Trip to Japan Part VI

After the relaxed time my wife and had had the day before, we decided to make one last big excursion into Tokyo. Our destination… Ueno Park. It’s a popular area with museums and cherry trees among other things. After the hustle and bustle of the Ueno station, it’s a huge busy place, it was nice to walk into the wide open space of the park. As there are many things to see and do in Ueno Park we came with a specific goal of going to the Treasures of the Tokugawa exhibit (since closed) at the Tokyo National Museum. But wouldn’t you know it on the way there my SO spied a poster for The Great Robot Exhibition at the National Museum Nature and Science. We checked our watch, and figured we had enough time to for this as well.

My ticket for The Great Robot Exhibition

The exhibit was a showcase of current robots, past automatons, and futuristic designs from comics and film, basically it was a celebration of Japanese robots both real and imagined. After entering and walking by an impressive display of Gundam toys, we came into large room with many displays but what immediately caught my attention was a live presentation. Now the robot they were showing off wasn’t very impressive, the poor guy who built it, couldn’t get it to work, but the gal helping him threw me for a loop. See, she was crouching there and her ass was hanging out! Here was this huge family-like crowed with bright lights and a near full moon was on stage. This was rather surprising because Japanese folks tend to be very careful about covering themselves up. Standing where I was, there was a great view so it wasn’t surprising that a rather large group had developed. I managed to get a shot of the scene with my camera though I wasn’t allowed to use a flash and I had to zoom in, but you get the idea. The ass gal

After the butt shot I got back why I came and began exploring the various robots. The early clockwork automatons, called karakuri ningyo were very impressive. I was especially fond of the tea servers, as I had seen them before on the history channel. The other displays had both real and imaginary robots side by side. I got excited about one in particular, it was a model of Astro Boy (Atomic Boy) along with two pages of actual Astro Boy manga art by Osamu Tezuka himself. I was so into looking at the inked strokes and lines on the pages that I didn’t realize I’d placed my hand on the case and an attendant had to come over to and tell me to “not touch.” I was so into it in fact that I totally forgot to take picture. One of the things I do remember though was that the paper had turned yellow but the paint used for corrections was still very white. The strokes and line work were just perfect though, and if I had only seen this and nothing else it would have been completely worth it.

3 robots including Doremon

A robot suit for disabled folks

A robot for dancing

Mazenger Z


Here’s Asimo. You probably have seen him on the news. For this robot they had a big production where he performed all kinds of tasks for a family of four, like learning a dance and setting up a table for a meal. His movements were impressive, very smooth and near lifelike.



After the Great Robot Exhibit we headed over to the Tokyo National Museum, which I had been to on past trips to Japan to see their regular exhibitions. The Treasures of the Tokugawa exhibit was incredible with all manner of kimonos, mother of pearl furniture and gold treasures but alas no picture taking was allowed. I got quite overheated as I did with the Chōjū-giga exhibit but I still I was able to look over the heads of the crowds. Of course the armor (I’m always surprised how small they are) and swords were very remarkable as was the first Clock in Japan (a gift from the Portuguese), but what really affected me the most for some strange reason were two documents. The first was the one that officially established the Tokugawa government under Tokugawa Ieyasu and the second was the document that dissolved the Shogunate in 1868. That’s 264 years of Japanese history on two pieces of paper… …Amazing. We bought a book with photographs of the collection but we decided to give it to my in-laws instead as a thank you for everything they provided for us on this trip. Going to two very different, yet very Japanese exhibits made me think up a phrase that sums up modern Japanese culture in my mind: In Japan the Future is now, but the Past is present. I refer to this part of our trip as Shoguns and Robots.Tokyo National Museum
Ticket for Treasures of the Tokugawa

It was twilight when my SO and I left the Tokyo National Museum. We decided to check out Ameyoko a bazaar-like shopping district close to Ueno. We trotted around the seemingly endless market until we came to my wife’s favorite store Niki No Kashi. It’s candy shop that sells sweets in bulk but not in the orgy sizes like Costco. My wife discovered it many years ago when she worked in Tokyo. We grabbed all manner of goodies including a box of Apple Kit Kats. Then it happened, I stumbled across my favorite candy in the whole world… Tropifrutti. The German gummy candy maker HARIBO makes it. Unlike most of their products such as Happy-Cola and Goldbären, Tropifrutti is not sold in the states or least I’ve never seen it. I developed a taste for it when I was in Germany in the 1990s. Tropifrutti has wonderful soft texture that’s not too chewy and has an amazing combination of flavors (Banana, Pineapple, Strawberry, Tangerine, Passion Fruit, Mango, and Kiwi to name a few of them). I love this stuff so much I keep the empty bags just so I can smell ‘em to remind myself what Tropifrutti tastes like. It’s my Crack. I still have one bag left…
The outer edge of Ameyoko from Ueno Park

A street in Ameyoko



As it was nighttime, we took a train back to Omiya for a late dinner with an old girlfriend chum of my SO. We had a nice time and the restaurant staff had a great time as well watching me bump into things and hit my head because the place was so tiny. After our meal my wife and I took a taxi back to her parents house. I think I was finally starting to adjust to Japan-time, which was a shame because the next day was my last full day in the Land of the Rising Sun.

-Swinebread

Trip to Japan Part IV

A video billboard with an odd animation at Shinbashi

We got a late start on our forth day in Japan but beyond meeting a mutual friend, my SO and had no firm plans. We took the bus to Omiya station and I was lucky enough to get a seat this time so I wasn’t banging my head on the overhead handrails. The weather was even warmer than the day before and so of course that caused me to get completely overheated. When we finally walked out of the bus at the train station, I felt as if steam was rising off my body… and maybe it was.

Before we boarded or train to Shinbashi in Tokyo we respectfully navigated the throngs of people. My wife doesn’t come back to Japan often and so she was surprised to see a homeless woman that she had passed many times on her way work years ago. My SO said, “I can’t believe it. She’s still alive-ing” I declined to correct her English, as her accidental portmanteau seemed strangely appropriate.
Shinbashi Station

Our trip into Tokyo was becoming a familiar one and I passed the time watching the Japanese who were watching me. I was wearing sunglasses so it was an easy thing to do. When we arrived at Shinbashi the first thing I noticed was a big steam locomotive. It was decked with X-mas lights and it scared the piss out of my wife when the steam whistle blew. The second thing I noticed beyond the giant video screens was that a camera crew was going around asking folks questions. My SO told me that Shinbashi is a popular spot for news crews to quickly pick up opinions for the evening and morning newscasts.

The old train at Shinbashi Station. I’m sure the X-mas lights look better at night.

A quick interview for the news at Shinbashi Station

Soon our friend showed up and after happy greetings were we’re off to a nice lunch at a Chinese restaurant. We talked about old times when our friend was an exchange student in Oregon with us, and we talked about new things like dating and cultural changes. At one point we exchanged gifts. Part of our gift to our friend included a love talisman that we had just bought the day before at Jindaiji, but what our friend really liked was the American candy. We also gave her a bag with left over Halloween candy including Reese’s peanut butter cups, for her to pass out at work. She took a big, long whiff and proclaimed, “ah this smells like America.” I laughed of course because she was totally right.

During the meal the Japanese police were investigating something across the street. I was sure that they were going to arrest someone but eventually things calmed down and they left. Their appearance did get me thinking though. The Japanese police looked so small, skinny, and old compared to US cops. They really reminded me of elderly war veterans wearing their dress uniforms. It seemed to me that they were overdressed for the job. American police have much more practical uniforms while on the beat. Also, so many other folks wear such similar outfits that I couldn’t tell the difference between a parking lot attendant and a uniformed police officer. In fact the only guys who looked tough were some security guards that were escorting bags of money. As these guys walked through Omyia station, they wore combat boots and helmets. Because only cops are allowed to wear guns, these guards were armed with clubs and large combat knives. Their outfits kinda’ gave them a whole Mad Max vibe. Now, I’m sure that the Japanese police could take me out in two seconds flat; they just don’t look like they could…

After we parted company with our friend from yore, we were undecided about were to go next maybe Ueno? But before we got there I noticed a poster for the Chōjū-giga at the Suntory Museum of Art, which is in Roppongi. As luck would have it, this national treasure just happened to be on display while my wife and I were in Japan. The Chōjū-giga is a series of four emaki or picture scrolls. Emaki are a medieval form of art that’s unique to Japan. Picture scrolls present stories that combine both words and images in some fashion and are read by rolling out the scroll horizontally. Often they depict epic tales or recount historical events. Obviously this is the origin of modern Manga. The Chōjū-giga is unusual for an emaki in that it has no words, is mostly ink only (no color), and that the subject matter of the 1st scroll is totally anthropomorphic animals. So a guy like me, who loves Loony Tunes, Captain Carrot, and comics, would clearly be very excited about seeing these scrolls.

The Suntory Museum of Art





I had seen photographs of the scrolls many times in fact I bought a magazine about them the first time I was in Japan, but to see them in real life was simply amazing. The brushwork was exquisite and real joy just to take in. It’s a shame that we don’t know whom the creator(s) of these masterpieces are although there is much heated debated among art historians. One of things I noticed right away was that some of the moving characters had zip lines. That’s when I realized that I was looking at the first “genuine” comics ever. It’s hard describing affect the Chōjū-giga had on me but this was truly the highlight of the whole trip. These scrolls are easy to get into and enjoy because they’re rooted in light entertainment rather than high-art. The second scroll, which depicted humans, for example, had an elaborately drawn farting contest.

A rabbit with zip lines

A scene from the first scroll of the Chōjū-giga

part of the farting contest


The museum was jam-packed but luckily I was so tall, I could simply look-over everyone else when I needed to. What was also nice was that an English audio guide was provided, so that I was able to get the most out of the exhibit. At the end of our time there, my wife was nice enough to purchase a book that contained complete images of all the scrolls presented in the exhibit, a wonderful experience indeed.

My Ticket

After the high of the Suntory Museum of Art, my SO and I headed out to look around. The Roppongi district has lots of foreigners compared to other parts of Tokyo and this was the most non-Japanese (except for the airport) I had seen while on my trip. Part of the reason is that there are lots of embassies there but also Roppongi is very trendy and has many dance clubs.
A street in Roppongi. Notice the slimness of the buildings.They’re that way so that they can fit the expensive patches of ground they’re built upon.

My wife was very interested in seeing Roppongi Hills, an ultra modern commercial and housing project that had been completed after she left Japan. So we walked over to this new center that includes the Mori building before heading back to Saitama.

A spider sculpture outside of the Mori building in Roppongi Hills. There sure were moneyed folks walking around here.

-Swinebread

Trip to Japan Part III

The weather was glorious on our third day in Japan like springtime. We took the opportunity to travel to one of the greener parts of the Toyko area, Chōfu. This part of the megalopolis has Jindaiji Temple, the second oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo. So we headed out from Omiya by train.

After my SO and I left the train station in Chōfu, we boarded a bus. I kept hitting my head on the overhead handrails and I’m sure that the folks riding with us were laughing on the inside regardless of their stoic demeanor. As we got closer to Jindaiji Temple my wife realized that we weren’t on the correct bus. The one we were on didn’t go directly to the temple but luckily it did stop on a nearby connecting road. So we would have to huff it for a few extra blocks. It turned out to be all right anyway because there was this very odd, cubed shaped house across the street from the bus stop. The strange window arrangement made it impossible for me to figure out how many floors it had or how the inside of it could possibly be arranged.
Strange Huh

After the Bizarro house, we turned onto the road that leads to the Temple and I immediately noticed a drastic increase in the number of trees. In fact there was an obvious decrease in temperature due to the shade. It was very comforting for an overheated Oregonian like myself. What also became apparent as we walked down the street was that there was traditional looking restaurant after restaurant with water wheels. My SO explained that this area is famous for soba noodles.

Before we arrived at the Temple complex, my SO came across a small shrine dedicated two of the Seven Gods of Fortune, Ebisu and Daikoku. I like the Seven Gods a lot maybe because they’re just the kinda thing that would have the fundies pulling their own hair out with cries of idolatry. They also remind me of belief systems that were a part of the western experience long, long ago.

Soon we came to the Jindaiji Temple complex and like most Temples and Shrines in Japan the area was flush with shops and stands selling all manner of knickknacks, food, and gifts. My wife and I had worked up an appetite so we ducked into one of the many soba shops. Apparently this was the best season for soba. The noodles were very fresh as they were white in color, overtime soba noodles will turn a brownish grey. I dipped my soba into a cold sauce while my wife had soba that gets dipped into a hot soup. Both were very good and seemed to be just the right thing to eat on a mild fall day. I'm getting a mixture of daikon and onion to put in my dipping sauce

With our tummies full we walked down the path and up the steps to the temple grounds. I have been to quite a few temples and shrines around Japan so Jindaiji seemed small but it wasn’t crowded so it also felt intimate.
A 3-year-old girl in a Kimono is taken to the temple for a traditional blessing.

Temple goers purify themselves with incense before they approach the temple building.

Jindaiji Temple

Boys go to the temple to receive a traditional blessing when they’re 5 years old, but this kid was trying like hell to get outta’ there. His mother was doing everything but sitting on him to keep him there. I’m guessing that kid must have been scared of the Priest. Oh well, at least the priest had a sense of humor about it. I had to get this pic with the flash off so they wouldn’t notice that’s why it is so grainy.

One of the main reasons we went to Jindaiji was to see the Kitaro teahouse. Shigeru Mizuki created the Kitaro character in 1959. He’s a yokai boy, or monster boy, and deals with all manner of supernatural horrors out of Japanese mythology. Usually, he tries to find a way for both monster and human to leave in peace together. There have been many comics, TV, movies and even a live action film but none of it has ever been translated into English as far as I know, but on my first trip to Japan I was lucky enough find some bilingual Kitaro comics for Japanese wanting to learn English. So I was able to read a few stories but I want more. Most of the creatures are very different then western monsters and maybe the entertainment folks don’t feel they would translate to the states very well. For me though, the strangeness of the Yokai makes them that much more interesting. I picked all sorts of Kitaro goodies including finger puppets, canned drinks and postcards.

The Kitaro Teahouse

A close up of the Teahouse. Kitaro is on the left and his ratman buddy, Nezumi Otoko, is on the right. They both have umbrella yokai. On top of Kitaro’s head is an eyeball. It’s all that remains of his ghost father Medama Oyaji. The eyeball is also Kitaro’s guide and gives him all kinds of advice.

All the main character’s from Kitaro’s adventures.

The Kitaro Car, I'm not sure what they use it for, but it looks pretty cool

We left Jindaiji and headed to Shimo-Takaido Station in Setagaya. It’s a trendy area with lots of foreign students and accessible shops.

A street near Shimo-Takaido Station

My wife has a cousin who owns a coffee shop there called It’s Café. He’s got a Japanese blog here. It’s a nice cozy place not far from the station. We had a wonderful conversation and I had a yummy piece of pumpkin cake that tasted a lot like pancakes. We gave him a CD of Pink Martini’s album Hang on Little Tomato. He was very appreciative as he’s always on the hunt for new and unique music to play in his café. When we left It’s Café and Shimo-Takaido, I thought this would have been a great place to stay when I was a college student.

It’s Café’s location near Shimo-Takaido Station

It’s Café’s Storefront from the blog

For the last stop of the day my SO and I headed out to Odaiba to see the Fuji TV building. They’re the station with the eyeball symbol, so appropriately they have a huge ball suspended in the center of their rather amusingly designed building.

My picture of the building didn’t turn out so well as it was night, So wikipedia will have to do.

The lobby had all kinds of toys and gifts from Fuji TV’s various shows but the dog mascot was the big draw.

Here’s a view of downtown Tokyo from the Fuji TV ball. You’ll notice the Rainbow Bridge in the middle.

After an enjoyable self guided tour through Fuji TV, My SO and I headed out via monorail over the rainbow bridge to downtown Tokyo to catch a train back to Omiya.

Trip to Japan Part II

A country road in the morning with bamboo


There was so many things going on with friends and family over the holiday weekend that I haven’t been able to update my blog with info about my journey. The good thing about it taking me so long is that my SO is now back (with the camera) and so I’ve got pictures. The bad thing is I hardly took any snapshots, as this was my third trip to Japan. Well, we’ll see what we can do.

On the second day in Japan both my SO and I woke up at 3:00 AM because of the time difference with Oregon. After lying around for over an hour we decided to get up and go for a walk. We took the short stroll to 7-ll, and my SO (who has driven in Japan) commented how narrow the Japanese roads are, obviously she’s be in the states awhile now.

We stepped into the brightly lit convenience store and the smell of cooking oden permeated air. We strolled around the low, well-organized aisles and then I immediately went to the comic section. I haven’t learned Japanese so I couldn’t read any of it but my love of comics propelled me give them a look-see. They had all the regular stuff: boy’s comics, girl’s comics, and various adult comics. The first thing I grabbed was a men’s weekly manga. I could tell it was a man’s comic because of the bathing suited babe on the cover with gi-normous fake boobs which looked even stranger on a Japanese woman. Sure enough, when I opened the comic mag to a random page, my eyes where treated to an expressive girl-on-girl finger-banging scene. For a few seconds I felt like 12-year-old kid getting away with sneaking a peek at the The Joy Lesbian Sex. Of course I wasn’t getting away with anything, so I quickly put that manga down and looked at what else they had.

One of the things that’s nice about the manga stands in Japan is that they also have thick digests that collect older comics. Every time I’ve gone to Japan there never fails to be a digest of Black Jack on the shelf. This time there was a collection of a title called Berserk. I had ignored it the states because it looked like some lame video game thing, but as I flipped through the pages I found the art and the pseudo medieval setting compelling. I realized that this title is horror fantasy, my kinda stuff. I filed it away in my memory.


My SO and I explored the rest of the store marveling at the, strange candy (like apple kit kat), exotic sandwiches, and ice coffees. The Starbucks brand was available, but what was really interesting was that they had a Japanese copycat brand ingeniously labeled Mt. Rainier. The logo looked akin to the Starbuck’s logo but with a picture of Mt. Rainier instead of the mermaid. We bought a few goodies such as chocolate covered mango bits and left.

We walked on down the road and stopped off at another convenience store called Family Mart. I picked up some green tea and drank it as we strolled through my through wife’s old stopping grounds including her old grade school. Although I’ve been here before I was still amazed at the surprising balance of suburbia and farmland that we passed on the way back to in-laws house. No ground is left unutilized.

Before we went back, we made a quick stop by the graveyard where my SO’s grandparents are buried. We performed the necessary cleaning rituals before prayers. Like a good omen, the sun popped over the trees just as my wife began to her silent prayer. It was a gorgeous morning in the cemetery but my SO told me its taboo to take pictures there so I didn’t take any.

After a nice breakfast of fish, vegetables and miso soup, My SO and I headed into town around Omiya Station for shopping and a haircut. Our first bit of business was to stop by Mr. Donut, as my SO really wanted me to compare the taste to an American donut. Needless to say it tasted like bread and wasn’t sweet at all. No wonder the Japanese students pack on the pounds when they come to the states. They didn’t’ have any decaf coffee either and were completely stunned when we asked for it.

We went to many stores including Loft, Book Off (used books, CD, and DVDs) where I picked up a Record of Lodoss War music CD, and a tiny toy store the size of a walk-in closet. We purchased all manner of items, but I was distressed at the amount of X-mas decorations and items for sale. I know the Japanese get into the commercial side of the holiday but to see it so pervasive was startling. My wife was even a little taken aback. Some of the holiday presents we’d been sending to the relatives that last few years didn’t seem so special anymore.

Eventually, we went and got haircuts at a local salon my SO likes. I appreciate Asian hair stylists, as they understand how to cut my very straight (although very soft) hair, so I had no problem going. I’ve had endless bad haircuts my whole life until I went to a Japanese salon because white folks usually screw it up pretty bad. Most Caucasians have some wave or curl so a mediocre stylist can get away with doing an OK job but my hair doesn’t allow for any mistakes. The Japanese also have many techniques for thinning out hair so I can wear it a little longer and still feel cool (temperature wise).


I do have to mention a hair fad that just mystified me. Right now a spiky, feathered, rat’s nest with a mullet is fashionable. Usually Japanese folks have a very nice sense of style even if it’s different than the US, but his time? Sorry Japan. This trend is totally thumbs down. It looks really bad especially when combined with that fakey brown hair. A Mohawk with a nose ring would look more chic.

Omiya Station not during rush hour

Eventually, we were off on a semi-crowded train to Akabane to meet our familial responsibilities. After that we headed off to Akihabara, the electric town. I had been to Akihabara 2 years ago and went around to the electronic shops. This time I was having none of that and instead looked around the geeky, Otaku toyshops instead. You see I was searching for collectables from Fist of the North star, GeGeGe no Kitaro, and Daimajin. I struck out with Daimajin but I managed to find a few, old, Gashapon pieces from Fist of the Northstar to help round out my meager collection. One store also had a nice full collection of GeGeGe no Kitaro Gashapon that I picked up. Most of the various toyshops were crammed with Gundam figures but luckily I’m not into that franchise otherwise I would have busted our budget right there.

One of the many toy stores, this one had a life-sized Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star although he's not life proportioned.

By the time we were finally ready to leave we felt a little hungry so we swung by a sushi shop for a snack. The fresh fish melted in our mouths. After that, we bid Akihabara’s bright lights goodbye and headed back to back to Omiya Station and had the distinct pleasure riding the train during rush hour. It got a little hot and heavy on the train, meaning that the bags were heavy and at the mass of bodies had me overheating.

Akihabara at night

It was a busy day and I was so tired and jetlagged that I sleepwalked through the rest of the evening including dinner.