Tokyo Touchpoint

Tokyo, Japan’s capital and most populous and busiest city, seems always in a rush. At least, that’s how it is depicted in media – bustling metropolis, flashing neon lights, high-speed trains, crowded streets filled with cars and pedestrians moving at their own rapid pace.

But I know that behind its ultra-modern accouterments lies a rich history and an array of ancient traditions. And that’s what I had intended to see first on my first visit.

It was short and sweet, just briefly skimming the surface. So, I made sure I focused on what interested me first, but without skipping the big picture.

I hired a private tour guide, and it was the best decision ever. He was a Portuguese Japanese history student at the University of Tokyo, working as a tour guide on weekends. He spoke impeccable English and had extensive knowledge of Japanese history, culture, and local traditions. I was able to see and learn so much and made full use of my limited time, thanks to his expertise, excellent time management, and perception. It seemed like he was able to read my mind and delivered exactly what I wanted to get from Tokyo. On top of that, we did the tour on a weekend when there was no traffic congestion, so we were able to cover a lot of places. During the car ride, he was providing running commentaries and giving me history and contemporary lessons, that by the time we reached our destinations, I already knew what to look for or understood what I was looking at.

He first took me to the government district in central Tokyo called Kasumigaseki, which is home to every major government ministry, agency, and department. There, I saw the buildings that house the Ministry of Finance, the National Police Agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Patent Office, the Public Security Intelligence Agency, and dozens more of other Ministry headquarters.

The we drove to Nagatacho, which borders Kasumigaseki. It also has government buildings, most notably the grand National Diet Building, the city’s symbol of power and might. It is the headquarters of Japan’s House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. Close by is the Prime Minister’s Residence. These two sections of the city reminded me so much of Ottawa, Canada’s very own Federal Government town.

Next, we headed to the Imperial Palace grounds. My tour guide dropped me off near the Sakurada-mon Gate and told me he’d wait for me across the street. As it was drizzling, he handed me an umbrella, in case it rained. I walked to the gate and followed the path leading to the bridges. It was so pretty - lined with manicured lawns and dotted with bonsai trees.

The Sakurada-mon Gate is located at the southwest corner of the Kokyo-gaien National Garden, formerly a private garden for the Imperial Family but has since been opened to the public as a national park after the Second World War. This gate used to be the south gate of the original Edo Castle on this site which was destroyed in a fire in 1657 and replaced by the current castle. It is considered an important cultural property for this was where the top assistant samurai of the Shogun dynasty was assassinated. This event led to the collapse of the feudal Edo government.

I soon reached the Nijubashi Bridges that cross a moat. The word niju means double. Most people don’t realize that there are actually two bridges. The near bridge, often seen in tourist photos, is made of stone. The other one that is almost hidden behind it, is made of steel. At the end of these bridges is the main gate, which is closed to the public, except for two days – the Emperor’s Birthday on December 23rd, and the New Year celebration with the Emperor on January 2nd.

I found some friendly locals who took my photo in front of the bridge. Behind the it, one can see the watch tower and the Palace, the central building that houses the office of the Emperor, ceremonial halls, banquet halls, and other facilities. Its veranda is where the Emperor usually comes out to greet the public on those two special days. The Emperor’s Residence is behind the palace.

There is not much to do there. The main area itself is not open to the public because the Imperial family lives in its premises. There are guided tours, but it is limited to the palace grounds, and they have to be booked way ahead of time.

So, I spent a few minutes strolling the Imperial East Garden where I found old guardhouses, the outer walls, and ruins of the old Edo Castle that was originally perched on these very grounds. I also saw another gate, the Otemon, which was once the principal entrance to the Edo Castle, and now leads to the Tokyo Station. I heard there’s an elegant teahouse within this garden near a woodland area, as well as a museum showcasing some Imperial collections, but I didn’t have time to venture further because I promised my tour guide that I’d meet him at a certain time.

Back in the car, we continued our drive around. My tour guide took me to the Marunouchi, Ginza, Akihabara, and Ueno districts, which were along the way to our next stopover, Asakusa. And he did a great job telling me about each one of them and answering all my questions.

Marunouchi, he said, is considered the gateway to Tokyo for most travelers for it often serves as any tourist-coming-out-of-the-Tokyo Station’s first glimpse of the Japanese city. This area gave me a Midtown Manhattan feel with its sprawling office buildings, wide boulevards, top hotels, big department stores, high-end shops, restaurants, museums, and galleries. On weekdays, this is filled with well-dressed businesspeople working for Japan’s most powerful companies and banks.

Ginza is Tokyo’s luxury shopping area and is clearly defined by its Western-style, foreign brand-name shops, exclusive boutiques, and opulent restaurants. My tour guide said that in Japan, Ginza is synonymous with old wealth and high fashion.

Akihabara, on the other hand, screams “nerd.” In fact, it is also known as “Electric Town.” If you are into video games, manga, anime, high-tech electronics, and futuristic gadgets, this is the place to visit. The area boasts of arcades, maid cafés, sex toy shops, and comic stores…a geek’s ultimate mecca (except maybe for the sex toy part). But my tour guide said that behind all the neon lights, you can discover old Japan in the guise of small shrines.

Ueno, in contrast, is dominated by a huge park, one of the largest green spaces in all of Tokyo. Ueno Park is also home to Ueno Zoo, the oldest in Japan, and the Tokyo National Museum. It is also characterized by narrow streets with traditional homes. However, my tour guide pointed out that since it is located near the Imperial Palace’s “demon gate,” it is considered unlucky. Superstitious folks avoid living in this area; thus, it is a “low rent” area and teems with “budget accommodations.”

We finally reached Asakusa, Tokyo’s culture hub. After passing through the modern districts, it felt like being in a completely different world. This is the place where Tokyoites come to worship at the temple and visit the traditional shops and restaurants that surround it.

My tour guide parked in front of the impressive Kaminari-Mon Gate (Thunder and Lightning Gate), the outer gate of the Sensoji Temple and the symbol of Asakusa. It is dominated by a huge chochin red lantern and flanked by statues of Buddhist deities on each side – Fujin-sama, the god of the wind, on the right, and Raijin-sama, the god of thunder and lightning, on the left.

The latter has given his name to the gate. In fact, the Japanese character on the lantern reads, kaminari-mon or “thunder gate.” On the green plate above the lantern, the golden characters read, “golden dragon mountain.” My tour guide told me to look underneath the red lantern. I found a dragon figure!

He offered to take my photo by the gate and pointed out the Tokyo Skytree that stood in the distance. He said it is the city’s observation tower and the newest major attraction. I told him that I had thought about going there but heard that there’s usually a long line to go up and that it is usually very crowded, so I will put that off until my next visit.

In the same direction, I noticed the gold Asahi Beer Headquarters building shaped like a beer mug with froth on top. Beside it is the Asahi Beer Hall, shaped like a beer glass to complement the other building. It is marked by the iconic gold sculpture of the Asahi flame logo on the roof. My guide was surprised that I recognized them. I told him that I am familiar with Asahi Beer and that I had read about its famous landmark…and that I knew that locals colloquially refer to the sculpture as the “golden poop” because it sort of looks like one from afar. He chuckled and said he was going to mention that to me, but I beat him to it.

He gave me some time to explore Nakamise, the 200-meter-long shopping street that runs between the outer gate and the temple’s second gate, the Hozomon. He instructed me to walk back and meet him in the car when I hit Homozon. Instead of joining the crowds moving forward, he would instead drive me to the other side of the compound and show me another entrance to the temple – a shortcut that only locals know about, he said. I liked that time-saver idea.

Nakamise, a centuries-old shopping street, is truly a shopper’s and a foodie’s paradise. Alongside typical Japanese souvenirs and local goods, one can find all kinds of traditional local snacks. I wish I had more time for food sampling, but I made a note of what I would like to try when I go back.

As I walked, I noticed midway that there was an area on the left side with “no photograph” signs. My tour guide explained while I was back in the car that this is for a kindergarten run by the Denbo-in Temple whose abbot also resides in the building. It is restricted to the public, except once a year when they open their art collection and private gardens for public viewing.

At the back side of the temple, my tour guide found a convenient parking space along a narrow, mercantile street, just a few steps away from the shortcut - a small entrance to the temple called Nitenmon Gate. He gave me directions and told me he’d again wait for me in the car. It was straightforward enough because the gate leads directly to the temple grounds.

Sensoji Temple is Tokyo’s oldest, stateliest, and most colourful Buddhist temple. According to legend, in the year 628, two brothers fished a statue of Bodhisattva Kannon Buddha, the Buddhist goddess of mercy, out of the Sumida River, and that even though they kept returning the statue to the river, it kept coming back. And so, they decided to turn it over to a priest and in 645, a temple was built in her honour. Inside the compound are the Kannondo Hall, the Goju-no-To Pagoda, and the Asakusa Shrine.

Kannondo Hall, the main building, was built in 1649 but was destroyed in World War II and then rebuilt in 1958. The red and white structure is said to hold the original golden image of the goddess of mercy. This is also where religious services take place, but usually, tourists are not allowed in the room, though they keep the doors open. I spent a few minutes there admiring the artwork painted directly on its ceilings and hanging from the upper parts of the walls. There are stairs that lead to a second floor, but I did not go up.

Right outside the hall is a huge metal cauldron of incense. The faithful stand around it and bathe themselves with smoke wafting from the incense sticks, for it is believed to bestow good health. Across from it is a little structure that houses an ablution fountain dominated by the bronze statue of the Dragon King, where the faithful wash their hands and faces. I’ve even seen some drink the water.

The Goju-no-To Pagoda, constructed in the 10th century was rebuilt in 1973. It was patterned after a similar structure at Daigoji Temple in Kyoto. It stands 48 meters and features five storeys. It is closed to the public because it is basically a graveyard inside and contains memorial tablets for thousands of families and individuals. Unless you can prove that you have a family tablet there, you are not allowed to enter, and even so, only at specific times of the year.

However, one can visit the picturesque tea garden called Dembo-in next to it, which is also adjacent to the Dembo-in Temple that I previously mentioned. Designed by a famous landscape gardener from the 17th century, this garden features a pond in the centre, an Edo-era teahouse, drooping cherry trees, stone lanterns, and bonsai plants.

To the right of the Kannondo Hall is the Asakusa Shrine. I found it surprising that a Shinto shrine is right next to the main Buddhist shrine, but I guess, in Japan, these two religions are somehow linked. The shrine was built in 1649 and miraculously escaped war bombs during the war. Its crest is an image of three fishing nets to commemorate the two fishermen who found the statue of the goddess, as well as the priest who encouraged the building of the first temple.

Every May, the Sanja Matsuri Festival, Tokyo’s biggest and loudest festival, is held there. People come to see the numerous floats manned by local Yakuza Gang members and take part in the fierce energy of the event.

Around the main buildings are shops that sell official Sensoji merchandise, such as omamori amulets (designed to provide protection, luck, or specific blessings), scrolls, incense sticks, books about the temple (but all in Japanese), and omikuji fortunes (paper slips containing random fortunes).

There is a station where you can purchase an official goshuincho, a red stamp travel notebook with pages that open like scrolls and are filled with vermillion stamps and elaborate calligraphy. For a fee, the temple’s priest will write the date of your visit in calligraphy and then stamp it. I did not buy this though. I thought it would be more apt if I go on a longer exploration of Japan.

I wanted to try the fortune station but there were too many people. Basically, what you need to do is to place a coin into a lot in the counter and then you pick up a metal box that has a tiny, rounded slot at the bottom. You shake the box a few times, turn it over, and let a stick drop out of the slot. The stick will have a Japanese character representing a number. You will then go to the row of drawers in the corner and find the specific drawer whose number matches the one on the stick. Inside is the omokuji or fortune that’s meant for you. It’s all in Japanese, though, but you can find someone to translate it for you.

They say that if your fortune is good, you can take it home with you, but if not, you tie it into one of the omikuji trees nearby so that you do not bring this bad luck with you when you go home.

I only had enough time to see one more interesting point in this shrine – the Hozomon Gate which I encountered awhile back from my walk along the Nakamise. This time, I was able to look at it more closely and take some photos.

The Hozomon Gate is much larger than the Kaminari-mon, almost double its size. Like the first gate, it features a giant red paper lantern but is also flanked by black lanterns on each side and two statues of the deity Nio, which serve as the shrine’s protector. On the other side, there are two gigantic straw sandals that are said to be Nio’s and are a testament to his fearsome size and strength.

Alas, it was time to go back to the car. I would have wanted to explore the compound more for there were four other minor halls that I would have wanted to see: the Yogodo Hall known for its beautiful garden featuring Tokyo’s oldest stone bridge, the Yakushido and the Awashimado Halls that are built in the Edo style and house Buddhist saints, and the Bentendo Hall known for its huge bell (one of Edo’s six-hour bells) and the huge Boddhisatva statues that dot its garden.

I also heard that around the temple area, one can find superb izakayas (Japanese pubs) and charming ryokans (traditional inns). Maybe I should consider staying there on my next visit for an authentic Japanese experience.

My tour guide was ready to go when I arrived. He declared that we were on schedule and that perhaps, he could do a little bit more coasting on the road before he dropped me off.

We headed down via Tsukiji, where he pointed the location of the fish market (another must-visit in Tokyo) and then drove along the Sumidigawa River and Tokyo Bay on the Odaiba side.

Odaiba is an artificial island built as a defense fortress but is now a seaport. It is known for its futuristic architecture, Tokyo’s urban beach, unique entertainment, and some big shopping malls, museums, huge Ferris wheel, giant Gundam statue, and a replica of the Statue of Liberty. It is linked to central Tokyo via the landmark Rainbow Bridge, which we crossed. The two-storey bridge supports an expressway, a regular road, a train line, and pedestrian walkways on both sides. And because the sky was turning dark that time (due to the time and the rainy weather), I could appreciate the multi-coloured illumination, which gave the bridge its name.

When it was time to say goodbye. I thanked my guide and wished him the best in his studies. I also gave him a Canadian twenty-dollar bill, not as a tip (for it is not customary to give tips in Japan), but as a souvenir present. I told him to keep it for good luck…maybe one day, he’d get to visit Canada. And I also proudly declared that I really think our Canadian bills are one of the prettiest in the world. Aside from being colourful, they are waterproof, designed to withstand decomposition, and have a special built-in technology in the maple leaf on the front face. I told him that if you shine a laser through it, the encoded value of the bank is projected on a surface. I thought he’d find that cool. I joked that some people even say our bills smell like maple syrup. He laughed and wished me a safe flight back home.

Aside from the city of Tokyo itself, I consider its airports as curious attractions.

On this trip, I departed from the Haneda Airport (usually, I go from Narita). I had a bit of time to browse the shops, which was aplenty. The Haneda Airport is an entire village by itself. There you can find authentic Japanese food and immerse in Japanese culture – both the traditional and the pop versions.

The first level has Edo Alley, designed to mimic 19^th-century Tokyo. You can sample traditional Tokyo cuisine and get traditional and locally-made goods. They even have a half-size replica of the Nihonbashi Bridge, an important bridge in the Edo period that was the starting point for five main routes from Edo to different provinces. The second level, on the other hand, features a Tokyo Pop Town where you can get anime, manga, and character merchandise. This is the place to get your “Hello Kitty” or “Pokemon” fix.

I, however, was in much need of a ramen fix. There were plenty of options, but I went with Rokurinsha, known for their super thick broth and rough-cut ramen noodles. And unlike other ramen bowls, their noodles, called tsukemen, are served separately. You are supposed to dip the noodles one bite at a time. I had the Nama Shichimi Tsukemen, which was recommended by the server. He said it has a little bit of a kick, but the emphasis is really on the flavour from ten different luxurious ingredients, and not the spiciness. It was superb!

After my meal, I perused the shops to look for magnets, key chains for my son, and the iconic Japanese KitKats known for their wild and wacky flavours not found anywhere else.

Apparently, KitKats are the most popular confectionery treats in Japan because the name is very similar to the Japanese term for “good luck” – kitto katsu. Hence, people buy them, not only to enjoy the taste, but also to hand out as presents. I wanted to get packages of assorted flavours, but they were not available, so I bought five different packets – matcha, red bean, strawberry, banana, and sweet potato. There was so much variety to choose from, as the Japanese really take this whole Kitkat business into a different level of obsession, but I had to stop at five.

I have to go back soon for more – ramen, KitKats, and exploration!