This weeks blog is a travel-log and not a biking blog. I have been in Tokyo and Kyoto the past week. This is my first trip to the orient and it has been both very familiar and very different. I enjoy traveling and have just returned from France but obviously Japan is not France. We have been traveling for a week so I am sorry if this blog is a bit uneven.
My first impression of Japan was that Tokyo feels like New York. The women dress finely, the men are wearing suits and everyone is rushing about. At night couples go to dinner or the club. However the similarities end at the feel. In Tokyo there are people everywhere and there is definitely more room in NY. Plus in NY things are closer. We had a guide in Tokyo and if it were not for the guide we would have spent a ton of time negotiating the 15 train lines.
We saw some cultural sites but mostly we visited the neighborhoods. We stayed in the Ginza area where high-end shops abound. Tokyo is very expensive and here are some highlights. Breakfast was $30 per person. A good sushi meal was $45+, beers were $8, the subway charged by distance and it was about $2.50 to $4:00 per trip, and temples etc were about $10. Now for the high end; we saw 1 cantaloupe for $100, no kidding, kimonos were about $125 and a truly fine dining experience was about $150 plus wine. Meat was expensive but the kolbe beef was outrageous. We went out for a kolbe beef dinner and it started at $120 per. We saw the beef at a store for $30 per 7 ounces and Kolbe beef is mostly fat. It was too rich for us.
Japan is a very western country. The old religions and behaviors are dying with the older generation. However some behaviors are holding fast. It is not unusual for the younger generation to go out in traditional dress on dates. Both young men and woman will wear the summer weight kimonos with gorgeous obis and wooden shoes. It was really fun to watch. (I did not take pictures because I wanted to respect their privacy.)
Now for some facts. The average Japanese worker works 60 hour weeks, 5 days, 12 hours. Most men only see their children on Saturdays. Sunday is reserved for the company golf outing. Workers get 2 weeks off and receive 2 bonuses, 2 weeks pay in June and 3 weeks pay in December. The average salary is 60K. Because prices are so high both parents work; the mom usually returning to the workforce after the kids enter 1st grade. There is a huge glass ceiling in Japan with women getting significantly less then men and have to work longer to get a promotion. The average person does not want to practice the older religions and usually does not go out much. It seems the Japanese work hard and are boring.
Now for the sights: Tokyo is mostly shopping and Kyoto is the cultural center of Japan. Kyoto was not bombed during the war so many of the cultural sites remain intact. However, because the buildings are wooden they have burned at one time or another and have been rebuilt. We saw the famous Shogun castle that was not used because the Shogun moved his headquarters to Tokyo. The most impressive temple was the longest wooden building in Japan that housed 1000 buddhas and the protector gods. The other side of the temple housed the archery contest that was started in the 900s. The current record holder is a 16 year old boy who hit 11,200 targets in 24 hours in 1216. Now that’s a record. Another 9 year old had 90% accuracy in the 1500s. These records mean the Cubs have a long way to go before they win a world series.
Kyoto also had great food. Most shops made their own soba, buckwheat noodles, and they were great. The sushi was excellent but was a tad expensive. The only problem was that I was not always sure what I was eating. I am an adventurous eater but I do have limits. At 1 shop the waitress asked if I would like to try some American sushi. I said sure; it was sushi with ketchup.
There were 2 notable events I need to mention before I sign off. We were having dinner at a nice restaurant when everything began to shake. It was the 7.1 earthquake that hit Tokyo. Amazingly no one panicked. We have been experiencing aftershocks ever since the most recent coming today as we were leaving for Hong Kong. After we felt the earthquake we learned that a typhoon was expected to hit the day we left for Kyoto. I had only 1 thought, Cue Godzilla. The second is the heat and humidity. 90 is hot but 90 and 80% humidity is unreal; you sweat just standing around. I was able to get use to the climate but Ruth and Ben wilted in the summer heat.
Japan was great and a fantastic place to visit. The people are nice but we did not really meet or get to know anyone. The cultural sites are fascinating and uniquely different. Being from the West has not prepared me for the Orient. I Have missed biking but I have had a chance to workout. We all must make some sacrifices.
So until next week: See you in Hong Kong.
