September 2018. I had spent the previous week exploring the three national parks in eastern Hokkaido. It was now time to figure out how to chunk a journey to Tokyo over the next 10 days. I had flown to eastern Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost main island. The journey back to Tokyo would be slower. Armed with… Continue reading Snapshots: 1,000 Miles by Train to Tokyo
Tag: Japan 2018
Mono no aware: the Pathos of Things
Mono no aware, Japanese.Roughly pronounced: moh-noh noh ah-wah-ray. Roughly translated: A wistful awareness of the impermanence or transience of things. [Source] Cherry blossoms exemplify the Japanese mono no aware sensibility. The intense beauty lasts just a few days before disappearing. The short time blossoms are in season is a time for celebration. Kyushu, southern Japan, March 2014.… Continue reading Mono no aware: the Pathos of Things
Suica Balance
Used NFC (near-field communication) to read the outstanding balance on my Japanese Suica stored-value card: ¥421, almost four US dollars. The balance expires in 2028, but I plan to spend it much sooner than that.
The Best Cold Beer
Woke up from a deep sleep near Seattle. “Anything you need?” asked the flight attendant. “The best cold beer.”
TOTO Demonstration Showroom
On my way to Haneda HND for my flight home, popped into TOTO’s Tokyo “demonstration showroom,” occupying two floors high up in a Tokyo tower. For good, practical reasons, most Japanese have TOTO’s washlets in their homes; we’re having them in our new home
A Level Path
Walked a level path through extensive marshland surrounded by mountains in Nikko National Park. After yesterday’s tough trail, I went easy on myself today.
Mount Toyama
Hiked a gnarly trail: extensive tree roots, scree, erosion, fallen trees, 2,300 feet gain in two hours, no switchbacks. Walking down was even harder than the climb. A guy, older than me, was doing this with camping gear. Mount Toyama (7,230 feet), Nikko National Park.
Should I Press This Button?
In my experience, Japanese hotels are always clean, comfortable, and safe. Usually they are great value. Sometimes they come with a twist. I’ve stayed in a bicycle hotel, an art hotel, but, until this trip, I had never stayed in a hotel modeled on a nursing home. I stayed at this nursing home-themed hotel in… Continue reading Should I Press This Button?
Nikko
Walked for hours around an area of temples, shrines, and woodland paths on a hillside near Nikko, two hours north of Tokyo.
A Somber Place
Rode a Sendai city bus past fields where homes had once stood, to an elementary school that is now a museum. The 2011 tsunami crashed through the second floor of the school, but the children had been sent to the top floors and roof where they were safe.