Day 3 - Sumo Stadium (Ryogoku)

2nd February, 2003 - A gift from T-chan's mother... a day at the Sumo. After the day at Kamakura, this was quite a change of pace. We caught the train to Ryogoku where the main Sumo stadium is, and settled in for a very interesting day of very, very Japanese entertainment. We were quite a long way from the action (as you can see), but a good set of binoculars help. This was the first day of the tournament. Tickets cost about 7,000 yen at the time - but depend on how close to the ring you want.

Down at ground zero, everyone sits on cushions...You'd be surprised to know how many spectators cushions go flying up in the air during the competition (not sure if in happiness or anger!)

Today was very special, as one of the Sumo (Takatiuriki) was retiring, and they had a very unique ceremony to accompany such an occassion. The ceremony involved having a who's who of Japanese celebrities come up and slowly, but surely cut away the Sumo's top-knot (chonmage). Hair by hair... between 200-300 guests would walk up (after being appropriately announced) and with a pair of veyr sharp looking scissors, snip away at his hair. It takes over an hour to remove the entire top-knot... his manager makes the last decisive cut. Then it's retirement (and weight loss) here we come!

The Sumo Champion Takahanada demonstrates how a Sumo gets dressed in the morning (ok - dressed for competition). Clearly, it's not the sort of thing you would want to leave to the last minute (unless you had a bus-load of fellow Sumo's just waiting around to help out). Here they are putting the belt (mawashi) on. This took a long time, and was quite complicated.

This may explain why a lot of Sumo are quite surly... outside you meet a lot of Sumo near the stadium, and they tend to be quite aloof. Needing six big lads to put your clothes on most probably tends to do that to you however!

You can get your photo taken with them - but don't be surprised if they tell you to go jump (politely, or not so politely). And lets face it - you most probably don't want to upset these guys!

Day 5 - Shitamachi Museum (Ueno)

4th February, 2003 - Around Ueno you can also visit the Shitamachi Museum, which is sort of an indoors look at an old slice of Tokyo. There's an attempt to recreate a section of old Tokyo... but it never really convinces you that you're anywhere other than an antiques collection. No real life here, and all the displays are statics. There's lots of displays however and recreated rooms, and you might find it sort of interesting - but if you're on a tight budget, in my opinion it's one of those sorts of attractions that can be given the flick. Also - from memory (now 7 years ago), it catered mostly for Japanese tourists, so I didn't find a great deal of English information there. Luckily, having T-chan (my wife's blog-name) there to translate was a big bonus!

They are very proud of their collection of old Japanese toys - mostly of the wooden variety... you know cup and ball, or worse yet - those damnable puzzles. The guide their had a great laugh at the poor gaijin who didn't know how to solve the puzzles... and went to excruciating pains to solve them for me - with the unmistakable air of someone that suspects the world's 20th century dominance by the West was just a terrible, terrible oversight. Having said that... I'm sure he had the same smug attitude to all the visitors (foreign or Japanese alike) - he was just very very proud of his puzzles.

Day 3 - Tosho-gu (Ueno)

2nd February, 2003 - Walking from Benten-do, you can readily arrive at the Tosho-gu shrine. The shrine where Tokugawa Ieyasu (the first unifier of Japan) is enshrined under the gods name Tōshō Daigongen. Actually there are a few of these around (apparently a man or Ieyasu's importance couldn't have enough shrines built after him).

Actually, many of these shrines have peculiar practices - and Ueno's Tosho-gu is no exception. There is a belief here that a certain ritual will help elicit the good-will (of Ieyasu?)... by buying a little thing of string and basically walking backwards and forwards, bending the string over and over again. One hundred times. Hmmm - not on our time budget we don't! Ieyasu god or not.

Ofcourse - when in Ueno-Koen, you should always pop in and have a chat with good ol' Saigo Takamori (1828-77 AD) who was one the most influential Samurai that was a key (if unlikely) architect and actor in the Meiji Restoration that saw the overthrow of the Tokugawa shogunate and the re-emergence of the power of the Imperial Throne. Not sure why walking his dog has taken on so much importance here - I guess he really loved that dog (and no - don't mistake this for Hachiko... another famous Tokyo dog).

Day 3 - Ueno Koen (Ueno)

2nd February, 2003 - We decided to embark fairly early for a walk around Ueno-koen (Ueno Park). It's a strange place - not what I'd call immediately picturesque, but especially with the dried brown stalks covering the lake. A strange mix of architecture too - with the modern (or is that modernly stupid) juxtaposed with the ancient. Actually, Ueno-koen is one of the most popular places for both visitors and Tokyo-ites alike. There's lots to do here including museums, shrines, zoos, Cherry blossom viewing (when in season).

Within the lake lies Benten-do Temple Hall, a worshipping place for Benzaiten... the Japanese name for the Buddhist god Saraswati. She is also sometimes referred to as Benten (huh?... how many names does one god need?). The goddess of all things that flow (most notably water). A very good reason to have her worship hall all the way out in the middle of the lake (Shinobazo pond).

Actually, Benten-do was the first real experience that told me that I was in Japan. Approaching the temple I was excited - this was going to be my very first REAL JAPANESE TEMPLE in Tokyo. I was excited to see inside. Only to be brought up short by an irate priest who, distressed at the typical foreigners (gaijin - or gaigoku-jin to be precise) bad manners. I had forgotten to remove my shoes, and my then-girlfriend had been too slow to warn me.

Here's a lesson - when approaching any threshold where there is a change of environment (inside or outside), look carefully if you are moving into a raised area. Often this is the signal that you are entering an "inner place" (my words) where shoes should be removed. Especially in a temple, this was bad karma! Gomen nasai! (sorry!)

Day 2 - Daibutsu (Kamakura)

1st February, 2003 - Kamakura is famous for it's Daibutsu or Great Buddha. This Buddha was cast from bronze in 1252 AD and is approximately 13.35m high and weighs 93 tonnes. It's original worship hall was destroyed by tsunami around 1495. For 20 yen, you can enter the statue, though it's a tight fit, and an unnerving feeling being encased entirely in a giant sacophogus of metal. This is definitely one of the sights that you must visit when coming to Kamakura.

Walking in the shoes of the Buddha. This is one of the examples of strange things that passes as hobbies in Japan... ok, so it's not really a hobby, but a sign of devotion. Followers (school kids actually) wove together these giant-szed sandles for the Great Buddha to use (should he suddenly animate and want to go for a walk). After 800 years, I suspect the first place he'll go is look for a Giant-sized Toilet!

If you're looking for it, it's just west of the Kamakura station... an easy walk away.

View Larger Map

Day 2 - Zeniarai Benten Shrine (Kamakura)

1st February, 2003 - There are a number of unusual shrines in Kamakura, one such is Zeniari Benten shrine... which was established around 1185 AD. It's approached through a rock cave through to a gorge, at the rear of which is another cave with a water pool. The entrance is guarded by a number of plain torii gates (they are donated by people that have received good luck from worshipong here, or those aspiring to). There is also a large number of ema boards placed around the shrine, on which believers write their wishes for the local God (kami) to respond to.

This shrine is famous for coin-washing - as a means of wishing good luck to get wealthy. Indeed, zeni means coin, and arai means washing.That tradition has extended to note-washing, where peole wash their cash notes in the rock pool, and dry them off over giant incense burners. Though small, this is one of the most popular shrines in Kamakura, but easily missed by foreigners.

Day 2 - Minamoto no Yoritomo (Kamakura)

1st February, 2003 - Walking in the hills surrounding Kamakura, you can find the odd reminder of this town's history. One such memorial is this statue to Minamoto no Yoritomo.

Day 2 - Tsuragaoka Hachiman-gu (Kamakura)

1st February 2003 -Arrived at Kamakura. Once you get off the train, you're almost immediately assailed by the local tourist-seeking rickshaw operators. We were holiday-happy enough to say yes to "Eiji" the very talkative guy who promised he'd show us all the old residences in Kamakura. He did too - if by that you took it to mean showing us all the out of the way places.

Actually, we had fun, and ended up on the main road towards Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu (the main temple in Kamakura). On the approach is an arched bridge which was said to only be for the Shogun's use (and it's easy to see why, as it's now blocked off from pedestrian traffic).









Tsuragaoka Hachiman-gu
This shinto shrine was established by the Minamoto clan, and contains many of the aspects that you will find across Japan for these shrines. Firstly there is the wash basin (chozuya) which are used to purify yourself with water prior to approaching the shrine. Ladels are used to rinse off your hands - and no, it's not for drinking. On approaching the main worshipping hall which is generally known as the haiden (not where the God is meant to reside - the honden - that's not accessible to the public), you will find an alter of such, generally with a coin tray (saisen-bako) infront. Make a coin offering (it can be whatever value you wish), ring the bell twice (or strike gong), bow twice and then clap twice and then pray to the God (Kami); finish up by bowing once again. It's like pressing send on a celestial email. Each shrine may be slightly different, and there is also meaning to how the clapping is done, and the depth of the bows. Too much information!

There are also (like most of shrines) places where you can buy an assortment of charms and prayers (including ema, which are used to write your prayers on - more of that later). You can also see sacred ropes, or shimenawa, that establish a boundary to the sacred parts of the temple. Other features associated with Shinto shrines include the bright red torii gates, and the pair of stone lions, komainu.

A Shinto rite is performed...

A nearby lake and bridge.

Day 2 - Kamakura

Kamakura

History: Kamakura was established in 1185 AD as the effective capital of Japan following the civil war that effectively ended the height of Japanese refinement, the Heien Period, and began a slow rise of the warrior-lord. This revolution was started in the mid-1150's and centred around Taira Kiyomori who (with his clan) defeated the rival Minamoto clan for control of the Emperor's power. The Minamoto clan through Yoshitomo Minamoto subsequently defeated the Taira and set about strengthening their power base in the west (Kanto region) in Kamakura. Yoshitomo was given the title of Shogun in 1192, but his family was quickly came to be controlled by the Hojo family. This militaristic regime was known as the bakafu (or tent government) and lasted until about 1333 AD, when it was eventually overcome by Emperor Go-Daigo after which control returned (momentarily) to Kyoto.

Getting There: A train service departs Shinjuku or Shinagawa stations (JR Yokusoka Line). Tourist information can be found here (http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2166.html).

Day 1 - Night Shopping (Ikebukuro)

31st Jan 2003 - Ikebukuro. Ikebukuro (http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3038.html) is one of the biggest districts on the Yamanote Line (the circular train service that acts as a ring-route around Tokyo).. We went to Toyota Amlux (free to enter) and generally did some shopping (did I mention the fact that it was WINTER... bought a cheap coat here. Don't forget I was coming from an Australian summer.

It's a nice area, and there's plenty of shopping around here... and a good place to grab a bite to eat. Ah - I can remember one of my wife and I's first arguments occured over a dinner in Ikebukuro... what was it about? Hmmm - if i can remember, I wouldn't tell. What a way to start a long (first) holiday. Actually, that's the sort of thing that happens when you start to get deep into the holidaying straight off the plane.

There's a fair bit to do in Ikebukuro (such as Sunshine City bldg) - but unfortunately we arrived fairly late in the day, and were pretty tired. I'd like to go back and explore more.... but that will have to wait.

Day 1 - Nishi-shinjuku Hotel (Shinjuku)

31st Jan, 2003 - We stayed at Nishi-Shinjuku Hotel (http://www.nshotel.com/english/index.html), it's about 10 min walk from Shinjuku Station (in fact it would most probably take you longer to find the right exit out of the station). It's a business hotel, so don't expect any fantastic rooms (it's bigger than a cupboard, but not by much). It's clean and comfortable - and they were very generous about looking after our suitcases whilst we went on overnight trips around Tokyo. Can't recall the price, but very competitive for the location which is very central.

There was definitely some strange aspects of the location however... such as being located next to the cemetary (my first experience of this... and no - Japanese are not buried vertically, as i've heard somewhere... they are almost exclusively cremated).

Also - when we were there in 2003, there was a box-city out the front in an open square, i.e. where all the homeless had set-up. We had no problems here however, and was a stark reminder just how hard it can be (remember it was winter, and temperatures were regularly 5 degC during the day.

Day 1 - Metropolitan Government Offices (Shinjuku)

31st Jan 2003 - Arrived in Tokyo, Japan... first stop Shinjuku. Dropped our bags off and went exploring

Definitely advise going to the Metropolitan Government Offices... it's about a 10-15 min walk from Shinjuku Station, and you will have free access to the viewing decks from which you can see all of Tokyo (and if you're lucky, Fuji-san).

MG Offices is one of the tallest in Tokyo, standing at approx 200m high, it's quite an unnerving experience. Thankfully no glass floors.


The view from the Metropolitan Government Building is impressive - 360 degrees (or there abouts) of a huge mostly concrete and glass skyline. If you're lucky the smog will allow you to see more than about 20 km... all the way to Mt Fuji (which is generally enshrouded in cloud). This is 100% free, and a great way to get a feel for just how big Tokyo is.

Day 1 - Narita to Tokyo (Japan)

31st January, 2003 - We touched down in Japan after an uneventful night. As I was a smoker at the time, the first port of call was the exit and good long smoke. Non-smokers will never know the gnawing pain that is a smoker's curse on long flights. Still the 9.5 hours to Tokyo is easy in comparison to some. Thankfully those days are over.

Narita is surprisingly quiet - for such a large airport - at 6:30-7:00 am. I thought it would be thousands of people (perhaps I had visions of planes being loaded like their trains...all spewing their human cargo out promptly on arrival). Quiet is good.

The one thing I discovered was the vending machines. It's wonderful...they have all manner of drinks (hot and cold)... just imagine it folks... hot coffees from a machine. That's just crazy talk.... until I stepped outside and felt the cold chill go through my inadequate clothes. ?: )  Will need to buy jacket tonight!

We caught the train into Shinjuku - our first stop. It's not the fastest train in Japan... in fact it takes over an hour (depending on whether you go the cheap option - then it's 90mins) just to get into Tokyo Station. Shinjuku's further even still.

The first observation of Japan - certainly back in 2003. No escalators. Seriously - for a country that practically built the innovation industry, they have little or no concern for (a) travel weary tourists, or (b) people with disabilities. It was terrible having to lug our suitcases up and down platforms (as we had to change one line to get to Shinjuku).

We finally made into Shinjuku station, which can be described in one word - labyrinthine. (is that a word?... seems to check out). Ok two words. Busy. You can get yourself into trouble trying to find the right exit. Take your time, and keep your wits about you. We made it out in one piece (and it didn't take too long)... but we needed a coffee before we did anything else. Found Cafe. Second observation. Japanese people don't like filling up coffee cups. That and they have sweet teeth. And there's still a surprising number of traditional Japanese toilets around. I have to say - if you've got bowel problems - this has got to look a little daunting. I'm still not entirely sure how to use (and/or ride) these things...

Well - I guess some culture shock was in store.

It was not long after we arrived that I also had to question my trusty Japanese guide, T-chan. Looking for food we came across a shop which had a number of displays showing what they were selling. Most probably thinking that she'd educate the gaijin about sophisticated plastic food displays... T-chan promptly stuck her finger into one of the "fake" pasta dishes. Only to find that it was perhaps the only REAL food display in all of Japan. I so wish I had that on video!

Well - off to see Japan... and a word of warning - be careful what you stick your finger into!

Day 0 - Adelaide/Sydney (Australia)

30th January, 2003 - It's early in the morning. The only flight we could get was an early one... even though our flight wouldn't leave till about 9 something from Sydney airport. That meant a day in Sydney... but we could handle that (did I mention it was over 37 deg Celsius in Sydney)? In Adelaide however... it's raining. Cats and dogs.


The flight over to Sydney showed the more realistic face of Australia during a January/February period.

We hadn't been to Sydney together before... and we had about 8 hours to kill so we jumped into a shuttle bus and headed into the city.

Ok - it wasn't a quality Sydney holiday (especially the sweating part) - but it was fun, and it wore us out for the flight over.

Finally the moment had come... we were officially on our way... and we couldn't be more excited about it. How the hell am I gonna get to sleep on the plane?

Hmmm... apparently the whole day-trip in Sydney definitely had the effect of wearing us out... as suitably demonstrated by myself... just over 9 hours to go before we hit Narita airport....

...Ok... no academy award in the mail.