No matter the place...

The silver lining of our convoluted flight path back to Dubai (who ever thought three layovers and 24 hours of flying was a good idea?) was the chance to meet up with good friends, Keith and Jeannie, at the Singapore airport.

Keith and Jeannie and their adorable kids were in Singapore for a short getaway and were kind enough to head out to the airport to meet up with us for dinner as we waited for our next flight. 

Many thanks to little M + L for staying up long past their bedtimes to make the trek with their parents to see us.  Although the two of us were pretty disheveled and not at our best, it was such a treat to be able to reconnect and our catch-up totally re-energized us for the rest of the long trip home!

A few of our favourite things...

There are so many cool things in Japan.  Here are a few of our favourites.

Smoking Hubs

Although smoking is still quite prevalent in Japanese culture (all hotels still offer smoking rooms), some legislative changes have made it far more difficult to smoke around the city.  In Tokyo, “smoking hubs” have been set up to ensure that smokers don’t bother other pedestrians and that cigarette butts don’t litter the streets. 

Vending Machines

It is impossible to be thirsty in this city because there are vending machines absolutely everywhere.  You often cannot walk more than a block without having the option to buy a drink (including cold and hot coffees) or cigarettes or a snack.  There seem to be so many vending machines that some of the machines actually offer discounts just to draw in business.  We still cannot figure out who goes around to fill all of them – it would be a never ending job for thousands of people.

Hi-Tech Toilets

The toilets have all the bells and whistles you can imagine and make bathroom stops a full experience.  They can wash and dry, make flushing sounds while you go so no one has to hear anything, emit pretty odors after you are done and even have a radio for your entertainment.  But the best part is the heated toilet seat…a small way to make cold winters a little more tolerable.

8-Storey Stores with Awesome Gadgets

The Japanese have always been leaders in robotics and have also come up with so many other awesome and functional gadgets.  And so they have created stores, such as Tokyo Hands, to showcase all of them.  These stores can often be 8-storeys high, with each floor offering different themes of goods.  You could spend a whole day just looking at all of the innovative gadgets. 

Accessibility Features

Whether in the subway or hotel elevators, Japan goes beyond the norm to create an accessible city environment.  It was very common to see older people with walkers smoothly navigating the subway tunnels or tearing around the streets.  It certainly seems to be helping people stay active and engaged...

Delicious Japan

Japanese cuisine is considered one of the highlights for most travellers.  Japan's passion for food paired with so much fresh produce inspires many tourists to create travel itineraries centred around eating. 

Eating in Japan, however, is known to be trickier for vegetarians.  As Japanese use protein (primarily fish protein) as a base, accommodating for vegetarian palettes can be tricky.  Everything - even sweet treats- can unexpectedly have something fishy sprinkled in! 

During Geoff’s last visit to Japan, there were many days when he had to skip meals due to the lack of options available and a communication mishap or two involving sea “cucumbers”.   So, this time, we came prepared, stacking up on as many protein bars as we could carry and a bag full of snacks leftover from our Indonesian retreat. 

We quickly and happily learned that Tokyo had evolved greatly since Geoff’s last visit 10 years ago.  With language as less of a barrier and a health movement that has seen more Japanese becoming vegetarian, eating in Tokyo was actually a pleasure.  It is admittedly a bit trickier outside of Tokyo but we still managed to find completely reasonable options.

In Tokyo, however, we found numerous vegetarian and vegan restaurants around the city that offered creative and delightful meals.  One restaurant – Bon - prepared a divine 6-course vegan tasting menu, using a variety of local vegetables we had never heard of before.  Another was a 2-Star Michelin restaurant - Daigo - which prepared a gorgeous full vegetarian menu and offered delightful service.   There was even a vegan restaurant in Tokyo station - T’s (or Tan Tan) - that was so good it consistently had a 20 person line-up…  and so good that we happily waited in that line and went there 4(!) times during our stay!

What was one of our biggest trip concerns  turned out to be a true highlight.  In many ways, it was some of the best dining we've had during our travels. 

Rain, rain go away...

After two days of pouring rain and only one small travel umbrella, we needed to find a better solution.

Hail to UniQlo's raincoats that fold up into the size of a pair of socks!

We got the same style but different colours.  That's not considered matching, right??

Hiroshima's Strength

If you visited Hiroshima without knowing its history, you likely wouldn't have any idea that it had been virtually annihilated during WWII.  The city is bustling, with buildings and parks and activity all around. 

But they will never forget.

In the heart of the city is the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, which includes the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.  The museum explores the lead-up to the dropping of the first atomic bomb as well as its devastating effects.  It  does so in a very journalistic style, focusing heavily on facts, photos, artefacts and collections of belongings left by the victims.  The museum was incredibly powerful and utterly devastating and somehow managed to convey the horror of the event without a heavy focus on apportioning blame.  This helped to reinforce its underlying message - a call for the destruction of nuclear weapons and a focus on sustained peace.

A replica of the Atomic Bomb

The Memorial Park surrounding the Museum has a number of memorials and monuments, including the Memorial Cenotaph displaying the names of all of the victims, the Children’s Peace Monument and the Atomic Dome, which was the only structure that partially survived the bomb.  There is also a Peace Flame, which was lit in 1964 and will remain lit until all nuclear bombs on the plant are destroyed.

The Memorial Park is a constant reminder of the devastation that was thrust upon the city.  But the beautiful cherry blossoms and regrowth that has bloomed around and beyond the Park suggests that life can emerge again after such horror.

Haunting Miyajima...

Our hotel in Hiroshima was located next to the Seto Inland Sea rather than the downtown core, making it an easy launch point for a quick trip to Miyajima, one of the holiest villages in Japan.

In the 800s, monk Kabo Daishi descended Mt Misen and made this spot the site for the Shingon sect of Buddhism.  Over the years, great care has been taken to preserve the town's classical Edo-era look, giving insight into what life must have been like over 1,000 years ago.  The connected Miyajima Shrine, now a UNESCO heritage site,  appears to float on the water at certain points in the day and has become one of the most photographed sites in all of Japan.  

What started off as a grey day, turned to rain just after we bought our non-refundable boat tickets and escalated to a full-fledged downpour by the time we reached the quaint town.

Unable to change our plans, we carried on, huddling as best we could under our one small travel umbrella.  Within minutes we were absolutely drenched.

Regardless of the weather, the town itself was lovely, with charming Japanese homes, well-maintained cobbled streets, gorgeous cherry blossoms and the striking orange shrine nestled on edge of the water.  The experience was made all the more sweet by the deer that randomly wander through the streets greeting all the guests.

In retrospect, we have convinced ourselves that the rain and fog made the town feel all the more mystical.   But in reality, we know that the potential flu we are likely to catch from being so wet and cold was all the result of our last minute decision to change our travel plans and head to Numazu the next day, rather than giving ourselves the extra day in Hiroshima we had originally scheduled.  Naturally, our switched travel day that we spent on the train to Numazu was stunning and bright.  And our day in Numazu poured with rain and prevented us from seeing Mt. Fuji, our entire reason for visiting....

Sugamo's Shopping Street

As Japan has one of the oldest average age populations in the world, it is not surprising that they have a shopping neighbourhood that caters specifically to the older generation.  Sugamo Shopping Street, its formal name, is often lovingly referred to as the “Harajuku of the old ladies”. 

Naturally, Beth couldn’t wait to go and check it out.

The street itself is flat and fully accessible, with gentle slopes to separate the street from the sidewalk and the sidewalk from the shops.  This also helps to prevent flooding from any rain.  The main square has lots of benches with a wide open space in the center for people to gather.

The crosswalks are brightly coloured with perforated colour blocks for those who may have vision challenges.  The crosswalk signage is bigger and louder than those in the rest of the city.

One has to wonder if this is what streets of the future look like – easy to walk and accessible to all.  It certainly gets you in a cheerful shopping mood…

Broken Robots...

We are reluctant to even write a post about our evening at the Robot Restaurant, considering how bad it was.  

Although it came highly rated on travel sites and was touted by numerous celebrity visitors (including Katy Perry – who actually visited twice!), the Robot Restaurant was a total disaster. 

They called it a “Robot Show” but there were no real robots.  Just terribly cheesy acts with cheap looking props and actors you sensed would rather have been anywhere else.  

Sometimes reviews aren’t all they are wound up to be….

UniQlo Serves For the Win

Although Japan is enjoying a fairly warm spring, our current wardrobe has certainly not been warm enough.  

As such, we made a trip (or two) to UniQlo to support the local favourite shop and also one of our favourite tennis players, Novak Djokovic.  

With limited choices, we bought some remarkably similar sweaters and rain jackets which is only going to enhance our already serious problem of matching outfits....

Booming and Brilliant Tokyo

The world’s largest city is an intriguing and complex metropolis.  Its architecture has been heavily influenced by two major events – the 1923 Great Kanto earthquake and the extensive bombings during WWII - both which ravaged the majority of the city.  As such, the urban landscape is relatively new and has a very practical, albeit slightly less grand, feel.  

What the city lacks in architectural “wow factor”, however, it makes up for in efficiency and cleanliness.  In a city of 30 million people, we have yet to see a piece of garbage littering the street or graffiti on the side of even one building.  The streets actually look like they are washed everyday.

This pride of ownership and respect for community can be felt far beyond the architecture:  For example:

• Lines to get on and off the subway are orderly with the first arriver getting the front place in line and the others forming neatly behind as they arrive.  
• Payments at stores or restaurants are made by placing the cash or credit card neatly in a dish for collection and then returned accordingly after the purchase is completed.  
• Hordes of people show up for cherry blossom celebrations and sit on massive tarps under the blooming trees and every single person takes their shoes off before stepping onto the sheet to ensure things are kept neat and clean.
• People wear masks not only to minimize allergies from the pollen but also to prevent the spread of illness when they are feeling unwell.

Being surrounded by people who are so aware and conscientious of those around them inspired the better in us too.  We naturally found ourselves refraining from talking on the subway and checking our shoes before getting in a taxi to make sure we didn’t accidentally bring in any dirt.  The sense of community is intense even in such a big place.

There are so many fascinating areas in Tokyo...  

• Shibuya - A prime shopping area where thousands of people hurry across a 4-way crosswalk - The Shibuya Crossing - on weekends.  
• Harajuku - The home to Tokyo’s fashion district and a surprisingly popular place to buy popcorn.  Lines for Garrett’s popcorn shop start half an hour before opening and curl around the block by the time the store opens its doors.  
• The Imperial Palace - This district offers beautiful places to walk, with a serene river lined by stunning cherry blossom trees. 
• Akasaka - One of Tokyo's central business districts and full of corporate headquarters and gorgeous hotel
• Ginza - The prime shopping and entertainment district which houses some of the most expensive real estate in the city.

Tokyo has so many interesting areas and hidden gems, you could spend a month here sightseeing and barely scratch the surface of all it has to offer....

Reflection

The Gates to the Meiji Shrine

Although Japan has two dominant religions – Shinto and Buddhism – locals seem quite utilitarian when it comes to practicing, often choosing one or the other depending on which best fits the particular occasion.  For example,  many associate Shinto rituals with birth and wishes for success and Buddhist practices with  ceremonies around death and remembrance. 

Tying up the bad fortunes

Japanese appear to believe very strongly in the power of a wish and good luck and many go to pray at the Shinto Shrines when they are eager for something to go their way.  There are numerous good luck charms that people carry with them to promote things like safety, good fortune and  health.

A place to write wishes

There are also some beautiful associated rituals.  Making wishes is often a strategic process involving the tossing of a coin, clapping or bowing and clasping one’s hands together.  There are also plaques for people to write down and then hang their wishes.  

In addition, people often collect their fortunes at the shrines.  Those who receive good fortunes carry those notes with them but those who receive bad fortunes tie them to a nearby fence to ensure the bad fortunes are left behind when they leave. 

MEIJI SHRINE:

Sake offerings

Undergoing the cleaning ritual before entering

Meiji Shrine in Shibuya is widely considered Tokyo’s greatest shrine and was built in 1920 to commemorate Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken.  The Emperor is credited with bringing Japan into the modern era during his reign in the 1800s.  The Shrine is visited regularly by locals, particularly around New Years where over a million people coming to make wishes for a good year ahead.  Extensive offerings of sake and wine line the walkway to the actual shrine.    While visiting the Shrine, we were lucky to stumble on a Shinto wedding taking place – with the bride wearing a hathorn (a large hat to "cover her horns"!) and the bride and groom and their immediate families marching through the square.

SENSO-JI:

Senso-ji is an ancient Buddhist temple in Asakusa.  It is Tokyo’s oldest temple but has embraced modern elements to stay relevant and appeal to the youth.   As an example, it hosts Tokyo’s largest and most popular festival, Sanja Matsuri.  At the entrance to the grounds is a large “thunder gate”, featuring an enormous paper lantern that is said to weigh 700kgs.  The gates open onto a thriving shopping arcade where local treats and knick knacks abound.

ZOJOJI TEMPLE:

The Zojoji Temple in Minato is a shrine that is primarily and visited by locals, rather than travellers.   It is located in the business district and was abuzz during lunch hour as people came to enjoy the outdoor spaces and take time for reflection.  The Temple leaders here have also worked hard to ensure its continued relevance for today’s generation, often projecting installations onto the attractive buildings.

One of the touching features of this Temple is the Unborn Children Garden which hosts rows of stone child statues representing children who were lost before their time.  Parents can choose a statue in the garden and decorate it with small clothing and toys.  Most also have pinwheels spinning the in the wind to embrace the free nature of the children and also draw in more adults and children to reflect on the deeper message.

When in Japan...

Eager to embrace the Japanese culture, we opted to stay in a Tokyo Ryokan rather than a hotel.  These traditional inns originated during the Edo period (1600-1870) and generally feature tatami-matted rooms, communal baths and large common areas.  Many ryokans will serve breakfast and dinner, and we enjoyed the breakfast (particulary the incredible toast) to the fullest.  

During the day, the room is set-up as a living room (with a table, chairs and items for making tea).  In the evening, the room is transformed into a bedroom as the light furniture is moved to the side and some futon mattresses are laid on the floor as a bed.  

The Edo Sakura Ryokan where we stayed was a fairly modern Ryokan, with very clean and remarkably functional rooms and private bathrooms.  There were also public baths available, which we tried, but it was by no means the only choice for getting clean in the morning.    The futons were thin but reasonably comfortable and we slept well during our stay.

Ryokans offer some of the best of Japanese culture – brilliant and functional design, incredible attention to and pride in the small details, hosts that are kind and eager to make you feel comfortable - and offered an unexpected highlight of our trip.