siberian (not an exaggeration) winds, I took this photo of Mt. Fuji. (For your benefit, I’ve drawn a line where I think the peak should be.) I quickly retired to my comfy, WARM, seat on the coach and found that I was one of the last people to seek shelter back on the bus.

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane

The remainder of the day was also spent battling various schedule changes. The strong winds in Hakone didn’t make for safe cable car conditions, so we went up the cable car at Lake Kawaguchi instead.

Now, those of you that know me, know how much I DO NOT like heights. A cable car ride is terrifying, and while of course I’ll do it, I won’t like it. So to know we’re going up a cable car in weather that can whip up instantaneous winds of up to 40 meters per second did not necessarily inspire confidence in the alternate cable car. In the end the ride up was only at it’s normal vomit level, and I even managed to open my eyes for most of the ride up. (I've included a nice picture from the cable car station, of the slope of Mt. Fuji.)

Anyway, I won’t write too much more about Mt. Fuji here, except to say that when we finally did get to see little bit of it (just the bottom, but still) it was tremendous. Everyone on the bus started ripping open the bus windows (even at what probably was something like 110 degrees below zero weather) to take photos.

For the rest of my Mt. Fuji wrap up, you’ll just have to read about it in TravelAge West when the article comes out.

We took another Shinkansen (bullet train) back to Tokyo, arriving at Tokyo Station around 7 pm (on a Sunday night, just the time that EVERYONE in Japan comes back to Tokyo.) The station was pandemonium, and to get from one place to another you literally had to jump in between two bodies and let the motion carry you where you needed to go. I even saw some “push people” – actual employees hired just to push people along. Phew.

Having said that, I made it home with just one mishap. (I couldn’t get my body out of my herd over to the right track, so I took the wrong train one stop, just so I could get off and turn myself around again.),

Korean Food, Really?

Back at the hotel, Caren and Will were waiting for me, as we’d planned to have our final dinner in Japan together. On a previous day I’d told them I’d worked for the Korean government, and that night they’d decided that since they had an expert n Korean food with them, they wanted to try it.

The area around our hotel, Akasaka was ripe with Korean restaurants, so it was no problem to find one. We ended up having SamGyeopSeol, a type of Korean BBQ, grilling pork on a stone plate. Really tasty. I introduced Caren (and young Will, bad me) to Korean soju.

After dinner we decided we really needed to end the evening with a farewell Sake, (of course mostly to further my research), which ended up as two farewell Sakes. (More corruption for Will.)

Our plans for tomorrow include us visiting the Tsukiji Fish Market early in the morning, before we fly out, so we decided to end the evening fairly early. Happy with Sake in our hearts and Korean BBQ in our belly we headed back to the hotel.

Saturday in Tokyo

Tokyo Tower

The rain cleared up today, which was perfect for our Tokyo city tour. I met up with Caren and Will and really enjoyed spending the day with them. Our first tour stop was at the Tokyo Tower. Caren and I shut our eyes and gripped the side of the elevator all the way to the top, while young Will laughed at us all the way up.

Will’s about to graduate from high school and being a big fan of video games and anime, picked Japan as his graduation/Spring Break trip. Nice guy, but when he told me that he was in seventh grade during 9/11, I kind of wanted to do violence to him.

Anyway, the Tokyo Tower was all you could imagine it to be. The view was a little hazy, but very lovely. At one part they even had a glass floor so you could look through to the bottom. Will did a lovely job of taking the picture for me, as there was NO way I was stepping on that death-defying structure.

The Japanese, for those of you that aren’t familiar, are great fans of all things animated. Everything in Japan has some kind of animated representation. So it wasn’t really a big surprise to find the Tokyo Tower had its own character. However, in designing a long “tower like” figure, the Japanese decided to make him pink. A great big phallic symbol with a buzzing TV receptor at the end. Naturally, I couldn’t keep my opinion to myself, and Caren bought me a little phallic guy as a reminder of my trip up the tower.

Our next stop was an outer watch tower of the Imperial Palace. The inside of the Palace is actually open to the public only two times a year, and today was not one of them.

We then drove on to the Asakusa area, to visit the Sensoji Temple. Our drive took us through some of Tokyo’s more interesting neighborhoods, reminding me just how little time I have to explore this great city.

At the temple I paid 100 Yen (one dollar) to pull out my fortune stick, and thank goodness, my fortune was pretty good. Apparently, I’ll find that which is lost, and my health and employment are good.

The surrounding shopping area was too tempting to pass up, so off we went. At this point our tour guide told us that we could depart the group and stay in the Asakusa area, or we could continue on to the Pearl Factory, where we had a chance to win a real pearl. That pearl factory never stood a chance.

We stayed in the area, enjoying lunch (a sashimi combo plate for me), and lots of shopping. I did end up buying a beautiful Kawata (like a Kimono without the big bumper) and various sets of rice crackers in the neighborhood. Finally, the time approached for me to return to the hotel to meet my other good friend Daisuke Tonai. Our attempts to find a subway station were not that successful, so we opted to take a taxi back to the hotel.

The taxi ride took forever (okay, just 40 minutes), and I kept wondering why the hotel was only one subway stop from where we were, the taxi ride was so long. Finally in my fluent Japanese hand gesture, I asked him. He explained very clearly we were in Asakusa and not the Akasaka located next to the hotel.

Ooopsie

So, bad Japanese me, I was late getting back to the hotel.

Tonai-san was very kind, and didn’t event comment on my lateness. He was so kind in fact, that he didn't even complain one time after he carried my bag all over Tokyo. The big bag containing yet another bottle of tequila (which of course he didn’t know), but it wasn't a light thing.

Anyway, we first we went to the Shinjuku area in Tokyo. A massively huge feat of humanity. The term bodies in motion may likely have been invented in this part of Tokyo. The train station alone handles more than 3 million people a day. He took me to the basement of one of the fancy department stores, to the food court area, which has a lovely array of free samples. Kind of the Costco of Japan.

John Lennon Museum (Who Knew?)

After Shinjuku, we headed on to the John Lennon Museum, which truly probably should be called the Yoko Ono Museum. Still I was kind of expecting a bunch of pictures and posters in a one-room building, and that was not at all what the museum was like. It was quite impressive. Yoko Ono has spent a good deal of time, money and energy showcasing her husband’s life (using of course artworks created by herself.)

No pictures were allowed inside, but to give you an idea, the memorial room to John Lennon was a stark all white room, with white towers, engraved with white words to John’s poetry. All the chairs in the room were clear plastic, so I assume this was an interpretation of heaven. What was odd was the very strong smell of chlorine in the room. Not sure from where or why that was part of the display.

Memorial room aside, there were tons of floor to ceiling pictures of Yoko Ono and John Lennon, and they even recreated Lennon’s childhood bedroom, and had you walk through a semi-replica of the street he lived on in Liverpool. Each window was filled with a television set playing images or telling stories from his childhood. This place was really very cool.

Dinner

By the time we finished with the museum, Tonai-san’s wife had called us to tell us dinner was ready, so we headed over to his house for a total FEAST. The food was awesome. Tonai san’s wife had prepared a huge sushi platter that kept refilling itself. And she made Sukiyaki, which is one of my favorites. I just kept eating and eating and eating.

And of course, I even got to do some more beer and Sake research.

It had been a while since I saw Kento (named after Ken Griffey Jr., and born on 9/11) and I can’t believe how big he’s become. He’s such a little model. Every time I took his picture, he posed in a perfect little pose.

It was so great catching up with Tonai and his family, and I would really like to see him get gets reassigned to the United States. I told him I’m planning on starting an email campaign asking JNTO to let him come back. He didn’t seem to think that would help much.

My last stop was another train ride back to the main part of Tokyo. I made it without any mishaps. Of course Tonai-san hired a taxi to take me to a special train station (not the one near his home), so that I wouldn’t have to do any transfers. I’m really feeling quite the transportation expert.

In the hotel room, I was again too tired to even think about a massage. Tomorrow I’m off to Mt. Fuji and then Caren and Will and I are planning on having dinner together after I get back.

Tokyo Bound

I’m Back

Sorry I haven’t been posting the last couple of days. My hotel in Tokyo didn’t have any high-speed Internet access from the room (can you believe it in this day and age) and to use the business center, the charge was $3 for every 10 minutes. So I opted to save the cash. (I’ve been on a bit of a spending spree, so $20 for an hour of internet didn’t seem like a good investment. I’d much rather spend it on Sushi and Sake.)

Friday morning the rains came, just in time for our departure to Tokyo.

One is Silver and the Other’s Gold

Yes, I’ve made yet more friends on my journey.

Irene Chen of Pacific Delight Tours, who organized all my travel arrangements, had asked me to keep an eye out for Caren and William, the other two people sharing my Japan trip. I’d chatted with them briefly on the Kyoto City Tour, but didn’t officially meet them that morning, as I was a) was too busy illegally downloading Brazilian music, and b) not going to ask every American on the tour if they were my PDT Japan compatriots.

Anyway, as we departed for Kyoto station, it became clear that the mother and son I’d met earlier were the same two people I was to keep a look out for. Boy were they surprised when I told them I was psychic and proceeded to “guess” their names.

So off we headed for the Kyoto Station. Despite the fact that I felt I was now a great expert on the Kyoto rail system, I had yet to see the main part of the station. What a fantastic architectural structure. (Picture enclosed.) There were about 15 stories of open space, with a steep uphill escalator. Quite vomit-inducing for those of us afraid of heights. Truly a remarkable building.

My first experience on the bullet train was great. The rain probably dampened the view somewhat, but no problem, I spent a lot of the 2 ½ hour ride sleeping anyway.

Those bullet trains sure are fast. Every time we passed another train, or ran through a tunnel, we shuddered so hard it felt as if the sides of our train were coming off. (Made it difficult to catch up on my postcard writing.)

On the ride north, I also had an opportunity to get better acquainted with my new friends. And, despite the fact that I didn’t share with them any of the tequila I was carrying as gifts for friends in Tokyo, we still ended up bonding. I did ply them with Butterfingers and Peanut Butter cups, so that may have been what did the trick.

In Tokyo, I parted company with then, as I was supposed to meet some colleagues from the Tokyo office of the Los Angeles Convention & Visitors Bureau. A miscue on timing, and the fact that there are about 29 billion people at Tokyo station caused my first meeting not to happen quite as smoothly as I’d hoped.

Totally lost, and not having the correct phone numbers with me, I walked through rainy Tokyo, over the Japan National Tourist Organization “Tourist Information Center.” Wet and lost, I was thrilled to find how wonderful the staff and volunteers over there were. They had me mapped up and headed in the right direction in no time.

One subway stop away (and thanks to Misako-san for coming out to pick me up) I had the opportunity to meet all the staff of the LA Inc. Tokyo office. (And may I say, what an impressive view from there, overlooking the moat of the Imperial Palace.) There I gave away my first bottle of tequila and three boxes of Girl Scout cookies, opening up much-needed souvenir space in my luggage.

And the Oscar Goes To. . .

Before I headed out to brave the Tokyo Subway solo for the first time, LA INC. encouraged me to visit the neighboring Maronouchi building, which had a display of Academy Award winning costumes. The display, organized by LA INC. and Wowow Television in Japan, was quite cool. Here you see an overview of the exhibit from the third floor. (I wasn’t allowed to take close up photos.) I saw Austin Powers’ costume, a Terminator, Nicole Kidman’s costume from Cold Mountain, and Tom Cruise’s costume from the Last Samurai, just to name a few.

Having missed lunch, I wandered through the basement of the building, home of their international food courts. Despite being tempted by German cold cuts, French chocolates, and a variety of other foods from around the world, I decided to finally have my first sushi in Japan (some kind of triangular sushi pockets.) I did succumb to the “Tokyo Clam Chowder, featured at a neighboring stand. Yummy.

Fueled with lunch and a tall Starbucks Ice Mocha (Tall in Japan being about 8 ounces), I made my way to the subway, and frankly was almost disappointed to not have had any mishaps.

At the fabulous Tokyu Capital Hotel (lack of in-room high-speed internet notwithstanding), I spent my first hours unpacking, and ultimately taking a short nap.

SPECIAL Kyushu Black Pork

Dinner that night was with my very good friend, Alex (Yukio) Kato, currently a senior mucky muck in the Prime Ministers’ office and a former director of the Japan National Tourist Office in Los Angeles. Kato-san is SO NOT the stereotype of an Asian government official. (Perhaps him telling me how much he misses dancing the chicken dance at Alpine Village’s Oktoberfest, and then proceeding to give me a small demonstration, should give you an idea of what this guy is like.)

Anyway, I haven’t seen him in three years, and it was great to catch up. He hasn’t chaged a bit. He asked me about my cats (especially Alex, his favorite, as they share the same name), and showed me a picture of his pet bunny, Lucky.

He’d had one request from Los Angeles--chocolate covered pletzels, so I brought three types. And of course some tequila. (Look out souvenir shops tomorrow.)

We had dinner at a fancy, fancy traditional Nagasaki style restaurant close to the hotel. Boy, I stopped trying to keep track of everything we ate (and drank) that night. (Sashimi, pressed fish cakes, yakitori, a marinated pork dish, SPECIAL Kyu Shu Black Pork Shabu Shabu, a Shabu Shabu rice porridge, and Castilla cake.) It was awesome.

Needless to say our drinking list was also quite long, however we ended the evening drinking a few Poisoned Blow Fish Sake drinks. Phew. I made him try it first, just in case he keeled over, but both of us have survived, so I think I’m immune to the poison.

The food, the alcohol and the GREAT company wore me out and despite my intentions to end the evening with an in-room massage, I pretty much fell asleep immediately, too tired even, to dial the phone to make an appointment.

Kyoto--Handicrafts & Sake

In Pursuit of Arts & Crafts

Yesterday, in speaking to the concierge at my hotel, the Righa Royal (pronounced--of course--Liga Loyal), she was kind enough to show me two pages in a visitor guide that had information about hands-on handicrafts in Kyoto.

I poured over that document like I would find enlightenment within. Hemming and hawing over WHAT activities I wanted to do most. In the end, she picked the activities for me, based upon geography, but oh gosh how can you not love a city that is such an active promoter of arts & crafts.

My first stop was a fabric dyeing course. This is sort of the Japanese version of COLOR ME MINE. Pick the item you want to color, pick the pattern, and off you go. I dyed a purse, painting some fish on one side, and a crab on the other. (Then I made my mom a birthday present, a table runner with a bird on a bamboo.)

My next stop was on to a papermaking course. I entered the store and immediately felt like I'd come HOME. Home-made paper everywhere. (You should see the stuff I bought here, sigh, I've blown my food budget for three months, but it was totally worth it.) The class here only cost $4, which is a tremendous bargain. It was a little simplistic, and at first I was a little disappointed, but later I figured out the guys were nervous about their English. Once I started bugging them with every kind of question, "how do you do this technique," "how do you get this color" I started making some cooler pieces of paper.

SAKE, SAKE, SAKE

Having finished with the handicrafts portion of my day, I was now in pursuit of my Sake Research. My first stop was the Horino Memorial Museum, a traditional Japanese house, from the Edo Period, which housed a former Sake Brewery, and is still home to an active beer brewery.

At first the tour was dicey, the guide spoke no English at all, and mostly pointed out the placards which were all in English and Japanese. Then however, poor Yoshino Kaori, an unsuspecting student from the University of Kyoto, wandered in the museum and was suddenly billeted into service as my interpreter.

The building was so cool, and we got to wander around downstairs and up. I learned a bit about the Sake making process, as well as getting a good overview about some of the cultural and historical aspects of Japan. (Upstairs for example were two bedrooms for the maids . The main room, was directly off the hallway, and the side room, which could only be accessed through the main room, and which was built one-step lower than the main room. The step symbolizes the status of the maid, and the lower the step, the lower the status of the maid.

At the end of the tour, we got a chance to sample some Sake. (Had to buy some Sake to take home, so bought the brand with actual gold flakes inside.)

By the time the tour was over, it was nearly 2:30 pm, and I STILL hadn't had lunch, so Yoshino and her friend and I had lunch together. We went to this cool place called Yoshinoya (possibly related to the US chain). We ordered our meals by pushing buttons on an automated vending machine and then had the waitress bring the food to us. (I had pork cutlet over rice). Yum. And a fast-food bargain (already trying to make up for my excessive spending habits today.)


Transportation Confusion

After lunch, my new friends escorted me to the train station and wished me well. I was now about to head to Fushimi, a suburb in the southern part of Kyoto, and a region well-known for it's Sake making.

At this point the transportation gods had a good laugh at my expense. (Let me see if I can explain the transportation system here. There are multiple light rail and subway lines, and although they are interconnected, each is owned and operated by a different company.

So, for example, if you want to ride the Kintetsu rail all the way to Kyoto Station, thereby paying a cheaper fare, you must change trains at the transfer station. If, however, you don't mind paying the more expensive fare, you transfer from the Kintetsu Rail to the Subway rail, at the transfer station. This is accomplished, naturally, by staying on the train you already were on.) Confused? Add a lot of Japanese in the mix, and you feel my pain.

Because I am not as fluent in hand-speak and pointing as I thought I was, I rode on the Kintetsu rail, instead of the Keihan rail. Didn't realize the difference until my station didn't appear when it should have, and suddenly I found myself enjoying a VERY scenic tour of the countryside. Quite lovely, and I'm glad I got to see it.

However, by the time I figured out my problem, and turned myself around, I arrived at the second Sake Museum too late. In true amusement park fashion, the shop did remain open later than the actual museum.

Fushimi

So not getting to see the museum, I had to console myself by having more delicious Japanese coffee. The place I went also served waffles with ice cream. So tempting, especially with waffle smell coming from the kitchen, but really how much can one girl eat? Plus, I was low on cash and hadn't found an ATM yet. I was keeping my 400 Yen for the train ride back to the city in a separate pocket, and just didn't have enough money for the waffles.

After coffee, I spent some time wandering the back streets of Fushimi, which I really loved. The people were SO nice here. I passed a woman who was selling traditional Japanese tatami (hand woven) products. With my cash flow issues, I tried to explain that I couldn't buy any of her products.

Still feeling a lack of confidence from my early attempts to speak Japanese sign language with the train station people, I was reluctant to believe what I thought she was telling me. She kept handing me three tatami coasters, and making a big X sign with her arms. Finally, I put them in my bag, and she nodded her head vigorously. Yes indeed, she just gave me three coasters for free.

In a country that is already incredibly hospitable, it is hard to describe how extra-friendly the people in this community were. Although it was just a ten minute train ride (when done correctly) outside downtown Kyoto, I'd literally left the big city behind.

Anyway, fueled with my free coaster success, I decided to take advantage of Fushimi's huge shopping arcade. The entire arcade is covered by a "solar dome" that stretches over about six blocks, and the shops are made up of 100 Yen ($1) stores, Sake shops, produce stores, home furnishings, sigh, truly a shoppers paradise. I never did find an ATM machine (probably too distracted with all the shops, so I clung to the 400 Yen I had in my pocket, and generally preserved my budget).

My Cup Runneth Over

After a day of standing and walking, my legs were starting to feel the pain, and I was sure that a cup of Sake would be just what I needed to restore my energy. I stopped in at Torisei, the restaurant my hotel recommended for Sake tasting (right next to the Museum I couldn't get into.) Bad news or good, I'm not sure, but they were more than happy to take my Visa card.

My first cup (pictured) was literaly overflowing, with a coaster to catch the extra Sake. Happiness!

Seated at the Yakitori (grilled meat on skewers) bar, I found that I couldn't resist ordering just a few items off the menu. Which eventually turned into me trying MANY items off the menu. My favorites--Chicken Skin on a skewer (I know, sounds gross, but oh gosh, so good) and cheese wrapped in bacon on a skewer (this was so delicious, I was moved to try to write Haiku about it. Of course at this point I was also well into my second cup of Sake, and had entered a state of extreme happiness). I'll post the poetry later, maybe.

With 400 yen left to my name, a complete understanding of the Kyoto rail system, and a courage built from two cups of Sake, I made it back to Downtown with no further mishaps. The Sake cheer lasted about as long as it took me to fling myself into bed (at 8:30 pm) and it was lights out, almost immediately.

I slept so well, I only woke up one time, giving me another opportunity to take advantage of the strangely comforting heated toilet seats the hotel provides.

Today, I'm off to Tokyo, where more adventures with Sake await.

More tomorrow.

Monica

Kyoto--Ancient Capital of Japan

Just a quick note from Kyoto, on the first day of my whirlwind tour of Asia. I'm having so much fun, and can already feel time passing by too quickly, even though I've only just finished my first day.

My first stop, Kyoto, is such a wonderful place. It may just be my new favorite city (although you might be hearing me say that a lot on this trip.) However, how can you resist a place where handicrafts stores line every street. I'm afraid my usual Michael's budget has been spent on Japanese papers. (So many choices.)

Morning Tour

Yesterday morning I joined a lovely city tour, where we visited some of the top attractions in this city chock full of history and art.

We stopped at the Nijo Castle, the Golden Temple (pictured) and the Imperial Palace. And for the first time in my life I because one of the people following around a little Japanese flag. :)



During the tour, I made some new friends (of course), Erico, Marcio and Eduardo of Brazil, all the way from Sao Paulo, Brazil. They were probably too lively for Japanese tastes (certainly the police at the Imperial Palace kept their eye on us), but it was quite fun meeting them.


Lunch

I ended up joining them for lunch at the Kyoto Handicraft Center, a lovely buffet, and the price was right too! They taught me a few great Portuguese sayings, some of which I probably shouldn't repeat in cyberspace, and then downloaded for me eight hours of Brazilian music. (Good thing I had my thumb drive with me.)

After lunch the boys and I took some handicraft classes at the center. They made cloissone pins and I got to try my hand at Japanese print making. Here my instructor is holding my final print.


Downtown Kyoto

Parting company, I headed over to visit more of downtown Kyoto. Thanks to my pals at JNTO and their handy Kyoto & Vicinity Walking Guide, I've become quite the expert on Downtown. I even took the Subway with no difficulty.

My next stop was the Nishiki Food Market. I probably arrived here a little too late, as many vendors were closing down, but it was nice, and I was tempted by all the great food. My ultimate destination was Gion Corner to see a performance of traditional Japanese arts (some blocks away) so I kept telling myself not to get distracted by all the shops between where I was and where I wanted to be, but how could I resist the shops and shops of homemade little stuffed animals, and best of all Japanese papers!

I took a detour into the Ponto-cho area (pictured), a lovely historical street, where many Maiko (Geisha) can be found. This was truly a quaint neighborhood, in what you would expect Japan to look like. So many restaurants, pubs and places to spend time, and all of them overlooking the Kamo river.

Gion Corner

I crossed the river, still bound and determined to make it to Gion Corner (By now I'd missed the 7:00 show and was hoping to make it in time for the 8:00 performance, so had even more reason not to be distracted). Got a little turned around, but generally followed the beautiful river to get my bearings.

A good Japanese/English map, some very kind Japanese, including three visitors to Kyoto, who used my two English/Japanese maps and their three all-Japanese maps to get me exactly where I wanted to be.

Made it to the performance with three minutes to spare. The hour-long show featured traditional Japanese arts, including the tea ceremony, flower arranging, Koto playing, court music, a Geisha dance, and a puppet show. I got to volunteer at the tea ceremony, where I was served Japanese cookies and tea. (Good thing too, because I still hadn't eaten and was now getting quite hungry.)

Shijo-dori

After the show, walked home along the main Shijo-dori street. This is definitely where Kyoto's beautiful people hang out. By now (9:15 pm), I was feeling quite hungry, and hadn't even started any research for my article on Sake, either, so food was a priority.

Walked into one restaurant but it was Korean. (I did recognize the weirdness of being in Japan, with the requisite understanding none of the language, and feeling a certain homecoming by walking into a Korean restaurant and feeling comforted by actually understanding the characters and customs.) However, Korean food was not what I wanted. Next stopped at a Shabu Shabu restaurant overlooking the river, but they were closing for the night. Started to get frustrated, when a young kid on the street handed me his 10% off coupon. I saw the Sake bottle pictured on his flyer and I was sold.

Only when I sat down, did I notice the Thai art work and the Singha beer. Oh well, too late, and I was no longer interested in trying to find something Japanese. The food was great here at my little Thai "Asiatic Cafe", and I even started my Sake research. Plus I learned my Japanese waitress had been in Thailand last November during the Loy Krathong festival, the same time I was there. (Amazing how much conversation you can have just using Thai words and hand gestures.)

Had a coffee on the way back to the Subway station (and boy do the Japanese know their coffee!) and finally got home around 11pm.

Tomorrow is all about arts & crafs research (I'm taking a fabric dyeing course and a paper making course) and then in the afternoon it is Sake all the time. Two sake museums and a brewery. (Plus the brewery actually has a Yakitori restaurant attached, so I know I'll be enjoying a nice Japanese meal.)