Tokyo: the 'big one' is overdue

Tokyo

The only thing I was worried about with Tokyo was the earthquakes. Tokyo last had a big earthquake in 1923 and 'the big one' is now long overdue. I checked out the Emergency exit at the hotel and read all the information supplied in our room about 'What to do in an earthquake'. All comforting stuff! I made sure that I had my passport, my money, my ticket home and my compass on me the whole time I was there. I even slept with it right next to the bed at night and kept my clothes handy. Every morning I woke up and was thankful that nothing had happened in the night. Even on the subway I had 'earthquake thoughts', after all the system was probably built since 1923. What would a major quake do to underground tunnels and how would I get out if trapped? Was I just a little bit paranoid? Fortunately nothing happened the whole time I was there, not even the tiniest tremble, so I was quite relieved when my plane took off at the airport.

Our first day in Tokyo was taken up with an all day excursion to Mt Hakone where we were promised a view of Mt Fuji. This area is an old volcanic area where the volcano had burst its top many years before. Now the main vent is a malodorous area belching sulphurous fumes into the atmosphere. We braved the smell and even ate the eggs boiled in the heated pools, as they are meant to add 7 years to your life. We had a good view of Mt Fuji, hidden behind masses of clouds!

On the way back to Tokyo we had a problem with our train tickets. The pleasant inspector gathered them all together and took our guide to task over them. Once back at the station she was kept captive and we had to make our own way back to the hotel. We encountered some cultural confusion. We, of course, wanted to know what the problem was and what we could do to help. Our guide said that it was her 'shame' and we must not ask. She had obviously got something wrong but we weren't allowed to help fix it. We just hoped that she wasn't out of pocket over it.

The next day we hit Tokyo proper and visited the Asakusa district and the main shopping area of the Ginza. This latter district was the heart of Tokyo and the streets were lined with big department stores and all the designer label shops. It was a shopping mecca for clothes and electrical items, although the clothes were all geared to small Japanese sizes. The department stores all had big food sections on their ground floors and this was as good as David Jones's or Fortnum and Mason's. We also had the opportunity to attend one act of a kabuki play in the nearby theatre. People were queuing up outside and it was very popular but I have to confess that I was bored rigid. It was all in Japanese, as you would expect, but the 'action' was very static so once you had admired the costumes and the set there wasn't anything else to hold your interest. I was glad to get out and about again.

The next two days were spent whizzing around Tokyo and seeing the main sights including an Anime parlour, patrons lined up outside a Pachinko bar and the unusual sight of suited businessmen eating burgers at Macdonalds. I can't say that I warmed to Tokyo. It wasn't as busy and frenetic as I had believed and it wasn't as interesting as I expected. I much prefer Kyoto for the shopping and the cultural aspects of Japan. Would I go back to Japan? I would like to see Hokkaido but you would definitely need a smattering of Japanese to be able to successfully travel around the more rural areas by yourself. I definitely would not go if I had to sleep on the floor every night. I like a proper bed and my own bathroom! It was definitely an interesting experience!

Raw fish and futons!

Imperial Villa in Nikko

We reluctantly left Miyajima and had a big day of travel back up Honshu for about 900 kms to the little town of Tsumargo. This was a picturesque place set in rolling hills with very few other tourists. The town was just one main street with lots of old wooden houses selling traditional goods and a few tourist shops. We were even able to sample green tea ice cream! I decided that I wasn't much keen on green tea so opted for chestnut instead.

Our hotel was a family run ryoken that I wasn't that keen on. It was back to the thin futons on the floor, cushions and low tables, and a small communal onsen. I felt as if I was staying in a youth hostel. The walls of our rooms were paper thin (literally!) and the wash basins lined the corridor and were unisex. We had a reasonably ok evening meal with plenty of tofu and raw fish. The only way to eat both of these is to smother them in soya sauce, as they are so bland. Dinner was early so we were finished by 7pm. There was no where to sit in our rooms and only one table and 4 chairs so a group of us sat there whilst others went for a walk in the dark. Then it was back to our rooms for another restless night on the floor. Do you get the feeling that I am not very keen on these ryokens?

Breakfast was a barely adequate affair and I managed to eat some rice, vegies and egg-like tofu but as I still had a couple of breakfast bars left all was well. We headed back to the station for another long day of travel through Honshu. This time to Nagoya, Nagano (where they had the winter Olympics a few years back) and then to Nikko about an hour's journey from Tokyo. Our accommodation was a bit better in Nikko. We still had the traditional rooms and I faced 2 more nights on the floor but at least the rooms had regular bathrooms.

Nikko seemed a bit of a backwater and we had trouble finding a place to eat but finally managed to persuade a restaurant to give us a bowl of noodles. The next day we visited the Imperial Villa, a beautifully built rambling house that was once the home of the Emperor when he stayed in Nikko. In fact the current Emperor, Akihito, stayed here during World War 2. We wandered through the rooms admiring the painted screens and the Axminster carpets. It was interesting to see the type of rooms that royalty actually lived in. It was raining outside but we peered through the windows at the beautifully laid out gardens. The gardens have probably been a highlight of my trip. Whether it is a park, a shrine or temple or a villa the grounds are always gorgeous. That evening we enjoyed sukiyaki at the hotel's restaurant, which had been closed the evening before.

The best ryoken in Japan

traditional flute player

From Hiroshima we travelled to the island of Miyajima just off the coast. It is famous for its little cakes baked in the shape of a maple leaf and for its oysters. We had both as we made our way up the main street. The island is also famous for having one of Japan's three 'best views,' that of the floating Tori gate against the backdrop of the island's highest peak, Mt Misen. It was an ok view to me but as the tide was quite low I don't suppose we saw it as its best. Nearby was the Itsukushima Shrine that dated from the 6th century and once had holy status. I found it interesting for its large collection of decorative sake barrels.

Our stay on the island was most memorable for the absolutely top class ryoken we stayed in. It was set amongst a beautiful landscape and, although very traditional, it catered for western tastes. We had low seats with backs in our rooms, a private onsen and were given proper height tables and chairs at dinner. It made so much difference to our level of enjoyment. We had a fantastic evening meal. I didn't recognise much of what we ate but it was very enjoyable, although I did battle trying to eat a little fish complete with head and tail with a pair of chopsticks! After the meal we went for a walk around the grounds, which were subtly lit up with low spotlights. We watched in fascination as some of the hotel staff washed the flat rocks by the little stream. A very pleasant Japanese fellow in traditional dress struck up a conversation with me and told me that he was here to play his traditional flute for a VIP that was coming along soon. Needless to say I stuck around and was treated to the sounds of an ancient Japanese melody floating through the night air. I don't know who the VIP was but he came along flanked by his acolytes and took a few photos of the flautist on his mobile phone. It really made for a great evening and was marred only by the knowledge that once back in our room the futons would be laid out on the floor. These futons were thankfully thicker than those at the temple but still not thick enough and I endured another difficult night!

Hiroshima

Hiroshima after the bomb

Peace Park today

We arrived in Hiroshima aboard the shinkansen. Our was a MAX - multi Amenities Xpress - with toilets, telephones, vending machines and tea ladies pushing a trolley up and down the aisles. It was also supremely comfortable with lots of leg room, surprising since the Japanese are so much shorter than westerners. Our hotel also had proper beds, lovely pillows and a private bathroom! It was right next to the station so we were soon out and about looking for a restaurant that sold 'hiroshimayaki', a local vegetable pie that is a speciality of the region. We found it in a restaurant underneath the station and sat down at a table complete with hot plate. The chef soon put our pies together and brought them to cook on the hotplate. I had 'special yaki' which was a vegetable pie with seafood.

 The next day we were set for some sombre sightseeing to the Hiroshima Peace Park. Hiroshima, of course, was the city upon which the world's first atomic bomb was dropped on August 6th 1945. Our first stop was the Peace Dome. I had been under the impression that this was the museum housing the Hiroshima exhibits but I was wrong. The Peace Dome is the black and scarred skeleton of one of the few buildings to remain standing after the blast levelled the city. It was made of concrete and so survived. It has been retained together with its backened and scorched walls as a permanent reminder of what happened here. It was amazing that it did survive as it stood alongside the bridge over the river that the bomb exploded above.

We walked through the Peace Park past the eternal peace flame to the Peace Bell, which can be rung by all those who want to see peace in the world. Needless to say we all lined up to make this gesture. Then it was on to the Sadako Memorial, which has become a focus for japanese school groups. Sadako was a little girl who survived the explosion but 10 years later developed leukemia. She believed that if she folded 1000 paper cranes then she would survive. She folded more than that but still sadly died. Today Japanese school children bring strings of paper cranes to hang at her memorial. I found it quite emotional watching the school groups. They had obviously had it grilled into them that this was a serious occasion and they were really well behaved. All the classes had prepared something to do and when we arrived the children were playing the recorder and singing. Other groups assembled with their leaders in front holding the cranes and then saying their set piece. The overall message that Japanese school children were getting was that atomic bombs were wrong and world peace was something to be strived for. I couldn't fault that approach. To bring up the next generation with an earnest desire for peace has to be laudable.

We toured the Hiroshima atomic bomb museum where the details of the reasons for the dropping of the bomb were clearly laid out together with information about the bomb's development and the destructive impact of an atomic bomb. I was surprised to find the information factually accurate and not biased, as I had expected. However, whilst great emphasis was placed on learning the lessons of history with regard to the bomb nothing was said of learning the lessons of history with regard to Japanese militarism. I still have problems with the Japanese not coming to terms with their war time past and not dealing adequately with it in their history syllabus in schools.

Eating and sleeping on the floor

We tripped along to the dining room where a low table had been set out for each of us with a cushion to sit on. Ladies had to kneel or sit elegantly with their legs to the side. Getting down onto the floor was the first challenge without sending the dinner table flying and then to sit elegantly - no chance. It proved impossible to balance upright and eat with chopsticks and as the time wore on numbness and aches set in with little chance to change position. The dinner got longer by the minute! The food was a challenge too. Being a temple we were given a vegetarian meal and I can honestly say that there wasn't a thing I recognised laid out in the little bowls in front of me. A monk came along and lit a flame under our little cauldrons and some roots and vegetables started to bubble away. I tentatively started. Most of it was quite bland and there seemed to be tofu in a number of different guises. The only things I really didn't like were the pickles. I balanced and chomped as best I could but I was heartily glad when the meal was over and I could stretch my legs!

Back in our room the monks had been busy getting our futons ready. The table and cushions had been removed and replaced by 2 sparse mattresses on the floor. I had always thought futons were meant to be comfortable but as soon as I sat down I knew I was in for a trying night. This temple futon was a thin covering on a very hard floor. Neither of us was much impressed as we had far too many creaking bones to sleep comfortably. I felt as if I was camping out on the living room floor and resigned myself to a fretful night. Before we settled down for the night there was the matter of the onsun......

By 5am the next morning we were more than willing to get up for the monks' service. Normally I would have been reluctant to rise at 5am to attend a service that I knew was going to be an hour of chanting in a language I didn't understand but by then anything seemed better than another minute on the floor. As predicted the service was a trial but I tried to clear my mind and use the time for meaningful meditation. I was only marginally successful. After the service we had breakfast to look forward to. We took our positions on the cushions again (groan, creak) and looked in vain for the weetabix, coffee and toast. It was good old tofu again, in more of its guises, with pickled vegetables. I can cope with foreign food for lunch and dinner but breakfast I need something I can recognise. Fortunately I had brought some breakfast bars with me for situations such as these so ultimately I didn't go hungry. It was interesting experiencing traditional japanese life but I can't say that I took to it!

We had time for some sightseeing around Koyasan and headed for Kongobuji Temple where we were given an introduction by the head monk - in Japanese. We tried to look intelligent and attentive but I don't know if anyone told him that none of us spoke Japanese. We went on to the local cemetery, which proved very interesting. One of the first tombs we saw had a huge rocket stuck on top of it. This was the memorial where those who worked for the rocket making company could be buried or remembered on their plaque. We moved on to the memorial to the Nissan workers and even the socks and jocks manufucturers! After that it was back down the mountain and on to Hiroshima on the Shinkansen, the bullet train. On the way we stopped off at Himeji Castle, probably the finest castle in Japan and made totally of wood. We were lucky to see it as it is shortly going to be under restoration for a few years. It certainly was an amazing sight and we had an intersting guided tour before getting back on the train and arriving at Hiroshima where we had a hotel with soft beds and our own private bathroom!
 

Traditional Japanese living

We left Kyoto and headed up into the mountains on Japanese trains which, as you would expect, are clean, comfortable and full of amenities. It took us 3 trains to reach our destination. The second train took us slowly up into the mountains across deep ravines and clinging perilously to the steep hillside. How they managed to build it I will never know. When we weren't holding our breath as we inched slowly across a high bridge we were entertained by the ticket inspectors and Japanese train staff. Every time they entered and left a carriage they bowed to the occupants and murmured something in Japanese. Checking our tickets was done with the utmost courtesy. The scenery was striking as we left the plains and the city behind. There were lots of Japanese maple trees different to Canadian maples in that their leaves are very small and delicate. I had been hoping that I would hit the autumn colours but unfortunately it was too early and there was only a hint at times of stunning autumn colours to come. After the second train came a long funicular railway to take us higher and then a bus wound its way up the mountain to our temple lodging.

We were staying in a Shinto temple and this was our first taste of traditional Japanese living. At the temple entrance we had to take off our shoes and don the brown indoor slippers. Needless to say they weren't big enough for my plates of meat but I still managed to trip along in them. We were given our instructions: brown slippers had to be worn around the temple but at the entrance to our room we had to take them off and go in our socks on the bedroom tatami (mat). If we went to the toilet we had to leave the brown slippers at the door and put on the white toilet slippers. We had to remember to change out of the toilet slippers back into the brown slippers or we would commit a social indiscretion of walking around in the 'unclean' toilet slippers. Needless to say it didn't take long for one of us to forget and she received a horrified gasp from everyone and had to hurry back in embarrassment and get the right slippers.

Our room was interesting. It was quite large and covered with tatami mats and had walls of latticed wood filled with paper screens. Fortunately they were a lot tougher than you imagine and able to withstand normal rough housing from western hands and elbows. The room overlooked one of the temple's zen gardens with its raked gravel and the odd rock. We were tired and sank into our cushions in front of the sole low table. This was a novelty at first but quickly became a trial as westerners are not used to sitting on the floor. Even with the cushions pulled so you could rest your back on the wall (being wary of the paper screens!) it was still uncomfortable. We tried to get into the Japanese way of life and donned our yukatas, Japanese dressing gowns that we were expected to wear for dinner and went to investigate the onsun. There were no conventional bathrooms and if we wanted to wash we would have to do it the Japanese way. This required us to strip naked in the communal bath house, sit on a low stool and wash ourselves in full view of everyone else and then join the other ladies in the communal hot tub. Quite a challenge for privacy conscious westerners! Fortunately this would come later as it was time for dinner.