The third week in the dojo starts with chores. Cleaning, bins, etc. After lunch I head out for a wander north. A small shrine and park lie about 1km north of Nakano station making a pleasant change from the unending suburban alleys. In the evening I head back to the dojo for a session.
Into Shibuya the following morning to collect my passport from the Mongolian embassy. Another fresh visa to add to the collection. Then up the Yamanote line to Shinjuku and some much overdue buying of presents. The array of buildings in this area is fantastic, acting as the inspiration for the city in Blade Runner. Towering skyscrapers with neon-lit bar districts below. In the evening I meet another language exchange partner, Miho, for a cup of tea and a chat. Similar level of English to Chiemi before, so we end up speaking English mostly. After we go our separate ways, I have a wander round the bustling streets of Shinjuku by night.
Another visit to Meguro Wednesday, the location of the Belarussian embassy and my opportunity to secure the last visa of the whole trip. Hidden in a quiet suburban block on the hill, the only telltale sign is a large Belarussian flag flying in front. A couple of minutes after ringing the bell, a head pops out of the door and beckons me into the deserted visa office. The form is in Russian and Japanese, but thankfully the one member of staff, Irina, speaks English and talks me through the details. Last application in, I head towards the bay area of Odaiba.
Constructed on reclaimed land over the last 40 years, Odaiba is a series of malls, museums and industrial centres sitting out in Tokyo Bay. The easiest way to reach the area is via the monorail which loops over the Rainbow Bridge and round the artificial peninsular. First to the Miraikan, a museum dedicated to cutting edge technology and science. The collection includes advances in robotics, space research, genetics and materials sciences. At one end, a huge LCD covered globe shows satellite images of the Earth's weather. After this glimpse into tomorrow's world, I walk across the road to the National Maritime Museum. An interesting collection showing the history of Japanese seafaring, including a number of record breaking submersibles. Back onto the monorail and to Nakano for the evening practice.
A return to Chiba prefecture and another practice at the Tokyo University of Science. After practice, I have lunch with some of the students wanting to practice their English. Back to Nakano, then to Futako-tamagawa to have dinner with Noriko. A bright sunny is the perfect excuse for an explore of the area east of Nakano. Nothing devastatingly beautiful, just more small towns molded into one. Evening sees the usual practice and then some much needed laundry.
Up early Saturday, I head south west along the coast to the seaside town of Kamakura. On the other side of Yokohama, this was the capital of Japan for a century or so, after the victory of Minamoto Yoritomo in 1185. He established his bakufu or tent government in the valley where modern Kamakura now sits. Although the imperial buildings are long gone, the period is remembered by a great number of grand shrines and temples. I meet Noriko at Kita-kamakura station. First up is Engaku-ji, famous at this time of year for its hydrangeas which spread blue and white through the gardens. At the top of a steep hill is the oldest bell in Kamakura, Ogane forged in 1301.
Down the hill and wandering into town, we reach Kencho-ji, the most important of the town's Zen temples and Japan's oldest training monestery. The array buildings includes the Hatto, one of the largest wooden structure in Japan. In one of the little shrines, a wedding ceremony proceeds, bride and groom looking awkward in their heavy robes. Back out walking we head into the main shopping area before getting lunch at a local Italian. With the rain now coming in torrents we reach the beach and huddle under the eaves of a half-constructed cafe watching the surfers. With no sign of abating, we walk quickly, umbrellas pulled low, to Kamakura station and the train back towards Tokyo.
After a late start Sunday, I head into Shinjuku to try and find a couple more things and generally soak up the atmosphere. I get back to Nakano to meet Osawa-sensei at the dojo. He asked me to join him for some sushi at his favourite local restaurant. A family run venture, with the two sons working behind the counter while the father chats to the clientele. Ozawa-sensei and I chat while tucking into course after course of beautifully prepared and fresh delicacies. The most unusual was raw terrapin egg, an uncommon dish even in Japan and supposed to be good for all kinds of ailments. Thoroughly stuffed, we head back in the persistent rain to the dojo.
Still overcast skies greet a trip to Suidobashi and the surrounding area. After popping into a kendo shop for a bit of browsing, I wander through the vast Tokyo Dome complex. At the heart lies the enormous Tokyo Dome, home to the most famous baseball team in Japan, the Yomuiri Giants. With this comes a hotel, theme park, shopping malls and restaurant. After exploring here, I head to the Ikebukuro area in north west Tokyo. Dominated by two shopping centres (including the largest in Japan) it is not a touristic highlight, but an interesting place to spend a few hours. Back to Nakano in the evening for practice, accompanied by more torrential rain.
Busy day Tuesday. First into Shiroganedai to pick up the Belarussian visa. All done on that front hopefully. Then to Minami-asagaya to drop off my armour to be name tagged. A morning of chores is followed by an afternoon of galleries. One of my fellow kendoka at Koboukan is an art student. I meet Renee at Kyobashi and we head to the Bridgestone gallery nearby. The temporary exhibition follows themes in the Japanese artist, Oka's career. Interesting stuff but a little overshadowed by the small but excellent permanent collection of impressionist and avant-garde works. After a photography gallery and some lunch, we head to Shibuya and the Bunkamura gallery. An excellent temporary exhibition focusing on Russian avant-garde artists at the start of the twentieth century. After an afternoon of fine art, an evening of fine food with Gibbo, Emi and Noriko in Futako-tamagawa. With Korea rapidly approaching, I head to the Edo Tokyo museum the next day. An excellent review of Tokyo's history. Practice in the evening. Less than a week to the ferry.
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