Just in case you were afraid I might have fallen off the earth (being so close to the edge as I am), I have not. I have returned from spring break and already been back to school a week. The sakura (cherry trees) are blossoming, but I wanted to give y’all an update on my spring break. But, because of time constraints and the potential length of the post, I have decided to break up my trip into more manageable bits. This first part will be about my first two days in Tokyo.
I began spring break as soon as possible. After a 9am midterm (which I have since learned I aced), I returned to my dorm, packed, ate a quick lunch, and left for Kyoto to catch the Shinkansen (or “Bullet Train”) to Tokyo. I arrived at Kyoto Station an hour before my train left, unsure what the procedures were for getting on the train, only to find that it is no different than any other train (no security, nothing). So after wandering about inside the terminal, I hopped on my train, which was conveniently located near a window, and was off.
My train.
Me looking a tad too serious on said train.
The bullet train was fast, and my head began to spin as I watched the scenery pass by at an almost unintelligible rate. The businessman beside me was sleeping, and though this was tempting, given the 8am wake up, the large amounts of leg room and incredibly smooth ride, I stayed up the whole trip, looking out at the Japanese city- and country-scapes. After only 4 stops and 2 hours and 20 minutes (an average of 220km/hour!), I arrived. It took me only another 20 minutes by train and foot to find my hostel and I was set to explore the city.
The bridge over the Sumida River on the way to the hostel. This building is either for Asahi or Kirin, two big beverage companies in Japan.
I first set out for Shibuya, which is for Tokyo what Times Square is to New York. Shibuya was at the complete other side of the subway from my hostel, so I took a 40 minute subway ride (fortunately without any transfers) and was there.
After being dazzled by the neon glory, I walked down some side streets looking for a Nepalese restaurant my guide book had pointed me towards. After some difficulty, I found it and sat down. The food was delicious (which will be a recurring theme in my post about Tokyo). I had a great vegetable curry (a bit different than Indian curries that I’ve had – it was creamier) as well as samosas and a big plate of naan – all for 1,420 yen ($12US).
I was on my own so after dinner and looking around a bit more, I boarded a train back to my hostel, where I went to bed early (~10:15), hoping to get up early and go to the Fish Market in the morning.
I awoke the next morning at 6:20, and quickly (and as quietly as possible) got ready and left for the Tsukiji Fish Market. Lonely Planet had told me that this was a place I should visit, so I did. It was interesting for sure – lots of dead fish – but I’m not sure it was worth the early wakeup. Either way, I did stop for breakfast sushi (which was super expensive, 3 pieces cost me 1200 yen!), which I ate after a 40 minute wait.
Lots of dead fish. Many of them huuuuge.
In spite of all the dead fish, it didn't throw my appetite for fish. I waited in line for 40 minutes at this famous sushi place, watching some snow flurries and finding it only slightly strange to be the only foreigner amongst the queued, for three pieces of sushi that ran me close to 1200 yen (~$10). This was enough.
I stopped at Akihabara on the way to Ueno next, not because of any particular interest so much as because it was on the way. Akihabara is the famous Electronics District of Tokyo, and I’m sure if I had the desire to construct a webcam that could milk a cow while providing me with stock reports and warming my feet, I could probably find what I needed in this area. Needless to say, I have neither the desire nor the ingenuity to construct such a monster, so I did not find this area particularly interesting and really wouldn’t recommend it to anyone visiting the city.
I arrived at Ueno, which is known for its large park and museums. I was heading to the Tokyo National Museum, again at the recommendation of LonelyPlanet. This was quite a large museum, with much to see and many great works. But after an hour and a half I had my fill of art, while my stomach was reminding me that it had needs as well.
>In front of the sakura (cherry trees) in Ueno. St. Francis once asked an almond tree for a sign in the bare winter, and saw the trees bloom into their beautiful flowers. Look closely.
I headed to Asakusa, which is the district where I was staying, grabbed a quick bite of lunch at a coffee shop, which I found to be an economic option for a light eater like myself. In the area, I stopped at the Taiko-kan, or Drum Museum. I had heard this place had hundreds of drums and percussion instruments on display that all could be played. The idea of an interactive drum museum intrigued me, so I went. And indeed, there were many drums, but I was the only visitor to the museum and thus it was strangely awkward to walk around hitting drums to fill an otherwise empty room.
After some time, I left for a museum about Basho Matsuo, the famous haiku poet. He had lived in what is now Tokyo back in his time and so I wanted to pay a visit to the museum which was located in the city. It was a small museum and had practically no English (which, naturally, meant I could understand mostly nothing), but I did gain new respect for the man, as they had on display Basho’s traveling clothes. For those who are not familiar, Basho traveled hundreds of miles on foot and horseback throughout Japan. These travels served for material for his famous travelogues, including The Narrow Road to the Interior. This is what he wore, pay particular attention to his footwear.
At the museum, one woman began talking to me and asked me if I was interested in Basho. I said I did, but that I had only read his poems in English. She asked me if I thought I could, in spite of the translation, feel Basho’s “heart?” I think I can. Can you?
The horse turns his head--
from across the wide plain,
a cuckoo's cry
Matsuo Basho
Trans. Sam Hamill
She and her friend then took me and guided me along the Sumida River to where a statue of Basho sat.
It was getting a little bit late in the afternoon at this point, so I headed back to my hostel to check my e-mail and rest for a while before going out for dinner.
For dinner I went to an organic restaurant located below a children’s bookstore. I had salmon, and the food was good, but nothing spectacular.
I then returned to my hostel and went to bed.
I awoke the next morning as I was meeting Kara to explore different parts of the city. We met near Meiji Jingue Shrine, which is located in a large forest in Tokyo. Entering the shrine, it was nothing out of the ordinary (I noticed on the trip, that shrines and temples in Tokyo were generally very normal, as compared to many places in Kyoto which are quite spectacular). It was a sunny day and we were standing in the courtyard of the shrine past the main gate when we saw some other Kansai Gaidai students who were also doing spring break in Tokyo. As we talked with them, a traditional Japanese wedding procession came from one side of the shrine. We were bedazzled and quickly jumped out to take pictures. It was really cool. And, then, after a few more minutes we saw another procession in another courtyard… talk about great timing!
After departing from the shrine and other KG students, Kara and I made our way to Takeshita Dori (Takeshita Street) in Harajuku, which was conveniently located next door to the shrine. This street is (in)famous for its many teenagers who dress quite strangely. Of course, we had to go. As we crossed the bridge from the shrine to Takeshita Dori over the railroad tracks, we already began seeing kids dressed up. We both glanced at one girl, and, without just the glance were able to discern that that she was a he. As we walked the street, I was a bit too shy to take strangers’ pictures, but another friend of mine took pics, so I will steal them and put them below.
This is good.
This is not.
The girl on the far right is my friend Sabina from Sweden. These are her pictures. I hope she doesn't mind me stealing them...
As you can see, this is quite quite odd, and I am fascinated by it… wondering exactly what the thought-process is behind these sometimes cool, moreoften tacky costumes.
In addition to walking the streets, we also peaked in some stores. I had hoped to maybe find some cool t-shirts with terrible english on them as gifts, but alas, it seems the fashion these days is authentic used american clothing. you know, the boring Champion sweater or University of Michigan t-shirt you have in your closet but never wear because it's just so boring.
Let's say I'm a Japanese girl and want to decorate my room. What ever shall I use? A poster. Nah, too cliche. Paint, too time consuming. Wait, I have it, a North Carolina License Plate!
If I were a Japanese teenage guy and wanted to show off to all how worldwise and hip I was, what ever could I wear. Why, maybe some threads from the Apex Volunteer Fire Department?
After Harajuku, we walked around a bit and stopped off at an organic café for lunch. This was a cool place, perched atop a small building, and they served good food for reasonable prices. But it was also a bit odd. I saw one woman who brought her little dog in the place. She even had a bag for the dog that she would use to carry it around. Ok, that’s more just a weird person that having anything to do with the café, but in one corner of the place, there was an mannequin sitting at a table and holding a cup of coffee and with a tv screen for a face (that would blink and look around and what not. And the people who, by some chance of fate, had to sit at that table had to sit with this artificial person.
After that we were off to Odaiba, which is an island located in the bay of the city. Odaiba is home to museums and cool buildings. We were going to the Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation to see robots and other cool things. Unfortunately, we arrived too late to see the ASIMO demonstration, but we were able to wave to him behind his glass enclosure as he looked up at us, as if pondering these strangers.
After this, we went towards Toyota MegaWeb, which is essentially a Toyota showroom but with cool things like a simulator ride and the opportunity to ride in a car that drove itself around a track. Kara had to go soon, so we only passed through on our way to something like the world’s second largest ferris wheel. Because really, how could we pass up such a thing… the world’s largest ferris wheel overlooking Tokyo at sunset. Pretty cool, right? Yeah it was.
After this Kara had to leave to return to the family she was staying with for dinner, leaving me alone (again) in Tokyo. I wondered about for a while before heading to Roppongi for dinner at an Italian restaurant. After eating, I went to Shinjuku to go to the Tokyo Metropolitan Building’s free 45th floor observatory.
I will try to post parts two and three of my spring break in the coming days, but given time constraints and the blossoming cherry trees (which will reach their peak this coming weekend), those posts may be delayed. Don’t fear, I’ll get them up eventually. Until then…
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