Nagasaki: “The most casual city I have visited in Japan”
The visit to Nagasaki didn’t have the same effect that Hiroshima had on me… strange… but true… I believe this is due to several reasons as follows:
1. Maybe all the excitement I had in Hiroshima affected my trip to Nagasaki… it was another city that I knew it has suffered a lot of the atomic bomb effects but I think the experience of Hiroshima has moved me more than that of Nagasaki because I have visited it first.
2. The city is not as clean as Hiroshima.
3. The landscape at the outskirts of the city is so beautiful but inside the city the inhabited mountains made me have a sense that the city is extremely crammed.
4. The people were more casual than the rest of the places I have visited.
5. The layout gives you a sense of western influence, especially with many English signs next to the Japanese language.
6. The trams looked old, although nothing here is older than 50 or 60 years maximum.
7. The hotel I stayed in was by far the worst in cleanliness… the room was old and shabby… it reminded me with motels in the US along the highways when the rooms were closed for a long time… so they looked clean when you first enter, then you find dust everywhere and some smelly stuff because of the humidity and lack of usage… the bed sheets were clean though thank god for that… but the carpets had old stains.
8. The way from Hiroshima to Nagasaki by train was formidable… the sea, the islands, the green mountains were just amazing… but I had a sense that moving further to the south was like moving from a developed world to a developing one… I am here comparing cities of Japan to each other and not those of a developed country to a developing one.
9. The rural areas on the way reminded me much of the GDR part of German rural areas…and cars here were not Mercedes or Ferraris like the north, they were mostly the small economic cars which to an extent expose the level of wealth of the people in these areas of Japan.
Deijama Factory and Dutch influence:
Amazing that I have found on a train “Huis Ten Bosch”… I was wondering where am I? having lived in Holland for years… I believe it is amazing that they have found their way up until the shores of Nagasaki in Japan… the factory at Deijama showed how the Dutch workers used to do the job… it was a simple factory and an old building but it was nice to visit and take pictures of the development of coffee makers… not bad huh!
The 12 Saints Memorial and the Chinese Temple:
This is the first city that I have seen some influence of Christianity in Japan… the influence is not on the people… you don’t feel it… but I have seen here a Japanese Christian nun for example… didn’t see that anywhere else.
I have seen few churches in different places, including Tokyo and Yokohama… but they are not lavish or big like those in Egypt or Europe for example…
The memorial was built to commemorate the killing of 12 catholic saints that were sent to Japan as missionaries and they were found and slaughtered in that spot after the issuance of a legislation outlawing Christianity… the place is on top of a slope and overlooks the port from far and the Big silver Buddha structure on another slope few blocks away from the memorial gives one a feeling of everything that is blending in in modern Japan.. the Buddha statue is huge and the temple next to it was all of wood and carved with colourful flowers.. I read that it was one of the Chinese temples that were erected between 1623 and 1629 by a Chinese Monk who stayed in Nagasaki.
The visit to the Peace Park and Atomic Bomb Site:
The park, the statues and the site were very nicely preserved… there was a part that has some construction and on the banners of the site… I assume it was apologizing for the inconvenience with a picture of a construction worker bowing… I couldn’t resist taking a picture of it.
The site of the bombing is now a park above the ground level of the day of the bombardment … it is amazing that with the level of destruction that took place in that place it has turned to be so serene and beautiful… especially that, regardless of the fact that it is in the middle of inhabited area… you barely feel anything rather than the park and the green mountains around it.
The Atomic Bomb Nagasaki Museum:
The thing that definitely has left a mark was stepping into the hall with parts of remaining façade of a church, some rubbles and ruins of different buildings and a bridge… the light effect that was installed make it feel so gloomy when one first steps in.. it was more like meant to leave a mark on the visitor… the stories were also sad and the pictures horrendous… but the museum itself was much smaller than that of Hiroshima.
What I didn’t comprehend… since I studied and read about nuclear bombs and their effects… how can someone in their clear mind take a decision to bombard a city or even test the effects of using the bombs on human beings…is that why they call themselves humane and from the first world? The decision was taken to bomb japan rather than germany for obvious reasons.. the easiest one is the proximity of germany to other territories of the allies.. Churchill wouldn’t have taken the risk that they will be touched even slightly with radiation…so he and Roosevelt chose a faraway spot to test the bombs… that is why 2 different types were used… uranium and plutonium based weapons… Truman went ahead with the decision although Japan was going to give up anyways… and the war would have come to an end to the benefits of the allies… but showing the world who is no.1 force in the world was more important than carrying for the collateral damage that will be caused… it reminds me with Madeline Albright when she said the death of the Iraqi children was merely a collateral damage to the war and it was unavoidable … actually it was unavoidable to destroy Iraq rather than saving it from Saddam or rebuilding it as a democracy… oil was and still is more important than the human loss for them.
The other thing that struck me while in Nagasaki and reading further about the Korean and Chinese workers who were brought to Japan in a form of slavery… the Japanese kids that were forced to leave schools and join the forces or factories… all that for what? Is it for the aspiration of the few to become dominant? I wonder if anyone asked the kids if they wanted to go to war… or even why they are going to the war… and if they agree to be dragged into it… I keep joking of the Masonic plans to rule the world and conspiracies to dominate the power… but in a recycling of governments since the dawn of history… the humankind has suffered the aftermath of war, sometimes it might be justified for the scarcity of main resources for survival… but mostly, it was not and is not the case… strategies of superpowers, the will of the might, the fear of any rising rivals to the strength of the forceful states make them willing to do anything to preserve this power.. . they are willing to spare even part of their own population in order to keep their domination in the balance of power in the world… and we the regular citizens of the world are the abused through control, be it be force, intimidation, using ethnicity, religion, colour, race, emotions… anything that politicians use in order justify their actions in order to keep the power… Machiavelli was definitely right… aims justify the means… I guess he was stating a fact rather than building a theory… the PRINCE wants to remain a PRINCE… and he will do anything to preserve that position.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Touring Japan (3) Nara, Hiroshima and Miyajima Island
Nara:
Every one said.. don’t miss Nara… so I didn’t.. arrived at Nara station in the morning and asked at the information office about few things… and they offered me a free student guide in English… so I said why not.. and I was told to tell the guide where I want to go. The guide was waiting for me in the main office 5 minutes walk from the station. Although I had the map and I got the description from the lady at the tourist office in the station, I felt that I lost my way.. probably walking in the opposite direction so I decided to ask. The first one, I stopped and asked “excuse me can you tell me where is the tourist information office?” and I was showing him the map… he hesitated for a second then he made a gesture by his head and hands like I don’t want to talk to you and he left me walking fast… a second later, I found 2 teenagers and I asked them in the same manner… one of them spoke English, so he looked at the map and said ah sure… we are going that direction and started to walk me to the office… whenever one addresses people in English, the first thing that jumps into their heads that one is American.. . so they asked if I am an American and I replied with a No and that I am an Egyptian… the 2 guys were graduate school students.. they were so excited to know that I am from EGYPTO and started to ask me what I do and why I am in Japan.. they were so happy when I was telling them that I came to visit and about my discovery on how different Japan and the Japanese are in a positive sense. When we reached the office, they bid me farewell and wished an enjoyable day in Nara.
At the office, I found Wakako, my student guide waiting for me. I found out that the students who want to improve their language skills, they do this job with the tourist office in Nara. My guide studies linguistics and loves travelling. She visited the UK before and is looking forward for her study abroad year at the US soon. She was very nice and helpful. We managed to visit all the shrines and temples in the big park and the world heritage site… the temple in Horyu-ji. We had lunch at a sushi bar in the esplanade area which was very nice. Then I started to hit the road to Kyoto in order to start my journey to Hiroshima.
Hiroshima:
This is the city that I had an amazing bond with. After studying for decades nuclear technology and weapons from legal perspective, I felt that I hold a special place for both Hiroshima and Nagasaki in me and I wouldn’t have been able to come to Japan without visiting these two cities. And, here I was going to Hiroshima.
I arrived at night to Hiroshima.. from Nara I had to take the train to Kyoto and from Kyoto to Hiroshima. I was lucky that I had a brilliant hotel choice. My hotel was almost in the station, I had to walk two minutes from the door of the station to the Hotel. That was so convenient. I checked in… the hotel was so nice and more luxurious than the one in Kyoto. I left my bags and went down to discover the place… I walked around the area and bought some food… wasn’t able to go to Japanese restaurants because I didn’t find a sushi bar or a place that serves food that I can see before ordering… language difficulty here plays a role.
I retired to my room, checked my itinerary for the following day.. had a good night sleep and then next morning, I checked out. Left my bag at the hotel and started to roam around. I started to walk towards Shukkei-en Park… it is a very beautiful park close to the river… the city looked very nice and peaceful and the park was so nice… strolled around a bit then I started to walk towards the Atomic Bomb site and the dome that was kept as a symbol of one of the few structures that remained in place after the bombardment of Hiroshima.
The Dome was under some renovations and the description on the boards surrounding it say that this is an ongoing effort in order to preserve the Dome as a symbol of the suffering of the people and of peace. Not far from it, across a bridge the other side of the river, one finds the beautiful peace park. The first thing one meets is the Flame of Peace on the left.. which constitutes of a huge concrete plate like structure and the flame is lit in its middle.. the flame is lit since 1964 and it is meant to stay lit until we have 0 nuclear weapons around the globe. On the right side, there was a monument for the children victims of the bombardment.
I started to walk towards the museum… I was expecting a depression outcome after the visit, so as much as I was excited that I am here, I was still walking with caution towards this circle of depression. On the way, I saw different monuments symbols of the victims of the bomb in name and in sculpture. The place was so serene.
Now, in the Museum, you will be faced with many pictures and stories about how and why it happened. Residues of debris, clothes, human flesh and nails that were collected in the aftermath of the war can be found in the museum. Some articles that belonged to the people at the time, watches, school items or tools are also on display. Stories of victims and survivors are told together with the items that were left behind after the attack.
A story telling about what goes on with the NPT and where the nuclear stockpiles are in countries around the globe. At the end, they dedicate all their efforts to the world peace and to the hope that no one will ever suffer as they did with aspirations to get rid of nuclear weapons in the world.
Definitely I was touched, but I realized that I was not affected as I thought I would be with the museum… I felt that the reason is simple, I have studied in details the human sufferings from the aftermath of using the bomb. I felt bad that the observatory that was established to monitor the effects of radiation on humans, living beings and the environment was there only to monitor but not to cure the human beings… that was sad. Nevertheless, after leaving the museum and walking back towards the station, I was so affected by the fact that the ground I was walking on, the buildings that are surrounding me, the beautiful parks I have strolled in were all brought down to rubbles and ashes by a mere explosion… people suffered for generations, yet they turned a tragedy into success. The whole city was down to the ground almost 50 years ago and now it stands tall and proud of the achievements of its people. I was overwhelmed with admiration to the Japanese people whom with their power and will rebuilt the place as it stands now.
These were my comments that I posted as my Facebook status after the Visit. “after a visit to the peace memorial/museum in Hiroshima and after roaming around the city... i bow of respect to those who were resilient enough to build it back as beautiful as it is now.. few decades back this city was turned into rubbles and hundreds of thousands were killed and injured by a mere explosion of one bomb... it stands now tall and mighty because of the will of the people on this land.. admiration is in place here!”
Now back to the hotel, picked up my bag and started my train journey towards Miyajima Island.
Miyajima:
Miyajima is supposed to be one of the most scenic places in Japan. The place was so beautiful with the green mountains in the middle of the sea and an orange gate to a shrine is the highlight of the ferry trip from the mainland to the island.
I thought I booked a hotel on the island, wishing it is a ryokan… the traditional old style Japanese hotel… however, after crossing with the ferry to the island and walking for a bit, I asked in a hotel about the directions to mine… then I realized that it is on the mainland and not the island.. that was my first disappointment.
I took the ferry back to the mainland and I have found out that the hotel I booked is just 2 minutes walk from the ferry. That hotel was a bad experience. I checked in. the hotel looked old… but the worse was the level of cleanliness… I went into the room.. it was old and shabby but it has everything as usual. I asked for a plug converter at the check in… and the lady was nice and decided to come to the room to assist. I showed her the plug… she shrugged and she spoke very little English and I assumed that they don’t have any… so I said I will keep the LAN cord to use it with my computer until the charge is finished… I have charged it in the hotel in Hiroshima and I had around 5 hours battery… so I thought that will be fine.. less than 5 minutes later, she came back with the converter… that was a surprise.. but now after almost a month in Japan I am not surprised at all at the level of assistance people offer… it is part of their nature and the way they are brought up.
I went down to look for food… this was the beginning of real suffering with food… if one is picky with food or have real dietary needs, better take your food on you from the big city...
on the island, the shops were closing already at 5 pm when I was looking for the hotel. So that left me with a restaurant in the hotel, and few others in the neighboring street. I tried to figure out from the pictures if there is anything I can eat.. noodles, sushi or any japanese tempura.. but everything was in Japanese.. which for me is like riddles or beautiful drawing.. . and people speak mostly nothing but Japanese in this part of the country, so… I decided to go to 7 eleven and buy something to eat.. that was also another bad experience, because it was a small local store with few choices.. even the sandwiches that are not in toast.. one can’t see what is the filling and all the description is in Japanese… the toast sandwiches always had eggs, mayonnaise, ham or bacon… which is a problematic package for me. So I ended up getting the available biscuits and snickers. I fixed tea in the room and had it with the biscuits… that was my dinner for the night.
Next morning, I started my journey to explore the island. The place is so beautiful and relaxing… I thought it must be heaven in summer, with the ability to swim in the sea and maybe a massage along these shores would have been such a treat.
I walked from the ferry to the shrine.. many people were visiting that day.. it was a Saturday and people were still going to the temples and shrines for the new year’s blessings. There was a ceremony going on and I watched it a bit… many rites are practiced by the monks.. looked very organized but of course, I didn’t understand anything.
I continued strolling around but my knee was in a very poor condition, so I didn’t dare to hike to the 5 story pagoda and was satisfied to watch it from below and taking pictures of it.
The architecture was amazing together with the sea and the mountains… it was a great place to visit but I am sure it would have been nicer to spend more time there.
I walked along the esplanade… food shops, souvenirs and others until I reached the ferry. I was trying to start my journey early in order to reach Nagasaki in the light.
I took the bag and off to the train from Miyajimaguchi station to Hakata then from there to Nagasaki. I reached Nagasaki around 3 pm which was perfect because it gave me around couple of hours in the light to see a bit of the place before the darkness of the night.
Every one said.. don’t miss Nara… so I didn’t.. arrived at Nara station in the morning and asked at the information office about few things… and they offered me a free student guide in English… so I said why not.. and I was told to tell the guide where I want to go. The guide was waiting for me in the main office 5 minutes walk from the station. Although I had the map and I got the description from the lady at the tourist office in the station, I felt that I lost my way.. probably walking in the opposite direction so I decided to ask. The first one, I stopped and asked “excuse me can you tell me where is the tourist information office?” and I was showing him the map… he hesitated for a second then he made a gesture by his head and hands like I don’t want to talk to you and he left me walking fast… a second later, I found 2 teenagers and I asked them in the same manner… one of them spoke English, so he looked at the map and said ah sure… we are going that direction and started to walk me to the office… whenever one addresses people in English, the first thing that jumps into their heads that one is American.. . so they asked if I am an American and I replied with a No and that I am an Egyptian… the 2 guys were graduate school students.. they were so excited to know that I am from EGYPTO and started to ask me what I do and why I am in Japan.. they were so happy when I was telling them that I came to visit and about my discovery on how different Japan and the Japanese are in a positive sense. When we reached the office, they bid me farewell and wished an enjoyable day in Nara.
At the office, I found Wakako, my student guide waiting for me. I found out that the students who want to improve their language skills, they do this job with the tourist office in Nara. My guide studies linguistics and loves travelling. She visited the UK before and is looking forward for her study abroad year at the US soon. She was very nice and helpful. We managed to visit all the shrines and temples in the big park and the world heritage site… the temple in Horyu-ji. We had lunch at a sushi bar in the esplanade area which was very nice. Then I started to hit the road to Kyoto in order to start my journey to Hiroshima.
Hiroshima:
This is the city that I had an amazing bond with. After studying for decades nuclear technology and weapons from legal perspective, I felt that I hold a special place for both Hiroshima and Nagasaki in me and I wouldn’t have been able to come to Japan without visiting these two cities. And, here I was going to Hiroshima.
I arrived at night to Hiroshima.. from Nara I had to take the train to Kyoto and from Kyoto to Hiroshima. I was lucky that I had a brilliant hotel choice. My hotel was almost in the station, I had to walk two minutes from the door of the station to the Hotel. That was so convenient. I checked in… the hotel was so nice and more luxurious than the one in Kyoto. I left my bags and went down to discover the place… I walked around the area and bought some food… wasn’t able to go to Japanese restaurants because I didn’t find a sushi bar or a place that serves food that I can see before ordering… language difficulty here plays a role.
I retired to my room, checked my itinerary for the following day.. had a good night sleep and then next morning, I checked out. Left my bag at the hotel and started to roam around. I started to walk towards Shukkei-en Park… it is a very beautiful park close to the river… the city looked very nice and peaceful and the park was so nice… strolled around a bit then I started to walk towards the Atomic Bomb site and the dome that was kept as a symbol of one of the few structures that remained in place after the bombardment of Hiroshima.
The Dome was under some renovations and the description on the boards surrounding it say that this is an ongoing effort in order to preserve the Dome as a symbol of the suffering of the people and of peace. Not far from it, across a bridge the other side of the river, one finds the beautiful peace park. The first thing one meets is the Flame of Peace on the left.. which constitutes of a huge concrete plate like structure and the flame is lit in its middle.. the flame is lit since 1964 and it is meant to stay lit until we have 0 nuclear weapons around the globe. On the right side, there was a monument for the children victims of the bombardment.
I started to walk towards the museum… I was expecting a depression outcome after the visit, so as much as I was excited that I am here, I was still walking with caution towards this circle of depression. On the way, I saw different monuments symbols of the victims of the bomb in name and in sculpture. The place was so serene.
Now, in the Museum, you will be faced with many pictures and stories about how and why it happened. Residues of debris, clothes, human flesh and nails that were collected in the aftermath of the war can be found in the museum. Some articles that belonged to the people at the time, watches, school items or tools are also on display. Stories of victims and survivors are told together with the items that were left behind after the attack.
A story telling about what goes on with the NPT and where the nuclear stockpiles are in countries around the globe. At the end, they dedicate all their efforts to the world peace and to the hope that no one will ever suffer as they did with aspirations to get rid of nuclear weapons in the world.
Definitely I was touched, but I realized that I was not affected as I thought I would be with the museum… I felt that the reason is simple, I have studied in details the human sufferings from the aftermath of using the bomb. I felt bad that the observatory that was established to monitor the effects of radiation on humans, living beings and the environment was there only to monitor but not to cure the human beings… that was sad. Nevertheless, after leaving the museum and walking back towards the station, I was so affected by the fact that the ground I was walking on, the buildings that are surrounding me, the beautiful parks I have strolled in were all brought down to rubbles and ashes by a mere explosion… people suffered for generations, yet they turned a tragedy into success. The whole city was down to the ground almost 50 years ago and now it stands tall and proud of the achievements of its people. I was overwhelmed with admiration to the Japanese people whom with their power and will rebuilt the place as it stands now.
These were my comments that I posted as my Facebook status after the Visit. “after a visit to the peace memorial/museum in Hiroshima and after roaming around the city... i bow of respect to those who were resilient enough to build it back as beautiful as it is now.. few decades back this city was turned into rubbles and hundreds of thousands were killed and injured by a mere explosion of one bomb... it stands now tall and mighty because of the will of the people on this land.. admiration is in place here!”
Now back to the hotel, picked up my bag and started my train journey towards Miyajima Island.
Miyajima:
Miyajima is supposed to be one of the most scenic places in Japan. The place was so beautiful with the green mountains in the middle of the sea and an orange gate to a shrine is the highlight of the ferry trip from the mainland to the island.
I thought I booked a hotel on the island, wishing it is a ryokan… the traditional old style Japanese hotel… however, after crossing with the ferry to the island and walking for a bit, I asked in a hotel about the directions to mine… then I realized that it is on the mainland and not the island.. that was my first disappointment.
I took the ferry back to the mainland and I have found out that the hotel I booked is just 2 minutes walk from the ferry. That hotel was a bad experience. I checked in. the hotel looked old… but the worse was the level of cleanliness… I went into the room.. it was old and shabby but it has everything as usual. I asked for a plug converter at the check in… and the lady was nice and decided to come to the room to assist. I showed her the plug… she shrugged and she spoke very little English and I assumed that they don’t have any… so I said I will keep the LAN cord to use it with my computer until the charge is finished… I have charged it in the hotel in Hiroshima and I had around 5 hours battery… so I thought that will be fine.. less than 5 minutes later, she came back with the converter… that was a surprise.. but now after almost a month in Japan I am not surprised at all at the level of assistance people offer… it is part of their nature and the way they are brought up.
I went down to look for food… this was the beginning of real suffering with food… if one is picky with food or have real dietary needs, better take your food on you from the big city...
on the island, the shops were closing already at 5 pm when I was looking for the hotel. So that left me with a restaurant in the hotel, and few others in the neighboring street. I tried to figure out from the pictures if there is anything I can eat.. noodles, sushi or any japanese tempura.. but everything was in Japanese.. which for me is like riddles or beautiful drawing.. . and people speak mostly nothing but Japanese in this part of the country, so… I decided to go to 7 eleven and buy something to eat.. that was also another bad experience, because it was a small local store with few choices.. even the sandwiches that are not in toast.. one can’t see what is the filling and all the description is in Japanese… the toast sandwiches always had eggs, mayonnaise, ham or bacon… which is a problematic package for me. So I ended up getting the available biscuits and snickers. I fixed tea in the room and had it with the biscuits… that was my dinner for the night.
Next morning, I started my journey to explore the island. The place is so beautiful and relaxing… I thought it must be heaven in summer, with the ability to swim in the sea and maybe a massage along these shores would have been such a treat.
I walked from the ferry to the shrine.. many people were visiting that day.. it was a Saturday and people were still going to the temples and shrines for the new year’s blessings. There was a ceremony going on and I watched it a bit… many rites are practiced by the monks.. looked very organized but of course, I didn’t understand anything.
I continued strolling around but my knee was in a very poor condition, so I didn’t dare to hike to the 5 story pagoda and was satisfied to watch it from below and taking pictures of it.
The architecture was amazing together with the sea and the mountains… it was a great place to visit but I am sure it would have been nicer to spend more time there.
I walked along the esplanade… food shops, souvenirs and others until I reached the ferry. I was trying to start my journey early in order to reach Nagasaki in the light.
I took the bag and off to the train from Miyajimaguchi station to Hakata then from there to Nagasaki. I reached Nagasaki around 3 pm which was perfect because it gave me around couple of hours in the light to see a bit of the place before the darkness of the night.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Touring Japan (3) KYOTO
Kyoto:
On the morning of the 11th of January 2012, I took my back pack and hit the road from Shibuya station to Tokyo Station and off to start my journey around Japan for a week. My first destination was Kyoto.
As Mai advised, I booked a hotel close to the station. That was pretty convenient. I checked in and left my bag and off I went to visit the sites.
Upon the advice of Mr. Hiroshi Tajima, a Japanese colleague and friend, I started with the silver Pavilion… opposing to all Kyoto visitors who start with the golden Pavilion with its lavish gold Pagoda, I went to the Silver one first.
I arrived late in Kyoto that day and I didn’t have except one day to spare in the city. There was so much to see, but I had to make up my choices. I booked a one day bus pass…actually the guy in the bus information was kind to offer it. He didn’t know English, and naturally I didn’t know Japanese, but sign language and some written material helped a lot. I paid 500 yen and was able to hop in and out of buses as I please.
The first impression:
Kyoto, is a very big city. Very developed and impressive. The Kyoto Station is a city in itself. One can spend a whole day around it. I will speak of the station later.
The tourist information offices in the train stations are so organized and very helpful. People are mostly very nice and they can speak English. They provide visitors with English maps with touristic locations to visit and they are willing to address any questions by the visitors.
The hotel provided me with another map and detailed plan for bus routes to both pavilions in English. This was very handy as well but naturally I have improvised in the middle of my trip with bus routes.
I took the bus to the Silver Pavilion. On the way, the bus travelled in a boulevard where all the big designers were located, from Gucci to Louis Vuitton… all are here.
It was a bit of a walk to the Silver pavilion from the bus stop and in the pavilion itself… walking is a lot. It is a beautifully old wooden temple. Very well preserved as most things in the country. The sand on the ground was organized in an artistic manner. Also, the garden was organized very nicely on the Japanese style… some shrines were on slopes up a hill. I did a bit but not all when my knees started to suffer of my adventures.
I wanted to catch the golden pavilion, but thought it was very late. It was around 330 pm and I was at the other end of the city. So, I decided to stroll along the old canal towards the philosopher pathway. The small houses attached to each other along the canal definitely reminded me with Oshine and Memoires of a Geisha. I ended up in a bigger street, where I found a bus that can take me to the golden Pavilion. It was close to 4 pm but I thought I’ll bet on my luck to catch it before 17:00 which is the closing time to visitors.
I did it. I was able to catch the golden pavilion. The bus I took was one of these buses where their route is more of a sightseeing bus. It reminded me with bus no 13 in London. I was able to see the imperial garden where it hosts the old imperial palace in Kyoto and other very old shrines in between both Pavilions.
The golden Pavilion is impressive. The reflection of the sunlight and the golden building on the water in the middle of the greenery was so beautiful. I managed to do the full tour just before closing time.
Later, I had my improvisation skills on with busses. I took a bus in another route to see more of the city. I ended up in a bus terminal in somewhere in Kyoto that I don’t even recall its name. I hopped into a bus that took me back to Kyoto station where my hotel is. I strolled along the area and found myself in the middle of an electronic super store… a full flour for cameras and another for phones and computers… of course, I stepped in… spent some time browsing along the newest products of IT, which included the newest tablets and imitations of all brands to the apple ipad and Mac PCs. I saw the newest small Sony gadget… resisted to buy it after a long mental struggle… but it was worth seeing it.
I walked further down the road, where I have seen a very old shrine with huge wooden doors. The wooden doors reminded me with the doors of the homes of our ancestors in the country side. It was beautiful with very nice carvings. Later, I walked to discover the station.
Exchanging Money in Kyoto:
I was about to run out of cash and many places don’t use credit cards here. I have bumped into a bank close to the silver pavilion and went in to change the money. It looked more like village branches rather than the city ones. Opposing to my experience in Tokyo… this bank was small and shabby. It took a longer time to change the money and the guy was young and more casual than those in Tokyo. He didn’t stand up or bow when I was leaving. Although his boss while dealing with an old Japanese lady was more formal. I had a sense that the one who dealt with me didn’t do that because I was a foreigner.
The Kyoto Train Station:
This is by far the most beautiful grand train station I have ever been to. The architect who designed it is a genius in my point of view.
The station itself is huge with zillion trains fast and slow passing through it. The shopping area is like Shibuya, Shinjuku or Tokyo stations. Yet I felt it was even cleaner and more organized than some of them.
From one side outside the area of the tracks, there is a hotel and from the other side a department store. The layout of the ceiling or the top uncovered part of the station was so nice. From both ends of that part, one can take the stairs or the escalators up until the 15th floor. These have no ceiling. Watching the sky and feeling the cold breeze from the top, while one is surrounded by buildings feels different. On one side there is a restaurant and a bell on the top floor. From the other, a food paradise consists of many different restaurants from the left and the right sides. On the way up there are entrances to the department store and a café that overlooks the stairs and the other part of the station, where they had Burberry blankets on the chairs… just in case the customers feel cold… On top of that side, above the restaurants, a garden and a panoramic view awaits the visitor. It was such a treat to have a panoramic view of Kyoto from the station when you reach the top.
That station was impressive and definitely left a mark on me.
At the end, I had my dinner and retired to my hotel room which was very clean and I was impressed that anything one may think of as a visitor, one would find in the room.
Hotel rooms in Japan are not as big as those in the US, yet they are not suffocating small like those single standard rooms in Europe. The hotels I have chosen were affordable and except for the last 2, they were all very neat, clean and convenient.
What is impressive about the hotels in Japan?
1. The people…the staff everywhere are trained to be polite and helpful. Even in the hotels where they speak little English.. they will do what they can to assist you.
2. Rooms have everything…and the little things that customers always may ask for are there for them, like combs or tooth brushes.
3. Business hotels are well prepared for male visitors. It was very clear from the razors, combs rather than brushes and the colours of the might kimono.
4. Every hotel leave to the customers in the room a clean night kimono and slippers. The slippers are mostly reusable by other customers, so they put a sticking paper sole for the customer to use in order not to use it directly after the previous visitor.
5. TVs are with Japanese cable. No foreign language channels.
6. Hotels around train stations are not like most of the places I have been to. They are not for prostitution and they are not surrounded by drugs or unsafe activities.
7. The failure to speak the native language doesn’t constitute a major problem and hotels are pretty safe. Actually Japan is a safe place to travel in.
On the morning of the 11th of January 2012, I took my back pack and hit the road from Shibuya station to Tokyo Station and off to start my journey around Japan for a week. My first destination was Kyoto.
As Mai advised, I booked a hotel close to the station. That was pretty convenient. I checked in and left my bag and off I went to visit the sites.
Upon the advice of Mr. Hiroshi Tajima, a Japanese colleague and friend, I started with the silver Pavilion… opposing to all Kyoto visitors who start with the golden Pavilion with its lavish gold Pagoda, I went to the Silver one first.
I arrived late in Kyoto that day and I didn’t have except one day to spare in the city. There was so much to see, but I had to make up my choices. I booked a one day bus pass…actually the guy in the bus information was kind to offer it. He didn’t know English, and naturally I didn’t know Japanese, but sign language and some written material helped a lot. I paid 500 yen and was able to hop in and out of buses as I please.
The first impression:
Kyoto, is a very big city. Very developed and impressive. The Kyoto Station is a city in itself. One can spend a whole day around it. I will speak of the station later.
The tourist information offices in the train stations are so organized and very helpful. People are mostly very nice and they can speak English. They provide visitors with English maps with touristic locations to visit and they are willing to address any questions by the visitors.
The hotel provided me with another map and detailed plan for bus routes to both pavilions in English. This was very handy as well but naturally I have improvised in the middle of my trip with bus routes.
I took the bus to the Silver Pavilion. On the way, the bus travelled in a boulevard where all the big designers were located, from Gucci to Louis Vuitton… all are here.
It was a bit of a walk to the Silver pavilion from the bus stop and in the pavilion itself… walking is a lot. It is a beautifully old wooden temple. Very well preserved as most things in the country. The sand on the ground was organized in an artistic manner. Also, the garden was organized very nicely on the Japanese style… some shrines were on slopes up a hill. I did a bit but not all when my knees started to suffer of my adventures.
I wanted to catch the golden pavilion, but thought it was very late. It was around 330 pm and I was at the other end of the city. So, I decided to stroll along the old canal towards the philosopher pathway. The small houses attached to each other along the canal definitely reminded me with Oshine and Memoires of a Geisha. I ended up in a bigger street, where I found a bus that can take me to the golden Pavilion. It was close to 4 pm but I thought I’ll bet on my luck to catch it before 17:00 which is the closing time to visitors.
I did it. I was able to catch the golden pavilion. The bus I took was one of these buses where their route is more of a sightseeing bus. It reminded me with bus no 13 in London. I was able to see the imperial garden where it hosts the old imperial palace in Kyoto and other very old shrines in between both Pavilions.
The golden Pavilion is impressive. The reflection of the sunlight and the golden building on the water in the middle of the greenery was so beautiful. I managed to do the full tour just before closing time.
Later, I had my improvisation skills on with busses. I took a bus in another route to see more of the city. I ended up in a bus terminal in somewhere in Kyoto that I don’t even recall its name. I hopped into a bus that took me back to Kyoto station where my hotel is. I strolled along the area and found myself in the middle of an electronic super store… a full flour for cameras and another for phones and computers… of course, I stepped in… spent some time browsing along the newest products of IT, which included the newest tablets and imitations of all brands to the apple ipad and Mac PCs. I saw the newest small Sony gadget… resisted to buy it after a long mental struggle… but it was worth seeing it.
I walked further down the road, where I have seen a very old shrine with huge wooden doors. The wooden doors reminded me with the doors of the homes of our ancestors in the country side. It was beautiful with very nice carvings. Later, I walked to discover the station.
Exchanging Money in Kyoto:
I was about to run out of cash and many places don’t use credit cards here. I have bumped into a bank close to the silver pavilion and went in to change the money. It looked more like village branches rather than the city ones. Opposing to my experience in Tokyo… this bank was small and shabby. It took a longer time to change the money and the guy was young and more casual than those in Tokyo. He didn’t stand up or bow when I was leaving. Although his boss while dealing with an old Japanese lady was more formal. I had a sense that the one who dealt with me didn’t do that because I was a foreigner.
The Kyoto Train Station:
This is by far the most beautiful grand train station I have ever been to. The architect who designed it is a genius in my point of view.
The station itself is huge with zillion trains fast and slow passing through it. The shopping area is like Shibuya, Shinjuku or Tokyo stations. Yet I felt it was even cleaner and more organized than some of them.
From one side outside the area of the tracks, there is a hotel and from the other side a department store. The layout of the ceiling or the top uncovered part of the station was so nice. From both ends of that part, one can take the stairs or the escalators up until the 15th floor. These have no ceiling. Watching the sky and feeling the cold breeze from the top, while one is surrounded by buildings feels different. On one side there is a restaurant and a bell on the top floor. From the other, a food paradise consists of many different restaurants from the left and the right sides. On the way up there are entrances to the department store and a café that overlooks the stairs and the other part of the station, where they had Burberry blankets on the chairs… just in case the customers feel cold… On top of that side, above the restaurants, a garden and a panoramic view awaits the visitor. It was such a treat to have a panoramic view of Kyoto from the station when you reach the top.
That station was impressive and definitely left a mark on me.
At the end, I had my dinner and retired to my hotel room which was very clean and I was impressed that anything one may think of as a visitor, one would find in the room.
Hotel rooms in Japan are not as big as those in the US, yet they are not suffocating small like those single standard rooms in Europe. The hotels I have chosen were affordable and except for the last 2, they were all very neat, clean and convenient.
What is impressive about the hotels in Japan?
1. The people…the staff everywhere are trained to be polite and helpful. Even in the hotels where they speak little English.. they will do what they can to assist you.
2. Rooms have everything…and the little things that customers always may ask for are there for them, like combs or tooth brushes.
3. Business hotels are well prepared for male visitors. It was very clear from the razors, combs rather than brushes and the colours of the might kimono.
4. Every hotel leave to the customers in the room a clean night kimono and slippers. The slippers are mostly reusable by other customers, so they put a sticking paper sole for the customer to use in order not to use it directly after the previous visitor.
5. TVs are with Japanese cable. No foreign language channels.
6. Hotels around train stations are not like most of the places I have been to. They are not for prostitution and they are not surrounded by drugs or unsafe activities.
7. The failure to speak the native language doesn’t constitute a major problem and hotels are pretty safe. Actually Japan is a safe place to travel in.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Japan .. a life time experience...Touring Japan (2)
After a bit of searching, Mai brought me a good offer to go to Hiroshima… 2 days and one night by train would cost around 450 dollars… her secretaries said it would be so expensive to try Nagasaki because it is in the extreme south… I felt a bit disappointed because for me Hiroshima and Nagasaki are the most important to visit while in Japan… I have a bond towards these two cities… for the most part of my higher education, these two cities occupied a lot of my time and studies… focusing on nuclear issues and the legality of the peaceful uses of the atom and illegality of the weapon.. it was unavoidable to study the effects of the tragic events that took place in those two cities on nature and human beings for generations… so, I would have missed a lot if I come (to the end of the world for us) without visiting them.
Before booking that trip to Hiroshima, I decided to search online further and check my options, hoping that I can find an affordable trip to both cities and also to Okinawa… the latter was impossible to find but I have discovered a very good means to travel by trains in Japan.. which is the Japan Rail Pass… this pass is meant for foreign visitors to Japan who want to travel around….it can be used on all trains, local, express, limited express and even the Shinkansen “bullet trains” except for the most 2 speedy trains in the country which are Nozomi and Mizuho… it was very difficult to figure out what can this pass do when you read on it on the site… but at the end I decided to buy it even if I wasn’t going to make it to Nagasaki because it would allow me to do other cities in Japan. The other problem on the site, that it says you have to buy it before travelling to Japan because it is only sold outside the country for those coming for short visits… while the latter is correct, but the first was not fully accurate… yes, the pass has to be bought from outside the country but thanks to the technology you can order it online from one of the sites abroad and order the delivery to an address in Japan… so after a short disappointment that I needed to book it before coming over to Japan, I was able to order it through a British site for around 400 US dollars and it was delivered to the address that I provided in Japan few days later.
That was the best discovery of my trip… now I am travelling already on my way to Nagasaki on it… so, I am finally going to make it to that city and to the tip of the Kyushu Island.
Travelling by train in Japan is a wonderful experience… trains are clean, neat and efficient… just like the Swiss... always on time… the speedy trains which I can use on the ticket travel already very fast.. I guess around 285 km per hour… I was also able to use the local trains and the JR ferry from the mainland to Miyajima Island. So, far… I have travelled from Tokyo to Kyoto, from Kyoto to Nara and back to Kyoto, from Kyoto to Hiroshima, from Hiroshima to Miyajimaguchi then to Miyajima Island by Ferry and now on my way to Nagasaki on an express train.
What is noticeable about the trains are the conductors… they bow at the entry into any of the cars and some even lift their hats and they bow again before leaving the car… this I didn’t find anywhere I have travelled to except in Japan…
While on board of the train, when a conductor wants to see the tickets of the passengers, he first bows at the entry of the car. He takes off his cap. He bows. Then, in Japanese of course, he announces to the passengers that he wants to check their tickets. Then he bows, put on his cap and starts with the job at hand. Always with a smile he starts and an arigato gozaimas at the end of the check.
They also dress and walk in the stations from and to their trains like pilots in airports. Their uniform together with the gadgets they carry and their briefcases, they definitely make you feel you are at an airport not a train station.
The ground service awaits each coming or departing trains have very developed gadgets, where they use to make announcements to passengers all around the station. All in Japanese of course, so I barely understood anything except for the name of the train and the destinations it will travel to.
Although I have toured Europe by train as well, backpacking when I was a student in London, but it was not as relaxed as this trip… so far, I keep remembering a program on travelling around the world by trains that the Egyptian TV used to broadcast when I was a kid. It was called “Mosafer ala Elahawa” the literal translation is traveler on air and the comments were made by Ahmed Fouad Moaz, whose voice was very strong and melodramatic. I had a long dream to do that, to travel by train on these green mountains around the world… especially that Egypt’s mountains are yellow or red… but never green because we are a desert… so the green mountains were fascinating when I was a kid and still charming to watch as an adult… huh… one child’s dream came true to travel around the world in trains on top of green mountains and one adult’s dream after a long time of study to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the sites where the atomic bombs swept cities and harvested human life in no time, also came true.
Safety:
Japan is a very safe place. The Japanese people are honest. So far, many leave their bags and go somewhere else and get back to pick it up. Like in restaurants or trains for example, they leave their bags and go to the toilet without any problems.
For female travelers, it is pretty safe. No harassment or intimidation.
Trains are pretty safe as well… safer than Europe, the place where I experienced traveling by trains the most. As a whole, it is very convenient to travel around Japan, even if one doesn’t know the language. When understanding a bit how the system runs, it is pretty easy to manage around the stations and getting on board of the trains, trams or buses.
cleaning the trains:
The bullet Trains :
when the trains stop at their final destination and before passengers embark on board, the cleaning team take over. they stand each at the spots were the doors of the trains open, when the train approaches they start to bow one by one. when the train gets to a halt and the passengers on board disembark, the cleaning team in their red uniforms jump into the train... in no time, they colleact the garbage, they clean the tables on the back of the seats and they turn the seats in each car to the opposite direction...i.e. to the direction that the train will take. the best by far, was at one point when they all finished, they lined next to each other, greeted the passengers that are yet to board with a bow, then they left.
local trains: even on local trains, there is a cleaning team on its final destinations... the time of their stay in the station is short, so they allow passengers to baord while the cleaning is going on. they brush the floor and sometimes clean the seats from anything that they might see like paper, hair or food parts.
Courtsey on Trains:
exactly similiar to the streets, the japanese has rules of behaviour when on board of the trian. they are all meant to care for the other.
talking over the phone is not allowed in the trains, you hear announcements all the time. however, on the bullet trains; it is allowed only in the areas connecting the cars. in local trains, people don't talk over the phone or they whishper.
most of the japanese play with their phones of other gadgets in the trians. some read or sleep... astonishing enough, they sleep but they wake up just on time for their stations... as if they have a biological clock fixing the timing in their heads.
after 11 pm during the week, many of the japanese men are waisted in the trains. they can not walk straight... i have found out that many socialize with their work colleagues after work. so, they go for a bar and few sips are capable of making them tipsy or drunk... yet, the best thing is all the colleagues who are not drunk always support the drunk one. they don't leave unless they put the guy in a cab, or take him to the train for his home destination. it looks like another unwritten code for solidarity.
Kids and school uniform:
Amazing enough how everything is included in the uniform… we used to have everything but not the bags or the model of the shoes.. . the restriction was in relation to the colour… here, the shoes model is standardized for each school…even the bags…their shape and colour are included in the school uniform… I have heard that now, boys can choose from blue, brown and black bags … which is sort of revolutionary for them…
Girls use uniforms similar to ours… no big difference except that they use short skirts with regular socks even in winter… but for the boys… so far all around the areas I have travelled boys wear blue or black suits that look more like military suits… few wear green in grey suits for example… probably from private schools not public ones…it is funny because when you see the men.. it makes a huge sense if you imagine their childhood and why they are fond of wearing suits.
Formal wear in Japan:
Although the national dress for Japanese is the kimono, but most people in modern Japan don’t wear it in their daily lives… it is so easy to be a man in Japan… most men dress in suits… they love suits even when they are going for outings or for sightseeing trips… their suits are more like their school uniform.. Mostly blue, sometimes black or dark grey.. I am yet to see a Japanese man dressed in a brown suit for example…it is very rare... they look neat and elegant.. but, I believe few suits in the closet with many shirts and ties will do the job instead of bothering about all the other clothes that one should buy to fill up the closet… I am sure it is not a rule… I have seen many in casual wear, especially teenagers and the young generation… yet, I am amazed at the number of men dressed in suits over the weekends for example.
In all the restaurants, buses, trains, ferries.. etc.. you will find conductors, drivers, hosts and hostesses dressed in suits.. probably dark blue..or black..
For women, it is totally different… way more complicated as usual :) most women dress in skirts.., very short ones… even if it is freezing… some put on pants, but it is not as popular as skirts… they are mostly elegantly dressed… but one would see those who dress like cartoon characters or like dolls in the streets and shops… they love dying their hair … many to either brown, burgundy or even blonde… which I have to admit looks strange with their complexion… what I don’t understand as well are 2 things; why they wear to much foundation although they have very good skin? And why they put on and some men as well shoes at least 2 sizes bigger than their size? For me it is still a puzzle that I don’t understand… women love wearing high heels… one can see many have difficulties in walking in them... especially when the shoes are 2 sizes bigger than the foot…yet.. it is still there and I don’t get it…
many men and women die their hair. they are fond of changing colours, they all have very dark black hair, but all of a sudden you can see a blonde or a brunette... sometimes with strange haircuts.
Japanese houses in rural areas:
Do you remember the series Oshine… many of the parts of the old cities in Japan.. the streets, the houses…reminded me of that series.. the streets are so narrow and there is almost no space between the houses.. they are small sized and built so close to each other.. going further to the south in rural areas space is not an issue ... from Hakata to Nagasaki, one can find bigger houses and relatively with more space between them.. not as attached as the ones in Kyoto or Nara… the lack of strict organization, the mess with storing tools, wood and other materials that are used in agriculture can be easily found here rather than the strict organization in the cities… one can safely assume it is not different than any country side around the globe..
So far, I am yet to see a mountain fully occupied by inhabitants… when I asked few of the Japanese I met… they said that living in mountains is difficult and only in certain areas people live on mountains but mostly people like to live in the valleys…which of course make the housing so expensive due to the scarcity of land balanced with the number of inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago.
Now in Nagasaki and saw fully inhabited mountains :) it reminded me with Lebanon where the houses on the mountains are so close to each other.
Before booking that trip to Hiroshima, I decided to search online further and check my options, hoping that I can find an affordable trip to both cities and also to Okinawa… the latter was impossible to find but I have discovered a very good means to travel by trains in Japan.. which is the Japan Rail Pass… this pass is meant for foreign visitors to Japan who want to travel around….it can be used on all trains, local, express, limited express and even the Shinkansen “bullet trains” except for the most 2 speedy trains in the country which are Nozomi and Mizuho… it was very difficult to figure out what can this pass do when you read on it on the site… but at the end I decided to buy it even if I wasn’t going to make it to Nagasaki because it would allow me to do other cities in Japan. The other problem on the site, that it says you have to buy it before travelling to Japan because it is only sold outside the country for those coming for short visits… while the latter is correct, but the first was not fully accurate… yes, the pass has to be bought from outside the country but thanks to the technology you can order it online from one of the sites abroad and order the delivery to an address in Japan… so after a short disappointment that I needed to book it before coming over to Japan, I was able to order it through a British site for around 400 US dollars and it was delivered to the address that I provided in Japan few days later.
That was the best discovery of my trip… now I am travelling already on my way to Nagasaki on it… so, I am finally going to make it to that city and to the tip of the Kyushu Island.
Travelling by train in Japan is a wonderful experience… trains are clean, neat and efficient… just like the Swiss... always on time… the speedy trains which I can use on the ticket travel already very fast.. I guess around 285 km per hour… I was also able to use the local trains and the JR ferry from the mainland to Miyajima Island. So, far… I have travelled from Tokyo to Kyoto, from Kyoto to Nara and back to Kyoto, from Kyoto to Hiroshima, from Hiroshima to Miyajimaguchi then to Miyajima Island by Ferry and now on my way to Nagasaki on an express train.
What is noticeable about the trains are the conductors… they bow at the entry into any of the cars and some even lift their hats and they bow again before leaving the car… this I didn’t find anywhere I have travelled to except in Japan…
While on board of the train, when a conductor wants to see the tickets of the passengers, he first bows at the entry of the car. He takes off his cap. He bows. Then, in Japanese of course, he announces to the passengers that he wants to check their tickets. Then he bows, put on his cap and starts with the job at hand. Always with a smile he starts and an arigato gozaimas at the end of the check.
They also dress and walk in the stations from and to their trains like pilots in airports. Their uniform together with the gadgets they carry and their briefcases, they definitely make you feel you are at an airport not a train station.
The ground service awaits each coming or departing trains have very developed gadgets, where they use to make announcements to passengers all around the station. All in Japanese of course, so I barely understood anything except for the name of the train and the destinations it will travel to.
Although I have toured Europe by train as well, backpacking when I was a student in London, but it was not as relaxed as this trip… so far, I keep remembering a program on travelling around the world by trains that the Egyptian TV used to broadcast when I was a kid. It was called “Mosafer ala Elahawa” the literal translation is traveler on air and the comments were made by Ahmed Fouad Moaz, whose voice was very strong and melodramatic. I had a long dream to do that, to travel by train on these green mountains around the world… especially that Egypt’s mountains are yellow or red… but never green because we are a desert… so the green mountains were fascinating when I was a kid and still charming to watch as an adult… huh… one child’s dream came true to travel around the world in trains on top of green mountains and one adult’s dream after a long time of study to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the sites where the atomic bombs swept cities and harvested human life in no time, also came true.
Safety:
Japan is a very safe place. The Japanese people are honest. So far, many leave their bags and go somewhere else and get back to pick it up. Like in restaurants or trains for example, they leave their bags and go to the toilet without any problems.
For female travelers, it is pretty safe. No harassment or intimidation.
Trains are pretty safe as well… safer than Europe, the place where I experienced traveling by trains the most. As a whole, it is very convenient to travel around Japan, even if one doesn’t know the language. When understanding a bit how the system runs, it is pretty easy to manage around the stations and getting on board of the trains, trams or buses.
cleaning the trains:
The bullet Trains :
when the trains stop at their final destination and before passengers embark on board, the cleaning team take over. they stand each at the spots were the doors of the trains open, when the train approaches they start to bow one by one. when the train gets to a halt and the passengers on board disembark, the cleaning team in their red uniforms jump into the train... in no time, they colleact the garbage, they clean the tables on the back of the seats and they turn the seats in each car to the opposite direction...i.e. to the direction that the train will take. the best by far, was at one point when they all finished, they lined next to each other, greeted the passengers that are yet to board with a bow, then they left.
local trains: even on local trains, there is a cleaning team on its final destinations... the time of their stay in the station is short, so they allow passengers to baord while the cleaning is going on. they brush the floor and sometimes clean the seats from anything that they might see like paper, hair or food parts.
Courtsey on Trains:
exactly similiar to the streets, the japanese has rules of behaviour when on board of the trian. they are all meant to care for the other.
talking over the phone is not allowed in the trains, you hear announcements all the time. however, on the bullet trains; it is allowed only in the areas connecting the cars. in local trains, people don't talk over the phone or they whishper.
most of the japanese play with their phones of other gadgets in the trians. some read or sleep... astonishing enough, they sleep but they wake up just on time for their stations... as if they have a biological clock fixing the timing in their heads.
after 11 pm during the week, many of the japanese men are waisted in the trains. they can not walk straight... i have found out that many socialize with their work colleagues after work. so, they go for a bar and few sips are capable of making them tipsy or drunk... yet, the best thing is all the colleagues who are not drunk always support the drunk one. they don't leave unless they put the guy in a cab, or take him to the train for his home destination. it looks like another unwritten code for solidarity.
Kids and school uniform:
Amazing enough how everything is included in the uniform… we used to have everything but not the bags or the model of the shoes.. . the restriction was in relation to the colour… here, the shoes model is standardized for each school…even the bags…their shape and colour are included in the school uniform… I have heard that now, boys can choose from blue, brown and black bags … which is sort of revolutionary for them…
Girls use uniforms similar to ours… no big difference except that they use short skirts with regular socks even in winter… but for the boys… so far all around the areas I have travelled boys wear blue or black suits that look more like military suits… few wear green in grey suits for example… probably from private schools not public ones…it is funny because when you see the men.. it makes a huge sense if you imagine their childhood and why they are fond of wearing suits.
Formal wear in Japan:
Although the national dress for Japanese is the kimono, but most people in modern Japan don’t wear it in their daily lives… it is so easy to be a man in Japan… most men dress in suits… they love suits even when they are going for outings or for sightseeing trips… their suits are more like their school uniform.. Mostly blue, sometimes black or dark grey.. I am yet to see a Japanese man dressed in a brown suit for example…it is very rare... they look neat and elegant.. but, I believe few suits in the closet with many shirts and ties will do the job instead of bothering about all the other clothes that one should buy to fill up the closet… I am sure it is not a rule… I have seen many in casual wear, especially teenagers and the young generation… yet, I am amazed at the number of men dressed in suits over the weekends for example.
In all the restaurants, buses, trains, ferries.. etc.. you will find conductors, drivers, hosts and hostesses dressed in suits.. probably dark blue..or black..
For women, it is totally different… way more complicated as usual :) most women dress in skirts.., very short ones… even if it is freezing… some put on pants, but it is not as popular as skirts… they are mostly elegantly dressed… but one would see those who dress like cartoon characters or like dolls in the streets and shops… they love dying their hair … many to either brown, burgundy or even blonde… which I have to admit looks strange with their complexion… what I don’t understand as well are 2 things; why they wear to much foundation although they have very good skin? And why they put on and some men as well shoes at least 2 sizes bigger than their size? For me it is still a puzzle that I don’t understand… women love wearing high heels… one can see many have difficulties in walking in them... especially when the shoes are 2 sizes bigger than the foot…yet.. it is still there and I don’t get it…
many men and women die their hair. they are fond of changing colours, they all have very dark black hair, but all of a sudden you can see a blonde or a brunette... sometimes with strange haircuts.
Japanese houses in rural areas:
Do you remember the series Oshine… many of the parts of the old cities in Japan.. the streets, the houses…reminded me of that series.. the streets are so narrow and there is almost no space between the houses.. they are small sized and built so close to each other.. going further to the south in rural areas space is not an issue ... from Hakata to Nagasaki, one can find bigger houses and relatively with more space between them.. not as attached as the ones in Kyoto or Nara… the lack of strict organization, the mess with storing tools, wood and other materials that are used in agriculture can be easily found here rather than the strict organization in the cities… one can safely assume it is not different than any country side around the globe..
So far, I am yet to see a mountain fully occupied by inhabitants… when I asked few of the Japanese I met… they said that living in mountains is difficult and only in certain areas people live on mountains but mostly people like to live in the valleys…which of course make the housing so expensive due to the scarcity of land balanced with the number of inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago.
Now in Nagasaki and saw fully inhabited mountains :) it reminded me with Lebanon where the houses on the mountains are so close to each other.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Japan ... an experience of a lifetime! (1) The Tokyo Experience
as it may be figured out from the title.. japan a land of many wonders.. strange for our part of the world.. distant and our main aquaintance with the Japanese outside Japan is linked to strange language, habbits and richness... the experience in japan is such an enlightenment to the japanese history, habits and culture.
Mind you before you read what i will write.. these are personal reflections not based on research or thorough understanding of this great nation.. it is the outcome of visiting few places in Japan and it is yet to be updated after further trips in the country.
just for those who don't know...i comment a lot on bowing, because i don't bow except for god.. in our culture bowing is an expression of being submissive and in the old days before islam.. this was only done by slaves not the nobles or the free people.. so, when islam came... the ones who joined islam.. even if they were slaves stopped bowing except in prayers... as a sign of submissiveness to god and that we only bow to Him. it makes me really humble when i see the japanese people bow in their greetings..
first impression when landing in Osaka on my way to Tokyo:
1. organization is impressive.
2. failure to comprehend why do people in short transit coming from abroad have to disembark, go into the airport to pass a security check (not passport control) then back to board the same plane to Tokyo.
3. cleanliness is amazing.
4. leaving Osaka to Tokyo, while in the plane.. the ground service guys were waving "bye wave" and bowing to the plane and the people inside it.. this is a plane leaving for less than 1 hour flight between Osaka and Tokyo .. yet the cheer was astonishing for me. Didn't see that anywhere i have been to.
second.. Tokyo or Eastern Capital :
according to wikepedia, Tokyo was originally known as Edo, meaning "estuary". Its name was changed to Tokyo (Tōkyō: tō (east) + kyō (capital)) when it became the imperial capital in 1868, in line with the East Asian tradition of including the word capital ('京') in the name of the capital city. During the early Meiji period, the city was also called "Tōkei", an alternative pronunciation for the same Chinese characters representing "Tokyo". Some surviving official English documents use the spelling "Tokei". However, this pronunciation is now obsolete.
1. arrived in Tokyo at night after a very long flight.. with a jetlag.. made it difficult to figure out the feature or the character of anything around.
2. the Bus from Narita Airport to Tokyo.. was clean.. people are obligated to use seat belts.. it is not a choice.. people queued patiently and on the same spot several busses going to different destinations pick up their passengers.. the waiting spot by the station is categorized like a table...1, 2 and 3 to identify that passengers that will mount the first arriving bus should queue in 1 and so on..
anyone in the service answers your question with a bow..
3. Tokyo city... i tried to figure out what are the similarities and differences between it and cities i have visited before.. i wanted to get down to whether Tokyo is like Bangkok but cleaner and more organized or the Asian version of New York? so far it is way more Asian to be New York and maybe that is why it might be closer to bangkok.. i only compare to the later because it is the sole capital I have visited in East Asia..
The City is very clean... for it's size, busy streets with cars and construction.. it is very quiet city... i am the only noisy one in the street... even those who are drunk they don't make such loud noise.. in cafes, restaurants, bars or trains people are not loud.. they respect the others and they make sure that their noise is not annoying people around them.
as a foreigner, you are so easily to be identified and sometimes you can be subject to suspicion or amusement.. our moves are different, looks, shape, colour... everything... so you will always be subject to a second look out of curiosity.. but not necessarily a stare...
the trains and underground are clean... people stay in their coats even if they have a long trip in the train and it is pretty warm... the only trains i have even been into in the north where they have the heaters below the seats.. yes.. they do :)which makes the seat pretty warm :).. it doesn't get as cold as NY or Canada.. yet they warm your seat :)pretty nice .. huh :) of course, i had a sense some stared at me when i took off 2 layers of my clothes to end up in a Tshirt because it seems crazy for them and i guess they always try to figure out where one is from.. but they never ask :)
people are very neately dressed... always carrying a bag.. men and women.. no one goes around without a briefcase, carrying bags.. big handbags.. it is a must here.. they don't like to carry papers or anything outside of their bags..some get small pocket books to read.. with small japanese kanji.. katakana or hiragana.. i can't tell of course.. it looks like riddles to a japanese illiterate like me :) also, they like cute small things.. they love to hang things in their phones and bags.. it is not a female thing.. or childish.. all of them.. one barely sees a mobile phones without cords with zillion little things hanging out of it.. dolls, balls, comic images.. anything.. but it won't jut be empty.
the TOKYO TOWER:
another experience, the Tokyo Tower was built as a symbol of pride and resistance .. i believe this whole nation is a symbol of both.. everything was so organized in the Tower.. again very clean ..it is like a replica of the Tour Eiffel.. but with the colours of Japan's flag. again, anyone answers your politely and they take your ticket .. allow you to get into the lift with a bow..
the view is close to that from the Roppongi Hill Club Restaurant which overlooks a big part of the city but the nice thing int he Tower that you can see all angles and they show you how many kilometers each famous city is far from the Tower.. like Yokohama was 25 Km.. etc
Exchanging money in a bank:
i am considered as a relatively polite person.. i don't like swearing or scolding.. and i greet people with a smile.. i got a shock to the level of greeting one gets in a japanese bank!
i went down to change currency.. the first one to meet in the bank is the info individual.. i asked .. i want to change dollars to yen.. i got a bow, a smile, a ticket and directions in japanese with hand gestures for me to understand where i should wait and for which teller.
very clean and organized surrounding.. waiting and watching people.. and now my number buzzed. .went to the desk with two chairs where i will sit with the teller/ customer service like individual to change my money.. i said hi.. i want to change dollars to yen.. she smiled and bowed before saying anything.. i had to sit so she can sit.. then we started the procedure.. you can see it is bureaucratic but it goes smooth and all the procedures take very short time.. after finishing the process.. she gives back the receipt.. the money and an enveloppe in a plastic plate.. anywhere you will have a plate to use to put your money and to get your change.. be it a shop or the bank..
when she was done ... i was still getting my stuff into my bag.. she stood up to greet me .. and she bowed like 2 or 3 times until i left her desk...
i am sure the japanese have very flexible back muscles :) but the signs of politeness in the greetings in anything official put anyone into humbleness..
Streets of Tokyo:
the size of the streets in Tokyo are strange.. they've a highway in the middle of the city... and some streets are more like alleys.. pretty small and the pavement is just a line on the ground to separate cars from pedisterians.. however, again it is sooo organized.. the small streets are all having mirrors installed inorder for the drivers to see who's coming from where... because these tiny streets are full of intersections...these streets are also two way streets while their width can only pass one car.. hence, the cars coming from opposite directions wait until the cars that are entering the street pass..
if you are a pedisterian and waited for a car to pass while standing by the crossing lines.. the driver will bow to you as a sign of gratitude..
they drive on the right side like the UK... pretty confusing.. but i drove last night on the highway.. for a change i had to abide by the speed limit being it the first time i drive on the opposite side of the street.. but except for few exceptions.. the drivers stick to their lanes in traffic jams.. again things are pretty organized and signs are everywhere... so it is fitting with everything in the City.
the Sushi bar in the Fish Market:
in my first days in Tokyo, Ragui took me and Mai to a Sushi bar in the fish market area for dinner... it was almost closing time for fish shops.. but i managed to take a glimpse of how it is.. again, cleaner than most of the fish markets i have been to... i have seen a head of a fish bigger than the head of a cow or almost the same size and i have seen the huge pacific ocean crab that is kep alive in ice cubes..
the sushi bar is not different than those abroad, like the one in harvey and nichols in sloan street in london.. yet, the fish was very fresh and i have found out that you prepare your own green tea.. they leave the tea in a pot with an amazing tiny spoon.. we had cups to use for the tea and a tab that brings out boiling water every 2 or 3 persons... it was strange, different and yet practical way to serve oneself. wasabi is not served automatic here, unlike sushi places outside japan... you have to ask for it but the ginger slices are left in a box next to the green tea and the chopsticks for the customers.
they use different plate colours to identify the difference in prices for whatever you pick... then when it is time to depart, they come and count the plates from each colour and make the calculation for the customers... you don't pay the waiters but you pay at the counter.
Meeting freinds in Japan:
one of the very nice things in this trip as always is the reunion with friends and catching up after a long time.. the first one i met was one of my Finnish friends who is now married to a diplomat from New Zealand and posted in Japan.. it was very nice to meet up for dinner .. but unfortunately, time was so tight to see her 2 little ones this trip.. hopefully next time we meet we will have more time together...
the other reunion was meeting 2 japanese diplomats whom i used to work with in NY.. we had lunch in a traditional japanese restaurant.. it was so nice.. the restaurant experience was new for me and it was also nice to catch up with them and see how things are...it was so funny that somethings i have noticed, they never thought of.. i guess when one is an outsider.. one sees things different than those in the place.. it is the same when people come and comment about us and they appreciate things or have a critical view to things that we don't notice at all...but i believe this is the nature of things..
New Year's Eve a la Japanese in Meiju Jingu Temple:
Instead of going again to Asakusa Temple for new year’s eve, Mai and I went to Meiji Jingu Shrine, which seems to be one of the most popular destinations for Japanese that night. The walk from omotesando to the beginning of the shrine was long, but I didn’t realize that the walk in the woods to the holy site is longer and in stony ground…
The pathway towards the shrine took almost 2 hours or more because it was packed. People were standing patiently and there was no real pushing or attempts to take over your spot… the maximum was few people would push you a bit when the walking gets to a halt or try to take you over from the sides without hitting you if possible. It was as if they were queuing… in the middle of the pathway, we had a big screen that broadcasted live the rituals in the temple.
Finally, at the end of the walk we reached a point where we were relatively crushed with people trying to throw their coins and make their wishes for the new year… the bar that was installed in order to prevent people from reaching the wide spot in front of the temple where the coins were thrown was about to fall… the security guards rushed to save it by their own bodies and they managed until we left that spot.
I wanted to go into the temple to band the drums, but the entrance fee was between 10 to 30 thousand yen… so I thought that is pretty expensive so I refrained from going in.
Later, I have discovered that people in Japan all through January they go to the shrines and temples in order to make their wishes for the New Year… many consider it more of tradition rather than religion. My guide in Nara told me that it is preferable for this trip to dress up formally or in their traditional kimonos. It is one of the occasions that Kimonos are worn at ease as a celebratory uniform or like feast new clothes for us.
That was my Japanese New Year’s Eve experience. Different I would say than our normal parties whether dancing parties or traditional gatherings in that night.
Kamakura Temples:
Kamakura is a small town, not far from Tokyo… very traditional whenever you get closer to the temples… the temples we visited that day were Buddhist temples… although it is very hard to make a full distinction in Japan between Buddhism, Shinto or Hindu deities. They mix all together and they consider them all as gods, each with a specific power except for Buddha who is the head master of all. It reminded me with Zeus and the Greek gods and goddesses or the Pharaoh deities from Atun, Raa, Horus, Isis or Osiris…
The day we visited, the temples were packed… it was during the national holiday in Japan and people were going to the temples for getting their blessings and making their new year’s wishes.
At the temples, people stand with great respect and humbleness… they bow, they clap their hands and then hold them together like in the Christian prayers. They later buy from Monks wishes or slogans of protection on small pieces of paper and they hang them to little wires that have been installed at the exit of the temples for that purpose.. but I got to understand from Mai that originally they should be hanged on trees but these wires were made as a substitute to enable the big numbers to hang their wishes as close as possible to both the temples and the trees.
In Kamakura, we found sweet potatoes like ours in Egypt. Mai and I were so excited and we had very nice roasted sweet potatoes that were really sweet. We also visited an old store where they had hand painted lacquer and Japanese style porcelain and crystals… it was nice to see the fine little cravings they had on many of the items… which was wildly expensive as well… it was good for watching but not buying :)
One more experience in Tokyo was the Metropolitan Museum which included the biggest collection of Japanese art crafts including pottery, samurai swords, deities and others from different eras of the Japanese history, the Edo, Nara and other periods.
The Museum is located in Ueno Park so close to the Ueno Zoo and in a complex of different museums including the nature and science museum and the western art museum… but unfortunately, my knee problem didn’t allow me except going for the first museum and couldn’t do more that day.
One evening we went to the Ueno area Mai and her friend Chiho for shopping… it was a different style of shopping in comparison to the other parts of Tokyo. It doesn’t have the lavish shops as Ginza or omotesando, yet brands were sold together with many handmade silver and leather products designed by the shop owners themselves. I managed to buy some shiseido products for relatively ok prices which are quiet expensive everywhere in the world, even in Japan. The place also had a big fish market place where fresh and dried fish were sold. I still hated the smell, but it is still not to be compared with our fish market or the fish market that I have visited in Thailand… in both I won’t last for 2 minutes because I can’t stand the smell… still here it was not nice but I was able to stand it for a change.
Akihabara and the electronics:
no one should laugh at this.. this reminded me with abd Elaziz Street in Cairo.. where you have zillion shops selling all kinds of electronics.. except that here.. electronics are the top notch thing .. so from selling used electronics to the latest models that have just been released are here... i spent almost a day here... electronic addicts shouldn't miss that spot.. it is still expensive.. we are in Japan.. but it is worth taking a look at least :)
Kabukicho experience:
This is supposed to be the notorious part of the city… the place where the Japanese Mafia is active, escort services and different shows take place here. Display of nudity is forbidden in Japan and prostitution is illegal… that is why, in comparison to Soho in London or the Red Light District in Amsterdam or Antwerpen... there was nothing to see on display… there were only people standing out trying to talk to the pedestrians to step in. the shops charge by the hour, hence you would be provided with a table and you can order drinks, snacks and men/women escorts would come to join your table to entertain you.. depending on the place… there were many gay spots “gentlemen clubs” where gay guys will get nice looking guys to join them… at the entrance of these shops, you would find gay guys standing out of the place to promote it… naturally, they don’t approach girls. The funny thing about the area is the way people dress and look… you will find blonde Japanese guys… some even wearing make up… and in other parts girls who are wearing too much make up or kimonos in order to show to the pedestrians what to expect inside the shops.
We ended up in Izakaya, which is the Japanese local drink spots… they are not bars in the traditional sense.. they have tables and no counter drinking… you can order snacks or drinks depending on your liking… we had dinner there.. I got a pizza and my friends had eaten sort of soup with vegetables and chicken.. it came raw and was cooked on the table on a little moving gas cooker... of course, I didn’t even dare to taste it.. neither the look, texture or smell would have made it easier for me to try :)
Hakone, Gotenba outlet and Mount Fuji:
We decided to go to Hakone area where there is a premium outlet stores in Gotenba in order to shop in the sale and also see Mount Fuji… Mount Fuji is like Mont-Blanc is Switzerland… the top of it is always white because of snow… shopping would be fun in Japan if you are millionaire and you don’t travel a lot… the first is because you won’t care how much you are spending over a bag, shoes or any accessory.. the latter is because you will lack the edge of comparison… brands are way cheaper around the globe than in Japan.. yet again, the prices that are so expensive to the visitor are affordable to the Japanese… I am not talking about the rich Japanese who are driving Ferraris and Bentleys… I am talking about those driving Nissans or Mitsubishis… anyways.. we all ended up buying little things, which are normally extremely expensive, but we were able to spot few good bargains…
The view was beautiful and guess what? … Fauchon was a regular coffee place in the outlet… those from many parts of the world; especially Cairo would understand why I am commenting on that pastry shop rather than others :)
On our way back, I took over driving for the first time on the right side of the car… strange and confusing but on highways it is relatively ok…because there are no twists, bends or going left or right… it is just a straight line driving… thanks for the traffic jam.. it took us more than double the time… and I have beaten my record by driving most of the way abiding by the speed limit… the reasons are obvious.. . the first one was in relation to driving for the first time in a strange set up and a new country.. moreover, Mai was already in panic of the highway, mountains and I couldn’t afford scaring her more… so, in brief.. in the Guinness record of Namira, this night can be recorded for driving an entire highway without exceeding 100 km per hour :)
Mind you before you read what i will write.. these are personal reflections not based on research or thorough understanding of this great nation.. it is the outcome of visiting few places in Japan and it is yet to be updated after further trips in the country.
just for those who don't know...i comment a lot on bowing, because i don't bow except for god.. in our culture bowing is an expression of being submissive and in the old days before islam.. this was only done by slaves not the nobles or the free people.. so, when islam came... the ones who joined islam.. even if they were slaves stopped bowing except in prayers... as a sign of submissiveness to god and that we only bow to Him. it makes me really humble when i see the japanese people bow in their greetings..
first impression when landing in Osaka on my way to Tokyo:
1. organization is impressive.
2. failure to comprehend why do people in short transit coming from abroad have to disembark, go into the airport to pass a security check (not passport control) then back to board the same plane to Tokyo.
3. cleanliness is amazing.
4. leaving Osaka to Tokyo, while in the plane.. the ground service guys were waving "bye wave" and bowing to the plane and the people inside it.. this is a plane leaving for less than 1 hour flight between Osaka and Tokyo .. yet the cheer was astonishing for me. Didn't see that anywhere i have been to.
second.. Tokyo or Eastern Capital :
according to wikepedia, Tokyo was originally known as Edo, meaning "estuary". Its name was changed to Tokyo (Tōkyō: tō (east) + kyō (capital)) when it became the imperial capital in 1868, in line with the East Asian tradition of including the word capital ('京') in the name of the capital city. During the early Meiji period, the city was also called "Tōkei", an alternative pronunciation for the same Chinese characters representing "Tokyo". Some surviving official English documents use the spelling "Tokei". However, this pronunciation is now obsolete.
1. arrived in Tokyo at night after a very long flight.. with a jetlag.. made it difficult to figure out the feature or the character of anything around.
2. the Bus from Narita Airport to Tokyo.. was clean.. people are obligated to use seat belts.. it is not a choice.. people queued patiently and on the same spot several busses going to different destinations pick up their passengers.. the waiting spot by the station is categorized like a table...1, 2 and 3 to identify that passengers that will mount the first arriving bus should queue in 1 and so on..
anyone in the service answers your question with a bow..
3. Tokyo city... i tried to figure out what are the similarities and differences between it and cities i have visited before.. i wanted to get down to whether Tokyo is like Bangkok but cleaner and more organized or the Asian version of New York? so far it is way more Asian to be New York and maybe that is why it might be closer to bangkok.. i only compare to the later because it is the sole capital I have visited in East Asia..
The City is very clean... for it's size, busy streets with cars and construction.. it is very quiet city... i am the only noisy one in the street... even those who are drunk they don't make such loud noise.. in cafes, restaurants, bars or trains people are not loud.. they respect the others and they make sure that their noise is not annoying people around them.
as a foreigner, you are so easily to be identified and sometimes you can be subject to suspicion or amusement.. our moves are different, looks, shape, colour... everything... so you will always be subject to a second look out of curiosity.. but not necessarily a stare...
the trains and underground are clean... people stay in their coats even if they have a long trip in the train and it is pretty warm... the only trains i have even been into in the north where they have the heaters below the seats.. yes.. they do :)which makes the seat pretty warm :).. it doesn't get as cold as NY or Canada.. yet they warm your seat :)pretty nice .. huh :) of course, i had a sense some stared at me when i took off 2 layers of my clothes to end up in a Tshirt because it seems crazy for them and i guess they always try to figure out where one is from.. but they never ask :)
people are very neately dressed... always carrying a bag.. men and women.. no one goes around without a briefcase, carrying bags.. big handbags.. it is a must here.. they don't like to carry papers or anything outside of their bags..some get small pocket books to read.. with small japanese kanji.. katakana or hiragana.. i can't tell of course.. it looks like riddles to a japanese illiterate like me :) also, they like cute small things.. they love to hang things in their phones and bags.. it is not a female thing.. or childish.. all of them.. one barely sees a mobile phones without cords with zillion little things hanging out of it.. dolls, balls, comic images.. anything.. but it won't jut be empty.
the TOKYO TOWER:
another experience, the Tokyo Tower was built as a symbol of pride and resistance .. i believe this whole nation is a symbol of both.. everything was so organized in the Tower.. again very clean ..it is like a replica of the Tour Eiffel.. but with the colours of Japan's flag. again, anyone answers your politely and they take your ticket .. allow you to get into the lift with a bow..
the view is close to that from the Roppongi Hill Club Restaurant which overlooks a big part of the city but the nice thing int he Tower that you can see all angles and they show you how many kilometers each famous city is far from the Tower.. like Yokohama was 25 Km.. etc
Exchanging money in a bank:
i am considered as a relatively polite person.. i don't like swearing or scolding.. and i greet people with a smile.. i got a shock to the level of greeting one gets in a japanese bank!
i went down to change currency.. the first one to meet in the bank is the info individual.. i asked .. i want to change dollars to yen.. i got a bow, a smile, a ticket and directions in japanese with hand gestures for me to understand where i should wait and for which teller.
very clean and organized surrounding.. waiting and watching people.. and now my number buzzed. .went to the desk with two chairs where i will sit with the teller/ customer service like individual to change my money.. i said hi.. i want to change dollars to yen.. she smiled and bowed before saying anything.. i had to sit so she can sit.. then we started the procedure.. you can see it is bureaucratic but it goes smooth and all the procedures take very short time.. after finishing the process.. she gives back the receipt.. the money and an enveloppe in a plastic plate.. anywhere you will have a plate to use to put your money and to get your change.. be it a shop or the bank..
when she was done ... i was still getting my stuff into my bag.. she stood up to greet me .. and she bowed like 2 or 3 times until i left her desk...
i am sure the japanese have very flexible back muscles :) but the signs of politeness in the greetings in anything official put anyone into humbleness..
Streets of Tokyo:
the size of the streets in Tokyo are strange.. they've a highway in the middle of the city... and some streets are more like alleys.. pretty small and the pavement is just a line on the ground to separate cars from pedisterians.. however, again it is sooo organized.. the small streets are all having mirrors installed inorder for the drivers to see who's coming from where... because these tiny streets are full of intersections...these streets are also two way streets while their width can only pass one car.. hence, the cars coming from opposite directions wait until the cars that are entering the street pass..
if you are a pedisterian and waited for a car to pass while standing by the crossing lines.. the driver will bow to you as a sign of gratitude..
they drive on the right side like the UK... pretty confusing.. but i drove last night on the highway.. for a change i had to abide by the speed limit being it the first time i drive on the opposite side of the street.. but except for few exceptions.. the drivers stick to their lanes in traffic jams.. again things are pretty organized and signs are everywhere... so it is fitting with everything in the City.
the Sushi bar in the Fish Market:
in my first days in Tokyo, Ragui took me and Mai to a Sushi bar in the fish market area for dinner... it was almost closing time for fish shops.. but i managed to take a glimpse of how it is.. again, cleaner than most of the fish markets i have been to... i have seen a head of a fish bigger than the head of a cow or almost the same size and i have seen the huge pacific ocean crab that is kep alive in ice cubes..
the sushi bar is not different than those abroad, like the one in harvey and nichols in sloan street in london.. yet, the fish was very fresh and i have found out that you prepare your own green tea.. they leave the tea in a pot with an amazing tiny spoon.. we had cups to use for the tea and a tab that brings out boiling water every 2 or 3 persons... it was strange, different and yet practical way to serve oneself. wasabi is not served automatic here, unlike sushi places outside japan... you have to ask for it but the ginger slices are left in a box next to the green tea and the chopsticks for the customers.
they use different plate colours to identify the difference in prices for whatever you pick... then when it is time to depart, they come and count the plates from each colour and make the calculation for the customers... you don't pay the waiters but you pay at the counter.
Meeting freinds in Japan:
one of the very nice things in this trip as always is the reunion with friends and catching up after a long time.. the first one i met was one of my Finnish friends who is now married to a diplomat from New Zealand and posted in Japan.. it was very nice to meet up for dinner .. but unfortunately, time was so tight to see her 2 little ones this trip.. hopefully next time we meet we will have more time together...
the other reunion was meeting 2 japanese diplomats whom i used to work with in NY.. we had lunch in a traditional japanese restaurant.. it was so nice.. the restaurant experience was new for me and it was also nice to catch up with them and see how things are...it was so funny that somethings i have noticed, they never thought of.. i guess when one is an outsider.. one sees things different than those in the place.. it is the same when people come and comment about us and they appreciate things or have a critical view to things that we don't notice at all...but i believe this is the nature of things..
New Year's Eve a la Japanese in Meiju Jingu Temple:
Instead of going again to Asakusa Temple for new year’s eve, Mai and I went to Meiji Jingu Shrine, which seems to be one of the most popular destinations for Japanese that night. The walk from omotesando to the beginning of the shrine was long, but I didn’t realize that the walk in the woods to the holy site is longer and in stony ground…
The pathway towards the shrine took almost 2 hours or more because it was packed. People were standing patiently and there was no real pushing or attempts to take over your spot… the maximum was few people would push you a bit when the walking gets to a halt or try to take you over from the sides without hitting you if possible. It was as if they were queuing… in the middle of the pathway, we had a big screen that broadcasted live the rituals in the temple.
Finally, at the end of the walk we reached a point where we were relatively crushed with people trying to throw their coins and make their wishes for the new year… the bar that was installed in order to prevent people from reaching the wide spot in front of the temple where the coins were thrown was about to fall… the security guards rushed to save it by their own bodies and they managed until we left that spot.
I wanted to go into the temple to band the drums, but the entrance fee was between 10 to 30 thousand yen… so I thought that is pretty expensive so I refrained from going in.
Later, I have discovered that people in Japan all through January they go to the shrines and temples in order to make their wishes for the New Year… many consider it more of tradition rather than religion. My guide in Nara told me that it is preferable for this trip to dress up formally or in their traditional kimonos. It is one of the occasions that Kimonos are worn at ease as a celebratory uniform or like feast new clothes for us.
That was my Japanese New Year’s Eve experience. Different I would say than our normal parties whether dancing parties or traditional gatherings in that night.
Kamakura Temples:
Kamakura is a small town, not far from Tokyo… very traditional whenever you get closer to the temples… the temples we visited that day were Buddhist temples… although it is very hard to make a full distinction in Japan between Buddhism, Shinto or Hindu deities. They mix all together and they consider them all as gods, each with a specific power except for Buddha who is the head master of all. It reminded me with Zeus and the Greek gods and goddesses or the Pharaoh deities from Atun, Raa, Horus, Isis or Osiris…
The day we visited, the temples were packed… it was during the national holiday in Japan and people were going to the temples for getting their blessings and making their new year’s wishes.
At the temples, people stand with great respect and humbleness… they bow, they clap their hands and then hold them together like in the Christian prayers. They later buy from Monks wishes or slogans of protection on small pieces of paper and they hang them to little wires that have been installed at the exit of the temples for that purpose.. but I got to understand from Mai that originally they should be hanged on trees but these wires were made as a substitute to enable the big numbers to hang their wishes as close as possible to both the temples and the trees.
In Kamakura, we found sweet potatoes like ours in Egypt. Mai and I were so excited and we had very nice roasted sweet potatoes that were really sweet. We also visited an old store where they had hand painted lacquer and Japanese style porcelain and crystals… it was nice to see the fine little cravings they had on many of the items… which was wildly expensive as well… it was good for watching but not buying :)
One more experience in Tokyo was the Metropolitan Museum which included the biggest collection of Japanese art crafts including pottery, samurai swords, deities and others from different eras of the Japanese history, the Edo, Nara and other periods.
The Museum is located in Ueno Park so close to the Ueno Zoo and in a complex of different museums including the nature and science museum and the western art museum… but unfortunately, my knee problem didn’t allow me except going for the first museum and couldn’t do more that day.
One evening we went to the Ueno area Mai and her friend Chiho for shopping… it was a different style of shopping in comparison to the other parts of Tokyo. It doesn’t have the lavish shops as Ginza or omotesando, yet brands were sold together with many handmade silver and leather products designed by the shop owners themselves. I managed to buy some shiseido products for relatively ok prices which are quiet expensive everywhere in the world, even in Japan. The place also had a big fish market place where fresh and dried fish were sold. I still hated the smell, but it is still not to be compared with our fish market or the fish market that I have visited in Thailand… in both I won’t last for 2 minutes because I can’t stand the smell… still here it was not nice but I was able to stand it for a change.
Akihabara and the electronics:
no one should laugh at this.. this reminded me with abd Elaziz Street in Cairo.. where you have zillion shops selling all kinds of electronics.. except that here.. electronics are the top notch thing .. so from selling used electronics to the latest models that have just been released are here... i spent almost a day here... electronic addicts shouldn't miss that spot.. it is still expensive.. we are in Japan.. but it is worth taking a look at least :)
Kabukicho experience:
This is supposed to be the notorious part of the city… the place where the Japanese Mafia is active, escort services and different shows take place here. Display of nudity is forbidden in Japan and prostitution is illegal… that is why, in comparison to Soho in London or the Red Light District in Amsterdam or Antwerpen... there was nothing to see on display… there were only people standing out trying to talk to the pedestrians to step in. the shops charge by the hour, hence you would be provided with a table and you can order drinks, snacks and men/women escorts would come to join your table to entertain you.. depending on the place… there were many gay spots “gentlemen clubs” where gay guys will get nice looking guys to join them… at the entrance of these shops, you would find gay guys standing out of the place to promote it… naturally, they don’t approach girls. The funny thing about the area is the way people dress and look… you will find blonde Japanese guys… some even wearing make up… and in other parts girls who are wearing too much make up or kimonos in order to show to the pedestrians what to expect inside the shops.
We ended up in Izakaya, which is the Japanese local drink spots… they are not bars in the traditional sense.. they have tables and no counter drinking… you can order snacks or drinks depending on your liking… we had dinner there.. I got a pizza and my friends had eaten sort of soup with vegetables and chicken.. it came raw and was cooked on the table on a little moving gas cooker... of course, I didn’t even dare to taste it.. neither the look, texture or smell would have made it easier for me to try :)
Hakone, Gotenba outlet and Mount Fuji:
We decided to go to Hakone area where there is a premium outlet stores in Gotenba in order to shop in the sale and also see Mount Fuji… Mount Fuji is like Mont-Blanc is Switzerland… the top of it is always white because of snow… shopping would be fun in Japan if you are millionaire and you don’t travel a lot… the first is because you won’t care how much you are spending over a bag, shoes or any accessory.. the latter is because you will lack the edge of comparison… brands are way cheaper around the globe than in Japan.. yet again, the prices that are so expensive to the visitor are affordable to the Japanese… I am not talking about the rich Japanese who are driving Ferraris and Bentleys… I am talking about those driving Nissans or Mitsubishis… anyways.. we all ended up buying little things, which are normally extremely expensive, but we were able to spot few good bargains…
The view was beautiful and guess what? … Fauchon was a regular coffee place in the outlet… those from many parts of the world; especially Cairo would understand why I am commenting on that pastry shop rather than others :)
On our way back, I took over driving for the first time on the right side of the car… strange and confusing but on highways it is relatively ok…because there are no twists, bends or going left or right… it is just a straight line driving… thanks for the traffic jam.. it took us more than double the time… and I have beaten my record by driving most of the way abiding by the speed limit… the reasons are obvious.. . the first one was in relation to driving for the first time in a strange set up and a new country.. moreover, Mai was already in panic of the highway, mountains and I couldn’t afford scaring her more… so, in brief.. in the Guinness record of Namira, this night can be recorded for driving an entire highway without exceeding 100 km per hour :)
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