We are in Tokyo now but I thought I’d share some last photos from Toyama and Takaoka Most of the manhole covers in Toyama were painted. Is there a more generic name these days? Where did “manhole” come from anyway? School zone. Beware of speedy kids. A typical street in Toyama. What to drink? Why…
Shazam, we’re in Tokyo
A massive city. The largest city on earth. Could be its own country. Bustling, busy, lots of people looking trendy. Big City, Earth. That was our last ride on. Shinkansen (from Toyama to Tokyo). Last stop on our 6 six week blitz through Japan. First day of Golden Week. Kind of a spring break for…
Tokyo head-on
The train we got on in Toyama this morning was full by the time we hit Tokyo Station. And then it emptied. I expected the worst at the station: a rush of people coming from every direction aggravated at me for getting in the way. Instead, although plentiful with people, the exit signs were clear and it didn’t seem…
Big Buddha
Having become fascinated with the notion of infinite Buddhas, I couldn’t resist suggesting an outing to one of the great bronze Buddha statues in Japan. Located in Takaoka, a mere 20 minute train ride from Toyama station, this giant 16 meter high bronze statue of Amithaba Buddha was quite a sight. The statue originated in…
Hotel room cleaning and safety
Every regular hotel room we’ve stayed in comes with some version of these signs (photo below) on the back of the door. There is also often a small control panel in the wall next to the door with a button to push if you want the room fully cleaned. It turns on a tiny green…
From Kanaya-machi to the Sea of Japan
This morning we took a train from Toyama to Takaoka to see the Takaoka Daibutsu, one of the three largest Buddha statues in Japan. Ella’s photos give you an idea of his enormity. Below the Buddha there was a shrine which had a semi-circular hallway behind it with paintings of bliss alternating with paintings of demons reminding…
Glass
A 20 minute walk from our hotel got us to the Toyama Glass Art Museum where there was a special small exhibition of Chihuly. I love the stuff. The rest of the exhibit space was devoted to other glass artists, many local. The building itself, designed by Kengo Kuma, was quite spectacular with open spaces…
At the foot of the Japanese Alps
A short train ride from Kanazawa this morning got us to Toyama where we’ll stay a couple of nights before going to Tokyo. Toyama which translates as “distant mountains” in Japanese, is a coastal city on the Sea of Japan that starts the Tateyama Karobe Alpine Route leading through the Tateyama mountains to the north. While…
Last stop before the last stop
From Kanazawa to Toyama. We are in Toyama for 2 nights only. By Shinkhansen, it was under a 30 minute ride. Toyama is our last stop before Tokyo. Below. Sign in the Kanazawa train station. Japan has a reputation for being very safe. BUT, with the influx of millions of tourists, well, not all tourists…
Kanazawa hodgepodge
Claw games are a big deal. We stepped into a claw game arcade to check it out. Each try costs 100 yen (US 70 cents). You can grab anything from a big stuffed animal to a package of cookies to a transformer car. Yeah, I was tempted to try but..oh well I have no excuse….
Not standing on ceremony
Touring the Meiji era residences its been evident that in the rooms where guests were greeted and tea was served it was a carefully choreographed seated affair. The hearth (“Ro”) was fitted into the floor; there was an alcove (“Toko-no-ma”) where art was displayed; and there were a set of shelves for preparation (“Mizuya”) where the…
Then there was the Zen view
From the top-of-the-stairs entrance to the Saiyogi Zen temple we climbed to yesterday. This was after we went up the gated stairs to the Ryokokuji temple.
Saiyoji Zen Temple
Saiyoji is a Zen temple In the Utatsuyama district of Kanazawa and is noted for its bell tower which dates to the 1850s. The architecture, the sign said, uses fan raftering where the elements are arranged radially. It seems this is a typical structure for Zen Buddhist temples. I got a not so great photo…
A quiet morning
Utatsuyama is the quietest and oldest of the temple districts in Kanazawa sporting 100 temples. After today, we have 96 to go. You won’t find any crowds in this neck of the woods. No cutesy cafes or souvenir shops. In Utatsuyama, nestled in the foothills of the Japanese Alps, is Shinjoji Temple. A bit of…
It’s not about the museum
Not if you’ve decided to drop by the D.T. Suzuki Museum in Kanazawa. Which we did after hiking up to some wonderful shrines in the hills overlooking the city. When I was in college my Zen reading included Suzuki along with Alan Watts. I discovered after we got here that Suzuki was raised in Kanazawa and there…