Yanaka and Ueno

 On Thursday October 25th, my group and I explored the Yanaka/Ueno Park area. As we left for the Sendagi station we got separated from one of our group members. Actually, throughout the whole trip our group kept getting separated, or people from other groups ended up in ours. It was kinda funny how many times it happened, and I'm not even exactly sure how it kept happening. Even so, in the end most of us ended up together.

 When we arrived at the Sendagi station, we got lost on the way to shopping street named Yanaka Ginza. It was nice to wander around the area however. I thought that this area was a lot quieter and way less crowded compared to other parts of Tokyo, especially popular areas such as Shinjuku or Shibuya. There were some bigger stores off in distance, some conbini around, and newer some houses (which seemed to blend in with the area) but mostly older buildings seemed to be around. There were no noisy pachinko slots (that I saw) or huge game centers or high rise apartments, especially in the neighborhood areas.

 While we were walking around somehow an hour passed between leaving Waseda and finally getting to Yanaka Ginza...we weren't very good at time management! Once we finally did arrived at Yanaka Ginza, the atmosphere had changed. Suddenly there were people walking up in down the street, looking at the many various shops and restaurants. I really enjoyed this street. It was clean, nice and yummy smells of cooking food filled the air. I that there were various signs hanging above shops that read "Welcome to Yanaka" with two cats waving their hands to invite customers to walk down the street. Cats weren't only just on the signs, but were hanging out around Yanaka as well! I definitely want to come back to this area and spend more time browsing the shops. Mori Mayumi talks about community like in Yanaka in her article "The Neighborly Neighborhood of Yanaka." Although I was only there for a short time, I did get a "neighborly" sense from the area. While walking down that street I saw a group of little kids dressed up and trick-or--treating at some of the shops. That surprised me a bit, since I wasn't sure if kids actually did that here (also since it wasn't technically Halloween yet). It made me wonder if the area was close with the schools there or something.

 After Yanaka Ginza we briefly checked out two temples and then started to head towards the Yanaka cemetery. At the cemetery my group got separated so for a while it was just me and another one of my group members, a girl named Dali. It was really calm, beautiful, and peaceful there, especially since most of the other groups were either ahead or behind us. The two of us followed the stone path through the cemetery   and took not of the various types of grave markers. I wonder how old the oldest graves there are. There were also huge, amazingly beautiful trees up and down the path Some were old and worn down with weeds growing around, and others were new and shiny with fresh flowers at the base. We both agreed that there was a different feeling in the Yanaka cemetery compared to a cemetery in the United States. I was also amazed at how big the cemetery itself is.

 At the Tennoji temple, where a daibutsu is located, we meet up with some other members of our group, but were quickly separated from them again (probably because we were taking pictures). Dali and I started to walk through the Yanaka cemetery area again, which was pretty deserted expect for some workers blowing leaves around. As we headed towards the Zenshoan Temple the streets began to twist and turn; I felt like I was walking in a maze. But I really like the aspect of Tokyo. When we got to the area with the old historic wall, I noticed again how quiet the area really was. Most of the buildings in this area were houses. Some of them were a bit older looking and some of them seemed newer and had fancy cars parked in the driveways. More people were walking around this area, but it was still pretty empty. We stopped for a bit at the Zenshoan temple to look at the striking gold statue there. I have no idea why that statue is there, or how much of it is made out of gold, but it was beautiful. I haven't seen many gold statues or gold things here, real or fake, so the statue stood out there.

 After getting a bit lost, we ended up at Gokokuin where we meet up with our group again as well as some people from other groups. At Gokokuin there was a pretty cool looking gong. A friend decided he wanted to ring it, so he made an offering and rang the gong. To our disappointment, there wasn't much of a sound. We were expecting this crisp ring, but instead we got a dull thud.  Here's a picture of it:

 Next we headed to Ueno Park. It was pretty dark by the time we got there so literally we weren't able to see much. We walked a lot, trying to find the Toshogu Shrine, which we think we found but we weren't sure.  Ueno Park is pretty huge; we didn't even see half of what was there. My favorite part was probably the walkway where papers with wishes on them were hanging from string. There seemed to be a lot of people there for a Thursday night. I definitely want to go back and experience Ueno during the day time thought, and go to the zoo that is there. We also tried to go to the Kiyomizu Temple, but it was closed when we got there. We were able to find the statue of Saigo Takamori as well, which I was pretty excited about since I learned (and remembered!) a lot about his life during the samurai class I took at Earlham.

 As we were leaving Ueno Park we noticed a few homeless people setting up for the night. I've heard that Ueno had many homeless people. Compared to other large cities such as New York or Chicago, Tokyo doesn't seem to have as many homeless people. Maybe there are more than there appear to be, but it's rare to see a homeless person walking down the street or at a train station (from my experience). I really don't know much about homelessness here in Japan or how it is viewed (though it probably has a negative image). I wonder what sort of support organizations are available. I'm also curious as to why Ueno is a gathering place for homeless people. Is it just because Ueno is a park, or is there some other reason?

 From Ueno we headed to Ameya Yokocho, an area with bright lights and many shops. My one friend said it reminded him of a Chinatown. Ameya Yokocho runs along the tracks at Ueno Station, which I thought was pretty cool. I wonder about the history behind Ameya, and for how long shops have been along the station. At Ameya our hodgepodge group decided to have a snack somewhere. First we stopped into one shop, but decided we didn't want to eat there, so we left. It was a bit awkward, but we all wanted to go to the Mister Donut next door (I'm not really sure why we went into the first store...haha). At Mister Donut the five of us squeezed into two small tables and chatted while we ate our donuts. We had a nice group bonding time, and I learned a lot about two of my original group members. Although the day was long and we walked a lot, I had a lot of fun on at Yanaka and Ueno!

Rikugien Garden

On Tuesday October 16th I went to the Rikugien garden with two of my friends (one of them is also in Exploring Tokyo and the other is a friend from our study abroad program). We meet at Takadonobaba station at around 9:30, and then took the JR line to Komagome. That was my first time going beyond Ikebukuro, so I was excited to see what that section of Tokyo looked like. It really amazes me how diverse Tokyo is. I haven't been to very many big cities (or have stayed in a big city for an extended period of time), but I was surprised at how diverse the neighborhoods/sections in Tokyo are. Of course different sections of Tokyo have similarities (same stores, similar looking buildings, etc.), but so far every section of Tokyo I've been to has been a bit different, has had it's own style and atmosphere. At least I think so anyway.

The Komagome station area was pretty calm (since it was the morning I guess). We weren't exactly sure how to get to the garden (we knew it was close but the maps were a bit confusing), so we ended up asking a cashier at a bakery for directions (we also bought bread there which was delicious). The Komagome area wasn't as hip or exciting as other sections of Tokyo, but it was still nice. After about a five minute walk we arrived at the main entrance of the garden. The woman working there was pretty friendly, and gave us English maps.

It was a beautiful morning; not too hot or cool, and the sky was clear blue. The overall atmosphere there was very calming. A lot of wildlife (birds, fish, turtles) could be seen and heard. Rikugien wasn't very crowded when we went. Most of the people visiting the garden were elderly, although there were a few younger looking families with young children. Not very many people were walking around either; most of them were quietly sitting on benches in the shade gazing at the garden and some were taking pictures. I'm assuming most of them come to the garden to relax and view the nature there. I'm curious as to if anyone pays the 300 yen entrance fee often to go there, or if most of them were there for the first time.

The main focus of the garden seems to be on the large pond which is practically in the middle of the garden. There was also a small island (which was connected to the path but we couldn't walk on to) that seemed central as well. As Mansfield points out, at Rikugien "88 scenes described in the 31-syllable poetry known as waka" are recreated in the landscape (Mansfield 77). I was impressed when I first read this. No wonder it took seven years for the garden to be completed! I guess the garden was created with the intention for people who wanted to see those scenes but couldn't actually go to the real places. Although it would have been interesting to take the time and find all 88 scenes in the garden (which are located on a map near the entrance I believe. There are also some signs throughout the garden marking where these scenes are), we were not that ambitious. But we did take our time strolling around and taking in all the trees, bushes, and wildlife around us. Of course beyond the line of trees buildings were noticeable (and I don't think the garden was made with the intention of incorporating the outside buildings into the design, shakkei) and city noises penetrated the calm of the garden every once in a while. But after living in Tokyo for more than a month I've become used to such things and end up not paying attention to the noise when I'm in a garden or shrine, etc.

As we walked around the garden, it was amazing to note how the picture/scenery you looked at changed when you moved from one place to another. I guess this is pretty obvious, but that point really struck me while I was there (I feel like I ended up taking twenty different pictures of the same thing...haha). I also noticed that the leaves were starting to change colors, an event called koyou in Japanese. I would really like to go back to the garden during other seasons (and I wonder how crowded it gets during certain seasons).
While walking we noticed a tea shop which sold match tea and a snack for 500 yen so we decided to take a break and drink some tea as we sat under a red umbrella and looked at the scenery. The tea was great and the mochi(?) snack was delicious. That was my first real matcha tea in Japan! We walked around some more after drinking our tea (and spent some time at a waterfall/rocky area which was breathtakingly beautiful; my favorite section of the garden probably) and then left the garden after spending a little more than an hour and a half there. Although the nature at Rikugien isn't technically "natural" (since it was man made), that didn't make the area any less beautiful or amazing.

Imperial Palace and Marunouchi!

On Thursday October 11th I visited the Imperial Palace grounds and the Marunouchi area with my group for Exploring Tokyo. My group has a lot of interesting people in it, and we all got along pretty well, which made the trip even more fun. There are about nine of us altogether, though a few people were missing. Some of my group members are foreign exchange students for a year, like myself, some are studying abroad for four years from various countries, and a couple are from Japan. Throughout the trip we got to know each other a bit better, and I look forward to getting to know my group members even more.

The first thing I noticed after taking the crowded Tozai line to the Takebashi station was the inner moat surrounding the palace grounds. The water was calm and came right up to the huge stone wall that also surrounds the palace grounds. After walking through the palace gates we were confronted by another stone wall encasing a hill. My group stopped by this wall for a bit to take in how big both the stones (which seemed bigger than the stones used in the outside wall) and the wall itself was. One member of my group said the rocks were placed in such a way that they were earthquake proof and had no mortar or any connecting substance between them. I'm not sure, however, if what he said is true or not. I am curious to know how old the stones are however.

On the short way to the Tenshudai (the remains of the castle tower), we noticed an odd looking building to the left. None of us knew what the building was, what it was used for, or if people could enter inside. The architecture was really interesting and there were mosaic murals on part of the building. Here's a picture:

After looking at the map again, this building is supposedly the Tokagakudo Music Hall. I wouldn't have guessed that.

On the way to the Tenshudai we also noticed the huge grassy area in the middle of the grounds. A couple of people were laying down on blankets, or just relaxing in the afternoon sun. The palace grounds seem like a nice place to come to relax, which I assume is a big reason why most people go there. Although of course people go there to learn or experience the history of the grounds as well. Many groups from class were at the top of the Tenshudai; not a whole lot of other people were there. A couple of old ladies were just sitting on the benches there. One looked like she was about to doze off. The top wasn't too high, but we could see how huge the grounds really are. I wonder how much work it takes to maintain the area. Many trees surround the grassy lawn, and beyond the trees were the buildings of the Marunouchi and surrounding areas. Sounds of birds, bugs, and city life all mixed together.

Next my group went to the Higashi Gyoen aka the East Garden. We got a bit lost on the way, since we ended up just following other groups around, but after looking at a map we all found the garden. I thought the garden was really beautiful and peaceful. There were many different types of trees around the pond (which had koi fish in it), and I think there was also an area for irises to grow. The sun was starting to set, and while exploring the garden I forgot there was a city behind the barrier of trees. Of course I would be reminded of that fact when I would hear a car horn, etc. After climbing up some stairs to reach a waterfall, you could really see a great view of the garden below. I really love Japanese gardens, and although this garden wasn't necessarily extravagant, it was beautiful.

There was a light post that I saw on the way out of the grounds that I'm sure must have some sort of significance since it was there and had a sign next to it. I couldn't read any of the kanji on the sign, but I'm assuming it must be a remnant of some era.

Here's a picture of my group by the way!

While leaving the palace grounds from the Otemon gate, it was interesting to note how it felt like there were two different worlds right next to each other with the grounds on the left and the city on the right. Outside the palace grounds there were a lot of people running. I've heard that the area was a popular place for runners, so I guess it is true.

Next we walked to the Wadakura Fountain Park where we rested for a bit. I've noticed in Japan that some parks have a of of concrete in theme. I guess that makes sense for a water fountain park, but usually when I picture a park I think of green grass and trees. Anyway, the water fountains were pretty interesting. There was one main fountain to the right of the park, and a smaller sphere fountain to the right. There was also a restaurant in the park as well. A couple of people were outside taking pictures of the water fountains, but other than that it was pretty empty. I wonder what the history behind the park is. I probably wouldn't have stopped there if I was on my own, but it was a nice little park.

On Hibiya dori we got to see the Tokyo Ginko Kyokai Building which had a brick styled bottom and a concrete top, which is reminiscent of the area during the Meiji period. I'm not sure how else to describe it, here's a picture:

This building definitely stood out against the rest of the buildings there. The Marunouchi area was once referred to as the "London Block" during the Meiji area since the model for the area was once the "financial district of London" (Mansfield 104). Although back then the are was thought as "a forlorn and lonely place" I definitely did not get that feeling of the current Marunouchi area (Mansfield 104). I felt like the area was really nice. There were trees up and down the clean streets, many brand name shops were located there, and the various bench art there was nice as well. Overall the main street we walked down seemed peaceful in comparison to other areas of Tokyo. There are many areas in Tokyo with upper class shopping areas, Ginza comes to mind, but to me the Marunouchi area seemed a bit more comfortable than those areas.
We also stopped by the Marunouchi Brick Square (more brick usage) where there were more cute shops, cafes, a little garden area, and well dressed people. Compared to the Japanese feel of the Imperial Grounds, the brick square had a very different feeling. The brick buildings definitely give off a more European vibe. It seemed like a really nice area, and I'd like to go back sometime to explore the shops more.

My group had a little bonding experience when we were trying to visit the Mitsubishi Ichigokan building where free archives are located. We climbed a small set of stairs to go to where we thought the entrance of the archives was. Then we ended up going into an elevator since we thought we had to. After a minute or two the doors open to the brick square area again. We literally moved three feet down from where we were. This was pretty hilarious to us all, since we thought we would end up at the archives and also since the elevator ride seemed to take a long time for the amount of space we moved.

Anyway after checking out the archives quickly, we headed to Tokyo Station. Out of all the places we visited that day, I think that the Tokyo Station was the place that most surprised me. The outside looks just like it did when it opened in 1914. No other station or building that I've been to in Tokyo looks like Tokyo Station. People gathered around the station to get pictures of the building. Apparently the station was under construction for five years and was just recently finished. Here I encountered the familiar crowded hustle and bustle of people moving around, getting from one place to another. Tokyo Station really is amazing. I wonder how Japanese people view the station since the outside appears so different from other buildings in Tokyo. I think that the stations height and width surprised me as well since most of the buildings here are tall, not wide.
Inside the station was a dome area with beautiful architecture as well. Many people were stopping to take pictures here too. Beneath the ground level of the station are various themed "streets" such as Kitchen street and Character street. It's amazing how many shops are located there. I checked out the character street with a friend and had trouble not buying all the incredibly cute things I saw.

To me, Tokyo Station seemed like the most fascinating region of the city. I wonder how long the original development of the station took during the Meiji era. I'm also curious as to if the station has always had the same outside appearance  I know it was recently redeveloped, but I wonder how the area looked between 1914 and before the redevelopment. Tokyo seems known to be constantly changing, but I think that such a constant change must be tiresome. If everything is constantly changing, then people have to constantly adapt to that change. Maybe for those who are born and raised in Tokyo it's not such a big deal, but for me, this is my first time living in a big city. It would be sad to come back here five years from now to see that most of the areas I was once familiar with have changed. Tokyo also has such a rich culture that it seems like a shame to have such important landmarks torn down. I believe that one of the readings mentioned how only a gate of a former daimyo's residence remains in the Marunouchi area. I'm really curious about how the Marunouchi area would have looked back when the daimyo lived there.  

Overall it was a lot to take in during the few hours we spent in these areas, but the trip was amazing. I probably would not have seen or explored these places had I just been on my own.