Journey to Japan

Sayonara Nihon

そして今終わりはここにある
私は最後の幕に直面
私の友人は、私はそれを明確に言っておこう
私は確信しているうち、私の場合を述べます
私は完全な人生を生きてきた
私は一人ひとりの高速道路を走行し
これよりもはるかに多くの、そしてより多くの
私はそれを私の方法をやった

Well, the sun has set on the final evening of our holiday. Today was spent getting lost in Tokyo, around the shops and stalls, streets and sights.

We had a sublime last supper in the hotel grill and toasted the end of it all with saki. The cases are packed and waiting for our 7.00am start for the airport tomorrow morning. I’m a little bit drunk and a little bit sad to be going home after the best holiday ever. But to tell you the truth, I don’t think I could have done much more of this – relaxing it wasn’t. We’ve been at it, full pelt for 16 days and the tired old body has had its fill.

But we did it, one more thing ticked off the bucket list. Roll on the next one – Moscow, South America or New Zealand – place your bets now!

I can't not say something about yesterday's visit to Hiroshima but Mac has very eloquently summed it up. Like everything and everywhere in Japan, it is characterised by contrasts – the stark ruins of the A-Bomb Dome ( Genbaku) now sits in the midst of a rebuilt, vibrant city; the Memorial Gardens both a heartbreaking commemoration of what happened in 1945 and a testomony to human spirit; a lesson learned and a warning given to the rest of the world about the horrors of nuclear war.

But it was time to leave the island and head back to Tokyo and ever closer to the airport. The six-hour journey was by boat, tram and bullet train and it allowed us to take our last look at the Japanese countryside as we hurtled our way back to the big smoke of Tokyo. Once again, our jaws had to be picked up from the ground when we saw our final hotel. It is in a skyscraper called Southern Tower, in the heart of Shinjuku and the foyer is on the 20th floor. We're on the 34th floor so you can imagine the view. Even going up in the glass elevator is thrilling – but then again, it doesn't take a lot to thrill me! This is where the film “Lost in Translation” was made and Shinjuku by night is like stepping into the film. It is a hive of activity: shops; red light district; clubs; restaurants – this is the Soho of Tokyo and I love it.

Tomorrow's our last day – I don't want to go home. Normally a week or 10 days is enough for me but I don't want this to end. Anyway, I'm not going to spoil my penultimate night by moaning – I'm going to enjoy the last dregs of this holiday, in the hotel bar, on the 40th floor, up in the sky. Another gin and tonic, bar-tender and make it a large one!

あなたの祝福を数える

We went down to the dock to get a ferry to the mainland but, before boarding, decided to see the sights at the Itsukushima Shinto shrine. (Try saying that after a drop of saki). The shrine has large Torii gate that, when the tide is in, appears to float on the water. It’s supposed to be one of the most “magical” sites in the world. Just looked to me like it could do with a lick of paint.
So, on to the mainland…

We stood beside the ruined Genbaku dome today – Hiroshima’s Ground Zero. Had we been there at 8.15am on 6th August 1945 we would have been looking into the fires of hell. We’d have been blinded by the light of a thousand suns, then incinerated and blown away as radioactive dust in a fearsome wind. At least fifty thousand souls were sent to oblivion in an instant. Another hundred thousand died of injuries and radiation sickness over the following weeks and months. Sixty eight years later it’s a tourist attraction. You can’t go to Japan and not visit Hiroshima. What happened here, and in Nagasaki, was one of the most significant events in human history.

And yet …

Standing there and looking around, apart from the dome, you wouldn’t know that anything major had ever happened there. Hiroshima was annihilated that day and has been completely rebuilt. It’s a city that has, literally, risen from the ashes. It’s a modern, vibrant, forward-looking place. They haven’t forgotten their history, of course not – but they don’t seem to mope about it. Life goes on and as far as I could see, Hiroshima just gets on with it. There’s a lesson there for all of us. If you can recover from a nuclear attack then surely you can find a way to quit arguing about flags.

Left Kyoto today and headed to the beautiful island of Miyajima, a UNESCO world heritage site. We travelled to Hiroshima by shinkansen, then got a tram to the port and sailed to the island on the ferry. We knew we were going to be staying in a ryokan but never expected anything like this!

Ding dong! This place is something else – luxe de deluxe. When we arrived, our hostess greeted us and took us to our suite (see how I nonchalantly dropped that in). It’s stunning and enormous and gorgeous, just take a look at the photos. She served us tea while telling us about the facilities, checking what time we wanted our meals and discussing the menus. We couldn’t help feeling that we were in the wrong place!

But lovely and all as it was, we went out and took the cable car up Mount Misen, to view the island from above.

It was then back to the ryokan for dinner. My god, what an experience that was! We had decided on a fish menu and there were about a dozen courses – maybe it would be better described as small plates, but there were no actual plates – there were bowls, chalices, vessels, pots, slates, all containing differently prepared fish. The sashimi course was a dramatic presentation with ice, shells, flowers, sea weed, dry ice vapour, and of course, the fish. Then came the oysters, presented on a tiny brick oven and cooked at the table. The main course was seabream, slices of which we cooked in a soup which was bubbling away in little pots set over burners on the table. Our hostess was there to serve us and to explain to us what exactly to do with this plethora of alien commestibles.

Two hours later, when we got back to the room, it had mysteriously been transformed. The table was now in an alcove, the futons had been set out and the heat turned up. So we got into our jammies – sorry – yukata, and chilled in our suite. Mac then lowered the tone of the whole situation by insisting on wearing his “divine wind” headband, but in the grand scheme of things, why the hell not? We have our own private onsen – an enormous bath tub in a big wet room, so we’ll have a go at that before the night is o’er.

I make no apologies for the inordinate number of photographs in tonight’s blog but words can’t really describe this place, or our dinner or indeed, Mac in a yukata.

Night-night.

The wine got the better of me last night so I’m writing this on the bullet train as we hurtle towards Hiroshima at 160 mph.

Yesterday, we took ourselves to Osaka for the day. This city was almost flattened during the war, so most of the buildings are very modern and none so archetecturally dramatic as the Umeda Sky Tower. Standing nearly 200 metres high, its mirrored twin towers are joined by a glass walkway. The description, ” a space-age Arc de Triomphe” just about sums it up. We took the glass elevator up the outside of the building, right up to the observation gallery – definitely not for those suffering from vertigo. When my heart rate got back to normal, I was able to enjoy the amazing sights across the city – a bit like the Empire State Building experience. We were then able to go up to the rooftop observation deck to get our heads blown off.

On then to Osaka-jo, a castle that took 100,000 workers three years to build in 1583. It was meant to be impregnable but was destroyed only 30 years later by the armies of Tokugawa. He rebuilt it but then razed it to the ground rather than let the forces of the Meiji Restoration claim it in 1868.
The castle that stands today is another reconstruction of the original, but built in 1931. A bit of a swizz? Maybe, but there’s no denying that it is a very impressive structure, perched on a hill with its moat, the most glorious gardens, and a sensational view over the river.

For dinner tonight, we decided to go for something different so went to an “Italian” restaurant. Well, a Japanese take on Italian. Once again, I wasn’t quite sure what I was eating but it had loads of chicken, basil and garlic in it so it made me very happy. At the end of the meal, I presented my compliments to the chef, using one of the expressions in my limited repertoire of stock Japanese phrases. The waiter must have passed them on because the chef came out of the kitchen and gave me the whole bowing thing – all smiles and joyful exclamations. He then proceeded to take a paper napkin from the table and create a little origami ballerina which he presented to me, to the applause of the waiters who by now has encircled our table. I was scundered!

I’ll just finish by telling you about a charming wee device I’ve noticed in public ladies toilets. When you sit down, just on your right at hand level, is a sensor thing. If you hold your hand in front of it, it starts to emit the sound of running water – like a river. Its purpose is to mask the sound of your piddle and protect the sensitivities of easily embarrassed ladies. Not sure if it would mask the sound of my fecal activity this morning though, after last night’s meal and a couple of bottles of house white.

国は国に語ります

Before we went on this trip several people had mentioned how we would find the Japanese stand-offish, reserved and unwilling to engage with foreigners. I’m not sure why this idea is prevalent but I can assure you that the opposite is true. I have rarely met such a polite, friendly and helpful bunch of people. The incessent bowing takes a bit of getting used to but it quickly becomes second nature. Whenever we have asked for help with directions, the people involved have, without exception, been more than helpful – despite the language difficulty; very few of them speak English. On more than one occasion our helper has actually TAKEN us to where we wanted to go. And they really seem to like it if you try to speak Japanese.

People here are well used to hearing westerners saying the standard things like arigatou or sayonara. What really chuffs them is if you say less obvious things like ohayogozaimasu (good morning) or oyosunimasai (good night). If you really want to impress you can say to a restuarant owner Gochisousama deshita, (may I humbly offer my thanks for the trouble you went to in preparing such a delicious repast)

We were getting off a train the other day and Maire needed the loo. She asked me how to ask where it was and I told her. She marched up to the nearest official and said “Sumimasen, toire wa doko desuka?”. The chap made a grand pointing gesture and said something complicated that I didn’t understand, but I did catch the word “asoko” which means “over there”. Hey! We have communication.

On another occasion we had just boarded a fairly crowded train. A young couple noticed my stick and offered us their seats. We sat down, with much “arigato” and “konichi wa”, opposite two ladies of a certain age who smiled indulgently while this was going on. One of them said something which was too fast for me. Another passenger translated. “She wants to know if you two are married”. I replied “Kanojo wa watashi no okusan desu” (she is my wife). Well, I swear to god, I thought they were going to explode with delight, huge face-breaking smiles and hand clapping. Half the carriage joined in as well. Like I said, they really, really like it when you make the effort.

Yeah right! But it is nice to celebrate our anniversary in Kyoto. Yesterday, Mac spent ages on his translator app on the Ipad and I knew he was working on something. This morning, he wished me happy anniversary and proclaimed his love for me in Japanese! When he ran it through the translator, however, what he actually said was, “My cardio-vascular is on the tabletop. Acclaimation to the auriole”. Thanks for that, Mac, it’s these unexpected endearments that have kept the flame alive for so long.

Loads of bits and pieces today –
Trawled the backstreets and markets of Higashiyama.

Returned to the museum of Traditional Crafts and Arts and saw there the most beautiful smoking area in the world.

Went to Kyoto Station – an astonishing edifice of glass and steel, towering 15 floors above the city and crowned with a roof garden – a “happy terrace” – that would delight even the grumpiest of bastards.

Went to the 141st Miyako Dori performance (Geisha Dancing) which marks the start of Spring each year. 60 Geiko and Maiko dancers and musicians, a perfectly choreographed, mega-production of colour, movement and story which left me stone cold.

Walked back via the main drag of Gion Kohbu Kabukai which could only be described as Camden Market on speed. Took a bus back to our hotel and discovered at first hand what crowding REALLY means. There were about 5000 on a single decker – I am loving this up close and personal in Japan.

Talking of which, I’ve much bigger fish to fry now.

Sayonara.

Today has just been the best day yet and I don’t care what that Korean head-the-ball is threatening, this holiday is getting better by the day.

At 9.00am we hit the streets with our guide for today, the diminutive Mr Tadashi Ichimaru, a Kyotoite with a twinkle in his eye. It didn’t take him long to get the measure of the type of thing we wanted to see, so soon we were off to view palaces, temples, shrines and zen gardens. The good thing about having a local guide is that they can take you to places off the beaten ‘Lonely Planet’ track. So instead of fighting our way through the crowds at the Golden Pavilion, we lost ourselves in the silence at Tofuku-ji, a temple complex with 24 sub-temples, gardens and the oldest Zen main gate in Japan. He explained the whole Zen thing and the principles of a zen garden with its gravel and rocks representing the universe (“use your imagination to expand your mind”) and how the absence of flowers allows us to free our minds from the bonds of actual beauty, to transcend to a higher plane. I sooo got it – Mac thought it was a load of bollocks. However, the reality will hit him when we get home and he is charged with digging up the back yard and laying down a couple of tons of sand and a pile of rocks to create the Mcanespie Zen garden experience.

Tada explained the whole history of the Shogun dynasty as we made our way through the Nijo Palace. He certainly knows his stuff and is such a good story-teller, I could have listened to his craic all day.

Best of all, however, was the sublime sight of the Fushimi-Inari Taisha, a stunning Shinto shrine dedicated to the gods of rice and saki. Its main feature is a 4km pathway, meandering up the mountain, lined with THOUSANDS of scarlet Tori gates. There’s no way our photos can come close to doing justice to the weird and mysterious atmosphere of this sacred shrine.

At around 5.30, we ended up in the Museum of Traditional Arts and Crafts, set in a beautiful area of Kyoto, housing the University, Library, Municipal and National art galleries. By now we were knackered and it was time for Tada to leave us but we will certainly be back to this cool part of the city.

Dinner tonight was in another ‘traditional’ restaurant – weird but gorgeous. I swear, I could have been eating anything and probably was. Horse meat is one of the more mundane offerings available here. We hit on a discount liquor store on the way back to the hotel so I’m going to sign off now as a bottle of something calling itself ” gyn” awaits. Slainte.

翻訳で失わ

Apart from one MacDonalds, I don’t think I’ve understood anything that I’ve eaten here. Tonight was no different. We went to a mall inside the main Kyoto subway station. A vast underground cathedral of consumption with a huge variety of shops including many restaurants. We eventually chose one which Maire assured me was a tempura joint. (As if I knew what that meant.) The menu was written in traditional kanji, so we had no mission of understanding it. The young waitress, god love her, had no English, so we just pointed at words and said “that’ll do me”. I started with LOL followed by OMG and finished up with WTF.
To be fair, it was all really quite nice.