The overview of the trip was thus: My parents arrived in Narita, Japan on Saturday May 24 and stayed the night in a nearby hotel. On Sunday they followed my footsteps in taking a shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo to Akita city. They stayed in the Akita area until Wednesday, when they made a trip back to Narita. Thursday they toured some of Narita while I made my own trip down to the city. On Friday we all headed into Tokyo for the day. Saturday we returned to our respective homes: my parents to the states, and I to AIU.
Sunday, May 25
I met my parents just outside the ticket gate at Akita-eki (Akita Train Station) at 2:00pm. It was a gray day, and was supposed to rain a little in the evening (it actually didn't rain until the next day). After some excited greetings and exchanges, I walked them to Comfort Hotel, a Comfort Inn in the city that was about five minute's walk from Akita-eki. As we walked I talked a bit about the station and the city, and asked about their days traveling to Japan and then to Akita. It was funny to hear things about the travels that I already had gone through and am still dealing with (The shinkansen was great but there was hardly any luggage space! The ticket stubs confused us and we had to have help at almost every ticket gate! It's cold in Akita!) I also gave them quick quizzes with the Japanese prices to make sure they could do the exchange easily (which wasn't hard, since it's about 100 yen to the dollar).
During check in the receptionist asked if we wanted two rooms and we replied we only needed one. She seemed a bit puzzled, and since she didn't speak English all that well, I told her in Japanese that these were my parents, and that I was an international student at AIU (which isn't that hard).
For those of you wanting a taste of how this is said in Japanese, I will write it out in romaji: Chi chi-to ha ha desu. Watashi-wa Akita Kokusai Kyouyou Daigaku-no ryuugakusei desu.
My mother was completely floored when she heard me spout out this phrase in Japanese. I told her it wasn't anything, really, and that in two months I better be able to say something, ha ha. Anyway, the rooms weren't quite ready yet, so we dropped off their luggage and I walked them to a nearby sushi restaurant which I like. Like many sushi restaurants, this one featured a long conveyor belt with small plates of sushi that ran around a long counter, with the chefs in the middle making the sushi in front of you. The type of plate the sushi was on indicated the price of the dish (starting at 125 yen - about $1.25 - and going all the way up to 1500 yen per plate). I chose this place because I wanted my parents to try some sushi, but if they didn't like it they didn't have to eat a lot and we could go whenever we wanted. I started them off easy with shrimp and egg, and then moved on to actually raw stuff like salmon and tuna. They did their best to try to eat with chopsticks, with mixed results, ha ha. Though my mom was very reluctant to try the raw tuna and salmon, she eventually took a risk and tried it, for which I was very proud. After we had eaten our fill I called the waitress over, who then printed out our bill using a hand-held machine that she placed over the stacks of sushi and which then tabulated the total by reading a computer chip that was inside each plate. It was pretty cool. The best part of a sushi lunch is that afterwards, you feel full, light, and healthy. We walked a bit more briskly back to the hotel to finish unpacking.
Once in their room, my parents gave me some things which they had brought for me, which included a "care package" put together by my brothers (American candy!), money both from my own bank account and some gift money from both my parents and David (I was upset about David sending me money, but whatever), and other things. After freshening up and getting settled, I then took them further down town to visit Senshu-kouen (Senshu park, see albums on the sidebar for pictures of previous trips). It was still very cloudy and gray outside, but at least it didn't rain. We walked leisurely around the large park and I pointed out all of the cherry trees that were now full with green foliage but which had a month ago been huge explosions of snow-white sakura (see album on the right). I also took them to one of the smaller Shinto shrines within the park and gave them a quick Shinto/Shrine 101. We also stopped by the guard tower in the northwest corner of the park to see the small museum inside and to get a nice panoramic view of the city from the balcony on the top of the tower.
Afterwards I walked them back to the train station to see the enormous souvenir shop that they had there. I showed them many of the souvenirs that were iconic of either Japan or Akita specifically, including the namahage (special red and blue demons that are part of the Namahage Matsuri which is a special festival that is unique the the northern Tohoku region of Japan), Akita lacquerware, famous Akita silver, as well as the most famous Akita food, kiritanpo which is cooked rice that is rolled over a bamboo stick, cooked over charcoal and basted in a soy and meat sauce. After looking around and talking about souvenir ideas, we headed back to the hotel to freshen up before dinner.
For dinner, my friend Naomi suggested a "Western" style bar/restaurant combo called Aoitori which means "blue bird." I had the phone number and address printed with me, and we were able to take a cab to the restaurant, which was on the third floor of an old house that had been converted into a three restaurants, one on each floor. Naomi had already told a friend of her who works there that we would be coming tonight, and he met us at the door. He was a fellow AIU student, a fourth year Japanese student, and he spoke really good English. He was super nice and a really attentive waiter. He recommended the basic course set, which included many dishes prepared fresh and already decided for the day. We all ordered the basic set, and my parents got some wine as well. The restaurant was really cool. It featured a small bar and many small tables around the room. It was decorated with really eclectic furniture, posters, books, figurines and other paraphernalia. I felt like I was back in Ithaca, and my parents echoed the sentiment. The food that came that night was nothing short of superb. There were a total of six or seven dishes, most of them "western style" and included the following: 1) enormous green bean-like vegetables (they were almost the size of my forearm) with three large beans inside which you garnished with salt; 2) western cheeses and vegetables (tomato, broccoli, carrot) with a delicious sweet vinegar dressing; 3) chicken wings and drumsticks baked in a spicy herb marinade; 4) a large platter of thin, sliced cooked ham with a spicy mustard sauce and sauerkraut, topped with potato salad; 5) a large bowl of fresh salad with an oil and vinegar dressing garnished with tons of squid and fish sashimi (that's raw fish without rice), and 6) penne pasta in a spicy tomato sauce with some grated Parmesan cheese and bits of cooked ham. It was the best dinner we had all week, and at about $17 for food, it was a good deal. My dad totally embarrassed me when he tried to tip our very kind waiter, even though I told him before I left for Japan, in an e-mail before he came to Japan, and at dinner before we paid the bill that it is not customary in Japan to tip people (and can be slightly offensive). It was doubly embarrassing for me considering I would have to deal with seeing him again at AIU and feel responsible, ha ha. But it turned out fine. We took a cab back to the hotel, where we finished up exchanging stories, gifts, and the like. I returned to campus for the evening and called it an early night.
The last two dishes at Aoitori (blue bird). The left over sashimi salad is on the right, and the final dish of penne pasta is on the left. Oishi katta desu yo! (It was delicious!)
During check in the receptionist asked if we wanted two rooms and we replied we only needed one. She seemed a bit puzzled, and since she didn't speak English all that well, I told her in Japanese that these were my parents, and that I was an international student at AIU (which isn't that hard).
For those of you wanting a taste of how this is said in Japanese, I will write it out in romaji: Chi chi-to ha ha desu. Watashi-wa Akita Kokusai Kyouyou Daigaku-no ryuugakusei desu.
My mother was completely floored when she heard me spout out this phrase in Japanese. I told her it wasn't anything, really, and that in two months I better be able to say something, ha ha. Anyway, the rooms weren't quite ready yet, so we dropped off their luggage and I walked them to a nearby sushi restaurant which I like. Like many sushi restaurants, this one featured a long conveyor belt with small plates of sushi that ran around a long counter, with the chefs in the middle making the sushi in front of you. The type of plate the sushi was on indicated the price of the dish (starting at 125 yen - about $1.25 - and going all the way up to 1500 yen per plate). I chose this place because I wanted my parents to try some sushi, but if they didn't like it they didn't have to eat a lot and we could go whenever we wanted. I started them off easy with shrimp and egg, and then moved on to actually raw stuff like salmon and tuna. They did their best to try to eat with chopsticks, with mixed results, ha ha. Though my mom was very reluctant to try the raw tuna and salmon, she eventually took a risk and tried it, for which I was very proud. After we had eaten our fill I called the waitress over, who then printed out our bill using a hand-held machine that she placed over the stacks of sushi and which then tabulated the total by reading a computer chip that was inside each plate. It was pretty cool. The best part of a sushi lunch is that afterwards, you feel full, light, and healthy. We walked a bit more briskly back to the hotel to finish unpacking.
Once in their room, my parents gave me some things which they had brought for me, which included a "care package" put together by my brothers (American candy!), money both from my own bank account and some gift money from both my parents and David (I was upset about David sending me money, but whatever), and other things. After freshening up and getting settled, I then took them further down town to visit Senshu-kouen (Senshu park, see albums on the sidebar for pictures of previous trips). It was still very cloudy and gray outside, but at least it didn't rain. We walked leisurely around the large park and I pointed out all of the cherry trees that were now full with green foliage but which had a month ago been huge explosions of snow-white sakura (see album on the right). I also took them to one of the smaller Shinto shrines within the park and gave them a quick Shinto/Shrine 101. We also stopped by the guard tower in the northwest corner of the park to see the small museum inside and to get a nice panoramic view of the city from the balcony on the top of the tower.
Afterwards I walked them back to the train station to see the enormous souvenir shop that they had there. I showed them many of the souvenirs that were iconic of either Japan or Akita specifically, including the namahage (special red and blue demons that are part of the Namahage Matsuri which is a special festival that is unique the the northern Tohoku region of Japan), Akita lacquerware, famous Akita silver, as well as the most famous Akita food, kiritanpo which is cooked rice that is rolled over a bamboo stick, cooked over charcoal and basted in a soy and meat sauce. After looking around and talking about souvenir ideas, we headed back to the hotel to freshen up before dinner.
For dinner, my friend Naomi suggested a "Western" style bar/restaurant combo called Aoitori which means "blue bird." I had the phone number and address printed with me, and we were able to take a cab to the restaurant, which was on the third floor of an old house that had been converted into a three restaurants, one on each floor. Naomi had already told a friend of her who works there that we would be coming tonight, and he met us at the door. He was a fellow AIU student, a fourth year Japanese student, and he spoke really good English. He was super nice and a really attentive waiter. He recommended the basic course set, which included many dishes prepared fresh and already decided for the day. We all ordered the basic set, and my parents got some wine as well. The restaurant was really cool. It featured a small bar and many small tables around the room. It was decorated with really eclectic furniture, posters, books, figurines and other paraphernalia. I felt like I was back in Ithaca, and my parents echoed the sentiment. The food that came that night was nothing short of superb. There were a total of six or seven dishes, most of them "western style" and included the following: 1) enormous green bean-like vegetables (they were almost the size of my forearm) with three large beans inside which you garnished with salt; 2) western cheeses and vegetables (tomato, broccoli, carrot) with a delicious sweet vinegar dressing; 3) chicken wings and drumsticks baked in a spicy herb marinade; 4) a large platter of thin, sliced cooked ham with a spicy mustard sauce and sauerkraut, topped with potato salad; 5) a large bowl of fresh salad with an oil and vinegar dressing garnished with tons of squid and fish sashimi (that's raw fish without rice), and 6) penne pasta in a spicy tomato sauce with some grated Parmesan cheese and bits of cooked ham. It was the best dinner we had all week, and at about $17 for food, it was a good deal. My dad totally embarrassed me when he tried to tip our very kind waiter, even though I told him before I left for Japan, in an e-mail before he came to Japan, and at dinner before we paid the bill that it is not customary in Japan to tip people (and can be slightly offensive). It was doubly embarrassing for me considering I would have to deal with seeing him again at AIU and feel responsible, ha ha. But it turned out fine. We took a cab back to the hotel, where we finished up exchanging stories, gifts, and the like. I returned to campus for the evening and called it an early night.
The last two dishes at Aoitori (blue bird). The left over sashimi salad is on the right, and the final dish of penne pasta is on the left. Oishi katta desu yo! (It was delicious!)Monday, May 26
Today was an early day for me, as I was meeting my parents at Akita-eki around 7:45am. This was mainly so I could guide them back to the AIU campus without worrying about them catching the wrong train. We arrived on campus around 8:45, at which point I gave them a short tour of the campus, reserving the library for last (it's really awesome). They were of course tickled to death about how small the campus was, but really did like the Library and some other campus features. As we walked around I stopped into the Administrative building to say hello to some of the people there who have been helping me with various tasks and through orientation; mom was especially happy to meet these kind and friendly folk. We ran into some of my friends as well, which gave me an opportunity to practice my Japanese introductions. Around 9:55, we headed to the only class I have on Monday, which is Japanese language class from 10:00 to 11:50am. My teacher, Konishi-sensei (sensei means teacher, tutor, instructor, professor, etc) had invited my parents to class when I first mentioned they would be visiting Japan. My parents sat in for the first hour of class, and seemed to enjoy it, though you can only enjoy a language you are unfamiliar with so much. Konishi-sensei had my classmates practice their self introductions, and I acted as an interpretor. It was fun. After the first hour, there is a ten minute break, during which time my parents chatted with Konishi-sensei as the rest of us got something to drink at a vending machine. For the next hour of class, my parents walked around campus on their own so they could take pictures and video footage.
After class, I invited my classmates to join us in the College Cafe, a small cafeteria that is not part of the meal plan but which serves much more tasty food, including burgers, wraps, and the like. Three of my friends did join us for lunch, and we had a pleasant hour of food and conversation, centered largely around interesting (and sometimes aggravating) Japanese idiosyncrasies and characteristics. My friends also talked a bit about themselves, where they came from and what they planned on doing with their lives. All in all, the usual conversation topics. My friends seemed to enjoy my parent's company, and my parents definitely enjoyed meeting some of my friends. After chatting it up, we headed back to my room so I could show them my more immediate living arrangements, and so I could pass over items that I didn't need any more and which I wanted them to bring back home for me. On the way to my room we ran into Naomi's friend who had waited on us the night before. We repeated our thanks and appreciation for his service and for the delicious food we had eaten the night before. I also took him aside for a moment and apologized about my dad trying so hard to give him a tip the night before, but he told me not to worry about it.
By this point it had already rained once for about twenty minutes, and looked like it might continue to be on and off for the rest of the day. Despite this, I wanted to try and show them some of the sports complex first hand, so during a lull we walked across the street and I walked them through some of the first fields, talking about the different services the complex offered. By the time we got to the main entrance, however (about five minutes of walking) it began to rain again, so we took shelter in the main office. After the rain died down again, we decided not to risk getting drenched and so headed back to campus. Originally, if the weather had been nice I would have liked to take them on a walk down to Wada station so they could see the Akita landscape, and so we could visit a traditional Japanese graveyard and large Shrine complex. As it was, it was pretty dismal weather, so we decided that I would bring them to Wada via bus, and get them on their way back to the city. We would meet for dinner later that night.
My friend Naomi (the same Naomi who had suggested Aoitorino for the previous night's dinner) has a car and she picked me and Conny (another friend, she's from Germany) up at Komachi Hall and drove us downtown to pick up my parents. My parents in tow, we then headed into the restaurant/bar/pleasure district of town to experience an authentic if slightly fancy Japanese restaurant called Kamakuraya. Naomi is a native Japanese who spent last academic year at Ithaca college, and I was relying on her to translate the menu for us and offer suggestions of good Japanese food. The dishes were for the most part small finger-dishes, with some larger dishes available as well. I let Naomi order for us, giving her general ideas of what my parents would probably want (chicken and pork, yes; raw fish and tofu, no). We had a great time, and Naomi and Conny really enjoyed my parents, who likewise really liked Naomi and Conny. My parents opted not to go for more raw fish this time, and my dad tried some sake (traditional Japanese rice wine, often served warm), though I could tell he didn't like it. After almost two hours, we finally dropped my parents off at their hotel, and Naomi drove the rest of us back to campus. Dinner was around 7:30pm, but we didn't return to campus till 11:00. All in all, a great day.
The whole gang of us at Kamakuraya. From left to right: Me, Dad, Mom, Conny, and Naomi.
After class, I invited my classmates to join us in the College Cafe, a small cafeteria that is not part of the meal plan but which serves much more tasty food, including burgers, wraps, and the like. Three of my friends did join us for lunch, and we had a pleasant hour of food and conversation, centered largely around interesting (and sometimes aggravating) Japanese idiosyncrasies and characteristics. My friends also talked a bit about themselves, where they came from and what they planned on doing with their lives. All in all, the usual conversation topics. My friends seemed to enjoy my parent's company, and my parents definitely enjoyed meeting some of my friends. After chatting it up, we headed back to my room so I could show them my more immediate living arrangements, and so I could pass over items that I didn't need any more and which I wanted them to bring back home for me. On the way to my room we ran into Naomi's friend who had waited on us the night before. We repeated our thanks and appreciation for his service and for the delicious food we had eaten the night before. I also took him aside for a moment and apologized about my dad trying so hard to give him a tip the night before, but he told me not to worry about it.
By this point it had already rained once for about twenty minutes, and looked like it might continue to be on and off for the rest of the day. Despite this, I wanted to try and show them some of the sports complex first hand, so during a lull we walked across the street and I walked them through some of the first fields, talking about the different services the complex offered. By the time we got to the main entrance, however (about five minutes of walking) it began to rain again, so we took shelter in the main office. After the rain died down again, we decided not to risk getting drenched and so headed back to campus. Originally, if the weather had been nice I would have liked to take them on a walk down to Wada station so they could see the Akita landscape, and so we could visit a traditional Japanese graveyard and large Shrine complex. As it was, it was pretty dismal weather, so we decided that I would bring them to Wada via bus, and get them on their way back to the city. We would meet for dinner later that night.
My friend Naomi (the same Naomi who had suggested Aoitorino for the previous night's dinner) has a car and she picked me and Conny (another friend, she's from Germany) up at Komachi Hall and drove us downtown to pick up my parents. My parents in tow, we then headed into the restaurant/bar/pleasure district of town to experience an authentic if slightly fancy Japanese restaurant called Kamakuraya. Naomi is a native Japanese who spent last academic year at Ithaca college, and I was relying on her to translate the menu for us and offer suggestions of good Japanese food. The dishes were for the most part small finger-dishes, with some larger dishes available as well. I let Naomi order for us, giving her general ideas of what my parents would probably want (chicken and pork, yes; raw fish and tofu, no). We had a great time, and Naomi and Conny really enjoyed my parents, who likewise really liked Naomi and Conny. My parents opted not to go for more raw fish this time, and my dad tried some sake (traditional Japanese rice wine, often served warm), though I could tell he didn't like it. After almost two hours, we finally dropped my parents off at their hotel, and Naomi drove the rest of us back to campus. Dinner was around 7:30pm, but we didn't return to campus till 11:00. All in all, a great day.
The whole gang of us at Kamakuraya. From left to right: Me, Dad, Mom, Conny, and Naomi.
Tuesday, May 27
Tuesdays I have a lot of classes during the day. Because of this, I let my parents have this day as a free day to do whatever they wanted; relax in the hotel, explore the city somewhat, whatever. This also happened to be the only day of the week when the sun came out for a couple of hours and it was actually pretty nice outside. For the rest of the week, it was gray, overcast and/or rainy, and chilly, even in Tokyo (which is ironic, considering that the word for "Japan" in Japanese is nihon, land (or origin) of the sun).
After my classes were over, I took the first bus that I could to Wada-eki, and met my parents at their hotel around 7:30pm. For dinner tonight, I decided I would take them to the same yakitori (grilled chicken) restaurant that I went to on my first night out in the city (see my April 27 post, as well as the Akita-shi Excursion album on the right). I chose this place because it was small, cute, and most importantly, distinctly Japanese. It was a restaurant that my parents would never be able to enjoy in Japan on their own.
I was a little nervous because it meant I was going to have to put my very limited Japanese skills to the test in trying to read the menu (all in Japanese with very limited pictures) and communicate what we want to the waiting staff. It ended up working just fine though, as the head chef who was cooking in the center area right next to our table took care of us; he knew some English and he obviously remembered me from my last visit to the place. Between our limited language skills we were able to do just fine, and my parents enjoyed the opportunity to experience an atmosphere that was much more Japanese. The food was greasy, fatty and delicious. It was a nice way to end the day.
After dinner we headed back to the hotel, where we said our goodbyes until Thursday, when I would meet them in Narita. I think that all in all, my parents did enjoy Akita, despite it being much less exciting than Tokyo. I am most of all glad that they had the opportunity to visit the campus and meet my friends at school.
After my classes were over, I took the first bus that I could to Wada-eki, and met my parents at their hotel around 7:30pm. For dinner tonight, I decided I would take them to the same yakitori (grilled chicken) restaurant that I went to on my first night out in the city (see my April 27 post, as well as the Akita-shi Excursion album on the right). I chose this place because it was small, cute, and most importantly, distinctly Japanese. It was a restaurant that my parents would never be able to enjoy in Japan on their own.
I was a little nervous because it meant I was going to have to put my very limited Japanese skills to the test in trying to read the menu (all in Japanese with very limited pictures) and communicate what we want to the waiting staff. It ended up working just fine though, as the head chef who was cooking in the center area right next to our table took care of us; he knew some English and he obviously remembered me from my last visit to the place. Between our limited language skills we were able to do just fine, and my parents enjoyed the opportunity to experience an atmosphere that was much more Japanese. The food was greasy, fatty and delicious. It was a nice way to end the day.
After dinner we headed back to the hotel, where we said our goodbyes until Thursday, when I would meet them in Narita. I think that all in all, my parents did enjoy Akita, despite it being much less exciting than Tokyo. I am most of all glad that they had the opportunity to visit the campus and meet my friends at school.
Wednesday, May 28
On Wednesday my parents took a shinkansen back to Tokyo and then to Narita area, where they would be staying at the Narita Hilton. My cousin (my father's niece) works for Continental Airlines and was able to get them (and me) really cheap hotel rates at the Narita Hilton. I spent the day preparing for my own trip to Tokyo the next day. Not much to tell here.
Thursday, May 29
On Thursday my parents spent the day looking around Narita. They spent a while visiting the famed Narita-san Shinshou-ji, an enormous Shingon sect Buddhist Temple. I, on the other hand, had classes during the day and then hopped on my own shinkansen in the afternoon, meeting them at the hotel in Narita late in the evening (around 9:00pm). The Hilton was very nice, and when we checked in the guy at the reception desk was really impressed with my Japanese pronunciation. I still think my language skills are lacking, though even I was impressed by the end of the week with how much I was able to communicate with limited language skills. Nothing very exciting happened on Thursday either, as it was mainly my checking in, planning our day in Tokyo, and then sleeping. However, while I was in the Akita train station, I decided to buy my parents something because this year is their 25th Wedding Anniversary (on June 11). They had originally thought of going to Hawaii for their anniversary, but since I was in Japan they decided to visit me instead. Since the 25th anniversary is the "silver" anniversary, I wanted to get them some authentic Akita silver. I ended up buying a long, oval silver disk about the length of my hand which had engraved in gold a scene from the famed Akita Kanto festival, with festival goers hoisting the long poles of lanterns on their head and shoulders which this festival (only in Akita) is famous for. It was a uniquely Akita kind of gift, and I presented it to my parents when I arrived at the hotel, to much surprise and delight. Below is a scene from the annual Kanto festival, featuring the large poles filled with lanterns intended to emulate rice stalks:
Friday, May 30
Friday was our day in Tokyo, and it was a lot of fun. My only complaint is that my parents had gotten the hotel in Narita, which is conveniently located very close to the airport, but inconveniently located 80km away from Tokyo (at least an hour of traveling on an Express Train, which goes pretty fast as it is). We headed to Narita Train Station to grab a train to Tokyo. I was in a hurry because I wanted to get to Tokyo as soon as possible so we could see as much as possible, however, at the station I found that there wasn't a convenient information center or English-menu ticket machines for the various trains. In my haste, I made the mistake of putting us on a local train bound for Ueno (the northern district of Tokyo), which would have taken about 2 hours to get there since it stopped at every station along the way. After a while we decided to get off and try to get a faster train, grabbing an express train for the second leg of the trip. Since I didn't know the correct fares, what we did was buy the cheapest fare ticket, which would allow us on the train, and then use a "fare adjustment" ticket machine at our destinations, which would calculate the difference in actual fare cost and give us a new ticket which would allow us through the ticket gate. This can be done with any of the non-reserved trains in Japan, and is really easy and convenient to use. We got off at Nippori station and transfered to the JR Yamanote line, which is the train line that loops around Tokyo station. We would be using this train line for the rest of the day to quickly travel around the city. We eventually made it to Tokyo Station.
Outside Tokyo Station
It was already around 11:00am by this point, so I quickly guided us west towards the Imperial Palace. I wanted to visit the Imperial Gardens which are open to the public. Walking around Tokyo felt very much like walking around NYC, minus all the Japanese people and Japanese signs. There were tall sky scrapers and smaller buildings, restaurants, and in the distance (to the south) you could see Tokyo Tower. We eventually made it to the gardens, but were dismayed to find out that they are actually closed on Mondays and Fridays! I was really mad at myself for wasting even more time, but then cooled myself down and tried to make the best of it. We did see some of the buildings over the tall walls and moat surrounding the Palace complex, as well as a nice look at downtown Tokyo. We grabbed the Yamanote Line to our next destination, Meiji-jingu.
A guard house on the perimeter of the Imperial Grounds.
Meiji-jingu is an enormous Shinto Temple dedicated to Emperor Meiji, who paved the way for the modernization (and Westernization) of Japan during the Meiji Restoration era (1868 - 1930's or so). The temple is nestled in a large park filled with tall cedar trees and a small garden. As we passed through an enormous wooden torii with three Chrysanthemum medals (the crest of the imperial family), we were overcome with the peace and solitude of the beautiful park.
Outside Tokyo Station
It was already around 11:00am by this point, so I quickly guided us west towards the Imperial Palace. I wanted to visit the Imperial Gardens which are open to the public. Walking around Tokyo felt very much like walking around NYC, minus all the Japanese people and Japanese signs. There were tall sky scrapers and smaller buildings, restaurants, and in the distance (to the south) you could see Tokyo Tower. We eventually made it to the gardens, but were dismayed to find out that they are actually closed on Mondays and Fridays! I was really mad at myself for wasting even more time, but then cooled myself down and tried to make the best of it. We did see some of the buildings over the tall walls and moat surrounding the Palace complex, as well as a nice look at downtown Tokyo. We grabbed the Yamanote Line to our next destination, Meiji-jingu.
A guard house on the perimeter of the Imperial Grounds.Meiji-jingu is an enormous Shinto Temple dedicated to Emperor Meiji, who paved the way for the modernization (and Westernization) of Japan during the Meiji Restoration era (1868 - 1930's or so). The temple is nestled in a large park filled with tall cedar trees and a small garden. As we passed through an enormous wooden torii with three Chrysanthemum medals (the crest of the imperial family), we were overcome with the peace and solitude of the beautiful park.
One of three large wooden torii we passed through on the way to Meiji-jingu. They each had three large Chrysanthemum crests, symbols of the Imperial Family.
Once we reached the main Shrine area, I guided my parents through the normal prayer ritual, beginning at the well where you cleanse your hands and mouth, and then walked to the offering boxes for prayer. The offering boxes were actually posted in the wooden corridor that surrounded the inner courtyard of the shrine; the actual shrine was closed to the public. After spending some time admiring the sweeping copper roof and wood work, we headed back out of the Meiji-jingu area and got some lunch and souvenirs at the tourist center.
Main Gate to the actual Shrine area.
Main Shrine Building.
Afterwards, we walked around the Shibuya district where the Shrine was located. It's a really cool area of town, a bit younger, with a huge TV screen in the center of the district along the main avenue which is lined with restaurants and stores. We stopped by the Oriental Bazaar, which my Lonely Planet Guidebook told me was a "one-stop" shopping location for souvenirs. They were right. The shop, which filled four stories, was filled with every kind of Japanese souvenir you could think of: clothing (western T-shirts and shorts as well as Japanese yukata and kimono), ceramic tea and sake sets, engraved plates and other metal ware, lacquer ware of every kind, scrolls, paintings, fans, and even a few cheap sets of samurai swords (katana and wakazashi). Upstairs they had some furniture and other smaller trinkets. I was in heaven. However, I restrained myself from buying anything, instead deciding it was better to get a feel for what they had, and then on my return trip home I would stop by here and get the souvenirs I wanted for me and my friends. My parents got a couple things for my brothers.
After Shibuya, we headed over to Ginza district, which is Tokyo's version of NYC's 5th Avenue. We made a stop in the Sony building, where they had showcases of the latest Sony products on four stories of galleries. It was awesome. We walked around the district for a while, and then as the time approached 5:00pm we headed to Tokyo Tower. The tower is modeled after the Eiffel tower in Paris, complete with a viewing deck on the 5th or 6th story. Before entering the tower, though, we stopped at Zojo-ji, the Buddhist Temple that belonged to the Tokugawa family (the Tokugawa's ruled Japan during the Tokugawa period - 1600-1868 - and moved the capitol from Kyoto to Edo, now called Tokyo. Edo period is another name for this period of time, and is probably the most famous period in Japanese history, globally anyway). The Temple was of medium sized, though many of the buildings were already closing down. My parents liked Narita's temple better.
Main Gate to Zojo-ji Temple, family temple of the Tokugawa's.
The Tokyo Tower can easily be seen towering behind the temple grounds.
As we began to head towards the Tokyo Tower, which is in the same park as the Zojo-ji temple, I stopped when I saw rows upon rows of small statues of children with little pinwheels, flowers and red caps. I immediately became somber and walked slowly to the statues, which stretched for hundreds of meters to the left and right. My parents followed me, wanting to know why I had suddenly become so serious.
Japan has the smallest birth rate in the world, with a population growth rate less than 1, which means the population is actually declining. One of the reasons for this is the incredibly easy access women have to abortions in Japan. Japans' abortion policies are often cited in other countries which are trying to make the practice easier and freer in their own countries (the US included). What is often not talked about, however, is the grave seriousness that abortion still has in Japan, despite it's widespread practice. The statues at the Buddhist temples are memorials to children who have died in childbirth or who died as a result of an abortion. The family honors the life of the child with these small statues, and bring gifts and offerings on their birthdays or after family trips. Seeing literally hundreds of these small statues was sobering. After a while, we left the children and headed to Tokyo Tower.
The Tower was nice, if a bit touristy. Unfortunately it was very cloudy and hazy, so we couldn't really see much of the city, but it was a nice view anyway. There were also a couple of interesting attractions within the tower, including a wax museum and arcade. After resting our feet and admiring the panoramic view of the city we made our way back to Tokyo station, it being close to 6:30 now. We had dinner at a restaurant in the station, and then caught the last Narita Express Train back to Narita, spending the rest of the evening relaxing, making phone calls, and looking over pictures and videos that had been taking over the past week.
Tokyo Tower
I wish we could have spent more time in Tokyo and seen much more of the city, but I do think that my parents got a nicely broad view of Japan in general, including the rural and quieter Akita area and the bustle of Tokyo area. Saturday morning I bid them adieu and grabbed a shinkansen back to Akita. They were bound to fly back to the states later in the evening.
All in all, it was a really great week with my parents. I am glad they were able to have the opportunity to visit Japan, something they otherwise would probably never consider. I am also happy that my meager Japanese skills was good enough to show them parts of Japan that they otherwise would never have been able to do (or at least not easily). I unfortunately didn't take a ton of pictures, as I was more concerned with being a guide, but you can see the pictures that I did take by clicking on the album titled Parent's Visit. I hope you enjoy.
Main Gate to the actual Shrine area.
Main Shrine Building.Afterwards, we walked around the Shibuya district where the Shrine was located. It's a really cool area of town, a bit younger, with a huge TV screen in the center of the district along the main avenue which is lined with restaurants and stores. We stopped by the Oriental Bazaar, which my Lonely Planet Guidebook told me was a "one-stop" shopping location for souvenirs. They were right. The shop, which filled four stories, was filled with every kind of Japanese souvenir you could think of: clothing (western T-shirts and shorts as well as Japanese yukata and kimono), ceramic tea and sake sets, engraved plates and other metal ware, lacquer ware of every kind, scrolls, paintings, fans, and even a few cheap sets of samurai swords (katana and wakazashi). Upstairs they had some furniture and other smaller trinkets. I was in heaven. However, I restrained myself from buying anything, instead deciding it was better to get a feel for what they had, and then on my return trip home I would stop by here and get the souvenirs I wanted for me and my friends. My parents got a couple things for my brothers.
After Shibuya, we headed over to Ginza district, which is Tokyo's version of NYC's 5th Avenue. We made a stop in the Sony building, where they had showcases of the latest Sony products on four stories of galleries. It was awesome. We walked around the district for a while, and then as the time approached 5:00pm we headed to Tokyo Tower. The tower is modeled after the Eiffel tower in Paris, complete with a viewing deck on the 5th or 6th story. Before entering the tower, though, we stopped at Zojo-ji, the Buddhist Temple that belonged to the Tokugawa family (the Tokugawa's ruled Japan during the Tokugawa period - 1600-1868 - and moved the capitol from Kyoto to Edo, now called Tokyo. Edo period is another name for this period of time, and is probably the most famous period in Japanese history, globally anyway). The Temple was of medium sized, though many of the buildings were already closing down. My parents liked Narita's temple better.
Main Gate to Zojo-ji Temple, family temple of the Tokugawa's.
The Tokyo Tower can easily be seen towering behind the temple grounds. As we began to head towards the Tokyo Tower, which is in the same park as the Zojo-ji temple, I stopped when I saw rows upon rows of small statues of children with little pinwheels, flowers and red caps. I immediately became somber and walked slowly to the statues, which stretched for hundreds of meters to the left and right. My parents followed me, wanting to know why I had suddenly become so serious.
Japan has the smallest birth rate in the world, with a population growth rate less than 1, which means the population is actually declining. One of the reasons for this is the incredibly easy access women have to abortions in Japan. Japans' abortion policies are often cited in other countries which are trying to make the practice easier and freer in their own countries (the US included). What is often not talked about, however, is the grave seriousness that abortion still has in Japan, despite it's widespread practice. The statues at the Buddhist temples are memorials to children who have died in childbirth or who died as a result of an abortion. The family honors the life of the child with these small statues, and bring gifts and offerings on their birthdays or after family trips. Seeing literally hundreds of these small statues was sobering. After a while, we left the children and headed to Tokyo Tower.
The Tower was nice, if a bit touristy. Unfortunately it was very cloudy and hazy, so we couldn't really see much of the city, but it was a nice view anyway. There were also a couple of interesting attractions within the tower, including a wax museum and arcade. After resting our feet and admiring the panoramic view of the city we made our way back to Tokyo station, it being close to 6:30 now. We had dinner at a restaurant in the station, and then caught the last Narita Express Train back to Narita, spending the rest of the evening relaxing, making phone calls, and looking over pictures and videos that had been taking over the past week.
Tokyo Tower I wish we could have spent more time in Tokyo and seen much more of the city, but I do think that my parents got a nicely broad view of Japan in general, including the rural and quieter Akita area and the bustle of Tokyo area. Saturday morning I bid them adieu and grabbed a shinkansen back to Akita. They were bound to fly back to the states later in the evening.
All in all, it was a really great week with my parents. I am glad they were able to have the opportunity to visit Japan, something they otherwise would probably never consider. I am also happy that my meager Japanese skills was good enough to show them parts of Japan that they otherwise would never have been able to do (or at least not easily). I unfortunately didn't take a ton of pictures, as I was more concerned with being a guide, but you can see the pictures that I did take by clicking on the album titled Parent's Visit. I hope you enjoy.
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