Back home. Got the last images out of the camera and into the computer.
The Fuji TV BuildingQuick shot from the train - might be the best one from the tripTaking the good stuff in for the nightLast look at the Ginza
It was a good trip. Where to now?
Did some work on my investments today. Sent some stocks to my foundation. Sold out my entire Nash Finch position. Bulls get rich, Bears get rich, Pigs get slaughtered. Took my profits and spent the proceeds on Potash, John Deere and E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company – aka du Pont. Why? Russian weather.
The Russian wheat crop is toast. North American farmers will ramp up wheat production. What will they need? Fertilizer – Potash. New gear to process the wheat – John Deere – and seeds -du Pont. That is the rationale.
We will not even go into the trouble we encountered upon our arrival in Tokyo. The short version – the hotel could not be found, there was a driving horizontal rain, we killed 3 umbrellas in 20 minutes, soaked right down to the undies.
May the goddess bless Mazda. Much to the teenage person’s embarrassment, I marched into a Mazda show room and said in perfect English – I am lost. Please Help. And they helped. They couldn’t figure out the hotel map either. So, they made me a new, laser printer and hence semi waterproof map – wrote street names on it. Gave me an umbrella and sent me on my way. (The umbrella lasted about 5 blocks.) After about 10 blocks – I asked a cop for help. He said that we should have turned right down an unnamed street about a block back. We retraced our steps and that was it – within 10 more minutes – we found our little oh so french hotel.
Now some photos from yesterday. Yesterday was devoted entirely to watching the teenage person’s attempts to kick-start the Japanese economy by power shopping.
But first, the French version of the $25 Japanese Breakfast - not the best we have had.Note to Old Persons - Abandon Hope Upon EntryGot to get ice cream and corn flakes at the Hello Kitty Ice Cream Store.Safely Back in the Friendly Confines of Ginza and our hotel
Tonight – big-time fireworks – if we brave the crowds and subway system – weather permitting.
A few shots from yesterday’s layabout day in Hiroshima.
Hiroshima Castle - at the top of the stairs.Japanese air conditioningTemple inside castle moat
Overcast today. Will try to get us out of here sooner rather than later. We have a subway ride in Tokyo from the train station to our hotel. And, I really want to avoid being on the subway with our backpacks during Tokyo’s famous subway crush time.
The A-Bomb Dome - HiroshimaMiyajima Island Miyajima Island - Everything in Japan is at the top of a hill or long flight of stairs or both.Miyajima Island
Haven’t a clue what we will do today. The teenage person is getting geared up for 9 days of shopping in Tokyo. I have decided to buy nothing that I can buy back home unless it is way cheaper. Which means I don’t have much shopping planned. But, the old person can look.
Selected photos from a lazy Sunday in Kumamoto, which is far off the western tourism track.
Start the day with a very Japanese breakfast
This hotel chain always has fried onion rings on Sunday morning. That would be fried onion rings, two kinds of soup – one with quail eggs. Tofu. Lotus root stuffed with hot mustard – that was a wake up call to the taste buds. A few green beans and carrots. A bowl of rice. Coffee, yogurt and a small roll.
I then left the teenage person to herself and her computer and wandered around town. I was tempted by $75 hair combs – but decided that the goddess would not be pleased if I spent $75 for a hair toy – and that she might show her wrath by visiting breast cancer and chemo on me. I settled for a perfectly fine $5 hair comb.
Another Day, Another Castle - Kumamoto Castle
By mid afternoon, I hauled the teenage person away from the computer and out to see the castle. Where, we found some unknown festive event in progress.
I don't have any idea what is going on here.But, I suspect that alcoholic beverages where involved.
The day was topped off by a visit to the the delightful communal bath, where they have washers and dryers – so all my clothes got clean along with me.
This morning – we will head to Hiroshima for 3 nights, then 9 nights in Tokyo. Then home.
And why are we in Kumamoto – because it was the only place that had a hotel room on Saturday night. And, today is laundry day. A day when washing gets done – and since this hotel has washing machines – that will nice. This hotel also issues you snappy pajamas which you can wear to the onsen – they have 4 machines in the women’s onsen (that would be the communal bath) – so, you can wash everything you own – including yourself.
A few parting shots from Nagasaki:
A walk thru Nagasaki's ChinatownTeenage person has close encounters of the naval kindNight Ships
The old person and the captains of the Russian sailing ships were all glad to have the teenage person safely away from Nagasaki and the Russian Pacific Fleet!
Am looking at a pretty cool castle out side my window – might just sneak in a little tourist action between laundry and soaking my person in the onsen today.
The sun is out again today. Still things to see in Kyoto – so that is good. Did I mention that the teenage person is always all the time forever on the computer chatting and texting with her friends? At first, I was annoyed, as in “I am spending all this money for you to be online with your friends and watching TV?” Decided that it was a good thing – that way she tells her friends that she is “so bored” and not me.
Main event yesterday – Gion Matsuri – a festival which has happened almost every year since 865. Men drag very large “floats” with large stone wheels around town. Men carry smaller ones around. But, the large ones are the main event.
First, the teenage person gets her butt bow adjusted by a proNext, we somehow get thru this mob until we can see. Those are people as far as the camera can see.And, here it is - one of the floats making a turn.
We were about 4 or 5 people from the front of the mob when I took this picture. Hold camera over head and click. Then crop. All of the big floats look sort of alike and they are all about the same size. As long as you do huge crowds OK – it was grand fun.
The teenage person dressed in the chic-est girlie manner in the cotton kimono getup she had purchased. The old person wore regular limp and wrinkled old person travel togs.
Tonight – all the stuff gets repacked into the backpack and we go on to Nagoya for 2 nights. That will make 9 nights in fine hotels. After that it is back to what in Japan are called “business hotels”. I call them “Motel Six” hotels. In Tokyo, we are staying in a hotel that is owned by the company that owns Motel Six in the US. So, living large, with closets, drawers, chairs, extra pillows and a view (killer or otherwise) is coming to an end.
Another good sign – yesterday the ATM machine, which had rejected me the day before, granted me cash. (After seeking assistance from the goddesses of the rice harvest.)
ATM Reject Notice
Yesterday, we went to Fushimi Inari Shrine a little ways out of town. According to my trusty French guidebook the Shrine is a 4KM path. Uphill. The path is paved and completely covered with vermillion Tory gates. The shrine (Shinto) is to one of the patron goddesses of the rice harvest. So, originally, rice farmers put up gates to insure a good growing season.
Fushimi Inari Shrine
But now, people come to ask for more wealth. I asked for mosquito repellant and protection from Japanese encephalitis, as well as good luck with the ATM.
Businessman seeking wealth
Big festival day today in Kyoto. I went to look at the “floats” yesterday while the teenage one went shopping. I plan on going to the parade this morning if I can get teenage person sprung into action soon enough.
Getting cash is a problem for every visitor to Japan. And in Japan cash is important – because almost no one takes credit cards. I have been able to pay for our hotels by credit card. But that is all. And yesterday my go-to card for cash was rejected twice by the heretofore faithful Post Office Bank ATM. So today, in we’ll have to keep an eye out for a 7/11 ATM – because the Post Office and 7/11’s are the only ATMs that will even consider giving foreigners money. It isn’t just Americans. It is Canadians and Europeans too.
My visit to the Manga Museum
Yesterday, while the teenage person visited The International Manga Museum, I sat out side and drank beer with a couple of nice boys from Netherlands. First topic: the rains. Second topic: where to get money.
The fan is a unisex item in Japan and as common as the umbrella
We got seriously rained out Wednesday. Before breakfast it seemed like a good idea to go to Osaka. I figured out how to buy train tickets. We hopped on the correct train and 30 minutes later were in Osaka. After much looking around we found the Information Center. And purchased $20 subway pass and a book of admission tickets to about 20 attractions.
The must visit no matter what Pokemon store
Teenage person HAD to visit the Pokémon store. So, that was our first stop. Old person simply sat down on the floor of the store and worked very hard at not saying “I am spending enough money to pay for 4 years of college for 3 students at my alma mater – and we are spending our time in a juvenile video game character store?”
Old person understands that teenage person is only interested in Japan as it relates to video games or comic books.
Eventually, we made it out of the Pokémon store and headed out to Osaka Castle. That was when the monsoon started. I should have brought my Tevas! I was drenched down to my under drawers.
Stopping to wring out the sox
We still went to the Osaka Castle. As far as castles go – it is sort of so-so. Actually, it is a 1930’s reconstruction. In Japan as in the US during the 1930’s historic reconstruction was more reconstruction than historic. Teenage person insisted that she didn’t need to read the narratives – we are inside now – because she knew ALL about the castle from a video game and was only interest in anything she already knew about from said video game.
Osaka Castle in the rain
After the Castle, the monsoon had slackened but we were still very wet. So, we bagged up our visit to Osaka. I figured out how to buy tickets back to Kyoto and we had a very expensive visit to the Pokémon store and Osaka Castle.
When we got back to our room – we discovered that out room key – like the rest of us – was soaked. Another trip down to the lobby for replacements.
Food wise, we had another super breakfast at our hotel this morning. Today, I noticed that they have ice cream on the breakfast buffet line. And, we got take out salads for dinner.
Must get off line now – the teenage person has been patiently waiting for 15 minutes to get back online.
