Sakura’s Enduring Enchantment
Friday, July 25, 2008

With cherry blossoms, fair weather and seasonal delicacies, springtime trips to central Japan never fail to enchant.

Photos courtesy NJ Nakamura
A young maiko, or apprentice geisha, greeted us upon our arrival in Kyoto.

Cherry blossoms cascade in front of a shrine at Nara Park, one of the most popular spring destinations in Japan.

The control panel of the Toto washlet has more services than you’d ever imagine in a toilet.

Such fun. I went on a whirlwind tour of central Japan to see the famous cherry trees in bloom. Light pink fairy clouds seemed to float all over Tokyo. Soft and fluffy, they were actually the sakura trees.

The sakura were here and there and everywhere. I saw pink and white blos­soms during the cruise along the Sumida River, as I looked from the window of the bullet train, and from our tour bus as it crossed over waterways and val­leys. Sakura branches, bursting with blossoms, were even peeking between tall buildings. My favorite was the wil­low cherry tree because the long thin branches would hang down and blow with the wind. Somehow, looking at the sakura brought a smile and a sense of calm.

This tour included the cities of To­kyo, Mt. Fuji, Hakone, Kyoto, Nara and Osaka. I referred to this as a whirlwind tour because we zipped through all those places in four full days. Rather than describe all the cities I visited, I want to highlight the unexpected and intriguing sights.

During this particular trip to Japan, I made many new discoveries about the country. Do I dare mention the Love Hotels? Such a fantasy retreat was new to me. There are buildings with the names of Hotel Sweet Memo­ries, Hotel Dessert, Hotel Love, and so on. Several times, I actually saw large red hearts on all the windows of such a hotel.

Inside, instead of a registration desk, there is a wall with buttons. A happy couple can select the type of room, theme, accessories, lotions, etc. Then the happy couple pays for their selections with cash, obtains a receipt and then they go to their hotel room. Hmmm….could it be due to several family generations living in cramped housing that these hotels offer more privacy?

Our tour group of 26 stayed at the normal, regular hotels. Even though the regular hotels in Japan are usually small, they offer many comforts. An electric Zojirushi hot pot was always ready with hot water and assorted tea bags were neatly displayed. Very often the knobs on the bedside tables controlled the room lights.

Yet, the most fascinating object in the room was the toilet made by Toto. After a quick mental debate, I talked myself into trying out this high-tech device. I’m a ticklish person and so I cautiously sat down.

The toilet seat was warm and comfy. The concept is that after relieving on’s self, the simple press of a button will spray a gentle fountain of warm water towards the back of the buttocks or towards the front. As a female, I could use both buttons. What a great way to eliminate the existence of bacteria and odor. Of course, it isn’t a substitute for a daily shower.

Some of the toilet stalls in the shop­ping malls had additional gadgets. As soon as a person sat down on the toilet seat, the sound of rushing water, like that of a babbling stream, could be heard. This is to disguise any bodily sounds that the person might make.

On one occasion, I accidentally pushed a big black button on the side­wall of the toilet stall. Immediately, I was sprayed with a mist on the side of my shirt. Oops and ughh. It turned out to be a cleaner that should be sprayed onto a handful of folded toilet paper. Then, the saturated toilet paper is used to wipe the toilet seat before sitting down. So, the lesson learned was that one should read all the signs on display, even when inside a toilet stall.

In Hakone, we climbed a hillside in Owakudani, where there is thermal-vol­canic activity. All around us, billowing steam was escaping from the soil and it smelled like stinky hard-boiled eggs. There were little streams of hot, milky sulfurous water and mud ponds of bub­bling water. It is believed that climbing the steps to the top of the hill and then eating the prize will bring four years of longer life. Many elderly people and sometimes even pregnant women have been known to climb the sulfurous hill­side to earn longer life.

Believe it or not, the prize at the top was a black egg that had been hard boiled in the bubbling sulfur liquid. It cost approximately $1 for this discol­ored chicken egg. I didn’t eat it, but I was told it tasted just like a regular old hard-boiled egg.

At the Owakudani Kanko gift store, one of my best purchases was the wooden puzzle box. By pushing secret panels on the sides, one can open the lid of the box. Mine had six movements. I examined another larger box that required the move­ment of 14 panels. However, that one cost $29. After being intrigued with the puzzles in the DaVinci Code and Nicolas Cage’s secrets/puzzles in his National Treasures movies, this box was totally fascinating. The wooden puzzle box can only be purchased in Hakone. So if you know of anyone traveling to Hakone in the future, I would suggest hinting that you would like one as omiyage.

After visiting Owakudani, we boarded a pirate ship on Lake Ashi. Lake Ashi was made from a crater after a volcanic eruption 3000 years ago. The best spot on the pirate ship was the top deck so that’s where I stood. With the wind blowing my hair into a crazy mess, it felt wonderful, childish and fun.

In Shizuoka, we visited a tea mu­seum. The museum was surrounded by rows upon rows of manicured green tea bushes. It was really hard to tell if they were actually bushes because the plants had been trimmed into long rounded mounds. After viewing a traditional tea ceremony and drinking the bitter tasting tea, I was ready for some ice cream. Naturally, it was green tea flavored and it tasted stronger and better than what is served in Los Angeles. Then I ate green tea crackers and green tea mochi. Guess what I brought home as omiyage for friends?

Having the meals included in this tour was a timesaver and an oishi delight. No matter where we went, at mealtime, we were led to rows of tables set with tiny dishes of food just for us. I savored bowls of chawan mushi, all sorts of tsukemono, cubes of tofu with bonita flakes, tasty hijiki, broiled fish, soba, all-you-can eat beef shabu-shabu, tempura and oodles of noodles more.

The longest bus ride was between Nara to Osaka. During those four hours, we watched the video of the movie, “The Last Samurai.” It was so appro­priate, especially since I could look out my window and see the traditional Japanese homes in the small villages we drove through. Unfortunately, there was heavy highway traffic and we ar­rived at Osaka castle after it had closed, thereby missing the opportunity to view the old samurai armor similar to what Tom Cruise had worn in the movie. However, the view of Osaka castle was majestic and an impressive reminder of the mighty Samurai days.

In Kyoto, the bus literally “picked-up” a young apprentice geisha or maiko. She was twenty years old and very politely cute. Her face was so white and the makeup was precisely applied. With a long, golden obi sash and geta slippers stacked at least five inches high, we were able to have our pictures taken with her.

In Nara, there are more than 1000 deer roaming around. I wish I could say they were adorable and cuddly cute. In­stead, they were pitiful. Their dirty hair was matted and balding in numerous silver dollar-size areas. It was almost as if their coat of fur was diseased. Beware if they ever saw any crackers in a clutch­ing hand. The deer would aim a direct charge and apply forceful nudging on one’s body just to get to the crackers. If force didn’t work, the deer would try bowing its head and neck. They were very cute, but I wish the deer were bet­ter cared for.

All in all, I truly enjoyed my quick trip to Japan. The Travel Oriented Agency, located in the Tozai Plaza in Gardena, put together a well organized, all-inclusive tour with a very reason­able price. I highly recommend this tour if you want to experience of a little everything in Japan and I’m not being compensated for saying this. Their Hanami Golden Route Tour is especially wonderful for tourists who do not speak or understand the Japanese language. So Yokoso! Japan.