From Koyasan to Nikko

It was a crisp, clear morning on Saturday when we walked out of the Ekoin Temple gate and down the street to our bus stop. It was 5:55 a.m. But the sun rises early in Japan, and as we stood there, we could see the brightening rays in the west and the clear, full moon setting in the eastern blue sky.

Directly behind us, an aged monk was sitting in front of an altar, doing his morning ritual of chanting prayers. It was a perfect morning to say goodbye to Koyasan, where we had spent a remarkable few days.

(It will be necessary to turn the volume on your computer - and the YouTube volume - all the way up in order to hear the priest.)

As a side note, the goofy cartoonish monk character sign was ubiquitous throughout Koyasan. The community is getting ready to celebrate the 1200th anniversary of its founding next year, and this guy is apparently their "mascot." It is representative of something I've notice about Japanese culture, and that is the use of cartoon characters in signs, announcements, etc. I would expect to see this sort of thing for children, but not in adult society. Yet, it is. Along with child-like voices that make announcements at train stations, in elevators, etc., and music box music that is played when a train is approaching. I don't know if it is deliberate, e.g., to exert a calming influence on hordes of people - which I suspect it is in part - or is representative of some larger aspect of the Japanese psyche.

The bus picked us up at 6:06 on the dot, and we wound our way through the community back to the cable car station to descend to the train station below.

From there, we reversed our steps back to Osaka, arriving at Namba Station 90 minutes later and then taking a subway to Shen-Osaka station. Here, we caught a Shinkansen (bullet train) at 9:50, which took us back to Shinagawa Station on the south side of Tokyo, arriving at about 12:15. The highlight of the ride took place as we neared Tokyo and had an absolutely gorgeous view of the whole of Mount Fuji, except for a small ring of clouds that wreathed it about two-thirds of the way up.

We had seen a Buddhist art store in Kamakura when we were there that had some beautiful pieces, but we assumed that we would see something we liked better in Kyoto or Koyasan. That didn't happen, so we arranged to leave Koyasan very early in order to make a quick trip back to Kamakura before heading on into Tokyo.

When we arrived a the store, the owner told us that he would be closing in an hour for two weeks in order to do some remodeling. We couldn't believe our good fortune. We wanted to get a small painting for a friend of ours, and the guy had dozens of them - unframed - for us to look at. Finally, we chose one, and it wasn't until the fellow was rolling up the canvas and putting it in a tube that would fit in my suitcase that he said that it had been painted in Japan by Tibetans (presumably monks) and was based on Tibetan Buddhism. Again, we couldn't believe our good fortune because our friend is a practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism.

Then on to Tokyo, where we stayed at the same place where we had stayed when we first arrived in Japan. The next morning, we made some adjustments in our travel plans, deciding to go out on the west side of Tokyo and visit the American School in Japan, where Mark had gone to school for a couple of years in the 60's.

We had planned to leave for Nikko from a station close to where we were staying, but decided instead
to take a subway to Shinjuku Station, where we boarded a train to Musashi-Sakai Station, then
transferred to a small train that, two stops later, arrived at a station near ASIJ.

It meant a great deal to Mark to make this trip to ASIJ. I have tried to imagine from time to time what it must have felt like to him to have spent 10 years of his childhood in a foreign land, to which he had not been able to return until now. I haven't been back to the two towns in Illinois where I grew up in a very long time, but the fact is that I could have gone and still can without traveling halfway around the world. I can appreciate how much it has meant to Mark to see the places he lived. 

We weren't sure what we would be able to see at the school since it was Sunday. When we arrived, a security guard was reluctant to let us in. Mark told him that he had gone to school there as a boy, but the guard had apparently not understood. He said we needed to have an appointment. We asked if there was someone we could talk to inside the school. He handed us the directory, but said that all the offices were closed. Finally, in desperation, I tried to explain - again - that Mark had gone to school here as a boy, using my hand to indicate short height. "Ah!" he said. "Alumni?" "Yes!" we responded. That one word had made all the difference. He smiled and handed us the visitor sign-in sheet, gave us two passes, and off we went. Mark was able to see his old classroom and the campus and was thrilled.

Mark standing outside his 5th grade classroom

We then made our way back to Shinjuku station where we boarded a train for Nikko, arriving here about 3:00. We are off this morning to see some temples and shrines that are World Heritage Sites, the temple being the shrine to the first Tokugawa shogun who obtained power in the very early 1600's. This afternoon, we will board another train that will take us an hour north of here, further into the mountains, where we will spend our last three nights in Japan at an inn in a hot springs area.

While walking around yesterday afternoon, we had seen an Indian restaurant a couple of blocks from our hotel and decided to go there for dinner (particularly after we saw that the owner is Indian and there were Indian customers eating there). When we walked in later that evening, there was a group of four or five guys and a woman sitting at a table, and the first word that greeted us as we entered was "PFLAG" (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays - an American support group). 

As we heard bits of their conversation (in English) it became obvious that at least two of the guys are gay, and two were Caucasian. When they got up to leave, we couldn't resist. Mark told them we are here on our honeymoon, and they were all, "No way! How cool! Fantastic!" Turns out one of the Caucasian guys is from Boston and the other from Columbus, Ohio. Now what are the odds of us running into a group of American gay guys in an Indian restaurant in Nikko, Japan? Sometimes, as the saying goes, truth is stranger than fiction. (BTW, the food was *fantastic*.)

Tokyo: Churches, Gardens and Shrines

Yesterday started off with us going to attend church at Mark's old church, i.e., the one his dad pastored back in the early 60's. We thought it might be possible that there might be some people there that remember his dad, but it didn't turn out that way. The congregation was English speaking and had been founded right after Mark's family came back to the States for good. But it was an opportunity to Mark to experience more memories.

From the Lutheran Center, we headed down the street to Iiadabashi railway station, where Mark and his siblings would catch the train to the American School every day.

We also passed the little police station right night to the train station that Mark said was unchanged from the way it was 50 years ago. A memory came to his about that station that I'll let him relate to his family if he chooses. ;-)

Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens

From there, we walked to Koishikawa Korakuen gardens, which were originally established by relatives of the Shogun back in the 1600's. Although it was off-peak season, the place was still stunning; and even though surrounded by large office buildings and a sports complex, it was yet a remarkably peaceful place. The pictures below alternate between some I took that I converted to black and white and some of Mark's pictures in color that came out much better than mine and captured the color and lighting much better.

Toshugo Shrine

From the gardens, we took the subway back to our hotel, then went back into Ueno Park to visit Toshugo Shrine, which had been built in the 1600's to enshrine the memory of several early Tokogawa Shoguns. 

The most moving - and unexpected - thing that happened while we were at this shrine was coming upon this monument, the explanation of which appears below:

Prayers inscribed on wooden plaques

Purification Dippers

Prayers written on paper and hung in rows

On our walk back to the hotel, we encountered a children's festival. It was an unexpected delight for Mark to see some of the children playing the same "goldfish game" that he used to play at festivals up at Yasakuni Shrine when he was a boy.

Today we leave Tokyo and head up into the mountains to some hot springs in Yakone. On a clear day, there is a wonderful view of Mount Fuji from there, but the weather continues to be overcast and rainy at times. Overall, however, we've been very fortunate with the weather so far, humidity notwithstanding. It's been a great few days, but we're both ready to head on to new adventures.

Tokyo: Ueno

Yesterday was an amazing day. Amazing. 

We started off early (still adjusting to the additional time difference - five hours behind Maui), went down to the lobby of our hotel (pictured below) to have better WiFi access, then went to breakfast at 6:30 in the basement of the hotel. A fabulous buffet of western and Japanese foods that would easily cost well over $30 at a restaurant back home, but is provided to guests as part of their hotel cost.

My breakfast selections

After breakfast, we headed over to Ueno Park across the street, walking past the lotus plant "field" in part that forms part of the pond. A sea of lotus leaves with their nascent blooms. The following pictures speak a thousand words.

I think this may well be the most beautiful picture I have ever taken.

We sat down at a bench alongside an open area of the pond to write in our journals, watching people walk through the park on their way to work. Then, it was off to explore Ueno Park, the oldest public park in Toyko and the cultural center of the city.

Buddha outside the Bentendo Temple on an island in the middle of the pond.

Prayers left at a temple

Around mid-morning, after browsing through a couple of temples and shrines, we spied a very nice Starbucks and decided to have a coffee and people watch for a while. Well, I people-watched; Mark wrote in his journal. It was an amazing day for him yesterday as memories of his childhood days in Tokyo crept back from the deep recesses of his mind, illuminating his path and bringing new perspectives on his journey through life.

I enjoyed simply sitting and watching, breathing in the air and feeling the gentle, refreshing breeze that, together with the overcast skies, kept the temperatures and the humidity at bay. Considering the forecast that we saw for Tokyo while still in Maui, we have been very lucky with the weather. It was sunny the afternoon we arrived and, though cloudy all day, did not rain yesterday. 

Sidenote: It rains so much here that a couple of the museums we visited yesterday have several large carts outside their entrances where people can "check" their umbrellas in little slots that lock. Apparently, umbrellas are more valuable than bicycles, as we saw literally hundreds of bicycles on sidewalks during our walk across Asakusa to Senso-ji Temple that were not locked up. It was amazing (I'll probably use that 

The Student Festival

We experienced an unexpected treat while sitting outside Starbucks. We heard drums and whistles, then saw the beginning of a parade of students carrying floats into the plaza in front of us. I asked one of the Starbucks employees, and in her limited English I managed to learn that this is a high school student festival that happens every year at this time.

One of a half-dozen or so "floats," which I assume represented each school

This girl led them in. As seen below, her costume left little to the imagination.

We saw several groups of adorable children. Some with red hats, some with white hats, some with green hats, some in uniform, others not. The pictures below were taken as we walked through the park. They were eating lunch out of their bento boxes - something Mark used to do when he was a child here.

Kan-eiji Temple

Our next destination was Kan-eiji Temple just beyond the northern edge of Ueno Park. This had been the family temple of the Tokugawa clan, who founded the shogunate that ruled Japan from around 1600 to 1868.

We noticed, as pictured below, red bibs and hats on a number of statues throughout the day, so when we got back to the hotel late yesterday afternoon, I did a bit of research. I hit pay dirt with one particularly helpful website, from which I quote extensively below

"Jizo [interesting to note how much this sounds like "Jesus"] is a patron for travelers and children. He helps children build walls in the underworld and is associated in Japan with helping aborted fetuses and children who died young. According to tradition, Jizo was an Indian monk who became a Bodhisattva [an enlightened being who helps those who are not yet enlightened]. In India he was known by a different name. There is no evidence that he ever had a large following there. In China he gained a reputation for being compassionate and helping people to avoid reincarnation as terrible beasts. 

"Jizo didn’t develop a large following until he arrived in Japan. His association with rescuing people from unfortunate births was focused on children who died in the hope that they would have good afterlives. Jizo developed a particularly large following among women, who placed statues of him along roadsides and in Buddhist temples. Over time statues of Jizo changed from large ones of a dignified man to small ones of childlike man with a bald head. When abortions became commonplace in Japan places on hillsides were set aside for thousands of jizo statues. 

"Jizo statues for children usually wear red bibs and are decorated with clothing and items such as toys associated with children. Often small piles of stones can be found near the figures. Jizo statues comes in several variations, distinguished by the objects they hold in their hands under the bibs. Jizo also appears in a variety of avatars, including one in which he is a fierce victory god for warriors riding on a horse. 

"Jizo statues are often found in groups of six, each with their hands in a different mudra (position) and each linked to relieving the pain of residents of the six realms of Buddhist cosmology: 1) one holds his hands in a praying position next to his chest and is associated with the Amida Buddha and the realm of humans: 2) one holds a sacred jewel and holds his hand in the no fear mudra and is associated with deva living on Mt. Sumisen; 3) one holds a set of Buddhist rosary beads and is associated with the realm of the non-human creatures; 4) one holds a sacred jewel and a pilgrims staff and is associated with Ashura, the realm of the deities; 5) one holds an incense banner and is associated with hell; and 6) the last one holds an incense censer and is associated with the realm of the hungry spirits. The six statues are grouped to together because the people who placed them there may not know where their deceased loves ones are and thus say prayers to the entire universe and all realms to reach them."

Fascinating.

A 330-year-old bell on the temple grounds

Museums and Senso-ji Temple

Before we left Ueno Park, we went to the National Museum of Western Art and the Tokyo National Museum. The highlight at the former was a special exhibition of Michelangelo's sketches and letters that had just opened that day. At the latter, our highlight was seeing this Standing Amida Nyorai (Sakyamuni, or Buddha) that dated from the 1200's:

The walk to Senso-ji Temple took about 30-40 minutes across Asakusa neighborhood. On the way, we passed another temple (there are literally dozens in this area of Tokyo).

Electric Lantern

Detail of stone lantern

Before entering a temple, patrons are encouraged to take a dipper and pour some water into one's hand which one then brings to the mouth to cleanse it, then water is poured over each hand, again as a ritual purification.

The pagoda at Senso-ji

My man

Detail of a lantern with the temple gate in the background. Note the "swastika" on the lantern.
This symbol is used in connection with temples here. I need to do some research on that.

Out on the Town

After leaving Senso-ji, we took a big step - our first ride on the subway. I had read in guide books about this, and they made purchasing a ticket sound as complicated as rocket science. As it turned out, it was very easy to figure out how to get the right ticket, and away we went back to our hotel.

After bathing in the hotel's sent (public bath) and relaxing a bit in the room, we headed out to the streets behind our hotel. It's amazing what a difference 100 yards can make.

As we walked around looking for a place to eat, we were each approached by pimps asking if we wanted sex. A simple no was sufficient. Mark picked a place to eat which was packed, which is always a good sign.

Placing our order

It had been an amazing day. We were in bed by 8:00.