Welcome to the Big City

Tokyo -  What Else Do We Need To Say

Depending on who you believe (a decreasing number of people every day it seems) Tokyo is the biggest city in the world.  Or the sixth.  Or the fourth.  Just whatever.  Tokyo is HUGE.  It sprawls.  It makes NYC look like a rural village.  It is intimidating.  So, after a few days we threw ourselves into the protective arms of our guide Hiro and ventured forth.  First stop was the Imperial Palace East Gardens.  You can't go into the Imperial Palace because the Emperor and family are romping around in there.  Well, I think you can go in on the Emperor's birthday-- maybe.  The Garden was beautiful of course. The rest of the first day was filled with Shrines (Shinto) and Temples (Buddhist).  I will not go into all the Shrines and Temples because there are photos and it just gets tedious.  Speaking of tedious it is time to discuss shoes.

The gardens of the Imperial Palace were created to contain all of the elements of a Japanese garden.

The Imperial Gardens could not just have any koi, but contained these fancy fantail koi. Unfortunately the algae prevented clear views of the koi.

Who knew that Japanese cherry trees would blossom in October as well as April.

One of the most striking things about Tokyo, for a city of its size, traffic was not the gridlock we experience in the USA in our large cities.

An Imperial swan with Imperial koi swimming below.

The first of many Shinto shrines we would visit during our stay in Japan.

We learned that all pagodas always have an odd number of layers (in this case five).

The Japanese do not generally own these kimonos, but rent them from a kimono rental shop and wear them in the areas of the shrines.

This Japanese macaque (snow monkey) was performing in the area of the shrine.

This photo shows the busiest intersection of all of Tokyo (maybe in the world) at Shibuya crossing.  It is called the Shibuya Scramble.

The torii gate marks the entrance to another Shinto shrine...

which was hosting several weddings when we arrived. All in traditional Japanese wedding garb.

Do You Remember Twister? 

So, everybody knows you take your shoes off before you go into a Japanese home, Shinto Temple or Buddhist Shrine.  Well, listen here.  It's not that simple.  So many rules.  First, you walk into an entry made of tile or stone.  Shoes on there.  Then you approach a single step up to tatami mat or wood. NO SHOES THERE!  So, you have to kick off one shoe, put that foot on the wood or mat; jiggle yourself out of your second shoe and place second foot on wood or mat.  Then you have to turn around,  lean over and get your shoes (which if you are me you have kicked two feet away trying to extricate yourself) without letting your feet (unshod) hit the tile or stone floor.  Then you have to do it in reverse upon leaving.  At 70 performing these contortionistic acts is truly taxing.  Doing it multiple times a day is vexing.  Oh, and sometimes it's multiple times in one location.  At the Ryokan (more on that to come) you had to take your shoes off and put on your slippers going from hall to room .  Once in the room, you had to take your slippers off before going into the bathroom and slip into your bathroom slippers.  And vice versa.  So, just be prepared.  Bring a lot of socks.

Kimonos as Art

The next day we headed South of Tokyo to the resort town of Hakone.  This is an area of lakes and mountains frequented in the summer by big wigs and their families.  We went there to see the Itchiku Kubota Art Museum.  Rather unusual.  It was all textiles.  Absolutely stunning kimonos everywhere. I mean I am not a girly-girl type who swoons over fashion or fabric but this was amazing.  Take a look.  Oh, I forgot.  Michael couldn't take pictures because when the artist died a Russian oligarch bought the museum but there is a big fight with the family over copyright (or something) so you can't even buy a postcard.  Most disappointing. However the gardens outside the museum did not disappoint. Michael has added a link below which will show you some of the magnificent, artistic kimonos created by Itchiku Kubota which we could not photograph. It will also give more detail on the painstaking process required to create one of these kimonos (a year long process). To get an idea of the astounding beauty of these artistic kimonos, follow the link below.

the-itchiku-kubota-kimono-exhibit-at-torontos-textile-museum-of-canada

Even though photos could not be taken inside, the grounds outside were photo worthy.

So, that was the great part of the rainy, foggy day.  We were supposed to see Mount Fuji but we didn't because it was shrouded in rain and fog.  Actually I believe only five or six people in the world have ever seen it including the people who've hiked it.  According to Hiro:  "Well, really you should not feel bad because you really can only see Fuji in January.  On a clear, sunny day.  With no pollution."  Maybe four or five people actually.  By now, the visibility was non existent and it was raining heavily.  Our next agenda item was a ropeway (cable car) trip to the top of some mountain to take in the astonishing views.  Now, here is the problem with tours -- particularly tours in rule bound countries like Japan.  No one in their right mind would pay money to go in a cable car in the rain with zero visibility, right?  Wrong.  If it was on the itinerary it was going to be done.  Rain or no rain.  Typhoon or no typhoon (more on that later).  On a related note I will just say that at this point Michael and I became aware of the approaching typhoon but promised Hiro we wouldn't tell the others.  Maybe they knew and didn't want to freak anyone else out....or not.  At this point we also started getting emails and WhatsApps from friends and family saying in effect:  "Of course there is a typhoon.  The Searles are there.  Jeez.  OK, be careful."

These photos will demonstrate why Mount Fuji was nowhere to be seen.

A Spanish galleon on a Japanese lake was a strange sight.

The vermillion torii gate was a common site throughout Japan.

Who Doesn't Love a Market?  Who Doesn't Love Sushi?

One morning we went to Tsukiji Fish Market.  Very different than European markets and offering far more than fish.  Many samples of things that we still don't know what they were. Some may have been insects. We then went to a sushi restaurant and learned how to craft sushi.  I always go into those tour events sure I will hate them and end up having a good time.

The trip to the Tsukiji Fish Market showed that more than fish was available at the market.

The person in the poster is the most famous sushi restaurant owner in Japan - - with multiple sushi restaurants serving only the finest sushi.

This giant crab & bluefin tuna marked the entrance to one of the stalls.

Can you imagine paying $18.00 for a few grapes. Grapes were very expensive in Japan.

To demonstrate the freshness of the fish, the head & tail are put on display.

Nothing like a little tonic of hornet (wasp) and ginseng.

Japanese also have a fondness for sweets...

including red bean paste.

The variety and quality of Japanese knives was also on display in the market.

After the market we donned our coats & hats for a lesson on making sushi nigiri style.

Our sushi chef demonstrated how to cut this fresh bream. (The number on the chef's hat is when he goes to the fish market to bid on fish.)

The end result was the sushi we prepared for our own lunch. The bream pieces are on the front right.

Strange and Creepy... Really

On our last afternoon in Tokyo, Hiro took us to the really swanky shopping part of Tokyo called Akihabara (yawn...).  But it also the area that features various cafes.  I am not talking Parisian or even Viennese cafes.  When we saw our niece Caroline at the recent family reunion she had just returned from a study abroad month in Tokyo.  She said we just HAD to go to the Maid Cafe -- that it was cool and quirky and fun.  Now I have said that there is a fair amount of weird going on in Japan but this really raised the bar.  We were in this subterranean mall that contained hundreds of stores, cafes etc.  Very confusing.  We asked Hiro how we would get to the Maid Cafe.  She looked startled and asked if we were sure we wanted to go there.  When we said yes, a small smile or perhaps smirk registered on her usually composed face.  She said she would escort us.

Let me say that this is a place in which Jeffrey Epstein would think he had just entered paradise.  The "Maids" all look to be about 14 and are outfitted in a cross between a "traditional" French Maids costume and a Goldilocks Dress.  Oh, it gets worse.  The Maids refer to the man as Master and all women as Princess.  At this point I am already having a rather difficult time wrapping my head around the experience. We are led to our table and the Maid forms a little heart with her fingers and bids bye-bye to Master and Princess for a while. We are extremely uncomfortable. What kind of perverts do they think we are?  I summon the nerve to survey the room and the usual suspects are just where you thought they should be.  There are a couple of Incels (if you don't know what they are ask your kids) finally getting the attention-- if not the sex-- that they so urgently crave.  There are a couple of older "gentlemen" staring longingly and one is reading a book as cover I suppose.  The Maids are there to flatter you and talk you up but there will be no touching, photos or request for phone numbers.  It was kind of like a Playboy Club for cases of arrested development. Well, actually, so was the Playboy Club.  You have to buy a "package".  So, for $47 we got a cappuccino, a plum wine, a photo with a Maid each (that was particularly painful) and a whole lot of curtsying, giggling and flattery.  Oh, and if you rang the little bell on the table the Maid came running whining "Yes Master".

Now what was amazing was that there were a lot of college age girls there all having a merry time.  We conjecture that if you are not afraid of falling into a category that would mark you as a perve (i.e. old couple who likes little girls, dirty old man, aggrieved acned boy who can't score) it could be fun.

I managed to take this one photo in the Maids Cafe before being warned not to take pictures...

and this was one of the "maids" outside handing out flyers promoting the Maids Cafe.

That wasn't the only cafe.  They had cat cafes, dog cafes (very pathetic) and owl cafes.  I have never known owls to seek human companionship but I guess, well maybe.  I spent a long time trying to explain to Hiro how the Maid cafe would never fly in the U.S. and would probably be burnt to the ground by braless feminists.  I'm not sure she got it.  I also spent a fair amount of time trying to get Hiro to explain what the deal was with Hello Kitty.  The best she could do was "we Japanese love adorable things... so very much".  A mouthless cat? The quest for the meaning of Hello Kitty continues.

So, there was a lot more but we've run out of time and space to discuss Tokyo.  We must move on to the Japanese Alps (yes, they call them that) and the rural life of Japan.  Until the next blog, have fun.