Japan Notes 4 12-21-2003 (1, 2, 3, 4)
We ate lunch with the illustrious Kyoto University professor Chihiro Suematsu
who is helping us devise a strategy to bring PocketLogin to the Japanese market.
Lunch was in a buddhist shrine in Kyoto, where you place your shoes in a shopping
bag at the door and eat on the mat-covered floor at a little table by the garden.
Kyoto is known for Tofu, but here 'f' is pronounced like 'h' so it's actually
"ToHu". They serve it by placing a pot of red hot coals on the table
in a ceramic jar with an iron pot on top with broth and tofu inside. Yummy with
little sauces, vegetables and rice, a little sesame gelatin cube and some green
tea. After lunch we strolled around the many temples on the hillside.
Later in the day we met up with our new friend and guide Akiko. Aki lives in
Osaka but came to meet us and show us around Kyoto. A major shopping expedition
where much was accomplished, including an item about which I am extremely excited.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen I now own my very own Japanese electronic, automatic,
seat heating, water spraying toilet! Or, washlet to be more precise. Hope I
can wade through all that Kanji and figure out how to hook it up at home. Not
going to be much fun schlepping it on all the trains and through the city, but
I'll thank myself every time I...well, you get the picture.
An hour in a stunning japanese zen garden is the most serene yet dynamic meditative
exploration of an exquisitely untramelled sculpted landscape. There's a magic
energy, as the clouds float off the ocean and over the tree-covered mountain.
The Kyoto day began muted and autumnal with blustering winds carrying little
helicopter seeds across the neatly raked gravel garden floor. Every so often
the bamboo water collector would fill up, then tip over, empty out, and slap
back against the rock with a startling pong sound. To remind you of the silence
Suematsu-san said to us. He, Chris and I sat cross-legged on the edge of the
garden deep in thought as the clouds like little tetris pieces assembled on
the far side against the hill. And as if it were time for spring, the clouds
ceased to arrive from their ocean voyages and soon the sun broke free with warming
orangey rays. The glowing garden took on an entirely different aspect and the
birds as if on cue began to sing from on high. We walked down the little manicured
paths, every inch and speck carefully assembled just so for its aesthetic and
philosophical purpose. The path never ends, but turns around in a small cul-de-sac
the way my dog Circuit turns around in his crate to enter then leave the room.
Little ponds carry carp that hang out languidly in special houses built for
them and their purpose. Even the occasional motorcycle revving up the hill in
the city serves as a reminder of the closeness of civilization and yet perfect
removal of this zen palace.
The cabs in Japan open their doors automatically as they pull up to the curb,
the seats are covered with doilies, the driver's on the right side, the flag-drop
is Y650, no one speaks english and they take you exactly where you want to go
using the most direct route. Didn't I tell you this is opposite world?
Our room in Osaka is the smallest two-person hotel room I've ever seen. There
are two twin beds, separated by about 12 inches, a tiny counter with a tv, and
not really enough room to put our luggage on the floor and get the door open.
The entire bathroom is a pre-built molded plastic unit that was obviously shipped
in and hooked up. When standing up straight, Chris' head touches the ceiling
in there. The sink is connected to the shower with a hose, and there's a valve
to choose whether the water should go to the shower or basin. You basically
feel like you're a giant visiting the house of The Littles.
Heading back on the Shinkansen from Osaka to Tokyo and on to the Onsen, it's
snowing outside and the snow appears to sweep horizontally through the air.
It was a brisk morning in Osaka, but didn't nearly seem cold enough to snow,
and less than 15 minutes later we're 50Km into a snowy wonderland, the whole
countryside dotted with japanese style rooves carrying several inches of white
powder. And every mile we travel, the snow seems to thicken. Holy Shinkansen!
We're arriving in Tokyo 35 minutes late!
Ok, Onsen, I have a feeling the experience would be much enhanced if you a)
don't miss the express train by 3 minutes after making a crazy mad dash carrying
tons of luggage b) don't try to catch up with the express train by taking subways
across the city (carrying tons of luggage) c) don't travel at night on snowy
train tracks on the slowest trains on earth d) don't get in a taxi, your toilet
strapped down in the trunk in a giant blizzard snowing about a meter an hour
e) don't negotiate a $90 fee thinking you're getting a good deal when the fare
is in fact exactly $90 f) don't book reservations in an onsen at the top of
an unplowed steep hill g) don't wear shoes that aren't snow proof or water proof
h) don't search for a place for dinner around town trudging through blinding
snow and freezing cold. However, if you do go to an Onsen, book one of those
gorgeous ones that let you sit in fresh hot springs outside with snow falling.
Get really hot and puckered in the steam baths then jump in the snow. Eat some
icicles. See how much heat you can tolerate moving from one hot bath to a hotter
one to the one that will melt your skin off.
This is my last report from my journeys in the Orient. It's Sunday, December
21 4:10pm on the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice. Yet it will
be the longest day of my year since I arrive back in San Francisco Sunday, December
21 at 9am and get to do it all over again. I'll post the final set of pictures
after I return. Thanks to everyone for your advice, assistance, japanese tips
and tricks, language guidance, gift ideas, photo appreciations, and general
friendly reminders of home on the other side of the world. In a nutshell, I
leave with the impression I came in with: Japan is weird. Though in my mind
it is now in living technicolored detail just how weird, beautiful, busy, funny,
fashionable, and richly cultured this country is.
bre++