Japan - Photos & Notes

Dad visited Japan in April 2008 and did not put together a trip report. He sent this email to close family. I didn't correct the typos as they were evidence of the trouble he had with strange Japanese keyboards! 

Dear Family,

This will be a very short not.  Internet is very hard
to find here and when you do, one has to cope with
Japanese characters and strange keyboards.  This one
only types uppercase unless the shift key is held
down.

Anyway, I am here in Kyoto but will probably have to
leave tomorrow and go to Osaka as all hotels are full
with people here to view the cherry blossoms.  All is
well but I am looking forward to getting home on the
10th.  Much love to all.

Dad/Merv/Poppy.

Here then are some photos he selected from his visit to Tokyo. And some of his notes from his travel journal, no doubt intended for a travel report that just never got finished and sent out. 

...Kara 

Cherry Blossoms

Sky full of blossoms

at Memorial Park, Hiroshima

From Papa's travel notes:

Many of the most interesting temples and pagodas are on the hillside on the eastern edge of the city. I spent six hours strolling along the back laneways visiting several of the more interesting. Amongst others, Daijingu Temple stands out.  It is jammed with young teenage girls [Daijingu is very popular as a shrine to pray for a good marriage.]

It is clear many of the girls don't hold out much hope that the ritual will work; they giggle the whole time they are in the temple. But they all manage to quickly rub one stone and then casually rub the second as they pass by.

However, some approach their pilgrimage in dead earnest. They studiously and somberly throw their money into the coin box, yank the rope to ring the bell, bow most formally twice, then clap twice, and with eyes closed and upturned face they pray for true love. The look of concentration and focus on their face similar, I am sure, to that of Albert Einstein just before he came up with e=mc².

From The Japan Times, Jan. 25, 2009

A west side love story: Tokyo Daijingu is the place to pray atif you're looking for romance

Official Daijingu Shrine website

Looking for Love

Rubbing the stone for luck in love

And may he be tall and kind and... amen...

Dad notes:

All restaurant food in Japan is shiny. At least that is how it appears in the plastic representations that are shown in every restaurant window in conjunction with their menu. Quite apart from the fact that most foods depicted are unidentifiable to me, other than the fried egg often on top, I do have to say that a less appetizing plate is hard to imagine. Fortunately, the food is usually excellent when it does arrive.

And then there is the real live food at the famous Tsukiji Tokyo Fish Market. Like these gold fish, each weighing at least 2 KG

Giant Gold Fish

 

Japan Rail Bullet Train