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Published: October 4th 2010
From my experience, the best way to explore a city is by befriending the local people. It not only extends your network, but also enables you to go beyond the guidebooks and experience the favourite places of locals. More fascinating for me is the insight into the national psyche, and an opportunity to suspend the stereotypes that are regularly purported by those without an inner knowledge of the culture. Having met 'Yuta' in Shanghai, we were lucky enough to be invited into his friendship circle within Tokyo, and gain some exciting, intriguing and occasionally bizarre first hand experiences.
Our first meeting with Yuta and friends was on our day of arrival, where we had arranged to attend our first baseball game. We met Yuta, Taka, Nishi and Nobu at the metro and loaded up with beers and snacks. It was a strange feeling to stock up on green beans and noodles prior to a big sporting event.....not a pie in sight! I was really excited about this first experience of baseball, especially as I had learnt that it is a huge passion of the Japanese.
The stadium was only about half full, but was split in a similar fashion
to English football stadiums, with the home and away fans sat together, playing musical instruments and displaying their team colours. It was apparent however that this segregation was purely for the purpose of collaboration, and not to prevent trouble between fans. The etiquette of fans was also fascinating to observe, as there seemed unspoken rules as to their conduct. Each set of fans were allowed to cheer when their team were batting, and raucously sing a vast repertoire of chants and songs. However when pitching there was a hushed silence, almost allowing the other set of fans their moment to revel. It was also hilarious to participate in the 'umbrella' ritual of the Yakult Swallows fans; anytime a player got to first base, all of the fans would produce an umbrella and bob up and down for about 30 seconds. Even Yuta didn't know the significance of the umbrella!
Despite being used to the high intensity of English football, baseball was still interesting to observe for it's tactical complexities. The scoreboard is a vital tool for supporters, as it displays in a rage of coded neon the strikes recorded and foul pitches thrown. Although my flourishing knowledge of baseball
is by no means extensive, it was enough to know that our team, Yakult Swallows, got absolutely thrashed!
The highlight of the game was a sliced ball sailing high into the crowd, straight towards the outstretched arms of Nishi, the only self-confessed baseball enthusiast in our group. This was his moment. He watched the ball like a hawk would it's prey, confidently spread his expectant fingers into a welcoming web and prepared for the adoration of his peers and.....completely missed the ball. Of course I'm not saying I would have done any better, my coordination is so dire I didn't even realise the ball was in the air. However it was a slightly awkward moment for us all, as it was evident that his pride had been shattered and his 'moment' had ebbed away. He spent the rest of the game solely focused on the ball and twitching from his seat whenever it went anywhere near the crowd, desperate for his moment of redemption, muttering "I am a baseball fan, I am a baseball fan". Sadly, his second chance never came. Sport can be cruel.
Nevertheless, it was a great experience, and the 'boys' decided to take us
to a traditional Japanese inn and allow us to experience some new Japanese foods. Food is celebrated in Japan, seen as an experience and an essential part of the day rather than just as a necessary part of staying alive. The Japanese are very much aware that their food is an 'acquired taste', and indeed take pride in this. Many assume that their cuisine is not to Western tastes, and take either delight or surprise upon a Westerner enjoying any of their foods. Therefore there began an uncomfortable eating experience. " Yes of course I would like to try pig's stomach, who wouldn't? A delicacy you say? So it's raw as well, fantastic! Yes it does take rather long to chew.....just like, just like....chewing gum....mmm!". However Yuta and some of the others quickly detected my pretence and forced attempts at enjoyment, and would proceed to watch me intently during every dining experience for the next few days.
The next day we woke late, ate simply at an Italian restaurant (at the request of my stomach), and I explored Ueno market, weaving my way through a tantalising tangle of alluring eastern scents, aggressive fish merchants and twinkling jewellery. It was
noticeable that products were a lot more expensive than in China, but that the array and quality was perhaps slightly higher.
The evening crept stealthily upon us, and before we knew it we were slightly tipsy after a few hostel beers and once again meeting Taka in a bar in Roppongi. Now Roppongi is a district that is famous for it's garish nightlife, but also a prime meeting spot for Japanese women and Western men. There followed a hilarious evening of myself and Rich completely failing in spectacular fashion. We used every chat up line in our (limited) arsenal. We learnt Japanese phrases. We flattered, we flirted, we danced like a young John Travolta. Yet the women of Roppongi were somehow immune to our charm. However, the night was still great fun and at 5am we staggered into the dawn of a new day and into a nearby sushi restaurant with Steph and Eilidh, two Scottish girls that we'd met at the club. After playing a fun game of 'let the girls navigate and see how long we can spend on the tube without getting anywhere nearer our home stop', we flopped into our beds at a horribly late
(or early!) 8am, with Rich muttering how he was going to get up at 11am to go and climb Mount Fuji.
Of course the next day Rich had got no further to Fuji than the downstairs lobby, so after a curry for lunch we headed to Yoyogi park for a pleasant walk. Ironically we encountered in my opinion the nicest shrine that we had seen, even though Tokyo is not as well renowned for it's spirituality and cultural structures in comparison to Kyoto. We then progressed to the adjoining park which was a hive of individual expression; wannabe footballers practised their keepy uppy skills with a 'hacky sack', a bean bag that doubles as a football. Eclectic musical compositions swirled over the fields as the strains of didgereedoos, guitars and bongos combined to make an impromptu orchestra. We even spotted a man blowing bubbles the size of a car, delighting the enthralled children who hopped after them in pursuit. It was interesting to observe such a public exhibition of individual expression in a country that is known for the 'collective'. This was further proof that although group harmony, trust and respect are highly valued, there are many opportunities for
personal style and lifestyles which perhaps I hadn't expected. We ended the day with a wander through a Sri Lankan festival, and wound down the evening with a welcome dose of Premier Leaguer football as we watched Everton v Manchester United back at the hostel.
The next morning, we went to meet the Scottish girls that we had met previously; today we were going to Sumo! Although it would have made great material for this blog, I was just under the expected weight requirement, despite earnest attempts and a trail of McDonalds and Subway across Asia. Therefore we had to make do with merely being spectators, and we met Taka at the Metro. It was slightly bizarre to see GIANORMOUS, waddling men in dressing gowns plodding through the streets adjacent to the arena, being greeted like celebrities. In Japan, the Sumos are seen as sex symbols by many, and are given the same sort of media attention as footballers receive in the UK. However I feel the term 'athletes' is a little generous, as many of the wrestlers would struggle to tie their own shoe laces, let alone complete any sustained physical exercise. In the same way I found
it hilarious when one of the commentators described one of the wrestlers as being 'in poor physical shape'. Aren't they all!?
Although Sumo lacks the intensity of football, it was fascinating to observe how tightly tradition and sport are entwined in Japan. The actual wrestling was merely a culmination of five minutes of ceremony and preparation, as the wrestlers continuously take position, and then retreat to ring side, where they purify the ring by throwing salt and prepare mentally. The fights themselves varied greatly, with some restricted to just seconds as the superior wrestler eased his opponent out of the ring. However as the calibre of the wrestlers improved, so did the length and intensity of the bouts. It was possible to observe a range of styles, with some preferring sustained pushing contact, whereas others attacked in short bursts, almost slapping. I must admit that my favourite bout was one where the defeated wrestler was propelled from the ring and lost his balance. I pity the poor man in spectacles on the front row who looked up from his program just at the moment as he saw a pair of buttcheeks reminiscent of a rhino's crashing towards him. I'm all for getting close to the action, but not that close!
The whole experience was also heightened by having the company of Taka and his girlfriend, who filled me in on the significance of features such as the colour of the judge's gown (it changes throughout and is purple for the top wrestlers in case you're interested). We also had a disturbing mix up in communication where Taka announced that the judge has a sword attached to his waist because it his responsibility to disembowel himself in the middle of the ring if he is adjudged to have made a wrong decision. Upon seeing the horror upon my face as I wondered how they ever got this past health and safety, Taka quickly corrected himself and reassured me that this was in fact 400 years ago and wouldn't be happening that afternoon. Even so, I privately hoped that the judge wouldn't face the indignity of an incorrect ruling that afternoon, as I had already witnessed the ramifications of wounded Japanese pride at the baseball game!
We left having thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and arranged to meet Taka the next morning at the fish market. We were having a great time with Steph and Eilidh; although they had been travelling for nearly a year and visited 14 countries, they still had great enthusiasm for new experiences and seemed to complement each other perfectly. It was evident that Eilidh was in charge of 'operations', although she also had a wry sense of humour and could banter with the best of them. Steph on the other hand was extremely happy go lucky, and floated around acting on impulse. She had a great sense of spontaneity, and her piercing blue eyes sparkled whenever she sensed an adventure. I was a little bit smitten.
There ensued an impromptu night in a local bar, where I vaguely remember drawing caricatures of the barman and Eilidh trying to limbo under the legs of a 6ft 4 Ukrainian basketball player. For some reason I decided it would be a good idea to get an hours sleep before our trip to the fish market, and was awoken by Rich at 4am feeling decidedly rough around the edges. We piled into Taka's state of the art Subaru with Taka, Yuta and their Korean workmate, and raced through the deserted streets to Tsukiji fish market. Unfortunately we had just missed the morning rush, where the highlight is the tuna fish auction as huge tuna are sliced up and sold at auction. Nevertheless it was still possible to get an impression of scale and the mammoth effort involved to supply 16 million people with fresh fish every morning.
We qued up at a sushi restaurant attached to the market, where Rich and I exchanged glances where it was evident that we were feeling very sorry for ourselves. Having said that, the Sushi was splendid and prepared meticulously. The restaurant only seated 12 people and the four chefs seemed very relaxed and friendly as they assembled little pieces of art made from the finest slices of tuna belly and other exotic species. Of course Yuta watched me like a hawk, and would correct me at regular intervals whenever I made the cardinal sin of using soy sauce for the wrong fish. I was just glad that I kept it down, and was also delighted that I had ticked off my last 'must see' in Tokyo.
Later that day, Rich headed to the airport, and we bade farewell. It had been absolutely brilliant to travel with him, as I had anticipated doing the whole Japan leg of the trip independently. I was also quite humbled to find that Rich had secretly got all of the Japanese boys to sign the 'baseball of shame' that Rich had assured me he'd given to a boy at the game. I had been making several 'tongue in cheek' references to all of the presents we received gravitating towards him, so it was a great gesture to now have such a special memento of our trip. Rich had arranged that week to go to Australia to find some work, and we pencilled in plans to meet later in the year in New Zealand.
I spent the rest of the day with Steph and Eilidh, as we observed the human tidal wave of Shibuya crossing and explored the surrounding neon jungle and shops. The next morning I mooched around the Sony showroom and a photography gallery, and said my goodbyes to Tokyo, and indeed Japan.
It is very easy to romanticise a country and memories, and to remember a place with 'rose-tinted spectacles'. However the previous three weeks had been a cultural awakening that I hadn't envisaged in my preparations. Japan is such a unique nation that seems to inhabit a bubble in Asia, with food, manners and traditions that you will not find anywhere else. On the other hand, it has embraced many Western influences with two hands, and pioneers technology and fashion in their own special way. However it is the people that we met that will be the most vivid memory for me, who radiated trust and generosity that at times was beyond belief. In three weeks you can barely scrape the surface of a nation, but it was enough of a taste to result in the plotting of future trips as the Boeing 7-4-7 roared up the runway and elevated towards New Zealand.
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Kate Ince
non-member comment
Fascinating
Just read all your blogs. Really interesting, laughed out loud with some of the stories. Made me so want to go to Japan. Can't wait for the next entry. Keep the photos coming!! Is it worth getting on a plane to see Newzealand? Look after yourself you lucky thing. Wish I had travelled when I was young!