Ueno: Visiting Museums

Ueno Park - the Shinobazu Pond

We spent a day at Ueno!  Ueno is the cultural hub of Tokyo, with numerous attractions within the park itself.  There are numerous museums, the famous Ueno Zoo, and various temples and shrines such as the Bentendo temple in the middle of the Shinobazu Pond (see picture).  Of the many museums, we visited two - the Shitamachi Museum, a small, intimate little museum which aims to preserve a neighbourhood of old Edo; and the Tokyo National Museum, which showcases the history of Japanese art.  There is also the natural history museum, art museums etc.

Ueno park itself is a spacious, yet bustling park.  Likely because of its fame, as well as the numerous things to do within the park.  The two museums we visited were at either end of the park, so I can say we walked through the entire length of the park, from the Shitamachi, past the old Kiyomizu Kannodo temple in the middle, to the Tokyo National Museum on the other end.

Our guide at the Shitamachi Museum

“Shitamachi” means “downtown” and this museum aims to preserve a "slice of life" in old Tokyo.   It is just a small museum, but really that is part of its charm.   The ground floor presents a street scene, preserving the front room of a merchant’s shop and two other smaller dwellings, one owned by a sweet shop owner and another by a metal worker.  We were brought around by an English speaking guide, Mr Fuji, who talked to us about how people lived in days gone by, and shared his own experiences in those days.   The second floor features the entrance area of the Japanese communal bath and a more modern kitchen (from the 1970s).   Also children's toys (including ones Mr Fuji played with in his youth).  It was a very pleasant visit - especially with our own personal guide.

We went next to the Tokyo National Museum. It’s totally unlike the Shitamachi, being a huge three-building complex around a central square.  And of course, being a national museum, it has a far broader scope than just old Tokyo.  The advice was if you have only a few hours, visit the Japanese gallery so that’s what we did.  We didn't have a friendly Mr Fuji to show us around.  But the exhibition guide is pretty good and the exhibits themselves clearly labelled.

The main exhibition in the Japanese Gallery presents the “Highlights of Japanese Art” and indeed it was a well curated journey through the history of Japanese art, across different items from the traditional pottery ware, paintings and wood block prints, to kimonos, samurai armour and even a fire-fighters’ jacket.  There were also horse armour, and a room full of wonderful Japanese painted screens.  It was a truly educational visit, probably my first extensive experience of this aspect of Japanese arts and culture (as opposed to appreciating cherry blossoms or autumn leaves).  The only slight disappointment was that I was hoping very much to see some original woodblock prints of Mt Fuji, namely Hokusai’s famous “The Big Wave” taken from his “Thirty-six views of Mt Fuji”  but apparently it’s not on display.   I am however pleased to say that thanks to Youtube, it is possible to look at all thirty-six views online.  

Japanese painted screen

In between the two museums, we went for lunch at the nearby Ameyoko Market, situated under the train tracks.  We found this nice unagi (eel) restaurant, Unatoto, which sells nice little unagi based set lunches with a little bit of salad, pickles and soup on the side.

For dinner, we went to a supposedly healthy restaurant, Midori no Kitchen, in Ueno Station (the sort which prints the number of calories per meal) which was recommended by Tsunagu Japan.  Not really "authentic" Japanese, but in a way it was nice to have a change!  Thus ended our cultural day in Tokyo!

Food photos below, for more photos on Ueno and the two museums, check out my Flickr page here.

Unatoto

Midori no Kitchen

Asakusa: Visiting Senso-Ji

One of the joys of travel is that sometimes I serendipitously discover all these links between the various destinations one visits.  So for example, the day after our visit to Ieyasu Tokugawa’s grave in Nikko, we go visit Senso-Ji in Tokyo and discover that Ieyasu Tokugawa also made this temple (then already around 1000 years old as it was first opened in 645AD!) one of “his” two temples in Edo.  Asakusa was then a small humble village, Edo, then a small town.  Over the years, of course the temple has grown into one of the oldest and most visited Temples in all of Japan.  And Edo has metamorphosed into Tokyo, one of the great global cities in the world.  Ieyasu would be proud.

More on the history of Senso-Ji and on its grounds can be found on other sites, like this one and this one, so I will not go into it again here.  I didn’t in any case feel compelled to go and look at every single thing listed on these sites - we were happy to just wander around the temple and its grounds, and in the process, discover its secrets (such as the free green tea).  

The crowds at the Kaminarimon Gate

So we arrived at the Kaminarimon Gate, which marks the beginning of the entryway to Senso-Ji.  The huge red lantern hanging in the gate is a symbol of Senso-Ji, Asakusa and Tokyo itself.  It is of course the prime photo opp spot in the whole of these temple complex!  Behind the gate is Nakamise Street, the shopping street in front of the temple - selling souvenirs, food, religious items etc.

Now as we were passing through the gate, we noticed this rather enthusiastic tourist.  Often we see tourists all dressed up in Japanese kimono, the ladies all prettily decked out in floral kimono with their hair all done nicely, and the men in their duller outfits.  But this particular chap was dressed as a Ninja, and doing his best to act like one - posing in “ninja” poses, hiding behind the lantern etc etc.  Unfortunately I didn’t get a photo (too many people always in the way) but it was quite hilarious to see this ninja prancing around looking as conspicuous as possible (when one considers that the ninja is supposed to be blending into the shadows, disappearing into the night etc as they go about doing their secret work).   In fact he was happy to pose for photos, including with the kimono-clad tourists who wanted to get a little extra out of their time in costume.

The second gate - the Hozomon Gate

Anyway, we walked through the second gate (the Hozomon Gate) and approached the main temple where the golden “Kannon” statue was supposed to reside.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see it - apparently it is not in the public areas.   There is another large lantern just at the main doorway, above an offering box  where visitors offer donations and bow.

Next, we visited this little garden next to the main hall, a quiet spot after the bustle of the temple.  There were many little shrines here (actually there are a number of shrines throughout the complex) each with its own little friendly statue awaiting visitors, some looking very weathered as their markings had faded over the years.  This, more than anything, gives you the sense that indeed this is a very, very old temple...

For those interested, more photos of Senso-ji here.

After the temple visit, it was time for lunch.  Apparently the area around the temple is famous for its

Soba at Owariya Honten

soba, so we had soba for lunch.  We ended up in Owariya Honten, a short walk from the temple.  According to Tsunagu Japan this shop has been in existence for over a hundred years - a positive youngster compared to the ancient temple nearby but still pretty respetable for a soba restaurant!  We had the house special, a bowl of soba noodles in a tangy soup (flavoured with yuzu juice and zest) with two large, delectable tempura prawns. A satisfying meal!

After lunch we made our way to Asakusa-bashi, the nearby “crafting district” of Tokyo.  Here is where craft lovers  - knitters, beaders, embroidery fans etc - find their Mecca, with numerous little shops all over the place.  We were here to learn how to make tsumami flowers, which is the technique used to make these little flowers from Japanese crepe fabric (not a huge destructive tidal wave!).  The flowers are assembled in various intricate beautiful ensembles to make up the elaborate headdresses (Kanzashi) of maikos and geishas.  I had of course seen these when we were in Kyoto previously at the Gion Corner (as seen in these photos), and was instantly captivated.

The workshop is run by a Tsumami craft shop, Tsumamido, in a basement workshop next to the shop itself.  We were the only two in our class where we made the petals and leaves and assembled it to form a flowery brooch.  Not bad, for a first time?  But nothing compared to those in Gion Corner or indeed those on this site.

My handiwork

We went back to Shinjuku after this - walked around the shops, visited Isetan's food hall to buy some breakfast, etc etc.  A slower pace compared to the long day trip to Nikko, but it enabled us to rest and recharge for the next day's activities!

Nikko: Up the Iron Road

We had booked two day trips - and this was the first one, to Nikko.  I always like day trips - they tend to be very good value for money as the tour packs in a number of places, gives us a typically decent lunch and there’s not too much walking.  Best of all, absolutely no hassle about working out the schedule, transportation etc.  All we need to do is get ourselves to the pick-up point and since we chose tours where we get picked up around Shinjuku, we ourselves don’t need to spend too much time travelling to the pick up point. 

Anyway, the day dawned bright and sunny, what we thought was a good sign for the day ahead.  So we got ourselves to the pick up point, boarded our bus etc.  Turned out that we had two guides - the main one was supposed to be this sweet, soft spoken Japanese lady whose English wasn’t the greatest.  It was the Assistant Tour Guide, an enthusiastic Filipino guy who did most of the talking and most of the “tour guide” work of getting the group together, giving directions etc.  

We were supposed to be going up the Iron Road, Irohazaka Road, and visiting the scenic spots on top. Now this was not an easy tour to find because in the autumn leaf period, the road is jam packed and so tour bus access is limited.  As a result, many tours avoid going here altogether.  So we were actually quite lucky to find this, perhaps because the day started off with the Irohazaka and ended off with Nikko whereas most other tours do it the other way around.

Round the bend - going up the Irohazaka Road

Indeed, it was quite an exciting experience going up the Irohazaka Road.  The road ascends up the mountain, and then down on the other side.  Because the mountain is so steep (we would end up 1,600sqm above sea level - for reference Mt Fuji is 3,776sqm) it is a series of 48 hairpin bends altogether - 20 on the way up and 28 on the way down.  In autumn, this road is supposed to be beautiful - with the russets and reds and yellows of the leaves on either side of the road.  If you search online for photos of the road, it is spectacular, especially viewed from above.  Unfortunately, we were there just after the tropical storm and typhoon before that which blew away all the leaves.  Nonetheless, the view was magnificent and we were so impressed by the expanses of mountain and valleys viewed from every angle as we twisted and turned our way up the hill.  (Check out my videos, going uphill and downhill).  It was even more exciting when halfway up the hill, we were informed that it had started to snow!

The fighting fields

Our first stop at the top of the hill was Senjogahara, which is supposed to be the “fighting field” where two Gods fought their battle.  Because of the fury of the battle, the trees were all destroyed, leaving a flat grassland behind.  It is supposed to be a most scenic place, with lots of wildlife.  But quite clearly, they were not happy about the snow as there were none in sight  And neither were we happy!  Given the bright start to the day, we were not quite prepared for snowy temperatures, now for the brisk winds which sent snowflakes swirling around us.  Fortunately I had my warm down jacket but others were not so well-prepared.... one person just had a light jumper and another had only a short sleeved shirt with a vest over it.

Lake Chuzenji on a misty day

Kegon waterfall

After the visit to Senjogahara we visited Lake Chuzenji - again, it is supposed to be most scenic, this lake on top of the mountain.  But, again, the cold and cloudy conditions turned the waters of the lake a dull grey.  Not quite the best place for an after-lunch stroll.

Our last scenic stop before descending the hill was the Kegon waterfall.  This was 97m high and is supposed to be one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Japan. Indeed it was quite magnificent to see the water plunging down and it was even a little exhilarating to be out there amidst the chilly conditions.  

After the waterfall, we went on to see the Tokugawa shrine, one of the marvels of Nikko.  Built by his son and grandson, it is where Ieyesu Tokugawa, the famous shogun of Japan, is buried.  The Tokugawa shogunate which he founded would continue to rule Japan for over two centuries, from 1603-1867.    

Entrance to the shrine

 I have to say that the guides were somewhat disappointing as they didn't really impart that much knowledge or information to the group.  That was particularly marked when we were at the shrine.  Aside from some basic information (all of which could be obtained from a guidebook) they didn't really go into much more detail about the era of the Tokugawa Shoguns or the politics of the time.  Fortunately it's all covered in detail in Wikipedia.

The shrine itself is magnificent, with beautifully carved, ornate carvings.  The artist certainly took his inspiration from the animal kingdom because he has carved animals every where - the three monkeys, a sleeping cat, and imaginary elephants (carved by someone who thinks the elephant is all about the trunk and tusks) and the crane and the lion on the tomb of the Shogun.  Some parts of the shrine are under renovation, so we probably missed some of the beautiful inner halls, but I was glad that we were able to see the majestic Yomeimon Gate and hear the echos and vibrato of the acoustics in the "dragon Chamber".

Fortunately, the weather here at the shrine was really very pleasant - a lovely autumn day.  We wandered through the buildings of the shrine, and climbed all the way up to the tomb.  There was a little boy, Kenzo, on our tour, and he was happily (and not particularly accurately) counting the steps all the way to the tomb and also charming us with his childish prattle. 

Went back to Tokyo, at the end of a tiring day.  I certainly didn’t expect to experience summer in the morning, winter at noon, and autumn in the afternoon.

Tokyo Neighbourhoods: Shinjuku

So the thing about Tokyo is its many different neighbourhoods, each with its own character and street vibe.  And since we are staying here, I thought that this is where I would begin: with Shinjuku.

Shinjuku - where the Tokyo city government sits side by side with the many department stores, and the small alleyways of izakayas, drinking spots alongside the beautiful Shinjuku Gyoen park. Where the busiest subway station in Tokyo bewilders the visitor with the multiple subway lines and train lines all up and down the station.

I have to say that we didn't go to some of the more "famous" areas such as Kabukicho or the Golden Gai (somehow tramping through red light districts didn't really appeal) but we did spend time in  Isetan, Keio and other department stores in the area.  And we ate around the area quite a bit (so yes, there will be foodie reviews here).  We also spent an entire morning in Shinjuku Gyoen, just 10 minutes walk from our apartment.  In this quieter corner of Shinjuku, we found convenient little minimarts, little family restaurants, etc.  And we managed to escape the madness of Shinjuku station by going to Shinjuku-Sanchome or Shinjuku-Gyoenmae instead.  This is the part of the city I like - not too far from the city centre to make it inconvenient to get anywhere but at the same time not right in the hustle, bustle and crowds.

Shinjuku Gyoen - Traditional Japanese Garden

We had wanted to spend the afternoon in the Shinjuku Gyoen park on our first day in Japan but the heavy rain put paid to that.  So we had to postpone the expedition to another morning.  Shinjuku Gyoen park is considered one of the top parks in Tokyo and is made up of three large gardens - the Japanese Traditional Garden, the English Garden and the French Garden. There's also a greenhouse full of tropical plants - we did not see the need to go in. Of course, the Japanese Garden is the largest of all!  It is a pleasant strolling garden - with numerous ponds, winding paths, flower beds, and a view of the NTT Docomo Tower from practically anywhere in the garden!

That's one big chrysanthemum

The Japanese adore their flowers and at this time of year, the chrysanthemums are in bloom.  So there are little pavilions set up at intervals throughout the garden, each with their own display of beautiful blossoms.  Huge flowers bigger than my fist; long-petalled spidery flowers; small, spiky-petalled flowers - how could such different flowers all be part of the chrysanthemum family!   

Children "fishing"

Just so the chrysanthemums had some competition, we visited the rose garden in the French garden area.  It was quite a formal arrangement, different from the "natural" feel of the Japanese garden.  But there were shady sycamore avenues on either side; a pleasant place on a summery day.  Indeed, the park was full of families and children, sitting on the lawns and under the trees.  It so happened that we went on a public holiday, so it's likely that parents were free to take their children to the park.  But it all combined to create a warm, happy atmosphere in the park - children running, laughing, blowing bubbles; people lying on the lawn watching the clouds overhead, or sitting and contemplating the reflections in the water at the Japanese garden.  It wasn't as exquisite as the Japanese gardens in Nara or in the Kyoto temples but for a big and crowded city, it is a peaceful and restful place to spend a morning.

For more photos of Shinjuku Gyoen, ck out my Flickr.

By contrast, the rest of Shinjuku is lively and bustling.  We would go around the Shinjuku quite a bit - to shop, have meals or to get to our tour pick up points.  So we had many meals around the area (including a bento box dinner which we picked up from Isetan's food hall - a gourmet experience in itself).  Here are my three favourites:

Tsukiji Sushi

• Tsukiji Sushiko - quick, courteous service and lovely fresh fish!  I had a chirashi don, and I have to say that it did its namesake market proud. It is also a pleasure sitting at the counter watching the sushi chef at work - the quick, deft slices of his knife and the precision with which he places each piece of fish just so.  Not a big restaurant, just a small branch of a bigger chain but worth looking out for on a future visit to Tokyo.

Zen

• Zen - a quiet okonomiyaki restaurant in a quiet street just minutes away from our apartment.  Somehow okonomiyaki is a real Japanese comfort food, at least in my book.  Here the okonomiyaki is nice and thick - but perfectly cooked throughout.  We had ours accompanied by sake, edamame beans and grilled oysters.  Again the oysters were cooked just right - moist, and fully of briny flavour.  Service was friendly - the proprietor came by to show us his coin collection (we contributed a 20 cent Singapore coin) and spoke to us via his Google Translator.  Again, worth a return visit.  Neither Tsukiji Sushiko or Zen are in the heart of Shinjuku, and are closer to Shinjuku-Sanchome station.

Shinjuku Izakaya

Small little izakaya somewhere around in the Shinjuku-Sanchome area.  We were walking around looking for somewhere to have dinner when we saw the English menu in the window.  The chef standing at the grill took pity on these poor lost tourists and came out to hand us the menu to scrutinise more closely.  Small, crowded, full of the office workers stopping by before going on their way home.  We ordered tonnes of little dishes, far more than the office workers on either side who had only a light snack with their mug of beer.  We, on the other hand, were imbibing a fruity alcoholic soda.

Of course, one of the best things about dining in Shinjuku was the knowledge that we had only a short walk back to our cosy apartment after....