November Report from Japan 3
Visit in Oarai, Ibaraki
E-chan took me to visit in Oarai, in Ibaraki prefecture. I wanted to watch the sea. I didn't have much chance for that before. I was very happy to go there. E-chan looked so happy too.
We took the Joban line to Mito and transferred to Kashima Rinkai Tetsudo line. Waiting the train, we had a pretty nice lunch in a fast food restaurant. I couldn't decide which food to order, so, I gave room for gentleman behind us. He looked busy, with his trolley. After he ordered his take-out food, he suddenly gave me the change, 400 yen. E-chan tried to refuse, but the man smiled and waved his hand. I was left touched by his kindness.
We took Kashima Rinkai Tetsudo line for Oarai. It was diesel operated, very small train. Inside smelled some kind of fuel pretty strongly. And the train kept cozy diesel sound.
"This is countryside" I thought. No sign of high buildings or highways. People had that countryside appearance. Everywhere just ricefields.
We had to walk the rest. It took about twenty minutes by foot. We finally arrived the coast line and saw the huge marine tower. Nearby, there was a shipyard. The ship was going to Sapporo. There were so many seagulls. (Too many!)
Up there in Marine Tower, they had a pretty nice and cheap restaurant. We were not so hungry, so we just ordered coffee and cheese cake. I wondered why cheese cakes are so popular in Japan. Maybe its because Japanese people generally don't like sweet cakes so much. Coffee was okay. View was great from up there! If we had time, it would have been perfect moment for some Beaujolais Nouveau 2005.
After having coffee, we climbed down from the Marine Tower and finally went to beach. It was already getting dark. I took my shoes and socks of and dipped my feet to the Pacific Ocean. I realized how different Pacific Ocean looks from Ibaraki. We are often watching it from the Tokyo bay, but from here, waves look somehow different.
I love the sound of the waves. It is really deep and blue. This was wonderful experience. Getting tired, we caught the train back. Next time, we want to go to Oarai Aquarium, most famous Aquarium in Ibaraki.
Shibuya hangout
I was meeting M-chan in Roppongi. She is editor of a magazine I was doing photography for earlier. She took me to a nice small restaurant that offered a nice view to an office tower nearby. It was very small nice little restaurant. The owner was very kind and made jokes all the time. M-chan recommended me a Beaujolais Nouveau 2005. It turned out to be excellent. I learned that this year's harvest was excellent due to warm weather. Food was nice, and it was such a quiet place. I must ask the name of the restaurant from M-chan again.
It appeared to happen that I missed my last train back. Taxi was out of the question and well, hotel would have simply been too expensive. M-chan was too kind. She introduced me to her friend who took me to party in nightclub in Shibuya, Planet AKA.
The nightclub was all Blazing Drum'n'Bass. Interesting feature was that the club was split in two floors, separated by soundproof glass. First floor introduced something like lounge Drum'n'Bass, a little a bit more mild tone. Drinks were expensive, but then again they are in every place in Shibuya. Downstairs it was all loud and rocking. On a large screen, they projected visual psychedelics. Something like Winamp visualization. People were a little too young to my taste but music was really rocked.
I enjoyed dancing, until I was too tired to continue. I was impressed. Everyone looked so relaxed there and enjoyed nice chat upstairs. The way how women and men mixed so naturally together was so touching! There was no awkwardness in sight. What a cool place this is, I thought! If it were little cheaper, I might come here often, I thought. Entrance fee is usually at least 2000, but sometimes 4000. And well, its good to bear in mind that places like these don't usually have tap water. Mineral water is least you can get..
M-chan's friend took me with taxi to his place and offered me kindly a bed to sleep. What a cool evening!
Why don't you check out these links: http://dublab.jp and http://www.planetaka.com
Hideous Vehicles - Visit in Yokkaichi / Nagoya
I had chance to visit in Yokkaichi city. A writer Fu-chan invited me there to see her and her family. The visit was 
interesting. I boarded JR Night bus from Tokyo station to Nagoya.
JR Night bus is quite interesting thing. Its much cheaper than using Shinkansen. Shinkansen ticket would cost double. Sure Shinkansen is more faster and therefore comfortable. Night bus from Tokyo station to Nagoya took about six and half hours. The first bus I took was old one, and it's movement was somewhat violent. Also the seating was so narrow that neighbor's body was touching mine constantly. I gave up the thought about sleep and concentrated on listening music. Nightbus stopped every now and then allowing people to drop by in toilet or convenience store. A bus kept strange whistling sound constantly. Later when I explained about the bus, my Japanese friend Nao-chan simply said: "As far as me, I will refuse to mount such a hideous vehicle. "
Gladly the bus on returning journey was much newer. Totally from different planet. I could get the lost sleeping hours back.
In Nagoya I switched to Kintetsu line that took me to Yokkaichi city, in Mie prefecture. Scenery was very different
around there. The profile of cities is much lower than in Tokyo. Mountains surrounded the place. Many rivers.
I arrived Yokkaichi at 8 AM. I was waiting for Fu-chan in Miyako Hotel in Yokkaichi city. I absolutely had to check my email, but there was only one internet cafe around. It was operated by a family that were teaching a class how to use Microsoft Office products. There was only one old computer free, with a Windows 98 operating system. It was enough for me since I could check my emails.
Fu-chan's house was next to small bamboo forest. I took my time photographing the forest from different angles. First thing I understood was that the people in Yokkaichi are much more friendlier than in Tokyo. There was a national holiday at the time I visited there. I saw plenty of families, having a walk outside, or playing.
Despite their age, all of them said cheerful"Konnichiwa" or "Konbanwa". Even gardener who was busy gardening, nodded and said casual "hi".
Fu-chan took me to visit in botanical garden with her family. I had good time. Christmas illumination was fantastic. A little too much for my taste, but well, it was nice.
Back in Nagoya, I was impressed about the huge electric star display in front of JR station. It demonstrated the constellations. Towers in Nagoya are huge.
Ginza
A day before my departure, I went to Ginza. I had some JAL mileage which I wanted to use. As usual, I spent them in
hotel. After all I needed a place to stay on my "last" day in Japan. So Nikko Hotel Ginza it should be! I had 15.000 yen in coupons, and the cost was 15.500, so all I needed was to pay the remaining part 500.
I paid a visit to Apple Store in Ginza. Their service is so good, plus you can check your email there absolutely for free. Its amazing how popular iPod is nowadays in Japan. Almost everyone has some model of it. I'm not kidding. Almost everyone.
Ginza was so glorious. But I was feeling tired and didn't exactly feel like going out to eat. So when E-chan came, we went to nearest Doutor and bought bag full of hot dogs and other kinds of foods, and coffee. And had a small party at the hotel. :) Doutor is pretty nice place, what comes to taking out food. Its not that expensive either.
Which is your station at Narita Airport?
Couple of things happened on the next morning, including an unexpected delay of Keisei express train. I was 
standing there in Narita Airport Terminal 2, holding my luggage, without believing my eyes. I had arrived to wrong terminal.
(In Keisei Skyliner, they have text about this. It seems I wasn't the first one who mistook. See the picture!)
AY074 GATE CLOSED.
So I had missed my flight. Gladly, due to delay of Keisei line, they arranged me a seat on the next flight. So I was OK about the ticket. But I still needed a place to stay. E-chan is living with her parents after all and I didn't have enough money for hotel. In fact I had almost no money at all.
I managed to call to K-chan. Well,I felt really sorry to call her like that, but I thought that I had better to do so. I didn't need even to ask, she was so swift to help me! She gave a call to her ex student, Shi-chan. They had empty room and they said OK. K-chan was so kind to me. I have never felt being taken care of so well.
After all I had not eaten anything the entire day. Only finished a bottle of CC Lemon. So first thing K-chan did was that she bought me a KFC chicken, almost all possible kinds. When I dug my tooth to it, I was so happy that tears came. I was so hungry!
And then, Shi-chan's husband took me to Japanese onsen in Kasukabe. It was truly fantastic experience. It was my first experience in onsen after all. I washed my body throughout first. It felt great, after that day in the sweaty tie and clothes in the airport. My feet were crying in pain.
Then I dipped myself to the bubble bath inside. Water was so warm, just perfect. Then I went to sauna. It's true what they say, in that sauna, there was TV! The TV was hidden with some kind of steam/heatproof glass. For me, I thought, I'm not so interested to watch TV in sauna. But well, can't complain.
Next thing I did was that I dipped myself to the 10 degrees water bath, and then went outside. It was so great. They had huge bath with volcanic sulfur water, and smaller bath where you can stretch your legs. I could watch the sky. If you are lucky, you can even see stars. There were so many beautiful trees, and Japanese style roof. Although a road passed nearby, I heard no sound of a car at all. It was so peaceful and quiet.
I folded my towel under my neck and stretched out. I remembered missing my flight at the airport. The feeling of standing out there, luggage in my hands. I felt like I was given a second chance.
Later, I learned that Shi-chan's husband is a professional photographer. He has wonderful collection of cameras. I'm surprised how popular hobby collecting old cameras is in Japan. This time I met three people accidentally who have impressive collection of classic cameras. Voigtlanders, Rollei, Leicas. You name it!
800 kilogram kites, Persimmons and other things
My last days went like flying in Japan. I met K-chan many times and her lovely cats. They were so cute and fantastic animals. And her dog! She was truly a sweet dog.
Shi-chan took me to a kite museum in Saitama prefecture, which introduced interesting, 800 kilogram kite. "The
Huge Kites Flying Festival" is held on May 3 and 5, at the bank of Edo River, just nearby the kite museum. Isn't it funny name? Huge Kites Flying Festival.
Oh! And Shi-chan took me to a swimming pool. It was really interesting, although little embarrassing experience. Japanese swimming pools are usually little different from western ones. First difference is that you absolutely must wear the rubbery swimming hat since hair might mess up the pool. Another is the regulation that no jewelry is allowed. And remember, if there is some kind of a lobby there, you are not allowed to use swim wear in the lobby! (Of course!) Well, I couldn't quite catch what Shi-chan was saying and ended up walking in my swimwear through the lobby, trying to find the pool. Bunch of Japanese housewives laughed at me so much. Embarassed, I waved my hand and went back. At the pool, everyone stared at me as if I'm from foreign planet. Well, I suppose no foreigners go to such place before.
In sauna, there was a man in his late fifties, with plenty of tattoo. But he was very kind man and we had nice chat about our countries and culture.
Shi-chan's husband was so kind to me and we drank a lot of hot sake together. I couldn't enjoy more! And then Shi-chan rented a video for me, Yasujiro Ozu's movie, Tokyo Monogatari. Setsuko Hara was so lovely in it, like always.
I met earlier K-chan's friend, Nao-chan. She was drying Japanese persimmon, kaki fruits. There were so many of them in her house, hanging. They truly taste delicious. Its hard for me to believe that Japan is the only fortunate country to have these great fruits.
Departure
My departure went smoothly. K-chan cooked me a nice breakfast, and then K-chan's husband took me to Ueno by train. I could have managed to go myself of course, but he wanted to help me with my luggage. I wanted to cry, these people were so kind to me. Then in Ueno, E-chan was waiting for me and we boarded Keisei Skyliner back to the airport. This time, directly to Terminal 1. (Chuckle).
I want to say special thanks for K-chan and Shi-chan for taking so good care of me. Because of you I could experience wonderful things. Thank you for everyone who I met. I wish to see you soon again.
