Tokyo Day 4 – Yohohokohama

Ok I know I know, I promised clowns in the previous post but the writing got away from me so I’ve had to make it a separate post. So what’s all this about clowns then? Well being outside of your own country throws you into the paths of people you’d likely not encounter otherwise I feel, you are limited in some ways by the people who you are able to easily associate with and in some ways that broadens the scope of possible acquaintances. What I mean is back home you associate with who you know. Once outside your preconceptions of people are necessitated to expand, kind of like the first month or two of University really.

Anyway my friend a clown at the Kinoshita circus and we met whilst they were on tour down Himeji way. We only actually met face to face once and yet through the power of the Internet, various conversations through the medium of facebook, we realised we had a fair amount in common, a creative streak and a love of all things geekery and a friendship was born. So when I mentioned I would be nearby, the circus was in Yokohama at the time, she asked if I felt like coming over. Why the hell not ey.

Yokohama is the capital of Kanagawa prefecture and lies just south of Tokyo. It is one of the largest suburbs in the world and is particularly historically famous as being the site of the first American fleet landing in Japan, the beginning of Japan’s opening up to the world from centuries of isolation.

 

As such there are two things that I found really stood out about the city. Firstly there is quite a thing made of Yokohama’s port roots with many maritime museums and a striking influence on its architecture. The other is an invasion of quite frankly European sensibility in some of the buildings. Looking at some of the old stone buildings I could have almost been back in the UK, I’d guess most of them sprung up around the Meji era when the emperor had a bit of a thing going for Europe.

Anyway enough about that, onto the circus. The big top was mercifully very easy to find, you’d think it would be but then remember the scale of everything in Japanese cities. It seemed like the show would be pretty packed, odd since it was a Thursday afternoon in a working week during term time, but well everyone needs downtime I guess. When we came to pick up the tickets I was pleasantly surprised to find they were free of charge, always good to know someone on the inside, and we merely had to pay for our seat upgrades.

So all sorted out we had a few hours to kill and decided to go for a stroll. The circus was located in Naka-ku of Yokohama, only 5 minutes from the main station. It was a really chill place and, after the hustle and bustle of central Tokyo, it was nice to step the busy down a notch. If we didn’t have our day planned out already it would have been nice to spend a bit more time wandering. It is the former central business district something that was evident by the large administrative buildings everywhere, though now it is more well known for its huge Chinatown and annual Jazz festival.

After a hunt for a post office and international ATMs we wandered out towards the prom, you know seaside town roots we just can’t help it, and then into a rather fancy looking central mall to stop for a much needed coffee. In fact we ended up in something called a “Dog Cafe”. At first I thought this was like a joint café and dog fashion shop but it is in fact a place where you can share a cuppa and a treat with your beloved 4-legged friend. Some people even came in with dogs in prams, mental.

Revitalised at last it was time for the show. Now the circus was, well a circus. I’ll admit I’d not been to once since I was maybe 8 years old and would have had no inclination to had it not been for my friend. Still it was a good giggle and our seats were awesome. My friend and her partner were sadly just filler between the ‘main’ acts but to be frank (she’ll hate me for saying this) they were the best part. As I mentioned our seats were awesome, in fact a little too awesome as I was dragged out for some audience participation, I should have expected as much.

It was fun but my only gripe was the animals. I was a little surprised, as been expecting them to be such a main focal point. I guess when you think of the circus classically you think of lion tamers and stuff but, well I’ve only been like once before and I think big animals are banned in the UK. Still Japanese people have totally different perceptions when it comes to animal rights, I’ve seen it on many occasion and since for many people here there is very little opportunity to travel this may be their only encounter with such animals. Doesn't mean I’m happy about it though.

Anyway moaning aside it was a nice reunion and after quick costume change we met up again by the river side. Whilst waiting for my friend to get into her civvies we bumped into the lion tamer and his son. From appearance during the show we thought he was central European or something but much to our surprise and amusement he was a real Geezer from Oxfordshire.  After about ten minutes of listening to him bemoaning the cost of “Faackin’ PJ tips” we were off to do what you do in any major Japanese city. Climb the tallest building and see everything from above. In Yokohoma this would be the very stunning and aptly named Landmark tower. I don’t know what it was about the building I liked in particular; maybe it just had nice angles.

A quick ride up to the observation deck and you are treated to some spectacular views across the bay and into Yokohama. The city is really quite a sight, metropolitan zone after metropolitan zone as far as the eye can see, can you tell I’m still not used to this big city stuff? One funny observation was the sheer number of helipads on most of the skyscrapers. We speculated that they were either for emergency earthquake evacuation or relics of the 80’s bubble economy and the extravagant spending of top Japanese execs, awesome either way. The trip was capped off nicely by a lovely sunset and also a bit of eavesdropping on a local baseball game through one of the pay binoculars, we could see the pitchers throwing from the mound up close which was quite cool.

After some deliberation, not much really, we settled on a Hawaiian restaurant for dinner, marking yet another day of avoiding Japanese food as my dad was quick to point out. I can’t remember what I ate but I do remember it being some tasty white fish. By the end of the meal my folks were pretty exhausted so they headed back the hotel giving me a bit of time to catch up with my mate.

We spent the night doing what I do best wandering, aimlessly. Fortunately her sense of direction is waaayy better than mine so we didn’t end up aimlessly lost. There isn’t much to Naka-ku once the lights go down so we headed back towards central Yokohama and where greeted once more to hordes of Japanese men in business suits.

I managed to drag her along to a game centre. I love these places and the collisions of social backgrounds that occur there in. We couldn’t help but gawp at the businessmen, suited and booted, shaking their things on dance dance revolution machines, or the chain smoking forty year olds battling it out on beat-em ups against teenagers. I was feeling a bit rhythmic so we had a go on a Taiko drumming game. The idea is to pound along to the rhythm of various popular J-pop sings on giant fake taiko drums. I lost badly; my former African drum teacher would be ashamed.

A common feature of Japanese game centres is Crane games, or UFO catchers whatever you want to call them. These are several times more awesome in Japan because the prizes are actually good and also obtainable. I mentioned there was a trick to them and since I was met with disbelief put my money were my mouth is. I became the proud owner of an oversized mushroom called nameko.

We ended the night at Yokohama station with coffee, a good chin-wag and a lot of people watching. It amazes me how similar our experiences of life in Japan have been, considering how different our working backgrounds are. It seems that there are just so many rules and conventions deeply entrenched in the Japanese mindset that it bleeds over into everything. I was particularly saddened to hear about what a rough deal the Japanese circus workers had when compared to the performers from outside the country. They literally do everything, from tent pitching and cleaning, taking tickets and performing. I’m amazed they don't collapse mid show. Anyway now is not the time to vent so I’ll leave it at that. Yokohama was cool and I most definitely plan on going back.

Ja mata ne

Tokyo Day 3 - to the future

 

Another post and another little insight into my five day sojourn to the capital with the parents. Oh how I do love to travel. I’ve been amazingly lucky the past couple of months that work has slowed down a little, giving me more time to stretch the old adventurous legs. Though what the next couple of days reminded me is just how much I also love meeting up again with old friends.

I’ve met some wicked people in my time here and I’m amazed at how fast some of my friendships have formed. Non-Asian ex-patriots in Japan constitute less than 1% of the total population so I think it’s easy to see why ex-pat communities form so quickly. Also generally you find that such people have a lot in common, at the end of the day choosing to spend a chunk of your life in another country, especially one so different from the west as Japan, is a huge decision and those who undertake it likely have some underlying character traits.

 

With that being said the person I met up first is in fact an old Japanese friend from Osaka. She helped me out a huge amount when I first moved here and had recently moved out to Tokyo for work. Crazy though her schedule is she had a bit of time off so asked to Join me and my parents in some sightseeing.

We started out in Shimbashi heading towards Hamarikyu gardens (浜離宮恩賜庭園

) an impressively large Japanese style garden right in the middle of a bustling business district. On the walk over we came across a rather elaborate clock tower, more than slightly reminiscent of structures from Howl’s moving castle and the like. As luck would have it we passed by just as it was begging to chime the hour, something that only happens a few times a day. As it started up I could understand why. Wonderful though its whirring, clicking and clanging was I could see it being quite a nuisance to those trying to work in the high-rise offices nearby. Still it is a wonderfully quirky addition to the somewhat stiff and business like atmosphere of the area.

The park was also another stark contrast. For a start when so many giant buildings surround you it’s easy to lose track of what is going on in ground level. The park is like an island of flatness in the gargantuan landscape, with nothing inside taller than the trees. There were quite a few people about taking respite from the hustle of the big city within its calm environs, engaging in all kinds of activities, from taking their dogs for a stroll, photography, simply chatting and in the case of a pair of old dears we came across, painting watercolours.

I’d say the central feature of the park, though as it’s designed with a careful balance like so many things in Japan it’s hard to assign a centrality to it,  is the medium sized teahouse plonked right in the middle of a pond. This was in fact the whole reason we’d come here as my mum really wanted to sit down to some traditional match at some point. Well sit and drink we did. It was surprisingly nice actually, much less bitter than my previous experiences.

 

The park faces out onto Tokyo bay and is one of several stops for the various transit ferries carrying people around the area. Our next goal was Odaiba (お台場) a large artificial Island just a little way into Tokyo bay so setting out from the garden was the easiest way to go. Maybe it’s just years of ferry trips across the Mersey when I was little but I do love them, so many pleasant memories.  The ferry we took was pretty cool and futuristic looking, the seating area set very wide and low so as to minimise pitching. In fact I’ve recently found out that the designer of these ferries is the man behind none other than the epic anime space opera “Space Battleship Yamato” so I guess I shouldn't be too shocked by their design.

So what is Odaiba? As I mentioned it’s a giant artificial Island situated in waterfront of Tokyo Bay. Originally developed as the a military strong hold in the Meji period  to defend against potential attacks from the sea it has now been transformed into a centre for leisure and technological development..

When you come in off the boat the first thing you are confronted with is a giant artificial beach. Yup a beach right in the middle of an urban metropolis. Why not I guess and the funniest part is, it’s not the only one. The beach itself leads to a massive a massive entertainment complex called Decks. This thing houses many shops, restaurants and the largest amusement arcade in Tokyo, and possibly Japan. Sadly no time to go in, but I’m sure I’dve spent a fortune if I had.

After a nice lunch, it was time to part ways with the parents as they were knackered bless them. I really wanted to head out to miraikan, a museum dedicated to innovative technology coming out of Japan so we proceeded to traverse the Island. Now aside from the supermalls and giant buildings Odaiba is pretty flat. I reckon it would be a great place to skateboard or cycle.

Well mostly flat that is besides a scale replica of the Statue of liberty and a giant Gundam statue. Well if there is a giant robot floating about I kind of have to get a picture with it now, it is traditional. In fact this is just one of the many quirky things on this rather modern Island, apparently there is a teleport station though I’m not exactly sure what that entails.

In the end most places were shut, it was after all a Tuesday? Anyway we decided to head back towards Tokyo for a bit more of a wander as Odaiba, whilst interesting, is not the most scenic area of Tokyo.

We took a monorail and then the subway to the ritzy Ginza. I always feel so out of place there, it’s far too stylish for a scruffy pleb like myself. Still it is nice to walk around as the architecture is really stunning. I always found it interesting that many of the really incredible buildings are built by just a handful of Japanese architects. There work is a amazing though. I should probably learn a bit more about them at some point.

The main reason we came was to check out the new Kabukiza which had finished being refurbished just a week or so ago. You can always tell when you are nearing a kabuki theatre as the streets become packed with old dears. I should really try and go to a show, or at least an act, before I leave I guess.

We finished the night by grabbing a coffee at what is the first Starbucks to be opened in  Japan. Apart from the plaque you wouldn’t really know to be honest, it doesn’t look much different and the coffee is still rubbish. Anyway the time whiled away as myself and my friend had a good old natter about life, Japan, overtime, you know the important things. I won’t bore you with the details.

Well that's it for now. Sorry I know I promised clowns but they are coming I swear.

Mata neee.

Tokyo Day 2 – To Fuji

With a big stretch and a yawn our wonderful Liverpool arose to some spectacularly clear blue skies in their swanky hotel in one of the more up market business districts of Tokyo. Ok I’ll drop the weird third person perspective but the sky really was amazing on our second day in Japan’s capital. So clear in fact that it was possible to see Mt. Fuji from our hotel windows. Well that was that then our goal for the day was clearly settled. We were off to get a closer look at Fuji.

I’ll have to just spend a bit of time here to discuss how amazing the train systems are in Japan. It really is easy and fairly inexpensive to get across the length and breadth of the country by train. Now fair enough Shinkansen costs can start to add up but if you are willing to grin and bare through some slightly longer journey times you can get pretty far by local trains.

A quick flick through the guide-book and a potter on the internet found us a likely candidate for a nice place for a bit of mountain watching and photography. Gotemba (御殿場). In truth it’s a tiny little town, in fact there is almost nothing there, but it is the gateway to Fuji, one of the two main trails starts from Gotemba.

 

It was however perfect for our current purpose and the views were spectacular. Fuji absolutely dominates the landscape with clear shots being available wherever you walk. Also with Gotemba being so tiny it gave my Dad his long desired insight into what the ‘real Japan’ looks like. Sadly much like suburbia anywhere else in the world.

After a good wander and much mountain snapping we made our way back towards the train station with our beady eyes peeled for a coffee shop. I think it’s fair to say that, unlike in Europe, there is still little in the way of coffee shop culture in Japan outside of the big cities and, unsurprisingly, we were pretty hard pressed to find anything. Still we did find something eventually although a little outside of our expectations.

 

It was a coffee shop sure, but it also doubled as a clothes shop for women. The most eye catching thing, besides of course the rather flamboyant owner, were the various nicknacks that were all over the shop, including a Princess Diana memorial plate. Well after seeing that how could we not enter. The old lady was pretty interesting, mostly shocked that tourists would come all the way out to Gotemba let alone patronise her shop. There were pictures of her all over the place from her younger days including a picture of her on her way up Fuji. The coffee and tea was pretty pricey but I think the whimsical charm of the shop made up for it.

After that we made our way back. I opted to take local trains rather than the shinkansen, it’s expensive やで。It did mean sacrificing speed but the lovely costal views on the way back Tokyo made up for it, and I got to get a bit of reading in too. I do love trains deep down, I guess I have to since I spend almost a quarter of my time on them it seems, and I think I get all of my best reading done on them.

 

Pretty wiped we just milled about the hotel for a while before embarking into the surrounding madness that is Shiba. This is clearly a central business area as the surrounding streets are just chock full of Izakaya’s and pachinko parlors to cater for the outpouring of office workers after a hard days work. We went into one such establishment for some yakitori and I did some people watching.

The speed at which these guys got totally rat-arsed and chain-smoked their way through packets of cigarettes is pretty alarming. This is a side of Japanese society a lot of people outside of the country don’t see and to be honest it’s something I really don’t like. You sacrifice everything to your company, head out to a bar late, eat, drink away the stress, head home on the last train and then do it all again the next day.

The more I see it the more I realise it is not what I want. I just can’t take the high tension Japanese working life and seeing it up close and personal on this trip really hit that home for me. While I do like it here it reminded of one scary fact. I can’t stay, I just don’t fit. I love the people, and some of the cultural aspects of Japan are truly wonderful and admirable but I can’t slot in as another cog of Japanese society. I want to turn left when it wants me to turn right.

Sorry to end on a bum note but that was a really strong memory from the time in Mita. The lines and lines of men and women in Identical suits streaming out of offices and into Izakaya’s late at night is a bit scary to me. It is admittedly a bit better at least than some of the drinking culture in the UK but if that’s all there is for me if I stay here then I can’t do it. It really hits home how much I love the freedom of thought and expression that is afforded to me by research and how lucky, truly lucky, I am to be paid to do nothing but think somedays.

Next post will be a bit happier I promise, it has clowns and stuff. Also here are some wonderful Japan rail train sounds.

Ja mata neeee.