Tuesday - Miyajima

On Tuesday I left Hiroshima and travelled to Miyajima a small island just off the coast. Miyajima was considered to be a very sacred island belonging to the gods and no human was allowed to set foot on the island. So the Itsukushima Shrine was built on stilts out over a natural harbour.





In front of the Itsukushima Shrine stands the Otorii, a giant torii gate built out in the water where the torii appears to "float" on top of the water.




I arrived at Miyajima in the rain and as the tide was starting to go out. In a few hours it would be low-tide and would then be possible to walk out and stand beside the Otorii. While waiting for low-tide I explored the rest of the area around the shrine. There are many temples and shrines on Miyajima as well as two pagodas. One of the most interesting parts of Miyajima is the "treasure house", a building containing some national treasures. Photography was not allowed for most of the exhibits, but I snapped a couple when no one was around. There were sets of samurai armour so I just couldn't resist getting some pictures.







After probably offending a few gods, I continued to explore Miyajima.











I found that there is a small aquarium on the island so I walked over to take a look. It was fairly small and some of the enclosures for the animals could be considered cruel due to their size. They had a fairly wide range of fish and animals including sharks, eels, turtles, seals, otters, and even penguins.


Finless porpoise. There were about 5 of them in a circular tank where all they could do is swim in circles.




There were 4 otters running around in this enclosure and they would barely stay still long enough to get a picture of them.









They even brought out two penguins to pose for pictures and let people pet them.







A small video clip of one of the penguins posing for pictures.





Having seen everything in the aquarium I headed back towards the Otorii to see if it was low-tide yet. By this time the tide was out and it was possible to walk out and stand beside the Otorii gate.







I wandered around the island a little more and then walked over to hotel I would be staying at. I wanted to stay on Miyajima rather than head back to Hiroshima so that I could get some pictures of the island at night. I checked in and once again had a small room although it was much, much better than my hotel room in Hiroshima. Later that evening I headed out to get some night shots of Miyajima and the lights of Hiroshima.







There is a small town on Miyajima that probably survives completely on tourism. The streets are entirely deserted by 9pm.



In the morning it was clear and sunny so I decided I would try and climb Mt. Misen to get some panoramic shots of Miyajima. There is a cable car that takes you to the top of the mountain but it was out for repairs. My only choice was to pick one of the few trails that go up to the top of the mountain. Wandering around I found the start of one of the trails, only to see that it was blocked off with signs warning that there had been a rock slide. That should have been the first indication that climbing the mountain was probably not a good idea. So, I walked further on towards where another path supposedly started. After spending about 20 minutes trying to find the path, probably the second indicator that I should give up on my plan, I finally found it and started up. It was fairly early in the morning, about 7:30 am and the town was still mostly asleep. The further up I went the more and more quiet it became. It really was a nice, peaceful change from the noise and hustle of Tokyo and Hiroshima.

Part way up I managed to get a couple of good shots of Miyajima.




The path was quite steep and it wasn't much more than a dirt trail with narrow steps carved from stone. After about an hour of climbing, it was about 8:30 am by this time, I figured that I should be near the top. Unfortunately the tree coverage was fairly thick and I couldn't really tell how far up I actually was. I checked the tourist map I had and the information on it said that the path I was on should take about 1 hour and 20 minutes. I figured I must be at least 3/4s of the way up so I kept climbing, and climbing and climbing. By 9:30 I began to wonder two things. First, why was I doing this? I was tired, sweaty, my legs hurt, and my body kept asking me if there was something wrong. Exercise has never been high on my list of priorities. In fact I don't think exercise has ever even been on my list of priorities. The second thing I was wondering was who decided that it was a walk of only 1 hour and 20 minutes? Did they account for overweight, Western tourists, who like to sleep in late, and only eat donuts for breakfast?

Finally I reached a point where the map showed two paths merging, the one I was currently on and the one that was closed off due to rock slides. (Remember the rock slides.....they're important). So I pressed on, assured that I was at more than 3/4s of the way up since the map (and maps are never wrong not even low detail tourist maps) showed the two paths converging near the top of the mountain. Eventually I came across a tree that had been knocked down across the path.



I could see the path continue on the other side, so I scrambled over the tree. That should have been indicator number three that I should have stayed in bed rather than try to climb Mt. Misen. At about 10:00 am I came across another tree that had been knocked down and was laying across the path. I was going to have to work my away around it as well, careful not to slip and fall. I had to keep reminding myself that I was alone up here, there was no one else around and falling and injuring myself would be a very bad idea. With that on my mind, and my stomach grumbling that there better be something to eat at the top, I managed to work my way past the tree and continue on up the mountain. After climbing for about another 10 minutes or so, I came across another knocked down tree. Only this time it wasn't just one tree it was many trees, rocks, and dirt.

The path had been completely obliterated.




I guess no one had decided to check on just how bad the rock slide had been. To top it off the batteries in my camera died soon after taking these pictures and the spare set were safely back in my hotel room. Even if I had managed to make it to the top I would not have been able to take many pictures. Defeated, I made the long journey back down the mountain. I guess I really did offend the Miyajima gods when I took those pictures in the treasure house.

Monday - Hiroshima

On Monday I set out for Hiroshima. This was my first ride on a Shinkansen (bullet train). The trains can reach speeds of up to 300 km/h and surprisingly are very quiet. After making my way from Nishi-Ogikubo to the shinkansen line at Tokyo station, I was off to Hiroshima, a ride of about 5 hours. That's not bad considering the train is travelling about 900 km and making several stops along the way.

After arriving in Hiroshima, I was able to get a map of the city and directions to the Peace Park memorial from a tourist information booth. Where Tokyo excels at subway and train coverage, Hiroshima excels at streetcar coverage. For 150 yen (less than $1.50) you can travel any distance you would like on the streetcar. Unlike buses back home, you get on the streetcar at the back door and pay the fare as you exit the front door. There are even change machines on the streetcars in case you don't have any coins with you.

I hopped off the streetcar at the A-bomb dome, the ruins of a building left over from when Hiroshima was bombed. Walking around the building and the Peace Park next door I noticed that there were lots of statues and memorials and little shrines all over the place. The city of Hiroshima has made a commitment to ensure that the world never forgets the destruction that occurred on August 6, 1945.
























All of the paper cranes in the display cases were made by people from all over the world.




The hypocenter of the explosion. The pilots of the Enola Gay were aiming for a bridge near what is now called the A-bomb Dome building but the bomb exploded a few streets over above a hospital.







I also visited the memorial museum. The displays were all about the history of Hiroshima from the time of its founding to World War II and the atomic bombing. I found it interesting that there was no attempt by the museum to make Hiroshima and the Japanese people out as purely innocent victims. The displays were quiet forward with Hiroshima's military past, including its role in the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese wars. There were displays toward the end showing the remains of clothing and everyday articles worn and used by the civilian casualties, unfortunately many of whom were children.

After visiting the museum I headed to my hotel which was a short 5 minute walk away. I had heard about the tiny rooms in hotels in Japan, tiny is right!



For dinner I found a shabu shabu restaurant near the hotel. With shabu shabu you are given a plate of very thinly sliced meat, in my case beef, and a plate of vegetables. You then cook the meat and vegetables in a pot of boiling water. Sauces are provided for dipping the meat and vegetables into before eating. I was given a sesame sauce and a soy-vinegar sauce. Both were great. When I was done, one of the staff took some of the water from my pot and made a small bowl of beef broth soup for me. It was great, especially since Hiroshima was a little cold and windy that day.

The copper pots contained the boiling water for cooking the meat and vegetables.

Off to Hiroshima

Monday I am heading off to Hiroshima and area until Thursday.

Huge crowds and serenity now.

Today (Sunday) I decided to head to Akihabara (Electric Town). If it is electronic, manga or gaming related, and exists then it is most likely available in Akihabara. When I first stepped into the Yodobashi Camera store I was amazed at all the stuff available for sale and all the people. Yodobashi is nothing compared to Akihabara on a Sunday. The streets were closed to traffic giving the huge crowds a place to go. Every store was open and most of them had someone out front yelling at the crowds through a microphone or a bullhorn. It seemed though that most of what Akihabara is about on a Sunday is not the shopping but everything that is going on in the middle of the street. Every few feet there would be a crowd, of mostly men, with cameras out and gathered around something or someone. I guess in Akihabara everyone gets to be a star!


Here are some pictures from the crowds and the streets. I have no comments on a lot of them because I could not easily tell what the big deal was other than most times it seemed to be that a pretty girl was the object of all the attention.


















Sorry kids, no Christmas this year. Rudolph's shrunken head is being sold in Akihabara.






Each of these boxes is a different store. The person selling the items rents one of the boxes and when you purchase something you pay a central cashier that handles the sale on behalf of the individual stores.





Is she famous? I don't know but judging from the crowd of men around her I'm sure if she is not famous she will be.





Rubber chicken man. After doing a "dance" (and I use the term loosely) he proceeded to do push ups, bouncing his head off of the rubber chicken on the ground. In Akihabara anyone can be a star!






After the madness that was Akihabara, I decided to head over to Tokyo station. I remembered reading something about part of the grounds of the Imperial Palace being open to the public on Sundays. It was quite a strange feeling leaving the huge crowds of Akihabara for the relative peace and quiet of the palace grounds. Compared to Akihabara the Imperial Palace was practically deserted.































The modern home of the Imperial family on the palace grounds.

People watching, art, and the tower.

Yesterday (Saturday) was another day of wandering areas in Tokyo with no set plan on what to do and see. I really think this is the best way to see a city and the people that live there. I hopped on the train for Shinjuku station and changed to the Oedo subway line to go to Shibuya. I would describe Shibuya as the "Times Square" of Tokyo. The buildings that are not covered in lit signs have huge screens showing advertisements.





There is also the statue of Tokyo's most famous dog, Hachiko.





I wanted to get some night pictures of Shibuya so when it had gotten dark I headed back. Shibuya is an interesting area to see during the day but it gets even better at night. There are thousands of people just standing around talking and meeting one another. It seems to be a popular place to wait for someone or to meet with friends.






After visiting Shibuya I headed to the area known as Roppongi Hills. It is an upscale area of Tokyo with many expats living in there. I was interested in visiting the National Art Center in the area. One thing I noticed while trying to navigate from the subway station to the gallery was that not only do foreigners get lost in Tokyo but so do many Japanese. The municipal government has placed large maps on some street corners but these just seem to show only the major streets. There are many, many back streets that twist and turn and spin you around sending you completely in the opposite direction of where you want to go that are not shown on those maps. However, after a bit of walking, much backtracking, and knowing the general direction I wanted to go I did manage to finally find the back loading dock area of the art center. I have no pictures from inside the art center because as you enter the front doors there is a sign with a long list of things you cannot do, photography being one of them. Entry to the art center was free but some galleries require a fee depending on what is being exhibited. I just wandered the free exhibitions of the Joint Graduation Exhibition of 5 Art Universities in Tokyo. I am not an art critic but I know what I like and what I understand when it comes to art. While some of the graduates obviously had real talent, some of the art looked like the creators should have pursued other studies or at the very least been held back for a year or two.


Outside of the National Art Center, Tokyo.





After visiting the art center I headed back to the Oedo subway line and went one short stop away to Akabanebashi station. From there I walked over to the Tokyo Tower to get a good view of the city and some more pictures.




It was a little crowded I guess because it was Saturday. The wait to get up was approximately 30 minutes. Having worked at the CN Tower in Toronto for almost 6 years I did find myself wondering why anyone, myself in particular, would wait even that long. After being squished into an elevator that was too small and obviously being filled to beyond capacity, I found myself on the first observation deck. There are two floors to the lower observation area and then a higher and smaller observation deck above. I stood in line again and waited to pay my 600 Yen to ride up to the highest observation deck. Again after being squished into another elevator that was too small, I arrived at the "special" observation deck. Once there I was greeted with a great view and the long lineup to go back down.




The Fuji TV building in Odaiba.






Rainbow Bridge with Odaiba in the background.






The Roppongi Hills area.






Zojoji Temple.






One of two Tokyo Tower mascots. I am not sure which one this is but I really think they should have picked a different colour.





After leaving the Tokyo Tower, I headed back to Roppongi to grab a quick bite to eat at a sushi restaurant that I had passed earlier. The sushi was great. The pieces of fish were huge and it was so fresh that I thought the fisherman must have been in the back unloading his catch from the day. I decided to head to back to Shibuya for some night pictures of the people and the buildings. After Shibuya I went to Shinjuku to get some pictures of the area and to go back to Yodobashi Camera to look at cameras again.


Anyone that has watched the Bill Murray movie, Lost in Translation, will find this Shinjuku scene familiar.

Success!

I had to go the local Lawson convenience store (konbini) to use a Loppi machine. This is a machine that sells tickets for entertainment venues and events. I wanted to get tickets to the Ghibli Museum. The ticket machine was in Japanese but I had instructions in English for the steps to get the tickets. Unfortunately the person writing the instructions missed a few important steps and I had to tie up the store's clerk for about 10 minutes to help me. Luckily he knew what I was talking about when I said "anime" and "Ghibli" and was able to help me get the tickets. On the way back to the apartment I took a few pictures of the streets around the neighbourhood to give everyone an idea of the area I am staying in. Also it was a good time to try out the new camera I bought at Yodobashi Camera last night. As always clicking on a photo will take you to the album on Flickr so that you can see the rest of the pictures.





The lines on the side of the road mark the "sidewalks".



My apartment is in the white building at the end of the road.



I'll post what I did yesterday, later today. Right now I am about to head out and explore some more plus get my train reservation for my trip tomorrow on the shinkansen to Hiroshima.