Jared Visits the Imperial Palace

The current imperial palace is located on the same plot of land that the Edo Castle inhabited during the 1600's. In 1868, the capital of Japan was moved from Kyoto to Tokyo and the Palace was completed in 1888. This palace complex was destroyed during World War II and rebuilt in the same style. They Imperial palace is the residency of Japan's Imperial family. Visitors cannot enter the palace buildings or the inner gardens but the surrounding gardens are quite a spectacle. The Japanese view of naturals beauty is something to be commented on. Every blade of grass is trimmed uniformly with great precision. The trees are trimmed to exacting specifications with almost a Seussian quality to them. It is so different than the traditional American "rugged is best" look and offers a glimpse into a culture where beauty is in the skillfulness of the craftsman. Plus, those koi in the pond are as big as my arm.

One of the many intriguing things in the outer gardens of the palace was the statue of Kusunoki Masashige. I was curious about his legacy and why his statue was featured so prominently in the gardens. Further research concludes that Masashige is the epitome of Samurai loyalty. To make a long story short, Masahige was a brilliant tactician that willingly obeyed his Emperor, Go-daigo, and led himself and his armies to certain death due to the emperor's decision. It was interesting that he became sort of a patron saint for Kamikaze Pilots in WWII. His last words during his ritual suicide were reportedly, "Shichisei Hōkoku!" which translates to "Would that I had seven lives to give for my country!"

The most intimidating aspect of the palace were the walls. Constructed of stone, these huge walls ring around the entire complex and end in a deep moat. The construction is incredible and the pictures offer hardly any depth to the austerity and impressiveness they exude when you are there in person.

Kamakura

I had my first excursion out of Tokyo. It was quite menacing, actually. It is a 67 minute train ride south from our train station to the Kamakura station. It took me a few tries trying to locate the correct train and I almost got one the wrong train not once, but three times. Thankfully, I managed to find the train that would take me where I needed to go. Phew. It was a long train ride, so I gave myself permission to fall asleep. This was a big step for me since my first few nights here after riding the trains, I had nightmares about falling asleep, missing stops and the like. It was kind of strange to see some countryside after being pent up in the city for a few weeks. When I arrived at Kamakura, I got my bearings by copying a map down in my handy dandy, NOTEBOOK! (My usual procedure when I’m in a new place.) The main attraction in Kamakura is the great Daibutsu. The humongo green Buddha statue that graces the cover of a lot of travel books. The first version of this great Buddha was completed in 1243 but then destroyed by a storm in 1247. In 1252, the statue was rebuilt by the same people who built the first one, Lady Inada and the Priest Joko. All of the funding for this project was raised by Joko and came from devotees. No governmental money or official financial aid was used in the building of this statue. The statue is about 12 meters tall and 12 meters deep. My favorite part of the Buddha was his hands. They were very serene and dignified. Pictures don’t do it justice.

Ameyoko & Ueno

During WWII, Ameyoko was the site of a black market. Now, Ameyoko (candy store alley) is a an eclectic collection of shops underneath a section of JR train tracks. Ameyoko still seems a teeny bit shady due to it’s location, past history and the amazing bargains that are available; exactly what I was looking for. It was a rich experience and there were things to see everywhere. There were all sorts of clothing and accessory stores that had everything from suits to pre-torn jeans. I was also amused by the collection of fish vendors. In the pictures below, those red things are exactly what you think they are. Some things looked appetizing, some things bearable and others I had no desire to be under the same tent with.

There was a light sprinkle when I arrived at the market but as soon as it started to drizzle, it seemed as if everyone in the vicinity had an umbrella except me. *Pop* *Pop* *Pop* Umbrellas of all shapes, sizes and colors appeared out of nowhere. I was the only bare head in a forest of mushroom covered people. I had forgotten to bring my beanie that day so luckily I found one in a 390 yen bin instead of having to pay the 2000 yen average price.

The Ueno park is another huge park that houses many things such as an amphitheater, pond, Buddhist and Shinto shrines, and even a full fledged zoo. I only visited the pond and shrines due to the rain but on the way out, I had a delicious side of grilled squid. In a little shack, there were several squid cuts available to choose from which were then grilled and basted with a delicious sweet sauce. It was served with a chili powder and mayonnaise. A LOT of mayo. It was quite satisfying in a chewy, rubbery manner. Mmmm, Mmmm, good.

Tokyo Tower Ascent: Attempt No. 1

I went to the Tokyo Tower the other day to look around. I was obviously impressed since that is often the aim of sculptures like this. The Japanese take pride that their tower is taller than the Eiffel tower. I guess size really does matter… We were all hoping to go up to the observation deck after a birthday party but the chilluns were tired so we got dinner and went home instead. I got some cool pictures just walking around the base though! It was really neat to see another one of those things most foreigners only see in pictures up close and personal. The Tokyo Tower is an integral part of the skyline and has often reoriented and helped me get my bearings while I’m out on the town. Hopefully next time I will be able to go inside and look around.