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| TRAVEL Japan

THE JAPAN I KNOW


By Irwin Patterson
Great Places on a Budget
I have always had a fascination for Japan. When I was a young boy, I remember my mother asking me to point out Japan on an atlas, and she was amazed that I pointed directly to Japan

I had wondered about a country where the people slept on the floor, or rice-straw "tatami" matting, actually reed mats sewn together, and in a futon, that I later discovered provided a very comfortable sleep. I knew the people ate with chop sticks, something I have never learned to master.

My first trip to Japan was to see Expo 70. The theme was "Progress and Harmony For Mankind", located outside Osaka in the Senri Hills.

Canada won the award as the best pavilion, the theme was ‘Discovery" an invitation to discover Canada, and was built in the form of a pyramid, sheathed in mirrored slopes, the exterior reflecting the sky.

Osaka is the central city of west Japan with a population of 2.6 million. Osaka Castle, constructed in 1583, is one of Osaka’s popular sightseeing spots. Kitashinchi is a high class amusement area in front of Osaka station.

I had the rare opportunity to live Japanese style in a private home, sleeping on the floor in a futon. My host commented that I should never say I can’t sleep Japanese style because it took him four tries to waken me.

I also visited Nara, Japan’s first permanent capitol 710-794. Nara Park is located in the center of the city with deer striding through its grounds. The Todaiji Temple, famous for its Great Buddha, and Kasuga Shrine are also found in the park

Nearby, and easily reached by train is Kyoto, the capitol from 794-1868 with many temples to visit. Kyoto is an ancient city, and was once the home to the Emperor for approximately 1,000 years. The city became a castle town with the completion of Nijo Castle in the Edo Period (1603-1867).

Behind every temple, there is a beautiful Japanese garden that is used for meditation with flowers, shrubs, trees and fish. Examples would be the Kinkaku Ju Temple (kingkaku gee) temple of the Golden Pavilion covered in gold leaf. Japanese religion is tied in with nature. This temple has a sacred garden as a tribute to the gods.

The Heian Shrine, noted for its sacred garden was constructed in 1895 to commemorate the 1,100 anniversary of the founding of this ancient capitol. The movie Sayanora starring the late Marlon Brando was filmed here.

Gion is an amusement area occupying the north and south sides of Shijo Street that contains many small restaurants and a thick Japanese atmosphere.

Kyoto, Nara and Osaka are each about 18 miles apart in a triangular shape on the map, and can be easily reached by train rather than driving or busing the busy roads.

During my last trip, I stayed in a section of Tokyo called Ueno, famous for its very large park. I stayed in a inn, and in a room that was typically Japanese. I slept in a futon on the reed mat floor, and I sat on the floor to read or watch television at a coffee table. The living room was separated from bedroom by a rice screen that pulled across the doorway.

If one has guests, you just pull out another futon from the cupboard, and put it on the floor. The traditional Japanese bath was interesting, you shower or bath on the floor and get into the small square bath to soak, but the water was far to hot for me to utilize.

The toilet facility was in a small separate room, and so was the sink, not like our bathrooms where all the facilities are in one room. Japanese inns are fun and much less expensive than hotels.

The main downtown area of Tokyo is the Ginza, and the city is serviced by a wonderful subway with 13 lines.

The Imperial Palace gardens are open to the public and are well worth visiting. The days the gardens are open depend on the season. When I left the Palace gardens, I walked into the Wadakura Fountain Park, a series of fountains that just kept changing formation as I photographed the spectacle.

I made day trips to Nikko by train to see the famous temples and another day, Hakone to see their inland resort with hot springs, a stone paved road built in 1619, the amazing azaleas garden at the back of the Lakeshore Hotel and Lake Ashi.

IRWIN'S TIPS:
For further information on brochures and maps contact the Japan National Tourist Organization, 481 University Avenue, Suite 306, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2E9. Phone  416-366-7140 or visit www.jnto.go.jp/canada or www.itcj.jp and click on Type of accommodation.

The cheapest place to eat is in a department store cafeteria, usually on the top floor. The menus are displayed in the window of the restaurant in plastic, so you point out to the waitress what you want and the prices are very reasonable.

For a fun experience at an inexpensive price, I stayed in a Japanese inn or Ryokan, a Japanese style "bed and breakfast" in a reed matted room, that had a comfortable futon, and a Japanese style bath.

www.WeddingsHoneymoons.com | May 20, 2008
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