April 16, 2001 (Day 40)

By steven
Part of a series: Around the World
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April 16, 2001 (Day 40): Himeji Plaza Hotel, Himeji, Japan – 9pm

According to the calendar, our trip is halfway complete, although we have not made it halfway around the world yet.

Morale:  Very good. A great day.

Health:  OK. A bit of a sore throat.

We are in a comfortable, Western-style hotel relaxing in our hotel-supplied robe; kind of easing into Japan. The ryokans we will be staying in over the next couple days will be a more cultural experience – hopefully we don’t crash through the rice paper wall with all our gear. Watched a little baseball on TV; very similar in feel to the US games except for the bagpipe rendition of a rallying song. The big news story is the possibility that the Crown Princess might be pregnant.

The eight-tone chimes at 7am served as our wakeup call followed by an announcement that we would arrive in Kobe at 10am. It made for a slightly earlier day since I had not expected to dock before noon. We were still full from yesterday evening’s dumpling soup “snack” so a light breakfast sufficed.

I made it a point to thank all of the crew as we disembarked. The ferry was a good experience; very relaxing. There was a family in line with us as we prepared to disembark:  a couple with a baby, grandma and grandpa. The child was great; she was laid-back and was loved by one and all. The crew took turns holding her. The battalion of young girls traveling with us also lined up for a moment in her presence. The child did not seem to mind.

As we went down the gangway, Japan welcomed us with sunny and clear skies, a temperature around 24°C – rather sultry for this trip – and the air redolent with the aroma of fish sticks. Customs was fine, but very thorough. I was caught in line behind a woman with containers of food in her luggage and pills tucked into the toes of her shoes. While nothing was confiscated, the more they found the more they searched. The inspector went through my stuff carefully, which did not bother me. She was very determined. I thought she would give up after looking through my laundry bag, but that was not the case.

A monorail took us from the port to the Kobe city center. At the rail station, we changed our rail passes into the real thing, purchased our tickets to Himeji, and made our way to the platform. The whole process was surprisingly straightforward. While waiting for our train, I made the exciting discovery of a machine dispensing hot and cold lattes in a can! From the same machine!

Our intense non-Japanese appearance drew the attention of a 20-something American expat who was, to put it mildly, very glad to see us. Anna thought he was going to hug me. He asked if we were going to Kobe too. I looked at Anna. She looked at me. A moment passed.

“We are in Kobe,” we hesitantly offered. Are we lost already? I thought.

Uncertain, he asked his Japanese friend who seemed fairly certain we were not in Kobe. We were fairly certain we were. Our new friend asked us if we knew where the McDonald’s was. Sorry, we replied, but we just got here.

Being fluent enough in the language, he then asks a Japanese man on the platform for assistance in finding the McDonald’s. Not understanding the full situation, the Japanese man asks us where we are going. “Himeji,” we reply. “You are on the right platform,” he responds. “The next train is just coming.”

Our new American friend sighs in frustration but thanks and bows to the gentleman, who wanders off, his mission accomplished. “I hate this fucking language,” mutters the American.

His mobile is the next resort. “I’m in Kobe and I can’t find your ass. Where the fuck are you?”  The train on an adjacent track departs, revealing the sought after McDonald’s sign. We wave goodbye to him as he trots off on his way. In return, he raises his arms in salutation, crying out a cheerful “Peace and Love!”

As suddenly as he appeared, he is gone. Soon after, we are on the train bound for Himeji.

After passing through a succession of small and medium-sized cities, we arrive in Himeji and commence sorting the essentials. We checked into the hotel, exchanged some money at the bank, and we were ready to go exploring. The castle is impossible to miss. In addition to being very large and perched upon a hill, the main road from the rail station leads unswervingly towards it. The buildings along the side have graciously parted to permit a nearly unobstructed view of the fortification known as the White Egret because of its whitewashed exterior. But the castle was not our destination today. We were off to the neighboring museum to learn something about the area. To our surprise and chagrin, the museum was closed – then we did the math and realized today was Monday. Our ability to remember the day of the week has gotten worse.

Undaunted, we crossed the road and went to the castle, which was open. The castle and its grounds are impeccably maintained. The gardeners created a view enhanced by the white and pink blossoms on trees just off of their peak bloom. Since the castle is largely constructed of wood, there is no smoking on the grounds; no food or drink permitted outside of the snack kiosks – which kind of messed up our plans for lunch. There were a couple areas where we had to don slippers to preserve the wooden floors. They do not make Steven-sized slippers. Trying to climb ladders and keep my new footwear from falling off whilst juggling the plastic bag containing my real shoes tested the limits of my coordination.

Display cases held suits of armor, weaponry, clothing and flags – not all the exhibits had English documentation so the purposes of some of the things remain a mystery. The functions of each room were described as well as giving a general understanding of what life was like in 16th Century Japan. In the uppermost room – where we were afforded a stunning view of the environs – there was an ink stamp where you could stamp your ticket to demonstrate that you had made the climb all the way to the top. I was constantly reminded of the castle’s wooden construction when the wind would pick up and the building would creak. I was also compensating after spending two days on a ship. Stepping on the uneven wooden floors with an accompanying breeze through a nearby window prompted me to change my stance in preparation for some dramatic sway in the building which, fortunately for me and the building, never materialized.

Himeji Castle is featured in the James Bond film You Only Live Twice.

We found a pamphlet in English to supplement the displays. It gave a description of what the city boundaries were like when the feudal system was in force and the castle was used as a fortress. The city of Himeji was constructed with three concentric defensive walls. The nobility resided within the inner ring, the samurai with the next ring, and the final wall protected the merchants. It also led us to the haunted well where the spirit of a falsely accused maid drowned therein resides. There were a lot of walled courtyards accessible via steep staircases. It was a gorgeous day to run around.

Images of Japan: I feel very much like a foreigner. Even though the Chinese script was equally unfamiliar to me, I felt that greater accommodation was made for non-natives in China than here. There are certainly things in Latin script but there is the same expectation that you, by being in Japan, will speak some Japanese much the same way there is the expectation that, by being in the United States, you speak some English. Having the response to your question being delivered by someone speaking Japanese slower and louder to you gives you a better feeling of what others must experience when traveling in America.

Wandered the streets of Himeji trying desperately to refute the claim that there were no Internet cafés here – and find some dinner. The earlier discussion today of McDonalds left us with a craving for French fries. The city is set up like a checkerboard shopping center. The number of covered streets filled with tiny shops (including at least one Mister Donut) blurs the distinction between being indoors and being outdoors. We found a Body Shop to restock on a few supplies, but failed in the hunt for an Internet café (or McDonalds).

There is no shortage of inappropriate souvenirs for sale here. My favorite so far was a full-sized pair of breasts – very full-sized – in a bag clearly marked “souvenir”. I am just trying to imagine someone returning home from a trip to Japan with these, proudly proclaiming “Look what I got!” Their discovery would certainly make some Customs Officer’s day. I have a friend who collects tacky souvenirs and, had they had the words “Himeji” emblazoned upon them, they might have magically appeared in his mailbox despite the risk that his wife would have killed me.

Dinner was at a self-service sushi restaurant; one with the feel of a diner that catered to a local clientele. The waitress joked with the regulars while calling orders back to the kitchen to refill items on the plate-laden conveyor belt. This was just what I was hoping to find. I know enough Japanese to order two beers so we sat down and grabbed whatever looked good from the procession of plates that passed in front of our eyes. We ate a lot, but it was good: salmon, tuna, shrimp, squid, as well as something unidentifiable but tasty nonetheless. For entertainment, we watched the chef prepare the dishes center-stage, encircled by the conveyor belt. He was very fast, preparing food as if by sleight of hand. Blink and he was done.

At the end of the day, we celebrated the halfway mark of our trip by enjoying drinks at the bar atop the neighboring hotel. Himeji castle was lit up in the distance. Below us, the shinkansen bullet trains shot by.

So far, so good.

Excerpts from Anna’s journal included

This entry was posted in Around the World

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