Japan - A whirlwind visit
Trip Start
Apr 10, 2008
1
11
16
Trip End
Ongoing
Narita, Kanto, Japan
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Our first view was of Mount Fuji from the air - as perfect as the poets proclaimed (Picture #1). The farmers fields were amazingly orderly (2), and they had many beautiful golf courses (3, for example). We were surprised at how green Japan is - not as built up as we expected.
Once on the ground, we decided to head up an old road to see the famous Shinshoji Temple, favoured by Sumo wrestlers and Kabuki theatre stars! Along the path, were many colourful shops just opening for the day - most offered bilingual signs - including English to our relief (4). Everyone that we spoke with was extremely helpful and cheerful, whether or not they spoke English.
The Temple complex dates back over 1,000 years, with different parts reflecting different architectural styles throughout the ages. The Gate is the most recent (5). A famous lantern sits at the second gate and is several hundred years old! (6). We were able to see several beautiful pagodas (7 & 8). People were actively worshipping in the newest part of the Temple while we were there (9).
We were interviewed by Japanese schoolchildren who were there to study their history and practice their English with tourists.
The gardens were lovely. We thought that we had found a statue of Confucius (10), but we will never know. The trees had been trained into beautiful bonsai shapes (11), and a wild part of the garden had a peaceful waterfall where young students appeared to be contemplating great things (12).
We found some beautiful silk kimonos to remind of our lucky visit. We also experienced the future of fast food in a downtown eatery. The menu was largely made up of photos of the offerings. The food (basically Noodle Delight) arrived looking just like the picture - and delicious. The real surprise was when Sherry ordered tea (in the land of the unhurried tea ceremony). It arrived hot and perfect - in a zip-top can! Apparently in the future, life will be so fast that we can`t wait for tea to brew.
We took a bus to a modern shopping mall, and were surprised at how international retail is. If it were not for the language of the signs, we could be anywhere. We were pleased to make it back to the airport in good time for our plane (with very little security hassle), with the feeling that we had a taste of Japan.
