Editors Note:
Sadly, due to issues of space on our server, the images associated with this article have been removed, awaiting the authors selection of a more manageable number.
日本
Japan
By Charles Oses
a.k.a. TORA MITSUHIDE
There are few places in the world that offer as much interest as Japan. A country built on Culture, Etiquette and Tradition, Japan has continued into the 21st century with technological achievements, e.g. Transport. Due to my interests, I have tried to learn what I can of Japan’s culture and language amongst other things; and as such I have been very fortunate to have visited Japan twice.
First Trip
My first trip to Japan was from a cruise liner and gave me the opportunity to visit NAGASAKI and KAGOSHIMA.
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My first view of Japan
NAGASAKI
It was appropriate that my first visit to Japan should be to NAGASAKI, as it was where the first Europeans to Japan would have arrived in the 16th Century. The Dutch and Chinese operated from DEJIMA Island (at NAGASAKI) during Japan’s isolation from 1641 to 1853. DEJIMA is now part of the mainland and is no longer an island.
My visit to NAGASAKI would turn out to be on the 65th Anniversary of the atomic bomb. Being a Caucasian coming of an American cruise ship, I was expecting to see looks of hatred or dislike from the locals. However, I was surprised to be warmly welcomed. I feel that this may have been mainly due to the practicing of what I had learned of Japanese customs and language.
Although the Atomic bomb had a larger destructive power than the one that hit HIROSHIMA, most of the city was not destroyed thanks to the surrounding mountains. This is how some of the historical houses including the colonial house at the Glover Gardens still survive.
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View of NAGASAKI from the Glover Gardens
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My first SUSHI in Japan which tasted delicious and was at a reasonable price
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Peace statue in the NAGASAKI Peace Park
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NAGASAKI Tram
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Atomic Bomb Hypocenter
KAGOSHIMA
My tour in and around KAGOSHIMA took me first to the Samurai residences at CHIRAN, some of which are about 200 years old. These residences are still lived in but tourists are allowed to visit the grounds of some of these houses in the summer months. The gardens belonging to these residences depict examples of “borrowed landscapes”.
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The next thing on the tour was a museum dedicated to the KAMIKAZE pilots. This museum appeared to give a visual view into what it was like for the Japanese Special Attack Units (as they were properly called). The items at the museum included:
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a reconstruction of the barracks that the pilots slept in
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models of the aircraft that were flown
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Letters belonging to the pilots
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Wreck of one of the aircraft
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One of the training aircraft used
The final stop at KAGOSHIMA before returning to the ship was what used to be the large residence of the SHIMAZU Clan. Something that I didn’t expect to see on the day of my visit were Samurai re enactors.
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SAMURAI re enactors at SHIMAZU Clan residence, KAGOSHIMA
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SHIMAZU Clan residence
Whilst at the SHIMAZU Clan residence, I experienced my first visit to a SHINTO Shrine. The surrounding trees and breezes from the ocean nearby gave the area a feeling of such peace and tranquillity.
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SHINTO Shrine at SHIMAZU Clan residence
Whilst in KAGOSHIMA, SAKURAJIMA decided to erupt. Luckily SAKURAJIMA is on an island far enough away from KAGOSHIMA and erupts very often which ironically makes it safer.
Second Trip
My second trip gave me a broader view of Japan. This ranged from Historic KYOTO to the peacefulness and ONSEN of YUFUIN near BEPPU and onto the hustle and bustles and state-of-the-art wonders of TOKYO.
My Schedule for my second trip included (in order):
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KYOTO/ NARA
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BEPPU/ YUFUIN
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HIROSHIMA (with MIYAJIMA Island)
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OKAYAMA
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HAKONE
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KAMAKURA
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TOKYO
KYOTO/ NARA
KYOTO was, as expected, steeped in history and tradition. A castle and full of SHINTO shrines, Buddhist Temples and Historic streets and districts (such as the GION District); walking around much of KYOTO felt like being back in the Feudal era of Japan. Much of the population walking around in traditional clothing further added to this. Among the sites were the YASAKA shrine and KIYOMIZUDERA temple.
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YASAKA Shrine
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GION District
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KIYOMIZUDERA
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One of the streets near the KIYOMIZUDERA in KYOTO
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NIJO Castle
A private dinner with two GEISHA for our tour group further added to the essence, tradition and beauty of Japan. The GEISHA performed two dances before coming to speak with each of us. They seemed quite interested in the amount of Japanese I had tried to learn and that I am a SAMURAI re-enactor back in Britain.
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GEISHA
In my second day in KYOTO, our group was taken to Japan’s first Capital city, NARA. The city was full of deer which were walking around freely. This is because they are considered sacred and considered part of the city.
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TODAIJI temple at NARA (The World’s largest wooden structure)
My last full day in KYOTO involved visiting the world famous Golden Pavilion and RYOANJI temples before going to two of Japan’s most major annual events: the JIDAI MATSURI (Festival of the Ages) and the KURAMA Fire Festival.
The Golden Pavilion is a three-storey building which is overlaid with gold leaf. I did not expect to see the Golden Pavilion in, what was basically, a large beautiful garden. However, this did further add to its beautiful splendour.
Before going to the JIDAI MATSURI, our group was also taken to the RYOUAN-JI Buddhist Temple. The garden at RYOUAN-JI, influenced by the philosophy of Zen, uses fifteen different sized stones laid on white sand to represent scenery of islands surrounded by a sea. The garden has also been called “The Crossing of the Tiger Cubs” on account of the apparent resemblance of a Mother tiger crossing dangerous river torrents, carrying her cubs.
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Golden Pavilion
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RYOUAN-JI dry garden
As a SAMURAI re enactor, the JIDAI MATSURI allowed me the chance to observe a parade in period costume and helped me to further imagine the daily life from the Feudal age of Japan.
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Train to KURAMA Fire Festival
The KURAMA Fire Festival is said to have first started over a thousand years ago! As the name indicates, there was fire at the festival and lots of it. Many flaming torches (varying in size) were carried by the village locals who continuously shouted “SAIREIYA, SAIRYO!”
This was probably when I saw Japan at its most crowded. The trains going up to KURAMA were filled to bursting point and the festival was packed!
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KURAMA Fire Festival
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BEPPU/ YUFUIN
My group and I then left KYOTO and travelled to BEPPU. Most of the journey was travelled on the World Famous “SHINKANSEN” (or “Bullet Train” as it is better known). As expected of the SHINKANSEN, it was fast, punctual and comfortable.
When I arrived at BEPPU, one of the first things that struck me was that it stunk of Sulphur. This was because of the many vents in and around the city, to utilise the energy from the nearby volcanic activity to power the city.
YUFUIN is a peaceful village and our group was fortunate to be staying in a RYOKAN (Traditional Japanese Inn). On request, we could sleep on a FUTON on the TATAMI mat floor in our rooms. I, of course, tried this and probably had two of the best night’s sleeps that I had ever had. Our RYOKAN was also fortunate enough to have its own ONSEN (Hot Springs), which as a westerner was one of the strangest ways to bathe but was still an interesting experience none the less. Our first night in YUFUIN happened to be when the local Harvest Festival was on, which some of our group (including myself) decided to go to. This offered a good chance to see a festival in the country side of Japan.
HIROSHIMA (with MIYAJIMA Island)
Before going on this trip to Japan, I had been told that the real sadness and hatred for Caucasians could be felt in HIROSHIMA. However, like NAGASAKI, I found that this was not the case. Based on my visit, I would say that as long as one is respectful to the culture and people, the locals are as friendly and polite as the rest of the country. Attempting to learn the language, I think, may have also helped.
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A-Bomb Dome
The second day was fully spent on the sacred Island of MIYAJIMA where the famous Great TORII stands. The Great TORII is in the water to symbolise that the entire Island is sacred. It is only at High Tide that the Great TORII appears to be floating. During Low Tide people can walk up to it and be amazed at the size of it (it is about the same size as the Great Buddha in the TODAIJI Temple at NARA). As I spent a whole day on the Island, I was able to see the TORII in both cases.
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The main SHINTO Shrine on the island is ITSUKASHIMA Shrine. At high tide, this shrine feels as though it is floating on the water.
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The Great TORII with ITSUKASHIMA Shrine behind it at high tide
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OKAYAMA
On our way to Hakone, our group stopped at OKAYAMA where we primarily stopped to see the KORAKUEN garden (one of Japan’s 3 famous walking gardens). Nearby was the reconstruction of OKAYAMA Castle. Unfortunately, the original was destroyed in the Second World War by the allied bombings. The keep now houses a museum but the rest of the castle grounds still gives a feeling of what it may have been like in Feudal Japan, regardless of it mostly being reconstructed in concrete.
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HAKONE
Unfortunately, most of the time that I was in the HAKONE region of Japan, it was raining. However, I was still able to see the HAKONE Checkpoint, a point along the old TOKAIDO road where people (including SAMURAI) were checked during the Feudal age of Japan. It was interesting and almost gruesome to see some of the tools that were used to stop people.
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My group and I were later taken to one of the workshops were the HAKONE style pattern and puzzle boxes were made. These boxes, as the name suggests, are puzzles. The box can only be opened once certain parts of the box are moved in the correct way and order.
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KAMAKURA
KAMAKURA was the last stop on my tour of Japan before TOKYO. KAMAKURA was the seat of the KAMAKURA SHOUGUNATE of Japan from 1185 to 1333. Whilst in KAMAKURA I visited the TSURUOKA HACHIMAN Shrine and the world famous Great Buddha.
The Great Buddha of KAMAKURA
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TOKYO
When I saw TOKYO for the first time, I was jaw struck at the shear size and modern beauty of what I saw. Central TOKYO was full of skyscrapers, but unlike other major Metropolises like New York, there were many trees and a lot of greenery. Amongst the sites that I visited in TOKYO were:
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The ruins of EDO Castle (seat of the TOKUGAWA SHOUGUNATE)
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AKIHABARA (Famous shopping District for electronics and MANGA/ ANIME)
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GINZA District
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SHIBUYA Crossing
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ASAKUSA KANNON Temple
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MEIJI Shrine
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Ghibli Museum
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SEISEKI SAKURAGAOKA (location for the Studio Ghibli movie, “Whisper of the Heart”)
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Base of EDO Castle Keep It was interesting to see where the seat of the TOKUGAWA SHOUGUNATE was.
Unfortunately, the original keep was destroyed by lightning in 1657 (only 19 years after it was built). A possible reconstructed image of the castle keep can be viewed HERE.
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ASAKUSA KANNON Temple
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MEIJI Shrine
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SEISEKI SAKURAGAOKA Railway station
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GINZA District
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AKIHABARA District
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Robot from “Laputa: Castle in the Sky” at the Ghibli Museum
Whilst in TOKYO, I was able to ride on the TOKYO Subway, world famous (or infamous) for its overcrowded trains. However, I didn’t see the “seriously overcrowded” trains with station staff pushing more passengers onto them, even though I did use SHINJUKU (second busiest station on the subway system after TOKYO station) at rush hour frequently. Based on these trips on the Tokyo Subway, I would say that the London Underground is busier (as I am originally from London).
Conclusion
These two trips offered me the chance to see Japan from all sorts of angles. I have found that although I have been to many countries, Japan seems to have an atmosphere unlike any other. The many aspects I loved about Japan included the people, their respect, etiquette, politeness, etc. The countryside including the sites, e.g. Shrines, Temples, etc. Plus their transport, culture as well as their history.
YouTube
I have also uploaded some of the movie clips that I took of my trips to Japan onto YouTube, which can be viewed here:
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