Written Japanese

I had no idea the Japanese written language was so intricate (and interesting!). It seems more of an art form than language. I have heard that Japanese poetry is really beautiful because there is a lot of flexibility in the written language.

There are three types of characters used for Japanese.  Sometimes they are presented separately, but often mixed within a phrase or sentence.  The explanation below is probably way over simplified, but gives the general idea.

Japanese language evolved originally without a written component.  The written language has three types of lettering; kanji, hiragana and katakana.  Kanji was borrowed from Chinese language and consist of characters that represent ideas, such as 川 (kawa, "river") and 学校 (gakkō, "school").  Scott and I can recognize about a dozen kanji characters, but even that helps.

To be fluent, you'd need to know about 2,000 kanji characters.  The words are often made up of combinations of simpler characters that can be pulled apart.  Here is a  sample.

Kanji characters

Since not all Japanese words have an equivalent kanji character, there are two other forms; hiragana and katakana.  They were derived  from kanji.  Hiragana was developed for native Japanese words.  The characters are very curvy and each one represents a sound.  Note that in Japanese language you really can't end a word in a consonant so Scott is pronounces Sco-ta.  Meleah is easily pronounced, but is generally Maria.  Hiragana has much fewer characters, the chart below are all of them.

Hiragana characters

Katakana was developed for foreign words and each character represents a syllable, such as コンピュータ (konpyūta, "computer") and ロンドン (Rondon, "London").  Some words have been adopted from English, such as Tシャツ (tī shatsu, "T-shirt").  These are really tricky, but if you can start to hear these words it is very helpful.  For instance the word for coffee is Ko He, コー​​ヒー.

Nowadays English has also slipped in for words like wi-fi or DVD.

Temples and Shrines

Tosho-gu Shrine, Nikko, Japan

The majority of Japanese people are both Shinto and Buddhists.  They worship at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples which are often co-located and built by an imperial family or daimyo (powerful territorial lords of shoguns).  At first you don't even realize there is a difference and then you start to notice their separate characteristics. 

Futarasan-Jinja torii gate in Nikko, japan

Shinto is the Japanese indigenous religion based on worshiping Shinto gods (called kami).  They are generally sacred spirits that take the form of natural things like mountains or fertility. The outward characteristics are that a shrine always has a torii gate at the entrance and are protected by a pair of statues of lions or something fierce.  Shrines have a purifying water trough to clean your hands and mouth before entering the shrine for prayers.  There is a very specific way to say the prayers including throwing a coin into a wooden box, a series of bows, claps, and ringing a small bell.  There can be several buildings; meeting halls, possibly living quarters for the Shinto priest and a main hall that contains relics. 

Fierce shrine guard

Purifying trough at a local Shrine

Temple in Kyoto

Temples in Japan are similar to Buddhist temples anywhere and all contain a Buddha statue.  There will be incense burning and its smoke is used to purify yourself before prayers. Temples often will have a pagoda on the grounds and a main building for prayers and worship.  Buddhism came to Japan in the 6th century, but these days it seems that the Shinto and Buddhist religions are hybridizing in Japan.

Pagoda at Sensoji Temple

Sensoji Temple, Tokyo

A Tiny Sample of Japanese Art

18th Century painting

This week I visited the awe inspiring Tokyo National Museum. There wasn't nearly enough time to experience the place and I only saw two of the six buildings in the complex. 

The Thinker (enlarged)-Rodin

Earlier in the day, I visited the Museum of Western Art because I was feeling nostalgic, maybe a little homesick.  It had a broad collection of "old" European art and many, many Rodin sculptures. Much of the art (and all of the Rodin sculptures) were part of a private collection of a very wealthy Japanese man, Matsukata, in the early 1900's who wanted Japanese people to experience western art.  Most of his grand collection was lost in Europe in WWII or reclaimed by the French.  Recently the French gave back 100's of pieces (including some Monet paintings) as a goodwill gesture!

Buddha with attendents

Back to the Tokyo National Museum.  Old, old things really intrigue me so I started at the Horyuji Treasures building.  The first chamber held bronze Buddhist banners from 600AD. The next room held 40 small bronze statues of Buddha in different stages of his enlightenment, mainly from the 7th and 8th century.  It was staggering and very profound!  The room was dark so photos couldn't really capture the sculptures well.  I couldn't drag myself away from this room, each one was a little different and I would have loved to have read about them more, but there was little English.

Seated Bosatsu (young Buddha), 606AD

One of 40 Buddhas (15 inches tall)

My favorite - Carp with Cherry Blossom

From there I rushed through the main building where again the art was very, very old.  There were fabrics, banners, clothing, paintings, pottery and seals (stamps).  I was amused in the Modern Japanese Art exhibit where the paintings were from the mid to late 1800's! 

8th century glazed clay  jar

I guess I need to go back!

Glorious Gardens

Japanese love picnics under the cherry blossoms

The Japanese have a very keen eye for beauty.  They love their gardens and use them well.  Gardens have a lovely combination of plants and structures.  No doubt the best time to visit the gardens is in spring for the cherry blossoms and in fall for the leaf color, but they generally have something blooming in all seasons.

Full Moon Bridge

Many of the old gardens were the residents of a famous shogun, priest or Emperor, or they were built to honor a shogun, priest of Emperor.  Other beautiful gardens are part of shrines or temples.

Gardens aren't complete
without water and koi

I wish I knew what this said!

My favorite part of the gardens are the beautiful structures, like pagodas, stone tablets and bridges.  I really enjoy the juxtaposition of the ancient gardens within the mega structures of Tokyo.

The contrast of the beautiful garden and huge buildings always amuses me

Japanese Technology is Amazing

The ever so talented toilet seat

The first thing you notice in Japan, usually before you get out of the airport, are the amazing toilet seats.  These seats can wash you front and/or back at varying pressure and, if you like, they can dry you.  If you don't care for others to hear you while you are on the pot, you can play recordings of toilets flushing to muffle your sounds.  And, of course the toilet seats are heated!  I priced them up the street here and they range from $200 - $1,000.

Even the port-a-potties are hooked into the sewer and water systems so they are clean and fresh.  (Port-a-potties were set up at most parks when we first got here to accommodate local Japanese flocking to parks to view the cherry blossoms, they have all bee removed now).

Port-a-potties plumbed with water and sewage disposal

 Scott's office came with a shredder that can also shred CDs and camera cards!

Don't know what to do with old CDs...shred them!

If your driveway is too small to turn around in, you'll need a garage turn-table.  Pull in forward, rotate yourself around and you are ready to pull out forward. 

Parking turn table

My favorite (well, actually the toilet seats are my favorite) is the reticulating parking structures.  These are like a vending machine.  The system will put your car where most convenient based on how long you will be away.  There are "parking spots" below ground too.

High density parking - the spots reticulate according to how long you will be gone

About half the women in our neighborhood have electric assist bicycles.  They wear high-heeled shoes and schlep the kids around with the help of a pug-in lithium battery.  I definitely want one!!

Most have room to safely haul all the kids!
Seatbelts and everything

Removable bike battery

Eating in Tokyo

There is nowhere in the world is food more readily available and reliably good.  From the grocery store, to the ubiquitous 7-11, to fine sushi restaurants, you can generally be assured of a good meal in Tokyo.  A friend who lived here for 17 years told me there was no reason to ever cook at home since good food was so conveniently available and inexpensive.  In three weeks, we've cooked dinner three times; twice was spaghetti and once was Thai food.

Typical Tokyo Restaurant

Restaurants almost never have English menus so you either order from the plastic display out front or from the pictures in the menus.  Both can be a little dicey and its easy to end up eating tongue or something less savory.  We generally eat sushi, BBQ or rice dishes for dinner and a variety of noodles for lunch (soba, udon or ramen).  A good lunch can be had for less than ¥400 ($4) and the receipt tells you the calorie count!

Plastic displays are very handy

Some are very detailed and realistic

Table-top BBQ with lots of sake

 Make no mistake you can easily drop $100 on a fantastic suhsi dinner with beers and sake, but it will be a meal you won't forget. I really can't believe how good the sushi is.  It  melts in your mouth and is very fun to eat!

Our neighborhood grocery store

We buy our food at a local grocery store called Peacock. It is about a 10 minute walk  form here. It is a lovely store, always impeccably clean and organized with a good selection of whatever you need (as long as you can find it).  The grocery store is also a great place to get dinner.

Take out meals from grocery stores are very popular

Lovely produce if you know what it is

For specialty food, toiletries or sundries we go to any number of little  streets lined with shops.  My favorite is the ¥100 Store (¥100=$1.00 exactly).

Typical street near our house for miscellaneous good

Our Tokyo Home

They are still building HUGE towers

 

Tokyo is the biggest city in the world! 35 million people live in the greater metropolitan area (compare that to 20 million in New York City). Japan as a whole is relatively small compared to the US and has about a third the population overall.  Travel in the city is by subway (train).  The subway system looks so complicated, but once you figure out the basics it is navigable.  There are probably 15 different rail lines that operate throughout the city.
  

Tokyo's subway/train system is incredible.  I got lost my first day out.

Our new digs-International House

We live on the campus of Tokyo Institute of Technology.  It is in the area or ward of Meguro about 7 miles southwest of the center of Tokyo.  Our apartment is not much to look at inside or out.  Their idea of "furnished" is more than sparse and I have had to spend a couple days setting up household.  They do have a store room of dishes, silverware, pots and pans, etc. that we have borrowed, but it is poor quality, to say the least!  We live on the south end of campus and Scott's office is on the north end.  He walks a mile to work.

Size comparison - Japan vs. USA

 

There is a lot of contrast in Tokyo.

Spring in Japan = Cherry Blossoms

Kiyomizu Temple-Kyoto

Sakura (cherry blossom) season in Japan is truly amazing!  Every one knows it and appreciates it.  Our first outing was to Kyoto the day after we arrived in Japan.  We took the Shinkansen with our friends Rob and Jason to take in the blooms.  Kyoto is west-southwest of Tokyo about 225 miles as the crow flies.  It was the ancient capital for approximately 1,000 years ending in 1867 so it is rich in temples and shrines (17 World Heritage Sites). 
 

Kiyomizu Temple-Kyoto

Celebrating the Sakura

Japanese and foreign tourists flock to parks, shrines and temples according to the very detailed cherry blossom forecast.  Women and young girls like to view the sakura in their favorite kimonos which makes for a really beautiful scene.  There is no doubt where the spring color palette comes from in Japan.

Back in Tokyo, the blooms are diminishing and recent wind and rain have beaten them off, but I was still able to take in a few more parks.

My favorite is the trailing trees

Kimonos at Imperial Palace

This famous tree is named, Shushiki (Ueno Park, Tokyo)