Day 1
We
arrived in Kansai International Airport outside of Osaka around noon. We
arrived in Kyoto at around four pm, but the ride only took around 75 minutes.
Why the discrepancy? My scooter unnerved the JR people, who were apparently
unfamiliar with it – I was told I could not take it aboard the JR Haruka train
to Kyoto. My parents had to argue with them, saying that my scooter could fold.
By the time we had arrived in Kyoto it was too late for visiting shrines and
temples, which often close at 4:30 or 5 pm, which was disappointing. I had done
a lot of research specifically on Kyoto. At the same time, I was also excited
because I had read about Kyoto and some of its temples in volume seven of the
Oregairu light novel series. We just
visited the Isetan department store and bought Japanese food – including Yakitori
chicken – for dinner. The food was good at least. The hotel at which we stayed
was located right by Kyoto Station and was quite luxurious (though expensive).
There were 4 beds in the room, one for each of us.
Day 2
Today
we actually visited the historic Japanese sites in the city. First we visited
the Higashi-Honganji Temple, which was quite cool. I enjoyed the exterior but
the interior was the best part. The
floor was covered with tatami mats and lighting streamed in from the outside.
Kneeling in the temple felt serene, akin to the famous mosques of Istanbul. We
got to witness a prayer, even. Japanese schoolchildren and their parents
participated, while the monks (I’m not sure if that’s the right word) led. My
sister and dad went back to the hotel but me and my mom continued onto the
Shosei-en garden.
When
me and my mom arrived at the Shosei-en garden, it began raining rather vigorously.
My mom already had an umbrella but a lady at the admission desk loaned me one.
I accidentally bumped into the desk while backing out on my scooter, prompting
a Daijobu[1]
from the lady. Then we went exploring the sea of green and various buildings. My
favorite moment was standing on the wooden bridge, holding the umbrella above
my head. Of this my mom took a picture. I enjoyed the view greatly. The garden
was quite pretty, though hard to traverse in a scooter. I had to leave my
scooter at one point due to the stones in the way. Nishi-Honganji temple was
also interesting but felt very similar. Learning that many of the Kyoto buses
were accessible, we took a bus back to the hotel. In Japan they use foldable
ramps stored inside the bus to allow scooters and wheelchairs on board buses. I
thought that was an effective way of making buses accessible. Electric lifts
are quite finicky and slow, after all. Upon arriving in the hotel we checked
out of the room.
With
this knowledge of the bus system, me and my family were able to visit the
Kinkakuji Temple – Temple of the Golden Pavilion – with ease. Kinkakuji was
literally covered in gold foil, reflecting off the sunlight. Smaller buildings
were also nearby – these were also aesthetically appealing. The temple itself
and its grounds were nice to look at but the area was hard to traverse in a
scooter. (I think you can see a trend
appearing, but don’t worry: a lot of the temples and shrines we visited were
accessible.)
That
evening we went to Kyoto Station to travel to Shizuoka via a fast train.
I
think that Rail Wars! describes this
portion of the journey quite well. We learned that my scooter, which I had
brought from the US, could not go on the train. My dad, as he did many times
this trip, said that the scooter could be partially disassembled and made
lighter. It took nearly an hour for us
to learn that my scooter was too heavy and to also realize that a simple
solution existed. I left my scooter in the storage room and we borrowed a JR
wheelchair until I returned. We had to return to Kyoto Station to reach Kansai
International airport, anyways. Unfortunately by the time we had realized this
the next train was coming quickly (for we had missed the train we had reserved
seats on). So we went really fast with the help of a JR employee. Ultimately we
made it onto a train and were on our way to Shizuoka where we stayed the night.
My parents got one room, and me and my sister got another room, with each room having two beds.
Day 3
We
travelled to Tokyo for the day via Shinkansen[2],
a journey taking roughly an hour. While my dad tried to get reserved seats for
our return to the airport (on Day 5), me and my mom figured out our plan of
attack while my sister analyzed her phone. Today we focused on things-to-do in
Harajuku, Ueno, and Akihabara.
First
we saw the Meiji Jingu shrine in Harajuku. Its path, which was fairly long, was
gravel, making transportation via wheelchair difficult and aggravating. The
wait, however, was worthwhile, for the shrine itself was well-designed and
quite pretty. One highlight was a large taiko drum next to the ramp leading to
the elevated part of the shrine. Another was a paper on which one could write prayers
to give to the shrine; I took one and an envelope but didn’t write anything.
In
Ueno, we saw the park and the National Museum of Nature and Science. Both were
alright. The Ueno Park contains a multitude of museums and other things,
including the famous Ueno Zoo. In the museum we saw a 3-D film about the
evolution of mankind, in particular highlighting early Japanese peoples. We
stood in a chamber where the 3-D film enveloped us with images, sound, and motion.
I liked the exhibitions showing the evolution of certain animals over time.
Basically, they shrunk. I guess evolution favors smaller animals or something?
Akihabara
was our last major stop in Tokyo for the day. We visited Friday evening, the
district’s apparent primetime. Akiba featured more people and vibrant shop
lights than I expected, but then again it is the electronics district and
co-districted with anime and otaku culture. The Tokyo Anime center was more
barren than expected, only taking up one (large) room on the fourth floor of
the UDX building. Not speaking Japanese, I had some difficulty reading what
items said. Despite that, I saw a lot of cool stuff. They were airing some
anime featuring voice actor Saori Hayami (I think) but it looked unfamiliar. I
also saw a couple magazine things, one of which talked about an upcoming Gundam
series. I saw a couple Nagi no Asakura
posters, in addition to t-shirts and other merchandise. Surprisingly they also
had something involving the show Another, but I couldn’t tell exactly what it
was. I also saw a Railgun poster
featuring Mikoto and Kuroko sitting on the bed, reading some sort of magazine.
There were also posters for Mahouka, Hitsugi no Chaika, and Anohana. The store did not really have a
lot of posters per se, but rather smaller versions of them. I saw some for Gochuumon wa desu usagi ka?, Chuu2, Fate/Kaleid Prisma Ilya. A couple standouts involved the “wedding”
scene from Chuu2, and a poster of
Rikka and Dekomori – two of the main characters in the show - wearing bunny
ears. There were also a number of keychains including Hotaru from Non Non Biyori, Kuroneko and Kirino from
Oreimo, and some other ones. Another
keychain featured the head of a cow on a crossing symbol (for Non Non Biyori). A Fate/Kaleid glass class was on display, with the decorated cloth
hanging down. Non Non Biyori and Chuu2 had a few card cases. They even
had Gochuumon-themed pens and
stickers, as well as a keyboard pad (I think).
I
ultimately purchased two things: a Non
Non Biyori card case and a Gochuumon mini-poster
sticker-sized thing. The designs on both were quite awesome, though the latter
is not particularly pragmatic. On the case was featured the main girls –
Hotaru, Renge, Natsumi, and Komari – standing among autumn leaves, each with
varying expressions. Komari is the only one smiling, while Hotaru and Natsumi
look upwards curiously and Renge seems distracted. All in all, the picture
comes together quite nicely; it also serves as a reminder of one of my favorite
shows. The Gochuumon item had the
show’s Japanese name written out, with its translation Is the order a rabbit? Written
below. It features the five main girls Chino, Chiyo, Cocoa, Rize, and Sharo ,
each holding an instrument. The instruments shown are: flute, violin,
accordion, tambourine, and what appears to be bagpipes. I also quite enjoyed
this design. It doesn’t hurt that I really liked the show, either. Would these
items be worth the ~$22 without the designs or connections to those shows?
Nope. But they had them, which counts.
I
also checked out Animate, a large manga bookstore which also features anime
trading cards. (I don’t get it either.) As
far as the trading cards go, I saw some of Rewrite
(which is a visual novel, so technically not an anime), Yuru Yuri, Madoka, Denpa Onna, and some other stuff. The
store was quite decorated in anime and manga characters, with the elevators
being covered with similar designs. My mom had me take pictures inside the
store. I also saw some Psycho Pass manga.
Because
I was using a wheelchair my family members got to see some of the Akihabara
experience. Akiba probably seemed quite strange to my family, which probably by
corollary made me seem quite strange. I still found the trip completely
worthwhile. I plan to use my NNB card case for my school ID as a returning
senior and for whatever cards I’ll have to swipe in the future. There’s a
practical reason for this – having to reach into my pocket is more annoying
riding a scooter, so it’s easier to just have some I can swipe more easily.
By
the end my family was quite done, so we headed back to Shizuoka to rest. While
returning from our first (of two) day in Tokyo, I read volume one of the light
novel Hyouka. The Shinkansen ride
from Tokyo to Shizuoka is not that exciting, especially at night. Oreki – the main
character- made a comment about Ueno Zoo’s
giant pandas. I had been in Ueno Park, which engulfs the Zoo, mere hours
earlier, so I found the reference amusing. I actually can understand some
references to Tokyo now!
Day 4
We
travelled again to Tokyo. Today we accomplished visiting Asakusa, Marunouchi,
and Fukushima (a city north of Tokyo).
Our
first stop was Marunouchi, the part of Tokyo surrounding the Tokyo station. Its
most important site is the Imperial Palace, whose exterior was visible from the
surrounding gardens. These gardens were obviously well-kept. I was disappointed
that we could not see the Imperial Palace proper, but one needs reservations
for that. The moat surrounding the Palace, though dirty, was expansive and
impressive somehow.
In
Asakusa we honed in on the Sensoji Temple, a major tourist destination for
Tokyo. We first saw the Kaminarimon Gate, leading to the temple. On our way to the temple – past the gate – we
saw the Nakamise shopping street, where various wares were sold. I did not buy
anything but it was still neat to see. We unfortunately could not find anything
for my older sister – who was not with us in Japan – here. This temple was
vividly red and featured dragon statues at the entrance. A tower was visible in
the distance, standing impressively above us. Inside the temple proper we saw
black lanterns hanging from the ceiling, something new to me. Before the main
building was a fire pit, from which smoke emanated. Here one was supposed to
stand at the edge and fan the smoke back towards oneself. I didn’t see the
point but I participated regardless.
Then
we visited the Ameyoko market in the Ueno area; here we looked again for
clothes. We surprisingly managed to find Turkish food (doner kebabs). My dad,
remembering some Turkish, spoke to the owner (though the owner also knew
English and Japanese). We got four free cans of Coca Cola as a result. Our
kebabs were to go. Despite the market’s reputation for being affordable, it
wasn’t cheap enough (for kimonos and t-shirts).
We
took a Shinkansen to Fukushima afterwards.
Somehow we had managed to take the wrong train, so we got off at the next stop.
Then we took the right train and rode comfortably the rest of the way. (And we
finally got to consume the doner kebabs.) We passed rolling hills and trees but
unfortunately the sky turned dark blue, obscuring my vision. Upon arrival in
Fukushima we simply took a Shinkansen
back to Tokyo Station. At some point, I
began watching rain streak diagonally on the window against the night. Some
rain fell in a stream while others are composed of more discrete droplets. The
train’s swift speed led to water translating quickly in two dimensions.
Meanwhile nocturnal Japan kept moving past. Water is given no chance to fall
straight down, so the bottom right part of the window stays almost dry. By now
I have travelled on the Shinkansen
many times but this display was dazzling in its own way. Upon completion of the
rain, much of the water dried up due to forced convection urged by the train’s
great speed. We made our way back to our hotel and called it a day.
Day 5
Today
I returned to South Korea with my family, requiring a Shinkansen ride from Shizuoka to Kyoto and an Express Train to
Kansai International Airport. Before leaving Shizuoka, we visited two Shizuoka
monuments: Fugetsuro and the Hodaiin Temple. Neither were major but both were
aesthetically pleasing at least. Fugetsuro was the house of a shogun with a clear pond in front. I saw an orange
fish floating around. A garden surrounded both the pond and house. The Hodaain
temple was more or less a building next to a grave. The surrounding buildings
did not really fit in.
So
ended our active sightseeing in Nihon[3] –
we then returned to the hotel and prepared to leave. At each stop several Jr
employees assisted me, making our return smoother than coming. I got my scooter
back at Kyoto Station. After what happened on Day 2 we came to some implicit
understanding that me and my family needed help. The JR employees guided us
along the accessible paths. This experience was beneficial for them too – the JR
staff was unfamiliar with mobility scooters but now they were learning. While waiting
for the JR Haruka train to leave for the airport, my dad instructed the JR
employees who were helping us with making my scooter more compact. (The general
process is removing the chair and basket, then rotating the control stand down.)
The JR employees at the airport specifically voiced their intention to improve
their services for the future. My initial experiences (Days 1 and 2) were
unfavorable for traveling on JR lines. Past that the traveling became a lot
more streamlined with their help. Though they were initially unhelpful, I
admired that they strove to improve their system, rather than simply pinning
the blame on me. On the Haruka train I also tried out Sushi for the first time.
It was okay, but I probably still need to get used to the taste of seaweed.
Some
Overall Impressions
1. Upon
arrival I learned that I actually remembered some spoken Japanese (due to
anime). I think Japanese people generally appreciated people trying to speak
Japanese, even if they are not particularly good at it. Even more fascinating
was understanding bits of conversation. Before you ask, I did say usagi[4]
a few times. And fuyukai desu[5]
once when my dad wanted to take a photo of me in the airport. I got to even
hear kawaii[6]
a few times. No hyouka[7]
though. Though I did not pick up many new words, I feel that this experience
has helped fortify my spoken Japanese. I enjoyed the bowing I got to see from
hotel employees and such too.
2. Japan
– at least Osaka through Tokyo (east) and up to Fukushima in the north – is
quite beautiful in its lushness and unique architecture. The cities are
obviously modernized but contain many more traditional buildings as well. What
I saw tended to in fact feature old and new side-by-side. The weather was
either hot or cloudy and/or rainy. Humidity was present as well, obviously. In
many ways Japan reminded me of Oregon. Cyclists, runners, rain, vegetation.
Sure sounds a bit like Portland.
3. I
regret not getting to see Nagoya, Osaka, and other cities like Nara. I did
enjoy spending time mainly in Kyoto and Tokyo, but I wish I could have stayed
longer in both respective cities.
4. I
preferred Kyoto over Tokyo because it featured more historic buildings and had
less of a generic big-city vibe. Both cities were great, however.
5. I
found more French food than expected in Japan. There were a number of French-style
bakeries in all the cities we visited. One
cool find was chicken tandoori sandwiches at Vie de France[8] in
Kyoto. While in Shizuoka we frequented a bakery called The Little Mermaid. I
also ate food from L’Ami du Pain[9]
(which was at Kyoto station) on the ride
to the airport. We also got to eat Turkish food at Ueno, as I said earlier. I
should also note that I finally tried out tofu and sushi. We unfortunately did
not eat that much Japanese food in restaurants, so I missed out on that
experience.
6. As
far as accessibility goes, I found the stations to be pretty accessible. There
were ample elevators and ramps, and none of those weird wheelchair lifts that
they have in Seoul metro. The buses were made accessible due to foldable ramps,
which was nice. We also encountered those ramps in the metro – we were helped
by station employees with those. I found that other than the Kinkakuji Temple
and the Shosei-en garden, Japan was pretty accessible. There is room for
improvement naturally, but the accessibility was better than I had thought. The
trains required ramps sometimes but were easy to manage. I hope that in the
future Japan can improve its accessibility so I don’t fall prey to what
happened Days 1 and 2 again!
7. I
really enjoyed Japan and I think I want to go back again in the future!
[1]
More or less ‘it’s okay.’
[2]
Bullet train
[3]
What the Japanese call Japan
[4] Rabbit
[5] More
or less ‘How unpleasant’
[6]
Cute
[7]
Ice cream
[8]
Life of France
[9]
Friend of Bread
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