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OT: My Japan Adventure


RangerSix

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On 4/15/2004 12:39:49 AM kenratboy wrote:

My friend has a friend that lives on base near Tokyo, so hopefully we can get a tour guide!

Do most people speak english, mainly in the city (not rural areas)?

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While it doesn't hurt to have a contact in country it really isn't necessary. Once you get the hang of the subway and railway system it's really not that hard to get around.

As far as the people speaking english. Well, within Tokyo most Japanese can speak just enough to get the point across. As with anywhere, some are more proficient than others. It also wouldn't hurt if you and your friend pick up a few useful Japanese words and phrases. It goes a long way with the locals that you make at least a modest attempt to speak their language. You'll find that many people, especially in the tourist areas, will automactically default to english even before you open your mouth. Normally, I just use my favorite universal communication device. My pointing finger.

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Ranger,

Thanks for sharing your pics. Brought back a lot of memories for me. I lived in Japan from 1982 - 1989 when I was in the Navy. The Budda in Kamakura is some sight isn't it? Did you see the Hase Derra as well, or the Samurai Museum in Kamakura? I lived in a small village/town called Hayama, where the Emperors summer Villa is. I enjoyed myself when I was stationed over there. Something a lot of people dont understand is that English is a compulsory subject for Japanese children in grades 7-12. Did you get a chance to go to the Aki Habarra district in Tokyo or actually just north of it? That is the famous Electronics ware Ginza. Did you try Yakitori or any of the other Japanese foods staples?

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On 4/16/2004 2:36:06 PM J.4knee wrote:

The Budda in Kamakura is some sight isn't it? Did you see the Hase Derra as well? Did you get a chance to go to the Aki Habarra district in Tokyo or actually just north of it? That is the famous Electronics ware Ginza.

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Yes, the Buddha was an amazing sight. I spent quite a while on site trying to figure how someone from the 13th Century made an object of that size with such craftsmanship.

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o, I did not get a chance to go to Aki Habarra district. The closest thing was several visits to Shinjuku.

And yes, I did visit Hase-dera immediately after the Great Buddha. Initially, I was not going into the temple because I was planning on visiting Engaku-ji and Kencho-ji instead. However, time was not on my side and Hase-dera was my final sightseeing location for the day. Im so glad I did.

For those that dont know, the Hase temple is one of the saddest (as well as well as one of the most beautiful) places in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Kamakura. The temple grounds are covered with small statues of Jizo, one of the bodhisattvas in the Buddhist group that have deferred its own ascendance to help others instead reach salvation. Jizo, is the savior of small children, particularly the souls of the stillborn, aborted, and miscarried; the mothers of these small children dress the statues of Jizo in bright red bibs and leave them small offerings of food.

Attached is a picture of one such statue.

post-9658-13819253981272_thumb.jpg

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On 4/16/2004 2:36:06 PM J.4knee wrote:

Did you see the Samurai Museum in Kamakura?

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I was not aware of a samurai museum in Kamakura. Because time was limited, I went to some of the better known museums such as the Tokyo and Kyoto National Museums, the Tokugawa Art Museum in Nagoya, the Hikone Castle Museum and the Sword Museum sponsored by the NBTHK in Tokyo. In my study of the Japanese feudal military culture, my interest has specifically been in Nihon-to (Japanese swords). At these museums I saw works by some of the great masters such as Rai Kunimitsu, Kotetsu, Osafune Kagemitsu, Sadamune, Kanehira, Tadayoshi, and smiths from the Gassan school. My biggest treat though came when I visited one of the higher end nihonto dealers in Tokyo. For the window shoppers, the Japanese normally let the gaigin customers roam around the front part of the store where the cheaper merchandise (and thats a very relative term) is displayed. In the adjacent room is where the serious blades are kept. After a few minutes of chit-chat and establishing to them that I have a pretty good understanding of nihonto, they invited me to the back room. Wow!!! I stood inches away from works of art, in some cases over 800 years old that immediately humbled me and my most modest sword collection. Some of these blades were in excess of 100k dollars. After about 20 minutes, I felt guilty for taking up his time. I bowed, thanked him several times for the learning experience and left the store envious that I was not a Bill Gates or Donald Trump. Oh, how I wish I was rich. sigh 15.gif

Attached is a picture my favorite sword (tachi) from the whole trip. It was displayed at the Tokyo National Museum and is a National Treasure (meaning its priceless) from master swordsmith Osafune Kagemitsu. It was made in 1322 and is said to have been in the possession of Kusunoki Masashige (a VERY famous samurai from that time period). Later the blade was presented to the Emperor Meiji in 1873.

post-9658-13819253982972_thumb.jpg

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Thanks, Paul, for sharing both the photos and the tour tips. I've never made it to Japan but my son has taken two three-month long vacations to Japan in back-to-back years... about three or four years ago. Your comments and photos are very similar to his... except he missed catching Godzilla!

The composition, vivid color and detail make your Japan photos stand tall. I agree with Gil, it's nice to have an OT subject that doesn't involve interpersonal, political, religious, or fast food hassles! Any more photo essays hiding in your closet? -HornEd

PS: Gil, last night I was at a private party thrown by a Hungarian chef for his wife's birthday. He is a fellow of impeccable taste and rare talent as a chef (he does it from scratch!)... and he recorded the event with a Mavica and scads of floppy disks... and I thought, there but by the accident of accent and career goes William F. Gil McDermott! Laszlo's photos, BTW, were excellent all storage media considered.

On Monday, Lazlo and Katalin will be our guests of Kassandra and yours truly at a chocolatier dinner for 65 hosted by the founder of Peets Coffee... a San Francisco Bay Area institution (It began in Berkeley near U.C.). It was Peet's right hand man that came up with a plan to expand Peet's business. Alfred Peet was content with his already bustling business... so he passed. His employee elected to go to Seattle and implement his plan... his plan is now better known as Starbucks. The dinner will be held in the Los Gatos Brewery... and feature a different brewed beer for every chocolate laced course.

Hmm, maybe it's time to break out my Renaissance drinking horn and investigate getting horn-loaded in the corner! 11.gif

PPS: Actually, I was just trying to work in an audio reference getting plastered is NOT my idea of a good time. 12.gif

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HornEd, thank you for your comments. This trip was my first opportunity to use my recently purchased Canon L-series lens. It was pricey, but I felt my pictures improved dramatically from the cheap glass I was using prior. I still have a long way to go in improving my photos, but overall I was very satisfied with the results. Baby steps.

As far as any more photo essays, naw, this is it for now. I think I've bored the Klipsch community enough with my ramblings.

fini, yes I did see "Lost in Translation" and thought it was a great movie. I smile now in hindsight, because there were a lot of similarities between my experiences and those portrayed in the movie. While I believe I have a pretty good understanding of Japanese culture, history and its people, yet as a "gaigin" I still felt a strange isolation in my travels. The Japanese in very general terms are a closed society. They have never been too receptive to foreigners disrupting their harmony. There's a strange dichotomy at work here. On the one hand the Japanese love anything Western, and yet at the same time are very reluctant to allow foreigners into their inner circle. It's like using a "free pass" at an ultra-exclusive gym. You can use their swimming pools, exercise machines and saunas to your hearts content, but yet at the end of the day you still realize that you are not a member.

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