Ok not quite, more like an earthquake in Virginia, but we sure felt it here in Toronto yesterday! Having experienced the big quake and many aftershocks in Japan in March, I knew right away what was making my desk sway but I didn't want to believe it. I mean, I've been feeling "phantom quakes" since March, believing that every rumble and tremor is the beginnings of an earthquake... but it is always just the train going by or someone running down the hallway. To feel a quake that evidently from 1000km away... those poor people closer to the epicentre, they must've been terrified!
In light of this year's events though, I feel like I need to take this opportunity to remind everyone that Japan isn't out of the woods yet. They're still getting aftershocks 5 months later, they're still picking up the pieces from the twin disasters back in March, and they will continue to do so for many years to come. So next time you think about how that earthquake felt to you, I am asking you to remember what it would've been like for the Japanese people (and those in Virginia, NZ, etc, all the other areas affected by earthquakes and natural disasters this year), and continue to keep them in your hopes and prayers.
Wednesday, 24 August 2011
Friday, 22 July 2011
Shinsedai Film Festival 2011
It's been a few months since I got back from Japan and the outpouring of support and kind words - from my family, friends, friends of friends and complete strangers - has been overwhelming and humbling. I am so flattered that my little blog has reached so many people and I want all of you to know that I am so appreciative of your feedback. My plan right now is to go back to Japan next May for 3 weeks, hopefully this time with my brother Kevin in tow, to finish my trip and pay tribute to all of the people who have been affected by this year's horrific disasters.
In the meantime, we've been extremely busy here in Toronto at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, between a button campaign, concerts, The Origami Crane Project, J-Cinema film screenings, and so much more, the community's dedication to raising funds and awareness for Earthquake and Tsunami relief has reached far beyond anything we could've ever imagined. Last I heard, the JCCC Foundation's Earthquake Relief Fund has raised over $1, 075,000 with more donations coming in everyday. We have sent over 10,000 origami cranes to schoolchildren in Japan through the Origami Crane Project (with help from the TDSB and TCDSB, along with countless volunteers who have generously donated their time, patience and expertise to the tedious project). There are still benefit screenings going on throughout the summer through the J-Cinema program at the JCCC. The next benefit screening is featuring the film 13 Assassins, described on Rotten Tomatoes as a "stampeding raging bull of a samurai movie" (Glen Heath Jr, 2011), which will take place on Thursday August 18 at 7pm.
Speaking of movies, yesterday was the opening night reception for the JCCC's third annual Shinsedai Film Festival. As the official photographer I had the pleasure of interacting with some of the evening's special guests, including actress/producer Kiki Sugino, comedian/actor/director Devi Kobayashi, and 15-year-old filmmaker/director Ryugo Nakamura (to name just a few).
I'm going to try my best to keep updating this with more news and exciting events happening in and around the JCCC. Thank you again for all of your support. If you want to get involved, please contact me, we're always looking for volunteers to help with various activities, especially the crane project.
In the meantime, we've been extremely busy here in Toronto at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, between a button campaign, concerts, The Origami Crane Project, J-Cinema film screenings, and so much more, the community's dedication to raising funds and awareness for Earthquake and Tsunami relief has reached far beyond anything we could've ever imagined. Last I heard, the JCCC Foundation's Earthquake Relief Fund has raised over $1, 075,000 with more donations coming in everyday. We have sent over 10,000 origami cranes to schoolchildren in Japan through the Origami Crane Project (with help from the TDSB and TCDSB, along with countless volunteers who have generously donated their time, patience and expertise to the tedious project). There are still benefit screenings going on throughout the summer through the J-Cinema program at the JCCC. The next benefit screening is featuring the film 13 Assassins, described on Rotten Tomatoes as a "stampeding raging bull of a samurai movie" (Glen Heath Jr, 2011), which will take place on Thursday August 18 at 7pm.
Speaking of movies, yesterday was the opening night reception for the JCCC's third annual Shinsedai Film Festival. As the official photographer I had the pleasure of interacting with some of the evening's special guests, including actress/producer Kiki Sugino, comedian/actor/director Devi Kobayashi, and 15-year-old filmmaker/director Ryugo Nakamura (to name just a few).
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| Actress/Producer Kiki Sugino (Hospitalite) being interviewed by Yuki Nakamura of Wai Wai Wide |
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| My dad, Marty Kobayashi (past-President) talks about the new Kobayashi Audience Choice Award |
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| Actor/Comedian/Director Devi Kobayashi fans Chris MaGee (Co-Programmer of the festival) |
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| Chris MaGee, Co-Programmer of the Festival, addresses the audience before the opening night film, Hospitalite |
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| Kiki Sugino has a laugh with some of her fans after the film |
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| The night's special guests fan themselves with their programs as they stand tall under the hot spotlights while everyone around them melts in the heat on Toronto's hottest day on record |
I'm going to try my best to keep updating this with more news and exciting events happening in and around the JCCC. Thank you again for all of your support. If you want to get involved, please contact me, we're always looking for volunteers to help with various activities, especially the crane project.
Sunday, 17 April 2011
A lesson in sacrifice
A Little Japanese Boy Teaches a Lesson in Sacrifice
This letter, written by Vietnamese immigrant Ha Minh Thanh working in Fukushima as a policeman to a friend in Vietnam, was posted on New America Media on March 19. It is a testimonial to the strength of the Japanese spirit, and an interesting slice of life near the epicenter of Japan's crisis at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. It was translated by NAM editor Andrew Lam, author of "East Eats West: Writing in Two Hemispheres." Shanghai Daily condensed it.
Brother,
How are you and your family? These last few days, everything was in chaos. When I close my eyes, I see dead bodies. When I open my eyes, I also see dead bodies.
Each one of us must work 20 hours a day, yet I wish there were 48 hours in the day, so that we could continue helping and rescuing folks.
We are without water and electricity, and food rations are near zero. We barely manage to move refugees before there are new orders to move them elsewhere.
I am currently in Fukushima, about 25 kilometers away from the nuclear power plant. I have so much to tell you that if I could write it all down, it would surely turn into a novel about human relationships and behaviors during times of crisis.
People here remain calm - their sense of dignity and proper behavior are very good - so things aren't as bad as they could be. But given another week, I can't guarantee that things won't get to a point where we can no longer provide proper protection and order.
They are humans after all, and when hunger and thirst override dignity, well, they will do whatever they have to do. The government is trying to provide supplies by air, bringing in food and medicine, but it's like dropping a little salt into the ocean.
Brother, there was a really moving incident. It involves a little Japanese boy who taught an adult like me a lesson on how to behave like a human being.
Last night, I was sent to a little grammar school to help a charity organization distribute food to the refugees. It was a long line that snaked this way and that and I saw a little boy around 9 years old. He was wearing a T-shirt and a pair of shorts.
It was getting very cold and the boy was at the very end of the line. I was worried that by the time his turn came there wouldn't be any food left. So I spoke to him. He said he was at school when the earthquake happened. His father worked nearby and was driving to the school. The boy was on the third floor balcony when he saw the tsunami sweep his father's car away.
I asked him about his mother. He said his house is right by the beach and that his mother and little sister probably didn't make it. He turned his head and wiped his tears when I asked about his relatives.
The boy was shivering so I took off my police jacket and put it on him. That's when my bag of food ration fell out. I picked it up and gave it to him. "When it comes to your turn, they might run out of food. So here's my portion. I already ate. Why don't you eat it?"
The boy took my food and bowed. I thought he would eat it right away, but he didn't. He took the bag of food, went up to where the line ended and put it where all the food was waiting to be distributed.
I was shocked. I asked him why he didn't eat it and instead added it to the food pile. He answered: "Because I see a lot more people hungrier than I am. If I put it there, then they will distribute the food equally."
When I heard that I turned away so that people wouldn't see me cry.
A society that can produce a 9-year-old who understands the concept of sacrifice for the greater good must be a great society, a great people.
Well, a few lines to send you and your family my warm wishes. The hours of my shift have begun again..
Ha Minh Thanh
This letter, written by Vietnamese immigrant Ha Minh Thanh working in Fukushima as a policeman to a friend in Vietnam, was posted on New America Media on March 19. It is a testimonial to the strength of the Japanese spirit, and an interesting slice of life near the epicenter of Japan's crisis at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. It was translated by NAM editor Andrew Lam, author of "East Eats West: Writing in Two Hemispheres." Shanghai Daily condensed it.
Brother,
How are you and your family? These last few days, everything was in chaos. When I close my eyes, I see dead bodies. When I open my eyes, I also see dead bodies.
Each one of us must work 20 hours a day, yet I wish there were 48 hours in the day, so that we could continue helping and rescuing folks.
We are without water and electricity, and food rations are near zero. We barely manage to move refugees before there are new orders to move them elsewhere.
I am currently in Fukushima, about 25 kilometers away from the nuclear power plant. I have so much to tell you that if I could write it all down, it would surely turn into a novel about human relationships and behaviors during times of crisis.
People here remain calm - their sense of dignity and proper behavior are very good - so things aren't as bad as they could be. But given another week, I can't guarantee that things won't get to a point where we can no longer provide proper protection and order.
They are humans after all, and when hunger and thirst override dignity, well, they will do whatever they have to do. The government is trying to provide supplies by air, bringing in food and medicine, but it's like dropping a little salt into the ocean.
Brother, there was a really moving incident. It involves a little Japanese boy who taught an adult like me a lesson on how to behave like a human being.
Last night, I was sent to a little grammar school to help a charity organization distribute food to the refugees. It was a long line that snaked this way and that and I saw a little boy around 9 years old. He was wearing a T-shirt and a pair of shorts.
It was getting very cold and the boy was at the very end of the line. I was worried that by the time his turn came there wouldn't be any food left. So I spoke to him. He said he was at school when the earthquake happened. His father worked nearby and was driving to the school. The boy was on the third floor balcony when he saw the tsunami sweep his father's car away.
I asked him about his mother. He said his house is right by the beach and that his mother and little sister probably didn't make it. He turned his head and wiped his tears when I asked about his relatives.
The boy was shivering so I took off my police jacket and put it on him. That's when my bag of food ration fell out. I picked it up and gave it to him. "When it comes to your turn, they might run out of food. So here's my portion. I already ate. Why don't you eat it?"
The boy took my food and bowed. I thought he would eat it right away, but he didn't. He took the bag of food, went up to where the line ended and put it where all the food was waiting to be distributed.
I was shocked. I asked him why he didn't eat it and instead added it to the food pile. He answered: "Because I see a lot more people hungrier than I am. If I put it there, then they will distribute the food equally."
When I heard that I turned away so that people wouldn't see me cry.
A society that can produce a 9-year-old who understands the concept of sacrifice for the greater good must be a great society, a great people.
Well, a few lines to send you and your family my warm wishes. The hours of my shift have begun again..
Ha Minh Thanh
Thursday, 7 April 2011
Zumbathon
Two of my wonderful friends helped put this Zumbathon together as a fundraiser for the JCCC Foundation's Japan Earthquake Relief Fund. Given the ongoing nuclear situation and yet another 7.1 magnitude Earthquake that shook the Northeastern coast this morning, our help is needed now more than ever. Fundraising can be fun too though, as Susan and Linda are trying to show with this amazing event. Even if you've never tried Zumba before, this is bound to be a fun way to get some exercise, hang out with friends, meet new people, and raise money and awareness for Japan!! Doesn't get much better than this. Please bring all your friends and come ZUMBA with us!!!
Monday, 4 April 2011
If you're Happa and you know it
...clap your hands!!
No really, please make yourself known, embrace your Japanese roots now, don't wait any longer. Here is a really great link to a CBC Interview about inter-racial marriages and the Japanese-Canadians marrying outside of their own culture. There are some great interviews that express how a lot of Sansei and Yonsei feel about their heritage, including the JCCC's own Lorene Nagata. It is a cultural phenomenon that affects both the full and mixed Japanese-Canadians, myself included. Very interesting, please check it out!
CBC Interview
No really, please make yourself known, embrace your Japanese roots now, don't wait any longer. Here is a really great link to a CBC Interview about inter-racial marriages and the Japanese-Canadians marrying outside of their own culture. There are some great interviews that express how a lot of Sansei and Yonsei feel about their heritage, including the JCCC's own Lorene Nagata. It is a cultural phenomenon that affects both the full and mixed Japanese-Canadians, myself included. Very interesting, please check it out!
CBC Interview
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
Fundraising event
I am on the organizing committee for a great fundraising event being held down at Woodsworth College, hosted by UT/OISE Students to raise money for Japan Relief Efforts. Please see media release and poster for more information. I invite anyone and everyone to attend, and please spread the word. We have some great performing artists lined up, including my own odori group Ayame-Kai. Yakudo will be performing one of their new numbers, and the wonderfully talented cellist Rachel Mercer will be playing a few pieces.
JAPAN RELIEF EVENT WITH EXPERT SPEAKERS & JAPANESE PERFORMERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
TORONTO, ON –
Join us for an evening of presentations by experts to update us on the relief efforts in
Japan; there will also be performances by Japanese-Canadian musicians and dancers.
The event will raise money for the Canadian Red Cross, Japanese Earthquake Relief
Fund and Ashinaga, (www.ashinaga.org/e/), a Japanese-based charity providing
education and support for traumatized and displaced children in Japan.
The evening begins with remarks by Mr. Masaya Otsuka, Director Japan Information
Centre, of the Consulate General of Japan. Following this, Mr. John Saunders, Director
of Disaster Management in Ontario, Red Cross will update the relief effort in Japan. Ms.
Kristin Kobayashi, a presenter and an eyewitness to the Japan earthquake, says “My
experiences as a Japanese-Canadian in Tokyo during the earthquake gave me a unique
insight into the essence of the Japanese spirit.”
The artists for the event are confident that their performances will contribute to awareness
and restoration. Rachel Mercer, a cellist, says, “Bach’s music helps us ponder the fragility
of humanity.” The YAKUDO Drummers offer, "You don't just hear our drums with your
ears, you feel it within your body, like a heartbeat. We hope our performance can keep
the hearts of those in Japan beating strong."
What: OISE/UT Woodsworth student-organized Japan Earthquake & Tsunami Relief
Event.
Where: Kruger Hall, Woodsworth College, 119 St. George St. (south of Bloor St.)
When: Thurs. March 31, 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm (Remarks from 7 to 8 pm, each talk
followed by a brief Q&A session.)
Speakers:
Performers:
Rachel Mercer, Cellist
http://www.rachelmercercellist.com/index.html
Ayame-Kai Odori Group
YAKUDO Drummers
http://www.yakudo.com/
JAPAN RELIEF EVENT WITH EXPERT SPEAKERS & JAPANESE PERFORMERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
TORONTO, ON –
Join us for an evening of presentations by experts to update us on the relief efforts in
Japan; there will also be performances by Japanese-Canadian musicians and dancers.
The event will raise money for the Canadian Red Cross, Japanese Earthquake Relief
Fund and Ashinaga, (www.ashinaga.org/e/), a Japanese-based charity providing
education and support for traumatized and displaced children in Japan.
The evening begins with remarks by Mr. Masaya Otsuka, Director Japan Information
Centre, of the Consulate General of Japan. Following this, Mr. John Saunders, Director
of Disaster Management in Ontario, Red Cross will update the relief effort in Japan. Ms.
Kristin Kobayashi, a presenter and an eyewitness to the Japan earthquake, says “My
experiences as a Japanese-Canadian in Tokyo during the earthquake gave me a unique
insight into the essence of the Japanese spirit.”
The artists for the event are confident that their performances will contribute to awareness
and restoration. Rachel Mercer, a cellist, says, “Bach’s music helps us ponder the fragility
of humanity.” The YAKUDO Drummers offer, "You don't just hear our drums with your
ears, you feel it within your body, like a heartbeat. We hope our performance can keep
the hearts of those in Japan beating strong."
What: OISE/UT Woodsworth student-organized Japan Earthquake & Tsunami Relief
Event.
Where: Kruger Hall, Woodsworth College, 119 St. George St. (south of Bloor St.)
When: Thurs. March 31, 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm (Remarks from 7 to 8 pm, each talk
followed by a brief Q&A session.)
Speakers:
- Mr. Masaya Otsuka, Director Japan Information Centre, Consul, Consulate General of Japan
- Mr. John Saunders, Director of Disaster Management in Ontario, Red Cross (expertise in the Japanese situation)
- Ms. Kristin Kobayashi, eyewitness to the Japanese earthquake, artist and community activist.
Performers:
Rachel Mercer, Cellist
http://www.rachelmercercellist.com/index.html
Ayame-Kai Odori Group
YAKUDO Drummers
http://www.yakudo.com/
Thursday, 24 March 2011
Note from Tomo
Got an email from our friend Tomo-san in Nagano, Japan last night. He said he drove back and forth from Sendai twice this past week, 8 hour drive each way. He said the second time they got there, there was a line-up for gas down the entire street, and that cars lined up from 3am to wait 6 hours for their 10L ration of gasoline. There was a lot of snow on the ground and covering the cars, and on one day they didn't even have any gas so they put a sign on the door saying they were closed, and the people waited for nothing. Here is a photo he sent me of some of the cars waiting in line.
He did say that his 15 coworkers from Sendai are doing ok though, they are trying to get by on what they have, though there is an extreme water shortage. Dad pointed out the irony that all this damage was caused by water, and yet water is one of the most critical necessities of life and there is a country-wide shortage of potable water. Life is funny like that... count your blessings everyday, we all have a roof over our heads, water to drink and electricity to heat our houses during this bitterly cold winter (especially in Toronto since we just got a fresh dumping of snow yesterday).
Hug your loved ones, be thankful for what you have, and life each day to it's fullest because you never know what tomorrow will bring.
xox Kris
He did say that his 15 coworkers from Sendai are doing ok though, they are trying to get by on what they have, though there is an extreme water shortage. Dad pointed out the irony that all this damage was caused by water, and yet water is one of the most critical necessities of life and there is a country-wide shortage of potable water. Life is funny like that... count your blessings everyday, we all have a roof over our heads, water to drink and electricity to heat our houses during this bitterly cold winter (especially in Toronto since we just got a fresh dumping of snow yesterday).
Hug your loved ones, be thankful for what you have, and life each day to it's fullest because you never know what tomorrow will bring.
xox Kris
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
The temples of Kyoto
My apologies in advance to anyone using dial-up or who has a slow internet connection. This will be a very graphic-intensive post with lots of photos (as with all of my updates, lol). I'm sorry if all of the photos don't load for you, I wanted to incorporate them into the body of my entry so that you can follow along with me as I talk about each stop.
Kyoto was by far my favourite stop on our short trip, as it is a culturally rich town full of old temples hidden amongst the houses, just waiting to be discovered. We didn't know where to start, so we figured we would start with the biggest attraction (Kinkakuji) and work our way backwards. That way, if we didn't get to see more of the city, we thought we would at least have that one under our belts.
First, breakfast at the Crepe place in the food court of the shopping mall down the street from us. We had been eyeballing those crepes the night before when we were in there for dinner, and since they had both dessert and breakfast crepes, we figured it was the perfect start to our day. And it was. Yummm.
Before we left the hotel we asked the front desk how to get to Kinkakuji, which on the North side of Kyoto. She showed us which busses we could take, so off we went to Kyoto Station to catch the bus. How hard could it be, right? Well..... turns out what we thought was the bus terminal was actually just the airport bus pick-up with a few other city busses stopping there, and all the signs were in Japanese so we were thoroughly confused. Managed to ask a police officer nearby where we might find an Info booth (put our favourite phrase to good use again - "Ego wakarimasu ka?"). He pointed us into the station... Who here has been to Kyoto Station? That place is MASSIVE! It is at least 12 stories tall not including the basement shops, it has multiple indoor shopping complexes, restaurants galore, and the whole station is very sleek and modern. Not the busiest station we encountered on our trip, but then again these weren't exactly normal circumstances.
Anyhow, we found the bus, took us about 30-35 mins to get to Kinkakuji. The bus system is so neat, they have announcements in Japanese, English, and Chinese, and the lady not only announces what stop you're at but also what stop comes next and all the major attractions in the area with some background info on each one. That was the only reason I found this next temple - one of my favourite little shrines tucked away between two buildings as we were walking down the street.
The following photos are from Wara Tenjin Shrine, which I understand is for easy childbirth and possibly fertility as well. I think, based on what little information I was able to gather, tenzin or tenjin means straw? And based on how the straw is laid out, the Gods are able to tell an expectant mother whether she is having a boy or a girl. I also think you can make sake offerings for plentiful lactation. Very interesting to say the least. I was caught a little off guard by the baby bibs, as part of the reason that we decided to return home when we did was because I was reminded that although radiation exposure might not seem like a big deal at the moment, the potential harm down the road is far more dangerous, particularly in terms of my future ability to have children. So of course as I approached the altar, said my prayers, and saw the bibs, I immediately started bawling. As one of my best friends always tells me, everything happens for a reason and I think this was the last sign telling us it was time to go home.
(Not to get all academic on you but one of my former UoG profs posted a short article on his website about risk perception, if you're interested in reading it I found it really enlightening and very applicable to our situation in Japan.)
I think I'm talking too much, so I'm going to try to tone it down a little. I think the next series of photos is pretty self-explanatory anyway. We arrived at Kinkakuji Temple (The Golden Pavilion) with a handful of other tourists, but the grounds themselves still seemed relatively deserted compared to what we were expecting. As usual, it was eerily quiet in all of the temples, the grounds were so big you couldn't even hear the normal city sounds from where we were.
We could see this symbol etched into the mountain, I'm not entirely sure what it means but if it is what I think it is, I think it means "big" or "great"? Please correct me if I'm wrong!
The Golden Pavilion was just as gold and just as beautiful as it is in photos.
We had lunch next, because we got lost looking for Ryoan-ji Temple (turns it it was 1.6km down the street...). Found a tiny little restaurant off one of the main streets and ordered the two things we knew the names of - tempura udon and oyako donburi. It was wonderfully delicious. And I had my first (and only) experience with one of the Japanese squat toilets at that restaurant. How's that for enculturation?
We eventually found Ryoan-ji Temple, which was situated on 120 sprawling acres of beautifully landscaped gardens and orchards. This temple is most famous for the Zen Rock Garden, one of the most tranquil places on earth.
"The Zen garden is an austere arrangement of 15 rocks rests on a bed of white gravel, surrounded by low walls. The moss-covered boulders are placed so that, when looking at the garden from any angle, only 14 are visible at one time. In the Buddhist world the number 15 denotes completeness. So you must have a total view of the garden to make it a whole and meaningful experience, and yet, in the conditions of this world, that is not possible." (As quoted from Sacred Destinations)
In this photo you see two traditional screens that depict the "Four Accomplishments" and the "Immortals". The Immortals refers to the Chinese Immortals, and it is said that in order to be considered a wise man, one must first achieve the four accomplishments - playing zither, mastering chess, and practicing painting and calligraphy. These two themes have been used in paintings for folding screens and sliding doors since the 14th Century. These particular pieces were on display to celebrate their return to Ryoanji after 115 years (there are 6 in total).
Our last stop on our Kyoto tour was the Ninna-ji Temple. We had done quite a bit of walking by this point, and the skies were turning grey, but I'm glad we made it to this one before we had to turn in for the day. It was a little bittersweet too because this turned out to be our last stop on our Japan tour as we made the decision that afternoon to return home the next day.
This particular Temple was even bigger and more deserted than the other ones we visited. It was hauntingly beautiful, being less "polished" than some of the other places we visited. This temple was completed in the year 888, but was destroyed by fire and fighting during the Onin War in 1467. It was rebuilt with the help of the Shogun approximately 150 years later, around the same time they rebuilt the Imperial Palace in Kyoto.
It was set at the foot of the mountains on the outskirts of Kyoto, so who knows how far the grounds extended beyond what we explored.
This 5 story pagoda was constructed in 1644, it is 36.18m tall, and the particularity of it is that from top to bottom you can barely see any difference in width.
That basically concludes our journey through Japan. We went back to the hotel after our long day of sightseeing, did some last minute shopping, and had a really delicious dinner at a katsu restaurant we were dying to try. They also didn't speak English there, so Dad ended up taking the waiter outside to point to the special we wanted. It was sooo much food but sooo good.
Thank you for following along with me as I journeyed through Japan. As I've said many times in the last week - we're just itching to get back there, hopefully we can go back in the fall when the nuclear threat has subsided and regular travel has resumed. My love affair with Japan has only just begun. <3
Kyoto was by far my favourite stop on our short trip, as it is a culturally rich town full of old temples hidden amongst the houses, just waiting to be discovered. We didn't know where to start, so we figured we would start with the biggest attraction (Kinkakuji) and work our way backwards. That way, if we didn't get to see more of the city, we thought we would at least have that one under our belts.
Before we left the hotel we asked the front desk how to get to Kinkakuji, which on the North side of Kyoto. She showed us which busses we could take, so off we went to Kyoto Station to catch the bus. How hard could it be, right? Well..... turns out what we thought was the bus terminal was actually just the airport bus pick-up with a few other city busses stopping there, and all the signs were in Japanese so we were thoroughly confused. Managed to ask a police officer nearby where we might find an Info booth (put our favourite phrase to good use again - "Ego wakarimasu ka?"). He pointed us into the station... Who here has been to Kyoto Station? That place is MASSIVE! It is at least 12 stories tall not including the basement shops, it has multiple indoor shopping complexes, restaurants galore, and the whole station is very sleek and modern. Not the busiest station we encountered on our trip, but then again these weren't exactly normal circumstances.
 |
| This is only from the 3rd platform, there are another 8 levels above/behind us |
Anyhow, we found the bus, took us about 30-35 mins to get to Kinkakuji. The bus system is so neat, they have announcements in Japanese, English, and Chinese, and the lady not only announces what stop you're at but also what stop comes next and all the major attractions in the area with some background info on each one. That was the only reason I found this next temple - one of my favourite little shrines tucked away between two buildings as we were walking down the street.
The following photos are from Wara Tenjin Shrine, which I understand is for easy childbirth and possibly fertility as well. I think, based on what little information I was able to gather, tenzin or tenjin means straw? And based on how the straw is laid out, the Gods are able to tell an expectant mother whether she is having a boy or a girl. I also think you can make sake offerings for plentiful lactation. Very interesting to say the least. I was caught a little off guard by the baby bibs, as part of the reason that we decided to return home when we did was because I was reminded that although radiation exposure might not seem like a big deal at the moment, the potential harm down the road is far more dangerous, particularly in terms of my future ability to have children. So of course as I approached the altar, said my prayers, and saw the bibs, I immediately started bawling. As one of my best friends always tells me, everything happens for a reason and I think this was the last sign telling us it was time to go home.
(Not to get all academic on you but one of my former UoG profs posted a short article on his website about risk perception, if you're interested in reading it I found it really enlightening and very applicable to our situation in Japan.)
 |
| Performing the washing ritual before entering the temple |
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| Beautiful springtime display |
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| Baby bib offerings |
We could see this symbol etched into the mountain, I'm not entirely sure what it means but if it is what I think it is, I think it means "big" or "great"? Please correct me if I'm wrong!
The Golden Pavilion was just as gold and just as beautiful as it is in photos.
We had lunch next, because we got lost looking for Ryoan-ji Temple (turns it it was 1.6km down the street...). Found a tiny little restaurant off one of the main streets and ordered the two things we knew the names of - tempura udon and oyako donburi. It was wonderfully delicious. And I had my first (and only) experience with one of the Japanese squat toilets at that restaurant. How's that for enculturation?
We eventually found Ryoan-ji Temple, which was situated on 120 sprawling acres of beautifully landscaped gardens and orchards. This temple is most famous for the Zen Rock Garden, one of the most tranquil places on earth.
 |
| This was the first (and only) place we had to remove our shoes so far |
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| This photo doesn't do it justice |
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| Note the buckets: think that would pass Canadian fire safety codes? |
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| Self-portrait under the tori in the gardens in the middle of the lake at Ryoan-ji |
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| We did see a few early blooms while we were there |
Our last stop on our Kyoto tour was the Ninna-ji Temple. We had done quite a bit of walking by this point, and the skies were turning grey, but I'm glad we made it to this one before we had to turn in for the day. It was a little bittersweet too because this turned out to be our last stop on our Japan tour as we made the decision that afternoon to return home the next day.
This particular Temple was even bigger and more deserted than the other ones we visited. It was hauntingly beautiful, being less "polished" than some of the other places we visited. This temple was completed in the year 888, but was destroyed by fire and fighting during the Onin War in 1467. It was rebuilt with the help of the Shogun approximately 150 years later, around the same time they rebuilt the Imperial Palace in Kyoto.
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| Front entrance |
It was set at the foot of the mountains on the outskirts of Kyoto, so who knows how far the grounds extended beyond what we explored.
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| It just went on and on |
That basically concludes our journey through Japan. We went back to the hotel after our long day of sightseeing, did some last minute shopping, and had a really delicious dinner at a katsu restaurant we were dying to try. They also didn't speak English there, so Dad ended up taking the waiter outside to point to the special we wanted. It was sooo much food but sooo good.
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| 3 types of breaded meat (pork, hamburger, shrimp), homemade tonkatsu sauce, rice, miso soup, OISHII! |
Sunday, 20 March 2011
Recap of Tokyo Day 1
I haven't had nearly enough time to provide a full account of my trip, so I'd like to start at the beginning again and work my way through so that I can provide a little bit of insight to those of you who haven't had the opportunity to experience all that Japan has to offer. Now I know that I barely skimmed the surface of this amazingly beautiful country, but I loved every moment of what I did see.
Our trip started out on a dreary Wednesday in Toronto, foggy, rainy, even snowy. We were more than happy to leave all of that behind.
Our flight was long but uneventful. The funniest part of the day was watching the poor woman two rows ahead of us struggle with her tray table. She appeared to be trying to suspend a furoshiki (Japanese wrapping cloth) from the table, perhaps to put her valuables in? In any case, she managed to rip the clasp for the table right out of the seatback and thus her table would not stay up. The cabin crew fought back laughter as they first tried to duct tape the table up, but ended up using a seatbelt extender to literally buckle it to the seat in front of her.
We arrived in Tokyo and took our obligatory first photo in front of the "Welcome to Japan" wall at Narita... how many of you have a similar photo? I bet lots of you do from at least one of your trips!
We took the Narita Express train from Narita to Shinagawa Station (one stop past Tokyo Station), took just under an hour and was "free" with our JR Rail Pass. Dad fell asleep but I was too excited to sleep at that point, even though the sun went down halfway into the ride so I couldn't even see out the window.
Don't judge us, but we definitely had McDonalds for breakfast the first morning. It was just so convenient and oh-so-tempting. We ordered off the picture menu (egg mcmuffin and coffee) and took it back to the hotel to eat. Their packaging was so clever, they put the cardboard drink tray in the bottom of the paper bag and piled everything else on top.... it was brilliant! 
We made a brief stop at the main gates of the Imperial Palace, which is surrounded by a huge moat. The tour would normally take us through the Palace's East Gardens, which is the only part of the compound that is open to the public, but it is closed on Mondays and Fridays.
From there we went to Asakusa to see the famed Kannon Temple. This temple is the oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo and is set in the heart of the old Geisha district. There is also lots of good shopping in the surrounding areas, including the Nakamise Shopping Arcade which is the long row of shops that leads up to the front steps of the temple itself. This is where we were when the earthquake hit, as you might have read in some of my earlier posts.
While I was there I purchased another Omikuji fortune scroll, which I had to read 3 times before I realized that it really wasn't a very good fortune. Lucky for me, I tied it up on the special rack so the bad luck can be blown away by the wind.
We did a bit of shopping since we had some time to kill before we had to go meet Tomo-san and Hiromi-san for dinner. I bought a lot of odori (Japanese dancing) supplies like new shitagi (undergarments for kimono), tabi (traditional Japanese socks), and a new hairpiece.
The streets were lined with hundreds of shops selling everything you can imagine, like this little store that only sold senbei (Japanese rice crackers). It smelled amazing.
Another example of some of the hilarious stuff they sell in Japan - hats for dogs! They had tons of stores specifically for pets, even though we didn't see as many "purse dogs" as we thought we would, you can tell that the Japanese consider their pets to be as much a part of their family as their human counterparts.
You've already heard about the rest of our day, because about an hour after lunch the quake hit. Please click here for details if you haven't read it yet.
I know I'm going backwards by starting at the beginning but my journey tells the story about how Japan changed me. I really value every detail of my trip, and I hope that through my stories and photos that you can feel a little bit of that magic too.
Our trip started out on a dreary Wednesday in Toronto, foggy, rainy, even snowy. We were more than happy to leave all of that behind.
Our flight was long but uneventful. The funniest part of the day was watching the poor woman two rows ahead of us struggle with her tray table. She appeared to be trying to suspend a furoshiki (Japanese wrapping cloth) from the table, perhaps to put her valuables in? In any case, she managed to rip the clasp for the table right out of the seatback and thus her table would not stay up. The cabin crew fought back laughter as they first tried to duct tape the table up, but ended up using a seatbelt extender to literally buckle it to the seat in front of her.
We arrived in Tokyo and took our obligatory first photo in front of the "Welcome to Japan" wall at Narita... how many of you have a similar photo? I bet lots of you do from at least one of your trips!
We took the Narita Express train from Narita to Shinagawa Station (one stop past Tokyo Station), took just under an hour and was "free" with our JR Rail Pass. Dad fell asleep but I was too excited to sleep at that point, even though the sun went down halfway into the ride so I couldn't even see out the window.
Got a little lost looking for our hotel but check-in was easy and we got settled in right away. They had Shiseido shampoo/conditioner/body wash in the bathroom - I think this is one of the first times in history that I've ever used the in-house toiletries instead of my own! I also loved that all the hotels had a hot water pot in every room with complimentary ocha (green tea).
Don't judge us, but we definitely had McDonalds for breakfast the first morning. It was just so convenient and oh-so-tempting. We ordered off the picture menu (egg mcmuffin and coffee) and took it back to the hotel to eat. Their packaging was so clever, they put the cardboard drink tray in the bottom of the paper bag and piled everything else on top.... it was brilliant! The first stop on our Tokyo tour was the Meiji Jingu Shrine in the Shibuya area. It is dedicated to Emperor Meiji, the great grandfather of the current Emperor Akihito. It is one of the largest Shinto shrines in Japan and the largest in the Tokyo area. While I was there I picked up an Omikuji (poem-drawing) composed by Empress Shoken, who was said to have written over 30, 000 of them in her time.
We made a brief stop at the main gates of the Imperial Palace, which is surrounded by a huge moat. The tour would normally take us through the Palace's East Gardens, which is the only part of the compound that is open to the public, but it is closed on Mondays and Fridays.
From there we went to Asakusa to see the famed Kannon Temple. This temple is the oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo and is set in the heart of the old Geisha district. There is also lots of good shopping in the surrounding areas, including the Nakamise Shopping Arcade which is the long row of shops that leads up to the front steps of the temple itself. This is where we were when the earthquake hit, as you might have read in some of my earlier posts.
While I was there I purchased another Omikuji fortune scroll, which I had to read 3 times before I realized that it really wasn't a very good fortune. Lucky for me, I tied it up on the special rack so the bad luck can be blown away by the wind.
Another example of some of the hilarious stuff they sell in Japan - hats for dogs! They had tons of stores specifically for pets, even though we didn't see as many "purse dogs" as we thought we would, you can tell that the Japanese consider their pets to be as much a part of their family as their human counterparts.
We watched this guy make ramen noodles for a good 25 minutes, it was incredible. He had such an attention to detail, he would put Paula Deen to shame. Made us hungry so of course we had to go find somewhere to eat lunch after that. Lots of restaurants will advertise on the door whether they have English menus available, to save us from having to go inside and ask, "Ego wakarimasu ka?" (informal way of asking "Do you understand English?"). We ended up picking the one that had the best looking display in the window, and it tasted even better than it looked.
I know I'm going backwards by starting at the beginning but my journey tells the story about how Japan changed me. I really value every detail of my trip, and I hope that through my stories and photos that you can feel a little bit of that magic too.
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Japan 1988
Dad, Mom and I in Japan, Oct '88