It's been 10 years since I first visited Japan. Fortunately, it's now a big part of my life.
Read More10 years // １０年間
in Blog, photo-journal
Japan
That familiar feeling
in Blog
Business trip to Tokyo :)
Read MoreOkinawa Honto - 沖縄本島
in Blog, photo-journal
I've been to Okinawa Honto (main island) around 7 times now, and manage discover something new and interesting with each visit. My last visit to Okinawa was in March of this year, but as I was there on a tight work schedule I didn't have time for sightseeing. In 2011 we both went to Okinawa for our first summer holiday since leaving Europe, and we had an amazing time. Last year, we had a blast in Thailand, but this year we decided to explore a little more of Okinawa whilst it's so close, as it's rather difficult to access from Europe.
Cape Maeda is a diving & snorkelling hot-spot
We planned to spend the entirety of our holiday on the main island, as there is still much to explore, and resorts in the more secluded islands can be rather expensive. Thanks to my friend Sho, we managed to rent a hire-car for around 30% of the price quoted directly from Nissan, which freed up a big part of the budget.
Our first port of call was Cape Maeda, around 1 hour's drive from the main city of Naha. We had 5 nights booked at a cute little guesthouse called Akachichi (the red roof in the opening photo is the traditionally-stylised roof of the guesthouse). The owners, Kenny and Komaki, really made us feel at home within around 5 minutes of our arrival, which meant we could start winding down and get into the holiday mood more easily. Though still Japan, life in Okinawa is very different to that on the mainland, especially that in Tokyo. In Tokyo, everything runs to the minute, without delay. In Okinawa, I don't usually wear a watch. The history of the islands is far too extensive to cover in a single post, but I'll point you in the direction of Okinawa Explorer (written by Kenny). Komaki also has a blog, where she writes about daily live in the area (mostly in Japanese, but with lots of photos).
We were asked what time we wanted breakfast, and and asked for a rather leisurely (especially by Japanese standards) 9am start. Though stereotypes and generalisations can often be wrong or insulting to some people, they must have originated somehow. Here's one for you - many Japanese love to pack their holiday full of more activities than my normal working week, waking up at sunrise, disappearing on tours or hikes, and returning after dark. We planned on lying on the beach, reading a book, and maybe going for a drive to find somewhere for dinner.
"Breakfast at 9, no problem!"
If you stay in a business hotel during your time in Japan, don't get your hopes up regarding breakfast. It'll probably be OK. At Akachichi, we were treated to a home-made feast each morning! The care and attention, variation, and presentation were fantastic. So many people take their camera out before they start a meal that it's almost become the new Grace. I simply could not resist, every morning. When looking through the photos of breakfast, we tried to decide which was our favourite... but there is no winner. Well, there is no loser. They were all fantastic, and were a great start to the day. That and the two-cappuccino habit we started.
What are you looking at?
The beaches at Cape Maeda are characterised by the beautiful coral reef, and the humans inhabiting it. OK, that's a slight exaggeration. The humans are only visible during the day. If you scroll back up to the beach photo, you may notice a tour group or two, in the sea near the rocks. The area is packed full of fish and marine life, and snorkelling tours make a killing by taking groups of Japanese around and showing them the locations of the most interesting stuff. This worked out to be extremely useful for us, as we could very efficiently locate clown fish, anemones, and hundreds of other species by shrewdly waiting until the group left the area. This [arguably] made for a much more enjoyable experience than in a snorkel tour group, where the number of people outnumber the fish 3:1. One day I'll buy a waterproof camera housing. Until then, it's land-only I'm afraid.
We spent a few days on the beach, exploring the area around Maeda-point, and the nearby pottery village of Yomitan. All-in-all, we had a very relaxing few days. On our final day, we went for a bit of a drive northwards, to sesoko island (location of the above photo). We didn't go on any hiking tours, banana-boat rides, excursions, organised sight-seeing... just chilled out on various beaches and ate copious amounts of Blue Seal ice cream. We were replenishing our energy, and saving it for the next leg of our journey.
To be continued...
Akachichi is conveniently placed for exploration of Okinawa Honto. Kenny and Komaki have excellent knowledge of the island, as well as running a top-notch guesthouse. I'd recommend staying there if visiting Okinawa. If you do visit, please send my regards!
Left, right?
in Blog
There are many signs in the extensive Tokyo Underground network. So many, in fact, that I find myself looking to see if anyone actually notices them, or takes heed. Signs saying ordering people to walk in certain areas rarely work, when one person ignores the sign. Then, like fish escaping a predator, everyone darts into a shoal, flowing around any obstacles (people) in the way. Well, this sign was clear. Just simply; "Keep to the left", right?
A weekend in the Kinki region - Nara
in photo-journal, Blog
On the Saturday, we spent our time in the rainy vicinity of Kyoto. On Sunday morning, we decided to brave the [now torrential] rain, and take a trip down south, to Nara. Unfortunately, what is supposed to be a 45 minute journey ended up being almost 2 hours due to the weather. It was almost like being in the UK! No matter. By the time we arrived the rain had almost stopped, and we set off walking around this peaceful city.
Nara is famously full of deer. They're wild, but very docile. Some even bow for the tourists (they expect some food for their efforts). Unfortunately, there were too many rowdy tourists to enjoy the area near the main temple, Toudaiji. People were shouting, posing strangely with the animals, and generally acting in a manner which I did not think was fitting for the scene.
Toudaiji. There's a massive Buddha inside, but if you want to see it, you'll have to visit
After we'd seen the impressive Toudaiji, we saw in which direction the crowds were headed, and turned 180° and started walking. I'm very glad we did. We could finally relax, as there were almost no people up in the hills, though we did "meet" one Chinese tourist group.
The rain made everything feel extremely lush, as if anyone caught taking a quiet nap would be consumed by the vegetation. Moss covered almost everything, which was really quite beautiful.
There were almost as many lanterns as deer
We walked from the temples in the north of Nara, around to the eastern edge. At this point, we were elated when the sun split two clouds overhead and we were greeted with our first proper shadow of the day. I ran down to get a photo of this bucket, as it was the closest object at the time. The sun then disappeared, after just a few seconds.
I mentioned the deer. Well, up in the hills they don't seem to pester the (few) tourists, and generally go about their business. This made for an all-round nicer experience, more in keeping with the deer we saw in Miyajima. Unlike the deer in Miyajima (click to see them), these ones had little white 'bambi' spots (which may mean they were fawns, but I couldn't tell you for sure). We did see a few fawns, though. And they were too cute for words!
The journey back to Kyoto wasn't anywhere near as bad as the outward journey. We took a different train line, and made a B-line straight for a shrine I really wanted to take a photo of. It's rather famous. It has thousands upon thousands of bright red Tori gates ascending high into the mountain. I'd envisioned getting there around magic hour, but there basically wasn't one. By the time we got there, it was pitch black, but still quite beautiful. Another benefit of visiting a bit later, was that we were the only people there at this time, and so could take our time and really relax on our final night.
Well, that concludes our weekend trip to the Kinki Region of Japan. I hope you've enjoyed the photo-journal, even though it's a little photo-heavy. If you have any comments or questions, I'd love to hear them.
I recommend a journey to Kyoto and Nara. I think that even if the weather is pretty atrocious, it's possible to have a great time and even the rain doesn't detract from the beauty to be found in this historic area of Japan. See you next time!
The first photo of the day - rain was the theme of the weekend
A weekend in the Kinki region - Kyoto
in Blog, photo-journal
We decided to visit some parts of Kyoto we'd never been to before, and headed west to Kinkaku-ji (aka the Golden Temple). We were going to have breakfast in a nice café, but it was closed. We settled for a very nice brunch in the French Embassy (random, I know), and hopped onto a bus.
I have to thank Charlotte at this point, for holding the umbrella of a disgruntled photographer. And for putting up with me, too! Well, I managed to take the above photo (click the photo to cycle through three alternate treatments), and we set off walking through the grounds.
We then headed to the Gion district, famous for Geisha and small townhouses. We did spot one Geisha, but I decided not to chase her down the street for a photo. Apparently there have been complaints from the Geisha that tourists are becoming more and more aggressive in their photo taking, almost achieving paparazzi status. I decided not to join the club, and pointed my camera directly ahead and snapped a photo of the nicely turned-out couple just ahead of us.
Kimono and Yukata
After an excellent udon dinner, we ventured outside again. This time we walked through the backstreets to visit some of the pagodas, and generally relax amongst the townhouses and dwindling evening crowds.
As light fell, the rain stopped. Clouds parted ways in the far distance, and we could actually see a tiny slither of sky.
Steam can be seen rising from the rooftops and the forests
Light drops off incredibly quickly in Japan. We headed back down the sparingly lit streets in search of dinner...
We managed to grab a table in a roof-top izakaya overlooking the city. From our table, we noticed another temple down-below, which was still lit up at 10pm, and we decided to go and have a look.
The lit-up temple is in the far left of this photo
It was very relaxing to walk around the grounds of the temple, with everything so beautifully lit, and only a handful of tourists. The crowds earlier in the day reminded me why I tend to avoid tourists hot-spots. Here in Gion, at night, there are so few people around that I really recommend an evening stroll through the backstreets and temples.
We then decided to grab some ice cream and walk back (45 mins) to the hotel, and get ready for the following and final day.
N700 Series Nozomi to Kyoto
A weekend in the Kinki region - Tokyo to Kyoto
in photo-journal, Blog
A while ago, we planned a city-break to Kyoto in the Kinki Region of central Japan. The Kinki Region, also known as Kansai, is a popular tourist destination for Japanese and non-Japanese alike. Much like the Kanto region in the east, the Kinki/Kansai region is not an administrative unit, but rather a cultural and historical one. It's famous for food, culture, Geisha, and temples. It's not famous for rain - but it should be if our weekend was anything to go by!
Our pilot for the evening. I'm somewhat reluctant to call bullet train drivers simply "train drivers", and pilot seems more fitting.
Train or plane?
I've not taken a shinkansen (bullet train) for over a year, so I was rather excited. As we pulled out [exactly on schedule, naturally] from Tokyo Station, the intensity of the rain increased until it was streaming sideways across the window. I wonder what the view from the front window was like...
I took the Nozomi class shinkansen and arrived in Kyoto after two hours of ultra-smooth, ultra-fast train travel.
Kyoto Tower
Directly outside Kyoto station is the bus terminal, which I thoroughly recommend using to navigate around the city in a timely fashion. Walking everywhere means you will not see everywhere. Some temples are pretty close to each other, but definitely look into getting the bus to cover larger distances with ease.
The bus is also a good way of protecting oneself from the elements
Our accommodation was in the northern Sakyo Ward, which is around 30 minutes on the 206 bus from Kyoto station. The flat fare of ¥220/person (pay when you get off - and please have your change ready!) seems pretty reasonable.
A rather fetching clock, and a puzzling piece of paper...
After almost three years in Japan, we've experienced our fair share of Engrish, but this really has to take the cake. I have no idea what it means. Whatever it means, Charlotte has until 10am tomorrow morning...
The "best" Engrish we've ever seen... to what exactly does the first bullet refer? Answers on a postcard...
I'll post some photos from the weekend in subsequent posts. I took far too many to cram into one post, even after some rather ruthless culling. I hope you enjoyed the start of this journey - stay tuned!
Tocho
in Blog
This building, the ‘Tocho’, was designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange. Apparently, it was inspired by the Notre Dame in Paris. I liked this paragraph describing the area;
Compared with the sparer lines of most of the skyscrapers that surround it, the traditional grandeur of the cathedral is certainly apparent in its complexity of structure and surface, not to mention its equally grandiose sprawl. The complex also incorporates the 37-storey Tokyo Metropolitan Main Building No.2, and the eight-story Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Building. Taking up as much land as it does, the whole Tocho complex is like a town unto itself, and, walking around and through it, with its heights, depths and multiple levels, unless you take great care to ascertain your bearings, you are likely to get lost.
Utilising the free access to the viewing platform is recommended. The view is quite spectacular, in a anthropogenically perverse way. At ground level, it's easy to forget you're stood in the world's largest metropolis. Going up the tower should remind you!
There's lots to see and do in this area of Tokyo, though most of it's underground (in the B1F areas of these huge buildings). Restaurants, coffee shops, retail shops, barbers... you name it! It's easy to miss the underground complexes with such monstrous distractions looming overhead.
Long summer evenings
in Blog
I fancied a change today. I blew the dust off my NEX-7 and took the excellent Cosina Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4 out for a spin. A change of focal length & camera is like changing your route to work; unfamiliar and rewarding.
Discovering new things because you're looking at the world differently, is what makes long summer evenings especially long when we're children. The life of an adult is full of responsibilities, such as going to work to pay the bills. Something as simple as changing the route to work every now and then, can make the entire experience more memorable. I've actually arrived in the office with no real recollection of my commute. It's automated by my subconscious to such a level that my conscious self only interjects when necessary. Living a conscious life is one thing (apparently) separating us from other animals, and zombies.
Anyway, I took my "old" camera out today, and wanted to get a few shots around Tokyo. I took quite a few, so I'll post my favourites over the next few days. Going back to my old camera was like putting on a pair of old shoes. After 5 minutes, I was back in the saddle, using the tri-navi controls to my advantage.
Summer evenings in Japan never feel long, but this one did.
Weaved
in Blog
It's far too easy to take for granted the cleanliness of the streets in Japan. At first it's quite shocking (obviously in a good way), but after a few years, complacency sets in. It's only after seeing streets in another major city, or if you make a really conscious effort, that you really notice it again.
EDIT: I discovered a shot I took in Ginza one Christmas, with a similar theme!
Almost level with the ground
in Blog
It's surprising to learn that the Japanese think of their islands as a small island cluster with limited land and resources. Of course, such sweeping statements cannot be applied to all Japanese people; no doubt there would be some debate over this rhetoric. Anyway, it's commonly accepted that there is little space in Japan, and that resources are limited. Both claims are, of course, subjective. Japan is a huge country. Japan's forest land area is 25.1 million hectares (approximately 70 percent of its entire surface area - source). 70% is trees, eh? England is only 7% forest! That's an order of magnitude more! Japan is three times larger (surface area) than England, but has only 2.5 times its population. I could spin all of these figures around to make it seem as though the Japanese were living incredibly inefficiently within their national boundaries, of course.
The fact of the matter is that Japan is far a more volatile place than England. I've simply chosen England as I am English. There are few countries in the world more comfortable to live in than England. Let's ignore politics, and focus on the natural and unbiased side of life. England doesn't have much in the way of mountains (more sweeping hills), and doesn't have volcanoes, tsunami, or large-scale earthquakes. Summer temperatures don't reach 41°C in the shade, and winter is wet (possibly snowy, with a day off work). Japan is volatile. If it weren't so nice here most of the time, no-one would live here. The odd natural disaster could be worth risking, for the chance to experience the beauty in between.
Nearly there | Nokia Lumia 920 | 0.3s f/2.0 ISO100
Anyway, I've been sidetracked. The point is, that Japan feels small. I went to the dentist last week and had an x-ray, in the smallest room I have ever been inside. I have larger coats. I am almost not joking, it was that small. Buildings go up, everywhere has a basement (my dental practice is underground), and everything is about 3/4 of the right size for me (I'm not complaining, just saying). This sense of smallness is compounded further by the minuscule gaps between buildings. What's most impressive, is that these apartment blocks (a mansion, in Japanese) are torn down and rebuild at an alarming rate. There are many reasons for this, but a key aspect is that the building is seen as a temporary thing that will need to be replaced periodically. The value of the land is much more important. It's pretty common for rental companies to completely tear down and rebuild their mansions every 20-30 years. This also happens in private property. For instance, if someone inherits the house their parents lived in, they tear it down and rebuild something on the land that's to their own liking more often than not (there are strong feelings about death in Japan).
The reason for this view of a building as a non-permanent structure, which goes against much of the Western thinking about buildings, and has a lot to do with the fact that Japan is a country that's very prone to natural disasters - earthquakes and typhoons in particular. Also, in the postwar period up until the 1970s-'80s a lot of apartments were built to quickly accommodate the baby-boomer generation, and were rather shoddily built. Pre-owned single family homes also deteriorate in value over time, because people prefer brand new houses over old ones. A pre-owned house is described with the same term as a pre-owned car: 中古 (chuuko) - 'middle old'. This attitude is slowly changing, but still persists. Just last year or so there was a news program on NHK about the merits of buying a pre-owned 'chuuko' house - cost, being more eco-friendly, etc.. indicating that doing such a thing was still considered to be unusual enough to have a program about it.
Whatever the current feeling is, this digger finished his job within the week, and completely levelled the apartment building. I wonder what'll spring up next...
41°C in the shade
in Blog
Tokyo reached 41°C today. 41°C in the shade, is arguably not something any sane person wants to tolerate for too long. The heat was so intense that cracks began to appear in the sky. A huge thunderstorm, like nothing I've seen before, passed directly overhead.
The apartment building next to us was struck, apartments opposite faced a similar fate (pictured above). Somewhere, Keio train line (our local) was struck, denying our escape. Trains are rarely late in Japan, but the entire line was suspended for safety checks following the strike.
We didn't complain.