Day 3 in Tokyo: Panda's, Museums, Redcoats and Red lights

At the break of dawn I awoke to start the next leg of my trip. I checked out of the hotel and set off for the area of Tokyo known as Ueno. In this area there are tons of things to do. There's a discount shopping street (knock off goods galore), a zoo, several museums a giant lotus pond and a lovely park just to name a few.

The first place I hit was the shopping street though nothing really caught my eye. It actually reminded me a lot of Korea. The vendors were shouting out the discounts available to those passing by. In the tiny shops selling fake bags, vegetables and cheap clothes were all available at relatively cheap prices. Even though it was early it was still buzzing with people.

I made my way to a nearby park to take in the view and finish off an iced coffee I'd gotten at a vending machine. The park was conveniently located next to a few adult stores. I think one was even advertising being able to watch an adult flick being filmed! Outside were a bunch of older gents reading leaflets and adverts plastered with attractive young vixens. It was kind of a funny site to see.

Across from this spectacle was a walking path with a huge field of lotus flowers. Between the sexy vixens and the beauty of nature my eyes were in heaven.

From there I entered the main part of Ueno Park with dreams of seeing a panda. As I walked through the park I saw people of all walks of life. Tourists, beggars, couples, flocks of older ladies and gents, and even two guys that may have been Yakuza (just something about lots of tattoo's, missing pinky fingers and giant gold watches that grabs my attention here). I leisurely strolled through the park taking a closer look at anything that caught my eye. The first thing was what appeared to a little shrine on a small hill.

It turned out to be the location where a giant statue of Buddha once stood dubbed, "The Great Buddha Hill" (Daibutsu Yama). Originally it was 2.8 meters tall but was demolished by an earthquake in 1647. It was replaced by a 3.6 Meter tall seated Buddha.

The face of the seated Buddha fell of during an earthquake in 1923. It was all downhill from there (no pun intended). During WWII the government confiscated the metal from the body and pedestal to produce guns and bullets and the like to continue the war effort. It seems a bit ironic doesn't it? 22 years after the war the head was enshrined once more and there it remains to this day.

A little further along the path I came to a building which would catch the eye of any Persian prince... and since I'm just a simple American it was an ever greater eye-catcher.

Ueno Toshogu was a shrine originally built around 1627 and rebuilt once more (those darn earthquakes demolishing everything again) in 1645 as a shrine for Tokugawa Ieyasu the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. For further information check out the placard below:

Then I finally managed to get to Ueno Zoo. Let it be known that I'm not a huge fan of zoo's or incarcerated animals; but sometimes you really just want to see some elephants.

If you're a fan of zoo's I would highly recommend this one. From birds to bears, apes to tigers, bats to night cats and even pandas! Ueno zoo has them all. All around children smiled, ooed and awed at the creatures from far away places. The older folks leisurely strolled from one exhibit to the next and the middle aged, kids in tow, took millions of pictures.

The first place I went was to see the pandas. I was surrounded by at least two dozen elementary students on a field trip all staring and speaking emphatically about the pandas. The only other foreigner I saw in the zoo, who had the biggest camera there as well (size matters apparently), squeezed his way to the front of the pack of children and began shooting shot after shot. I found it kind of funny to see a grown ass man pushing his way through children to see a panda.

The zoo was lovely until I saw the one example of cabin fever I always see at the zoo. In Korea it was a wolf in a tiny cage pacing back and forth and an elephant gone half mad from the atrocious conditions. Here it was a sun bear (from China) pacing back and forth in the smallest part of its cage. Luckily this was the last exhibit that was to be seen and I left the zoo half depressed right after.

After lunch, pizza and beer (you've got to love a sneaky mid-day beer), I headed toward the national museum. Along the way I took a rest in the shade next to the fountain. I had a minute to relax and really take in the world around me. Nearby a couple was on a date, an old man took a quick nap, children played around the fountain and an elderly music group sang traditional songs. What a place to inhabit for a day!

Now after lazing around for a bit I had to once again board the brain train and enter the museum  THIS PLACE IS HUGE! There are several buildings to walk through; though some are special exhibits only). Well it was your typical giant museum... basically waaaaaay too much to take in at one time. Nonetheless it was nice to see the national treasures of the country I currently live in. Below are a few shots from the main museum building. You'll have to visit there yourself to see them all!

By the time I had finished it was nearly 3 o'clock aka check in time at my hotel. I decided to catch the metro and head to the next destination Shinjuku. Along the way I mistakenly bought a ticket and entered the rail station instead of the metro. This was a major problem for once I got in I couldn't get out at the same station. I had to find a ticket clerk who was far too engaged with two teenage girls who were trying to sneak into the station. After 5 minutes of waiting I simply walked past him with no problem. The metro station was at the bottom of the block and I had to purchase another ticket. Live and learn I guess.

Upon exiting Shinjuku station I was graced with the awesome site of two giant robot looking statues on the back of a truck! Cool Japan indeed!

A great site to see after coming from the subway

After a bit of wandering the streets I finally found my hotel. I booked this hotel for pure unabashed experienced. It was a capsule hotel. Whats that you ask? It's basically a giant room with hundreds of boxes (stacked two or three high) to sleep in. The fee is cheap and they generally offer some other kind of service as well. My hotel was also a spa. It must be stated that its not the kind you're thinking of though... probably. It's more of a public bath, ancient Rome style (with modern amenities of course). There are stations in which one sits and showers (shampoo, body soap, etc.), pools for soaking (freezing balls cold, medium, and scorching hot), a dry sauna (which can be a bit weird when packed with a dozen or so other gentlemen), and finally skin and hair stations for once you're finished bathing (skin lotion, hair product, q-tips, toothbrushes and blow-dryers . I should note that if you ever want to enjoy one of these places be weary of the blow dryers. All too often I have seen them used for drying the old coin purse (for those of you unfamiliar with this metaphor I'm talking about gonads).

After a nice long soak, a shower, and briefly exploring the common room I ventured back out into the wild lands of Shinjuku in search of adventure, photo opportunities and beer... mainly beer. Shortly after I stepped outside I ran across another foreigner looking for an ATM. We spent about thirty minutes searching for one. During that time I learned he was a PHD student at a university just outside of Tokyo. He was in town to visit, in his words, "the titty bar." And although his field of expertise was economics he was apparently broke. Even now I find this rather ironic. Regardless he did inform me that my hotel was in the heart of the Red Light District (thus him being there). At first I thought nothing of it but this vital piece of information would come in handy later in the evening.

I roamed all over in search of the magical ATM that was calling my name. From the center building to the metro station alas nothing would work.

After wandering looking for an ATM that would work with my bankbook (I had not yet received my bank card at this time) it was time to eat a snack. I was to meet up with a few friends from Korea in a few hours so I couldn't eat a whole meal but I needed something to get me by. When I was wandering I had passed a small bar and grill tucked away in a side street. The place looked inviting enough and their beer selection left me drooling. Now, it must be said that when you are abroad, especially in Asia, things such as good beer that you have become accustomed to (like lovely golden wheat beers) are not always available and if they are they are rather expensive. It's best to jump at the chance to enjoy them when you can.

So I found myself at the Road House Dining and Beer Bar. I ordered a plate of chicken and a few hoes (Hoegaarden beers). There were only a few people in the bar section. An older man chain smoking, a lonely looking middle aged woman to my left and two cute young women in a table behind me. I sparked up a conversation with the bar tender and learned a bit about his life. He had been in Japan for about 15 years. He was originally from Nepal but moved to Tokyo to make some money with family that was already here. As things would go he found a Japanese woman, fell in love, got married and had a child. Now he is part owner of the bar and has enough freedom to travel a few times a year. As we chatted in English the two young women behind me would occasionally giggle. The bartender asked if they understood English and they said just a little. Before they left they said hello and chatted a bit. I had the distinct feeling that they were trying to pick me up... and as a man that never has this happen I found it to be a bewildering experience. As they left they both gave me smiles making my confidence level rise to a not so subtle level.

After the beer bar I had about an hour to kill until I would be meeting up with the Redcoats (a few British folks I met in Korea). The barkeep and the lonely looking lady gave me directions to the nearest JP bank ATM (finally found one that would accept my bank book) and slowly meandered to the metro station to meet them.

Shinjuku Comes alive at Night

It's a miracle that people are able to find each other in such a busy place. They didn't have phones so finding each other, even at an arranged entrance, would be difficult. As I waited hundreds of new faces fluttered in and out of my field of vision every few minutes. After about 20 minutes of waiting I saw one Brit and one Irishman; we were reunited and it felt so good. They had been traveling around Japan for a few weeks prior to our meeting so they had the undeniable air of traveler's lag about them. But they were more than willing to grab some dinner and tip a few brews back.

Such a Happy couple

I had forgotten how much I missed the UK folks continuously taking the piss out of each other. We shared some good stories, a few good laughs and a lot of delicious food (Jimminy Christmas they can eat!). After the meal we slowly migrated back to the station picking up a few road beers along the way. We said our teary goodbyes (a bit over dramatic really) and once more went our separate ways.

From there I began to make the journey back to my own hotel. It was only a few blocks away but I decided to take a round-about way to get there. Being slightly intoxicated I stopped at a souvenir shop to buy some goods for my family. I chatted with the lady (I don't understand why but while intoxicated foreign languages seem to flow more confidently) and she told me how much she wanted to visit Okinawa and all about her children.

And I bought some Tshirts for the folks

After there I stopped at a smoking area near the metro. There a dirty old man asked to bum a smoke from me and thought that stealing my whole pack would be okay. So I asked for them back and he smiled knowing he had been caught. Then he decided to talk about how he likes to have sex with women. Yes, he used visuals.

This guy...

Two other folks next to me were watching and chatting with him as well. I sparked up conversation with them and came to realize they could both speak rather good English. After about 20 minutes of chatting it was time to continue the adventure.

Good looking folks

 As I roamed the streets I began to notice a pattern. On every single street corner there were crowds of darkly complected gentlemen trying to get people into their establishments. What kind of establishments? Well, technically they would be called hostess bars. Places men go to drink and chat with women for a fee. But what they were trying to push on every corner was much more illicit. As luck would have it I also hit every single red light along the way, meaning I had to stop at every corner. Most of these men were from different parts of Africa and were simply trying to make a living hustling flesh to tourists and horny business men. Every time I had to politely turn them down. Somewhere along the line I met a large group of college guys roaming the streets. They said hello and we chatted and decided to take a drunken picture together. Obviously we chose someone who was also intoxicated to take the picture.

I have no fucking idea who these people are

A block away from my hotel I fan into one of these gentleman that was a rather cool cat. He was a struggling musician just trying to get by. He told me how he despised what he was doing but his music kept him alive. He called himself King Green Tea and even gave me a short freestyle. After being offered everything under the sun of these folks he simply wished me well and told me to be safe. If you want to see what he has to offer here is his site! http://www.afroking-japan.com/english/home.html

GreenTea the King and I

I finally arrived at my hotel. I can't lie I was rather intoxicated. I talked to the girl behind the counter all in Japanese. Apparently I was generally correct in what I was saying (being aided by liquid confidence probably helped!) and she guided me to my capsule and took a picture of it and of me. After that I drifted into the land of Morpheus only to awake a few hours later due to the incessant heat. I went back to the spa and finally back up to sleep until day break.

Drunk in the capsule hotel

Tokyo Day 2: Hiking, Kenchoji Temple and Sky Tree

After seeing the Great Buddha it was time to move to another part of the city. About 300 meters behind the Great Buddha was a hiking trail I had been looking forward to trekking for at least a month. It wouldn't be a tough hike, it was just over  2 kilometers (approx. 1.3 miles for you American folk) with only one upward part. Luckily I started on the upward part. I say luckily due to the fact that it was scorching hot and it was better to get it over at the beginning and enjoy the breeze laden trail the rest of the way. Nearly every Japanese person I past said "Konichiwa" (good afternoon) as we passed. I found it rather interesting that the American foreigners I crossed paths with acted as if I wasn't even there even when I said "good afternoon" to them. So much for a common bond among countrymen!

     ^trail of destiny^

     ^view of Kamakura from the trail^

Now Japan is a relatively safe place to travel with the exception of one creature. This creature, to put it simply, is the asshole of the wild. It's powerful, it always sounds angry (though it's not particularly aggressive), and will send grown men running in the opposite direction. What is it you ask? The Japanese Hornet. It can grown up to 4 cm (1.6 in) long and kills more people (due to anaphylactic shock after its venom has entered the body) than both bears and snakes combined. Many points throughout my hike I happened upon these devilish creatures and quickly strode past them. At one point I was surrounded by the buzzing of 6 wings and decided to run to get away from them. I laughed at how silly I must have appeared and then I heard the scream of a young woman. "AHHHHHHHH!" accompanied by the tromping of feet in a full sprint. Suddenly a young British woman came around a bend in the trail flailing her arms and screaming. Then she saw me and regained what appeared to be her normal composure with the exception of a bright red face. I asked if she was okay and then she went on a rant about the wasps and how they were chasing her. We quickly parted ways but I enjoyed a good laugh after she was out of earshot.

The hike began next to the road, traveled through a thin forest which gradually became deeper until I was surrounded by trees. Then the trail led up a stairway and into a residential neighborhood. From there the trail branched off in several directions. I took the trail leading toward Ugafukujin Shrine. The next photo describes what this shrine is for if you're interested:

    

Inside the shrine many people were washing money in hopes that it would come back doubly to them. I'm not quite sure where these legends originate or how people substantiate them but they do appear to be wildly popular superstitions. Who knows maybe if you believe in something enough it will appear to come true?

      ^people washing money^

newly weds entering  Ugafukujin Shrine

After leaving the shrine I made my way down a hill back into  residential Kamakura. On the hill I passed a group of young college age guys who gave me an emphatic, "Hello!" and muttered something about me being a foreigner. I said hello back and they all burst out in excitement giving me the thumbs up and telling me to have a great day. I wish I would have snapped a picture of this Motley crew but alas I didn't and they will only live on in this blog and in memory. It's random moments such as these that make traveling exciting. Even sharing just a momentary connection with people helps to make the world a smaller and more beautiful place for both parties.

 Ugafukujin Shrine

 

neighborhood below the shrine

   

The path I took winded through a neighborhood and I decided to head toward my final destination Kenchoji Temple. It was another 2 kilometers winding through residential areas until I would reach the temple. I decided to take a back road up a hill to save some time. Along the way I found Jokomyoji a small but beautiful temple in the middle of a neighborhood. This temple features statues of the Amida trinity. Behind the temple lies a hill lies the grave of Reizei Tamesuki the founder of the Noble Reizei Family of Poets.

Jokomyoji Temple

From there I took a path which during the Kamakura period was an important trade road essentially cutting the journey through the city in half. In modern times it is nothing more than a one way road traversed by bikers, walkers and scooters. Along the way I followed an old woman who could hike like a mountain goat. She never broke her stride even when the hill was tough. On the opposite side I passed the entrance to a house that was rather impressive. It made me consider how I would like the gate to my future house to be in my future castle.

Finally I arrived at Kenchoji Temple. As I walked up to the gate I had the sudden realization  that I might be too late to the party. The gates were closed and only two young women sat outside of them looking at their cell phones and chatting away hysterically. On the sign next to them the operating hours were posted. I had missed the time by just ten minutes.

 It was then I noticed a side gate had been left open. I casually strolled in with my camera in hand and began shooting pictures. One person I passed by gave me an odd look but decided I must be there for a reason and simply said hello as she passed. I was in!

Kenchoji Temple is rated as the greatest of five Zen temples in Kamakura. It was founded in 1252 and finished in 1253. It was originally headed by a Chinese Zen master by the name of Renkei Doryu* who had come to Japan in 1246 and had spent some time in other areas before settling in Kamakura.

Even today it is an important monastery for monks in training. A casual stroll through the grounds will reveal a treasure trove of buildings, statues, gardens and other things of interest. The main temple buildings and the observatory were my favorite places at this site.

Overall I was more impressed by this temple than the Great Buddha. It is hard to imagine the countless people who have strolled through these grounds. And even harder still to see the impressions it had left upon them. All I know is that Kenchoji Temple is one place I wont easily forget.

There's one piece of advice I feel I should share before moving on. If you plan to see these places I would recommend coming really early or really late (preferably before closing time). You will get to see them without the chaos tourists tend to bring with them. Especially in the case of Kenchoji the lack of people gave it an inspiring and tranquil atmosphere. Throughout my entire time there I couldn't help but think how lucky I was to be able to enjoy that space in peace. It also gave me ample time to reflect on how limited our time is here and how we should enjoy it and pursue what we love with unabashed tenacity.

After venturing to the observatory of Kenchoji it was time to head back toward the train station and Tokyo.

Along the way I decided to pass through what appeared to be a park. Its name is Tsuruoka Hachiman Gu. I wish I could give you more information but at this point I was pretty drained and just wanted to take in one last site before the train. It had a wonderful temple like thing a lotus patch and even a gentleman practicing martial arts. Overall it was a lovely park that I wish I had spent even just a few more moments at.

From there my feet lead me through Kamakura's shopping street. Souvenirs and typical Japanese goodies were for sale throughout the entire area. I casually walked through a few and then saw a beautiful site. A woman was helping her incredibly aged mother walk down the street inch by inch. The patience that this woman had really struck me in a deep way. As they inched forward the woman's face remained free from irritation as her hands gently guided her along the side of the busy street. This was to be my last impression of Kamakura.

On the return trip to Tokyo I was much more tired than I had expected to be. Luckily I was able to find a seat where leaning my head back and catching a quick snooze was possible. This ride offered just as many interesting characters as the morning trip had.

First there was a group of college age guys next to me. One of them passed out in a rather funny way and his buddy and I caught each other trying to snap a quick picture of him. His friend laughed and laughed and laughed. Later on we were both able to snap a quick picture.

The next notable character was a middle aged man who got on the train halfway through my journey back to the city. He seemed common enough until he pulled out a paper from his bag. Needless to say this wasn't your typical newspaper. Plastered on the back was a couple in the midst of the horizontal mambo. Take a close look for yourself:

After nightfall I finally arrived at Tokyo Station. It is a much more beautiful sight at night! From there I made the final leg of my trip to my hotel The Agora Place. It`s a nice place with decent rates. The highlight for me was that I was able to see Sky Tree from my room!

After a 20 minute nap in a cloud of a bed it was time to grub. Kitty corner to the hotel was a sushi place. This is was exactly the treat I was looking for. I went in and was greeted by a middle aged woman named Keiko. She was thrilled after she learned I could speak a little broken Japanese and asked me all the typical questions: "where are you from? How old are you? Do you live in Japan etc." Luckily I was able to answer them (to some degree) and she was polite and friendly for the remainder of my stay there.

Yes, I know my hair is sexy

The sushi chef was also incredibly kind. He asked the same questions and allowed me to take a few photo's of a master at work.

It was getting late but there was one last place I wanted to see, Skytree.

Well it is a lot bigger than I imagined and I realized that as I walked there. I could see it from my hotel so I had guessed it wasn't that far away. Well I was wrong. It was exactly 2 kilometers (once again for you American Folk (1.24 miles). Which wouldn't be so bad if my poor feet hadn't traversed all of Kamakura... but now I'm just whining so I'll stop.

After I had reached there it was already closed (for future reference it closes at (8:30 pm). Now, usually this would be a major bummer but it is a beautiful sight at night and I was also able to meet a few people along the way. Two of whom were young skateboarders who were trying to photobomb a picture of mine. I asked them if I could take a picture and they were overjoyed at the prospect. One of them spoke amazing English. We shared a few moments chatting and then they rolled back into the night.

From there I took another route back to the hotel taking in all this area of Tokyo had to offer. It was a nice stroll and I happened upon a site that brought a smile to my face. Apparently police officers wear helmets inside their cars. One step closer to being real Robo Cops.

I finally arrived at my hotel and drifted into the land of Morpheus.



Stay tuned to day 3 of Tokyo up next!Some of the highlights include Ueno, a reunion with some friends from the UK and Shinjuku nightlife .