Day 8 - Tokyo Shopping

The rigors of splitting one laptop three ways overtook us in Tokyo, along with the simple exhaustion that come from trouping across a metropolis and spending large amounts of yen everyday. Finally, the truth is that blogging about yen flowing through my fingers like water isn't quite as interesting as say, a Japanese wedding. I can only imagine that reading about how "I found my perfect size AGAIN" and then "We went to ANOTHER STORE with fabulous clothing I LOVED" is rather obnoxious.

But I'll try my best anyway.

We set out Thursday morning with the bright gleam of shopping in our eye. We had a guidebook and money at an exchange rate that we weren't sure of, and that was all we needed.

Of course this neccesitated a first stop at Mr. Donut for some sugar to rev us up.



Our first stop was the department store nearest us, one of a branch mentioned in our guidebook with a convenient location right at our subway stop. When we arrived though it hadn't opened yet. This led to one of the delights of the day, something I'd heard about at some point in my life and forgotten about.

The grand ceremony that is opening a department store in Japan.

Mind you, this was a Thursday morning in a branch (not the main one) of a department store in Tokyo. I'm pretty sure they do this everyday. It starts with us, a great many older people, and a few others standing in the small front area of the store keeping our eyes on both the friendly uniformed woman standing by the enterance and the clock, five minutes until ten.

At almost ten another woman comes and speaks over a speaker, I couldn't understand what she said but the words were spoken with a pomp befitting Disneyland. When she was done some signs were moved, but no one made a move towards the displays yet. No, the music hadn't started yet. Yes, music. Cheerful, lets-go-shopping music.

The uplifting tune played as we were once more spoken too, and then finally bowed to and allowed inside. As we walked through the rows past counter after counter of expensive cosmetics and clothing we weren't interested in, as everyone bowed and gave us a good morning, the music played. I felt a bit like I was in my own movie, in that triumphant montage before I finally show just how beautiful I can be with the right clothing, and this was my theme song.

Tech Support, Mum and I laughed quite a bit amidst our bowing.

The department store was a little disappointing at first. Formal clothing, beit Japanese or American, is really not my style, and not cheap. But then, I think on the third floor, we made one of our best discoveries, Uni Qlo. The prices were like Target while the styles were like Urban Outfitter or Giant Robot or something. The absurd post modern T-shirts were just my style, and the sizes fit me perfectly. In the end I walked out with four shirts and a pair of sandals for something like $35. Tech Support and Mum did not indulge quite as much as me, but also left with their own bags.

After exploring the department store further and discovering only expensive quality items of no interest to us we took the subway into Ueno. There we explored another department store right at the station. This one proved to have many, many dresses that I would have looked adorable in, never had the proper occasion to wear them on, and then when I finally did would get food all over them. The fact that the average price of them was about $150 also helped from making me even itch to take out my wallet. There was a Muji on the bottom floor however, where I got some socks and a cute bolero.



Next stop was Harujuku, a young, trendy and upscale section of Tokyo that took about 1/2 an hour by train from Ueno. Tech Support and I had explored the main drag previously, but were definately up for hitting it again. Our first stop was Condomania, which promised and delivered unique and interesting condoms. Our next store was a toystore we'd been to previously but was worth wandering around. I found one wall of US magnets that caught my eye.



I think I stood there imagining a skinny Japanese car adorned with a red-white-and-blue "Support Our Troops" magnet for quite some time.

Lunch was a difficult affair to figure out, three hungry grouchy people are hard to satisfy, and then we stumbled across a great little place. Odd bits of American Coffee House sat around us as we enjoyed a combination of Chinese and Japanese food.





Finally we ended our shopping expedition in Shibuya. There we wanted to go to a department store called Tokyu hands. Our guidebook directed us to leave out of one exit, and when we asked someone at the train station they directed us out of the wrong exit. We climbed through a strange dirty section of Shibuya, following Tech Support who seemed to understand the map the best.







Despite this however, alleyways and streets were still confusing, and we actually found ourselves in the Love Hotel section of Shibuya.



Here you can rent hotels by the hour. While still sleazy they still aren't nearly as sleazy as the equivalent in the US. People who go to these places generally live with their parents and just want to get away. Plus, apparently if you go late enough that the hourly rate is done it's quite cheap to stay the night. Someday, but not with my mother and boyfriend.

Finally we found Tokyu Hands, which was indeed a wonderous department store. Floor after floor of everything under the sun. Unfortunately, nothing that I was really interested in purchasing, or maybe that is fortunately?

We found the train station a lot easier this time, and as it was growing later it was getting really busy outside, the streets were flooded.



Back in our hotel's neighborhood we walked for quite a while looking for somewhere to eat and finally settled on a fast-food tempura place. Mum was quite happy with it, but me and Tech Support found the shrimp a bit... limp.

Back at the hotel Mum and I tried out the public bath, Tech Support had tried it the night before and recommended it highly. It was far nicer than the Ryokan in Kyoto. The walls and tub were all wooden, and the water drained between the slats. After showering we relaxed in a reasonably hot wooden tub and gazed out at Sensoji's Pagoda, lit up in the night. It was a serene way to finish the day.

Last Day In Tokyo

Today is our last full day in Tokyo and though I am behind in my blogging, I am opting for an early start rather than a full blog post. Still, I leave you with these two pictures to give you an idea of what I've been up to:





Fuller posts too come.

Day 7 - Kyoto to Tokyo

Dear Worms,

I know, living as you do in a black plastic box on my Patio, you can have very little interest in what goes on across the pacific. But despite your lack of interest, I thought I'd write you and let you know I'd met a cousin of yours yesterday.

Let me go back to the beginning of the day. My mum had so enjoyed the Fushimi Inari shrine (the one with the fox and the red gates) so much that we decided to visit again. If you'd read any of my previous blogs or journal from my last trip, and being worms I know you haven't, you'd know that I've never had much time at this particular shrine. The first time I went in 2004 me and Tech Support were exhausted and only made it so far before being forced to turn back. On Monday we'd had to catch a fast train to Nara at 10:50, and could only go so far again.

This time, having given up on the idea of Hiroshima on account of 6 hours in the train, we had all the time in the world.

So we hiked.









I did not find it as transportative as the Buddhist Temple the day before, but nonetheless it was terribly beautiful up in the hills. The orange toris did indeed continue forever. And we met several critters on our way up.



Japan has a somewhat progressive view of noraneko (stray cats) in that they do not trap and kill them. They do not however, trap and nueter them to my knowledge, and one of the kitties was definately pregnant. Still, there is something about Shrine Kitties. I guess no one had told them it was a fox shrine.

These are two different kitties who were fairly close together and obviously kin of some kind.





This kitty was further up, near a shop.



And this kitty was on the way down, a place we'd passed a few times, and was the only one that wanted to be pet. In fact she (this was the pregnant one) walked right up to Tech Support and flopped on the ground by his feet. She then bit him on the hand to try and indicate her preference on being pet.





The other critter we met were the crows, who made the most wicked sounding caws as we hiked through. The crows outside your box have nothing on this.



We also got very thirsty.



Of course now you're thinking "what do I care about these creatures, what about our cousin?" (Or more probably, where is the food? But that will have to wait.) On our way down from the summit, which had been a bit disappointing because you couldn't see any view and the shrine there looked like any other shrine, we ran into a giant worm. This one was in rather poor condition on the steps so we stepped politely past and moved on and I won't horrify you further on that score.

Then we met another one. I took his picture though he seemed to object and writhed desperately to get out of it, I still managed this shot. I should have put something in there for scale, but I was rather afraid of him.



You would not want him in your plastic box with you, I promise you that, because he is about 6 inches long and I bet he is rather mean. Still, I told him you said hi.

After the Fushimi Inari shrine we were all very exhausted so went back to the Kyoto station. I had sushi again while Tech Support and Mum went and ate something else, and we did a bit of last minute shopping. Then we ran back to our Ryokan to get our bags, and made it to the train platform with relative ease. I must tell you, moving giant bags around a strange city is my least favorite thing to do. Feel happy you will never deal with this.



The Shinkansen to Tokyo takes 2 hours and 45 minutes, and afterwards I had to drag my Mum and Tech Support around the Tokyo station to get on another train. Mum was overwhelmed by the number of people, and reluctant to drag her gigantic bag onto the train. Nonetheless we made it on, and I lied about the number of stops we had to get off until. In my defense, it was very hard to read the map above several salarymen's heads, and the English was very small.



We then took the subway, a new one for me, to a private station near our Ryokan. Luckily this was very painless. I then managed to direct us straight to our ryokan, which made me very happy as we were all very tired.

The Tokyo Ryokan, as expected, is a little smaller.



But it is nice. The area of town we are in is very interesting. I will try to take lots of pictures and post them tomorrow, as trying to explain them would be inadequate. We voyaged out into it last night to get some more riceballs and crackers for dinner, and then, once more, I collapsed into bed.

I hope you are doing well my worms. I will be back to give you all sorts of terrible treats next week.

Love,
Me

Day 6 - Kyoto

A day will never be enough time to cover the wonders of Kyoto. Ignorance is a bit of bliss, in that at the end of the day, we don't know what we've missed. We were thinking of going to Hiroshima the next day, so knew we'd have to pack in what we could. As it turned out we didn't go to Hiroshima, but we also didn't explore much more of Kyoto either. Maybe someday I will have to come and spend a week in Kyoto, but not for a while.

But on Tuesday we did our best.



The day started with another Japanese breakfast that was excellent, though I preferred the previous days soft tofu. The room was swarming with older Brits and I felt like I was in the middle of an episode of "Keeping Up Appearances". I have no idea what group they were with, but they did not seem to be Nippon-O-Philes ("Seaweed with breakfast eh?" "I dunno what it was, but I ate it in one gulp.")

A prerequisite for any day exploring Kyoto is the day bus pass, which we picked up, and then set out for Kinkakuji. I'm not sure what can be said of kinkakuji, it looks a lot like the picture, it was my third visit there, and anyone who comes to Kyoto needs to see it, so we took my mum to do just that.



But I am forgetting one thing.

Apparently it is national school trip week or some such, and the school children are out in force. It would not be outside of the realm of possibility to be trampled by a stampede of them. Furthermore, they have homework. These poor children must find English Speaking Gaijin and ask them questions. So we spoke to a cute, young group of Junior High Students from Chiba, took a picture with them, and gave them our adress for sending us a copy. I'm really curious to see if we get one.

Unfortunately, the massive (MASSIVE) number of Elementry, Junior High and High School students swarming the most popular sights did make it a bit difficult to see them as well. Kinkakuji might have been more pleasant without them.

Luckily we arrived at Nijo Castle just in time to see a herd of them depart.



Nijo castle, another third time visit that I had to show my mum, was beautiful as usual. The gardens are sculpted and beautiful. And worth having your picture taken at.



Mum enjoyed it. I admired the wooden carvings yet again.



We also did a brief, Gaijin-Friendly tea ceremony, that mostly involved eating mochi and sipping tea with a lovely view of the garden. My mum was quite pleased to get to join in a tea ceremony, and I enjoyed it as well.



(Photo looks weird because we sloppily tried to adjust for dark interior.)

Stopped briefly at a museum where Tech Support once more decried the Japanese size as his feet stuck out 3 inches past the slippers we had to wear inside and said were the most uncomfortable yet. Mum and I agreed that the slippers were hideously uncomfortable, and thus the exhibit did not hold our attention well.

I then led us back to the bus stop to depart for a new area of town I had not been to, and as we waited it began to rain. We got into the bus. Then it began to pour. Hard.

Luckily by the time we got off it had calmed, but not enough to yet voyage out to a temple, so we hoped on another train and ended up getting off at a big shopping area. This was mums first exposure to such a place and she loved it. I managed to spot a Very Cute Store where Cute Things were procured, and we ate at a curious bakery with a rather ostentious name.





I was determined to get to one new Temple, so dragged us back out onto the bus once more. The temple was near what seemed to be a nicer, municipal area of Kyoto, with high walled streets that reminded me of some anime. Apparently those kids lived in the nice area of town.



We hiked up a bit of a hill. The rain had stopped completely and it was warm again, but water rushed beneath us and it smelled lovely. Fresh from the rain. We passed a school where lucky children get to learn at the base of a mountain next to a beautiful temple. A beautiful temple I was very happy to find as my directions were - well, I was going off the maps on the street.

The temple had a big gate that for a couple hundred yen, you could go up.



It was worth it for the view. The temple, Nanzenji, is at the base of some of Kyotos mountains, and the recent rain somehow made it all the more wonderful.





We then skipped paying any fees to see further inside, and instead hiked along the side. We passed a Roman Aqueduct that I can find no information on and Tech Support Theorized had been brought by the romans themselves, or maybe aliens.





Closed off areas are somehow more mysterious for their remoteness.



I was terribly pleased with just how beautiful the place was and did my best to explore. My tired Mum waited while me and Tech Support climbed further into the mountain. Though I was happy we came after the rain, I regretted not having more time to explore. Perhaps it is all a romantic notion, but I can see what inspired Miyazaki (director of My Neighbor Totoro, and Spirited Away, and many other good animations) in these moss covered steps and wood enshrouded shrines. A sign warned us at the base not to speak loudly, but this is the type of place I instinctively whisper in anyway. I don't want to disturb the wood sprites.









And so that I don't get too serious, there are signs like this to inject an odd humor into the moment.



I left the beautiful, mysterious forest with a little regret, but mostly happiness, and found my mum.

We went back to Kyoto Station for a bit more shopping. Discovering another yarn shop and going to Muji once more, where my Mum agonized for a bit over what she wanted to buy. I was too exhausted at this point to do anything more than stop at a conveinence store for a dinner of riceballs, crackers and evil pepper rings.