I Didn't Forget About Blogging!

No, I didn't forget about blogging. :)  It has been a while since my last post, I suppose that means winter here has been quite uneventful.  Hardly, but not too many new Japanese experiences to write about.  Kenny and I were both away from Japan for about a month over the holidays and before and after that time we were vacationing to New Zealand and Saipan. I decided not to blog about our vacations outside the country, as I want the blog to chronicle our experiences living in Japan and not necessarily the excursions we take away from it.  

We were lucky (? unlucky) enough to be part of Japanese weather history, as the worst winter storm systems in 45 years came through our area during the past month.  The storms were 1 week apart, the first dropping about 22cm (8.5in) of pure snow and the second dropping about 27cm (10.5in) of snow and ice.  Normally, I would laugh at these snow totals, being from the Midwest and all, but any significant accumulation here has dire effects. Our area (and most others nearby) does not own any snow removal machines (plows, trucks, etc.) and there are no salt trucks either.  Therefore, the entire infrastructure that holds this country together is on complete hold.  Trains stop, entire roads close and if you want/need to leave your house by car - you better be willing to shovel your street and any others you want to pass through.  The good news is that temperatures didn't stay below 0 degrees C for very long and significant melting started the next day.  However, in areas that did not warm as well - even a week following the snow storm, roads/trains/attractions in certain areas remained closed.  Unfortunately, this included the area we had a weekend trip planned to - the Mt. Fuji/Five Lakes/Hakone region.   Bummer, but we made the most of it by making a day trip to Tokyo as described in the rest of this blog post.  Here are some pictures of the snow storm.

In the process of shoveling our street.

Our trip to Tokyo this weekend took us to Asakusa - one of Tokyo's districts known for its old-Japan atmosphere and the most traditional Japanese neighborhoods in Tokyo.  We got there by way of boat - along the Sumida River.  The Sumida River cuts through Tokyo on it's way into Tokyo Bay.  The boat tour left from Hama Detached Palace Garden - another one of the many Japanese gardens that are surrounded by a growing business and industrial metropolis, allowing us to escape this busy atmosphere into a tranquil, quiet place.  Not too much is blooming this time of year, but one picture taken that highlights again the juxtaposition of the old with the new. 

In the background is Tokyo Tower - at 333 meters, it is the second largest structure in Japan, and has the cities highest viewpoint potential.
The garden itself was first cultivated back in 1654 and was the family garden of the Tokugawa Shogun.  Most of the 62 acres were used for duck hunting.  After the Shogun eras, the garden became a retreat for the Imperial Family.  Ulysses S. Grant stayed in a villa in these gardens in 1879 while visiting Emperor Mejii.  He was the first American president to visit Japan.   The water for the pond is saltwater - the only seawater pond in Tokyo. 
The garden was given to the city of Tokyo by the Imperial Family in 1945. 
From the garden, you can board river taxis that will take you a variety of places in Tokyo up and down the Sumida River.  Below are some pictures from the river boat.

Asahi Brewery - with a "Hop" on top of the building

Rainbow Bridge

Tsukiji Fish Market from the water

We docked in Asakusa and made our way to the most visited site in Asakusa - the Senso-ji Temple.  This Buddhist temple originated back in 628 A.D., after 2 fisherman retrieved a small gold statue of the Buddhist goddess of mercy (Kannon) out of the Sumida River.  A shrine was erected in honor to Kannon and the area/temple space grew into what it is now.  Like most Japanese historic sites however, it did not survive WWII bombings and was re-built following the war.  The popularity of this shrine stems in part from its history - it is the oldest Buddhist temple that ordinary people could visit and is also the oldest temple site in all of Tokyo. 
The first entrance gate to the temple is the Kaminarimon Gate - or the Thunder Gate.  It has a large red lantern with the symbols for "thunder" written upon it, and situated to either side of the lantern are large statues depicting Fujin - God of wind, and Raijin - God of thunder. 

Just through the thunder gate is the Nakamise-Dori.  This is a street leading up to the main shrine that is crowded with shops of all kinds - from sweets to local specialties such as obi sashes, haircombs, fans, dolls and kimonos.  

The Hozo-mon Gate is the final gate leading into the temple grounds.  The second floor of this large gate houses treasures going back to the 14th century.

Inside the temple grounds, as usual, there are numerous artifacts around that hold particular significance to the Buddhist religion.   Statues of Buddha's seem to be the most common, with each particular statue supposed to bring worshipers something different.

Bronze Buddha Statue - believed to cure ailments when you rub the part that troubles you.  

Buddha on the left brings wisdom Buddha on right brings mercy.

Also with any Buddhist temple, there is an incense burner before heading up the main hall.  Incense plays a large role in ceremonies and rites of many East Asian religions.  Incense is said to purify the surroundings, as well as protect you and give you good health when the smoke is wafted over you.

The main hall (which houses the original statue of Kannon which the temple was built for):

Buddhist monk heading into the temple

The actual worship area of temples are usually very ornate, with lots of gold-plating and large, elaborate paintings on the ceilings.

An interesting fact regarding religion in Japan is that 80% of the population do not profess a single religious membership or personal religion. This is because most Japanese are affiliated with both Buddhism and Shintoism, as neither religion demands exclusivity.  They tend to view religion as a means of attaining and renewing a higher state of being, and thus are hesitant to confine themselves into a fixed religion.  Most Japanese houses have both a Buddhist alter and a Shinto shrine.  It is also interesting which life events tend to be celebrated by which religion - 80% get married in a Shinto ceremony and 90% have Buddhist services for a funeral.  

Also a popular attraction in Asakusa is Kappabashi Dougugai-Dori - a street known as Kitchenware Town.  This street is one shop after the other selling all sorts of kitchen gadgets, serving-ware, ceramic dishes, restaurant supplies, etc.  It is like the kitchen section of Bed Bath and Beyond but on steroids and all crammed into tiny open-air shops.  I finally found a Japanese ceramic teapot and cups that I have been searching for since arriving here.   :)

The other thing to shop for/admire on Kappabashi is the plastic food displays.  Restaurants commonly have these set out of shop windows to display what is on their menu.  They are incredibly life-like and until this weekend, I had no idea how expensive these items were!  One fake lobster was $500!  Nuts, anyway like most artisan shops, many don't allow pictures, so here is all I got. :)

From fake food to real food - my favorite part of any adventure outside our house is the delicious food and snacks to be found everywhere!  For lunch in Asakusa, we ate at a udon noodle house, and I had the fried fish cake and udon noodle dish.

The fish cake is called Kamaboko - a type of cured fish, in which white fish is pureed and then formed into loaves, which are cut and used in a variety of ways.  These were fried and then added to the soup.  They had a very gummy consistency, interesting, but good.

We also had fried manju - red bean cakes, that are coated with flavored batter and then lightly fried.  We tried the green tea and cherry flavored ones.  Kenny still doesn't like the bean paste filling, but I have grown to enjoy it. :)

And then, it was my birthday!  To celebrate, we went to a restaurant with the English name of Pizza and Pancakes.  I have no idea what it is actually called, but aptly named in English, it serves pizza and pancakes.  Two foods that are not commonly served in Japan.  The brunching craze has not made its way here yet apparently. :)  The pizzas are wood-fired and so did not satisfy my Domino's craving, but still good pizza. 

Since our oven does not bake well, no cake for me, but instead we enjoyed puddings from Marlowe's.  Marlowe Pudding has been ranked the producer of the #1 pudding in Japan.  It is delicious and made from all in-country ingredients without additives or gelatin.  This time we got Hokkaido cream flavor and Chocolate-Champagne flavor.  Delicious! :)

Until next time!  Hopefully it won't be another 3 months! ;)