Japan - Day 3: Tokyo

Day 3 was our first day on our own.  And, since Tokyo is tourist friendly, we managed to get around.  We started our day with a list of several things we wanted to see and a lunch appointment to look forward to.

Perfect stranger, but I loved seeing traditional ukatas mixed in among the modern attire.

The Ueno station is was full of panda decorations, including this giant exhibit, in honor of the visiting Panda from China to the zoo near the station.  Even all the food there was panda themed - breads, crackers, cakes, chocolates, lunch boxes, you -name-it in Panda.

 For lunch we met up with my friend Roy (Ryo), who I originally met while he was on assignment in my office from the Tokyo PwC office.  We met him at the PwC office. 

We arrived a few minutes early so I we sat in the lobby watching the business class coming and going.  I watched three men walk from the elevators to the lobby, stand to exchange goodbyes and held a long bow.  Then one of the men walked to the revolving exit doors.  The remaining two employees (I assume they were hosting) stood very straight watching the exiting man.  Every time the exiting man looked back, the two bowed in unison.  Finally, when the exiting man was out of sight, they resumed their casual stance and walked back to the elevator chatting.  It was small cultural differences like this that entranced me this whole trip!

We didn't wait long before Roy and his colleague Ann joined us and we set off for lunch.  Roy took us to a fancy, yet, traditional restaurant at the top of a nearby building.  We had to take off our shoes and got to sit at a lowered table with space underneath for our feet.

Janet, Ann & Roy

The food was AMAZING, of course.  And it was great catching up with Roy.  We also got to talk a lot about my observations of the culture in Japan versus the US.  Ann and Roy told us about experiencing the recent earthquake that knocked out Tokyo's power and mass transit for a while.  I was impressed how orderly and disaster prepared the population was as a whole.  The US has a lot to learn.  We also talked about the excitement of navigating through train stations and received tips on what to expect on the next section of our trip to visit my family up north.  Thanks, Roy, for a wonderful lunch!

When we got back to the PwC office, Roy took me on a quiet tour of the IAS floor (my tax division).  Blake and I were dressed in shorts, camera hanging around our neck and backpack laden, yet the partner invited us to his office, closed the door and had us sit down for a few minutes to welcome us and send his greetings back to the partners in my office.  The cubes in the Tokyo IAS office were much smaller than the office in San Jose, but these were the negotiated bigger spaces for the IAS team.  Roy took us to another tax floor to show us what normal office cubes look like.  In this other floor there was barely walking space (for a skinny person, definitely not a wheelchair) between cubes.  I'm pretty sure you can't stand up at the same time as the person behind you without bumping chairs.  (Yet in every space was a hard hat and emergency kit in case of disaster - prepared!)  It makes sense that in a city where homes and streets are so tight that cubicles would be, too.  It's a small island with a large population.  I'm glad for the space I have in California. ;)

 After lunch we continued our self-guided tour of the city we saw a street fair just outside the station gate at one stop so we ventured out.  There was a large stage and there were booths, mostly food, but retail, too.

Healthy fair food - these were all over the city.  We often saw little kids walking around with a picked cucumber on a stick.  That's so much healthier than American carnival food on a stick (corn dog, cotton candy, lollipops...).

One thing that the Enomoto family from the day before told us we HAD to see in Tokyo was the newly opened Sky Tree.  So we went.  The initial crowds weren't bad, but the line was so long I think we waited over two hours before we really got "in".  The building was full of artwork and employees ushering people to move appropriately in line.  The elevator was state of the art.  It was beautiful to be in, but the real impressive part was the ride.  The screen above the doors showed our ascent from the 4th floor to "Floor 340" at 340m in the sky (1,115.5 feet) by showing the altitude ticking up along with the speed we were traveling.

And this was the view from the top.  Mind you, it might look like a familiar sight from an airplane but this was from a building.  Yikes!

Blake's feet are on the right.  He video recorded walking over the glass floor that looks straight down.  I started to walk across and didn't get further than putting my toes on the glass.  Too scary for me!

Looking up from the 4th or 5th floor to the observation deck that scared me.

 After the SkyTree we had smaller sights to see.

Harajuku, apparently famous for crazy fashion.  In reality, I saw more tourists than anything else.

The Omotesando, just a few streets over from Harajuku but several $$$ over for normal luxury shopping.

 By this time we were sight-seeing-ed out and realized we hadn't eaten dinner.  (That's one thing kids are good for - their internal clocks that demand a schedule.)  We also realized we'd been in Japan for a few days and had not eaten any sushi.  We found a sushi shop at the bottom of a department store.

The sushi at this unassuming sushi place tated better than anything we had eaten in the US (and not just because we were hungry).

Aren't these beautiful?!

This miso soup was delicious - we didn't realize until we got to the bottom of the bowl that it was because of the clams inside.  It was probably the best miso soup I've ever had.

 Next stop:  Shibuya Crossing.  My guide book said that it's estimated that 100,000 people pass through the intersection every hour.

Watch Blake's take on the spectacle:

Right at the Shibuya station are the famous Hachiko statues.  Hachiko is the true story of a faithful dog who waited at this station for his owner day after day, even for years after the owner died.  This famous story has been turned into books and movies, even in the US.  I remember hearing the story when I was young as well.

And we didn't get lost on the way back to the hotel that night.  Successful day!

Japan - Day 2, Part 2: Yokohama

When I was just a few months old, my parents moved from California to Japan.  We lived in Yokohama.  We lived in a normal Japanese neighborhood - not one of the neighborhoods where foreigners live together.  It was in Yokohama that as a toddler I learned to walk and talk.  While my dad was at work during the day, my mom adapted to the Japanese lifestyle - tatami floors, futon beds, washing machines & clothes lines, tiny refrigerator that made daily trips to the local market a necessity, and she became friends with the local merchants and neighbors.

I actually don't remember any of this.  But we have old pictures that I've looked back at all my life trying to remember something about living in Japan, and I've heard stories my whole life about what life was like.  My best friend, so my mother told me, was Misako Enomoto.  We were the same age.  Our mothers took us to play with each other almost every day.  Apparently, I was too young to say "Misako" so I called her "Sha-sha".  That is actually one fact I remember on my own - what my friend's name was.   Our mothers were dear friends, too.

When I knew this Japan trip was final, my mom & I went through old pictures and old Christmas cards trying to find names & addresses of our old neighbors and our old address.  I sent letters to the few we could find, and I got one response - luckily from the Enomoto family!  We arranged to meet up on Day 2 of our trip.

Unfortunately we were very late after touring my dad's old garden that morning, but finally made it to Yokohama in the afternoon.  Misako and her younger sister Akiko met us at the train station.  We were so excited to finally meet!

(Disclaimer for all the following photos: judging by my hair, I had not seen a mirror all day long. Yikes. I post these to remember what everyone and everything else looked like.) 

Misako, Janet & Akiko walking from the train station to the Enomoto's home.

Misako can speak basic English and Akiko had lived in Canada and travelled to the US often so she spoke excellent English.  Both Misako & Akiko took the day off of work to meet us, and for Akiko to translate for everyone.  Early in our conversation we both discovered neither of us remembered being 2-years old nor remembered playing with each other, but both of our mothers told us many stories and showed us many pictures of each other.  We also discovered that Misako's daughter and my son are the same age.

The Enomoto family lives in the same place they did 30 years ago, now remodeled.  When we arrived at their home, their parents warmly welcomed us as old friends.  It was immediately evident what a deep friendship their mother and mine had.  I was so glad Akiko was there to translate for us.  But even so, it felt like there was so much more that could have been said.

After showing everyone pictures of my family, we started talking about how I have pictures of being in their home during Hinamatsuri with their display of an imperial court.  Their dad quietly left the room and came back with duplicates of the same pictures .

2-yr-old versions of Misako and me (I'm on the left in both pictures of the two of us)

My mom on the left looks slightly pregnant so my guess is that this is from 1984.

 He quietly left the room again, and came back with some of the dolls.  Such a sweet gesture!

This is the same ornamental fan that I am holding in the old pictures.

Mrs. Enomoto then offered to take us on a tour of the neighborhood so we all headed out.

This is the walking path, not accessible to cars, that my mom mentioned we walked on every day. 

I kept hoping that instinct would take over and I'd know where to turn or that I'd recognize something.  No such luck.  But Mrs. Enomoto was wonderful at pointing out everything that still looked the same.  "Your mother will recognize this," she kept saying.  So we kept taking pictures (thank you, Blake!).

This co-op replaced the market where my mother would come everyday. 

This was the site of my family's old apartment.  The units have been completely rebuilt, but Mrs. Enomoto still walked me through the gate and around the corner to show me how we used to walk into our apartment. 

This is one of the market ladies.  My mom always said how they would talk-talk-talk so fast with huge smiles, say I was so cute and give me candy.  Mrs. Enomoto knocked on the door. This lady came out all smiles.  In my limited Japanese language skills I hear the explanation, "....Gaijin (non-Japanese)...apartment.... Karen (my mom's name)...America...Janet..."  The market lady responsed with surprise and excitement.  She said a bunch of things to me very fast which I did not understand, to which I politely smile back.  She then runs into the house and comes back with a gift box of crackers for my mother, told me they were for her, and told us to all take care.

At this door, much of the same introduction took place.  This couple used to have a korokke (croquette) shop but now the man solely operates a cigarette window.  My mom told me she used to sit and watch him make these over and over in all varieties, trying to memorize what to do.  (We ate these occasionally throughout my childhood in the US and still.)  Once he and I figured out who each other were he opened his door to show us the old shop.  It's still there behind that grey gate - counter and tables all unused for years.  Still, I was happy to see a piece of the past.

This was another neighborhood vendor that we were introduced to with the same explanation.  This neighbor ran into her house and brought back letters and pictures of her son who also lives in the San Francisco area.  Blake and I both wish we could understand everything that everyone was telling us!

A great sense of community was certainly alive & well here!

Misako and Janet, 28 years later

I was actually sad to leave this family.  We had only spent a couple hours together due to my late arrival and the impending dinner-hour and our need to find our hotel in Tokyo.  I wanted to stay longer with this family that were strangers on the one hand, but were so warm and natural on the other hand.  I really hope to stay in contact with all of them.  28 years between friends is too long!

I was also impressed by the fond memories everyone had of my mother.  What a tribute to her! What a great example to me of starting over in a new country, raising a young family, adopting new habits, and embracing where you are and the people you are with.



Day 2, Part 3: 
We made it back to Tokyo and started making our way to our hotel, but we got lost.  Taxi drivers didn't recognize the name or address of the hotel, and we just tried to walk from the station with the limited maps we had on hand.  (We later figured out how to explain the whereabouts to taxi drivers, but this was a frustrating night.)  Lost in the middle of the city a young woman saw our confusion and in English offered to help.  Turns out she was headed in the same general direction and said she would walk us most of the way.  Thank you, kind stranger!  During our walk we explained the purpose of our vacation - a celebration but also a reconnection to my roots.  We found out she was full Japanese but actually raised in Brazil, 3rd generation.  She had come to live in Japan because she knew that ethnically she was Japanese but didn't really know what that meant - and wanted to experience it for herself.  She had felt what I was feeling and was happy to help us out.  During our walk she told us she was meeting her friend at "Love".  It finally made sense when we saw the statue.  She was also proud that she could help us find Love in Tokyo.  ;)  She then literally walked us to a point where we recognized that we were only a few blocks from our hotel, she met up with a friend and we separated.  We made it to the hotel.

Japan - Day 2, Part I: Hachiman-gu Gardens

Day 2 needs a little back story.

My dad, for all of our life in California, has created Japanese gardens for homes and businesses.  He still does.  It's an art, and I've come to realize that he is an artist.  He was trained by his uncle Hideo in a garden next to a historic shrine.  When we visited this uncle the day before and came to find out the gardens were in this city, I knew we needed to stay in Kamakura the next morning and find it, even without a guide.

My relatives all referred to the gardens as "Hachiman-gu" and told us we would have no trouble finding it.  The official name of the shrine where the gardens are is Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu.  The shrine was built in 1063 A.D. and has deep significance in the center of Kamakura.

Ready to dig deep into my Samurai roots: "Welcome to 'Kamakura, Home of the Samurai' for the World Heritage" 

Our taxi ride demonstrates the narrowness of the roads in much of Japan: wide enough for vehicles to travel on, but narrower than the length of most vehicles.  The crazy thing, to us, was that these narrow back roads were shared by cars (going to ways - which sometimes didn't work without backing up) and pedestrians.

At the outer gates of Hachimangu

Immediately inside the gates is a mote, absolutely filled with blooming water lilies.  A wide bridge welcomes you into the grounds.

This may not mean much to anyone else, but my dad always works with trees using poles and strings to either help shape the trees or help support their branches.  It was validating to me to see these methods used.  This was also a wisteria plant, which my dad likes to use overhead a lot.

This section of the grounds had many, many white flags.  I wanted to know the significance.  Without a guide, I started taking pictures so I could ask my dad when I got home.  He said these were representative of a battle that had taken place.

Wishes or prayers of visitors

At this washing area I saw another familiar element of my dad's gardens: bamboo water works.

 There was a little side garden that cost a few coins to enter.  Blake suggested we go ahead and pay to see what was inside.  It was a beautiful and took a LOT of pictures inside.  We were impressed by the level of detail in this side garden.  Even the pathways weren't just hurried slabs of concrete but moved with the gardens and were attended to in detail.  I remember walking past a young gardener, and looking at him with respect, thinking my dad may have been just like him many years ago.

Going through our photos at home with my dad he started getting really excited at this point.  THIS section where we happened to choose to detour in was the garden my uncle worked in and where my dad was trained!  My dad intimately knew the stones and trees and paths in all our pictures and had stories for many of them.  The pictures from this point on are of this garden.

Apparently, this is one of the spots that my dad spent a lot of his time.

 Even the pathways here added to the garden's beauty.  In the photo just above the cement and stones move together in a zig-zag pattern that flows with the garden.  Underfoot, even the measures taken to make the paths more pedestrian friendly were customized to individual stones.

This little gate may not be appreciated by many, but the best artisan was brought in to construct it for the garden during the time that my dad and his uncle were there.

 After leaving the garden we walked up (and up and up) to the main Shrine.

The gates of the shrine are guarded by these warriors.

In the courtyard of the main shrine were these huge barrels or bins.  It looked like food storage to us, but there was no sign explaining what we were seeing.  Several days later we found out these are barrels of sake donated each year by local brewers as an offering. Interesting, no?

The city has a long main street that runs straight up to the shrine.  In the center, between the lanes for traffic is a long walk way, paved with stones and covered with trees.  As we were walking down this path away from the shrine we saw a young couple in wedding attire being escorted to the shrine.  In one sense, it seemed to have such history cultural significance.  On the other hand, the modern couple's photographer and videographer were always rushing just a few steps ahead of the bride and groom.  It's another example of the dichotomy in modern Japanese culture.

The whole excursion to the garden set us back a few hours on our schedule, but I'm glad I got to experience a bit of my own modern family history.  I appreciate my dad's work more, and his uncle for training him.