Japan HoloHolo 2023

Friday – October 20, 2023
We woke up rather late as all our hiking was behind us and it was just playing tourist now.

Riding up the escalator to catch the bullet train to Kyoto.

Passing the iconic snow-capped symbol of Japan.

Group photo at a Halloween display at Kyoto Station, the futuristic station opened in 1997 and stands in stark contrast to the historical buildings that populate the ancient capitol of Japan. The holiday was imported to Japan after WW2, but didn’t really take off until 1997 when Tokyo Disneyland introduced it into their theme park and it took off from there.

The cab driver folded an origami crane while driving us from the station to the historic district of Higashiyama. Present for the Americans.

Tanuki (badger) statues were sprinkled throughout the outside of shops and restaurants as it’s believed to bring good luck and fortune.

Passing the first Starbucks housed in a 100 year old Japanese house complete with tatami mats and all the fixings.

Approaching the Yasaka Pagoda, the current five-story tall structure was built back in 1440.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?

We decided to take a ride in the modernized rickshaw, which was invented in Japan in 1869. When in Japan, do as the tourists do.

Driving around town.

Riding green. No carbon monoxide emissions. Just a lot of carbon dioxide emissions.

Passing through an area known for women training to be maiko (apprentice) and eventually geiko (geisha) who are basically professional entertainers trained in the old ways of Japan.

Group photo with our drivers in front of the shrine that the maiko and geiko pray to improve their artistic skills.

Sightseeing.

Animated conversation. Not ready for prime time players.

Can you spot the fake rickshaw driver?

We asked our drivers where we could sample cuisine authentic and specific to Kyoto. We were directed to this Italian restaurant. Bon appetit! The food was tasty.

Our taxi driver that dropped us off back to Kyoto Station, could have given lessons to New York cabbies.

Chico running up and down the Kyoto Station Daikaidan (Great Staircase) which is illuminated with 15,000 LED lights that “paint” various themes. Cue the Rocky music.

We took a short train ride to the shrine that was established in 711. The forecasted rain finally made its appearance as well.

Passing through the entrance of the main shrine of over 30,000 Inari shrines throughout the country. Statues of foxes are scattered throughout the shrine grounds. Foxes are believed to be Inari’s messengers.

Group photo at the beginning of the Senbon-Torii Gate, which are rows of vermillion torii gateways that lead to the summit of Inari.

We followed the tunnel of red orange gateways that reportedly number 10,000 and most of them cover the path and passed by several shrines on the way.

Group photo at what we believed to be the summit. It was dark and rainy.

Going down the loop trail. Most of these gateways were donated by individuals and businesses desiring for prosperity and some of them date back to 1603 until today.

Rush hour. Catching the train back to Shinjuku. I think sardines has more space in the can. Late fast food dinner at Wendy’s.

Saturday – October 21, 2023
Our original plan of visiting Aokigahara, Japan’s famous forest for many reasons that sits at the base of Mount Fuji, got derailed due to the train being out of service.

Plan B. Looking down at Japan’s most famous traffic intersection where at designated times, people pour into the streets going and coming from all directions.

We met up with Mari’s sister and brother-in-law and took the high speed elevator to the 46th floor and the escalator to the roof to soak in some panoramic views of Tokyo.

Group photo on the roof called Sky Stage, left to right: Aida, Yuka, Kiyoto, me, Mari, and Chico.

High jump, cartwheeling and helicoptering on the helipad.

Panoramic views of Tokyo’s skyline and the mountain ranges. Mount Fuji was sadly not visible today.

Taking the escalator back down to retrieve our personal belongings.

We took the elevator back down to the 14th floor to check out a kiosk that was dedicated to Japan’s most famous canine, Hachi-ko. The golden brown dog was born on November 10, 1923 in the Akita prefecture and was sold to Professor Ueno for the princely sum of 30 yen in January 1924 and moved to the town of Shibuya. Professor Ueno would commute daily to teach at Tokyo Imperial University and Hachi-ko would be waiting for him outside the ticket gates. Professor Ueno dropped dead at the University on May 21, 1925 from a cerebral hemorrhage. However, Hachi-ko continued to wait for his master every day for the next nine years, nine months and fifteen days before finally passing on March 8, 1935. The faithful and loyal Akita dog was 11 years old. Hachi-ko’s story caught the attention of Hirokichi Saito, who also founded the Society for Preservation of Japanese Dogs in May 1928, as he found out that Akita dogs were on the verge of going extinct in its own homeland. Saito sent the story to the Tokyo Asahi Shinbun newspaper on October 4, 1932 which put Hachi-ko, which was once considered a pest by the station and commuters, into the national spotlight as an example of family loyalty.

It was here at this steak restaurant that the hunt for the elusive pocchari and the even rarer debu began in earnest in the land of ectomorphs.

What would train riders do without their phones?

We got off at Mari’s furusato (hometown) where she grew up, the city was founded in 1954 and merged with other towns in 2005 to create the new city of Chikusei.

Sitting in the farm fields as we waited for the fireworks show as thousands of people streamed in to find their own spots.

Enjoying the hour long hanabi (fireworks) show where 20,001 aerial pyrotechnics were exploded in a kaleidoscope of colors, patterns and sounds. After the show ended, we briskly walked back to the train station to beat the crowd surge that would make the typical rush hour chaos seem absolutely calm and orderly.

Is this seat taken? @#$%&! Works across all languages.

When the steak is so rare, that the human has to bring it to you. Repeatedly. Where is the robot waiter when you need it?

Sunday – October 22, 2023
What happened to the rice? Are we eating at a sashimi or sushi restaurant?

Passing through corridors of 3-D Kamen Riders that was in your face. Where is Kikaida, the forgotten superhero in his own homeland but is still widely popular in Hawaii?

Catching fleeting glimpses of the giant calico cat.

Playing air banjo with my two rather extreme ectomorph friends.

We paid, literally, a visit to Japan’s most famous export, Godzilla. The 80 ton head sitting on top of the hotel’s terrace was built in 2015. We missed the glowing eyes and smoky breath. The prehistoric reptilian monster first appeared on Japanese movie screens in 1954.

Somebody was thirsty. Somebody was not amused.

We took the train to Shibuya Station to get our group photo at the iconic landmark and popular meeting spot.

The bronze statue of Hachi-ko was sculpted by Teru Ando and unveiled at the Shibuya Station in April 1934 with the real Hachi-ko present at the ceremony. The original statue was melted down for the war. Takeshi Ando, son of the original artist, sculpted a replacement statue that was unveiled in August 1948. Hachi-ko’s taxidermied body can still be seen at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Ueno Park.

Life imitating art. It was all fun and games until somebody dropped me hard on my posterior. Not sure if my butt is harder than my head.

Watching the giant Akita howling for his master, Professor Ueno.

Group photo in front of the statue gifted to Shibuya by the island of Niijima in 1980. Carved to resemble Easter Island’s famous Mo’ai figures, the name moyai is not a corruption of the Polynesian word, but a Japanese one that means coming together as this statue was meant to serve as another meeting place for people outside of Shibuya Station.

We took another train to Harajuku station where we found ourselves in front of Takeshita Dori, a congested street that is 400 meters long and lined with shops and cafes primarily aimed at the teenager demographics. We passed. We are not teenagers.

Exploring the shopping district known for teenage culture, vintage clothing, Snoopy Town where the world famous beagle was first exported to Japan in 1969, Hermes scarves that were first introduced in 1937 and one is sold somewhere in the world every 25 seconds and costs thousands of dollars, and walked to Yoyogi park where we saw the Rockability Boys dancing and playing rock music until they were shut down by the police.

Our last train ride for the trip. We got our money’s worth from our JR Rail Pass.

Browsing through the many food shops in the basement. Chico got some chicken karaage with the coin purse that he had found earlier. Free food. Mari also took a picture with the Suica penguin, the reason the penguin was chosen as the motif, was that the aquatic bird can swim smoothly through the water. The Suica card stands for Smart Urban Intelligent Card which can be used like a debit card for train tickets and general transactions for smooth purchases.

We took the limousine bus to Haneda Airport to catch our respective flights back home, Mari stayed another week to burn up her vacation. Thanks to Mari for all her help in coordinating the activities and the group for the fun company.

Photos taken by Aida Gordon, Chico Cantu, Mari Saito, and yours truly. Not necessarily in order.

Note: I have been made aware that some hikers have been using my blog as a hiking guide and getting lost on the trails. Please note that this blog was made to document the hike for the crew(s) that did it. That is why some of my comments will seem to have no relevance or meaning to anybody outside of the crew(s) that hiked that trail. My blog was never meant as a hiking guide, so please do not treat it as such. If you find inspiration and entertainment from these hikes, that is more than enough. If you plan on replicating these hikes, do so in the knowledge that you should do your own research accordingly as trail conditions, access, legalities and so forth are constantly in flux. What was current today is most likely yesterdays news. Please be prepared to accept any risks and responsibilities on your own as you should know your own limitations, experience and abilities before you even set foot on a trail, as even the “simplest” or “easiest” of trails can present potential pitfalls for even the most “experienced” hikers. One should also always let somebody know of your hiking plans in case something doesn’t go as planned, better safe than sorry.

Tagged as: fireworks, fuji-san, Fushimi Inari Shrine, godzilla, hachiko, hanabi, harajuku, higashiyama, kyoto, rickshaw, shibuya scramble crossing, shibuya sky, shimodate, yasaka pagoda, yoyogi park