Snowkyo

It was snowing last night in Tokyo town, a first for many of us.

Here is a view from my balcony with the Toden Arakawa tram going by

Oncenth Trio . Barrel House

C and I decided to head down to our nieghbouring bar and electronic mecca Ikebukuro. We where particularly in search of a live rock house called Barrel House which was hosting the Oncenth Trip and special Guess Hon (Guitarist) and Saga Yuki (Vocalist). We found it, walked in, sat at the bar and ordered a beer. The bar walls where lined with records and various posters of distant rock and blues idols such as John Lee Hooker and Jim Morrison. The audience of fifteen or so applauded the song that just came to an end, and by what we heard it was odd improv jazz ensemble. We where correct. Saga Yuki turned out to be seriously the most hyped up and whacky performer I have seen in a long time. She made all sorts of odd squeeling sounds that sort of worked and she sporadically used rattling toys as percussive accents. Each musician had strong talent and C and I where quite impressed with the Double Bass players solos. He went completely bananas at times. In the 'intermission' the band members seemed to be drawn to C and I, the only gaijins in the place, to say hello. We expressed our delight in thier entertaining performance so far. Yuki-San burst in greeted us with an explosive "hellllow!". What a lady. Soon, the band piped up again and played a few more tracks, more whacky than the first couple we heard. The encore performance is posted here. After the show, I purchased their CD and they all signed it. So cool. and we chatted a little more with the band members and received the details of their next gig. One of the highlights of the evening was when the bar owner (I assume) asked us in his best English "why Ikebukuro?". For those that know Tokyo, Ikebukuro is the black sheep of the satellite meccas of Tokyo (others being Shinjuku, Shibuya etc.). The countless backstreets of Ikebukuro are lined with pink salloons, whisky bars, darts bars, love hotels and alternative live houses. So seeing two gaijins in his bar must have seemed odd to him. We explained we lived within walking distance and he understood.

When our glasses where empty we stood up to say goodbye and the whole bar turned around to cheerfully wish us a safe journey home.Inspired by the owners odd question, we decided to do what did last time we where in Ikebukuro and that is scour the seediest streets looking for cool and interesting bars. It was a monday night of course and so we only found the seedy places so we headed home agreeing that Ikebukuro is underrated and that Barrel House is a great place.

Kyoto Bound . M&D day 7

It was time to travel South West to the cultural capital of Kyoto. We checked out of the Daiichi Hotel and headed onto the Yamanote line down to Tokyo station. The stunning 9:30 Hikari Shinkansen was quietly waiting for its passengers to board before it is shoots towards Kyoto at 300km/hr. We had time to grab a few snacks, take some snaps and get comfy. The 3 hour journey was pleasant and again Mum & Dad where genuinely impressed by a unique ‘Japanese’ experience. How can you not; world class land travel, delightedly courteous staff, views of snow covered mountains and of course delicious sandwiches. Despite the different social and economic contexts, Australia really does seem 10 years behind sometimes. We arrived at Kyoto station and our task was now to find the little Japanese house named Ojizoya we had rented for our stay. With a crumpled printed out map with directions, and with the help of the taxi rank man we arranged two cabs to successfully take us there. Maneuvering through a long and narrow residential street, the taxis were waved in by our Kyoto contact M who was waiting for us out the front of Ojizoya. The quaint house is best described as a long-standing townhouse with retrofitted discreet modern comforts. It is tucked down a narrow pathway off the street therefore it is not a pure Machiya style. Downstairs is the living areas comprising of kitchen, toilet, bathroom, meals/sitting, shower, and an entry foyer with a small desk. The meals and sitting room is sunken table with heating underneath. Upstairs is the main bedroom and small space for a futon for the third guest ie. me. Throughout the house the earthen wall finish, shoji screens, tatami, exposed timber framing and antique Japanese furniture exuded a somewhat genuine Japanese aesthetic. The steep staircase and small outdoor courtyard for clothes washing enforced the idea to mum and dad that this was something far from Australia. 

Our first destination after settling into the house was Shimogamo Shrine where the annual Kemari Hajime, a traditional ball game, was being staged. After getting our bearings, we hopped into the train and headed north, parallel to the Kamo-gawa (duck river). The walk to the shrine was engaging, and like Asakusa in Tokyo it was still heaving with people enjoying the New Year festivities. Food stalls lined the path to the main gate and upon entering a large and dense crowd had already gathered around the small playing field and finding a vantage point was impossible. Luckily where we stood happened to be where the players entered the arena. I could see a little of the game and it seemed to be hacky sackesque. After  few minutes bobbing up and down and holding the camera above my head shooting optimistically we then ventured through the rest of the temple complex, paused at the ceremonial bonfire and walked back to the station; by this point “flurries!” had begun to fall much to our amazement. Mum was giddy with excitement only to calm down once back in the underground train. Back in the center of town we decided to just wander around the bustling Kawaramachi dori shopping arcades during which we stopped for tea and refreshments at the Lipton teahouse. Later that evening we took a stroll down the majestic Pontocho restaurant and bar area and found a found a lovely tempura restaurant overlooking the Kamo-gawa.

From my last time I was in Kyoto (April, 2010)  I had quite the night involving two private karaoke parlors, many drunk Tokyo businessmen, liters of Asahi, a crazed magician and two Canadian female tourists…

In light of this, I was keen to hit the bar scene again and L and I had decided to meet up after dinner. I naively organized to meet up at Gion Shijo station, which happened to be a “business corner” for the ladies of the night. Oh boy…consequently I got many offers and witnessed just how casual the whole interaction is. I couldn’t help thinking that most of the men that quickly took the ladies arm in arm where regrettably married, depressed or lonely. Either way the “business” whatever it is seems to be openly accepted and not hidden from public view. L arrived and we briskly cleared the scene. Our first stop was a great blues bar which I went to last time in the Pontocho area. L had a G&T, I a beer and later a whisky. We left and headed to another close bar, which was honeycombe in colour and seemed to be built of heavy masonry. L had a beer and I another whisky. Our last stop of the evening was a tiny jazz bar at the top of a stairwell that was swelling with character; Records, gig posters, whisky bottles labeled with the local regular’s name, and all kinds of jazz and drinking paraphernalia lined the walls and ceiling.  After a couple of beers, we bid farewell and journeyed back on our newly adopted routes home. 

Hawks, Tea and Asakusa Pilgrims . M&D day 6

Starting early again, we jumped into a cab bound for Tsukiji fish market. L and I arranged for us to meet at the McDonalds on the corner near the entry, however I think google maps was a little confused but nonetheless we eventually located each other. As we approached the entry gate, a small congregation of people had gathered, distressed at the fact that there was no public visits allowed at all today. Oh well, roll on. The morning was crisp, and after observing Kisho Kurokawa’s  Nagakin Capsule tower our empty stomachs and chilled bodies found solace in ham and cheese toasties and coffee at a Tully’s franchise. L realised she needed to check out of her hotel so she bid adieu and rushed away. Next on the itinerary was to stroll through the Hamarikyu Gardens. Upon paying our entry fee the friendly ticket clerk pointed us in the direction of an annual hawking display about to begin. We found a comfortable viewing spot, read over the English flyer and waited patiently for the long announcements to end. Finally some action, and the Hawkers of a niche school lead by what seemed a very senior teacher showed their skill in choreographing the birds of prey to show their prowess. However one stubborn hawk decided chillin’ the tree was a much better idea. We watched for a while and then headed to the tea house on the lake for my parents first tea ceremony experience. They were humbled by the gardens beauty, delicious tea, red bean treat and the gentle and hospitable nature of the tea house personnel.  After chatting to some friendly locals, we put our shoes back on, made our way across the bridge and continued our discussion on the interesting nature of the pine trees in the garden. The Hamarikyu Garden poses an interesting and distinctly Metropolitan Japan garden setting of highly manicured landscape surrounded by tall and overwhelming structures of steel and glass. We then boarded the ferry for 40 minute cruise up the Sumida River. Now the Sumida River is no Teme or Grand Canal, it is banked by a swelling concrete landscape and rather charming stocky iron bridges of which there are 26. Tokyo in it’s Edo days was a large canal network as water travel was the best way to move around, and so the Sumida river is a branch of the larger Arakawa network which runs mainly under the cityscape we experience today. The view of the Tokyo landscape on the water allows for a refreshing foreground distance. Clear elevations of the buildings and layered infrastructure allow the passengers to comprehend the sheer mass and complexity of the Tokyo Megatropolis. 

We docked in at a heaving Asakusa. The New Year celebrations are in full swing, with hoards of people coming to bless in the New Year at the famous Buddhist Senso-ji temple. After lamenting Philippe Starck's Asahi Beer hall design and admiring the height of the Tokyo sky tree we headed through the Kaminarimon Gate towards the temple. The amount of people was something Mum had not experienced often and it was difficult to get into the many souvenir shops. It was a ‘pick a side and shuffle forward’ situation. The atmosphere was fantastic, people where happy, the sun was out, we were all experiencing something very foreign and festive. By the time we got to the Temple steps it was full scrum. Mum disappeared and Dad and I bustled our way through. We all threw our coins in the general direction everyone else was, and I then yanked mum out of the sardine jar and quickly existed the Temple. A bustling food market provided a well-deserved rest, delicious noodles, corn and Okonomiyake (Japanese omelet/pancake) of the epic persuasion.  We strolled through the interesting shops I bought a great pair Jika Tabi (Japanese work boots) and we eventually boarded the Ginza line back to Shinbashi chuffed by the day’s activities. 

A Day as big as Daibutsu . M&D day 5

The Imperial Palace in Tokyo is open to the public on only two occasions during the year; the 23^rd of December for the Emperor Akihito birthday and today, the 2^nd of January for the Imperial Family New year address. So we headed on the Yamanote line to Tokyo station, activated mum and dads japan rail pass and wandered towards the huge open expanse of the Imperial Palace grounds where thousands of people of all ages where gathering. The Emperor gives a number of addresses throughout the day and we were pleased that the enormous amount of people seemed to be moving consistently. So we were handed our paper flags of Japan and nestled into the que. After a few security checks we crossed the canal bridge and approached the mammoth walls of the East Gate. There was an odd buzz about the experience, nothing quite like any us had experienced before. We made our way through the interior grounds and found a fairly good viewing spot amongst the masses. Mum is vertically challenged in the Australian context however, here in Japan she seemed to be happy. The crowd waited not long for the Imperial family to come out into their bullet proof enclosure and all at once the national flag was flown by all…in an odd silence. The Imperial family seemed to be delighted (from where I was standing) with the scene before them, and after a minute or so the flags lowered and the Emperors gentle voiced graced everyone’s ears.  Surprisingly the speech was quite short however succinct in his wishes for those who suffered greatly from the great east Japan earthquake and prays that this year will be positive for all.

“There are great concerns for the people who are still going hardships from the disaster. As the rebuilding of the affected areas continue, it is my wish that this year will be a better year for each and every person of this nation” English Translation

After the speech was over we were all shuffled out to let the next crowd of well-wishers in. It was now only midday therefore I had a change of plans and decided we had just enough time to head to Kamakura for the afternoon. So we headed to Tokyo station and onto JR Yokosuka line. After sorting out the green car system we settled in for the pleasant south bound journey.  The train hostess’ politeness and well-drilled routine of turning to face the passengers and bowing before closing the carriage door really impressed us all. Worlds apart from the Melbourne ticket inspectors.

We arrived at Kita-Kamakura station and after ogling at the surrounds for a moment or so and sorting out our tickets we wandered down the road toward the beginning of our planned hike. The small scale and unique character of Kamakura could already be distinguished. Barely post-war homes lined the street that was void of a proper footpath and small shops where selling a range of knick knacks and handmade clothing accessories. We decided to grab lunch before we set-off and found cute restaurant which had interesting bean curries and omelets on the menu.  The pleasant waiter was proud to express that she made the crafty textile menu covers.  After our delicious meals we set off for the hike. I had been researching up on the trail for a few days as there are a few to choose from, keeping in mind Dad’s cumbersome knee. This was a great reference http://yamaonna.wordpress.com/2009/10/28/kamakura-daibutsu/

We paced ourselves from start to end, stopping to take in the peaceful environment at times and ogle at interesting properties. The trail runs on a long ridge from Kita-Kamkura Station ending at the famous giant Buddha Daibutsu, and is not a common thing to do when visiting Kamakura, therefore crossed paths with very few people: a peaceful change from this morning’s heaving Imperial Palace. The terrain was a little more undulating as what I had read and Dad was remaining optimistic however I identified his knee was bothering him. Mum well…she was a having a ball. We had fortunate weather and the setting sun was bathing the trail in a warm glow and by the time we finally reached the stunning Daibutsu we had just enough time to see it in full light. We took a rest then wandered slowly toward Hase station, popping into various small pottery, rice cracker and sweet shops. Night had well and truly fallen by the time we boarded the twin-carriage Enoshima Electric Railway to Kamakura station. We then again boarded the JR Yokosuka line back to Shinagawa Station. 

A close friend of mine from Melbourne had just arrived and we had arranged to catch up for dinner this-evening in Shinjuku. I thought it would be great to from quaint Kamakura to a throbbing Shinjuku to blast Mum and Dads senses. After some confusion about the meeting spot in Shinjuku (easily done), L and I were thrilled to see each other. So then Mum, Dad, L and I decided to have a DIY bbq feast at Don Don Yakiniku Restaurant Kabukicho. After a long stroll around the shady parts of Kabukicho (it is what it is at that time of the night) L and I then escorted Mum and Dad back to Shimbashi station via the Yamanote Line. L and I decided to make a dash to Beat Café in Shibuya for an hour so however it was closed so instead we chatted over a few beers at the downstairs gaijin speakeasy. We then parted ways to each catch the last train back to our respective hotels, however the damn Yamanote line terminated 4 stations of Shimabshi so I caught a cab the rest of the way. To wind down after another big day, I turned off the lights, slumped in the armchair and just stared out at the Tokyo landscape.