Chieko and I have been planning a trip to Japan since about February of this year. We planned the trip for late October and early November, because the spring is too wet, the summer too hot, and early fall too risky due to typhoons. And this time is the best chance to see fall leaves, which turn places like Kyoto and Nara into exotic dreamlands. A typhoon hit Japan just before we arrived, and another will pass while we're there. And because the summer was so long and hot this year, the fall leaves have barely started to turn. Still, the weather for us is beautiful, and we enjoy every minute of the trip. Well, most minutes.
This is our non-stop Delta flight from Salt Lake City to Narita, Japan. This is the last direct flight this year. Delta will discontinue the flight over the winter and resume it in May.
And this is my view for the next 12 hours. The sun never goes down, but the calendar turns to Sunday, October 24, while we are in the air.
Her garden still has vegetables growing (spinach and some Japanese vegetables), and although she has slowed down a bit--she doesn't make umeboshi (pickled plums) anymore--she still does a great gardening job at 84 years old.
This is the Sato's genkan (front entry, where we remove our shoes).
This is the room we take over. Normally this is the butsudan room. The butsudan is the shrine to Chieko's father that you can see in the middle right of the picture. Chieko's mother's bedroom is just beyond the sliding fusuma doors in the background. She has her own TV, sink, bathroom, and refrigerator.
I take a little walk around the neighborhood in the morning. This used to be farm country and is still pretty rural, even though a lot of homes have been built on the farmland. This is a small cemetery that I assume belongs to an old farm family.
Almost every inch of Japan that can be used is being used, covered with buildings, roads, train tracks, or farms. However, there are a few spots where bamboo still grows wild.
I don't know what this is, other than a purple flower.
Many of the homes here and elsewhere that we travel in central and western Japan have persimmon trees, a favorite here but not one of my favorites.
And a few spiders live here.
Ditches run along most roads to carry water, especially during the rainy season. This one is bigger than most, probably because of the farming, but all the roadside ditches are much larger than gutters in Utah.
Later in the morning we take the bus, about a 15-minute walk from the Sato's house, to the eki (train station).
This notice in the bus says that due to global warming, the drivers aren't wearing jackets, and during the summer they have short-sleeve shirts.
This is the Jouetsu Shinkansen (Bullet Train) that we take into Tokyo. We purchased Japan Rail passes before we came, so for two weeks we can ride any JR (Japan Railway) train except the extra-fast Nozomi Shinkensan, on reserved seats, where available. We will use our passes extensively.
A stop at the Ueno Eki leads us to Ameyoko, which used to be a fish market but is now full of all kinds of little shops.
Fish and jam.
Mostly fish.
Fruits and vegetables.
Lunch, but not for us.
This is lunch for us.
Ramen noodles. We'll eat ramen maybe six or eight times over two weeks.
Fur coats.
And the vending machines that are everywhere, even on little neighborhood streets out in the country.
The Yamanote-sen (line) circles Tokyo. The city is also criss-crossed with subways, but the Yamanote-sen is a JR train, so we can ride for free.
Akihabara is one of my favorite spots. It used to be the electronics center of the universe, with stores selling everything from transistors to spy cameras to refrigerators. The big stores now cater mostly to foreigners with Duty Free shops and Chinese and Caucasians working in all the stores. The Japanese now shop mostly in Sinjuku. However, the tiny specialty shops are still here directly under the overhead railroad tracks.
This one sells bolts.
This shops sells plugs.
Back in Kumagaya, where Chieko's mother lives, we wait at the bus stop while this woman waits for her husband to play Pachinko (that's my guess).
This car is driving past the eki.
You can buy cigarettes from a vending machine at the eki. Actually, you can also buy beer from some vending machines.
We board the Shinkansen at Kumagaya.
The seats are reserved in this car, although there are also unreserved seats in other cars, and there's a first-class car, called a Green-sha (car).
The men's toilet in the Shinkansen doesn't have a lock on the door. But you don't need one, because you can see through the window whether the toilet is occupied.
All ekis, except ones that are just for commuter trains, sell eki-ben, a train-station boxed lunch. I don't know what it is about these lunches, but buying an eki-ben for a trip is a must-do.
I got a ton-katsu (breaded pork cutlet) eki-ben. After this trip, I need to give up Coke again. I've never even been a Coke fan, but it's about all I can find to drink other than plain water. I do find and drink large quantities of Calpis Soda and one Mitsui Cider.
I take a lot of pictures out of train windows, but it's really hard to frame and focus at 180 miles per hour. This is rice straw stacked to dry. Notice the farm is packed in with some factory.
The first night we stay in Osaka, at the Hotel Monterey Osaka.
Almost all the sit-down toilets in Japan--on trains, in hotels, in departments stores--have built-in bidets. This is our hotel bathroom. Some places also have the old-style squatter toilets, which many people prefer, because no part of your body touches the toilet. Those don't have bidets, though.
This hotel is built in a U shape with a stone chapel in the middle for weddings.
Chieko isn't feeling well, so I take the subway to the Osaka Castle alone. These guys are fishing in the castle's moat. I can't see whether they're catching anything.
Osaka Castle.
The inside of the castle has a small museum with some interesting 3-D-like video recreations of historical incidents. This is Oda Nobunaga, the first shogun to rule all of Japan following years of feudal wars.
Osaka from the top of the castle. I am a little disappointed with the castle. As with most castles and shrines in Japan, the originals have been destroyed in fires, and many, such as the castle in Tokyo, during World War II. Most of the ones that have been restored have been restored close to their originals, using the same building materials. Osaka Castle, however, is a concrete lookalike, that inside doesn't look anything like a castle.
A tour boat on the river running near the castle.
We take a subway to the Namba Eki, where we board the Nakai Dentsu, an old train that takes us up a narrow mountain canyon.
This is a mountain village.
We get off the train at Gokurobashi, an old station that probably hasn't changed in 50 years or more.
We then get on the cable car to travel up the last 800 meters to Kouyasan, going up at an angle that I'm sure is at least 45 degrees. We then take a bus on a very windy road to the Shoujoushinin Buddhist monastery, where we'll stay tonight.
The monastery is in a set of 150-year-old buildings with thatched roofs (over some of the buildings).
The monastery is several buildings surrounding gardens and a small pond.
The toilets are shared at the end of the second-story hall.
We're staying on the second floor in this tatami-mat room that has a free-standing kerosene heater and fusuma sliding doors with no locks. "Take your valuables with you."
Next to the monastery is a cemetery that has more than 200,000 people, due to its being close to the center of the Shingon sect of Buddhism (the most popular sect today). A monk named Kuukai went to China in 804 to study and brought the teachings of this sect back to Japan. With the blessing of and land grant from the emperor he established Kouyasan.
It seems that every famous person from Japanese history over the past 1,200 years is interred here.
Oda Nobunaga is here, with the man who murdered him interred a short distance away. In some cases, only part of the person is here, perhaps a lock of hair, so the person may actually be buried in several locations throughout Japan.
These are women monks, likely going to worship at the shrine at the end of the cemetery.
Cedars are the predominant trees here. I assume many are hundreds of years old.
Many memorials are dedicated to children.
Rich and famous families own large plots. Companies (Panasonic and Komatsu are a couple we see) also have large memorials for their founders and for employees who have died on the job.
The pathway through the cemetery is lined with stone lanterns that light up at night.
These bronze statues are at the end of the path.
A bridge over a stream at the cemetery. A shrine is also here, but pictures are not allowed.
The leaves are just starting to change.
You can see the shrine in the background.
We then take a bus to the other end of Kouyasan, to a place called Danjo Garan, where the main shrines and pagodas are located. This is a shishi (lion dog), two of which stand at the entrance to most shrines and temples. This one has his mouth closed to keep good luck in.
This shishi has his mouth open to let good luck out.
At the monastery, monks serve us a dinner in a common area.
The food is all vegetarian.
We take a train back to Shin-Osaka.
Chieko on the train.
This is also an old train.
Back on the Shinkansen, we head toward Hakata, also known as Fukuoka, where my mission headquarters used to sit on what is now the Fukuoka Temple property.
Rooftops in Japan are mostly all tile.
After passing Hiroshima and traveling under the ocean between the islands of Honshu and Kyushu, we pass Tokuyama, a city I was assigned to on my mission and Brian also spent time in during his mission. In the three or so months that I was there as a missionary, I never realized Tokuyama was so industrial. Several oil refineries line the waterfront.
In Hakata, we walk to our hotel then take a taxi to Canal City, a large shopping and office complex with a canal in the bottom level. It is totally decked out for Halloween.
Canal City has a Las Vegas-style (on a much smaller scale) water show.
Convenience stores (AM/PM, 7-Eleven, Lawsons, Family Mart) are everywhere. You can get full meals here.
I have never seen as many yatai restaurants (small trailers that contain an entire specialty restaurant and that set up on the sidewalks at night) as I see in Hakata. On some streets, especially on the river near Canal City, there seem to be 50 or more busy yatai shops lined side by side.
This place specializes in ramen but also serves oden and other items. It's been in business here for 35 years and is open from 6:30 to 11 p.m. every day. One customer tells us this is the best restaurant around.
I eat ramen noodles. They are good. I love these places.
For breakfast we get yogurt, milk, and a nikuman (meat-filled steamed roll) at the AM/PM store. Then we find an Andersen's Bakery and buy an apple pastry that has a half apple inside. Then we board the Yufuin train to the Yufuin hot springs resort town.
This is an old diesel train that has been restored with a lot of wood trimming.
The car in front of us has a food-serving section and an area to eat your meal and enjoy the ride.
This train caters to tourists, including the train attendant giving us props and taking our picture.
Hey, corn. This looks just like Oklahoma.
A small farm with a picnic table. I can't tell what's on the table, but it's some kind of large produce. All the farms we see are small plots of land, often situated between houses and factories.
More farmland.
We arrive at Yufuin too early to check into the resort, so we ride this carriage on a little sight-seeing tour.
We go to a small shrine, which is, of course, is across the street from a shop where the owner offers free tea and samples of the pickles she is selling. Two ladies from our carriage buy enough pickles to make the stop worthwhile for the shop owner and the carriage driver.
This is Yufuin's main street leading from the eki. We buy the most delicious heavy-cream-filled rolled cake at a coffee shop up the street on the left. Yufuin is famous for its dairy products (as well as its hot springs), although we never do see any cows.
We opt out of the jinrikisha ride, because we don't have time or anywhere we want to go.
We stay at the Yama no Hotel Musouen Onsen resort. A small girl carries our heavy bags up the stairs to our room.
Hashio-san is assigned to take care of us--explain the resort layout, feed us dinner, and so on.
Dinner includes 10 courses. This is course one.
The men's hot spring overlooks the valley, which you can't see from this picture, but you can see where you can see it from. Below here, by the lamp, are family baths that can be reserved, and there's a women's bath below and to the right. There's another women's bath somewhere to the left. It is the nicest of the baths, and this resort uses it in its advertising. Everything is protected by trees and fences (though I'm sure the men's bath is completely visible to the rooms in the winter).
Under the lights is the washing area--running water, stools, shampoo, soap.
Between Friday and Saturday, before and after dinner and before breakfast, I spend about five hours in the hot mineral water. I could live here.
We take a couple trains to Miyazaki on the Pacific coast.
These trains are a little slower than the Shinkansen, so maybe I can get a few pictures of the countryside.
I love my Japan Rail Pass.
Bicycles at an eki.
When the sun comes out, people hang clothes and futons from their apartment balconies to air.
Cement pipes.
Painted railroad ties (I think that's what they are).
The surf is very wild, probably due to the typhoon that passed by yesterday but didn't make landfall.
A farmer on a "large" farm. Many of the plows are not ridden. They're more like very large tillers.
The rice has been harvested, and the straw is stacked to dry. You can see the second crop of rice sprouting.
Every train has a conductor who checks tickets between almost every stop. On these trains the conductor stamps our tickets. On the Shinkansen the conductor usually just checks to make sure the right seats are occupied, although he too may stamp tickets occasionally.
We arrive in Miyazaki just in time to see the last half of the Miyazaki Fall Matsuri (festival). This is a taiko (drum) float.
These young drummers are earnest and very well practiced.
This oni threatens to do me in.
Several queens ride jinrikishas and horses. They are queens of the festival and queens of various sponsor companies.
This girl poses when she sees me taking her picture.
The dragon tries to scare the children by eating them, but they seem to be more comfortable with him than most kids this age are with Santa Claus.
People watch the festival parade from all along the route.
The Hotel Plaza Miyazaki is on the Ouyoda River and has a natural hot spring spa. Although the bath is not outside, the spa has two hot baths--the cooler one is 40 degrees C--jetted jacuzzis, a sauna, and a tap-water-cold bath. I spend a long time here.
We rent a 660cc Daihatsu Tanto from M-Jet for about $40 per day. This car is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.
Of course, the steering wheel is on the right side.
The GPS is very helpful, even if it speaks only Japanese. I easily understand, "A curve is ahead," "Turn right after 500 meters," and "Turn left after 5 kilometers."
Aoshima (Green Island) on the Miyzaki coast is unusual in that it has thousands of different kinds of natural tropical and other plants.
We walk across a concrete bridge to the island.
This rock would be much more interesting at low tide. It's called Giant's Washboard.
I assume the rock here is volcanic.
The sand is crushed seashells, and this coconut must have washed up from someplace far away during the typhoon. We also see a puffer fish (very poisonous and a Japanese delicacy).
The whole of the Miyazaki Prefecture coast is very tropical.
It has a lot of different plants.
As we drive further south we see two or three monkeys on the mountain next to the road. We stop to take their picture, but they run down the mountain. Then we spot this big male.
We stop at Odujingu shrine, built into the cliffs along the coast.
The entrance to part of the shrine.
A lantern.
The main shrine is built in a cave or cove in the rock overlooking the ocean.
We next visit a castle called "Little Kyoto," because the area around the castle has maintained its old-world look with frame-and-stucco white-washed homes. Notice how tightly these rocks fit together in the base of the castle.
Now notice how tightly these rocks fit together. These are the old, possibly original rocks. The masons who restore these sites are not nearly as precise as their ancient predecessors. This is true all over Japan, including Okinawa (as I discovered on my mission).
The castle compound's outer walls are reinforced with these braces.
Inside the castle is a model of a boat in which the shogun used to ride and meet other military leaders.
This is the shogun's bedroom.
This is the kitchen.
I know you're asking, "But what does his toilet look like?" This is it.
We drive down the coast to see the 5,000 fireworks the Japanese Navy is setting off, but we find out they've been canceled due to the typhoon that never came.
This gorge is cut into a lava flow from Mount Aso.
We pay 1,000 yen for 20 minutes in a rowboat.
We take this picture to prove we are actually here.
A mushroom.
A water wheel above the gorge.
Tourist stands are at every attraction.
And restaurants. This man is selling dango, which is a little pasty ball (I think it's made from some kind of potato) covered with a sweet sauce. Dango comes with four or five dangos on a stick.
The watchful spiders.
This kadydid is trying to call home, I guess. Or he just found someplace to blend in.
The coast along Miyazaki Prefecture is beautiful, especially on a sunny day.
We take a little side trip around a peninsula and stop at the place called Cross Rock. Then we head back to Miyazaki before the M-Jet car rental closes at 8 p.m.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
The first place we stop is a geyser. The sign says this is one of about three geysers in the world that goes off regularly, along with Old Faithful and a geyser in Iceland.
While we wait for a bus to the next hot pot area, we eat gelato: sweet potato (the purple half) and chocolate chip. We had a Calpis gelato the other day at Canal City in Hakata.
Each hot pot is in an enclosed area, and it costs to go into each. We buy a book of tickets that gets us into all of them.
These red guys are common. Each hot pot or mud pot is called Something Jigoku. Jigoku means Hell.
Another red devil guy.
This red pot is called Bloody Hell.
I don't remember the name of this one, but I'd like to soak in it's milky green water.
Some of these are prettier than others.
I like this one.
These mud pots are fun.
Me and my buddy.
These lilly pad things are from the Amazon. They grow well, because the water is warm. This location has pictures of children standing on these.
The hot springs are ideal for green houses to grow tropical plants.
Also for imported tropical animals. This guy happily begs for pieces of carrots that we happily buy for $1.20 per handful and throw to him.
This guy doesn't look so happy. The oldest crocodile here died recently at over 70 years old.
I find it difficult to take pictures of these fish underwater. When I try to take the picture of an orange koi, a black one sneaks up and tries to swallow my finger. The first time one grabs my finger is a little surprising.
Eggs cooking in the hot spring.
Chieko likes them, but I don't care for the taste. Too much sulphur, I think.
But I do like soaking my feet.
Sundown in Beppu.
And I find a large can of Pepsi.
The eki still has pay phones, even though almost everyone has a cell phone--which, by the way, are banned from use while riding on any train.
I like the marketing theme: "Oita, take a **fill in the blank.**" Like this one that says, "Oita, take a rest."
I'm not sure what "take a heart" means, but I guess it could be like leaving your heart in San Francisco.
But I really don't know what "take a nature" means.
Even with all the tiny cars and vans driving around, this truck really cracks me up. Just one person fits in the cab with, I suppose, a bag of rice in the back.
After a train to Kokura and a Shinkansen ride, we end up in Kyoto, the old capital of Japan.
We have just enough time to visit two sites. This is part of a raked garden at Ryouanji Temple.
What are all these people looking at?
Kinkakuji (Golden Temple). The only other time I've been to Kyoto, when we lived in Japan 25 years ago, Kinkakuji was being renovated. This temple is coated with gold leaf.
Another view of the entry to Nijojo.
A garden at the castle. We tour the main castle, which has huge rooms where the shogun used to meet with his military leaders and ministers, but no pictures are allowed inside. One room is 800 tatamis big (one tatami is about 3 feet by 6 feet, so about 14,000 square feet). About 25 percent of one end of each room is raised about a foot from the rest of the room. The shogun always sat or knelt on the raised portion, while his ministers or others knelt on the lower portion. Except in one room, where the shogun met with the emperor's messenger. The messenger, because he represented the emperor, took the raised position.
Each bridge has a post at each corner.
Notice the crane walking from left to right.
Raked gardens represent the ocean with islands.
Each castle and temple has an area that sells souvenirs that are unique to the area. We buy chop sticks for Elliot and Caleb and draw-string purses for Caroline, Emi, and Mei, but they will be stolen from our luggage, along with a Nagoya mobile for Annabelle, somewhere along the Delta route from Tokyo to San Francisco to Salt Lake.
These girls are in traditional dress at Nijojo, but I confirmed with Chieko that large hoop earrings are not traditional.
We eat at a restaurant in the mall.
And take a train to Nara, the older-than-Kyoto capital of Japan.
Inside the train, which stops for 15 minutes or so because a crossing arm malfunctions. This is a big deal, where trains always run to the minute.
For six weeks in October and November, Nara is celebrating 1,300 years since it was chosen as Japan's capital, and a couple of buildings that are normally closed to the public are open with ancient artifacts such as wooden and brass Buddha statues inside. This brings thousands and thousands of people, even on a weekday.
Many if not most of the people are here in tour groups, many from China.
Numerous tame deer harass visitors for food, which can be bought from street vendors.
Priests ask for donations in exchange for blessings.
At 15 meters (about 50 feet) tall, this Buddha is the largest bronze statue in the world. It was first cast in 752 but various part have been recast over the years due to damage from fires, earthquakes, and wars. The building burned down and was rebuilt in the 1500s.
We take the Shinkansen to Nagoya, where we stop to visit Chieko's friend. We wake early and catch an earlier Shinkansen than expected, so we end up with time to visit Nagoya Castle. This castle is famous for its golden carp on the roof's gable ends.
A view of Nagoya from the castle.
School children are eating their lunch during a field trip to the castle. Masses of students are also visiting most historic sites that we visit.
This is Chieko's high school friend, Junko Soboku. She meets us at the Nagoya eki on her way back from Korea.
And she treats us to an all-tofu lunch in a restaurant at the top of the department store attached to the eki. Everything in the lunch is made of tofu or has tofu in it, including a small cold cup of tofu "milk" (the liquid, like whey, that is left over when making tofu).
While Chieko has a mini-reunion with five of her friends from elementary school--all their dads worked for Onoda Cement, they all lived in the company housing development, and they attended the same schools--I take the Yamanote-sen back and forth across Tokyo trying to find a large Bic Camera store. I finally find one in Ikebukuro, where I use my points card to buy a Kamen Rider alarm clock and a radio-controlled helicopter. "Kamen Rider" was a popular TV show when I was on my mission. We even made a movie with the branch members and English class when I was in Kashii called "Takaki Rider."
I take the Yamanote-sen to Yurakuchou and walk to Ginza, which is the route I used to take to work here. I don't recognize anything. I ask a policeman where the Sony Building is. It's just on the next corner. I ask were the Kabukiza theater is? It's been gone for years. The whole building? There's nothing left. When did that happen? Mukashi (anciently). Where did it used to be? That way. I need to know the direction so I can find where I used to work. I find the street and don't recognize the buildings. There's now a large hair salon and a few restaurants. I know I would recognize the entrance to the KAMS building, but I don't see it. One building has a steel garage door closed over the entrance and may be the old KAMS building.
A Ginza department store ready for Christmas with colored lighting and a lit clock tower.
I'm not sure what kind of pastry Manneken sells, but these people are willing to wait in a long line to get some.
I love these independent camera shops that sell all kinds of old and new cameras. I can't afford any more camera gear, so I don't go in.
This fruit stand is next to Yurakuchou eki.
Our Japan Rail Pass ran out yesterday, so we take the cheaper train to Shinjuku in Tokyo for lunch and so I can take pictures of people from the foot bridge outside the eki and stores.
This commuter train has cars that, during rush hours, are restricted to women. Groping is a big problem on crowded trains, and although women hate it, they don't punch the guys or report them. The women I worked with 25 years ago talked about the problem. I'm pretty sure these women-only trains are the solution JR has come up with.
We get on the same train we rode to Shinjuku and take it on to Yokohama, where a large mall has this Snoopy Town Shop.
This place sells Snoopy motorcycle helmets, Snoopy steering wheel covers, Snoopy luggage, and just about anything else Snoopy.
We walk to the Landmark Tower, currently the tallest office building in Japan (Tokyo Tower is a bit taller).
Last time we were in Japan we visited a tall building in Tokyo, but this one has a much more impressive view, overlooking Yokohama Harbor.
Chieko in front of Yokohama Harbor. Notice I don't include pictures from the other three sides, because the city is covered by haze. On a clear day we would be able to see Mt. Fuji.
This is the Landmark Tower, along with the three Queens Towers (A, B, C), and an amusement park as viewed from the Bankoku Bashi (bridge). This area has police marching by frequently in groups of 10 or so, and they have a blockade at the bridge, checking motorcyclists' bags and other belongings.
Saturday and Sunday, October 23 and 24, 2010
This is our non-stop Delta flight from Salt Lake City to Narita, Japan. This is the last direct flight this year. Delta will discontinue the flight over the winter and resume it in May. 
And this is my view for the next 12 hours. The sun never goes down, but the calendar turns to Sunday, October 24, while we are in the air. Monday, October 25, 2010
Chieko's mother's house looks pretty much the same as it did the last time we were here four years ago.
Chieko's mother's house looks pretty much the same as it did the last time we were here four years ago. 
Her garden still has vegetables growing (spinach and some Japanese vegetables), and although she has slowed down a bit--she doesn't make umeboshi (pickled plums) anymore--she still does a great gardening job at 84 years old. 
This is the Sato's genkan (front entry, where we remove our shoes). 
This is the room we take over. Normally this is the butsudan room. The butsudan is the shrine to Chieko's father that you can see in the middle right of the picture. Chieko's mother's bedroom is just beyond the sliding fusuma doors in the background. She has her own TV, sink, bathroom, and refrigerator. 
I take a little walk around the neighborhood in the morning. This used to be farm country and is still pretty rural, even though a lot of homes have been built on the farmland. This is a small cemetery that I assume belongs to an old farm family. 
Almost every inch of Japan that can be used is being used, covered with buildings, roads, train tracks, or farms. However, there are a few spots where bamboo still grows wild. 
I don't know what this is, other than a purple flower. 
Many of the homes here and elsewhere that we travel in central and western Japan have persimmon trees, a favorite here but not one of my favorites. 
And a few spiders live here. 
Ditches run along most roads to carry water, especially during the rainy season. This one is bigger than most, probably because of the farming, but all the roadside ditches are much larger than gutters in Utah. 
Later in the morning we take the bus, about a 15-minute walk from the Sato's house, to the eki (train station). 
This notice in the bus says that due to global warming, the drivers aren't wearing jackets, and during the summer they have short-sleeve shirts. 
This is the Jouetsu Shinkansen (Bullet Train) that we take into Tokyo. We purchased Japan Rail passes before we came, so for two weeks we can ride any JR (Japan Railway) train except the extra-fast Nozomi Shinkensan, on reserved seats, where available. We will use our passes extensively. 
A stop at the Ueno Eki leads us to Ameyoko, which used to be a fish market but is now full of all kinds of little shops. 
Fish and jam. 
Mostly fish. 
Fruits and vegetables. 
Lunch, but not for us. 
This is lunch for us. 
Ramen noodles. We'll eat ramen maybe six or eight times over two weeks. 
Fur coats.
And the vending machines that are everywhere, even on little neighborhood streets out in the country. 
The Yamanote-sen (line) circles Tokyo. The city is also criss-crossed with subways, but the Yamanote-sen is a JR train, so we can ride for free. 
Akihabara is one of my favorite spots. It used to be the electronics center of the universe, with stores selling everything from transistors to spy cameras to refrigerators. The big stores now cater mostly to foreigners with Duty Free shops and Chinese and Caucasians working in all the stores. The Japanese now shop mostly in Sinjuku. However, the tiny specialty shops are still here directly under the overhead railroad tracks. 
This one sells bolts. 
This shops sells plugs. 
Back in Kumagaya, where Chieko's mother lives, we wait at the bus stop while this woman waits for her husband to play Pachinko (that's my guess). 
This car is driving past the eki. Tuesday, October 26, 2010
We are headed out for our big adventure. The eki has a display of chrysanthemums to advertise a place in Japan to travel to by rail.
We are headed out for our big adventure. The eki has a display of chrysanthemums to advertise a place in Japan to travel to by rail. 
You can buy cigarettes from a vending machine at the eki. Actually, you can also buy beer from some vending machines. 
We board the Shinkansen at Kumagaya. 
The seats are reserved in this car, although there are also unreserved seats in other cars, and there's a first-class car, called a Green-sha (car). 
The men's toilet in the Shinkansen doesn't have a lock on the door. But you don't need one, because you can see through the window whether the toilet is occupied. 
All ekis, except ones that are just for commuter trains, sell eki-ben, a train-station boxed lunch. I don't know what it is about these lunches, but buying an eki-ben for a trip is a must-do. 
I got a ton-katsu (breaded pork cutlet) eki-ben. After this trip, I need to give up Coke again. I've never even been a Coke fan, but it's about all I can find to drink other than plain water. I do find and drink large quantities of Calpis Soda and one Mitsui Cider. Here's a 17-second ride on a Shinkansen.
I take a lot of pictures out of train windows, but it's really hard to frame and focus at 180 miles per hour. This is rice straw stacked to dry. Notice the farm is packed in with some factory. 
The first night we stay in Osaka, at the Hotel Monterey Osaka. 
Almost all the sit-down toilets in Japan--on trains, in hotels, in departments stores--have built-in bidets. This is our hotel bathroom. Some places also have the old-style squatter toilets, which many people prefer, because no part of your body touches the toilet. Those don't have bidets, though. 
This hotel is built in a U shape with a stone chapel in the middle for weddings. 
Chieko isn't feeling well, so I take the subway to the Osaka Castle alone. These guys are fishing in the castle's moat. I can't see whether they're catching anything. 
Osaka Castle. 
The inside of the castle has a small museum with some interesting 3-D-like video recreations of historical incidents. This is Oda Nobunaga, the first shogun to rule all of Japan following years of feudal wars. 
Osaka from the top of the castle. I am a little disappointed with the castle. As with most castles and shrines in Japan, the originals have been destroyed in fires, and many, such as the castle in Tokyo, during World War II. Most of the ones that have been restored have been restored close to their originals, using the same building materials. Osaka Castle, however, is a concrete lookalike, that inside doesn't look anything like a castle. 
A tour boat on the river running near the castle. I wander the streets looking for dinner, but everything looks like really expensive, very well marbled beef, so I end up at a ramen shop, where I get a set dinner with ramen, chahan (fried rice), gyoza, and chicken nuggets.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
For breakfast, Chieko still isn't feeling well, so I walk the streets looking for food and end up at Starbucks. I love their hot chocolate, even at 510 yen ($6) for a large.
We take a subway to the Namba Eki, where we board the Nakai Dentsu, an old train that takes us up a narrow mountain canyon. 
This is a mountain village. 
We get off the train at Gokurobashi, an old station that probably hasn't changed in 50 years or more. 
We then get on the cable car to travel up the last 800 meters to Kouyasan, going up at an angle that I'm sure is at least 45 degrees. We then take a bus on a very windy road to the Shoujoushinin Buddhist monastery, where we'll stay tonight. 
The monastery is in a set of 150-year-old buildings with thatched roofs (over some of the buildings). 
The monastery is several buildings surrounding gardens and a small pond. 
The toilets are shared at the end of the second-story hall. 
We're staying on the second floor in this tatami-mat room that has a free-standing kerosene heater and fusuma sliding doors with no locks. "Take your valuables with you." 
Next to the monastery is a cemetery that has more than 200,000 people, due to its being close to the center of the Shingon sect of Buddhism (the most popular sect today). A monk named Kuukai went to China in 804 to study and brought the teachings of this sect back to Japan. With the blessing of and land grant from the emperor he established Kouyasan. 
It seems that every famous person from Japanese history over the past 1,200 years is interred here. 
Oda Nobunaga is here, with the man who murdered him interred a short distance away. In some cases, only part of the person is here, perhaps a lock of hair, so the person may actually be buried in several locations throughout Japan. 
These are women monks, likely going to worship at the shrine at the end of the cemetery. 
Cedars are the predominant trees here. I assume many are hundreds of years old. 
Many memorials are dedicated to children. 
Rich and famous families own large plots. Companies (Panasonic and Komatsu are a couple we see) also have large memorials for their founders and for employees who have died on the job. 
The pathway through the cemetery is lined with stone lanterns that light up at night. 
These bronze statues are at the end of the path. 
A bridge over a stream at the cemetery. A shrine is also here, but pictures are not allowed. 
The leaves are just starting to change. 
You can see the shrine in the background. 
We then take a bus to the other end of Kouyasan, to a place called Danjo Garan, where the main shrines and pagodas are located. This is a shishi (lion dog), two of which stand at the entrance to most shrines and temples. This one has his mouth closed to keep good luck in. 
This shishi has his mouth open to let good luck out. 
At the monastery, monks serve us a dinner in a common area. 
The food is all vegetarian. Thursday, October 28, 2010
Happy Birthday, Sara.
In the morning, I wake up at 3 a.m. but stay in the warm futon until about 5 a.m. The temperature in this mountain village is about 35 degrees F. At 6:30 we go to the prayer building and sit with the other guests (all foreigners for some reason), where a monk sings a monotone prayer for about 30 minutes while occasionally ringing an inverted 18-inch brass bell that rests on a pillow on a stool. He also clangs brass symbols and then lets them chatter against each other's reverberations. Breakfast is vegetarian.
In the morning, I wake up at 3 a.m. but stay in the warm futon until about 5 a.m. The temperature in this mountain village is about 35 degrees F. At 6:30 we go to the prayer building and sit with the other guests (all foreigners for some reason), where a monk sings a monotone prayer for about 30 minutes while occasionally ringing an inverted 18-inch brass bell that rests on a pillow on a stool. He also clangs brass symbols and then lets them chatter against each other's reverberations. Breakfast is vegetarian. 
We take a train back to Shin-Osaka. 
Chieko on the train. 
This is also an old train. 
Back on the Shinkansen, we head toward Hakata, also known as Fukuoka, where my mission headquarters used to sit on what is now the Fukuoka Temple property. 
Rooftops in Japan are mostly all tile. 
After passing Hiroshima and traveling under the ocean between the islands of Honshu and Kyushu, we pass Tokuyama, a city I was assigned to on my mission and Brian also spent time in during his mission. In the three or so months that I was there as a missionary, I never realized Tokuyama was so industrial. Several oil refineries line the waterfront. 
In Hakata, we walk to our hotel then take a taxi to Canal City, a large shopping and office complex with a canal in the bottom level. It is totally decked out for Halloween. 
Canal City has a Las Vegas-style (on a much smaller scale) water show.
Convenience stores (AM/PM, 7-Eleven, Lawsons, Family Mart) are everywhere. You can get full meals here. 
I have never seen as many yatai restaurants (small trailers that contain an entire specialty restaurant and that set up on the sidewalks at night) as I see in Hakata. On some streets, especially on the river near Canal City, there seem to be 50 or more busy yatai shops lined side by side. 
This place specializes in ramen but also serves oden and other items. It's been in business here for 35 years and is open from 6:30 to 11 p.m. every day. One customer tells us this is the best restaurant around. 
I eat ramen noodles. They are good. I love these places. 
This neurosurgeon from Hokkaido is attending a conference in Fukuoka. He treats us to pig's feet and cow's tongue. I ask the shop owner to cut the foot in half and give the bigger half to the doctor. He chews down the skin, fat, and cartilage and tells us that it is supposed to be healthy because it has collagen. There is not a grain of meat. After I nibble on my half, he takes that and finishes it, too.
Friday, October 29, 2010
For breakfast we get yogurt, milk, and a nikuman (meat-filled steamed roll) at the AM/PM store. Then we find an Andersen's Bakery and buy an apple pastry that has a half apple inside. Then we board the Yufuin train to the Yufuin hot springs resort town. 
This is an old diesel train that has been restored with a lot of wood trimming. 
The car in front of us has a food-serving section and an area to eat your meal and enjoy the ride. 
This train caters to tourists, including the train attendant giving us props and taking our picture. 
Hey, corn. This looks just like Oklahoma. 
A small farm with a picnic table. I can't tell what's on the table, but it's some kind of large produce. All the farms we see are small plots of land, often situated between houses and factories. 
More farmland. 
We arrive at Yufuin too early to check into the resort, so we ride this carriage on a little sight-seeing tour. 
This is Yufuin's main street leading from the eki. We buy the most delicious heavy-cream-filled rolled cake at a coffee shop up the street on the left. Yufuin is famous for its dairy products (as well as its hot springs), although we never do see any cows. 
We opt out of the jinrikisha ride, because we don't have time or anywhere we want to go. 
We stay at the Yama no Hotel Musouen Onsen resort. A small girl carries our heavy bags up the stairs to our room. 
Hashio-san is assigned to take care of us--explain the resort layout, feed us dinner, and so on. 
Dinner includes 10 courses. This is course one. 
The men's hot spring overlooks the valley, which you can't see from this picture, but you can see where you can see it from. Below here, by the lamp, are family baths that can be reserved, and there's a women's bath below and to the right. There's another women's bath somewhere to the left. It is the nicest of the baths, and this resort uses it in its advertising. Everything is protected by trees and fences (though I'm sure the men's bath is completely visible to the rooms in the winter). 
Under the lights is the washing area--running water, stools, shampoo, soap. 
Between Friday and Saturday, before and after dinner and before breakfast, I spend about five hours in the hot mineral water. I could live here. Saturday, October 30, 2010
Breakfast.
Breakfast. 
We take a couple trains to Miyazaki on the Pacific coast. 
These trains are a little slower than the Shinkansen, so maybe I can get a few pictures of the countryside. 
I love my Japan Rail Pass. 
Bicycles at an eki. 
When the sun comes out, people hang clothes and futons from their apartment balconies to air. 
Cement pipes. 
Painted railroad ties (I think that's what they are). 
The surf is very wild, probably due to the typhoon that passed by yesterday but didn't make landfall. 
A farmer on a "large" farm. Many of the plows are not ridden. They're more like very large tillers. 
The rice has been harvested, and the straw is stacked to dry. You can see the second crop of rice sprouting. 
Every train has a conductor who checks tickets between almost every stop. On these trains the conductor stamps our tickets. On the Shinkansen the conductor usually just checks to make sure the right seats are occupied, although he too may stamp tickets occasionally. 
We arrive in Miyazaki just in time to see the last half of the Miyazaki Fall Matsuri (festival). This is a taiko (drum) float. 
These young drummers are earnest and very well practiced. Click on this video to watch a few seconds of taiko drumming.
This oni threatens to do me in. 
Several queens ride jinrikishas and horses. They are queens of the festival and queens of various sponsor companies. 
This girl poses when she sees me taking her picture. 
The dragon tries to scare the children by eating them, but they seem to be more comfortable with him than most kids this age are with Santa Claus. 
People watch the festival parade from all along the route. 
The Hotel Plaza Miyazaki is on the Ouyoda River and has a natural hot spring spa. Although the bath is not outside, the spa has two hot baths--the cooler one is 40 degrees C--jetted jacuzzis, a sauna, and a tap-water-cold bath. I spend a long time here. Sunday, October 31, 2010
We rent a 660cc Daihatsu Tanto from M-Jet for about $40 per day. This car is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. 
Of course, the steering wheel is on the right side. 
The GPS is very helpful, even if it speaks only Japanese. I easily understand, "A curve is ahead," "Turn right after 500 meters," and "Turn left after 5 kilometers." Take a ride in a Daihatsu. Over two days we drive almost 300 miles and get 71 mpg. The speed limit is 50 km/h (30 mph) over most of the roads, with one toll road posted at 60 km/h. We drive about 10 to 20 km/h over the limit most of the way to stay with other drivers. We also don't pay for the toll road. The toll "booth" is just a place where we push a button to open the gate. I assume they take our picture and send us a bill. Except we are in a rental car and will be in the United States by the time any bill shows up.
Aoshima (Green Island) on the Miyzaki coast is unusual in that it has thousands of different kinds of natural tropical and other plants. 
We walk across a concrete bridge to the island. 
This rock would be much more interesting at low tide. It's called Giant's Washboard. 
I assume the rock here is volcanic. 
The sand is crushed seashells, and this coconut must have washed up from someplace far away during the typhoon. We also see a puffer fish (very poisonous and a Japanese delicacy). 
The whole of the Miyazaki Prefecture coast is very tropical. 
It has a lot of different plants. 
As we drive further south we see two or three monkeys on the mountain next to the road. We stop to take their picture, but they run down the mountain. Then we spot this big male. 
We stop at Odujingu shrine, built into the cliffs along the coast.
The entrance to part of the shrine. 
A lantern. My camera quits working at this point. The mirror locks up, and I get an "Error" message that never goes away. It's been raining all day, and although I have the camera in a nylon waterproof sock (built for this purpose) and an umbrella, the camera has gotten a little rain on it, and I suspect it has seeped into the circuit boards. I'm glad I brought the little waterproof Canon camera that I bought when my Nikon D90 was in the shop for its GPS connection problem and I was heading to Arizona.
The main shrine is built in a cave or cove in the rock overlooking the ocean. 
We next visit a castle called "Little Kyoto," because the area around the castle has maintained its old-world look with frame-and-stucco white-washed homes. Notice how tightly these rocks fit together in the base of the castle. 
Now notice how tightly these rocks fit together. These are the old, possibly original rocks. The masons who restore these sites are not nearly as precise as their ancient predecessors. This is true all over Japan, including Okinawa (as I discovered on my mission). 
The castle compound's outer walls are reinforced with these braces. 
Inside the castle is a model of a boat in which the shogun used to ride and meet other military leaders. 
This is the shogun's bedroom. 
This is the kitchen. 
I know you're asking, "But what does his toilet look like?" This is it. 
We drive down the coast to see the 5,000 fireworks the Japanese Navy is setting off, but we find out they've been canceled due to the typhoon that never came. Monday, November 1, 2010
We drive about four hours north (we actually do the four-hour drive in three hours--it's easy to make up time when the speed limit is 30 mph) to the Takachiho Gorge.
We drive about four hours north (we actually do the four-hour drive in three hours--it's easy to make up time when the speed limit is 30 mph) to the Takachiho Gorge. 
This gorge is cut into a lava flow from Mount Aso.
We pay 1,000 yen for 20 minutes in a rowboat. 
We take this picture to prove we are actually here. See video of a pretty little spring.
A mushroom. 
A water wheel above the gorge. 
Tourist stands are at every attraction. 
And restaurants. This man is selling dango, which is a little pasty ball (I think it's made from some kind of potato) covered with a sweet sauce. Dango comes with four or five dangos on a stick. 
The watchful spiders. 
This kadydid is trying to call home, I guess. Or he just found someplace to blend in. 
The coast along Miyazaki Prefecture is beautiful, especially on a sunny day. 
We take a little side trip around a peninsula and stop at the place called Cross Rock. Then we head back to Miyazaki before the M-Jet car rental closes at 8 p.m.Election Day in the United States. We voted early.
We take a train to the town of Beppu, which is probably Japan's most famous hot springs town. Technically, Yufuin, where we stayed a couple days ago, is in the Beppu area, but it's pretty far and secluded from the tourist mayhem of Beppu City. This is a farm village along the train route.
We take a train to the town of Beppu, which is probably Japan's most famous hot springs town. Technically, Yufuin, where we stayed a couple days ago, is in the Beppu area, but it's pretty far and secluded from the tourist mayhem of Beppu City. This is a farm village along the train route. 
The first place we stop is a geyser. The sign says this is one of about three geysers in the world that goes off regularly, along with Old Faithful and a geyser in Iceland. Watch this video of the Japanese "Old Faithful."
While we wait for a bus to the next hot pot area, we eat gelato: sweet potato (the purple half) and chocolate chip. We had a Calpis gelato the other day at Canal City in Hakata. We also watch these tiny ants carry this relatively huge dead grasshopper across the sidewalk toward their home. They're very organized, but not very smart, crossing a busy sidewalk and all. You have to watch this video.
Each hot pot is in an enclosed area, and it costs to go into each. We buy a book of tickets that gets us into all of them. 
These red guys are common. Each hot pot or mud pot is called Something Jigoku. Jigoku means Hell. 
Another red devil guy. 
This red pot is called Bloody Hell. 
I don't remember the name of this one, but I'd like to soak in it's milky green water. 
Some of these are prettier than others. 
I like this one. 
These mud pots are fun. 
Me and my buddy. 
These lilly pad things are from the Amazon. They grow well, because the water is warm. This location has pictures of children standing on these. 
The hot springs are ideal for green houses to grow tropical plants. 
Also for imported tropical animals. This guy happily begs for pieces of carrots that we happily buy for $1.20 per handful and throw to him. 
This guy doesn't look so happy. The oldest crocodile here died recently at over 70 years old. 
I find it difficult to take pictures of these fish underwater. When I try to take the picture of an orange koi, a black one sneaks up and tries to swallow my finger. The first time one grabs my finger is a little surprising. 
Eggs cooking in the hot spring. 
Chieko likes them, but I don't care for the taste. Too much sulphur, I think. 
But I do like soaking my feet. 
Sundown in Beppu. Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Chieko buys an eki-ben for our ride back to Osaka.
Chieko buys an eki-ben for our ride back to Osaka. 
And I find a large can of Pepsi. 
The eki still has pay phones, even though almost everyone has a cell phone--which, by the way, are banned from use while riding on any train. 
I like the marketing theme: "Oita, take a **fill in the blank.**" Like this one that says, "Oita, take a rest."
I'm not sure what "take a heart" means, but I guess it could be like leaving your heart in San Francisco. 
But I really don't know what "take a nature" means. 
Even with all the tiny cars and vans driving around, this truck really cracks me up. Just one person fits in the cab with, I suppose, a bag of rice in the back. 
After a train to Kokura and a Shinkansen ride, we end up in Kyoto, the old capital of Japan. 
We have just enough time to visit two sites. This is part of a raked garden at Ryouanji Temple. 
What are all these people looking at? 
Kinkakuji (Golden Temple). The only other time I've been to Kyoto, when we lived in Japan 25 years ago, Kinkakuji was being renovated. This temple is coated with gold leaf. We find a Bic Camera, the first camera store we've seen since my camera broke a few days ago and one of two major camera and electronics superstores in Japan. They have a Nikon D300s body, which is what I've decided I want to upgrade to. The price is pretty high and the guy won't go down.
I tell him I can get it cheaper in the United States. He says each market has its own prices.
I tell him I found it cheaper online at his competitor, Yodobashi. He comes down a good amount.
Chieko and I talk in English, comparing the price to what I could buy it for from B&H Photo in New York. While we talk, the guy comes down some more and says that is the bottom. I say, "OK."
I also get a "points" card that is worth about $120 and that I can use later at the store. He also gives us two LED light bulbs that are priced about $25 each and that I have no idea whether we'll ever use.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
One of the gates to Nijojo, the Kyoto castle (actually, two are here, thus the name means Two Castles).
One of the gates to Nijojo, the Kyoto castle (actually, two are here, thus the name means Two Castles). 
Another view of the entry to Nijojo. 
A garden at the castle. We tour the main castle, which has huge rooms where the shogun used to meet with his military leaders and ministers, but no pictures are allowed inside. One room is 800 tatamis big (one tatami is about 3 feet by 6 feet, so about 14,000 square feet). About 25 percent of one end of each room is raised about a foot from the rest of the room. The shogun always sat or knelt on the raised portion, while his ministers or others knelt on the lower portion. Except in one room, where the shogun met with the emperor's messenger. The messenger, because he represented the emperor, took the raised position. 
Each bridge has a post at each corner. 
Notice the crane walking from left to right. 
Raked gardens represent the ocean with islands. 
Each castle and temple has an area that sells souvenirs that are unique to the area. We buy chop sticks for Elliot and Caleb and draw-string purses for Caroline, Emi, and Mei, but they will be stolen from our luggage, along with a Nagoya mobile for Annabelle, somewhere along the Delta route from Tokyo to San Francisco to Salt Lake. 
These girls are in traditional dress at Nijojo, but I confirmed with Chieko that large hoop earrings are not traditional. 
We eat at a restaurant in the mall. 
And take a train to Nara, the older-than-Kyoto capital of Japan. 
Inside the train, which stops for 15 minutes or so because a crossing arm malfunctions. This is a big deal, where trains always run to the minute. 
For six weeks in October and November, Nara is celebrating 1,300 years since it was chosen as Japan's capital, and a couple of buildings that are normally closed to the public are open with ancient artifacts such as wooden and brass Buddha statues inside. This brings thousands and thousands of people, even on a weekday. 
Many if not most of the people are here in tour groups, many from China. 
Numerous tame deer harass visitors for food, which can be bought from street vendors. 
Priests ask for donations in exchange for blessings. 
At 15 meters (about 50 feet) tall, this Buddha is the largest bronze statue in the world. It was first cast in 752 but various part have been recast over the years due to damage from fires, earthquakes, and wars. The building burned down and was rebuilt in the 1500s. Friday, November 5, 2010
We take the Shinkansen to Nagoya, where we stop to visit Chieko's friend. We wake early and catch an earlier Shinkansen than expected, so we end up with time to visit Nagoya Castle. This castle is famous for its golden carp on the roof's gable ends. 
A view of Nagoya from the castle. 
School children are eating their lunch during a field trip to the castle. Masses of students are also visiting most historic sites that we visit. 
This is Chieko's high school friend, Junko Soboku. She meets us at the Nagoya eki on her way back from Korea. 
And she treats us to an all-tofu lunch in a restaurant at the top of the department store attached to the eki. Everything in the lunch is made of tofu or has tofu in it, including a small cold cup of tofu "milk" (the liquid, like whey, that is left over when making tofu). Saturday, November 6, 2010
While Chieko has a mini-reunion with five of her friends from elementary school--all their dads worked for Onoda Cement, they all lived in the company housing development, and they attended the same schools--I take the Yamanote-sen back and forth across Tokyo trying to find a large Bic Camera store. I finally find one in Ikebukuro, where I use my points card to buy a Kamen Rider alarm clock and a radio-controlled helicopter. "Kamen Rider" was a popular TV show when I was on my mission. We even made a movie with the branch members and English class when I was in Kashii called "Takaki Rider."
I take the Yamanote-sen to Yurakuchou and walk to Ginza, which is the route I used to take to work here. I don't recognize anything. I ask a policeman where the Sony Building is. It's just on the next corner. I ask were the Kabukiza theater is? It's been gone for years. The whole building? There's nothing left. When did that happen? Mukashi (anciently). Where did it used to be? That way. I need to know the direction so I can find where I used to work. I find the street and don't recognize the buildings. There's now a large hair salon and a few restaurants. I know I would recognize the entrance to the KAMS building, but I don't see it. One building has a steel garage door closed over the entrance and may be the old KAMS building. 
A Ginza department store ready for Christmas with colored lighting and a lit clock tower. 
I'm not sure what kind of pastry Manneken sells, but these people are willing to wait in a long line to get some. 
I love these independent camera shops that sell all kinds of old and new cameras. I can't afford any more camera gear, so I don't go in. 
This fruit stand is next to Yurakuchou eki. Sunday, November 7, 2010
World leaders, including President Barack Obama, are gathering in Yokohama next weekend for a summit as part of APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation), and security is tight all over central Japan. Police are standing guard on little foldable aluminum stands in all the train stations, they routinely inspect behind objects such as garbage cans, and all the garbage cans at the ekis and on the Shinkansens have been covered. The sign says to take your trash with you.
World leaders, including President Barack Obama, are gathering in Yokohama next weekend for a summit as part of APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation), and security is tight all over central Japan. Police are standing guard on little foldable aluminum stands in all the train stations, they routinely inspect behind objects such as garbage cans, and all the garbage cans at the ekis and on the Shinkansens have been covered. The sign says to take your trash with you. I have to tell this: The restrooms have sensors that you swipe or hold your hand in front of to flush the toilet. They also have panic buttons on the wall about midway up and close to the floor. While I am waiting in an eki for Chieko, an alarm goes off--peeeeep, peeeeep, peeeeep. Train personnel and the policeman on the little platform rush into the men's room. After a few minutes they come out. And a couple of train women come out of the women's restroom. Then Chieko comes out and says, "I accidentally pushed the panic button instead of the flush button."
Our Japan Rail Pass ran out yesterday, so we take the cheaper train to Shinjuku in Tokyo for lunch and so I can take pictures of people from the foot bridge outside the eki and stores. 
This commuter train has cars that, during rush hours, are restricted to women. Groping is a big problem on crowded trains, and although women hate it, they don't punch the guys or report them. The women I worked with 25 years ago talked about the problem. I'm pretty sure these women-only trains are the solution JR has come up with. 
We get on the same train we rode to Shinjuku and take it on to Yokohama, where a large mall has this Snoopy Town Shop.
This place sells Snoopy motorcycle helmets, Snoopy steering wheel covers, Snoopy luggage, and just about anything else Snoopy. 
We walk to the Landmark Tower, currently the tallest office building in Japan (Tokyo Tower is a bit taller). 
Last time we were in Japan we visited a tall building in Tokyo, but this one has a much more impressive view, overlooking Yokohama Harbor. 
Chieko in front of Yokohama Harbor. Notice I don't include pictures from the other three sides, because the city is covered by haze. On a clear day we would be able to see Mt. Fuji. 
This is the Landmark Tower, along with the three Queens Towers (A, B, C), and an amusement park as viewed from the Bankoku Bashi (bridge). This area has police marching by frequently in groups of 10 or so, and they have a blockade at the bridge, checking motorcyclists' bags and other belongings. We ride the train that goes all the way from Yokohama to Kumagaya, about an hour and a half away.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Chieko's brother, Noboru, her mother, and Chieko in Mrs. Sato's garden.
Chieko's brother, Noboru, her mother, and Chieko in Mrs. Sato's garden. And now we head home: Eight hours to San Franciso, five hours in that airport, and an hour and a half to Salt Lake. My dad dropped us off and will pick us up at the airport.
3 comments:
I wish we could go there. Your pictures are amazing. It looks like you and Chieko had a really nice time.
I'm not done reading it yet. I have to take this a little at a time. I am sooo very jealous of you and mom. I would love to take our family to Japan some day. Hopefully you and mom will want to do this trip again since we will need a tour guide + photographer + translator!
Chieko's already planning our next trip, but probably not "this" trip. We want to go places we've never been (exceptions are Tokyo and Kumagaya).
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