Tokyo Gardens

Pine Tea House in Hama Rikyu Garden, a photo by zostra on Flickr.

We visited two gardens our last two days in Tokyo, Hama Rikyu and Shinjuku. I have a hard time picking a favorite of the two, but this was my favorite of the five different tea houses we saw. This is the pine tea house in Hama Rikyu Goen (garden), rebuilt from the original. It's a very simple tea house, without any ornamentation, no fancy roof, just a simple, beautiful pine building. We also went to the Imperial Hotel, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and had tea at a very English style tea house in yet another garden across the way from the Hotel. A quick trip to the Tokyo National Museum rounded out Tuesday, and Wednesday after the Shinjuku garden and a quick, final shopping stop on our way to pick up our luggage, we were off to the airport. A lovely trip, absolutely jam packed with adventures and sights and stories and, of course, food. Perhaps next time I'll be able to be a bit more leisurely about it all.

Tsukiji Fish Market

Tuna for Auction at Tsukiji, a photo by zostra on Flickr.

Early, very early, Tuesday morning we headed to Tsukiji fish market to wait in line for a chance to see the fish auction. It was quite an experience. The floor is teeming with men checking all the frozen tuna that are laid out for them. They shine flashlights where the tails have been cut off, and hit the same spot with large hooks, I assume to test the freshness and quality of the fish. Then auctioneers come out to each lot, stand up on a crate and ring bell to signal the beginning of the auction. Everyone bows, and the auction begins. Takes under two minutes and is done. On to the next batch. It was quite fascinating to watch, but difficult to capture since everyone is moving so quickly.

Tokyo Day 1

Prayer Tablets at Meiji, a photo by zostra on Flickr.

We visited the Meiji Jingu, a Shinto shrine in the midst of Tokyo. There are over 170,000 trees planted in 1920 in honor of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. After that we headed to Shibuya for some shopping and general wandering (museums et al are closed on Mondays). Not a lot of pictures, but lots of fun.

Pottery, Sake, and a Train Ride

Three Grades of Sake, a photo by zostra on Flickr.

Sunday was our last day with our hosts, and started with a visit to the rooftop, open air onsen with a view of the misty hills of the Nikko area. After breakfast we headed to the Tochiji area for a pottery making lesson and lunch. Last event was, of course, a tour of a sake factory with tasting. Then a quick goodbye and we left our hosts and headed back to Tokyo for our last few days.

Nikko

Masao-san, a photo by zostra on Flickr.

Today we toured Nikko, home of the Rinnoji Temple, Toshugu shrine, Yakushi-do, and Taiyuin Temple. On the sacred stable (where the sacred horse does his two hours of service a day, i.e. hanging out in his stable where people visiting the shrine can see him) there are multiple carvings of monkeys, including the "hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil" monkeys derived from the three major principles of the Tendai sect (the Rinnoji Temple is a religous center of the Tendai sect). As a result, you can see these monkeys everywhere, including outside a restaurant near where our bus had pulled over for a stop. Masao-san, one of our primary hosts, was kind enough to pose for me whilst taking his smoke break.

We also went to Kegon Falls, 97m high and quite beautiful. That night we went to the onsen (baths) and then had a wonderful formal banquet in traditional Japanese style, including all of us wearing yakuta (robes) that we had donned after the onsen.

Teaching in Japan

Teaching in Japan, a photo by zostra on Flickr.

We've spent the last two days at the Gunma Kokusai Academy in Ohta, at a teaching conference. This morning I taught a two-hour lesson to 6-8th grade students on acids, bases, and serial dilution. The students are all volunteers who came on their summer vacation to learn more science. They were quiet, but wonderful to teach. All of them were more than willing to give "American style" lessons a try, and they gave very sweet feedback about how much fun they had and how much they learned. Tomorrow we're off to Nikko for sightseeing and cooler weather (and hopefully no more earthquakes!).

Japan Day 2

Making Rice Crackers, a photo by zostra on Flickr.

Several of our hosts took us around the Asakusa region of Tokyo today, before heading to Ota where we will spend several days. The first place they took us was the "cookware street" where all of the restaurant and cooking supply shops are. Heaven! I only wish I could transport the entire street back home. The street is called Kappabashi, after a mythical creature called a Kappa who used to swim in the river there (I guess until the river got paved over). He/she has a turtle's shell and a human head, although there are many different depictions of it that look wildly different. After that we went to the Senso-ji temple and surrounding buildings, then had soba for lunch. With the help of our hosts I was able to order cold soba with yam and wasabi leaf, which was somewhat bland, but tasty. We then headed to a small craft museum, went and picked up our luggage, and on the way to the train instead of the "American-style coffee break" that was originally planned they took us to the Kamiya bar, the oldest bar in Tokyo, where they ordered me a very tasty whiskey sour. The train ride to Ota took about an hour and a half. Ota seems to be a very typical town, but very, very hot and humid. Even more so than Tokyo. We had an amazing dinner, and the catered to my crazy dietary restrictions by plying me with three kinds of tofu with different sauces, various vegetables, rice soup with pickled ume (plums), great Japanese beer, and another sour (this one grapefruit). I slept well. Today's my first presentation to the teachers, fingers are crossed.

Jam Session

Jammers at Work, a photo by zostra on Flickr.

Got together with Carol, Diana, Shirin & Marie to make peach jam and canned peaches. Three flats of Bella Viva peaches made for 8 quart jars of canned peaches and 50 jars of jam (6 pint jars, the rest half-pint). Marie gets the prize for best shirt of the day.

Just Guess

Tower at Night, a photo by zostra on Flickr.

Guess where I am for the next 10 days?

For Uncle PP

My Little Jungle, a photo by zostra on Flickr.

My marvelous Uncle Peter, the one who helped with just about every little (and big) project inside my house when I bought it, doesn't believe that there's really all that much going on in my garden. Just wanted to let him know that there's plenty of good stuff. Like two massive zucchini plants, five summer squash, at least a dozen huge tomato plants, peppers, chard, beets, carrots, kale, strawberries, peas, bok choi, flowers, herbs...well, you get the idea. The only reason the raised box looks a little bare in this shot is because I just harvested a ton of carrots & beets to pickle. But more on that later. For now, I just wanted to take a minute away from tending the jungle to show it off. Love you, Uncle PP.