Temples of Tokyo – Part I [Sensoji] February 9, 2010
Posted by drutang in Japan, Tokyo, Travel.Tags: Asakusa, お寺, Buddha, Buddhism, 神社, deity, 金龍山浅草寺, fortune telling slip, fortunes, god, Harajuku, japan, Japanese shrine, Japanese temple, kyoto, Meiji Jingu, Meiji Shrine, Nakamise, Nakamise Shopping Street, Omikuji, Sensoji, Shinkansen, Shinto, shrine, Taito-ku, temple, tokyo, Torii, zojoji, 台東区, 増上寺, 新幹線, 日本, 明治神宮, 東京, 浅草, 浅草寺, 三縁山増上寺
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Hand washing area
When people think of Japanese temples, they think of Kyoto. Not everyone has a chance to go to Kyoto. If you only have a week in Japan, sometimes you can’t afford the time to go to Kyoto. While it can be done in a day using the shinkansen, sometimes it’s much better to just relax and visit a few temples around Tokyo. That way, you can take your time and save a lot of money on train fares. In Tokyo, most tourists will only visit two temples; Sensoji in Asakusa, and Meiji Jingu in Harajuku. Technically, Meiji Jingu is not a temple, but a shrine dedicated to the Japanese religion of Shinto. Often overlooked is the temple called Zojoji. It is much smaller than the other two, but due to it being left off most major tour books, it’s a great place to see a temple without the hustle and bustle of the other two tourist spots.
Entrance gate to Sensoji
The first things to know when talking about temples and shrines are, what is a temple, and what is a shrine? In a few simple words, a temple is dedicated to Buddha and a shrine is dedicated to a Shinto god. It can be very difficult to know which is which, but in Japan, the easiest way to tell the difference is to look for the torii. If there is a torii gate, a wooden archway near the entrance, it’s a shrine. If there is a pagoda, or a huge statue of a Buddhist deity, it’s a temple. In reality, there is no easy way to distinguish one from the other without research or looking at everything extensively. Generally speaking, once you see a few of the temples and shrines, you tend to understand what the others will look like. After visiting the these three temples in Tokyo, you don’t have to visit Kyoto, but as always, things are always slightly different, or they might have that one unique factor that makes it stand out. Kyoto is still a very important place in Japan, and it’s still highly recommended. If you don’t have time to make it out there, don’t feel too sad, but if you do have time, I would always recommend heading there.
Sensoji
Sensoji is probably the most visited temple in Tokyo, and the oldest. When arriving at Asakusa station, it’s very easy to get disoriented. They have finished some remodelling of the station to make it easier for people to find their way to the temple, but once you are on the street, you can still be a little disoriented. Finding your way to Nakamise Shopping Street is the best way to get to the temple. There is a large Buddhist style gate called Kaminarimon, with two large wooden statues inside protecting the temple. This is the start of the shopping street, and the approach to the temple itself. The shopping street is great for the usual souvenirs that you’ll need when you go home, so be sure to buy everything here. Other areas of Tokyo don’t always offer this type of touristy garb. You can easily buy rice crackers and yukatas, along with other cheesy Japanese stuff. Do note that most Japanese people will only buy food, and rarely, if ever, buy the other stuff. The temple itself is beautifully bathed in red paint. Being a big tourist attraction, you can buy an “Omikuji”, which is a fortune. They generally include English. First, put your money into the donation box; then shake a large metal tin. After shaking, turn the tin upside down and shake it until you get a stick. This stick tells you which drawer to open to get your fortune. It’s pretty simple and once you are there, you can watch others do it first and just copy them. They should have English on the reverse of the fortune, or a translation somewhere nearby. Do note that if you get one with okay, or bad luck, you are supposed to tie it to a post so that it doesn’t follow you. If you have good luck, you are supposed to keep it in your wallet for one year. Next, you can enter the temple itself. There really isn’t much to see. When you enter, you can only stay in the front entrance portion of the main hall. Here, you can toss some money into the donation box and pray for whatever you like. Also note that it’s better to throw a coin with a hole in it as it’s considered lucky. 5 and 50 yen coins are the only coins to have a hole in them.
Information:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2058.html (About Temples)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensō-ji (About Sensoji)
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3001.html (More about Sensoji)
This is Part I of a two part series. Next week, I’ll finish by talking about the other two temples.
このblogは英語のblog。もし私の英語は難しい、日本語のquestionは大丈夫。
Hakone (Part II) February 2, 2010
Posted by drutang in Japan, Travel.Tags: Mt. Fuji, Fuji, Hakone, gondola, 富士, 富士山, Souzan, 箱根, Lake Ashi, Ashinoko, Mount Fuji, Owakudani, sulphur, sulfur, boiled eggs, eggs, Togendai, Hakone Sightseeing Ships, Moto Hakone, Hakonemachi, Tokaido, Tokaido Road, Hakone Checkpoint, 神奈川, 芦ノ湖, 大涌谷, 谷
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A famous sculpture near the entrance to the Museum.
If you have the energy to continue into Hakone, you’ll have to travel a bit farther than Souzan. Most of the activities around Hakone are centred in the area between Hakone Yumoto and Souzan. From there, you can venture out past Souzan on a cable car and head out towards Lake Ashi. This is probably where you’ll get the best views of the countryside of Japan, if that’s what you are looking for. Do be aware that if it’s even slightly cloudy, you won’t get the best view of Hakone. The most famous view is from Lake Ashi where, on a clear day, you can see Mt. Fuji.
Owakudani
Souzan is the starting point of the gondola that will take you to Owakudani, and then off to Lake Ashi. Owakudani is generally translated into great boiling valley, or hell’s valley. It’s an active volcano that is constantly emitting sulphur. Be aware that you’ll be near the top of the mountain, so the weather will be cooler and because of the sulphur, it will be very smelly. There is pretty much only one major route to follow. Head with most of the people and look for signs and maps. It can be a little difficult to get around, but once you are on the path, it’s pretty easy. The people who work at Owakudani are careful about the amount of sulphur in the air and will advise you to make your way down if it’s too dangerous. When you do get to the end of the hiking trail, there is a large boiling pool that is too hot to swim in. It’s nice for pictures, but the main point of the journey is to buy eggs. When at the top, you can buy the freshest boiled eggs in the area. The eggs are boiled in the boiling sulphur water, which actually makes the shells black. The inside of the egg is still natural, and the taste is normal, but the shell is black and a little brittle. The main selling point is that each egg you eat can add around 5 years to your life. This can be a lot if you are desperate. The trip out to Owakudani is something that isn’t necessary, but if you are interested in seeing new things, and experiencing Japanese travel culture, you should head here. The other reason to stop off at Owakudani is the ticket to get to Lake Ashi requires a transfer at Owakudani, so you might as well stretch your legs and enjoy the smell of sulphur.
Owakudani Eggs
Lake Ashi, as I mentioned, is probably the most famous place in Hakone, yet one of the hardest places to get to. If you only want to go to Lake Ashi, you might be better off taking one of the highway busses out there. From Owakudani, you can take the second extension of the cable car to Lake Ashi. Do be aware that on major holidays, this area is also very busy and not easy to get around quickly. Once at Togendai station, it’s necessary to transfer to one of the sightseeing boats. During the high season, there are many boats trolling the lake. These have been called gaudy and I can imagine why. From the pictures, they are nothing but elaborate pirate ships that look like they were stolen from Disneyland. It does look like a very interesting ship to travel on and I’m sure the views from the ship are beautiful. There are only two stops, other than Togendai, for the Hakone Sightseeing Ships. It is Moto-Hakone and Hakonemachi. Both are equally important from what I’ve heard.
Stain glass art. Each panel had it's own image.
At Hakonemachi, you’ll be within the old town of Hakone. Here, you can see some of the most historical buildings in Kanto, the greater Tokyo region. From here to Moto-Hakone, the old Tokaido Road heads into Tokyo. The old Tokaido Road is a historical road that was the only road in and out of Tokyo, heading west. In Hakonemachi, you can visit the Hakone Checkpoint. The Hakone Checkpoint is where all travellers, Japanese and foreign, had to check in to ensure they were allowed to travel within the country. Walking to Moto-Hakone is something that has been recommended. Along the way, you can walk down a path of cedars and once at Moto-Hakone, you can visit the Hakone Shrine. Taking the ship to Moto-Hakone would also be special as it’s a famous place for pictures. One of the torii, gate, is placed at the edge of the water making it a beautiful sight in the day. If you are adventurous enough, you can continue along the Tokaido road for about an hour or so. You’ll be able to read a small tea house and museum, as well as see some of the original unpaved road. Do note that the road is nothing more than a walking path.
Hakone Open Air Museum
If you have two days, there are a lot of things to see and do in Hakone. If you only have one day, it’s a little difficult, but you can get all of the main places. If you are looking for nature and scenery, I’d recommend heading out to Lake Ashi first as it’s a little difficult to get there. Do be aware that I have never been there so most of my descriptions are from what I’ve read on other websites. I am also unsure as to the timing of reaching Lake Ashi itself. Owakudani, however, is a very quick stop, so it shouldn’t take too long. Hakone is so popular amongst Japanese people, that there are several ways to get there. By and far, the easiest has to be by train. All you have to do is spend a little extra to make it easy. Going by bus is also simple. If you are going to only one stop or overnight at an onsen, this would also be viable. Do note that you will have to be careful of the traffic. It can take two or three times longer to get back to Tokyo due to traffic on the expressways. Finally, you can drive yourself. If you have a total of four people going, this could be a lot cheaper. Parking in Hakone isn’t difficult and with modern navigation systems, you can easily find parking. Either way, have fun.
Note: I didn’t have enough time to head to most places mentioned in this post. I have added pictures of the Hakone Open Air Museum to fill the space.
Hakone Information:
Hakone (Japan Guide): http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5200.html
Hakone (Wikitravel): http://wikitravel.org/en/Hakone
Hakone (Hakone Navi): http://www.hakonenavi.jp/english/
Odakyu Hakone Free Pass (Travel Information): http://www.odakyu.jp/english/freepass/hakone_01.html
Hakone Open Air Museum: http://www.hakone-oam.or.jp/english/index.html
Yunesson Spa: http://www.yunessun.com/english/
Fujiya Hotel: http://www.fujiyahotel.jp/english/index.html
The Little Prince Museum in Hakone: http://www.tbs.co.jp/l-prince/en/
Maps January 31, 2010
Posted by drutang in Japan.Tags: Ajinomoto Stadium, Amanohashidate, Arakawa-ku, Asakusa, Chiba, Chiba Lotte Marine Stadium, Chofu, Chuo-ku, FC Tokyo, Ginza, Gundam, Harajuku, Hokkaido, japan, Jingu Stadium, Makuhari, Makuhari Messe, Marine Stadium, Matsushima, Miyajima, Nippori, Odaiba, Otaru, Samezu, Shibuya-ku, Shinagawa-ku, Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Shizuoka, Suzuka, Suzuka Circuit, Taito-ku, tokyo, Tokyo-to, Toyocho, Tsukiji, Yakult Swallows
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From time to time, I’ll be adding new maps to go along with my older posts. I won’t be reposting my old posts. I have made a page with the same information, so it’s easier to access and I’ll be updating this post every now and then. I will make this post the top post whenever there is a significant change or addition. Hopefully this will help you to understand each area that I describe in my posts, and maybe you can find it helpful if you ever visit one of these places.
Dru
MAPS:
Ajinomoto Stadium (2010-01-31)
Japanese Football: Kashima Antlers VS FC Tokyo
Japanese Football: Urawa Reds VS FC Tokyo
Asakusa (2010-01-31)
Part I
Part II
Ginza (2009-10-25)
Part I
Part II
Gundam (2010-01-31)
Shizuoka
Harajuku (2009-11-01)
Part I
Part II
Japan’s Top 3 Views (2010-01-31)
Amanohashidate
Matsushima
Miyajima
Jingu Stadium (2009-12-06)
Japanese Baseball: Tigers VS Swallows
Makuhari Messe & Chiba Lotte Marine Stadium (2010-01-31)
2009 Tokyo Motor Show
Japanese Baseball: Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles VS. the Chiba Lotte Marines
Nippori (2010-01-31)
Nippori
Odaiba (2010-01-31)
Part I
Part II
Otaru (2009-11-28)
Otaru
Otaru Snow Gleaming Festival
Samezu (2010-01-31)
Converting a License in Japan
Shibuya (2010-01-31)
Part I
Part II
Part III
Shinjuku (2009-11-15)
Part I
Part II
Part III
Suzuka Circuit (2010-01-31)
2009 Formula 1 Fuji Television Japanese Grand Prix
Toyocho (2010-01-31)
Renewing a License in Japan
Tsukiji (2010-01-31)
Tsukiji
Hakone (Part I) January 26, 2010
Posted by drutang in Japan, Travel, Uncategorized.Tags: tokyo, Shinjuku, Tokyo-to, Odakyu, Odawara, Hakone, onsen, hot spring, gondola, 温泉, 東京, Hakone-yumoto, Kanagawa, Japanese Inn, ryokan, hot spring bath, Hakone Free Pass, Odakyu line, Hakone Toazan Train, Hakone Tozan, yumoto, Chokoku no Mori, Hakone Open Air Museum, Gora, Souzan, Fujiya Hotel, Miyanoshita, Little Prince Museum, The Little Prince, 箱根, 箱根湯本, 小田急, 小田原, りょうかん, 新宿, 著国の森
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Hakone Yumoto Station
Hakone is one of the most popular areas near Tokyo. It’s a great place to head for a day trip and there are many things to do. There are various places to visit, and the area itself is fairly vast. It can take a lot of time to get around and do everything, so as a day trip, it can be a little tight. I would recommend at least two days and one night, that way you can at least experience a ryokan or an onsen. For those that don’t know, a ryokan is a traditional style Japanese Inn. It’s similar to a bed and breakfast, with a twist. Usually, your room is a typical tatami room with futons on the floor. You are served a traditional dinner and breakfast, so this can be a little scary if you aren’t used to raw fish, rice, and sleeping on the floor in a room full of people. There are several western friendly hotels in the area as well, and almost all of them feature an onsen. Onsen are Japanese style natural hot spring baths. It’s almost always separated into men and women, and the bathing rooms can be as detailed and large as a spa, or as small and simple as a large private bathroom. It really depends on the hotel. All in all, it’s a great experience, and something you can might want to try while visiting Japan.
Odakyu Romance Car
When heading to Hakone, there are a couple of routes to take. If you are lucky enough to have a JR Pass, taking the shinkansen to Odawara Station is probably the easiest way. Otherwise, most people would take the Odakyu lines from Shinjuku. Odakyu offers a two day Hakone Free Pass, which is great if you are spending two days there. Otherwise, just go for single tickets. There are tourist booths that have English speakers inside the station, so don’t worry too much about buying tickets. The ticket machines also have English instructions. Once at Odawara Station, you have to switch to the Hakone Tozan Train. If you take the special express train, which costs more, you will probably go all the way to Hakone Yumato Station. Otherwise, you’ll have to change at Odawara, and again at Hakone Yumato. From Hakone Yumato, you will board the original Hakone Tozan train. This is a small mountain line that makes its way slowly up the mountain. It can be extremely beautiful in November with the beautiful autumn leaves, or even in the spring when the hydrangeas are in full bloom as both sides of the tracks are lined with trees.
Hakone Open Air Museum
The first stop on the way to Hakone should be at Chokoku no Mori. This is the second to last stop on the line heading into Hakone. This is the home of the Hakone Open Air Museum. If you need instructions, you should call it the Chokoku no Mori museum as that’s the Japanese name. This museum opened in 1969 and has over 70,000 square metres of open space. It’s built into the side of the mountain and the museum itself is spectacular. There are several permanent exhibits and also several rotating sculptures within the museum grounds. Almost everything is interactive. You can almost touch each sculpture. There are some pieces of art where you can enter them, play on them, and of course contemplate the meaning of them. If you love taking photos, this place is great and it’s easy to spend a couple hours here. Be sure to bring a few snacks when you get hungry. There is also a nice little foot bath where towels are just 100 yen each. It can make a nice little souvenir, and the bath water isn’t bad. Be sure to check out all of the buildings, and if you have kids, bring them too. There are a few places where kids can just play for hours on end. The only problem is the weather. Try to go on a sunny day and you’ll be treated with a great experience.
Gora Station
If you head to the next station, Gora, you’ll be able to enjoy a nice little park, some places to eat, and an opportunity to do some glass blowing. Do note that you must pay to enter the park. This area itself isn’t that interesting. The food can be delicious, and there are several souvenirs to buy, but unfortunately, I didn’t have a chance to really look around. The weather was terrible when I went. I only had a chance to try one of the small local shops. There is a delicious tonkatsu shop, breaded and deep fried chicken cutlets, made from black pigs. It appears to be a specialty and there is always a lineup whenever I’m there. It’s a little pricey, but it’s delicious. Do note that the wait can be over 30 minutes to get in, especially if you have bad timing. While Gora is a good place to stop and have lunch, you can always take the cable car that is connected to Gora Station and head up to Souzan. Taking the cable car is a nice simple journey. It isn’t very steep, but there are several stops along the way. Unfortunately, there is almost nothing to do at the top of the cable car, aside from going to the gondola.
Souzan Station Cable Car
If you are making this a day trip, you might want to think about heading back at this time. Thankfully, there are still things to see and do on the way back that had been missed on the trip out to Souzan. Along the cable car route, there are various hotels and ryokans that you can visit and spend a night. Otherwise, you should head back and take the Hakone Tozan, get off at Miyanoshita and you will be at the Fujiya Hotel. While I have never visited this hotel, it is a famous hotel. It is expensive but it offers a nice dining experience and a few other touristy treats. There is a nice onsen inside and the area of Miyanoshita has various shops where you can buy Japanese style fine china. If you head back to Hakone Yumoto, you can take a bus for 30 minutes and visit the Little Prince Museum in Hakone. This is a museum based on the author of “The Little Prince”. It’s a famous French book that Japanese people love. The museum looks nice, but as with many things around Hakone, I didn’t have a chance to visit this museum. It is fairly popular with Japanese tourists, and from the pictures, the museum itself looks beautiful. If you have a two day free pass, it’s probably worth a quick visit.
This is part one of a two part series. Please tune in next week for part two.
Hakone Information:
Hakone (Japan Guide): http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5200.html
Hakone (Wikitravel): http://wikitravel.org/en/Hakone
Hakone (Hakone Navi): http://www.hakonenavi.jp/english/
Odakyu Hakone Free Pass (Travel Information): http://www.odakyu.jp/english/freepass/hakone_01.html
Hakone Open Air Museum: http://www.hakone-oam.or.jp/english/index.html
Yunesson Spa: http://www.yunessun.com/english/
Fujiya Hotel: http://www.fujiyahotel.jp/english/index.html
The Little Prince Museum in Hakone: http://www.tbs.co.jp/l-prince/en/
Twitter/Twitpic January 24, 2010
Posted by drutang in Uncategorized.Tags: BC, British Columbia, California Burger, canada, dru, Dru Tang, Hawaii Burger, japan, McDonalds, New York Burger, olympics, Olympics 2010, Shibuya, Shinjuku, tang, Texas, Texas Burger, tokyo, Tweet, TwitPic, Twitter, vancouver, Vancouver 2010, Vancouver Olympics, Vancouver Winter Olympics 2010, Winter 2010, Winter Olympics
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Resting on the way down Mt. Fuji
This is a quick post to let you know that I have started a Twitter account. Sometimes I find interesting things in and around Tokyo, let alone Japan. I will be posting them up there. My Twitter account will probably be very different from this blog. This blog has focused a lot more on my travels in Japan, whereas the Twitter account will probably focus more on things I see.
I have already put up one quick post regarding McDonald’s. They have the new “Texas Burger”. It’s the start of their “State” burgers. Every 15 days, or so, they will release a new burger. February will see the New York and California burger, followed by the Hawaii burger in March. I hope you can enjoy my Twitter page as well as this page.
My Twitter page may also provide a few previews into posts that will come in the future. I will be lucky enough to be heading to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. If I have nice pictures, I will post them into my Twitter account before they go live here with a full post.
http://twitpic.com/photos/dru46
Dru
