Story Japan 4th April

 It's a Wrap

One more adventure. We all went to Ueno park.  This time in sunshine.  What a difference a day makes!  There were blue tarps spread everywhere under the trees for people to sit and have a drink or a picnic.  It was so beautiful- the contrasting blue against the white blossoms.   Their petals were already starting to flutter down - a sign that this beauty does not last long - so let's enjoy. The word was out - everyone was there, tourists and locals alike.

A long last day saw us all at the airport in one piece.  Phew. We did it. We were all early in fact.

Plenty of time, but, yikes.  Don had his Swiss Army Knife in his bag. He received the full attention of the airport policeman - who used all his cop equipment.  Don was not tazerred, but the policeman did call for back up and measured the blade with the ruler. He made notes in his notebook and studied Don's passport very closely.  And I cannot talk, I took roasted peanuts in my bag to Brisbanw that I had forgotten, whoops.   Our son calls this an international incident. One more silly thing, I  managed to walk 2,500 steps while still in Brisbane airport. The queues were long and winding.

This trip has been such a surprise.  Firstly, the thought, care and organization that Lyle has generously poured into this trip has been astounding.  Thank you, Lyle. Secondly,  the group has been such fun.  We got on well together.  I miss you already.  Our group had a death and a birth.  And lots of laughs, and great conversations. 

Thirdly, Japan, itself!  What can you hope to discover about a place in 18 days?  We packed in so many incredible experiences.   Thanks, for your passion, patience and enthusiasm, Lyle. 

David Brooks asks the question about cosmopolitan people 

"What are they like?  

They put themselves in unfamiliar situations. They are enthusiastic about novelty. The journalist Adam Hochschild once wrote: “When I’m in a country radically different from my own, I notice much more. It is as if I’ve taken a mind-altering drug that allows me to see things I would normally miss. I feel much more alive."  

David Brooks, New York Times, 3rd April.

 .............We feel much more alive.

Story Japan 3rd April

 A slow start out of the blocks today. 

Miserable weather and crazy architecture awaits.  Tackling the subway again. But with more confidence, today. Firstly, there were very, very posh shops, including Luis Vuiton with two fine looking young gentlemen whose sole job it was to open the two big doors. Now I could watch that all day.

Omotesando Street

We wandered down the crazy, busy street which featured many locals promenading. As well as heaps of tourists all under umbrellas.

It was shock after shock. Not least "No Sexual Services" in the shop window.

The first of the remarkable cafes  was a samoid cafe, then cat cafe, pig cafe and cappiburra and meerkat. I'm not sure about that last one.

We went down a side street, we were cold damp and a bit weary and had the nicest coffee and apple pie. Denise and Elio joined us.

Back together in our group.  It was still chilly and damp.. We kept walking down crazy Street and some outfits were gobsmacking. There were baby dolls and really camp guys.

At the end, we crossed over and into the huge park, Meiji Jingu gardens.  Notably there wide, wide pathways. At one point there barrels from Burgundy on one side and rice barrels on the other - symbolising the union between Burgundy and Tokyo.   We wandered on to an enormous temple complex.  There was a beautiful inner garden with a large lake, a teahouse and an iris grove.

Meanwhile, almost all of us found a great little Hawaiin restaurant for a bite to eat. 

This is the place.. down below the restaurant is a beautiful antique shop where Meran sneakily purchased a gift for Lyle, right under Lyle's nose. Meanwhile, Marita was ushering Lyle away.  Lyle tells it differently.

Some people went to the shopping street. We went to Ueno Park. I'd learnt about Ueno Park/Coen in my Japanese lessons. So, up the staircase we went with Di.  At this level was a famous pop music duo playing on stage. They sounded great. They must have been beloved and very popular, everyone knew the words and were doing the actions, too.  Then up the next staircase we went.  

WOW!. What a surprise!  

Here, at last, were the Sakura in all there glory.  We had been waiting the entire holiday for a show like this.  Firstly, a nod to the statue of the great man, Saigō Takamori, and his trusty dog.  I like this statue, it wasn't too pompous. There was a lightness and joy about it.  There aren't too many good sculptures of dogs in the world.

The Sakura display was literally heavenly. It transported everyone who saw it. Cute red lanterns were strung along the streets which intensified the impact of the white canopy of cherry blossoms. It was still cold and miserable,  but there were smiles everywhere.

We had been invited to travel the end of shopping street to the Don Quixote,  but we were sidetracked to a little bar, just a counter on the footpath, really.  A beer.  I like Japanese beer.  So glad it's calorie-free, tee hee.

We bravely made our own way home on the train to Kanda station - What a triumph! Thanks, Don, the navigator.  The public transport is quite logical it's actually me that's not.

An evening meal for eight? 

A small group of us ventured into the food lane near our hotel.  Small group?  More like a prowling pack looking for food without a booking.  After the first knock-back, we decided to break up into two groups. So four of us - Noelene, Wayne, Don and I  went to a Chinese restaurant.  What a feast! Two gyoza dishes, eggplant, and a chicken dish.

Back home to our hotel.   I am getting the hang of this Japan caper. And  we only have one more night.

Story Japan 31st March

 As I write, I am seeing snow directly out our train  window.

We are travelling to Takayama by train - the last leg of our travels today,  on a more rickerty train.  However, we are getting a readout, in real time, as to what is powering the train - either engine, battery or motor. A truly hybrid train. There is snow everywhere, now.  We are in very steep country .  I can't see the top of the mountains from here.  There are still plenty of trees.  It looks as though it's a metre deep.  There were racing rivers visible from the train which are a beautiful arctic mint colour.  Very exciting to see from the comfort of the train carriage. 

Meanwhile back to the story.  It was a very easy start to the day. A late breakast and we even had time for a walk to the local shrine. Interestingly, Lyle tells us the large gate structure is the important part- being Dutch Christian,  Japenese and Chinese  architectural elements. Just goes to show

Buddhist?  and Shinto? -  people can get along and respect each others' heritage. The temple gardens were a delight and included a pretty lake with stone and wooden bridges and cascades and obelisks. All of this right in the heart of town. 

We are underway again, bags packed and onto bueses and taxis, to the station.  There was even plenty of time for a coffee and a chat. Then it's JR Rail pass and onto the platform again. Three trains. number three, mentioned above was a bit of drama.  We had 13 minutes to change trains, sounds like a generous amount of time, but by the time we all got off the train, figured out whether we needed the JR pass and went up two floors, we were running/scurrying to this little train at the far end of the platform. It wasn't pretty. I lost a few tyre treads off my port - they went flying in all directions.

There was even some doubt at first whether we all, in fact, got on board.  Alas yes. We made it. I guess the drama made the scenery all the more enjoyable.

We arrived in Takayama,and checked into the hotel.  It is a great hotel.  Thanks, Lyle.

We settled in for half an hour and we were dispatched again under the care of the chivalrous  Sir Peter.  He led us around the old town and gave good directions for returning home.  Very characteristic, little old buildings with deep gutters directly in front and narrow streets.  These deep gutters meant that there was nowhere for me to lean to rest my weary legs.  So I gave up and went home, only to meet Lyle.

She persuaded me to turn around.  I'm glad because I  tried Sake for the first time. The brewery had tricky sampling arrangement -  for $1.00 you put into a machine you got a wee cup to keep and a sample of one sake. .  Then it was a $1.00 token for each subsequent sample.  My choice tasted like lighter fluid so I chucked it.  My second choice, delicious, was that Japanese citrus Uuzi.  Yum

I left early after that to sleep it off.  Don and I had dinner in an Isakaya "restaurant".  Though they told us it wasn't  a restaurant. Shoes off. We were shown into a little room just for us with our own table and a sliding door - a bit like a James Bond movie.

We ordered off the screen always tricky.  We had a lovely light meal. Home, then in the cold.  But first, Don needed milk first.  Tomorrow might, very well, be cold.

Story Japan 2nd April

 On the move - the last big haul - Takayama to Tokyo by trains and Subway.

It had everything, mystery, drama, comedy, romance. We been well drilled in the publuc transport system like a squad.  Everybody on - count the stops - everybody off and assemble immediately for a head count. Three train trips later and one subway.  Then Shock! Horror!  We came up one person short.  Uh Oh.  Our fellow traveller was lost in  the Tokyo rail system.  She was MIA for more than 3 hours.  

Meanwhile the celebratory Farewell Dinner was underway.  We were settled in a tiny restaurant all together.  We met Xavier, our host.  He was a former student of Jim's. Lyle devised a trivia quiz and  when each person answered a question correctly??? We were each presented with our own carefully thought out gift..Don got an owl.  Very apt. I got a beautiful golden bell in the shape of an orb, because I m a golden girl.

What a delicious meal.  Nine courses came out, and sake and plum wine. Some interesting little appetisers were on a long narrow boat, an octopus salad with the most finely sliced octopus. We were filling up and the courses kept coming. 

What a night and, amazingly, it was Lyle 's shout.  Thanks so much Lyle.

Story Japan 1st April

 A Day of Contrasts

I believe it is snowing outside our lovely hotel this morning.  No snow on the ground, but we watch it hit the surface with a splat

Downstairs for a great breakfast. A late start because it is so cold outside we tweaked the timetable. Indoors first, outdoors later.

Taxis to the museum of modern art. Wow, what a building:- brutal and big on the outside, but sparkling and grand in the inside. There is something special about being in a great building.  I remember feeling that way in St Paul's in London. I digress.  Inside this museum, it is so spacious. The windows are 2 or 3 storeys high. There are huge marble columns and shiny marble floors.  And that is just the entry.  I climbed the beautiful staircase, which gives onto the "taa dah" foyer of the exhibits.  There  is an extraordinary, tall, Lallique glass fountain, that, at times, sprinkles like rain. It is comprised of four pale purple statues. At the bottom is a large "saucer"- up above is the upside-down umbrella that does the  sprinkling.  This fountain was only rediscovered in 1980 in a building site in Paris. It's a miracle that it even survived. It is made of glass.  It was from the 1925 Paris Expo.  It is a magnificent centrepiece. Then onto the glass art exhibition.   The first section describes the "Art Nouveau" art movement.  The pieces themselves are displayed  to perfection. The rooms are actually quite dark. Each piece is in a cabinet, some had four tiny spotlights.  Others  were lit from underneath.  All had a downlight.  They were works of art - not only did the colours tell a story, but so did the form.  

Part two was the Art Deco Glass

This was a post WWI movement. 

Once again, the setting and the lighting showed these pieces to great effect. Some were perfume bottles designed specially for a french perfume, like a signature.

Next, we had a morning tea in a very formal restaurant within the museum.  On our way there, we spied the sign for the residences.  People actually live there.  I looked down that halllway and saw an enormous spherical floral arrangement bigger than a metre across. There were  hot and cold running staff. Crikey.  What must it cost to live there?

We were shouted our elegant morning tea. Thanks, Lyle.

We set off on foot towards the old village, Hida No Sato. On the way were some cute shops.  We actually bought something.  There was snow about, but, at the same time, tiny little bulbs were budding. They looked like crocuses. Yellow and purple.

Then the famous old village - snapshot of an older way of life.  It occupied a large piece of land.  Located on a hill, it had views out over town and to the surrounding countryside. There was a pretty lake and a waterwheel. Don went up to see silk makers and the silkworms.

It is a very popular spot.  Despite the weather visitors kept arriving.  Before we left we visited the wood carver.  He had a collection of birds on display.  Don showed him a picture of the tawny frogmouth, that he carved.

Back on a local bus to get to the hotel, but first we had to let passengers disembark. Somehow fifty people got off.  It was like a clown car.....they just kept coming.

We had an Onsen bath to look forward to. The hotel supplied a little basket with Italian soft drink.  We had a seated shower first, then AHH Luxury.. 

Six of us enjoyed a curry for dinner at the Nepalese place.  Lots of fun and an easy walk home to the luxury of the Mercure.  Night night

Story Japan 19-20th March

 With Ann Caroline Lear Japan 2025 tour!!!! First day out and about, after pretty easy flight a night in Narita airport hotel then the fast train as far south as you can go! Kagoshima! 

Ibusuki Sand bath! Stuff 'ALL'  you are wearing in a locker don a robe and thongs, take a small towel with you, then down to the beach. Lay in a shallow pit while an attendant shovels the local hot (55c) black sand over you. By the allocated 10 minutes  you are pretty warm with a few extra hot spots! Back for a shower then head back to Kagoyama  invigorated!!!! On a "special" train which commerates a local legend. As if things weren't hot enough......Off to the local volcano tomorrow!

Story Japan 21st March

 Don's note

With Ann Caroline Lear second day around Kagoshima took us to the statue of Saigo Takamori who instigated the western industrialisation of Japan. Up the hill to get our a look over the city and Sakurajima volcano. Shiroyama Park where the first foundary in Japan was set up. On the ferry to the volcano bus trip "Shiroyama View"  around the island. Absolutely packed couldn't see a thing!  Went to the local public foot bath for a dip. Entertained by some young acrobats having fun in the park then the  ferry back.