Tokyo orientation

Trip Start Dec 02, 2007
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Trip End Sep 01, 2008


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Flag of Japan  , Kanto,
Sunday, May 4, 2008

The more observant among you may have noticed that Japan is making a somewhat surprise appearance on this blog! As I write this, looking out over the Motoyasu-gawa river, which runs through Hiroshima, our Trailfinders itinerary states that we should be somewhere between Melbourne and Adelaide. Rewind a couple of months and Piet and I are scoffing sushi and sipping sake in a fantastic Japanese café in Wellington, lamenting the fact that we are not going to Japan despite hearing such great things from our friends Ollie and Nick who have both visited the country recently, and our love of Japanese food (albeit sushi à la Messrs Marks and Spencer)! A week later and we are standing in the Brisbane branch of Qantas, going through a few changes we wish to make to our route; I hold my breath as Piet asks, 'I don't suppose we can also use our ticket to squeeze in a stop in Japan?' We can! There is no extra cost! We can't go to Adelaide- who cares!? We are bound for the land of Sumo, Sashimi and Samurai! (Plus a whole load of things which don't fit in with the alliteration.)


Our arrival to Tokyo was painless Lanterns outside a shrine
Lanterns outside a shrine
 . Fears of horrendously busy airports and stations were quashed by the fact we had arrived on a bank holiday weekend and most people had seemingly escaped the city. We had decided to spend just 24 hours in Tokyo before heading out of town, and would return to see the sights at the end of our ten day stay in Japan. Not to waste this time recovering from the flight, we headed out for the day and visited the first of the many Shinto shrines that we will see in our brief tour of the country. The Akasaka area of Tokyo is said to have 'few' sights compared with the location of our hostel on our return visit, however we managed to find three shrines and a temple to keep us entertained. In turn we managed to entertain the keepers of the Hie-jinja Shrine, by fumbling our way through our offerings at the altar- throwing our coins as the Japanese did, we missed, we bowed in the wrong places, and despite paying our donation failed to realise this had earned us the privilege of lighting the incense sticks which were plainly beside the collection pot. The Japanese giggle at our gaijin (literally, outside people) efforts is something we will grow used to.


Our first night in Tokyo meant the first opportunity to see the famous neon lights, so we headed out to find a good meal. Akasaka is a fairly touristy part of town, and therefore has the requisite British pub. Yes, we should scoff at these places, but there is something quite interesting about finding out how the rest of the world presents this most British of institutions. And we had been drinking Aussie beer for too long; the Real Ale was calling. A very nice pub it was too and we were the only Western patrons in this busy establishment, the Japanese sharing long tables and digging into shepherd's pie and fish and chips. Wagamama's in reverse.


Back at the hotel I marvel at the high-tech loo. Screech at the 'shower' and relish the warmth of the seat (too much info?). I also spend half an hour trying to work out how to flush the thing. Lifting and replacing the seat, twiddling various buttons and bowing in front of it as we had the shrines a few hours previously in the hope that a sensor may be activated. I give up. Piet points out the handle on the side. How very Western. How very disappointing.
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