Monthly Archives: December 2008

Completed 360 degrees (14 degrees in chicago??).. Pt 1

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I began my trip in Tokyo, traveled for seven days throughout parts of the main island that i’m on (Honshu) and am back in Tokyo again, ready to fly back on Thursday.

Traveling away from Tokyo these last seven days has helped me paint the more accurate picture that I’ve been trying to paint all this time. Of course one can only see relatively little of a country in just 7 days, but I’ve had some unique experiences with the people that will send me away with heightened spirits. My apologies for not having updated more often, but lack of internet, or slow internet connections at some of these places, and lack of time have prevented me from doing such. So, please allow me to briefly summarize these last seven days in a several part post. 

 

Tokyo to Kyoto:

I blogged briefly on Kyoto in a previous entry, but I will expound upon my specific experiences in the former capital for my one-and-a-half days time.  

kyoto

We arrived in the afternoon. On shinkasen from Tokyo, the train ride took about 2.5 hours. Our hostel, Ks House was conveniently located only about 6 blocks from the train station (Kyoto station, which I had blogged about.) After settling into our excellent accommodation, we took a walk in to the eastern part of the city. It’s surrounded by mountains on the North, East, and West sides, shown to the left. This makes it relatively easy to navigate, since you can see the mountains from most parts of the city (…unless you’re inside, or you have your eyes shut outside.) Like many parts of Japan, there are many famous temples and shrines to see and take pictures of. If you have been temple or shrine hopping before, you might have felt some fatigue, for it becomes somewhat monotonous after a while. I enjoy seeing the temples, but many of them cost money to visit, and I find the history behind the temples and shrines more interesting in most cases – which I can read without visiting. If I had a lot more time, I would have love to visit more…We did see a couple important landmarks in Kyoto, though. The first might look familiar to you (shown below.)

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Kinkakuji - The Golden Pavilion - Kyoto, Japan

Yes, the Golden Pavilion, shining boldly in its glory. It was originally constructed as a villa in 1397 for the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (similar to a very powerful general.) Recalling a teaspoon of knowledge from my asian art class, its construction is unique, for there are several different types of architecture used, depending on the level. The top level is built in a Chinese-inspired style, with its bell-shaped windows. Its second floor is inspired by the housing used by samurai, and is where meetings were held. Its bottom floor (as you can see, not lacquered in gold leaf) was inspired by an 11th century (part of the Heian Period) style. I don’t have my art sources with me, so I can’t provide much more information about this until I get back…It has been reconstructed several times due to the Onin War (2 times) and a monk who burned it down in the 50′s, which is a story in itself…

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Phoenix on top of Kinkakuji

 

Part of the Kyoto bliss (Sounds like the name of an okonomiyaki restaurant that should be opened in Chicago – Kyoto Bliss)  is walking down the quaint streets. Of course, this requires some steps outside the Kyoto station area, crossing the Kamogawa River… Once this happens, you see well-preserved streets (though not without a modern twist in many cases) that can be very transformative, in the temporal sense.

 

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On the Streets of Gion,Kyoto - No, not a title for the next blockbuster film

 

 

We also visited a shinto shrine at the northern end of Kyoto, called Kamigamo. We accessed both this, and Kinkakuji, by way of bus (500 yen for an all day bus pass – ~5.00USD)

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Kamigamo Shrine, Northern Kyoto

 

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You may click on any of the above photos to enlarge them

 

 

 

*scribbles*

being greeted by random dog while climbing mountain in Nikko…later saw the dog in a truck…

pink lemonadish drink by Suntory

maple ice cream

Yodobashi headphone section

hal9000 vision tester at yodobashi

subway machine that spit a free ticket at me when i walked by it

ramen museum in Yokohama

friendly australian woman who gave cally a phone card

“this is my love song” – some song i heard in the hostel while typing this blog

women who handed me a bookmark for peace on train

longing for chicago pizza

japanese pastries – yum

freezing in chicago

job please?

love you, mom! :-)

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I’m guessing that when most people think of Japan, Tokyo might first come to mind with its electrifying (no pun intended) vibe due to all the lights, technology, and people that fill the streets….Or perhaps they would also think of Nagano, host of the 1998 winter olympics…Or perhaps they wouldn’t know what to think because Japan is such an enigma in most foreigners’ minds. It is true that there are many cities similar to Tokyo and Sapporo – perhaps not as big, but similar in how the society operates on a day-to-day basis: While this is part of the truth of what makes Japan, it is not the entire truth. I learned this through experience in the last couple days. The majority of Japan is mountainous, forcing the majority of major cities to reside on the shores of the four main islands (Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku, and Hokkaido.) Perhaps this is a reason for why cities like Tokyo are so dense! While in Tokyo, Kyoto, and even Hiroshima, the only food I could really feed my image of Japan with was one of quasi-pandemonium (though not all parts of Tokyo and Kyoto are like this, especially with Kyoto.) It wasn’t till two days ago, Friday the 5th, that my image was redefined, as Cally and I set forth on a short train ride out of Hiroshima to the gorgeous island of Miyajima. By gorgeous, I mean this:

View from Miyajima

Dorthy ain't in Tokyo no more :-)

 

I’ll have to leave with this for now, because my internet connection at my current location in Nikko is getting to the point where it’d almost be faster for me to the server and put the photos on myself…But I wanted to at least update you. Once I reach Tokyo again, today, I’ll be sure and finish this post. For now, I hope everyone is well, and that the weather in Chicago warms up past 13 degrees F when I return ;-)  

Peace

Noise and Peace

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kyotostation2871

*Posting somewhat backwards, for the information for Hiroshima today is fresh in my mind. Look for a post on Kyoto and Miyajima tomorrow or the following day *

It’s currently Friday night, about 10:00 pm. It’s been a long past couple of days, for they’ve been filled of traveling between cities, which, in a foreign country speaking a different language than the one from your own, is never simply travel. It consists of figuring out the type of train you’re on, the time your train comes, the track number you’re on, and what car to get into. For example, yesterday, Cally were leaving Kyoto to go to Hiroshima. It’s only a couple hour trip, but it had its complications. The first complication arose in Kyoto at the massive Kyoto Station. I don’t know what the massive train stations in the U.S. are, but I’ve been to the major one in New York City, and the ones in Chicago (which probably don’t count.) Kyoto Station is a different beast altogether. If it were stripped simply to what a train station’s function is supposed to be – a place for trains – then it would still be relatively complicated, simply because there are so many different types of trains each with their own track; I think there are about 20 tracks at Kyoto station: some elevated, some on ground level, and perhaps a couple underground…but kyoto station is a humongous shopping mall, too. This is common to many major and semi-major stations in places such as Tokyo, Hiroshima, and others. I realize this is the case with many places in the U.S., too, but Japan takes this idea and amplifies it 100 decibels or so. It really seems like they designed some of these places using labyrinth maps as a model… I found everything from Subway, Mcdonalds, and high yen sushi shops, to Gucci, Gap, Calvin Klein, and golf stores… P.S. If you ever craved a Footlong Shrimp Sub from Subway, fly over to Japan :-)

One of the benefits of the JR Pass is that you can get reserved seats for free, which means you can get tickets on non-smoking cars. You simply go to the ticket window, show the worker your JR Pass, tell them what trains you want and then receive your ticket(s). When she printed the tickets out, she handed us a 4×6″ graphic that said “This is a quiet car! Please be quiet!” Cally and I were intimidated by the prospect of a quiet car, remembering that most Japanese are extremely quiet as it is when in commute, even on the subway…so we figured that a Quiet Only car would be sensitive to a pin dropping… It turned out that it wasn’t really a big deal, though. There was even a guy talking on his cell phone…anyway, we had to board the Kodama Line, which is a JR train of the Shinkansen type…or perhaps it’s the Kodama train of the JR type of the Shinkansen line… Considering the size of the station, it’s relatively easy to navigate. There are not only signs, but assistants all over. The electronic train time displays alternate between Japanese and English information. Despite this, it still took Cally and I 20 minutes or so to find the right train. We looked up at the boards, but could find neither our train number, or the departure time displayed. After being pointed one direction from a worker, we’d go in that general direction, and then find another worker who would point us in a more specific direction: this eventually got us to our train with a couple minutes to spare.

Our destination was ultimately Hiroshima, but we had to make a transfer in Osaka (pronounced Ohhhhsaka) The first train, to Osaka, was only 25 minutes or so, however once in Osaka, we only had a 6 minute window to get off the train and get on the train to Hiroshima. We somehow completed this with success, but with not a minute to spare. We arrived at Hiroshima Shopping Mall…err, I mean, train station… an hour+1/2 later. 

 

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Paper cranes constructed for world peace, in Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima, Japan


 

Hiroshima. We all know it was the site where the first nuclear bomb was ever used for its intended purposes (aside from tests.) Nagasaki was three days later. Immediately upon arriving, a subtly sick feeling in my stomach was present (which has persisted right up until this post.) This was brought to my full conscious upon both walking through Peace Memorial Park and seeing the dome that the bomb exploded over (also located in the park.) The dome building, whose construction was completed in April of 1915, was built to stimulate the economy of Hiroshima. Its name was changed several times due to change in function. I believe it was last known as the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. People have attributed the building’s skeletal survival due to the fact that the bomb exploded not on the ground Standing at the dome, I had never felt a more intense expression of true human nature in both the horrors we are capable of producing, and the peace that I believe we all innately strive for.

I didn’t take any pictures of the dome building or of Peace Memorial Park out of respect. I don’t necessary think it’d be disrespectful to take pictures with the right intention, but there are plenty of photos on the internet already, so there was no reason for me to do so. Also, to be completely honest, I emotionally couldn’t bring myself to take pictures. The weight of the area kept my arms at my side.

Despite the somberness constantly looming in the back of my mind, the present-day Hiroshima (pop. ~1,000,000) is lively and positive. It contains all the clothing stores, electronics shops, restaurants, night clubs, and bars that Tokyo and Kyoto does. At nighttime, the streets are filled with people enjoying visiting stores, chatting on their phones, or sipping sake after enjoying Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki. 

 

peace

 

 

 

*scribbles*

more peace

eating hiroshima-style okonomiyaki 

wanting to make okonomiyaki at home

saying “gochisousama* to the okonomiyaki chefs

trying to read the faces

“assfort” and “bar pee” – i’ll explain, at least to the degree of my knowledge, later

comfortable room at k’s house

addictive marimba song at 7-11

small stores, bars

humorous t.v. shows

christmas lights on long hiroshima street

what can be advantageous about a conservative mind for betterment of a less-than-ideal world?

is hard work relative to our own selves, to our friends, family, our country, the world?

hard work hard play

ropeway ride to near-top of miyajima island

dreams of a world where money doesn’t exist and only innate desire to better human society does

beautiful things

 

 


Kyooooooto / foodz

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I woke up with a fever this morning, but, as the saying goes, “A Dan’s gotta do what a Dan’s gotta do…” or something like that…

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Students congregating after school, partaking in ancient rituals like eating ice cream and crepes

 

Cally and I took the Shinkasen to Kyoto today. Bullet Trains are awesome, because

  1. They’re extremely fast
  2. They have a lot of leg room, even if you’re not in a “green” or first-class car
  3. They have a cool name
  4. They’re free if you have a JR Pass (described in a previous post)
  5. Did I mention they’re fast? They go 285 km, or about 180 miles per hour. It’s about 230 miles from Tokyo to Kyoto, and we got there in almost under two hours. 

 

(While trying to delete the photos on the camera that were already uploaded to the computer, I became “delete-happy” and deleted the several photos that were not yet uploaded to the computer…oops!)

 

 

 

If you didn’t know, Kyoto was the old capital of Japan from 794 till 1868, when Tokyo was deemed the new capital. From my understanding, it wasn’t really touched from World War II, so many temples and shrines remain: a must see if you come to Kyoto. Its layout makes it a lot more easy to get around because it’s very linear and block-like, unlike Tokyo. It’s also enclosed by mountains on the, West, North, and East sides, so they make for good reference points. They were cleaning our room at our hostel when we got here, so we left our luggage there and explored the East Side of Kyoto for a bit…Of course there was one thing that had to be taken care of first: sustenance in the form of edible (and enjoyable) food. This has been somewhat of a challenge for me both this year and last year… Allow me to explain.

So there are several types of places to eat in Japan. First up, we have this type of place, what I will refer to as Foodz A.

 

Foodz A arguably offers the most authentic of all the types, and can’t be found anywhere else in the world. Depending on your tastebuds and willingness to try things, you’re likely to be pleasantly surprised (if not by the food, then by the atmosphere) when visiting these types of places. The prices can vary greatly, but you’ll most likely get what you pay for.The downside to this type is potential lack of comprehension and intimidation. The storefronts for Foodz A restaurants generally look something like this (pardon the blurry image):

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As you can see, it has some information on the front, but it doesn’t give you (the foreigner who doesn’t yet know 2000 kanji) much of a clue as to what they offer, how much it is, and whether or not your meal is served by a samurai master who will cut off your fingers to use for sashimi if you don’t follow correct Japanese restaurant protocol. For these reasons, I’m usually pretty intimidated by the prospect of entering these places. This is something I’ve been trying to get over in the last few days.  The problem is that many of the traditional places might not employee workers that speak English. I assume that if a Japanese restaurant doesn’t post a sign outside with at least our familiar system of numbers for prices (1,2,3 instead of lines and other kanji,) it will be much more difficult for a gaijin (foreigner) to successfully complete the experience the restaurant has to offer. Of course, I exaggerate somewhat, but some Japanese dishes are relatively involved. For example, Cally and I went to an okonomiyaki place the other night. At some okonomiyaki places, you’re the essential part of the cooking process. They bring the ingredients to your table, and you have to cook it at the hot plate, flip it, check consistency, add the appropriate sauces, etc. We had a lot of fun, but the initial task-at-hand was intimidating, until we finally reached the task-at-mouth part. 

 

The second type, Foodz B is a bit easier. These places are the best of both worlds, for the obvious reason exemplified in the picture below.

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These places are, at least in my limited experiences, very common. If they don’t have the detailed plastic models (apparently there’s a plastic food model “district” in Tokyo somewhere where you can purchase all sorts of food models) in the window like they do in the photo above, they’ll at least have pictures so you can see what it is you have the option of eating. The upside to this is that you roughly figure out what you’ll put in your mouth. The downside is that it makes more difficult to get out of your comfort zone (as the saying goes, “Never judge a food by its plastic display model…”)

 

Foodz C:

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Cally and I have visited Foodz C places a total of three times this trip: McDonalds for lunch (they pretty much offer the same things, if a little less, and the drinks are smaller), Denny’s for breakfast (morning menu contains a couple rice dishes, your standard fare of pancakes, french toast, waffles, eggs, though everything is twice as small than in the U.S.), and MOS Burger for dinner yesterday. These places are chain stores, either international or national, and offer a quick bite to eat. It’s your typical “go up to the counter and tell them which meal you want” deal. The food can be appetizing, but it’s probably the most comfortable type of place to eat as a foreigner. MOS Burger can only be found in Japan, and while its menu is similar to mcdonalds, the quality is a bit higher, plus they bring your fast food to the table. Excelllllenttttttt…..~

 

There are obviously more types than I can mention/know that exist, but those are a few general categories. If anyone who has been to Japan has a recommendation of a restaurant I have to visit… I would like to focus specifically on some awesome Japanese foods I’ve had the opportunity to try here, but I have a fever(ish) and have to catch a bullet train to Hiroshima momentarily. I’ll post more about Kyoto tonight and share some awesome pictures I took while exploring the city. Here’s a preview, below, of a Shinto shrine in Northern Kyoto we visited yesterday.

 

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*scribbles*

bus roller coaster ride from golden pavillion 

giggly kids

sake at zen cafe

met person who worked for JET

sick

breakfast buffet

kyoto okonomiyake experience in uber-small restaurant

 

Big city, Small Odds

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So, of course, the probability of running into someone that I know, in one the most populated cities in the world, is quite low…Which is why I ran into a classmate of mine from an asian art class I took at Depaul??? So Cally and I were leaving the Imperial Gardens in Tokyo, until I thought I saw someone I recognized. At first, I thought there’d be no chance that it was the person I was thinking off…BUT IT WAS!!!

 

Here we are outside the Imperial Gardens in Tokyo. San, Ni, Ichi, sayyyy Cheeeseee!

 

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Unfortunately, the Imperial Gardens were closed that day (closed on Mondays and Fridays) so we didn’t get to go inside. There are, however, open parks next to the gardens that we passed through. This was an incredible experience, because the few parks in Tokyo are HUGE! The image below is of the imperial grounds (where the emperor, His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Akihito, lives) and gives you an idea of the contrast of the density of Tokyo to the massive size of the parks.

tokyoimperialpalace 

Please enjoy these photos of the area:

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This is a dense city? What?

 

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This bridge used to be the main entrance to the Imperial Grounds. It's not accessible, for there are serious-looking guards standing at a closed door.

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The moat surrounding the Imperial Grounds. Japanese Moat Monsters lie beneath...

 

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Businessman enjoying a bike ride through the park.

 

 

 

 

Tomorrow: Kyooooooto bliss! and Hunting for Food: A Foreigners Perspective.

 

*scribbles*

Baby Cyclops figures at K’S House in Tokyo

Softness of everything in Japan

Fun with english words

Okonomiyaki – Hiroshima style and Osaka style

Awesome Zen Cafe at Ks House Kyoto

random government workers standing around “guarding” a random area, e.g. a water fountain

why some girls choose to dress up in kimono (as opposed to a regular dress) and others dont

apparent honor taken even in such seemingly insignificant jobs