Takayama, Japan

Written on 24 August, 2010 - decided to post it today...

Per the Lonely Planet, the train-ride from Nagoya to Takayama is "gorge-ous". LP, we strongly second that statement. Over the river, through the woods / mountains....to Takayama we go (or went...back on August 14th, 2010). The misty opaque-hued river that cuts a gorge through the surrounding elevations is dubbed the 'Japanese Rhine' and was dotted with fly-fisherman; the train ached and groaned at every ascent / descent / tunnel. The ride alone was worth the visit.

We arrived at our hostel - our first dormitory stay... Devin with 7 strangers (boys and girls), Emily with 5 (girls only). Each bunk had curtains for privacy. which was nice...and the crowd was very 'Japanese' (that is to say: respectful).


Takayama itself is a small-ish city on the doorstep of the Japanese Alps... While there, we wandered, saw a couple shrines, hit a morning market...and had our first Japenese toast. It is normal bread, but ~ 2 inches thick...perfectly toasted...with butter and an option of honey...

Again, a place worth spending more time... But the beat goes on.

(Awesome magazine cover.)

Japanese Carp

Date: August 19, 2010

On a more uplifting Hiroshima note, we found our new favorite baseball team there: the Hiroshima Carp! Here's how.

Soon after rolling into town and exiting the train station, we noticed the city was a buzz with Carp fever - hawkers (that word is RARE in Japan) were peddling Carp t-shirts, Carp hats, Carp noise-makers, and even CDs containing Carp cheers. We both thought: if there is a game, we must go. Who names a team the Carp? So, we confirmed there was indeed a game and walked to Mazda Zoom Zoom Stadium (Mazda has a 7km long assembly line in Hiroshima…that’s long…the longest in the world) and bought the cheapest tickets available.

Before entering I learned that patrons are allowed to bring their own beer into the stadium, as long as it’s transferred into the red and white-striped ‘official stadium cup’, so I ran to the nearest convenience store and bought two of the biggest beers I could find. BYOB! As far as the game, the Carp got whooped by the Tokyo Swallows...yes, real name too...but we didn’t care – it was unlike any other baseball game we had been too and well worth the price of admission. Organized cheers (by fans), a marching band, sushi (instead of hot dogs), dried fish bites (instead of nachos), and of course, sake.


Very bizzarre-o, very Japanese. “Carp-u, Carp-u…” That’s all I can remember from the cheer. And you have to love the Japanese high leg kick delivery.




Go Carp!

A Bomb - Hiroshima, Japan

Date: August 20, 2010

On our way through Japan, we stopped in Hiroshima with the main intent of educating ourselves on what happened there on August 6, 1945 - the world's first atomic bomb attack (and unfortunately not the last - Nagasaki, 3 days later). It was an extremely powerful and somber experience for us both....something we will not soon forget (even 4 months later...).

We started out by visiting what is now called the A-Bomb Dome. This building was built in 1915 and was used for a variety of purposes pre-1945; it was last called the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. The atomic bomb exploded almost directly above it, instantly killing everyone inside. However, due to the proximity of the blast, some of the walls of the building remained standing, leaving enough of the building and iron structure at the top to be recognizable as a dome. This was one of the only structures in the area (once the bustling center of the city) not completely reduced to rubble. After the war, the citizens of Hiroshima were apprehensive to leave it standing, but today it remains as it did then (now a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and is a powerful symbol of the nation’s and humanity’s collectively shared heritage of the catastrophe. Its sacredness and sadness transcends time.

Near the A-Bomb Dome are the grounds for Peace Memorial Park, which include a number of various monuments, the Memorial Cenotaph for A-Bomb Victims, and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. It is estimated that by the end of 1945, 140,000 people died as result of the bombing (both direct and indirect) and hundreds of thousands more suffered the effects of lethal radiation exposure years and years after. The purpose of the Peace Memorial Park is to not only memorialize these victims, but also to establish the memory of nuclear horrors and to STRONGLY advocate for world peace. Within the museum, the historical details of the bombing and events leading up to / following are laid out in a very black and white fashion with no discernable political spin or blatant omissions. Basically, it happened, period. We all know who actually dropped the bomb (and I would be lying if I say I didn’t feel any national shame during my visit), but the ultimate message is, let’s (ALL of us) never let it happen again, period.

During our visit, there were a couple especially emotional moments for me. One was when listening to audio recounts of survivors describing ‘the scene’ immediately after the explosion – the screams of victims, their eyes popping out from their heads, their charred skin hanging off of their bodies. I cannot imagine. And there were pictures too (I won’t go until more detail). But above all, what stirred me the most was seeing a concrete step found in the ruins of a building now on display at the museum. On the step was a black charred stain. Someone had been sitting on that step that August morning, perhaps reading the paper, perhaps waiting for the bus, perhaps just watching the street traffic, and then boom. In an instant they were gone, leaving only that mark.

In all, I have never felt as powerful and tangible a cry for world peace as experienced that day. Hiroshima has made a call for the end of atomic weapons and there is a flame burning in the park that won’t be extinguished until all atomic weapons are destroyed and the planet is free from the threat of nuclear annihilation. It has been burning continuously since it was lit in 1964.

Magome, Japan

Tokyo Station - waiting for the Shinkansen to whisk us to Nagoya

Schedule

Our first ride on the Shinkansen

On to Magome... A small, charming, Edo-era post town in the Kiso Valley west of Tokyo / Northeast of Nagoya. We had our first bullet train (Shinkansen) experience; they move very quickly. It was great to get into the mountains... It rained. Emily was bitten by a HUGE centipede type insect with giant shark-teeth. And we stayed in our first Japanese Ryokan (a small traditional inn).

Road through Magome


The entrance of our Ryokan


Views around Magome

We got up at dawn's break to do the 7.8k hike from Magome to Tsumago on an old post trail, formerly linking Kyoto to what is now Tokyo... It was just us...the mist of the morning...and the bears (evidently there are many bears in the region...fortunately, we didn't see any). It was an extremely peaceful hike...

It's a hiking 'course'... Not a path, not a trail.

Not really sure what this flower is, but it's sure perty

"Ring the bell hard against bears."

Peace and quiet...

The streets of Tsumago
Now, looking back, this was one of the most rewarding things we did in Japan. Very cool.

Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo is large - 12+ million people large. Two more heads were added when we arrived on August 12th - our first port of call. After nearly 24 hours of travel, 'twas immediately off to the hotel and bed.

Devin in our large hotel room in Tokyo - 'New Koyo Hotel'

Relatively refreshed, we took to the streets...via subway and foot....finding our first 'Japanese meal' (most likely Japanese fast food), visiting the Tourist Information Centre (twice) to figure out our route / lodging (in Japan it is expected to book in advance...), and wandering (which Emily does well) about in general.

Two women at the Tourist Information Centre helping us book lodging - each working on a different city.

They were amazing!

Old vs New: The moat around the Imperial Palace and Tokyo

(NOTE: No camping on Palace grounds.)

Bridge over moat surrounding the Palace.

I got a fever...and the only cure is a big Sapporo.

Delicious! Sashimi fresh from the Tsukiji Market.

(Largest fish market in the world - we didn't see it. Boo. Next time.)




Night lights.

Initial observations:

a) Tokyo is CLEAN - seriously, 'eat dinner off the sidewalk' clean.

b) Public transport (trains / subway) kick big ass.

c) The city is sleepy... Two jeg-lagged early risers had Tokyo to themselves until 9am.

d) Coffee is expensive: ~$6 for a regular cup.

e) Beer is available in vending machines....and it's perfectly acceptable to consume on any train.

f) Neon.

We realize that it is hard to get a feel for one of the biggest cities in the world after only a day and a half... Next time.

Japan is so cool!

Japan was a fantastic country to begin our travels! We spent 10 days there and were sad to leave, but we have a lot to see in the next few months and we needed to move on. (Plus, it's so expensive!)

The following posts will give you a glimpse into our travels from Tokyo to Fukuoka/Hakata.

NOTE: We made big promises about this blog and we'll try to deliver, but at this point we're operating on "Emily time" with our posts. Deal? :)