Japan – Episode 7 (Tokyo)

Today we spent our last full day in Japan back in Tokyo. It was like seeing a familiar friend after a period of immense confusion. Our last day was spend more off the cuff with heavier focus on hot spots that were missed the first 3 days in Tokyo. After a 2.5 hour train ride from Kyoto, we hurried to our AirBnB home. This will be the 8th place we stayed at during the course of our vacation! The host Paula was not at home yet but was quick to respond electronically and gave us a number of restaurant suggestions. As late lunch came around the corner, we headed over to a gyoza (Japanese dumpling) spot that Paula recommended. For 500 yen per person, roughly $4.20, we got the lunch special that consisted of soup, 12 dumplings, a small side of sautéed bean sprouts and a bowl of rice. So delicious!!!

After lunch, we immediately hopped on the subway and made our way to catch a siting of the Imperial Palace. We were not able to go in as you have to make reservations prior but the view from across the moat was spectacular enough. At this point, the sun was starting to set so we caught some nice colors that streaked through the sky.

On our way back to the subway station, we took a stroll through Hibiya Park, a park that isn’t necessarily a notable attraction but it was very pleasing to the eye with large, oak trees lined with amber and yellow colors.

Next stop was at Ginza to visit the Sanrio (think Hello Kitty) flagship store. At this point, the fatigue was starting to set in. It’s one thing to navigate the many line transfers by subway and arrive at the correct stop. It’s another to actually find the destination. Siri failed us repeatedly but probably weren’t feeding Siri the correct information anyhow. After a little bit of help from friendly locals, we arrive at Sanrio where I was on a mission to find Gudetama, a lazy egg. This is one of Sanrio’s newest characters and has not been distributed in the US yet. And yes, the mission was accomplished!

After Ginza, which by the way has some of the most high end shopping and for this reason we quickly left, we headed over to Shinjuku. Shinjuku is an area known for its gaming and electronics and is very popular among younger crowds. It is also one of Tokyo’s largest neighborhoods. Here, we wanted to check out its Christmas display which consisted of a large Christmas tree display that changed colors, designs and music every time someone placed their hands on a touchpad. This seemed to entertain the crowd for awhile.

After Shinjuku, we shopped around here and there and grew more and more tired. We made our way to the Meguro neighborhood and stood in line at a restaurant that had a line out the door. When we finally were able to make our way inside, we saw there were people inside waiting patiently as well. What I love about the Japanese is how orderly they are. As one party gets called to sit down, the remaining parties waiting move down the line and wait their turn. No one tries to cheat the system. There is no wait list. Everyone just follows the rules and waits their turn. In 30 minutes, we were seated at the sushi bar that had a conveyor belt of sushi floating along. Sushi train! Noticing quickly that there wasn’t a ton of premium fish going down the conveyor belt, we ordered fatty tuna, scallops, salmon and more tuna off the menu. Each time we ordered we had to ask a server to come help us fill out the order sheet by pointing to items on the menu which thankfully had pictures.

Exhausted and full, we later got back home and met our host, Paula, a translator and researcher from Colombia who has lived in Japan for 7 years. She said she has always loved Japanese culture and since she was little wanted to make her way over here. At first, she was a bit lonely but now she can’t imagine living anywhere else. It’s interesting to me how people are capable of living so far out of their comfort zones. In fact, all of our AirBnB hosts in Japan are not natives but now live in Japan permanently. For someone like me who has always lived in Colorado, it is very intriguing. It also makes me wonder how my grandma, mom, aunts, uncles, etc felt as they left their motherland. I’m sure by now the US is home but I’m sure the experience was daunting the first few years or even more.

Tomorrow we have a very short day in Tokyo before we hop a plane to come back to Denver. This trip has been an amazing and humbling experience. I encourage everyone to travel and try to understand different cultures. Also, spend time with your relatives both near and far. There is so much that family can teach you!

Japan – Episode 6 (Kyoto)

Today we walked a lot. We walked to the top of the Fushimi Inari Shrine. We walked to the top of Monkey Mountain at Arashiyama. We walked to Tenryuji Temple via the bamboo forest. We walked to dinner and we finally walked home. We walked 38,760 steps, 17.2 miles and 260 floors!

The walking was worth it as tired feet and knees were refreshed again and again through beautiful scenery. The Fushimi Inari Shrine was a must see for us coming in. Its’ winding hill path has thousands of red arches over it. These arches have been donate over the centuries by families and businesses seeking prosperity. The path is marked at 17 different places with small restaurants and tea shops. The arches and these shops as well as the many small shrines along the way create a festively peaceful atmosphere. It took us a bit over 2 hours round trip to enjoy the shrine and it was fantastic.

Out next stop was lunch on the outskirts of the Arashiyama area. A quiet lunch with tofu cooked several different ways. On a food note, we’ve come across very few vegetables but pastries are aplenty however pastry shops generally don’t sell coffee or have seating which is odd. Also, smoking in restaurants here is common. Lunch was tasty though!

With full bellies it was on to Monkey Mountain. We somewhat hesitatingly paid our $5 apiece entry and thought maybe we wouldn’t see any monkeys. Asking a couple along the way we asked, ” do you see monkeys?” They quickly replied, “yea, tons of them.” That was the truth. Atop the mountain there were at least 23 Macaque monkeys milling about a loosely constructed shed. You could walk right among these wild animals and we’re just asked not to, 1. Stare them in the eye 2. Touch them 3. Feed them. While the latter 2 were easy the first was difficult as they didn’t shy away from eye contact and I was interested in getting close up photos! No trouble though and a memorable experience.

Having gone 20,000 steps at this point we were a bit tired. The Arashiyama Area proved to be quite large and the map was a bit difficult to make out so we only made it to a couple places. The bamboo forest was a real highlight as the poles of bamboo stretched high and enclosed the path with a warm green glow dappled by filtered sunlight. We also visited Okochi Villa which was constructed by a Japanese movie star in the late 1800’s. It contains a finely kept garden that allows a 15 minute stroll through laid rock steps, unite shrubs and views of the mountains and structures of Kyoto beyond. At the end of this walk we were given a cup of whipped matcha and a biscuit which was tasty.

From here we faltered as I couldn’t decipher the map in time to make it to Gioji temple before its’ 4:30 close time. It was okay though as our marathon site seeing had us feeling ready to take a rest. We made our way via rail , subway, and, of course, walking, back to our home.

After some relaxing it was off to Manmarutuki restaurant per our hosts suggestion. They are famous for their okonomiyaki which is a fancy omelette. Sitting at the bar watching 3 chefs furiously working we enjoyed a Sapporo and then ate too much. The food was especially tasty!

It was a grand day of sites and personal record setting steps! Tomorrow one last stop in Tokyo before we head back home!

Japan – Episode 5 (Kyoto)

One would think the transit system in Kyoto would be much easier than the Tokyo transit system. In Kyoto, there are fewer lines, fewer people and the general atmosphere feels much more laid back. Even so, we still can’t navigate our way around. Only today did we finally figure out where we live. Most street signs are not in English so thankfully our GPS phones can help guide the way a little bit. So this morning, after roughly 30 minutes, .25 miles walking, we found a breakfast spot that is only supposed to be 2 blocks away. We had hoped to gather ourselves over coffee and pastries but this bakery did not have a sitting area so we ate standing on the side of the road like messy foreigners.

A taxi then took us to Kinkaku-Ji temple aka the Golden Pavilion. Built in 1397, This temple supposedly houses the remains of the founder of Buddism, Sakyamuni. The temple was burnt down in 1950 and restored again in 1955. While crowded with tourists, the placid, carp filled pond was a reflection of peacefulness and beauty.

After Kinkaku-Ji, we successfully got on a city bus and headed up Ginkaku-Ji aka the Silver Pavilion. This was David’s favorite temple of the day. It was built on 1489 and has amazing manicured gardens and zen sand gardens that are clearly meticulously designed and maintained to optimize the melding of architecture and natural beauty. Gnarled bonsai trees and colorful oaks surrounded a path that led up to a wonderful overview of the grounds and city.

We then headed south and walked along the Philosopher’s Path, named after Kyoto professor whose zen meditation practice included a daily stroll on this route. Lucky for us, the path was not busy. There were locals taking their daily walks, a man along the side of the path doing an oil painting, and gently flowing streams that runs parallel to the stone walkway. We can upon an area that had 6-7 cats that were frolicking and playing with another. We named this “Meow Village.”

As the Philosopher’s Walk ended, we continued on to Nanzen-Ji Temple. It was once a villa of the retired Emperor Kameyama, but was converted to a zen temple in 1291. In terms of size, this temple was the most grand. The enormous Sanmon Gate had tree sized support structures and dominated the temple grounds with its classically Japanese roof jutting high into the sky. There was so much area to walk and once again, ornate architecture and landscapes were abundant.

For dinner, we went to Owariya, a noodle restaurant that opened in 1465. It was patronized by the Emperor’s family and monks when Kyoto was the Capitol. We sat somewhat uncomfortably cross legged but enjoyably classic tatami room. The low slung table was filled with tea, sake, fish cakes, donburi and udon noodle soup. All very delicious! We are calling it an early tonight and will be prepared to hit the ground running tomorrow to see more that Kyoto has to offer. Thanks for checking in!

Japan – Episode 4 (Kyoto)

At a rough shod wooden table, drinking tea and Kirin beer, chill electronic tunes are bouncing off the concrete ceiling and colliding with our sore feet, full bellies and refreshed eyes.

It was a bullet train of 200kms an hour that took us across a sweeping view of Mt. Fuji, snow dusted fields abutting fall colored landscapes and a confusing arrival at a comparatively sleepy Kyoto station.

Our day began before this ride with a second consecutive visit to a French bakery, a nice walk around the Daikanayama neighborhood and a pack-laden 20 minute walk to Shibuya station after a French press fueled lazy morning goodbye to our Meguro flat.

From Shibuya station to our room in Kyoto it was a 3 hour journey. We are happy with our room which was the most suspect of places we’d booked based on pictures that somewhat conflicted with glowing AirBnB reviews. Reality lent itself more to the reviews. We gathered ourselves at the room and then set out for the Nishiki market. A busy 5pm Sunday evening crowd milled about the stands strewn well over a mile, offering knives, ceramics, clothes and all manner of knick-knack and food. We then lost tourist wandered our way to Jyunidanya shabu shabu and enjoyed a quality over quantity beef hot pot meal.

Upon leaving, we decided to walk home and I directed us towards the wrong iphone coordinates. This turned a 1.5 mile walk into a 3 mile day closer. Chea turned it into a game of beating our estimated time home though and it was a great end to our arrival in Kyoto. We are excited to see Kyoto in the full light of day and to catch the end of the Broncos game when we awake!

Japan – Episode 3 (Tokyo)

Today was yet again, another great day. Yesterday was a great first date but today might be even better. We started off at a French bakery called Aux Bachanalles, a small, friendly neighborhood breakfast spot. We ordered 4 pastries because that’s how we roll. We then headed to the Meiji Shrine which is significant to me because Emperor Meiji was enshrined there. Emperor Meiji was the first modern Emperor who pushed Japan out of Feudalism and helped westernize much of the country. He’s also the guy that Tom Cruise hands the sword to at the end of the movie, The Last Samurai. In all seriousness, though, the Meiji Shrine is an absolute must do if you visit Japan. When we were there, perhaps because it was a Saturday, we were lucky enough to see a traditional, Japanese wedding processional occur. It was breathtaking and oddly intimate.

After, seeing some Japanese old school culture, we visited the Harajuku district which I suppose depicts a more modern, weird teenager culture . We made sure to stop and get a crepe which are known in this area and strolled down Takeshita st to hunt for interestingly dressed “Harajuku” style fashion. It is best described as Sailor Moon meets Hot Topic.

As lunch nears, we wander over to the Tsukiji Fish Market. We missed the morning fish auctions but we were still able to eat at one of the nearby restaurants. We picked Sushi Zanmai, a restaurant that had a line going out that door. We sat at the sushi bar which I would highly recommend because you get your food more immediately. Plus, the sushi chefs are very busy and you don’t have to worry about making small talk. The sashimi was amazing. The best I have ever had. The fatty tuna literally melts in your mouth!!

After lunch, we headed over to Shibuya to watch the famous 5 lane cross walk. Our good friends Marcus and Kristen, recommended going to the Starbucks across the street where you can get a great view from above. It was perfect for some time lapse photography.

There is a consistent theme of “wow, I can live in Tokyo” but I think it’s a false sense of reality that vacation can bring. It has definitely changed from just a bucket list item to we must visit again kind of place. Just a mere 10 hour flight from Denver to Tokyo direct!

Japan – Episode 2 (Tokyo)

Today was a fantastic day in Tokyo. We seem to fall into rhythm with the city more and more.

It is late and we are tired so here are bullet point highlights.

– bought pastries at bakery and while eating them on the street met, Greg, psychologist from Berkeley who is in town for a friend’s art exhibit at the Mori, which we happened to be on the way to. Greg introduced us to Lee Mingwei,whose exhibit is on “the Art of participation”. He is coincidentally from Taipei originally. We really connected with the exhibit which coincidentally was about “connections” and “bonds”, the human stories of these ideas and how they shape the world today. The exhibit was very participatory. You could sign up to be selected from a lottery to have dinner at the museum with either the artist or staff. There was a room with fresh daisies and the artist encouraged guests to take a daisy and give the daisy to a stranger (acknowledging the change that takes place when you approach a stranger and offer a gift). A woman in caped attire approached Chea and asked if she could give Chea a gift. She had Chea sit in a chair while she stood 10 ft away, music came on and she sang to Chea operatic style in a very beautiful and captive way. There was another exhibit where one was encouraged to write a letter or read letters that past guests have written to loved ones, future loves, etc. We caught up with Greg at the end of the exhibit and he had Lee sign the book we bought. We also got great 360 views of the city on the 52nd floor of the Mori building, even caught a very distant glimpse of Mt. Fuji!

We then had Lunch under train tracks at Yurokucho station – bento box for david and ramen for Chea.

We the headed to Ueno Park, a sprawling, picturesque Park similar to New York’s Central Park.

Christmas lights at Shiodome were amazing. The dazzling display of lights turn on every 20 minutes and the performance lasts about 6 minutes.

Finally, we had a super late dinner at a restaurant specializing in kabobs. There was no English on the menu so we had to point at the types of meet we wanted skewered. We had some questionable meat for sure. Luckily, the word “beer” is universal,

Home now. New record 27k steps!

Japan – Episode 1 (Tokyo)

We left Taiwan this morning a little sad saying goodbye to our Taiwanese family and apprehensive about diving into one of the largest cities in the world. The flight from Taiwan to Japan was just 2.5 hours. After we landed, we bought train tickets (Tokyo is about an hour away from the airport) with surprising ease. As we were heading towards the train station, David gets stopped by a camera man, reporter and reporter’s translator. David quickly pulled me into the “news piece” and in a daze we are asked questions such as “why are you here in Japan” and “what do you want to do here?” We tried to answer as best we could and then we were on our way to our rented flat from AirBnB.

We knew that we would be living near Shibuya, an area that is often viewed as the epicenter of Tokyo. If we felt overwhelmed in Taipei, we felt for sure we’d lose our senses in Shibuya. Much to our delight, our flat is in a quiet but upscale neighborhood (Meguro) about 15 minutes from Shibuya. There are several coffee shops, restaurants and a local grocery store nearby. Realizing that we hadn’t eaten in awhile and that dinner was approaching, we walked a few short blocks to a restaurant called Alaska which was recommended by our host. We felt the restaurant selection might have been an unwise decision given its a vegetarian restaurant but out of sheer hunger went in. Inside, the restaurant had a nice homey feel, with a bit of hipster flare. English indie music was playing, the wait staff did not speak English but they were very nice with big, bright smiles. We ordered a vermicelli salad, margarita pizza and 2 soups to share, all of which hit the spot. After dinner, we walked to a liquor store to buy some beer and then to the local grocery store to buy some items for our little home – coffee, snacks, fruit, etc. We headed back “home” and dropped off our bags and were on our way again, walking a bit to explore our neighborhood. We walked over to the Daikanayama area, which is a funky district that has art galleries, clothing stores and other shops. We stopped in the Daikanayama Tsutaya bookstore which is open until 2am. It has multiple interlocking stores featuring different genres in their separate pods. One could easily spend hours here. I even stopped by the magazine section and caught some US magazines headlines such as who the sexiest man alive is according to People magazine!

We are now calling it an early night at home, trying Japanese beer and planning for tomorrow’s day!