Japan

Tony and I just spent a fantastic 2 weeks in Japan. (Well, not 'just' but pretty recently :) ).  Tony has been wanting to visit Japan for years (since studying Japan in college) and Japan's awesomeness didn't disappoint.  I had been to Japan once before 9 years ago with my Dad just after my high school graduation.  I was looking forward to visiting again at a different point in life and to share the experience with Tony.  We were very lucky to have some gracious and very generous hosts in Tokyo that made our visit extra memorable (and helped with language practice!).  Of the places we've visited, Japan is on the shortlist of places we could live. We'll definitely be back!

Here are the pics:

View from our hotel in Odaiba (the newest man-made island in Tokyo).  This is the Rainbow Bridge with Tokyo Tower in the background.

More of the Tokyo skyline

Lights of Tokyo Tower

We couldn't resist going to visit a Disney resort while in Tokyo- this is Tokyo Disney Sea, an original theme park (think Animal Kingdom or Epcot rather than Disneyland).  They seriously love Mickey Mouse here!  It was nice to see familiar characters though it's a little unsettling to here the familiar voices speaking Japanese instead of English!

If I had to name it, the theme of Disney Sea would be voyages of discovery.  This is from the Jules Verne area with attractions based on 20,000 Leagues and Journey to the Center of the Earth- with a cool steam punk-y vibe.

And of course...Indiana Jones's C-3PO plane from Raiders. :)

The only princess here was Ariel from The Little Mermaid.  

In front of the Temple of the Crystal Skull Mayan ruins.  Japan was having a heatwave with temps around 90 and 60% humidity so we look a little wilted.

The Lavender bath salts actually made the bathwater lavender. :)  We also had a lovely orange-tang bath.

Our friend Misaki assembling her shamisen.  We got to go to a lesson with her which was absolutely amazing.  Tony and I got to try playing and Tony picked up nearly the while song in 10 mins!

Tony listening (?) to the giant lotus plants at Ueno park.

Old style building with a super modern car (very Tokyo). The couple are our friends Misaki and Yuta.

Misaki and Yuta send us off on our first Shinkansen (bullet train) ride.

Eating yummy mochi on the train.

We stayed at the Fujimien ryokan (traditional inn) outside of Hakone.  The room was beautiful with western style beds and beautiful tatami sitting area. We had a beautiful view of Mt. Fuji from our room and the dining room where we ate a traditional Japanese dinner. Really wonderful.

Us in our yukatas drinking ocha (& we were watching sumo on TV). :)

The ryokan had it's own onsen hot spring bath.  The bath was wonderful but there is really specific etiquette for using the baths so the hotel gave us a nifty handbook. Pretty much: get naked, shower (sitting down-which I think is actually better), get into the bath, get out and shower again (sitting down), repeat as long as you'd like. 

View of Mt. Fuji from out hotel room- the sky was misty from the heat so the pic isn't the clearest.

Kyoto Station

Middle of Kyoto station- which is HUGE with these cool architectural features between the 2 wings.

During our first night in Kyoto we stayed at the Shunkoin Zen Buddhist temple which is inside the sprawling Myoshin-ji Temple complex.  The tiny figure on the right is Tony riding one of the temple's bicycles.

The main building of Shunkoin temple- beautiful!  We had a great meditation class with Taka, the vice abbot.  The temple is actually quite small but has beautiful wall screens covered in gold leaf and painted 300 years ago by the Imperial court painter.

The gate to the temple

Our temple room- really new and modern with Japanese styles beds (futon pads on the floor).  The pillows here were literally rocks inside pillow cases. 

Kinkakuji Temple in Kyoto.  To be honest, it was so hot that we had a hard time enjoying this place and didn't stick around too long. 

Giant Tori gates outside Heian Shrine (Shrine= Shinto where Temple=Buddhist).  Only shrines have Tori gates. 

Did I say giant?

Heian Shrine- not a reallly famous shrine in Kyoto but really impressive.  Lots of people coming to pray and we caught glimpses of a wedding taking place.

Trees made of paper prayers

Sake barrels that have been donated to the shrine.

Kyoto

Atomic Bomb Museum Hiroshima.  Really makes you take pause.

A-Bomb dome

Entertainment district in Hiroshima- all of the signs are for hostess bars and nightclubs- there were almost as many girly bars in Hiroshima as in Gion, Koyto's famous red-light district.  Once it's dark, men in suits and hostesses come down to the street to call business men into the bars.

Hiroshima skyline- unlike Kyoto, 80% of the city is new.  The lights are at Hiroshima Stadium, home of the Hiroshima Carp baseball team.

Floating O-tori gate at Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island, one of the most sacred shinto sites, covered with Shinto and Buddist temples and monuments.

O-Tori with one of Miyajima's tame dear

Beautiful Momijidani garden.  

Momiji is maple and we were able to see a few maple leaves turning red despite the late summer heatwave. Japan has many varieties of maple leaves- from trees with big leaves like we have in North American to trees with teeny tiny leaves only 1" across that move in the wind lke the silvery leaves of Aspen trees.

Since we are crazy gaijin (foreigners) we decided to hike to the top of Mt. Misen on Miyajima. I had never sweat so much , but the hidden temples along the way and view of the Seto Inland Sea was totally worth it.  

Priest performing for a wedding party at Itsukishima Shrine.

Japanese ladies in long sleeves and gloves to protect their skin from the sun (they must have been baking!) wait for their  rickshaw driver, who, in contrast has the tannest legs in Japan.

We did an evening tour of Hiroshima where we got to go to a Buddhist altar shop.  Most Japanese families have some sort of shrine in their homes dedicated to Buddhist sects, Shinto gods, ancestor remembrance or a combination of those.  Some altars, like this one have elaborate carvings covered in gold leaf.  The design mimics the architecture for the main temple of that sect.

As a special treat, the shop owner covered on of Tony's Microsoft pens in gold leaf.  Kind of  appropriate.

At the "Celebrity" pet shop in Hiroshima

A $3000 kitten.

Nissan GT-R in the entertainment district. Look for this one again later. :)

Misaki's parents Yasu and Midori at the Imperial Palace gardens. They were absolutely wonderful and let us stay at their home in Tokyo.  Even though they spoke only a small amount of English, we had a great time with them.  They were so patient with Tony and his istumo benkyoo (always studying) Japanese.

Back in Tokyo for a long weekend Misaki and Yuta took us to the restaurant where they filmed some if the "Crazy 88" scenes in Kill Bill.  We had a blast- the food was like Japanese tapas & a great atmosphere.  Every time a customer came in of out all of the staff would shout irrashai  (welcome).  Tony also got to try wa-gu Japanese beef- it was so tender and deloscious!

Not kidding

Misaki is the Autumn flowers at Hamarikyu garden.

After a warm day of sightseeing and a bento picnic lunch we had iced ocha at this tea house.  One of the reasons I love Tokyo- it's one of the most modern, sophisticated, fast paced cities yet has these oases of peace and history like Hamarikyu.  

SO, this is the sushi that defeated me. I'd say that I am not a picky eater and have eaten everything from chicken feet to bullfrong (on the bone) and bowls full of eels but I couldn't even swallow this.  It's called natto and is pretty much decomposing soy beans and, yes, that is a raw egg.   What possessed me to eat it?  I have no idea.  My hosts said I looked like umeboshi, a sour pickle, while eating this. I believe it.  Sushi eaters be warned. :P

Japan has this awesome ad campaign going on where Tommy Less Jones plays an alien trying to fit in in Japan.  He also drinks Boss coffee (he is boss, but is not "the boss" in the ads).   The ads are pretty good and show all different seasons/aspects of life in Japan- here's one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut2QXQc7Fac

Last day in Tokyo!  This is the world's poshest banana- $5 for this huge fruit at  a fruit store in ritzy Ginza .  A bargain compared to the $300 cantaloupe.

Proof that anything can be made to look like Hello Kitty

Remember that GT-R?   I bought one! (J/k- this is inside the Nissan showroom).

What does it take to stop a crowd in Tokyo?  Even in Ginza, which has the Sony new product showroom and countless high fashion boutiques, its 2 cute cats that have have the biggest draw. :)

Akihabara! Gamers' and electronics lovers paradise.  My brothers would love it here- 6 story video game arcades and maid cafes (where cute girls wear costumes and serve cute food to geeky types that can't talk to girls in any other setting).

Tony versus Yuta at the Sega arcade

To wrap up the post- Tony's favorite part of Japan- fresh wasabi!