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SensoJi
Tree lined way to the Kaminari-Man (Thunder Gate) I (San) did this trip more than a year ago and had all the right intentions to fill up this blog as well as post up the pictures but this is a classic example where one gets caught up from apartment renovations, starting a new job (that is now history since 4 weeks ago), settling into KL etc etc etc. I did not even load the RAW file recognition software onto the newish PC until 4 days ago as I started to sit down and learn how to use the video editing software to turn the hours of tape from our RTW into something that hopefully will not put us and others to sleep. There is real redundancy in items until there is an element of sheer hard work imposed on an object.
So this is the restart of that sheer hard work.
Tokyo
A city where millions have set foot on or are dreaming to set foot on. I jumped at the chance to go on invite from a friend who was heading there for some work. Accomodation in Tokyo itself would be covered, air ticket free courtesy of Enrich miles, only the blind man talking
Cherry Blossoms 2
I didn't notice the bee until Richy pointed it out but it lends a nice touch, frozen in motion to the dead cat that was not there in the dark room won't go.
For those thinking of going to Japan but is reticent because of prices - Japan can be affordable if you scout around and are adventurous with the food. One of the best websites for any accomodation booking in the world that I have trawled through has got to be
japanesegeusthouses.com . It has been religiously used by mua since her inaugral solo trip in 2004 to Kyoto. I cannot gush enough about this group's professionalism, comprehensive website and straight forward, no bullshit service. So, if you are to plan a trip - use their invaluable service!!
For the few days in Tokyo,
Homeikan Ryokan was the place that I lay my head at night. A ryokan is a traditional japanese inn providing tatami bedding. Going to Japan and sleeping on a normal bed is like walking into a bar in Italy and odering an americano coffee, eating oreos without the middle, dancing ballroom with flats and shorts on, going to a wet market with a
Birkin bag. You lay you head on a soft pillow as the smells of the tatami straw mat accompany you to
Ueno Park
ahhh... the quintessential Japanese schoolgirls.... sleep.
On the main road leading up to Homeikan bordering the main entrance to Tokyo University, is a host of eateries and Izakaya's. Prices are not exorbitant and favourites can be whipped up if you do not find it on the menu.
Generally, Spring is a popular time for tourists to descend upon Japan for the beloved Cherry Blossom which begins around the end of March in the South and movement nothwards towards April. To beat the crowds, go earlier as the trees are already in blossom. Pictures here were taken mid March in Ueno park. I saw another side of Tokyo in the park.
It happened to be a Friday and a rag tag crowd of men were congregrated at the other end of the park by the fountains. Greys, blues and black jackets mushroomed out tanned and lined faces, all weathered, each telling a different unknown tale. I stayed to watch and with some unspoken word, lines were formed and traced its way to volunteers handing out fruit, bento boxes of rice and pickles and some drink. The line then webbed away to the fringes as hungry mouths opened to what is perhaps the one
complete meal of the week. Other than hunger, the one common trait shared amongst the group was age. Even with an critically aging population and a net population loss from dropping birth rates and negative immigration movements, the Japanese culture still carry strong views on agesim like majority of the world, where youth is favoured over age, where the elderly who lose their jobs are unable to find alternatives and do not go to family out of a deep rooted sense of pride intermingled with shame. I turned away to wipe the tears away from my eyes. It was not the direness of the situation but the unspoken respect that they quietly commanded from me.
This in stark contrast as I sat out in the cold open air in the one of the numerous Izakayas in Ameya-yokocho Arcade in the area sipping away at the frosty pint of beer and sampling steaming yakitori's. After the Shinjuku's and the Ginza's it was time to leave Tokyo be and head out to some quiet.
Nikko
A couple of hours away via the Tobbu-Nikko line, I was hoping for some bright spring days (Nikko afterall means sun).
This was not the be the case. Winter snow was still on the ground when I arrived in Nikko and while it is a bit of a trek to
Nikko Lodge , once you get there, it is all worth it being across Daiwa river. Looking at the current website, they have expanded to include a facility near the station. The Lodge, a mock tudor building, is set in a very pretty park area and if you are lucky you would spot deer. Once you walk in through the door, the warm air envelopes you. Should you not wish to eat in town, they do a fantastic Zen dinner that is so tasty yet healthy, which is rare. Even for a pig like me, I could barely finish the portion. Run by Ken-san and his partner, who was on leave when I was there, this place is 2 thumbs up. Oh, I might as well add in two toes up!
There are moments in your life when you have encounters which you know will leave you a different person, may it be just for a very short period of time. Meeting Ken San is one of those moments. That the first
Nikko at 6 in the morning
If not for the cold and rush for the train, I could have spent another 5 minutes sucked into this quiet scene. evening when he sat down across me with a beer and started to chat, "Where are you from? What are you doing in Japan?" The evergreen icebreakers.
I was highly appreciative of the facte that Ken san asked me whether I would like to go to a public bath and I jumped at the opportunity. It would be my first time at a public onsen where local families go to. This is the first time that I have been in the presence of so many naked women, not to mention children. Cutting across all ages, they came in all sorts of shapes ands sizes. Although I have always known it intrinsically, my mental models of what the female shape should be like is also very largely shaped by the constant bombardment of advertising. In an onsen, no matter, how small, how low hanging or how round you are, you just are. It is a real acceptance of the reality of form, in a communal setting. There is nothing to be ashamed of, neither is there anything to parade. This is a place where the activity of self cleaning is taken as an opportunity to catch up with friends, exchange
stories and get re-energised knowing that you belong to part of that community. A hard scrub at the taps and then into the indoor pool and then to the outdoor pool and then another cold shower and then into the sauna, then back for a cold shower and a dip in the pools, one can keep going! A reminder to be comfortable in my own skin, naked and sure. There are no pictures of course but just a gentle lesson that I am reminded of as I do this blog up. I may not like all my bits still but thats all I have! Yes, this beats all the temples and the walks etc.
Ken San, I don't know whether you would read this but if you do, I would like to thank you for your hospitality and your sharing of your life experiences which came at a time when I was at cross-roads (I still am but things are clearer) and also providing me with an invaluable cultural experience at the onsen!
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lrayu
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So beautiful!
These photoes is so beautiful.Ilove the Cherry Blossoms in Tokyo.also I like the Birkin bag. http://www.eurohandbag.com