Japanory

Kyoto - The Golden Pavilion & Ryoanji Zen Garden

27^th December 2008

Quaint streets meander around the city, with countless small shops, restaurants, wooden buildings and geisha headquarters lining them. Kyoto is a cultural and architectural paradise which is small enough to walk around while admiring the scenery.

As well as all this, Kyoto is home to many geisha and maiko and is where the book "Memoirs of a Geisha" was set. Actually, to be accurate, geisha in Kyoto are called geiko. It's not unusual to see maiko in ornate and colourful kimonos walking around and posing for tourist photographs.

Perhaps the most renowned of all the Kyoto landmarks is Kinkaku-ji, the 'Temple of the Golden Pavilion'. The three-storey Golden Pavilion is found in the middle of a large temple complex and is more stunning than the pictures imply. Artistically positioned on a mirror-like lake, the reflections are all part of the design. Rebuilt numerous times, the latest incarnation was completed in 1955 and in 1987 it was re-coated in pure gold leaf.

On a sunny day, this must be absolutely dazzling.

And the surrounding grounds were interesting too. Here's a little shrine where you have to try and throw money into the little bowl. Many, many coins were used up in this little game! None of them reached the bowl...

After this, we went on to the only place everyone else wasn't keen on – Ryoan-ji, where the famous Zen rock garden is found. Not everyone shares my enthusiasm with rocks (can't say I blame them, to be honest!) but I was determined to see them. Unfortunately the temple that houses these rocks was some considerable walk away so everyone moaned at me. I pushed on. Tim and Rhiannon went "on strike" and refused to come in any further than the outlying temple grounds. Mum and I went to see the big stones.

You have to remove your shoes before entering this sacred part of the temple.

Fifteen rocks are strategically placed in a sea of gravel as a symbolic representation of nature and is a place for meditation. However, it was so crowded that peace and tranquillity were hard to find.

Was it worth it? Ummm, not really worth the long walk to be honest, but I am pleased I've seen them. Visit if you have plenty of time. Or if you are a rock and Zen freak like me!

Oh look! A gorgeous big stone!!

Kyoto Sightseeing – Kyomizu-Dera

27^th December 2008

Until 1868 Kyoto was the capital of Japan. This former imperial city is home to numerous palaces as well as thousands of temples and shrines and has a very different look and atmosphere to Tokyo. It's a lot smaller and, because it wasn't bombed to oblivion during World War 2, many of the original buildings still exist in all their glorious magnificence.

Armed with a proper guide now – with opening times - we set out early to visit the first of our "must do" places – Kyomizu-dera. Rather than walk, we took a cab which turned out to be a splendid idea as this temple is located at the top of a very steep hill.This is the dramatic entrance to the temple complex.

Kyomizu-dera is a spectacular wooden temple built on a mountain and home to a sacred waterfall. Kyomizu-dera means 'Clear Water Temple'. This amazing construction has a massive wooden platform jutting out over a sheer cliff-face. No nails were used in this building; something I was pleased to learn after visiting.

Beneath this overhanging platform, the sacred waterfall drops three streams into a pond. People come prepared with little cups to take a drink of this water for its therapeutic properties.

Rhiannon bought a nice keepsake cup from a stall, popped it into the long-handled ladle and took her drink, following the instructions here:

Part of the temple is set aside for worshiping various 'love deities' and there we found a pair of rocks placed several metres apart. These are the "Love Stones" and a charmingly translated sign tells people how to make their wish:
"This stone is called 'Love-fortune-telling' stone. If you walk safely from this stone to the other with your eyes closed. for once, your wish'll be granted soon. If you can't, it will be long before your love is realized. And it is said taking advice requires you to have someone who'll help you achieve your love."
As this particular area was so busy, it's highly likely that you will bump into someone en-route from one stone to the other. I suppose this means that your quest for love will encounter obstacles.

Another feature of Kyomizu-dera is its famous New Year kanji – each year the abbot (?) paints a large kanji to denote the feelings of the year just past. All this in one elegantly drawn character. This year it was "change". Rather apt, I thought.

Details from this site:

The kanji character 変 (hen) which means "change" was selected as the single best kanji to characterize the year 2008.

The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation announced the results of a poll in an annual event held at Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto on December 12.

"Hen" was chosen to symbolize the changes of power in Japan from 2007 to 2008, with current Prime Minister Taro Aso taking over from his predecessor, Yasuo Fukuda, who vacated the post in September after serving for only one year.  Shinzo Abe, who preceded Fukuda, also resigned after serving just one year as Prime Minister.

Likewise, U.S. President-elect Barack Obama made change a part of his presidential campaign, and the recent global financial crisis has changed the economic landscape around the world.

We all thoroughly enjoyed visiting this temple.

In the surrounding area are attractive streets lined with extremely ancient buildings which we noticed on the way to our next destination.

 

Seoul Searching

Wednesday 27^th August– Saturday 30^th August 2008

And now we're off to Seoul!

Tim has to go to South Korea on business every few months, and this time his trip has coincided with the summer holidays so we've decided to all go together.

Luckily the flight goes from Haneda airport which is much closer to home than Narita, so it's not a mega trip to the airport. The flight was awful! I've never been on a plane flying through so much turbulence as that (the return flight was the same too). It was not fun but rather scary. Tim said it's usually like that!

We arrived at the hotel just as an enormous crowd of people began gathering in the massive square outside our window. Unsure what this was all about, prudence kept us inside while Tim went to work. A closer look at the crowd revealed them all to be monks, robed in all colours.

I found out later that 200,000 Buddhist monks gathered in protest. "The monks denounce episodes of discrimination and violation of religious freedom on the part of state officials and leaders. They are calling for an official apology from the Korean president and equal treatment, denouncing "inhospitable" attitudes toward them."

 

As Tim was only expected to be in work for a couple of hours, I took Rhiannon swimming in the hotel pool until his return. Then we went out for dinner with some friends and later we went to a huge computer complex so I could buy a new laptop. It's easier and cheaper to buy electronics here as they are more English compatible. Japan keeps their electronics purely Japanese. And very expensive. To get something that will work overseas or at least with an English operating system, you have to go to Akihabara and pay double.

I searched for ages in this hangar-sized store. For once I didn't know quite what I wanted and kept getting distracted by fascinating new gadgets unavailable elsewhere.

South Korean currency is amusing – UK£1 is the equivalent to about 1800 won, so we have huge piles of notes to lug around with us. I can't recall how much the laptop cost, but I do remember the pile of money I had to pay for it with was nearly a foot high! The shop owners have automatic counting machines to speed the payment process.

And now I have a dinky shiny new HP laptop which is far more portable and warp-speeds faster than my brick of a 10 year old Dell. And now I don't have to borrow Tim's laptop any more.

Mount Takao & Fuji - photos

6th January 2008

Still backtracking. Found some more photos which I'd like to share with you.

We took another trip to Mount Takao. The weather was stunning. It was very busy as many people make a sort of pilgrimage to this sacred shrine. They buy new charms for the coming year which get replaced next New Year.

Some shrine details:

 

From the top of Mount Takao we could see Mount Fuji in the far distance. It was a stunning view. Everyone else thought so too as you can see from the crowds of photographers.

 

This is my favourite picture of Fuji-san

Mount Fuji

1^st January 2008

Yes! I've finally made it to another year – I really don't know if I will get Japanory up to date, but I will continue to try...

What a way to spend New Year's Day – a trip to the magnificent Fuji-san.

As Japan's highest mountain at 3776 metres, Mount Fuji dwarfs every other mountain in the country. It is the iconic symbol of Japan and a sacred and beloved landmark with its almost symmetrical cone looming so high that on a clear day it can be seen from many miles away including Tokyo.

Although Fuji has been dormant for over 300 years, the mountain is a potentially dangerous volcano which, if it erupts, would cause an enormous amount of damage to the surrounding area and Japan as a whole. For now though, it seems calm. The last eruption started on 16^th December 1707 and continued until January 1708. Until this eruption the symmetrical shape of Fuji was about as perfect as a volcano could be, but this eruption created a new crater with a second peak half way down one side.

Due to the altitude, the climate near the top of Fuji-san is very cold and the peak is covered with snow and several months of the year.

Most cultures since time immemorial have worshipped spectacular mountains as sacred places and the homes of gods and Fuji-san is no exception. For many years the only people allowed to climb the sacrosanct mountain were monks, and women were completely forbidden to set foot on a mountain at all. This changed in 1860 when the first British diplomat in Japan, Sir Rutherford Alcock, was reluctantly given permission to climb Fuji. The ban on women climbing was lifted in 1872 after the wife of a British diplomat climbed a mountain in 1867. However she was not the first female to make the ascent. In 1832 a 24 year-old Japanese woman was given unprecedented permission to climb by a sect who worshipped Fujisan as a divinity in itself. She had to disguise herself as a man to show deference to the taboo.

Nowadays anyone can climb Fuji if they so wish although it is not an ascent to be made lightly. The official climbing season is in July and August and during these two months the mountain is usually snow free and the mountain huts are open and stocked with oxygen cylinders. There is a saying that "you are wise to climb Fuji once, but a fool to climb it twice". Approximately a quarter of a million people climb the mountain each year, which when you consider they all climb it during just two months, makes it rather a busy place. Apparently the favoured time to climb is around the O'bon festival in August when some of the passes actually have long queues of people patiently waiting their chance to move on. There is a Torii gate near the summit showing you that apart from nearing your goal, you are on sacred ground.

I have absolutely no intention of climbing it. I don't do "uphill" walking if I can possibly avoid it.

Once you see the shape of Fuji you can understand why it has been depicted so many times in so many forms, and you also gain an insight into why much of the art in Japan is stylised. Fuji-san is the perfect real-life example of a stylised mountain. If you ask a child to draw a volcano or mountain the shape corresponds perfectly to Mount Fuji.

We were delighted to see some substantial snow there – it made it all very picturesque. Shame about the clouds covering the top. Mum hadn't come prepared for a snowy trip so wore all her clothes and borrowed a hat, gloves and scarf from me.

On the drive up, we found a place to stop and go for a walk through some woodlands. Snow dappled the ground, icicles in a tiny cave and intriguing ice crystals that had formed in the fallen leaves and soil. Rhiannon hasn't had much experience of snow, so had a marvellous time although we had to put a dampener on her enthusiastic snowball throwing. It hurt!

 

The views were amazing. I don't know what lake this was but five lakes surround the area - Lake Kawaguchi, Lake Motosu, Saiko, Lake Shoji, Lake Yamanaka, so I guess it was one of those… The feathery plants are my latest love – Japanese Pampas Grass, aka Susuki. It's considered a weed, but I adore its grace and delicacy.

We drove up the winding road for as far as we could before the road was closed at 2020 metres.

According to the car's thermometer the temperature was -10C. A small car park was full and people milled around. There was a terrible stench in the air which turned out to be a mixture of this sweetcorn seller's wares and the most dreadful toilet in Japan. It was literally a hole in the ground and rather overused – I nearly dropped my camera down there, ugh.

 

And here's the standard photo to prove we were there - and cold - Tim is wearing his summer trousers! Then it was back into the snug warmth of the car to head back down the mountain to find some less stinky food.

A Christmas Round-Up and My Adventurous Mother

End of December 2007 (finally!)

Mum's arrival was a little late this year as she has plans to venture further afield in January.

Always a great traveller, she's going on a botanical exploration trip to the jungles of Borneo! As we're halfway there, it makes sense that she starts her holiday from here, rather than make the appallingly long trip from the UK. She'll get more out of it as she won't be anywhere near as travel-weary and jet-lagged as she would be after travelling from London. So she will travel to Borneo from here, then return to us later in January to recover, before heading back home to England. This caused her a few headaches with regards to packing – as well as "Tokyo clothes" she had to bring her jungle-wear too. The airlines had just decreed a new rule of only one suitcase, which makes it impossible for Mum to cope with – she's 71. So she called the airline and basically told them she was bringing two and that was that.

We shook off her jet-lag with an exhilarating walk around Meiji Shrine and Yoyogi Park. Rhiannon recently visited Meiji Shrine on a school trip so she was insistent on teaching us how to do all the rituals correctly. Don't stand on the big beam of wood in the doorway – very important! Wash your hands and mouth with water from the communal stone trough, light some incense, throw some coins into a big box and say a little prayer.

All the leaves from the gingko trees have fallen to create an incredible yellow carpet. And with the beautiful sunny and dry weather Tokyo enjoys during the winter, this is the perfect antidote to Britain's dark, damp and dismal December. The colour is much brighter than the photos show.

Christmas was as usual – present opening, leg of lamb roast for lunch – and a Christmas pudding this year, followed by Mum and I heading off for what will become our annual Christmas trip to Ginza.

On Boxing Day we went somewhere for a walk. I can't remember where it was and I've given my books away now, so it will remain a mystery (unless anyone recognises the photos?) We're a little disappointed at the walks here – all are "domesticated" and seem quite sterile. Anyway, there was a cute little shrine there, and this lovely stone trough. Look at the gorgeous bamboo spout, but boy, was the water cold! Once again, Rhiannon was happy to demonstrate her knowledge of the religion here to her Nana and we had to do all the rituals with her.

Some fish were in a pool and Rhiannon sent us all away so she could sing to them again in private. Strange child! Unfortunately, my picture of this amusing moment didn't come out.

We didn't bother with New Year this year. Just went to bed as normal – and that's the way it's stayed ever since. It's just another day; I've done all the partying I want to in my life and I don't want to be hungover with a child and my Mum to deal with the next day.

And on to 2008!! Phew!!!

Tattoo in Japan - and a Side Trip to Bolivia

Thursday 15^th November 2007

It's time for another visit to my lovely tattoo artist.

We'll be finishing the cover-up in January, but in the meantime there is a design I've wanted as a tattoo for a very long time. You'd better get some of the "back story".

Let me take you away from Tokyo for a while...

Way back in 1996, when I was young(ish), free and single I backpacked around the western coast of South America for about 4 months. It was my second visit to this, my favourite country in the world. My first visit was a month in the jungles of Venezuela in '94.

After visiting Costa Rica, Venezuela, Ecuador, The Galapagos and Peru, I finally ended up in Bolivia where I paid a visit to the amazing ruins of Tiahuanaco.

While there, I had, what can only be described as a spiritual experience. I cannot put it into words - it's all a bit weird - but it was a fantastic place and the entire trip was one of the best times of my life.

Fast forward to December 1999. I was working in the delightful city of Florence, Italy; living in a romantic old, typical Florentine apartment overlooking the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore - the Duomo.

One day, I passed a sign advertising an exhibition of objet d'art from Tiahuanaco! Of course I went. And still felt the same spiritual connection to the place.

I spotted a smooth stone recovered from the area, and on it was a spiral design that caught my attention immediately.

Scrabbling around in my handbag for a note book, I scribbled the design down and kept it with me for the next 8 years - through two major house moves, meeting Tim, childbirth and of course, to Tokyo.

Luckily, my tattoo guy was able to translate my dire drawing into the perfect tattoo.

The spiral represents the spiral of life - according to my Aymaran guide at Tiahuanaco - although many other meanings are attached to it.

I just love it. And I love the way it's been interpreted as a gentle piece of skin art.

It's on the base of my neck.

 

 

Hawaii - part 2

One of our big day trips was to the Polynesian Cultural Center. This is a sort of theme park without the roller-coasters that showcases the various cultures that make up Polynesia – New Zealand (Aotearoa), Fiji, Hawaii, Easter Island (Rapa Nui), Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga and others.

Very much geared towards children as well as adults, there were plenty of activities for Rhiannon to enjoy. The "countries" are set out in "villages" and you follow a trail to each one. Once at the "village" there are people there dressed in their traditional clothing and showcasing their culture and skills. For example, in the New Zealand village, we learned how to whirl balls on ropes around without knocking herself out. Poi balls – these were great fun and we bought a pair home with us which we still play with. We also played a game with sticks which was originally used to help hand-eye co-ordination for warriors. 

Rhiannon also had the opportunity to "fish" at one point on the route – using a bent paperclip on a length of string baited with a ball of stale bread. Being Rhiannon, she actually caught one! The tiny tiddler managed to get trapped in the loop of the paper clip – apparently nobody had ever caught a fish here before! Let's hope Rhiannon's luck continues like this throughout her life.

I was intrigued to discover that this lavish place was created by Scientologists  Mormons – in fact one could take a special train to their church some distance away. We didn't.

A colourful display was put on in the afternoon with watercraft full of people "from" the relevant countries sailing up the river. Lots of music, dancing and all in all the day out was a fascinating and vibrant experience. (More babble after a load of pictures of the parade)

We had dinner there too (well, it was all included in the rather high price). The hall was enormous and we had to eat at a set time; it seemed like thousands of Americans were there too. We were placed at a long table with a number of other people, ate pretty bland food and watched a show from a great distance.

All the people we met were absolutely astounded to meet Brits in Hawaii. It's a heck of a trip to make from the UK, but not so bad from Japan.

O-bon - a Festival

Sometime in late August 2007

Shortly after returning to Japan we went with some friends to an O-bon festival.

 

It was a treat for all the senses with the sight of refined and charming dancers, haunting melodies and strident drumming entertaining our ears. Our noses and mouths were full of with the heavy scent of burning incense and delicious local food. All combined to make for an extremely memorable evening.

O-bon is a family orientated festival held in the months of July or August depending on the region. This centuries old Buddhist ceremony is a memorial festival to honour ones ancestors. O-bon is one of Japan's three major holiday seasons and families try their hardest to get together.

The belief is that each year during O-bon, the spirits of our ancestors returned to this world in order to visit relatives. Lanterns are hung in front of houses to guide the spirits home, families gather at the graveyard to reminisce about lost loved ones and food offerings are made at temples and small altars within the home. These home altars are very common and can be purchased from the most department stores or specialist shops. The altar is decorated with flowers and tiny paper lanterns which are lit on the first day of the festival and on the last day these little lanterns are lit at the graveside to guide the spirits back.

During O-bon special folk dances called bon-odori are held all over Japan. The one we went to was held in a park square with a large fountain as the centrepiece. The fountain was lit by multicoloured changing lights and at one end of the square a tall platform was erected on which taiko drummers performed. Above our heads were streamers of red lanterns and around the circumference of the Park were stalls selling all kinds of food, drink and most importantly, kakigori (shaved ice). It was extremely hot even though it was evening.

 

Many people gathered around the fountain, most of whom were wearing light cotton summer kimono called yukata. Some groups of ladies were wearing what appeared to be a uniform with matching yukata and obis. They carried fans which were tucked into the back of the obi when not being used.

 

 

Music started with the pounding rhythm of a number of large taiko drums.

Each region has a specific local dance and the way in which the dance is performed differs throughout the country. Typically the people line up in a circle and move around either the stage or in this case the fountain. The dances apparently tell stories of the area's history, geography or specialisation, so some dances may show the movements of miners, rice picking or rivers and mountains.

 

 

What was depicted by the dancers we watched is a mystery, but the hand gestures and gentle movements were incredibly elegant and beautiful. Often fans were used in the dance which served to emphasise the gracefulness of the moves. Everybody joined in including my daughter and her friends who were accepted with a smile and a helping hand. What amazed me most was how all members of society joined in, from elderly gentlemen to leather-clad youths, each knowing the precise and intricate choreography of each dance.

This spectacle was repeated over and over again, the music and steps changing occasionally, until finally a compère arrived on stage to sing special O-bon songs and announce the end of the ceremony.

It was a moving, beautiful and spectacular event.

Naked Men plus Tattoos Equals…?

Sunday 20th May 2007 part 2

(Lots of photos again!)

So, we've arrived at Asakusa in the middle of the biggest crowd of people I've encountered outside of a stadium gig in the UK. Most of the people are wearing a kind of uniform of matching short jackets known as Happi coats and extremely short shorts.

Bear in mind that at that particular point in time I had absolute NO idea what was occurring, so the information about this festival was researched later. For now, allow me to indulge my view of the day while I was there…

I spot mikoshi. These are portable shrines, elaborately decorated with black lacquer and gold embellishments. They are so heavy, each weighing over a tonne they need to be carried by many people. So this must be a festival of some sort.

While I was happy to watch and enjoy the hypnotic drumming and fizz of adrenaline in the air, the others wanted to get away as quickly as possible. So I ignored them as they marched off and lingered to soak up the atmosphere.

And that atmosphere was exhilarating beyond belief. The festival was incredibly spectacular. And very loud! People were happy and joyful and the emotion was infectious. I saw a few geisha and maiko, but mostly the crowds comprised large groups of obvious collectives. These were the groups of people in matching uniforms - the Happi coats and headbands.

Suddenly I noticed groups of naked men. As you do. Well, nearly naked - they wore a white thong affair, like sumo wrestlers. Only these guys were nowhere near the size of sumo. And they were covered in the most wonderful tattoos.

A lightbulb went off in my head. Oh. My. GOD! These men must be members of the Yakuza! Yakuza are renowned for their tattoos. Among other things…the Yakuza are groups of people some compare to the Mafia. Organised crime etc. Anyway, whatever they do - it's not my place to comment, nor do I have the knowledge.

However, I am a huge fan of body art, as you will see from my next post.

Tattoos are a complicated matter here in Japan. It's hard to explain precisely why, but I understand it's something to do with the fact that the Yakuza have extensive, often full body tattoos so therefore tattoos equal Yakuza. I am tattooed. And this means I am not allowed into public swimming pools, gymnasiums, or onsen (natural hot springs). I also cannot use many of the spa's here for massage or other treatments. The fact that I am obviously NOT a Yakuza member - being Caucasian - makes no difference whatsoever. My decorated skin is forbidden. Tattoos should be covered.

Whatever this festival was about, it was a one of the few occasions to see the Yakuza tattoos on public display. So what a treat for my eyes to see these (mostly) rather attractive bodies and their amazing skin art! Of course, I had to take some photos… for reference purposes only, of course ;-) - see further down the page for close ups...

Some of the guys had jumped onto the mikoshi and were jumping, chanting and blowing whistles in time to the drumming, at the same time as the numerous people carrying the weighty shrines were bouncing them on their shoulders.

 

I adore people-watching, so had a wonderful, but short time, doing this. During the summer, fans are freely handed out by many companies - these made me laugh. West versus East!

I couldn't resist taking photos of these decorated men. I make no comment on the pink hat. Well, would you?

 

 

It was Sanja Matsuri - the festival of Asakusa Shrine and has always been known as the largest and rowdiest festival in the whole of Japan. Sanja Matsuri lasts for three days, starting on the third Friday of May with hundreds of people walking through the area for a purification ritual. The purpose of the procession is to bring good luck and prosperity.

During the procession the mikoshi are shaken violently as apparently this brings extra luck to the district. Sanja Matsuri is a joyful festival where everybody has a lot of fun and all this merriment includes music, dancing and drinking. The Happi coats bear the symbols of certain businesses, guilds or groups. I'd love to have experienced this whole day and night, but unfortunately haven't been able to for various reasons.

In recent years this festival has been threatened with cancellation as overzealous participants have taken to climbing on the mikoshi, damaging them and insulting the sacred items. However, because these particular participants are members of the Yakuza, police are reluctant to prosecute.

And to date (2010), it still hasn't been cancelled.

The Sound of One Hand Clapping…

Friday 25^th May 2007

Heirinji Zen Temple (lots of photos)

I have been gently coerced by important people into joining a trip to the Heirinji Zen Temple.

The trip is organised by a group called "Elizabeth Kai" which is part of the Japan-British Society. "Elizabeth Kai" is a ladies only group. To quote from the Japan-British Society website, "Lady members of the Japan-British Society may join the Elizabeth-Kai, which presents a varied programme of cultural events and outings, and provides many opportunities for Japanese and British ladies to meet informally and share mutual interests. There are more than 200 members divided into seven groups, each of which organises its own detailed programme, whilst major events of the year, especially the annual tea party given by the wife of the British Ambassador, are open to ladies from all these groups."

OK. I'll see how it goes, and besides, I want to see something other than the screen on my PC, the walls of my house and also distract myself from the ever-nightmarish school-run-parking-fiasco - I've delegated that to Tim today.

I have to make my own way by metro via umpteen line changes to the meeting place somewhere out in the sticks. By some lucky chance I actually do find it! The rest of the group are easy to find as are all gaijin in Japan. Quickly I realise that I am at least half the other members' age and far below their intellectual status. But this matters not, and I am welcomed with open arms and swift acceptance by a large group of absolutely charming and lively ladies.

As we reach the gate of the magnificent temple, the heavens opened. Torrential rain pelted us, preventing our trip around the beautiful, lush gardens. Such a shame; I was really looking forward to seeing a real Zen garden. As this was an organised visit, we were greeted by a black robed monk for our special tour of the temple and handed a small package. Upon later inspection, this contained a pamphlet (in Japanese) about the Temple with a single page of English information inserted into it. And a delightful orange charm displaying a discreet symbol of this temple. Rather puzzlingly, the packet also contains a few sheets of tiny stickers of Kanji phrases. I still haven't worked out what these are for.

Heirinji Zen Temple is one of the only temples that doesn't have shops or stalls selling these charms, so this is an extremely special gift.

The reason the Temple isn't commercialised is because it is primarily a teaching monastery. It is a Rinzai Zen monastery. In this tradition, the Zen master trains his monks by assigning them each a Kōan as a focus of meditation. A Kōan is one of those "unanswerable" Zen questions. We were told that the famous Kōan, "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" originated at this very temple.

The temple was first built in 1375 but was burned down during a feudal war between 1573 and 1592. It was rebuilt in 1663 and has remained a centre of peacefulness ever since. And it is peaceful. It's hard to put into words the sense of tranquillity this beautiful place invokes.

From what I saw of the gardens, there would be plenty of opportunity for meditative communing with nature in Japanese terms. The trees are a mix of rich greens and deep red Acers, all clipped into attractive, yet natural shapes. Enormous stone lanterns peep from behind bushes and large ponds containing vivid Koi are dotted around. But all the time the rain is doing a great impression of a monsoon.

 

After our tour of the workings of the temple, we are led into a large hall for a lesson on meditation. The room is light and airy with floor to ceiling windows down the two long sides, looking out over the gardens. What a view! At the front of the hall sits a jovial looking monk who speaks good English. Chairs for "non-kneelers" are set up down the centre of the hall. I take one of these - my legs are too long to be sitting on the floor and my back "went" shortly after Rhiannon was born and hasn't ever recovered. As the youngest there, I felt a little guilty to see ladies in their eighties nimbly kneel on the floor.

Our Zen master explained how to meditate and told us that normally he would sound a bell or chant to help us but today the sound of the rain would be our focus as it was supplied by nature and therefore far more powerful.

I can't meditate. But it was a good experience.

Once this had finished the Zen master happily took well considered questions from the ladies and then our visit was over.

But there was still one more treat in store. Lunch!

The monks supply the food for an authentic Zen restaurant nearby and we were to be treated there.

The entrance to the deceptively tiny restaurant was stunning as you can see from the photo.

A couple of tables were set up downstairs for those not able to sit at the traditional Japanese tables upstairs - meaning you kneel on the floor. I stayed downstairs… until I realised that everyone - except one lady aged 95 with no English - had gone upstairs. Ah well, sod my back, I'll join the experience and see how I do.

Surprisingly large upstairs, long, low - very low - tables were set up and everyone was kneeling at them. I needed help so moved to a space with a wall behind to my back at least would be supported. But the wall was made of straw and I was terrified of breaking it. Oh, but I was fidgety! However the food was exquisite. Each red lacquer tray was laid out with care: beautiful bowls contained tasty vegan delicacies, most of which I didn't recognise but thoroughly enjoyed.

Zen and the art of good food.

Conversation was lively, entertaining and intellectual.

Somehow I managed to get up afterwards, again embarrassed by the nimble octogenarians, but they were all too refined to notice my difficulties.

A truly wonderful day trip.

Weddings Galore!

Sunday 15^th April 2007

Today is our very first wedding anniversary. A whole year!

A wonderful day with a rather upsetting end. Read on…

We've booked to go for a nice meal at the New Otani Hotel. Rather posh and it gives us a chance to get dressed up a little. We will have teppanyaki at the Sekishin-tei restaurant set in the beautiful grounds of this lovely hotel.

Before we head over there, we take a trip to the Meiji Jingu (shrine) over in Yoyogi Park. This is a wonderful and large Shinto shrine dedicated to the former Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. To get to the main buildings we walked through the largest torii gates I've ever seen and continued through a forest before reaching the shrine area.

Just outside the entrance doors a huge tree is surrounded by a frame completely covered with small wooden plaques. Each of these plaques is a wish written by a visitor and hung around the tree in the hope the wish will be granted. Many are written in English.

Through the door is the vast shrine complex. To our surprise and great delight we saw a wedding ceremony is going on. It was enchanting. I think getting married at Meiji Jingu is on a par to tying the knot at St Pauls' Cathedral in London.

The bride was beautiful in her white hooded wedding kimono; a splash of colour was added by an attendant leading them on their promenade holding a giant red parasol. Guests followed in a line behind the couple. All were very smartly attired. Most of the women at the head of the line - and therefore I believe they were immediate family - wore formal black kimono. Some of the younger members of the entourage wore brightly coloured kimono and so did a little girl who looked gorgeous. I simply adore this traditional clothing; the embroidery work that goes into the design is incredible and the obi is a masterpiece of textile art. After the brief ceremony, the bride and groom emerged from the building looking very happy. A member of staff helped the bride with her ornate white robe - her hood was now down displaying striking hair ornaments.

It was time to drag ourselves away from this perfect slice of Japanese culturural tradition to get ready for our anniversary meal. We arrived at the hotel with plenty of time for us to browse around the stunning gardens. An enormous red jasper rock stands guard at the entrance and other spectacular stones are scattered throughout the garden. I like stones. I can't explain why; I just find them absolutely fascinating and grounding and always seem to find (at least) one to have as a souvenir from most places I've visited. A lot of stones reside in my home.

Massive koi swim lazily in the shallow lake. For some reason, Rhiannon has decided that fish like being sung to and that we are not allowed to watch or listen to this. Luckily my camera has a zoom to allow me to capture the scene even though I can't hear what she is singing to them. Both fish and child look like they are enjoying this moment.

Kimono adoration continues. This hotel seems to be the place to have photographs taken when fully dressed up. Lots of colourful robes are on display with young ladies posing prettily in the classic Japanese setting.

The gardens are large and we decide to leave the rest of the exploration until after our meal. Teppanyaki is a cooking method - you sit in front of a large hotplate and your food is cooked in front of you. As well as being delicious, it's a feast for the eyes too as you can watch the master at work; preparing, chopping and cooking in a slick and professional fashion.

We clambered onto the chairs around the counter and ordered the set menu. These are always recommended as the chef will choose only the best, freshest and in-season food for you. Japanese food generally has lots of courses comprising small amounts. Perfect! We had giant prawns, Kobe beef (incredible, mouth-watering, tender perfection!) lots of unusual vegetables, garlic rice and miso soup. Poor Mum struggled with her chopsticks as her hands are now twisted with arthritis but refused the offer of a fork and gamely battled ahead. One of the best meals I've ever had.

Replete and happy, we left the restaurant for a continued exploration of the grounds. Lots of lanterns are scattered throughout the garden and my little poseur of a girl insisted on having her photo taken with one. Eventually after a last song for the koi, we head into the hotel to see what's on offer inside.

And would you know it - another wedding is in progress! This time, the bride has chosen a Western style "do" complete with white meringue dress. I particularly love the circular shapes the view from above afforded us, with the seating arrangements and the little pergola.

And then Shops!

This hotel is one of those fancy ones that has shops in it. Goody! The shopping arcade is full of appealing shops but as Tim and Rhiannon aren't interested, so Mum and I restrain ourselves from visiting every single one of the hundred or so shops.

But I can't resist my newly discovered admiration of Japanese porcelain. I've always had a preference for blue and white china and the Japanese designs are so simple yet extremely artistic. Always perfectly balanced, intriguing and full of symbolism - another of my penchants. I am very close to becoming obsessed with Japanese ceramics. As it's my anniversary - and Tim never buys me presents - I rather rashly decided to treat myself to a set of five small plates. They are a wavy oval shape and handpainted with a mountain scene with houses and trees picked out in gold. They weren't cheap, but absolutely gorgeous, an unusual shape, plus a full set in perfect condition and around 200 years old. The sales assistant offered to package them up for me so they'd be safe "on the plane". By this time I was getting grumpy vibes from Tim, and Rhiannon was started to whinge, so I declined saying we didn't have far to carry them and weren't going on a plane any time soon. She wrapped them in layers of soft paper.

Very pleased with our day out and my new purchase we set off for home. Throughout the metro journeys I hugged my plates carefully and avoided anyone bumping them. Finally home, I placed the bag on the shelf inside the front door and took off my shoes.

The bag fell off the shelf and three out of the five plates smashed.

Over two hundred years they had survived, through earthquakes, wars and general life only to be destroyed by my idiotic self.

Devastated, I took myself upstairs to cry at my stupidity. I couldn't even blame anyone else for it - perhaps this was worse! I came down a bit later to find mum gamely gluing them back together with superglue!

Heartbroken.
They now live at the back of a cabinet as I am unable to look at them without feeling a pang.

Nikko Day 2

We awoke early and creakily made our way downstairs for breakfast of porridge.

As usual, we have no set plan - we must work on this when being tour-guides for Mum! It works OK for us, but she seems confused by our lack of organisation. We eventually decide to head to Lake Chuzenji, Kegon Falls and Nikko for the famous shrines.

The roads around this area are a refreshing change from the city streets, being mountainous, surrounded by forest and full of hairpin bends. Lake Chuzenji is a huge, deep lake created by a volcanic eruption about 20,000 years ago. I'm sure it's beautiful in the autumn with the changing colours of the foliage as a backdrop, but today our first sight of it was cold, flat and grey. Rather incongruously, in one area there floated a fleet of swan-shaped pedal boats. It didn't take Rhiannon long to persuade Tim to take her out in one. They were they only signs of life on the entire lake. Well, apart from some chilly looking ducks dibbling around the edges. Meanwhile, Mum and I went beachcombing across the black sand. And then the sun came out, transforming the scenery.

Suddenly I had an idea. I needed some rocks to border my little garden which I was planning on remodelling. There were plenty of lava rocks around so I created a small pile to put in the car later.

When Rhiannon and Tim disembarked from their swan, we went into a lakeside café to warm up with some delicious hot chocolate and toasted sandwiches and pondered why nobody else was around. It was like a ghost town. Tim reclaimed the car from the deserted public car park; we loaded my rocks into the boot, much to Tim's embarrassment, and headed off to our next tourist spot.

On the way we spotted a fantastic view so poor Tim had to find a place to stop for a photo. The road builders in Japan are way ahead of the game and there are lots of laybys ready for just such a need and the result was this picture of Lake Chuzenji and the Kegon Falls.

Kegon Falls is a scenic little area with a couple of souvenir shops, and unsurprisingly a waterfall. You can't quite see the falls from the car park, even if you hang over the fence so we trekked into the "entrance". To our great surprise we found that there was a lift (elevator) to take us to the base of the falls! The Japanese really do tame their wilderness to an extraordinary extent. The lift cost a few hundred yen but there was no other way down so in we traipsed. Inside the metal box was a television showing a video of the falls in various beautifully shot scenes at different times of year.

At the bottom we exited into a chilly, damp but clean and bright corridor to make our way to the   "Viewing Platform". Yes, the falls were spectacular with a 97 metres drop, but nothing compared to waterfalls in other parts of the world, and somehow lessened by the fact that we were herded to certain areas and not allowed to explore by ourselves. Dramatic cliffs soared above us showing their volcanic origins in the construction of the stone pillars. Back into the lift again for the return journey to the car park.

Naturally we investigated the souvenir shops. Mum needed to get some bits and bobs to take back to the family in the UK and I can't resist a shop. Especially a pottery shop of which there was one. Once that little excusrsion was completed we headed for Nikko town again.

Oddly enough, it seemed closed again - very devoid of human life. So last night's impression was not due to the time of day, rather the time of year. It obviously wasn't tourist season although the Kegon Falls had a number of visitors. The shops that were open were not interesting at all. A most peculiar place.

But there were temples so we visited them instead. More specifically, we visited one temple - the Toshugu Shrine. This is the most famous shrine complex in Nikko and perhaps in the whole of Japan.

Once again in a car park, Tim declared he wasn't going to visit another shrine. "I've seen enough shrines". Rhiannon took one look at the many steps leading up to the shrine and said she'd stay with Daddy. So Mum and I went.

We've all heard of the Three Wise Monkeys, haven't we? Hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil. But were you aware that they came from Japan? I certainly wasn't and was fascinated to discover this little titbit of information from our guide book. Toshugo Shrine is where the carving is to be found, although it wasn't anywhere near as large as I expected of this legend, just another intricately carved detail over a door of quite an insignificant building in this massive shrine complex.

We wandered around the large complex, admiring but not truly understanding the significance of all the buildings and accoutrements as usual. But we enjoyed the scenery, especially the moss-covered lanterns and ancient trees. On the way out I spotted a place to buy fortunes. These are common at all shrines and there's a fabulous "get-out-clause" if you inadvertently buy a less than favourable fortune. You tie the paper with the ill-fortune to a tree or rack and let the wind blow the misfortune away. Sorted!

This is one of the only places in Japan where you can buy these fortunes in English so I bought three: Mum declined. Mine was A+ perfect, as was Rhiannon's. Tim's wasn't quite so good, possibly a B, but as he hadn't come to the shrine to read it, he couldn't let the wind blow it away.

Another night on the futons - they didn't feel any more comfortable - and then away back to Tokyo.

Building where the Three Wise Monkeys carving is found.

 Barrels of Sacred Sake

One of the Guardians at the Toshugo Shrine, Nikko

Mount Takao

Thursday 5^th April 2007

Another day trip planned. Today we go to Mount Takao, a sacred mountain with stunning scenery, rare woodland walks and a temple complex.

The peak is nearly 600m but most of this walk can be avoided by lazy people (like me) by taking either a funicular railway or a chairlift. We took the chairlift, which quite frankly, terrified me. Similar to those found at ski resorts, you line up and wait for the chair to hit the back of your knees before sitting down and hoping for the best as there is no bar to hold onto and the seat is very narrow. Making everyone else go ahead of me seemed the best way to prevent them seeing my fear. I clung on for dear life and forced a smile each time Rhiannon turned around to wave. "Why don't you wave back, Mummy?" Eek! I did manage a quick photo which may be a little shaky.

Rather than hovering high above the ground, a fairly secure-looking net covered the area just below the seats. Just as I was relaxing into the ride I noticed that in some places the net was alarmingly close to my feet. Just in time, I lifted up my legs so as not to be catapulted out of the chair. This game made the ride diverted my terror and was quite entertaining but meant I missed a lot of the view.

The chairs are painted cheerful primary colours and the trip was extremely peaceful apart from the tinny music drifting out incongruously from various places. Near the top of the ride a man perched on the edge of a cliff takes your photograph and, by the wonders of digital technology, the picture is waiting for you when you reach the top. At the end of the ride, polite gentlemen help you off the seat and away from the danger of the chair behind you, which was very welcome as my legs had completely failed to work due to sheer fright and the narrow seat had cut off my circulation.

Hiking to the top of the mountain is actually very easy, even for children - and me - as the entire route is a paved road. For more interest, numerous 'off road' hiking trails exist which meander through a wooded nature reserve. Mount Takao is said to be rich in wildlife with over 1,200 species of plants, insects, birds and animals. Although many signs indicate the types of wildlife to be seen in the woods, such as flying squirrels, on my many trips there since this first one, I've never seen even a beetle. It seems to be a very sterile area lacking even birdsong. I suppose the wildlife is there, but maybe it stays deep in the woods away from the huge numbers of visitors that come to the mountain.

To our surprise, one of the first attractions we discovered en route was a monkey zoo. Japan has its own indigenous monkeys, Japanese macaques, and a community of them are housed in a small zoo here. We didn't visit as I don't like zoos.

We passed by and continued up the hill, admiring ancient sacred trees wrapped in thick twine and festooned with folded white paper strips. The base of one enormous tree was worn smooth by countless hands patting it on passing.

Mount Takao has been a sacred place for over a thousand years and the beautiful Yakuoin Temple is found near the peak. Believed to have been built in 744, this temple is dedicated to a medicine Buddha, so many people with ailments or sick relatives visit to pray. A colourful set of buildings, the architecture is embellished with multicoloured wood carvings representing dragons, foxes and humans. Numerous statues surround the buildings and huge cauldrons filled with ash stand by the entrances to the many separate temples. You pay a few yen for a bundle of incense sticks, light them and place them in the cauldron to produce the 'holy smoke'. I wish I knew more about the workings of these fantastic temples. There are so many questions I have about everything, but nobody to ask.

As we neared the temple, the road was lined with red lanterns and a stunning, yet completely puzzling array of wooden posts, each decorated with kanji. Although most of the writing was identical on each one, there were slight differences near the base. Regardless of their meaning, the effect was stunning.

Lots of stalls surround the temple, as is common at every place of worship here, selling charms and prayers specific to this particular place. I've started collecting some of these, just in case! I'm quite a collector… OK I'm mainly a shopaholic who can't resist retail therapy, especially after a scary chairlift ride.

We stopped for lunch at a small restaurant where the views across the landscape were incredible, with Tokyo visible in the far distance. Luckily for us there were a few tables with chairs so we didn't have to eat 'Japanese-style' – kneeling on the ground. We chose some sort of noodle bowl which Rhiannon and I thought was delicious. Mum had some difficulty using the chopsticks and Tim didn't like the taste.

After lunch, we continued up to the peak of the mountain to see the amazing views of the mountain range that includes Fuji-san. Then it was time to head back down the mountain with another "exciting" trip on the chairlift in order.

I contemplated walking down but decided to face my fears and to my surprise, thoroughly enjoyed this second ride.

Holy Smoke

Temple Details

Day Trip to Kamakura - part 3

Next stop was the Hase Kannon Temple, covering a large area with little gardens and many different shrines to various kami, or gods. We climbed up the steep steps to the top of the hill where the main buildings were located.

On the way up, we spotted thousands of tiny statues dressed in little cloaks or clothes and surround by childrens' toys. These are symbols of of the deity Jizo, the guardian of children and commemorate stillborn children. A very moving sight indeed.

Once at the top, we found a terrace with a fantastic view over Kamakura and a welcome cafe selling coffee and snacks. We also were amazed to see lots of black birds of prey swooping overhead. Of course, none of us had binoculars and, although the birds were close, we couldn't identify them.

The temple buildings are magnificent, with ornately decorated rooves and many ornamental carvings. 

Back down the hill again and an exploration of the lower levels. Rhiannon has a 'thing' about Koi, and sits next to the water singing to them! This has to be done without anyone watching, so we maintain a discreet distance while she entertains the fish, who seem to rather enjoy the attention. Or perhaps they were hoping for food as they all came up to her and gathered in a mass of orange and white at her feet.

We also found a cave-temple, indicated by the special red torii gate. According to the English guide leaflet, this. along with a wooden building outside, was a temple to the goddess of feminine beauty and wealth, Benten. Of course, I felt the need to go and pay my respects so in we all went.

The cave was hewn surprisingly deep into the cliff and the one-way route through was dotted with small candlelit alcoves enclosing various sculptures. After a while, the ceiling got lower and lower and I suddenly realised Mum was not looking too good. Almost too late, I remembered she was claustrophobic when in caves (about the only thing that she is scared of!) and swiftly ushered her out into the air again. I felt very guilty for encouraging her in there, but she recovered quickly. I hope we were in there long enough for the 'feminine beauty and wealth' influence to work.

We were pretty much done with temples and shrines by now, so decided to wander back through the town and see what goodies the shops held: a great cure for the little panic we'd just had.

Kamakura is famous for a special brand of lacquerware, which is painted a dull red. It isn't to my taste really; I prefer the shiny black lacquer.

However, we did find a little souvenir shop that was crammed full of all kinds of items, large and small. Mum fell in love with a large, kimono-attired doll carrying a branch of wisteria over her shoulder. The wisteria was a gentle buff colour, and the kimono a dazzling red and gold. Expressing her interest to the shop-keeper prompted a loud shout out to someone in the back of the shop. The shop-keeper's husband appeared and an animated conversation between them ensued, then the husband scuttled off out the door.

We were extremely puzzled, not having any idea what was going on and with mum only wanting the doll off the shelf. However, all soon became clear as the husband returned after 10 minutes with a new doll in a box. This doll was similar, but the wisteria was a virulent purple, rather than the faded beige on the shelf-dweller. It clashed terribly with the kimono and Mum insisted on the original. The owners couldn't believe it, and kept insisting that she take the new one. At least, that's what we think was being said. Naturally, the customer is always right and Mum was amazed that they insisted on reducing the price by about a third. A great deal, and a lovely souvenir that now graces prime position in Mum's home.

Tired, yet happy with our real day out, we headed home to digest all the sights we'd seen. My favourite of which was seen on the way back to the station... a small, extremely noisy motorbike that appeared to be homemade. It was very square, looked most uncomfortable and was painted bright orange.

It was also emblazoned with the name "The Nutcracker"! It looked to be an accurate name.

Day Trip to Kamakura - part 2

Wandering up tiny streets lined with atmospheric wooden buildings and many little shops, we came across some little rail tracks leading up the road. Instantly my mind went back countless years to my childhood visits to Weymouth, the hometown of my Dad's side of the family, and the old tramlines criss-crossing the area.

Almost immediately, we heard a noise and quickly jumped out the way as a little tram, or narrow-guage train trundled by pulling two or three quaint wooden carriages. Wish we'd caught that instead of making our ill-conceived long walk.

We followed its route and soon found ourselves at the first of the many temples situated here. Kamakura is home to 65 Buddhist temples and 19 Shinto shrines... far too many to visit in one day, but the one we stumbled across was probably the most famous in the area.

Kotokuin Temple is the home to the second largest statue of Buddha in Japan. Standing, or rather sitting, at 13.35 metres high, this bronze statue meditates in beautiful surroundings, flanked by iron lotus flowers. Nearby, a gigantic pair of straw sandals hung on a wall; in case he decides to take a walk, perhaps? He was cast in the 13th century and used to live in a enormous wooden building until a tsunami swept through Kamakura and flattened the entire area just over a hundred years later. Buddha remained where he sat and has stayed gazing out to sea ever since.

After looking around the temple we discovered we could actually go inside the statue for the minimal cost of just 20 yen. Up some stairs Rhiannon really enjoyed this and joyfully repeated the excerise a number of times. "His tummy is warm inside" she stated, as an explanation for her fascination. Warmed by the sun, the bronze gave off a comforting heat.

Stalls selling charms and amulets lined the grounds and some of the 'wishes' were translated into English as Kamakura is a tourist area. We were intrigued to see the labels: "please grant my exam success", "a charm to protect when driving" and most bewildering, "please make my leg grow stronger"! I think most people buy these to hang from their mobile phones. Many a time I have seen fashionable young people haul a mobile out of their bag that is absolutely dripping with hundreds of charms. They must make the phones very heavy.