25 Hours Back to New York

Temples and Shrines

All of Tokyo in a Day

My day started early. There is a Japanese garden between my hotel and a sister hotel, and it was entirely quiet at 8 in the morning. I had already faced the crowds at Shinegawa station for my morning coffee, and had encountered all the white-shirted men on their way to work queuing at the escalator up to the trains. I retraced my steps back to the hotel and brought my coffee and breakfast snack to the very green and lush quiet of bridges and lanterns, a bell and a teahouse between tall buildings all around. No one disturbed my peace, as I gathered my thoughts and tried to plan the next twelve hours.

A good start was  a 360 degree view of the city. The Tokyo Sky dome in Asakusa is taller, but the observation deck at the red coloured (all tall buildings that do not have blinking lights have to be coloured red to prevent accidents) Tokyo Tower was perfect for a sense of the neighbourhoods to visit. The tower is in Roppongi, but also looks out on Mori Tower in Roppongi. On a clear day, Mount Fuji is visible, but the day was hot and muggy and visibility was poor, so I just imagined the mountain past the tall buildings. Tokyo Bay was discernible, there was a shogun palace as well as a 'modern' (1920) new Buddhist sect temple right below. Skyscrapers competed for attention in every direction, none particularly inspiring or architecturally dominating. I am most interested in history and early Tokyo, so it was clear that I would focus on the remains of 'Edo'.or old Tokyo.

I had been too late to see the Meiji shrine yesterday, so I was off to Shibuya again for a visit. The Haragjuku station is right in front of the entrance. It is a modern shrine, honoring the spirits of Emperor Meiji, who is responsible for the 'Meiji Restoration' and the end of shogun rule in 1868. A shrine is part of the Shinto religion, which is the original religion of Japan. Buddhism was embraced by the Japanese in the sixth century, but they would not give up shintoism, so the people worship the two religions side by side. Temples are Buddhist, shrines are Shinto. In shintoism, all things have souls, including, people, animals, plants, rocks, volcanoes, wind and thunder. All souls can be or become 'auspicious' and can be worshipped as gods.

The torii gates purify the visitor, and there are three torii to go through to the entrance of the shrine. These mammoth gates are 40 feet tall and are of 1700 year old cedar trees. The Meiji sixteen petalled flower seal is used on each of the gates. At the purifying fountain, I learned to use the cup to wash first my right hand, then my left, then my mouth (I am told not to swallow the water, not to drink from the cup) to be further cleansed. At the shrine, the 'god' is not represented as a statue or an image, instead, some sort of small relic is preserved inside the inner sanctum, where only the priests can enter. To pray, one offers a coin and throws it in the receptacle, one bows low twice, claps one's hands twice, and then one can make a wish and bow low once again.

Japanese buy amulets for good luck, good fortune, good health, good grades, and all sorts of other hopes, and tie up fortunes on racks in hope. I prayed, made a wish, bought a bell for good fortune. There is a treasure house nearby with personal effect of the emperor and his wife, and a garden known for irises blooming in June.

I passed the national 'diet' building, the location of the government, with both an elected upper and lower house. I was more interested in the Imperial Palace, where the Emperor lives (Japan is a constitutional monarchy, with a figurehead emperor) and which the public has no access to. The East garden is open to visitors, and one enters through the 'Ote-mon, part of the shogun's castle, which is two gates, the first which I understood was usually kept open, and a second, stronger gate (which was hidden in scaffolding today) which was closed to potential intruders in the Edo period. The 'Hundred-Man Guardhouse' is visible to tourists, and looks genuine. It appears that most of the old buildings in Tokyo were destroyed multiple times, by fire, by bombing in the second world war, and by intrigues between factions, so most of the sites we see today were rebuilt since the last war. What was impressive about the palace were the massive walls, separating the inner living areas from the garden, the garden from the outside, along the two moats that once existed. The palace was the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu's before it became the emperor's, and the sheer size of the walls helps one imagine how incredibly powerful, or perhaps how threatened the shogun felt. The shogun families were continuously fighting one another.

The garden is lovely and peaceful. I realize that in Tokyo, there are many green spaces amongst the relentless concrete, and they are always a relief from the pulsing humanity in the jungle outside.

Tokyo station is nearby, a red and grey building looking quite out of place. It looks entirely European, and a surprise amongst the taller concrete buildings all around. Much of Tokyo looks as if it was built in the 70's and 80's without much thought to style or architecture; I am probably wrong, and great architects likely built many of the structures, but I did not see inspiring modern buildings. It was a relief to see ancient shrines and temples, and Tokyo Station has its own style, and I liked it.

I am not a shopper, and my wanders around Shibuya yesterday satisfied my shopping needs, so I made a cursory visit to Ginza, admired the Gucci, Dior, Prada, liked that Ginza means 'silver mint', which is what the area was known for in the Edo period. I passed the Mistubishi building which I believe is in the Nihombashi or the Maunouchi area, but I did not take my time, I had more to see.

I was momentarily interested in the Tsukiji fish market,  I would have had to be at the fish market at 4 in the morning to get a ticket to see the the tuna auction, which did not guarantee me a place (only 120 tickets are available each day). This is the biggest fish market in the world, handling tons of fish, and there are all sorts of vendors and many different varieties of fish to buy. Apparently the sushi for breakfast is absolutely amazing. But I decided to simply go by the fish market because it was close to where I would catch a boat to take upriver to the Asakusa Kannon temple. It was hot, 33 degrees or so, and humid, and I reached my limit at the Hama-Rikyu garden, where I could not cool off and felt unable to continue with my day. The garden was another sanctuary, with tall oppressive buildings all around, but offering a moment of stillness, with a tea house, a saltwater pond, ducks and egrets and cormorants visiting. It was once the palace grounds of a shogun, but none of the original buildings have survived.

I hoped the breeze off the boat would cool me off, but perhaps the temperature and humidity were simply too high and impossible to escape, I stayed hot and uncomfortable for the rest of the afternoon Later I watched the news and heard that the weather has been unusually and  unseasonably hot and would continue for the next few days.

Asakusa has both a shrine and a temple, which is a good example of how both Buddhism and Shintoism coexist. However, I was confused at Asakusa as to what was what. One enters through a gate with a huge lantern in the centre, with two frightening looking statues of guardian gods, the Thunder god and the Wind god. My understanding is that these gods ward off evil spirits at Buddhist temples. Another gate in the courtyard before the temple has two statues of frightening looking guardian gods, and two oversized straw sandals are displayed on the back of the gate. Burning incense is planted in a cauldron before the temple, and the Japanese are using their hands to encourage the smoke of the incense to direct itself to them. There is a buried statue of the god hidden in the temple. People are shaking containers and pulling out their fortunes and tying them up. There are amulets for sale for good fortune and good health, much like in the shinto shrine, and a place for purification as well. I watched people praying in the same way they did in the shinto shrine, so I was entirely confused. There is a pagoda nearby and I believe shrines as well. I saw a shinto priest, or perhaps he was a Buddhist priest, I was not sure.

Between the two gates before the temple, there is a gauntlet of souvenir shops with all sorts of knick knacks, kimonos, fans, chopsticks, food etc available for purchase. I was only interested in water and ice cream to cool me off, which was somewhat effective.

The rest of Tokyo that I saw was a shopping paradise. It all blurs together as I think of it now. Shops shops shops shops, restaurants, bars, cafes, food shops, more shops, and many many people. From Shibuya to Ginza to Kappabashi to Akihabara, all these areas I passed were shopping venues. Tokyoites like to shop and to eat. Food of every variety is available, and every restaurant and eating establishment appears to be used at all times. The millions of people here are shopping and eating, and look very happy to be doing so. Most are Japanese restaurants, but there are French and Italian and Thai and Indian ones too, and many bars and cafes. In Akhihabara, there are 'maid cafes', where the waitresses are dressed in maid costumes and make an effort to make the patrons (mostly men) fell like masters. And all the shopping areas are chock full of shoppers. I wish I was more of a shopper; if I was, this would have been paradise.

Sapporo to Tokyo

Eric was convinced that I would be happier in Tokyo, after I saw all the sights in Sapporo in half a day (that is entirely not true, most of the sights are outside the city; the parks and natural wonders are stunning, but I did not see them). He encouraged me to go to Tokyo for a few days so he could focus on his work and networking rather than be concerned that he was abandoning me. I was not entirely sure that this was a good idea, but it was easy to change my ticket, so I woke up early to catch a train back to Chitose airport and flew on Jetstar back to Tokyo. It was a long day of traveling. I decided to return to the same hotel as before, so I would not waste time looking for a new hotel in a new area, but despite knowing where I was going, it still took over an hour to go from Narita to Shinagawa station, where I was all turned around and starving, so by the time I arrived at the hotel, having eaten, and gotten myself organized, it was too late to sightsee.

I asked the concierge about advice as to where to start my Tokyo visit, and she was determined that all sights were closed and it was best to go shopping. She sent me to Shibuya Crossing, the busiest intersection in the world. The trains were packed by that time, with thousands of men in white shirts and dark trousers. Shinegawa station was already overwhelming when I started, and when I arrived at Shibuya, there were door to door people in front of the train station. Tourists were taking photographs of the crossing, where all crosswalks in every different direction turn green at once, and crowds of pedestrians cross in a wave together. I watched while the light changed two or three times, then looked for the statue of Hachiko, an Akira dog who accompanied his master to the train station and picked him up daily, and continued to do so for ten years after his master died at work. There were so many people milling about, that the dog was difficult to find. The crowd was young and energetic. Tokyo is generally a young city. I see fewer elderly, the pace seems fast and furious.

I decided to walk to Meiji shrine, but became lost in the crowds until I passed the NHK television station building and found myself in Yoyogi park, where suddenly I was alone with the crows squawking above me. I was astonished at all the green space, not my image of Tokyo at all. There were couples on blankets in the grass, a young man practicing his saxophone, some people playing frisbee, a group of martial artists, cyclists, a rose garden, fountains, and entirely empty places. I found myself walking in circles, and it took some time to find my way to the Meiji shrine, which was closing as I arrived.

I contented myself with joining the crowds on the shopping streets near the shrine. Omotesando was full of high end shops and avid shoppers. I found my way to 'Cat street', where more unique boutiques and second hand shops ('ragtag', 'pigsty') joined Columbia and Patagonia and 'Jeanosia'. I continued in a circle and ended up at Shibuya station without intending to do so. When I returned to Shinegawa, I became lost in the food shop 'Queen Setan', where I was delighted with the incredible choice and variety of foodstuffs. I am sure we have as much variety in New York, but perhaps because it is all so different, I was entirely intrigued and compulsively examined everything. Food from all over the world, including 'Eataly' in New York, was available, but the signage was all in Japanese and often I really had no idea what I was looking at. I decided I needed some yoghurt for dinner, but there were all sorts of cartons that may have been yoghurt, but I was not sure, and I did not ask until I had decided on something. I should have asked more questions, but no one appeared to speak any English. Fruit was frighteningly expensive, with a small handful of grapes costing $16. I bought a small glass of orange juice for $6. Eric and I had had coffee in Sapporo for $8 each, so I should not have been surprised. I expected high prices for food.

The restaurants were full, the grocery store was full, the station was full of people, and suddenly I wanted to be silent and still and away from all the activity. Usually I love to be around all the noise and energy, but I found myself needing a quiet moment, which I found in my hotel room.

I wanted to see more of Tokyo, and talked to my concierge again about how to organize myself in the next couple of days, so that I can get a feel for the city. I have big plans for tomorrow!

Strolling through Sapporo

My day began late. Eric left for his conference at 8,  and there was no reason to wake up. When I left our hotel room, it was after midday. The weather was much warmer than yesterday, but still pleasant and sunny. I found the closest Starbucks and had a good cappuccino to start my day. I was close to Odori park, and already the beer gardens were full. The streets of Sapporo were even busier than at night, everyone with places to go and things to do. My first destination was the clock tower, Sapporo's signature landmark, originally part of the agriculture university started by Americans in 1878. I paid the entrance fee, but could not read the Japanese explanations, which were effusive and covered almost all surfaces. I found many Japanese tourists taking pictures, and evidently appreciating what they saw.

Akarenga is  a red brick neo baroque old government building, apparently much loved by the locals. It is open to visitors and has several exhibits about the building, about the northern islands that were once part of Japan and are now in Russian hands. Japanese inhabitants were forced to leave after the Second World War, when Russia took possession of the islands, and the Japanese have been disputing ownership since that time. There is an 'international art festival' happening in Sapporo, and at the Akarenga, two local artists are featured; Akira Ifukube was a musician who wrote music for Godzilla and other films, and also wrote music incorporating the local Ainu fold traditions. Genichiro Kakegawa was a photographer who also had an interest in the Ainu, and took photos of their daily lives and ceremonies.

I found another exhibit associated with the art festival when I was walking toward the university. A small park with a wooden building which once housed important representatives of the Meiji government in the 1800's was used to show an interesting set of wind powered devices which turned on lights and rang a bell, all associated with the wind from a fan in the middle of the room. It think that the artist was explaining his art to the people visiting. I understood nothing, but found the art whimsical and entertaining.

I wanted to know more about the Ainu, and found a museum devoted to their culture near thte botanical gardens. It was on the seventh floor of a gleaming steel office building, and I would never have found it had I not asked. The Ainu were the inhabitants of the island before the Japanese came to colonize in the 1800's. The indigenous are originally from central Asia, and have more in common with Russians than Japanese. They fought valiantly against the Japanese and lost, and were treated abominably but their conquerers, a typical indigenous experience. They are now trying to reclaim their language and customs, but are few in number, poor and discriminated against, and three hundred years from their former preeminence on the island. Their art is definitely different than that of the Japanese, and they have little in common genetically. However, the Jomon cultures, which predated the Japanese in all of the islands, have commonalities with the Ainu. The Japanese came over from China and Korea long after the island was settled by the original inhabitants.

By the time I finished visiting the Ainu, the botanical gardens were closed. I believed that Eric was at the University, so I walked further. I was also interested in seeing the university, because my father had spent six months doing a sabbatical there in the early eighties, and I had learned that the university and started as an agricultural college. The campus is huge, full of students on bikes milling about. Biking is definitely the best mode of transport around here, but I am hesitant to bike because of the driving on the wrong side of the road. I would simply be too confused to be careful enough. The university museum was closing as I arrived, so I walked about the campus, sitting on a bench with a view of lily pads, when a Japanes man sat near me to practice his English. He loved American movies and music, so asked me about whether I liked Paul Newman, Robert Redford, SteveMcQueen, Dustin Hoffman, Faye Dunaway. When I nodded, he sang old songs, by Judy Collins and the Monkees and Neil Diamond and again, when I agreed to enjoying ht e songs, he became more and more animated and excited. When I asked if he knew where the conference center was, he took me in the opposite direction, asked at the student international office, and walked back with me to the Nanotechnology conference at the university convention center. We all decided that the Sapporo Convention Center was likely the location of the Neuroethology conference, so I left my friendly movie lover behind and walked back to Odori Park. Again, the crowds were drinking their beer and eaten snack food.

Japanese here love their beer. My Japanese friend told me that normally he is very shy, but had been drinking beer with his buddy before talking to me, and the beer had loosened his tongue and he dared to speak his broken English with me, all of which he had learned by watching movies. There are dozens and dozens of restaurants and bars everywhere here, and people seem particularly relaxed and comfortable. I read that many Japanese leave the big cities to start new lives here, so the population appears young and energetic, but the energy is relaxed and fun loving.

I like that everyone is polite, says hello, goodbye, thank you multiple times, and that everyone bows in respect. I like that life feels very organized, that the streets are numbered and make sense, and I can find things on the map. I am confused that there is not more English signage, and am lost when I try to read instructions or explanations at the museums. They must not have many foreign tourists, otherwise there would be more translations. At Akarenga and the art festival exhibitions, there were English version instructions, which I was thankful for. They appear to be very keen on documenting everything.

I believe I have seen what is to be seen here in Sapporo. I wonder what my mother and sister did here for the six months that they lived here. My mother came home with all sorts of Japanese dishes and recipes and for a while delighted in cooking Japanese, but not for long. There is a shrine outside the city, so I will try and find my way there tomorrow. There are hot springs all over the island, so if it is easy to travel to an 'onsen', that may be a good option. 

Travel Day

Sleeping on the floor has turned out to be more comfortable than expected. After our dinner last night, an attendant came by to move our table and chairs aside and replace them with our futon beds, covered with fluffy thin comforters. The lights from the shrine shone into our room and this morning bells woke us up early. We had planned to visit the shrine before heading to the airport, which was a good choice. The grounds were empty of visitors, and the priests were just starting their days as we wandered through the grounds. There were several shrines and buildings devoted to many different divinities and people, but most of the signs were in Japanese and incomprehensible. It did not matter that I understood nothing. We admired the carvings and the statues, tried to make sense of what we were seeing, and for me, I finally felt the peace and serenity of what I imagine a religious place ought to evoke. When I return to Japan, I will try to visit temples first thing in the morning before the crowds descend. 

I was loathe to return to the intense activity of the train station, and delayed as long as I could at the shrine. I am relieved that it is so easy to find our trains and reach our destination. Although signs are generally in Japanese and one must depend on limited information, and even more limited English, we have always found our way with no mishaps. Narita airport was a short 15 minutes away, we arrived in time to get on our Australian based low cost carrier, found a snack for breakfast, and were on our way to Sapporo. 

The airport at Sapporo is attached to a shopping mall, and after finding the most expensive coffee we have had so far in Japan (and excellent coffee too), we circled the many restaurants with their plastic food presentations. After a while, the plastic looked less and less appetizing, so that by the time we decided what to eat, we were starving. Eric thought the city was an hour and a half away, so it was prudent to eat before embarking on our next train ride. The journey was actually only 35 minutes between the new Chistose airport and the centre of Sapporo. Using google maps to find our hotel, we decided to walk instead of take the subway, and found ourselves quite lost before a kind man stopped on his bike and redirected us back five blocks to our hotel. The hotel room was a disappointment, but less expensive than the alternatives. 

Eric left for his meeting, so I wandered around the area. Odori park is a long 20 block green space filled with beer gardens during the summer. Sapporo is known for its breweries, and it appears that beer is the preferred drink. Tables were full, with massive beer dispensers at one end, and large beer glasses kept full. Food was basic snack fare, with lots of sausages and fried food. Children were everywhere. I expected to see more elderly people in Japan (statistics show 23% over 65) but am struck by the number of little children as well as schoolchildren in their pert uniforms. 

At one end of the Odori park is an Eiffel like metal tower. It is possible to ascend for a view of the city, but instead, I listened to jazz from a huge tent. It is the end of a month long jazz festival happening in Sapporo, along with an 'international art festival' all over the city. At the other end of the park, after a huge tent featuring 'Fransikaner Weissbier' and Oktoberfest representations, there is  a garden with half planted with roses popular in Germany, since Munich is  a sister city, and the other half with roses loved by Americans, since Portland is another sister city to Sapporo.  The old court house after the rose garden was closed, but houses exhibitions all year long.

From Odori park, I walked on through the neon lights of the shopping district and into the red light district, which is full of bars, karaoke establishments, pachinko parlours, restaurants, souvenir shops,  and hidden corners. The streets were crowded with shoppers, generally a young crowd, many purchasing groceries in the many shops in an open covered mall stretching across many streets. I felt overstimulated with all the colours, lights, neon, activity, and people in droves. Later I met Eric and we found 'ramen alley', where a long queue had accumulated in front of the Yochoko establishment. The alley was chock full of tiny ramen shops, some with only a few seats, with men mostly slurping up their noodles. We chose an empty place, and absolutely enjoyed our choice of ramen noodles with hot sauce. Sapporo is known for its ramen, soup curry, crab, the best fish in Japan, and a lamb dish named after Genghis Khan. Food is reputed to be especially good in Sapporo.

The streets were still full of revelers when we left at midnight. It is Monday night! This is a young town, and very much more relaxed than Tokyo or Kyoto. I am looking forward to more adventures tomorrow.

Fushi-Inari,-Taisha Narita

Divyam was determined to have us out of his house on time this morning. I was relieved not to have a visit from 'Georgette' the spider during my shower, and was ready to leave when the taxis, which always come early and never late, were at the door. It was a hurried goodbye to Emily, Robert and Nathan, who were off to Nara for a visit. They were moving to a hotel over Kyoto station, a modern behemoth in this very ancient city. In fact, there is  a very modern part of Kyoto we never did see, and a happening art scene as well, including  a modern art museum, all of which we have left for our next visit. We had all had enough of Yonbanchi and our imperious host. I missed most of his offensiveness in the morning, when both Eric and Emily were up early and listening to him pontificating. By the time I arrived for our breakfast of fruit (one morning it was delicious grapefruit with honey oh so delicious), toast and cups of thin coffee like but not quite right, which was not at all Japanese style breakfast, but so be it, Divyam was calmed down and reasonable. But Eric tells me that he was very particular about our plans, and perhaps disappointed that we did not follow through with his instructions. He was ambitious for us, and I like that, but he heat made it impossible to accomplish what we otherwise would have.

It was to be a rainy day, and by the time we dropped off our luggage at the baggage storage area, it was raining intensely. The post office next to the modern train station had an ATM open for visitors, but we were misdirected and ran through the rain looking for it for some time. The rain was more and more intense after our seven minute train ride to Fushi-Inari, and I was thankful for our umbrella which had worked thus far to shade us from the searing rays of the sun. It was Sunday and the shrine was packed with people, but as we ascended further and further up the mountain under the orange arches, the crowds began to thin and the air became fresher. The rain came and went, but it was altogether a very wet experience. In fact, the heat was easier than trying to stay dry and keep my camera from getting wet.

The experience was marvelous anyway. All the way up the mountain are red-orange arches, or torii, each  dedicated by a business or entity or family. The shrine complex is dedicated to the gods of rice and sake.
train to Inari 5 min
Inari shrine walk
train to tokyo
train to Narita
ryokan
kaiseki dinner
tatami
view over shrine
bed

Hot hot hot

Divyam is a Frenchman married to Yasuko, his Japanese wife. He tells us he was once a commodities trader, but had lived in Japan for 35 years and feels that the best parts of Japan are the food and the baths. We have a public bath near the house, with a ladies' and men's section, and it is open until 11 at night, but with the heat, I am not inclined to bathe in hot water. He claims there is a cooler bath as well, and that there is a sauna that is 95 degrees celsius, which I do not believe. I think he is disappointed that we do not bathe in the public baths, but I prefer a cool shower in the morning. He also seems disappointed that we do not follow his directions to the letter. He had high hopes for us the first day when he sent us to the silver pavilion, but the restaurant he referred us to was closed and we saw just the one temple. I would have been happy to see more temples and shrines, but temples close by 5 and we did see a shrine or two, but the heat was simply too much for us the past two days. It was again intolerable today.

The bus ride to Arashiyama was 45 minutes, out to the western side of Kyoto. Tenruji temple was first on our agenda. Eric wanted to spend longer in the temple admiring the pond and rock formations, but there were too many other visitors, and one has to have great skill to shut out the crowds and find the peace one might discover if successful. I found the Zen lunch we had on the temple grounds more enjoyable. We had a room to ourselves, and sat cross-legged on the tatami mats, and were served an entirely vegetarian Zen meal, designed by the local priest at the temple. The various foods were meant to blend together nutritionally and meditatively. I thought they were delicious, although I had no idea what many of the choices were. There was a soft tofu combination, pickled vegetables, an eggplant concoction which was delicious, but I don't know what was in it, a chrysanthemum salad, rice, and more vegetables, soup, and melon for dessert. It was surprisingly filling and satisfying.

Leaving our wonderful meal, which happened to be in a cool and comfortable place, plunged us back into the stifling heat, less humid than yesterday, but higher in temperature. Nathan had eaten little of our Zen meal, so was cooling off with ice cream. Our next destination was the bamboo forest behind the temple, and for a while, under the shade of the high bamboo stalks, we were cool and happy, but unfortunately we decided to go to the monkey forest, which turned out to be much further than imagined. We have learned that our maps are not always to scale, and each time we search for something, we find that the distances are much further than anticipated. We followed an indirect course, and the heat became unbearable. Finally, when reaching the river, and realizing that the monkeys were much further than we hoped, we turned around and sought out shade and cool drinks.

Finding our bus back took more effort and time, so when finally close to Gion, where we had a planned dinner at a restaurant with a friend of Emily, we decided to find shelter from the heat in the Kyoto handicraft Center, where we shopped, cooled off, relaxed, and were able to reconstitute for another bus ride to the Gion shrine. We were able to find our restaurant very quickly with google maps. The signs in front of the restaurants are all in Japanese and often it is not clear what are restaurants and what are not. We entered a chocolate shop on the way. I was hoping again for a glimpse of a geisha, but no luck tonight.

Dinner was again delicious. Eric and I shared again, and had again soft tofu, soup which was not typical miso soup, sashimi, rice, fried/battered fish, grilled fish, pickled vegetables, and green tea ice-cream and bean jelly for dessert. I found everything tasty and interesting, and also found that sharing a meal was more than satisfying for both of us. The colours, the tastes, the combinations, the sauces; everything was so very good. Emily's friend Tomoko had studied with Emily in Baltimore, her husband had studied biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins as well, and had recently started a job as a professor in Nara. Tomoko was working in Tokyo, so they have a long distance relationship and travel back and forth between the two places. It seems that they both miss Baltimore. They were wonderful hosts, and ordered sake as well. I am not a beer drinker and am happy to cool off with water, but the sake was excellent.

We took the bus back to the BnB, not wanting another messy taxi ride, and it was easy and straightforward. We found that the buses with many tourists have both signs in English and explanations in English, while the routes traveled by locals, may or may not have the English version announced, but always have it written under the Japanese written announcement. Within a few days, I imagine that bus travel throughout the town would be easy. When I came here 40 years ago, I do not remember ANY English signs at all. I was surrounded by Japanese everywhere, and had to learn to understand very quickly to survive. This time, I am finding everything so well organized and straightforward, and I appreciate that.

Our time in Kyoto is too short. There is so much more to see and do, and we have not had the time and the heat has limited us significantly. I must return, but not in the heat of summer, and with Maya and Tara.

Temples and Shrines

Kyoto is bigger and busier than I remember, but it retains its charm in many of its corners. I like particularly the area that we are staying in, close to the silver pavilion, the philospher's path and the shrine close by. The streets are narrow and curved and many old houses, or at least houses ethat look old and unchanged grace both sides of the road. Our BnB owner suggests we visit he flea market at a nearby shrine, so our morning was devoted to piles of old kimonos and dishes that appeared to have been stored at the bottom of a chest for a very long time. The smell was unmistakable. I liked the shrine and felt relieved to buy an umbrella for protection from the sun. It was 95 degrees with 99 percent humidity; I am not sure I have ever been in such an uncomfortable environment, and that altered our experience here in Kyoto today. Just walking through the flea market and sticking to the shady sections or under the umbrella was exhausting before we even ventured further to the temples.

We had taken a bus to the flea market, which was not far from the golden pavilion. The bus system in Kyoto is excellent, and best of all, the buses are air conditioned and not too crowded, so getting on the bus meant cooling off for a bit, and sitting down for a rest from the sweltering conditions outside. The golden pavilion was more golden than I remember, astonishing after the contrast with the silver pavilion which was not at all silver (the owner of the pavilion had never gotten around to covering it with silver as he had planned). I don't believe the golden pavilion was supposed to be gold all over; perhaps only the top floor was originally gold, but after begin burned down and destroyed more than once, each time it was rebuilt, more gold was used. We were unable to enter the structure, so satisfied ourselves with the view across the pond. The gardens were lovely, and the perfect place to linger, except that we were boiling in the heat and eager to be cool.

Being cool was soon more important than any monument or experience. The bus to the Kyoto Imperial Palace was a few stops of relief. We could not get into the palace; the 'Imperial Household Agency' had room for guests only on Monday, so Emily made an appt with her family (we would be gone by Monday). We walked around the grounds for a short while, but again the heat interfered with our enjoyment. We were not too far from the Textile museum and shops, so took a short bus ride to get there. We paid 500 yen for an all day bus ticket, which is a great deal, and we took advantage of it, not only for transportation, but also for relief from the stifling weather. A kimono fashion show was happening as we arrived at the museum, with Japanese tourists snapping away throughout the display. The museum was less a museum, and more a shop with genuine Japanese products (not Chinese!) and expensive; kimonos, ukatas, bags of all sizes and shapes, and every which way textiles can be used. I did buy a few items, but prices were high.

I was eager to see more temples, and was hopeful that we could manage one more as the sun was setting. I remember how stunning Kiyomizu-dera had been when I visited many years ago, so we rushed onto a bus to the temple; it was far away from the palace, and we had little time to enjoy the temple, but it was impressive and beautiful and we had a lovely view of Kyoto from our position a little higher on the eastern foothills. Kyoto is surrounded by hills (mountains?) and most of the shrines and temples are located a little higher than the town. Because it was so late in the day, the crowds were thinning, and we could enjoy the temple with less competition, although we were rushed through as 6 PM neared. The main hall of the Buddhist temple has a huge verandah supported by pillars and juts out precariously over the hillside. Eric drank the sacred water from the waterfall nearby, so presumably his health will improve!

The area walking down from the temple was charming and entertaining. The streets are lined with old wooden houses, shops, restaurants, teahouses, and cafes, which are a bit hidden and have to be searched for. There is a secret side of Japan that forces one to look harder and check more. Nothing is all that obvious, especially if one does not speak Japanese. A huge pagoda suddenly appeared before us, shining red from the descending sun, called Yasaka-jinja ( same name as the shrine in Gion). The walk from Kiyomizu to Gion felt like quintessential Japan, and I would have been happy to explore more (more temples, more shrines, more statues, more surprises), but my appetite for this sort of thing is insatiable. We took taxis to Pontocho, an area in Gion next to the river where the restaurants have terraces for outside dining. We were unable to find a restaurant with room on the terrace, so found instead a traditional establishment with a very limited English menu. The Japanese one was pages and pages, but with no one to translate for us, we were obliged to try the several course meals offered. Eric and I shared a 5500 yen menu, which was the least expensive offered. There was an 8500 and a 12,000 yen choice as well. Every course was delightful, just a little taste, with pickled vegetables, soft tofu, soup, sashimi, fried fish, grilled fish, and fruit for dessert. It was more than enough for Eric and I. Emily chose the larger version, and had a meat dish and a few other courses, which she could not eat because she is allergic to shellfish. I thought the food was delicious, and was happy to try the more refined sort of Japanese food, after having had soba noodles with tofu, tempura with rice, tempura with noodles etc a few times too many. I was surprised how filling the food was, even though it appeared to be small amounts of food. Eric and I were entirely satisfied.

Afterward, while walking through the streets of Gion, I was determined to find mochi ice cream. Unfortunately, we did not find what we were looking for. I did see a geisha in her white face makeup and long obi, but she shuffled by so quickly that I had no time to take out my camera. I hoped to see more, but it was hot and sticky (how does the makeup stay on anyway?) and we all decided to take a cab back to our undocumented bed and breakfast.

Our taxi followed Emily's taxi, but we were all lost near our shrine. 'Shinnyo-do otera seimon mae' (in front of the Shinnyo-to temple', but our cab driver was focussed on following rather than leading and finally, after taking a narrow road up further than the entrance of the temple, both drivers stopped, asked a bike rider where we were and how to get to where we were going. They all discussed this for fifteen minutes outside of the cabs, utilizing 300 yen or so to have this discussion, and then turned around and went to the bottom of the hill to our BnB. Whew. The BnB was quiet and as hot inside as outside, but thankfully, with some AC, we were soon comfortable. No one would take a shower at night because of the presence of 'Georgette', our resident spider, who apparently, according to Divyam, our BnB owner, is a pet and kills mosquitoes. So back to our tatami rooms and our double futons on the floor with our AC on, cooling off from a another stifling hot day, with no chance for cooling off tomorrow.

I think if it was 10 degrees cooler, we would be perfectly happy.

Shinkansen to Kyoto

I spent a month in Kyoto when I was a teenager, and I remember being awed daily. We took the bullet train this morning, after having a 'New York' breakfast with cappuccino, croissants and baguettes. The trains are exactly on time, and at 10:40, we were off. The train station was full of men in white button down shirts moving in streams up and down escalators (standing on the left side, moving on the right) and through hallways. We joined the throngs and found our train and were in Kyoto in two and a half hours.

Our BnB is near the start of the Philosopher's path, so we were surprised that we could actually find it and our 160 year old shogun office/house and our host, Divyam, who is actually from Paris originally. He had much advice to give us, but we got off track pretty soon after we started. The restaurant he advised us to eat at was closed at 3 PM, so we found an alternative and had Udon noodles for lunch. We were able to enter the Silver Pavilion temple nearby and walk through the gardens and look at the buildings.

We wandered along the canal and admired the temples from the outside, since they were all closed later in the day, and visited the shrines that were open. We piled into a taxi to get to Gion to admire the massive shrine there. People were waiting for the parade and the festival. We could not find the restaurant we were looking for, since all the signs were in Japanese and no one really speaks any English. We were able to watch the parade on the way to the shrine and ultimately find our way back to our temple and our tatami mats for the night. Whew.

It was 95 degrees and 90 percent humidity, with a little breeze on occasion to make it tolerable. Very much more humid than anything I have experienced.

Kyoto is lovely, unchanged for a few hundred years, ancient, full of temples and shrines and palaces and women in kimonos and wooden shoes. A good place to be quiet and reflective.

Japan After Forty Years

I came to Japan forty years ago for a long summer and was certain that I would return time and time again, but it has taken much much longer to get back. Much has changed in forty years. Booms and busts have come and gone, and Japan has expanded and receded more than once.

I flew into Haneda airport this time, and it was uncomplicated to find the train and get to Shinagawa Station and walk the five minutes to my hotel. There were signs and announcements in English this time, and machines communicated multilingually as well. The people I asked questions of did not speak English, and I could neither express myself in a way they understood, nor did they offer me any words I could understand.

Men wore white shirts and dark pants, so at rush hour, I saw a sea of white upper and dark lower figures, crossing the streets in rushes. The women sometimes wore colourful attire, and there were many more women on the streets than I remember, although 40 years ago, many wore traditional dress, especially in Kyoto, but this time, amongst the sea of humanity I encountered today, I saw one kimono.

The massive city of Tokyo feels like a village. People are coming to and from work, going to restaurants and the pachinko parlour, meeting friends, rolling up their shirtsleeves, flirting with women, appearing to enjoy their lives. We met our friends Emily and Robert and Nathan, and met at an okonomiyaki restaurant past the train station, past the outdoor food stalls and into a concrete tall building, where we sat in a line for an hour waiting for a table. The pancakes have vegetables, noodles, all sorts of seafood and meats, and are place half cooked on a grill in the middle of the table to continue cooking. I burnt my whole mouth while tasting a piece. Chopsticks were a challenge, but no other cutlery was available.

My day started in the afternoon after finding my hotel and cleaning up after a long flight. I am expecting horrible jet lag, but am feeling fine so far. I found a great place for cappuccino in the middle of the day. That would not have been possible 40 years ago. In fact, while walking to dinner, I saw a Denny's, a Dean and Deluca, Sarabeth's bakery, in fact it was a mini New York. I tried to get internet at a Starbucks but left when it turned out that I needed a relationship with a Japanese phone company to get free wifi.

Getting to the Tokyo National Museum was easy, although much farther than expected, reminding me that the city is MASSIVE. It was a good way to start my short visit to Japan, with an overview of the history of cultures that settled in Japan from neolithic times. It was a totally manageable experience in that the curator was selective in showing us what he felt was representative of the country, and I was not exhausted after two hours of artifacts. The objects were all beautiful and refined and reminded me of my impressions of Japan so long ago.

I do not remember it being so hot and humid. It will be 99 degrees tomorrow when we are in Kyoto. We will stay at a BnB without air conditioning. We are trying to live like the natives, which I what I did so many years, when I stayed with Japanese families in their homes, one in the country with an old grandmother, and the other in Kyoto in a very traditional home. I was not particularly exposed to the more modern part of Japan at the time, but it appears that the buildings I see are 1980s and 1990s, from the boom times. Tokyo in the mid seventies was just as spread out, but not as tall.

So far this is feeling good. I loved everything about Japan during my visit as a teenage; so far this place is giving me a good feeling.