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  • TravelerMonster Hunting in Japan
    Day 14

    Achievement Unlocked: Nightingale Ninjas

    April 21, 2018 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    While in Nijo Castle in Kyoto, got to experience the (infamous) ninja detection device known as the Nightingale Floors for myself to see if they were all that and a bag of bush warblers.

    You aren't allowed to take photos within the palace building though so all of these pics are poached from the internets.

    Observations:

    The floors are called uguisubari in Japanese, the "nightingale" in the English version refers to the Japanese bush warbler, or uguisu.

    Dry wooden boards often creak under pressure, but nightingale floors are deliberately designed to have wooden joints that create a bird like chirp when walked on to ensure no one could walk the corridors of the palace without everyone knowing about it.

    This was particularly important in the palaces of the shoguns, since they created the Ninja as a profession to assassinate each other. Nightingale floors aren't really a tourist trap, they are a ninja detection system. This is also why the Ninja had to learn how to be light of foot - enough to run across the water, fly up walls and dance on bamboo leaves...

    Nijo Castle in Kyoto was built by the Tokugawa clan, who produced the longest line of super-popular shoguns. By super-popular I mean powerful. By powerful I mean the other clans were frequently annoyed at them for being the coolest kids in the yard. They would frequently hire ninjas in order to teach them a bit of humility by assassinating anyone who was giving them particular grief.

    In a pretty ballsy move, the Tokugawa forced the other clans to all contribute to the construction of Nijo Castle, including an extensive network of ninja detecting nightingale floors.

    As a result, the Ninomaru Palace within Nijo Castle is now a good example of nightingale floors, partly because there is so many of them - they are all over the joint (literally and figuratively).

    The fall of the Tokugawa shoguns and the reestablishment of the Emperor with the Meiji Restoration resulted in the Imperial Palace claiming all former Tokugawa property, which they had a recurring tendency to turn into national parks and/or museums. So in a somewhat ironic twist of fate, the extensive nightingale floors of the former high-security Nijo Castle are now also the most accessible former palaces in Japan.

    So are they any good?

    Well it's also a bit difficult to test your light-footed ninja skills on the floors when you are just one of a constant stream of heavy-footed tourists all trampling along the designated route, but I'd say they are indeed pretty sensitive.

    The sound they make is definitely distinctive and chirpy bird-like. While it is better than creaking wood planks, I would think it would get kinda annoying after a while. On the other hand, if the alternative is death by ninja, I'm thinking any aspiring shogun would rather listen to the nightingale floors.    Read more

  • TravelerMonster Hunting in Japan
    Day 14

    Higashiyama: Grandma Momo

    April 21, 2018 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Higashyama has been catering to tourists for centuries. They play a very classy game.

    Observations:

    Higashiyama is actually a lot longer than many tourists realise since they normally just come from tourist central Gion, then march straight up the Yasaka Pagoda and go straight to the Kiyomizudera temple - or they just get off the bus right outside the temple even.

    https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3959.html

    Pushy tourists in particular aim straight for Kiyomizudera for the Instagram money shots because they want to get in and out as fast as possible.

    But if you start from Higashiyama station and walk the longer route through Maruyama Park and then follow the historic streets all the way to Kiyomizudera, I think you probably get a better experience (though it does mean extra walking).

    Japanese people often visit Kyoto themselves in small groups to go full-Edo, get dressed in Kimonos and explore their history. The Japanese have been cosplaying for a really long time...

    This longer route to Kiyomizudera is also popular with Japanese couples and newlyweds since Kiyomizudera is also a temple associated with luck and good relationships. The vibe is a bit different in this part.

    This was also the part of town that we came across Grandma Momo's little arts and crafts store (I don't actually know her name, I just picked a Japanese name that fit).

    Grandma Momo's establishment was your typical ma and pa shop with an attached tiny home. Less frequented by the gaijin trade but still really cool stock - mix of hand crafted and the usual common stuff.

    Grandma Momo herself was a lovely woman - didn't speak a word of English but terribly excited we visited her shop, completely over the moon when we decided to buy trinkets since we may have been her first customers that day (it was past lunch).

    She liked to talk to herself a lot like a slighlty befuddled yet wizened alchemist from some Miyazaki movie. I'm sure she makes magic charms and has an evil twin sister who might try to trick us later.

    Actually that's kinda what her retail style was like - there's a whole magic ritual of service to go through, but she didn't get to do it often. When Beryl from next door for a chat only to hang up without saying anything it threw her off her retail incantations. When some other gaijin walked in she really started to get the performance pressure of alchemy under stress since there was actually a line of customers in her store.

    He only wanted to know where the toilet was.

    Pretty sure we made Grandma Momo's day based on the money in the till - a lot of Japanese vendors have automated tills that collect and sort money, Grandma Momo is old school.

    Alas, I'm not a kid in a small community in Japan, or else I could do deliveries around town for Grandma Momo and she would reward me with a magic broomstick and recruit me into a larger battle against dark forces threatening to take over the townsfolk.

    Kaiju Collected:

    Magic infused trinkets, a day's worth of income in one purchase for Grandma Momo.    Read more

  • TravelerMonster Hunting in Japan
    Day 14

    Language Exams at the Terminal Cafe

    April 21, 2018 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    It's kinda like a Melbourne cafe in Kyoto. But I'm probably interested in the latte. I didn't have poached eggs but I poached the pics.

    www.terminal-cafe-by-room-lab.com

    Observations:

    It's thankfully a non smoking cafe which is actually something to be aware of still in Japan. Although they are increasingly hiding smokers away in smoking rooms, sometimes the result is just puffs of smoke whenever the next victim opens the door to the gas chamber.

    Hospitality staff in Japan are crazy friendly and this place is no exception. You do have to get someone's attention to place your order here which has led to some negative reviews from gaijin who didn't know the rules and thought they were being ignored.

    I sometimes wonder if I had any Japanese language skills that maybe the wait staff would be less anxious in dealing with me. It often feels like Japanese people are often both keen to help yet really afraid of not having sufficient English skills to satisfy foreigners.

    It's like every exchange is an English speaking exam and they really want to do well but are really nervous of the process.

    In which case I'm a terrible examiner since I either point at pictures, or speak too fast and use complicated words.

    Kaiju Collected:

    A latte and it was glorious.    Read more

  • TravelerMonster Hunting in Japan
    Day 13

    Neon Genesis Evangeli-Train

    April 20, 2018 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Did I mention that Japan likes trains AND anime? So put the two together and you get a Neon Genesis Evangelion themed Shinkansen train...

    Observations:

    The Kyoto Railway Museum includes a mock up of the real Eva themed Shinkansen that is running till May between Tokyo and Osaka. The real one is... quite frankly better!

    A lot of the trains in Japan have their own musical tune to announce their arrival at a station, when the Eva Shinkansen approaches a station it even plays the Evangelion theme song so you know it's no ordinary train you are about to catch.

    They of course have their own standard Japanese merchandise which consists of branded stationery and keychains.

    I actually didn't know this exhibit was here till we showed up, but in and odd twist of fate the shirt I'm wearing on this day is an Asuka-themed one I got from the Evangelion store when we were in Tokyo - so an Asuka-pose next to an Asuka cut out while wearing an Auska shirt seemed appropriate. Rei meanwhile gets a typical Rei pose with the distant stare in the pits of nothingness.

    Shinji gets nothing.

    Themed trains is actually a bit of a longstanding tradition in Japan, they call them Joyful Trains. Some are Pokemon themed, there's an art gallery train from JR:

    https://www.jrailpass.com/blog/joyful-character…

    One of the railway companies claims it was "saved" by going full on cat themed:

    http://www.wakayama-dentetsu.co.jp/en/

    They are really into this stuff...

    Kaiju Collected:

    Asuka character shot, Rei meet and greet - totally just like in the show!    Read more

  • TravelerMonster Hunting in Japan
    Day 13

    Hiro of the Rails

    April 20, 2018 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Hiro once lived on a railway in Japan, where he was famously known as the "Master of the Railway". He was eventually sent to Sodor and tormented by the Fat Controller like Thomas and his friends.

    Observations:

    Hiro should have stayed in Japan. A famous train known as the "Master of the Railway" would be given a place of prestige in a place like the Kyoto Railway Musuem, not simply left in a siding and "forgotten" for so long that a forest grew around him.

    This museum is huge. It's also a huge magnet for train spotter geeks from all over the world since it houses over 50 engines of various types and eras in pristine condition.

    The exhibit style of Japanese museums for science and technology tends to be pretty super detailed and interactive - they really took on to the Great Exhibition model of displays from the Victorian era and just never stopped.

    This includes interactive exhibits of old train stations, to engine cabins you can sit in, a traffic control room, a working rail switch, a cutaway of a ticket machine you can see working - the even had a close up look at how power is transferred to engines via power lines... (?).

    The also kept to theme with purchases - you use your transit card to buy the entry ticket and pay for food at the cafeteria. There are also two converted trams sitting outside in the park that also serve as a cafe for the riff raff though.

    Outside is the roundhouse and sheds for the steam engines that enable you to get up and close and into the cabins of most of them. They also have their own regular steam train service that takes you on a quick tour around the block (so to speak). In typical Japanese train style, it operates frequently throughout the day, and well patronised by the locals.

    You could write a book (and I'm sure many have) about the Meiji Restoration and how it firmly fixed railways into the national psyche of modern Japan, this museum is really just a homage to this fixation with the Master of the Railway.

    Kaiju Collected:

    I got to drive a train! (or at least sit in the drivers seat and move some dials)    Read more

  • TravelerMonster Hunting in Japan
    Day 12

    Japanese Convenience Food

    April 19, 2018 in Japan ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    There is a 7 Eleven on one corner, a Lawsons on another, a Family Mart on the third, and an independent store on the fourth. They all have customers in them 24/7.

    I've been experimenting with local convenience food on the side - it's "experimenting" since I don't always know what it is...

    1. Mystery meal: It tasted like generic meat product (chicken) with lettuce. I think it was generic teriyaki. It was mostly lettuce.

    2. Ice Cream: It was a pre-made ice cream in a container. It tasted like ice cream.

    3. Red and White: I'm pretty sure this was frozen yogurt, two raspberry, two plain yogurt.

    4. Mystery Fruit: Pretty sure it had a peach in there, but all fruit in syrup/jelly tastes the same anywhere.

    5. Ever Evolving SNACK: Open the pack, it smells horrible. As soon as it touches your tongue, spicy horrible. Eat it, horrible. After taste, horrible. I think it was supposed to be a spicy prawn, horrible.

    6. Soyjoy: Dehydrated space food snack. I think the name is overcompensating.

    7. Meiji Chocolate: Dark chocolate - given how many people here are lactose intolerant, milk chocolate is rare.

    8. Chicken Rice, Soy Sauce Tuna Mayo: Actually not too bad for rice in a packet. Success.

    Kaiju Collected:

    Convenience.    Read more

  • TravelerMonster Hunting in Japan
    Day 12

    Gojo to Gion

    April 19, 2018 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    I think this counts as a walk around the block...? Went looking for a latte, accidentally went a little further afield than planned.

    Observations:

    You know those pictures of people trout fishing in the mountains and the rivers are relatively shallow and full of stones? Build a city around it and you have Kyoto. The Kamo River is one of the larger rivers that flows through Kyoto, but it has a large variation in water flow depending on the season.

    It's currently about ankle deep, but the traditional looking tea houses and restaurants all become riverside periodically during the year. The end result are these seasonal parkland strips in the middle of the city.

    Kyoto might be surrounded by mountains, but it's actually quite flat - end result is a lot of people ride bikes - no lycra, no helmets, just "civilians". Though there were a few people that looked like Miss Almira Gulch from the Wizard of Oz riding on her bike...

    Kaiju Collected:

    The first "hot" day in Japan.    Read more

  • TravelerMonster Hunting in Japan
    Day 12

    Teleporting Between Osaka and Kyoto

    April 19, 2018 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Feels a bit posh to use a Shinkansen for just one stop, but it's one advantage to having a JR Rail Pass for unlimited travel.

    Observations: the unreserved carriages are basically economy. If you are doing quick city hops though they will do.

    Kaiju Collected: one very fast train trip    Read more

  • TravelerMonster Hunting in Japan
    Day 12

    Excess Baggage

    April 19, 2018 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    I left my old shoes in Osaka. They had no soul left because of a deal with the devil.

    Observations:

    Rather glad we didn't opt to take the smaller bags.

    Unless you are in the middle of summer, it's going to get cold enough to warrant taking extra layers. If you turn up in winter, expect snowfall and fluffy-space-hogging clothing to match.

    All of which means there is less space to buy cool things.

    Clothing and footwear is temporary, otaku is forever.

    Kaiju Collected:

    Extra luggage space.    Read more

  • TravelerMonster Hunting in Japan
    Day 11

    Achievement Unlocked: #Ravenclaw4life

    April 18, 2018 in Japan ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    The wand might choose the wizard, but the wizard chooses the House - the Sorting Hat just tells you what you already know. In my case, that house was always going to be Ravenclaw.

    Observations:

    The Harry Potter worlds at the Universal Studios theme parks are a totally cool immersive experience, but one that is even better if you do what the Japanese do and really participate in the theme.

    The imperative to get in your house colours as soon as possible is even more of an imperative if you are at Universal Studios Japan, and don't speak any Japanese.

    We spent almost our entire time at Universal in our respective house colours, the response from the locals was constant: they really appreciated us getting into the spirit of things like them, it also became a way to communicate - everyone working at Universal knows the Hogwarts lore, they know an appreciate the underlying personality types between the different houses - and they all had their favourites.

    We even had staff members from other parts of the park remembering us on different days purely based on their interactions with us a Ravenclaw and Slytherin.

    One of the really cool things about the Hogwarts houses is the houses are roughly based on four major motivations that inform personality types, and the colours and emblems of each house evoke those anyway. So you don't need to go through the official pottermore Sorting Hat, or even read the books or see the films - simply choosing the house you like is roughly equivalent to the Sorting Hat anyway since it only puts you in the house you choose...

    I'm going to make a sweeping cultural generalisation and suggest that the Japanese "get" the purpose of the Hogwarts houses better than western audiences do. Unlike westerners, the Japanese don't seem to see different houses as simplistic good/bad terms, they see them as all being different sides of everyone. As such, they are much more willing to proudly identify with their house, which results in a much more diverse range. There's no house baggage here for the House Elves to clean up - there really were plenty of out and proud Slytherins and Hufflepuffs in full Hogwarts kit - there were even some Malfoy cosplayers doing the rounds complete with platinum blonde hair.

    I'm not entirely confident you'd get the same experience in the US based Universal parks - but I could be wrong (till we go there...).

    So if you are into Harry Potter, go to Univsersal Studios Japan, go straight to the Harry Potter part of the park and march straight to Dervish and Banges and pick out your house colours and wear them proudly for the duration of your visit - it's so much cooler.

    If you have never read Harry Potter or seen the movies, go straight to the Harry Potter part of the park and march straight to Dervish and Banges and pick out the house colours you fancy most and wear them proudly for the duration of your visit - it's so much cooler.

    Kaiju Collected: Quidditch attire (shirt, hoodie and scarf). Alas, there were no Ravenclaw beanies left :(    Read more

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