The Kyu Asakura House

There are a few things around and near Daikanyama that are not Westernized. Like this little shrine which is well tended. Although the modern roof and surround are unusual.

There is also the Kyu Asakura House. This is one of the first places in the area that my friend took me to. She had been there before but was happy to see it again. The house and outbuildings were built in 1918 by politician and rice dealer Asakura Torajiro in the style that was popular up through the mid Showa period.

After taking off our shoes we stepped into one of the long halls floored with tatami mats. What first caught my eye was the details in every room.

Like this carved transom. Wood, especially cedar, and hand painted screens were abundant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A hint of the gardens outside. Windows were open through out due to the extreme heat and humidity. The two story house was designed to optimize air flow as a way to cool the interior on hot days.

 

 

 

There was a kappa in this room.

 Interesting that one room had a Western interior. This was used for visitors and as a butler's office.

However Japanese formalities were not forgotten as there was also a tea room.

Given the number of photos I have, there will be a second post about the Kyu Asakura House. For a little more information about the house and grounds, the city of Shibuya has this nice pdf here.

Daikanyama

My first full day in Tokyo started with a bit of breakfast served by the hotel. It was a mix of things. Rolls, salad, miso soup, pickles, and a different rice dish each day. One day onigiri, another plain rice with shredded egg and other on top, curry another day. Then my tour guide for the day showed up and we were off to a place in the Shibuya area that had interesting things to explore. Daikanyama, where there grows a huge flower sculpture. It's located on Hachiman-dori if you are interested.

We first went to a more traditional Japanese building which I will post about later. Before and after that we walked through the neighborhood. Which had a decidedly more Western look.

 Although if you looked hard enough you could find a few things more Japanese like this takoyaki stand.

Despite all the concrete there were bits of color.

 Where you were not alone.

 Surprising little shops. I know a few people who would love this one full of pastels.

 Surprises like sunflowers growing in the middle of a street.

 There are a number of embassies in the area which could explain the Western vibe.

And the high number of shops that would fit in perfectly in Southern California. Of course it doesn't matter where you are from, people like different things.

And for those in Japan...

Daikanyama is definitely where you can feel like you have warped to America for a trip through what resembles our thrift stores.

One stop we checked out was the neat little art gallery Arts Rush. Their website is here.

Lots of pretty artwork including these lovely cut paper work pieces by Hina Aoyama. So delicate!

Overall an interesting place to visit on an extremely hot and humid day. I was worried I may have complained a bit since I was running on very little sleep after a rather long flight and it was extremely hot. Was running on sheer will power. We did stop in a couple places in Daikanyama so I will have photos from those in the next couple blog posts.

Portland to Vancouver to Narita

 

I have to say the best part of this was the flight from Portland International Airport to Vancouver International Airport. Because the weather was good the views were amazing! If I ever have to go to Vancouver again I would consider flying Air Canada if the weather is decent. From Mount Hood to Mount St Helens and Mount Adams up to Mount Rainer and beyond, it's worth it. Seeing Mount St Helens from the air was one of those moments that was above my expectations.

Because the flight was late there was no time to check out Vancouver's airport. First we had to walk a long way to Customs where we had to turn in a customs form along with answer questions. This was repeated at Narita Airport in Japan. Then it was another long walk back to the gates where we disembarked. Very tiring but not a long wait to get on the plane for Japan.

The plane was not bad and service was good. Although the food was mediocre. I remembered to pack a few granola bars which saved me. I did watch "The Martian" finally. Not bad but so obvious when they had a body double for Matt Damon. I probably got an hour of sleep since I did not bring a neck pillow and the two guys next to me were rather talkative with each other. Including singing Disney songs.

Into Narita with another customs card and a long very hot wait to get through it. I did have an interesting conversation with a Canadian woman so that helped since I felt a little dizzy in the heat. Finally done with customs and off to exchange money. Narita was packed with people, serious zoo with everyone going in every direction. I had trouble finding the line for money exchange because people were just standing everywhere blocking everything. All I could think is "Tokyo you are so not ready for the Olympics". Got my money, had a slightly futile exchange with woman at Keisei Railway desk. Her English was great, she just didn't want to be that helpful. Down to train station and so many people getting tickets at machines I passed on getting a commuter card. Transfer at Aoto (thanks to the helpful station masters for pointing out the right train). Finally arriving at Ningyocho Station. Found the elevator right away and out the right exit and walked several blocks in the stifling heat to the hotel.

So glad I found it without getting lost since this was my first time in Ningyocho and the area it was in was mostly concrete apartment buildings and offices. Checked in, found my room, then out to a konbini which was only a block away. Food and a two liter bottle of water. Bought a lot of those during my stay since most of the time the temperatures hit 35°c and 70% humidity. August in Japan. Ready to sleep I found out the bed was harder than sleeping on a tatami mat. Sleep was not going to be something I would get a lot of during my trip.

So while the views at the start of the trip were extraordinary, it was a very difficult start to returning to Tokyo. Not as drastic as the last time but off to a difficult start. If you are wondering what happened the last time, the posts are here for my experiences during the Great Tohoku Disaster in 2011. I am glad this time I did get to see these amazing views like this one of Mount Rainer.

It Was a Good Day for Flying

I haven't been sure how to start writing about this recent trip I took. To go on about how much effort I put in, saving money and selling a few things? About arranging it months in advance not knowing if something would blow up like the last time I went to Japan? How I didn't know if I could handle it physically, especially since it would be in August.

I finally decided to go back to Japan, even if it was for a short visit. Over five years since I was there, experiencing first hand the effects of the Great Tohoku Disaster on Tokyo. Like my trying to write this blog, I guess I was stuck. Other things were keeping me from traveling. But then thanks to a friend I had a chance to go to a concert featuring the reuniting of musicians of a group I've long wished I had seen when they were together. That gave me motivation to do something. So the day came for me to depart. Off I went to Portland International Airport.

That place with the famous carpet. Which was replaced with this carpet. But everyone still takes carpet photos. Here's my feet waiting for the Air Canada plane to take me to Vancouver, Canada. Turned out not to be the best way to go but it was about $500 cheaper. Plus I could finally say I've been to Canada.

One of the interesting things about it is Air Canada's gate was off of the main international wing of the airport. Where there is a display most people don't see. Where Portlandia's mayor Kyle MacLachlan is there to give you a send off for your trip.

Along with costumes and props from The Librarians.

Portlandia's Toni and Candice. 

Props from Goonies and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. I was a little surprised there wasn't anything from the tv show Grimm.

Finally the delayed plane arrived and it was time to take off.

As for me, I was very tired. I had spent a lot of time getting things ready for the trip, getting the cats to a boarding home, and so much more. I had hoped to rest up before but ended up not getting everything done that I had wanted to. But it was time to go.

Snapshots

I've been posting photos on Twitter without much explanation. One or two may look familiar but these are new croppings and maybe a tweek or two. So let me write a little explanation here.

Top is Mount Hood and downtown Portland Oregon from the viewpoint of Portland Japanese Garden in 2012. The trees are taller now so one can't see as much of Portland.

Middle is looking east at the Columbia Gorge and the Columbia River from Vista Point. On the left is Washington and the right is Oregon. This was November 2013. Honestly could imagine Lewis and Clark and company paddling their boats down there. Love how undeveloped it still is.

Bottom is the beautiful Multnomah Falls. I definitely recommend going there if you ever visit the Portland area. Taken in July 2012.

My Blog Isn't Dead

  

It's just resting