J-Pan: Land Of Rising Fun (Part 1)

Heya, folks! Before I get into the meat and potatoes of this post, I'd like to share with you the idea of moving from 'language partners' to 'language threesome', an idea upon which occurred to me while talking to my friend Carolyn (another Canadian from Vancouver).

Oh, I received my results from the HSK. I've gotten Level 3 of 11. My grammar's at Level 4 but I did poorly enough on the rest of the test to get only Level 3 overall. I'll write it again on 24 June.

Please note that this post contains only information about the part of my trip to Japan which was based in Tokyo. My next post shall contain the part of my trip based in Kyoto.

Preparations
Before going to Japan, I went to a building in Beijing's Chaoyang District to buy a two-week JR Pass. With the JR Pass, one is able to travel on (most of) Japan Rail's lines for free. Well, I guess it's not quite for free because all such travel is pre-paid.

The process for buying the JR Pass is a bit more complicated than it seems at first blush. Firstly, one must either be a non-national of Japan who is going to Japan for a visit, neither for study nor for work, or a Japanese national who satisfies some confusing set of criteria. Secondly, one must buy a ticket before going to Japan, and then exchange it for the JR Pass when one wishes to start using it. One is not able to buy the ticket in Japan: one must first buy the ticket outside of Japan for either one, two, or three weeks of travel. I bought a ticket for two weeks of virtually unlimited travel by train.

Tokyo
Thursday, 15 February
On the morning of 15 February, I flew from Beijing via Yantai to Kansai airport in Osaka. During our lay-over in Yantai, I met a nice Chinese gentleman who works for a large Japanese company which has a presence in China. He was on his way to Osaka to visit his Japanese wife, who was due to give birth later that day.

Immediately after passing through customs at Kansai Airport, I exchanged my JR ticket for a JR Pass and made my way to Tokyo. I rode the Shinkansen (Japan's Bullet Train, 新幹線) for the first time for to ultimately meet Renato and Hanako at Harajuku Station in Tokyo. Because Renato's a Canadian diplomat, they live in a Canadian-style town-house in the Aoyama District (青山区) of Tokyo. They proceeded to host me in Tokyo throughout the next eight nights.

Friday, 16 February
Akihabara (秋葉原)
Renato was able to take the day from work so the three of us ventured forth to Akihabara in order to find for ourselves a maid cafe (メード·カフェ). I must admit that I'm a bit baffled by the inconsistency of a conservative society which supports things like maid cafes. Here's the scoop: young waitresses dress as French maids for serving customers. They 'accidentally' drop things on the floor with frightening frequency (I wouldn't want them transporting my glassware) and bend-over to fetch them. Some maid cafes offer something called 'fu-fu' service (フーフー·サービス), during which they spoon-feed to customers hot beverages while blowing on them for cooling said beverages.

We finally found a maid who was able to bring us to her cafe. After we arrived, we discovered that we were brought not to a maid cafe but, rather, to an anime cafe. the idea is similar to that of a maid cafe, except that some of the waitresses are dressed as school-girls from anime. I really can't understand how these places can be popular as they are. After we had our fill of beverages (and the maids and school-girls), we made our way to Odaiba.

Not the maid cafe to which we went

Odaiba (大台場, I think)
Odaiba is a part of Tokyo built on reclaimed land. According to some persons with whom I've spoken recently, pretty much all land-reclamations are sinking slowly, being reclaimed by the sea. At Odaiba we were able to visit Fuji Television's studio / museum. I recognised a few of the characters but I have to admit that I've never seen any of the shows. After visiting the studio, we went to Venus Fort (ビーナスフォート), which is a mall with pseudo-Renaissance architecture and expensive stores.

At Fuji Television

Not 'Fishland' -- read it again




Am I in New York?

Rainbow Bridge, if I remember correctly



'For good times, make it Suntory times'

Venus Fort


Wedding bench

Men's, Ladie's, and Baby Changer

After we ate at a food court which specialises in ramen, we made our way to fetch Renato's former tutor of Japanese, Machiko. She was scheduled to stay with us throughout two nights.

Saturday, 17 February
Kamakura (鎌倉)
Daibutsu-ji (大仏寺)
Early on the morning of 17 February, we four adventurers took a day-trip to visit temples in Kamakura, one of Japan's ancient former capitals. Not long after he arrived in Japan, Renato was able to obtain a vehicle at a very low price ('free' is cheap) . He drove we four rode to Kamakura in it. Our first stop was at the temple housing the large statue of the Amitabha (Amida Butsu, 阿弥陀仏) , which is the largest outdoor sitting Buddha in Japan. It wasn't an 'outdoor' statue until more a typhoon washed-away the building housing it more than 500 years ago.

I first visited Kamakura in 2003 near the end of a programme in which I participated, the Humanistic Buddhist Monastic Life Programme. I didn't yet own a digital camera at that time so this time I re-took a number of photos for which I have prints in Canada.

Hanako, Renato, Machiko, and me

Hase-dera (長谷寺)
Another temple which I visited in 2003 and revisited this year is Hase-dera, the home of a tall statue of Avalokitesvara (Kannon, 観音). I felt last time, as this time, that it is a very lush and green temple. I especially like the carp, which are not green.

Groovy tree



KITTY!

Not Hawkeye Pierce

KOI!

After Hase-dera, we found lunch at a local restaurant. Later, we went to a third temple, the name of which I don't remember. While we were there, we had the good fortune of witnessing part of a traditional Japanese wedding ceremony. Finally, we did a bit of shopping before we returned to Tokyo.

TOTORO!

Amish Cooking Kamakura

Sunday, 18 February
Shinjuku (新宿)
Machiko was scheduled to return to her home on Sunday so Renato gave her a ride to Shinjuku Station. I took that opportunity to return to one of my favourite city-districts in the world.

While I was in Shinjuku I heard much Mandarin being spoken. I encountered one tourist group and I think another pair of individuals who were travelling independently of the group.

My first stop was at the seven-floor Kinokuniya (紀伊国屋) at Takashimaya (高島屋) Times Square. I bought many books which are unavailable in either Canada or in China, including a large number for studying Japanese language.

After leaving Kinokuniya, I took a look around Shinjuku to see what had changed. A Krispy Kreme was apparently added about six months beforehand. The line for doughnuts was crazily long! It was long enough that I had originally thought that the shop was new.

Renato told me that he occasionally goes to buy a single doughnut. While he waits in line to order, a free sample is given to him. Having gotten what he came to get, he then leaves. I think that the system works really well for him. :)

After wandering a bit, I decided to go to the revisit the first place at which I ate in Tokyo in 2003, an Irish pub called The Dubliners. I've learnt that it's now part of a chain, and that two or three others exist in the greater Tokyo area.

I am in New York!

Line for Krispy Kreme

Monday, 19 February
Asakusa (浅草)
Early in the morning I took the Ginza Line from Omote-sando (表三度) to Asakusa Station to meet my friend Chikako for a day of travelling around the greater Tokyo area. She's appeared on my blog previously as one of my classmates from my calligraphy class in BLCU; this semester, she's also one of my classmates in Classical Chinese. The first item on our agenda for the day was to go to Asakusa to visit the Kannon Temple.

I first visited the temple in 2003 when I attended the HBMLP. Again, I re-took a large number of photos for which I have prints in Canada.

Asahi Super-dry

Chikako, me, and the Colour Checker


Kitties! Well, one of them is, anyway





Jizo (I think) on the left, Kannon on the right




Cool tree

In the neighbourhood of Asakusa, Chikako and I tried to go to a famous restaurant which serves okonomiyaki (お好み焼き), named Sometaro. I'm afraid that it's closed on Mondays, so we were forced to go elsewhere for lunch.

Oranges in front of Sometaro

Me and Chikako in front of Sometaro

Studio Ghibli's Museum (スタジオ·ジブリの美術館)
After lunch, we took the almost hour-long trip to Mitake (御岳) to go to Studio Ghibli's Museum. For those of you who don't know, Studio Ghibli is Miyazaki Hayao's studio which made the movies Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro, Laputa, Castle In The Sky, and Kiki's Delivery Service. For any fan, or any casual viewer of those movies for that matter, this is a must-see. However, I don't think that anyone above the age of 14 will want to go more than once.

In a park near the museum

Black torii in the neighbourhood



Porco Rosso frying sausages in a cast-irony skillet

The local cat-bus

Tokyo Tower
After the return train ride to Central Tokyo, Chikako asked me whether I'd like to go to any other place. I asked her whether she'd accompany me to Tokyo Tower, and she agreed. From the top of the Tower I was able to use my mini-tripod to take a number of night-shots of Tokyo from a high vantage point.

Because neither of us speaks the other's native language well, we used Mandarin almost exclusively throughout the day to communicate with each other. Although we heard Mandarin in virtually every place to which we went throughout the day, the high point of the day (with respect to Mandarin) came when someone overheard us and used Mandarin to ask us for directions to the nearest subway station.

No, wait, I'm in Paris









National Diet Building

Tuesday, 20 February
On Tuesday, I went to a nearby part of Tokyo to meet my good friend Shoichi for lunch. I first met Shoichi in Fall 2000 when he was studying Political Science at University of Waterloo while being stationed in Canada as a diplomat. After he graduated in 2002, he was stationed at Japan's embassy in Ottawa until he was transferred to India. He is currently stationed in another part of Japan's international affairs division.

Because I'm stupid, I completely forgot about the camera I had with me and so I have no photo of the two of us. However, for those of you who know him, he is virtually ageless. He certainly hasn't visibly aged since I last saw him in 2002, except that he perhaps has two more grey hairs on his head. He is still the intelligent, charming, and thoughtful person I met years ago.

After having lunch with Shoichi, I did nothing of great import throughout the day. It was good day for relaxing, especially because rain was falling.

Wednesday, 21 February
Shibuya (渋谷)
I decided that because I missed a few things in Tokyo a few years ago that I really owed to see them on my latest trip. I went to shibuya to seek-out a few things. What I found include love hotels, a statue of a dog, and the Salt And Tobacco Museum.

Love hotels are basically hotels for which a couple may pay by the hour. They're a lot nicer-looking than the ones in Hong Kong. The statue is called Hachiko-zo (ハチ公像); it's dedicated to a loyal dog who daily continued to await his master's return at Shibuya station until his own death, eleven years after his master's.

The Salt And Tobacco Museum. Wow. My first thought: 'What a strange combination.'. I still think that it's a strange combination. Basically, it's like two museums in one, with another area for special exhibits. I first visited the special exhibit, which was dedicated to the upcoming Dolls' Festival (03 March's Hina Matsuri, ひな祭り). Next, I saw exhibits dedicated to Japan's long history of harvesting salt from seaweed. Finally, I saw a shrine to the history of tobacco use in Japan, including a large number of posters for various forms of tobacco from around the world.

'Where is The Doctor?'

Famous intersection, not busy as seen on television

Miniature museum at Shibuya Station

Hachiko-zo



Hourly Rates

Love hotel in Shibuya

Return To Ginza (銀座)
After leaving Shibuya, I made my trumphant return to Ginza. I revisited the Sony Building and Ginza United Church, which was a Methodist church until the founding of the United Church in 1925. Believe it or not, the United Church was formed in Canada as a union of the Methodist, Congregationalist, and Presbyterian churches. The moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Canada at the time was Rev. Charles Gordon, a.k.a. Ralph Connor, the author of The Man From Glengarry, and Canada's internationally most famous author at the turn of the twentieth century. He was born in Sandringham, Ontario, just oustide of my home town, Maxville.

Most importantly, however, the Colour Checker was able to stop Godzilla (ゴジラ) from destroying Ginza (again). It was too late to save Ginza from Gamera (ガメラ).

Glico


Ginza United Church

Later that day, I met my friend Kyle in Akihabara for dinner before he returned to Tsukuba (筑波). Because I'm an idiot, I forgot to have a photo of the two of us taken.

Maids in Akihabara

Thusrday, 22 February
Nikko (日光)
Nikko is the site of the tomb of one of the most interesting and influential persons in Japanese history, Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川家康). In the late-sixteenth and early-seventeenth centuries, after centuries of internecine fighting, he succeeded in uniting Japan militarily. He also succeeded in isolating Japan from the rest of the world for three and half centuries, outlawing Christianity throughout all of that time. His character was the inspiration for James Clavell's novel, Shogun. Despite the disdain held for the book by Japanese historians, it's reputed to have generated more international interest in Japanese history than any single other source.

Nikko is about a two-hour trip north of Tokyo. Emperor Hirohito took refuge in Nikko during the bombing of Tokyo in World War II. Another claim to fame for Nikko is that it is the home of a really old Buddhist monastery which was founded by the great monk Shodo Shonin (衝動承認, I think) in 782 C.E..

While I was in Nikko, I encountered a Taiwanese tour group along with some other Taiwanese individuals. While I was in Japan, almost no day went by without me hearing some Mandarin.

Enya's in Japan?

Where Shodo Shonin was reputed to be carried across by two serpents



Shodo Shonin

I really feel lazy with respect to typing this part of my entry. I really want to talk about the different parts of the complex of temples and shrines which I visited here, but I can't bring myself to do it I think that anyone who has access to my webpage also has access to Google for searching for 'Nikko'. :P The only information I feel like adding right now, besides a few captions to the photos, is that this is one of the many World Heritage Sites I've visited in Japan.

Five-storey Pagoda







Tokugawa






'Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil, See No Evil'












'We love hockey'

'Please do not litter. Keep NIKKO tidy' (Jap.: 'Please take your garbage home with you')

Friday, 23 February
Roppongi
After a few weeks of trying to contact her, I finally contacted a Japanese friend of mine named Yukiko. Her parents live in Kobe; I figured that if I were to meet her at all in Japan, I'd meet her in Kobe. As it turns-out, she had just moved to Tokyo to start a job doing software development for Goldman-Sachs. We agreed to meet at Roppongi Hills in Roppongi.

As it turns-out, Roppongi Hills has a large sculpture of a spider which looks like the one in front of the National Art Gallery Of Canada. As far as I know, they have the same scultpor. I'm afraid that even though Roppongi Hills has a really tall tower, I wasn't able to take any good high-altitude shots of the city due to rain. After having lunch at a Chinese restaurant, we took a trip to the upper reaches of Roppongi Hills. After taking a look at the cloudy city, we spent several hours in a gallery for modern art.

Yes, it's an international company

Roppongi spider (Yukiko's in the bottom-left corner with an umbrella)

Me and Yukiko

The Last Supper
After a bit of trying, I finally contacted our old friend Makiko. We met her back in the 2000-2001 school year when she was doing a master's degree at UW. She's been working for J.P. Morgan in Tokyo since then. This was my first time to see her face-to-face since we whiled-away the summer of 2001.

Renato, Hanako, Kat, Paul, me, and Mak-Tak

Interesting circular entrance

Oh, my!

To be concluded ....