Back to the New Grind

Vending machine in Tokyo.
I've been back in LA for over a week now. I've started my new job. So far, so good. Just trying to adjust and fit in. I'm hoping to turn a new leaf in my life generally. I have pretty regular hours at the new job, so I'm thinking about creating a schedule of sorts for myself-- e.g., work out M-W-F, cook dinner T-Th. Something like that. I think I need structure, otherwise nothing happens.

I want to get back in yoga. There was a time in NY when I went to yoga classes at least three times a week. I was so into it that I would actually take the subway downtown to take the class. The whole thing (class and travel time) would take a good three hours. There is a studio in Los Feliz that I like quite a bit. I should stop making excuses and just go. I've started to feel a little creaky in the morning (feet and legs feel stiff) and my shoulders are sore in the evenings (must be the way I have my computer set up at night), so clearly something needs to change.

Door in Kyoto.

Day 7: Kyoto and Tokyo

Kiyomizu Temple. Originally built in 798; rebuilt in 1633.

The interior of Sanjusangendo Hall, a Buddhist temple famous for its 1,001 life-size wooden statues of Kannon (Buddhist goddess of mercy). It was quite a sight, and more than a little creepy. As photographs were not allowed, this is a picture of a postcard I bought.

A street in the Gion district, famous for its geisha houses.

I spotted a geisha, much to my surprise. She scuttled away quickly and disappeared down this narrow alley. I was really tempted to follow her.

Waiting for my train back to Tokyo.

The Park Hyatt Tokyo.

Loved it!

Day 6: Kyoto

I took the Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto (2-1/2 hours).

Ginkakuji (the Temple of the Silver Pavillion). It was built by Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa in 1482. It was never painted silver because he died before it was completed.

I bet this moss has a superiority complex.

The Philosopher's Path. So named because philosophers and priests have strolled along this canal for centuries. I pondered what I should eat for dinner.

A view of Kyoto from Eikando Temple.

Further Thoughts on the Trip

Traveling alone is a unique experience and I'm glad I did it. I would heartily recommend Japan to those traveling on their own (especially women). It's a safe and clean place. I didn't feel vulnerable. I didn't catch anyone leering at me. I wasn't groped. People went on their merry way and didn't pay much attention to the tourists.

Not as many people spoke English as I'd expected. As a result, I made an extra effort not to get lost because I would have a really hard time asking for and understanding directions. Some folks looked frightened when I approached them. I think they would've run away if they could. I've heard that many Japanese have never really interacted with foreigners.

Hotels weren't as expensive as I'd expected, but other things, like clothes, were crazy expensive. Jeans at the Gap went for over $100. Even average clothing stores were expensive. Food, however, was good and cheap. I ate mostly soba and sandwiches during the day and bought my dinners in the department stores in the evening (the basement floors are a mecca for wonderfully prepared dinners and desserts). The two times that I had sit-down meals in restaurants, I had difficulty getting the check. I'd forgotten my conversational Japanese book and didn't know the word for check, so I opted for what works in the U.S.-- I flagged down the waiter and pretended to write my signature in the air. It's the international sign for 'check, please,' right? Ummm, no. Both times I did that, the waiter brought me a pen. Yes, a pen. I eventually realized that since Japan is still a cash-based society, waving your hand in the air doesn't necessarily mean that you want to sign for a credit card.

Day 5: Ueno and Akihabara

In the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno.



Ueno Park.

Stray cat (there were many) in the park.

Homeless tents in Ueno Park. I saw one man carefully cleaning off his tarp. I've heard that the homeless typically take off their shoes before entering their tents.

The neighborhood of Akihabara, electronics central.

Day 4: Tsukiji Fish Market

The fish market was the highlight of my trip. If there is one thing I would recommend on a visit to Tokyo, this would be it. Unlike the rest of Tokyo, which is so tidy, well-mannered and stylish, the fish market is smelly chaos. The delivery area is teeming with trucks, cars, bikes and pedestrians. The market is a cacophony of men yelling, slicing up sea creatures and throwing them on trucks. It's an experience like no other.
The entrance to the fish market. I walked past it twice thinking this couldn't possibly be the place. Turns out, the front is the main delivery area; the market is tucked away in the back.

This guy helps keep the peace.
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At last, the market.



Frozen tuna, anyone?

Weird red sea creature.

Day 3: Shibuya and Harajuku

I'm back in the U.S. Home sweet home. Here is the first of several installments from my trip to Japan. Days 1 and 2 were spent in transit. I flew JAL and stayed in Shinjuku. I was mildly jetlagged and woke up on Day 3 around 6am. I headed straight to Shibuya, which I'd heard was one of Tokyo's bumping neighborhoods, and arrived before the shops opened at 10am. I watched from the Starbucks at Hachiko Crossing as people headed to work and children to school.

Folks heading to work. A shot of Hachiko Crossing in Shibuya.

Kids flocking to Takeshita Dori after school, a popular pedestrian lane in Harajuku.

One of the two torii (entrance gate) to Meiji Shrine (shinto). Made from 1,700 year old Japanese cypress trees.

Meiji Shrine.

Afternoon rush hour at Shinjuku Station, Japan's busiest commuter station.

Last Night in Tokyo

I just returned to Tokyo after a quick visit to Kyoto. Kyoto deserves much more than the one night I spent there. It is home to over 1500 temples and shrines that are interspersed, often inconspicuously, among the residential and commercial areas. In my brief visit, I managed to see a few of the more lovely and important temples. I hope to post pictures when I return to the States tomorrow.

I just checked into my hotel, the Park Hyatt, and all I can say is wow. When the bellhop opened the door of my cab, he said "Welcome back." I'm not sure if he was mixing me up with someone else, but it was a nice touch. Mr. Bellhop accompanied me up to reception, which is on the 41st floor, and somewhere along the way, he got my name off my luggage tag, passed it discreetly to the reception, and before I knew it, my registration card was awaiting me. The hotel is luxurious without being overdone and the service is great. Best yet, my room is fantastic. I lucked out with a corner room and I have expansive views south towards Shibuya and Yoyogi Park. I'm on the 47th floor and I feel like I'm suspended in midair. Looking down I see the lacing of roads and freeways; it reminds me of some of those sci-fi movies.

This vacation has been hard work and I am pooped from my week in Japan. I overcame the isolation I felt initially, and soon went about my days with a hop in my step, poking around here and there. This being my last night, I think I may just relax in my room, soak in the tub, and, of course, get a drink at the bar a la Scarlett Johannson. Who knows maybe I'll see Bill Murray.

In Tokyo

I'm in my second full day in Tokyo. So far it's been great, but is has also, as I feared, been quite isolating. I'm in that no man's land where the Japanese recognize that I'm not Japanese and don't talk to me, and the (very few) American tourists don't think that I can speak English. As a result, I've been spending my days having very abbreviated conversations with shopkeepers and hotel staff. Whenever I hear someone speaking English I have the urge to join in the conversation. I've been carrying my TimeOut Tokyo guide conspicuously in the hope that someone will strike up a conversation with me.

I went to the Tsukiji fish market this morning, which has got to be one of the weirdest experiences I've ever had. I didn't get there early enough to see the wholesale tuna auction (that starts around 5am), but I did get to see the retailers and restauranteurs come to buy. The fish market is huge and overwhelming. The aisles are narrow and I had to get out of the way of the minitrucks carrying fish and other sea creatures. I walked in fear that I would be splashed with fish guts. Aside from fish (dead and alive), there were shrimp, squid, wormy-looking things and a whole array or unrecognizable stuff. The whole place smelled of the sea and cigarettes. It was slightly nauseating. There were very few women and even fewer tourists. I was fascinated and mesmerized by the entire place.

I'm off to the Asakusa Kannon Temple now, which is the city's oldest temple. There are a bunch of other yummy sites in the area, including a shop that sells all that fake looking food.

Land of the Rising Sun

I'm going to Japan later this month. It'll be my first visit there and I can't wait to see what it's like. Everyone I've talked to raves about Tokyo. I imagine it to be like NYC, but multiplied by ten or a hundred. I can't wait to see the Japanese kids all punk and goth and Victorian. I can't wait to eat soba and ramen and more soba and more ramen. I can't wait to see the shrines and temples and walk around the manicured gardens. I'll spend the bulk of my time in Tokyo, with a short jaunt to Kyoto. I'll be traveling alone, which is both exciting and daunting. I look forward to planning my day the way I want, but afraid I'll feel a little isolated.

Hopefully it won't rain while I'm there