Tokyo

Monday, November 26—Tuesday, December 4: Japan

Wanting to make the most of our 7-day unlimited Japan Railway pass, we decided to spend our eights nights in Japan as follows: two nights in Tokyo, one night in Nara, two nights in Kyoto, one night in Hiroshima, one night in Dogo (near Matsuyama), and one night on the sleeper train back to Tokyo to catch our early morning flight on December 4 to Sydney, Australia by way of Bangkok. We traveled throughout Japan on their world-famous Shinkasen (or “bullet”) trains that are remarkably punctual, clean, convenient, and comfortable. The only snafu we ran into, but narrowly escaped, was when we got on the wrong train on our way back to Tokyo from Matsuyama. There were two trains on the same track and we thought we were following instructions by going to the train at the far end of the track. Luckily, our reserved seats did not exist on this train, which tipped us off that we might not be on the correct one. Narrowly escaping the first train to dash to the correct train, we felt very fortunate to discover our mistake in time before we headed off to who knows where and missed our flight out of Tokyo.

Shortly before leaving Ropes & Gray, the firm had opened a Japanese office in Tokyo. One of my friends, Kaede Toh, moved from New York to Tokyo to help head-up this new office. John and I were able to meet up with her for dinner the two nights we were in Tokyo. The first night Kaede took us to a wonderful traditional Japanese restaurant in Ginza, the area akin to New York’s Times Square. The restaurant was down a flight of stairs and had a traditional wooden décor with private dining areas partitioned by wooden slats. John and I would never have found the restaurant on our own nor would we have been able to order from the menu, as it was in Japanese only and did not have pictures. We had raw oysters, skewered chicken, sushi, various salads, and sake. The meal was delicious. The second night we met up with Kaede near the Harajuku neighborhood (where Japanese youths hang out to show off the latest wild fashions) and went to a Japanese fusion restaurant and had another awesome dinner. Thanks Kaede!!

The next morning John and I got up at 5:00 a.m. to head out to the largest and most famous fish market in Japan, Tsukiji. The market covers 56 acres and everyday (except Sunday) 2300 tonnes of seafood are delivered to Tsukiji from all over the world. Unfortunately, the auction was over by the time we arrived around 6:30 a.m., but we were able to stroll about the massive market and see every type of fish, seafood, and crustacean known to man available for sale. We saw live fish being filleted and sold, huge frozen tuna being cut into saleable portions, and restaurateurs and chefs negotiate and buy seafood for their businesses. The seafood is auctioned off to one of the more than 1600 middlemen wholesalers who in turn sell the seafood to Tokyo’s restaurateurs and food retailers. The size of the market is truly amazing and it is almost unfathomable to think about how big the oceans and how numerous its inhabitants must be to supply Tsukiji and the thousands of other fish markets around the world day-in and day-out with seafood. After our informal, self-guided tour of Tsukiji, we had fresh sashimi over rice for breakfast near the market. As expected, the seafood was fresh, tasty, and in word, awesome.

After Tsukiji, we visited Tsukiji Hongan-ji, a Buddhist temple. We had impeccable timing as the monks were just entering the temple to pray, chant, and play music. After leaving the temple, we walked around Tokyo and I had the best doughnut I’ve ever had. It was from a company called Doughnut Plant and the flavor was Tres Leches. It was heavenly. One thing that was becoming rapidly apparent was the sheer variety and quality of food that was widely available at every turn. In addition, everything was displayed, presented and wrapped so beautifully. From the red bean paste filled pancakes to the sushi and tempura filled rice triangles, the city (and the entire country) is a smorgasbord of flavors waiting to be discovered and devoured.

The next morning, we took the train to Nara, a small, quaint town about 40 minutes southwest of Kyoto. The capital of Japan prior to 794 AD, Nara is regarded as the birthplace of Japanese civilization. Nara is also known for its deer that number around 1200 and are said to be descendants of a Shinto god. They are considered sacred by the locals and have learned the art of bowing which they often do without prompting in the hopes that they will be fed. The deer are quite charming and they give the town a whimsical quality that only enhances the fairytale-like atmosphere created by the many temples, shrines, narrow streets, and traditional architecture dotting the town.

Being a tourist destination, Nara has many streets lined with various arts and crafts shops, sweets shops, and restaurants. I had been admiring the Japanese women in their kimonos and found some stores in Nara selling used ones. Although new kimonos commonly cost $1000 and up, used kimonos can be snatched up at a fraction of the cost. I found a gorgeous, second-hand kimono and obi (wide belt that is tied around the kimono) at a store in Nara. Both pieces are silk and the kimono has hand-dyed and hand-painted sections depicting nature scenes that are accented by gold thread. I am trying to learn how to tie the obi by following instructions on the Internet, but I have yet to figure it out.

At the information center in Nara, we were able to book a free Goodwill Guide to meet us the following morning and show us around the temples and shrines in Nara Park, including Todai-ji and its huge bronze Buddha, Kofuku-ji, Todai-ji, and a few others. This was one of the highlights of our stay in Japan. Having few opportunities to converse with the locals, I now had an enthusiastic local intimately familiar with the customs and culture to show us around and I was going to make the most of it. Our guide’s name is Mariko and she has a blog on Nara and its history, http://narayamatojinokoto.typepad.jp/narajapan/.  She is married with a 12-year-old son and guides foreigners around Nara about 2-3 times per month. She was very knowledgeable and engaging. Any questions I had about Japan (and believe me the list was long), I asked her. She was a great guide and I am so happy we were able to meet her and spend some time together.

One of the big differences in traveling in a developing country versus a developed country is the amount and extent of interaction a visitor has with the local people. In developing countries, tourists are constantly approached by locals who are trying to sell a night stay at a hotel, food, knick-knacks, and you name it. In addition, a transaction in a developing country typically takes anywhere from 15 minutes to more than an hour, depending on the quantity and value of the items being purchased. This is because the price is usually inflated by as much as 5X its value and it is expected that the seller and potential buyer haggle over the price for a while. Although constantly being approached to buy things and haggling over the price when you do can be tiresome and a nuisance, it does provide a valuable opportunity to interact with, observe, and hopefully learn something about the people and culture of that particular locality. Oftentimes the potential buyer is treated to a cold drink or tea and other subjects besides the transaction at hand are discussed. In contrast, in developed countries the price is set and a purchase can take as little as a minute to complete allowing little if any opportunity to interact with the locals. As a result, I was thrilled with our guide Mariko in Japan and the opportunity to converse with a local.

Most Japanese follow a combination of Buddhist and Shinto beliefs. Of the almost 130 million Japanese, about 100 million of them are also Buddhists. All Japanese, by default, belong to the indigenous religion of Japan known as Shinto. Shinto is a naturalistic religion that mandates that people follow the way of the gods through harmony and cooperation. Shinto allows its followers to practice other religions. Introduced in the mid-6^th century from China, Japan embraced Buddhism in a way to suit its own culture and values and many of the people have seamlessly integrated Buddhism with their Shinto beliefs.

Arriving in Kyoto the following evening, we made our way to the ryokan, checked-in, and set out to explore our area. Our neighborhood, known as the Higashiyama district, is home to one of the remaining wooden neighborhoods that used to typify ancient Kyoto’s landscape. The streets are cobbled and twisting and lined with sweet shops, boutiques, temples, and secret gardens that can be glimpsed through slatted wooden fencings. Venturing into the Gion and Pontocho neighborhoods (both Geisha districts known as “pleasure quarters”), Kyoto has a definite sense of secrecy that is amplified by the cryptic, minimal Japanese signs adorning the closed doors and quiet entrances. An observer is left wondering what is going on behind the shoji-screens and large hanging lanterns.

Having only one full day in Kyoto (not nearly as long as needed or as I would have liked), we attempted to get tickets to the 10:30 am kabuki play. Being unsuccessful in our endeavor, we opted instead on taking part in a traditional (albeit touristy and rather short version of the) tea ceremony and took a riveting walking tour of Gion focusing on geishas and maikos (geishas in training). The guide for the tour hired geishas for entertainment and was a fountain of knowledge about this small subculture. For example, he told us that prior to WW II there were more than 3,000 geishas in Kyoto in contrast to only about 230 now. In between these stops, we visited two of the three most popular temples in Kyoto: Kiyomizu-dera Temple and Ginkakuji Temple (the Silver Pavilion) (we did not make it to Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion)). Kiyomizu-dera Temple includes a large wooden platform that overhangs the valley below and is made even more spectacular this time of year due to the vibrant colors of the changing leaves. Ginkakuji Temple is a Zen Buddhist Temple established in 1482. This temple is constructed like a strolling garden where the visitor can follow a path through various natural settings. This Temple is breathtaking and is a must for any visitor.

Prior to visiting Japan and having been primarily exposed to European-style churches and palaces, I was of the opinion that having seen one church or palace you have seen them all. I reasonably expected that my belief would hold true for the countless temples and shrines in Japan. Not so! Although the architecture of the pagodas and colors of the painted wood may be similar from one temple to the next (e.g., Shinto temples are typically painted in orange with white and/or yellow trim), each temple is unique and I truly felt that each one was more magnificent and beautiful than the next. If time permitted, I would have visited more.

In Kyoto, we stayed in a traditional ryokan. There are many rules of etiquette involved in staying at a ryokan. For instance, one is expected to take off their shoes immediately upon entering the premises. This is readily apparent by the numerous pairs of slippers lined up just inside the entrance. The rooms are simple and have tatami (rice-straw matting) mats on the floor upon which are placed the thick futon cushions and duvets for sleeping. It is really quite comfortable and I slept like a baby both nights. In the room is a yukata (loose cotton robe worn as a dressing gown) often with a pleasing pattern on it that must be tied left side over right as the only time the right side is tied over the left is at one’s funeral. It is also customary to wear the yukata in the room and while walking around inside the ryokan such as going to the bathing area. Finally, the ryokan will have a bath, but contrary to Western styling bathing, one must shower and scrub before entering the bath. The bath is filled once each night and is used for soaking and relaxing. It is used by other guests staying at the ryokan and therefore, it is imperative to enter the bath once clean and to not get soap in it.

In Kyoto, we met up with my friend from Ropes & Gray, Herman Paris. He recently left Ropes to move to Japan and study Japanese. He leaves near Nagoya and took the train to visit us in Kyoto. We met up with him for a great dinner of grilled meat, seafood, and vegetables, tempura, sake, and beer. It was great to see him and John and I were very impressed with his Japanese conversational skills.

After arriving in Hiroshima the following afternoon, we went to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and the surrounding Peace Park. The Museum documents the events that led up to the world’s first atomic bombing that occurred at 8:15 a.m. on August 6, 1945 and was dropped by the airplane the Enola Gay. The US started working on an atomic bomb in 1939, when WWII began. In August 1942, the US started a program to develop the atomic bomb called the Manhattan Project. On July 16, 1945, the first atomic bomb was successfully tested.

There are pictures and dioramas of the city before and after the bombing and displays of personal articles including clothing, lunch boxes, and tricycles that were left behind by some of the more than 140,000 people who were killed by the atomic bomb. Many victims died immediately from the blast (the blast pressure 500 meters from the center of detonation was 19 tons per square meter) and intense heat of the bomb (within one second of detonation, the bomb extended to its maximum diameter of 280 meters where temperatures of 5000 Celsius were reached on the surface of the earth), while others died within the following days or months due to severe burns and/or initial radiation from the bomb that caused severe diarrhea, bleeding beneath the skin, fever, and nausea. Still others died within the first two to ten years or more from the date of the bomb due to the residual radiation that caused cell abnormalities including leukemia, keloids, and other cancers to develop. After the bomb, it was thought that nothing would grow in Hiroshima for 75 years, but in less than a year, new growth sprouted from the earth and from the trees. The Museum is a testament to Hiroshima’s wish that all nuclear weapons are eliminated and a peaceful international community is realized. The Peace Park surrounding the Museum contains many monuments dedicated to these wishes including the A-bomb Dome that was a building built in 1914 as the Industrial Promotion Hall. Located almost at the hypocenter of the A-bomb, the Dome has been left standing in its twisted state as a testament and reminder of the people who suffered and died.

Before taking our afternoon train to Matsuyama and Dogo, we had time to visit the Shukkeien Garden in Hiroshima. I’ve always enjoyed gardens, but I have fallen in love with Japanese gardens. Construction of Shukkeien Garden was begun in 1620 and is centered around a pond, Takuei Pond, around which a feast for the senses in constructed that includes mountains, valleys, bridges, and tea cottages all connected by a path where one can stroll around the entire garden in a circular tour. The Garden was destroyed in 1945 by the bomb, but was repaired and restored during the 1950s, 60s, and 70s to its condition prior to the bombing.

Dogo is an onsen (hot spring) resort town that is home to the oldest hot spring in Japan, the ancient Dogo Onsen Honkan. Legend has it that a heron discovered the hot springs—the heron dipped its injured leg into the springs and was healed. This accounts for the heron carvings on the tiled roof of the building and in the baths. The Japanese Royal Family and commoners alike have been soaking in the hot spring in Dogo for more than 1300 years. The present building dates back to 1894 and houses two baths in addition to the Royal Family bathing area, the Yushinden. There are a variety of options to enter the facility and enjoy the baths. The cheapest option (at about $4.00) is a no-frills plan that allows entrance and use of the Kami-no-yu bath. Double this price and you can enjoy the same bath, the public lounging area with tea and rice crackers, and use of a yukata. For about $12, you gain access to the more private Tama-no-yu bath, the public lounging area with tea and rice crackers, and use of a yukata and a towel. The first-class treatment (at about $15) includes use of the Tama-no-yu bath, a private lounging area with tea and three Botchan Dango (sweetened rice dumplings), and a yukata and towel. I opted for the royal treatment and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. The bathing is done completely naked and there is a one bath of each kind for men and women. I even had the bath to myself for most of the time. After bathing, I was given a tour of the Yushinden (Royal Family’s Bath) that was only used ten times (only three by an emperor) and has not been used since 1952.

Being a spa town, it is not surprising to see all of the local visitors walking about the streets in yukata, sandals, and tabi (socks with a slit between the big toe and second toe for more comfort when wearing thronged sandals). You don’t have to ask me twice to don ethnic clothing. I wore my yukata and sandals for the duration of my stay in Dogo.

On our final full day in Japan, I went a second, and final, time to the Dogo Onsen Honkan in the morning for a relaxing soak in the ancient bathhouse. Afterwards, we visited two temples in Dogo—Isaniwa-jinja and Ishite-ji. We then made our way back to Matsuyama Station by way of the old tram and toured the Matsuyama Castle before leaving on our train back to Tokyo. Located at the top of Katsuyama Hill, construction of Matsuyama Castle was begun in 1602 and took 25 years to complete. Resting on a stone base, the three-storied, wooden puzzle construction (no nails) is impressive in size and architecture.

In the evening, we took the night sleeper train back to Tokyo. The sleeper train has individual compartments with a bed, small luggage area, slippers, and yukata, an item I have become quite fond of wearing. After dining on sushi, cheesecake, and Botchan Dango (sweetened rice balls), it was time to hunker down and let the rhythm of the train lull me to sleep.