Seeing Nihon at the fag end of winter was an interesting experience - clear blue skies interrupted by gloomy days of cold rain, wind and snow; that overwhelming sense of order, neatness and precision; the pleasant surprise at being welcomed with warmth & affection by old friends and colleagues.
Here is a collection of images and impressions that linger -
DAWN OVER MT. FUJI
I woke up at 2:30AM (IST) to see streak of pink in the sky. Flight JL-471 was preparing to land at Narita and the aircraft was gradually moving away from coastline towards the sea, to enter the funnel. Just above the grey clouds scattered below, a little pink, solitary peak came into view - Mt. Fuji. At first it seemed like just another feature against the misty coastline and the dark, endless mass of the Pacific Ocean. But as we got closer and closer, I began to understand why this dormant volcano is so dear to the Japanese.
The difference is clearly in the setting. Mr. Fuji is puny compared to the Himalayan peaks - At 3776m it is less than half the height of K2 or Mt. Everest. But the point is - you may escape notice when you you're a giant among giants but here, when gentle slopes rise from the coastline to form a perfectly conical snow peak dominating an entire island, -you certainly have a sight to behold!
CRACKING THE SUBWAY SYSTEM IN OSAKA
It is bewildering at first – the numerous private lines, confusing exits, the route maps, ticket vending machines, turnstiles and the surge of people on the platforms. But with some help from maps and strangers the subway is a great way to see the city.
More here on the Osaka subway system.
NARA - 1256 YEARS AFTER BODHIDHARMA
This ancient city of Nara was a huge surprise. In a country dominated by mega cities, concrete, asphalt and glass, it was a astounding to find an oasis of wide spaces, forests, free-roaming deer, cool, pine-scented breeze and silence.
I had never seen an old city so well preserved. Nor had I known about an Indian teacher who was invited here 1256 years ago.
More here on the visit to Nara.
KOBE IS SANNOMIYA
In my mind, Kobe was the city of the 1995 earthquake – an image dominated by toppled flyovers and people huddling in shelters. Now I know that Kobe is actually Sannomiya – a small lesson that cost me Yen 160.
I took a ticket from Ibaraki to Kobe to find a station that blending into large malls. The city centre was actually two stops behind at Sannomiya. It was like stepping into an AutoCAD scenario - the streets were picture perfect - all the way from the station to the piers; the sidewalks had been clad in a beautiful combination of tiles interspersed with sculptures and cherry trees. Even the manhole-covers had been designed so lovingly!
KYOTO AND HYPE
During WW-2 two Japanese cities had been spared of Allied bombing – Nara and Kyoto. Having seen Nara, I had expected Kyoto to be a perfect blend of the ancient and the modern. Not quite – the city just looked like a sprawling district of Tokyo with a few old temples and buildings tucked away amidst the urban sprawl.
It was interesting to see the shrines - Kinkakuji, Horyoji and Ginkakuji; to experience the single-compartment Randen trains on the outskirts of Arashiyama, and to contrast it to the latest N-700 Bullet trains later in the evening; to ride the city buses to Nijo palace to see the magnificent (and symbolic) screen paintings in its inner chambers… but what lingers in my mind in the sight of an old, destitute Japanese woman, sleeping on the streets wrapped in a dirty, discarded blanket.
N-700: THE LATEST BULLET TRAIN
At Osaka station, I had booked a window seat on the latest N-700 Shinkansen expecting a superlative ride to Tokyo. I was not all disappointed.
At Kyoto station the regular trains are at one level and the bullet trains are serviced from exclusive platforms at a higher level. You cross the turnstiles to see a platform with none of the rush and bustle down below. My train arrived exactly on schedule at 16:55 took in passengers from its small aircraft-like doors and was streaking off the platform at 16:56, accelerating to 100kmph in 36 seconds flat. Soon after exiting the city limits the train was approaching top-speed of 300kmph, and inside the pressurized cabins, you could literally hear a pin drop – not a shudder or shake, just that feeling of being hurtled at high speeds with the scenery rushing past in a blur. Amazing.
What is interesting is that unlike the French TGV, the Shinkansen’s don’t touch top-speeds to occasionally impress the record keepers. Ever since they were launched last year, the N-700s travel at these speeds on a daily basis, ferrying commuters all across Japan, and covering distances of about 500km (same as Mumbai-Ahmedabad) in just about two hours.
MR. KURAUCHI AT SHIMOKITAZAWA
Mr. Takashi Kurauchi is an international expert on Hydrology. I had known this quiet, gentle person during his tenure in India and was eager to meet him in Japan. Luckily, he had just returned from Cambodia a couple of days earlier.
While walking with him to the subway in the cold drizzle, I never thought it would lead to an evening of wonderful new perspectives.
SET PHRASES & S.O.Ps
Life in Japan seems to revolve around a standard set of phrases for each and every social interaction. Phrases that go beyond the usual polite greetings.
In shops everywhere, there are SoPs for all cash transactions. Whether you are in a tiny shop in Arashiyama (outskirts of Kyoto), a railway kiosk or a swanky departmental store in downtown Shinjiku, Tokyo, the same procedure is followed. The cashier welcomes you with an "Irasshyaimase!" and thanks you for the honor of serving you; you place your coins / notes on a small plastic tray; the cashier picks the notes and announces the denominations and total amount; and while giving you’re the receipt, the cashier again announces the change she is handing back to you. No scope for confusion!
Even machines are 'trained' to thank you for everything - ticket vending machines, PA systems, escalators, doors, zebra-crossings and turnstiles.
Images...
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