Journey to Japan - Views on the Street

Two of my favorite things to do when I visit another country are (1.) get on a bus and ride it to the very end and (2) just watch the people and look at the street scene. I did not get on a bus this time, but I did enjoy the street scenes and people.

This street corner on Shibuya Dori, is one of the busiest in the world. It certainly looks innocuous here before the light changes.....

......but after the light changes, people appear from everywhere...and this was a light day.

This wonderful glass building towered over us along a small expanse of sidewalk......

It housed a well-known (well, in some circles)brand of shoe that was very prominent in a book made into a movie ("The Devil Wears Prada").

I didn't see small food vendors selling from carts on the street. Perhaps they have been replaced by American giants?

This donut shop was a popular place

The sweet shops were more elegant

This seems to be the season for this inedible Fall plant used for decoration. Someone told us it might be a "parrot plant," but I don;t find it on the internet - enlighten me.

I guess you could plan a "quick getaway" in a Scootcar....

Japanese Journey - Taking a Walk

The "Cloth and Clay" tour began with a meeting the night everyone had arrived. It was a small group of 16, by design, and it turned out to be a very tolerant and congenial group of women plus one husband. Most were from different states, one from Canada, and one from France. Several were repeat travellers with Susan, although this was the first time this particular trip had been offered and everyone was very careful to be on time....all the time! It was a most impressive effort. Em was the youngest of the group but blended in well. She did not complain about the food or the walking or anything. I was pleased to see how nicely everyone interacted with her.

Most of the participants were retired school teachers and they wanted to make sure Em was taking note of all the important points.

Unfortunately, not all Susan's previous tours had been so delightful for her. Some included wannabes taking notes for their own tour offerings. Legally, they were within their rights - "We paid for this tour"; ethically, it was in poor taste; realistically, there is no way the larger companies can offer what Susan offers. She has the background to teach the reasoning behind the cultural specifics, the love of the people and shared arts, and the connections that offered us views behind the bamboo curtain. We actually met two Japanese "Living Treasures!" All this is to tell you that I won't be giving a detailed account of the places we visited, names of people that we met who do not ordinarily appear in public, or showing photos of some wonderful treasures that have not yet been released to the public. I WILL share what I can because it was fascinating......

Just walking through the streets in Japan is a real treat. This was my fourth trip over several decades of my life, so for me it was seeing the changes and embracing the memories. I also enjoyed seeing everything through Em's eyes as a first time visitor, who was also on her first journey to a place where she was definitely a minority -

"I don't understand anything they are saying."

"I can't read the signs."

"Everything is different!"

Definitely a touch of culture shock.

The first day, we travel by subway across the city and walk to our destination. It is part of the plan to make us individually mobile on public transportation and thus able to get around independently. I make sure Em is up front getting directions.

I LOVE to walk! It is the best way to see the city but I am often distracted by side views and trying to capture everything with my camera. I walk at the back of the group so I don't run into anyone or block someones view or progress. I become accustomed to hurrying to catch up but everything in Japan is picturesque.....

A street vendor is busy just a block away from our upscale hotel. These vendors are more common in the suburbs, but not many are this close. We are only a couple of blocks away from the Imperial Palace and Gardens.

There are so many people in such a small space that the Japanese make everything count. Beauty is incorporated into every nook and cranny. This cement wall is ribbed to give it visual texture and small plates are added for decoration.

Em captured this particularly cute one with an owl design.

Just a contained filled with water adds visual interest, although in Texas it would be full of mosquito larva.

Even a very small area is an opportunity for peace, quiet, and beauty.

A new use for olde doors

These characters guarding the street corner are some sort of popular trend.

Did I mention that Em really likes her Fedora and wears it all the time?

Journey in Japan - A Day for Em

One thing I am very clear on - I have NO sense of direction. Fortunately, I have been blessed with two strong legs so when I end up wandering around, I can think of my wanderings as an adventure. Em has a fairly good sense of direction but, even better, she was a pro right off the bat at reading the subway signs. This was impressed on me when we traveled in England, so I was able to relax and trust her to get us where we wanted to go ...... most of the time.

The children begin riding the subway at a very young age in Japan. They are confident and, apparently, safe. They are still children, however, as evidenced by these two school friends who had a fencing match with their umbrellas before they settled down to wait for the subway.

I knew that we would be on a tight schedule when the tour started so I wanted Em to have an opportunity to see something in which she was particularly interested. Like any red-blooded American girl, she wanted to go shopping. I thought I might distract her by pointing out some of the busy, little alleyways that housed small vendors, but that was not what she had in mind.

Em was interested in the big city shops. We headed for the Harajuku area - the area frequented by the Harajuku Girls, raves, and "fashion". We probably missed the real show since we were there on Monday, but there were a few mildly outrageously dressed girls. Em was very curious to know why there were all wearing "tails" - furry, tail-like appendages hanging off skirts, handbag

s, etc.

We covered 4 floors of a Shibuya Department store and Em took it all in.

The floors were accessed by chrome escalators, mirrored from above. Very jazzy!

Em spent a lot of time looking - at clothes and the girls shopping. Prices were high but it did not appear to slow the, mostly, young women. Apparently, they still live at home after they leave school and get a job, so they have a lot of disposable income.

Em had her own spending money. ABW and I had talked about how the money was to be dispersed before we left. ABW decided it was better for Em to learn about budgeting at this tender age than later, so Em was on her own. I offered a grandma's conservative suggestions, but in the end the decision to buy, or not to buy, was Em's.

Em looked...........

.....and looked.......

...but in the end, all she bought was this black fedora. She was so pleased with her purchase! She wore it everywhere!

A Japanese Journey - The Arrival

What is the first thing you do after checking in and arriving at your room?

I always check out the view. We have a nice view of part of the city with some tall trees immediately in front of us. Very tall trees, considering we are on the 12th floor.

We are not fancy people but that doesn't men we can't enjoy luxury when we are in its lap. The hotel seems to have thought of everything to make a stay memorable and they present it in a typically warm Japanese manner.

Robes and slippers in the closet

If a robe is too hot and stuffy, try a cool, comfortable yukata. Ready and waiting in a drawer.

Hotpot filled with water and ready to plug in and heat water for tea. After some maneuvering, I discovered I was supposed to just put the plug in the pot, it was already plugged into the wall.

The bath was done in a sunny yellow, a royal color, that reminded me of chrysanthemums. Forget a toiletry? I am sure it was here.

Em's favorite - "What in the world is it?" The seat is heated, as it is almost everywhere - even in public toilets.

After we get settled, the first order of business is to let ABW know we have arrived safely.

A Japanese Journey - The Beginning

I know I haven't finished blogging the trip to England yet, but I will get back to it. I have dragged my computer half way around the world to see if it will make a difference in my being able to keep up with the outflow of information. So far, it has been worth it!
I have had this trip planned for a long time. I don't normally like "tours," but this one is a little different. My interest in it is twofold - the focus is "Cloth and Clay," studying the pottery and weaving related to specific areas. The fact that I lived in Okinawa when the wounds of war were still fresh, was the 2nd temptation.

The initial information arrived just a few weeks prior to our departure. Typically, they had been tied together with a length of ribbon. The Japanese observe strict modes of conduct in all their dealings. For so many people to live together peacefully in such a small country, they need to be aware of those around them.

The information was appreciated and read but, of course, I went to the computer and explored, looking for even more.

October was such a busy month, I did not feel completely ready for departure from Denver on Saturday, 30 October. I had driven to Colorado Springs to visit ABW and family and pick up Em to accompany me on this Asian trip. Fortunately, Em's (charter) school felt the travel experience would more than make up for the time she missed in class.

Friday evening, I checked over everything to make sure it was all in order. The most important things are passport, credit card, and money, almost everything else can be replaced. ABW, the three children, luggage, and I piled into the car, for the trip to Denver. Since we had a 9 AM flight, Em and I planned to spend the night in a hotel rather drive so early in the morning. Thanks to 911, we would need to be at the airport 2 hours early to get through security in a timely manner. In, larger airports and on international flights, I usually aim for 3 hours just to be on the safe side .

The hour drive was long for the children. Andrew decided to entertain us with his rendition of a deaf opera singer hitting the high notes. When he discovered that this annoyed not only his mother and grandmother, but Abs as well, only continued distraction kept the peace. We kept them somewhat mollified with the usual car games. Nevertheless, we were all relieved to arrive on the outskirts of Denver where there were restaurants. There aren't many between Colorado Springs and Denver. We chose a place that sounded healthy and not too quiet - something about a Tomato - serving a salad buffet. I reached in my backpack for my pouch / purse which held lipstick, brush, and, of course, all those vital documents I mentioned before - passport, credit card, and money. A cold chill ran down my spine as I searched frantically for the pouch! A few minutes later, I had to publicly admit that it was missing. Not the way to begin an international trip. The good news, we had not stopped anywhere else; the bad news, it was back in Colorado Springs at the house.
It only made sense to feed the masses first, then we would have to drive back. Ultimately, we found the pouch where I had placed it after checking the contents, and Em and I repeated the Denver drive leaving two very sleepy children at home with ABW.

Early arrival at the airport was a good idea. It was very busy even at that early hour. We made it through all the hoops and relaxed with a breakfast snack, ready to board. Then came the news that our flight had been delayed an hour. The delay was actually in San Francisco, but Southwest Airlines was kind enough to allow us to wait comfortably in the terminal rather than on a crowded plane. My laptop was put to good use and there were electrical outlets by the seats in the waiting area. My cell phone was still working. I had scheduled our flight out of San Francisco with some leeway built in. We had a nice delay.
The flight from San Francisco to Tokyo was like riding in a rowboat during a storm. We were tossed, buffeted, shaken, and could hear the plane groaning and rattling. The woman seated beside me had a very active startle reflex. I hope all that plane's screws, nuts, and bolts were checked and tightened before the next flight.

We did finally arrive in Tokyo, made it through immigration, and customs, then boarded the limo-bus for the hotel. Em was really tired, but put the time to good use.

Fortunately, it was almost bedtime when we arrived.