japan
° Ise Peninsula ° Hakone National Park ° Kyoto ° Nara
° Narita ° Tokyo
During the '60s, I was a travel agent for American Orient Travel in San Francisco, specializing in high-end tours to Japan, Hong Kong and Thailand. Because I was the youngest on the staff, I was never able to take advantage of the trips. So Japan became a life-long dream, along with Tahiti as my employer travelled there annually and proclaimed it to be the
When the San Francisco Chronicle offered buyouts, I took one and planned a two month trip starting in Tahiti and closing with two weeks in Japan, which included Tokyo, Nara, Lake Hakone, Mt. Fuji, Kyoto, Ise Peninsula.
A major fear keeping people from visiting Japan is the thought of language difficulty. Many Japanese speak at least a few words of English, but, as written repeatedly here, the Japanese people go out of their way to assist. We bought a plastic coated word/picture chart at a Japanese book store in San Francisco. That, combined with the graciousness and intelligence of Japanese people (98% literacy rate -- among the highest in the world), helped us through crowded streets and train stations and quiet small villages.
Japan was one of the few countries I visited before my brother. His concerns were a non-familiarity of the culture— except for the incorrect tone imparted in America during the '50 and '60s&38212; and language difficulty, and the costs of travelign in Japan. We encouraged him to follow our footsteps, which included staying in hotels catering to Japanese businessmen, or modest inns (both clean, comfortable, convenient, lower-priced) and eating Japanese food almost every day, which we love. We also found a fabulous Italian restaurant in Hakone, owned by a Japanese restauranteur who was so successful he also owned We also assured him that there are no more gracious people in the world; he, too, found that to be true.
That trip was no more expensive than travelling through any developed country, and less expensive than most of of the U.S. if you don't insist on living as you would in America. We didn't scrimp on comfort, and travelling through Japan turned out to be less expensive than if we stayed in San Francisco or New York. If you've ever thought of going, don't put it off.
The deer in these images are found around all the temples in Japan and are actually referred to as "temple deer." They are fed by the Buddhists and by visitors. The one to the left is eating a "prayer" put there by a tourist or by a Buddhist monk. People write their wishes on paper, or they buy a prayer roll, and either keep it or tie it to a tree or fence. Generally, if it's a good wish, they keep it. If it seems to be an ill omen, they tie it to something so that the monks can dispel the potential ill deed.
Our accommodations on the Ise Peninsula were reached by a small boat owned by the lodge. We called from a shoreside telephone and they picked us up. We cruised through old pearl beds to the dock. Our upstairs room overlook the bay and the fishing boats that plied the waters throughout the day checking nets and the floating docks holding the oysters. This part of the trip also included a visit to the classic Mikimoto Pearl Farms where young women completely cloaked in white (to ward off the stinging jellyfish in the water) dive for oysters.
There is so much to write about Japan. Every day was an amazing day. Again, even if you have even remotely considered visiting Japan, do yourself a favor and go.
Japan is surprisingly easy to navigate. Not only are the people the most helpful I've ever come across in years of travel (and my worldly brother said that also when we finally convinced him to go), the public transportation systems are amazing. I'm sure you have heard of the Japanese Bullet Trains, but all other transportation is also exception. In addition, because the Japanese spent so many years on foot, many of the towns are like San Francisco in that they are very "walkable." In Tokyo and Kyoto, for example, we walked almost everywhere.
The Trains
Jamaica was my first tour out of the United States. I still remember signs in the train stations: "Train arrives about . . . " with no "about." The trains in Japan arrive on the second: 8:43:22. And if you don't catch it during the minute or so at the station, well just catch the next one which will be along at 8:47:15 or some such. It is quite amazing. Clean, fast, reliable.
Narita
If your time is so limited that you must stay near Tokyo Airport, consider taking the train into the little town of Narita. It is about a half-hour train ride. Flight crew often stay in Narita as it is convenient, and it has retained the feeling of old Japan with its small shops and family-run restaurants. It also features a wonderful modern museum which is a 30-40 minute walk from most hotels.
Reading departure signs in some big airport