First visit to Japan, Nov-Dec 2017

All the way through Japan, I said I would write a few lines to express the experiences I went through. I realize now, post-factum, that my initiative could become quite extensive, given the wealth of impressions, thoughts, and images. I will not venture into a Japanese monograph, although a few references to Japan’s history should be sprinkled in to spice up the text. I hope I can make it both concise and comprehensive. It would be in harmony with the Japanese spirit, after all… I think I could structure my ideas in several ways. I choose to follow the chronological thread as the core, around which I will embroider various annotations and comments. So, the London-Tokyo flight, which I was somewhat afraid of given its duration (approximately 11 hours), ended faster than I had imagined. Upon arrival at Narita airport, we first went to Japan Railway (JR) to pick up our passes (foreign tourists can buy JR passes, which include the famous Shinkansen bullet trains, but they must do so well in advance, from their home country. It’s no longer possible on the spot). We were done in about half an hour. I was surprised by the information posted in that location, where you could find all sorts of interesting things about Japan. The way it was displayed reminded me more of student dorms, however, not an office from a top-tier technology world. Also from the airport, we picked up a wifi router, which gave us internet access throughout our stay. It cost about Euro 50 for 2 weeks, for a device that could connect 5 devices simultaneously. Ultimately, it was a great help; I think it would be significantly harder without internet there… We spent the first 2 nights in Tokyo, at a hostel (Imano Ginza). We got there by bus (Y1000/person, about 35 Lei). The hostel was very clean (which I later concluded is a leitmotif for the entire country, at least where we went) and the people were welcoming. The 4-person dormitory was a kind of spacious sleeping car.

Room at Imano Ginza

The bathroom was in the hallway, shared. I’ll insist a bit on this aspect because the toilets are a first shock in Japan. Obviously, they are extremely clean. In addition to that, they are full of buttons, they are heated; you already feel like you’re in a different world… On the first evening, we went to an event I had identified from home: a walk in Rikugien park, where late autumn is literally and figuratively highlighted. It was very beautiful and a first contact with the impressive zen of the Japanese gardens, which are the most beautiful I have seen so far.

Rikugien Park

In Tokyo, we also passed by the Senso-ji temple (in Asakusa), the Meiji imperial palace, and through Ginza, Shibuya, and Shinjuku, famous for their shopping areas and the bustling life of a metropolis. I was moved by the statue of Hachiko, near Shibuya station, where I think thousands of people take pictures daily. Indeed, Tokyo is a vertical city, a very “Western” city. The infrastructure is breathtaking; the city is crisscrossed by bridges for cars and trains. When you travel by bus, train, or subway, you realize that you are almost always at the level of the first or second floor of the buildings…

Senso-ji

Ginza

Tokyo Station – the underworld

Asakusa

Statue of Hachiko, Shibuya Station

Shinjuku

Tokyo is impressive, but if that were all, Japan probably wouldn’t be that beautiful and certainly not a remarkable tourist destination…Tokyo inevitably bears the traces of rapid westernization, an accelerated cultural import, in which beauty and aesthetic lines suffer. So, let’s start around the country! We’re staying 4 nights in Kyoto. We’re staying in a studio, next to Kiyomizu Dera. The room is just ours, with a kitchen and bathroom, pretty much everything you need. Very ok and well located. They also have bicycles for rent, they cost us about 50 lei / day both. So cheaper than in Romania…I recommend Kyoto by bike, you can cover distances very well and the traffic is decent. Kyoto is the former capital of the empire, before Tokyo (in the Edo era). It has remained a horizontal city, it’s full of admirable temples and gardens. It has 4 UNESCO monuments! Kyoto is a true cultural jewel… it is a place where you feel the Japanese tradition, where you admire the simplicity and beauty, the harmony of the buildings, the roofs, the gardens, the costumes, the samurai swords…

Mount Fuji, seen from the Shinkansen to Kyoto

towards Kiyomizu Dera

Garden near Kiyomizu Dera

Roofs carry signs of military order…

Wandering through Kyoto

Garden at the Imperial Palace in Kyoto

Bamboo forest near Kyoto

Kinkaku-ji – The Golden Pavilion

Zen Garden

A special experience in Kyoto was participating in a tea ceremony (at Camellia). It lasted an hour, but they can be even longer. It’s interesting. They still use green tea, but powdered, which is much more difficult to produce and therefore more expensive. It’s a whole ritual, and the masters of the tea ceremony take special courses. It’s more than just a series of gestures, it’s a whole complex of meanings associated with this ritual. Very interesting…

Tea ceremony

After the Tea ceremony 🙂

During my stay in Kyoto, with my JR pass, I took a trip to Hiroshima. From there I went to Miyajima, a small island a few kilometers from Hiroshima. It can be reached by regular ferry rides, in about 15 minutes. The island is very beautiful, being a traditional line. Here I met free deer, which walk peacefully among people and are very tame. Miyajima is famous for its Itsukushima Torii, which is said to be one of the most photographed places in all of Japan.

Itsukushima Torii

Wedding photo…

Itsukushima Shrine (shintoism)

On the way back to Kyoto, we went to Hiroshima to a place famous for okonomiyaki, a specific dish. We had a very nice experience, we had fun with the Japanese who were also at the table, they offered us sake from them and we laughed together, without always knowing why 🙂 deh, sake effect 🙂

Okonomiyaki restaurant in Hiroshima

From Kyoto we set off for Koyasan, a Buddhist settlement, built by Kobo Daishi (also known as Kukai) at the beginning of the 9th century. It is an area at altitude, we were lucky, I say, to catch the first snow, which added charm. The town is small and it captures the spirit. We stayed at a temple, shukubo (a kind of ryokan, so a traditional inn, but a Buddhist temple). I was happy because it really looks like in old samurai movies, made of wood, with an interior garden, everything in the specific architectural lines. We slept on tatami, we ate on the floor and we went to their communal baths. In the evening, we went to a small meditation session, an introduction to what their meditation means and the role of breathing. In the morning, we went to a service and a fire ritual, both very pleasant experiences. Overall, although accommodation in shukubo is significantly more expensive (around 200 Euros per night, with breakfast and dinner included), I highly recommend it if you want to have the most intimate contact with Japanese tradition.

Ekoin Temple, where we stayed

Dinner is served!

Garan

Winter story in Koyasan

Koyasan

The famous Akita

walking around 🙂

On the way to Tokyo, we passed through Nara, the capital of the empire before Kyoto. We managed to reach the Todai-ji temple, which I had read was the largest wooden Buddhist temple in the world. We caught the closing time and only saw it from the outside. I liked the city, it’s worth coming back, although it doesn’t seem as big as Kyoto 😉

Nara, in the spirit of the season

towards Todai-ji

After returning to Tokyo, the only thing that stood out was a day trip to Takaragawa, to an onsen (hot springs, famous in Japan). It was the area least visited by foreign tourists, we also enjoyed the thermal pools, which I understand have various therapeutic roles. Here and on the way, in general, we interacted with several Japanese people who greeted us or wanted to engage in short conversations with us, being from another world for them. In the end, I would say that we are from another world… Not only us, the Romanians, but all the Europeans, the Americans, and so on… Japan is truly a special world, not so much in terms of relief, but from a social perspective. A society that deserves all the admiration, for what it is. And from a tourist point of view, it is definitely a place to visit! At least once :)… PS: As I was travelling, I wrote a few thoughts on my phone. I insert them below, as first impression will never pop up again 🙂 Japan. Tokyo. As a first time visitor of japan, I am impressed by it from the very first moment. It is indeed a different world, thumbs up and down. My first opinions on tokyo, after two days here: What I like or appreciate: it is very clean, no litter on the streets, around corners, in the gutters, everywhere you look it is clean (though you could hardly find garbage bins in the streets if you need to get rid of something). The infrastructure is amazing. Roads are built on 2-3 layers, it is basically a 3D city. There are more people speaking english and signs in arabics in Tokyo than I have been warned. I found the local spirit, the one I expected from Japan, in the parks, in the beauty of the trees and the zen look of the gardens. Their cars also carry some form of a design mark, being more square, more boxed. The modern architecture is somehow nice, clean, diverse. Though it is so huge, there are not so many cars, i could not spot serious traffic congestions, maybe more for the pedestrians. People are very disciplined, very well organized, in the way they socially behave, in the respect they show to others, how they wait or interact. Prices are decent in most instances, public transport covers the city at very good prices. Toillets are masterpieces, real electronic devices. … the flow of the trip took control so I get back to writing upon my return flight… so, it’s been quite an experience! the Japanese are fabulous. They have built such a compact society, it looks like a perfect mechanism, without being glacial. They are human, they enjoy life, socialising, you hear them laughing or joking as much as they respect silence and contemplation. I was impressed by the way their values are passed between generations. Kids are grown with respect for the elder, for the traditions they have. There are lots of groups of children everywhere, in guided trips visiting their historical fabulous sites. They are dressed in uniforms and behave. The elder are respected, they work in various places. There are many people placed in key areas for directing traffic or giving support to passers by. They are generally old people. The society found them a place to fit in and continue to be useful and valued. No beggars in the streets. I guess this would be unacceptable for a Japanese. Either to beg and, conversly, to give to beggars… Would people from other countries or cultures fit into the nippon society? Hardly believable. The Japanese have this thick protective wall which is the language and their complex wrintig. On top, I guess they are not favorable to mixing their culture with massive immigrant input. They are content with who they are. And I dare to say, after only a few days there, that I respect their perspective.