Shrine To Sea

Today, on another tip from my friend, I became part of the Enoshima "Shrine to Sea" festival. Getting off at the Enoshima train station, I hunted for the festival and, after not finding it, gave up and visited the main Enoshima temple.

While visiting the vast temple complex, which was up a hill and far above the street level, I began to hear the pounding, rythmic sounds, of Japanese drums - I found the festival!

Quickly I descended from the temple and joined the happy frenzy marching through the main street. Immersed in the crowd, I slowly walked behind the shrines(two shrines), as did others, listening to the chanting, the flutes, drums, shimisans, and all other joyous celebration.

Two hours later we arrived near the beach, having paraded for nearly two hours in the unforgiving hot sun. These were moments never to be forgotten. Please see the Youtube video I humbly took of the festival - it only captures a few moments, but they are worth watching.



Click on pictures for LARGER IMAGES.

Koto Concert

Having recently become a student of the ancient Japanese musical instrument called "Koto", I was invited by sensei Hiroko Kodama san to perform in the Yokohama 150th anniversary of the opening of the Port.

Joining six of Hiroko-sans other students in Yokohama's Skip Plaza, we played "Red Shoes", a traditional song of Yokohama. Following our song, we were excused, and the concert transformed into a masterful performance of both traditional and cutting edge music played by true artists: Sensei Kodama-san (Koto), Yutaka Handa-san (flute and soprano sax player), and a drummer playing a special Japanese drum (it makes a popping sound).

When Yutaka began playing a free jazz improvisation accompanied only by the koto, I knew another special moment, never to again occur, was then being created. When he took off the sax mouthpiece and began playing only the mouthpiece, the music went way outside anything I had ever experienced. As his improvisation began to close, it masterfully transitioned back into a traditional Japanese piece.

Most of these special moments will never be captured in a blog, and they certainly aren't captured here since I was more interested in the experience than in trying to record it. Again, my special Japanese friends were the real reason this event became beyond remarkable.

Please see the photos and video below for the few moments I did capture.

Sensai Kodama-san Preparing Koto

Paul Playing Koto (Rehearsing)

Star Quick-Study Koto Player

Mt Myojingatake5/17

Great mountain.
Great hike.
It was warm.
I was drenched in rain showers.
My cell phone battery was dead at the mountain's summit.
I was dry and muddy at end of hike.
Took the 2 plus hour train rides back looking like a vagabond but feeling great.
Somehow managed to get a sunburn (not too bad).
Hiked from Sengoku, over mountain, to Daiyuzan.

Please see pictures below - click on picture for large image.

Trailside Mountain Flower

Sengaku Temple Garden

View From Myojingatake

Mt_Myoujingatake

So today, Sunday, I went for another hike in the Hakone area - this time I summited Mt Myoujingatake (1169 meters) while traversing the backcountry between Daiuzan eki and Miyanoshita eki. (eki means train station)

Today the mountain climb included more than simply summiting Mt Myoujingatake. This climb involved route finding that included decisions for which trains and busses to board, which country road to hike to get to the trailhead, then which trail route to take by navigating from a Japanese topo map written in Kanji, and how to get home.

I climbed up one side of the mountain, summited, then hiked down the other side looking for a ride home. I had spotted a small community from the mountain top so I headed down the mountain in that direction. Well ... the town didn't have a train station, but even with my pitifully small Japanese vocabulary, I was able to obtain some guidance from kindly locals and, a bus ride later, and with some small town route finding, I was able to locate a station and get home (whew!).

Oh, I met a crew of Japanese hikers and had a nice chat on the summit. I am finding that with Japanese hikers and small town locals, you really don't need to speak the same language to communicate on a personal level.

Anyway, I took a few pictures on the mountain as you will see below.

Click picture for a LARGER IMAGE.

Trail up to Summit

Mt Myoujingatake

Paul on Summit of Mt Myoujingatake
View From Mountain Summit
View of Mt fuji From Summit

Tsukiji Temple and Fish Market

Today, Saturday, I traveled to Tokyo's Ginza district, sauntered around the Tsukiji fish market, then entered the Tsukiji Hongwanji temple for a Budhist ceremony (see video below).

The Ginza district was packed with women's clothing high fashion shops and therefore of little interest to me. The nearby temple and fish market were much more interesting as was the music played for the Buddhist ceremony.

The fish market was a crowded maze of alleyways lined with mom-and-pop fish mongers and sushi cafes. Good-natured fish mongers and sushi cafe waiters competed for customers by singing out praises of their own fine products, explaining to everyone passing by why their food was the best. The noise, when combined with smells of fresh fish, seaweed, and cooking oils was pretty overwhelming, and I mean that in a good way.

Well, I couldn't pass up my chance to eat sushi at an authentic market like this one, so I ordered up some sushi at a small conveyor belt sushi cafe. I was served some of the best squid and urchin I have had so far! See Pictures Below and click to ENLARGE.

Tsukiji Fish Market

Tsukiji Hongwanji temple

Buddhist Ceremonial Music Video

Daiyuzan Saijoji Temples

Today I hiked from the Daiyuzan train station to Daiyuzan Saijoji Temple. I hiked through an old growth Japanese Cedar forest, up through a steep mountain area, to the temple grounds which contained around thirty (30) temples, not just one.

Click HERE for a description of Daiyuzan Saijoji Temple. This was easily the most beautiful and serene temple grounds that I have visited to date; it was beyond comparison.

There is a network of hiking trails nearby and, even though I explored a couple of these trails, I plan to return and hike along many more ridgetops. CLICK TO FOR LARGE IMAGES


While hiking through the cedar forest, here is the first temple I discovered:

You really must have a strong desire to enter the main temple grounds - here are the stairs leading up to the temples (yes, they are very steep).

After climbing the stairs, I walked through this ancient gate and entered the temple grounds.
Cherry trees and waterfalls decorated the inner courtyards.



Here are pictures of the interior and exterior of one of the 30 temples.





Well, that's all I have for the Daiyuzan Saijoji Temples - one of my favorite places in Japan.

Ueno

Today (Sunday) I cracked the surface of Ueno, a district in Tokyo. Ueno is one of Tokyo's beating hearts, probably one of it's cultural centers. I could spend a month in and around Ueno and still only experience a small fraction of the cultural riches it offers, - it teems with what seems like millions of people.

Ueno contains what I consider the Smithsonian of Tokyo.

Arriving at Ueno train station, I was struck by the sheer enormity of the station - it was as large as, and as busy as LAX airport. Radiating out from the station is Ueno park, surrounded by museums and art galleries that rival the Smithsonian. Additionally, Ueno Park has the Tokyo zoo.

I visited the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum where, among other things, I saw a special exhibition on loan from the Louvre. This exhibition was pretty special. Nearby the Met was my next stop, the Tokyo zoo, current residence of Ling Ling the panda bear.

My lasting memory of the day however was of the contagious joy and excitement of the Japanese. Wherever I went there was an ever present excitement and high energy atmosphere effusing from the Japanese people, smiling, laughing, crowding in around exhibits and on streets like a mass of humanity pressed together and loving it, as was I.

Oh, and the outdoor, impromptu performing Elvis' concert was unexpected as a dozen Elvis impersonators twisted to some early sixties Elvis tunes.

Anyway, no pictures here, just impressions of another Sunday in Japan.