March 26: Fukuoka

Posted on March 26, 2013 by ruthek

I walked around for half an hour before I finally took this picture. Have to go back.

A beautiful day, sunshine, blue sky, cool, just the way I like it. I felt great; no pain anywhere; could have been 60 again. I walked over to the bus center where I was told I would find a bus for Yusentei, the most beautiful garden in Fukuoka. Had an hour’s worth of trouble finding the bus, but finally got there with the help of the driver. I wasn’t sure if I was in the right place, but then I seldom am sure of anything here. I saw an open doorway in a garden wall and went in–no signs, no one to collect my 280 yen. A woman was sweeping leaves into huge black garbage bags. She never looked up and I walked right past. I still wasn’t sure I was in the right place, but it was one of the most beautiful gardens I have seen. I walked some distance without taking any pictures; just enjoying, figuring I’d make a second round for photos.

Finally, stunned by one of the scenes I took out the camera. I spent a lot of time walking around and photographing, never seeing another person. I knew I had come in the wrong entrance and figured I would go to the front and pay, when I was stopped. We had no common language so I wasn’t sure if she was annoyed because I hadn’t paid, or what. Finally she made it clear I would have to leave. Terrible disappointment. Like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and being told I can’t have it. She and the other woman showed me out the same way I came in and then closed the door. I walked around to the front entrance and found everything locked up.

One more shot before I let her throw me out.

I didn’t screw up this time. The web page said they were closed Mondays. This was Tuesday. In fact, another garden here purported to be closed on Tuesday, so I was disappointed but didn’t bother going there.

Kushida Shrine: next stop after my bit of shopping.

Shrine guardian. Handsome devil isn’t he.

Although I hadn’t planned to stop I will be coming back through Fukuoka on Saturday. Maybe I can get to both of them. Took the bus back to town and walked through a shopping arcade that had two fabric shops and a paper store. You were right Mage, some interesting fabrics. I just bought a little for making book covers. Visited two shrines one much more interesting than the other, and went to the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, which collects and exhibits contemporary Asian art. By the time I started back to the hotel the sky was getting dark and I felt like I was 85. It was worth it.

Canal City: a huge shopping center with all kinds of entertainment.

March 25 and March 23

Posted on March 25, 2013 by ruthek

Another travel day. Shipped my larger bag to the next hotel then pulling the overnighter I walked to the train station. I was going to take a taxi but figured the exercise would be good. Since I made it in 20 minutes it’s probably less than a mile. I arrived at the station earlier than necessary and got the rest of my train reservations, using a newly created list that reflected a few changes. After that five hour train ride last week I decided I couldn’t face another one. Instead of going from Hiroshima to Matsuyama on the island of Shikoku, which would involve a long ferry trip and an even longer train trip on a slow train, I am going back to Okayama from Hiroshima and will see the two gardens on Shikoku as day trips from Okayama. Now I am headed for Fukuoka on Kyushu, the other large island of Japan. It’s only about two hours which is good.

Back to Saturday’s gardens. As I visit these gardens I am still questioning what attracts me most about them, why the Japanese designate some a most important and why I don’t always agree. There are three kinds of gardens, zen gardens made almost entirely from rocks and gravel, gardens made to be viewed from inside a structure and gardens made for strolling. I am not so fond of the zen gardens; it is the other two that interest me. Saturday’s gardens, Korakuen and Shurakuen are both stroll gardens. I visited Korakuen, considered one of Japan’s top three, in 2008 and found it somewhat disturbing. The garden was built for the pleasure of a daimyo. There are rice fields, tea fields, a lot of open lawn, an archery space, a place for training horses and a small, ugly aviary where they house half a dozen cranes. The cranes bother me the most and I am not so fond of all the open space.

Okayama Castle: borrowed scenery for the garden

House with water running through it.

The second garden, Shurakuen, required an hour train trip inland and through the mountains to Tsuyama. Then I couldn’t figure out where to go from the guide map so I hired a taxi. Originally three times larger than the present site, this garden was created in the 17^th C. and is a pond stroll garden, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Each few steps presented a different picture. This is what I look for.

When it was time to leave I wanted another taxi but finally just started walking. It turned out my $10 taxi ride took me less than two kilometers, an easy walk. I think the price was high because of the waiting time at stop lights, not because they were out to get me.

When I arrived back at the hotel I met an English speaker, a Mexican who is working on a PhD in biophysics in Australia and who is a zen priest. He was eating his dinner in the hotel lounge while doing laundry and I sat and talked with him for probably two hours. He was fascinating and the first person I had a real conversation with in more than a week..

I arrived in Fukuoka before 11 am and spent about an hour in the station getting help from the information people and having lunch. I was advised to take a subway to my hotel, but one of the gardens I want to see was not far so I walked there and then walked to the hotel.Totally wiped out I’ve been working on this post and tomorrows plans. Eventually I’ll go out and get something to eat.

Rakusuien

The garden, called Rakusuien, is a beautiful, very small pond garden with a waterfall and an attached tea house. I was invited to have tea, but it would have meant sitting on the floor so I demurred. I did go in to look at it and as I entered a small wedding party also came in. The strange part is that I think they were the same party I saw at Korakuen. Maybe I was dreaming.

Wedding party at Korakuen, or is this an advertising photo shoot?

The gardener took my picture.

March 24: All at sea

Posted on March 24, 2013 by ruthek

This is not going to be a nice review. For a much more positive portrait of this place, go here.

I never wrote up yesterday so I’ll save it for tomorrow’s train ride and deal with today while it’s still fresh in my mind. Yesterday was two good gardens will be mostly pictures.

Today I took a trip to Naoshima a nearby island, requiring two short train trips and a ferry. Read about the town and some of its industry here. The town bus, costing 100 Yen, met the ferry and took us to the ticket center and waiting area for Chichu museum where a long line was waiting. Before I go on, I have to say I hate waiting in line. Standing is not good for my legs or my soul and I work to avoid it; meaning I don’t often stand in any lines. But I got in this one and listened uncomprehending to a young man giving a long speech in Japanese. When the line moved and I finally got to him his nametag said bilingual guide and he told me, in English, he was giving me a slip of paper with a time on it, 45 minutes ahead, and at that time, and for the following 30 minutes, I would be allowed to buy a ticket to enter the museum.

Some of you who read my blog also read Ronni Bennett’s wonderful blog where she invokes crabby old lady. I am not so polite: today I was bitchy old lady. And that was only the beginning.

I waited the 45 minutes, grumbling under my breath, and finally paid my 2000 Yen (about $22) and walked over to the museum, where after climbing a steep incline and then taking an elevator, I was informed I would have to wait again to get into the Monet room. The museum, designed by Tadeo Ando, is large with lots of empty reinforced concrete corridors and entirely underground but all the work is illuminated with natural light, allowing you to see it under different lighting, according to the brochure. Maybe when the clouds move fast, but I can’t imagine standing around waiting, no seats, and all those people in line behind you. This museum has work by only three artists: James Turrell, Walter de Maria and Monet. So I stand in line, take my shoes off and put on slippers then finally get in to see the five Monet water lilies. How many water lilies did he paint? I’ve seen them in Paris, Chicago, New York and even Pittsburgh has one. These were not the best water lilies I ever saw, but they were certainly the most carefully displayed.

So, what next? I could go and stand in line to see the Turrell. I don’t know anything about his work, but the thought of one more line did me in. I went to the de Maria where there was no line and then, carefully filling in their satisfaction survey, I left. The best part of the museum, for me, was a kind of Monet garden along the path leading to the museum. These pictures are from the garden.
There are two more museums at only 1000 Yen each, but I skipped them and walked around outdoor sculpture by Nikki Saint Phalle along the beach. No waiting.

I got back on the bus, which was waiting for me for a change, and went to the art houses. This is a group of widely spaced houses that had been abandoned or falling down and were renovated (?) and made into works of art. After paying another 1000 Yen I was told I would have to get a ticket and then there would be an hour and a half wait to see another Ando/Turrell creation. And I had to walk to said creation in order to get the ticket. Can you see the steam coming off the top of my head?
I got the ticket which was actually for 3 o’clock, two hours later, then walked around to see the other houses.

The idea is fascinating, in principle. One of the museums in Pittsburgh does something similar and I think more interesting. This house, which had been a dental clinic, was given an intriguing floor and housed this funky almost Statue of Liberty I wasn’t supposed to photograph. Couldn’t resist.

I never saw the Ando/Turrell masterpiece. About 2 pm, having walked or stood from about 9:30, I got on the bus, went back to the port and made the ferry/train trip. Now I’m doing laundry. The moment of truth, or dirt, had come.

Nikki St Phalle Cat

Me, in one of the pieces on the beach

March 22: On the train

Posted on March 22, 2013 by ruthek

Shinkansen. Why can’t we have trains like that?

Today is a travel day. First a brief trip on a local train, now four hours on the Shinkansen to get to Okayama. I think the distance is comparable to Chicago to DC. It wouldn’t be four hours on our trains.

In this week since I left Pittsburgh I have stayed at three radically different hotels. My criteria for selecting hotels had to do with location and, of course, price, preferably under $100, better yet, under $75. Which was paramount depended on how much I understood about the destination. The first night, in Chicago, location was important. I wanted something close to the airport and to public transit. The O’Hare Inn and Suites offered seemingly constant shuttle service to the airport and the blue line train. It was not a great hotel; clean enough, but shabby with the inconvenience of stairs for second floor rooms and ; badly in need of renovation. The shuttle driver took my bags to the room and brought them down when I left. There was no way I would be able to manage it. I think this was one of the more expensive places.

I have two bags: the largest 21” carry-on I could find, (Did you know the 21 inchers come in different sizes?) and the small overnight I took for that previous three night stay in Chicago. Dealing with both at once is not pleasant, but I don’t anticipate doing it often. I am shipping the larger bag and skipping hotels I will only stay at one or two nights. In Atami I had only the overnighter. My other bag is supposed to meet me in Okayama.

My Tokyo hotel, MyStays Inn, Asakusabashi, was stylish and looked new. The room was, as I expected, miniscule but comfortable. I think the bed was great but I was so exhausted every night I couldn’t say for sure. I had to put the suitcase on the bed when I wanted to open it. There was no room for one of those luggage stands and no closet. Three hangars were on a rod overhanging a full-size mirror. The bathroom, as most Japanese bathrooms, had a raised threshold. I’ve never figured out whether this enables them to flood the room to clean it or to keep the evil spirits from leaving the bathroom. The tub was deep, great for soaking but not great for getting in and out to shower. I never soak. Not anymore. That was the worst inconvenience. The staff was helpful; I was even able to manage with the ones who did not speak English. It was also convenient to the train.

Basin and tub

Train station I missed entirely on my first try

Bento Box, from the 24 hr. supermarket down the street.

As you may have gathered, my experience in Atami was something of a shock. The hotel entrance at the bottom of the hill was hugely inconvenient. I come from flatland and don’t like climbing hills or stairs, up or down. But climb I did, taking taxis only when I was carrying the little suitcase, which was not light. I liked the room in spite of the lack of a comfortable chair. I like sleeping on the futon on tatami mats. I find it comfortable and I sleep well. Only the up and down is bad.

The room was long and narrow. About a third of it, as you walked in, was lined on both sides with utilities: a tiny entrance area with a shelf where you can leave your shoes (no walking with shoes on tatami mats) and keys or whatever else you didn’t need inside the room. On the left were separate compartments for the toilet, the shower and soak tub; and a large storage cabinet entered from inside the room, for the futons, pillows and duvet.

On the right side was a closet with a wardrobe, a basin with a mirror and some shelves in the corners for toiletries, a tiny sink and single burner stove with cabinet underneath with some dishes and pots, a microwave, a rice cooker and an electric kettle. No teabags, but I had some from the Tokyo hotel. I used the microwave, the kettle and a couple of plates for already prepared stuff I was able to purchase, including some tasty green stuff I hope was spinach.

The actual room was fairly large with a TV and some shelves for other equipment and a large, sturdy table that I finally decided to sit on. I am amazed it took me 24 hours to figure I could sit on it. I just don’t usually sit on tables. The first morning I couldn’t get my support stockings on while sitting on the floor. I just don’t bend so much any more. I finally went and sat on the toilet, the only thing in the room that resembled a chair.

I bought an Obi in Tokyo to cut up for a book cover. It’s a lot of fabric and it is heavy. I was able to get it in the suitcase, but as the weather gets warmer I will have to think about getting rid of stuff so I won’t have to wear the two jackets I am using now. I think it could get very warm here before I am ready to leave. Chicago was supposed to be cold the day I was there. I took a scarf and an undershirt that kept me too warm most of the time so I left both things I almost never wear in the hotel room. I have two pairs of shoes with me. Took a good look at the pair I was wearing when I arrived in Tokyo and decided they could go. First, I have to make sure I am comfortable in the other pair. I tend to walk on the outside of my feet and I break down most shoes before they ever wear out otherwise. Since I started wearing Merrell’s I find they wear on the bottom long before I can break them down. I never took a good look at the other pair. They could be awful, also, in which case I guess I go barefoot, or it might now be possible to buy shoes here. I’ve noticed some very large feet.

I am also considering jettisoning the jackets. The outer one is probably thirty years old. It’s in amazingly good shape. Eddie Bauer made great stuff back then. The lighter one is also nothing special. I’ll have to see how much I buy and wait until the weather is really warm. Presently it has been fluctuating between very warm days and much cooler days. Also depends on altitude. On April 10 I will go to Mt. Koya, possibly a cold trip.

I’ve got about 40 minutes left on the train. The weather forecast was for cooler temps, but it didn’t seem very cool before I boarded.

Posted this from my hotel in Okayama where it is very cool, damp and gray. Originally planned to visit Korakuen, my next garden, today, but I hope tomorrow will be a better day. My suitcase, entirely encased in a plastic bag was waiting for me. I could get used to this kind of service.

March 21: Hakone

Posted on March 21, 2013 by ruthek

That may be Fuji out there

I didn’t get what I wanted most: to see Mt. Fuji again. I thought the day would be perfect for it, a little cold and crisp. The clouds came in when I was most likely to see it. I’ll have another chance on the train when I leave Kyoto on my last day.

Hakone is a national park and some of it reminds me of Pigeon Forge outside of the Great Smoky Mountains. Nature is never enough; there has to be something for the kids. The best thing, for me and the kids, was the Open Air Art Museum: lots of good art and lots of places for kids to play, right on some of the sculptures. It is very well done.

My favorite work

There is an entire building devoted to Picasso; so many works I had the feeling he created enough stuff to give one to everyone who wants one. Of course, it doesn’t work that way, but wouldn’t it be fun.

I took a funky train to get to the park, a bus from the Open Air Museum, a cable car, a ropeway, a boat then another bus and back to the train. I like the ropeway best.

Ropeway

I caved tonight: I am not sitting on the floor. I put two of those pillows on this very sturdy table and that’s where I am sitting, not too comfortably but it’s easy to get up. I’ll have to get back on the floor to sleep, but maybe I won’t have to get up too often.

Long train ride tomorrow: five hours to Okayama. I’ll try to get lots more writing done.

March 20: no English none

Posted on March 20, 2013 by ruthek

I am in Atami, sitting on the floor on four pillows with my back to the wall and trying to figure out whether all this up and down is really good for me. When I made all my hotel reservations I had trouble with Atami. All of the cheaper hotels were booked for the two nights I wanted. I wound up in a place you enter at the bottom of a steep hill in a Japanese style room. This was all a surprise to me. My hotel confirmation got printed out in Japanese. That should have been my first clue. Also a surprise is the lack of English speakers around here. This is supposed to be a famous resort, but not for us English speakers. The people at the info center were very nice, but no English. They directed me to the hotel, which seemed to be close to the station, but I had trouble following the map so I finally got a taxi. (Yes, Grace, it’s a great doctrine.) I couldn’t believe when he dropped me off. This place makes Pittsburgh look like flatland.

Of course, I was too early for check-in time, but I left my small suitcase (I shipped the larger one to my next stop, Okayama), and went up a long stairway back to the station to get the bus to MOA, the famous Museum of Art. As with many contemporary museums the building is more impressive than the art they were showing. You enter the building, already high on a hill, and immediately get on an escalator.

I didn’t count but I think there were six of them; very long escalators; 200 meters of escalators rising 60 meters. Very impressive, but ultimately boring.

Various write-ups say they have 3500 Japanese paintings with probably only a hundred or so on display. I did see a lovely display of Rinpa art that I enjoyed.

I managed to have three meals today. Breakfast in the train station was a small sandwich on white bread and a bottle of cold green tea. Lunch in the museum was tempura on rice. I really did not want tempura, which was greasy and stayed with me all afternoon, but they had no English menu and this was the best I could do with the waitress’s limited English. I am still surprised about it. I know that English gets more difficult outside of Tokyo and Kyoto, but Atami is supposed to be a famous resort.

Child dancing in the rotunda between escalators

On my way back to the hotel I stopped at a 7-11 and got rice wrapped in seaweed and something that looked like it might be spinach with scrambled eggs. I’m a little concerned about the lack of green stuff here since I have my coumadin balanced on a certain amount of it. I was hoping seaweed would make up for it but no such luck.

I think my jetlag is receding. It’s 7:45 and I’m still awake. First time since I arrived.

March 19: Last day in Tokyo

Posted on March 20, 2013 by ruthek

My last day in Tokyo and a beautiful day it is: sunshine, temps in the 70’s, cool in the shade, not much wind. I bought a large apple the night before and that, with a cup of green tea, was my breakfast. Then on to the train to Rikugien, one of my favorite gardens from my previous visit. Situated in a relatively quiet neighborhood, it is an oasis of calm behind high brick walls. It is also designed in a way that makes it comprehensible from almost every point of view. The name comes from the six parts of Waka poetry (a traditional Japanese poetic form, which I know nothing about). There are supposed to be 88 spots in the garden named for famous places in Japan and China and incidents from Chinese history. as well as references to waka.

Outside of the garden were banners announcing the cherry blossom festival I was grateful would not start until later this week. As you enter a huge, fifty year old weeping cherry in full bloom stuns you. Because I was early there weren’t too many people. I read somewhere that these festivals involve lots of drinking, but from what I have seen they are an orgy of picture taking. I duly took the required photos then walked around the park for the next two hours.

The famous Sakura

Referring back to the pictures I took previously I find everything looks much the same except for some bare branches and no colorful leaves.

City as borrowed scenery

Lots of children visiting

I found a place for lunch in the area then got back on the train to another distant part of Tokyo, this time to see an art exhibit. This was where all my research broke down. On their webpage it said the Suntory Museum was only closed on Tuesday when they were preparing another exhibit. This was Tuesday and the exhibit had been up for some time, but they weren’t open. Back on the train I went to another museum closer to my hotel. I had been to the Edo-Tokyo museum before but didn’t realize it until I got inside. Then I was told the exhibit I wanted to see was all in Japanese and had lots of explanation. However, they had Hokusai’s entire set of the 36 views of Mt. Fuji on display, so it was a satisfactory day, after all.

March 19: Interlude

Posted on March 19, 2013 by ruthek

It’s been a long, busy day and I am tired. So this is just a short post to let you know I’m still here. Tomorrow I leave Tokyo and begin my travels around Japan. I’ll go through the 74 pictures I shot today and try to finish writing about the day while I’m on the train. It’s a short trip to Atami and Hakone to look at art and hopefully see Mt. Fuji again. I could have done it as a day trip from Tokyo but instead I’ll keep going west. See you later.

Housekeeping day

Posted on March 18, 2013 by ruthek

It has been windy and threatening all day; sometimes I had trouble walking with the wind. It was supposed to rain but that never happened. Maybe tonight. I took my time getting out, finally going and getting some breakfast and walking around the hotel area. There are at least three shops selling beads and I found one place that purports to sell ivory. I thought that was banned. Or is that another whale area where Japan defies the world.

I used the day to do several things that needed to be done, like laundry. I could have gone for another couple of days but this was a good opportunity. I also needed to get reserved seat tickets for the train trips I will be taking. With the help of a website I wrote out all of the details–date, time, to, from and train name and numbers for the first four trips. I took all this written data, including asking for window seats, to the train travel center and painlessly got my tickets. I didn’t have to understand the ticket agent and he didn’t have to understand me or the English language. I will have to do this for four more trips, but I need more information about getting from Hiroshima to Matsuyama. Hyperdia evidently doesn’t deal with boat trips and that’s what is needed going from the island of Honshu to the island of Shikoku. I’ll stop at another tourist info center or maybe I can research it on line.

I am finding it very hard to be without my phone–not for calls–I’m not a big talker–but for information. My addiction is almost as bad as my addiction to food. So I keep looking for places I can use the phone. I am even willing to pay, but I think I’ll just have to get over it. Yesterday, at the tourist info center they told me I could use wi-fi in the train stations but I had to go and register. That was another place I went today. The train stations are massive and have all sorts of things in them: shops, restaurants, even art galleries. It sounded like a good deal. Well, it’s only good if you are in a hot spot; like in the tourist info center. I registered but I don’t think it will do me much good.

Finally, I walked over to the Ozu Washi Paper Store, a maker of hand made papers. It was nice, but I’ve seen nicer. Just as well. If they had something I wanted I would have had to return the day before I was leaving Japan. But there is a good paper store in Kyoto. That will be much more convenient.

March 17: Two flea markets and a garden

Posted on March 17, 2013 by ruthek

My first two trips to Japan, back in the 80’s were largely mindless. Most of the time I didn’t know where I was or where I was going. Let’s not even talk about meaning. I bought the cat, above, because I liked it. I didn’t know anything about Japanese art or folk art. I did know about western art, and I liked the cat. It’s been my favorite possession ever since. It bothered me that I did not know where the flea market was where I bought the cat. Each time I’ve been here since I’ve looked for it. I had a vivid memory of the physical space but no knowledge of it. Today I finally found it: the flea market at Yasukuni shrine. When I bought the cat the market was held on the paved driveway leading up to the shrine. Today the market is off to one side and cars are parked in the driveway. I went with the vague hope I might find another cat, but, of course, there wasn’t any. There was some interesting stuff including lots of guitars and taiko drums but I didn’t find anything interesting enough to buy.

As I entered the shrine area I saw people photographing a tree. At first I thought it might be a tree that survived the bombing of Tokyo, which was possible from the look of the tree. Then I found out it was the cherry tree used to determine the dates when Tokyo celebrates the cherry blossom season.

Cherry blossom master

Lanterns and shaped Ginko trees line the driveway.

Often things are not what they seem. I found out about another of those mysteries later in the day.

I was looking for breakfast from the time I left the hotel. I walked all around the Tokyo train station and didn’t find anything I wanted to eat. I walked around Yasukuni looking for something to eat. I didn’t visit the actual shrine or the museum, which I have mixed feelings about, because I was looking for something to eat. I found several interesting looking places outside of the shrine but they didn’t open until 11 am and I didn’t feel like waiting. I got back on the subway and went to the Tokyo International Forum for another flea market.

International Forum antique show

This time I bought an obi I’ll cut up for a book cover. The price was marked 1000 Yen.. I didn’t argue; just gave the vendor a 1000 Yen note. She packaged the obi for me and after she handed it to me she gave me a 100 Yen coin. We both laughed. I guess I should have bargained, but this was more fun. Only in Japan.

Cows dressed up for St. Patrick’s Day in front of the JNTO Information Office.

Still looking for something to eat I walked a short distance to a JNTO Information office. I had two questions, neither of which got good answers. First I wanted to know why seemingly all the young women in Tokyo were lined up outside of the Forum, occasionally moving in great bunches. No good answer to that one. Second, I wanted to know if I could access a wi fi service on the train for one or two months. No answer but a referral to a service that might help. I find I can’t get along without the phone, even though I have no one to call. It’s all that information it gives me. Standing there and talking I got an answer to something I thought about but hadn’t asked because I thought I knew the answer. About one in four or five people here are wearing those white face masks and an equal number sound like they ought to be wearing them. I thought they were all sick with colds or flu and I would probably be next. I started compulsively washing my hands. Well, they are not all sick; they are allergic to cedar pollen and this is the time of year. I am relieved, but who would have thought.

After the info center I finally found a place to eat. Fortified, I got back on the train and went to the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. Again lots of that light green ground cover, but a great variety of trees and some very nice views. I also found out it may be normal for everything to look dry at this time of year. The rains don’t come for another couple of months. That bit is still bothering me.