When the Captain starts his morning port arrival message for Akita by saying “ . . .it’s snowing, the most I’ve ever seen,” you know that can’t be good. And it was really coming down. As we slid into port, it looked like we were docking in Siberia (or at least what I could imagine, bleak, cloudy, and snowing, with industrial wind turbines whirling and a plant emitting plums of smoke).
I had some pretty adventurous plans for today but scaled back due to the weather. We started out later than intended, the snow stopped and some blue sky was peaking through the clouds. After taking the shuttle into town we walked to the train station. Akita is a pretty big city, (300,000) full of modern buildings, hotels, malls etc. Yes, this is where the Akita dogs originally come from. You see images of the dogs and stuffed dog toys everywhere. There is even a GIANT Akita dog in the middle of the train station. After reviewing the schedules at the station, I felt it was too risky to try and get to and from Kakuodate with enough time to see the samurai district, so we fell back to plan B.
First, we spent a chunk of time purchasing our tickets between Kobe and Kyoto for next week. The Japanese host on board our cruise ship advised we take care of this at the much smaller and relatively quiet Akita station. Not only is Kobe larger, but it should be peak cherry blossom time with a lot of train traffic. I’m glad we got the tickets, because it wasn’t exactly easy, and took longer than we thought to make sure we got it right.
We took a bus intending to ride around but decided to get off and explore Senshu Park. There were very few others in the park so we had a very peaceful experience wandering the grounds that previously housed Kubota Castle. Today, gates, a turret, and a guardhouse have been reconstructed. Snow was beginning to melt and fall off the castle gate and you could see the bumps on the branches of the cherry trees that will soon blossom. We knew we would not be seeing any blooms in this part of the country, but visitors in mid-April will have quite a show.
Walking back to our bus stop, we found ourselves in the middle of the conclusion of the Akita University graduation celebration. All the young men were in trim, dark suits with ties and the young women were mostly wearing traditional kimono outfits. There were lots of smiles, flowers, and photos. They were an impressive-looking group.
BTW, despite the fact Japanese students study English for about 10 years, we find very few who speak proficiently. That being said, everyone is polite and helpful, and since we are all fairly proficient with various translation apps – we manage to communicate!
Today was freezing. Literally.
As we cruised into Aomori, Japan the snow-covered Hakkoda Mountains were lovely. Mount Iwaki, a still active volcano that last erupted in 1863, looms dominantly over the horizon.
Our northernmost stop on this itinerary, the area is famous for apples, supplying most of the country from their three million trees.
We headed about an hour away to Hirosaki, which is considered the cultural center of this area. As we rode, we saw lots of rice paddies and apple orchards, as well as wooded areas and valleys still covered with pure white snow, despite the fact they had much less snow this year than normal. During winter months, it’s a big area for backcountry skiing.
Besides apples, the area is where floats are made for the summer festival of Nebuta. At night during the first week of August, these huge, intricately painted, fan-shaped floats (some 40’ tall) are lit from within and carried by teams of men holding long bamboo poles. At the Tsugaru Neputa Village, we saw beautiful examples of the floats, as well as workshops showing off souvenir figurines and small, colorful wooden toys.
The compound also featured shops, some loaded with apple treats, a very small garden (getting trimmed up for spring on this day), a snack bar, and costume center. For about 500-yen kids or “adventurous” adults can try on feudal warrior robes or a “princess” kimono. Bathrooms were very clean and nice (they never seem to have any way to dry hands here, so be prepared).
Seeing the wooden Hirosaki Castle was the day’s highlight for me. It’s currently in the final two years of a ten-year restoration. Major scaffolding runs along one entire moat wall at this juncture in the project. Winding paths intended to confuse attackers lead you to the castle, which is designed on one side to resemble a storeroom. It’s hard to see how this would really be a successful ploy. The original castle built in 1611 was destroyed by fire after being hit by lightning. The armaments stored inside created quite a conflagration. It was rebuilt in 1626 during the Edo period. Like most castles we find today in Japan, this one is a reconstruction, built in 1810. The grounds include 5,000 cherry trees which will be glorious in a few weeks.
Gates were elevated to allow for snowfall and roofs were constructed of copper. The stone used on other Japanese castle roofs would have cracked under the harsh winter conditions. It seemed fitting that while we walked the grounds there were snow flurries. Did I mention it was freezing?
Considered one of the seven most famous castles in Japan, construction was allowed because it was feared Russians or other foreigners would invade through this entry point into the country. Hirosaki Castle, however, was never attacked.
I chose our hotel, The Palace Hotel Tokyo, for its proximity to the Imperial Palace and garden views. It made it so easy and relaxing to stroll across the street to the East gate (Ote-mon) and enter the Palace grounds. Free to the public, the extensive grounds cover 280 acres and feature wide open spaces, bamboo stands, forest areas, cherry trees, and portions of the original fortress. Reconstruction of the original buildings has been true to their original form (if not function).
Dating from 1590, this was the site of the Edo Castle, home of the Tokugawa shoguns. Originally, the castle had 36 gates, of 99 total, in the outer wall, 21 watch towers, and 28 armories. In 1868, the Imperial family moved from Kyoto and took over the site.
BTW – if you are not watching Shogun (on FX and streaming on Hulu) you should and will not be disappointed. I read the James Clavell book decades ago and remember the previous two broadcast versions of the book. But this conceptualization is something special. Produced by a well-known Japanese actor/director they have corrected many of the cultural inaccuracies in the book to more exactly capture the past. It’s beautifully filmed and acted. The first four episodes dropped before we left, and I can’t wait to see the remaining six.
The Palace is a working compound and does house the emperor of Japan and his family. Although the original buildings are long gone, the walls, some gates, three watchtowers, and at least one guardhouse still stand within the impressive outer moat. The gardens are open most days, but public access to the Palace is restricted to just two days a year.
Both Japanese and Western landscape styles are evident and I think I was most surprised by the wide-open spaces and relaxed feeling. Other visitors, locals, and tour groups dispersed far and wide, and although upon entry you could hear many different languages being spoken, soon the only sounds you heard were your own.
We arrived mid-morning and by the time we left around noon, crowds were in line to pass through the screeners (security officers do look into any bags, backpacks, or purses carried in).
It was here we saw our first cherry blossom buds of this trip. Hopefully, there will be many more to come.
We will be in Tokyo more than a day, but I will start this tale with our first day being (mostly) awake. It was a wonderful day. Temps were in the 50s, with brilliant blue skies, and gusty winds in the afternoon. Today our focus was history and culture.
Good fortune was with us when we were matched up with guide Tomoko. Booked through our hotel (The Palace Hotel Tokyo), she was a gem. Friendly and kind, Tomoko spoke perfect English due to attending college in the US. She was very knowledgeable and interesting. I feel like we had the best introduction to Japan possible.
To start with, we learned how to navigate the expansive subway system. Or at least how it should be done. There are 9 lines with 280 stations and so many combinations, it can be overwhelming. It’s clean, safe, on time, and runs every few minutes. NYC take note: they have these wonderful barriers with sliding gates between the platform and tracks – so no one is getting pushed in front of a train here.
A morning visit to an older fish market, Tsukiji, was fun. In addition to the fresh fish, live shellfish, and processed fish, I was surprised at the array of meats, vegetables, and fruits. The strawberries looked so amazing, I finally had to buy some and, wow, they may have been the best we’ve ever had. So naturally sweet, it did not seem possible. Tomoko readily explained the many items we did not recognize as well as the history of the area and such markets. She had special insight since her father (now retired) was one of the special chefs who prepared the very poisonous Puffer Fish for gourmet dinners. Dining on one of those fish will set you back quite a few hundred dollars!
Our big goal this morning was to delve into the world of Shintoism and Buddhism. We visited the Fukagawa Fudo Buddhist Temple for a Buddhist Fire Ritual called Gomataki. The symbolism was interesting to learn and the ritual fascinating. Clearly a more local experience, without crowds of tourists, we were mesmerized by the ceremonies to cleanse obsessions and grant wishes. There were chimes and chanting but also incredible drumming, unlike anything we’d ever seen. Of course, no photos allowed.
Afterwards, we headed over to the Shinto Shrine, Tomioka Hackiman, and learned more about how the two religions differ and often overlap.
We had a quick, but delicious lunch of chicken Yakitori and then made our way to the iconic Asakusa Senso-Ji Temple, the oldest Buddhist Temple in Tokyo. It’s famous, picturesque, and incredibly crowded with tourists and locals. It was a surprise to see hordes of young Japanese girls dressed in rented kimonos channeling the past and posing for pictures. The famous walk on the way to the Temple, Nakamise-dori, is lined with stalls and shops selling souvenir trinkets, and this time of year decorated with artificial cherry blossom branches. Streets surrounding the area have massive buildings housing every type of edible Japanese food you can imagine (and a few you can’t). I held out for some refreshing cherry blossom ice cream later in the day.
On our own In the evening (with some guidance from Tomoko), we headed out to the Shinjuku area famous for neon displays, an active red-light district, and Golden Gai bar area. We ate a simple meal that included a delicious dish of garlic fried rice. I don’t know why we can’t get anything that good back home. We walked around the Golden Gai’s narrow alleys, packed with tiny bars, each with room for a bartender and just a few stools at a narrow counter. The evening was young and the crowds of 20 & 30-somethings were just beginning to roll in. After walking about nine incredible miles, we called it a successful day and headed “home.”
Of note: For years guides in Japan had to go through rigorous multi-year training and certification. Since the pandemic, and a current shortage of guides, the government has loosened the criteria and allowed many to guide without the previously required training. So, beware with whom you schedule. I can easily recommend Tomoko as a guide to anyone visiting Tokyo. She is government-certified, with 17 years of experience, and a native of Tokyo. Reach her at hiragi8@gmail.com.
