October 31, 2023: Hallowe'en Tokyo Style

 

The Imperial Palace: Nobody lives here. 

‘From New Year’s Eve through the third of January, the streets of Tokyo grew quiet, as if all the people had disappeared.’ ― Shogo Oketani

Tokyo is a city with so many idiosyncratic areas (like NY, Chicago, LA ), so many things to see and do, it's hard to pare it down to any single choice. Surprisingly to us , Hallowe'en here is a major adult partying scene as well. We had no intention of getting in the middle of it, but interestingly, the city of Shibuya CANCELLED Hallowe'en and made consuming alcohol illegal for today. Strict Baptist sects would be so proud. 

Apparently, a few evil spirits got out anyway. 

We booked a "tour" with a local (who was actually from Concepcion, Chile) who isn't a scripted tour guide but showed us how to use the subway system and then just walked around with us as an introductory cultural exchange. 

Johan Spielman (proper Chilean name if I ever heard one) points out a large citrus fruit in the East Garden of the Imperial Palace. 

The subway system is expansive and really good. It is a bit complicated because more than one company is involved in transport and you have to get the right one when you buy a ticket or you can get a SUICA card which can be used on nearly all the trains, lots of merchants and even at vending machines (which are pretty ubiquitous.) Unfortunately, everyone seems to be out of Suica cards, so we opted for a DAY PASS which includes all lines within the city.

These take cash or SUICA card. 

This is why we booked a tour guide to "splain" us what the heck is going on in the subway system Fortunately, inquiring minds got the picture and we used it without too much problem yesterday. 

After our introduction to public transportation, we took a nice LONG walk with Johan in our neighborhood. We were struck by how quiet and not overly crowded most of the streets and parks were on a Tuesday.  And how very clean. People are polite, helpful and oppose to creating noise. We didn't hear a word, whisper or a fart. We ambled through the lovely little Hibiya Park and on to the grounds and gardens of the Imperial Palace. 

For over 250 years, Japan was ruled by the Tokugawa shogun during what was known as the Edo Period – Edo being the old name for Tokyo. The current Imperial Palace, known as Kokyo in Japanese, sits on the former site of Edo Castle. However, in 1868, the shogunate was overthrown, and Japan’s capital was moved from Kyoto to Tokyo, with the Imperial Residence moving with it. The palace became the permanent home of the Imperial Family in 1869. It  was destroyed during the Second World War but rebuilt in a similar style afterwards. While you can’t go inside, except on rare special occasions that let you glimpse the interior, the surrounding manicured lawns, topiary trees and meticulously maintained gardens are not only visually enchanting but give a good idea of what being royalty is all about.

The Lovely colors of fall are just beginning here in Tokyo and assuage my guilt of missing their beauty at home.

An heirloom persimmon planted by the Emperor. There is an entire garden of heirloom plants.

One of several water features of the East Garden. 

Lots of trees and bamboo but not many flowers

Bamboo everywhere and REALLY BIG bamboo. Roger Carico would never be able to get this off his property. 

These colorful spiders were literally all over the place but smart enough not to build these intricate nests across the walking paths. We saw them high overhead between trees as well. 

Juxtaposition of the gardens to the modern skyline of Ginza 

This concert hall which is quite small was a gift of the emperor to the empress. 

This is one of three remaining guard shacks leading up to the Palace 

After nearly 7 miles of walking about over these impressive and huge grounds , we called it a day for sightseeing and took the subway (by ourselves!) back to our hotel. 

Iconic Japanese business man sleeping on the subway. There was actually an entire row of them but I didn't want to get caught snapping their photos. 

And it wouldn't be us without ice cream!

Pumpkin and Pistachio

We tried to go in the early evening to Blue Eyes which is a type of "jazz club" that plays records in a basement space (these appear to be popular in Tokyo) but it was closed. So we kept walking to the Shangri-La Hotel on the 28th floor of the Trust Building.  We felt like we were reliving Lost in Translation.  

When it's time to relax, it's "suntory time." If for any reason you have never seen Lost in Translation go do it immediately.

Sake tasting

Flowers for the table

Menu, anyone? Forget the fork...you won't see one. 

Now THAT is a chandelier!

View from the restaurant Nadaman in the Shangri-La Hotel

Paul had waygu beef (grade 4) and I had rockfish. Everything was very tasty. And to top it all off, we took the subway back to the hotel with no errors. I am not sure this luck will hold out but fingers crossed. 

‘For those with restless, curious minds, fascinated by layer upon layer of things, flavours, tastes and customs, which we will never fully be able to understand, Tokyo is deliciously unknowable. I’m sure I could spend the rest of my life there, learn the language, and still die happily ignorant.’ – Anthony Bourdain

Paul's Ponderings:  This was our first full day out in Tokyo and we made the most of it.   It is REALLY clean here in the largest city in the world and also it's mostly REALLY quiet.    Quite the contrast with Manhattan, London, Chicago, etc.    We are in the center of the city and this is among the principal entertainment districts, but it seems fairly orderly.    At times in the parks we walked through it was almost weirdly quiet and deserted.     We finished up the day with another great meal up on the 29th floor of the Shangri-La hotel, which is incredibly ornate with a massive view of urban density.   

Sadly, the "jazz kissa" was closed, perhaps for Halloween.   There are plenty of them around and someone just published a book about them, across Japan in general.   

Here's the general idea if you are interested:   Jazz Kissas

Hopefully we can check some of these out before we leave.   

So far, the weather here is perfect as well, so fingers crossed for more of that tomorrow.   

October 30, 2023: Tokyo Two in Ginza

 

Night time streets and alleys of Ginza

"Money cannot buy happiness. But it can buy you an airline ticket to Japan."  Anonymous

Paul and I lost an entire  day on the way, but arrived in Tokyo right on time. Thank you, Delta. I was born at the US Naval Hospital in Yokohama an undisclosed "while back" and although I have visited Kyoto and Kobe a few years ago, I haven't been back to Tokyo until now. 

 

Happy (jetlagged)  hikers converge on Haneda Airport. Yep, Paul Parris IS smiling!

We "touristed out" and got a car service to meet us in Haneda. We heard taxi rides were $100 but we got this from Tokyo Cheapo for $50 and an extra $10 if you want them to come inside and rescue you. Probably worth the ten bucks! Although they kindly place many English signs, it is still a bit daunting and disorienting the first crack out of the box.  The driver spoke some English and did a great job getting us to the hotel, the Millenium Mitsui Garden near the Imperial Palace in the heart of Ginza.    

   

The hotel is located in Ginza, or "downtown Tokyo."  We heard it was important to be near a major train station on the "circle" that connects most of Tokyo.

We heard the rooms were "crackerbox" size, but this one is a reasonable room without any wasted space and it was no worse price than staying in NYC or San Francisco. Very clean and quiet. NO talking in the elevators. No eating food while walking or standing around.

One standout feature of Tokyo is the toilets. There is a URL on the toilet in case you need help getting our butt wiped (or whatever it is they do in the stall.) 

Looks humble but is actually a rocket ship. 

These are all the settings. The one in our hotel room is even more complicated. This was the public bathroom at the Imperial Hotel. There is even an emergency button... Front wash, back wash, pulsations, pressure settings, toggles to adjust the strength and pressure.  It's a wonder anyone ever leaves the toilet to see the city.  

We arrived late afternoon and felt pretty good but decided to "take it easy" and unpack, etc. until dinner time.  We had dinner at the Imperial Hotel at the Kamon restaurant. A bit like Benihana only definitely more elegant and less shenanigans.  Food porn alert. 

The tappanyaki chef made this beautiful lotus pancake to top our delicious grouper in champagne sauce. 

Assorted grilled veggies

Our chef prepared our meal right in front of us. One very different thing about "fine dining" Japan-style is whereas the US has one waiter for 5-6 tables, the Japanese have 4-5 waitstaff for each table. Paul and I never suffered for water or anything. They did everything but wipe our butt---but they have fancy toilets for that. 

Amuse bouche. Tuna mousse

Kamon is on the top floor of the Imperial Hotel so in addition to getting a nice drink, we could look out on the lights of Tokyo. 

They "bibbed us." Paul says he was channeling his dearly departed friend, Cy Anders.  Since I was here as a baby, I'm used to wearing a bib in Tokyo. 

The Imperial Hotel, by the way, was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright (little did we know when we went there!) We almost didn't make it to dinner because the hotel is pretty massive and finding the elevator is a challenge. Obviously we overcame the obstacle.  The lobby is impressively large. 

Floor arrangement in the lobby.  Flowers are a Japanese specialty. 

Apparently, Frank Lloyd Wright, one of my favorite architects, but not necessarily my favorite human, designed the Imperial Hotel during a "mid-life crisis." During the years from  1905 to 1923, as Wright struggled to maintain relationships with the women in his life, so Japan acted as a refuge, a safe haven to his conflict-drenched life. All told, according to scholar Kathryn Smith, Wright spent a total of four chaotic, chopped-up years in Japan, eventually building the Imperial Hotel, one of his most impressive works.

So, it was a really nice first afternoon/evening back in Tokyo for me and we enjoyed our adventure walking the streets and not being able to read street signs, but it's a good city to get lost in.

“I love Tokyo. If I had to eat only in one city for the rest of my life, Tokyo would be it. Most chefs I know would agree with me.” – Joel Robuchon.

Paul's Ponderings:  Depending on how you travel, it can be a bit of a journey to get to Tokyo -- we went through Atlanta and Los Angeles, then it was about 12 hours from there after a short overnight stay.    For fans of air travel, we tried out the new Delta "Premium Select" seating, which is between Delta Comfort and Delta One (international first class).    I would compare it to a domestic first class seat, but with more amenities.   It worked out pretty well for us.     It was about 45 minutes from Haneda airport into Ginza.    

Our hotel is nicely located about 25 feet from a metro entrance.    We managed to get to the Imperial Hotel with our phone maps and had a great dinner looking out over part of the city.

Some first impressions:  So far, no problems with language, although we aren't doing anything complex here at this point.   The driver spoke almost no English for example, but worked out fine.   Lots of signs are in English, but not all of them, particularly street signs.   There was a LOT less traffic coming into town, but I think it's expensive to own and park a car and public transport is ubiquitous and widespread.   Ginza is a pretty upscale place, but also full of tiny restaurants and stairs that go down to the same and various tiny bars.   Tiny equates to maybe eight seats in a noodle place (which might  have a line to enter) or bar down some steep stairs.   Obviously there are larger places that are upscale and so on.    We haven't tried the metro system yet, but hopeully tomorrow.    

After our dinner and a walk up and down some of the Ginza side streets, we were pretty grateful to get some sleep.    Tokyo is 11 hours plus from eastern US time, so it's pretty noticeable.   Tomorrow it's onward to a sort of tour that's not a tour -- meet up with someone who lives locally and they show you around to whatever you want and answer questions about hanging around Tokyo.   

August 30-September 1: Vienna Redux

 

Exterior of the Royal Apartments and Sisi Museum

To the Gaffers
I wanted people to let me
In peace´ and unscathed,
I'm only certainly
A human born like them.
Bile's almost coming out of me,
When they fix me up like that?
I'd like to creep into a snail shell.
And die of anger.
If I see an opera glass
Treacherously directed at me,
I wanted this this,
And the person is destroyed.

Poetry of The Empress Sisi (Elizabeth of Austria). More about her later, but Princess Diana and Megan Markle might be clones.

The Viking Cruise line has many advantages for travelers, but like so many boat trips, doesn't give you much time in any one place. And seeing Vienna even superficially in a day is impossible, so we decided to go back for a second look after the trip was completed. 

We took the train from Passau which was an easy and enjoyable two and half hour excursion through mostly rural and agricultural land dotted here and there with stations and small villages. 

We arrived in the afternoon to our Airbnb which is a really central location and walkable to most sites of interest to tourists.  It was also a pretty awesome apartment with marble floor and our required long trip summer features: an air-conditioner, wi-fi and a washing machine. Dryer not necessary, but hey! They had one. They even had ice trays which are a rarity in Europe. (I know. Americans. Always fixated on ice, eh?) 

1 Judengasse. Rent here!

We didn't have a lot of time for sightseeing, so we decided to visit three nearby cathedrals, St. Stephan, St. Peter and St Michael. 

This towering Romanesque church, St Stephan,  is first mentioned in documents of 1137AD and consecrated in 1147 AD. It was most likely destroyed in part in a great Viennese fire of 1285 and rebuilt with all the towers, pomp and circumstance by the mid-1700s. In the final days of the Second World War, flying sparks from burning houses in the vicinity caused a fire in the Gothic wooden roof truss. This led to the collapse of a supporting wall of the choir’s roof truss, which penetrated the vaults of the south and middle choir. In addition to most of the bells, the organ, the imperial oratorio, the Gothic choir stalls, and a number of other artworks were destroyed by the flames. On 26 April 1952, the cathedral church was ready to be reopened by Theodor Cardinal Innitzer after St. Stephan had been rebuilt in just seven years with active financial support from the federal states and numerous fundraising campaigns. Rick Steve's travel guide to Vienna devotes an entire chapter to just this church, so obviously, there is more to the story than I have mentioned.   

 

The first of many chapels you'll see upon entering St. Stephen's Cathedral is the Tirna Chapel. Built in 1359, it's the burial place of Prince Eugene, renowned as the conqueror of the Turks. In addition to the 15th-century Crucifix above the altar, the beard of Christ is made of human hair and, according to legend, is still growing.

This is a very large church with many small chapels inside and a massive organ that had 12,000 pipes and was restored in 2020. Concerts are held daily.

From here we migrated a few blocks to the almost equally massive and nearly as fancy St Peter's church.

View of St Peters Church 

Interior of St Peter's Church

The oldest church building (of which nothing remains today) dates back to the Middle Ages, and there is speculation that it could be the oldest church in Vienna.  The church was built on the site of a Roman encampment. This church was replaced with a Romanesque church with a nave and two aisles. It is believed to have been established by Charlamagne around 800, although there is no evidence supporting this view. At the outside of the church, there is a relief sculpture of its consecration to the founding of the church by Charlemagne as the only suggestion he had anything to do with it. In any case, this church is first mentioned in 1137. The old church burned down in 1661 and was given only makeshift repairs. The decision to build a new church was taken up with the arrival of the Fraternity of the Holy Trinity of which the emperor Leopold I was a member. He had taken a vow to rebuild this church when Vienna was ravaged by the plague in 1679–1680. Apparently, he is rumored to have fallen to his knees and vowed to restore it if the city survived the plague. After Covid, I think we can all empathize with his feelings and pleas! The new design was inspired by St Peter's Basilica in Rome. There is gold aplenty in the interior and like many cathedrals of this ilk, there is an overall darkness about the place. Renovations have recently taken place to brighten many of the paintings and statues to their original colorfulness. 

Last church we saw, and again only a stone's throw from the previous one was St. Michael's. This was a small and less ornate church, it is nonetheless, pretty fancy!

A late-comer to the Vienna central city scene, St Michael's was likely built around 1220 AD. The true date and origins appear to be somewhat shrouded in mystery and even forgery! There is some speculation that it was built as late as the 17th century. Who knows? It seems to have had it's problems.  If it was built in 1220, history states it burned down in 1276 and 1327. Then for grins, it was partially destroyed in an earthquake in 1590. Fortunately, it escaped major damage during WWII. The church was however completely closed as a parish for a period in the early 20th century until taken over by the Salvatorian order. To quote the church's website:  "In 750 years, the Church of St. Michael has experienced ups and downs. For more than 90 years, an unstoppable upswing took place under Salvatorian supervision. Father Pancratius Pfeiffer quoted Federal Chancellor Ignaz Seipel in the annals of June 15, 1924, when he visited him in the ministry on Ballhausplatz and they came to talk about the Barnabite objects: 'Look down the street; We have your new St. Michael branch in front of us right now! [...] Take heart, the future belongs to the younger cooperatives!' "

We could have probably visited a few more churches from the 12th and 13th centuries, but Paul planned dinner for us at Heunisch and Erben, a Michelin "bib" restaurant. Food porn alert. It was a highly edible four course tasting menu with Austrian wine pairings!

Sea bass

The restaurant's sign

Paul's Ponderings:   We had a great day out in Vienna after our return.   It's a very walkable and scenic place (no suprise) and we finished up with a great dinner.    The boat trip was nice, but it's great to be back doing our own thing.