Sayounara Tokyo

I was planning to get more shopping done before leaving for Narita airport, but I got really lazy an only walked around the block to check out the winter sports shop and music shops around Ochanomizu. Unfortunately it was too early, as most shops don't open before 10:00am. I couldn't even find the ear sticks I was supposed to get, but was unsuccessful. I only managed to get some regular q-tips.

The weather was slightly chilly so I went back to the hotel to get back my huge luggage and headed out slowly to the airport. I was also trying to avoid rush hour on the JR. In Tokyo station, I picked up a luxurious ekiben (station bento, or lunchbox bought in a station), and ha to wait 30minutes for the next Narita Express. It turned out I was to ride one of the new trains put out for about a few months only.

(narita Xpress photo goes here)

I arrived at the airport almost 5hours before my flights at 07:00PM and seriously had to get rid of the suitcase before browsing for last minute souvenirs. One memorable thing about Narita that I did not notice last year was that upon leaving the train, one has to go through security and passport check. So even before you enter the airport, you are lightly checked, in a sense that the luggages do not go through X-rays but your person is still scrutinized at the checkpoint.

I spent another 600Yen securing a big locker for the suitcase and browsed for the shops with a trolley holding my big hand luggage.I scored postcards, t-shirts, ear stick, and colorful kit kat. I also managed to get some face moisturizer as I was running out of it.

(kit kat shot goes here)

After writing my postcards, I easily found the post office and sent all my mail and packages. I felt sad leaving Tokyo. It may be true that I was treated kindly because I am a foreigner on these shores, and wondered how different it would feel to live there. It also felt very easy to feel outcasted and out of place, as the rituals and customs are so complicated. But mostly I was sad to leave because there were still many places and many people I wanted to meet.

I checked in my luggage as soon as the counter opened, and I got a warning from the kind officer:
-"your luggage is a bit overweighted"
-"oh really?!? oh my!"
-"please be careful next time"
-"uhm..., yes, I will...........................(try)"

And so my 26kg suitcase made it on the conveyor belt without further ado, and I got my aisle seat on a Singapore airlines flight. The plane was not full so there was an empty seat next to mine. I was tired and a bit depressed so tried to sleep and prep myself for the excitement of landing in new territory.

Shimokitazawa, before it dissapears

Shimokitazawa is probably the equivalent of Shoreditch in London (or Camden town?), or the village in NYC.  A few days earlier, it was the scene of Tokyo music festival. The area is being endangered because of some rail development going about in the midst of town. It is a few stops from Shibuya by metro or private line. There must have been some events going on because it seems lots of students were going in that direction, but getting off at Waseda University. I was tempted to go but felt short on time. Instead I thanked my luck for getting me in a non packed train.

This was my last day in Tokyo, and I didn't want to stress but just roam about and enjoy the walk and shopping. Of course I needed to find some outfit tha will remind me fondly of the time spent getting lost in small streets and getting dizzy finding my way back. There were plenty of cute shoes, handsome waiters, music venues, nail bars, second hand shops, African wares, but also Muji shop and Uniqlo. By the time my feet could not walk anymore, I was holding enough bags to fill another suitcase!

During my rummaging, I got to visit a tiny corner shop filled with summer cotton dresses, owned by this Japanese rasta woman. She told me about the area and how redevelopment would change the feel and livelihood of its residents. Later on, I also chitchatted with an owner of an African shop, from which I bought a cute top made of cotton from Ghana...I almost destroyed the shop when I moved around it, as it was so tiny. Another memorable place was a cute clothes shop where they sold fluo and animal print tights worn by young men. They screamed of fashion terrorism but somehow the Japanese guys wear them quite fashionably.

I really like the feel of this part of Tokyo. Hopefully, when I come back, this area will still maintain its vibe.

Matsushima or following the traces of poet Matsuo Bashō

A reference in haiku, this 17th century poet apparently was amazed at the beauty of the bay in Matsushima-Kaigan station.  The weather forecast was surprisingly gloom, with clouds and even rain, but I decided nonetheless to head out on my trip north, along the east cost of Honshu island. I had to change at Sendai and take a local train for another hour. It was a bit chilly but by early afternoon I was at my destination, armed with an umbrella and a starving stomach.

Outside the train station, the lady at the tourism office gave me a map in English and marveled at my being from Madagascar. She even knew where it is and gave me a pretty hairpin made locally as a welcome present. She pinpointed on the map the must see landmarks and sent me off to my fate. I originally intended to take cruise from the harbor to view the many islands scattered in the bay, but the rain and cold put me off. Instead I visited all the souvenir shops, looking at heavy and cute teapots, seafood snacks, cakes and green tea kit kat.

Eventually, the small island on which is perched the temple of Godaido.

 

 

Just taking a picture without anyone on it was a major challenge as the bridge itself felt like a highway. I waited more than 15minutes to let all the groups of Japanese tourists circle around the building before managing to take a picture of the building only.

After that, I continued toward the long vermillion bridge of Fuukurajima, passing by the playful sea next to the fishermen.

 

 

 

After paying 200Yen, I was allowed to cross the bridge and wander around the island, which is fully a botanical garden. It was a nice walk and the autumn foliage was adding to its beauty. The view on the bay was limited by the fog but was still very pretty and peaceful. The traffic of tourist boats was not dense and disruptive and allowed for a quiet contemplation. 

 

because I still hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, my feet took me back to the mainland and to the nearest shop selling "melon pan": those are stuffed bread really, and I had one regular one and a oyster curry bread. They were hot from the oven so it was very comforting. I also had a regular oyster bun while waiting for them to bake.

On the way back to the train station, I was reminded of the fate of this area, and the natural events that are pretty common in this country when I saw this sign:

 As indicated, the shelter was a budhist temple which is on one of the highest hill of the town.

My trip back to Tokyo was uneventful, with loads of salarymen snoozing in the silence cars of the Shinkansen. Back in my room, I washed another load of clothes and kept warm as I was starting to sneeze and feel woozy. I was also probably still digesting the breads and the clean open air...

Deep in Akihabara

Thank you for those recognizing the reference to アキハバラ＠DEEP

In any case, Sunday started slowly as I awake from a proper sleep in around 10am. I packed my huge suitcase and we dragged it to the hotel in Ochanomizu JR station to be dropped off. By the time we were out of there, it was almost noon and we were headed for Akiba, just a station away. As soon as we got out of the JR station, I was ocne again overwhelmed by the rattling sound of the various tills, neons, voices calling out to patrons. Even in daylight, the neons and blinking signs were blinding and giving me silent epileptic seizures in the privacy of my eyballs.
After composing myself, I followed E-san through throngs of men looking for some high tech gadgets, or just electrical appliances. Looking up, I saw the flagship store of Yodabashi.

 

I was not looking for any more gadget to by so we walked toward the minor streets. As soon as we got onto the pedestrian path outside the station though, E-san noticed a maid waitress handing out flyers and fishing out for customers. So we followed her to her establishment, on a second floor of an unidentified building. It was only when I walked toward the cafe that I noticed more maid waitresses like her calling out to customers in the streets. They we very easy to spot since the streets were filled with 99% men.

 We unfortunately could not take phhotos or film inside the cafe, but it was a very strange atmosphere: the waitresses, all dressed as french maids, welcomed us as "welcome back lady mistresses" (oakaeri ojou-sama), while welcoming men guests as "masters" (go-shuujin-sama). Inside, the menu was very simple and non-existant since people would not really come to the place to eat but to enjoy the feeling of being served by cutely dressed maids, and feel safe.

I was pretty curious about the other single men pretending to read a book while glancing at the waitresses and the anime playing on 2 walls. They didn't order anything for 20min, but a maid would come frequently to attend to their whispering. I had an ichigo cake) strawberry cake) and a drink, and one maid from Italy actually served us. She is studying Japanese in Tokyo and getting cultural experience and salary from this part-time job. She had us repeat a silly cute charm on the food before we ate it, as the house customs required. The most amazing sight was to see a group of macho guys on the next table, shyly and embarrassingly perform the same charm when their order came...BWAHAHAHAH

We didn't stay too long because after all we were after real food as well, so we looked for a good place to crash and get some food. The area apparently lacked some food joints so they built a huge food mall just in front of the JR station. But we were after more mundane and basic food. Ramen is the local fare at Akihabara, and we found one in  hidden street: customers would first make their choice at a machine and pay, then give the ticket to the waiter to get the food. We sat at the bar outside, with a view on the ramen chef. I had miso tsukemen for 600Yen and E-san had ramen for the same price.

I recommend tsukemen instead of ramen if you re not to dexterous with chopsticks, as you only dip the noodles you eat instead of having noodle soaking in broth for so long and ending up having soggy noodles because you are too slow to eat with chopsticks.

After that we split up as E-san had some homework. I needed to get back to the hotel and check in, as well as change because I was having a wardrobe malfunctioning. That evening I merely looked for orange juice for vitamins and grabbed food at 711.

hanging out near Skytree tower, the new Tokyo landmark

Saturday started with a fantastic sunny day. As we ate breakfast, E-san's sister pointed out something on TV. The hosts were advertizing some food as Skytree parfait, or burger or ice cream as those were food served around the new broadcasting tower in Tokyo. Because neither of us had ever been there, our first destination was easily decided.

The are looked rundown as there were only small houses and no major retail chains nearby. Also the metro station was not very crowded and we had to follow one of those A-Z mapbook that E-san conveniently brought with her to find the right place toward the tower. Surprisingly enough, the tower is built very close to rail tracks and a canal.  On that day, the tower was already 497m high, with a target of reaching 634m when finished in 2012.

It was very impressive and neck-twisting to gaze at the difference in scale with the other building being constructed nearby. We settled across the canal with a superb view of the construction site, and had a "skytree coffee" whie watching the many Japanese tourists also admiring the new tower.

 

 

E-san mentionned that here is a way of getting a picture of  the tower and its reflection in  he canal, so we started walking away along the water, while looking for lunch. We spotted an area map and walked towards one bridge she recognized. We were still in shitamachi and even Asakusa area, even if I had no idea whereabout really. But E-san spotted a nice shoukudo place (home cooking restaurant) where we could sample some simple homecooking recipes. It's one of those small palce with 10 chairs where a single person cooks and serves the food. We asked for a small portion of rice to go with our kuroke (creamy potato paddies). We ate while discussing current drama with the hostess and favourite actors and actresses. E-san made fun of me asking if I really didn't live in Tokyo since I knew more about it than herself.

After that first pit stop, we continued on our journey to capture the 2 towers...Along the way, old town Tokyo was quietly getting busy, while impromptu gardens were lying out on the streets.

 

And then eventually, we spotted a satisfying point of view and got ourselves a memorable picture. It was my first time chasing for the perfect picture so it was with a sense of achievement that I bagged that landmark in my memory card.

 With that, we looked for a metro station and had to walk quite a long time before rejoining civilization, ie sports centre, shopping malls and even a high school volleyball tournament to determine Tokyo representative team in the national high school volleyball tournament....but we were tired and just hopped inside the nearest station toward Ginza.

My first matsuri

From Ochanomizu JR station, we rode to Shinjuku JR station. Outside, we walked toward the Flags shopping mall, mainly because we wanted to check out if we could crash into the show "waratte ii to omou". But the entrance was chained. So we just wandered in the shopping mall, until we exited the centre and walked toward kabukicho.

 

The city lights were turned off and, and after walking past mugshots of hostesses and hosts plastered on giant boards in the red light district, we stumbled on a  street filled with  food stalls so we hurriedly followed our stomach and landed int he middle of Ootori matsuri, which was at Hanazono shrine. There was a huge quue of people at the shrine and we contented ourselves with the smells and sights of the different stalls before settling for an oden shop.

 

It was my first time attending a festival like this, in the evening, so I was overjoyed. We walked it off on the other side of the Shinjuku station and got to view the Shinjuku lights, just past Takashiyama department store. 

There was a light display made of plastic bottles which was quite impressive: from fr, i really looked like it was made of ice. After that we took a fully packed train to Mikata, with my huge suitcase. I have never been so compressed in a wagon before, and I hope I won't have to be in that situation again. I was lucky I still had intact ribs and face in that motionless stampede.

Flirting with studies at Waseda University and Meiji Jingu, Tokyo

I managed to ring the girls in Tokyo for lunch, and also arranged for the evening plans. The hotel was the b ikebukuro so it was very close to sunshine city with all its shopping and playground. I was most curious about the aquarium and wondered if it was the one featured in the j-drama Nanase futatabi (just realized there is a movie too).
So at around 10:00 I was out, after having breakfast on the 2nd floor wine bar...That was the strangest breakfast, as it was a buffet, with Japanese breakfast (pickles, miso soup, rice, fish), korean side dishes (like kimchi), toast and spreads, noodles, and all you can think of eating at lunch and dinner, all that within a space surrounded by shelves of bottles of wine...I was sorry I wasn't that hungry in the morning, and slightly in a rush. My breakfast: natto on rice...

Following and trusting the crowd of salarymen and women walking hurrying to their offices, I remembered that most shops and offices seemed to open after 10:00. Walking past yummy smells of fresh bakery, karaoke establishments, food joints advertising their dishes through sandwich men and women carrying menus, I finally stumbled on one entrance of the Sunshine City...grabbed a map in English and located the Aquarium, as well as a 59th floor restaurants with views. Taking the escalator and going through all the freshly opened and tidy shops was very cool, except for the vendor rushing over to their first customer of the day. In any case though, it was dissapointing to find out the aquarium was closed for renovation. A nice stroll in Namjatown was quite entertaining as well although I forgot to take pictures.

Landing in the 59th floor was a different experience. here the restaurants are hidden behind opaque walls and only a menu is displayed in the corridor outside their entrance. However the Cafe de Crie had bay windows that accomodated my already legs and provided some latte. I have given up trying to understand the name of the cafe...

It was starting to be almost 11:30 and I had a lunch date at Waseda University metro station, so I leisurely got to Ikebukuro JR station and rode to Takadanobaba JR station. From there it was a fun walk on Waseda dori towards the metro station. I saw many Indian restaurants, bookshops, students, cheap and yummy noodle shops (people queuing up outside). In between buildings, small streets lead to quiet residential areas. Eventually I made it to the station and peered with envy at the students rushing out of the station to their classes. Yes, the grass is always greener on the other side...

F-san picked me up after I called her from a payphone, since I had no working sim card (yup, Swiss sim card would not roam to Softbank or other, sniff). She took me to a small eatery owned by this old couple and I had nizakana. It was simply delicious and so comforting. A colleague of hers was eating there as well, and being the only customers, we chatted. His 3rd question was:"what is your goal in life". And I thought I was in a affable, not-direct people kind of country ! Anyway, after the meal, F-san had o return to work, so I gave her omiyage from Switzerland and Kyoto (chocolate and mochi). We walked in front of the Waseda campus landmark, and took some pictures. I also managed to capture the glory o autumn in Waseda.

 

 

I wanted to explore the campus but eventually I felt out of place, having no classmates nor classes to crash. The weather was so sunny and beautiful, my initial plan to shop at Roppongi Hills were abandonned for a more outdoorsy activity. So I opted for visiting Meiji jingu . I didn't manage to get to Meiji shrine last year, even if I alighted at the same station (JR Harajuku) to get to Takeshita dori.

After all the busling of shops and restaurants, it was so peaceful to walk in the park, meeting dolled up 3 year-olds after their shichi-go-san blessings, and mingle with other tourists...

 

 

 

There were many charms for students at this shrine: unidentified green pamphlets, o-mamori for success in exams. I thought about getting one for my exam but somehow maybe my share of miracles did not have to be wasted on that exam.

And so 17:00 was approaching and my evening appointment at Ochanomizu had to be attended for a night of exploring....

Still enjoying clement weather in Shirakawa-go

I was woken up by the cluttering of cups in the next door room. My room was next to the dining room, and breakfast was ready by 7:30am...I tossed a bit more in bed before giving up to curiosity. To my stupor, there was more to eat than at the previous dinner! I did my best...though I couldn't eat all the pickles.
After lazing up in my warm room and enjoying the view from my window, I started out to walk around the village. The hostess forced me to bring one of her umbrellas as she said the weather was going to be bad. She pointed outside up the hills and they were covered in snow!
 And so I climbed up to the point of view, greeting all the old and bent people I met in the still sleepy village at 9:00
.

 

 

 

I managed to run out of battery in the middle of a photo, so had to rely on my phone for the rest of the day. The phone itself only had 20% left of battery so I was glad to go to Tokyo in the evening. Nevertheless, the village was very pleasant and started to get crowded with Japanese tourists by 10:00. I met a couple of Americans, a few Indonesians and lots of Japanese...Most foreigners I met did the Tokyo-Hakone-Kanazawa-Shirakawa-Kyoto route.

By 11:30 i was tired and ready to lunch, but Is till haven't found the relocated village. Because a dam had to be built, they saved a few houses after much pleading and relocated them into a live museum in Shirakawa-go. This museum is next to the bus stop.

 

 

 

I did my best with my poor phone and even managed to take pictures of myself on the bouncy pedestrian bridge that connects the village to the bus stop..

 

 

The ryokan I stayed overnight

Exploring Hida in Takayama

On Wednesday I leave Tokyo in the morning to go further north and inland to the remote Gifu prefecture.

 

Kyoto main train station

 

It is another 4h trip, changing in Nagoya and riding along magnificent views of a river and surrounding fall colours. I was a bit stressing out that I will miss the bus from Takayama to Shirakawa-go, because I didn't really want to arrive during the night since I have no idea how to get to the hotel. But in Takayama I found it easily next to the station. Even better, I had 1h45min to kill in Takayama and most sights were withing 20min walk.

 

So I saw the small temple and its 1200year ginkgo tree in fiery colour, the old merchants houses, and ate mini tayaki and a meat bun. Takayama is located in the Hida region, which is famous for its beef as well, some special soba noodles and hida miso soup.

 

 

And so after much walking around, I boarded the bus for Shirakawa-go, which rode through many tunnels as we got to see the Japanese Alps..

 

 

Only 50min on the highway, we arrived at Shirakawa-go, and I had barely 5min of daylight to get a first impression of this UNESCO classified World Heritage village.

 

But mot impressive of all was the unexpected dinner prepared  by the ryokan owner, with local vegetables she grows locally. I even had a taste of the hida beef...

Autumn in Arashiyama

 So I was out of the hotel at 08:35 and caught the bus to Arashiyama, west of Kyoto an home of zen temple Tenryu-ji and the bamboo grove I saw last year. This time the colours of autumn were in full force and the view magnificent.

The zen garden was so painfully romantic. I saw the bare cherry trees and can only imagine the splendor in spring.

 

By noon I was in another bus, going across town to take me back to Kyoto train station, and I could send some postcards and eat some ebi yempura donburi (shrimp tempura with rice bowl).

The I hopped on the 100 bus I used to take last year to ride through Kyumizu area on Higashiyama dori, up to the Heian shrine.

My destination was reached: Kyoto craft centre. It does feel like a toutist trap as I only came across foreign tourists. But it is a one stop shop for everuthing Kyoto, even if there are much variety in town. I acquired a maiko kimono... Since I really cannot wear those short sleeved ones that are for married women!