shinkansen

(continuation of a multi-part Blathering, begin here)


Wednesday, September 5th (cont'd)


We decided to try making the next train to Kyoto, which was due to leave in about ten minutes. Ruth had told me I should try the bento boxes available on the train platform, so I grabbed two medium-priced boxes at the ekiben stand. The word "ekiben" is a contraction of the words eki (train station) and bento (lunch box). The first ekiben were served in the late 1800s and consisted of pickles and rice balls. Now there are apparently close to 3000 varieties, and some stations are famous for their ekiben. Our ekiben cost 850 yen each (CAN$11.44); some of the best ekiben cost 1000 yen and upwards.





We found the line-up for what we hoped was going to be a non-reserved, non-smoking car. But was it for Kyoto?


I've grown pretty shameless about asking strangers for information in Japan, so I turned around and asked the man standing behind me. Not knowing the correct phrase by heart, I pointed out the correct sentence in my small Japanese phrase book, using Kyoto as the train station name. He nodded and said, "Hai", smiling.





I've found the locals to be -extremely- helpful and friendly when Jeff and I have asked for help or information, very patient with my abysmal accent and frantic flipping through my Japanese dictionary and phrase book.


Not one person has answered "yes" when I ask (in Japanese) whether they are able to speak English, even if it turns out a few minutes later that they do know a little. Most people shake their heads apologetically and smile, a few say "sukoshi" (a little)....the latter usually turn out to be much more fluent than I had expected.





Our shinkansen experience was wonderful. Remarkable quiet, clean, comfortable, fast. Women frequently strolled up and down the aisles with carts selling snacks, drinks, ice cream, and bento boxes. There was also a section at the front of the train selling more food and products. I bought a small container of green tea icecream (aisui creamu), and Jeff bought some iced coffee.


I had fun people-watching on this train. Many had cellphones which they used frequently for e-mailing and a few calls. This was something we've noticed a LOT on our trip so far, at least in Tokyo. Almost everyone seems to have a cellphone (one of those tiny ones still rare in Canada) with a wrist strap. Straps are often combined with some kind of fashion statement; many have small toys or other ornaments attached. Alison has a small basketball and NBA logo tag on hers (she works for the NBA). Another cellphone comment: they seem to work pretty much everywhere, unlike cellphones in Toronto. We've even seen people using them on subways.





But back to the shinkansen (which translates as 'new trunk line'). These trains reach speeds of up to 300 km per hour (!). There has never been a fatality. Jeff and I were both incredibly impressed by the efficiency...the train pulls in within about 10 seconds of its scheduled arrival, and the train door opens exactly where it's supposed to (door locations seem to be marked on most platforms so people know where to line up). Everyone lets passengers off the train before trying to get on themselves (unlike in the Toronto subway).


Jeff and I bought Japan Rail Passes before embarking on the trip (using a Japanese travel agency my dad recommended). The pass lets us use any JR service for seven days for about 28,000 yen (CAN$380). Just our trip to Kyoto and back made the cost of the pass worth it; Jeff and I also opted to use the pass to travel to other places as well.





Sadly, Mount Fuji was shrouded in clouds when we went by, but we did see a lot of interesting scenery along the way. Fascinating to watch the contrasting types of towns, cities, and rural areas flash by, some nestled between mountains and steep hills.


Using the bathroom on the train was another unique experience. It was a Japanese-style toilet (I later discovered that there were also Western style available elsewhere on the train), and a small sign advised me to hold onto a handle in the wall for my own safety. It was quite the challenge to use this type of toilet in the rocking compartment, holding the handle with one hand and holding up my skirt with the other. I think I'll be wimpy and go search for the Western style next time. :-)


Next: Arrival in Kyoto and our ryokan!





Today's Blatherpics:


- Bento box.


- Ekiban stand.


- Train snack lady.


- Stealth photo of the woman in the seat in front of us, using her cellphone.


- Green tea icecream and iced coffee.


- View out the train window during part of the trip. Rice fields, I think?


- Kyoto train station platform.


Today's Poll: (courtesy Alison George)



Is vanilla your favourite flavour of icecream?

kyoto trip prep

(continuation of a multi-part Blathering, begin here)


Wednesday, September 5th


Before we took the train to Kyoto, Jeff and I visited the Tokyo International Forum. The building is architecturally VERY cool both inside and out (designed by architect Raphael Vinoly). Our favourite area was the main hall, which is boat shaped with a ceiling ribbed like a ship's hull and covered in 2600 sheets of supposedly earthquake-resistant glass.





The Tokyo Tourist Information Centre was in the basement of the building, so we paid a quick visit and picked up some maps and info. I also bought a manga and a snack in the AM/PM (the equivalent of the Canadian Shopper's Drug Mart). The manga was one aimed at a very young crowd; I wanted to practice reading and understanding hiragana.


Next, we walked to Tokyo station, where we located the JR (Japan Rail) office. I have to give major credit to Jeff, by the way, for his incredible navigational abilities in Japan. It would have been confusing enough in any non-North American country, but even more challenging in a country where most of the signs were in another language.





We had half-hoped that someone in one of the travel centers or the JR office would be able to speak English but were mistaken. The man at the JR office was very patient, however, and with a lot of pointing and sign language and a few bits of broken English and Japanese thrown in, we were able to get our passes (already paid for back in Canada), get "ordinary class" tickets for our trip to Kyoto, find out which cars were non-smoking, what time the trains for Kyoto departed, and from which track.


Next: our first experience on the shinkansen, and our arrival in Kyoto!


Today's Blatherpics:


- Jeff at the Tokyo International Forum.


- A tech conference we glimpsed in one of the halls at the Forum.


- Rail is THE way to travel in Japan. Jeff and I both loved the shinkansen super-expresses or "bullet trains". They were fast, efficient, comfortable, and incredibly on schedule (within 10-15 seconds of the times listed in the printed schedule). Also expensive, but it was worth it. :-)


Today's Poll: (courtesy Alison George)



Are your teeth sensitive to cold?

Edo Tokyo museum

(continuation of a multi-part Blathering, begin here)


This will be a many-part Blathering which I will post several times today and perhaps tomorrow. I may end up simply catching up when I get back to Toronto, since I don't want to spend the rest of my stay here on my computer. :-)


Tuesday, September 4


After visiting the fish market, Jeff and I went to the Edo Tokyo Museum. Impressive architecture, lots of space. After figuring out where and how to buy our admission ticket, we took the many escalators to the top floor and worked our way down through the exhibits, which cover Tokyo's history from the days of Tokugawa shoguns to post-war reconstruction.





Although the reconstructions of Edo-period buildings and landmarks were fascinating, both Jeff and I found something lacking in the overall exhibit. Relatively little space was devoted to the war, for example, and certain aspects of social history were left out.


However, it was nice to find that most of the exhibits had English translations (the only one that didn't, oddly, was a display of a Japanese air balloon weapon used against the U.S. during the war). The museum also provided many good people-watching opportunities, especially with regards to the hordes of schoolchildren . Some had written assignments directly related to certain exhibits; others seemed to be free to run anywhere they liked.





Alison, Jeff and I went out for yakitori and ramen at a nearby restaurant. VERY yummy, with vegetables and thin slices of tender pork. The broth was heavenly. Drool.


The noodle shop was in an area full of "gentlemen's clubs", many with provocatively-dressed young women out in front handing out flyers or just looking sultry. Also popular were pachinko parlours, a sort of vertical pinball game which appears to be a Japanese craze these days. Pachinko is estimated to take in over 26 trillion a year (1 in 4 Japanese play it) and is also supposed to be a major source of tax evasion and yakuza funds. In pachinko, players control the speed of small steel balls falling through a machine, with the aim for the balls to fall into the right holes so they can win more balls, which can eventually be traded in for prizes.





Anyway, I got a huge kick out of watching Alison order for us, speaking so quickly that I couldn't distinguish individual syllables. She even helped out an English-speaking tourist who had forgotten a bag at the restaurant but wasn't sure how to communicate this to the staff. Alison rocks. :-)


Next: Tokyo International Forum, Japan Rail office challenge...


Today's Blatherpics:


(all from the displays at the Edo Tokyo Museum)


- From a Kubuki exhibit.


- From a wartime exhibit.


- Reproduction of a 17th-century daimyo residence.


- Ramen restaurant.


Today's Poll:



Do you like going to museums?

making friends in japan

Jeff and I are back from Kyoto and Kobe with a great deal to report! We're very tired, however, and are going to crash now (it's about 9:30 pm, Tokyo time).


Thought I'd post the photo above, however, to replace the one of Alison's feet. :-)


While visiting Kinkaku-jin (see the golden temple in the background), I was interviewed by three schoolgirls doing an assignment. They took turns reading aloud from a sheet of English phrases, asking me questions like, "What is your name?", "Where did you travel from?", "Where have you visited in Japan?" etc. and scribbling down my answers.


At the end of the interview, they asked if it was okay if their teacher took a picture of us together. I said yes, of course, as long as they let the teacher take a picture with my camera as well. :-) They said they were going to mail me a copy of the photo, and I gave them the URL these Blatherings as well.


I hope they check it out!


Report and tons of photos coming tomorrow...


Today's Poll: (courtesy Alison!)



Have you ever had altitude sickness?

guest blathering

(Note from Debbie: Jeff and I will be in Kyoto for a few days. If I find an Internet cafe, I'll post to Blatherchat.)


Guest Blather from Alison George


The last couple of days I have felt much like a Mom sending her kids off the their first day of kindergarten. Will they be all right? Will they get lost? Will they eat their snack? Will the other kids tease them?


Fortunately, my worries have been for naught, and as you can tell from reading Blatherings, Jeff and Debbie have been getting along with ease in Japan. I think much has to do with how they have assigned tasks. Captain Communications (Debbie) handles the language, Captain Navagation (Jeff) has been ably handling the subways. That leaves me with the simple role of First Officer Accommodations (or First Officer Procreation, another suitable moniker given my state, not because of any hanky panky).


My only disappointment is that I was unable to pursuade J&D to slurp their noodles properly during dinner. I definitely led by example, slurping to my heart's content, while they sat beside me, silently and politely spooning their ramen noodles into their mouths. I'm sure they were secretly disgusted by all the sounds eminating from my part of the table, but heck....noodles simply taste better with a big ol' slurp. Ask any kid confronted with a plate of spaghetti, and I'm sure he/she would whole-heartedly agree.





I have really enjoyed seeing Japan from J&D's perspective. So much is new and different here, and sometimes I forget that. It has become part of the norm for me....but listening to the recap of their day each evening has been so interesting. It's also wonderful to have someone to talk to over dinner! In fact, for the first time since June I was so distracted over dinner that I forgot to call my husband (JeffL) at our prearranged time! (8 p.m. my time is 7 a.m. in Toronto -- so I'm his alarm clock). I'm happy to report my Jeff was up and at 'em on his own accord...but I still can't believe I forgot to place the call.


Debbie has just informed me that my Guest Blathering may be the only thing posted tomorrow. Suddenly such weight has been placed on my shoulders. Perhaps I should try to find a harp to play for a few minutes to put myself in the correct frame of mind. Oh well....good news is she will be back in a few short days. They are Kyoto-bound tomorrow. It's tough for Mom to see the kids leave the nest....but I'm sure they will be fine. Debbie's lounging on the bed right now practicing her Japanese, and I just finished reviewing the Kyoto bus system with Jeff, so the Captains are suitably trained and ready to take on the world.


This is Captain Accommodations signing off.


-- Alison


Today's Blatherpics


- It's quite a feat -- Alison hard at work on her guest blatheriings.


- Alison's 36-year-old bear "Teddy". It's his third trip to Japan. It's no JeffL, but comforting, all the same.


Today's Poll: (courtesy Alison!)



In your adult years, have you ever slurped your noodles?