Test test. Does this thing still work?

I had an interesting day today. After getting directions from Chris Kohler on AIM, Bob and I set off to find the old Nintendo building. After a bit of circling we found it on Shomen-dori--NOT Rokujo-dori. Someone's book had the wrong street name....

After snapping some stylish photos Bob and I went our seperate ways. I had lunch back in the Taremachi area browsed for a Yukata. (Once again I did not find one I liked that fit.) I stumbled into an electronics store near Teramachi St. which had a VERY good selection of game software and other goodies. It wasn't until I was eyeing a new copy of Baten Kaitos II at $30 that I realized I was in a Sofmap. I bought some Phoenix Wright figurines (the mystery box kind) and some other random stuff. I found the other Sofmap near the station, which was not as good, though it also had BKII at that low price. I should have bought it (that's half price, surely thanks to its Kyoto location), but there is no way I could actually play that game in Japanese. It is too late now, as I will be out of Kyoto before stores open. I never saw Ouendan again, and DS Lites are sold out everywhere. Aki is my last hope.

I took the bus to the Golden Pavillion. While the destination was not all that remarkable, the bus ride was memorable because I talked with a female Japanese college student named Mari, who helped me find my way to the temple and distracted me from the 40 minute bus ride. I did not think to give her my contact information--I know, very stupid.

From there I walked to the Ryoan-ji stone garden, poking my head into a very good Wanpaku I discovered on the way. Sure, some of the prices were absurd ($15 for Super Mario Land what?!) and I didn't even bother with the many systems I did not own, including Super Famicom. I bought a copy of X (GB) at Y300, mostly for its historical value.

The stone garden is unique, but one must think very abstractly to appreciate raked gravel with stones and patches of green. I enjoyed the surrounding garden more, with its calm lake and surprisingly-blooming cherry trees. (More sakura pictures)

In the evening I explored the mall attached to the JR station. More acurately, the area around the JR station is a mall metropolis, with many buildings full of shops connected via an underground labyrinth, which also has chic shops and restaurants. I ate a pseudo-Italian meal: baked cheese with shrimp on top of rice, baked cheese and fried cod on top of noodles, and mango juice. I passed on the $8 authentic parfaits, though they looked really good.

I should also mention Lawsons. In America we have a Starbucks on "every corner." While Japan does have Starbucks, in Kyoto that saying REALLY IS TRUE for a convenience store chain called Lawsons. I have been in Kyoto for three days and know of three Lawsons within a block north of the JR station. Keep in mind there are also AmPms, 7-11s and other chains scattered about.

I decided against hunting down the current Nintendo building. Sure, it would be neat to say I was there, but it just looks like a hospital building, I would not be able to go near it, and it is well out of the way.

Hey guys,
Sorry for not blogging anything yesterday. Kyoto is an odd city, being a tourist trap for the Japanese. Hordes and hordes of people went to the temple we visited yesterday (Kiyomizu). The crowds were more impressive than anything else, though there were some fun details like the "stones of love", where your wish for newfound love will come true if you can successfully walk from one to the other with your eyes closed.

I spent a little time wandering Taremachi-shojo for games and other goods. My friend Chris Kohler pointed me to a few shops. I found Wanpaku without a hitch, which is an interesting store for LOOKING but not buying, since it has a massive collection of classic Japanese games. To give you an idea of how outrageous the prices were, they were asking roughly USD$25 for Metroid II for the Game Boy. Yeah. I could not find the other store, Narayama (or something like that), though I did find another chain electronics store that sold games. They wanted full price for Ouendan, so I held off. No luck finding a DS Lite for my friend there.

I rejoined the group for a tour of the Geisha district. The guide, Peter Macintosh, was perhaps more interesting than the tour. A Canadian ex-patriot, he is what amounts to a classy pimp, acting as a "bookie" clients go to for Geisha through his tea house. (Geisha are not prostitutes, but one pays for their company.) He does that tour regularly and acts as a laison/shapparone for Geisha when they travel abroad to cultural festivals, etc. He is married to a former Geisha and has lived in Kyoto for 13 years. MANY people recognized him on the street.

Today I took a float trip down the Hozu river. The boat was oar powered and steered with long bamboo sticks--a three man operation. It was not cheap at \3900 a person, but the river had some beautiful views of the valley. I love the lush variety of trees scattered about the untamable mountainsides, even if they do not grow nearly as high as in US ranges. Sadly, the scenry was often polluted with large power lines, though those are scenic compared with the spiderweb nightmares found in Kyoto's alleys. I split off after lunch and took the JR train back to Kyoto station. I tried to find a store (Sofmap) located near the station, but Chris' directions were a bit lacking. I then walked back to Taremachi street. I had planned to stop by the original Nintendo building, but when I reached the street it hit me that I had no idea what it looked like. I wandered the area for 45 minutes and probably passed it three times....sigh. I shopped some more with no luck--still no DS Lite for my friend.

I then attended the Geisha dances, which were impressive for their well-synchronized choreography and detailed sets. Musicians and Geisha on the sides of the theater sang and played music as Geisha on the stage danced. Overall it was very cute, though the music was a bit mesmorizing. A shame I could not follow the story.

I couldn't contain my souvenier-lust any longer. If I couldn't buy what I planned to buy, I would buy something close enough. Back at the pedestrian-only section of Taremachi street I snuck into a anime and game figurine store and cursed as I could not find something to my fancy in the vast, cramped aisles. Sure, I could have gotten an Inyuasha or DBZ something-or-other figurine, but I am secretly holding out for something Tenchi Muyo if I can, just because. So I wandered into an manga store and picked up a Nintendo Dream magazine. I wanted Famitsu, but all they had was Famitsu PS2　（bleh）. Then I bought a 20th Anniversary Famitsu CD of arranged music...I hope I like it because it was not cheap.

I tried to find that Nintendo building again on the way back to the Ryokan, but no luck.

Good evening,

Today we travelled to Nara via train, with a connecting train in Kyoto. In all honesty I feel this day was wasted: Nara does have many things to see, but very little can be done in half a day. The Buddhist Temples and Shinto Shrines are starting to blur together, but the giant Buddha and his guard statues here were impressive. The Buddha is a giant wooden statue housed in an impressive temple. They claim it is the largest building made entirely out of wood, but one of my travel companions noticed metal nails in the columns so I am taking that with a grain of salt.

Also roaming the park section of the town, located around the giant Buddha's temple, are well tamed deer. Deer are not afraid of humans, itis a known fact in the states. But here they have been protected for many generations, so they're pretty much petting zoo animals. Tourists (mostly Japanese) feed the animals and they can be fairly pushy, chasing down little kids for their crackers. Antlers are filed to prevent stabbings. It is cute at first, but over one thousand of those buggers must get annoying REALLY quickly to the locals.

Part of the group wandered aimlessly, looking for some old merchants' district without much luck. I am still not sure if we found it or not, but we did find an excellent shop specializing in Yakitori on the way back to our hotel. They sold neck and heart, but I did not go any more exotic than liver.

I had a big buffet lunch and a big Yakitori snack, I skipped dinner. Instead I just got back from wandering ON MY OWN, which seems to be a pattern for me in Japan. I wandered into a small SEGA arcade and played a game of Super Mario Bros VS., which I had never seen before. (For those unfamiliar, it is a bastardized version of the NES game with some odd changes for the arcade.) They had a bunch of uninteresting generic RPG style games, which I found odd for an arcade.

Fortunately, after a quick nash from a "Mister Doughnut" store at a discounted evening sell-out price I found a much better arcade. I quickly blew 300 yen on a UFO catcher (crane) arcade game featuring Famicom controllers with an attachd Super Mario figurine. I was SURE I would get it that third time...ah well. On the third floor they had the Mario Kart arcade game, which I *had* to play. I got first place as Weegie, but was still expected to pay to continue my Grand Prix. Nuts to that, so I played a different race with Wario. It made me once again wish Revolution would support HD....ah well.

Tomorrow I go to Kyoto. The afternoon/evening will be spent watching the Geisha dances and hunting down the Kyoto Citibank. Various purchases and shrine/park/museum entry fees add up, and I am down to \12,000. I will be shopping for Nintendo goods and presents for a large portion of either my first or second full day in Kyoto. So far I have been very nervous when approaching stores, since I cannot read anything. I hope I can overcome that.

Well, they do not have very good deals for non-members in these internet cafes, and I have little else to comment on. Hopefully I can find a nearby internet cafe in Kyoto, because the Ryokan will not have a computer in the lobby.

Ｗｅｌｌ， I have found an internet cafe here in Kanazawa, though it is a bit steeper than in Tokyo. I'm still fighting a keyboard that likes to go katakana on me, so be patient.

One thing I forgot to mention about my trip to the fish market in Tokyo was the gentleman the group met on the way out. This Japanese architect had been out late drinking (and assumedly doing karaoke) and was very keen to practice his English on us Americans and Brits. He even broke into "I left my Heart in San Francisco" when I mentioned I was from California.

(Wed, 19th) Aaaanyway, from Matsumoto we took a bus through a pass in the Japanese Alps to Takayama. The ride was beautiful along a sharp V-shaped valley along the Daichachigawa river (as far as I can tell). The river was dammed and the road was treacherous. Steep hillsides were covered with nets to reduce rock or mud slides, and at many places one could see sharp turns bypassed with newer road (but left intact). The Japanese alps are very majestic and reminded me of Montana, though the diversity in plant life, with a variety of deciduous and evergreen trees, give it a distinct flavor. The road also had many long and fairly narrow tunnels.

Takayama is an interesting mountain town/city that feels big but is still somewhat remote. If I had to take a stab I would compare　it to Missoula, MT. (The surrounding area provides much of Japan's timber, and there is a nearby national parks I was unable to visit.) I could not find an internet cafe there, hence I was MIA. The city contains the Hida Folk Village, where various traditional houses have been gathered from the vicinity to create an old-fashioned Japanese mountain town. I enjoyed the thick straw roofs (to withstand snow) and interesting architecture which includes attics for growing silkworms.

That evening there was a spring festival in the nearby town of Fukukawa, accessible via train. The small festival was not unlike carnivals in the states, complete with hoop-throwing and goldfish carnie games. Spring and fertility seemed to be the theme, and I had a yummy chocolate-coated banana. The main event was a Shinto event, the chasing of the drum, where semi-naked men carried a "float" (carried by men) with a giant drum and many drummers. The crowd was packed VERY tightly--people had to really SHOVE their way through to get anywhere. Ceremonial guards created a path for the ceremonies' participants and guided people when the drum float stormed down the street. When it did, it created a human wave as the crows compressed itself for evasion. It is very difficult to describe.

(Thurs 20th) The town has a great park (Shiroyama Park) at the location of an old castle, which I visited the following day (along with some museums). Much like the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, the lush and humid forest provides a surprising contrast with city life, and since the old castle was on top of a hill the park is also a decent place for some exercise. It had rained that morning, making the ground slippery and muddy, so I did not stray far from the wide path. Although much of the town is not appealing, it has a quaint, older district full of restaurants and shopping districts close to the park. Since Takayama is at a higher altitude the cherry blossoms were only beginning to bud. Takayama has many small sake breweries, and that afternoon I went sake tasting with the group (which I suppose is a bit like a pub crawl). Like wine, sake has many variations, from cloudy to clear (refined) and aged. I could definitely tell the differences among sake, and so far I like the drier ones. I do not like my sake hot. (I have been told that in general Sake may be stored and served anywhere from 5 to 55 degrees Celsius.)

That evening I went to the hot spring baths, where, yes, I bathed (or more accurately soaked) naked. One does not clean oneself in mineral baths--that is done beforehand. Surely the sake gave me enough courage, though I lucked out since none of the other men from the tour group were brave enough to join me.

(Today, Friday) It was actually snowing as we left Takayama today, which is unheard of for this late in Spring. Up in the mountains on the ride out of Takayama snow was accumulating and we got a taste of Winter in Japan. Sadly I could not get any good pictures out of the bus window, but it was absolutely beautiful along the river, which was decorated with creeks and small waterfalls.

Less lovely was walking around in the rain once we reached Kanazawa. Even so, the famous Kenrokuen Gardens are fantastic, filled with peaceful creeks rivers, and trees. The cherry blossoms are in bloom here as well, though the rain has knocked quite a few petals off of the trees. The gardens still had a fair share of pink and white petals and I got a few excellent pictures. I cannot tell which takes are best, so it is a good thing I bought a larger memory card in Takayama...even if Compact Flash cards are a bit steep in this country.

So here I am, burning money in an internet cafe. I am disappointed that they do not have a flat rate here for a whole night, as I was looking forward to a night of Japanese interweb culture. I suppose I will still stick around for a bit and burn another $15. That would be better spent than that rip-off bar I just visited with Bob. Between that compact flash card and a present I bought, though, I will need to watch my cash flow until I have an opportunity to use an ATM in Kyoto.

Now I KNOW I have taken too many cherry blossom photos. Matsumoto is an interesting place, though not one to spend multiple days at. The old castle is really more of a fort by western standards, as it does not have any real furniture, though its Japanese architecture, moat and steep staircases (to slow down attacking soldiers) are very interesting.

The cherry blossoms were in full bloom here, which added to the scenery and brought out the local color. Being a small town compared to Tokyo, the folks were very friendly (not that they were rude in Tokyo) and far more spread out. The blossoms attracted picnicking local families, and there were many cute children running around all day. At one point a group of maybe 10 seven-year-olds approached me and said, "hello" before scurrying off. I also visited the historic elemetry school founded in the late 19th century and used well into the 20th (I cannot remember the years it was in use right now), which was interesting from a cultural standpoint but nothing amazing.

I've had two large gin and tonics and a sampling of sake in the last hour during dinner, so my mind is a little...off. Oyasumi nasai.

Just about the only time I will get up at 4 am in America is for fish. It seems this holds true in Japan, as I was on the early train this morning. The fish market was crazy, with little carts scurrying back and forth. The workers don't seem to mind confused gaijin, but they expect them to move out of the way as they scurry back and forth to haul off fish, either whole or in styrofoam ice chests.

The auctions are in the back, and those who are not bidding are not allowed in this large hanger filled with rows of tuna. Just outside are many small stalls where the fishermen sell their fresh seafood of all sorts, from tuna to clams to anago (sea eel). Many stalls are dedicated to packing their goods in ice chests for all of Japan to enjoy. I enjoyed watching a man cut giant slabs of ice into large ice cubes with a large hand saw.

The group then went for very fresh, delicious sushi. Miso soup and raw sweet shrimp is a bit odd at 7 am, especially for someone who flew in two days ago. But it was good.

This tour group really is a bit old for me. Everyone is very friendly and no one is cruise ship disabled or anything, but it is a bit odd having two 70-ish year olds as travel companions and some even older. (This is apparently an unusually old crowd for this particular tour.) Honestly, though, the Canadian sisters, who are not all that old, are the only ones annoying me with their hennish nature. A 50-ish graphical artist/musician from Indianapolis is quickly becoming a good friend. (He speaks a little Japanese, which does not hurt.) Fortunately, the structure of the trip is such that I get to wander of as much as I want. Once we get to Matsumoto I'm pretty much on my own to explore the castle and town.

Well, gotta run!

Well, except for the giant robots. What an awesome first full day in Japan! I am writing to you from a Namco-branded internet/manga cafe. For a rate per hour/10 minutes you get a laptop and access to manga, free soda and (I think) PS2 games...but the PS2 games may be extra.... The cafe is on the third floor--below me is a Denny's.

I'm forced to use the Japanese keyboard layout here, so bear with me. I hope I can type when I get back home!

Today I spent most of my time with the group. We started with the Tokyo Metropolitan Building, aka "tax tower." I know, boring, but the observation floor near the top of the southern wing was pretty impressive. It was a fairly clear day, and athough we could not see Mt. Fuji or other mountains in the distance, the views of the sea of buildings and gardens was pretty impressive.

Next we visited the flagship Takashimaya department store in the Shinjuku district. I didn't care much for standard retail fare, so I checked out a large book store down the street. There was a whole foreign books section, which included my Design Patterns book for computer science...I did not spot a tour guide book that suited me though. Book stores in the US confuse me enough, so throw Japanese in my way and I am useless. I could not find a CD section, much to my dismay. They had DVDs (and had DBZ of all things on display) but I have no idea which, if any, have English subtitles.

The highlight of the day for me was the fantastic Meiji Shrine. This old, rich garden sticks out like a sore thumb in Tokyo and provides a stark contrast to the hustle-bustle, store-starts-on-the-fourth-floor modern day city. Walkways underneath many-hundred-year-old trees of all sorts of varieties greet the garden and shrine guests, and it is noticabely more humid within the national treasure. This place has a true canopy and really does have a spiritual aoura to it. In the center is the shrine itself, with trees and a beautiful shrine that was reconstructed after the war. I bowed, clapped my hands (twice), and said a short prayer for the family. The area includes creeks and a lake, as well as a grassy field to the north where Japanese families can go to play catch or, like the main lawn at my alma matter, take a nap. Anyone who says they do not like Tokyo must not have visited the Meiji Shrine.

We then trekked to the Hamarikyu Gardens, which has a very different flavor. This park is more open, and has an impressive flower garden. After the Meiji Shrine I must admit I was underwhelmed...that is, until I arrived at the far end. Those who said I would miss the cherry blossoms were mistaken, because the trees in the park were in full bloom. I already regret not taking my dad's superior digital camera, becuase I am sure I got one or two fantastic pictures of the cherry blossoms. Unlike the blossoms on the east coast of the USA, they grow in clumps. Many of the trees had perfect ball clusters of pink or white flowers, depending on the tree. I am sure I went overboard with photos of the cherry blossoms．Ah well....

After a boat ride back to Asakusa the tour group split up, and I ventured on my own to see some of the area and grab dinner. I had a delicious bowl of Nabeyaki Udon (Udon noodles in a rich broth of egg, chicken and veggies. I got a little lost on the way back to the hotel,　eventually figured things out. (by the way, this keyboard is on the fritz typing Japanese on me).

All in all, prices have been fair so far. Really, 500 mL can of coke for 120 yen and a few bucks each way for public transport is not bad, nor ｉｓ a 700 yen bowl of Nabeyaki Udon or a bento box from AM PM. Yes, there are Seven Elevens here, too.

I get up at an ungodly hour to check out the Tsukiji Fish Market tomorrow. That is where the price of fish is determined, Wall Street style. I think the train leaves at 5 am. (It is 6 50 pm now as I write this). So far so good, jet-lag wise, but going from a day of sitting to a day of standing and walking has been hard on my legs.

I think I will explore this Namco cafe a little more before calling it a night.

Ohaiyo Gozimasu (sp??),

I have a little time to kill before meeting up with the group, so I suppose I will elaborate on my flight on Korean Air. Flying is great, as long as the company isn’t bankrupt. The stewardesses are friendly (and decent-looking), and the food is quite eatable. I had a very decent Bimbim for first lunch, and pot roast with mashed potatoes for second lunch. I could have had a salmon steak for first lunch, but, well, have you ever seen Airplane!?

I must also note the entertainment was rather…interesting. Be sure to listen to Channel 14 for hits like “Hail to the Bus Driver” sung in Korean. Also shown was a low-budget CG cartoon from Korea featuring the a dino/reptile that looked a heck of a lot like Bub from Bubble Bobble. Then there were some Chinese (?) movies which I did not watch.

I also learned I must avoid the two Canadian sisters the rest of this trip…boy do they like to nitpick and nag about the stupidest things like “mIssile” vs “missile.”

Yeah, I'm up. The rooms are small but fine. The place is very clean in general, except for maybe the off-beat shopping areas (which are still fairly clean by US standards). The hotel room's bathroom is very clever, with a rope to hang your towel, heated toilets and a great soap/shampoo/conditioner dispenser. I'm having trouble using my PGC web mail, but I've figured out how to get a more american keyboard layout. Hooray! Today I go to some shrines and gardens. Not much jet lag.