Hakone

After a rather odd assortment of breakfast dishes, including lettuce salad and beef curry over rice, among other selections, we gathered in the lobby, put our shoes back on, and got on the bus for a drive to Lake Ashi.

This volcanic lake, in a caldera on the side of Mt. Hakone, is more than three miles long and very deep. We had the boat almost to ourselves, with very few other passengers. Probably because holiday vacationers do not get up early in the morning.

In this area, at higher altitude, there are still a few cherry trees in blossom. We enjoyed getting the chance to see them this late in the season.

The bus met us at another dock, farther down the lakeshore, and drove us to Hakone town where we visited the Hamamatsuya woodworking shop. The owner, a fourth or fifth-generation craftsman, gave a fascinating demonstration of how they create intricate patterns in wood to create all sorts of unexpected things.

Mary purchased some very neat wooden jewelry. We saw lots of other interesting items, but none intriguing enough to bring home.

From the wood shop we drove on to one of the tourist hotels in town (that is quite a bit newer and fancier than the one in which we are staying) where we enjoyed a "shabu-shabu" lunch.

Each of us had a box of assorted meats and vegetables, and we shared a bowl of boiling water over a butane burner. We cooked our food in the hot-pot and seasoned it to taste with a variety of spices and sauces provided.

It was a very good meal, but quite messy. We left the table in chaos for the bus boys to clean up! And when we went to use the restroom, it was the first time we encountered "bathroom shoes." You are supposed to take your shoes off at the door and wear special shoes to the toilet so as not to carry dirt from the toilet out into the world. We all cheated.

The hotel featured a very beautiful, traditional Japanese garden outside the main lobby. We delayed the bus departure by going out to take photos of it.

The bus transported us a short distance to another hotel (also quite a bit newer and fancier than the one in which we are staying) where we met in a private conference room (without a strict 60 minute limit) for a conversation with two Geisha.

These were not "Geisha Girls." One was the okaasan or "mother" of an okiya or "house." She was probably in her late 70s or perhaps 80. The other became a maiko or apprentice geisha after graduating from university 25 years ago. So she was in her late 40s.

We had a full hour to hear about what these women do for a living and to ask all sorts of questions. It was a lively conversation. Geisha are entertainers and exemplars of the ideal Japanese woman (or at least the male fantasy of that ideal). 

But the role is changing, and sometimes clients include women who wish to be entertained by traditional Japanese music, dance, and poetry. After the discussion, the Geishas performed some traditional dances and sang for us. The older woman has a rather remarkable voice, especially for her age.

Our tour leader told us that she does not have this kind of discussion opportunity when leading tours for other companies. It's another feature unique to OAT.

On the way back to the hotel, the bus dropped seven or eight of us off at the Hakone Open-Air Museum.

This is a privately operated sculpture garden. Our expectations were low. But this is a very large park filled with extraordinary sculptures, from the very traditional to the ultra-modern.

We were very impressed by the variety and quality of the artwork in this outdoor museum. There was even a sculpture designed as a unique play area for children. No adults allowed!

Our tour leader, Mariko, navigated us back to the hotel, first by train, then by a funicular that took us up the mountain, and finally by a 10-minute walk. Our transit cards from Tokyo worked flawlessly here, as well.

The group met informally for drinks and snacks before dinner. By happenstance, dinner at this hotel tonight was also a shabu-shabu, very similar to what we had at lunch. There were enough differences, however, that we enjoyed the evening meal, as well.

Ashigara

 Our day began on a motor coach, leaving Tokyo and heading toward Hakone and Mount Fuji. Our tour leader pushed up the time and got us up earlier, fearing that traffic would be paralyzing on this holiday. However, the traffic was light and we made good time.

Along we way, we got our first glimpse of the mountain. Views of Fuji got better as we continued.

Our bus took a break at a rest area. Walcot, Iowa claims the largest truck stop in the world. But I don't think they took this place into consideration in the competition, because there were no trucks here (or at least we saw very few). 

There were, however, hundreds of cars, and even more hundreds of people, with every conceivable type of junk food and kitch imaginable. Lots of travelers for the holiday week were taking their rest stop here -- or perhaps this was a destination! It's huge.

One of our favorites on display was a banana cream-filled "Twinkie" with an Anime face painted on it with some sort of edible dye.

After our rest stop, we continued on to the village of Ashigara for our "day in the life" cultural experience. This was one of the better "day in the life" events we've experienced on an OAT trip. There is a 300 year old traditional house here that once belonged to a local feudal official. It has been donated to the local government and operates as a non-profit historical interpretation center.

There are some exhibits here, including Samurai armor and such. But the staff and volunteers are primarily devoted to interactive experiences. It's sort of a "living history" thing. Since today's national holiday is focused on children, there were lots of kids activities going on.

We got to be kids, too, learning how rice was grown, processed, and prepared in traditional ways. There were several staff and volunteers to interact with us. One was a retired engineer who had worked for Fuji Film corporation, including three years in South Carolina. His English was excellent and he had a wonderful sense of humor. 

Another was a small woman of about our age who was very excited about the project. She and her husband still farm rice nearby. She spoke no English, but kept talking to us all in rapid Japanese, as if we understood every word.

Everyone took turns with the preparation, including washing the rice, cutting up vegetables, and digging up fresh bamboo root. The rice and miso soup were prepared over a wood fire in the kitchen area of the house, under a thatched roof. 

We had to remove our shoes to enter the dining room, and had to make our own rice balls for sushi. The meal was very good, and much more substantial than what we had received in the sumo wrestling place.

We also got a tour of the village, lead by the little woman who spoke only Japanese. She showed us her garden and the rice fields, as well as the rice sprouts that will be planted in a couple more weeks.

She also showed us the local cemetery and took us to a shop where we sampled a sort of ice cream that is actually made from a fermented rice. It was actually quite good.

Our bus struggled on some steep mountain roads, gaining elevation to an overlook where we got our picture-perfect view of Mt. Fuji.

The bus continued up Mt. Hakone to our hotel, a rather old but recently remodeled resort. This place was a bit off-putting. There was no word of welcome or expression of being glad to have us as paying guests. Instead, the first command was to take off our shoes, even before entering the lobby. This was followed by more than 20 minutes of going over "the rules" before we could check in and go to our rooms.

A couple of our fellow travelers, Peter & Betsy Snow, from Florida, getting into the Japanese cultural spirit. All of us were issued a yukata robe and slippers, but not all of us followed "the rules" about wearing them.

The area is famous for its hot sulpher springs. We were supposed to have a Japanese hot bath experience here, but there were so many rules about it, most skipped it. We went -- Mary to the women's side and Mark to the men's. But we were each all alone, so the whole communal aspect was missing. It was just a bath.

Our tour leader brought us to a conference room for some info on Japanese culture. A good deal of it was about how sake is brewed, as well as an opportunity to taste a couple different sakes and some plumb wine. But we could only have the conference room for one hour -- exactly 60 minutes -- even though there were no other groups around. It's just the rule, and our tour leader was very stressed to adhere to it.

We did enjoy a very nice evening meal at the hotel, however. And no one laid down rules about how we had to eat it.

Temple Drums

On this unseasonably hot day, we took the subway for a long ride to the Asakusa district where we had a lecture-demonstration on Taiko drumming, followed by a drumming lesson. 

We learned, primarily, that not everyone in our group has a sense of rhythm. But it was kind of fun.

The drum lesson was followed by a visit to a very large Buddhist temple complex. The Asakusa Temple is said to be the most visited religious site in the world. On this Sunday of a holiday week, the place was packed.

A temple has existed on this site since the 7th century C.E. when two fishermen were said to have found a statue of the Buddha in the nearby Sumida River. The current temple was built after the destruction of World War II, and consists of huge gates, a five story pagoda, and the main hall. In addition, there is an avenue between the gates that is lined with shops selling all sorts of religious items, from incense to amulets.

On our own for lunch, we tried to get away from the crowds a bit. But even though we walked several blocks, there were still people everywhere. We finally found a dumpling shop with sit down seating and only a 10 minute wait for a table. We ordered a half dozen dumplings, some pork and some shrimp. They were not quite the same as Chinese steamed dumplings, but still good and able to make a decent light meal.

We headed back into the crowds once again, but between the jet lag, the crush of people, and the hot sun, our fatigue was multiplied. We found our way to the tourist information building which was to be our meeting point when the group reconvened. We found a place to sit and watch a movie about the Asakusa area. Then we moved upstairs to the observation deck to sit some more.

When the group got back together, we boarded an excursion boat -- with a couple hundred of our closest friends -- for a cruise down the Sumida River. Again, we were able to sit, and the breeze was very refreshing.

The boat docked at Hama-rikyu Garden, not far from where the river flows into Tokyo Bay. From the 18th century C.E., this manicured garden was a game reserve for the Shogun, second in power only to the emperor. A villa provided the Shogun with a home away from home where falconry and other types of hunting could be practiced.

From the garden we walked some distance to a metro station and commenced the long subway ride back to the hotel. Showers and some clothes washing were necessary, and served to revive us from the heat,

We then gathered in the lobby for a walk to a local restaurant for our OAT group "welcome dinner." The dinner was remarkable in two ways. First, although it was supposed to be the welcoming event, it didn't take place until the third day of the trip. Second, in spite of being on a cultural tour of Japan, the welcome dinner was at an Italian restaurant. Go figure. It was a good meal anyway.

Sumo

After our group orientation meeting, we boarded a motor coach for a trip into central Tokyo. Along the way, we passed the emperor's palace, the Diet (parliament), and the Supreme Court buildings. But the palace is completely hidden by trees and the other buildings weren't interesting enough to try to get photos from the bus.

We did stop at the national sumo wrestling arena. This is a big place that seats thousands. Fortunately, it gets used for other sorts of events, because there are only three sumo tournaments each year (though each tournaments lasts two weeks).

We could only visit the exterior of the arena, but in a building next door that is full of sumo-themed shops and restaurants we were able to get up close to a replica sumo ring. It's much smaller than we'd pictured, only about 15 feet in diameter. It is made of straw bales and packed clay, and a new ring is constructed for each tournament. The construction is done with manual labor and hand tools and takes about two weeks.

We moved on to a tourist venue operated by a pair of retired sumo wrestlers. Since most sumo wrestlers retire in the early to mid-thirties, these guys were not old. Since retirement, they had trimmed down from their fighting weights -- one was 6'1" and 280 pounds, the other was 5'10" and 320 pounds! They put on a bit of a show for us, explaining the training, a simplified explanation of the rules, some of the basic moves. They were also clearly having fun.

After the demo, they served us a trimmed down version of a typical training meal in a sumo stable. It was very trimmed down, because it was a rather skimpy lunch. We are in no danger of gaining wight on a bowl of vegetable soup and a paddy of sticky rice. But beginning wrestlers do the cooking for the stable and serve their more senior stablemates, so that part was sort of authentic.

We finished with a photo op and returned to the bus for a trip to the main Shinto shrine of Tokyo. The Meiji Shrine is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken. Meiji, who ruled from 1867 to 1912, is revered for transforming Japan from a feudal society into a modern industrial nation.

Like the palace, the shrine is surrounded by a forest. Shinto is basically an animistic religion that worships nature, so the natural surroundings are important. After passing the entrance gate, visitors are asked to stop by a fountain to wash their hands and faces as an act of purification before entering further.

Sake barrels from an annual ceremony at the shrine

Visitors don't really enter the shrine, but pray from a forecourt. Prayers involve bowing and clapping, and silently making wishes to the spirit of the emperor and empress. We were told that we should preface our wishes by silently stating our names so that the spirits would know who was asking! We went up to look, but didn't bow or clap.

While we were there, a traditional Japanese wedding procession came through. The bride and groom looked to be barely in their late teens -- much younger than the average age of marriage in modern Japan.

The motor coach dropped us at a subway station near the shrine where we had our first experience with Tokyo's vast metro system. We rode one stop to the famous Shibuya Scramble Square, where once every few minutes traffic is stopped in all directions and hundreds of pedestrians cross every which way, in all directions, dodging one another, to cross before the light changes once again.

New this square was a loud and raucous protest in support of Palestine -- primarily led by non-Japanese, Arab-looking men. We hung around, not to listen to the protestors, but to watch the huge video displays that show an amazing 3-D display at the top of the hour.

From Shibuya Square we walked to another subway station and rode the metro back to our hotel for a short break. Before our rest, we had a small adventure at 7-11, learning how to use the machine to put more Yen on our transit cards. Once again this afternoon, Peter and Betsey hosted a happy hour in the breakfast room.

Then, at about 6:30 p.m., our tour leader Mariko took half the group, the willing, on another short subway ride to the other side of Shijuku where a new Godzilla video was to be projected onto the side of a large government building. There must have been a couple thousand people gathered there! We infiltrated the crowd and got a kick out of seeing Godzilla destroy the building, then seeing it reconstructed in moments.

The crowd dispersed and Mariko guided us to a nearby restaurant for a nice meal of Japanese foods and beer.

At Mariko's suggestion, we skipped the metro and walked back to the hotel. She guided us down back alleys and through a red light district before delivering us back. It was a beautiful spring evening and there were people everywhere! It was a fascinating walk, capping more than seven miles of walking today.

Land of the Rising Sun

Delta Airlines took good care of us on the 12 hour direct flight from MSP to Tokyo's Haneda airport. The plane was only about half full, so we each got to spread out on a couple of seats. Still, sleep didn't come easily and we arrived tired.

The OAT representative was right there to greet us, and put us in a private van for the hour+ ride to the hotel in heavy traffic. The impression of being in a foreign place is strong -- perhaps even more than landing in China, where many buildings and businesses have signage in English. There's very little of that here.

Another couple in our group sent a WhatsApp message to the rest of us, inviting us to a happy hour in the hotel breakfast room. We had an opportunity to meet most of our group, though a few were yet to arrive. It appears that we'll have a dozen fellow travelers for a group of 14. Most are experienced travelers and seem to be nice folks. And our tour leader, Mariko, presented herself well on first meeting.

After the gathering, the two of us walked around the neighborhood a bit. We are in the Shinjuku neighborhood, west of the city center, so what we saw was only a tiny slice of Tokyo. But the area around us is as bustling and busy downtown Minneapolis on a holiday evening. The weather was very pleasant.

Though we were searching for a noodle shop for a light bowl of soup, we wound up getting some sandwich wrap things in one of the many bodegas (though I'm sure they call these convenience stores by some other name here). Seven-Eleven is huge here.

Our hotel room is small, but comfortable and we slept well and are eager to begin our first day of the tour.