After breakfast on our last day in Tokyo we went to Dover
Street Market. We visited this fashion forward 7 story boutique when we started
our trip in Tokyo and we decided to make one more trip to it. If I was 40
pounds thinner and 40 years younger it would be perfect for me.
We had asked the Concierge at the Shangri-La Hotel for a
recommendation for udon. One final bowl of soup for us would be a fitting last
lunch. Little did I know this would be the biggest damn bowl of soup I have
ever been served. The name of the restaurant isTsurutontan. Apparently they are chain. We ate
in the bottom of Tokyo Station and loved it, giant bowls of broth and noodles.
Couldn’t finish it.
We
left for the Narida Airport at 3pm for 6:30pm flight home. 2 glasses of wine, 1
sleeping pill, and the last I remember was finishing my entre, skipping dessert
and hearing the pilot say we would land in Los Angeles in 30 minutes. Perfect
way to fly. Cathy and I had a great time in Japan.
Shangri-La Bell Person taking our luggage from the train
Tokyo at Night
Cocktails
We are talking Steak
Menu
White Asparagus
Crab
Steak
We left our Ryokan in Miyajima and took a taxi to the ferry
terminal. We then took a ferry across the bay to Miyajimaguchi from
Miyajimaguchi we walked to the train station where we boarded a local train
heading to Hiroshima Station. At Hiroshima Station we transferred to the
Shinkansen to Tokyo. We purchased lunch at the Hiroshima Train Station to eat
during the 4 hour train ride to Tokyo. It is totally appropriate to eat on the
train in Japan. It broke my heart that they were selling frozen Okonomiyaki at the station I couldn't bring it home. I will look for it in LA in the frozen section of a Japanese foodstore.We sped through the countryside, it was a combination of
industrial, residential and rice paddies. It was very foggy. Japan is very
mountainous and it reminded us of the paintings that you see on scrolls. Much of the train ride is through the mountains in long tunnels.
When we arrived at Tokyo Station, the main train terminus in
Tokyo, we were met by a perky young women from the Shangi-La Hotel. She took our
luggage and escorted us to the hotel. Outside the hotel we were met by a women
who took us directly to our room. All of our check-in was done in the room. The
luggage we had shipped from Miyajima was waiting for us. It was all very efficient.
It was about 4pm and we decided to go shopping. A quick cab
ride to The Ginza and we were at Matsuya Department Store. This is a fabulous
store. As I have said before department stores in Japan are NOT like department
stores in the US. They are jammed full of customers, high-end merchandise and
food. We did our part to help Japan’s economy then returned to the Shangri-La.
We really like this hotel. They are efficient and elegant. We cleaned up for
dinner and went down to the bar for cocktails.
We then went out to dinner at Shima. We had decided we
wanted steak as our last dinner in Japan (especially having eaten 4 Kaiseki
dinners in a row). We did a lot of Googling and Shima stood out. It looks like
a Sushi Bar, with a counter and chairs. There are a few other tables in back.
The counter is the best, because you can interact with the chefs. The dinners
on either side of us had suggestions, but we started with Crab and White
Asparagus. We both ordered steak, but for some reason only one arrived. That
worked out well, because it was big enough for two. The wine list is expensive
and good. We had a Chablis and a Cabernet. Surprisingly they served great
rolls.
The meat was served with soy sauce, wasabi and vegetables.
We enjoyed the dinner. I was expecting a bill of about $ 1000 dollars but
happily it was nowhere near that. When we left they sent us home with a whole
cheese cake probably to atone for screwing up our order and giving us only one
steak (which was all we needed.) All in all it was a great night.
Tomorrow is our last day in Japan and then we fly back to the
States where we begin the whole jetlag thing again. If you haven’t been to
Japan you should go.
When we got up in the morning and went for breakfast it was
raining very hard. Potential bummer! We didn’t come this far to let a little
rain deter us, so we dressed and prepared to go to the Shrine (it is actually a
large complex of buildings). The rain gods took mercy on us and the rain had
stopped. We headed out for the Shrine (it is very close to our Ryokan). The
Shrine is a low series of interconnected open buildings all painted the same Vermillion
(red-orange) as the famous Torii-gate situated in the water. We walked all
around the complex and visited the small treasure museum. The entire area is
sacred and there are many shrines on this island. It is definitely a tourist
destination and there are lots of people that come by ferry for the day, but
they don’t ruin the experience.
There are two main streets. One simply follows the coastline
next to the seawall. It is very well maintained and swept clean (I guess you
could see cleanliness is close to godliness here). The other parallel street is
filled with gift shops and restaurants. The restaurants actually outnumber the
gift shops. Many of them have stalls in the front that sell take-away food. As
you walk down the street you are bombarded with smells of grilling oysters,
udon, noodles, sweets, yakitori skewers, etc. It is a delight to the senses.
After visiting the shrine complex we returned to our hotel
to rest. It was time for udon soup. Cathy had Tempura topped Udon, I enjoyed
the best of both worlds ordering Udon with fresh Miyajima Oysters. The oysters
were plump and delicious. I had an exceptionally good massage at the hotel then
took a bath in their public bath. The Ryokan has two public baths one for
women, one for men. And each sex has both an indoor and outdoor bath.
When you stay at a Ryokan they provide you with a Yukata and
jacket to wear. In the Ryokan you don’t need to wear anything but the Yukata.
No dressing for dinner required. It makes life simple. Each day they give you a
new fresh one. They are tied with a thick sash, and are fun to wear. The Ryokan
serves dinner. It is a traditional meal called a Kaiseki dinner. The order of
the meal is formalized and the individual courses are very intricately
prepared. Because we spent 4 consecutive nights in Ryokans, we have had 48
courses of food. It has been fun to compare the various preparations. The
Ryokan usually has very few rooms so that the chef is preparing these intricate
dinners for just a few appreciative diners.
Final thought about Miyajima. We are glad we came, the
setting is spectacular, the shrine is amazing, we loved the wild deer and the
street food. But ultimately for us, Miyajima is sideshow to the horror of
Hiroshima. Hiroshima is a deep reflection of how awful man can be. Miyajima is
an example of how life goes on.
A copy of the Atomic Bomb (smaller than I expected)
This Graph explains the damage
Deer
Okonomiyaki with Oysters
Torii Gate
Steamed Oyster
Baked Eggplant in Sweet Miso Sauce
We left Kurashiki having had a restful time at Kurashiki
Ryokan. They are very gracious, with extremely high standards. I had the
Japanese style breakfast today. There were at least 14 separate little dishes,
including an hibachi, where I grilled my own fish. The was the first Japanese
Breakfast I had on this trip. I guess, I am a bacon and eggs kind of guy. But
it was worth the try.
We travelled on to Miyajima Island. The name itself is a
little redundant, because “jima” means island in Japanese. We took a 20-minute
cab ride to the train station to catch the Shinkansen. At Fukuyama we got off
the train and transferred to another Shinkansen to Hiroshima. At Hiroshima we
took a taxi to The Peace Memorial Park. I took a short movie of a Shinkansen
flying through the train station.
You can see it here.
I have seen the iconic image of destroyed building hundreds
of times, the steel girders of the dome are all that remains. It is now called
“The Atomic Bomb Dome”. There is also a Cenotaph (empty tomb) for all that died and
were never properly buried it contains all of their names. I didn’t know exactly what to expect. Hiroshima has
been totally rebuilt nothing-old remains, it looks like any other modern
industrial Japanese city. All that was old was destroyed on August 6, 1945 at when
the US dropped the 1st Atomic Bomb ever used in war on Hiroshima.
Many places one visits, people take pictures or selfies of
themselves with the image in the background: The Eiffel Tower, The Great Wall
of China, etc. This is one place where I didn’t see people doing that. Rather
they stopped they looked, they reflected they took a picture or two and all
probably said to them self in whatever language they spoke “God this better not
happen again”. The Atomic Bomb Dome is located next to a small river with an
adjoining park. At the far end of the park is a museum. It has everything you
would expect, testimony of the survivors, statistics of the damage, estimates
of the dead and wounded, mementos of those that didn’t survive. The exhibit has very vivid photos of burn victims, burnt clothing and human remains. It is very direct about the death that was caused by the bomb. School children
were being escorted through the museum and were taking notes. One thing there
wasn’t was recrimination. The arguments of if the bomb should have been dropped
or endless and pointless. It was. It shouldn’t happen again.
Almost all major world leaders come to Hiroshima at
sometime, pay respects and write a memorial sentence or two. We read many.
Hopefully they mean what they say.
Before coming to Hiroshima I had two objectives to visit The
Peace Memorial Park the other to eat okonomiyaki, Hiroshima is famous for its
okonomiyaki. It is a Japanese version of Egg Foo Young. The Japanese claim they
invented it first. I was also aware that Hiroshima is famous for its oysters.
Upon leaving the museum we walked to the nearby dock and grabbed a 45-minute ferry
to the island of Miyajima.
Miyajima is dominated by a Shinto Shrine. In the bay is a
giant Torii Gate that is the iconic image of the island. The island is sacred
and no one is allowed to born on the island or to be buried here. We walked to
our Ryokan: Kurayado Iroha. When you get off the ferry there are load speaker
announcements warning people that there are wild deer everywhere and watch they
don’t eat your papers or tickets. They nuzzle right up to people. They also
warn that if the deer has horns it is a male and since this is mating season,
and the horny deer has his mind on one thing only, stay out of its way! It is
amazing I always think of deer’s as running away from people. Here there are
dozens, sort of like cows in India but better looking.
The Ryokan check-in time was 4pm and it was about 2pm. They
suggested that we walk across the street to a restaurant that only serves
Okonomiyaki. I was in heaven. I was about to have Hiroshima’s finest. Then it
got better! They have Okonomiyaki topped with fresh grilled oysters from the
bay. We had some sake and it was perfect very large snack. We then walked
around the waterfront looking at the large Torii Gate set in the Inland Sea of
Japan.
We had another 12 course Kaiseki dinner followed by drinks
in our room.
Being at a Ryokan the operative word is: relax. We slept
later than usual (maybe the Jetlag is finally over). After breakfast we headed
out to look at ceramics and generally explore the town. Bizen Pottery is from
the nearby city of Imbe. Bizen pottery is unglazed and takes it texture and
color from the ash of the wood fired kilns. To get to Imbe requires two train rides totaling about 90 minutes. We had been trying to decide if we should go to Imbe for the
day or simply shop for Bizen in Kurashiki. We decided it would be more
interesting and less hectic to simply explore the city of Kurashiki; it has
many fine ceramic stores. The manager of the hotel we are staying at marked the best stores on a map for us.
Because the shops were scattered about it caused us to see even
more of the city. Kurashiki itself is ugly and industrial. The central district
we are staying in is charming. There are many small lanes, dotted with houses, restaurants or shops. Many of them have small gardens. We finally found a pot
we liked, and mentally compared all the others we saw in different stores where we shopped with the pot we liked. We finally went back and purchased it, none of the others compared well to it.
Kurashiki produced a man in the early 20th
century of amazing wealth. His name was Ohara Magosaburo. He toured Europe and
prodigiously bought the Old Masters. In addition he bought all kinds of Japanese
and Asian art. His son continued the tradition of purchasing art. All of that
became the Ohara Museum here in Kurashiki. We weren’t interested in the
European Art, but visited the Mingei (folk art collection) that included great
works of ceramics, textiles, prints, etc. The museum was basically empty and we
wondered from gallery to gallery. We also visited the collection of ancient
Chinese artifacts, which included a display of Oracle Bones. Cathy and I had
both read a book about Oracle Bones and it was amazing to see actually see them
in person.
We went for a late lunch (need I say noodles?). After a
little more unsuccessful shopping, I went for a massage. I returned to the
hotel and Cathy then joined me in the large soaking tub that we had reserved at
the Ryokan. After a short rest it was approaching sake time. One of the things
the Japanese do that is very cool is when a nice glass or piece of ceramics is
chipped they fill in the chip with gold. This is called:
Kintsugi. Something that is damaged becomes even more special by fixing the
break or chip. It is a great concept. We have a chipped plate at home and we
are going to have it inlayed with gold where the chip is. Kintsugi in Silverlake.
After sake hour, we headed to our 2nd 10 course
Kaiseki dinner at the Ryokan. This one was actually better than the first. The
Fatty Tuna Sushi was unbelievable good and the Kobe Beef was so fatty and rich
you wonder how the cow ever walked. The entire experience at the Kurashiki
Ryokan has been wonderful. We would highly recommend staying here. When you stay at a Ryokan they give you clothes to wear and provide you with dinner. It is a very special place to stay.
Tomorrow morning we leave Kurishiki heading for an island off of
Hiroshima. We will be travelling by 3 different trains, 2 different taxis and
one ferry. Here is hoping we make all our connections.
We met Tom and Scott one final time at breakfast before we
went our separate ways. We took a morning Shinkasen (Bullet Train) to the city
of Okayama. We transferred to another Shinkasen for 1 stop (a short 10 minute
ride) but at almost 200 miles an hour a far distance.We got off at Shin-Kurashaki and then took a cab ride to
central Kurashaki. Kurashaki itself is very industrial and not very charming.
Central Kurashaki is a different story. They have preserved its narrow twisting
old streets to remain a delightful area. There is a small river stocked with
koi running down the middle of the street. The stores are converted storage
facilities. There are several museums. We visited the Kurashiki Museum of Folk
Art that had a special show of Lacquer ware. I can’t believe it but I am
actually beginning to appreciate Lacquer ware. Of course we had noodle soup for
lunch.
We are staying at the Kurashiki Ryokan. Our rooms are huge
There is an entryway, dining room, 2 bathrooms, huge bedroom. This will be a
treat for us. Dinners are served privately in your suite. They give you a
yukata robe and jacket to wear in the Ryokan. We walked around Kurasahiki. It
will be a great area to discover on foot. There is one charming store or
restaurant after another dotting its small twisty streets. We decided we wanted
a drink (no surprise) and after searching unsuccessfully for a bar that serves
wine, we found a sake bar. The sake was good.
We returned to our Ryokan and undressed for dinner. We had a
traditional Kaiseki dinner:10 courses. I don’t know what this is doing for my
diet, but the food sure is good. One unusual aspect is you have to grate your
own wasabi. The server keeps popping in out of our room, clearing one set of
dishes bringing another. We had salted kelp as a condiment. We have never had
it before. The manager of the hotel wrote down the name in Kanji, and we will
go looking for it tomorrow. It would go great with a grilled steak (which after
all of the fish we are eating sound just great). This is a great little town. I wish the internet was better. But maybe bad internet is a blessing in
disguise when you are on vacation and are supposed to relax.
We had been to Paris many times and Cathy had never been up
to the top of the Eifel Tower. I knew it would always be there. We finally went
there and it was worth the wait. In the same way we have been to Kyoto many
times and I had never been to Chishaku-in Temple.
It turns out the Temple is a very short walk from Hyatt
Hotel we are staying at. This was my chance. The Buddhist service starts at
6am. I set my alarm for 5:30 and rolled out of bed. I promised Cathy a full
report. Tom joined me and walked from the hotel towards the Temple Complex. We
could hear the gong of the Bell. The main gates were closed and we went to a
side entrance. I saw a woman entering the complex ahead of us and decided to
simply follow her. It was a good decision, because I never would have found the
entrance to the giant hall. Monks were kneeling and just as we walked in the
chanting started up. For 30 minutes, seemingly with out taking a breath, they
chanted. Their voices reverberated throughout the building. We of course had
taken our shoes off, the sun still hadn’t risen and it was cool. I knew it was
supposed to be a fire service but all I saw were two candles burning.
There was a small vessel near the center and all of the
visitors were invited to kneel and crawl towards it. There was small incense
burning in the middle. Each of us crawled towards the vessel then took some
small grains from a plate and placed them on the burning incense. Tom noticed
the guy in front of him had holes in his sox. I was wondering why am I crawling
around like a baby? They call this a fire? Maybe because it is a wooden temple
they have to be careful. The service ended and the monks left the temple; a
monk spoke to us in Japanese, which of course I didn’t understand. We retrieved
our shoes I was ready to go back to the hotel and take a shower. The rest of
the people started walking as a group away from the temple. Luckily Tom
insisted we follow them. If I were alone I wouldn’t have.
We entered another Temple and there was the fire. The Abbot
had his back to us and in front of him was the fire about 5 feet tall. At least
the Abbot was warm. The monks were chanting. I think it translates to “turn up
the heat”. One other guy was warm, that was the drummer. He had a big stick and
a bigger drum and he was pounding the hell out of it. We were in Spielberg
territory: Monks, Fire, Chanting, big banging Drum, darkened Temple. A word
about Monkwear: These monks had stylish garments. They were made of vivid
colors and interesting pleats (though the head Abbot had a monk that arranged
his garment so that when he bent over to pray all was correct from our view). I
really enjoyed the entire experience and will probably go back tomorrow morning
now that I know what to expect. There is a sign saying no pictures, but I subsequently
found out it is ok to take a discreet few.
After returning to the hotel and cleaning up, Cathy and I
took a long ride to Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Temple. Scott and Tom had been there
yesterday, one look at their picture and I was ready to visit it. This is one
of the most photographed places in Japan. The temple has real gold on it (much
like the Golden Sikh Temple in Amritsar India). It situated on picturesque
grounds with a reflecting lake in front of it. It is one of those places that
it is impossible to take a bad picture. The Taj Mahal is another fool proof
picture. The pond in front of it acts as reflecting mirror. The site is quite
old dating back to 1397. Much of older Japanese structures were built of wood,
and fires constantly destroyed them and they were subsequently rebuilt. This
Zen Temple is no exception. It has been rebuilt many times. There were hoards
of people at this very popular spot, but the site could accommodate them all.
We then taxied to the Gion (the Geisha district) and walked around checking out
stores. We selected a lunch place and surprise had excellent noodle soup. By
the way the soup is working, I am much better and Cathy is not getting worse.
Hopefully this is as bad as her cold will be.
From the Ginza we walked to the Antique District. We went
into many small shops and only saw one item that truly we liked it was an
incense burner from the 1950’s. At 1,500,000 Yen (about $ 15,000 it was out of
our league – but it was very nice).
We returned to our hotel and went across the street to The
Kyoto National Museum where there was a show of Rimpa. Rimpa is the name for
very highly decorative arts that flourished during the Edo Period of Japanese
history (1600 – 1868). The lines for the show were enormous and there was no
way that we were getting in. Oh well, we will always have The Broad.
We met Tom and Scott for cocktails in the bar at the Hyatt
and then went to Kakyu a traditional Kyoto restaurant for a dinner. The food
was excellent and the interaction with the chef / owner was a delight. Scott
spoke just enough Japanese to communicate with him. I used hand signals to
suggest more wine. It was small course after small course of delicious food.
Tomorrow we take two trains to reach the small city of Kirashki,
I wonder if they will have internet. We will all find out. It was great to
spend a few days with Tom and Scott here in Kyoto. We look forward to seeing
them again in LA.
