Touring Tokyo

Tokyo, the big city of big cities. A simple perusal of a Tokyo guidebook quickly reveals that there is enough to do here to keep you busy for years. We had one day, and not even a whole day! There are no historical sites in Tokyo as the city was mostly destroyed during World War II. I chose to follow the Asakusa walk outlined in the Frommer's guidebook because according to the book, it feels the most historical.
We started at the Kaminarimon Gate, with a 100 kg (220 lbs) lantern hanging in the middle. (I wish we could see it lit!) It also had two statues inside representing the gods of thunder and wind, which are supposed to be ready to protect the deity in the temple beyond. They, like all other statues inside gates around Japan, were enclosed in mesh, making it difficult to get a decent picture. You can almost see them in the picture, flanking the lantern.

We strolled down the Nakamise Dori, which is a packed pedestrain street lined with souvenir and sweet shops. According to the book, record show there have been vendors here since the late 17th century, so I guess this really is the historical side of Tokyo!


We walked through all the people and peeped in a few shops, passed a five story pagoda to reach the real highlight of this walking tour. At the end of Nakamise Dori is Sensoji Temple, the oldest in Tokyo. After passing through another gate (Hozomon), we see that the temple is completely enclosed. Apparently they are doing some long term work on it. Very disappointing. We went inside and the shrine was very pretty, although it was surrounded by mesh as well, which doesn't allow for good photos. The ceiling was beautifully painted, but as the light was dim inside it also did not photograph well.
Hozomon Gate with the temple incense burner; people are 'washing' themselves in the smoke to purify themselves.

Inside Sensoji Temple.

There was a very small, picturesque garden with some shrines next to the temple that was also very lovely. And that was the end of our Asakusa walking tour. As I had expected this to take a few hours longer, this was wonderful news because it meant we could see more! So we plotted a course for Ueno Park, full of things to do and see. I wanted to go to the zoo here because it was supposed to have a giant panda, one of the few zoos in the world to possess one. When we got to the zoo there were several signs that said "We DO NOT have a giant panda." (She died two years ago.) I was very disappointed, again. But we had to go because the girls knew we were at the zoo and were clamoring to go in. Tip: if in Tokyo do not waste your time here! It's a very small zoo and when we were there most of the animals weren't even out because they were cleaning their pens. (Aren't they supposed to do that when they don't have paying customers?) I had to content myself with a mediocre view of a red panda and a picture with a plastic giant panda.

After our visit to the zoo was over, we strolled around Ueno Park some more. It's a very big park. We came across what I now know is the Toshogu Shrine, erected in 1651 in honor of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the man who made Edo (Tokyo) the seat of government, thus setting in motion its history. The shrine itself was closed when we were there, which is a pity; it has cool stuff inside! But we did walk along the copper lantern lined path. There are 50 lanterns, each donated by daimyo (feudal lords) from around Japan.

In this area there was also a Hiroshima memorial. There is a flame burning on it that is supposed to have been taken from the ashes of Hiroshima and kept burning ever since. In the beginning it was kept as a symbol of the desire for revenge, now it is meant to represent the desire for peace. In Japan they make paper chains to place instead of using flowers. You can see these hanging on the sides.

We didn't have time to go to the peace memorial in Hiroshima, though I really wanted too. It seems almost sacrilegious in a way to be American and not go pay your respects at Hiroshima!
After this we got on a paddle boat and went around the lake, admiring the cherry blossoms some more and laughing at a cat. I don't want to say we were laughing at the people who owned the cat, but this cat (fur covered I assume) was dressed in a baby parka, had a stroller, and was being hand fed. They were taking pictures of the cat with the blossoms. (Americans are not the only people obsessed with their pets.) I don't know, maybe it was a show winning cat?

Next stop was dinner and the hotel, but first I couldn't resist the free observation tower so close to our hotel! Tokyo really is a big city!

And that's the end! We did spend one more day in Tokyo, but it was dedicated to DisneySea. We chose DisneySea because it is unique to Japan. I'm glad we went, but it's kind of a rip off. There are very few rides and shows; it's mostly souvenir shops and restaraunts, and they don't use the FastPass system adequately. I was disappointed, but the girls had a blast and that is why we went.

Japan: Hakone

Hakone, the rural side of our trip. I had high hopes for Hakone and I must say I was a little disappointed, I think partly though because we didn't have the time to spend here that is necessary to enjoy the area. It took us most of the day to travel from Osaka to Hakone, so day number five was frittered away on train, bus, and foot, but it was a chance to relax. We stayed in a ryokan here, which is a traditional Japanese inn similar to a bed and breakfast, but they also serve dinner. Ryokans were first established in the 1600s to accomodate the feudal lords who had to travel to the capital every 2 years and always had their full entourage with them. They have continued on and are today primarily a 'cultural experience'. You sleep on a futon (pallet) on the floor, eat meals at a set time. There are different ryokans with different rules, some are very strict and others will not take foreign guests at all. At some they will come make up your bed at a certain time and come back in the morning to put it away, you don't decide the times! At ours we had to make our own beds and we got to choose a time from a list for dinner and breakfast.

our room; see the futons?

Many traditional hotels and all ryokans also have public hot baths; the ryokan we were at also had a natural mineral spring outside. I decided this would be the perfect opportunity to engage what is deemed a must-do activity in Japan. So I put on my hakata and grab my towel and walk down. I have to admit it is a little strange to walk outside at your hotel in nothing but a long thin robe, especially when it's about 50 degrees outside! I figure out which is the ladies bath, enter, and place all my things in the basket. You wash off before entering the tub, since it is a communal tub. They provide dispenser soap for this. At first I got in the hot tub inside, then decided I should really go all out and use the spring outside. It was awesome! Very picturesque. A stone lantern, plants, a cobbled stone tub; constantly running, hot soothing mineral water, all in the frigid air. There was a privacy fence all around and a roof over most of the area. I really did enjoy it. Now I know why they call it a must-do. The water was so hot that I could only stand to stay in for about 10 minutes, so I would get out and stand in the cold air to cool off and then get back in. Fantastic!

At breakfast the next morning they put our plate in front of us and Matt looked at me. There was a fish on it, completely cooked, but a whole fish. Rice and a poached egg accompanied this to be mixed together, along with tofu and some vegetables and other things I don't know. In Japan they do not have specified breakfast foods like Americans do. They eat pretty much the same thing at each meal. (They do this in Korea too and from what I gather it's typically left over dinner foods.) So fish for breakfast. The rest of my family was not impressed with this. Matt swore the egg was duck egg and wouldn't eat it for some reason. I thought it was really good! I adapted well and ate everyone's fish that morning. (On morning number two we had the best salmon I've ever eaten, and once again I got to eat everyone's!)

After I consumed breakfast and everyone else finished grumbling, we set out for a day of landscape viewing. The biggest attraction here is Fuji San. Hakone is where you go when you want to see Fuji, but not hike Fuji. I would love to hike Fuji, but while the trail is not supposed to be difficult, it is very long. With a 4 year old and 2 year old this is impossible. After deciding on a plan of action for the day and figuring out the bus situation (which was challenging), we arrived at the ropeway and embarked. This was the disappointing part. The landscape views were not what I had expected. Why I had certain expectations I can't say, but this was not it. We did see some steam escaping from someplace and when we got to the first 'checkpoint' on the ropeway route we got out to investigate. It is called Owakudani, which mean "great boiling valley". Here's why:

It's pretty cool to steam and snow in the same place! I thought at first it may be a hot springs hot spot, but no. These are sulfur vents, though there are some hot springs around. You can buy and consume eggs boiled in the sulfur water (the shells turn black) which are supposed to add longevity to your life; eating more than 2 1/2 is taboo. We didn't do this. You had to hike out a little way too it and we chose to be happy with our photos and continue on.

You can clearly see the sulfur, and it does indeed smell like rotten eggs!

After this stop we continued on the ropeway and ended up in Sounzan, a quaint little town that feels far more European than Japanese, although this is on purpose. We walked around a bit but there's not much to tell here. I wanted to go to the Hakone Open-Air museum, which showcases sculptures outside, but it is very large and we didn't have the time to spend here and do the other things we wanted to do, although now I really wish we had gone!

We went back over the ropeway to board the kitschy pirate ship replica that ferries you across Lake Ashi. It was kind of neat. Carrie thought the plastic pirates were cool, although I'm not really sure how she knows what pirates are!

Lake Ashi

We arrived at the other side and disembarked in another quaint village and looked around a bit. Mostly souvenir shops around. All I got was this picture, but I like it!

Not much to say about this place either. I believe it's mostly a tourist resort area. We were hoping to get a better view of Fuji here since our first view of Fuji was obscure at best.

That bright white spot in the center is all of Fuji San we got to see. They say that winter is the best time to see it, when the skies are clearer, but I don't know that I 'd want to stay here in winter; April was pretty chilly!

Himeji Castle

Day number four, and we were still going strong! We chose to venture out again this day, this time to Himeji, home of the aptly named Himeji Castle. This time we were travelling via the Shinkansen, the famous bullet train. They post the speed every so often on the marquee sign and I think the fastest we got was about 180 miles per hour. It's such a smooth ride and a clean train! After arriving at the train station and getting our bearings, we started walking to the castle. The castle is set high up on a hill; I'm not sure if it was a natural or man-made hill. It really is quite a sight to see the 'white heron' (as they've nicknamed it) perched up over the city, surrounded by the cherry blossoms. When we walked across the moat and through the gate there were a couple hundred people enjoying their hanami and bento under the cherry trees on the castle grounds. It's a great thing to see so many people enjoying the simple beauty of nature, although the castle in the background does give an added touch!

Himeji Castle

hanami

The castle was originally built in 1346 and the last restoration was completed in 1964. They are currently beginning more restoration work on the roof and closed the castle 6 days later; we got there just in time! We waited in line for a while to enter the castle, snapping pictures from time to time! They made us remove our shoes before entering and place them in plastic bag to carry with us. The inside of the castle was supposed to be reconstructed as it was back in the day. It was five levels, each progressively smaller than the last. The outside of the castle seems so big, but once inside you wonder where all the space is. Maybe hidden samurai rooms? Each level has a central part with a raised platform, and a surrounding walk area (that's the best way I can describe it). On each level there were racks all around the top of the wall for storing weapons, and places for samurai and other soldiers to sit and/or hide.

After viewing the castle we went to Koko-en, a recently established set of 9 gardens modeled after what would have existed during the period of the castle. Koko-en is set on the land where the Himeji samurai once lived. We had to rush through here so I didn't get to enjoy it like it should have been enjoyed!

After our walk/run through Koko-en we went over to the museum. There were no English explanations on anything, but I think what we saw was a history of the Himeji area, and a display of how they renovated the castle and the original walls, structure, etc. The girls had a bit of fun playing in the kids area which had Japanese games from back in the day.

I think these were supposed to be the original roof ornaments.

It turned out to be a very long day, but a very good one. The castle was great, and so was everything else around it. I can't believe we got to see such fantastic things, and still more days to go!

Japan: Here & There

Osaka Castle

After all the time consuming travel of the previous day, we decided to see something a little closer. Our hotel was in Osaka, and after looking through an Osaka tourist guide we decided to go to Osaka Castle. It was originally built in the 1580s, but the present structure we saw was built in 1931. The inside is a museum chronicling life during the castle's time that I honestly found mostly boring. There were a few interesting historical pieces in there, but they wouldn't allow you to take pictures. The surrounding grounds, including the moat, are fairly large and very park-like. It was really pretty, and of course the cherry blossoms were everywhere!

the outer moat with guard tower (Rokuban Turret)

The picture above shows the original wall with enormous stones that are specially noted on a sign. The tree in front is not a little bush! I believe there are eleven large stones, the smallest weighing an estimated 40 tons and the largest 130 tons. Imagine moving those around back in the 1500s! This is the Ote-mon Gate with earthen walls. It is the original gate from 1628, with much restoration of course. If you look closely you can see small holes near the top of the earthen walls. As you can guess these were used for defense purposes.

another view of Osaka Castle

After finishing our look-see here we walked to the train station and passed a beautiful little area with several trees in bloom. They were a different variety of cherry blossoms than the ones that are everywhere in Japan. They were gorgeous! I couldn't resist some pictures.

We meandered to the train staion and got onboard for Nara, a small city with a great park packed with historical buildings. Our walk took us past a small 3 storied pagoda, Sanju no to, reconstructed at some point in the 13th century, during the Kamakura period. (That's how they dated it!) We also passed Hokuen-do hall, original in 721 & reconstructed in 1210, along with many more cherry blossoms!

The next stop was the five storied pagoda, Goju no To. It is the second tallest in Japan. (The closest we got to the tallest was a view from the observatory in Kyoto.) Goju-no-to was initially built in 730; this is a reconstruction built in 1426. (Side note: It amazes me when I see things that are so much older than the entire history of my country and I pause to think about how great my country has become on the world stage in such a short amount of time!) The pagoda is part of the Kofukuji Temple complex. The three storied pagoda and hall above are also part of this complex. There is another hall next to the five storied pagoda, Tokon-do, housing some Buddhist statues. We did not pay to go in because it looked like every other Buddhist temple we've seen in Korea. (You could see into the building from outside the fence.) Tokon-do Hall was reconstructed on the original foundations during the 15th century. We visited the small museum/"treasure hall" nearby which displays hundred years old statues of Buddhist significance and artistic significance. (Part of the collection are several 'guardians' of Buddha, and they all have angry, hideous looking faces. Emily kept saying "I don't like it. Don't want to see it!") They did not allow picture taking in the museum, so I had to content myself with purchasing a photo book, but I can't share it with you.

five-stories pagoda

Tokon-do

This is Nan' en-do, originally built in 813 with the present structure dating from 1741. It is also part of the Kofukuji complex.

We continued on to another part of the park, which is the location of Todai-ji, the world's largest wooden building. This reconstuction from 1709 is said to be actually 30% smaller than the original built sometime in the mid 8th century. Along the way, we stopped to see the tame deer that roam freely all over the park. They are believed to be divine messengers in the Shinto religion.

Todai-ji - compare the people to the building!

inside: the Daibutsu

Japan: The Beginning

I was going to title this day one, but that's not accurate. Day one involved nothing but travel, so I've now summed it up very succinctly! We spent 7 full days in Japan & I don't even feel like I've been! The weather could not have been better if I had been able to set it myself and cherry blossom season makes everything even more beautiful. There are a million things to see and do. We flew into Fukuoka and took the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Osaka. After spending the night in Osaka, we started our sight-seeing in Kyoto with the aide of a Japanese guide for the day. Public transportation! Sigh. This was the frustrating part of our trip. Getting anywhere involved a long process of walking to the subway, mapping out the subway route, finding the correct line, getting to the correct train line, then getting on another subway, then walking to where we wanted to go. This took up much valuable time! But what can you do? You have to get around somehow. Taxis are expensive and not really any faster. So we finally arrive at Kyoto, and just across from the station is Kyoto Tower. We decided to go. No big deal. It's a view of a city.

If you look closely toward the right of the picture, in the center, you can see a pagoda, Toji Pagoda. It is the tallest in Japan. Stretching to the left is the Buddhist complex of Toji.

Cheesy photo op!

After our descent, we subway/walk to the Kyoto Botanical Gardens. Japan in cherry blossom season is two things: busy and beautiful! The cherry trees are scattered around everywhere; I could see them dotting the hillsides as we landed and splattered across the landscape every time we rode the train. They really are fabulous. The Japanese have a tradition called hanami, which is a cherry blossom viewing party/picnic. They buy bento, and eat under the trees. Everywhere we went large blue tarps were spread out by the city for this purpose and were full of people. I wanted to do this at the Gardens, but was denied.

The walk to the Botanical Gardens led us along a path with cherry trees, some of them the weeping cherries which are really pretty also. The gardens were not disappointing! Spring is a grand time to be in in a garden, especially such a cultivated one! Here's a bouquet:

This was also the day we ate our first real sushi, which in America we've always called sashimi. I really liked the eel, but the rest of it was just okay. Too chewy. But I ate sushi...in Japan. Cross that off my 'bucket list'!
Next stop was a major tourist attraction: Kinkakuji, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion. Originally built in 1390s as a retirement villa for a shogun, it was destroyed in a fire in the 1950s and shortly thereafter rebuilt. Before the fire only the roof of the upper levels were covered in gold; when they rebuilt it they covered the entire second and third levels. It is supposed to hold the Buddha's ashes, but if you remember from my trip to Haeinsa Temple in Daegu, the statue there is supposed to hold some of his bones, so who knows? The glitz of the gold building has its visual attraction, but the surrounding pond and gardens were more beautiful to me.

After this it was time to head back to the hotel, which involved the whole walk-taxi-subway-train-subway-walk routine. This became the norm. Dinner was at some random place we walked by and decided to go in. I had some great ramen, eaten with chopsticks, which I have learned is a Chinese dish that has become very popular in Japan, as well as Korea. And here I always thought it was something Americans had thought up to have a cheap knock-off Asian style quick dish! Theirs is much better than our version though!