Just left Tokyo at a cruising speed of about 280km per hour! The thing that strikes you first about the bullet train is its length! It’s also beautifully streamlined and quiet inside. Finally just got a nice look at Mt Fuji. It appears like a monolith in much the same way Uluru does and has the same spiritual significance to the Japanese as Uluru does to Aborigines.
New Year’s Eve in Tokyo was another bizarre experience for one reason only..nothing happened! We went on the internet to find out where the best spot would be to watch the fireworks given that’s what the world’s big cities do right? Internet says go down near the bay to Tsukishima, a big city within a city if you like. No one around. Almost everything closed but a burger chain called Mo Burger. I swear we thought we were in a zombie movie! Literally what was normally a street filled with half a million people was down to a dozen! After Mo’s I was still hungry so we went to a 7/11 and I bought an éclair but instead of pastry it was surrounded in sponge and filled with cream. It felt heavy, so given the pig I am, I had made my mind up that this may well be the most disgusting cream filled dessert of all time! Fact was it was so heavy because there was a bloody banana concealed inside! Goddamn it.
All this time we are assuming that the fireworks will have its roots in the Skytree ala Sydney Harbour Bridge or Eureka Tower, therefore we wanted a view but didn’t want to be in with the hordes. I’ve always hated NYE, the crowds and the drunken idiots. It’s prescribed, manufactured fun as far as I’m concerned, mind you I’m probably still bitter from the early days when I was one of those drunken idiots and no girls would pash me at midnight!
So we then hopped back on the subway and headed north towards stations closer to the Skytree. Still no one around! Finally we bit the bullet and went to The Skytree. Nothing. I’d had enough by this stage and burst into a 7/11 just under the Skytree demanding to know where the fireworks were! The poor unsuspecting clerks stopped in their tracks as this hairy beast says in a commanding voice (still not loud in western terms) “Excuse me, are there fireworks at the Skytree tonight?” and gestured with arms up and around like a mushroom bomb. For all I know they probably heard, “Me and my old lady are going to blow up the Skytree tonight!” in a voice so loud by Japanese standards that it blew their perfectly shiny straight hair back from their faces!
I apologised if I frightened them then we went back to the hotel and watched some of the craziest TV in the world. Japanese TV has an obsession with celebrity and game shows that humiliate celebrities. You could watch TV across all channels for an hour, not know one thing about what you’ve seen including ads, but I guarantee it’s hard to look away!
Postscript to this story is that the Japanese don’t outwardly celebrate New Years Eve or Xmas. It’s called “Omisoka”, just quiet family time which is what we should have done instead of forcing New Years Eve upon us. Had we perhaps found that out earlier it may have saved us a journey:
Now that we are out of Tokyo and its 3 hours to Kyoto, I thought we’d put together some of our thoughts of Tokyo for what their worth that might help if you plan to come in the future:
- TRAINS – Clean, safe and on time. Case closed! Every train on the subway arrived a minute early and the seats are comfortable and heated in winter which is why a lot of people fall asleep! Getting around the stations to transfer lines is easy although it may take a couple of times to get used to. We only got a bit confused at the really big stations where JR and metro lines intertwine. There are guards everywhere if you need help and I know I’ve mentioned it before but there was absolutely not one skerrick of graffiti! The best way to get around is with a Pasmo card. Similar to a Myki but cheaper and faster. The best way to sum up the Tokyo rail system, and even getting on the bullet train this morning…seamless. The JR pass is the one for travelling around the country as opposed to the Pasmo card which you can recharge and covers you around the subway.
- FOOD – Arguably the biggest reason to go! Extraordinary noodles and broth stuff! And a myriad of other options. I’ve been a bit daring and had algae, seaweed, dumplings on a stick that were like chewing gum, soy beans with cous cous, miso soup, tempura and lots of cold pickled vegies. You’ll see plastic models of food on plates displayed in shop fronts that are incredible and ordering your meal in a vending machine ‘cash registerl’ is an experience you have to have! The biscuits are really light and yummy also. You can’t have a food category without mentioning the vending machines. There are all sorts but mainly drinks and they are everywhere! I couldn’t believe where many of them were placed because if they were put in similar places in Australia they’d be on the back of a ute and being dismantled at someone’s garage! Other highlights were the confectionary and ice creams! Soft serve in a freezer and a white peach flavoured frozen ice with a monkey’s head on the packet were my favourites!
- SIGHTS – Plenty of historical and modern things to see. Unfortunately we came at the wrong time being the Xmas/New Year break and a few of the things we wanted to see were closed. All the precincts in Tokyo are fascinating. We took nothing more with us than a subway map. Once you’ve decided on a couple of key things to do for the day just take your chances and explore. You will never be disappointed.
- THE PEOPLE – I know I’ve harped on a fair bit but the humility of the Japanese struck us as the major culture shock upon arrival and still does a week later. Our culture is just so harsh and unforgiving at times. I can only imagine what the Japanese must think when they hear us speak. There are also too many racists in Australia. Fact. “They come over here and take our jobs!” “You don’t have a job, never have, will never want one, drink, smoke, have $2,000 tattoo of a southern cross on your back but somehow you own a home 5 kids? Go figure!” Where Australia is going at the moment with what we are seeing recently at Melton and Bendigo saddens me deeply. What astounds me is that Tokyo was flattened by an earthquake in 1923 and firebombed by the Allies until it was ash in 1945. When you talk resilience, that is remarkable to have come back from that. They are hard as cat’s heads, so when I see racists in Australia rallying against refugees, is it just me, because I really want to eliminate these vermin from the earth. Might take up meditation classes upon my return!
I really liked the movie Lost in Translation when I first saw it. It appeared to capture a lot of the confusion and madness that westerners feel when they hit Tokyo, but I would have to say that the movie barely scratches the surface. We don’t drink anymore so the nightlife thing was never going to happen but all we can say is this great city is a feast for eyes, brain and heart. A truly worthwhile experience.
We are now 2 hours in and there has been a combination of enormous suburban spread similar to yesterday when we headed to Mt Takao and we have seen more snow capped mountains and glorious ocean. Can’t wait to get to Kyoto.
Below some photos from NYE in Tokyo, night of the zombie apocalypse!
Below are some photos from the trip to Kyoto on the bullet train. So much to see on from the bullet train but it goes so fast, Lynda would say, “hey check that …never mind”.
Arrived in Kyoto about 2 pm and seamlessly drag ourselves from 2 more local trains to where we are staying.
Our host Niall sent us detailed idiot proof instructions and yes I worked it out thanks for asking. This is the 3rd time we have used Air BnB and it’s awesome. We used it for Boston in 2014 and Bright in Vic last year. We also used housetrip.com for New York in 2014 and that was excellent also. It just is so much nicer than a hotel. You feel like you’re part of the neighbourhood and we’ve been so lucky with locations. This is no exception. Haven’t completely got our bearings yet but it’s really old and very very cool. We went for a walk and there was a huge New Year’s Day crowd down the street all over the shrines and restaurants. We managed to sit down at another one of the vending machine cashier restaurants and had a mighty feed for A$8 each. Amazing sights already with the girls in kimonos everywhere and narrow streets with webs of electrical wiring that’s just been tacked on over the decades. We sat down in the restaurant and who should sit down right opposite us on the bench but a girl in a kimono and a Buddhist Priest! Welcome to Kyoto! Went and did some washing and grocery shopping for the next few days. Have come back for a cuppa and rest before heading out later.
Cheers
