But with that as a preface, let me say that to-date everything has gone swimmingly and we are becoming thoroughly ensconced in the Japanese lifestyle - from its first class toilets, to its finest dining experiences....I think there is a connection there.
We arrived bleary-eyed at Narita Airport on April 7th, and once through the official lines were quick to buy a phone card, get our half-priced NEX express train ride tickets, and call the hotel (using said phone card) to inform them precisely about our train number, arrival time, car number and seat number. Mind you, there was little in the way of signage to help in these transactions, and the young lady who issued our train tickets spoke with smiles and signs and perfect Japanese. But hey, this was part of the game we needed to play to learn our way. (Originally our friend Pete was going to meet us at the airport to smooth these first experiences, but life got in the way and while we're in Japan, he's in Burlington Vermont. Unfortunately, bad timing.)
As we pulled into Tokyo Station there stood a perfectly dressed bellman from the hotel wearing white gloves and carrying a placard with our name. To the bemusement of fellow Japanese passengers, he grabbed our bags and walked us through the maze of rush-hour humans from the train to the lobby of our most elegant hotel. (This is a custom we could get used to.) Our bed awaited us, and presto here we were - in Tokyo on a late Monday evening.
Tuesday, the 8th, was basically a bust since our bodies and our minds were not in synch. Yes we could have gone out and conquered the world, but why? We are here for a month and a day of doing nothing was just what we needed. The hotel is built above the main train station so that in the background there is a wonderful lulling rumble of trains running 50 feet below our bed. The hotel was built in the late 1800's when there was a desire to become more Western and it has the look of a traditional, low, three-story British red-brick Victorian structure- very different from the modern sky-scrapers which surround it. The building survived the war but more recently went through a six year renovation to make it a very 21st century structure sitting on a bed of seismic buffers to protect it against the next earthquake. This entire renovation to preserve the old look and feel now makes the hotel a destination for Japanese who are seen being photographed outside our windows almost every day.
I have to comment on the toilets - an accouterment we could get used to: seats that thru motion detection rise as you approach the throne and close as you depart; seats that are warmed; deodorizer which is sprayed in the bowl while sitting; water that rises to keep you sparkling clean, and a flushing mechanism which is either controlled by the throne-ee, or simply occurs when you depart the premises. Too much data? We apologize.... but it is the way of Japan.
Wednesday, the 9th, we began exploring our surroundings, finding restaurants, learning how to buy train tickets for future trips, collecting brochures and arranging for tours within the city. First impressions:
- Bob declares the whole city a sci-fi atmosphere
- Non-Japanese, even in the heart of the city, are almost non-existent. Where are the tourists in this time of the cherry blossoms?
- Black suits are the uniform for all the 'salalimen' (this is not being derogatory, the label was used at the museum we visited) as they stride purposefully through the streets
- All women have long bangs, shiny black hair and the latest fashions
- No one carries the ubiquitous bottles of water without which we Americans can't move
- Everything is amazingly expensive
- Every other person is wearing a white mask against colds, coughs and hay fever
- Every major high-rise has a full indoor conclave of fine dining for any known nationality (Belgian beer halls, Chinese, Italian, French bistro) but none seem to be open for breakfast first thing in the morning
- Everyone seems gracious and wanting to help but English is rarely spoken. We have been advised that the education focuses on reading and writing, not speaking so that if we want to get help, it is often faster to write it in English rather than try and communicate verbally
- Think of New York City with high rises, rushing commuters, busy cross-walks, hundreds of taxi cabs and absolutely NO honking. How eerie is That?
Perhaps the highlight of the day was our visit to the Imperial Hotel near the palace moat. This was the location where the 'boys' stayed in 1928, but not the hotel. The structure in which they stayed, and on which they commented was built by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1923, but while it survived the huge earthquake of 1923 and the bombings of WW II, and served as McArthur's Headquarters during the occupation, it became old and worn and was torn down in the 1970's. Part of its original structure has been preserved and moved and is now part of an out-door museum near Nagoya. In its footprint a modern sky scraper hotel was built. While the outside is very 1970, within it tries to preserve a 'sense' of the original art deco decor and the design themes of Wright. Everything from the carpet design, the lighting fixtures, the furniture carries a memory of the original.
I stopped at the concierge desk to see if there were some historical post cards or a photo gallery that might capture the period of 'the boys', and was directed to the front desk where I met the Manager of Guest Relations. When I related my purpose in visiting, he became our personal guide through the hotel showing us all the details we might have missed, and then leading us to a wonderful bar on the 2nd floor called the Old Imperial Bar, where there are remnants of the original Wright Mosaics installed on the wall.
Bob and I had a beer and imagined the boys as they sat in The Grill Room and feeling as if we were 'almost' there. And once more we had that wonderful experience of having someone become engaged in our whole journey so that we felt we were doing honors to the boys.
Thursday the 10th, was a full day city bus tour which we always like to do when we are in a new city. It allows us to get our bearings, and to get a sense of the monuments, museums and gardens we need to appreciate. Our Gray Line tour was led by two guides, a very amusing, articulate woman in the morning, a less articulate but very energized young man in the afternoon. Our bus was organized such that English was the language spoken, but our fellow sight-seers were from Italy, The Philippines, Australia, and assorted eastern European countries, with only five of us from the US. The major events during our eight hour tour were the Imperial Gardens where the cherry blossoms were just past; the Meijii Shrine where Daddy and Walter had gone; a Shinto Shrine; a Buddhist Temple; the Tokyo Tower - an Eiffel-tower like structure where one can get a view of the city; a boat ride on the Sumida River under 14+ unique bridges and various drive-by sightings of The Ginza, the Akasaka Guest House (where visiting dignitaries are housed), Ueno Park and Akihabara - the high tech, neon-lit shopping area.
Because of the effects of World War II when Tokyo was basically smashed to smithereens, most of what we saw was either re-built, re-created, or simply brand new... thus Bob's theory of the sci-fi environment. Unfortunately for me, there is little charm since there is very little in the way of cozy, old, quaint corners. But one must admire it simply for its newness. Would we come back, probably not. Am I glad I came, absolutely. The boys have driven this entire journey, and Japan is no exception. We are walking in their shadow, and our experiences are not dissimilar - just eighty-six years apart and in a new city.
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