Tokyo Day 3

This last day in Tokyo was dedicated to famous historical landmarks - we planned to visit the oldest Buddhist Temple in Tokyo and the Imperial Palace.  

I’ve never seen anything so old in my life.  The Sensoji Temple, built for the goddess of Kannon (goddess of mercy) was completed in 645 A.D.  That’s right, six hundred and forty five.  The building is 1366 years old.  Let that settle in for a minute...  It’s astounding to me!  I was in awe watching the crowds pay homage to Buddha as they prayed at the temple door, and the many believers throwing incense smoke on their ailments in hopes it will heal their pain.  

I stopped to get a fortune - because I, unlike my husband, believe in such things - and brought it home to share it here.  When receiving the fortune, I was reminded to not be vein or ungrateful if I was lucky enough to receive a good fortune.  

“The moon is covered by floating clouds. You will have difficulties in making any plans.  Do your best and ask for help of others.  Then you will be able to catch good fortune.  You don’t have to worry; open your eyes and look into the future.

*Your wishes will be realized in the end. * A sick person will recover but take a little while. * The person you are waiting for will show up after a while. * The lost article will not be found. *Building a new house and removal are both half fortunate. * Marriage and making a trip are both good. * Employment should be stopped.”

Here’s my interpretation:  We can’t make any plans for now until we find out if our contract will be extended here.  I need to reach out to those around me for help and stop worrying because my wishes will come true in the end.  My marriage and travel are good and I should quit my job. (heehee - just kidding on the last one!). ;)

We did a bit of shopping after leaving the Temple and found a beautiful piece of art!  It’s in the Ukiyo-e Style (block printing) and the artist’s name, Yume Ji means “Dream”.  We will likely have to wait to return to the US to frame it, but I’m excited to have a bit of Japan for our home one day. 

After the Temple we got back on the train and headed to the Financial District where the Imperial Palace and all it’s splendor is placed ironically amongst the sky scrapers.   

Although it’s not the time of year to really experience the full beauty of the Palace East Gardens, we certainly got a sense of the perfection and precision that goes into the maintenance of the famous grounds.  It’s one of the things that impresses me most about the Japanese culture.  They take such pride in their work.  Even in the dead of winter the grounds were immaculate and you could tell how gorgeous it all must be in the peak season.  One day I’d like to build a Japanese garden, complete with water feature, in our back yard.  They’re so peaceful and serene. 

The palace grounds are huge with massive gateways at every turn.  Some value the property as more than the sum of all of the real estate in the entire state of California!  There are 3 story stone walls which used to act as protection and the entire structure is surrounded by a large moat.  There are beautiful bridges and historical Samurai guardhouses scattered about.  It wasn’t very crowded and we were lucky enough to get some great pics of the plum tree blossoms which were just starting to come out.  

It got pretty cold as the day progressed and we headed to the airport.  It snowed as we got onto the plane to return to AU.  What a wonderful way to end a wonderful trip!  Japan was amazing.  I’d like to go back one day!

~LAA :)

Tokyo Day 2

We got up early to go to Hakone which is about 2 hours by train from Tokyo. The attraction in Hakone is Lake Ashi with a view of Mt Fuji. We weren't really sure what to expect besides a scenic tour and we were right - there wasn't much to it! The towns on the way out are pretty dismal and not very impressive. Hakone itself was pretty depressing - I'm sure if it was due to the season (since it's winter everything is brown and dead in a mountain town) or because the town is just pretty run down. we didn't spend much time there before hopping in a bus to head over to the lake.

The area around the lake was charming - small villages that looked to both of us like alpine ski towns. Surrounded by mountains, There was one main street, a couple stores and a dock for the ferry to pull in. 

We walked from Motohakone-ko through the Ancient Cedar Avenue with was lined by huge cedar trees planted in 1618. We marveled at the fact that the trees are 150 years older than the US Constitution! We hopped on the scenic boat tour on the lake and set out to see Mt Fuji. Unfortunately the clouds had rolled in so most of the mountain was covered but the short trip from one end of the lake to the other was beautiful. We decided summertime must be stunning around the area. 

On our way back to Tokyo we stopped in a charming and bustling little town to do a little (unsuccessful) shopping. After a power nap on the train ride home, we met up with a number of David's co-workers for dinner at a wine bar in Tokyo.

To Be Continued...

Tokyo Day 1

The 16 1/2 hour trip is easy but long. David arrived a week earlier on a Delta flight and I flew Jetstar. The service was pleasant and on-time but they charge for everything! I think I spent $30 on a blanket, water and a snack! I found my way to the bus to the hotel and arrived safe and sound. Admittedly I was nervous to go to Japan, a seemingly extremely foreign land that doesn't speak English, but as David promised, I figured it out easily and the icing on the cake was that it was great to see David after 2 weeks of his work travel!

We went out for noodles that night for dinner. David picked the spot because they have pictures on the menu so we can point at what we want. It was a hole in the wall but good!

We stayed at the Royal Park Hotel. The staff are very friendly as with most people in Tokyo. It was renovated a number of years ago but still in great shape. They're all about amenities in Tokyo. They must have given 15 different pre-wrapped toiletries and the toilets themselves are amazing! The seats are heated and they have buttons that allow you to do all sorts of things like make a flushing noise so others can't hear you going to the bathroom and various types of sprays for after you're done. ;)

Breakfast was served on the 20th floor. We had a nice view of the Nihonbashi District (although it's not a very attractive part of the city) and I was struck by the signage - so much of it was in English! Made me realize how westernized this city is after all.

We went to the Suitengu Shrine which embodies the Water Deity who brings smooth delivery of babies, protects children, and protects against drowning.  The Buddhist goddess of fortune, Benzai-ten is honored here as well.  The shrine is on the local pilgrimage to the Seven Deities of Good Fortune in the area, only 3 minutes from the hotel. They say if you rub the head of the dog statue you'll have a safe and easy childbirth. Figured I'd better take advantage of the opportunity to rub the dog while I'm here since I don't know when I'll be back! We rang the bells to pay homage to the gods and went on our way. 

We visited a number of shops in walking distance - a traditional Japanese knife shop (Ubukeya, open since 1783), a shop specializing in making toothpicks (Saruya), a sweets shop called Shigemori-eishindo where they sell traditional cakes in the shape of the lucky 7 gods (yes we got some and they were GROSS! Filled with sweetened bean paste. Yuck!) and a shop that has been around since 1590 which sells beautiful Japanese fans called Ibasen. 

The city is NOT made for tall people. At 6'2", David almost hit his head a few times - check out this pic of one of the tunnels between train stations!

From there we took the train (which has incredibly complicated coverage but is surprisingly easy to navigate - David seems to be an expert by now!) to the Imperial Hotel for a traditional tea ceremony. It was wonderful! Two adorable ladies in kimonos took care of us - one described what the other did - the ceremony is a complicated, precise step-by-step ritual of making a green tea from a powder. Each move had a specific purpose. The ceremony started with a sweet made of bean puree and sugar (it wasn't bad but lets just say we won't go seeking it out in the future ;) ) the tea was nice and the lead woman described it as being very good for you with lots of vitamin E and A. They let us take pictures of the event from our vantage point on the traditional tatami mats which were surprisingly comfortable. While putting our shoes back on she gave us a shoehorn to use which struck me as funny since we were putting sneakers on ;) we both really enjoyed the experience!

We walked down to the Ginza shopping district where one square meter of land is valued at ¥10Million making it some of the most expensive real estate in all of Japan.   We puttered around admiring shops, sweets and people watching until we arrived at Tiffany & Co. and David asked if I wanted to go in. I mean seriously, what woman is going to say "no" to that question?! After drooling over a few of the items David said, "why don't you try some things on?" (see my previous statement - how on earth could I say no?!) I had a sparkle in my eye when I got to try on a mesh ring that I've admired for ages and David looked at me and said, " that looks amazing. Do you want it?" I looked at him and said "seriously?" and he said, "yes!" so after squealing with glee I got an early Valentines Day/Birthday/because-I-love-you present, little blue box and all! What a wonderful surprise!

From there (looking at my hand all the while) we walked a bit to a restaurant one of my co workers had recommended. It was so tucked away there is no way we could have found it without being sent there specifically. It was called Gonpachi and the food was wonderful! We had a great leisurely dinner and then hopped back on the train to head to the Shibuya Shopping District who’s Center Gai is the Tokyo version of Times Square. SO many people and lights! We really enjoyed walking around and taking in the craziness around us - some of the outfits were unreal and I don't know if I've ever seen so many florescent and neon lights! David picked out some Japanese dance music (he loves foreign techno, crazy man that he is) and we hopped back on the train to get home before I turned into a pumpkin! Such a great day!! 

The people here are incredibly polite. The train rides are silent because no one wants to disturb their neighbor. It's so refreshing! And even with as many people as there are on the streets (26 million people in greater Tokyo) they are very respectful of each other's space so it doesn't feel really crowded. The city is really clean, it feels safe and every time we walk into a store or a hotel they bow at us as a greeting and are attentive in a way that isn't intrusive. I'm comfortable here even though I was nervous and anxious to come to this large Eastern city! 

To Be Continued...

Jules and Greg Came to Visit

I'm so glad for Greg's new job opportunity because it brought him to Australia which meant that Jules could come over with him (5 months pregnant and all) and hang out with me for a week!  While Greg and David were both working (Greg in Hobart and David in Tokyo) Jules and I enjoyed dinners out at Garfish, Wood & Stone, and Wine Odyssey.  She was able to enjoy the spa, hit the beach (I was working all week) and then made me a great steak dinner one night.  

Greg arrived at the end of the week and we paid a visit to Manly Wine, the beach (can you believe I've lived on the beach for a year an a half and only laid out to get some sun twice during our stay?!) we checked out the view from the Shangri-la hotel, and decided the mangoes from the shop downstairs must have CRACK in them because they're SO GOOD!  It was a wonderful visit giving Jules and I a chance to reconnect and enjoy some one-on-one time after many years of living in different cities.  I'm bummed that David wasn't able to join in the fun but I'm SO glad they came for a visit!  

~LAA :)