Japan

Japan - September 2002

Itinerary

Outside the Imperial Palace
Shinto Meiji Shrine in Tokyo
Buddist Temple in Asakusa

After a fevered two weeks in the US of doctors appointments, shopping, paying bills, visiting and packing we flew to Tokyo on September 1. The flight was manageable, the jetlag minimal and the cultural adjustment greatly helped by the opportunity to stay with our friends for the first few days in Japan. Tokyo was hot and muggy but the the sites, sounds, and smells of this vastly different culture kept our senses awake. We visited a Shinto Shrine and a Buddhist Temple and saw old Tokyo with its small shops and restaurants as well as the electronic excessiveness of the Akihabara.

Bronze Buddha in Kamakura
Traditional meal in Hakone
A-Bomb dome in Hiroshima

We took a couple side trips from Tokyo (Nikko and Kamakrua) where we saw more beautiful shrines and temples. The boys were pretty sick of religious sites until we came upon the giant Buddha in Kamakura where we were allowed to climb inside. We then ventured off with our Japan Rail Pass to Hakone with hopes to see Mt Fuji. Instead we saw lots of fog and mist and rode the cable car into a cloud. We found sun when we traveled on to Hiroshima and we learned a great deal visiting the Peace Park and A-bomb Museum.

Okonomiyaki bar in Hiroshima
Floating torii gate at Miyajima
Villa in Ushimado

Hiroshima is a bustling city with a fun entertainment area. We enjoyed a really unique okonomiyaki dinner made in front of us on the grill. The kids have been really adventurous with the food and we all enjoyed this mixture of cabbage, sprouts, egg, ham, and seaweed. We took a ferry across to the island of Miyajima where we saw a temple built over the water and the famous "floating" torii gate. We rented a car in Hiroshima and drove back in the direction of Okayama. Here we stayed for a week in the "international villa" pictured above at Ushimado and another week at a smiler villa in Takebe, It provided a time to slow down on the tourism and spend our energy on school work.

Most everything in Japan is expensive, but accommodations and transportation are exorbitant. We have compensated by staying in youth hostels and the lower-end hotels. In Hakone and Hiroshima that meant five of us in one room on futons spread out on the tatami mats with a communal bath down the hall. I've decided I'm too old for student accommodations and will be glad to travel in less expensive countries in the future. At the villas we were pleased to have a communal space to spread out and a kitchen to use. I've decided all Japanese food starts to taste the same after a while (soy and fish) and grilled-cheese or scrambled eggs was a welcome relief.

Himeji Castle
Koraku-en Garden in Okayama
View from Takebe Villa

Homeschooling in Takebe
Onsen -Japanese Hot Spring Bath
Traditional Yakiniku Dinner

The towns of Ushimado and Takebe offered glimpses into small town Japan, but not much in the way of tourist sites. In the course of these two weeks we took day trips to two national highlights. In Himeji we climbed to the top of the oldest and largest remaining wooden castle in Japan, certainly a change from European castles. In Okayama we walked through Koraku-en garden, one of the three finest gardens in Japan and we were all impressed as we watched gardeners trim trees with little scissors in an effort to achieve the perfect balance. Otherwise our days were spent homeschooling, biking, taking walks or reading. In Ushimado there was a small beach and in Takebe we could splash around in a river and even went kayaking. Takebe is best known for its natural not springs (onsen) and every day we enjoyed the traditional japanese bath and soak....easily addictive. We usually cooked in, but enjoyed a meal of yakiniku (where we grilled meat at our table).

Japanese Shinto Wedding
Bamboo Forest in Kyoto
Kinkoku-ji Temple

Our last stop was Kyoto, a city that seems to capture much of Japan. Of its 2000 temples and shrines we managed to drag the kids through about six of them. We saw stunning gardens (both 'wet' and 'dry'), came upon a Shinto wedding and were especially impressed by The Gold Pavilion with its gold filigree. Kyoto is a mix of old and new, with the traditional streets of Gion and its geishas contrasting with the new train station's stunning contemporary architecture. We walked all over the city and one day found ourselves wondering first through a dense bamboo forest and then through fields of rice.

During our month we felt like we saw so many different aspects of Japan, from the modern bustle of Tokyo to the village pace of Takebe. We saw lovingly restored temples from the days of the shoguns as well as the specifically unrestored destruction of WWII. The kids studied Japan's history, the religions of Buddhism and Shintoism, and learned the difference between kanji and katakana as well as a few helpful Japanese phrases. Japan was a challenging country with its high prices and limited English, but we left feeling we had learned and experienced a great deal about an amazingly unique culture.

Itinerary
Outside the Imperial Palace	Shinto Meiji Shrine in Tokyo	Buddist Temple in Asakusa
After a fevered two weeks in the US of doctors appointments, shopping, paying bills, visiting and packing we flew to Tokyo on September 1. The flight was manageable, the jetlag minimal and the cultural adjustment greatly helped by the opportunity to stay with our friends for the first few days in Japan. Tokyo was hot and muggy but the the sites, sounds, and smells of this vastly different culture kept our senses awake. We visited a Shinto Shrine and a Buddhist Temple and saw old Tokyo with its small shops and restaurants as well as the electronic excessiveness of the Akihabara.
Bronze Buddha in Kamakura	Traditional meal in Hakone	A-Bomb dome in Hiroshima
We took a couple side trips from Tokyo (Nikko and Kamakrua) where we saw more beautiful shrines and temples. The boys were pretty sick of religious sites until we came upon the giant Buddha in Kamakura where we were allowed to climb inside. We then ventured off with our Japan Rail Pass to Hakone with hopes to see Mt Fuji. Instead we saw lots of fog and mist and rode the cable car into a cloud. We found sun when we traveled on to Hiroshima and we learned a great deal visiting the Peace Park and A-bomb Museum.
Okonomiyaki bar in Hiroshima	Floating torii gate at Miyajima	Villa in Ushimado
Hiroshima is a bustling city with a fun entertainment area. We enjoyed a really unique okonomiyaki dinner made in front of us on the grill. The kids have been really adventurous with the food and we all enjoyed this mixture of cabbage, sprouts, egg, ham, and seaweed. We took a ferry across to the island of Miyajima where we saw a temple built over the water and the famous "floating" torii gate. We rented a car in Hiroshima and drove back in the direction of Okayama. Here we stayed for a week in the "international villa" pictured above at Ushimado and another week at a smiler villa in Takebe, It provided a time to slow down on the tourism and spend our energy on school work. Most everything in Japan is expensive, but accommodations and transportation are exorbitant. We have compensated by staying in youth hostels and the lower-end hotels. In Hakone and Hiroshima that meant five of us in one room on futons spread out on the tatami mats with a communal bath down the hall. I've decided I'm too old for student accommodations and will be glad to travel in less expensive countries in the future. At the villas we were pleased to have a communal space to spread out and a kitchen to use. I've decided all Japanese food starts to taste the same after a while (soy and fish) and grilled-cheese or scrambled eggs was a welcome relief.
Himeji Castle	Koraku-en Garden in Okayama	View from Takebe Villa
Homeschooling in Takebe	Onsen -Japanese Hot Spring Bath	Traditional Yakiniku Dinner
The towns of Ushimado and Takebe offered glimpses into small town Japan, but not much in the way of tourist sites. In the course of these two weeks we took day trips to two national highlights. In Himeji we climbed to the top of the oldest and largest remaining wooden castle in Japan, certainly a change from European castles. In Okayama we walked through Koraku-en garden, one of the three finest gardens in Japan and we were all impressed as we watched gardeners trim trees with little scissors in an effort to achieve the perfect balance. Otherwise our days were spent homeschooling, biking, taking walks or reading. In Ushimado there was a small beach and in Takebe we could splash around in a river and even went kayaking. Takebe is best known for its natural not springs (onsen) and every day we enjoyed the traditional japanese bath and soak....easily addictive. We usually cooked in, but enjoyed a meal of yakiniku (where we grilled meat at our table).
Japanese Shinto Wedding	Bamboo Forest in Kyoto	Kinkoku-ji Temple
Our last stop was Kyoto, a city that seems to capture much of Japan. Of its 2000 temples and shrines we managed to drag the kids through about six of them. We saw stunning gardens (both 'wet' and 'dry'), came upon a Shinto wedding and were especially impressed by The Gold Pavilion with its gold filigree. Kyoto is a mix of old and new, with the traditional streets of Gion and its geishas contrasting with the new train station's stunning contemporary architecture. We walked all over the city and one day found ourselves wondering first through a dense bamboo forest and then through fields of rice. During our month we felt like we saw so many different aspects of Japan, from the modern bustle of Tokyo to the village pace of Takebe. We saw lovingly restored temples from the days of the shoguns as well as the specifically unrestored destruction of WWII. The kids studied Japan's history, the religions of Buddhism and Shintoism, and learned the difference between kanji and katakana as well as a few helpful Japanese phrases. Japan was a challenging country with its high prices and limited English, but we left feeling we had learned and experienced a great deal about an amazingly unique culture.