Coming to Kochi

On April 5, 2024, we finally arrived at another of the four major Japanese islands (the “Home Islands”); Shikoku Island.  Our explorations for that day included a drive out into the countryside to see some amazing caves, the Ryugado Caves, which are made of limestone. The caves were found in 1931, and have a waterfall inside, and impressive stalactites and stalagmites.  We also visited Kochi Castle, one of the 12 original feudal castles.

Like most of our other tours, our guide was determined to jam as many facts about the area into our heads during the bus ride as he could. However, in a first, our guide for the day, Keiko, was a very young man (24), and he had a much more relaxed demeanor, and more apparent sense of humor than any of our prior guides. Despite his relative youth, he was very knowledgeable, and a passionate booster of his town.

Here in the Kochi area, the biggest industries are fishing (surprise, surprise) and rice growing (although the local farmers only only get one rice crop per year). Yuzu is also grown here (and other types of citrus, as well). Lots of produce is also grown here, and we passed many in green houses and rice fields on our journey.

Rice fields

Kochi is well-known for its surfing, and Keiko was a surfer. There are two world-famous point breaks at a local beach near the town. Professional surfers come from all over the world to surf here. Who knew?!

The most plentiful and popular local fish is bonito. The Kochi bonito (like skipjack) is very famous and good, and is caught by line fishing one by one, using roe as bait. Locally, they like to grill it over a straw fire (built on a pitchfork) and only cook the fish about 1 minute per side.

Most of the population of Shikoku is located along the coasts, because it is very mountainous in the interior. This was pretty obvious as we quickly passed out of the city of Kochi and into the more mountainous countryside. However, on our way out of town, Keiko pointed out the local fish market (Hiromé Market ), and Keiko told us that local people go there to drink. He even commented that many people just go there to drink, and usually drink to excess (at least the men do). See what I mean about a different demeanor from our usual Japanese guides?!

Hiromé Market

Locally, Gyoza dumplings are very popular, and you can find lots of them in the market. They pair well with the local beer.  There’s also a big Sunday market for great local produce. There is also an annual Yosikoi dance festival held in August each year. Keiko admitted that he liked to do this traditional form of dance which involves moving in lines or processions which shaking wooden noise makers in time with the music. He was kind enough to demonstrate for us while on the bus. 

In downtown Kochi, we passed a famous bridge called Harimayabashi-which had been designated the  most disappointing tourist sight in Japan one year. There is also an annual award for the ugliest office building, and Kochi has one of those as well.  This was definitely NOT one of our usual Japanese tours!

Harimayabashi Bridge

As we prepared to go into the caves, Keiko let  us know that along the pathway leading into the caves, there were knife merchants who were trained in the traditional art of steel crafting, and they made high quality Japanese chef’s knives, which could be personalized while we were in the caves. the men on the tour stampeded towards the knife sellers. Surprisingly, they appeared to be really high quality, and Jim joined the hoards purchasing one.

At the caves

Hiking up to get into the caves

The caves were very pretty, although not the best we’ve ever seen. However, a word to the wise; they are NOT for the claustrophobic or anyone with a mobility issue.  It was a serious hike to get through the caves, and at places, required walking bent in half and twisting around rock outcroppings. There were also several steep changes in elevation. Nonetheless, we were fine, and enjoyed the visit. 

Climbing, climbing, climbing …

 Keiko also told us abut a local juice drink made from Yuzu juice, and it was just the thing to drink after our hike. I looked for it again at our future stops, but never saw it again.

The Yuzu drink

Jim with his new knife!

After we drove back to town, our second stop of the day was at Kochi Castle, where we visited the grounds and climbed up to see the Castle. Not only were the cherry blossoms in full bloom all over the castle grounds, but the local garden society was hosting a flower show, and some of the arrangements were breathtaking!

Entering through the main gate (Otemon)

Kochi Castle

Kochi was one of Japan’s 12 original castles, and a symbol of its feudal past. It has original Edo period (1603-1868)architecture, and its citadel. In 1601, Yamauchi Katsutoyo constructed the castle. He won a famous battle, after being rewarded with the land to build the castle by Tokugawa Ieyasu.

We started our visit at the bronze Statue of Yamauchi Katsutoyo standing outside the Castle. He seems to be revered in this part of Japan, with even Keiko speaking respectfully and admiringly of his accomplishmentsYamauchi Katsutoyo was the first lord of the Tosa domain (now Kochi prefecture). He was born in Owari (now Aichi prefecture) in 1545. His father served Oda Nobuyasu, who was the Lord of Wakura Caste in Owari. When Katsutoyo was 13 years old, his father was killed in battle, so he was forced to wander the land with his mother and siblings.

Yamauchi Katsutoyo

In 1573, he followed Toyotomi Hideyoshi and served with distinction in the attack on the Asakura and Asai families. The order to attack came from Oda Nobunaga, the most powerful general in Japan in those days. Katsutoyo took an active part in many battles and gradually made a name for himself. For his outstanding services to Hideyoshi, Katsutoyo was given Nagahama Castle in Omi. (now Shiga pref.) worth 20,000 koku, and was promoted to the position of Lord of Enshu, Kakegawa (now Shizuoka pref.) worth 50,000 koku after the attack on Odawara Castle in 1590. A koku is a quantity of rice, historically defined as enough rice to feed one person for one year, then being 180.39 liters. In 1600, Katsutoyo fought for Tokugawa leyasu who won the Battle of Seikigahara against the Toyotomi side. For his services he was given the Tosa domain worth 240,000 koku. In 1601, he came to Tosa and started to build not only Kochi Castle but also the castle town, forming the foundations of today’ s Kochi city,

He is remembered for successfully navigating the intricate sociopolitical relationships between Nobunaga. Hideyoshi and leyasu. He died on 20 September 1605 at the age of 61. Based on the original statue of 1913, this bronze statue was rebuit and unveiled on 20 September 1996.

Statue of Chiyo, Katsutoyo’s wife. As set forth in the accompanying plaque, she had her own list of impressive accomplishments!

From the ground level, we walked up into a huge raised open area, which was the Third Citadel (Sannomaru). The Sannomaru is the largest terrace in the castle. The total area is 4,641m2, and the circumference is 504m. It stretches 85m from north to south, and 54m from east to west. It was once surrounded by winding defensive walls with many holes to fire guns from, and a watch tower in the north-east corner.

the Sannomaru

There used to be a large building here, with a floor space of 1,815m, which was reportedly used for new year events and other rituals, or whenever a large number of retainers were assembled. The building was also used as the administrative quarter of Kochi province during the Meiji Restoration, and then it came to be called the Kochi provincial office. In 1870, the office was moved to the site of Chidokan, a domain school, which was located to the west of the castle. Later, in 1873, when Kochi Castle was changed into a public park, all the structures here were destroyed. Nothing remains now but the cornerstones of the gateposts at the entrance.

Today, there are a lot of cherry trees here, which Kochi people enjoy in the cherry blossom season. Of these trees, the most important is called the “Yoshino” Cherry tree, by which the local office of the Meteorological Agency predicts the start of the cherry blossom season in Kochi.

And then it was time for the main event. We hiked up the ramparts to the castle. Castles in medieval times were temporary military facilities built only in wartime, and were differentiated from residences where samurai warriors lived during ordinary times. In ordinary times, samurai warriors lived in residences built at the feet of mountains, but when war broke out, they barricaded themselves in castles erected on the tops of mountains and fought. As wars continued and battle methods evolved, castles became permanent facilities, changing in scale and shape.

We passed into the inner bailey (honmaru) where the main castle buildings were located. There were some cool exhibits inside the castle, including various Japanese craft items, from carved wooden ducks to a kimono, and an exhibit about all the steps involved in the traditional art of lacquering wood, such as the beams and furniture in the castle. There was also a terrific scale model of the whole castle complex.  As like all the others we have visited, the views from the top floor were killer!

We enjoyed the grounds again, and saw the best floral exhibit of the show. Then we headed back to the ship. 

Old Capitals; New Discoveries

April 4, 2024:

The Gringos enjoyed another fun and fulfilling day of explorations on April 4, 2024, while still based in Kobe. Our travels for the day took us out of Kobe and to both Nara and Ōsaka.  As is usual on these tours, our guide felt personally responsible to impart as many factoids about the area as the time on the bus allowed.  For example, did you know that Nintendo was born in Kyoto, and the headquarters of the company are still there?  Or that in addition to Kobe beef, Kobe is famous for its sake, brewed from clear mountain waters? As we drove, except for a fleeting glimpse of Ōsaka Castle, all the buildings we saw were very modern high rises. That is because in Kobe and Osaka, most of buildings are new since a devastating earthquake in 1994 leveled the towns.

Ōsaka Castle

Ōsaka was only about half an hour away, and many working people who work in Ōsaka commute from Kobe, where rents and home prices are much more affordable, although still expensive. Nara was about 20 minutes beyond Ōsaka.  When Jim and I first booked this trip several years ago (only to have it deferred twice by COVID), the cruise company was not offering excursions to Nara, but we planned to go there on our own via bullet train and bus from Kyōto. However, in the meantime, Nara was discovered by the Instagram crowd, and when we booked our excursions for this cruise, we were happy to see both Nara and Ōsaka Castle offered together as an excursion!

Nara is a very interesting place, in that it has both a national park, where Japanese deer wander freely among its cultural buildings, and something like seven different temples/shrines because it was the place where Buddhism took root in Japan. In Nara, there are deer everywhere, and they are protected. Legend has it that a god came to town riding a deer. 

Temple Guards

It was also the imperial capital from 645 to 744 A.D., (when the capital was moved to Ōsaka (briefly), because the Buddhist monks in Nara had started interfering in Imperial Court politics).  We didn’t visit all of the shrines, but we did visit the oldest and most important temple: Tōdai -Ji Temple in Nara, originally built in the 8th century. It has a huge Buddha statue (about 50 feet tall).  We also had to take frequent photo stops to feed the deer, who were adorable (and somewhat spoiled).

Main gate to enter the Tōdai -Ji Temple

Inside the temple complex, looking at the Great Buddha Hall

The Shrine was lovely, and it is dedicated to one of the many incarnations of Buddha, in this case, as the god, Kannon. The founder of the Canon camera company was a devout believer in Buddhism, so he named his company after that incarnation of Buddha.

The Great Buddha

The goddess Kannon

Komokuten, one of the temple guardians

Another guardian

Scale Model of Great Buddha Hall

Scale model of entire temple complex. There were once two pagodas, but only one remains.

Jim and I wandered around the temple grounds and the park, and delighted in all the blooming cherry trees. April is not only the traditional cherry blossom season, but also the beginning of the fiscalsurronding the exterior of the building.  year and the school year, . So the cherry blossoms represent a new beginning.  The whole morning was just magical, although we had to sacrifice going to Kyōto to visit here.

We left the main Nara Park but our guide took us to yet another shrine within Nara; the Kasuga-taisha Shrine. There was almost no signage here, so once again, I had to read up on the site from Wikipedia. “

“Kasuga-taisha (春日大社) is a Shinto shrine in Nara It is the shrine of the Fujiwara family, established in 768 CE and rebuilt several times over the centuries. The interior is famous for its many bronze lanterns, as well as the many stone lanterns that lead up the shrine.

The architectural style Kasuga-zukuri takes its name from Kasuga Shrine’s honden (sanctuary). The Torii at Kasuga-taisha is one of the oldest in Shinto and helped influence the style of Torii seen across much of Japan. Kasuga Shrine, and the Kasugayama Primeval Forest near it, are registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the “Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara“.” As with most of Nara, the site is within the deer refuge, so the deer wander freely all over the site.

One of the Torii gates in the background

Ancient wisteria trees in the courtyard of the temple

Brass Lanterns

We had lunch in Nara at a popular restaurant. The main style of food here was shabu-shabu , which is a style of Japanese cooking where you are served hot broth, and you add vegetables and thin-sliced meat (in this case, pork) which simmers until done. It was pretty darn good!  There were a lot of small bowls accompanying the meal, with some things we could figure out, like pickled green melon and fish balls, and some we could not. Jim was my taster, and he tried everything, and told me what to steer clear of. I needed no warning to steer clear of the fish balls!

Then we drove to Ōsaka for our second exploration of the day.  The main event was a visit to Ōsaka Castle. Historically, there is some evidence that Ōsaka was very briefly the capital, but the main capital cities were first Nara, then Kyōto, followed by Edo. However, there was an imperial palace in Ōsaka, and we visited its reconstructed buildings and grounds. But Ōsaka was first and foremost an important port and trading town, where all the most important merchants congregated.  After the imperial capital moved to Kyōto, Ōsaka was the most important commercial center in the country.

We had seen a glimpse of Osaka Castle when we drove by on the way out to Nara. But from the elevated freeway, it was dwarfed by all the modern buildings surrounding it. Fortunately, it looked much more impressive from ground level, as you pass though the many gates over the series of moats surrounding it. It looked nearly as imposing as it was in Netflx’ new remake of James Clavell’s book, Shōgun, despite the fact Osaka Castle has been rebuilt 3 times from the samurai period forward. 

The grounds of the Castle were riotous with sakura blossoms.

As with everywhere we visited in Japan, during sakura, there is a real festive air, with families enjoying the blossoms, and tons of shops selling sweets and other treats.

We entered through the massive exterior gates affixed to a massive stone wall. The largest stones were in front at Sakuramon-masugata Square. To protect the front entrance to the Hommaru (Inner Bailey), a Masugata Square surrounded by a stone wall was created inside the Sakuramon Gate. This stone wall was built during the early Edo period in 1624, by Tadao Ikeda, a feudal lord of Okayama, who was ordered to take charge of this part of the premises by the Tokugawa shogunate. The stone in the front is known as Takoishi, literally, an octopus stone, and is the largest stone in the Osaka Castle, measuring 59.43 meters in surface area and 108 tons in estimated weight. The huge stone on the observers’ left side is the third largest in the Osaka Castle, known as Furisodeishi, meaning long-sleeved kimono. 

The Takoishi stone

Osaka Castle was originally built in the 16th century, but it was torn down during the Civil War, and burned down in the 19th century. It was rebuilt for the third time in 1931. We waited in a long line to get up to the top floor of the Castle, where there is an Observation Deck. From the Observation Deck, you can see all of Osaka. 

You have to walk down to see the museum exhibits on the other floors. However, by this time, we were almost out of time on our tour. So I opted to go back down so I could get some photos from the Castle grounds. I’m glad I did, because otherwise,  would have missed this fairy-tale scene!

Large Indian family enjoying their holiday to Japan

Back on the ship, we enjoyed our sail away, although we were a little disappointed not to have had any time to visit Kyoto, and its historical treasures. We decided there was just no acceptable outcome but to return to this magical area again!

Uncorking Kobe

April 3, 2024:

Sailing into Kobe

Sadly, our arrival in the mega port of Kobe the afternoon of April 3rd brought with it pouring rain instead of the sun we enjoyed yesterday. Kobe is the port for both Ōsaka and Kyoto.  We will be staying docked here overnight to help us explore the cultural treasures which exist all over this area. For today’s explorations (given our afternoon arrival), we chose to stay in the Kobe area to see some of the sights here:the longest suspension bridge in the world (3,911 meters), and Sorakuen Gardens.

We left the ship, and drove over the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge over the biggest strait in Japan. The bridge started construction in 1988 and was completed in 1998; quite a feat considering the devastating earthquake which leveled Kobe in 1994. The pylons of the bridge measure 283 meters (928 feet), and its longest span is 1,991 meters (6,532 feet).

There’s a whole viewing area complete with shops and cafes, but it was raining steadily, and the tour operator allocated an hour there.  Being done with the rain and limited views in about 15 minutes, the saving grace was that there was a Starbucks! I was able to successfully navigate Google Translate to order Jim and me our favorite coffees! Even better, they had a device by the door to encase your umbrella in plastic to keep the store dry while you drank your coffee! Brilliant! I’m sure it had beautiful views on a clear day, but we were more than ready to leave.

Sakura-themed donuts in Starbuck’s

Then we drove back into downtown Kobe to see the Sorakuen Gardens. Of Kobe’s many city parks, Sorakuen is the only traditional Japanese-style garden. Completed in the early 20th century, it was built by Taijiro Kodera, father of former Kobe City Mayor Kenkichi Kodera. Alongside the traditional layout, the wave of Westernization experienced in the Meiji Period can be detected in the sprawling lawn.

Sorakuen Gardens

Layout of the Gardens

Before coming under the ownership of Kobe City in March 1941, and being renamed “Sorakuen” the following November, it was commonly known as the “Kodera Mansion” or the “Sotetsu Garden.”

Hassam House

Kordera Stable

While the main residence and many other buildings burned down during World War II, the Western style Kodera Stable, surrounding wall, and gates are original. The Former Hassam House, Sorakuen Hall, and Kanshintei tea house were subsequently constructed after the traditional pleasure barge (Funa-yakata) was donated and relocated to the Sorakuen garden.

Camellia bush about to bloom

Although the gardens are fairly modern, they were lovely (although very wet). The magnificent camphor trees, cycad wood, and large lanterns give the garden a majestic aura. The sprawling grounds measure 19,566 square meters. The visual centerpiece of the gardens, though, is the building housing the river pleasure boat (funa-yakata) built early in the Edo period, and owned by the lord of Himeji around the end of the 17th century . It continued to be used on the river until the end of the Edo period (1603-1868). At the beginning of the Meiji period (1868-1912), it was moved from the Shikama port area to Takasago, at which time the cabin was detached from the boat so that it could be used as a tea house. In 1941, it was relocated to the residence of Yoshiro Ushio in Kobe City. He donated it to the city in 1978.

The Funa-yakata

All the wood surfaces both inside and outside the funa-yakata were painted with either transparent or thick black lacquer, the tie beams and rafter ends were fitted with metal decorations covered in gold leaf, and the sliding door and window frames were coated in black lacquer and the spaces between them covered in gold leaf, giving the structure a luxurious and delicate beauty.

Based on the family crests seen on the decorative metal fittings, it is thought that the barge was built sometime between 1682 and 1704, when the Honda clan was assigned to rule the Himeji domain.

During the Edo period, the feudal lords of western Japan built these pleasure boats, often in competition with one another, to travel to their compulsory residences in the distant Edo capital. Very few of these barges remain and this is the only remaining example of a pleasure boat for river use.

As we finished our walk, we found a some lovely viewpoints overlooking the ponds filled with koi fish, but even the booming cherry trees were not enough to make us linger.

Restaurant in Kobe harbor

Back on board, we were gifted with a special musical presentation by a local Kobe band of traditional Taikō drummers. It was very stirring (and loud), and we couldn’t believe the precision of the drummers. Their performance was very vigorous and enthusiastic, and we really enjoyed the performance!

Sailing Into Shimizu (in the Shadow of Mt. Fuji)

April 2, 2024:

We sailed away the night of April 1, 2024, on our Japanese odyssey.

These are the ports we will explore in Japan. As you can see, we will visit all four of the major Japanese islands, as well as making a stop in Busan, Korea. Then we sail across the North Pacific through the Okhotsk and Bering Seas to get to Alaska, where we will also make several stops before ending in Vancouver.

As is usual, Jim and I slept like babies aboard the ship, but the seas weren’t too rough for our short trip down to the southeast of Tokyo. We made port early on the morning of April 2, 2024, in the town of Shimizu, which is in the Shizuoka Prefecture.

For our explorations that day, we had two main objectives in mind; to visit the ancient pine groves beside the ocean known as Miho No Matsuba. We have really lucked out with the weather with this trip! Before we left home, it looked like rain was predicted for almost every day of our time in Japan, which is not unusual for this time of the year there. However, other than the day we arrived, we have managed to confound the meteorologists every day, and we have even had some gloriously sunny days. Today was no exception! Although it dawned cool and breezy, the sun was already out by the time we left the ship. All of this boded well, because the major purpose of visiting this coastal pine grove is to see if you can catch views of Mount Fuji.

Our second visit of the day will take us to the famous Kunozan Toshugo Shrine, which is located on the other side of Shizuoka.

Mt. Fuji is officially classified as an active volcano, but it last erupted 300 years ago. Japan is at the boundary of three tectonic plates, on the notorious Pacific Ring of Fire, so both volcanic activity and seismic events are common.

The oldest written record of the existence of the Miho No Matsuba forest goes back in poems 1100 years. After a relatively short drive to the pine forest, we walked out on the adjacent beach. Behold! We were graced with our first views of Mt. Fuji!

Haguruma Shrine

First view of Mt. Fuji

Golden Eagle (?)

The walk through the pine forest was tranquil and fragrant, but the time allowed for this stop was way too long. When you came out of the forest, there was a collection of souvenir shops selling all of the local top products of Shimizu: green tea, carved wooden figurines, and dried seafood.  We bought some tea to bring home to a friend, and then had some spare time on our hands, so we walked to the nearby Miho Temple Shrine. We really just walked around the grounds and admired the cherry trees blooming.  Then we returned to the coach for our second visit.

Miho Shrine

The next stop was really something! We drove into the local mountains to visit the Kunozan Toshugo Shrine, which honors Tokugawa Ieyasu, whose remains are enshrined there on Mount Kuno. 

The area containing the shrine is a giant park, and the drive through the mountains was filled with views of cherry trees blooming all over the adjacent hillsides.

This was hilarious! These are the construction cones holding the line markers to queue for the cable car. Apparently, they wanted you to get the feeling of seeing Mt. Fuji even if it was a hazy day!

To get to the shrine, you have to take a cable car ride (which the Japanese call a “Rope Line”) way down the mountain to the entrance of the shrine, only to climb back up numerous stone stairs to gain access to the various levels of the shrine. Then you climb back down to the cable car station, and wait for your turn to ride back up. 

Just an aside, we have noticed that there are not a lot of accommodations for people with mobility problems. Elevators are few and far between, and usually all elevated sites require climbing numerous stairs (with no ramps being made available). With Japan’s population having such a high median age, we didn’t see how this was a sustainable future for Japan’s tourism industry, regardless how fit the Japanese are as a nation. In fact, most of our tour guides so far have been retired people, with an average age in the late 70’s. There were times I really felt for them as they rushed around trying to herd members of our tours who didn’t hear or follow their directions.

You can see the various levels of the shrine here.

Origins of Kunozan Toshogu Shrine: During the reign of Empress Suiko Kunoji (592-628), a Buddhist temple, said to have been built by a man named Tadahito Kuno, stood atop Kunozan. The “father of Shizuoka green tea,” Shoichi Kokushi (1201-1280), studied there, and the temple flourished for centuries as a destination for great priests.

Kunozan Toshugo Shrine honors Tokugawa Ieyasu, who died in 1616. As I have written before, Ieyasu was the son of a local feudal lord in Mikawa, a part of Aichi prefecture, and was taken hostage by the local lord of Sumpu (the old name of Shizuoka) as insurance for his father’s loyalty. He spend his childhood in Shizuoka, and grew up as a samurai to serve to some influential lords.

Famous painting of Tokugawa Ieyasu after he had been named shōgun.

In 1568, Takeda Shingen advanced into Sumpu (modern-day Shizuoka City), moving Kunoji to its present location of Tesshuji, a temple in Shizuoka’s Shimizu Ward. Seeing Kunozan as a strategic point, he had Kuno Castle built on its hilltop. When the Takeda clan was eradicated, however, Kunozan became the territory of Tokugawa leyasu. He succeeded in uniting Japan and became shogun in 1603. Tokugawa leyasu lived in Sumpu Castle after retiring as shogun in 1605. He is said to have expounded on the importance of Kunozan, even calling Kuno Castle the honmaru of Sumpu Castle. The honmaru was considered the most vital part of a castle.

Tokugawa leyasu passed away in Sumpu Castle in 1616. In accordance with his last will, he was buried here on Kunozan. In 1617, his son (and the second shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty), Tokugawa Hidetada, ordered the construction of the shaden (main shrine building). Kunozan became the home of Japan’s very first Toshogu shrine, of which there are about 130 throughout the country.

Saké offferings to the temple

Prayer Wall

There were many helpful signs, like this one, scattered around the temple complex: “The shaden, constructed in the gongen-zukuri style, is entirely lacquered and painted with bright colors. It was built by Masakiyo Nakai (1565-1619), a master carpenter of the Edo period (1603-1868). In 2010, the honden (inner shrine), ishi-no-ma (connecting room) and haiden (outer shrine), which together comprise the shaden, were designated as national treasures. Other buildings such as the shinko (treasure room), kaguraden (prayer hall) and kor (drum tower) have been designated as important cultural properties.” Unfortunately, there were no corresponding labels in English on the corresponding parts of the shrine.

Tokugawa Ieyasu’s shrine

Many aspects of Kunozan Toshogu Shrine, such as its engravings and dougong bracket patterns, are remnants of the culture of the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1573-1603), while at the same time characteristic of the early Edo period.

The ride up the cable car, and drive back to the ship offered many more breathtaking views of the sakura! From the mountainside overlooking Shimizu Harbor, there were a few more great vies of Mt. Fuji. Stay tuned, dear Readers, as the upcoming days will offer many more glimpses into the glories of Japan!

Piles of timber awaiting export in the port.

Last view of Mt. Fuji from the deck of the ship

A Little More of Tokyo Before Embarkation Day

April 1, 2024:

On April 1, 2024, we finally boarded the Seven Seas Explorer, which will be our home for the next thirty days (thirty one, if you count April 20th twice; the day we cross the the International date line).  

But before we boarded the ship, we viewed quite a number of historical sites. For my loyal Readers, you know what that means … time for another history lesson!

As you know from our earlier posts, modern Japanese history was largely broken into four periods; the Imperial, the Samurai; the Meichi (or Restoration), and the post-World War II era.  To set the table for today’s explorations, and further visits), here is a little more depth (provided conveniently by Wikipedia).

Between the fourth and ninth centuries, Japan’s many kingdoms and tribes gradually came to be unified under a centralized government, nominally controlled by the Emperor of Japan. The imperial dynasty established at this time continues to this day, albeit in an almost entirely ceremonial role. In 794, a new imperial capital was established at Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto), marking the beginning of the Heian period, which lasted until 1185. The Heian period is considered a golden age of classical Japanese culture. Over the centuries from 794-1185, the power of the imperial house decreased, passing first to great clans of civilian aristocrats — most notably the Fujiwara — and then to the military clans and their armies of samurai.

Here is that helpful timeline again for quick reference.

The Minamoto clan under Minamoto no Yoritomo emerged victorious from the Genpei War of 1180–85, defeating their rival military clan, the Taira. After seizing power, Yoritomo set up his capital in Kamakura and took the title of shōgun. During the feudal period, the Shōgun was the supreme military leader; akin to the prime minister in many countries, and was appointed by the Emperor. In 1274 and 1281, the Kamakura shogunate withstood two Mongol invasions, however, fortuitously, huge storms crashed the fleets of the Mongols, and prevented the loss of Japan. Those storms became known as the “Winds of God” (kamikaze). 

The Kamakura shogunate was toppled in 1333 by a rival claimant to the shogunate, ushering in the Muromachi period. During this period, regional warlords called daimyō grew in power at the expense of the shōgun. To that end, the warlords developed their own fighting forces, in a system that largely replicated Europe’s federal system. Eventually, Japan descended into a period of civil war. 

Samurais were elite warrior knights answering to the daimyō who were ruled by an exacting code of honor called Bushido. The Samurai and the  Daimyō (the highest ranking warlords), the provincial lords/landowners who ruled them, largely replaced the power of the Emperor and the nobles by the 13th century. Samurai were committed to Zen Buddhism. A Samurai were educated in Kendo, the Way of the Sword; the principles of practice, patience and forbearance; practices which are still prevalent in Japanese society today. Today, most Japanese are disciplined and obedient, and there is a popular saying that “the nail which sticks up gets pounded down.”  The Samurai warrior used his katana, his sword, as his principal weapon. However, all samurai also wore a shorter sword (like a long dagger). One sword took six months to make, and was made only of the Tamhagane (“Jewel Steel”). Jewel Steel is made by blending of hard carbon steel and low carbon steel, which creates a blend of sharpness and high durability. 

The feudal period when the Samurai held sway came to its peak under the rule of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Europeans arrived in 1543; the year Tokugawa Ieyasu was born. Portuguese traders brought Jesuit missionaries, and they set about trying to convert all the local populace to Christianity. A Portuguese sailor who became a priest, Joao Rodrigues, wrote of the Japanese that, “they were not Christian, but also not barbarians”. He wrote extensively of his time in Japan, and his writings are some of the best insights we have of that period in Japan. In fact, the Japanese called the Europeans “Southern Barbarians”. But the Japanese leaders of the time, bathed at least daily, could all read and write, composed poetry, ate with utensils, and were largely vermin-free. It was quite the contrast to the Europeans they encountered.

Tokugawa Ieyasu was born into a lower ranking daimyō family. During this time, there was a tradition of the lesser daimyō families giving their youngest sons as noble hostages to be trained as samurai in the households as assurance for the loyalty of their fathers to the daimyō.

Over the course of the late 16th century, Japan was reunified under the leadership of the prominent daimyō, Oda Nobunaga, and his successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. After Toyotomi’s death in 1598, Tokugawa Ieyasu came to power and was appointed shōgun by the emperor. The Tokugawa shogunate, which governed from Edo (modern Tokyo), presided over a prosperous and peaceful era known as the Edo period (1600–1868). The Tokugawa shogunate imposed a strict class system on Japanese society and cut off almost all contact with the outside world.

However, the outside world was not to be shut out. The American Perry Expedition in 1853–54 more completely ended Japan’s seclusion; this contributed to the fall of the shogunate and the return of power to the emperor during the Boshin War in 1868. The new national leadership of the following Meiji era (1868–1912) transformed the isolated feudal island country into an empire that closely followed Western models and became a great power. 

The emperor was restored to nominal supreme power, and in 1869, the imperial family moved to Edo, which was renamed Tokyo (“eastern capital”). However, the most powerful men in the government were former samurai from Chōshū and Satsuma rather than the emperor, who was fifteen in 1868. These men, known as the Meiji oligarchs, oversaw the dramatic changes Japan would experience during this period. The leaders of the Meiji government desired Japan to become a modern nation-state that could stand equal to the Western imperialist powers. The Meiji government abolished the Edo class structureand replaced the feudal domains of the daimyōs with prefectures.^] It instituted comprehensive tax reform and lifted the ban on Christianity. Major government priorities also included the introduction of railways, telegraph lines, and a universal education system. The Meiji government promoted widespread Westernization and hired hundreds of advisers from Western nations with expertise in such fields as education, mining, banking, law, military affairs, and transportation to remodel Japan’s institutions.

For our explorations that day, we jumped around quite a bit historically. Our first stop was at the Meiji Shrine, located not far from Ueno Park (where we had stopped the day before). After the emperor’s death in 1912, the Japanese Diet passed a resolution to commemorate his role in the Meiji Restoration. An iris garden in an area of Tokyo where Emperor Meiji and the Empress had been known to visit was chosen as the building’s location for the Shinto shrine Meiji Jingū. The Meiji Shrine was constructed in a forest of over 100,000 trees from all over Japan. Sadly, the conifers don’t do particularly well there, so they are in the process of exchanging them.

Construction began in 1915, it was formally dedicated on November 3, 1920, completed in 1921, and its grounds officially finished by 1926. Emperor Meiji and his Empress are considered deities, so the Shrine is one of the more overtly religious spots we visited. The original building was destroyed during the Tokyo air raids of World War II. The present iteration of the shrine was funded through a public fund raising effort and completed in October 1958.

This is not the main gate, which is right next to the Shibuya metro station.

The walk through the forest is very peaceful.

The monks were doing some sort of formal processional.

Before we approached the shrine, our guide helpfully taught us about the proper way to visit; which involves washing one’s hands and mouth first, before approaching the shrine.

The washing station

Once in front of the shrine, in the Shinto tradition, you are to make an offering (the customary offering is five yen (helpfully marked by a coin with a hole in the center) although inflation has pushed up the amount sometimes.  Then you bow twice, slap your hands twice, and bow once more before praying.

These are prayer plaques you can buy and print your own prayers (or wishes). They hang for about a year, before being burned to lift the wishes heavenward.

I loved the juxtaposition of this traditional monk talking on his totally modern cellphone.

After leaving the Meiji Shrine, we took a step back in time (metaphorically) and went to see the Imperial Palace. Or at least we saw the grounds of the Imperial Palace, because it is the official residence of the Imperial family, and closed to the public. But on the way, we saw a couple of other touristic sites of note, including the National Kabuki Theatre and the Honganji Shrine, which is the only shrine of Indian design in Japan, although it is a Shinto shrine.

The grounds of the Imperial Palace. This is the external moat.

The national Kabuki Theatre

The Honganji Temple

One of the entrances to the fish market.

You can walk through the grounds, where the cherry trees were also beginning to bloom. My guess is that by next weekend, they are going to be spectacular.

The Imperial Palace was originally constructed as Edo Castle by Ōta Dokan in 1457. During the reign of Tokugawa Ieyasu, he moved the official residence of the Shōgun to Edo Castle, and it was the residence of the shōgun and the headquarters of the military government during the Edo period (1603–1867). However, after the Meiji restoration, the capital of Japan was officially moved to Eno, which was renamed Tokyo, and it has been the official residence of the Imperial family since 1868.

The Imperial Palace is behind the the double-arched bridge.

We walked around the castle complex, we looked over the moat areas with their drooping cherry trees and we got some distant shots of the Palace. Candidly, it was a short and unfulfilling visit, but we were calmed by the knowledge that we would visit many other castles during our explorations of Japan.

As you can see, the Palace is very secluded.

More of the Imperial Palace Grounds, with Japanese coastal pines and cherry trees just about to bloom. I imagine this park will be full of families enjoying hinami next weekend.

For our final visit of the day, we went to the Hama-Rikyu Park, which was started in the 17th century. It became the private park of Shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu, and he had ponds installed because he wanted to go duck hunting (a popular sport with the noble class of that time).

Map of Hama-Rikyu Park.

There are many separate planting areas. Sadly, we’re a little too early for most of them. There is a plum orchard which looks like it will bloom in about a month. There are also trellises for wisterias which typically bloom in May.  But we did catch a few cherry trees in bloom. Still, it was a lovely spring day for a walk in the park!

Some of the former duck ponds in Hama-Rikyu Park

The plum tree orchard getting ready to bloom.

First cherry tree in bloom we spotted in this park.

Parts of the park have wetlands areas, and we saw herons and egrets flying around.

Gates which open to the sea.

Plum tree blooming in the background.

Then we headed to the ship, and got settled in for our 30 day voyage. It was really nice to be settled again!

View from the ship.

Exploring Japan’s Past

March 31, 2024 (Easter):

As I mentioned yesterday, there was not much of a historical nature left in Tokyo after the bombing raids in 1945. Our focus for today’s tours will be on Japan’s history, with a visit to the Tokyo National Museum, and the Senso-Ji temple complex.

Tokyo National Museum

The Tokyo National Museum is the largest museum in the nation and oldest, and contains over 100,000 items. It charts the entire history of Japan, mostly through its artistic arts and artifacts. The oldest arts on display are about 16,000 years old. Buddhism was introduced in 6th century (its came from India by way of China through Korea).

The museum exhibits had this to say:

Japan’s leaders transformed their society by adopting Buddhism and other foreign cultures and practices. Buddhism was founded by Gautama Buddha in ancient India around 500 BC. Later it spread throughout Asia and was introduced to Japan from the Korean Peninsula in the 6th century AD.

In the Asuka period (593-710), people from the Korean Peninsula brought advanced knowledge to Japan. They included monks, scholars, and artisans, who brought technology, scholarship, artistic traditions, and Buddhist teachings. Under the leadership of the emperor and powerful clans, Buddhism began to flourish as temples were built and sacred images created.

In the Nara period (710-794), Japan’s leaders emulated the Buddhist culture that was thriving in China. In the capital of Nara, the emperor oversaw the creation of a giant buddha sculpture at Todaiji Temple, the symbol of a state now unified under Buddhism.

The sculptures, ritual tools, sacred texts, and other works on display illustrate these two periods of rapid change.”

“Buddhism is based on the teachings of Sakyamuni (Gautama Buddha), who lived in ancient India around the 5th century BC. He is called Shaka in Japan. Shaka did not leave any writings for posterity, but many Buddhist teachings were recorded in the centuries after his death. These sacred writings, called sutras, were carefully copied over and over again by those seeking to gain religious merit or have their prayers answered. This practice ensured that copies of sutras were widely distributed and helped Buddhism gain footholds far beyond its roots in India.

In the 6th century, Buddhism was introduced to Japan from Korea together with its sutras. It spread from the imperial court outwards and gradually became the dominant religion in Japan along with the indigenous religion Shinto. The sutras displayed here were often copied or commissioned by members of the imperial court. They hoped their religious devotion would ensure the stability of the nation, the peaceful repose of their ancestors, and their own personal well-being.”

Before that, Japanese practiced Shintoism, which was a worship of  natural elements. However, as our guide told us (with a twinkle in the eye), the Japanese are “flexible” about religion, and found the two religions could be practiced harmoniously.

Japan also adopted the Chinese system of writing ideograms,  but found it very complex, so they simplified it. Once writing was introduced, it was widely adopted by the noble class. A formal part of education for nobles included writing poetry.

“The Arts of Buddhism | 8th-16th century

The beliefs and arts of Buddhism, along with its followers, became more diverse over time. In the Heian period (794-1192), the emperor and court nobility practiced and supported Buddhism. They used their vast wealth to build temples and create images for worship, often in delicate styles reflecting their tastes.

In the Kamakura period (1192-1333), the samurai gained political power, also becoming patrons of Buddhism. They preferred Buddhist art that was clear and dynamic, which led artisans to develop new styles. Many common people also became followers of Buddhism at this time, blending this religion with local beliefs, especially in the Muromachi period (1392-1573).

During these centuries, monks brought new schools of Buddhist thought from China, and developed new schools in Japan based on older teachings. Buddhism also became more integrated with Shinto, the indigenous religion. The paintings, sculptures, ritual tools, and sacred calligraphy on display illustrate this diversity in Buddhism.”

“The Arts of the Imperial Court | 8th-16th century

After emulating China for generations, the imperial court began to develop its own cultural identity around the 10th century. This movement was led by the court nobility serving the emperor. The body of work they produced – literature, calligraphy, painting, and elegantly decorated items for daily use – became one of Japan’s cultural foundations.

Even after the samurai gained more political power than the court in the 12th century, the court remained the home of high culture for centuries.

The different art forms of the court were closely related, with literature playing a central role. Previously the nobility wrote in Chinese, but the creation of a new writing system (kana) helped Japanese literature to flourish. Both noblemen and noblewomen wrote some of Japan’s most celebrated poetry and stories, including The Tale of Genji by the court lady Murasaki Shikibu. Scenes from literature were also shown in paintings and on furnishings, which the nobility commissioned for their mansions.”

“A marriage has been arranged for a mouse and a princess who met each other at Kiyomizudera Temple.” And thus, the traditional underpining of Animé was born.

“Zen and Ink Painting | 13th – 16th century

Zen Buddhism was introduced from China, and had widespread influence on culture in Japan. Zen does not stress elaborate rituals or the study of sacred texts. Rather, it teaches that meditation and daily tasks, even cooking and cleaning, are the way to spiritual enlightenment. In the 13th century, monks brought Zen to Japan as a complete school of Buddhist thought.

These monks also brought the latest cultural practices from China. One of them was ink painting, which uses expressive lines and delicate gradations to portray nature and people. Ink painting spread beyond Zen temples and became a major artistic tradition in Japan.”

“Another practice was calligraphy by Zen masters, which was prized for its spiritual and aesthetic value. Along with the painting and calligraphy shown here, Zen Buddhism influenced tea ceremony, garden design, and many other forms of art.”

“Tea was introduced in 12th century from China, adopted first by priests because their formal training is so arduous that they needed the caffeine to stay awake to study. Tea ceremonies became very elaborate, often lasting several hours.“

“Arms and Armor of the Samurai | 12th – 19th century

The samurai ruled Japan for nearly 700 years, from the late 12th to the 19th century. They emulated the imperial court, which was the home of high culture, but also borrowed from the practices of common people. Wishing for divine protection in this life and salvation in the next, they worshipped both Shinto and Buddhist deities. The culture of the samurai was complex and ever-changing, but always reflected their authority as the warrior class of Japan.

This gallery focuses on the most prominent symbols of samurai authority: swords, armor, and other military equipment. These had many purposes. Through diverse colors and materials, they showed the tastes of their owners. Differences in shape and construction reflected differences in rank and social standing. Many samurai passed down this equipment as heirlooms, while high-ranking samurai exchanged it as diplomatic gifts. Swords and armor were also donated to Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines in prayer for victory in battle.

This is a deluxe version of a haramaki (“belly wrapper”), a snug-fitting armor designed for ease of movement. Its previous owner is unknown, though it was likely custom-made for an elite samurai. The multicolor silk lacing connects individual plates of armor, forming a flexible protective covering.”

Saddle & Stirrups with images of scrolls-19th century

“Technique and Beauty in Clothing Design

This section often displays clothing made for women of noble or samurai families. In the 17th-19th centuries, most clothing had similar shapes, but the fabrics and designs varied by season. The clothing on display here is changed regularly to reflect the seasons.

Lined robes were typically worn in the cool months of spring and autumn. Unlined robes made of ramie, a fabric similar to linen, or silk crepe, a light crinkled fabric, were preferred in the summer. Artisans decorated these fabrics with labor-intensive techniques like embroidery and resist dyeing. In the coldest months, women put on outer robes padded with cotton. The dry winter air also caused fires to spread quickly in the city of Edo (Tokyo). For these emergencies, they wore fire-resistant clothing, which was also decorated. During the New Year, they slept under robe-shaped quilts with designs thought to ward off evil and bring good fortune.”

“This kimono was designed for a young woman of the samurai class. The waterfalls on the surface are colored with a synthetic pigment called Prussian Blue, which was first imported to Japan in the mid- 1800s. Other decorative motifs include the peony, considered “The King of Flowers,” and the peacock, “The King of Birds.”

“Produced for the shogun and samurai lords, Nabeshima porcelain is characterized by technical refinement and skillful designs. Here, blooming cherry trees bend their branches dramatically, echoing the shapes of the dishes. Each blossom was outlined twice by hand, first with cobalt blue and then with a pigment called “floral red.”

“Calligraphy about Spring

For hundreds of years, traditional poetry in Japan has been composed in both classical Chinese and classical Japanese. These poems often took the four seasons as their main theme, and this exhibition focuses on calligraphic works of poetry centered around spring and cherry blossoms.

Additionally, this exhibition also features calligraphy that invokes the famous Orchid Pavilion Gathering from Jin-dynasty China (265-420). This landmark cultural event, which took place on the third day of the third month of the lunar calendar, saw a group of elite Chinese poets coming together to compose poetry. It is also known for the preface that master calligrapher Wang Xizhi composed to introduce the poetry anthology that was borne out of this gathering.

The Tokyo National Museum is on one end of Ueno Park, which is the largest park in Tokyo.  It acts rather like Central Park in New York, and was originally established as part of the Meiji Temple complex, which we will visit tomorrow.  

As you may have noticed from yesterday’s post, we had a bit of a heat wave in Tokyo, and the sakura (cherry blossom season) has finally started. Although the cherry trees weren’t anywhere near full bloom yet, we got to see some families enjoying the Japanese tradition of hinami– cherry blossom viewing parties.  We left Ueno Park for the nearby Asakusa area, which is the cultural heart of Tokyo. 

Friends enjoying Hinami

We visited the oldest temple in Japan, Senso-Ji,  in the Asakusa area of Tokyo. It is Tokyo’s oldest-established temple, and one of its most significant. It is dedicated to Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion. Structures in the temple complex include the main hall, a Five-story Pagoda and large gates. It is the most widely visited religious site in the world with over 30 million visitors annually. The temple was destroyed during a 10 March 1945 firebombing air raid on Tokyo during World War II. The main hall was rebuilt in the 1950s.

We entered through Nitenmon Gate (East Gate), but the main gate is the Kaminarimon Gate (Thunder Gate), guarded by lightning and thunder. It has a huge red lantern.

Nintenmon Gate

There is a charming story about the founding of the temple. In 628, Japan’s capital was at Asuka (present-day Nara Prefecture) and what would become Tokyo was still mostly uninhabited grasslands. Two fishermen, Hinokuma Hamanari and his brother Takenari, were on the Sumida River one day when they heard a command from the heavens to cast their net. When they brought the net up, they saw that they had caught a golden statue of Bodhisattva Kannon.

Hearing of this from the Hinokuma brothers, village headman Haji Nakatomo decided that he would become a devout believer in Bodhisattva Kannon. He took vows as a Buddhist priest, remade his home into a temple and spent the rest of his life practicing Buddhism. This episode marks the birth of Tokyo’s oldest temple and the start of Senso-ji’s history.

The Main Hall/Asakusa Shrine

In 645, the renowned Buddhist priest Shokai visited Asakusa and built a hall for the worship of Bodhisattva Kannon; that makes him the actual founder of Senso-ji. After having a mysterious dream one night, Shokai decided that Bodhisattva Kannon should be hidden from human view, and it has remained so ever since. Word of blessings bestowed by Bodhisattva Kannon spread far and wide, and many people who had heard of this came to worship at Senso-ji from all over Japan. As a result, Asakusa flourished and grew into a large district. Asakusa Shrine is dedicated to the three fishermen. Parents bring children ages 3,5, & 7 to celebrate turning points in their lives; to pray for their happiness in November each year.

Over the intervening centuries until today, Senso-ji has remained a center of culture and worship in Tokyo. It continues to be very influential in people’s lives, and with millions of people visiting it every year, it is one of Japan’s most familiar temples.

Senso-ji and Asakusa are intimately linked. The two names are written using the same Chinese characters (i) but pronounced differently, “senso” being the Chinese pronunciation and “asakusa” the native Japanese pronunciation.

The Senso-Ji temple complex was just eye-candy that day!  Whole families had come out (many traveling from afar) to see the temple during cherry blossom season. In addition to the riotously blooming cherry trees, there were scores of young women and men (and even children) dressed in traditional Japanese attire!  In the Saskusa area, there are numerous shops where you can rent the entire ensemble.  The visual effect was just breathtaking, even if it meant that the site was incredibly crowded, and you often had to wait your turn to photograph the really picturesque parts of the complex.

Hozomon Gate and the Five-storied Pagoda

Next, we walked over by the five-storied Pagoda, which contains the ashes of Buddha. In India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, stupas are the religious buildings used to store relics of Buddha. However, in China and Japan, Buddhists developed pagodas to hold Buddha’s relics. This is another of the best recognized structures within the complex.

Everyone wanted their photographs taken in front of the Five-storied Pagoda

We walked through the Hozomon Gate in the middle of the complex, and into a long narrow shopping arcade (Nakamise) absolutely jam-packed with people. In addition to many shops selling all manner of sweets (including the hard-sugar encased fruit snacks on a stick which are a traditional treat at this time of year), there were games of chance, a few bars, and basic souvenir shops.

Hozomon Gate

The Nakamise

Special sakura treats.

Once we were through the Nakamise, we were staring at the Thunder Gate.  It was impressive, but hard to get a good view because of the hundreds of people streaming through this main entrance to the temple complex.

Thunder Gate

Jim and I walked around a while longer before it was time to go, mostly admiring all the cherry blossoms, and enjoying the people-watching.

For our final night in Tokyo, we opted to eat at one of the many restaurants withing the Tokyo Hilton Shinjuku. We chose to eat at the Chinese restaurant, Dynasty, mostly because they serve authentic Peking Duck every night.  We really enjoyed the meal (and the relative peace and quiet of the hotel.

Peking Duck

Peking Duck wrapped in Mandarin pancakes

Cashew Chicken

Please stay tuned, dear Readers, because tomorrow, after we do some final sightseeing in Tokyo, and then board our ship, the Regent Explorer, which will be our home for the next four weeks as we continue our explorations of Japan!

Totally Modern Tokyo

March 30, 2024:

Jim and I woke up the morning of March 30th fresh and rested, and ready to explore the amazing city of Tokyo.  Tokyo is a city of about 14 million inhabitants (40 million when you take into account  its metro area). However, it is one of the most densely populated urban areas in the world, which in part explains the ingrained politeness you experience in every encounter with a Japanese person. Because of its size, the city is spoken of in terms of its districts. Our hotel is in the Shinjuku District, near to the  Tokyo Metropolitan Towers. It is predominantly a business area with private and governmental office located here, but it has its own plethora of bars, restaurants and other entertainment venues.

Jim and I have signed up for a pre-cruise exploration of Tokyo, which consists of three half day tours. Today’s is an exploration of some of the more modern parts of Tokyo, and we will drive across the city to go to an area called Odaiba Island, which is were the cruise port is located, and the giant Fuji television headquarters and towers. There is an extensive entertainment and restaurant area, as well as abundant shopping malls.  We will also be going to the famous Ginza shopping area, which is where all Tokyo’s high end shops are located, and which also hosts its own restaurants and entertainment venues.

As we set off, here are some useful Japanese phrases we have learned:

Kanpai- cheers

Arigato- thank you

Domo can mean hello, thank you

Ohayo is good morning 

Konichiwa means hello or welcome.

Sumimosan- excuse me; to get some one’s attention, also means I’m sorry (you drop the tone at  the end; it also kind of means thank you. Add “domo” to beginning, and it is even more polite. 

As we left, we passed by the “Cocoon” building,designed by Kenzō Tange of Tange Associates, who also designed many of the premier buildings in the Shinjuku district.

As is usual with these panoramic tours, our guide gave us some general information as we drove over to the Odaiba district. Almost everything in Tokyo was destroyed in the 1945 air raids. So almost everything we will see here is modern architecture. For example, Japan hosted its first Olympic Games in Tokyo in 1964, which was the same year as the bullet train (Shinkansen) debuted. In many ways, that year marked the emergence of Japan from its post-war doldrums, although by all measures, Japan staged an unprecedented renaissance during those years. During the last Olympics held in Tokyo in 2021, many of the aquatic sports were held in venues around Odaiba.

The Shibuya street crossing near to our hotel is the busiest in the world; about 3,000 people cross with each change of the light.

On the way, we saw both the Tokyo Telecom Tower, and the Tokyo Tower (modeled on the Eiffel Tower), built about 60 years ago, but naturally, it is taller (333 meters) from the bus.

Tokyo Telecom Tower

Tokyo Tower

As we got to Odaiba, we noticed lots of young people walking around, which was a little strange for a Friday at 10 a.m. However, our guide explained that spring break just started, meaning that schools are out for two weeks. The school year starts in April in Japan. Students get a summer break and winter break.

Our first stop was to the man-made island of Odaiba, originally built in the 1850s for defensive purposes after American warships came into Tokyo’s harbor. Today, it is a very modern development. They even have trains to Odaiba, which have no drivers (guided by computer) which run over the Rainbow Bridge.

Rainbow Bridge

There are outdoor gardens; and good views of Tokyo. The seaside park has its own version of the Statue of Liberty. The plaque for the statue had this information:

“In 1876, The French government gave a special present to New York City in celebration of the centennial of the founding of the United States of America. That present is the world famous “Statue of Liberty,” which stands at the entrance to New York Harbor.

It was designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi (1834 – 1904).

In return, an organization made up of American expatriates residing in Paris gave France a “Statue of Liberty” replica, which stands in Paris, to mark the centennial of the French Revolution. The statue was officially unveiled on the Île aux Cygnes (Isle of the Swans) in the River Seine in Paris with the artist Bartholdi in attendance on November, 1889.

“To commemorate the “Year of France in Japan” (1998 – 1999), the “Statue of Liberty” installed on the Isle of the Swans was relocated to this pedestal in Odaiba Marine Park from April 1998 to January 1999. 

Calls for a replica of the statue to be erected in Tokyo grew stronger as its return to France drew near. As a result, plans were drawn up to create an exact replica of the original statue, and a request was submitted to the City of Paris. In October, 2000, the exact replica was completed, and on December 22, 2000, Odaiba’s Statue of Liberty, enlightening the world in a new century, was unveiled.”

The cherry trees weren’t quite blooming here yet, but we found this helpful sign:

There is a huge complex next to Odaiba Island anchored by the Fuji building and TV Studios. You can take a tour to visit the studios, which we did not do, but we did use their incredibly space-age bathrooms. Unfortunately for me, I could not figure out which of the many buttons actually flushed the toilet (instead of activating the bidet, the deodorizer, or the concealing noise functions), and had to ask a young woman for help. “Head slap” moment!

Fuji Studios

On our way to Ginza, we saw elaborate new fish market (built about 4 years ago.)

The new fish market

After visiting Odaiba island, we went to the Ginza district. Our guide showed us one of the biggest department stores there, Mitsukoshi  Ginza department store. It is the oldest in the world (about 300 years old). We went first to the food halls down on the B2 level. Everything was beautifully displayed, and many of the store fronts had Easter displays. The place was packed with shoppers, and there were numerous foreign brands displayed, especially French bakeries and choclatiers.  Even though many prepared foods and meals were for sale, there was no place to eat, and no one in Japan eats or drinks on the street. When we finished with the food halls, Jim and I walked up the Main Street (called Ginza). Many foreign designers had huge stores, and there were lines in front of some to get in.

Welcome to Ginza!

One of the entrances to the Mitsubishi Ginza Department Store

Beautiful fresh strawberry desserts. Because it is cherry blossom season (sakura), many stores feature pink desserts and treats and most of them are strawberry flavored.

Sushi bento boxes for take away meals.

Steamed buns and dumplings

Beautiful prepared salads

Easter Treats

Many stores close between 1 and 3, so we returned to the department store, and rode the express elevator to the 9th floor to eat lunch. There were restaurants on 9, 10 and 11. On 8 there was an aquarium, and on 9, a museum with costumes from the Kabuki Theatre.

“Kabuki” is one of Japan’s representative traditional performing arts registered as a UNESCO “Intangible Cultural Heritage. It is a comprehensive art form that combines various distinctive elements such as unique performance techniques, makeup, elaborate costumes and stage set-tings. The actors are primarily male. 

In Kabuki, efforts are made visually to make things easily understandable to the audience. For example, good and evil can be identified by the colors of the makeup, or the actor and his role can be recognized through motifs in their costumes. There are also various conventions, such as noble characters or beautiful men and women who paint their faces pure white, or young, beautiful princesses who wear red kimonos.

Kabuki not only preserves tradition but has also evolved with the times, and it has created a diverse range of plays and dances over its more than 400-year history. The main Kabuki Theatre in Tokyo is nearby, but we won’t have time to visit it (this trip). Te other main form of Japanese theater is called Noe.

I had heard the egg salad sandwiches in Tokyo were excellent, so we chose a simple cafe to try it out. On the 9th floor, we found Minori Cafe, which was very good.

Rumor had it that there are statues of Godzilla all over Tokyo. It just so happened, there was one nearby, so after lunch, Jim and I walked to find the Godzilla of Ginza.

The Godzilla of Ginza

Then, feeling adventurous, we descended into the subway to experience the busiest subway system in the world. In fact, the biggest and busiest station in the system is accessed through Station M8 located right next to our hotel in Shinjuku. To get from the Ginza subway station to Shinjuku, you take the M16 to M7 station. 

The subway stations are well-marked in Tokyo (with blue M signs), and like the rest of Japan, spotlessly clean! No eating or drinking in the subway stations is allowed, and there are no trash cans, as you are expected to take your trash with you and dispose of it when you get home.

It turned out to operate pretty similarly to subway systems in the rest of the world, and we negotiated it with ease, but it also wasn’t rush hour!

With the rest of the afternoon free, we went over to the Tokyo Municipal Towers, where there is a free viewing place on the 45th Floor with 365 degree views out over Tokyo. As a bonus, the first cherry trees we saw in full blossom were right outside the municipal building!

First cherry blossoms!

Tokyo Metropolitan Towers

Chuo Shinjuku Park. All the blue squares you see on the ground are families picknicking.

On a clear day, it is possible to see Mt. Fuji from up there. Even though it rained yesterday, it was very hazy, and we couldn’t see Mr. Fuji, but we’ll have another chance in a couple of days.  We also learned that every night, there is a free light projection show on the buildings called Tokyo Night & Light, which projects on the half hour from 7 until 9:00.

If it were clear, you see Mt. Fuji in this direction.

The large park in this picture is Ueno Park. It is like Tokyo’s Central Park.

Our dinner that night was a little more adventurous than the night before’s. We chose to go to a teppan grill restaurant in the Shinjuku district called Teppan Baby, figuring that it would at least be a familiar concept to us. Not quite!  Jim did a great job navigating us to the place, but we finally had to ask someone which business it was. It was a subterranean place, but incredibly popular.

As advised, we had made a reservation on line in advance (and put our credit card down). They had reserved places for us at the grill right in front of the chefs.  However, unlike yesterday, there was no English version of the menu!  They had a menu with pictures, but we were largely at a loss to understand as most of the dishes looked nothing like the teppan we were used to.

To make matters worse, we were pretty much the first customers in the place, so we couldn’t really check out what other diners were ordering.  It seemed like the big seller was something called a Teppan Baby, and Jim and I just went with different versions of that. I also saw something that looked kind of like a Japanese quesadilla, so we ordered one of those too.  It turned out that our teppan  babies had a base layer of rice pancake, a mountain of bean sprouts, some scallions, a slice of pork, an egg pancake and topped with some kind of Japanese sauce (close to a BBQ sauce). We also found a piece of steak, and added it to our order. The restaurant was loud and vivacious, and we chatted with the couple sitting next to us. But the restaurant soon filled up, and it became obvious that this is the kind of meal you want to eat if you are planning a heavy night of drinking ahead! In fact, by the time we left, the line to get in backed up the stairs!

“Classic Baby”

The other “baby”

We capped off the day with a walk back through the Shinjuku district, totally crowded with people young and old out enjoying the nightlife Tokyo has to offer. We were feeling adventuresome, so we ducked down into the subway to experience station M8, and it was a sea of people (but still not rush hour).

Finally, we walked over the Metropolitan Building to see the light show projections, and they were mesmerizing!

The Tokyo Metropolitan Towers by night.

Wow! What a full day!  Stick around for tomorrow’s post, as we will visit Japan’s largest cultural heritage museum, and the traditional section of Tokyo!

Traveling to Tokyo

March 28, 2024:

Dear Readers:

Konichiwa! Welcome to Japan!  Jim and I enjoyed a last day at leisure at the Aman i Khas resort on March 27th, before we embarked on a marathon grueling day and night of travel which took us from Ranthambhore to Jaipur, with a flight to Delhi, and then an overnight to Tokyo. We arrived in Tokyo about 6:30 in the morning on March 28, 2024. It is the Gringos’ first trip to Japan, and we couldn’t be more excited. Not the least of which because within minutes of landing in Japan, we knew we were in for a much different experience than we had had in India. I could probably write an entire book about all the cultural difference between India and Japan, but I’ll let you draw your own conclusions as you read along with us.

The major part of this trip is dedicated to a detailed exploration of Japan, a country we’ve long waited to visit and have been eager to explore. There are four main islands: Honshu, Kyushu, Hokkaido, and Shikoku. We will visit all four islands on our travels. I found a cool website, which gives a concise history of Japan here:

https://www.edrawmind.com/article/history-of-japan.html.

I’d also like to thank Dr. James Leavell, Professor-Retired, Furman University, for his useful insights about Japan to our friend, Dave Johnson.

Most of the historical buildings you visit in Japan belong to the feudal period of its history, although many of them have been rebuilt, either because they burned down, or because they fell to a warring clan. In a nutshell, Japan’s history falls into four main time periods: The first, which lasted up until the 11^th century, was dominated by an Imperial hierarchical system, but the emperor and his nobles all required strong men known as samurai to help them maintain their power; the second, which consisted of Japan’s feudal period, lasted from the 11^thcentury until the 19^th century, occurred when Japan’s warrior class of samurai rose up and stripped the emperor of power; the third, which lasted from 1868 until the end of World War II, was known as the Meichi Period, during which Japan restored power to the Emperor and stripped the samurai of their power, and Japan increasingly opened its doors to western ideas and trade, ; and the fourth has lasted roughly from the end of World War II until the present day. Weirdly, the same imperial dynasty has ruled Japan during this 2,000 year time frame! Today’s Emperor is Japan’s 126th. No doubt, historians would differ with this analysis, but for our travels, it will help you pinpoint what we will be seeing.

A slightly easier way to get the gist of Japan’s feudal period, which lasted roughly from the 11th century until the 19th century, is to watch the new FX Hulu miniseries on Shogun. The author of the original book, Shogun, James Clavell, modeled several of his characters on real historical figures in the late 1500s and early 1600s in Japan. In particular, the Toranaga character is modeled on the historical figure of Tokugawa Ieyasu, who began a definitive era in the feudal period, known as the Tokugawa shogunate.  The last Tokugawa shogun ended the feudal period in 1868, when power was restored to the Emperor, and began the Restoration, or Meichi Period of Japanese history.  I think that’s enough history for our first day in Japan!

Instead, I’ll tell you a little bit about our first day in Tokyo.  First of all, Tokyo Immigration and Customs is a pleasure. There are no surly and suspicious agents, and you are really made to feel welcome as you enter Japan!  Jim and I were pretty sleep-deprived, as the flight from Delhi to Tokyo is only about 6 hours with a 3.5 hour time change. So given our late departure time, we only got about 4 hours sleep on the flight. We took a taxi from Haneda airport (there are two international airports in Tokyo), and checked into our hotel for the next four nights, the Tokyo Hilton in the Shinjuku district.  Our room was lovely, but all we wanted to do was sleep.

Since it was raining, it wasn’t hard to convince ourselves that a good nap was in order. Fortunately, my brilliant husband had figured out that we would need our hotel room for an extra night when we booked our rooms, so we were able to check in immediately and go straight to bed.

We did set an alarm, and walked to the nearest Starbuck’s, which was only a block away. It might surprise you to know, but the first Starbuck’s outside North America opened in Japan, and the brand has taken over Japan.  In fact, the Japanese are crazy for coffee, and there are countless coffee shops, as well as vending machines selling coffee drinks and caffeinated drinks.  After eating a little bit and drinking much needed lattes, I headed back to the room to work on the blog, while Jim walked into Shinjuku to explore.  We had the concierge book us a reservation at one of the best tempura restaurants in Shinjuku for that night, Tenkane, and booked the two course meal (a sushi course and the tempura course).  We found pretty uniformly that most restauranteurs demand pre-bookings in Tokyo (at least for Western guests), and usually demand a credit card to secure the booking.

Jim, being Jim, decided to go find out where the restaurant was located before we had to find it in the dark. Smart man that he was, because there was no western writing identifying the building!  Fortunately, he plugged the address into Google Maps, and looked at the pictures posted by users. He found an exterior shot of the restaurant, and that was the ONLY way we could figure out which business was our restaurant. He walked around a little more, and then it was almost time to go to dinner. We enjoyed a cocktail in the hotel bar, and then headed out.

It was only about a fifteen minute walk to the restaurant, and it was a tiny place. Thank God the menu was translated into English!  The chef was very kind, but with definitely limited English. However, we were able to claim our reservation, and order our meal with no problem. What followed was one of the best tempura meals we have ever had!  The sushi course was all sashimi, but fresh and lovely!  The tempura was served one piece at a time so it was always hot and fresh when you ate it!  Very satisfied, we walked balk to the hotel to get a good night’s sleep before starting our scheduled activities in Tokyo tomorrow.

Our first shrimp tempura, and my sashimi basting in its wasabi and soy.

Tempura white fish (maybe what we call white bait?)

Myn last shrimp and a bean tempura

Tempura shrimp legs and bodies (crunchy!)

Eggplant Tempura

Tempura Mushrooms

Au Revoir to Ranthambhore!

March 26, 2024:

We started out the morning of March 26th by driving the dirt roads behind the resort property because both a leopard and a tiger were captured on the resort’s CCTV system, and the tiger sighting was only a couple of hours old. But no dice. So we drove to the Park again. We were assigned to Zone 1 again, and off we went.

In the riverbed where we had missed seeing the two tiger cubs, we saw a wooly-necked stork, but the light was still bad, and I didn’t get a good shot of him. But shortly after that, Madden, our guide, spotted some fresh tiger tracks, and we drove around looking. skunked again. As a consolation prize, we got to see the Brown Fish Owl again, and he was more awake at this hour of the morning.

Tiger pug marks (recent)

Brown Fish Owl

We stopped for a brief break at one of the ranger stations inside the park, but they hadn’t seen the or heard anything about the tiger we were tracking. However, we did see a very curious Rufous Tree Pie, who landed on our safari vehicle.  We drove by an ancient tomb  to which we hadn’t paid any attention on our first wild rides through this zone, and happened on a Lesser Golden-Backed Woodpecker, who looked just like his cousin, “Woody”.

Rufous Tree Pie

Lesser Golden-Backed Woodpecker

This also proved to be a great morning for bird watching, as we shortly saw some White-Throated Kingfishers, a Grey Hornbill (no decent picture) and an Indian Scops Owl. I also finally caught a Rose-ringed Parakeet on film (they rarely alight for long, and usually only deep in the tops of the trees).  We capped the morning with a Ruddy Mongoose sighting, and headed out of the park.

Ancient Tomb

White-Throated Kingfisher

Rose-ringed Parakeet

Grey Langur

Indian Scops Owl

However, after we left the Zone, we soon came upon a crush of vehicles. The tigress and three cubs had been spotted high up on the hill overlooking the road. Despite masterful jockeying for position by Vijay, we were only able to see her; the cubs were obscured by the bushes. Besides, we encountered a “tiger jam” of epic proportions on the main road of the Park! So out of time, we went back to the resort for some lunch.

Tigress in the bushes. I think there is one of her cubs laying beside her.

When the time for the afternoon drive rolled around, it was blisteringly hot (already 102, and supposed to climb to at least 104). Jim opted not to take the last drive, and I tried to shield myself from the sun, but it felt like riding inside a blow dryer as we set off for the afternoon.

We were assigned to Zone 4 for this afternoon’s drive, which takes you into parts of the Park which were basically seized by the government to create the Park. There are several old historical structures (or their remnants) in this section of the Park, and you can also get some great views of the ancient Ranthambhore Fort along this route. The foundation for the Fort was laid in 500 AD, but the majority of the fort was built in the 10th century A.D. The high reinforcing walls which tower above us above were built about 500 years ago. We also passed restored step well.

Entering Zone 4.

Brown fish Eagle

Monitor Lizard

We spent the next three plus hours driving around from watering hole to watering hole, and once again, the birds were the highlight of the drive! We did pass one pond which had both Indian catfish and Indian soft shell turtles. But probably my favorite sightings were of the peacocks practicing their mating dances (mating season begins usually in April).

Catfish

Soft-shelled Turtles

Indian Soft Shelled Turtle

Mother and baby Brown Fish Owls

Blue Bull Antelope

Crocodile

Preparing for the mating dance

Painted Storks

Indian Scops Owl

Sloth Bear Print

Black Drongo

After a long hot afternoon of driving around with not too much to show for it, we decided to leave the Park. Once again, on the road out  of the Park, we came upon another cluster of safari jeeps. Surely enough, there was another tiger in the bush, although very well disguised. Nonetheless, it was nice to end our last safari in India with a final tiger spotting!

I returned to the camp, dusty, hot and tired, and joined Jim for another swim in the pool, and a lovely leisurely dinner.

Stay tuned, dear Readers, because after a slow day in camp tomorrow, we’ll be flying to Japan to begin our adventures there!

Tigers, Negronis, and Holi, Oh My!

Jim and I awakened March 25th before sunrise to hot coffee and a croissant in our tent. We hurriedly got dressed, and took our gear to the waiting safari jeep. Madan and Vijay had arrived early because they had some secret intel that male and female tigers had been spotted in Zone 6 recently, and this was our assigned zone for the morning drive.  Zones 6-10 are on the far side of town, and we drove through the streets of Sawai Madhopur, where the Ranthambhore Park is located. The Indian festival of Holi is today, but the streets were still pretty quiet (except for the cows) as we sped along.  Once at the Park, we cooled our heels until the ranger opened the gates. Then Vijay replayed yesterday’s “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride” as we sped through the jungle to try to get a prime viewing location where the tigers had last been seen.

Their efforts paid off, as we were only the second jeep in the area, and had a prime viewing location. First we saw the male, and he was incredibly majestic. shortly thereafter, the female came into view, and we were treated to some tiger porn.  The scene got increasingly chaotic and more and more vehicles arrived, but as you can see, we got the coveted views! 

At one point, the male tried to have a second go at it, but apparently the female didn’t think much of his technique, because she hissed at him and took a swipe.  But they settled down and made up, and we continued watching as they moved deeper into the jungle. Photographic mission accomplished, Jim and I both felt like we could relax and enjoy the rest of what the Park had to offer.

Indian Scops Owls

Grey Langhur

Grey Fraqncolins

Flame of the Jungle Trees

After finishing our morning drive, we drove back through the town of Sawai Madhopur, where Holi festivities were in full swing. Scooters full of color-dusted young men swirled around us, and children pelted each other with colored powders, while people shouted, “Happy Holi” to each other, including us.

We returned to our safari lodge, where our own Holi festivities awaited us. Jim and I changed into the white pants and shirts the resort had provided, and wandered down to the field where our Holi party was taking place.

Unlike a lot of the colored powders we have seen sold on the streets, the resort makes its own powders using natural ingredients from plants and flowers grown on the property, then dried and crushed.  Everyone got into the spirit, including the staff, and we all wished each other Happy Holi, while dusting each other with powder. Unlike what I had believed, it’s not like a giant food fight where people pelt each other (at least among older Indians), but the colors are thoughtfully rubbed into your hair and clothes. The resort GM had hired a local band to play, and Negronis were being served (along with fruit juices. We played and enjoyed the music, and the snacks prepared for us before returning to our tents to wash the powders off.  What a fabulous experience, and so joyful!

After lunch, Jim and I went for a brief swim. But all too soon, it was time to get ready to go out again for the afternoon’s game drive. This afternoon, we headed back to the zones closest to our resort. We had been assigned to Zone Five.  Madan told us that according to his group of guides, a tigress with recent kill was spotted here yesterday. And off we went!

This vehicle had an awesome camera rig set up up in the back. We’re not quite so sophisticated!

It turned out that we were not able to see any more tigers that day, but it turned out to be a great afternoon for bird spotting!  Zone 5 has several waterholes,  and there were some good viewings at a couple of them. We waited for about 45 minutes in the riverbed area where the tigress had been spotted, but no luck. The temperatures had soared that afternoon, and any animals with any sense were resting deep in the brush. We also saw some different species along the roads.  All in all, we’re going to count this as a fabulous day!

Little Green Bee Eater

Sambur Deer

Darter, Great Egret and

Pond Heron

Jungle Bush Quail

You can see why it is so hard to spot game!

We sat here for 45 minutes waiting for the tigress.

Jungle Crow

Lapwing

Indian Scops Owl (by this time, we are sure Madaan and Vijay have every nest in the forest mapped!)