We often think of Japan as being bustling metropoli, but in reality, like so many countries, there is a considerable amount of open rural area and plenty of ocean, rivers and lakes.
"In Japanese culture, there is a belief that God is everywhere – in mountains, trees, rocks, even in our sympathy for robots or Hello Kitty toys." Sakamoto
Two years ago, Paul and I came to Japan (my birth country... but on a US Air Force base) to hike a part of the Nakasendo and Kumano Kodo trail and before the trip was over, Paul said, "I wanna come back here." So, here we are, on another journey to Japan following the shoguns (at least in theory.)
Our journey started in Tokyo. It was drizzly, so we elected to go to the National Museum which is actually a collection of museums that could easily take several days to explore. It has special exhibits and numerous collections of Japanese and other Asian Art as well as a small museum with nothing but small statues of Buddha. When we were visiting, there was a special exhibit of Buddhist sculptures and a recreation of Kohfukuji Temple Round Hall. I am not familiar with these places, but they date back to 1212 AD and are not open to the public (and consequently, no photos allowed.)
Kimono from National Museum. These clothing items are ubiquitous in various museums and intricately woven and/or embroidered.
The Wisdom King Aizen: His rituals were meant to transform lust to wisdome. (Good luck with that!)
This is a representation of the Four Deva Kings. This statue was probably 10 feet tall. The ones in the special exhibit were considerably larger than life.
This might be a good place to write very briefly about religion in Japan, as many of the sites---shrines, temples and, in this particular journey, "secret Christians" make up many highly coveted tourist destinations. Shinto and Buddhism are Japan's two major religions. Shinto is as old as the Japanese culture, while Buddhism was imported from the mainland in the 6th century. Since then, the two religions have been co-existing relatively harmoniously and have even complemented each other to a certain degree. In fact, in many locations, particularly in big cities, a Shinto shrine and Buddhist temple will be located on the same site with "parishoners" visiting them both. But this wasn't always the practice. With the Meiji restoration in 1868 and its accompanying centralization of imperial power and modernization of the state, Shinto was made the state religion. An order of elimination of mutual influence of Shinto and Buddhism was also enacted, followed by a movement to eliminate Buddhism from Japan. This effort was pretty obviously, at least over time, a failure and these sites co-exist frequently to this day. Additionally, in 2019, there were 1.9 million Christians in Japan, most of them living in the western part of Japan, where missionaries' activities were greatest during the 16th century and were brought in by the Portuguese led by Jesuits. Father Francis Xavier will come into play again during our visit, as well as the persecution of Christian martyrs, secret churches and the banning of Christianity for about 200 years.
A typical Buddhist temple guarded by a lion. Many of these are impressively old and well preserved.
You almost can't "swing a cat" (no offense to cat lovers which includes me) without hitting a Shinto shrine. These are nearly always marked by a torii gate---usually red, but sometimes orange or white--- marking the entrance. It is considered respectful to bow before entering and approach only from the extreme right or left, leaving the space in the middle for entry of the gods. The Shinto gods are numerous but also include ancestors watching that may have died nearby or the shrine is a memorial to a certain group. Modern Shinto is not opposed to borrowing gods from other religions such as Hindu or even Christianity.
This tree has a fence around it and a rope at the bottom and is believed to contain an "entity" which should not be disturbed by us mere mortals. The entity could be good or bad.
This is a Zen garden in a Buddist temple in Kyoto first constructed in the 9th century. It was a training ground for monks and still is. Most everything in Japan from long ago has been reconstructed many times over as wood is a grand fire hazard and, in some areas, the devastating effects of war and bombing have eliminated these sites completely. However, The Henry L Stimson, US Secretary of War during WWII ordered not to bomb Kyoto . He had the city removed from the list of targets for both conventional bombing and the atomic bomb due to its cultural and historical significance to Japan.
The Golden Temple in Kyoto. There is also the Silver Temple which we visited last trip. (Kyoto has 1600 temples--more than any other city in Japan-- and 700 Shinto shrines.)
Fushimi- Inari temple in Kyoto. Inari is the Shinto god of rice, saki and prosperity. There are 10,000 gates in this shrine donated by individuals and businesses with 800 of them in a row. The saki making district of Kyoto is also in this area south of the city.
A Buddhist grave we visited in the tea growing region of Nagaski prefecture. Apparently, this person either liked green tea or grew it.
This is a beach in Kyushu countryside where Christian martyrs were shot in the head in the 1800s. Their graves are nearby in a park.
And in the very Japanese mixing of religions, this is the Shinto shrine built on the beach to honor the Christians who were shot.
This is a Catholic church near the beach. In Nagaski prefecture, one of the earliest areas influenced by European ships and traders, Catholic churches are a frequent sight.
You really can't visit Japan without seeing how immersed people are in spiritual sites. That said, in general, most Japanese do not consider themselves particularly religious. Our guide, Doni-san, said most Shinto will go to temple if they want to pray for something in particular (you can get an amulet for a job, education, safe travel, easy delivery of a baby or even to buy a car) or on New Year's Day (which seems to be equivalent to the casually religious in the US attending at Easter and Christmas.)
Pardon any disorganization of thought here, but back to other interesting sites in Tokyo before we trek further into Japan and some of its many offerings! Someone we met who moved to Tokyo from Peru said, "Tokyo is a great city to get lost in." And we agree. We spent plenty of time just walking to attractions or along rivers to see what we could discover. The subway system is very surmountable and will get you anywhere in Tokyo and beyond. We recommend getting the SUICA (IC) card which works on both subway lines (and many other places in Japan) with just a swipe (and eliminates trying to figure out which of the subway lines you are riding. Different lines issue separate tickets that can't be used on other lines.) or the Tokyo Day Pass (about $7) which allows use of subways and buses for 24 hours.
The Skytree in Asakusa which is the area of Tokyo we stayed in and recommend to others.
We visited the Kanto Museum which tells the very tragic story of the Tokyo earthquake of 1923 which killed about 142,000 people---some by earthquake and others in fires. People were often trapped in place with their very flammable household goods. Most homes were wood.
The temple constructed to honor the dead of the earthquake.
More examples of the destruction. There was also low supply of food and shelter thereafter.
This temple holds the cremains of over 100,000 earthquake victims.
Waterfront of Asakusa.
American tourists in Hamarikyu Garden, Tokyo
Wildflowers at Hamarikyu
One of Paul's favorite spots in Taito City is this little jazz kissa called SUBTONE which seats exactly six people. The owner plays jazz vinyl and CDs and serves soft drinks, tea, coffee, beer, cocktails and has a big whiskey collection. He shaves his own ice cubes into octagons. It's fun to watch. In addition, he sells pipe tobacco., so be aware there is smoking although the door remains open.
The inside of Subtone jazz kissa which has just 6 seats.
From Tokyo, we travelled southwest to Hakone and Lake Ashi which was designed to let us get a glimpse of Mt. Fuji. Unfortunately, Mt. Fuji was hiding in the clouds, but it is still an interesting area.
Had to take this photo for signs you won't see at home series.
The view on Lake Ashi cruise. No chance of seeing Fuji today
The lake is cruised by "pirate ships." The one we rode on was Queen Ashinoko.
There are several of these cruising the lake at any given time. The cruises last about an hour.
Either coming/going or both, you can use the skyride. It was a cloudy day, so views were blurry, but it was still fun.
There is a lot of volcanic activity in the Hakone area and still there are fumaroles steaming up from the ground as well as natural hot springs which attract local and foreign tourists. One kitchy thing to do there is get a BLACK egg---Paul has one in his hand. The inside is like any boiled egg (and is very tasty!), but externally the shell turns solid black.
Active fumaroles.
We stayed that night at a very local ryokan with an indoor and outdoor onsen and tatami mats and futons and it was comfortable.
This small guest house with just a few rooms has welcomed folks from about 100 nations.
Outdoor onsen
Sleeping on the floor but all good. Getting up from the floor in the middle of the night however, reminds me of my age!
Our travel group of 9 Brits, 1 Belgian and 1 Japofilpino in the ryokan. Our next stop was Kyoto by bullet train. While riding the bullet train is a bucket list item for many people, it's not obvious how fast you are going while riding it, but if another bullet train PASSES you...
Yep, it's fast.
Kyoto is Japan's former imperial capital and its spiritual and cultural heart, renowned for its temples, shrines, gardens, and preserved traditional districts. With a rich history spanning over a thousand years, it is a top destination for tourists seeking a glimpse of traditional Japan. Today, Kyoto is a bustling modern city with a population of 1.46 million. While preserving its heritage, it also has a thriving contemporary side, featuring excellent restaurants, shopping, and cafes. The video game company Nintendo is also headquartered here. We had a few nice cultural experiences here with our travel group and also on our own.
One very interesting and unique thing we did was meet with a Maiko. These are (very) young women who aspire (sometimes) to become a geisha (or geiko in Kyoto) and are actually taken into a "stable" of sorts by a mama-san and professional geikos to train them in mannerisms, dancing, language and appearances. Many maikos (usually age 15-20) will elect to become geishas but many will go on to college or careers. They are in school numerous hours daily to learn the skills of a maiko in addition to usual studies. They are not allowed to date, have a cell phone or have much contact with family or friends. This young lady performed dances for us and also answered (endless) questions from our group and gave us her "calling card." She was 19 years old but left her family at age 15. She cited learning the correct mannerisms as the hardest part of being an apprentice geisha and meeting famous people as her favorite part of it. A maiko who becomes a geisha can become very wealthy if supported by the "right patron." The makeup and components of a maiko costume give her audience an idea about where she is the process of becoming a geisha. The back drape gets shorter as they advance training and they are allowed to wear full-lipped lipstick when advanced. Tea houses hire these ladies independently and also contract out their food. Teahouse is just the meeting place that doesn't actually have an assigned geisha or cook food, etc. In recent months, geishas/geikos come to the places of employment by taxi instead of walking due to unwanted actions of tourists.
In addition to endless shrines and temples, Kyoto has a vibrant art scene. We went to KYOCERA, one of numerous art museum choices.
KYOCERA featured the 50th anniversary of HELLO KITTY, essentially an advertising campaign that became an ICON.
Hello Kitty pervades Japanese culture with young girls remembering Kitty always being with them throughout their lives from consumable items to fashion. We also visited the Kyoto Photography Museum which was tiny but enjoyable.
Not big, but nice. They even gave us free tea.
We visited the saki brewing section of Kyoto where a WEALTH of sake was offered. I am not sure how anyone did more than a micro-sip of the 30 sakes offered in three different brewery sites and still walk back from whence they came.
Sake production has a lot in common with producing Tennessee whiskey and bourbon. It has a dual fermentation process involving yeast and a special "fungus" that is sprinkled over the rice. It requires quite a bit of water and Kyoto is located over a very large aquifer. That said, Kyoto is NOT the center of sake production in Japan. That honor belongs to Saijo.
Random photo in Kyoto.
Kyoto is FULL of many options---something for everyone, I suppose !
Our next stop: HIROSHIMA.
I was interested in seeing this city predominantly due to military action there in 1945.
Paul hanging out in front of the NO LOITERING sign in Hiroshima.
Young women in the arcade in Hiroshima. Huge, covered shopping arcades are ubiquitous in larger cities.
Lunch prep Hiroshima Style.
The only surviving building in the strike zone of the Hiroshima atomic bombing---the A bomb dome. In the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. a gigantic mushroom cloud rose above Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945, after a U.S. aircraft (Enola Gay) dropped an atomic bomb on the city, immediately killing more than 70,000 people, including many innocent children, women and workmen near the targeted bridge on the river.
The atomic bomb museum campus is located adjacent to the Peace Park. This museum requires a strong stomach as they aren't in the mood to hide the images. The people in Hiroshima are committed to peace between nations and to stopping atomic proliferation and any future action against anyone or anything. Definitely worth your time. There were legitimate reasons the bomb was considered but the price for civilians on site were very high and absolutely horrific. Stories about the effects both short and long term were heartbreaking and frequent.
Pictured above is the memorial in the Peace Park. The concrete mimics an ancient Japanese saddle. Flowers are left regularly. The A bomb dome is seen through the saddle. There is an eternal flame but it is not visible in the photo.
Long range view of the memorial site, peace park and A bomb dome in Hiroshima.
And in case Hiroshima wasn't depressing enough---next stop NAGASAKI city and prefecture.
Another jazz kissa in Nagasaki. This is the approach to the kissa below. PS Don't drink too much. The stairs are as steep as they appear.
Oura Cathedral. Nagasaki was the closest port to Shanghai and also a relay station for trade between European countries--predominantly Portugal, Holland and England--- and the Far East. The Portuguese brought Catholicism to Nagasaki early on and it flourished for a long time and still has the largest Christian influence in Japan.
Random witch flying about in Nagaski.
The biggest attraction to Paul and I was the Atomic Museum, but the Glover Garden, an isolated domestic community in Nagaski for British merchants, was quite lovely and worth a visit. These wealthy British merchants had homes and were isolated above the Nagaski harbor.
More examples of the gardens.
A good view of the port and shipyards of Nagasaki from the gardens.
View of Nagaski city.
Suspension bridge in Nagasaki
Local Nagasaki drumming group.
I am not exactly sure what this is, but...
Dejima---a manmade island in Nagaski meant to separate European traders from local citizens.
A fascinating portion of Nagasaki is Dejima---After the introduction of guns at Tanegashima in 1543 by the Portuguese and the beginning of Christian conversion efforts in 1549, the leaders of various domains began to invite Portuguese ships for the purpose of trade. During the Age of Exploration, the Portuguese ships used Goa (India) as a base, traded in Southeast Asian venues such as Malacca, Macao and Nagasaki, and returned to Goa after about three years. Products such as raw silk, silk and cotton fabrics, ivory, coral and sugar were imported into Japan by the Portuguese. The exports from Japan consisted mainly of copper, silver, iron, folding screens, swords and sundry goods. To prevent the spread of Christianity and various other Western influences, years later, the Tokugawa Shogunate built an off-shore island called Dejima to intern Portuguese residents living freely in Nagasaki. The island was completed in 1636 through the investment of 25 leading Nagasaki merchants. Dejima was also called "Tsukishima" (erected island) because it was built by reclaiming land from the harbor, as well as "Ogishima" (fan island) because its distinctive shape. The proposal to build the island, the craftsmen who designed and supervised the construction work, and the civil engineering techniques they implemented remain a mystery to this day.In 1600, the Dutch ship De Liefde drifted ashore at Bungo (present-day Oita Prefecture), marking the beginning of exchange between Japan and the Netherlands. The pilot, an English sailor named William Adams, was enlisted by Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasuto serve as a diplomatic adviser. Alerted by Adams, the Dutch East India Company dispatched two trading ships to Japan in 1609 and opened a factory(trading post) in Hirado under official permission. The English East India Company also opened a factory in Hirado, and fierce competition arose among the Portuguese, Dutch, English, Chinese and even Japanese, who operated a fleet of “red-seal ships.”Increasingly wary of Christianity after the Shimabara Rebellion of 1637, the Shogunate expelled the Portuguese from Japan in 1639. The Dutch, who had demonstrated loyalty to the Shogunate by bombarding Hara Castle during the rebellion, eventually won a monopoly on the trade with Japan.In 1639, the Portuguese were banished from Dejima, leaving the island unoccupied. Two years later, however, the Dutch East India Company moved its factory from Hirado to Dejima, and for the following 218 years the island played an important role in the modernization of Japan as the country’s only open window to Europe despite the shogunate's attempts to prevent the populace from being exposed to European traditions and goods. This really is a fascinating "re-created" city in the original location and there are numerous informative exhibits throughout Dejima.
Paul and I next stopped at the Nagaski Atomic Bomb Museum. This clock shows the time the Nagaski took place: August 9, 1945 at 11:02 AM dropped by the aircraft Bockscar.
The Target Committee appointed by President Harry Truman to decide which Japanese cities would receive the Little Boy (Hiroshima) and Fat Man (Nagasaki) atomic bombings did not place Nagasaki among their top two choices. Instead they identified Kokura as the second target after Hiroshima. In Kokura, a city of 130,000 people on the island of Kyushu, the Japanese operated one of their biggest ordnance factories, manufacturing among other things chemical weapons. The Americans knew all this, but strangely had not targeted the city yet in their conventional bombing campaign. That was one of the reasons the Target Committee thought it would be a good option after Hiroshima. The third choice, Nagasaki was a port city located about 100 miles from Kokura. It was larger, with an approximate population of 263,000 people, and some major military facilities, including two Mitsubishi military factories. Nagasaki also was an important port city. Like Kokura and Hiroshima, it had not suffered much thus far from American conventional bombing. After the bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, workers on Tinian island labored intensely to put the finishing touches on the Fat Man bomb and prepare it for use. This was a plutonium implosion device of far greater complexity than the Little Boy bomb used at Hiroshima, which used uranium-235 in a fairly conventional explosive mechanism. The scientists and ordnance experts at Los Alamos had agonized for years over how to use plutonium in an atomic weapon, and Fat Man was the result. The decision to use Fat Man just days after the explosion of Little Boy at Hiroshima was based on two calculations: the always-changeable Japanese weather—the appearance of a typhoon or other major weather event could force deployment to be postponed for weeks—and the belief that two bombings following in quick succession would convince the Japanese that the Americans had plenty of atomic devices and were ready to keep using them until Japan finally surrendered. Reports of approaching bad weather convinced the Americans to drop the next bomb on August 9. But weather did end up playing a big role as Bockscar's crew could not spot the target at Kokura and flew toward Nagasaki instead with fuel waning.
Bottles melted together during the Nagasaki attack.
This museum had a more organized approach to explaining what the city of Nagasaki was like before, during and after the bombing. Emphasis on photographs of human carnage was less, but they had excellent personal histories to demonstrate how devastating this bomb was to the local civilian population, not only at ground zero, but a large segment of the populace for days, weeks, months and years later. Everything within a mile of ground zero was annihilated. Fourteen thousand homes burst into flames. People close to the blast were vaporized; those unlucky enough to be just outside that radius received horrific burns and, there and further out, radiation poisoning that would eventually kill them. Although estimates vary, perhaps 40,000 people were killed by the initial detonation. By the beginning of 1946, 30,000 more people were dead. And within the next five years, well over 100,000 deaths were directly attributable to the bombing of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945.
This monument marks the site above which Fat Man exploded above Nagasaki.
The cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are at the forefront of speaking out against nuclear weapons. Here is quote from a survivor:
"Let us pool our wisdom and try to build a world with no wars and no nuclear weapons, so that nobody is ever exposed to these weapons again. In order to achieve this, it is my heartfelt hope that the atomic-bombed city of Nagasaki sends out a message to people everywhere that human being and nuclear weapons cannot exist together."
A visit to these two cities, regardless of your opinion about whether or not the US should have utilized the atomic bomb, is sobering.
That night, it was pretty rainy in Nagasaki and Paul and I wandered about getting wet looking for a place to eat on a Sunday night when many restaurants were either (1) closed or (2) so small they were not able to accommodate. I mention this, because be warned that restaurants in Japan are often tiny and require waiting, luck or (if they take them) reservations.
We found this narrow six seat Italian restaurant run by a single person who cooked, washed dishes, cleaned up and served as sommelier.
If you are in Nagasaki and see Sazio, climb the narrow stairs and have a nice meal.
Our next destination was Hirado Island which is in Nagasaki Prefecture by quite a way from Nagasaki city. This allowed us to travel throughout the Japanese country
side and witness that it is NOT all big metropoli or urban.
Bento box lunch at a tea farm
We had a very nice tea tasting of white, green and black teas with this young tea farmer who loves his work and was extremely informative about growing, processing and brewing tea.
Paul and two fellow travellers enjoying "cha."
The tea was really good and I think these tea leaves read, "You are going to keep having a good time in Japan!"
Panoramic view of the tea plantation with Omura Bay in the background.
Paul waiting on the train tracks which follow the waters of Omura Bay for a distance.
A stop just before Hirado Island in a park so we could look at the bridge on the far right which is based on a similar to the Golden Gate.
Paul decided to do the rope climb in the park. No children were injured or displaced.
The view out to sea from the park with ship headed out to sea.
Some of us might have also gotten on a slide.
A better gander at the bridge connecting Hirado Island.
The history books will tell you that Hirado, Japan is where Japanese and Western culture first met. It’s on these shores where the first trading sites between Japan and the Western World were born. While the literature can certainly paint a picture of what this groundbreaking, collaborative period may have looked like, there’s no better way to learn about Hirado than to see it for yourself.
Men on the Hirado Castle Grounds making rope for the shrine.
They are making this by hand twice a year for decorative purposes.
A view out to the bay. There is still a very brisk fishing industry in place and it is reflected on your dining plates as well!
Hirado Castle stands proudly, overlooking the Hirado Strait and Hirado Port. Its position high on a hilltop was no mistake, either. The original fortress was the brainchild of Matsura Shigenobu and was constructed in 1599 to guard the important trade routes in the area. Over the years, the historic castle has been the subject of numerous restorations to preserve its integrity and architectural appeal, the most recent of which was a rebuild in the 1960s. Samurai and shoguns came here for prayer before battles. Travelers keen on history can journey up stone steps and past stone walls to the hilltop marvel where a collection of artifacts ranging from armor and swords to Matsura clan family heirlooms are on display across the main tower's five floors. There’s also an interactive calligraphy experience and educational exhibits throughout the castle where you can learn about Japanese samurai culture. Its prime position on the hilltop once served as a means to monitor the waterways below.
Dinner at the ryokan in Hirado---the pink plate is all sashimi.
Hirado Island is full of beautiful views and very rural. In addition to fishing, there is rice industry.
Hirado lighthouse is pretty utiliatarian in appearance and function but it is in a very pretty place.
A view out toward South Korea (too distant to see it!)
Hirado Island may have the only store in the world that features fruit/vegetables, ladies fashion and ship fittings under the same roof.
Panels inside the museums
Artwork on shells
The gang eating dinner at the ryokan in Japanese dress.
There is a museum on Hirado for the "secret Christians." Christianity was banned in Japan in 1614 under the Tokugawa shogunate, leading to intense persecution and the driving of the faith underground for over 250 years. While early bans occurred in 1587 and 1612, the 1614 edict was a nationwide and strictly enforced prohibition. The Christians, Roman Catholic due to the influence of missionary, Father Francis Xavier, were thus cut off from the Catholic Church for many years and practiced their own form of the faith. Those who were discovered were frequently killed. This photo depicts a worship area and group still practicing.
The Japanese version of the Virgin Mary.
The downstair of this museum is a whaling museum. I couldn't understand the Japanese enough to know what this paper mache man represents.
Cetacean skeleton in the museum. Japanese ceased whaling in 1988 but resumed in their own waters in 2019. This museum sold whale meat in cans.
On our last day, we took a cruise on the Bay of 99 islands. They culture pearls here and there is a vibrant fishing industry. There are actually over 200 islands, but numbers like 99 and 1000 in Japanese generally mean innumerable, we lost count, or we aren't gonna count. Some of the islands are inhabited.
Once again, they seem fascinated with putting tourists on pirate ships...but we were on a pontoon boat.
There is really so much that I left out about visiting Japan (such as the food and many other great deatils about sites to visit), but I would encourage anyone with the means/motivation to go there. People are friendly and helpful and most signs are also in English in train stations and other transport areas. Just do it!
"Every corner of Japan is a postcard waiting to be discovered."
Paul's Ponderings: This blog post does a great job of covering a lot of territory (no pun intended) about our visit (which is still not over -- Okinawa is next). We've had a great time seeing some areas that are rural, which refutes the baked in belief that a lot of folks have that Japan is one big urban megalopolis with neon and hordes of people. Or maybe it's me that has that belief! The island area was particularly beautiful and rural. There are a lot of areas here that remind me of eastern TN, with mountains, clouds, and bodies of water. The transport system is pheonomenal and we used taxis quite a bit on our own in the urban areas and they were plentiful and affordable. I can't say enough about how friendly everyone seems to be here and it's quite a safe country as well. While we are not done yet, we are already planning a return in a couple of years to go north to Hokkaido, Sapporo, etc (but not in winter!). One other thing we've seen repeatedly is these wonderful super-small restaurants in the bigger cities. It makes for a really great experience. The language barrier can seem like a big deal, but we've had no real problem, thanks to periodic use of Google translate and, now, Google Lens. Looking forward now to continung on from Fukuoka to Naha, Okinawa.
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