Terrific Tokyo

I wanted to go on a tour of Tokyo led by an English speaking guide. Well, I didn't think I needed reservations in advance. I just showed up at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Buildings in Shinjuku from which the tour was supposed to embark. Ah, what folly!

I have now discovered the Japanese are planners, and reservations are the way of the wise. Queries of, "Can you please look to see if there's an extra place on the tour since I don't have a reservation?" were met with bewildered looks. I was an amusing gaijin (foreigner.)

If I had only stopped at the visitors' centre earlier, I could have booked my space. If only I had taken advantage of the resources available, I probably could have made better use of my time, too. Therefore, I would suggest that you drop by here on the first day you arrive in Tokyo. They do speak English, and the staff here want to help you enjoy your stay.

What kind of help can you get?

Spreading a map across the counter, the lady helping us circled sections of the city that might spark interest. She also was happy to look up evening entertainment and call bath houses to see which were public. She suggested places to go at night and read the Sumo Wrestlers' schedule for us when we could make hide nor hair out of it.

(Unfortunately, the next Sumo match available the week we were in Tokyo was on the day we were flying home. If we'd been able to attend, however, I learned tickets started at $30+ with expense based on where you sat in the arena. Apparently the cheapest tickets are always sold same-day, but the are in the outer viewing ring.)

When you visit the Metropolitan buildings, you can also take advantage of a free tour of the assembly hall where the government meets. Perhaps more interesting, there are twin observatories to provide a view as far away as Mt. Fuji.

Also, I was happy to learn we were able to sign up for a cultural experience the afternoon we were in the Visitors' Center even though we hadn't planned ahead.

To promote Japanese culture, out of country visitors are invited to participate in any number of culture/craft classes that are provided for free. After signing up, we made silver rings with the same tools used by Japanese Master Craftsmen to make Tokyo Ginki or Tokyo Silverware. There was an Australian family making rings as well, and the kids really enjoyed the activity.

As for me, I am easy to please. I happily pounded on my silver band until it was ready to be passed onto the craftsman who polished it for me. This was a cool souvenir for me to take back to the US and remind me of my time in Tokyo.

Of course, I can't promise you will be able to make a ring as the schedule of such promotional events is fluid. Looking at a calendar, however, I saw that there were going to be classes on paper folding (origami), flowering arrangements (ikebana) and wood joinery (edo sashimono) in future. Each class had a daily limit for number of participants, so if such an adventure strikes you as appealing, ask if any are available and make reservations when you are in Shinjuku.

If you're concerned about time, the ring-making only took about 30 minutes, and we made more than a craft... it was a good memory to take home.

One of the nice things about the Tokyo National Museum is its location. There's a subway station right beside Uneo Park where the museum is housed. (The train station across the street offers a sky train to Narita airport.) While just being a pleasant place to walk, Uneo Park has lots of attractions on offer. If you're traveling with kids, for instance, you might want to check out the zoo here or the National Science Museum which has a gigantic statue of a whale swimming out front.

The Tokyo National Museum contains the world's largest collection of Japanese art. It is a lovely complex at the end of one park with several buildings. Pressed for time because we had a plane to catch, we chose to view the Hon-kan, which is the central building. Here we got a great overview of Japanese art from different centuries. We learned about Japanese lacquer ware (It's made from the SAP of an Asian lacquer tree!!!), kimonos, swords, costumes, and paintings. There are captions in English, which definitely helps, and the museum has a sensible lay-out that is easy for viewing. Open every day except Monday, entry here is an exceptionally reasonable $5.

Additionally, if you don't mind taking a little bit of a walk-about, you can go beyond the park and visit the Asakusa section of Tokyo, which contains the Senso-ji Temple (founded in the 7th century) with its giant red lantern and bustling marketplace. I also greatly enjoyed seeing this. In one of the stores between the park and Senso-ji, I found a funky flower ring mounted on silver that I bought for $10 to take home as a souvenir. In fact, I would recommend you take a whole day to see Uneo and Asakusa, wandering through whichever museums suit your fancy, and taking in the atmosphere.

The name of the Yasukuni Shrine translates into "for the repose of the country." Founded in 1869, it is the resting place for all of Japan's warriors who died in wars from then on.

Now, I don't think my grandfather who fought in the Pacific Theatre in WWII would have appreciated my visiting this place. I'd imagine he would have at the least been very uncomfortable. The Shinto shrine is, actually, a point of contention even within the country of Japan itself. It is always controversial when politicians visit here, and the rising administration just voted into power will have to address Yasukini as well... whether or not any party leaders will ever pay homage to those 2.5 million soldiers who rest here. After all General Tojo, a convicted war criminal, has his ashes enshrined here as well. Even as people remember with pride and love THEIR grandfathers who may have also ended up in Yasukini, the shrine seems to be an open wound for the country.

Anyway, we walked through the peaceful path lines with pretty trees and came to the museum on the grounds. Unfortunately, it was closing, so we could not wander the exhibits. We were allowed into the main gallery where a Zero plane had been restored. These made up a dreaded air-fleet that hunted enemies with precision from aircraft carriers at sea.

Back outside, we read a tribute to Dr. Radha binod Pal, a judge from India who is revered in Japan because he supposedly was more fair-minded than others at the International Military Tribunal.

The Chief Priest of Yasukuni Jinja notes in a letter by the judge's picture, "With, as the concluding part of his judgement foresaw, the Allies' craze for retaliation cooling down and the biased outlook on history being corrected, the insightful view presented by Dr. Pal has now gained recognition which it should deserve in the academic circle of international law."

Now, I am a student of history, and I do not think the Allies were ever crazy for retaliation. Rather they wished for justice, and they learned from WWI. I might humbly observe they did not hold conquered nations on their knees. Instead the Allies rebuilt the countries of those who were enemies... worked to make them friends.

That said, it was interesting to see this monument to Dr. Pal. I did wonder about what we had missed in the rest of the museum. It is a difficult thing... history, national pride, and war.

After seeing what we could, we walked across the street to Kitanomaru-koen Park. Judo competitions were held in Budokan Hall here during the 1964 Olympics. Additionally, there are a few other museums on the park's grounds: the crafts gallery, a science museum, and a museum of modern art. All were closed due to the late hour, but we enjoyed walking through the park anyway.

A short walk from Tsukiji Fish Market is the Hama Rikyu Garden. After almost being run over by the speeding carts in the market, getting jostled while going down aisles full of people, being overwhelmed by frenetic energy, I wanted a moment to renew my feeling of Zen.

Entry into Hama Rikyu is around $3, but I was happy to find green space in the city. Upon entry, I was given an information sheet in English that explained the garden used to be a Shogun's hunting grounds. Apparently it was stocked with ducks. I also read in my guidebook that the garden is good to see from the water, and I discovered you can catch a water taxi from here if you so desire.

Wandering on paths by flowers, I came across a place to have a traditional tea. This was the highlight of the park for me. Following a pair of Japanese ladies, I copied them at the front of the tea house by taking off my shoes and putting them on a shelf. I was escorted into the room where I tucked my legs beneath me and ordered tea. The kind attendant handed me an instruction sheet in English so I would know the appropriate way to take my tea. Served in a lacquer dish with a small flower like candy to one side, my tea was green. Reading my instruction sheet, I carefully followed proper procedure, occasionally stealing glances in the direction of the Japanese ladies just to make certain I understood.

Now, I gotta tell ya. I didn't find either the lotus flower candy/cookie nor the tea all that tasty, but I finished all on my trey anyway because I understand politeness is at a major premium in Japan. Plus it was an experience.

Afterwards, I continued my walk by the pretty lake, the skyscrapers of Tokyo looming over the park, before plunging back into the city.

While I got a glimpse of a giant tuna being whizzed away on the back of a buyer's cart, I did not see the famous tuna auctions that take place in the wee morning hours at the Tsukiji Fish Market. No matter. My senses were pretty overwhelmed anyway.

The fish market is located by the bay. When I got to it around 6 AM, I was glad I had already had a cup of coffee. You have to keep alert in this area, or you'll get run over. This is a place of serious commerce, and the fish sellers/buyers ride carts at fast speeds up and down the aisles.

In truth, when you first get to this area, it's hard to see it's a fish market. It certainly doesn't smell all that fishy. To one end, produce is what is being sold. Closer to the water, you'll find fish but don't expect it to be laid out flopping on the concrete floors. Rather the fish is in Styrofoam cases, ready to be bought and carted away by restaurants. If you walk up and down some of the stall aisles by the fish market, you will see fish so fresh it's still swimming in buckets of water, but this isn't what I found directly in the midst of the market chaos.

The thing you really want to do here is not sight-see. It's to hop into a line at the concrete buildings with numbers on them that you'll see towards the back of the market, not near the water but closer to the street. Here you'll have a very Japanese breakfast. Some of the waits are long outside the most popular stalls, but I am not so picky. I ate at the fish market twice and chose shorter lines. The first day, I had sashimi served over a bowl of rice. The second day I had a trey of sushi. While both were good, I'd recommend the sushi place as the better option. Located in building 6, it was called Ya Ma Za Ki. Granted, the pictographs are what appear above doorways, so look at my pictures to figure out how to match up the Japanese characters and find the appropriate stall.

After you have had your fill of fish, walk through the aisles of vendors and perhaps pick up a ceramic dish to take home. (I bought two!) Then go to a quieter place for your next adventure, Hama Rikyu Teien, a traditional Japanese garden that is only a short walk away.

The Tokyo subway system might look intimidating, but it's very efficient and easy to use. The trick is taking a deep breath and finding the English map.

When you approach the subway station, you will see the lines displayed above the machines from which you buy your tickets. What you need to do is count the stops you need to go. There will be a number circled above the stop. This is the fare required to travel to that station. For example, if you go from Shibuyu Station to Uneo Station, it costs 190 Yen. When you buy the ticket, you'll see this option displayed on the screen. You insert your money and press the 190 button. Easy peasy! Also, like when using the Underground in London, keep your ticket for entry into the subway and for exit out.

If you're going to use the subway a lot on any given day, choose an all day pass, which will set you back about $10. This can be a great deal. Keep in mind, you won't be able to use a subway pass on the JR line, but even if you have to purchase a JR ticket or two, you'll probably come out ahead.

On most trains, there are announcements in Japanese AND English. There are also either running digital displays that flash the names of the stops in Japanese pictographs PLUS English writing, OR there's a display of the line over the doors that will show you where you are by turning on a light beneath each stop as you arrive at it.

I met two New Yorkers during my travels, and we hung out for a few hours. They told me they thought the system was a little more complicated at first glance from the subways in New York City. However, we all agreed that once you got the hang of it, the Tokyo system is very robust and a great way to travel.

How about other options?

I will say I did not use the buses at all in Tokyo, but I did use them in Kyoto. I found them to be a much bigger challenge. Why? Announcements weren't in English. If there was a digital sign in the bus, it only flashed the Japanese pictographs, no English. I didn't have an English map at first, and this was a disaster. The Tokyo subway was definitely a lot easier to use than that!!! (Of course, if you go to Kyoto, just be smarter than me and get an English map from the get go.) I would assume the buses in Tokyo are similar to Kyoto. Anyway, I can't imagine you needing to catch a bus.

I never used a cab, but the aforementioned New Yorkers did. They said it was easy though---like in all big cities---a good deal more expensive than other transport. At certain times of day, you're paying for comfort. Beware, however. Cars don't always move faster than trains!!! If you DO take a taxi, the meter starts with a base rate around $7 and then ticks up according to distance traveled plus time sitting in traffic.

By far, the thing you'll do the MOST is WALK. While I also managed to get lost a few times on foot, I would always eventually run across a sign for a tourist attraction that had English writing as well as Japanese pictographs to point me back in the right direction. If I just stood there looking especially out of sorts, I found a kind Japanese person would inevitably stop and offer help in English.... normally businessmen in suits. In fact, whenever I asked anyone for help, they tried to oblige me even if there was a language barrier. Here my phrase book was handy. And I carried a pen and extra paper in my purse so that I could ask for a drawn map or a picture of the appropriate pictograph. This worked well.

I hope that I am as kind to and patient with foreigners as the people in Japan were to me.

The Cerulean Tower is a nice, Western style hotel in the Shibuya district of Tokyo. Our room was plenty big enough for two with a fantastic view. Internet access was a necessity, and we had no problems getting connected.

The bathroom was small, but I loved how a giant rectangle in the mirror wouldn't fog up after a steamy shower. (For me, it's all about the comfort details.) The toilets are funny in Japan as well. While you'll run across the traditional squat variety while touring around the city, the Cerulean offers a Western throne to guests. However, when you take a seat, gurgling sounds erupt beneath you to mask any embarrassing sounds that you might emanate. It was kinda funny. Additionally, there's something space-age about all the buttons you'll find to activate the bidet or to heat up your toilet seat. Who knew going to the bathroom can be an experience???

All of the expected hotel amenities were to be had at the Cerulean including a pool and gym though I must admit I neglected my body completely and did not exercise on this vacation. The Tower Bar at the top of the hotel is worth a look even if you don't want to pay $20 for a glass of wine to drink.

The concierge services here are fabulous. You'll have no problems getting directions in English. The staff is very helpful and exceptionally courteous. I could find no fault with anyone.

I also found it convenient to have a 7-11 located to the side of the hotel up the escalator. When I didn't want the $5 bag of pretzels from my mini-bar, it was good to be able to pop into the convenience store and pick up a seaweed salad or granola bars.

All of this said, the BEST feature of the Cerulean is its location. It's a very short walk to Shibuya Square and the subway/train station. Not only are you in the thick of restaurants, shopping, and entertainment, you have quick access to the rest of Tokyo. This was fantastic.

The Cerulean isn't cheap, but I'd highly suggest it for a comfortable stay in the city.