Three Busy Weekends

Week 1
Kamakura was the capitol of the Japanese Shogunate around the 12th and 13th centuries, a time in which Buddhism was also flourishing. It was here that I planned to spend my Thanksgiving weekend with some hiking between temples in the fall-time forests. However, there wasn’t a bed left in the city. So after only an afternoon exploring, I headed back to the cheapest district of Tokyo to sleep (Cheap probably because the area is almost exclusively composed of elderly, destitute, drunk, and crazy-looking people). There I met two Brits and embarked upon a big night of drinking, not ideal when the next day’s plan is a serene stroll of temple grounds.

Weekend highlights

An awe-some statue of the Amida Buddha. Sidenote: there are many Buddhas, this one’s not my favorite, he’s a pretty Christ-like Savior Buddha. It was once housed in a building but in the 1400’s, a tidal wave made it the km or so inshore and washed the building away.

Japanese people with good camera equipment clustered around maple trees getting their obligatory fall colors shot.

The Kannon 11-headed statue. In the 800’s, a giant camphor tree was found. It was decided it would be carved into not one, but two 30-foot tall statues. The second was thrown into the ocean, and 15 years later it washed up close to Kamakura.

Zeiten Beiran, or as most people know it by, the money-washing temple. A tunnel brings you into a 360 degree valley. Water drips or pours out of cracks in the moss-covered vertical stone walls. Then there’s a grotto, smoky with incense, and with a pool to wash one’s money. Any amount you wash is supposed to come back to you double, paying for my debacle that night in Tokyo. See two photos.

Spinning a giant bookcase full of important books on an axle, supposed to grant me all the knowledge contained in the books.

Scores of hawks gliding low along the cliff faces of Enoshima Island. And an awesome tide pool on a 65 degree day. Looking towards shore, seeing hundreds of black specks dot the water’s edge, all surfers, waist high surf. Surprise, I later discovered I was on the Shonan coast, maybe the most famous surfing area in Japan.

Week 2: Kashima
After an all-morning surf at a new spot, it was a rush to catch my ride to Kashima, the closest city, 45 minutes north. There, I went to a soccer game with two teachers. It was the last game of the season and a very important one. If the local team, the Kashima Antlers, won and the 1st place team lost, then the Antlers won the championship. However, the stadium, built for the 2002 World Cup was far from full. Kashima is one of those cities that many Japanese don’t even know, picture Albany, Trenton, or Fresno.

Well the Antlers won, the 1st place team lost, and an hour of celebrating and speeches ensured. It really wasn’t that exciting, nor even that interesting. There are some die hard fans that compose a section behind one of the goals who seemed pretty happy. Here are some photos of them, color coordinated and with a flag blocking the view of 200 or so. and one of me in front of the stadium, wearing my red and black. Normally I wouldn't like a team with those colors.

One of the teachers was one of those fans, and he got pretty drunk that night. I fell asleep to the soothing sounds of his wife yelling at him from a room downstairs. The night itself was real long, about 7 hours sitting on floors at one of those low tables.

The Japanese don’t know how to leave when they want to. After everyone looked exhausted after 5 hours at the first place, we went to a new place because the teacher had promised to meet someone there. Well, that took about 2.5 hours, and the 3 teachers were all asleep at one point, just leaving me and the guest, an interesting Sri Lankan businessman. You’d think it’d be more rude to fall asleep in someone’s company rather than say I’m tired and need to go home.

Week 3: Tokyo, the next weekend. Highlights

Akihabara: the electronics and nerd district. If you tell the class you went there, half the class will love you and the other half will be like “you otaku (freak)”. My favorite store is Don Quixote, a labyrinth-like discount store which has very narrow halls and weird goods piled to the ceiling. The only thing I bought was a ridiculous surfer Rasta ashtray.

Ryogoku: The Sumo stadium and training grounds are here. Sumo wrestlers and their stylish bodyguards stroll in and out of the gates on their way to or from eating. I also went to the Tokyo Museum housed in a structure that when standing under, makes you feel like you are in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, underneath those giant walker robots on the frozen planet battle scene. See photo.

Harajuku
A stroll from Shinjuku to Harajuku through Yoyogi and its park. Nice fall colors. Harajuku is nuts, I’m definitely taking my parents there. It’s the young/teeny bopper/hip center of Tokyo: crepe shacks and expensive second hand good outlets, goth Lolita stores next to hip hop style outfitters. Human sidewalk traffic jams.


Daft Punk
The reason I was in Tokyo this weekend to begin with. I meant to buy tickets for the Saturday show but apparently I can’t work a calendar. The Sunday show meant I couldn’t drink (much) and had to get back by Monday 730am for work. Pretty big hassle.
But more importantly, Daft Punk, so soo good, they totally integrated all the best tracks from their three CD’s, plus a packed, freaking out crowd, and an incredibly good, impossibly bright, full LED (though possibly seizure inducing), 11 tons of equipment light show. Dressed in their robot costumes, they spin tracks from the upper portion of a light pyramid, surrounded by more triangles. Who doesn’t want to rock out to intergalactic robots from the future, introducing electronic music to the masses. I want to be back there right now.

Check out this video of five cuts from the Tokyo show. The first song is probably the most skippable if you’re pressed for time. The vid is 15 mins, maybe a little long if urn t a big dp fan. You definitely had to be down in the crowd to experience it.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3pi1f_daft-punk-in-tokyo_music