Tokyo | March 31st – April 2nd<\/span><\/p>\n

Miyajima | April 2nd – 4th<\/span><\/p>\n

Himeji | April 4th – 5th<\/span><\/p>\n

Kyoto | April 5th – 9th<\/span><\/p>\n

Tokyo | April 9th – 10th <\/span><\/p>\n

Fuji Five Lakes\u00a0 <\/span>|\u00a0 <\/span>April 10th – 13th<\/span><\/p>\n

Tokyo\u00a0 <\/span>|\u00a0 <\/span>April 13th – 14th<\/span><\/p>\n

Intro…<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

The whole idea behind this trip involved photographing Sakura… the Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival. \u00a0And photograph we did. \u00a0Even though we were slightly early for full blossom magnificence, they were still quite beautiful. \u00a0We also photographed some spectacular scenery. \u00a0It’s always good to come home with a couple of Mt. Fuji shots, right? \u00a0 \u00a0And after returning home from this wonderful journey, I was surprised to discover that sometime during the adventure, my interest in the photography mission had somehow\u00a0become intermixed with an interest in Japanese traditions and customs. \u00a0You may discover, as we wend our way through Japan, some interesting photos of things and places that you’ve never seen, or perhaps unique differences and similarities\u00a0of our respective customs and traditions. \u00a0I silently chant my mantra: \u00a0Keep an open, curious mind… it’s a good thing.
\nReady???<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Let’s do this trip.<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

A good night\u2019s sleep started our trip off right.\u00a0 <\/span>Since there have been some, ummm, irregularities, and or delays, at american airports, we left our house at 8am for a 12noon flight, leaving ourselves three hours to contend with any \u201ceventualities\u201d that might have arisen.\u00a0 <\/span>Fortunately, didn\u2019t need it.\u00a0 <\/span>Got through TSA pre-check easily as one of the thugs decided to single out this little old lady with a hip replacement just in front off us.\u00a0 <\/span>Ran the poor ol thing through the magnetometer, the nekked x-ray machine, then gave her a\u2026 ahem\u2026 thorough pat down.
\nWhy do they pick on older people?\u00a0 <\/span>You give them any static, they\u2019ll just delay you until you miss your flight\u00a0to show you who\u2019s boss.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the plane.\u00a0 <\/span>Will be here for the next eleven hours.\u00a0 <\/span>I got pod 2-B, and on arrival found the seat piled high:\u00a0 <\/span>fluffy blanket\/comforter, pillow, \u201cgift pack\u201d with tooth brush, t\u2019paste, sox, slippers, blinders for the eyes, and some other miscellaneous stuff\u00a0to scatter about your nest.<\/p>\n

Finally got settled, just starting to relax and\u2026 here comes lunch.\u00a0 <\/span>Wow.\u00a0 <\/span>I cannot recall ever being able to eat that much lunch.\u00a0 <\/span>Had lots of left-overs\u2026 I wonder where does all that extra food (waste) go?<\/span><\/p>\n

Our plane was a B-767ER.\u00a0 <\/span>Let me tell you, the Boeing pods are not nearly as roomy or comfy as the Airbus pods.\u00a0 <\/span>And they almost lie flat.\u00a0 <\/span>(But not quite.)\u00a0 <\/span>For eleven hours, though, it\u2019s do-able and so much better than being trapped in a middle seat in the back.\u00a0 <\/span>Here.\u00a0 <\/span>Take my credit card, Please!\u00a0 <\/span>Once you go to lay-flat pods in Business First, you can never return to your economy roots.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Landed Tokyu (that\u2019s how they spell it) early in the afternoon the day after we took off, but that\u2019s okay.\u00a0 <\/span>We\u2019ll make up for it on the return trip by getting home a couple of hours before we even took off.\u00a0 <\/span>Crossing the International Dateline is confusing, isn\u2019t it?<\/span><\/p>\n

After clearing Customs and Immigration and Baggage we head for the door and immediately find Evan Pike, our english speaking American escort for the trip. \u00a0Check out www.EvanPike.com when you get a chance. \u00a0 Backstory? \u00a0Evan, a North Carolina boy and inveterate photographer, got a job teaching English to Japanese for a company in Japan. \u00a0Taught several years. \u00a0During his tenure, he fell in love with a local Japanese girl\u00a0who became his bride. \u00a0And the rest, as they say… is history. \u00a0They have since relocated back the the U.S. and reside in Cary, North Carolina. \u00a0Hmmm, I was just thinking… I would<\/em> like to hear her-story some time,though, you know… for comparison.<\/p>\n

Evan escorted us right to the correct bus (out of dozens), and voil\u00e1: a rainy, two-hour bus ride through the gray concrete canyons of Tokyo brought us to the Shibuya \u201cneighborhood\u201d and our hotel. \u00a0(I hasten to add\u00a0here that Even and his fluent Japanese and knowledge of the local turf saved the day for us for the first of about five thousand\u00a0more times over the next couple of weeks… there were very few signs in English. Thanks, Evan.) \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Shibuya Excel Hotel was quite a n<\/span>ice place.\u00a0 <\/span>Tiny beds, but nice.\u00a0 <\/span>Here\u2019s the view looking through thick-paned glass to the street below:<\/span><\/p>\n

The Famous Shibuya Crossing<\/h3>\n

<\/p>\n

On your marks…<\/h3>\n

\u00a0Get set..<\/h3>\n

<\/p>\n

GO ! ! !<\/h3>\n

<\/p>\n

The light has just changed and everyone is racing across the intersection. \u00a0During the busy times of day, approximately 2500 people cross the street(s) every three and a half minutes. \u00a0It was a veritable poster of orderly chaos.<\/p>\n

As we settle in for the night, a couple of things come to mind about Japan:<\/p>\n

It’s very crowded. \u00a0That gives me an uneasy feeling. as I tend to lean toward wide open spaces, woods, and streams.
\nHotel rooms are smaller here. \u00a0Travel Tip: the smaller the living space, the more care required during unpacking.<\/p>\n

Unlike many, many other places in the world that I’ve been, very few Japanese speak any English, at all. \u00a0Language can be a barrier. \u00a0Thank goodness (again) for Evan.<\/p>\n

And then there’s the Japanese commode.<\/p>\n

Get ready, americans, as this commode has a lid that automatically raises as you approach.<\/p>\n

It has a heated lid that is temperature adjustable for your personal comfort, \u00a0(Nice.)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

And buttons. \u00a0Several of them.<\/p>\n

Some even shine a light into the basin and play a) music or b) birds chirping. \u00a0Lush.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It’s only a suggestion, but I suggest you tourists study up on it before you even drop trou. \u00a0No, really.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Best of luck, fellow travelers. \u00a0Study up, as there’ll be a test tomorrow morning just after your morning\u00a0coffee kick-starts your gut.<\/p>\n

Plans for tomorrow, our first full day in Tokyo, are to idly hang\u00a0around all day and acclimatize to the new time zone.<\/p>\n

Will we rest and re-hydrate from our flight across the Pacific?<\/p>\n

Maybe…<\/p>\n

Addendum: \u00a0these things are seemingly everywhere in Japan. \u00a0After returning home, I began mulling over the possibilities… Since we’re in the design phase of building our new home, I thought I’d ask our builder and architect if there was an outside chance that I could have one shipped over to me and have them install it for me. \u00a0Turns out that these lids are really becoming popular here in the U.S. \u00a0In fact, the architect told me he had just spent the entire weekend installing one in his home. \u00a0Keep an open mind, folks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tokyo | March 31st – April 2nd Miyajima | April 2nd – 4th Himeji | April 4th – 5th Kyoto | April 5th – 9th Tokyo | April 9th – 10th Fuji Five Lakes\u00a0 |\u00a0 April 10th – 13th Tokyo\u00a0 |\u00a0 April 13th – 14th Intro…   The whole idea behind this trip involved photographing … <\/p>\n

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