Japan - Day 6 (Part 2)

Japan – Day 6 (Part 2)

27 May 2024

Senso-ji (‘Senso’ is an alternative reading for Asakusa and ‘ji’ means temple) is Tokyo’s most famous and popular temple. Built in the 7^th century, it is also one of its oldest, although the current buildings are post-war reconstructions. Asakusa Shrine, also known as Sanja-sama, was built during the Edo Period and survived the WW2 air raids of 1945. The shrine’s festival, the Sanja Matsuri, is one of Tokyo’s most spectacular and popular. The festival takes place in late spring and sees the surrounding streets closed to traffic throughout the day. It is held every year on a weekend in mid-May, with the last festival taking place from 19 to 21 May 2024.

The first thing that greets you is the Kaminarimon which is the outer of two large entrance gates that ultimately leads to the Senso-ji. It has a huge lantern in the middle, just under 12 m tall and 11.5 m wide. The Kaminarimon was first built in 941 by Taira no Kinmasa, a military commander. It was originally located near Komagata but was reconstructed and placed in its current location in 1635. At this time it is believed that the statues of Raijin (God of Thunder on the left) and Fujin (God of Wind on the right) were first placed on the gate. The gate has been destroyed many times throughout the ages. Four years after its relocation, the Kaminarimon burned down, and in 1649 Tokugawa Iemitsu rebuilt the gate along with several other of the major structures in the temple complex. The gate burnt to the ground in 1757 and again in 1865. The Kaminarimon’s current structure dates from 1960.

On the other side of the same gate is the statue of Kin-Ryu (a goddess, 2.74 m high and weighing about 200 kg), and Ten-Ryu (a god, 2.93 m high and weighing about 250 kg), who are both personifications of the dragon god symbolizing Senso-ji. They are believed to be the guardian deities of Senso-ji.

The second or inner gate is known as the Hozo-Mon Gate, also said to be first built in 942 by Taira no Kinmasa. Two wooden Nio (Deva Kings) statues are installed on the left and right sides. Because of this, the gate is also sometimes called the Nio-mon (Deva Gate). The statue on the left is known as Ni-Ou opened mouth style, whereas the statue on the right is known as Ni-Ou closed mouth style. Both are made of cypress and are 5.45 m tall and weigh about 1,000 kg each.  They are also guardian deities of Senso-ji. This gate was also burned down and rebuilt many times. The temple gate rebuilt in 1649 was a two-storey tower gate, but was unfortunately burned down during the air raids in 1945.

The shrine itself was lovely and I said a prayer for what it was worth. There was also a beautiful pagoda, a smaller bronze pagoda built based on a Buddhist text called the Sutra of Casket Seal Dharani, as well as a bronze seated Buddha known officially as the Bronze Seated Amida Nyorai Statue, said to be the Buddha who teaches Buddhism to those who have passed away and attained rebirth in the Pure Land, the Western Paradise of Ultimate Bliss.

From the outer Kaminarimon to the inner Hozo-mon, lies the Nakamise-dori shopping street. It stretches over approximately 250 m lined by almost 90 shops, which offer local specialties and the usual array of tourist souvenirs. Of course none of them were opened at the ungodly hour of 7.30 am so while I missed the opportunity of buying some last-minute souvenirs, perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that I missed the opportunity of buying some last-minute souvenirs.

From this street I could catch a glimpse of the Tokyo Skytree, a broadcasting and observation tower which at 634 m, is the tallest tower in Japan and the third tallest structure in the world after Merdeka 118 (678.9 m – I didn’t even know this!) and the Burj Khalifa (829.8 m).

Then I carefully retraced my steps and arrived back at the hotel without once getting lost, neither depending on technology nor human help. I am indeed very proud of myself. I bought some food and continued writing and to my horror, realised that my blog has also been possessed because some parts turn out as it usually does, but some other parts have a white background for no good reason, and despite my best efforts (including cursing the evil spirit back to damnation) nothing worked. So my blog entries for Japan are unfortunately a strange combination of black and white backgrounds which is not pretty, but at least still readable.

And then, all too soon, it was time for me to say goodbye to Japan! With all my initial misgivings and false starts, it turned out to be quite an enjoyable trip, and for this I have to thank myself for being the eternal explorer with adventure in her heart! 

Japan - Day 6 (Part 1)

Japan – Day 6 (Part 1)

27 May 2024

Couldn’t sleep last night and it was almost 1 am when I actually dozed off. My alarm was set to go off at 4 am and it did, but I snoozed it and then for whatever reason it did not ring again (it does that sometimes, no doubt possessed by the same evil technology spirit that has possessed my google maps and data roaming) and when I finally checked the time it was already 5 am. So a bit of a rush but I still managed to leave the hotel by 6.15 am.

Yesterday I had gotten directions from the hotel staff as to the way to the nearest Ginza line station. But just for fun, I turned on my google maps and lo and behold! The ‘start’ button function had magically re-appeared, on the very day when I did not need it. My own devices are gaslighting me and I have no doubt that the evil technology spirit possessing all my gadgets will one day send me straight to the lunatic asylum.

The human directions given to me were spot on (up yours, google maps!) so I didn’t get lost except for finding the station itself. Some stations here in Tokyo are positioned almost like a Speak Easy so that you can easily miss them if you do not have eyes in every direction, including at the back of your head.

On the way to the station, I came across 2 interesting landmarks. The first was an oldish-looking house with a beautiful small flower garden in front. According to the board stationed in front of this house, in 2011 during the process of conservation of the former Residence in Tokyo for the Yi Imperial Family, the brick-coursework foundation of the former Western-style residence for Prince Kitashirakawa was discovered. These grounds, which had been the site of the main residence in Edo of the Kii Tokugawa Family, were gifted during the Meiji era to Prince Yoshihisa Kitashirakawa.

In 1884, a grand Western-style residence of two-storey brick structure in Gothic architecture was built, designed by one Josiah Conder, a British architect who came to Japan in 1877 as a professor of architecture at the Imperial College of Engineering, and who remained in Japan to the end of his days. In 1894, the residence was damaged by the Tokyo earthquake and part of the building was removed. In 1912, the Prince’s family was moved to a new residence. In 1930, the residence was re-built in the same original style it was first built for the Yi Imperial Family.

The second structure I saw was like a remnant of an old stone wall. According to the information board, the wall was part of the Akasaka-mon Gate constructed by Kuroda Tadayuki, the feudal lord of the Fukuoka Domain, Chikuzen Province (current day Fukuoka Prefecture), in 1636. The gate kept watch over Akasaka (Red Hill) Edo Castle. The gate was the starting point for the Yakurazawa Highway connecting Edo and Kanagawa. The towers and other structures were demolished in 1871, and the stone walls were also demolished in the period from the late 1890s until around 1906. The remains of the embankment and moat were designated as a National Historic Site in 1956, and named the Edo Castle Outer Moat Ruins.

I guess these are some of the things that one would miss if one takes the easy way out and hopped into a taxi. But then again, it’s impossible to see absolutely everything in Japan, or even Tokyo for that matter, within a week.

Anyway, I found the station with the help of some locals, and had a minor hiccup at the ticket machine but a kind local girl helped me out. Then I rode 14 stops and got out at Asakusa station, and within 2 minutes was at the entrance of the Senso-ji.

Japan - Day 5

Japan – Day 5

26 May 2024

Today is the day I present at the conference. For the first time since I arrived in Tokyo, I had a really good night’s sleep without setting my alarm. Yesterday I double-checked with the organiser as to whether it was ok if I just attended my session and I was doubly assured that it was ok.

So I spent the whole morning preparing for my presentation, getting suitably dressed, and heading out to the venue. I arrived in good time and for my particular session, there were a total of 3 miserable members in the audience. Worse, one of the presenters didn’t even bother to show up and when I enquired about this, I was informed by the organiser that this was a recurring problem faced by this particular conference proceedings. Does not sound like a very prestigious or professional conference to me but the boss insists that it is (and that is why I was allowed to attend) but just like in any job, I have to defer to people who know better (or think they do).

Anyway, the presentation went very well and on the way back I bought some food and beer from Family Mart and went back to my room to eat, write and rest. As I was doing some research I realised that there was one more place that I should visit, which is the Senso-ji temple, possibly one of the oldest temples in Japan. I contemplated going to the Senso-ji temple there and then, but decided against it when I remembered THE CROWD. So I decided to head out early tomorrow morning so that I can enjoy my last sightseeing activity in some relative peace. I also decided to be adventurous and use public transportation and my own legs tomorrow. Keeping my fingers crossed that I will not get lost.

Japan - Day 4 (Part 3)

Japan – Day 4 (Part 3)

Friday, 25 May 2024

After this exciting outing, I went to my last chosen destination for the day which was the Tokyo Imperial Palace. Built on the site of the former Edo Castle, the palace became the permanent home of the Imperial Family in 1869. There is a free tour to parts of the Imperial Palace (some parts are closed to the public as the royals are actually living there) but I didn’t manage to secure a spot as it was already full and of course, there was a CROWD. So I decided to just stroll around the outer parts of the palace. The surrounding area is also very beautiful, with manicured lawns and pretty topiary trees. It is also a popular place for joggers (I saw many on this bright Saturday morning) and why not, since the scenery is simply beautiful; it would inspire any jogger.

For over 250 years, Japan was ruled by the Tokugawa shogunate (the government established by the military class) during what was known as the Edo Period (Edo being the old name for Tokyo). The current Imperial Palace sits on the former site of Edo Castle. However, in 1868, the shogunate was overthrown, and Japan’s capital was moved from Kyoto to Tokyo, with the Imperial residence moving with it. The palace was destroyed during WW2 but rebuilt in a similar style afterwards. The large stone walls surrounding the palace are largely in its original form, and no doubt had an ancient feel to it, complete with a moat no less!

The important landmarks include the Main Gate which serves as the main, formal entrance to the Imperial Palace grounds; the iconic Nijubashi Double Bridge; and the Sakuradamon Gate completed in around 1620, which is the largest remaining gate of Edo Castle. The Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923 loosened some rocks but it has since been fortified, and so it remains for the most part as per the original.

Then there are also gardens. The Wadakura Fountain Park was built in 1961 to commemorate the wedding of Heisei Emperor Emeritus (1989-2019). The Kitanomaru Garden was once part of Edo Castle and later, a headquarters for the Imperial Guard until the end of WW2. It is now the location of the Science Museum and Nippon Budokan, a 1964 Olympic venue that also hosted the Beatles in 1966. The Tayasumon Gate found within this park was built in 1636, during the Edo period. The East Gardens of the Imperial Palace was developed concurrently with the construction of the Imperial Palace complex, and has been open to the public since 1968. The Imperial Palace Outer Garden (Kokyo Gaien) used to be the residences of the members of the shogun’s council of elders. After the Meiji Restoration, it was temporarily used for government offices and barracks of the Meiji government, and from 1877-1887 was developed into an open space, and has remained so to this day.

And then I was done for the day, at 11 am! Considering that I had been out from 5.30 am, I think this was quite an accomplishment. I managed to finish everything fast because (i) I avoided crowds by going super early; and (ii) I took a taxi for my own convenience.

Then I bought some lunch from Family Mart (karaage chicken with rice, a sandwich for dinner, and 2 cans of beer and headed back to the hotel. I tried to take a nap but was plagued by unsettling dreams which included, of all persons, Michael Jackson (?!) so I gave up after a while and sat down to write my activities in Japan which so far I had no time to do.

Then in the evening I headed out to the conference venue as they were having a cultural show on how to wear a kimono which I thought would be quite interesting. Here I registered for the conference for the first time (it actually started on 23 May) and then attended the event which was quite nice to see. I learned that wearing a kimono, especially for ladies, is not at all easy and takes a lot of work. The lady who gave the demonstration told us the sad reality of today which is that the kimono is fast growing out of fashion in Japan. And so too, I guess many other traditions of many other cultures around the world, all consumed by fast-paced development and modernity so that there is no time to savour the traditions of the past.

Then back to the hotel for dinner (sandwich) and beers, and then strangely I felt sleepy at 9.30 pm and so I went to bed. I think I deserve some sleep after 3 days of full activities in Japan.

Japan - Day 4 (Part 2)

Japan – Day 4 (Part 2)

Friday, 25 May 2024

The path leading to the shrine was indeed very beautiful, with green lush trees and plants as far as my eyes can see. On the way, I saw barrels of wine consecrated at Meiji Jingu, which had been offered by the wineries of Bourgogne in France in the spirit of world peace and amity and continued friendship between Japan and France. This is in keeping with the Meiji period’s policy of ‘Japanese Spirit and Western Knowledge’ to learn from the best of Western culture and civilisation while keeping Japan’s age-old spirit and revered traditions. In promoting modernization, Emperor Meiji embraced many features of western culture in his personal life such as donning western attire, eating western food and enjoying wine with it. A poem by Emperor Meiji reads:

By gaining the good and rejecting what is wrong,

It is our desire that we’ll compare favourably

With other lands abroad.

At the opposite side of the barrels of wine, there are barrels of sake wrapped in straw, which are offerings by various sake brewers wishing to show their respect to the Emperor and Empress.

At the shrine itself, there were two big camphor trees planted in 1920 at the time of the enshrinement of Meiji Jingu, and are considered to be sacred. Well known as Meoto Kusu or Husband and Wife, the coupled trees have become a symbol of happy marriage and harmonious life within the family.

And then I was done and off I went (yes, by taxi) to the Tsukiji Outer Market. Honestly, I thought this would be a sort of fresh fish market selling all kinds of fresh seafood, with live demonstrations of local fishmongers cutting salmon and tuna and octopuses, but I was only half correct, as it was much, much more than that! Sometimes luck (or as I would like to believe, the travelling gods which I sort of believe in although I generally do not believe in any kind of God and yes, I know I am all kinds of contradiction and so what!) is really on my side and I would like to pat myself on the back for choosing to go to this place.

Before 2018, this was the largest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world. It opened on 11 February 1935 as a replacement for an older market that was destroyed in the 1923 Great Kanto earthquake. Then it was closed on 6 October 2018, with wholesale operations moving to the new Toyosu Market. So you see, I was partially correct in my wild imaginings of professional fishmongers slicing salmon, tuna and octopus before my very eyes. Except that I was a few years too late.

But! There were all kinds of fresh seafood sold here (salmon, tuna, cod, thorny crab, soft shell crab, eels, lobster, prawns, octopus, scallops, oysters, and dried seafood. But the place was much more than that as it sold all kinds of other stuff such as vegetables (really??), souvenirs, nuts, sushi, and all kinds of ready to eat stuff. I really enjoyed myself looking at the myriad of food choices available to me. Here I bought an array of assorted nuts, including wasabi green peas which I intend to give to my father who is a squirrel (who loves nuts) just like me.

(Have I ever written about how I am every bit my father’s daughter? And how my mother cannot accept this because she (in my view, mistakenly) invested in her two sons who turned out to be far less interesting than her only daughter? It’s no secret but not an appropriate story here).

Then I decided to be adventurous (why not?) and try Tamagoyaki (a type of Japanese omelette made by rolling together several layers of fried beaten eggs, often prepared in a rectangular omelette pan called a makiyakinabe or tamagoyaki. The word “tamago” means egg in Japanese, and the word “yaki” means to be cooked over direct heat) and Takoyaki (a ball-shaped Japanese snack made of a wheat flour-based batter typically filled with minced or diced octopus (tako), tempura scraps (tenkasu), pickled ginger (beni shoga), and green onion (negi), brushed with takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise and then sprinkled with green laver (aonori) and shavings of dried bonito (katsuobushi)).

The Takoyaki I have tried before in Malaysia but this one in Tsukiji Outer Market was really, really good! The Tamagoyaki I never tried before and whilst good, I found it a bit strange as it tasted a bit sweet which I didn’t expect an omelette to be. So altogether I find that the food in Japan (teriyaki, ramen, soba) is much more delicious than what we can find in Malaysia, but sushi and miso taste almost the same as what we can find in Malaysia. This I find not surprising at all, because I find that generally, the food in the country of origin always taste better than when it is sold outside that country. So, for eg, even the vegetarian food in India taste a LOT better than any Indian food I have tried in Malaysia. In other words, I can actually visualise myself being a vegetarian in India, but not in Malaysia.

Japan - Day 4 (Part 1)

Japan – Day 4 (Part 1)

Friday, 25 May 2024

I woke up at 4 am again this morning. After two gruelling days of walking around Tokyo and beyond, I actually wanted today to be a lazy day as my plan was to visit some places within Tokyo itself. But after reading a bit about the places I wanted to go to, I decided to start out really early to avoid the disastrous crowds who will no doubt wish to see the same places that I wished to see.

So I left at 5.30 am by taxi (yes I know, I am a spoilt brat but comfort over aching legs, anytime!) to visit the Hachiko statute at Shibuya. I read that there would usually be a long line of tourists waiting for their turn to take a picture with Hachiko. Since it was about 5.45 am, the place was completely empty except from some local youngsters whom I guess were hanging out there all night, by the looks of their party clothes but I may be wrong. Anyway, Hachiko was all mine! I thought about my own girls and whether they would mourn my death should they outlive me. I quickly dismissed this sentimental thought because my dogs, especially the Fatty Pup, will be happy as long as they are fed. Don’t think they will be missing me anytime soon.

Next, I wanted to go to the Meiji Jingu Shrine which is about a 20 minute walk away. Since I haven’t solved the mysterious disappearance of the ‘start’ function on my google maps, I accosted an unsuspecting local to ask for the general direction of the shrine before heading out. This time I was successful in finding it without getting lost along the way! The following information is from the pamphlet available at the shrine.

The Meiji Jingu is a Shinto shrine. Shinto is called Japan’s ancient and original religion, and it is deeply rooted in the way of Japanese life. Shinto has no founder, no holy book, and not even the concept of religious conversion, but Shinto values for example harmony with nature and virtues such as Magokoro (sincere heart). In Shinto, some divinity is found as Kami (divine spirit), or it may be said that there is an unlimited number of Kami. Kami can be seen in mythology, in nature, and in human beings. From ancient times, Japanese people have felt awe and gratitude towards such Kami and dedicated shrines to many of them. Meiji Jingu is dedicated to the divine souls of Emperor Meiji and his consort Empress Shoken (their tombs are in Kyoto).

Emperor Meiji passed away in 1912 and Empress Shoken in 1914. After their demise, people wished to commemorate their virtues and to venerate them forever. Thanks to the sincere heart of the people, this shrine with the forest was established on 1 November 1920. To create this forest, about 100,000 trees were donated from all over Japan, and planted by young volunteers. This forest was carefully planned to make an eternal forest that recreates itself. Now after about 100 years it cannot be distinguished from a natural forest, inhabited by many endangered plants and animals. The inner garden (Gyoen) is the only part that had existed before the establishment of Meiji Jingu. In fact, it was Emperor Meiji who designed the iris garden, small paths, and fishing spot specifically for Empress Shoken in order to give her fresh energy. How sweet.

Emperor Meiji is the 122^nd Emperor of Japan, enthroned in 1826. The current Emperor is the 126^th. When Japan was facing unprecedented conditions such as the opening of the country to the world after its long isolation and the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate, Emperor Meiji took the initiative to promote friendship with other countries, and to adopt Western culture and technology while preserving Japanese identity, and thus laid the foundations of modern Japan.

Meanwhile, Empress Shoken not only supported the Emperor behind the scenes but also devoted herself to promoting national welfare and women’s education. She was also concerned about world affairs, and she donated to a fund which is named after her as the ‘Empress Shoken Fund’, to the International Red Cross, which is still being used for international welfare activities until today.

Both the Emperor and Empress excelled in writing waka (traditional Japanese poems of 31 syllables). Their feelings towards the world, the country and the people, as well as ethical thoughts were expressed in their poems. Here is an example each:

By Emperor Meiji:

In the palace tower

Each and every window

Was opened widely,

And then in four directions

We viewed cherry in full bloom!

 

By Empress Shoken:

When a person keeps

Friends who are considered good,

It is most natural

That he, too, in his conduct

Is honest and trustworthy.

Japan - Day 3 (Part 3)

Japan – Day 3 (Part 3)

Friday, 24 May 2024

The Peace Memorial Museum told a story of great woe, pain, suffering, misery and grief. Those within the radius of the atomic bomb blast who did not immediately perish, suffered horrific injuries of severe burns, loss of limbs and thereafter, side effects from radiation exposure such as internal bleeding, cancer, etc. It was enough to bring tears to my eyes because whatever wrongs Japan did during WW2, no human being deserves to undergo such horrific pain and suffering on a large scale. Because the bomb area was so large, many women and children were also affected which is something unacceptable for me.

The surviving victims of the bomb, known as hibakusha, said “No one else should ever suffer as we have.” As a response to the hibakusha’s appeal, the epitaph on the Cenotaph for the A-bomb victims reads: “Let all the souls here rest in peace; for we shall not repeat the evil.”

After leaving the museum with a heavy heart, I walked around the grounds of the museum to see the various other monuments dotting the landscape. These monuments include the Monument of Prayer (to offer prayers for peace to comfort the spirits of the dead, those who died for their country in various crises including WW2), the Pond of Peace (encircling the Cenotaph for the A-Bomb victims) and the Flame of Peace (symbolising the universal desire for a world free from nuclear weapons), the Children’s Peace Monument (in memory of all children who died as a result of the atomic bombing) and the Zero Milestone of Hiroshima City.

The Zero Milestone was the intersection of the main overland traffic routes and also used as a main stop in water transport on the Ota river and formed the centre of the Hiroshima Castle town. At the time, it was also the site of an official bulletin board, and a stable was located nearby along with official lodgings and private inns. As a result, the distance from Hiroshima was always measured from this point. When the prefectural system was established in 1871 following the Meiji Restoration, a wooden pillar was set here as the zero milestone of Hiroshima Prefecture. After the municipality system was established in 1889, the spot was marked with a stone pillar as the zero milestone of Hiroshima City.

The last thing I visited at the museum grounds was the Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome), which is a World Heritage Site. This building now known as the A-bomb dome was designed by Czech architect Jan Letzel. Completed in April 1915, the Hiroshima Prefectural Commercial Exhibition Hall soon became a beloved Hiroshima landmark with its distinctive green dome. While its business functions included commercial research and consulting services and the display and sale of prefectural products, the hall was also used for art exhibitions, fairs and cultural events.

Through the years, it took on new functions and was re-named the Hiroshima Prefectural Products Exhibition Hall, then the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. As the war intensified, however, the hall was taken over by the Chukogu-Shikoku Public Works Office of the Interior Ministry, the Hiroshima District Lumber Control Corporation, and other government agencies. Then the world’s first atomic bombing took place at 8.15 am, 6 August 1945. The bomb exploded approximately 600 m above and 160 m southeast of the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, ripping through and igniting the building, instantly killing everyone in it. Because the blast struck from almost directly above, some of the centre walls remained standing, leaving enough of the building and iron frame to be recognizable as a dome. After the war, these dramatic remains came to be known as the A-bomb Dome.

For many years, public opinions about the dome remained divided. Some felt it should be preserved as a memorial to the bombing, while others thought it should be destroyed as a dangerously dilapidated structure evoking painful memories. As the city was rebuilt and other A-bombed buildings vanished, the voices calling for preservation gathered strength. In 1966, the Hiroshima City Council decided to preserve the building and in 1996, the A-bomb Dome was registered on the World Heritage List as a historical witness conveying the horror of the first use of a nuclear weapon, and as a world peace monument appealing continually for lasting peace and the abolition of such weapons.

And then I was done and made my way back to the Hiroshima station, where I took the Shinkansen from Hiroshima to Shin-Osaka on the Sakura line, and then transfer at the Shin-Osaka station to Tokyo on the Hikari line. I reached Tokyo at approximately 9.30 pm and finally reached the hotel at about 10.00 pm. What a tiring, emotional day!