Hello from Japan!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

I'm in Japan for two weeks of business and visiting, and I'd like to share some experiences.

First of all, if you have one of those layovers at Narita Airport while you're on your way to somewhere else and have about half a day, I don't recommend going into Tokyo. You'll end up in one of the ugliest, most confusing parts of town, and you'll just have to turn around and come back.

Instead, take a 15-minute train ride to the town of Narita. It's completely modern, but it has a lovely temple complex surrounded by a park landscaped in traditional style. There are also a lot of souvenir shops and restaurants where you can buy something to take home and try some real Japanese grub.

With all my travels to Japan, I had never taken the trouble to see the town of Narita, but this time I did. I stayed over in a family-run inn, Ohgiya Ryokan, which gave me a tatami room overlooking a garden, an ample dinner of tempura with side dishes, and a breakfast of eggs, toast, tossed salad, and coffee, all for 8300 yen, about $75. They even came and picked me up from the train station and took me back there when it was time to leave.

Wandering through the temple grounds and park was a pleasant way to decompress from the long plane ride before heading into the city.

More later!

[Rick Myers]

1. Hey YOU!!!

Sounds like alot of fun! Always wanted to visit Japan!!!

Keep the stories coming...

:toast::hi::toast:

on edit: BTW, Janet and I will be moving back to Minneapolis next month!!!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. I'll definitely keep the stories coming

Just try and stop me! :-)

You'll have to meet up with the Twin Cities DUers. They're a terrific bunch.

[Rick Myers]

4. Can't wait!!!

I lived in Minnetonka for about 4 1/2 years but had to return to Ohio to care for my dad...

Have you seen either of the burlesque groups in town? Lili's or Le Circ??? I have alot of friends with both...

oops, you're in Japan and we're talkin' Twin cities!!!

g-nite!!!

[proud patriot]

3. Sounds wonderful

:hi:

[Lydia Leftcoast]

5. Yes, and today (it's about noon on Saturday)

I'm thinking about where to spend the afternoon.

[DemBones DemBones]

6. Tossed salad for breakfast? Interesting!

Is that a Japanese thing or do they think it's an American thing?

Enjoy your visit and keep the reports coming!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

7. It's a Japanese thing, but...

THEY think it's a Western thing, because the tossed salad shows up only in so-called Western-style breakfasts.

But eclectic cooking is also a Japanese thing. You should see the meals on All Nippon Airways. Dinner this time was curried fish with carrots on the side, Japanese noodles with a soy dipping sauce, a salad, a plate of sashimi, a roll with butter, and a piece of chocolate fudge cake--with wine, if desired. Each piece of the meal was good in itself, but the combinations raised some eyebrows among passengers who weren't used to this free-wheeling style of meal planning.

[Nightowl_2004]

8. Japan's an Amazing Place!!!

I was lucky enough to participate in a student exchange program with a high school from Wadayama, Japan a couple years back. One of the best experiences of my life! Have a great time!!!!

[otohara]

9. noodles - yum

love japan, the people, the food - enjoy

[jpgray]

10. You're missing the three weeks of great weather here

:D

[Longhorn]

11. My son is in Japan right now and for the next two years.

He's a Marine stationed at Iwakuni, on the southern end of the mainland. He's been there about a month and seems to like it so far, though he has only left base a couple of times. We're getting used to the time difference and communicating by IM (with webcam) and by phone. I'm amazed out how easy and inexpensive it is to call one another!

My husband and I are hoping to make a trip out to see him sometime during this assignment. It's "only" 180,000 frequent flyer miles for the two of us! Guess I better whip out that credit card and go shopping and rack up some more! ;)

[Generic Other]

12. Sounds like the inn was nice and reasonably priced.

My mom is going to visit relatives next week. She'll be in Ibaragi.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

13. How Saturday afternoon turned out

Not so much fun. I suddently realized that Monday was a legal holiday, and the ATMs over here shut down on holidays. (Some theorize that each ATM has a little person inside it whose job it is to slide the cash out. This little person goes home at the end of the day and takes national holidays off. Or so the theory goes. :-) )

Anyway, this meant going to Omotesandou, which is one place where I KNOW there is an ATM that takes foreign credit cards. (Some but not all post offices have such ATMs as well, but I couldn't fine one in the immediate vicinity, and besides, it was getting to be late on Saturday.)

Omotesandou is the tree-lined street leading up to Meiji Shrine and the Harajuku area. Harajuku is the teenage capital of Tokyo, full of high school students, some of them in outlandish fashions, and stores that cater to them. It was a real mob scene, but I finally got my money and decided to walk down a random street until I ended up at another train station.

This often leads to interesting adventures, but as luck would have it, I had picked a boring street, with nothing but apartment blocks and offices. Finally, I found a train station and headed for the Ichigaya neighborhood, the site of one of my ritual stops in Tokyo, a small restaurant called Karee no Ousama "Curry King." It's a ritual, because it's where I had my first restaurant meal the first time I arrived in Japan in 1977, and on every trip, I check to see whether it's still there in that rapidly changing neighborhood. When I arrived in Ichigawa, I saw that the former Lotteria (Japanese rip-off of McDonald's) had been replaced by a Starbucks, so I wasn't too hopeful, but Curry King has indeed survived, slightly remodeled since the last trip, but still offering the same menu and the same set of sprinkle-on condiments. The young man behind the counter was probably not yet born when I first visited the restaurant, though.

From there I headed back to my hotel, which is a budget-level Western style hotel in a neighborhood called Otsuka. As I was standing on the train platform, I got propositioned by a drunk Japanese man. He must have been very drunk, because it's been years since that happened. I wasn't even tempted, though, especially because I'd been walking around all day and my feet hurt.

So here I am!

[Zech Marquis]

14. sounds good so far

I still aim to be in Japan soon, either the last week of October, or right after the election. I'll be in the Kyoto area however, if I do visit Tokyo, it'll only be for a day or so max.

By the way, did you buy the JR Rail Pass?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

16. Not this time

I have only two weeks, and I'm pretty much confined to the Tokyo area, so it's not worth it. Supposedly, the price of a one-week pass is the same as the price of a roundtrip on the Shinkansen to Kyoto. I'm not going any farther than Yokohama, if that far.

Instead, I've bought debit cards for both the subways/private trains and the JR, which are more convenient than fumbling for change at the ticket machine.

[mrbill]

15. if you get a chance, climb mt fuji.........

It's a top 7 spiritual adventure.

Years ago you could get your hiking stick branded with the different levels. Sunrise on the summit is a mind-blower. The accomodations were crowded.

Don't have a clue how it works now. Would hope tradition rules.

That giant buddha at Kamakura is cool. Japan is a lot better than disneyland.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

17. It's illegal to climb Mt. Fuji any time other than July and August

Too cold on the top, and besides, all the accommodations are closed, so you have to camp. I don't camp, especially not on a mountaintop in the snow. :-)

One of these years, though...

[Rabrrrrrr]

18. Yay for Japan! I'm glad you're having fun

I miss it. :cry:

[Lydia Leftcoast]

19. It's addictive, isn't it?

I swear they must put heroin in the drinking water or something. :-)

Some people don't like Japan, but the one's who do REALLY like it.

[Rabrrrrrr]

21. Well, count me in as one who really loves it!

Not that I've seen it all, but I've seen the best - beautiful lovely traditional Kyoto and environs. :hugs:

Ah..........hopefully, someday, to move there.

Mmmmmmm......food.

[NewJeffCT]

20. Hi from nearby China

i'm in Nanjing, China right now - had a whirlwind tour of Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou & Suzhou and am now visiting my in-laws here.