Tokyo and Kyoto

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Japan. I was there for a good time, not a long time. Stage two of Marcfest led me to the Land of the Rising Sun for a brief stay in Tokyo (including a short 2 day trip to Nikko, home to many temples and shrines) and Kyoto (which has more to its name than a Protocol Canada now appears to be abondoning).

Lots of pictures for this one. Not only because Japan is a feast for the eyes on so many levels, but because this computer is super fast and in the length it takes me to write this, I can upload dozens....

Even in 14 days Japan defies any short summary that could encapsulate its complexity. The more you look for, the more you explore and get to know the place, the more layers it reveals.  Whereas Argentina and Chile where about incomparable vistas, great meat and great wine, Japan goes far beyond. The food (noodles, sushi, sukyaki, hot-pot, tempura, etc) is fantastic, the sights are both historic and ultra-modern, the scale of everything is larger than life, the culture is everywhere and it is a cinch to get around. So instead of trying to encapsulate my glimpse of Japan, I offer some observations which strung together I hope give you a sense of what this country can offer.

First, for most of my time in Japan I was in the company of Jocelyn, who was travelling through Japan and China on 3 weeks vacation. Her grandmother was generous enough to let us stay at her house in Tokyo for a week, thereby saving us both from the lunacy of Tokyo hotel rates. We then went on to Kyoto for a few days before she went on to Beijing and where I lingered before heading out to Hong Kong. Poor Jocelyn suffered from a toothache resulting from dental surgery she had just before she left and a grandmother who insisted she `study` during her vacation at the headquarters of a Japanese cosmetics firm, but she prevailed and kept with me or led me through gruelling days in Tokyo and much walking and drying out in Kyoto. Endless thanks to Jocelyn for keeping me laughing, observant, using her charm, intelligence and persuasion to compliment my unrivalled navigational skills and for giving me insight into Asian culture by deciphering food, menus, customs and by taking 3000 pictures of anything.  On that note, don`t tell her that she can`t take pictures!  At Tokyo`s Kabuki Theatre, Joc did not see the no photography sign and was caught by a female theatre attendant snapping a no-flash picture.  Joc denied it, claiming she was deleting old pictures.  Not wanting to make a scene in the theatre, the attendant disappeared, or so we thought.  On the way out of the theatre, the attendant confronted Joc and demanded that she give over her camera for inspection of its `data.`  Now Joc is not one to disobey authority or break rules by a longshot, but she was not going to give up her camera.  By the time each was done yelling at each other and staring each other down, Joc had won.  We scampered out of the theatre giggling (yes, poor tourist form, but most people probably assumed we were American :) ).  I was just startled to see her yell, nay sceam, at a theatre attendant.  Somewhere out there, Joc had better have a damn good Kabuki picture!

Obseravations: Japanese are the world`s ultimate tourists. This is judged by the 100s or 1000s that crowded shrines and gawked at the cherry blossoms and the fact that most travel agencies require you to take a number before being served. Endless pictures could be taken of Japanese taking pictures of cherry blossoms and themselves.  Most use cellphones. Dozens could be seen at anytime holding up their cellphones as if communicating with the gods, to take pictures of whatever. Japanese eat, sleep, take pictures and text each other.

Cherry blossom and temples/shrines are everywhere, particularly in Kyoto. Watch out for temple and blossom fatigue. It may lead to trampling elderly 4`5 Japanese women and walking right through others` pictures, because to do otherwise would make the trip 5x as long in distance and time. Be careful, your travelling companion may be one of the picture takers.

Tokyo is the best sign-posted city in the world.  Be it on the streets or in the subway, Tokyo is accessible, efficient and organized.  English everywhere and signs just where you need them. So enlightened. Better be to move 2million people a day through Shinjuku station. 11 subway lines, in addition to rail lines that criss-cross the city. The subway map looks like spilled spaghetti, but it works so well! So civilized.

Polite. Japanese are so polite.  We are fools in their language, but they are there to pick up the pieces.

Jay-walking does not exist - wait for that light to change at the deserted intersection. Stand left, walk righ on the escalator. Line up in arrow-straight cues for the subway. The only time this all breaks down, based on our antecdotal evidence, is when it comes to getting onto a bus.  At that point it is each person for themselves.  And when the pushing and shoving does come there are no sounds - not one `excuse me` or `sorry`. Oh yeah, and it is quite acceptable to slurp one`s noodles. It is a sign of good noodles if your customers/guests are slurping them.  You can only imagine how disconcerting this is to Westerners.

Neon. Tokyo is a vertical city. Every building has a floor with a purpose and that business will have a neon sign announcing what it is. In the downtown districts, it results in a streetscape awash in neon and flashing lights. Not to mention the screens mounted on buildings. Combined with the 1000s of people coarsing below, it leads to a wild and exciting sight.

Department stores. Tokyo has department stores that make ours look like general stores. The world`s largest in Ikebukuru is 29 floors!!! Most are closer to 5-10, not including basements which have the most sumptous buffet of food offerings you have ever seen. These places are entire villages. Yes, Lloyd, I did feed myself on the free samplings. However, they tended towards dessert, so I did use some discretion. Add to the dozens of department stores the considerable number of trendy and exclusive shopping neighbourhoods which make Bloor St. and Yorkville look like, well, a country general store. We saw at least 5 Coach stores - and they only sell bags! The new shopping arcades and buildings are stunning examples of modern architecture.

Kyoto must be the rain capital of the world.  In four days there, it poured on 3 days (ALL day) and rained on and off for the fourth. Kyoto is about temple hopping on the city`s outskirts.  Accordingly, rain makes for very wet and despondant tourists. I can`t tell you how disappointed we were by the weather luck we had in Kyoto. A beautiful mountain valley setting and beautiful temples, shrouded in pouring rain and fog.  We did, however, spend much time in the old Geisha district of Kyoto (setting for 'Memoirs of a Geisha') both wandering and spotting the increasingly rare Geisha.  The old narrow side streets and alleys of Kyoto still retain much of their distinct Japanese buildings and character. Tucked in these ramshackle places built hard against one another are hidden tea houses, restuarants where patrons sit on tatami mats, as well as more modern, but still small, bars and restos. Lit up by lanterns at night, in these alleys we spotted at least a dozen separate Geisha in full kimono costume and makeup dashing to appointments under their laquered parasols. It was like spotting the black rhino of Africa. You gasped from the excitement and froze, fearing to take a picture and become the ultimate tourist of bad taste. Read Memoirs if you come here, it will make the place come alive.

I am sure I am forgetting something, but I think I got most of the highlights. Smudge? I will be back. Japan requires more of my time.

Best, Marc