Never Idle in Tokyo Station

Day 1- Tuesday, April 10th
My friend Hiroko picked us up at the Narita Airport. We took a train to Tokyo and checked into Hotel Mercury. The rooms were very small at Hotel Mercury, The toilet there as we will see in all of Japan is one of advance technology. I swear that one toilet gave me a musical option on how I wanted my flush to sound like. There are two toilet options in Japan. You can wither use a fancy toilet that has a seat warmer, warm water butt rinse and air dry or you can squat and use a floor grate. Hiroko took us out to the little town in Tokyo we were staying at—we went to a local bar. A lot of the Japanese businessmen (salary men) like to unwind after work. So little bars along the street are very popular. I was so excited to see a little street in Tokyo that I took my fancy pants camera out and almost got hit by a car—a loud honk and some Japanese expletives were thrown at my way in the street. We ate some pomme fritates and chicken and pork teriyaki, sake and a light lemon alcoholic drink.







Day 2- Wednesday, April 11th
We found a great little bakery down the street from the hotel. Joe got a sausage roll, Hiroko got a mini pizza and I got an apple dumpling with a whole apple in it covered with light vanilla cream also I found a light peach drink. We took a subway train to Ueno Park where we sat and ate our pastries. In Ueno Park, we visited a fertility temple. We also saw many feral cats in the park. The fertility temple seemed to work for one feral black cat that Joe estimated was in the early stages of pregnancy. We then walked Kaminari-mon Temple in Ueno. (Ueno is a small town in Tokyo).  Also near that big temple is a smoking pot where black incensed smoke comes out it is thoought that teh smoke cures many physical ailiments.   We walked around the open air market by the temple called Asakusa. We fond some souvenirs and Hiroko treated us to iced green tea, a big rice cracker dunked in warm soy sauce, and a sesame flavored fried bean curd cake. We also had lunch at a sushi place and tried sushi and sashimi (raw sushi). The sushi place presented sushi that was rotated around the counter we were sitting. They also had a spout at each seat where hot water came out and you could make green tea. That evening we went to Tokyo Tower (the highest tower building in Tokyo, comparable to our Sears Tower). We had dinner at Tokyo tower-- which was tempura and udon noodles.

A sign of thanks and wishes at a temple in Ueno Park




In Asakusa Market, we meet a cute little school boy.  This is a typical uniform that most of the school kids wear. His mother was gracious enough to let me take a picture of him.




Did we mention the food?

Day 3- Thursday, April 12^th

We said good-bye to Hiroko and took a bullet train to Hakone.  A note about the train stations in Tokyo—Tokyo is very busy and crowded.  People are very work-oriented and if you idle or look lost and get in the way you will be shoved or even trampled.  It is very fast paced in the JR station.  Also, they pack as many people as they can on the commuter trains—think sardines.  Before we boarded the train we went to our favorite little bakery in Tokyo and Joe had a sausage roll and I had a butter cheese roll.  We were desperate for orange juice.  When we got to the Yumoto Station in Hakone.  Joe insisted we walk to our hostel and see what we can see.  The travel people we checked in with thought we were crazy not to take a cab with our entire luggage.  We found ourselves walking 200 steps uphill and also a steep stone hill after the steps.  Joe dragging most of the luggage was a good sport.  Later we found out there was an easier way to get to the hostel—live and learn I suppose.  The hostel we stayed at was called Shunkoso it is a ryokan place.  Ryokan means that it is a traditional Japanese place.  Shunkoso had private hot spring baths where you bath naked.  Also, the room we stayed in had two twin futons on the floor.  In one part of the room was a table for tea and dinner.  We also had individual kimonos we wore and were instructed to put on slippers.  We took a shuttle bus to Hakone Springs.  At Hakone Springs, we saw Akee Lake and walked down Cedar Avenue which was a shady little path where trees bowed down to form an arch.    In town, Joe found a German place to eat lunch (German food in Japan).  We ate dinner at a small place in Hakone where Sarah had shrimp tempura and rice and Joe had chicken and egg.  That night we went back to Shunkoso and split a Sappora beer.

Shunkoso

 

 

Day 4- Friday, April 13^th

We had breakfast at Shunkoso.  Breakfast was served at a low table in a traditional style.  They served both Western and Asian fare at breakfast.  The Asian breakfast consisted of many pickled items and raw fish on a tick that you could cook at your table.  Joe and I opted for the Western fare.  I had white rice and Joe had scrambled eggs.  We then went into the town of Hakone where we saw many town temples that had residential caretakers.  In these town temples, I met some of the most peaceful pets—as if the sanctuary they lived in really influenced their behavior.  Joe met one black dog that was lying in the shade by a simple dish of water.  The dog laid near the temple and never barked he was very content and kept on giving Joe kisses.  We saw little Buddha statues.  Also in Hakone there were many little memorial sites for loved ones.  At each memorial site there was a simple altar where offerings were placed. One altar had toys on it and another one had an open can of beer.
Joe makes a friend with a resident temple dog.

( More pictures... )

That is all for Part One of our trip to rainy but peaceful and content Japan.  I will provide Part Two tommorow where I'll show you the stillness of Kyoto.  In Kyoto, there are many ancient temples some prominent and some hidden all over the city.