Playing by the Rules in Tokyo, Nikko, and Kamakura

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As I mentioned in my last entry, Japan has been an elusive place for me. When I touched down with no noticeable seismic activity, I was relieved, albeit exhausted from almost no sleep on the 10 hour flight. I hopped on the train without issue which was my first introduction to Tokyo's intricate yet efficient and impressive metro train system. Train lines are everywhere and looking at the metro map initially was dizzying, but the helpful staff at the station pointed me in the right direction. I was happy that the little Japanese I remembered at least made me seem polite as I was able to ask where to go and thank the attendant even though I'm sure I made 4 year olds all across Japan sound elegant in comparison.

I found my way to my hostel in the Asakusa neighbourhood of Tokyo without problems, checked in, and immediately embarked on my first mission, one that I was very eager to accomplish... to find food. However, it was next to impossible to make a decision due to the extensive array of eateries. I couldn't make up my mind and tortured myself walking around for almost an hour before I finally chose a place out of desperation. I chose Niboshi Ramen, which is a soup noodle in a fish stock with pork and vegetables. Although it was delicious, my pallet wasn't exactly used to it. That said, it spring boarded my obsession with noodle soup (Ramen, Udon, Soba and the like) that I continue to grapple with wherever I go. Even though I was exhausted, I managed to muster up the energy to explore a bit more of Asakusa, which is what some people call "Old Tokyo" and I loved wandering the narrow streets in the twilight, enjoying the traditional styled buildings and checking out the main sights of Kaminari gate and Asakusa shrine, which were impressively illuminated. However, with my energy levels depleted, it was early to bed for me.

I was able to get an early start to the day and I planned on exploring some of the other neighborhoods around Tokyo such as Shibuya, Harajuku, and Shinjuku. I was getting the hang of navigating the metro lines and I was incredibly impressed with the organization of it all. The thing that struck me the most of Tokyo so far was the cleanliness, efficiency, and reserved demeanor of such a metropolis. Everything seemed quiet and the chaos that often comes with such a colossal city was absent. Although I knew that Japan was unique in this way, I was still impressed with the politeness and respect that everyone showed each other and myself and the efficiency in which everything was done. Even the busy Shibuya crossing, which is probably one of the most busy street crossings in the world, functioned in such an organized fashion. That said, the contrast to such reservation is the glitz and glamour of the soaring video screens and neon signs that scatter these neighborhoods making everything seem like an Asian Las Vegas. I managed to see a real live Harajuku girl who agreed to a quick photo. Walking the streets of Harajuku was broken up nicely with a stroll through Yoyogi park to the Meiji Shrine, my first introduction to Shinto. In Shinjuku, I managed to have my first sushi experience of the trip which was served up on a stereotypical conveyor belt system. It was delicious, although having the array of sushi available in Vancouver made it somewhat anti climactic. After building up a bit of a buzz at sushi, I continued on to a British style bar where I was approached by two older Japanese women who were interested in my trip. Before I knew it we were well into happy hour and my sightseeing for the day was over and transformed into bar hopping. I decided to continue the foreigner theme and went to a bar known for its expat crowd called Hub. There, I met a half Japanese American who has been working in Japan for the past three years and his friend from the Philippines who was teaching English. An Italian joined the mix who was also living in Japan and although the 3 of us only knew each other for a few hours, it seemed like we were long lost buddies. Hearing their experiences had me intrigued and fueled my desire to pursue a working trip one day that was sparked by my Shanghai friends. The one and major limitation of the advanced metro system in Tokyo is the fact that it shuts down around midnight. Unfortunately, this has the tendency to strand people (mainly gaijin) in certain areas and I unfortunately fell into that trap. The result was a very expensive cab ride, so it was a mistake that cost me.

The next morning was a bit fuzzy, but I was determined to check out the Tsukuji fish market, site of the famous tuna auctions. Because of my later start to the day, I missed most of the action, but I was still able to wander around the vast network of fish vendor stalls and spotted some gigantic tuna heads that were results of a recent filleting. Due to the lengthy lines, I never got to get some fresh sushi there, but it was a fun time nonetheless. As my energy was fading, I decided it would be a perfect time to grab a few convenience store beers and enjoy some sakura (cherry blossom) viewing. It seemed like I was starting to really think like a nihon jin (Japanese person) because when I got to the main walkways, it was sprawling with young Japanese sharing sake and food. I found a nice spot near some stairs, spread out in the lowering sun and enjoyed my ice cold beverages. As the sun was setting, I grabbed some yakisoba at a food stand and went back to enjoy some more of Shibuya in the night. However, it was early to bed as I was to explore Nikko tomorrow.

Nikko is about a 2 hour train ride outside of Tokyo and famous for it's mountain landscape, onsen (hot springs), and heavily decorated Shinto and Buddhist mountain shrines. Because I missed a train connection, I was really only able to check out the Toshugo shrine, Japan's most lavishly decorated. It was neat to view this unique area situated among towering ceder trees. Even though my stay was short, I still really enjoyed the crisp air and mountain surroundings of Nikko, not to mention the impressive shrine. The next day was reserved for another day trip, this time to Kamakura, which is about an hour train ride away. It's a coastal town famous for it's large bronze Buddha and other temples and shrines. I was happy to discover a bike rental place just outside the train station, as my dogs were barking from all the walking in Tokyo. Furthermore, due to my lack of research, I was surprised to discover quite a nice beach, which created a real surfer vibe as I cruised along the prominade. Inspired by this vibe, I decided to have a delicious burger at a California styled beachfront restaurant with awesome acoustic guitar music. Because it was unusually quiet, I was able to chit chat with the Japanese server there, who revealed she did a home stay on Vancouver Island and admitted she hoped to return to Vancouver one day. It was a nice introduction to the laid back, friendly attitude that seemed to be par for the course as I cruised around and checked out the main sights Kamakura had to offer. Sadly, I had to leave, and because it was my last night in Tokyo, despite it being a Wednesday, I had to venture out for a night on the town. However, to get in the right frame of mind, I decided to recharge the batteries at the best urban onsen (public hotspring bath house) in Japan. Oedo Onsen Montogatari is an Edo-period styled onsen theme park, the only one of its kind. When you arrive, you are given a colourful yukata (Japanese styled robe) and enter a series of restaurants and shops, which reminded me of a mall food court, and then enter the public baths. This is probably one of the most Japanese things you can do, and they have absolutely perfected it. Needless to say, it was a magnificent way to soothe my aching muscles from days worth of walking and I would consider moving to Japan just to be able to do this on a regular basis.

I was doing a lot of reading on the nightlife in Tokyo, which has an epic reputation, so I decided to go big and head to Womb, which is a 4 floor nightclub voted one of the best nightclubs in the world by Djmag. I managed to meet a Japanese girl at my hostel who had just returned from studying a year in Australia and shared my love for electronic music. Needless to say, she was down to experience what Womb had to offer. When we arrived, we were disappointed to find out that because it was weeknight, they only had one floor open, which was quite small. However, that didn't hold back the Djs who pumped electronic music well into the night Tokyo style. To avoid being long winded, I'll leave it at that. However, needless to say, Tokyo gave me a very Tokyo-esque exodus.

My time in Tokyo was an amazing introduction to Japan. And as you can probably tell, I could go on and on. The efficiency of such a metropolis, along with the politeness, respect and stoicism of the people was remarkable. Add state of the art technology and a quirky, borderline bizarre "modernized Japanese" subculture, and Tokyo is a city that's unlike any other that I've been. That said, it's time to switch gears to the more traditional cultural hub of Japan... Kyoto.

Stay tuned!

J

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Comments

[Kevin Nelson]

Yeah Jay!
Great entry Jay. Sounds like you saw a ton and really captured the contrasting personalities and awesomeness of Tokyo. Enjoy Kyoto! Such a spiritual and beautiful place. I look forward to hearing your impressions. Have fun and be safe!