Today we said farewell to the Oe grandparents who could not have been betters hosts. It was so nice to stay with them and they were so very accepting, at times it felt a little like home.

Despite the many times I visited Kyoto when I studied in Japan, I never visited some of the more famous temples like Kinkakuji (Temple of Gold), though I visited the most famous KyouMizou numerous times.  Temples are part of what reminds the Japanese of their rich cultural history, something that we simply do not have in America.  So notorious is Kyoto’s cultural importance that it was left virtually untouched in World War II while Japan’s other cities were attacked with vigor by the allies.

An added bonus, if you can call it that, is that we decided not to take the trains, but rather drive.  Let me tell you, I have faced down New York and would have no problem driving wherever, long as I have the patience.  In Japan, there is hardly any traffic but its very windy and the entire system is elevated due to the rail system being built before the highway.

The first stop on our tour was Ginjakuji which is known for its silver roof.  When I say silver roof, I mean the roof is painted with a silver color coat, it is real silver. Ginkakuji was built by the great grandson of the builder of Kinkakuji.   At the time, building a gold temple was not something the prince could afford, so he built a silver one in the image of Kinkakuji.

As with many temples, it sits within a beautiful Zen garden and is set in the mountains and provides a spectacular view of modern Kyoto for those brave enough to climb.

Following Ginkakuji, we hoped on a bus and headed for Kinkakuji which is one of the most famous temples in Kyoto mainly because it is cast in solid gold.  I mean this thing is just simply spectacular! 

It is cast in solid gold and is set within a beautiful zen garden whose pond is known as the Pond of Reflection and perfectly casts the reflection of the temple onto the water.

Being in this place is totally relaxing and inspiring all the same.  To think that someone thousands of years could conceive of something so amazing.  Japan is filled with wonders such as this, Kyoto in particular.

The final stop on our tour was an old friend of mine: KyouMizou temple.  One of the most famous and inspiring temples in the world.  Unfortunately, by the time we got there it was night time and taking good pictures became difficult; nevertheless the temples beauty came through.

Legend has it that in the old days people would jump off this temple if they wanted courage.  If they survived the fall (and I wonder how many did) they would have the courage to carry out there task.  These days the sheer size of the temple and the supports for it within the mountain are simply insane.  The approach to the temple is near Gojo-dori and lined with small shops that sell some pretty neat stuff.  Gojo-dori is also my personal favorite shopping area within Kyoto; it was unfortunate that my attempt to visit it after Arashiyama failed.

We were pretty much beat after all of this and so we headed back to Hikone.  Along the way we stopped and I bought the whole family dinner at a nice restaurant as a gesture of thanks for putting up with me for the last 5 days.

In all honesty, if you get a chance to visit Japan try to stay with Japanese friends it will really open your eyes about the similarities and differences between Japan and America in terms of lifestyle and child rearing.  This last week and a half I have not slept on a traditional bed, but have taken the floor with a futon.  Its been an amazing experience and Kansai was just memorable.  I am kind of depressed about leaving tomorrow, but I have no doubt that the memories I will create in Tokyo will be the best yet, as hard as that is admittingly.

When I first visited Japan I did not visit Nara, instead I went to Hiroshima.  I have never regretted that decision, Hiroshima, and always will be, an incredibly moving experience.  That said, I always felt I missed something by not visiting Nara.  When planning for this trip I made sure that Nara was on the list of places to visit.  However, I got an unexpected surprise, my host family offered to show me around.

This is a picture of the house we are staying at in Osaka.  It belongs to the grandparents of Akihiro-san, the father.  It really is spacious despite its outward appearance.

We left early in the morning for Nara by bus.  It was an interesting ride, as usual on Japanese buses, very fun.  We arrived at the first train station which I found out was not owned by JR, which meant I would have to pay for the the train.  I later found that there are a variety of trains be operated by non-JR companies; this day ended up being rather expensive for fares.

We arrived in Nara around noon and, like most Japanese landmarks, they have created a character to represent the city, in this case Sento (picture).

For those who do not Nara is the ancient capital of Japan and the heart of Buddihism.  For 74 years it stood at Japan’s capital (known as Heijokyo) before Kyoto rose to that title for nearly 1200 years.  Following that, as we know, the Meiji took over and moved the capital to Tokyo (then known as Edo) where it stands today.

The big attraction in Nara is the temples (otara as the Japanese say), some are as old as Japan itself and much of the city is protected by the United Nations as a World Heritage landmark.

This one is Gojunoto and the picture really does not do it justice, its just incredible in real life.  As all of the pictures above.  But one of the most interesting aspects of Nara is the wildlife, in particular the deer (shika as the Japanese say) who are tame beyond belief.  They are nearly totally unafraid of humans and reminds me of being chased by the geese when I was younger.  You can buy food for then for 150yen, just be careful.  If they are very hungry they will chase you down.

Being the center of Buddihism, the site features many temples, one of which contains the worlds largest statue of Budda known as Todaiji.

To say this statue is massive would not do it any justice.  Its friggin huge, and its satellite statues are impressive as well.

Following this trip we headed for some rest, but Toma and I noticed a shrine (ginja in Japanese) on top of a small mountain, we decided to go together while the rest of the group rested.  We were heavily rewarded with some awesome shops overlooking Nara and Nara park; truly incredible.

Following this we decided to split up and go to one more site while the rest of the group went home. We decided to head for Yakushiji.  We took a long bus ride, only to find it had just closed when we arrived.

We still had a great time exploring.  The picture above is of part of my hot family.  From left to right: Emiko (mama), Akihiro (dad), Toma.  The coolest part of this trip was I got to meet a real life monk and we talked for a bit about America and where I was from, and also how I came to meet the Oe’s (Emiko handled that part).

All in all it was a fun time despite everything being closed.  We decided that after such a hard day we should go to the hot springs in Osaka.

The way back was interesting because we had to take so many trains.  I would think that with Nara being such a highly tourist centric area, for both Japanese and foreigners, a more direct line would be available.  However, I wasnt really paying attention, just following the family.

I did get a surprise along the way back.  Nara and Osaka are separated by a mountain, and trains pass along this mountain as they move between the two cities.  On the way back, we got chance to see the sun setting over Osaka, which made for this incredible shot.

Really, I had to shrink this for the blog, the full size will be available on Facebook later.  After a couple more trains and some walking we arrived at Spa World in Osaka.

This place just friggin rocks.  Its a shame that non of the guide books mention it, probably because its mostly designed for Japanese and foreigners tend to have a difficult time with walking around naked with other men.

Now, I have had something interesting happen recently.  My younger brother Toma wants to bathe with me.  Now in Japan this is perfectly acceptable, but obviously in America it is not something we do.  In fact, I was taking a shower yesterday and I had to tell Toma no when he tried to come in.  I explained to him later that coming from America it felt weird, and that it was not him.  At Spa World, it was Me, Toma, and Akihiro (dad) walking around.  I admit that it was a bit difficult to do at first, but you get used to it.  See in Japan its ok for a girl to see a guy naked by accident, but the visa versa is not ok.

The bathes were themed for European civilizations like Greece, Rome, Atlantis, Spain (which was an outdoor bath and totally rocked).  All in all it was a fantastic time.  Following the bath we headed back. We were so tired from everything we even took a taxi back to the house.  We told everyone else where we had gone and they were a bit jealous.

Later, Emiko asked if I had any laundry I needed to have done.  I gave her everything I had, including my socks.  It was then that she noticed the two GIANT blisters (one of which had turned green) on my toes.  I got them due to all the walking I have been doing, sometimes up mountains.  Being a mother, she immediately set to work to fix me up.  I will likely have to see a doctor when I return to the states, but I am alright for now.

It really is amazing how much Emiko reminds me of my mother.  Limitless patience, undying love for her family, and just a kindness that you dont find in a lot of people know matter where you go.  I think she really looks at me as one of her own, which I have to admit is a bit weird.  I feel totally accepted into their family, as much as I can be.  I am truly indebted to her, her family, and their grandparents for their awesome hospitality.

I slated this day to be one of relaxation and a tour of Hikone, which is the same town I stayed in for four months when I studied abroad.  We decided to use the day to visit Michigan Center where I studied.  This is a rather interesting exchange program.  The prefecture of Shiga and the state of Michigan are linked in friendship because each holds its countries largest freshwater lake.  Michigan has the great lakes and Shiga has Biwako (Lake Biwa).

First meet my host family.  It is a rather unusual family for Japan because their are five kids, most families in Japan have no kids because the cost of living is so high, especially in the larger cities.  For a family to have five kids is most unusual.

These are the two boys, there are three girls; Toma and the youngest Asahi.  Asahi is a ball of energy.  Toma enjoys soccer and is quite good at it.

The others are Serika, who just started High School today in Omihachiman at one of Japan’s best high schools for learning English; I am helping her with some of the finer points.  The twins Yurina and Marina who I can never tell apart but, like their sister and Toma, have a deep interest in English.  I attribute this to A) Japan insistence that its people be exposed to foreign languages in particular English and B) the mother, Emiko, is an English teacher and often my only means of direct communication.  However, through hard work, my Japanese has gotten decent enough to where they can understand what I mean and go off the rest.  I have a lot of trouble with Japanese verbs because of the many forms they take depending on context and formality.

Our first stop on the visit was Michigan Center to visit my Japanese language teacher, Aizawa-sensei.  His class was one of the hardest I have ever taken.  He drove me very hard and I had to give up many social events to keep my grades up.  In the end, I still didnt do that well, but he helped me out with the final grade; I have a great deal of respect for him.

In the time since I left I knew there had been many changes, but in particular to Apple Hall where we lived as students looks totally different in many parts.

However, one thing has not changed: Coco’s.  We used to have a tradition when we were attending Michigan Center.  Every Friday, after classes, for lunch many of would congregate here for the amazing curry and other dishes that were served.

We also met some of the current students and found out that graduation is happening on the 17th, unfortunately the same day as I fly back, otherwise I would have thought about attending, especially considering I get free tickets on the Shinkansen.

The next stop on the Return to Hikone was Hikonejo (Hikone Castle).  Many of the major cities in Japan were originally city states in the feudal era.  Now since it is more democratic these castles are reserved for posterity and a constant visiting place for Japanese and school groups.  Unlike in America, Japan has a deep and rich culture spanning thousands of years.  Very often schools will take their students to these sites to learn firsthand Japan’s history.  I remember this sort of thing vividly at Hiroshima three years ago.  In a sense, it would be like your school taking everyone to Gettysburg.

But the coolest thing about castle areas are the sakura (cherry blosums), which I consider to be the prettiest tree on the face of the Earth.  I timed my journey to Japan for this very reason.

And of course, the view from the top of Hikonejo is awesome, as one would expect from a fortress built to command the city below.

I really love Hikonejo, I went there many times when  was studying in Hikone.  However, I had a date with a cute Japanese girl and at the point we realized what time it was we had to rush to Maibara station so I could catch the Shinkansen for Osaka.  It is times like this which make me glad for the JR Rail Pass and the free train tickets it essentially provides.  I managed to barely catch the train in time, however, I still had to conquer Osaka station, which is even busier then Shin-Osaka.

Osaka, is Japan’s second largest city and very comparable to New York in many respects.  Like Tokyo, it has a loop line which is a train that goes around the perimeter of the main city, and yes, its a very busy train.  Now let me preface how I met this girl.

A few years ago my friend Cameron and I went to Disney land and I got the change to visit Epcot and went to the Japanese pavilion.  There I met Megumi Kurata, who was a waitress at the Japanese restaurant in Epcot.  We immediately hit it off and I asked her out on a date.  We subsequently became friends and I talked to her a lot until her time at Disney was over.  She then came to visit me in Michigan and we went with Cameron and Ben to the U.P of Michigan to Mackinaw Island.

We had a great time.  Megumi went back to Japan after that and we continued to correspond for the next year or so.  Now, dont get the wrong idea, we are just friends and that is all I want to be.  The idea of marrying a girl and having her leave her country is a great responsibility that I think you need to be sure about before.  Anyway, during the trip preparation Megumi landed a job teaching Japanese in China, and said she would not be in Japan when I visited.  She introduced me to her friend Mami, who also lives in Tokyo.  Mami found out, from me, that I was staying in Osaka for a bit during my trip and asked if I’d be willing to go on a date with her friend Mari, which of course I said yes to.

As you can tell from this picture she is very pretty, though frankly, the picture doesnt do her justice.  I dont know what it is about Japanese girls, but I just find them so cute, though its hard because dating would be impossible as I dont live in the country.

We had a great time, first we went to a Japanese restaurant and ordered a ton of food; she ate almost as much as me.  We both hate vegetables, her more then me.  Much of the music I like in America she loves as well, which made karaoke with her a whole lot of fun.

In Japan, to say karaoke is huge would be a gross understatement.  Japanese people absolutely love it, and no matter where you are, you are likely close to a karaoke shop.  The combination of bad singing, friends, and alcohol is always a good time.  The setting is also much different; in America its usually at a bar with a group of people.  In Japan its much more intimate and private.

Honestly, being in this room with such a beauty made it hard to think straight. No worries, my friends know I am capable of high amounts of self control when needed, and I really didnt want to pull any moves on Mari. Mainly because, that sort of behavior is viewed much differently in Japan vs America.

The only bad part about karaoke is the time limit of one hour.  It is so popular it really becomes expensive to hold the room for more then an hour.  We decided to take a walk and ended up finding ourselves by the giant Ferris wheel I rode many times when I was here as a student.  It actually sits on top of a shopping mall so you get a very impressive view of the city from the top.

Mari is such a cool girl and I really wish I had the time to get to know her better, but I engaged in this activity knowing full well nothing could come of it.  I am hoping that we get a chance to hang out one more time on Sunday after I tour Kyoto.

We parted ways after the Ferris wheel and I began the long journey to the outer edges of Osaka.  We decided that to further my Japanese experience I would stay with with the Oe’s grandparents; this also furthers my streak of not staying in the same place more then two nights.

It was about a 30m subway ride from Umeda station in Osaka and then a game of hide and seek trying to find my host mother’s car at Dainichi station, but we succeeded.  To my surprise, the grandparents house is very nice and spacious, furthering Dave’s assertion that most older Japanese people are very wealthy because they saved their money.

Tomorrow’s goal is to visit Nara, the ancient capital of Japan before Kyoto.  I hear there are some awesome deer there that act like the geese in America, with less poop; should be a good time.

I believe my host mother is a bad influence, in a good way.  We spoke yesterday about my plans to go to Kyoto to visit Arashiyama and I said I would take the train.  She asked me “since you can take the Shinkansen with your pass why dont you ride that so you are comfortable?” This is a grand idea and I hadnt thought of it, but I decided that from now until I go home I am riding the Shinkansen as much as possible, even getting a green car when I go back to Tokyo from Osaka.

But anyway, today I had hoped to go to Serika’s entrance ceremony for Kookoo (High School), but we found out that only direct family are allowed, so I decided to go to Arashiyama instead.  Arashiyama is basically the eastern part of Kyoto and is very well known to the Japanese, not so much to Westerners, this made an ideal place to go.  But visiting Kyoto, for me, has to start with a walk around the station and a trip up Kyoto tower (memory lane for me).

I really love the layout and architectural style of Kyoto station, it really is unique among the many train terminals I have visited in Japan.  As Dave would say, its designed so that you never know when you are inside vs outside.  Now, Kyoto is small, compared to some of the bigger cities in Japan, but it is still huge with a population of 1.5million.  But the big thing about Kyoto is its age, its 1100 years old!!! And thanks to the US and its allies respecting that fact it was not touched during World War II unlike the other major cities in Japan.

Much of that 1100 years Kyoto served as the Imperial Capital of Japan. In fact, its name in Kanji means “Capital Town”.  It was not until the rise of the Meiji government was the capital moved to Edo which is now known as Tokyo.  Much of this rich history still remains in Kyoto and the city is a wide mix of old and new.  But today wasnt about exploring Kyoto, but the eastern quadrant known as Arashiyama.  However, to get to Arashiyama I decided to start at Kameoka with cruise down the Hozuu River.  If you are in the area, do this, you will not regret it.

The Hozu River winds through the mountains surrounding Kyoto creating deep gorges and some spectacular views of the rural side of Kyoto.

I decided to take the riverboat cruise which begins in Kameoka and ends in Arashiyama, if you want to get a good taste of the rural side of Kyoto take this approach, you will not regret it.  Below are SOME of the pictures I took along the cruise, it really is awesome looking up at these huge hills and seeing how the Japanese have constructed the trains of the Sagano line to run right through the mountains.

The trip was simply awesome and a great spectacle for the ability of the Japanese to preserve the innate beauty of the surrounding area despite the urban development so clearly prevalent.

The end of this river cruise is right in front of the Togetsukyoo bridge which is the heart of Arashiyama.  From here I decided I wanted to visit the monkey feeding grounds of Iwatayama, so I went to the bridge and turned right.  Now, let me forewarn any perspective travelers: if you are old or out of shape, dont go see the monkeys, the journey there will likely kill you.  You literally have to hike up the mountain until you are higher then Kyoto Tower, you have a great view but youll be totally exhausted, I know I was.

Once at the top, you can go inside the house to buy food to feed to the monkeys.  Dont let their appearance fool you, these guys are vicious.  Follow the instructions and feed them from inside the house to protect yourself.

So at this point, I walked outside and literally could see all of Kyoto in front of me from the summit.  I raised my camera and it died as the battery finally gave out.  After several minutes of trying to get some additional power out of my camera to take one final picture I gave up and used my cell phone.

With my camera out of power, I made an attempt to take the train/subway to Goji street to find a camera shop: I failed.  I didnt want to see the rest of Arashiyama without a camera so I stopped there.  I still spent about 5hrs in the area, most of which was on the cruise and I got some awesome pictures.

Now, I am beginning to learn more and more about the Shinkansen.  So from Kyoto to Maibara is about 1hr via normal train.  On a Kodama (the slowest Shinkansen) it is about 35m. Using the Hikari (second fastest) it is 20m, on Nozomi (the fastest and current world record holder for speed) it is 15m.  These trains are seriously ridiculious and really outlines just how pathetic the United States is.  Compare this: the fastest train in Japan is Nozomi and hits speeds of 443kmph (275mph), the fastest train in the US is the Acela line operated by Amtrak between Boston and Washington DC and it his a whopping 240kmph (150mph), but that is only briefly. Shinkansen lines tend to cruise at the above speed.

Consider that Kyoto is about as far away as Grand Rapids is from Ann Arbor.  I made the journey in a Hikari Shinkansen in 20 minutes.  Honestly, I hope people get behind Obama and utilize a high speed rail network, we will be better for it.  I think the Japanese have it right, highways are not the way to go.  In Japan, the airfare is ridiculously cheap and the service is amazing, why? Because they are competing with the Shinkansen.  In America, why dont we have that? It would force the airlines to actually compete with somebody, not to mention I can actually stretch my legs and relax on a Shinkansen, much unlike an airplane.

One final thing, in Shanghai they are using maglev technology where the train is suspended and propelled through magnetic technology that is both quiet and efficient.  These trains are much faster then current rail technology which is showing its limits in Japan.  Japan recently approved the construction of the Chuoo Shinkansen line which will take a person from Tokyo to Osaka in 1hr, bare in mind this is a 10hr drive without traffic.  Talk about insane.  But fear not, as part of Obama’s high speed rail line proposal, he has asked Japan to share their technical expertise in rail systems to assist in building this network, and Japan has agreed.

I, for one, would love to spend 4hrs on a comfortable high speed train then 1hr on a cramped airplane any day.  And if America can learn from Japan how to operate them and provide the same level of customer service, Ill never fly again unless I have to.

Today was the big day, involving a long train ride from the northern part of Japan, often called the Tokaido area, to the southern part, often called the Kansai region (also an airport in the region with the same name). As with all things in Japan there is a historical reason things are called what they are, and true to form I cannot remember why, though I can remember being told when I was here the first time.

My day started in Mito after leaving Sam and Dave’s place.  I really could not thank them for their generous hospitality, it really made things easy.  Also, having gotten the chance to visit Mito and learn about its connection to Hikone was truly fascinating.  Having a JR Rail Pass I am afforded the luxury of being able to travel on almost any rail line here (and there are many of them), including the Limited Express and Shinkansen ones, which allow you to travel fast, quickly, and comfortably.  Below is a shot overlooking the tracks at Mito station and a front shot of the Limited Express Hitachi Super Express train.

Now, the main purpose of this particular line is to connect major cities north of Tokyo (Mito included) to Ueno which allows access to the Yamanote line.  So we basically got to speed along in cushioned reclining seats in peace and quiet to Ueno, took about 1.25hrs.

Now, no disrespect to the Japanese and their food, but there is something about seeing a burger that just makes harmony for Americans. Such is the reason behind my search for the Hard Rock Cafe in Ueno station that Dave mentioned.  I went for a pulled pork sandwich, fries, cole slaw, and beans: and I ate it ALL.

Following this, it was time to begin preparing for the main part of the journey.  I took the Shinkansen three times when I was in Japan for study abroad and every time it was amazing as a traveling experience.  It is expensive, but it is well worth it for long distances; I know because I did the night bus once, Ill take the Shinkansen any day of the week.  After I bought my ticket for Hikari 517 from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka I went to the mecca for geeks: Akihabara.

I didnt have too much time to spend here, I just wanted to look around and feel the nostalgia.  Witness Yodbashi, in Akiba, easily the best electronics store in the world, bar none.

I ended up being a new pair of in-ear headphones for my Zune.  I then jumped back on the Yamanote line and grabbed the Shinkansen from Tokyo station.  Once again, these trains are just awesome.

They travel roughly 300mph and produce an incredibly smooth ride thanks to the magnetic propulsion system which allows it float and mitigate friction, hence “bullet train”.

It really is sad looking at America’s transportation system, its so outdated and frankly slow.  I think Obama’s call to build a high speed rail network is a great idea expect for one aspect: he is asking Americans to give up their cars.  It will never happen, Americans are too conceited about cars to ever give them up, dont believe me, look at New York. New York has, bar none, the best transportation infrastructure in the US and saying it cant hold a candle to Japan does a disservice to Japan.

I have posted a link here to show how fast these things move, seriously it is ridiculous.

Of course the main goal of this whole trip was to make it to Hikone to see my host family who have offered me a place to stay for the next couple nights.  I have really missed the Oe’s and it was awesome seeing them again.

After picking me up at the train station I was taken to Emiko’s English class where they are setting up preparing for classes which start tomorrow. I spent most of the time going between helping where I could and hanging out with the kids.  Me and Asahi went to war just like four years ago.  The girls are bigger and much more fluent with their English.  It was a good time.

It was a great day with a good amount of relaxation which will be needed for tomorrow when I spend a day in Arashiyama.  However, good news is that I finally got in touch with Megumi’s friend Mami who lives in Tokyo and we are going to hang out when I return to Tokyo. But if that wasnt cool enough, Mami has a friend in Osaka who I am hanging out with on Friday. Going to have dinner with her and everything.  Japanese chicks love hanging with American guys, especially if they have an interest in English, get to practice talking.  So I am really looking forward to having a lot of pictures from tomorrow, including of monkey’s which is just the ultimate cool

We concluded our stay at Kijitei Hoeiso pleasantly with a great breakfast and some good Japanese conversations with other guests.  It really is amazing how great their hospitality is, simply whole orders of magnitude above any American establishment.  If I ever return to Japan, I do intend to stay in another one, though perhaps at a different time of year.  It is much chillier here then I anticipated.

So upon leaving the Ryokan we took a shuttle bus back to Hakone-yumoto station to catch a train to Odawara, which is the main hub for this portion of Japan.  Its one of the smaller train stations among the hubs, roughly on par with Jamaica station in Queens, thourghly clean and much much nicer.

Trains in Japan serve a great purpose, much more so then even in New York.  Frankly my Japanese standards, Americans know nothing about trains in big cities.  If you ever get a chance, look up the train and subway maps for the Tokyo area, they are insane, but surprisingly very easy to navigate.  Most of the trains in Japan are run by the JR, Japan Railways Group, and yes, it is true, you can set your watch by them.  Basically think of the MTA in New York, on steroids with none of the corruption, and you get what JR is.  They even offer the JR Rail Pass which allows me the ability to prepay a set amount and ride their trains for free.  Natives are not allowed to use this pass, it is only for tourists for a set amount of time.  I paid $500 for mine and it is good for two weeks.

But to get back to the main point, as you ride the train through Tokyo you will hardly see any cars on the road, especially in the city.  Contrasts this with Manhattan where despite the mass transit infrastructure, people still insist on driving cars to and from work.

So from Odawara I was able to use my rail pass and take the train with Sam and Dave to Tokyo station.  This station, as you would expect, is huge and remarkably busy, though it is not the busiest, that is Shinjuku.  Here is a shot from within Tokyo terminal as we head for the Yamanote line (green).  The Yamanote line is by far Tokyo’s busiest train line.  Completed about 30yrs ago it encircles the entire district of Tokyo, it is also called “The Circle Line” by tourists.  Our goal was to take this train from Tokyo terminal to Ueno station.

We had timed our trip to avoid the rush hour.  Myself and Dave actually rode this line four years ago during rush hour just to see what its like; I almost got trampled, in other words, it was fun as hell.

Our reason for going to Ueno, was to catch the Joban line and head north to Mito, where Dave and Sam live and teach English in High School.  Now, going this far north (2hrs) and given the stations I was seeing along the way, I had thought Mito would be a very small station in the middle of nowhere.  I was quite wrong.  As Sam explained to me, Mito is the capital of Ibaraki-ken (Ibaraki prefecture) and so is a very large town with everything you would expect, including a kick ass train station.

And as it turned out, Mito is a very large city (by American standards anyway).  We immediately went to the post office which doubles as the nations largest bank.  Its really weird, but their systems are a lot different then in America.  Main reason for this was I have come to understand that Travelers Cheques are, in fact, totally useless in Japan, so I wanted to cash what I had left in and keep the yen.  Honestly, people dont tend to mug each other, so the biggest risk is I would forget my purse somewhere.  So after this we went off to Sam and Dave’s place.  Its quite cozy.

They have two cats that were formally strays which Sam found and had nursed back to health: Ashes and Tuna.  Very adorable cats who love playing, prolly the most social cats I have met.  I have heard stories that there are a lot of stray cats in parts of Japan, and Mito seems to see this as well; we heard several stray cats outside during the night.

It is amazing how comfortable a futon can be, I have now slept in one three straight nights and I will sleep in them for at least the next week or so, unless I break down and go to a hotel. But I am looking forward to a tour of Mito tomorrow, i think it will be a great time and I am hoping I will get a chance to tour Dave’s school.

The big problems right now are the weather mostly, its been total crap, cloudy, rainy, and cold.  Its not cold enough where my jacket isnt enough, but I was seriously hoping for some better weather, especially when I return to Tokyo next week to explore its various places for myself. I am also starting to consider doing laundry, I figure I can find a decent coin place in the area and chill there.  The question is whether to do it Hikone or Mito.

I will say this, much as I like Japanese culture, the whole bath thing is very hard for me.  I just am so used to my showers, its hard to really get into a groove.  All in all, I am liking my trip so far, though the real challenge will start April 7, when I embark on a long solo train journey into the southern area of Japan, where hopefully it will be warmer, though Weather.com is not inspiring me.

For the uninformed, Hakone is a very small town located around the base of Mt. Fuji which is world famous for its “onsens” or hot springs.  Dont confuse this with a hot tub, they are two very different things.  The chief difference that hot tub water is essentially warm pool water, whereas a hot spring is exactly what it sounds like, water heated by the core of the Earth.  But I digress, I started the day much the way I started my trip to Japan, leaving a place of comfort for an unknown.  A shot of my room prior to leaving:

This is actually a Courtyard by Marriott located in Ginza and let me tell you, it was the greatest thing in the world for me.  I really recommend this approach when backpacking across a country; go to a place to start that is some what familiar.  This hotel had English speaking attendants,  which where able to point me to local points of interest.

But the main goal for today was to meetup with Sam and Dave at Shinjuku train station and head for Hakone via a special Limited Express train.  For the uninformed Shinjuku is one of Tokyo’s largest districts and holds the busiest train station in the world in the main Shinjuku station.

We had a rather funny moment when we found a door used to permit access to the shops when they are closed, but it was placed right in the middle of the hallway so it appear to be a door to nowhere.  We successfully caught the Limited Express train which took us to the Hakone-yumoto station.  It was quite comfortable and so much better then the normal trains we took when Dave and I went to Hakone the first time. 

After about an hour and a half of travel we finally arrived at Hakone-yumoto. It was good to be back in Hakone, though it looks completely different when its not late, raining, or dark as was the case the first time I was there.

From here we took a bus to our Ryokan.  Now this bus ride was actually quite scary.  In Japan, they have a lot of roads, but not a lot of newer roads in older areas of town.  Many of these roads were designed for horses and people and fitting two cars on them is quite difficult. Our bus driver nearly got in about 5 accidents on the way to our Ryokan.  But in the end we made it,  Our Ryokan is totally awesome, easily the nicest hotel (if you can call it that) I have ever stayed at.

See a Ryokan is a traditional Japanese Inn, so for a period of a couple days you can live like traditional Japanese used to live.  Its quite fascinating, and you get served breakfast and dinner for you both a dedicated room helper.  Its pretty neat and as you can see, tends to result in a  lot of food being served.  Now I must admit, I dont mind Japanese food, the only problem is that when you are an American you tend to eat a lot and be used to doing so.  This is a problem as portions are smaller in Japan and the food isnt quite as filling, so I a still hungry from yesterday, despite eating several large meals today.  For this reason, my friends and I decided today that we will stop at the Hard Rock Cafe in Ueno as we head back to Mito on Monday.  As for tonight, after relaxing and eating the complimentary dinner we hit the onsens and it was awesome.  Big thing to remember is that a bath in Japan is used for relaxation not bathing.  This is because the water here is shared so it must be kept clean and cannot be recycled as we see in Japan.  Each person showers before entering and sits in the tub totally naked to prevent dirt on the bath suit from being introduced into the onsen. 

And yes, because it is traditional we also wear traditional Spring Men’s Yukata which is an outfit meant for lounging or going to festivals in Spring time.  When in Japan you NEVER wear your shoes into the dwelling, you wear small cheap slip-ons usually.  So at any given time in the Ryokan I may have to change my shows as many as three times as I move through the establishment.

So far I have stayed at the Courtyard in Ginza and now for tonight and tomorrow night I will be in Hakone, after which I am off to Mito to stay with Sam and Dave at their place.  Feeling very tired, definitely not a relaxing trip, though it was never intended that way.  I do know that without Dave and Sam this would be significantly more difficult.  Its hard though, there is a lot of stress on me.  I really dont think I could ever live here, just too different and I like much of my American upbringing; plus the lack of hockey here is sad and would make me sad.

I feel the jet lag almost completely long, but the lack of a sold meal really has made recovery very difficult.  Hopefully our travels tomorrow will yield a better meal. Tomorrow is also the first day of the trip in which no major traveling is planned, just leave our stuff at the Ryokan and explore Hakone.  Until tomorrow everyone, good night and look forward to tomorrow, which is probably today for you.

So I began my journey back to Japan for the first time in four years with the goal of essentially forcing myself into a new sleep cycle so as to be able to fully enjoy myself.  I sit before you know at 10:12pm Tokyo Standard Time on April 2, 2010 totally and completely exhausted mentally and physically.

The day started auspiciously with my Mom forgetting that she had no gas in her car, forcing us into trying to find a gas station open at 330am; we ended up doing so.  The next sign was that Continental had recently moved from the McNamara terminal to the North terminal at DTW.  Because of this, self check-in kiosks were not available.  Thankfully I got the airport at a reasonable time because by the time I did that and went through security I basically walked to my gate an onto my flight to Houston.

Flight to Houston was smooth enough, though I had trouble sleeping, related to not being tired.  In Houston, things went smooth and the plane took off on time.  Somewhere along the line, and likely related the adverse weather conditions in Tokyo, many planes were late landing, including ours.  Because of this, more people then usual disembarked and had to go through immigration.  This added a 1.5hr delay in getting into Japan (picture). 

Next, these same people all wanted a JR Rail Pass, and so it took 45m – 1hr to get that.  At this point, I had landed at 245pm TST and it was now 545pm, I really didnt get much sleep on the plane and airplane food is terrible on principal.

The one thing that you have to realize about Japan is, they love technology, so everything involves technology, right down to the doors and toilets.  I suppose this automation is designed to help prevent the spread of infection among such a densely populated area, but sometimes I like just having a regular door, its less complicated to operate, especially when you are in a hurry.

So with Rail Pass in hand, I went to board the Narita Express (pictures); a dedicated train connecting Narita to the busiest and most popular districts in the city.  The ride was pretty smooth, except for being delayed due to the windy weather.

The ride was very smooth and I highly recommend this as the way to get into Tokyo from Narita.  After taking a couple subway stops, which I realized are not included in the Rail Pass deal, I arrived in Ginza, one of the richest area of Tokyo to stay at the local Courtyard by Marriott.  This is where all those points I have accumulated working remotely paid off, 4 star hotel (5 maybe) for nothing.  Totally awesome and yes Cam, they have a Denny’s 🙂

As tired as I was, I got a call from my friend Dave that he wanted to meet up for Dinner in Shimbashi, which is one subway stop from Higashi-Ginza (where my hotel is located) via the Asakusa line.  We had some curry, I didnt each much because at this point I was started to feel very sick for pushing my body so hard.  It was great to meet everyone and see Dave and Sam again, looking forward to our journey to Hakone tomorrow.

One thing I wanted to point out that makes Japan cities so different from America is the cleanliness. Because of their upbringing, Japanese simply do not litter and thus that stations are all totally immaculate.  Aside from the super busy ones in New York, most stations are like a dump and they have much lower volumes of traffic.

As you would expect, forcing myself into this is having side effects which I am hoping a good nights rest will overcome and prepare me to actually start the vacation tomorrow.  I am sure it will be a great trip, though not at all relaxing which is what I both want and dont want.  Wish me well