Odawara Castle

I'm getting pretty good at hopping trains, switching to different train lines, and actually finding my way back to Yokosuka where I am living.

It's the weekend again and time for me to get out and see Japan. I read about a castle in Odawara and, empowered by my growing train traveling skills, set-out to see the castle, it's nearby zoo, and to walk around the not-too-distant beach. Odawara, population 170,000, was a nice place to visit but I wouldn't characterize it as quaint.

Crossing the moat bridge, as I entered the castle grounds, now a park, I could hear traditional Japanese koto music. To my surprise, the music was issuing from an open area in the park where a samurai skill contest was in progress - this was by far my favorite experience of the day.

Japanese dressed as samurai warriors, galloping horses adorned with red and gold blankets and tassels, were racing at break-neck speed while shooting at bullseye targets off to their left side. All of this was happening with amped-up spectators rooting for their favorite samurai while soothing (but loud) traditional Japanese koto music blared through the PA system (see YouTube video and pics below).

I suppose the experience was heightened by the fact that it was totally unexpected.

Oh, I also stopped by a nearby flea market, also on the castle grounds, and examined some woodcrafts this carpenter was selling. He saw me examining some of his decorative wooden boxes (yes, I have been making my own and think I am an expert) and he exclaimed "5000 yen". I looked up, having heard him, and he immediately followed with a stream of Japanese language that I assume supported his 5000 yen selling price.

Hey I thought, I'm only examining these boxes for quality of craftsmanship so, in my best Japanese I said "I don't understand the Japanese language". The carpenter and his buddy got a pretty big horse laugh out of that - obviously I understood what 5000 yen meant. Oh well, it was a nice try at feigning ignorance - I think I'll choose my words more carefully the next time I try that dodge.

Anyway, here are some pics and a video I think you will enjoy. I recommend clicking on the pictures to get the LARGER image - I have scaled the large images down some so they shouldn't take so long to load.

Odawara Castle

Castle Gardern

Samurai Horseman Parading Ceremony

Samurai Horseman Preparing For Skills Contest

Samurai Horseman Preparing For Skills Contest

Samurai Horseman Not Always So Serious

Samurai Galloping Horseman - A Very Short Video

Imperial Gardens in Tokyo

Today, I hopped a few trains to Tokyo to visit the Imperial Gardens. The gardens were the size of a fair sized park which included the ancient Imperial Palace. The palace was obscured from view and basically off-limits so I spent much of my time wandering around the park (gardens) admiring isolated hidden garden scapes.

Not too many trees or shrubs were in bloom, but those that were blooming were pretty spectacular. The gardens/ palace were surrounded by a moat with koi swimming about.

After visiting the gardens I checked-out the nearby museum of modern art which contained four floors of some pretty eye-popping paintings.

It's still amazing to me how such serene areas, like these gardens, coexist with this hustling, skyscraper laden megatropolis. Such is Japan, and not only in Tokyo, but seemingly everywhere. I am still in search of a town with less than one or two hundred thousand people - I know I'll find one soon.

Anyhow, I did take a few pictures of the gardens so have a look below.

Click on picture for a LARGER image.

Plum Tree

Yellow Blossomed Tree

Plum Tree with Birds

Garden Grounds - One Small Area

Reflection Pond

Temple

Moat

The END.

Tokyo Gov Muni Tower

Today, accompanied by a seasoned traveler J, I hopped a few trains for Tokyo. Our destination was the Tokyo Government Municipal Towers.

Sound interesting? Well it was. We entered on the first floor, then rose to the 45th floor of the twin towers where, from a circular observation deck, we had 360 degree views of all known as Tokyo; wall to wall skyscrapers for as far as the eye can see.

Nested within those skyscrapers were parks, temples, ancient bridges, gardens, and a castle (with moat) with its own vast garden. For now, here are a few pics taken with a perspective of a wide-eyed traveler (me), wandering around in one small Tokyo neighborhood.

Click on picture for a LARGER view.

An Enormous Interesting Skyscraper as Seen From Ground Level

Twin Towers (middle in background) - Remember 45th Floor here.

A View From the 45th Floo of the Twin Towers

Oh, and here is a short YouTube video I shot from the 45th floor observation deck.

Great Buddha, Kamakura3/1/08

I returned to Kamakura today to see the Great Buddha, the second largest Buddha statue in Japan. Getting off of the train, myself and a few others decided to hike along a ridge which circled around, back into town.

Along the way we saw a number of shrines, the Great Buddha, and a long stretch of seaside boardwalk where over 100 surfers were seen catching waves.

Below are a few pictures I took along the way. Click on picture for a LARGER image.

Entrance to Shrine Near Trail

Shrine Near Trail

The Great Buddha

The Great Buddha (See hawk flying to right of Buddha's head)

The Great Buddha and Me

Shu Genji Temple - Former Residence of Shigo Kingo, a shogun

who killed himself in 1271 on the day of Nichiren's execution.

Here is a short YouTube video of the Great Buddha

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John, here is your picture - it was too big to email.

China Town - Yokohama, Japan 2/24/2008

Today I ventured into Yokohama's Chinatown, one of the largest anywhere. Yokohama itself has over 3 million people - its Chinatown is also vast. The Chinatown streets are ornamented with colorful, tall, gold-gilded entrance gates, orange globe lanturns strung high overhead and, beside several teeming streets are temples and shrines.

Vendors were competing to sell chestnuts as I walked by, and shops stocking fish, clothing, fine furniture, fruits and vegatables, and tea were all around. Chinatown, Yokohama is a bustling, lively district.

Also...some strange and exotic cooking ingredients were on display, that is, if you consider sea horse and dried bat exotic and strange (I do).

On the way back to a train station, I and a few comprades ducked into a "silk" museum - very educational, but we were really just getting out of the wind (and the cold).

Anyway, here are a few pictures of Chinatown, Yokohama. DOUBLE CLICK on the picture for a VERY LARGE PICTURE.

Entry Gate to China Town

Typical China Town Street Scene

Downtown Shrine

Downtown Shrine

Kamakura 2/23/2008

Today is Saturday, a day for a new adventure. So what do you do on a day off work in Japan? Well, you go visit a city with a zillion Buddhists temples and shrines of course - that city being Kamakura.

I only had time to visit one temple, one very large temple, and squeeze in a visit to "shopping town" which is a busy bizzar of restaurants, mom and pop stores, and sidewalk vendors selling their wares while calling out for your attention in polite sing-song style.

Tomorrow I visit Chinatown in Yokohama, but for now check out the video and a few pictures of Kamakura shown below. Note: I can't upload high quality pics from my hotel room for some unknown reason, so the pics below may look a little washed-out - the real scenary is of vivid colors.

Shopping Town

Large Temple

Temple in Front of the Large Temple

Below, A Second Temple (in front of the Large one) with Buddhist Ceremony

Ceremony Closeup

Ceremony Closeup

Ceremony Closeup

Ceremony closeup

Ornate Barrels Stacked Beside a Shrine

Another Kamakura Shrine

YouTube Video of Ceremony

Yoykosuko - Day 1

Well...today is Sunday, my first full day in Japan - I arrived last night and, after a ten hour flight (SEATAC to Narita airport), and subsequent two hour bus ride to Yokosuko, I am feeling no jet lag and should be ready to conduct business on Tuesday (Monday is a holiday - yea).

I am staying at the Hotel New Yokosuka, a nice hotel near the Navy base; seemingly close to the center of some metropolitan activity.

So what is my hotel room like? Think of a single room, where the one and only room is 9 feet wide by 9 feet long, and most of that real estate is taken by a bed, small desk, and small refridgerator.

I think you get the picture. The silver lining is that it is difficult to lose any of my possessions, they all conveniently surround me.

The town is bustling with activity. On a short walk I approached two different temples/ shrines, observed colorfully robed priests marching while beating drums, passed by two train stations, and visited a seven story high shopping plaza where, as you might imagine, the supermarket seafood section was stocked with just about anything that can be found above or below the surface of the ocean.

My first two dining experiences included dinner at a sushi house and at a fried rice shack. In the sushi restaurant, while seated at a booth, plates of sushi rolled by on a conveyor belt and you snatch what you desire before it is out-of-reach.

In the fried rice quick-stop, the rice combination dish is paid for at a vending machine, cooked by a chef, then delivered with a paper placemat. You see... the plate is steel, oven hot, and is frying your otherwise uncooked food as it is served. You actually cook the food yourself by stirring it around on the scalding hot plate, simultaneously lifting the placemat up to shield your face from the sizzling hot oil.

I am finding dining in Japan combines an ounce of pragmatism with a pound of risk.

There are temples secreted high up on hills above shopping centers; integrated small, tranquil spaces complete with statuary, traditional Japanese pagodas, and small gardens. Here are some of my temple pictures:

See the Youtube video below - the video depicts first impressions of mine while walking around Yokosuko . The audio isn't so great but I am working to improve it.