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!