blueskydragonfly

The week that’s passed since arriving home has simply flown by. Why is it that once home and back at work after an exhilarating trip away, it can feel as if you need to question whether in fact you ever did have that much-needed break away?

Nevertheless it was great catching up with Tim and Moko as well as meeting her family. Tim’s current classes at Temple include teaching students from Tokyo University of Science; genre, 50’s & 60’s sci-fi movies discussing the role of women. We watched a couple of these; amazing to look back on; Forbidden Planet (1956) was one. Anyone remember that?

Another recommended experience was the exhibition The Mind of Leonardo – The Universal Genius at Work; really crowded, security checks galore but well worth pursuing.

Moko and I spent a while in Odaiba, lunch at Tokyo’s answer to an Italianate shopping ‘mall’ Venus Fort (yes I agree with Lonely Planet it is indeed ‘eye-boggling, futuristic retro’) followed by a memorable time wandering through the Nomadic Exhibition, ‘Ashes and Snow’. Both the pavillion, constructed out of containers and the exhibits, sepia photographs on huge canvases along with video footage are travelling the world. Check out the websites! Photos uploaded….

takes 5 hours to get there. To put this in persepctive, the first stop, Yokohama took 10 mins of travel, which in the usual JR train takes 40 mins! Travel in ultra-comfort style, lie back, read, snooze, nibble on snacks and yes, no tv!! Very clear view of Mt Fuji with its thick blanket of white-icing snow, rice paddies just underway, the occasional cherry blossom that has lasted this long, city after city, village after village appeared to speed past us…

A wonderful first day with Moko`s family; we`ve begun to get to know one another, I was treated to a memorable first taste of Kyushu and am looking forward to being able to reciprocate with their first visit to NZ.

In reflection, its difficult to find adequate words to do justice to the beauty and atmosphere of the oh-so magical places we were exposed to…

Imagine…the beauty of a zen shrine… picture-book gardens, maple trees canopy, creating serene light whilst carefully protecting raked stone gardens, water dripping gently from ancient bamboo, each stepping stone placed in just the perfect spot. Could have spent hours there in quiet contemplation.

In between visits there was food, (an experience in itself) with a big family dinner lingering over many hours, lots of laughing, talking and sharing in both languages, much translation happening. The scene: a fabulous seafood restaurant offering so many varieties of fish presented so beautifully and tasting amazing. Can`t remember them all but the little pufferfish will be with me for a long, long time… exquisite! (Photos will be up later this week)

Early next morning we set out for a hidden away mountain village, Okawachiyama, home to makers of fine porcelain, again, one of those special secret little places that would be almost impossible to discover by chance. This was as close to seventh heaven for me as could be, little winding lanes with blue and white ceramic tiling at every turn, little and not so little shops containing the most divine china showcasing what must be the finest in Japan; surely to Japan, as Delft is to The Netherlands. Could have stayed in this special spot with its friendly people all day, even longer, breathing in the fresh mountain air. I was told a little of the history; around 300 years ago Okawachiyama was a little walled village with locked gates, kept so in order for the secrets of the ceramics to stay within forever; the villagers never left. Long may it remain a special little village but the secret appears to be out, as we drove away I wondered how the approaching tourist bus would manage its way over the wee bridge with its beautifully and totally blue and white tiled walls. At least our arrival was more discreet!

said the sign at the entrance to a park courtesy of the Azabu Regional City Office Community Activities Promotion Section. I walked through this afternoon, hoping it would at some point take me closer to the destination I sought, return visit to Tokyo Mid-town. And a very peaceful park it was; I passed people (of many nationalities) reading, practising singing in English, practising the trombone, talking and thinking. Upon leaving (Arisugawa Park) I found myself amidst numerous police and wondered about what might eventuate; however, turned out I was right outside the Chinese Embassy (Chinese President currently visiting Japan for first time in eons) and yes, I was going the right way to `shopping of the future’ well it would be back home but here it`s been commonplace for ages!

So what have they in Tokyo that we may not see yet at home (for quite sometime)?

SUICA cards for the train… you pay JPY500 ($5.80) and charge credit to it by feeding money into a machine. Place card in your wallet, never to need to remove it again until the credit runs out, whereupon you refill it; just swipe your wallet over the scanner at the gate (any gate, train, bus in fact all public transport I believe). When you no longer require the card, return it and have your Y500 investment refunded. Isn`t the NZ equivalent a concession bus or train ticket? But, come on, we`re supposed to be getting inter-transport ones sometime, yeehah!

SUICA points at BIC Camera, go buy, get points, go back and buy again either `use points’ or ‘keep’ what a good strategy to ensure the consumer hangs around for a bit. They sell almost everything and I am a convert! Click on translate to get one version of English…

Dancing robotic stereo systems; miuro.com… try translating the page for a laugh… and understand the English! The site looks new and yet to be further developed but you can see Robot Heart, a real cute dancing stereo, waves its arms jiggles its legs, maybe like one of those academics Sir Ken Robinson (Do schools kill creativity?) talks about!

Style Meets People… name of shop… with xtra cool super expensive furniture….

Wise Wise Tools… probably means very wise as I discovered Hot and Hot means very hot; thought it was a cafe, but turned out to be a hairdresser so really probably should be called Cool and Cool!

English signs that make you laugh:
Century 21 and you thought that was Real Estate? Wrong! It`s Land Intelligence!

A dress shop called C`est Maligne! (it is evil in influence, intention or effect…) so what`s with the clothes one has to wonder!

We`s Brain… sorry couldn`t get to the bottom of that one!

GRAN… name of shop… `SALE:The best goods for you. This shop challenging to price broken in this campaign sale.’

Wow`D Work Out World! …. a gym, I love it but won`t be going…

Tomatoes for $4.80 each but they`re big ones!

Haagen Dazs icecream… no need to worry about missing out on those mince and cheese pies from Foodtown when there are calories like these to be consumed! The hazelnut is to die for!

However, I did discover a way to lose many kilos at super-swift speed yesterday! Stand in front of a convex window and take a photo of yourself… you come out really skinny! Wonderful if but for a fleeting moment in one`s imagination!

So now, off to view the pix from today with decisions to be made, the choices are many; keep them `as is’ or convert to sepia for a 1920-30`s adventure to look back on, to b/w for 1940`s 50`s snapshots or just maybe to cyanotype for photos of the future, quite apt somehow in view of the sights and sounds of Tokyo! I do love what cameras can do these days, even before you get as far as the computer!

Arrived in Tokyo to visit Tim and Moko last Sunday evening – wonderful to meet Moko at last; she`s looking forward to visiting NZ too! Tim has quite a lot of time off right now which has been great. They`re living in Ebisu close to Hiro-o, a much sought-after area in which to live, in a two-level apartment, very central and close to the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography which I love to visit; we`ve recently been to `Tokyo Magnum`, 60th Anniversary of Magnum, a great exhibition to experience.

Visited the new-only-open-a-week Tokyo Mid-Town yesterday afternoon – amazing complex complete with shops, restaurants, park, galleries etc. Fancy a TV that looks like a carton of fries? Check out www.hannspree.com It will only set you back NZ$811, however a pair of baby booties hand-crocheted could be yours for a mere $74.00! If you don`t like the idea of fries you could choose from a range of animals, sports or style TVs.

Having a ball looking for toys for Liam and Amelia – we visited the design section of Ebisu Mitsukoshi Dept store and found that toys I`d bought for Liam`s first birthday in a Wairau Valley European factory shop were cheaper here! Couldn`t believe it! The range is just amazing and never-ending; the book district, Jimbocho is amazing to walk around, books start at Y100 just over NZ$1 currently, with DVDs at Y500 – English classics and great directors.

We`ve been eating at some very cool local cafes and restaurants, Thai, Korean and Japanese; right round the corner from where Tim and Moko live is Solo Pizza, expensive Italian. The food is ultra-fresh and really yummy.

Now, how`s this for strange? When I was here in September `04 I met a woman around my own age in Shibuya who wanted to practice English. We had a coffee during which she invited Tim and I to visit her anytime in either of her homes, Daikanyama, Tokyo and Kyoto; gave me her address, but I didn`t follow it up. When I was in Ebisu Garden Place the other night, a woman asked me to move so she could take a photo – I`m sure – same person! We had coffee again, so this time I`ll write to her once I`m home and have checked the name and address!

Come Sunday we travel by shinkansen to Fukuoka, Kyushu to meet Moko`s family, who are taking us on a history tour; am really looking forward to meeting them and visiting a new place. Another update after that! Hope to upload pictures next week…

Hope everyone had a great Easter break! Forgot to say, Steph is `doing` the OXFAM 100km walk in Taupo this weekend.Think good thoughts for the duration of this incredible challenge and fingers crossed for the weather – best wishes to the whole team!