On the Way to Japan

[ClosetOtaku]

In a few moments, my wife and I will be departing for Japan. We're staying in Tokyo, Osaka, and at a ryokan at the base of Mount Fuji. Hoping to climb Fuji (but weather may not cooperate). Planning to visit, among other places, the Studio Ghibli museum, Akihabara, the infamous Yasakuni Shrine, various and sundy temples in Kyoto, maybe a side trip to Nara...whatever strikes our fancy. We'll share pictures when we can get around to uploading them (I'm partial to this Internet Cafe in Shibuya...).

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Awesome mate! Akihabara was good, but the high-light of my mission-trip to Japan was the Studio Ghibli Museum. It was brilliant. The atmosphere there is electric with creative imaginings. Make sure to look at everything in detail. There's a shop inside the museum but the place still feels largely non-commercial (which is great and very like Hayao Miyazaki). If you have a bit of money try some food at the cafe, it's home-made and not too expensive. I pray you and your wife have a great time. God Bless you Bro!

[ShiroiHikari]

I envy you! Have a good trip!

[Tsukuyomi]

Have lots of fun and be safe \o.o/

[RandomBurrito]

Have a safe and awesome trip! God bless you two. And tell us how it went (if you want to of course, no forcing).

[ClosetOtaku]

Arrived in Tokyo. One thing I'll say about our airline, ANA: they feed you well. Had two full meals, a sandwich in between those, two snacks, and Hagen Daz ice cream. Wife still likes Korean Airlines better (more air conditioning, comfy seats), but all things considered, ANA is a good way to go.

Now in our hotel in Ebisu (technically, Shibuya, but that conjurs images of a location that's really several train stops away). Going to wander around the neighborhood, have teppanyaki for dinner, and go to bed...

[ClosetOtaku]

Awesome mate! Akihabara was good, but the high-light of my mission-trip to Japan was the Studio Ghibli Museum. It was brilliant. The atmosphere there is electric with creative imaginings. Make sure to look at everything in detail. There's a shop inside the museum but the place still feels largely non-commercial (which is great and very like Hayao Miyazaki). If you have a bit of money try some food at the cafe, it's home-made and not too expensive. I pray you and your wife have a great time. God Bless you Bro!

We're going to try for tomorrow (Wednesday) if we can get tickets; otherwise it will be next week. We'll definitely try the food! Thanks for the tips!

[ClosetOtaku]

Today is Tanabata in Japan (see Wiki).

[ClosetOtaku]

Day Two: Went to Tokyo station to activate our JR Passes (for Wednesday), then spent the day doing the "Yamamote Line" (the train which circles the city and stops at many of its main districts). Went up to Nippori to look at what little pre-war Edo-style architecture remains, then off to Akihabara to see what was hot in the anime world (hint: K-On is really popular here).

After a brief break to change clothes (weather is hot and humid here!), we were out in Shinjuku getting familiar with the territory (we have to take a bus from here to Fuji), and found a Lawson's to buy our Ghibli tickets from (the only place you can get them...). Then to Shibuya, where we did some shopping at Mandarake (ABe Yoshitoshi doujin from Haibane Renmei), ate ramen, picked up Murakami's latest novel (1Q84), and watched people cross at the most famous intersection in all Japan, perhaps all the world...

Back to the hotel, we sat down on the couch, only to both fall asleep sitting upright, the effect of lots of walking and jet lag.

On to Osaka tomorrow...

[RandomBurrito]

That's awesome! Sounds like alot of fun. I'm going to Japan one day too. Already planning, hehe.

[ClosetOtaku]

Day Three: Spent the morning packing, checking out and traveling around Tokyo. Visited the Ghibli Studio Museum in Mitaka, a wonderful and fun place for Miyazaki fans, went crazy at the gift shop, and (thanks Warrior 4 Jesus!) had a wonderful meal at the cafe.

Leaving Tokyo, almost had a disaster when we got on the wrong Shinkansen, realized our mistake when the announcer told us we were headed to Nagoya instead of Osaka! Managed to get off with just moments to spare. Laughing about it now, but at the time it was disconcerting...

Arrived at Osaka late, taxi to hotel, wife likes the drapes that open automatically. If you have seen "Lost In Translation", our room looks a lot like that.

Typing this now from an Internet Cafe in Osaka just a couple blocks away from Hotel Hankyu International, terrific place to stay. On our way to Nara in a few minutes, but more about that on Day 4...

[Debitt]

sounds like you're having an awesome time! Enjoy Osaka as much as you enjoyed Tokyo -- I love that city to death, and be sure to try some nifty street vendor/small restaurant food there if you get the chance!

[ClosetOtaku]

Day 4: Took the JR Loop around Osaka today and got a good look at the city from the train vantage point. Then proceeded to Nara...

Nara is a great place for a day visit. Less than an hour on a train from Osaka, then a 20-minute walk to the Temple complex. Saw the five-story pagoda and the Todai-Ji Temple. Deer roam the entire area freely. Lots of school tours and Westerners (although few visitors from the USA, it seems). Saw a very large buddha statue in the temple, as well as a peculiar ceremony involving school children crawling through a small hole in one of the temple pillars.

Warning: take sunscreen. I didn't...

Enjoy Osaka as much as you enjoyed Tokyo -- I love that city to death, and be sure to try some nifty street vendor/small restaurant food there if you get the chance!

We had street vendor takoyaki and small restaurant okonomiyaki today! All of it delicious, of course!

On the train back, exhausted, we decided to leave Osaka Castle for another day (or maybe another trip).

Tomorrow: Kyoto day trip (very likely in the rain!).

[ClosetOtaku]

Day Five: Kyoto...

Quick trip on the Shinkansen between Osaka and Kyoto (10 minutes, maybe?). Warning: when you go to Kyoto station by Shinkansen, make sure to leave by the correct exit -- otherwise, you will have a lot of additional walking to do...

First stop is perhaps the most obscure monument you will never see in a tourist brochure: the Mimizuka. Almost forgotten, this relic from the Imjin War (late 16th century) denotes the burial location of "war trophies" from that conflict between Korea and Japan. Specifically, the ears and noses of Korean war casualties, salted and preserved in brine, were placed here. I uncovered this during my research on the conflict, and so was obligated to stop by and see it. If you'd like more reading, you'll find some here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimizuka.

Of course, finding the Mimizuka was a chore involving about an hour and a half of walking and staking out a small cafe where a fellow with a cell phone and Internet connection was able to point out the neighborhood (the monument is located in a residential district, and if you don't know exactly where to look, you could easily miss it).

Following that, we visited a number of very fetching temples: Kiyomizudera (under renovation, couldn't see much there), Sanjusangendo (NOT TO BE MISSED -- literally one thousand buddhas, all standing in silent vigil while time passes by around them), and Chion-In, where my wife and I sat on tatami mats, listening to a buddhist monk chanting, accompanied by gongs, cymbals, sonorous sticks, and other simple yet striking noises.

Tired from the walking, we opted for a taxi to take us to the complete other side of town to see Kinkekuji Temple (AKA the Golden Pavillion -- if you've seen any pictures of temples in Kyoto, this is probably the one).

Blisters were beginning to take their toll, and with the climb on Fuji a mere 48 hours away, we opted for another taxi back to Kyoto station. We made the obligatory stop in Osaka to the Hard Rock Cafe to pick up caps, T-shirts, and a really rocking Hello Kitty / Hard Rock Cafe pin. Then it was to the hotel for a hot bath and bedtime...

We're leaving Osaka this morning for Tokyo -- then tomorrow by bus to Fuji's 5th Station for our climb. Updates will continue once we're off the Mountain -- see you then!

[Debitt]

Ahhhh, I'm so happy you went and saw Sanjuusangendou! A lot of tourists go to see Kinkakuji and Kiyomizudera, but I wasn't as awestruck by those as I was by Sanjuusangendou. The place is haunting and beautiful and I wish they allowed pictures. Auuuggghhh, so happy that other people got the chance to enjoy it!

[ClosetOtaku]

Fuji: The mountain that conquered us...

But first:

Day Six: Shinkansen back to to Tokyo, where we stayed in Shinjuku in anticipation of our morning departure to Fuji. Bought some miscellaneous climbing gear, though we thought we were overdoing it. Scoped out the bus terminal and found the correct gate...

Day Seven: Rose to a quick early morning breakfast, then got on the bus to Fuji's 5th Station...

Almost every travel guide you read, online or otherwise, suggests Mount Fuji is a fairly easy ascent. No technical gear is required, although warm clothing should be worn for the summit. And so off we went --

At the Fifth Station – a portion up the mountain – we ran into a fellow American who had not made the summit due to altitude sickness. Well, that's OK, it happens to some people...

As we started walking along the trail uphill, we came across numerous people who appeared to have tried to make the climb – but rather than exuberant, they looked to be more like the walking dead: solemn-faced, exhausted, dirty, some limping, others just getting by. A white car drove by with three travelers who all were in some degree of pain or oxygen starvation. The wife and I continued on, sobered by this turn of events...

Climbing Fuji reminded me of your typical X-box FPS title, where the player is introduced to increasingly terrifying scenarios as the game progresses. Between the 5th and 6th Stations, the pathway is kind, not much more challenging than the dirt paths surrounding the lake at your church's summer retreat. Then – just as you are lulled into the thought that “I can do this!â€

[ClosetOtaku]

More Day Eight: If you have never stayed at a ryokan, you should try to do so at least once in your life.

In stark contrast to the dusty and cold side of Fuji, we were picked up at the bus station and transported to a different world. Women in kimonos met us with bows and took our luggage only moments after we'd stepped off the bus. We were quickly whisked off to our room -- traditional Japanese style tatami mats and low tables -- with an incredible view of the now accursed Fuji sitting imperiously, though we had the last laugh.

We quickly stripped off the dirty clothing we'd worn for two days, bathed in our Japanese bath, then changed into yukatas and strolled around the grounds. We were treated to wonderful views of the gardens and a large, swift-flowing river. Everywhere there was water -- the gentle sound of trickling water, the rush of the stream under the bridge.

Returning to our room, our personal attendant, Mariko, served us a nine (or ten, we lost count) course Japanese dinner, ranging from fresh sashimi to delicious soup with duck and vegetables to lobster and calimari, finishing up with ice cream and melon slices. It was accompanied with hot sake and complimentary house-label wine.

Then, off to the "real" baths -- a private, open-air hot bath that my wife and I shared for a full hour, enjoying the night sounds and cool air of the mountainside villa along with the pleasantly (but not painfully) hot spring water. Our tired joints and muscles rejoiced at the splendor.

Back to our rooms, our futons were freshly made, and we slept without care throughout the night...

[ClosetOtaku]

Day Nine: Said farewell to our wonderful stay at the ryokan, the women in kimonos waving as our shuttle delivered us to Fujiyoshida Station. We took the local line out to Otsuki, then rode the JR line back into Tokyo. Returned to the New Sanno for our last couple days.

I went out in the evening to the Yasukuni Shrine to see the Mitama Matsuri, the annual festival in which thousands of lanterns are lit. Yasukuni has a bit of a controversial history about it, and in my next post I'll talk a little about the museum (it was closed last night). My wife, who is Korean, understandably did not accompany me.

Back home to bed, one full day left in Tokyo...

[Sailor Kenshin]

In a few moments, my wife and I will be departing for Japan. We're staying in Tokyo, Osaka, and at a ryokan at the base of Mount Fuji. Hoping to climb Fuji (but weather may not cooperate). Planning to visit, among other places, the Studio Ghibli museum, Akihabara, the infamous Yasakuni Shrine, various and sundy temples in Kyoto, maybe a side trip to Nara...whatever strikes our fancy. We'll share pictures when we can get around to uploading them (I'm partial to this Internet Cafe in Shibuya...).

Ganbatte! Wish I could hitch a ride with you...

[ClosetOtaku]

Day Ten: Final full day in Tokyo.

Took the subway to Tokyo station, where we met with a friend of my wife's; they spent two hours reconnecting and reminiscing while I enjoyed some coffee at a small cafe.

Then, off to Odaiba, where we saw the 59-foot Gundam. We arrived just in time to see it animate -- its eyes glow, it moves its head, it belches smoke from its exhaust ports. Built in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Gundam franchise, it is a major tourist attraction for Japanese and Westerners alike. Definitely worth a stop, although it will close at the end of August.

Wife and I headed different directions, her to the hotel to do some packing, me to Akihabara for last-minute anime and electronics shopping, then back to Yasukuni to see the (very controversial) museum.

I have a modest background in history (including military history), and I personally didn't find much offensive in the displays (nothing that wouldn't have a Western counterpart -- for example, a Japanese Zero fighter shooting down an American fighter plane while flying off into the rising Sun). I also understand, to an extent, the Japanese justification for going to war in 1941 -- especially in the light of the American embargo -- although they (just like we) soft-pedal the more offensive aspects of their occupations, from the Nanking atrocities to the destruction of the Korean culture and intellectual elite. It's a display well worth the visit, if for no other reason to get the "other side" of the story...

Back to the hotel, then off to Roppongi for a visit to Hard Rock Cafe for Tokyo trinkets, followed by a nice sushi dinner at a local restaurant.

Packing, off to bed. Up at dawn for the bus to Narita....

So long, Japan!

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Photos. You have to post them!

[ClosetOtaku]

Photo Album is posted on Facebook. I need to resize photos for posting here (or else get my Speakeasy site back online...), so it may be some time before I can get them to CAA.

However, if you have a FB account, and are willing to PM me, I'll "friend" you and you can see the pics.