Japan and South Korea

Seoul, "korea, South"

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 16:00:00 +0900

Last day in Seoul and Long Journey Home Our last day in Seoul began a bit later so we could have a good nights sleep before the long overnight flight home. After breakfast we packed and checked out leaving our bags at the hotel. We explored the Namdaemun market just south of the hotel. This large market features lots of clothing, jewelry and food vendors. I was looking for a sport zipped top and didn't find one. After returning to the hotel to drop off my jacket we decided to walk to Seoul plaza near city hall. This plaza features tables and chairs with umbrellas. We sat for a while watching the water fountain and the bustling crowds. With a couple of hours left before our shuttle to the airport, we walked to the Myeongdong area again to continue shopping. After a few more unsuccessful attempts to find a zipped top we settled on a coffee and pastry from Starbucks. Afterwards it was time to meet our shuttle at the hotel. Many people in Toronto claim to have the worst traffic but they obviously have never been to Seoul. Our shuttle picked us up at 3:45. It took 45 minutes just to get from the downtown hotel to the expressway that was less than 5 km away. All lanes were jammed in both directions with drivers jockeying for lanes constantly all to the soundtrack of blaring horns. Once on the expressway the congestion continued until we got to the border of Seoul. When the traffic began to ease our cautious driver contined to drive below the speed limit and had to be encouraged by us to go faster. I was worried that arriving at the airport at 5:15 PM on a Friday we would be met with long lines at check-in and security. Droppping our bags and getting through security took only 10 minutes! We had time to purchase some duty free liquor and spend the last of our Korean won on a snack. Boarding the plane was a bit delayed as people got impatient in the humid gate area but the flight left only 5 minutes late. As the sun set we flew over Seoul and began the long 13 hour flight home. With the help of some melatonin I was able to nap a few hours but Marilyn struggled. Our premium economy seats were large with enough leg room, but even with the seat fully reclined it was hard to get comfortable enough to sleep. Arrival at Pearson was easy despite the long walk from the plane to the Customs Hall. Our bags were off the carousel before I returned from a washroom trip. We had to wait briefly for Carl to pick us up. The ride home seemed long due to the fact we had been awake for over 30 hours. My own bed was a welcome sight after our Asian adventure.

Seoul Plaza

Seoul Plaza fountain

Myeondong Street Festival

Bank of Korea Water Fountain

Goodbye Seoul

Perks of Premium Economy

Seoul, "korea, South"

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 16:00:00 +0900

Local Village Market, Lunch with a Farmer, Talk with a North Korean Defector and Farewell Korean BBQ Dinner Our final day in South Korea with Lucy began at 9:00 with Mr Kim driving the van. We left Seoul for the west coast near Incheon to visit a local market and have lunch with a farmer family. After a 90 minuite drive out of Seoul’s crazy traffic we arrived at the market in Gangwa-Daero. This market sold a wide variety of produce and seafood. It was not busy so most vendors were preparing food to be sold at lunch. Lucy chose this market because it also sold hwamunseouk woven reed products. These are made in this area and are hand made from sedge which is the reed from rice plants. The sedge is harvested, split and then dried. Some reeds are dyed to create colours in the woven products. We drove a short distance to Yangsa-Myeon which is near the border of North Korean. We visited a local farmer and made Korean Bimbap for our lunch. Bimbap is similar to sushi in Japan. The only difference was the we used Korean rice rather than Japanese sushi rice. The roll was made using a similar process where the rice is placed on nori (seaweed paper) and egg, ham, pickled radish and other vegetables are then rolled by a bambo mat and then sliced. Once we made our bimbap, the hostess offered us cabbage and cucumber kimchi, salad and a pork and mushroom soup to accompany our bimbap. Lunch was finished with fresh strawberries and a rice dessert that was coated in either sesame seeds or ground soybeans. After lunch the farmer gave us a walking tour of the small village and explained the types of food he farms. The largest product is rice which is planted in May. He also had a very friendly corgi dog, peacocks, chickens and chicks. The village is also home to a center that shows school groups how to make hwamunseouk mats. After a brief tour of the center a group of grade 5 (aged 10-11) students came in for instruction and a hands on session of making mats. We watched the video instruction, and even though I knew no Korean, the video was very clear on how to weave. We watched some of the students in action before we left to return to Seoul. After re-entering Seoul we stopped at the Freedom Speakers International (FSI) office which is in a non-descript building down an alley. In a small room the co-founder, Casey Lartigue, introduced us to a recent Korean defector. We were asked to not take his picture nor mention his name since he could suffer consequences from North Korean government spies. FSI is a non-profit who trains and supports North Korean defectors to learn English and, when they are ready, tell their stores of repression living in North Korea. The defector was a construction worker who received some training in architecture and building methods while in university in North Korea. The company he worked for took him and other workers to Russia to complete a construction job. Their passports were seized upon arrival and the workers were forbidden from leaving the construction site. They worked from 7:00 AM until 1:00 AM every day with only 2 days off per year on Chinese New Year. The strategy was if they were exhausted they would not be able to get into trouble or escape. He was paid only about $3000 per year, but the company took most of it for their housing and food. In essence, they were slave labourers. One Sunday while given an opportunity to leave the site to get food, he contacted the South Korean embassy and was immediately taken to a safe house. After 7 months he was taken to Seoul and entered into a government run program to help the defectors live successfully in South Korea. With a new name and history he now works in Seoul and speaks to groups to educate the world on the evils of the authoritarian regime in North Korea. We returned to the hotel to begin preparations for going home in the morning. Tonight Lucy has arranged a Korean BBQ dinner at a local restaurant and she also promised Marilyn to take her to the cosmetics shops in the Myeongdong neighbourhood. At the end of the dinner, we said our goodbyes to Lucy, and our fellow travellers Waldemar, Dan and Barbara and returned to the hotel.

Farmers Market

Farmer’s humble home

My bimbap lunch

Farmer’s fertile field and greenhouse

Marilyn meets the friendly corgi

Chicken and chicks

Another house in the village

Farmer’s peacock was protecting his 2 pea hens

Weaving center sign

Ready for a school group

Sample of Hawmunseouk woven by the farmer’s wife

Another sample

Cosmetic shopping in Myeongdong Street

More Myeongdong mania

Seoul, "korea, South"

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 16:00:00 +0900

Korean National Museum, Tour of Insadong District, and Gyeongbok Palace Today we are doing without Mr Geng and his nice van. We are relying on buses, subways and taxis to get around Seoul with Lucy. We had a later start today and set off by bus to the Korean National Museum. This free museum tells the history of the Korean people from before Christ until the Japanese occupation in 1910. The Korean peninsula was occupied by three kingdoms from around 50 BC until about 700 AD. The Silla which occupied the south east portion, the Baekje which occupied the south west and the Goguryeo which occupied the north and into what is now southern China. The museum showed artifacts discovered in each of the three kingdoms. Once the three kingdoms merged into Korea around 700 AD there were 3 dynasties with the Choson dynasty ending in the late 19th century. Each dynasty had a king who resided at Gyeongbok palace in Seoul. The Korean dynasties were influenced by Chinese Confucian philosophy and de-emphasized Buddhism. As a consequence, most statues of Buddha in Korea have had the hands removed so you do not know which Buddha deity it is. Lucy also told us that most Koreans do not have any preferred religion. After a short cab ride, we next spent time in the Insadong district which has many clothing shops, antique shops and restaurants. We chose cheese pizza for lunch and Marilyn debated buying an antique vase for $400 but she decided not to. (Whew!) Our next form of transportation was the subway. Seoul has 9 subway lines that interconnect and all of them have been built since 1974. Granted Seoul is 4 times larger than Toronto, but the TTC pales in comparison to subway systems in Japan and Korea. We arrived at Gyeongbok Palace which sprawls over central Seoul. This palace had 2800 people living at it from the King, Queen, consorts, advisors, civil servants and many servants. The palace attracts many school groups and tourist groups so it was a little noisy and crowded. Many of the people visiting were dressed in authentic costumes which made for colourful pictures. To enter the palace you must enter three different gates to reach the King’s court. On the roofs of the gates are 7 monkey statues that ward off evil spirits. Many of the buildings are made for specific purposes such as the King’s reception, the library, the King’s residence, the queen’s residence and many buildings for cooking, eating and to house servants. Residences have under floor heating with stone floors and a space underneath to light fires. The top surface of the stone has straw coverings with Koreans sleeping on the floor like other Asian cultures. The group had reached their walking limit and Lucy hired another taxi to return us to the hotel. When we arrived at the hotel Lucy pointed out a street vendor across the street who made fresh pastries filled with fruit and nuts. Marilyn chose to get a latte and a piece of carrot cake from the hotel coffee shop. I went across to wait in line for the pastry. I returned to order a coffee, with Marilyn who was disappointed with her choice, and I devoured the pastry. Yum. Tonight will be the last dinner we get on our own. We will find another one in the area.

Namdaemun Gate at Night

Korean National Museum

Iron battle gear from early Korea

Korean gold crown and belt

Marble monument taken by Japan but returned to Korea

Peerfume cases from early Korea

Buddha with missing hands

Insadong Street

Marilyn prowls for bargains on Insadong Street

Seoul Metro Subway Map

First glimpse of Gyeongbok Palace

First Gate

Second Gate

Monkeys to ward off evil spirits

Colourful visitors approach the King’s Reception

King’s Throne Room

The library

Chimney for under floor floor heating

Small Courtyard in Palace

Marilyn and her Ram zodiac statue

Street vendor selling fried filled donuts

It was worth the wait!

Seoul, "korea, South"

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 07:00:00 +0900

DMZ Visit: Odusan Unification Center, Third Tunnel Monorail, Dora Observatory and Unification Village Today we have an early start to visit attractions in the DMZ (De-Militarized Zone) beween South and North Korea. After a quick breakfast at the hotel we met our driver Mr Geng and we were off by 7:30. We have to leave early as the tour buses that take you to the attractions in the DMZ do not acccept reservations so tour guides buy tickets on a first come - first served basis for tickets. The road north from Seoul follows the Han river downstream and when it joins the Imjin River the border with North Korea becomes the Injin. The shoreline has a tall fence topped with razor wire and guard stations every few kilometers. During the hour long drive Lucy gave us some Korean history to provide context for the DMZ visit. Korea has been influenced by China to the north and west and Japan to the east and south. Both of these larger countries have made Korea the “middle child”. Until the 19th century Korean was isolated and backward. Japan became more modern in the 19th century and also became imperialistic by invading and making Korea a colony from 1910 until 1945. Japan subjugated the Korean people and even forced Korean women to provide “comfort” to Japanese soldiers stationed in Korea. At the end of the world war II, the country was arbitrarily divided along the 38th parallel with responsibility of the north given to China and Russia and the south came under United Nations control led by the United States. The UN gave the Korean people 5 years to come up with a plan to form a government. At that time, the north had a stronger economy based on mining and the southern economy was mostly based on farming. Also, the north influenced by China and Russia wanted a communist Korea while the south influenced by the Americans wanted a capitalistic democracy. The Korean people could not agree on a common form of government. Before the 5 year window elapsed, the north with support from China and Russia, invaded the south in the summer of 1950 and within weeks had captured Seoul and most of the south thus beginning the Korean war. Led by an American landing at Incheon, the invaders were repelled by the fall of 1950. A bloody three year war of attrition began with protracted battles over each hill and mountain. On August 15, 1953, both sides agreed to an amristice and based on the current batlle lines, a border between the two Koreas was made. To prevent further battles a buffer zone 2 km on both sides of the border was created and policed to prevent battles. Thus the DMZ was born. The peace has lasted now almost 80 years! Once Lucy confirmed our tour tickets starting at 1:00 we visited the Odusan Unification Center for our first glimpse into North Korea. This government run center wants to educate Koreans and visitors of the history so they can unify the 2 Koreas again. After 70 years most families who were split by the war are no longer alive, and with no communication, younger Koreans do not know about their fellow Koreans stuck in North Korea under the dictatorship of Kim Jong Un. Next, we had a Korean lunch at a restaurant. We had beef patties, fish, soup, veggie pancakes and many side dishes. There was a large amount of food for only 5 of us. We ate our fill and there was still food left. Returning to the DMZ we took tour buses into the area controlled by the militrary police. Before we crossed the “cow” bridge military police came on the bus and checked everyone’s passports. No photos of any military personnel or installations were allowed. Our first attraction was the monorail down into the tunnels the North Koreans had dug under the DMZ. There have been 4 tunnels found and the monorail took us into tunnel 3. This tunnel was discovered in 1978. The tunnel is 75m down and was blasted through granite. We walked along the tunnel until a barrier that was 150m from the North Korean side of the DMZ. These tunnels, if used, would allow up to 30,000 troops per day to invade South Korea. The cow bridge was named for the story of Chung Ju Yung. Chung who was born in 1915 left his village as a young man and moved to the south. He stole the 70 won his father got for selling a cow before he left. Chung was a very industrious person who started Hyundai which is one of South Korea’s largest companes. In 1998 the South Korean government was looking for ways to improve relations with North Korea and allow families to reunite. Chung decided he wanted to repay his family debt with interest. He arranged for 500 Hyundai trucks to ship 1001 cows to North Korea across the bridge thus the bridge was known as the “cow bridge”. You are likely wondering why 1001 cows? He wanted to repay his debt 1000 fold plus the original cow he stole. The next DMZ attraction was the Dora observatory on a hill overlooking the DMZ and North Korea. From this vantage point you can clearly see the DMZ and Kaesong in North Korea. You cannot rely on Google maps while here since North Korea has towers that jam the the GPS signals. In the early 2000’s South Korea created an industrial center near Kaesong in North Korea as an incentive for reunification. Sadly, Kim Jong Un took the investment and kept the profits rather than helping his people. The last attraction was a visit to the Unification Village in the DMZ. The South Korea government provides incentives so people will live near the DMZ. This small village of 600 farms ginseng and soybeans and sells their wares in a small market visited by tourists. As a further incentive, farmers, and their sons, can avoid the 18 month compulsory military service for all Korean young men. Yes, even BTS had to serve 18 months in the military. After a long, but interesting, day we took the 90 minute ride back through the crazy Seoul traffic to the hotel arriving at 5:30. I bought a Danish beer for less than $3 and I am enjoying it as I write this blog. It will be a local restaurant tonight for dinner and a quiet evening in the room watching our massive 65 inch TV.

Namdaemun Gate near the hotel

South Korea’s Parliment

Guard Tower by DMZ

Azaleas and a Poem about Fire and Flowers

Google Translation of the Poem

Interesting Korean Pavilion

Cool Faces Sculpture

Comparison statistics for South Korea (blue) and North Korea (red)

First glimpse of North Korea from Odusan Unification Tower

Korean Lunch I shared with Marilyn

Memorial to Korean Comfort Women during Japanese Occupation

Wreck of 1950s steam train from DMZ

Dwight in the DMZ

Sculpture showing the world helping Korea reunite

View of North Korea from Dora Observatory. You can see both South and North Korean flags across DMZ

Unification Village

Seoul, "korea, South"

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 07:00:00 +0900

Syonara Japan and Travel to South Korea We awoke early for breakfast at 6:30 to catch the ride to the Kansai Airport in Osaka. Unfortunately, at least 2 other groups staying at the hotel also arrived for breakfast when it opened at 6:30. After a long lineup and a crowded buffet, we gulped some breakfast so we would make the 7:15 shuttle. Kansai airport is on an artificial island in Osaka Bay about 60km south of downtown. With a major expressway under construction and Monday morning commuters it took and hour and a half to reach the airport. Luckily, check in and security took a short time and we then had a three hour wait before or flight to Seoul! We will let Collette know that we could have left 90 minutes later and had a less stressfull start to our day. The short 2 hour flight on Korean Air featured an unexpected full meal and comfortable seats. Arrival at Incheon airport saw an quick trip through customs and baggage claim. When we met our guide Lucy we had had a chance to chat while we waited for the van to take the 4 of us to the city. On the hour trip by our driver for the five days, Geng, Lucy told us some information about Seoul and South Korea. South Korea has 50 million residents with 10 million living in the city of Seoul. The Korean peninsula is more mountainous than Japan with 60% of the area covered with mountains with North Korea mostly mountains. We arrived at our hotel which is near the center of the city near the Namdaeum gate. The Korean word for south is “nam”. This gate was the entry from the south into the walled city during the middle ages. The city also had a gate to the east and a wall around the old city. Present day Seoul only has a few remnants of the city wall left. Seoul is divided by the Han river that flows east to west. South of the Han river is called Gangnam and the high end shops are in this part of the city. Local residents who shop there have Gangnam style and hence the 2012 Psy song and dance craze Gangnam Style. After an hour to unpack and rest, Lucy took us out for a quick orientation of the city by riding the cable car 250 m up the mountain containing the Seoul Tower. With the sun setting at 6:30 the cable car was busy with school field trips and young Koreans who like to watch the sunset from the mountain top. On the mountain top are observation platforms food booths and the Seoul Tower. Taking the elevator to the top of the tower we had a panaromic view of the city. WIth mountains to the north, the Han river to the east and the sunset to the west the city sprawled out before us. After the sunset, we returned to the area around our hotel. Lucy wanted to take us on a walking tour but we revolted and opted for a beef bulgogi dinner and a beer before getting back to the hotel at 9:00. We need to remind Lucy that we cannot have long days including evening events at our age.

Map of mountain with Seoul Tower

Just build the stairs around that tree

Portion of old city wall

Seoul Tower from the base of the mountain

Vendors on the mountain top

Seoul Tower from the mountain top

Romantic young Koreans put a lock on any railing on the mountain top

Marilyn is amazed that it’s 10728 km to Toronto

Mountains to the north

Han River to the East

Sunset to the west

More locks in the shape of trees

View from the top of the cable car

View of the cable car base

Our beef bulgogi is cooked right at our table

Ōsaka, Japan

Sun, 21 Apr 2024 16:10:00 +0000

Hiroshima, Japan

Sat, 20 Apr 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Hiroshima, Japan

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Leaving the Mountains to Osaka, Bullet Train to Hiroshima, Okonomiyaki Lunch and Peace Memorial Park Today has multiple modes of transportation as we journey from the mountains to Hiroshima. We awakened at 6:00 after our night sleeping on a futon on a straw tatami floor. We both slept well, although getting into and out of bed was not graceful. Breakfast bore a remarkable resemblance to dinner. We were on the road by 7:45. To make up for the early start due to construction on the expressway near Osaka, Nobu arranged for us to have orange flavoured bread freshly baked when we stopped at a rest area. With no coffee at the monastery, it was a welcome mid-morning snack with a coffee! The mood on the bus was definitely elevated after. We arrived at Shin-Osaka (new Osaka) station with time for a washroom break before we boarded the Shinkassen (bullet train) for Hiroshima. The journey was a smooth relaxed trip with many long tunnels that made listening to a podcast a challenge. We arrived at Hiroshima station and walked to Okosuta where we made and ate okonomiyaki for lunch. This Japanese meal was prepared on a flat grill that started with a crepe, then added cabbage, bacon, bean sprouts, a scrambled egg and topped with a Japanese barbeque sauce. It was finalized with custom toppings. I choose japalpeno peppers and Marilyn chose green onions. Since it was a late lunch we ate it all and it was delicious. The bus drove us to Peace Memorial Park where we toured the monuments at the site of the atomic bomb blast on August 6, 1945. The tour began at the Atomic Dome. This is the remains of the Hiroshima Promotion Hall. It was one of a few remaining buildings not flattened by the blast. It was saved to serve as a reminder of the destruction of atomic weapons. Just south, we visited the Children’s Peace Monument. This sculpture has a child holding a paper oragami swan. This is based on the story of Sadako Sasaki who was 2 when the blast occured. She developed leukemia 10 years later and while being treated folded 1000 paper oragami swans. Sadly she died of leukemia, but she became a symbol for Japanese sick children. When a child is ill Japanese do not send get well cards or balloons, they make long chains of paper oragami swans. Continuing through the park we walked past the peace flame which resembles 2 open hands joined at the wrist and toured the Hiroshima Peace Museum. This museum tells the story of the damage of the blast and the impact it had on families for decades. It is a somber reminder of the carnage of war and its impact on people. You leave the museum feeling reflective as you do on Remembrance Day, or after seeing the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. We finally arrived at our hotel which was nearby. We will have a quiet evening as Marilyn recovers from her cold.

The lovely view from our room at the monastery

Hungry tour members arrive at Okosta

Marilyn and Dwight are dressed to make their okonmiyaki

Flipped to cook the bacon

Marilyn’s finished okonomiyaki

Dwight’s finished okonomiyaki

Hiroshima Atomic Dome

Atomic Dome with blooming azaleas

Children’s Peace Memorial

Strings of paper oragami swans

Flame of Peace

Atomic Dome is visible through Arch

Peace Fountain

Kōyasan, Japan

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 07:00:00 +0900

Kyōto, Japan

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Bamboo Forest, Kinkakuji Golden Pavilion and Geisha Show We had a later start today so we were able to have a video chat with our daughter Rebecca and son-in-law Daryl. They had just put the girls to bed so we missed seeing our granddaughters. It was nice to catchup with them and share some of the highlights of our Japanese adventure. With warm temperatures (24C) I chose shorts for the first time in 2024. There were not audible gasps at my lily white legs, but there were some side-eye glances. Our first stop was the Bamboo Forest near the Honenji Temple. The path was a constant upward slope on a path through the bamboo forest. Bamboo is not planted in peoples gardens as the root system is so dense and invasive the roots will damage house foundations. We climbed some more to a lookout over the Katsuraga River. The climb was worth the spectacular view. We had glimpses of the river on the way down and saw the boats on the river. Returning to Arashiyama we had some Udon noodles for lunch followed by cherry blossom ice cream. Marilyn was frustrated in finding the souvenirs she wanted. After a short bus trip we arrived at Kinkakji Temple, also known as the Golden Temple. It was a crowded tour of the grounds where you could only see the Temple from the exterior. This Zen temple was built around 1400 by Yoshimitsu Ashikaga the local shogun. It was covered on the outside and the inside of the third floor with 20kg of gold leaf. After the shogen died it became a Zen Buddhist temple. On the top of the temple is a bronze phoenix. In western culture a phoenix represents rising from the ashes, or rebirth. The pheonix in eastern culture usually represents good luck. We returned to the hotel to freshen up and head to the Geisha show in the Gion district. After the one hour show we found a restaurant and returned to the hotel to pack in preparation of heading south to the monastery in Koyasan.

Marilyn enters the path to the bamboo forest

The bamboo forest is very dense

Bamboo forest

Enjoying the view from the lookout

View of the river valley

Glimpses of the river on the climb down

Boats on the river

Katsuragawa River dam

Golden Temple

Marilyn holds her Holden Temple ticket

Last view of ther Golden Temple and the Phoenix

Golden Temple ticket

Golden Temple ticket translated

Kyōto, Japan

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Kyōto, Japan

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Todaiji Temple, Sake Tasting, Making Sushi and Oragami, Kyoto We say goodbye to Mie prefecture and journey today towards Kyoto with a stop in Nara at the Todaiji Temple and later a stop outside Kyoto for a Sake tasting, making sushi and making oragami. It was a 3 hour bus ride to Nara with a rest stop on the Ninja Expressway. Ninja is a city where people were trained to be spies who would blend in and gather intelligence. They would sometimes wear black clothing if they worked at night but they mostly dressed to blend in. The Hollywood version of ninjas being assasins trained in martial arts has been greatly embellished. Nara was a planned capital city of Japan about 700 AD. The emperor wanted an impressive capital city so the world’s largest bronze Buddha inside the world’s largest all wood building was built around 700-800 AD. Todaiji Temple is the largest Buddhist Shrine in Japan and attracts millions of visitors a year. We saw many south and east Asian tourists at the Temple. This temple is also home to thousands of small deer which mingle with the tourists. When you feed them they will bow to you. The deer are mostly friendly but there are warning signs to beware of bad behaviour by the deer. We didnt see any bad behaviour but you have to watch where you step. Marilyn needed to clean her shoe soles afterward! The temple’s gateway has steep stone steps and on each side of the gate are huge carved wooden guardians to ward off evil spirits. You must climb more steep stone steps in order to enter the temple. Inside is a huge seated bronze Buddha and several smaller Buddhist shrines. The building is supported with huge wooden cylinders and one near the back has a small tunnel carved through it. Buddhists believe that anyone who can pass through the tunnel they will be blessed with good health. There were many families encouraging small children to crawl through. In fact, one member of our group managed to squirm through. After some lunch and some souvenir shopping we set out for Kyoto. In the Kyoto outskirts we made our second excursion of the day to taste some sake, make some sushi and make some oragami. We learned about the process of making sake from rice that has had the outer layer removed and koji-kin mould. Sake is only ferrmented and aged in cedar barrels for a few months. We sampled three sakes from different regions. Next, we had a demonstration of traditional Japanese recipes. Most recipes begin with dashi which is a broth made from seaweed. Miso soup has miso paste (fermented red bean paste) added to dashi. Miso soup is eaten daily by many Japanese. The last demonstration was how to make teriyaki chicken followed by making steamed spinach salad with sesame seeds. Then it was our turn to make Japanese staples. First we got to make rolled omlettes, and then we made sushi rolls. Miso Soup and the teriyaki chicken from earlier was served to each of us and we all ate the fruits of our labours. Finally, we were led in folding a square of coloured orgami paper into a swan. Despite the instructor’s poor English and the difficulty in having 24 people follow her instructions, we still managed to succesfully fold a swan. Now, that it is dark, we took a short bus ride to our hotel which is directly over the main train station. Our bags were already in our room so we unpacked, relaxed and made plans to discover Kyoto over the next 2 days. Marilyn’s lost sunglasses were also waiting for us when we checked in!

Watch out for ninjas on the Expressway

Gate to Todaiji Temple

Gate guardian 1

Gate guardian 2

Todaiji Temple

Copper lantern made in 800 AD

Big Buddha

Another Buddha view

Second Buddha statue

Scary guardian

Bowing deer greets Marilyn

Deer behaviour warnings

Sake tasting

Sushi making

Now we eat

Dwight’s blue swan and Marilyn’s green swan

Toba, Japan

Sun, 14 Apr 2024 16:00:00 +0900

Cultured Pearls and Ama Divers The Mie Prefecture on the Shima peninsula is famous for natures preserves, shrines and cultured pearls. Today we explored how culturing of pearls was founded by Kokichi Mikimoto and learned about the Ama divers. After a fixed menu breakfast that was a mashup of Japanese and Western items we left to fravel to Pearl Island in Toba. This small island is connected to the mainland by a bridge. The entire island tells the history of how Kokichi Mikimoto discovered how to create cultured pearls in the late 1800’s. Since natural pearls cannot meet the world’s demand for pearls, he discovered that if you place a spherical piece of clam shell called a nucleus in a pearl oyster, after about 2 years a layer of pearl will form around the nucleus creating a pearl. The pearl oysters are suspended in nets from floating bamboo rafts in the bay and need constant monitoring to ensure the oyster is free from bacteria like red tide and has sufficient nutrients so pearls will form. This discovery revolutionized the pearl industry since you could now make pearls bigger by starting with a bigger nucleus. Over the decades they determined what conditions create different colours and lustres of pearls. Mikimoto is the world leader in cultivated pearls. Mikimoto was an astute business man who in his lifetime created a worldwide network of stores to sell his pearls. He met emperors, monarchs and famous people like Thomas Edison. Also on pearl island we had a demonstration of Ama divers. These women have developed ways of diving down 10m to harvest clams, oysters, sea urchins, sea cucumbers and sea weed as food sources. Women are better divers since they had more body fat and can hold their breath longer. The men operated the boats supporting the divers and collected the items they brought to the surface. Ama divers wear a white hooded top that makes them less attrctive to predators like sharks and protect them from jellyfish and sunburn. When we left Pearl Island we went further down the coast to a small fishing village where we had lunch at an Ama Hut. The fresh seafood was grilled over a charcoal fire and served fresh to us. We ate scallops, sea snails, oysters, fish and several types of clams. I was able to eat all except the sea snails which looked too gross. Marilyn didn't eat nearly as much as the chewy texture proved too much for her. The meal ended with a bowl of rice and some miso soup. After returning to the hotel, I went for a soak in the hot tub. Wearing the yukata (a cotton kimono) and slippers the hotel supplied, you go to your gender’s changeroom where you strip naked, wash your body thoroughly and then soak naked in the 40C hot tub. While luxuriating in the hot water I enjoyed a great view of the bay. The day was completed with a French dinner overlooking the bay as the sun set. This is the life!

View from the bridge to Pearl Island

Pearl Island blossoms

Pearl Island trees

Mikimoto’s statue

Mikimoto was short

How they hold the pearl osters in nets

Only 5% of the yield are good enough for jewelry

Pagoda with pearls

Globe with gold and pearls

Ocean view from the fishing village

Marilyn got to go to a beach

Ocean views from the tsunami wall

Ama hut interior

Ama divers cooking our lunch

Marilyn was excited before she saw the lunch

Fish and seaweed salad

Scallop and sea snail

Icon for Ama divers that when traced returns to where you started

Ama icon with many eyes so dieties can watch over the divers

Toba, Japan

Sat, 13 Apr 2024 16:00:00 +0900

Syonara Tokyo and Konnichiwa Mie Prefecture We had an early start today as our packed suitcases and backpacks needed to be ready by 7:00 AM. After a buffet breakfast, we checked out and the bus departed for Tokyo train station and a ride on the Shinkansen, or bullet train, to Nagoya. The train departs at 8:48 AM and will leave even if you are not there. The group were all on the platform and ready before the train even was backed onto the platform. After a short delay, which was apologized profusely over the PA system, we were off. Marilyn and I scored window seats on the right side so we could see Mount Fuji on the way. It was a spectacular sight. The train is so smooth even when traveling between 250 and 350 km/h. The trip took only 1 hour and forty minutes. After we met our bus driver for the remainder of the tour, we were off. The trip to Mie prefecture left the coastal plain that featured much agriculture and the terrain quickly became more hilly and soon were were in mountains. Along the hour and half journey we had a quick service area stop for a break and listened to a video explaining the indigenous religion of Shintoism. Shintoism along with Buddhism are the two dominant religions in Japan. Shintosim has been practiced for 2000 years and is intricately connected to nature and the geography of Japan. There are many deities that reside in natural objects like mountains, trees, nature and in elements like wind and the sun. These deities are called Kami. Children aged 3, 5 and 7 celebrate Shinto ceremonies along with weddings and funerals. Matsuri is the term referring to the collective rites and gatherings that coincide with events like spring planting and fall harvests. The goal of Matsuri is for the people to praise and entertain the Kami. There are over 80,000 shrines to Kami throughout Japan. Some shrines are large temples in cities and some are small shrines in nature called Jinjas. The most important shrine is the Ise Shrine that we visited next. We arrived in Ise at 1:00. This small mountainous town sees large crowds of pilgrims who come to the shrine. Over the course of the year the number of visitors to Ise Shrine is almost equal to half the population of Japan, or 60 million people! Since today was a sunny warm spring Saturday, there were many families spending time in the town checking out the food vendors and souvenir shops. At 2:00, Nobu guided us through the Ise Shrine. The bridge over the river and all the buildings are made using the same building methods and local wood. The bridges and structures have to be replaced about every 20 years since no preservatives are used. Each shrine has a Tori Gate which features 2 large poles with horizontal beams connecting them at the top. As you enter or exit through a gate you must stop and bow. Pilgrims must purify themselves before they enter a shrine. In ancient times this required bathing in the cold mountainous river that flows near the shrine. Nowadays, you purify yourself by taking a small ladle of water and pouring it over each hand and then taking some in your mouth to purify it. Nobu showed us the shrine for the river and wind before we climbed the stone steps to the main shrine. Pilgrims that enter the shrine will bow twice to respect the deity, clap their hands hands twice to get the deity’s attention. Next they fold their hands together and say a prayer. Finally, one more bow ends the process. At the main shrine only pilgrims who make a donation and are dressed in formal (black or white) clothes may enter accompanied by a Shinto Priest. After a short drive to the coast, we checked into the Altia Toba hotel which overlooks the Pacific Ocean. The day ended with a Kaiseki dinner overlooking the ocean. A Kaiseki dinner is a multi-course dinner consisting of sashimi, several types of local cooked fish, beef, miso soup and a fresh fruit dessert. I thoroughly enjoyed it and had 4 pieces of squid sashimi since Marilyn couldnt eat it.

Waiting to board the Shinkansen

Nobu gives us instructions

Marilyn enjoying the ride

Bonsai trees in Ise

Marilyn at thr Tori Gate

Purification station

Nobu explaining the process for a shrine

Shrine for the wind

Steps to the Ise Shrine

Balcony view

Kaiseki appetizers

Marilyn toasting the view

Thwe Kobe beef steamer

Mount Fuji was spectacular

Tokyo, Japan

Fri, 12 Apr 2024 16:00:00 +0900

Tokyo, Japan

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 16:00:00 +0900

The Guided Tour Begins After breakfast we met our tour guide Nobuko Nakamura and the other 22 members of our group. Nobu, as she likes to be called, gave us a more detailed itinerary and went over the logistics of the tour. She emphasized how punctual the Japanese are. Our train on Saturday leaves at 8:48. If you arrive late you are responsible for getting to the next city on your own. The train does not wait. This group is over-represented by Canadians. There is a group of 9 from Toronto, a couple from Fonthill and a single man from Toronto. With Marilyn and me, we make up over half of the group. The rest are mostly from California and a single man from Adelaide Australia. We set off today on a bus to visit the Asakusa area of Tokyo. On the way Nobu helped us better understand Japanese culture. First she gave us 2 little kitkat bars. They have several national flavours like strawberry and green tea which we sampled. Also, each region has their own flavours that we can sample on the tour. No one here eats the chocolate kitkat bars. Nobu also explained the various modes of transportation for tourists. The subway and train system is the way most Japanese, especially those in cities, get around. Tourists, like us, are initally overwhelmed but after a couple of days figure it out. Taxis are the next option for tourists but there are challenges. Most drivers do not speak English so Nobu recommended that you show the address on paper or on your phone. Also, many taxi drivers do not accept credit cards so you need to ask before you eneter. Finally, ride sharing like Uber and Lyft are not as popular as in North America so they are very expensive. The last pearls of wisdom from Nobu were about financial transactions. Despite Japan being very technologically advanced, it is not with banking. The lowest fees for money withdrawals and transactions are from Seven-Eleven which are very prevalent. In fact, Seven-Eleven has their own bank in Japan called Seven Bank whose ATMs have the lowest fees. In rural areas areas, and small businesses and restaurants, cash is the still the preferred method of payment. When we got to Asakusa, we attended a Matcha Tea Ceremony where we learned about how tea is grown, prepared and then ground into Matcha powder. We next were able to make our own Matcha green tea using a traditional bamboo whisk and ceramic bowl. Marilyn enjoys Matcha, but it is not my cup of tea. (Groan) We had an hour and a half over lunch to explore the Buddhist Temples and small food and souvenir shops on Nakamise Street. It was extremely crowded and lively. Marilyn had a tiny strawberry ice cream sandwich for 500 yen ($5 CAD) and my lunch was a bowl of beef ramen from a small shop with bar stools for 380 yen ($3.50 CAD). You make your choice and pay from a vending machine and then place your ticket on the bar. You wait for your bowl and have to return the empty bowl to the bar when you were finished. It is considered rude to not eat all the food you are given. Next, the bus took us to Tokyo National Museum. It was not very exciting as I was aware of the Buddhist, Samarai and other facets of their culture already. I left Marilyn to cross to the park across the street to see the cherry blossoms and get a coffee. We took the bus back to the hotel by 4:00 and had a rest before happy hour in the lounge at 5:00 and the welcome dinner at 7:00. Both events will give us an opportunity to meet the other members of the group.

Our tour group at the Matcha Ceremony

Matcha Tea Ceremony

Marilyn outside the Pagoda

Gate to Asakusa area

Buddhist Temple

Nakamise Street

Buddhist Burial Shrine

Beef Ramen Lunch

Samarai Armour

Samarai Swords

Silk Kimonos

Garden behind National Museum

Cherry Blossoms

Dwight met a friend

Tokyo, Japan

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 16:00:00 +0900

Second Day Exploring Tokyo on our Own As our jet lag begins to recede, we only awoke at 5:30 just as the sun came up. Our plan for today is to visit Chidorigafuchi Park to see the Cherry Blossoms. This park is on the west side of the Imperial Palace of Edo and you can still see the moat between the palace and the park. This long thin park still attracted many viewers but on Sunday the lineup to enter was over 1 km long. The pictures below show the beauty of the park with clear blue skies in the background. After the park we decided to walk across the island containing the Imperial Place on the north side. There are more views of the massive blocks of stone of the palace walls. They were constructed between 1590 and 1710. After a subway ride we next went to Shibuya district where the famous Shibuya Shambles crossing is. This large intersection of 5 main roads stops all vehicle traffic and pedestrians can go in any, and all, directions. It resembles an ant colony that is suddenly broken open as they scatter in all directions. Below is a picture of the empty intersection. When the light turns green, the ants move every direction all at once! After the shopping disappointments of Daimaru yesterday I was much more successful at the large Uniqlo store in Shibuya. I was able to find 3 shirts and a t-shirt for less than 10,000 yen ($100 CAD). Uniqlo manufactures clothing from all over Asia. My shirts were made in China, Vietnam, and Malaysia. The costs are cheap but the sizing is all over the map. My 4 shirts range from size medium to size extra-large but they all fit me. After the last subway ride, we exited near the Tokyo Tower. A short slow walk got us back to the hotel for a brief rest before we met our Tour Guide and some of the other tour members who arrived jet lagged today. Dinner tonight is at Ootoya. This Japanese chain offers authentic home style Japanese meals called Teishoku. Meals are ordered in sets consisting of miso soup, rice or noodles, a protein such as chicken, pork or seafood and vegetables. I chose this restaurant because the reviews said that you could order from a QR code on your phone and the menu online could be viewed in English. The first part was true but although I selected English the menu items were all in Japanese. We adapted by using Google translate on Marilyn’s phone to make our choices. It turned out fine. There are pictures of our meals below.

Interesting flowering plants not found at home

The English translation isa bit awkward

Interesting statue

Cherry blossoms

Pink cherry blossoms

Marilyn contemplating

Imperial Palace moat

Azaleas in bloom

Statue of a flutist

Imperial Palace moat

Last cherry blossom picture

Shibuya shambles crossing before the chaos begins

Tokyo tower

My fried chicken thigh pieces

Marilyn’s Black Cod with Sauce

Tokyo, Japan

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 16:00:00 +0900

First Day Exploring Tokyo on our Own After a very early start when we awoke at 4:00 AM, we were able to watch the solar eclipse live on CNN which is the ONLY English language TV channel. At 7:00 we went for breakfast in the La Pelouse dining room. The buffet was an interesting mix of traditional Japanese breakfast and North American options. A Japanese breakfast features Miso Soup, smoked fish, rice, salad, and vegetables. The North American options of eggs, bacon, sausage and tater tots were also available, and what I chose. Marilyn needed more time to rest to get over her jet lag so we had a quiet morning before we set out late morning. With the forecast of 100% rain, our walking tour of Shibuya was cancelled. We decided to try the subway and go shopping at Daimuru department store near the Japan Rail station. What seemed like a simple plan was much more complicated when executed! There are 2 different subway companies in Tokyo: Tokyo Metro and Toei Transportation. Tourists can get a discounted pass for both companies. The web site said that most stations can sell them. In reality, only stations with a Tourist Information Kiosk can sell the passes. We learned this after visiting the closest station, and after relying on Google Translate, we learned that we needed to go to the Shimbashi station which has a Tourist kiosk. The problem is we needed to get a ticket to get there and needed help to navigate the complex system. Although our learning curve was steep, we adapted and got our 48 hour passes for 1200 Yen ($11 CDN). Feeling confident we set off to see the statue of Godzilla near the Midtown Hilton. Whenever most North Americans think of Japan, one of the first things they identify is Godzilla. Next, we walked to Daimaru Department store which is on the east side (Yaesu) of the massive main Japan Rail station. Diamaru is a 12 story department store that features high end shops. Most of the shops had English names of Asian fashion labels that I had never heard of. The prices were astronomical! I was looking for short sleeved shirts and a casual shirt was 41800 Yen which is equivalent to $373 CAD. Needless to say, I did not buy anything at Daimaru. We were now feeling tired and needed to plan our route back to the hotel. It was at this point I realized that I had lost my 48 hour subway pass! Luckily there is a Tourist Info kiosk just south of the Japan Rail station. After a challenging walk following the pedestrian signs in the rail station we got there and I purchased a 24 hour pass for tomorrrow. We walked to the subway station on the Mita Line and were back to the hotel tired and a bit grumpy. We both topped 12000 steps today which is a lot for people still suffering from jet lag. After a rest in the guest lounge, my attitude was adjusted with some snacks and an Asahi Beer. Tonight we will have dinner at Pallaccio Shiba which is behind the hotel. It featured a mashup of Italian and Japanese culture. The food was different than Italian at home but it was reasonable and the portion sizes were good. Tonight the goal is to stay up until 9:00!

Cherry trees outside the hotel

Colourful flower cave outside Midtown Hilton

Japan’s most famous icon Godzilla

Classi architecture of Tokyo Main Train Station

Tokyo

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 16:00:00 +0900