Autumn in Japan

I read in the news this morning that the Tsukiji market will be moving in November of this year.  I took this in reading the Economist Espresso this morning.  It surprised my how sad I felt as I read the news.  I also immediately thought that I was happy I had returned to Japan last summer with my wife and children.  They will have seen that iconic market at least once before it moves to the Toyosu area and gets renamed the Toyosu Shin Shijo. For the next ten months Tsukiji becomes, more than ever, one of the must see places in Tokyo.  For so many reasons. It gets you out of bed early! It is an incredibly exciting and busy place where you need to watch your every step as wholesalers move the fish around in their gas-powered trolleys It smells like the sea and you'll never see so much of the amazing fruits of the ocean in one place (sadly, yes, we are overfishing) You can have the freshest sushi in the morning for breakfast and walk some cool narrow alleys...

In August I will be heading back to Japan for a two week vacation.  I look forward to new experiences and writing about them on this blog......stay tuned! In the meantime I have once again decided to learn some basic Japanese.  I have memorized all the Hiragana and am a third of the way through the Katakana.  I am using the  Human Japanese Application available on the Apple App Store.  So far, so good. Let me know what you think about what you have just read. Please and thanks!

Bent by the Sun: Change Observer: Design Observer This article, by Azby Brown, was forwarded to me by my cousin.  It reinforces some of the reasons I have such an attraction to Japan, especially pre-industrial Japan.  Long-term thinking, an understanding of the  symbiosis between human life and the rest of nature.  The thought and care of design.  A great article. Let me know what you think about what you have just read. Please and thanks!

An advert has been popping up constantly over the last few weeks announcing a contest to win a trip for two to Japan. I entered. Here is the link . Let me know what you think about what you have just read. Please and thanks!

I spent two nights in this ryokan . My room was named Kiku, one floor up and served by a very narrow and steep set of stairs - my private stairway - to the left of the common room. This feature made it more private than I expect the other rooms would be. The windows gave unto on an inner courtyard with a small Japanese Garden within. It seems many of the rooms gave onto the courtyard. The tatami mats, low table, futon, television were all well kept and clean. Like the other Japanese-style rooms I have had it was a decent size and the futon was comfortable with comforters and blankets. I did not have breakfasts at this ryokan so I can’t comment on them. They are 500¥ for a European breakfast and 800¥ for a Japanese breakfast. There is a computer with high-speed access to the internet. You can’t use your own as there is no wi-fi nor any possibility for LAN connections. (The Seattle’s Best Coffee outlet behind the hotel, on the main street has a Freespot). The one downside was...

This minshuku (basically a family operated bed and breakfast) has been around since the 1920s. In many aspects it may not have changed much since then which makes it an interesting place to sleep. The thin red carpet looks like it has been walked on since the 20s! You must remove your shoes in the foyer and then are either barefoot or in your socks throughout the establishment. The exception is in the toilets where there are some slippers for you to wear upon entering them. My room was number 202, facing the street and did not have private toilet/shower. It had tatami mats, a comfortable futon with blanket and duvet, a refrigerator, table and big flat screen television. Both the first and second floors have open aluminum trough-like sinks with three faucets for washing face, shaving, tooth brushing etc. The baths are on the second for women and on the first for men. The bath itself is nothing special but nevertheless I enjoyed it. Overall I would recommend this minshuku. It...

I slept two nights in this inn . I had a Japanese room on the top (third) floor (301) which cost me 6950¥ per night including taxes. It was spacious and had a private shower/toilet. The futon was very comfortable and the blankets and duvets kept me nice and warm on what were two chilly nights. The room had a heater which I turned off at night and the room temperature dropped to 14 degrees Celsius....great for sleeping when you are covered up like I was. The inn has wireless internet access and, though the innkeeper stated that it was only available in the common room, I was able to access it from my room as well (though Skype did not work!). There is a Japanese bath on the first floor as well as laundry services which I used (200¥ to wash, 100¥ to dry). The breakfasts were terrific and cost 1050¥. Fruits (banana, kiwi, grapes, melon), three pieces of bread, a hard-boiled egg and coffee/juice. A great start to the day. It is a bit off the beaten track and about a thirty minute...

While in Tokyo I spent five nights at the Ryokan Shigetsu Asakusa , in Asakusa. It is a six storey ryokan in a fantastic location just off of Nakamise-dori and Senso-ji, the two main attractions in Asakusa. I stayed in a western-style room as all the Japanese-style rooms were booked - 7700¥ a night, taxes in. Western-style of Japanese breakfasts are available in the mornings if you wish. I did have a Japanese breakfast my first morning which cost me 1300¥ - a little steep for my liking. Other mornings I ate in local restaurants and had toast-sets there. My room on the fourth floor was number 407. It was small but had all the required amenities including my own private shower/toilet and internet access with a LAN cable borrowed from the front desk. I did however use the Japanese bath on the sixth floor almost every evening. The bath provides you with a lot more space to shower. Hot steaming water. Very nice. My room had two windows which allowed for good air circulation and ...

Here is a link to an article entitled Our Lack of Social Responsibility in my other blog, Ideeahs Let me know what you think about what you have just read. Please and thanks!

I just read this BBC News article which mentions that the Tsukiji Market in Tokyo had, in December, restricted access to its fish auctions due to disruptive behaviour by tourists.  The article suggests that these people would lick, ride and otherwise touch the fish causing hygiene issues.  The tourists would also use flash photography even when it is clear from guidebooks and signage that this is not permitted.  The access restrictions have been eased somewhat now with tourists being permitted from 5 am to 6:15 am as of January 19. The respect that the Japanese show for each other, for property and for rules most impressed me during my stay in Japan last autumn.  I hope that these behaviours do not get negatively impacted by what some believe is a necessary increase in immigration over the next few years.  I hope that the foreigners (whether immigrating or visiting) check their disrespectful behaviour at their ports of departure and learn something from the Japanese regarding behaviou...

These two neighbourhoods within Tokyo were my favourite and ones that I made a point of returning to on my last day in Japan.  To get there I took the Yamanote Line to the Harajuku station. Harajuku again delivers on the contrasts I have seen throughout Japan - modern vs. centuries old traditions.  My first visit in the neighbourhood was the Meiji- jingu - koen .  This is a park just to the west of the train station.  There were many birdsongs in the air, it was peaceful and the shrine itself was pristine.  I really felt like I belonged in this park....I was quite moved actually.  It is a feeling that I had multiple times in Japan and I don't know how to explain it.  Almost like a part of me somehow comes from these lands. From there I headed down Takeshita - dori .  This is THE street to walk down if you want to see Japanese teenagers dressed in maid, punk-rock, electric, funk dress.  Anything goes.  The shops and the pedestrian only street are jam packed with young people exp...

One of the memories that will stick with me about my trip is how beautiful city and village streets look in the evenings.  The narrowness of the streets, the latticed wooden doors and windows, the yellow lighting - not harsh at all, the sound of voices emanating from those doors and windows, shadows of people further down the street.  Well kept boutique and restaurant storefronts and entrances which are unique and so very inviting.  Here are a few pictures that capture these scenes for me. Kyoto - Pontocho-dori Asakusa - An izakaya with its akachochin lante rn s Asakusa - light drizzle on an arcade Kyoto - cafe along the Takase Ri ver Nara - entrance to small shopping com plex Kanazawa - Tatemachi Shopping Arcade Let me know what you think about what you have just read. Please and thanks!

Two of the more memorable nights in Japan were at Regenjo-in.  This is a Shingon Buddhist Monastery in a place called Koyasan, southwest of Nara.  The town of Koyasan was founded in 816 by a monk named Kobo Daishi who had gone to China in 804 or spent two years learning Buddhist teachings.  So let's just say that this town has a lot of history to it.  It is small, 4000 citizens, and can be compared to what the Vatican is for Christianity - the headquarters of Shingon Buddhism. It really is an amazing place to stay in and to get to.  To get there you can drive or take the train.  I took the train from Hashimoto to the terminal station of Gokurakubashi.  From there you transfer to a cable car that brings you up the mountain to Koyasan.  Finally a bus trip into the centre of town on an extremely windy road (cars and pedestrians prohibited).  The temple I stayed at is near the entrance to the town at the second bus stop. Regenjo-in is a beautiful establishment.  I was greeted by two mo...

Check this out.  Part of the bathroom heater is heated.... So that when you get out of the shower you can still see yourself!  Though luckily not all of you ;-) Let me know what you think about what you have just read. Please and thanks!

1.  I have seen more cats than dogs on the streets of the city. 2.  Tokyo is clean - very little garbage on the streets (only visible in the early morning), few cigarette butts and no freaking gum wads stuck to sidewalks.  No graffiti either.  Anywhere. 3.  I have seen some homelessness, especially around Ueno, but no panhandling. 4.  What they say about making slurping sounds when eating noodles is true!  Slurp...LOUDLY. 5.  Those Pachinko Slot businesses are loud and brightly lit, holy cow.  A flood of noise comes out when the automatic sliding doors to one of those shops opens up and the street floods with white fluorescent light 6.  Dental Floss is real expensive for those small 50 yard boxes - 598 Yen 7.  People don't lock their bikes when they go into a shop 9.  People jay-walk - I found that surprising given my stereotypical view of the law abiding Japanese 10.  Seven year old kids walk or bike to school alone. 11.  Passengers are asked to not talk on their mobiles on the Ya...

After four nights in Kyoto it was time to head a little further out.  I grabbed the local JR train that heads northwest, the Sagano Line.  My first of two stops was at the Hanazono Station.  From there I walked to the Kinkaku-ji temple one of three World Heritage Sites that you can visit in this area. Kinkaku dates from the 14th Century and gets its name from the main building on the site - the Golden Pavilion.  The original is no longer standing and what you see is a 1955 version.  It was burned down numerous times (twice during the Onin War of the late 15th Century and more recently, in 1950, by a deranged monk!).  The building is almost completely covered in gold-leaf.  It makes for quite the site on the edge of a pond. I then walked on to another World Heritage Site - the Ryoan-ji Temple.  It's claim to fame is its dry landscape rock garden.  It is believed to have been built in the late 15th Century and is one of the world's most famous.  Seeing it in a peaceful environmen...

This country never ceases to amaze me.  It is a wonderful place to visit....it truly is.  One morning during my stay in Kyoto I took the JR Nara Line for two stations (five minutes) from Kyoto and got off at Inari.  This is the site of one of Shinto shrine that you may very likely have seen pictures of.  It is an Inari shrine meaning that it is built in honour of the god of rice and sake.  Inari shrines are unique from other Shinto shrines for two reasons.  One is that their entrances are guarded by foxes (which the Japanese believe can possess a human).  Secondly their entrances are marked by numerous torii (the gates that grace entrances of Shinto shrines).  This particular shrine is called the Fushimi Inari-Taisha Shrine and has, according to a man I met in one of the shops in the complex, more than 30,000 torii gates.  The complex is, as is often the case, in a naturally beautiful area.  This one is built in hills and has over four kilometre of trails in it.  Almost every metre of ...

I had a fantastic morning today.  Fantastic.  As usual I woke up early and was out the door by about 7am.  I had decided to visit the northern part of the Higashiyama of Kyoto.  Higashiyama is the area in the eastern foothills of Kyoto.  It took me almost two hours to walk there but it was a beautiful morning and I feel there is no better way to get to know a place then to walk it.  I walked along the banks of the Kamo River and through residential areas on northeastern Kyoto. My destination was the Ginkaku-ji Temple.  This is one of Kyoto's many World Heritage Sites, and with good reason.  It dates from the late 15th Century and has the most beautiful garden I have yet to see...anywhere.  It is a zen garden and I walked through it twice because I could not get enough of it.  It has carpets of a wide variety of different mosses.  The sand/gravel gardens are immaculate and perfect.  The Japanese maple trees had also started turning their fiery reds.   Unfortunately the temple buildi...

Yes Kamakura has all of these in a pretty compact area. This city has a population of 455,000 and is near the Sea of Japan. For a city of half a million it has the feel of a larger place. It has a vibrant and large shopping district, glamorous boutiques, large department stores, a beautiful museum of contemporary art and it even has its version of Tokyo’s Shibuya Crossing called, here, the Katamachi Scramble....though I wonder if the locals call it that - the guide books do. I spent one and a half days here and again did a fair bit of walking. My first afternoon and evening was in an area called the Nagamachi District. It was once inhabited by samurai and some of these homes have been well preserved with mud walls and tiled roofs. The streets are narrow and, in the evenings, nicely lit and quiet. On one of the streets, in a corner, is a great pottery store called Kaburaki that was established in 1822....worth the visit. Just to the east of this area I walked along a street that...

Travelling to Takayama from Nikko was a trek but it went smooth as silk. The Nikko Line brought me to Utsunomiya. From there I grabbed the shinkansen to Tokyo and grabbed another to Nagoya. Then I jumped on the line that heads north to Toyama which serves Takayama. This last segment is spectacular as the tracks follow a river north, crossing over it many times. This river has cut a gorge into the rock and is fast flowing enough to be used for hydroelectricity as is evident by the many generation stations I saw. There are also numerous tunnels and, when not buried in one, great views of the mountains. At one point I saw a red torii gate whiz by, feet from the track, marking the entrance of a small shrine. Takayama is a village of 95,000. It straddles Miya-gawa (Miya River) where it meets Enako-gawa. The entire village is walkable and no sites are more than thirty minutes or so from anywhere else. Two of Takayama’s main sites are districts that contain houses that are reminiscent...