A Night in the Temple...With Kids

On the train to Koya yesterday, there was a precocious 10-year-old boy—half Japanese and half Thai (he lives mostly in Thailand)—traveling with his parents and a South African English teacher. The teacher said he was a bit of a genius, three years ahead of his grade-level. He spoke excellent English and was friendly and jolly as he chatted with Scott. When we told him we were going to Koya, he said it was a place for “old men,” not for children. He and his family were headed for Universal Studios in Osaka!

After a night spent in Koya, I see what the precocious boy means! Koya is a place of peaceful contemplation. At our beautiful temple-lodging (already described by Scott), the paper walls required us to speak at no more than a whisper – a challenge for Liv. Even during meals, there was almost no talking among the guests.

Scott and I attended the meditation ceremony before supper, leaving the kids in the room. We had to just hope that they behaved or that everyone else was at the ceremony, so the kids’ rambunctiousness wouldn’t disturb anyone.

Yet despite the peaceful atmosphere, or perhaps because of it, I think it was a great experience for us all. Liv practiced her meditation posture (she does a perfect lotus pose) and made a sign for her lap that said “No Photos or Video,” such as she has seen in front of many Buddhist sculptures during the trip. And she went to the evening bath with me—a traditional Japanese bathing experience.

Tor kept his nose in the Kindle, continuing to report on his progress through “Shogun.” But it was impossible not to soak up some of the calming energy of the monks and the gardens. He seems to be in a good place.

Today we strolled through the cemetery, which is more than 1300 years old and contains the graves of many famous people. It was a picturesque place, and also calming.

Now we’re on the train to Osaka airport, heading home. We’re all ready. I grabbed a dark chocolate bar in the station—the first chocolate we’ve had all trip. It tasted great. And Livia already has plans for waffles and pizza when we get home.

All in all, I think it has been a good trip, with lots to remember. Sayonara Japan!

On Temples and Shrines

By Scott—Our last night in Japan, and we are on a mountain called Koya, or “Koya-san,” staying at a seven hundred year-old temple. Our room is beautiful, with sliding- door walls painted with scenes of ancient Japan, a tatami floor, gorgeous carved-wood screens above the doors, and, in one corner, a small television. Our room looks out onto a Zen-style (although the temple is not Zen, but Shingon, or “esoteric” as the hosts here refer to it) raked rock garden. It is cold up here, but there are electric heaters. We just finished dinner, eaten communally with the other guests, most of them German tonight. The food is special “monk food,” prepared without meat, onions, or garlic, and was actually very good. Even Tor liked it quite a bit. Quite a contrast to last night’s dinner. Tonight there was tofu several different ways, beans that tasted like Boston baked, cold tempura vegetables, rice noodles, rice, several kinds of pickled vegetables, some odd spongy tofu, a pot of hot sukiyaki-like stuff on top of sterno, and then some apple slices and mystery-flavored jello for dessert. At the end of the dinner a tiny 90-year old woman came into the small hall and squatted on a cushion and, with a microphone, told us her story and Koya’s story—at length. She grew up on the mountain, then somehow was sent to Tokyo, before the war, and chose to study English, instead of “domestics,” which was what she was urged to study. Then just before the war she was criticized for having studied the “enemy” language. Later, and I forget why, her English came in handy—she did some translation for the Japanese navy?—and she was praised for having studied English. Not sure how the Germans tonight felt her going on at some length about her English studies. She eventually married the former chief priest of this temple, and it has stayed in the family. She was very sweet, really, but seemed not to have much sense of just how long she was going on, and people were getting visibly impatient, worrying about how to blow out their sterno, or, in Tor’s case, suppressing giggles. She told the story of the monk who went to China and came back to found Shingon in Japan. And of the “implement” that he threw—either all the way from China, or from the boat that he was coming back on—at the coast of Japan in order to determine where it was that he was going to establish his monastery. The very same implement, supposedly, is kept in one of the sanctums up the road. There are 53 temples in this area. There were once up to 2,000, though they were quite small. Just the big ones, apparently, have survived. I’ve been impressed in Japan by the apparent wealth of shrines and temples. They can be very big landholders, and seem to have a steady stream of devotees throwing coins into their offering boxes. Our room tonight is by far the most expensive we’ve had in Japan—nearly twice as much as we paid for two hotel rooms, total, in Tokyo (though we did get a relative bargain there). This corresponds to what the Zen monastery I’ve stayed in in California charges—it’s not cheap. Anyway, religion and big business—what’s new?

Nouvelle Kaiseki

For our final dinner in Kyoto, we made reservations at “Giro Giro,” a restaurant that has a second branch in Paris. That tells you how incredibly COOL his place was. It reminded me of Coi in San Francisco – an unusual restaurant that gives you lots of little tastes of unusual flavors. Giro Giro provides an eight course feast, a contemporary version of the traditional Japanese feast known as kaiseki. But with an 8 pm reservation for four – including two children – we knew there was a high risk that this dinner could be disastrous. In fact, it was fabulous… for two of us…and a disastrous for the other two! Of the eight tiny courses, there was perhaps one that the kids were willing to consume (a poached salmon). And the meal lasted for nearly three hours! They were reasonably good sports about the whole thing. And Scott and I got to eat double portions of most of the feast (except the salmon, which we donated to the kids’ stomachs!).

The courses: (1) steamed squid with bamboo in a green sauce (vegetable); (2) tuna nigiri with a tiny potato salad and a slice of egg; (3) snapper soup (really good!) (4) poached salmon with pureed cauliflower, eggplant, and cherry blossom jelly; (6) bean ice cream with oranges and pepper; (7) rice with some kind of crunchy fish thing in it, with a bowl of bean broth following it; (8) some odd Japanese sweets, including “soda” jelly with oranges, some mochi, sweet tofu with sesame seeds, and other unknown items!

It helped that Scott and I shared three pitchers of delicious cold sake. We tried two kinds: Tatsuya (dry) and Desai (medium). We really loved the Desai. We need to figure out how to find this in the U.S. Tor drank a bit of sake as well… I think he had his first sensation of slight drunkness. Not sure if he liked it!

Kyoto Shopping with Livia

Shopping with Livia

After a full day of sight-seeing in Kyoto during which we (somewhat stupidly) visited sites in the South, North, and West parts of the city, Livia still had energy for a shopping trip – which I had been promising to her. So we stopped off at Teramachi Dori, a major shopping “arcade” (sort of a covered pedestrian street/mall) in Kyoto. We started with a big hug to celebrate being away from the boys. Then we walked and browsed various shops, including a kimono shop (where the owner looked at us suspiciously when we dared to touch one of the expensive silk kimonos). After a while, Livia pointed out that we had been walking for a while but hadn’t purchased anything, and she wanted this to be a REAL shopping trip, not just a window-shopping trip. So we stopped and bought her a pretty pink headband with a ribbon on it. Next, she spotted a “Mister Donut.” She knows I never go to places like that, so she said “I know you won’t buy me a donut,” but I said, “Sure, let’s get you a donut.” She was amazed! I let her do the choosing and paying, and she was very comfortable with that. Finally we found a souvenir shop with nice Japanese fans—one of the things she really wanted to get. We bought one with a classic Japanese painting on it – a beautiful wave of water with Mt. Fuji in the background. We also got Tor a T-shirt with the same painting on it. After more walking that took us further and further from our machiya, we grabbed a cab. Again, I let her handle the yen to pay the driver. She really liked having some responsibility, and pointed out that she can make really good decisions and be responsible if we just listen to her! I guess I learned a lesson from that!

Wild Monkey Chase

by Scott--One of our stops in Kyoto today was the so-called wild monkey park in the hills northwest of the city. We trudged up a hillside that had a great view of the city, to a spot where a small colony of Japanese snow monkeys live in the open. The setting wasn't quite as wild as I imagined it would be, but the monkeys aren't penned up. They roam around, fight, mothers pick nits off the young. There is a feeding spot where you can stick apple pieces or peanuts through a chicken-wire fence; Liv and Tor did this. I thought the whole thing was questionably worth getting there and then up the hill, but the kids liked it. We've seen several humorous sign translations in Japan, and it's kind of a cheap shot to make fun of them because Lord knows I've butchered their language, but the Monkey Park had a couple of them: "Monkey Park is not only monkey. It is bird and deer look for."
And at the top of the hill: "Let's look down at Kyoto. Do you see the known place?"
We started the day with a trip to a shrine called Fushimi Inari. You can probably google it (we'll try to post one) and get the image of hundreds of vermilion "torii" over a pathway up a hill. We saw and heard a Shinto priest chanting a ceremony, and watched as a few dozen devotees in some kind of ceremonial dress (and one New York Yankee baseball cap--we called him Hideki Matsui) hauled out a very heavy mini-shrine onto a large truck, to ready for moving to a festival. The grunting and groaning were impressive.

We've taken a few taxicabs in Kyoto. Their costume is impressive, kind of a cross between a naval captain and a Park Avenue doorman. They wear white gloves and black suits, and round, stiff-brimmed caps with some cheap gold brocade. We had a screw-up with one the day we arrived, but otherwise they've been crisply polite and efficient.

Kyoto's womb

The hit of today's tourist attractions was the "womb" at Kyomizu Dera. For 100 yen, we descended the stairs into a pitch black hallway. Following the "buddhist beads" that served as a handrail along the wall, we turned multiple corners, restraining our giggles, before seeing a glowing round stone with a Japanese character inscribed in its surface. We each spun the stone once clockwise and made a single wish. Then we followed the beaded handrail back to the surface, leaving the dark womb forever.

Japanese Toirets

In our hotels and now in our rental machiya in Kyoto, the toilets are a wonder to behold. The seats heat up as soon as you sit down. And there are multiple electronic buttons that will rinse your bottom with different levels of water pressure.

Public toilets for women are another matter entirely. Typically, they are "Japanese style" squatters, often without any paper provided. Livia can't seem to manage these. So on more than one occasion she and I have invaded restaurants in search of the squatters' warm-seated cousins. Ahhh, the relief of finding these jewels! Liv wants us to buy one and ship it to Palo Alto for her personal bathroom!

Farewell and Thank you to the Hiraos

Last night we had a final dinner with Koji and Nobuko at a Russian restaurant owned by a college friend of Koji's. It was a delicious meal, and fun to meet Koji's old friend.

Today, Livia wrote Koji and Nobuko name-poems (with apologies for the lack of good "K" words in English that we replaced with "C" words):

Karing

Observant

Joking

Imaginative

And for Nobuko:

Nice

Open to new ideas

Bright

Unusually Cute

Kuddly

Original

Catsoos and Dogoos

By Scott--It's raining "catsoos" and "dogoos" today in Kyoto. Strange day. First the train ride from Takayama, then the "shinkansen" (rhymes roughly with Wisconsin, and I always want to sing "On Wisconsin" when we're on it...), then a taxi ride from Kyoto station to our machiya. Nobuko, Liv, and Kathy's driver got misdirected and lost--both--but finally arrived, where Koji, Tor, and I were waiting for them. Our "machiya"--a traditional merchant's house that's had a nice modern makeover--is very nice, and a good value, less than a hotel. It's at the end of a little walking alley, it's two stories, has a nice kitchen, two western-style beds and a tatami room where we'll throw down some futons. It's really very cozy, our own little home away from home.

After a noodle soup lunch Koji and Nobuko went their way, to their hotel. Tonight we're going to eat at a Russian restaurant, the owner of which Koji knows.

I was the only one who ventured out in the rain in the late afternoon. First for cash, which is a little adventure in itself (only special international ATMs will do), then to a Buddhist temple not too far away--Rokuharamitsuji. I know "roku" means six, but that's all I know. It was beautiful and mysterious. It was near closing time but I got in, and bought a 50 yen candle and lit it--and "prayed" for family peace, after an intermittently stressful day travelling, etc. Being together brings out both the best and worst in us. It's usually us against the world (in a sense), but sometimes that flips and it's us against us. If you know what I mean. If you're a member of a family--ha ha, who isn't?--you do. After the temple I looked for a supermarket that was on the map, but couldn't find it. So instead I went to a cafe and had a nice little bottle of sake, looking out the window at the rain.

Rock and Roll

As we strolled through the oldest, most famous Shinto shrine in Takayama, I commented on how peaceful it was. Tor’s response: “It needs a little rock and roll.”

It was a moment of teen humor... enjoyed by all.

Tor has been really great: curious about things we're seeing, friendly and respectful to Koji and Nobuko, engaged in navigating around the places we visit, and (for the most part) not complaining (!!) an amazing feat for a teenager. He's also reading "Shogun" by James Clavell -- on my Kindle. He keeps reporting on what percentage of the book he has finished, since that's how the Kindle tells you where you are (there are no page numbers!). At this point he's at 30%--after just 3 days or so.

Another Kitchen?

When Nobuko and Koji lived in America, and Amiko was about Livia’s age, they visited Williamsburg in Virginia. They went into many beautiful houses, and finally Amiko said, with a sigh, “another kitchen.”

Nobuko told me this story yesterday as we were visiting the folk village in Hida-no-sato. The village included traditional homes that had been moved there from various other locations. They were lovely wooden structures with steeply pitched thatched roofs. The thatch was more than a foot thick! In various locations around the village, artisans made traditional crafts, including sandals woven from straw and lacquerware. There was also an excellent explanation of silk-making (sericulture), showing all the specialized tools used in that process.

After Nobuko told us the story of Amiko’s trip to Williamsburg, Tor couldn’t help himself. As we toured the next building, he said: “Another kitchen.”

Steak & Lollipops

Food in Japan has been extraordinary, and today was no exception. For lunch, we went to a restaurant that specializes in the local beef, called "Hida" beef, which is famous for being particularly tasty. I had my beef in sukiyaki, a stew that cooks at your table and includes various vegetables in addition to the beef. It also included a raw egg, which you break into a bowl. You then lift a bite of stew and dip it into the raw egg before eating it. I wasn't sure about this at first, but it really did accomplish the goal of softening the salty flavor of the sukiyaki broth.

Tor, the meat man in our family, had the steak, which I tasted. I have to say that it was extremely tender. Really some of the best beef I think I've ever tasted. Everyone else had a miso beef that they cooked on a large leaf over a sterno flame. They said it was delicious.

As soon as the meal was over, both of my children grabbed a lollipop. We had purchased them earlier in the day. Koji and Nobuko found this amusing. Steak and lollipops!

Tonight at dinner the joke continued as Livia ate her chicken meatballs on a skewer, and called them chicken lollipops!

Our dinner was amazing, Koji and Nobuko treated us, and we were lined up along the counter in a diner-style cafe. We were the only customers, so it felt like we had a private restaurant all to ourselves. Actually, there were seats for only four other people anyway!

The chefs were right in front of us, and Koji and Nobuko just kept ordering amazing things that would then appear in front of us. We started with a plate of squid stuffed with egg with some octopus tempura on the side. Tor refused to try the squid (but ate the octopus). Livia, whose classroom dissected squids on the day we left for Japan, decided she had to taste it so that she could tell her friends about it. After that, we had some sashimi, and Livia also tasted the raw tuna! And the dishes kept coming. A whole fish (small) that I couldn't handle (it was grilled and the meat was so dry it was almost like sawdust to me) but the other adults enjoyed. And pieces of flounder bone fried so that they were almost like potato chips. I liked these, but Tor needed a glass of water to get rid of the flavor!! Also some veggies -- grilled shiitake mushrooms, and eggplant. Very yummy! I had to say "GoCheesoSamadeshta," (that's my phonetic spelling for the phrase that means "what a great feast!")

Takayama festival

In the Spring, for two days (the two days that we are here!), Takayama has a festival. Each of 16 or so neighborhoods hauls out a multistory shrine on wheels and rolls it around the town in a parade. Each shrine is pulled and pushed by men wearing the characteristic traditional clothing of that particular neighborhood. Some of the shrines house an elaborate system of strings that manipulate a marionette-like character at the front of the shrine. These are parked in one of the town plazas to perform "puppet shows" during the festival. We attended one of these shows today. The puppets move very slowly, acting out a story to the sound of a characteristic kind of Japanese singing similar to that heard in Noh theater (I think! Not totally sure about that!). Tor found it hard on his musical ears! One of the puppets, a female, enacted a performance that was banned about 100 years ago because it was considered too obscene. She did her little dance and then suddenly bent over, flipping her kimono over her head and revealing a dragon's head coming out of her butt area! I have to say, it was in fact a little obscene! The dragon shook and gyrated for a while, and then the woman flipped back up to standing, looking her elegant self again.

Last night, the floats were lit with beautiful paper lanterns as they paraded around town. In the dark, it was hard to make out the details that make each float special. But today we got a closer look. Each one has amazing wood carvings of dragons or other creatures. And many of the fabrics show beautiful embroidered scenes. The men who move the floats around town were everywhere. Nobuku approached one to compliment him on the beauty of his coat. He said it is 100 years old. He then took it off to show that it was reversible, and the inside showed a beautiful lion design. He modeled it for us, and then insisted that I try it on -- twice! Once with each side showing.

Crossing the River(s)

By Scott--one moment I liked today was when we were in Tokyo Station much too early for our train (my neurotic fault). The station has loads of shops but most were strangely closed at 8:30 a.m., and we didn't know what to do with ourselves. There's no "hang out" area, so, pulling our luggage behind us we knocked around looking for a place to wait. In the meantime full-on torrents of workaday Tokyo-ites are streaming in from seven directions. And about four or five times we had to cross one of these rivers, single file. It was really a little daunting at first. About the third time at it we were giggling, but the sober faces in the black suits kept coming. Kathy noted how nobody was hanging around getting a coffee, shmoozing, etc. Everyone was making a serious beeline for work.

It's nice to have Koji and Nobuko as guides. In Takayama tonight Koji very nicely scouted out a little local soba restaurant, and we went early and got their only cozy tatami room.

Koji said something interesting about the Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo, where I went the other day. My history is a little sketchy here, but Yasukuni is the Shinto shrine that, at least during the 1930s and 40s, was the main spot honoring dead Japanese soldiers--and, indirectly or not so, the Japanese military as an institution. And here is where I get sketchier, but in the 1990s there was a separate smaller memorial set up for a group of military leaders who were classed by the US Army as war criminals but, for various reasons, were not tried in the Tokyo trials. It is a controversial place. Every year the Japanese prime minister makes a visit, and every year the Chinese and Koreans and others protest. Koji said that he lost two uncles in the war, and that he used to visit the shrine until the war criminal memorial was created, but now because of it he won't go to Yasukuni.

More on Takayama later.

Sake with Nobuko

We are now in Takayama, a mountain town that is hosting a huge festival/parade today and tomorrow. It was a beautiful train ride to get here, first on the Shinkansen (high speed train) from Tokyo to Nagoya (we had a clear view of Mt. Fuji! A rare sight). And then (after meeting up with Koji and Nobuko in Nagoya) on a smaller train line up a beautiful valley to Takayama. The blue-green river rushed down the valley, and we crossed it multiple times as we ascended.

We walked around town as a group for a while, but then when Scott, Liv, Tor and Koji headed back to the hotels for a rest, Nobuko and I kept walking and window-shopping in the historic part of town, where the wooden buildings are absolutely lovely. We looked at some beautiful locally made lacquerware (I might have to buy something!), and checked out a miso shop.

Finally, we found ourselves in front of a sake factory where they offered small tastes for free. They also offered a larger cup of their freshest sake for 150 yen (less than $2.00). Nobuko isn't much of a drinker (though she did have a small taste), but I bought a cup and they directed us to a lovely room with benches around a hibachi. A hibachi is a square table with a sunken copper center where coals burn to keep the room warm. A lovely kettle was hanging over the coals. Nobuko said that when she was a young girl, a hibachi of this kind was the only heat in her house. And when she married, her father told her that she would need hibachis, so she still has two of them. One she uses as a flowerpot (!) and the other is stored under the stairs. It's not a valuable antique yet, she says, but perhaps it will be one day. As we talked beside the hibachi, I couldn't help wishing there were more rooms heated this way even today. Oddly, the coals created no smoke in the room.

Sticky Socks

By Livia

In our inn in Takayama, Dad and I pressed our socks on the sticky wall and they stayed! So now we have sock art on the wall.

Wild Sheep Chases

By Scott

Kathy and I've both read a novel by Haruki Murakami, titled "Wild Sheep Chase." It can be pretty bizarre. But it's title reminds me of what we've done a couple nights. Going on long, almos ridiculous night searches for "the" restaurant recommended by our guidebook. These are very frustrating but they do have some positive by-products. You get to know a neighborhood pretty well going around it in circles. And you meet some locals. Last night we had the entire staff of a Trek bicycle shop helping us look online for the restaurant, then finally telling us they believed the place no longer existed; then recommending another place. But we've vowed to do no more chases. They're crazy.

Performance Art, etc.

By Scott--

We have a new art piece in progress. Yesterday Tor managed to spill half a bowl of noodle-dipping sauce into his lap, on his jeans. He insisted we go back to the hotel, but we convinced him it would be okay. It eventually dried, of course, and six hours later when we were at the hotel he didn't even bother to change! So we've decided to "spill" something from every meal in Japan onto Tor's jeans and never wash them. It will be an olfactory/culinary/visual piece. Suggestions welcome re the title.

The Tsukiji fish market was really a blast. The variety and amount of fish was mind boggling. And you'd never be able to do anything like it in the US--there were motorized carts whizzing by all over, and if you and they weren't careful you could easily get run down. My favorites at the market were the guy using a huge electric saw to cut frozen chunks of halibut; the barrels full of writhing, dark eels; the guy cutting up the eels who first, with a hearty laugh as you watched, spiked them through the eye to hold them to his cutting board, then sliced them up; the almost neon-red fish; the cuttle fish in their ink; the fat blobs of octopus.

I love soba noodles, and today for lunch we went to an old, "famous" soba place near Ueno station--Ueno Yabu Soba. It's a small place, and wasn't too hard to find. I loved how, when I asked an old gentleman in a business suit where it is, he nodded, did an immediate about face, then led us about a block to a corner and pointed down an alley. Kathy and I had soba, she the soba tempura, with big fat shrimp tempura. The kids giggled when a young woman near us slurped her noodles VERY LOUDLY, and I pounced on them a little for doing so. I like the custom of slurping. It's also pretty practical. It helps get those noodles up. Liv (you've seen the photo) had some udon that never quit, they must have been two feet long.

Udon Noodle Haiku by Livia

Udon in my mouth

It is a slithering snake

It flips past my lips

Getting Lost in the Tokyo Metro

When you are inside the metro, it's a vast underground space where you can walk for a long distance in many different directions before finding an exit. Livia likes to say that most of Japan is underground! We have finally learned how to identify the exits we want to take, but not without getting lost for half an hour at the subway stop RIGHT IN FRONT of the hotel!

We like "Drunk Scott"

He will say he was only "tipsy," but we just want to say that we agree with my nephews who like to say "We like Drunk Scott. We're not so sure about Regular Scott, but we like Drunk Scott!"

At the restaurant in Roppongi last night, Scott had two bottles of hot sake, and got silly. He made jokes about the "conurbation of Japan," and "other kinds of "urbation."" And tried to buy our dinner by giving our children to the waitress.

Toys Aplenty, Toys Galore!

Today was a rainy, cold Monday in Tokyo, so we decided to head for the famous Japanese toy store in the Ginza area. And did it ever have toys! Livia was extremely happy even though the rules were clear: We're here to look, not to buy! There were many oddities you'd only find in Japan as well as some standards that have become popular in the U.S. as well. The biggest hit for Tor was the gigantic car track racing game. We each got a car to put on the track, which filled an average-sized living room area, and we raced them around the track against each other. The young man who ran the track was a kick, shouting happily whenever there was a crash, and then using his long-handled magnetic spatula to pick up the crashed car and replace it on the track. Fun!

After lunch at a noodle spot in the basement of a department store, we split up: Scott went to the Yasukuni shrine while Liv, Tor and I went to the Sony showroom. We had a ball trying out the latest technology. Most fun of all was the camera that would automatically snap a picture if you smiled. It had a "happiness meter," and when the three of us covered our mouths it wouldn't take a picture, but when we giggled hysterically, it snapped a ton of photos! Very fun. Another camera was on a small stand and could move to find faces, and then snap a picture after focusing itself. There was also a cool 3D TV on display, with very high tech goggles. It would be amazing for video games (in Tor's view).

Games and Gadgets were the theme of the day!

Livia and her flying umbrella

By Livia

Tonight, as we walked in the rain to our restaurant, my umbrella flew out of my hands and went up in the air and then fell down and skittered across the pavement. I chased after it, and it bumped into many peoples' feet. But finally, I caught it. And I laughed and scolded my umbrella. "Bad umbrella, bad umbrella!"

Livia and her Magic Pinky

By Livia

I have a magic pinky. With it, I can open automatic doors whenever my pinky touches them. It's pretty cool. I like to scare the doors with my pinky.

Livia's Haiku

Japan is worthwhile

I think Japan is fun

I like the toy stores

I really like shrines

I really like Buddha shrines

And I love Japan

Japan is awesome

Tokyo is very enormous

I do love Japan

Tor's Haiku

Haiku is easy

But sometimes it makes no sense

Refrigerator.

"Honesty" etc.

By Scott--I've read the Japanese are scrupulously honest, and today learned just how. Tor spilled a bunch of coins out of his pocket while sitting on a bench on a busy subway platform, then picked them up, or at least thought he had. Then he, Kathy, and Liv got on a train to Ginza. I was catching a different train, to Yasukuni shrine (our first and only separation--so far). I waved them goodbye, then began walking away. As I did I saw a cleaning lady with a mop bend down and pick up one of the coins Tor had dropped. Writing off the coin I kept walking. But about 20 yards away the cleaning lady cut in front of me, holding up the 10 yen coin--about a dime. Really, I was a little amazed...

Little things: on the train to Kamakura, the young female conductor bows to the entire car every time she appears to check tickets.

No one talks on their cell phone in a subway car. Many check their texts, etc. But no one talks. Yes, it might be hard to hear in the car, but that's true in New York too--where I know they talk on the subway.

When we entered the toy story this morning we were greeted by four young women, two who were "greeters," another two who were slipping plastic bags over everyone's umbrellas.

It's hard to avoid "Rashomon" blogging here--more than one version of events--but...

Kamakura was splendid. The cherry trees were so pretty. Koji and Nobuko were so gracious, showing us the sites. I liked learning a little more about them, how old they were when they met, where they grew up, etc. And to see their house. It was also fun to retrace some of the steps the Millers--just Paul?, I forget--took years ago--e.g., the shrine where we "washed" money, and made a money laundering joke that I'm sure Koji and Nobuko have heard before but laughed at anyway. The "feeling" I had at the shrine was of ancientness, sanctity, simplicity. After emerging from a tunnel through a hill, we came into a kind of large "bowl" with moss-covered walls, a waterfall into a pond with large koi, and a small bridge across the pond to a tiny shrine where some believers had left raw eggs for the snake who supposedly told the "chief" almost a thousand years ago to create the shrine.

Times Square times 1000

For dinner, we decided to head to Shinjuku, known as the "Times Square of Tokyo" because of the brightly colored lights on all of the buildings, advertising everything and anything. But this was no Times Square. You really can't get lost in Times Square because, well, it's just a small square. But we exited the Shinjuku metro station at the wrong place (relative to the restaurant we sought) and discovered that Shinjuku's lights and activity cover an area about 1000 times bigger than Times Square with lights that are 1000 times brighter! And people were streaming everywhere, mostly young people. Where were they all going???

We knew our restaurant, a tempura spot recommended in our guidebook, was next to the Mitsukoshi department store. So we started asking people where that supposed landmark could be found. Everyone was very helpful, but I think we did a huge circle before honing in on the correct spot. The entire walk was extremely stimulating! Lights, Lights, Lights! Action, Action, Action! But by the time we arrived at the restaurant, Livia was totally pooped. And there was a line to get in (a good sign in terms of food quality, but hard when you're ready to fall asleep!). As we waited, I held my arms under Liv's arms, and she fell asleep standing up. I didn't think that was possible! By the time we got seated, Liv was solidly asleep. Scott had to carry her upstairs to our tatami room table. But at least she could sleep on the

floor! Our tempura included eel, which Tor said he wouldn't eat but then... tada... he bravely did!

Kamakura with Koji and Nobuko

We had terrific weather for a long walk in Kamakura on Sunday. We met Koji and Nobuko at the Kamakura train station and headed off to see the town's famous temples and shrines. I have known Koji since I was 10 years old (42 years ago) when he was an international student at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Since then, he and his entire family have remained friends with my family--and so he and Nobuko are longtime friends of our family.

The first stop was a lovely garden and Buddhist temple called Hase-Dera Temple. In one area, there are thousands of small statues, each representing a child that either died, miscarried or was aborted. Some of them have clothing!

As we ascended the stairs to see the Buddhas, the signs specifically said to "keep left." Koji went right, and Scott said, "uh-oh, Koji is going to get arrested." Nobuko laughed hard at this! I don't know if it was because the idea of getting arrested for going on the wrong side was so funny or if it was specifically funny to think of Koji getting arrested because he's so GOOD.

At the top, in addition to the dramatic 11-headed gold Buddha, there was a terrific view of the Pacific Ocean (Kamakura was originally a vacation spot for wealthy people from Tokyo).

Then on to see the "Big Buddha," a very dramatic sight against the hillside. Cherry blossoms abound. We then stopped for an Italian lunch at a club Nobuko belongs to. Delish.

Next, on to the shrine where you can wash your money to ensure wealth in the coming year. This was really a very lovely spot. You walk through a tunnel in the hillside and come out in a surprising narrow valley with rock walls. Incense burning in the air, a waterfall spilling out of a rock wall, and a cave where ladles and baskets are laid out for washing your cash. Tor washed a 10,000 yen bill, and Liv washed a 1000 yen bill. Then they waved them over the burning incense for good luck. We stayed for a while, watching the coi in the pond, and resting on benches.

Then we climbed to the top of the hill for the "higher" shrine to "higher learning." This is for people who have their heads screwed on straight and know what REALLY matters. No one was there! It was quite lovely, and each of us took turns tossing a coin in the donation box, clapping twice and bowing -- a procedure Nobuko demonstrated for us.

We then walked downhill to Koji and Nobuko's house for cookies and a welcome rest. Koji says he tries to walk 10,000 steps a day. Today we think we might have done twice that!

Headlines from Kamakura & Tokyo

Koji arrested!

Man ascends shrine staircase on wrong side!

Money-laundering for luck!

In Japan, Miller-Carlson family washes money so it will multiply ten-fold in the coming year.

Times Square times one thousand!

Family in awe wandering (lost) through Shinjuku.

Girl Falls Asleep Standing Up!

While standing in line for tempura restaurant, girl, age 8, falls asleep, misses dinner entirely.

More later!

What's SO great about the number 9?

By Livia

On the train today, for no particular reason that I can remember, Tor and I were smiling . Tor was playing on his iPod.

I said, "Anybody who is smiling has to let the other person use their ipod if they have one."

I do not have an iPod so I said, "That's you Tor." Are we all in favor? "Aye," I said.

Tor did not say anything.

"Whats the 9th letter of the alphabet?" I asked him.

"Why the 9th letter?" he asked.

"Because 9 is my favorite number," I said.

"You mean 8," he said.

"Well, sorta,"I said: "Nine is my second favorite number. Because 9 is 1 more than eight, and 1 is so important because 1 is half of 2 which is half of 4 which is 2 less than six, and 2 is so important because it is one more than 1 and 1 is so important because 1 is half of 2 and 2 is half of 4 and 4 is half of 8 and eight is my favorite number."

"A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I," he counted. "I," he said again."

"So we're all in favor," I said. "You said "aye!"

Then mom said to put away the iPod, so I didn't get to have it!

Vending machines (By Tor)

The thing that I have noticed the most about Tokyo or Japan in general are the vending machines. They can be found on most any block corner and sometimes in between. I don't understand why there are so many for most of them have many of the same drinks. The weirdest thing about them is that they can be found ANYWHERE. There was one in a Buddhist Temple where you had to make a trip up a hill to get it there. Another one was located up a high hill past the money-washing place we visited. I semi-understand the vending machines in the city but in a temple??? Really???? Spending the day with Koji and Nobuko was great but very exhausting because of all the walking we did. On the train home my dad saw a sign saying Tokyo Institute of Technology and said "you've heart of MIT? Well..."

Homer Simpson in Tokyo

[This entry is by Scott...] It’s early Sunday morning and the trains are running across the street from our hotel. A lot of them, and I like them. We’re halfway between a very big station, Shinagawa, where we’ll eventually catch a bullet train—one just went by now, slowly—and a medium-size one, Shimbashi, where we’re off in a few minutes to catch a train to Kamakura to visit Koji and Nobuko and perhaps their children and grandchild. There’s supposedly some kind of festival today in Kamakura, and Koji said the train down there would be crowded. Tor and I have spent a fair amount of time watching Japanese tv, hoping for some game show action. I’ve even asked him, half seriously, if he thinks we should try to get on one, but he’s not game for it. When the Simpsons went to Japan, Homer lost all their money and they went on a show to make money. In the “lightning round” Homer was tied to the Tokyo Tower in a thunderstorm. Life might have copied art, because when we got to our hotel room yesterday I couldn’t find the “wallet” that I was using to keep all our cash, passports, credit cards, etc. I turned the room upside down, frantic, then called down the front desk—where I’d left it and they had it.

I’ve tried a few forays in Japanese. I can very proudly ask where something is, and eagerly tried it out last night—and it worked! But then in Yakitori alley, where we shared a tiny table with a young Japanese couple, I failed miserably trying to tell them I studied some Japanese at a school in Japantown in San Francisco. One of the things I find interesting about Japanese is the “counters.” That is, depending upon the nature and shape of the thing you’re counting, the suffix varies. For example, people are “nin.” Ichi-nin, ni-nin, etc. But there is another suffix for long objects such as bottles. And another for flat things. And two or three others, I think. Curious.

An odd place Tokyo, at least in the mind. Destroyed twice last century—in the 1923 earthquake, and then in the war. I have a vague image, from wood block prints and maps, what the city was like in the shogun era, especially early. It was essentially a big collection of gated compounds. The shogun required all the feudal lords from around the country to maintain a residence here—and eventually their wives and children, as hostages of a sort—and to visit every other year. So they all had their walled-in compounds, complete with gardens, etc. , where they stayed on their visits. And there were a lot of waterways, almost Venice-like is my image of it. It was probably beautiful, which is not how I would describe it now, although our airport bus went down a couple of cherry-blossomed streets on the way to our hotel.

"I'm Freaking Out"

"I'm freaking out!" These were my first words to Liv upon landing at Tokyo's Narita airport. Flying is always surreal. You take off in one place and land in a completely different place. But it's particularly odd to fly 10 hours over water and land in a place that for all of my life has seemed so far far away and so very different. And we didn't even have night, yet it's a day later. Try explaining that to an 8-year-old.

After smoothly clearing customs, we take a 1.5 hour bus ride into the city itself. I don't think I've ever seen so much industrialization in my life as I saw on that ride. Yet there were occasional glimpses of water--either ocean or river; occasional golf shooting ranges with their green netting overhead; and occasional architectural wonders. But as we neared the city proper, the industrial landscape gave way first to somewhat depressing apartment buildings before morphing into a true modern cityscape with beautiful glass towers everywhere. Our bus stops at two hotels before ours, and the bus company workers who load bags on and off at the stops gives a bow to the bus as we pull away!

Our hotel, the Villa Fontaine Shiodome, is a lovely high rise. We're happy with it, and it was a bargain. We rest up briefly and then head out for a walk to find food. We also hope to stave off jet lag by getting a little exercise and being outside in the daylight. Our destination is in the neighborhood just to the north of ours. It's an area called Ginza, which is famous for fancy shopping, but also has (we find) a continuous row of restaurants under the train tracks. It's a great use of space, and gives many of the restaurants an intriguing cave-like feel. But we're looking for a spot called Yakitori alley. Yakitori is grilled chicken skewers, and we've read that there's an alley where open-air restaurants offer the stuff in a very casual setting. The guidebook instructions are to find the smoke and follow it, but that nearly fails us until Scott takes a dive under the tracks and finds a crazy alley that leads us to where we can see the smoke. Success! The yakitori spot is quite busy, which we take as a good sign. We squeeze into the slanted roofed area in this tunnel/alley, joining a young Japanese couple at their table. It's smoky, colorful paper lanterns hang above, and it's just GREAT. We order chicken skewers as well as leeks, green peppers and eggplant, all on skewers. Tor and I adore the peppers, which are 5 individual whole peppers that are tiny: about two inches long and 1/2 inch wide. Yum.

Now it's 8:00 p.m. Japan time (4 a.m. in California). I think we'd better get some sleep!

Appropos of Nothing

Appropos of nothing, as I was driving around yesterday listening to NPR, I just had to turn it off. It was simply too stressful to listen to the debates on McNeil/Lehrer about one policy issue or another. Like my friend Mark, who gave up NPR a few years ago because he realized it depressed him on the way to work, I started to wonder about the human species. I don’t think we’re adapted to bearing the stresses of the entire world. We evolved in a wilder, much more local environment. You worried about your family, your neighbors, the dangers of the natural world, and perhaps the threats of a neighboring tribe. But you didn’t worry about earthquakes in Haiti, wars in Afghanistan, healthcare for all Americans. You didn’t even know about anything beyond your small community. I started to yearn for provinicialism – the life my inlaws lead in rural Minnesota, still not connected to the Internet.

And now here I sit on an airplane to Japan, wondering: How can the human species tolerate jet travel, wandering through alien cultures, being totally confused when everyone speaks a different language, sleeping in strange beds, meeting people whose culture is vastly different from ones own. And I suppose the answer does lie in some evolutionary explanation: This species has a desire for adventure that has somehow served us well over time. The “fittest” struck out from home to settle new lands and explorers like Marco Polo brought home goods from other cultures. I’m not exactly one of them. I don’t plan to settle Japan or bring home some new ingredient never before experienced in America. But I hope I bring some of that same spirit: A curiosity to know what I didn’t know before; a desire to soak up what I can, and learn from what I see; and an ability to find joy in even the most stressful situations! So as we go through jetlag, deal with pickles for breakfast, and get lost in the Tokyo train system, I’ll let the evolutionary forces carry me forward, one adventure at a time.

The Stuffies Go To Japan!

By Livia, as channeled by Kathy

Last night, mom told me I could only take one of my stuffies to Japan. I couldn’t choose between my favorite three. So in the middle of the night, I snuck out of bed and packed two of them. Then in the morning, I showed the other one to my mom (MOO – MOO is its name) and told her that it was the only stuffy I was going to pack. We stuffed it into my very full suitcase. And now we’re on the plane with three stuffies in my luggage! Hooray, I won that power-play.

Japan-Eve

It's Japan-eve. We've read all the guidebooks multiple times, but still don't know how to navigate Tokyo. So I guess we'll have to wing it when we arrive.

Scott has also read several histories of Japan. Liv has read a few picture books about Japan. I read "The Search for Wa in Japanland." It's a sort of "Eat, Pray, Love" of Japan, but without the love part. The author decided to move to Japan to (a) figure out the meaning of life; (b) do some judo (she had a black belt); and (c) make a film about unusual cultural practices in Japan. She did a great job of getting into the culture by living with a Japanese family and traveling to unusual places where she got access to things many westerners would never see. For example, she became good friends with a Brazilian guy who had joined an ancient sword-making family. And she went to a training camp for retired businessmen to "find themselves."

You'll notice that Tor hasn't read anything. We're hoping his curiosity will kick in upon arrival!

Get Ready, Cause Here We Come!

In two days, we'll be flying to Tokyo. Weeehaa!