Reflections on Japan

On yesterday's bullet train back to Tokyo the train was nearly full, so we needed to split up to get seats. John sat next to a couple of business men with Elizabeth sitting one row back. Catheleen and I were further back. I guess John and Elizabeth made an impression since the business men struck up a conversation with John, much to his embarrassment, with Elizabeth piping in to correct his responses. They fed him chips and wanted to know where he was from and his age etc. One man showed him pictures of his daughter and said John's sister is pretty too, no? John's response was "Meh" which got a good laugh from them.

On our way back via the subway from the train station, we needed to cross paths with a seemingly endless sea of commuters at least ten people abreast, all packed in like a parade.  We just walked directly across this traffic without so much as a break in stride, all without bumping into anyone. It's amazing to me, in this largest city in the world, that so many people can get around efficiently, all without running into each other. 

Catheleen and the kids went to the shopping district this morning while I cooled my heels at the hotel. For lunch I went back to the first restaurant we visited upon our arrival and enjoyed the same meal - pork on rice, miso soup and salad. It's almost like I was a local taking in some comfort food.

So on our last day in Japan, with lunch over,  it's a time for reflection. I wasn't big on the thought of coming to Japan, truth be told. My preconception of Japan and Tokyo in particular was that it's too different, too inaccessible to tourists, too expensive. I would say now that these preconceptions are all wrong - Japan is accessible and interesting, and things cost about what they would in a large Western city. While English is not well spoken here, you can still get by well enough. You don't even need to know what you're ordering at a restaurant - just point at a picture. It's all tasty even if you're not sure what you've ordered until you taste it.

What struck me most about Japan were more the similarities than the differences. The Japanese seem to have the same standard of living as the West, and they seem to value the same things in broad strokes. People go about their business caring for their kids, making a living, spending time with friends, enjoying life. It reinforces the point to me at least that we are all basically the same, and we should all make every effort to get along - be it locally or internationally. That's my plug for world peace by the way. 

As for some differences, these seem minor to me but just for fun I'll list a few I've observed: driving on the left, no tipping, taxes included, poorly branded soft drinks, tiny restaurants holding a half dozen patrons, queuing up for the latest trendy chocolate store, no smoking in the streets but smoking allowed in restaurants, tissue boxes under the restaurant tables, seat belts on buses, Buddhist monks blessing BMWs for 50,000 yen a pop, perhaps excessive use of skin whitening products and cartoon characters, and public access to the best toilets I've ever used. Sayonara.

Mount Fuji and bullet trains

I'm not a big fan of organized tours in general. You're always being shuttled and corralled along on tight intervals, and this tour was no exception. However I was encouraged as the elderly and heavy set tourists started to slowly lumber onto our bus - clearly there would be no hiking or undue walking today. After a few days of strolling around Tokyo streets and riding the subway standing much of the time, I would enjoy the relative rest and relaxation of this sightseeing tour. As the guide started the trip by singing the praises of the driver in a heavy accent while the air conditioning kicked in, I readied myself for the day ahead with WIFI on the bus and tour ads on the monitor above. Our guide even attempted to sing a song that presumably all Japanese know - I'm glad this didn't lead to Karaoke for all comers. Actually the guide was very good and provided some interesting information along the way. She even had us make miniature origami warrior helmets along one stretch of road. 

Unfortunately due to the clouds and fog we didn't actually see much of Mount Fuji, that iconic volcano that towers above Japan and can be seen from Tokyo. But we did get a chance to tour a souvenir shop at the base of the mountain where we could buy cans of fresh Fuji mountain air among other quality items. The Japanese-style lunch was very good, which consisted of a large number of small items, some of which were unknown to us. John actually tried the tuna sushi and seemed to like it - he called it jelly fish. I don't think marketing is in his future.

A favourite part of the tour was a boat ride along Lake Ashi and then the Gondola to the top of a hill overlooking the lake, while viewing parts of Mount Fuji in the distance. The clouds would come and go with such frequency that one minute we were enshrouded in whiteness and the next minute we had a clear view of the lake below. 

The tour ended with a ride on the Shinkansen bullet train to downtown Tokyo. While we were waiting at the station these demons whipped by, shaped like a bunch of white plane fuselages chained together. The kids boarded with some trepidation. Strangely the train was number 666, but the ride was smooth and surreal. I don't know what speed we were going but it seemed faster than a plane taking off. Very cool!

Here's a picture of the kids at the base of Mount Fuji ...  at a poster.

Pokemon and Sweat Water

I'm told there are more vending machines here than anywhere else. At one vending machine I meant to purchase water but purchased Pocari Sweat instead. Bottle said this is a "healthy beverage that smoothly supplements the lost water and electrolytes during perspiration." I'm not making this up - somebody in the marketing department needs to be fired or I'm missing something. It tasted pretty good by the way so I bought some more for me and the kids.  

This is one orderly country. The trains run like clockwork and everything is very efficient and uniform. Kind of gets on your nerves after a while. Like when you need to shift to the left every time you go up an escalator to let others pass, or when you see the business men all off to work wearing the same white short sleeved dress shirt. I do appreciate the architecture and infrastructure though as we get around. Makes the journey part of the fun.

We took a monorail through the city and across the Rainbow Bridge to the Odaiba district, which is an academic and technology park built out into the harbour. I always enjoy the science and technology museums and the one in Odaiba called Miraikan is no exception. In the International Space Station exhibit we watched the live feed of the docking of the Soyuz rocket that launched this morning. I also liked the robot and android exhibits - the Japanese seem to be on the cutting edge of this technology. There was one android that was realistic enough to be a bit creepy. People were also wandering around the museum on these Segways that you sit on and move using your body weight rather than with your hands. And the kids liked the Pokemon exhibit with all things Pokemon.

Fish market and gadgets

This morning we visited the Tsukiji Fish Market, which is reportedly the largest fish market in the world. We missed the early morning rush when the catch comes in and is sold off, but we did walk through the market and saw hundreds of varieties of fish and seafood, some being cut up and packaged for transport who knows where. I learned it was not a good idea to get too close while fish heads were being lopped off lest some spray comes my way. Definitely not the place to wear your best clothes.

On the street along the way I ate what we dubbed an eggcycle, which was an omlet on a stick, and then Catheleen and I tried these large scallops which were schucked and fried up for us on the spot with blow torches, and then served with soya sauce in the half shell. Yummy. 

Later in the morning we visited the Sony building. We started off in a theatre watching the Foo Fighters sing a few songs on an ultra high definition TV which must have been a 15 foot by 10 foot screen. I would need a bigger house to fit this monster TV. I assume it was for promotional purposes only,  but it was still pretty cool. We next visited all the floors to look and play with all the latest gadgets.

Here I am eating my eggcycle.

Tokyo on a work day

 Here's some impressions on our second day in Tokyo on another hot humid day on a work day  - yesterday was a holiday here. It seemed strangely quiet as we headed on our way to a local cafe while the locals made their way to work - people here seem to be soft spoken, at least in public. Most of the ladies were walking with sun umbrellas, and some were wearing masks to either protect themselves or others from colds I'm told. There is almost no smoking around and smoking is prohibited on the street - I would like to see that in Canada. I haven't seen many foreigners here. I'm told foreigners come in the spring for the cherry blossoms and the fall for the autumn leaves. The city streets are clean with no litter yet it's rare to spot any garbage cans. Apparently people bring their garbage home with them.

The subway is the best way to get around, as is often the case in large cities. We have yet to be on a packed train with the official pushers cramming us on. However we did see women-only cars for use during rush hour, which seems related. 

We visited the Imperial Palace grounds in the morning and we spent the afternoon in a shopping complex, mainly to avoid the heat. John noted it seems strange that most of the fashion ads are with western models. I know next to nothing about fashion, but it seems that the higher end fashion ads and brands are drawn from the west, although the teenage girls seem to do their own thing. Right now their fashion seems to be short princess dresses, platform shoes and socks. Quite odd but interesting.

Here's a rare family picture as we walked around outside the Imperial Palace grounds - do we look hot? We are.

First impressions of Tokyo

Here we are on our first day in Japan. We've found the food here is tasty enough - we're just not always sure what we're eating. Adds to the surprise. I often get up first in the morning while everyone else is still still sleeping - usually because I'm hungry and am looking for a snack. As John and I exited a shop early this morning I passed three teenage boys dressed similarly in muscle shirts, shorts and sandals - they were each fanning themselves with large black fans. Not exactly a cool apparel perhaps for teenage boys in Canada but who knows what the fashion is here.

We did a walking tour this morning around some parts of Tokyo, including a Shinto shrine and Buddhist temple. The guide noted that most Japanese are fairly flexible when it comes to religion and subscribe to both Shinto and Buddhist traditions. Shrines are often used for happy occasions and temples for somber occasions. As many Japanese brides like to marry in western-style wedding dresses in churches, the saying goes you are born Shinto, are married Christian, and die Buddhist.

As it is a hot and humid day today, we took it easy for the afternoon and went out for dinner in the evening when it was cooler. Here is a picture of John at the temple gathering smoke intended to cure ailments. I'm not sure what ailments he has - sore thumbs from playing too many video games?

Next stop - Japan

I don't want to spend a lot of time talking about washrooms, but I do want to mention one I visited this morning in Nelson Park on our last morning in Vancouver. The facility opened a metal door that seemed to belong on a sci-fi movie set, and greeted me with a one person bathroom that had gone though some kind of wash cycle from floor to ceiling. Even the sink was automated as it provided my hands a soap, water and a dryer sequence like they were travelling through a car wash. You can't make this stuff up. 

So as we land in Tokyo and make our way to our hotel in the Shinjuku district through brightly lit neighbourhoods, I wonder what we'll experience abroad over the coming months. I don't know, but I'm sure it will be a hoot.