3 CommentsHouston’s connections with Japan run deep. We have Houstonians studying in Japan, Houston-Japan marriages, Houstonian military personnel stationed in or on missions in Japan, and, of course, a whole Japanese-Houstonian community to draw from.
This month, because of the number of responses to our call for stories, we decided to do a little survey of our Japanese travelers and give you a “best of Japan” roundup.
The travelers
Cindy and Jerry Walker and children: Van, 24, Kimber, 17, and Casey, 21. Casey is in her third year at International Christian University in Tokyo and interning with the Afghan embassy there. The family traveled to visit Casey in August 2009.
Caroline Cox, 15, who traveled this summer to Japan with her grandmother, Sue Cox, who is Japanese, and stayed with her aunt and cousin.
Libby Tsubai, whose husband, Kenzo, is Japanese. She has traveled to Japan every other year or so since 1989, but took her most recent trip, last November, with Kenzo and their daughter, Miko.
Laura Wuestner, 20, who is studying at Temple University in Tokyo.
John Bruyere strolls the street market at the Senso-ji temple in the Asakusa district.
Capt. John Bruyere, a C-17 pilot in the Air Force who was assigned to a 5-day mission in Japan last October. He had only one action-packed day of sightseeing in Tokyo.
The Highlights
Walker family: Climbing Mt. Fuji in a day; getting up at 4 a.m. to walk through Tsukiji, the world’s largest fish market, and ending with sushi for breakfast in a closet-sized café; body-surfing at Shimoda on the Izu Peninsula, Irihata beach, where they rented a cottage perched on the mountainside across from the beach.
Caroline: Fuji Kyu, an amusement park in view of Mt. Fuji with three world-record roller coasters; the “awesome” food; “seeing Buddha;” and getting the insider’s view by staying with family.
Laura: “awesome people, high-tech gadgets, crazy fashion and hilarious English errors…Crazy fashion? Try Shibuya or Harajuku. High-end shopping? The Ginza district. The Imperial Palace is here as well, right in the heart of the city.”
Two other spots she recommends: Kaminarimon and the Senso-ji, a huge, ancient Buddhist temple, and Meiji-jingu, one of the most famous Shinto shrines in Japan. The downside is that they are packed with tourists.
Libby: Celebrating the wedding of her niece, Yumi, in Kyoto, “one of the most beautiful places on Earth;” helping to create a sembazuru, 1,000 origami cranes that family and friends folded and strung together; spending the day after the wedding with the bride and groom visiting hidden Kyoto treasures, such as a 300-year-old sweet shop, Kagizen Yoshifusa (near the Gion Shijo train station), where the master confectioner sculpts intricate delicacies out of colored bean paste.
John: Shooting a photo of Mt. Fuji from the cockpit of his C-17; choosing from hundreds of videogames and anime at the multi-level arcades at Akihabara; absorbing the mad rush of crowds in the Shibuya district; visiting the Senso-ji, Tokyo’s oldest temple, and the surrounding street markets.
The Lowlights
Walkers: We skipped a number of the “typical” tourist experiences – touring temples, since we stayed in one; seeing the deer in Kyoto’s park – there are plenty in Texas.
Caroline: Two weeks wasn’t enough time.
Laura: The clubbing district of Tokyo, Roppongi. “Packed with obnoxious strip-club hustlers and clueless foreigners simply looking to score some Japanese chicks…foreigners are actually targeted there for getting date-rape pills slipped in their drinks and waking up on the streets without their wallets.”
John: Tokyo Tower. “The price was as steep to get in as it is tall… by the time I made it to the top my view of the beautiful city was soured by my loss of yen.”
Libby: “For those with limited time I’d recommend skipping Tokyo altogether. If you want to experience the true essence of Japan, concentrate on the Kyoto/Nara area.”
Surprises
Walkers: “The Japanese people are cute (the major businesses have ‘mascots,’ for lack of a better word – some cute animal to help you identify their company); clean (their toilets have as many features as an American upscale carwash – sound, air and sprays of every kind); and quiet (although the trains can get so crowded from 7 to 9 a.m. that men in yellow jumpsuits have bulldozer-like paddles to press the human flesh inward so the doors close. Everyone is silent on the trains – which are as quiet as a Cadillac.)”
Caroline: Architecture, technology and pop culture: “All the building are super skinny and super tall. I was also surprised about how big Michael Jackson is there and how everything is so high tech, even toilets.”
Laura: Friendliness and hospitality: “Can’t find the right train line to transfer to? The station worker will point it out on a map for you, if he doesn’t simply take your arm and walk you there himself.”
John: Ease of navigation on the Tokyo Metro Subway. “I know absolutely no Japanese and neither did the rest of my flight crew, but we managed to travel all day around Tokyo with few issues. “
Libby: “Even after so many trips I’m still amazed by the efficiency. The trains are always on time – you can set your watch by them.”
Where to stay
Most travelers recommended staying at a ryokan —a traditional Japanese-style inn. The Walkers stayed in a ryokan in Kawaguchiko near Mt. Fuji.
The Walker family takes a breather at Station 9, Mt. Fuji. Pictured from left: Jerry, Kimber, Casey, Van and Cindy Walker.
The Tsubais stayed at their preferred ryokan in Kyoto, Ryokan Uemura, a tiny establishment in the old and picturesque “geisha district” of Gion (they stepped out the first morning to find two maiko, apprentice geisha, hanging out in the cobbled alleyway). (Geishas are a select and diminishing group of specially trained performers in traditional dance, music and other fine arts.) The proprietress combs the markets to find special tidbits for their exquisitely prepared breakfasts. Call ahead as there are only three rooms. $70-80 per person, including breakfast. 011-81-75-561-0377
The Walkers also recommended Oike hotel, near Lake Kawaguchiko at the foot of Mt. Fuji; in Tokyo, they stayed at Shunkoin Temple, a Buddhist temple with rooms for rent, and discovered the manager is a graduate of Rice University!
What to eat
The Walkers loved the kaiten sushi. “It is so much fun to watch the various sushis pass by on a conveyor belt at eye level. You take all you want, keeping your various colored plates – then the cashier totals up your plates (different price per color plate).”
Laura notes that some cultural districts are worth trying for authentic food, such as Korean towns Shin-Okubo and Okubo. She warns, however, that after eating real Japanese sushi, nowhere else in the world comes close.
John suggests going beyond sushi. “Most restaurants had photos in their menus of each dish, which made it easier to be adventurous. Also, try the street vendors in the open-air markets.”
Libby recommends finding an okonamiyaki restaurant – “it’s a really unusual dish, sort of a savory Japanese pancake. Also try a bento – a compartmented lunchbox with many tasty tidbits. You can find them everywhere, especially in train stations and convenience stores. In wintertime, oden, a type of fish stew, is especially warming since it is served with fiery hot mustard.”
The budget
Japan is not cheap, but there are things you can do to save money.
Ryokans can be expensive (the Walkers´ was $350, which is not atypical, but was “worth it”), but there are economical ones to be had as well. Laura recommends booking reservations through the English-language website www.japaneseguesthouses.com/index.htm. They list ryokans all over the country, and there’s an entire section for hot springs.
Cindy recommends the Hotel Mets chain, where they got a room in the Musashisaki Mets, a fabulous location, at about $110 per night, and for downtown Tokyo, the Villa Fontaine Shiodome at $160/night, including a big breakfast – “a shocking find, as most downtown hotels are $300 and up.”
Staying at the Buddhist temple was cheap, she added, but they had an outdoor primitive bathroom. Another economy option, is the gaitan, or guesthouse. These shared or individual apartments offer monthly contracts at bargain rates but some offer weekly or even daily rates as well.
Advice
The Walkers: When you plan your trip, beware of holidays, which can be good (great festivals) or bad (travel traffic).
Climbing Mt Fuji: A good website for advice is www.yamasa.org/japan/english/destinations/shizuoka/fuji.html.
Laura: “Be prepared to, one, do a lot of walking (so I’d recommend not coming in summer, because it’s just too hot), two, spend a lot of money (especially since the yen is continually rising in value. Japan is just not a cheap country), and, three, be open-minded. It’s nothing like home.”
Libby: “If you have time to travel north, the Tohoku area is gorgeous – mountains and rushing streams, and, in the winter, bamboo growing in snow! Also the Sanjusangendo temple in Kyoto is amazing – it dates from the 12th century and has 1,001 life-size kannon, ornate religious figures. ”
Editor’s Note: Tracy L. Barnett is a freelance writer based in Houston. She is making a yearlong journey through Latin America. To follow her travels, go to www.tracybarnettonline.com.
