Shopping Streets III - Japan

When you are in Japan, there's always one thing that you will notice that's different from any other country you visit. The way their local shops are set up in a cooperative known as a shopping street. I've mentioned about the shopping streets in Kyoto previously - Kiyomizuzaka and Sannenzaka.

In any city, you will find shopping streets like Oxford Street in London, Rodeo Drive in LA or Orchard Road in Singapore. These are major thoroughfare with malls and brand name shops along the street usually on both sides. More often they will be known locally as Main Street or High Street shops.

But in Japan, the shopping streets are distinctly different and have a unique flavor all of its own. The shopping streets tend to comprise small shops banded together rather than having malls or brand name shops.
Famous shopping streets in Tokyo would be Takeshitadori in Harajuku, Nakamise Street at Asakusa, Ameyokocho at Ueno or Sunshine 60 Street at Ikebukuro. These are unlike 'Main Streets' like the Ginza, Shibuya or Shinjuku which are dominated by major departmental stores.

In these 'neighborhood' shopping streets, you will find that shops are usually of no particular type. You will typically find restaurants next to clothing stores, cafes next to market stalls, shoe shops beside pharmacies. These shops are mainly owner occupied and most work under an informal association arrangement and you will find that many streets are covered with a roof over the street.

Typically, these streets are 100m to 200m long and going through these streets are a must if you visit Japan. The shopping streets usually do not have vehicular traffic so you can safely browse along the streets most of which have their wares all laid outside to attract customers.
The atmosphere and friendliness of the shopkeepers are completely different from those of the major departmental stores on 'Main Street' shops.

Free tickets to Japan

In view of the tremendous decline in foreign visitors to Japan following the triple disaster of March 11, 2011, the Japan Tourism Agency, a government agency, announced a 1.1b Yen budget to give out 10,000 FREE airline passages to Japan.  (Announcement here) *

Lucky travellers will be required to apply on the Internet by taking an 'examination' and also to provide a planned travel itinerary for scrutiny. They are also expected to use social media to disseminate stories of their visit while on their stay in Japan, especially on the safety aspects.

However, please note that the plan is still under government consideration and will not be in effect until April 2012. You can watch out for future announcements on the JNTO website.

I expect that many scammers and fraudsters will take advantage of this and will entice gullible people to part with their hard earned money.
So beware of any non-official advertisements about the free tickets.

* the announcement was reported by the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbum but is in Japanese. 
    You can use Google translation if you don't read japanese.

Tokyo Disneyland

My first visit to Tokyo Disneyland was way back in 2002. Since then, I have been back there a total of 6 times, actually 4 times to Disneyland and twice to the adjacent Tokyo Disneysea. I was reminiscing and browsing some old photos when I came across this....

Pretty mundane, if you think about it, but what struck me were the lines of baby prams and strollers.  You have to be there to see this really unique Japanese trait.  Somebody parks their stroller in the open space, and pretty soon, everyone follows in neat order.  Row after row, like in a car parking lot, except that there are no lines or markings on the floor.

It simply just happens. You notice this happening at all the attractions, rows and rows of neatly parked baby carriages. And these disappear soon after the ride finishes only to be replaced again in  short order by the next group of visitors. Amazing! Such discipline.

Here are some photos of Disneyland taken during my last visit in 2008.

Entrance to TDL

Tomorrowland, futuristic pavillons

Space Mountain, indoor roller coaster through the dark universe, scarry!

Cinderella's Castle gift shop, ha ha.

Cinderella's Castle

Cinderella's abode seen from Adventureland tree tops

River ride,  do your own rowing!

Musicians

Marching Band

Gift Shop

Travel Movies - Tokyo Bay

Odaiba, Tokyo Bay

Odaiba is an unusual place to visit in Tokyo. Located in Tokyo Bay itself on reclaimed land, Odaiba was touted once as the city of the future. This was until the Japanese economy burst its bubble in the mid 1980s and has never really recovered from that episode. Development in Odaiba had been sputtering all along until recently when it now boasts some pretty sophisticated and futuristic buildings.

I can think of only 2 reasons why anyone would visit Odaiba. First is the Rainbow Bridge, the new icon of Tokyo, and secondly, especially if you are a follower of J-dramas, the Fuji TV Center built by Tange Kenzo. A trip on the driverless train, the Yurikomome, makes the scenic view of Tokyo Bay along the way worth the while.

Travel Movies - Shinjuku

Tokyo, Japan

Shinjuku is where the metropolitan government of Tokyo is located.

Also the busiest train station in Japan and a major shopping district.

It has the most vibrant entertainment area in Tokyo.

I'll be posting snippet of various places in Japan, starting with this one of Shinjuku, Tokyo.

My Sydney videos attracted comments that they preferred to see the location instead of my friends, so I am cutting out the personal stuff and just showing you the places.

Travel videos can be quite boring for viewers, especially if you can't relate to the people in it, I guess. Anyway, enjoy the coming series. Drop me a comment if you wish.

Ghibli Museum, Mitaka

Even if you've not heard of Studio Ghibli, you might have in fact seen some of their anime. These include the 2002 Oscar winning animation, Spirited Away, or more recently, Ponyo by the cliff over the sea.

Since the 1980s, they have been producing classics like My Neighbor Totoro, Howl's Moving Castle, Laputa:Castle in the Sky, Kiki's Delivery Service, Nausicaa and Graveyard of the Fireflies.

If you have not, then you might want to watch this short compilation for a quick overview of the genius of Hayao Miyazaki and his Studio Ghibli films.

Please Click on the picture if the top Youtube clip didn't appear.

On my recent trip to Tokyo, I just had to make a trip to the Ghibli Museum. It was almost like a pilgrimage to see the holy of holies where Miyazaki dispenses out his blessings on the world in the form of Totoro, Kiki, Ponyo and the likes.

Ghibli Museum is located in the city of Mitaka, about 15 mins out of Tokyo by rapid express train. To gain entrance to the Museum, an advance ticket purchase is required. Strangely, the tickets can only be ordered through the Lawson convenience stores using their Loppi ticket machines! For those who can't read japanese, it can be quite intimidating I tell you, but luckily, the Lawson store clerks were only too happy to help out bewildered gaijins like me!

Inside the Museum. Photography not allowed! hee hee.

Entrance to the Museum

The gardener Robot from Laputa:Castle in the sky.
It looks after the garden on the Museum rooftop.

Shopping Streets - Kiyomizuzaka & Sannenzaka

Kyoto, Japan.

In eastern Kyoto, when you visit the Kiyomizu Temple (a World Heritage site not to be missed !), you will definitely pass these 2 shopping streets. These are the 2 stone paved streets that lead up to the temple compound and has been the only way for worshipers and tourists alike for past 400 years.


These streets have been around since the temple was founded and have houses lining both sides that are still typically japanese shophouses. Most are wooden and in keeping with the traditional outlook of the whole area. Thank God for that.


And this is what makes the place unique. You seemed to have been transported back in time and actually expect or hope to see samurais round the corner! Japanese residents in yukatas and Maikos in kominos still occasionally trod through cobblestone pavements. You know you are in Japan and you imagine "This is what Japan should be like!"

Although catering mainly to the tourists, these streets provide a unique glimpse into the Japanese way of life. Souvenirs are not the usual tacky shopping mall stuff (though it's also there) but you get offerings of many traditional Japanese goods like handmade parasols, fans, pottery & kyoto dolls. And this makes the world of difference to other shopping streets, even of those in japan.


One thing you must sample are the various types of Japanese cookies, yatsuhashi. These are all prepared in the traditional manner and are the usual omiyagi (gifts) which the Japanese themselves give to their friends and colleagues to mark their visit to that place.



Searching through the narrow alleyways and side streets along the steep incline will also reward you with unique japanese inns, cafes, and horrors, vending machines shops. Luckily, these ugly symbols of Japanese life are not so obvious here!

Drinking Pure Water - Kyoto, japan

Have you ever been to a place where suddenly you feel in awe? You feel a presence of sanctity, a feeling that the place is sacred? A feeling of unspeakable greatness surrounding you or a mysterious presence? And that you feel really small in comparison with your surroundings?

You start to ponder philosophically at your destiny and of those around you. You wonder about your place in this world? Places like the Grand Canyon and the Vatican makes you do things like that.

You also get this feeling when you visit the Kiyomizu-dera temple complex in the eastern hills of Kyoto Japan. There is a pervading sense of holiness, of sacredness and calm in this temple.

Kiyomizu-dera is built on a mountain side, with the main hall overhanging a cliff. Several minor temples and shrines are spread over a vast landscape on the mountain. When you enter the complex, notwithstanding the fees and crowds, you will immediately feel that this place is special. It's a feeling which can't be described and must be experienced yourself.

Legend tells of a buddhist priest Enchin, who in year 780, discovered the source of pure water flowing from Mt Otowa. The temple complex you see today is built around this water source.

This is the Otowa-no taki, where 3 streams flow out from the mountain and falls into a pond.

Pilgrims to this shrine drink from these 3 streams which are said to have spiritual and therapeutic properties. The 3 streams are said to confer Wisdom, Health and Longevity. Kiyomizu means pure water.

On a lighter side, this temple complex also contains a shrine dedicated to the God of Love. This is the Jishu Jinja, where supplications and prayers are made for marriages, love and childbirth.

One curiosity in this shrine are 2 large boulders placed about 40 feet apart. If you can walk with your eyes closed from one boulder to the other, you will find love.

Following is a short video of visit to Kiyomizu with some of my colleagues.
They simply can't get enough drink of Pure Water !

By the way, the pictures of Kiyomzu-dera above are not mine but were taken off the Net and enhanced a bit. I don't seem to have a picture of it in clear weather.

It seems every time I visit Kiyomizu, the pure water come from the sky instead! hee hee.

ja neh

Day 1. 15th May - From Tokyo

Landed at Narita Airport at 7.30am after 7 hours on ANA HN902.
Uneventful fight except for the difficulty in getting some sleep.

We had 3 options to get from Narita Airport into Tokyo.
1.) by the NEX Narita Express Train 1800yen,
2.) Airport Limousine bus 3000yen, or
3.) by taxi for US$180!

Obviously, you’d think we take the train.
But no, I opted for the Limousine Bus for several reasons.

The Airport Limousine Bus takes a more scenic route than the train but best of all it comes with a free Tokyo metro subway pass valid for a whole day unlimited travel within Tokyo.
This already makes it worth higher price of the bus ticket. And besides, the Limo Bus goes right to the hotel front door, whereas it’s a 10 minute walk from the train station dragging your luggage!

Arrived at the Sunshine City Prince Hotel at 9.45am.
The ’Sunshine City’ does not refer to the city of Tokyo despite Japan being ‘the land of the rising sun’.
It’s a massive city complex with malls, 60 storey office blocks, hotels & entertainment located in the 2^nd largest Tokyo suburb called Ikebukuro.
Being a member of the Prince Club International, I was hoping that we would get an early check-in but unfortunately, the hotel was full till check out at 12noon.

So instead of the planned 'early check-in, then Disneyland' itinerary for the 1st day, we switched to touring Tokyo city itself.

The usual tourist traps at Asakusa, Ginza, Ueno, Shibuya

Dinner at Shinjuku.
It’s only 10 mins from Sunshine City which meant we can stay till the last train at midnight. This is the Tokyo that most people visualise. It’s Neon City, garish, bright, loud and different. Recently featured in movies like “Lost in Translation” & “Tokyo Drift”.

This is my hotel room on the 23rd floor and the view of Tokyo outside the window.

Good Night