Trip to Japan - 2006

Eric was informed he would be sent to Japan on business for two weeks in October. We decided to take this opportunity to celebrate our one year wedding anniversary in Japan and extended the trip to three weeks. Our itinerary included Shinjuku, Tokyo, Odawara, Hakone, Kamakura, Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Himeji. We had a wonderful trip in a beautiful country inhabited by the most gracious people.

For those looking to skim, we have highlighted some of our favourite albums (in yellow). Enjoy!



Before traveling to Odawara, we were based in the Century Hyatt in Shinjuku for a few days. This was quite a bustling area, with large crowds, bright lights, and all the eccentricities of the big city. The most fun activity in this region is people watching. We spent most of our time adjusting to the time difference and walking around the hotel area, which included Shinjuku Chuo park, a skate park, and a massive underground shopping concourse.

Shinjuku Chuo park has a similar feel to Central park in New York city, in that it is in the midst of a bustling city. There is a beautiful little shrine within the park, which we were quite excited to visit, since it was our first of the trip. We later discovered there are no shortages of shrines and temples in Japan. There are generally a fair number listed on any given map, and when you start exploring you find a vast number that aren't pointed out to tourists. We also came across large spiders throughout the park, which Eric was quite intrigued with; boys and their bugs!



Akihabara is best-known as one of the largest shopping areas on Earth for electronics, computers, and anime. First hand parts for the do-it-yourself PC builder are readily available, in addition to off the shelf items. We were surprised to see expensive merchandise, such as watches priced at $1000 CAN, being sold right on the street. We took a quick stroll down the main street and then headed to central Tokyo.



While in central Tokyo, we stopped in at the Imperial palace. We didn't have enough time to roam the grounds, as we were leaving for Odawara later that day. However, the palace itself was not open to the public, so we didn't miss too much.



Odawara initially flourished around the castle of the Hojo clan that ruled the area during the 15th century and it further prospered into the 19th century as a post town by the Tokaido, which was the main transport artery that linked Edo (former name of Tokyo) and Kyoto. Although a small city, Odawara was quite enjoyable due to its authentic Japanese feel. Despite its size, there was a fair amount of English spoken by the locals and it was conveniently situated at the junction of several major train lines. The main attraction of Odawara is the castle park, which includes the Hotoku Ninomiya-jinja shrine, a small zoo, a culture museum, a playground, and several gardens. In addition to the castle, we visited the tomb of Hojo Ujimasa & Ujiteru, the Dairen-ji temple, and another local temple. We stayed at Hotel Kunimi, which was a nice business hotel.



Kamakura hosts a huge number of Buddhist temples and a few shrines in the countryside. We visited a few that were recommended by the Lonely planet guide. Our first stop was the Hasedera temple, which houses Kannon as the principal image. The 9.18 meter high carved wood statue traces back to the 8th century. It has 11 faces, each with a different expression, suggesting the deity listens to wishes from all (every direction). The grounds were vast and beautiful. In the south east corner was Benten-kutsu cave, on the wall of which Benzaiten and 16 children were engraved. Our next stop was the Kotokuin temple, which houses the great Buddha (Daibutsu), Kamakura's most famous sight. The bronze figure sits 11.4 meters high and weighs 850 tonnes. From here, we traveled into the core of the city, stopping in at various temples along the way. We visited the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine, a shinto shrine dedicated to Hachiman (god of war). The grounds were quite large with four gated entrances. We continued on to the Enno-ji temple, which houses statues depicting the judges of hell. The principal image is Emma, an ancient Hindu deity known as Yama, who holds a mirror of Karma which reflects the good and evil deeds of the deceased. This was a fairly small temple with few visitors, but my favourite by far. Our last stop was the Kencho-ji temple, one of the five great Zen temples, which includes 10 main buildings and 10 subtemples. It currently functions as a Buddhist monastery and includes a Zen garden shaped like the kanji for 'mind'.



Hakone is a huge Japanese tourist attraction and is quite easily accessible from Odawara, where we were based. Many locals suggest it reminds them of Canada; we naturally had to add it to our itinerary. The major attractions of this area include the view of mount Fuji (on a good day) and Owakudani, a crater created in the last eruption of mount Hakone 3000 years ago. Sulfurous fumes, hot springs, and hot rivers are present in this area. Black eggs boiled in the naturally hot waters are available and believed to prolong one's life by seven years. Another interesting feature was a checkpoint, which was used to control the flow of weapons into Edo approximately 400 years ago. We also walked along the ancient cedar avenue, which was established in 1618. In addition, there are several museums, shrines, gardens, and amusement facilities. However, the most captivating part of Hakone, in my opinion, is the variety of transportation methods. Our route included trains, buses, a pirate ship, a ropeway, and a cable car.

After visiting Hakone and reading more about it, I decided to visit the Hakone-Yumoto area, which is a town famous for its hot spring onsens (baths). At first, the idea of an outdoor public bath can seem intimidating. However, once there, you realize it's quite the experience. The patrons could not be the least bit interested in people-watching. Everyone is there to relax and wash away the stresses of their daily grind. The word bath is slightly misleading, as its function is not to cleanse the body. Prior to entering the common baths, one must shower for this purpose. The baths are purely for relaxation. The area is well covered with trees, arbors, vines, etc., as is evident by my inability to capture a clear picture (the best ones are taken from the upper level of the women's change room, the men's change room is on the other side of the building).

The particular onsen I visited, Tenzan Notemburo, is a large complex with an array of features. There are several baths, each with a unique feature, whether that be the temperature, setting (indoor/outdoor), or architecture (large rocks, caves). The baths are arranged in increasing temperature, with the coolest one closest to the shower area. There is also a sauna next to the baths. In the change room, there is an upper level, which includes bean bag chairs on tatami mats, and automated massaging beds and chairs. There are several tatami matted areas within the complex for relaxation, along with a number of patios, and a restaurant.

While in Hakone-Yumoto, I came across a local shrine and Sounji temple, which was shown on the walking map of the area. Just outside the train station is a series of bridges, under which runs the Sukumo river. Here I found a few artists at work along with several people enjoying the view.



Hiroshima is a must see for all. The A-bomb dome was quite a sight. However, it is the museum that is absolutely gut-wrenching. The exhibits are incredibly well done and the goal is solely to promote peace through education. The mere 50 cent admission charge to the museum is evident of this. There is absolutely no soliciting permitted on the Peace Memorial park grounds and all its visitors are incredibly respectful. Eric and I got the impression that many of the local visitors have been affected by the event. There are many people today who face cancer, mental complications, and other symptoms due to the bombing.

You will notice cranes in several of the pictures. Here is the story behind it: Sadako was two years old when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. She was two kilometers away from the hypocenter. Most of Sadako's neighbors died, but she wasn't physically injured. However, at the age of 10, she was diagnosed with leukemia. Legend explained that anyone who folded a thousand paper cranes would be granted a wish, so Sadoko started this project. However, she only managed to fold 644 cranes before she died on October 25, 1955. Today, people all over the world fold paper cranes and send them to Hiroshima in order to keep alive the memory of children lost to the A_bomb.



After a long train journey, we arrived at Kyoto station, which was by far the most convoluted and impractical construction, but architecturally interesting. Here, we transferred from the shinkansen (bullet train) to the subway, which we rode to the south eastern region. We stayed at the Yachiyo ryokan for one night to experience a traditional Japanese environment. The ryokan was very cute and traditional – public baths, tatami matted rooms, low table. We were served dinner in our room and it was absolutely fantastic. We were incredibly full by the time dessert rolled around. They brought the food in a series of three courses. Afterwards, the table was cleared and the beds laid down. The following morning, we were served an incredible breakfast at the garden restaurant. We checked-out, spent the day in the south east and then headed to the Kyoto station area to check-in to the New Miyako hotel for the rest of the week. This was an elaborate hotel with several restaurants. They were in the process of decorating for Christmas during our stay, so we came down to a more festive lobby everyday.

While in Kyoto, we visited neighbouring cities and several attractions. The most culturally rich area was Gion, due to its authenticity. The brick lined roads were surrounded by inconspicuous wooden buildings, many of which only opened during certain hours to specific patrons (by invitation only). We actually spotted three geisha during our day there. The geishas seem to hold a celebrity status; when one walked by everyone stopped and reached for their camera. It was very paparazzi-like.

We actually spent the morning and evening in Gion and ventured out further during the afternoon, when we visited the Yasaka shrine. Newborn infants are brought to this shrine for registration, usually by their grandmothers. Yasaka shrine also hosts Gion Matsuri, one of Japan's largest festivals.

We also visited the Heian shrine, which is a 2/3 scale reconstitution of the Heian-period Imperial Palace. It was built in 1895 to commemorate the 1,100th anniversary of the founding of Kyoto. Here we met children who wanted to conduct a survey with us for their English class. After completing the survey, we were presented origami cranes as a sign of gratitude.

The Nanzen-ji temple is the head temple of the Nanzenji school of Rinzai Zen Buddhism and is the presiding temple of the Kyoto Gozan or "Five Great Zen Temples of Kyoto". This temple was conveniently located a mere 5 minutes from our ryokan.

We visited Nishiki Ichiba (Nishiki Market), also known as the “kitchen of Kyoto”. It is a large shopping area that extends about 400 meters from Teramachi to Takakura. The market is lined with shops selling fish, meat, dried goods, side dishes, and vegetables. In addition, there are several clothing, shoe, and souvenir shops as well as restaurants. Although I don’t generally enjoy shopping, I had a great time exploring this area.

We also visited Nijo castle, which consists of two concentric rings of fortifications, the Ninomaru Palace, the Honmaru Palace, and several gardens. This castle is an excellent example of social control manifested in architectural space. Low-ranking visitors were received in the outer, more gaudy regions of the Ninomaru, whereas high-ranking visitors were shown the more subtle inner chambers. Rather than attempt to conceal the entrances to the bodyguard rooms (as was done in many castles), they were displayed prominently with bright tassels. One of the most striking features of Nijo Castle are the "nightingale floors" in the corridors. To protect the occupants from sneak attacks and assassins, the builders constructed the corridor floors to squeak like birds when walked on.

We spent some time at the Kyoto Municipal Zoo, but it was rather disappointing. The animals seemed old and tired :p



Himeji Castle is widely considered Japan's most spectacular castle. Unlike many other castles, Himeji was never destroyed in wars, earthquakes or fires and survives in its original form. It is occasionally referred to as Hakurojo or Shirasagijo ("White Heron Castle") because of its brilliant white exterior. Himeji castle is both, a national treasure and a UNESCO world heritage site, and has been prevalent in the media. In addition to other films, portions of The Last Samurai were filmed here. In fact, while in the main tower, we saw a camera crew and actors dressed as Japanese policemen/security personnel studying their scripts.



We were able to cover a lot of ground while in Japan, primarily due to the fantastic train systems. We purchased a Japan Rail Pass prior to our departure, which enables unlimited access to JR trains, including bullet trains (speed: upwards of 300 km/h), for a given period of time (7 days, 14 days, etc.). This was a terrific deal and we highly recommend it to anyone who is eligible. It is intended for foreigners and can only be purchased outside Japan.

The subway system was fantastic in terms of safety and frequency, and the infrastructure was efficient and methodical. The fare is based on distance. A ticket is purchased prior to departure and used at the entry and the exit gate (at your destination). Fair adjustment machines are located by the exit gates of the station, in case you have made a mistake. This is ideal for foreigners who are having trouble gauging fares, since they can insert the minimum fare and pay the difference prior to exiting. The platforms have safety gates with sliding doors that superimpose the subway doors upon arrival. Lineups were formed on the lane markings along the platform to deter aggressive behaviour.

A key point: The trains arrive and depart *exactly* on time, down to the second.