Nikko: surreal town

I woke up to
a light drizzle next morning, checked my backpack and camera and headed to
Tokyo central station. I proceeded to make my reservation; shinkansen upto
Utsunomiya and from there a JR line to Nikko. Nikko welcomed me with a cold
rain and warm hospitality.

Nikko fairy-tale town

Nikko station JR

 I was told that I would have just enough time to go
upto Chuzengi lake and Kegon waterfall. Boarded the bus  and as we headed through Nikko town, I

Nikko town centre near Tobu-nikko station

started to wonder how it would be to spend a lifetime in such a beautiful
place. I had a bad vantage point for my camera from the bus

Nikko to Chuzegi lake

Sacred bridge

 cruising through
more than a drizzle but along beautiful slopes of yellow autumn colours. As I
alighted from the bus, I could see a steady flow of people towards a particular
direction and I followed.

Picture post-card at Kegon falls

Kegon falls

 As I drifted with the crowd, I noticed a middle aged
Japanese gentleman with a camera. Noticing that it was an old camera with a
film roll, I queried him in English. He acknowledged “film roll”. But then
subconsciously I think the pair of us clicked. As we went to the waterfall, I
clicked photos of him with his camera and he did the same for me. Not a word
spoken between us for want of common language, we helped each other in
solitude. I thanked him as he pointed his finger and said onsen, by the bending
forward gesture. He smiled and disappeared in the crowd.

I then
headed for Chuzengi lake

Chuzengi lake

The mist over the hills

 , spent an hour strolling around; may be cursing the
weather subconsciously, fearing to blink lest I lose a moments sight of the
awesome view around. Reluctantly I boarded the bus and headed back to Nikko. As
the bus headed back to Nikko town square, I noticed the main street lined by
small shops, wood carvings and antiques. I got down at the town square and
walked back up the street window shopping, striking a conversation with anyone
who smiled at me. As the lights started failing, I started to wonder why I had
still not started back for Tokyo. Nikko was magnetic. Unable to find out a
boarding point for the bus back to JR Nikko station, I walked all the way back.
I traced my way back to Utsunomiya and to Tokyo. This time I didn’t lose the
way from the subways to the hotel.

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Osaka

Saturday, October 20, 2012
I arrived late night at Kansai airport, Osaka and had a hotel reservation on the mainland The airport is constructed on an artificial island in Osaka bay. The hotel bus was a little hard to find although I got directions from the airport lobby. Waited half-an-hour in the light drizzle and hopped on to the bus. Jet-lag cost me a few more yen at the hotel and I took a couple of trains to central Osaka where my stay had been arranged. I discovered an Indian restaurant near the hotel I stayed and so managed the food "at home". I spent time strolling around the canal-walk watching the birds, fish and the swishing traffic between the buildings. The hotel staff had directions to local attractions I visited the Osaka castle. Reaching the castle was an adventure in itself. Venturing into subways without knowing the language was a challenge. All sign-boards, ticket vending outlets were in Japanese. Approaching the gate staff for assistance elicited curiosity in them and they were willing to help

Osaka

. I thanked them profusely with the "salaam posture"...hmm I was getting into the Japanese groove. Osaka castle was a sprawling tree riddled campus, autumn was just catching up with the leaves. The crows here had a larger size and a different Caw. A huge single stone piece on the castle wall drew attention from visitors. I tried my hand at becoming a samurai. School kids with colorful caps formed long queues.  Getting back through the subways was easier. The canal-walk was one of my favorite places to spend time, watching the birds fishing in the still water stirred occasionally by the cold breeze. Watching people of a variety of streams, the hurried youngster on a bicycle, the young couple taking an 'lost in this world' stroll, the timid office goer giving too frequent glances at his watch, and then I noticed a couple of photographers; I walked upto them, smiled and we compared our cameras. I had a canon, one has a nikon and the other had a panasonic....hmmm three of us with three different cameras. They told me that they worked for a camera shop and were out scouting for good photographs. We exchanged cards and as we parted, I wondered what language we used to communicate. I came to realise that most of the communication was done by gestures and facial expressions and very few words were spoken. Scouting around the locks I found familiar flags ruffling in the winds. I discovered an Indian restaurant and that kept me settled about food for the rest of my stay in Osaka. After a couple of days at Osaka attending conference meetings, I was as excited as a kid going to travel by train for the first time. Of course it was the first time for me on board the Nozomi shinkansen (bullet train). Took an early morning taxi ride to Shin-osaka. As I waited on the platform at Shin-osaka, I watched the shinkanzens arriving and departing with amazing precision. With my companions I reached Tokyo and then changed trains to Fukushima.
The blue bridge

Water-quake

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High on radiation fear

Sunday, October 21, 2012 
My hosts at Fukushima were at the station to receive us. They took us to a traditional Japanese house where we were treated to hot  soup and some oddities that I hadn't tasted before. I tried the chopsticks and was successful to pick up single grain of rice with it. After lunch, we were invited into the ancient house to witness and share the cultural experience of a traditional Tea ceremony.

Tea ceremony

the meditative perfection of the art of making tea

The strains of labour

Satisfaction to the last sip

 

Comments!

  It was certainly a new experience to witness the tradition; the meditative perfection of the art of making tea. The ladies dressed in brightly colored kimonos seemed oblivious to our presence. I caught up with the tradition by bowing before the person who served me tea. The lady sitting next to me explained to me that the tea cup had an art work done on it and that the art work done on each cup depicts a story. I thanked the lady in-charge of the house for giving me a peek into their tradition.                                                                                   
  We shot off for the mountains in the afternoon and I got my first view of autumn
colors in the hills of Fukushima.

Forest fire

 The red maple gave a fiery red colour to the hillside. As we climbed higher, the distinct odor of hydrogen sulphide hung in the air. The terrain changed from lush foliage to yellow tinged rock, 

Transition terrain

The road that was...

 

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the colour of sulphur. Parts of the terrain were barren with sparse vegetation suggesting hostile environment for vegetation. There was also suggestion of frequently changing terrain to the frequent tremor induced landslides. As the smell of volcanic gases grew stronger, we could see vapour plumes in the mountains ahead.

Volcanic eruption

 We reached the base of AzumakoFuji (like Mt Fuji) 

Mount Fuji spared for next visit

and ascended the steps to the volcanic crater. The chilling winds were stinging into my cheeks and I was in constant fear of being blown into the crater. 

Back out of hell

 

Comments!

  I spent a week at Fukushima visiting the University hospital. My hosts took me to local restaurants encouraging me to taste the local delicacies. My first visit to a traditional japanese restaurant with my friends at the university was impressive. We had to sit on the floor in dugouts infront of a table that served as a hotplate too. Condiments, chillies, pepper and sauces were at the table. Raw food was ordered and cooked by us on the hotplate. The hotplate served as a warmer too for the cold weather outside.               


 

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To hell and back...but did meet the angels in hell

Monday, October 22, 2012 

A couple of days later I got the opportunity to visit Minamisoma and the city’s general
hospital. We drove through the ghost towns and villages with remnants of the
damage caused by the devastating east japan quake. Braving the threat of
radiation we went as far as the checkpoints beyond which civilian traffic was
prohibited. We could see special vehicles with shaded windows heading towards
the Fukushima-Daichii nuclear reactor.

Slavage

Radiation spray?

 We went to the sea side, deserted
village, a Buddha statue in the lobby of a damaged house

Prey to Earth's destructive powers

 ,

Pray for solace

the flora and fauna

Flora of Minamisoma

Lead cosmos at minamisoma

oblivious to the risk of being in the radiation zone. We got ourselves checked
for radiation exposure at the Minamisoma city hospital.

Outside the Minamisoma General Hospital

 I wondered why certain
people were destined to suffer in this beautiful country. After being a witness
to super surgery at the neurosurgery department in Minamisoma, we here hosted
to a traditional Japanese lunch.

Traditional Japanese food

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Fukushima to Tokyo

Saturday, October 27, 2012 
Half way
through my stay at Fukushima, I got the news that my travel companion for my
travel through Japan had cancelled his trip. I then mentally prepared to
undertake the journey alone.

I had
analysed the terrain, the trains and the schedule of my travel well in advance.
Although I had a written dictionary of Japanese words in my rucksack, I
preferred not to use it. 

I left for
Fukushima railway station at noon 27^th October 2012, Maeda dropped
me in his “Subaru” on time and accompanied me to the shinkansen platform

Fukushima station

. There
was much excitement at the rear end of the train where the green car was
located. The shinkansen from shin-aomori was scheduled to arrive in a short
while and piggyback with the train from Fukushima to Tokyo. Kids (and me too)
were excited to see the nose of the shinkansen open up to clamp on to the
arriving train. 

A few
seconds elapsed in which everyone including me scrambled on to the train and I
waved goodbye to Maeda and I settled into my seat and watched the countryside
of Fukushima prefecture slide by through the wide window. I was worried about the
early sunset and my entry into Tokyo city with absolutely no idea of how to
reach my hotel. I got down at Tokyo central and made my way through the unending
crowd of people to what looked like a help desk

Tokyo station

. I showed  the hotel address from the booking sheet and
out came a paper from the desk…. A maze of Tokyo suburban railway. No verbal
exchange was made. He marked three stations and showed me a flight of stairs. I
hauled my luggage to the ticket counter, couldn't make anything out from the
artistic Japanese writings.  I went to
the checking counter and asked for help. I showed him the station name and he
helped me with the ticket vending machine. Not a word in English written
anywhere on the ticket vending machine.

I made my
way to the platform. I noticed short queues and went to the shortest one and
showed the ticket to a gentleman who looked like he knew English and I pointed
my hand to either side of the track questioningly. He showed four fingers
indicating that I had to get down at the fourth stop

Zero point Tokyo station

. I did that and at the
next two legs of the subway journey too I tried the same trick and succeeded. In
the last leg I met Naomi who was waiting for the train and she spoke only two
English words: “Japanese” and “Good”. But she read the address of the hotel in
Japanese out of my booking receipt and helped me find the closest exit from the
subway station to the hotel and walked me to the hotel and ensured that I had a
booking there before she left. I thanked her profusely.

Soon after
checking into the hotel at Chuo, Tokyo,
I decided to explore what best I could in the evening. After checking with the
hotel reception regarding a direct subway train to Tokyo tower, I went to the
subway station. This time I was better off; I asked for the fare and took my
own ticket. I strolled around Tokyo tower for a few hours, tried unsuccessfully
to take a trip up the tower. On the way back I realized why Naomi had taken
care that I reached the hotel. I got out of the same subway station near the
hotel and was totally lost in the concrete jungle. With a light drizzle and
chilling cold, I tried finding my way back to the hotel. Asked a few
passers-by, none of them knew. A few looked very apprehensive about my foreign
look. Finally one person directed me to a police station close by,  saying they could help me. I walked and
suddenly realized I was in familiar territory close to the hotel and made my way back to my room.
Whew!

I realised
that Tokyo with its skyscrapers was not my kind of place and searched online for day tours out of Tokyo. Found out about Nikko, a few hours away. I was a
little worried about the rainy weather but decided to risk it. 

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Nikko: Fairy-tale town

Sunday, October 28, 2012 

I woke up to
a light drizzle next morning, checked my backpack and camera and headed to
Tokyo central station. I proceeded to make my reservation; shinkansen upto
Utsunomiya and from there a JR line to Nikko. Nikko welcomed me with a cold
rain and warm hospitality.

Nikko fairy-tale town

Nikko station JR

 I was told that I would have just enough time to go
upto Chuzengi lake and Kegon waterfall. Boarded the bus  and as we headed through Nikko town, I

Nikko town centre near Tobu-nikko station

started to wonder how it would be to spend a lifetime in such a beautiful
place. I had a bad vantage point for my camera from the bus

Nikko to Chuzegi lake

Sacred bridge

 cruising through
more than a drizzle but along beautiful slopes of yellow autumn colours. As I
alighted from the bus, I could see a steady flow of people towards a particular
direction and I followed.

Picture post-card at Kegon falls

Kegon falls

 As I drifted with the crowd, I noticed a middle aged
Japanese gentleman with a camera. Noticing that it was an old camera with a
film roll, I queried him in English. He acknowledged “film roll”. But then
subconsciously I think the pair of us clicked. As we went to the waterfall, I
clicked photos of him with his camera and he did the same for me. Not a word
spoken between us for want of common language, we helped each other in
solitude. I thanked him as he pointed his finger and said onsen, by the bending
forward gesture. He smiled and disappeared in the crowd.

I then
headed for Chuzengi lake

Chuzengi lake

The mist over the hills

 , spent an hour strolling around; may be cursing the
weather subconsciously, fearing to blink lest I lose a moments sight of the
awesome view around. Reluctantly I boarded the bus and headed back to Nikko. As
the bus headed back to Nikko town square, I noticed the main street lined by
small shops, wood carvings and antiques. I got down at the town square and
walked back up the street window shopping, striking a conversation with anyone
who smiled at me. As the lights started failing, I started to wonder why I had
still not started back for Tokyo. Nikko was magnetic. Unable to find out a
boarding point for the bus back to JR Nikko station, I walked all the way back.
I traced my way back to Utsunomiya and to Tokyo. This time I didn’t lose the
way from the subways to the hotel.

Read More