Tokyo Day 2: Tokyo, The Great Buddha and Me

It was a semi-early rise for me on day two of my Tokyo Trip. I showered, gathered my things and went down to enjoy the lovely complimentary continental breakfast (say that three times fast!). I should have known it wouldn't be a western style continental breakfast; alas, I was pleasantly surprised at what was awaiting me in their cafe. Miso soup, fresh delicious coffee, a small, but delicious, salmon fillet, croissants and of course, the staple of all Asian food groups, white rice. There was only one other person enjoying breakfast at that time and he insisted on changing the TV channel from golf to baseball and then back to golf. An exciting way to start to say the least.

        ^Breakfast^

After Check out I jumped back on the train to head into the heart of Tokyo. The ride would take about an hour and twenty minutes. Once again I was lucky enough to get a seat and near the air conditioner to boot! I turned on my Songza, put in my headphones, and watched the spectacle that is Tokyo unfold before my eyes. My ride began in Narita which led into a more rural atmosphere as we headed toward Tokyo Station. In my ears the heavenly sounds of Mozart's: 2. Adagio: 2. Adagio, a piano sonata performed by Mitsuko Uchida, gave my train ride the perfect starting ambiance. The view outside was mainly filled with trees, fields and scattered countryside homes. I couldn't help but wonder if one day these quaint places would be overcome by the spread of urbanization. I wonder if the folks who inhabited these places in past centuries could have ever imagined what would become of the places their feet once trod.

      ^It looks farther than it is!^

Many of the folks traveling along with me were straight from the airport. Their weary travelers eyes, big suitcases and the occasional light snooze are obvious characteristics of their kind. In front of me sat a what appeared to be a middle aged Indian couple, though their bag tags indicated that they came from Los Angeles. They must have nodded off half a dozen times each during the trip. They wouldn't really be worth mentioning except for one thing. As the train bobbed and weaved through the countryside their heads would come to rest in peculiar places. The window behind them, the rail next to them, their suitcases and on the shoulders of unperturbed Japanese passengers. I was surprised to see random people being so patient with strangers using them as pillows. Perhaps it was no big deal, or maybe they were just being accommodating so as not to cause any problems. Regardless it was a sight I took particular interest in.

     ^when it's time to crash find a friendly shoulder^

The further we went into the city the more drastic the changes in the scenery. It went from countryside fields to intermixed houses and multistory apartments then finally into a dense jungle of concrete, mortar, tar and brick. Apartments, hotels, grocery stores, spa's, shops and restaurants all merging into the crucible of modern urban life. At one point buildings within the same block couldn't have been separated by more than a meter! It's as if the city is one big onion and our train a needle descending through each layer of its shell. The end of my train trip was at Tokyo Station. Tokyo station is basically a large hub for both the train and the metro. Although the Japanese are incredibly efficient having two different rail systems does make it confusing even for natives.

     ^uhhhhhhh where am I going?!^

For a total of 45 minutes after getting off of my initial train I wandered about the station in search of a coin locker. EVERY SINGLE ONE on the main floor had been in use. I decided to try to find my train platform and buy my ticket. Low and behold as soon as I find the platform (on the B1 floor) an entire bank of coin lockers was available. Lesson of the day: If you find your platform you'll find your locker. Or perhaps as a classic baseball flick once said, "If you build it, they will come."

     ^Where the lockers roam free ^

A few minutes later I was bound for Kamakura. Upon arriving I switched trains to a local trolly-like train that makes rounds through the city. It was tightly packed with tourists from all over. Of course most were Japanese; but I heard several other tongues ranging from Russian to German to Spanish. I exited on the third stop, bought several bottles of water (it was bloody hot that day) and took my first steps toward Hasedera Temple. 

    ^ Enoden Train/street car^

Hasedera Temple was a mere 200 meters from the station. It looked as if it came straight from a picture book. A large gate, with a garden area behind it and a temple atop a hill. 

    ^main temple building^

Hasedera Temple is famous for housing a massive statue of Guanyin. Unfortunately pictures were not allowed in the area with the statue but I can offer a little bit of background on it. Guanyin is a Buddhist bodhisattva worshiped as a goddess of compassion. According to Wikipedia:

"The statue is one of the largest wooden statues in Japan, with a height of 9.18 metres (30.1 ft), and is made from camphor wood and gilded in gold. It has 11 heads, each of which represents a different phase in the search for enlightenment.

According to legend, the statue is one of two images of Kannon carved by a monk named Tokudō in 721.^[1] The camphor tree was so large, according to legend, that he decided that he could carve two statues with it. One was enshrined in Hase-dera in the city of Nara, Yamato Province, while the other was set adrift in the sea to find the place that it had a karmic connection with. It washed ashore on Nagai Beach on the Miura Peninsula near Kamakura in the year 736. The statue was immediately brought to Kamakura where a temple was built to honor it."

This temple has shifted hands through different sects of Budhism but is currently an independent temple of the *Judo-Shu* sect. 

    ^ whispered prayers^

To be honest I realized I love looking at temples and learning a bit of the history behind them but... I think this is another example of a religious racket. They were selling everything from trinkets to prayer cards to "special beads." I understand that money has to be made in order for the temple to stay open but such outrageous commercialization of a spiritual practice just seems to run counter to the idea's of the religion. Hey maybe it's just me.

     ^one of the statues at Hasedera^

    ^women wearing Yukata take in the view on Kamakura near Hasadera Temple^

    ^ there are thousands of these little guys throughout Hasedera^

The next stop was the Dai Butsu (The Great Buddha). I had been wanting to see this since my time in Korea. In one of my classes we watched a video from CNN talking about it and I immediately placed it on my bucket list. I wasn't disappointed. The Great Buddha is housed within the walls of the Kotoku-in Temple. Originally a large wooden statue had been built around 1252 (the Kamakura period for any of those interested). After several storms and the temple continually falling and breaking the wooden statue it was decided to cast one in bronze. The date it was cast is uncertain but it was initially housed within a giant temple. Well, mother nature does as she wanted and decided to send a tsunami to this region of Japan on September 20, 1498. It destroyed the last temple to house this great monument. Since that time it has sat under blue skies and star filled nights.  

As I approached the temple I noticed the lack of commercialization that I had seen at Hasedera. A few run of the mill tourist shops had been on the road leading there but I wasn't bombarded by the sights of people selling things as soon as I had entered. Outside of the gate you can just barely see the Buddha's giant head. It was like he was watching each and every soul that entered and or passed by.

After entering though I realized it was basically just another tourist trap with an awesome statue of Buddha. There was a food corner and another small tourist shop selling the exact same things I had seen at the shops outside of the gate. There was a complete lack of the religious regalia for sale though (outside of incense which can be burned for prayers or respect). Once more I found myself surrounded by people from all corners of the globe. The foreign tongues mixed with the scent of burning incense combined to make a surreal atmosphere (or maybe it was just a bit hot and I was dehydrated). 

I was surprised to find that they did not have an informational packet available for tourists. Usually these places always have a small brochure explaining the importance of the landmark you are visiting but apparently this one was too big or famous for that nonsense. After walking around taking photo's I decided to venture into the great Buddha. 

This was probably the most disappointing part. Although it's hallow there is nothing cool inside. Basically I paid 20 yen to see the uglier side of bronze casting. But just so you can see it yourself here is a picture of where Buddha's brain should be:

Upon exiting I found two young women praying in front of the statue. One finished her prayers rather quickly but the other stood there praying until I left nearly 15 minutes later. I hope she finds what she was looking for! 

Overall I was glad to see such a remarkable structure in person. It's a monument that has stood the test of time to become an iconic part of Japanese Culture.

My next blog will continue with my journey through Kamakura and back to Tokyo! I hope you enjoyed this read! Feel free to comment or pose questions!

    ^a teaser for the next post^

Tokyo: The Trip There

Over the past week I was fortunate enough to be able to take a trip to Tokyo, Japan. Now, many of us have seen Tokyo on the television or the interwebs at some point in our life ... Yet still I feel it's necessary to give you a few fun facts. First Tokyo, as it stands today, isn't just one city; it's actually a "metropolitan prefecture." This means that it is comprised of many self-governing cities all connecting into one giant city comprised of 23 wards. Just how big is it? Well, with over 39 million people it is the most populated city on the planet. This is part 1 of the story of my time in this wonderfully diverse city.

     ^Shinjuku^

I set out from Naha International Airport at around 7:30 PM after receiving a ride from my lovely girlfriend (THANK YOU!).  I breezed through check in and security in less than 5 minutes. Heck, I didn't even have to take out my ID or get patted down in an unholy way like I always do with American TSA! The airline I chose (Air Asia) is generally a pretty cheap way to fly between Okinawa and mainland Japan. Though, I don't ever recall Having ever been on one of their flights that hadn't been delayed; an unfortunate side effect of flying on small airlines. Well, with the usual delay of about 30 minutes I was starting to become worried about catching the train once I arrived at the airport in Tokyo.

      ^bored I the lobby^

My hotel was going to be about a 20 minute ride from the airport, which when multiplied by the price of taking a cab would be an outrageous amount of money. The last time I took a cab it cost me ¥1,000 (about $10 USD) to get out of the airport and by the time I got to my hotel (a five minute ride) it cost me ¥2,500 (roughly $26 USD)! Needless to say I didn`t want this to happen and I would be cutting it close.

        ^leaving on a jet plane^

Finally the moment arrived to board the plane. We, the sleepy passengers, walked in 3 file lines out onto the tarmac. I thought it would be kind of weird of me to snap a shot of the plane, so I did it quickly and stealthily. Though after hearing the sound of shutters closing all around me I realized it was a rather common practice here in Japan. People were even posing in front of the plane before boarding.

     ^airplane^

Once we entered the plane I was taken slightly aback due to a foggy white substance pouring into the plane cabin. I soon noticed it was an on-board humidifier meant to keep passengers hydrated during the ride. A brilliant idea! I was lucky enough to get an aisle seat near the back leaving me near the rear exit and of course the lavatory. My seatmates were an Okinawan couple going to Tokyo on a trip. From the looks of it they were rather newly married. They cuddled like two high-schoolers who hadn't seen each other for TWO periods. 10 minutes after the seat belt sign had been turned off they needed to use the bathroom, together. Now, I don't believe they entered the same lavatory (major props to them if they did) they made this same trip several more times through out the two hour flight. Each time they would tap me on the shoulder and give me a "I gotta go look." It doesn't matter what language one speaks we can all recognize that look Finally we entered Tokyo's airspace and made our decent into the city.

    ^ humidifier action^

 We exited the plane, jumped on a bus and were shuttled to the main domestic terminal. All I can say is thank goodness I didn't check any bags. While the others were waiting to collect their bags I had a mission to complete. I bolted toward the basement train station. Myself and about 10 other passengers were running through the halls, down escalators and eventually into the train station as fast as our weary traveler legs could carry us. After arriving I quickly purchased a ticket (about $1.50USD), went through the gate, down another set of stairs and onto the platform with only a few minutes to spare. As myself and the other plane passengers stepped foot on the platform we each breathed a heavy sigh of relief. The train arrived exactly on time (such efficiency!) and since the airport is the last stop each of us were able to get our own seat. If you know how crowded public transportation usually is you'll recognize how much of a treat these opportunities are. It's like playing musical chairs and everyone wins a nice tasty cake at the end.

     ^just in time^

I made it to my stop and I was consumed with three thoughts: getting food, finding my hotel and why did Tokyo smell like hot dogs. Outside of the station I located a hot dog stand answering my malodious question. 

     ^Them crazy eyes and the smell of      hotdogs^

Soon I found my hotel, the Center Hotel Narita. It had a cozy little room near the station that offered complimentary breakfast, air conditioning, and a typical hard-as-a-rock bed. 

    ^Center Hotel Narita^

The front desk clerk was kind and once he realized I hail from Okinawa he showed a very excited side of his personality. He told me it was his dream to travel there with his family one day. Following check-in I consumed an all too classy meal consisting of convenience store sandwiches and two tall cans of Chuhi. After which it was time to hit the hay and prepare for the next days journey toward Kamakura and of course destiny.

    ^Bed time at last!^

Traveling Back in Time: The Andong Folk Museum

One of my first adventures outside of Busan and Gimhae was to the city of Andong. Andong is a city of about 170,000 souls located in the Gyeongsangbuk-do province and is widely known for preserving the cultural heritage of Korea. I was asked by a coworker/friend to accompany him on the journey. With nothing else to do and the promise of seeing some unique things I decided it was a good plan of action. We left early in the morning and took the rail to the train station. It was to be my first time riding the KTX (the Korean bullet train). We were both lively souls before getting on the train and were singing Harry Belafonte's smash hit "Banana Boat Song (Day-O)" to the puzzled looks of Koreans passing by. The ride wasn't more than two hours which passed quickly by as the train flew through the countryside. We arrived at the station and began looking for our first place to visit, The Andong Folk museum. Well as things would have it we got off on the wrong stop. We ended up walking a little over three miles through the city until we reached an area we could catch a cab. At one point along our trek we passed by two Korean children who emphatically kept repeating "get some!" until we had passed them. Along the way we viewed spectacular murals lining the main street depicting traditional Korean games.

I thought it was an interesting way to liven up a rather typical Korean roadway. Though I'm still am not quite sure what this game was about but i think it had something to do with one of the men on the poles falling off.

Eventually we finally arrived at the museum. This museum consists of two parts: an indoor exhibit portraying the lives of Koreans during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897) and an outdoor portion depicting houses and buildings of roughly the same time period. It was a delightfully entertaining way to explore a culture and time now long since passed.

 ^one of the statues outside the museums entrance^

Inside the museum there was information on everything from child rearing, cooking, weddings, traditional clothing, Confucianism and other spiritual practices. Two of the most interesting things I learned were as follows: The rather abundant use of hemp for making ropes and clothing and the ritual of praying to phallic rocks by pregnant women wishing to have a boy. To this day both of these activities are still practiced, hemp fields abound in the countrysides of Korea, though the latter being less used in modern times.

^hemp and other important plants^

^worshiping the mighty rock phallus^

The next leg of the museum led us back outdoors to view what life had looked like for village people during this time. The entrance to this portion of the museum was guarded by giant totem pole like statues. I never received the full explanation of this structures but the short English explanation said they were to guard against evil/bad spirits entering villages. With their fierce faces and their height of giant proportions I think they could work! 

        ^giant totem of doom^

This lovely folk village was build alongside a man-made reservoir helping to dam the Nakdong River. It adds a striking contrast when viewed from the upper parts of the village. 

        ^looking from the past into the future^

As we meandered through the village I was stricken with the feeling of being one of the last people on Earth... Who just happened to travel back in time. The buildings were only meant to be informative and without people inhabiting them it added a certain level of creepiness to them. It was as if they were the remnants of some ghost town in old Korea.  Of course there were a few other tourists exploring but we hardly ever crossed paths. 

   ^ghost town status^

We saw the old thatch roofed houses, a water-wheel used for milling and small government buildings. The larger of the buildings always used more expensive materials such as a lumber facades, masonry and tiled roofs. 

    ^water wheel^

    ^the expensive lumber facade^

    ^tiled roofs^ 

Eventually there was a break from the "lower village" into the "upper village" I can't be certain (due to the complete lack of informative signs) but I think it was meant to signify one of two things; the lives of the average people in comparison to the elite of society or the evolution of architecture during the Joseon Dynasty. The entrance to the upper village was heavily fortified by a large gate. There were also many places in which soldiers of the past could stand guard without being seen from the outside.

     ^lone monk outside the walls leading to the upper gate ^

      ^The view from the guard tower. Two Korean lovers embrace each other as twilight approaches^


Inside of the wall there was a guard tower, a garden, and other buildings of better quality. We even happened upon the what appeared to be the house of a governor or important government official.

   ^house of the boss^

Eventually we passed the village only to wander into the mountains to find an old burial mound. In Korea they often dig a shallow hole, place the body in and then cover it with a large mound of dirt. It is comparable to graves in America with one rather noticeable difference; where our graves are flat theirs are mounds. Sometimes these mounds are little bumps which are hardly noticeable; though other times, especially for historic figures such as kings, they are huge mounds that could be considered hills. From there we found the entrance to a newly paved road leading back into the city.

     ^burial mound^

We decided it was time to head back to the village entrance and eventually back to Andong.
 Once we arrived at the bottom of the hill we decided to travel across the reservoir using "Moonlight bridge." It is a beautiful bridge to view at night.

    ^the view at dusk from the folk village^

   ^bridge pagoda^

 Once we reached the other side it was already dark. And of course there were no taxis to be taken. So again we trekked back into Andong city. By this time my feet were killing me and my stomach was ready for all the kimchi and beer it could hold. Before entering the city limits we were able to view the city scape at night. Even with all the love hotels lighting up the night sky it was still a lovely view.

   ^The more fancily lit places are love hotels. It ain't called AnDONG for nothing^

We finally reached the city and found a chicken joint. It was located near the top floor of a multistory building which lacked sufficient lighting in the stairwell and at one point had a blockage of rubbish blockading the path upwards. Once inside we indulged in fried chicken and beer. In the booth in front of us was a table of young college age Koreans. Actually the entire place was filled with Koreans but this group just happened to be within range. I dared William to try and hit on one of the women at the table thinking he wouldn't possibly do it. The wager was 1,000 won ($1 USD). Low and behold he finally got the courage up (after nearly an entire pitcher of beer). He turns around, taps one on the shoulder and speaks poor Korean to them. What did he say? It was something along the lines of "You and me. Hotel now." Well, it didn't work. Actually they broke out in awkward laugh and she politely said no. The rest of the evening we continued to get sideways glances from them and their friends.

     ^Indiana Will^

After the meal and beer it was time to head back to the hotel to crash. The next day we were to set out on the next adventure to Teogye's Confucian School.