RGD Travels: April 2012

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Tokyo: October 4, 2011

(Tip: Click on photos to see a larger version or go to www.ronalddunlapphotography.com)

I was up early in hopes of saying a proper goodbye to the crows, but sadly they were engaged elsewhere. After finishing my toilette and making sure I hadn't left anything behind, I took the elevator down to the street to walk off some of my nervous energy. For fuel, I sucked down the last of my Royal Jelly pouches and stepped out into the chilly morning.

After settling my hotel bill, I boarded the airport shuttle bus at 10 a.m. and watched out the window as the bus waded its way through Tokyo's mid-morning traffic. As usual, I don't like to rush at the airport. In the past, I've had a couple of expensive close calls, and I'm too cheap and cautious to let it happen again. The bus arrived just after 11:30, and with my bags in tow I made my way over to the Delta check-in counter.

After all the formalities, I still had a few hours before the boarding process began. I found the currency exchange and got a little over one hundred and twenty-five greenbacks for the ten thousand Japanese Yen I'd just handed over. That left me with just over ¥1,000 ($13) in small bills and coins to enhance the next few hours. I spent just under $9 for a German-style hot dog, chips and Diet Coke that would have to suffice as both my breakfast and lunch. I topped it off with a Dove (-like) ice cream bar that was a smooth ending to my return visit to Japan.

When my section was finally called, I found my seat — 33G — and had no trouble in getting both my bags in the overhead bins. Then, to my great pleasure when they closed the door, both 33H and 33I were empty, so all three seats were mine. I was looking forward to stretching out once the plane was in sleep mode.

The economy section had a great many Chinese nationals headed for Los Angeles. Once the plane was airborne, they wanted to fill up the unused premium seats, so they would sneak up and take a seat, and then the flight attendants would chase them out. I thought I'd be able to sleep, but because the Chinese and the flight attendants played musical chairs all night, it was impossible to rest.

Epilogue

Visiting Tokyo is an expensive proposition, but even with the dollar's meager exchange rate, it's a worthwhile endeavor. My budget for this trip was three thousand dollars, but due to my self-indulgence I went 25% over. My biggest splurge was upgrading my ticket to premium economy, which ran an extra two hundred and fifty dollars. Even with eating as cheaply as my stomach would permit, the cost of food and transportation in the city is something you've got to watch.

Tourist Info: Never order anything in a restaurant or bar without having seen a menu with prices on it.

Costs

Delta flight from LAX to NRT	$1,426.40
Premium economy upgrade	$ 250.00
Hotel Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku (11 nights)	$1,214.81
Airport transportation (both ways: Tokyo)	$ 75.00
Airport transportation (both ways: L.A.)	$ 100.00
Tokyo transportation (trains and subway)	$ 200.00
Food	$ 320.00
Misc	$ 120.00
__________________________________________________
Total	$3,706.21

I recommend the Suica Card. It doesn't save you any money, but it makes everything so much easier when it comes to getting around. You don't have to worry about correct change or if you purchased the right ticket, you just swipe the card and you're on your way. It's also honored by many of the shops located in and around the rail stations.

Scorecard

Tokyo: 9.5 stars. It would have gotten 10 if it hadn't been just so goddamn expensive.

Hotel Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku: 8.5 stars. This hotel was perfect for me, but most guests would like a slightly larger space so that they can have their suitcase open and still be able to move around in the room.

Airport Shuttle Bus: 9 stars. A great service. It would have been a 10 if they hadn't been so militaristic in the marshaling of their passengers.

There is an old wives' tale that says that the Japanese have three hearts: one they show the world, the second they show their families, and the third they show only to themselves.

Tokyo is very much like that. With its veneer of orderly progress and attention to detail, it is the shining face that Japan wants to project to the rest of the world. But if the seasoned traveler is diligent and has a bit of luck, there is the possibility of getting a glimpse of this extraordinary city's second heart.

(if you'd like to be placed on my mailing list, just drop me a note at: rdunlap@doglight.com)

Friday, April 20, 2012

Tokyo: October 3, 2011

(Tip: Click on photos to see a larger version or go to www.ronalddunlapphotography.com)

I woke to the shrieks of a quartet of crows loitering outside my window. It felt like a lament for my last full day in Tokyo. For some reason, their cries reminded me of the flocks of wild green parrots that now call L.A. home. They occasionally congregate in the liquid amber tree in my front yard and wake me with their early morning cacophony.

On my way out of the hotel, I stopped at the front desk to confirm my reservation for the airport bus tomorrow morning. I also stopped for a last Egg McMuffin at the McDonald's down at the end of the block. I washed it down with the last of my large Diet Coke and stepped back onto the streets. My plan for the day was to just take it easy and see what happened as I ambled around.

My first encounter came in a transfer tunnel, where I came across a couple of homeless gentlemen packing up their belongings after spending the night in a small alcove in the middle of the passageway. Unlike the homeless gentleman I'd met yesterday, they seemed totally cognizant of the world around them, conversing in an informed manner. One wonders what mistake they made or what circumstance brought them to be living this far outside the normal.

Later in the day I did encounter a few more of the less fortunate who seemed a lot worse for the wear.

From there, I walked to Kabukicho, where I photographed a hostess from one of the "water trade" clubs. She looked like she'd just put in a long night's work cajoling intoxicated company men out of her share of their expense account money.

Hanazono-jinja temple is a bit hidden by the large buildings that surround it. Semi-secluded and with few visitors, it is an island of tranquility. I bought a fox plaque (they look more like dogs to me) as a present for Lynda. I paid the ¥900, and the priest put it in a nice white envelope.

I was walking down Yasukuni-dori (avenue) when I passed a serene and dignified gentleman polishing shoes on the sidewalk. I hadn't seen anyone else plying this trade, and I asked if I hired him to work over my black Timberlands, could I take a couple of pictures, and he agreed. A real professional — there weren't any unnecessary movements in his performance — it was a shine well worth the ¥800 (just under ten bucks U.S.) that I handed over to this entrepreneur near the end of his journey.

Also along Yasukuni-dori were several high-end bakeries and snack-shop combos, the kind of spot the well-heeled ladies stop at for afternoon tea or a late coffee.

Since this was my last day and I hadn't run totally out of money, I splurged on lunch. I was going to have shabu-shabu (boiled beef and vegetables), my favorite Japanese food. I found a shabu-shabu house, "Kisoji Shinjuku," and took a seat. I ordered beef, and they set a covered pot on the burner that was part of my table. Once the water is boiling (some like it to just simmer, but I wait till it is really hot), you place some of the sliced vegetables into the water and then one of the very thinly sliced pieces of Kobe beef. The beef is cooked almost immediately, and you place it and some of the vegetables (my favorite is Napa, a kind of Japanese cabbage) onto the rice bowl that rounds out the meal. It is really one of my all-time favorite meals, but this one cost almost $50, a great part of my food budget and why I could indulge my taste buds only once on this trip.

My last real impressive encounter was with a young itinerant calligrapher plying his trade on the sidewalk on the west side of Takashimaya Times Square. Looking to be in his middle twenties, he had laid out a nice sampling of his abilities and was open for business. I was surprised by how many people were interested in availing themselves of his services. It was eye-opening to see this young man receiving such patronage from the "man in the street."

During a lull, I approached him and inquired as to the cost. At first he said it was up to me, but after I insisted (I'm sure it was really bad manners to insist on a price), he said that it ran between ¥1,000 and ¥2,000. I thought about it for a while and then got up the 1,000 yen and had him write "Doglight." His style is a little too progressive or punk for my taste, but it was still a good investment in karma and made me feel a little like a patron of the arts.

It was nearing the time when I'd have to head back to the hotel to pack and rest up before tomorrow's exercise in restraint. I stopped at the Family-Mart and got a couple of Welder IN energy gel pouches, the Royal Jelly is by far my favorite. I've become semi-addicted to the stuff. I have no idea why they aren't being sold in America. (I didn't think to take a picture of them, but found this through Google.)

Monday, April 9, 2012

Tokyo: October 2, 2011

(Tip: Click on photos to see a larger version or go to www.ronalddunlapphotography.com)

It's Sunday, and I'm heading back to Harajuku for the last time to see if I can find the allusive Japanese dance-gangs that, "according to the guidebooks," haunt Cosplay Bridge.

On my way to breakfast, I walked through the valleys of commerce and found a striking contrast. Japan's corporations have recently instituted no-smoking policies in many of their new high-rises. These multi-storied giants have outside smoking areas — where I found these handsome young company men enjoying a morning smoke. Within 20 feet of these stalwart knights of commercialism, I photographed a homeless man who had just spent the night in this architectural garden of stone. I don't know why, but I found this really disconcerting. I know, you see it all the time in American cities, but here in Japan, it just seemed a jarring, inharmonious juxtaposition.

An hour or so after breakfast, I exited the train station and walked over to Cosplay Bridge. As hard as I looked, I couldn't see one black leather jacket, much less a congregation. At a loss, I followed the crowds heading for Yoyogi-koen Park to see if there was anything going on there.

Yoyogi Park is the largest and most frequented park in Tokyo. Across the street from the National Gymnasium, this historic area has served a variety of purposes. From the military parade ground that saw the first powered flight in Japan, to a bivouac zone for American GIs after WWII (nicknamed "Washington Heights"), to being the Athletes' Village for the Olympic Games in 1964.Today — it being Sunday — it was filled with Tokyoites looking to express themselves through a myriad of different disciplines, from martial arts to American 50s-style dancing. It is one of the few places where people feel encouraged to express their individuality in a group setting.

As I made the rounds of the park, I found some of the dance groups beginning to arrive, but one group member informed me that things didn't start rolling for at least a couple of more hours.

Not wanting to wait around, I decided to make a fast trip down to Shibuya and, in a last-ditch effort, find the elusive pork ramen shop. Today, luck was with me again. Within 25 minutes I found the place and commenced to shoot away.

Back at Yoyogi Park, I thought that the dance groups would be all young kids, but most were approaching middle age, if not already there. They were well-organized and totally committed to their vision of America's "rebel" subculture. Many in these groups have been committed for years, and it is that certainty that gave them a certain charisma and worldwide presence.

Just before the entrance to Yoyogi Park, there is a large forecourt that is used as a meeting place for many of the park's patrons. This area (not Cosplay Bride) is where the two main dancing groups assemble.

It was mid-afternoon when they fired up their jerry-rigged sound systems and slowly began to amble out to form their dance formation. Once they got in the groove, the members took turns at the center spot to strut their stuff. It's all very Japanese in its formalization of aberrant American behavior. But it was a good time for all, dressed in leather-, jean-, or Eisenhower-styled jackets, with turned-up collars, doing their best "James Dean."

It was late afternoon as I made my way back to the hotel. As I waited at a crossing for a train to pass, I spotted a cute young couple and asked if I could photograph them. They were reluctant at first but finally agreed. It's a fine picture; they are very appealing, both in both physical appearance and mannerisms. They are a real credit to their city.

I lay down for a couple of hours, then took the subway to Roppongi Hills. My destination was Mori Towers Observation Deck. I wanted to get some photos of Tokyo Tower and Tokyo itself, at night, before I left town.

I found the observation entrance and purchased a combo ticket for the Art Museum and Observation Deck (you can't buy a ticket just to the Observation Deck). The Observation Deck is on the 52nd floor of the Mori Building, with a great view of Tokyo and Tokyo Tower. Unfortunately, it was not as dark as it needed to be, and there were subtle reflections on the windows, so I had to wait my turn to get a seat near the window, where I could get the camera lens up against the glass. I took a few shots of Tokyo Tower, then made my way around the room to get some different views of the city.

On the way down, the elevator dumps you out on the sixth floor. The first floor of the tower contains a combination of high-end retail stores and restaurants that you have to walk through to find your way out of the building. I think they do it on purpose so that you have to walk past the different shops, in hopes that one of the window displays will attract you in. A real pain.

Outside, I found a crowd gathering around a vantage point where you can get another view of Tokyo Tower. I took a couple of shots of the tower and those who wanted to have their picture taken with the landmark. It's amazing and a bit scary how the American body type is making its presence known in all the affluent nations of the world.