Tokyo

“Amae, which can be roughly translated as ‘depending on the benevolence of others,’ is a key concept for understanding Japanese.” -The Japanese Mind

(Typed on train from Tokyo to Tamayaka, but not posted on train. Why not? Because this “futuristic” society has less wi-fi than the average American coffee shop or Greyhound bus. So I had to post in the Buddhist Temple I stayed at, which was equipped with wi-fi.)

I’ve forgotten how difficult it is for me to blog on the road, especially since I tend to suffer from serious bloggorhea because I want to share every single detail from my travels with everyone who reads this (which, let’s face it, mostly consists of guys who typed in the search term “china girl” expecting very different results.)

So after three days in Tokyo, I can safely say that I’m no longer afraid of Japan. I forgot how a very large part of travelling is really just throwing yourself at the total mercy of total strangers, and the kind and overly- polite Japanese have risen admirably to the occasion giving me directions, waving me through subway exits when I lost the postage size exit ticket (yes i should have known better), or needed medical attention (more on that later.) I’ve had locals jump out of their restaurant chair, step off the subway onto the platform, or stop dead in their tracks to help me in the best English they can muster (which in Tokyo has been fairly impressive.) Once I’ve been rescued, there’s no probing questions about where I’m from etc. Instead the good samaritan bows out (often literally) of my life. I think this is a function of the general harmonious nature so often ascribed to the Japanese. Which leads me to my next massive generalization about an entire nation based on three whole days. Japan feels far less like some postmodern technological nightmare and more like a zen garden. From the architecture to the people, harmony reigns here. People who notice only the flashing neon lights and crowds of Tokyo might disagree. But to me, everyone seems to walk at a steady pace; I’ve yet to hear one person raise their voice to scream or even to laugh loudly. Many apartments– outside the dense, neon lit Tokyo downtown– surround the ground floor with often dozens of green potted plants (theft is extremely rare here I’ve been told), and tiny little temples are scattered throughout the city for quick prayers. I didn’t realize until I rented my own bike, but of Tokyo’s many, many cyclists, I never heard a bike bell ring once!

So what exactly have I been doing? Stepping into a new city for the first time is one of my favorite experiences, and my travel styles tends to be more semi-aimless wandering around than major site-seeing. I tend to delight more in little details like the exquisite department store bento boxes or all the gorgeous shoes that EVERYONE in Tokyo wears or the impressive subway that has yet to leave me waiting for more than a few minutes. So here’s my itinerary.

Day 1
Woke up at 6 am and decided to walk a few miles to the famous Tsukuji fish market (tourist destination #1 and the world’s biggest sea food market). I’m staying in Asakusa which is a little far from the city center. It’s very quiet with narrow streets perfect for bicycling. At this house, I had the streets almsot to myself I passed a few tiny temples where one or two people bowed their head in prayer. And I even stumbled upon Lego’s headquarters. The Lego logo hung from an otherwise indistinguishable building. To my delight, when i peered inside I saw at the front desk two life size Lego figures. I walked for nearly two hours until I hit the fish market. It’s a mucky place on the water where fresh catch is auction off wholesale and loads of Japanese workers zip on mini carts to transport the catch to be packed inn styrofoam boxes. The market is also the top rated tourist destination because in the early morning you can stop by any of the teeny tiny restuarants for the freshest fish you can find. By 8am there was already a line and I waited about 15 minutes to sit at a counter big enough for 10 people. I had salmon and fatty tuna, and while it wasn’t the very best sush I’ve ever had, it certainly tasted fresh. Next I wandered over to Ginza, which is sort of like Tokyo’s 5th Avenue. The skyscrapers here are amazing and I must have seen the headquarters for most any famous Japanesec company you could think of. I stopped by the Sony headquarters where there latest gizomos are on display. AFter that, I headed to Senso-ji shrine, which is a big, boring temple. But behind the temple I discovered some prettty crazy-looking floats which I later learned were for Tokyo’s Carnivale (apparently japan had a big presence in Brazil and the parade is one of the biggest celebrations on Tokyo.) By
the temple was a touristy but fun market. As I wandered, a Japanese news crew poked a camera and microphone in my face and asked if the strength of the yen was affecting my spending. (Currency traders have been snapping up the yen making it extremely strong which sucks no only for tourists like me but for the Japanese who already have a hard time exporting their electronic good with the economic downturn.) Affordable accommodations and cheap meals can be found in Tokyo. Still, this is a city of world-class luxury and it is a bit of a pitty that most of that luxury is out of reach for me and probably 90% of the planet.
Afterwards I went to a little neighborhood of Kagurazaka which, according to Lonely Planet, “conjures up visions of geishas turning down cobbled alleys to tucked away ryotei.” Not quite. Still it’s an adorable neighborhood of tiny streets and chic shops and restaurants an gorgeous residential architecture that was fun to meander through. Finally, I went to Shinjuku. Shinjuku is one of the busiest metro stations in the world and it didn’t take me long to get lost. The station is connected to a department store and Japan’s department stores are known for the excellent food they sell in the basement so I went downstairs and witness all kinds of gorgeously prepared bento boxes and pastries. Japan’s pastries are on par with France’s which is shocked since most Asian countries have horrible pastries. I had a cream puff that in and of itself may have justified the trip. Once I made my way out Shinjuku station, I went to the government district on one side to look at some pretty impressive building, and the seedy “Time Square” like side on the other.

Day 2 I rented a bicycle, saw some great sites, and became hopelessly lost. I biked to Hama-Rikya Gardens which was a popular spot centuries ago for Japanese shogun. The tiny teahouse in the center once served Ulysesses Grant (randomly enough.) I absolutely adored it. The room had nothing but floormats and clear windows that opened up to the gardens. The matchka tea was served by lovely women in kimonos. It could have been touristy, but it felt so peaceful and perfect, it was definitely one of the trip’s highlights. Next, I biked to the Imperial Gardens and then biked through party-central Rongogonji and on to Shibuya. Shibuya is another extremely chic neighborhood where beautiful people in impossibly gorgeous clothes traipse around tiny streets lined with boutiques and restaurants. I was already several miles from Asakusa so I thought I turned around, but apparently I kept heading west. I ended up biking around almost the entire city for ten hours and not getting back until dark. I was exhausted, but on the plus side I got a good overview of Tokyo.
Day 3
So after biking around for ten hours, I returned, exhausted, and then spent the next 4 hours trying to get a contact out of my eye. I could feel it in there but it was suctioned to my eyeball, and I was having a complete meltdown while just wanting to go to sleep. I finally gave in and fell asleep with it inside. When I woke up the next morning, my eye was red, swollen, and worst of all, I couldn’t find my contact. I looked online and saw that sometimes contacts can get inside your eye. This was my absolute worst nightmare. Even scarier than going to Japan! I had the English speaking girl at the front desk write a note in Japanese. She directed me to an eyeglasses store where they sold contacts. There they referred me to an eye clinic. The language barrier should have made all of this impossible but with the note I had from the clerk, and the map I had from the eyeglass store, I eventually made it to the eye doctor. I was handed some forms to fill out (in Japanese of course. My Chinese actually helped since I could figure out name, date and some other things from the similar characters.) The doctor peered into my eyes ,and I tried not to hyperventilate as I imagined having to get a lobotomy to remove the contact lens which clearly had migrated to my frontal lobe by now. After five minutes, the doctor, in near perfect English, announced that there was no contact lens in my eye, just a corneal abrasion that he would write a prescription for some drops. I felt so relieved even though he charged me about $10 a minute for the five minute visit. (I had secretly hoped he had seen me on the evening news being interviewed about the exchange rate.)

I spent the rest of the day at Ueno park and Tokyo National Museum checking old Samurai swords and kimonos and such. And ended the day with a bath. The Japanese are crazy about their onsens (or hot mineral baths often pumped from far below.) Their are all types onsens everywhere. Unfortnately for me, Japan is disgusting hot, around 90 degrees. I’ve been srving but the last thing I want to do is go to a hot spring. But there is a very nice one in Tokyo that is very popular with the locals that is indoors. I gave it try.

Before entering, you need to select what type of bath you want from a vending machine. Onceyou get your ticket you present it inside. The baths are gender segregated. I went it a locker room and stored my clothes. Next,you clean yourself off in an open shower before entering the bath. Most Japanese are concerned that foreigners won’t clean themselves. In fat, a Japanese woman approached me and cheerily reminded me to scrub! I finally entered the bath an felt instantly relaxd. On the wall was a mural of Mt. Fuji with cherry blossoms. There were hot baths, and baths with jets and a cold bath. Women of all ages came and and just relaxed. Eye contact is avoided, so I was surprised when a woman and her adult daughter approached me. They said that in their english class their teacher asked for a photo of themselves with a foreigner. She laughed at my look of utter horror. She said that it would be OK if she just said where I was from. The onsen would have been perfect if were a cold night, but just the same it was a wonderful experience.

I decided not to climb Mt. Fuji upon the advice of multiple people, both Japanese and foreigners. I’ve heard that it’s super crowded with people, that there’s nothing interesting to see but volcanic ash, that even from the the top the view is obscured by clouds. So instead, I’m on a train heading to the Japanese Alps which are supposed to be lovely this time of year.

September 1, 2010. Uncategorized.