A Japanese cruise ship was docked on the other side of the undulating Marine Terminal |
Through a series of talks on board, we had been briefed on
the history, language, food and pop culture of Japan by Harumi Yamanaka, our
very knowledgeable and charming Interport lecturer.
There is much that can be said about complexity of Japanese
culture and the legacy of World War II, as well as the ironically intertwined relationship
of Japan and the United States. But I will leave that discourse to the experts
more knowledgeable in history and political science and anthropology (we have
several of them on board this ship). The
lone observation I dare make is that the Japanese seem to have made a choice to
put away the past and move on. All I can sense is a general feeling of
hospitality and generosity, at least on the surface, which is all we really
have the opportunity to experience on a voyage such as ours.
What I can say with some authority, is that an architect’s education
is not complete without the study of Japanese aesthetics (wabi-sabi), art, design and construction. Then there is Japanese
cinema, the genius of Akira Kurosawa in the past and more recently, for my
daughter’s generation, the beautiful animated films of Hayao Miyazaki. Japan
has given us: Sony, Toyota, Honda, Nikon, Canon (oh there are so many it’s
impossible to name them all) and…Toto.
I have a sneaking suspicion that Toto will rule the world (or
at least our bathrooms). It is inevitable. The Japanese take their wc’s very
seriously. Even the smallest restaurant will have a spotless restroom with a
Toto wc that looks complicated enough to engage in a conversation with you and
possibly even take flight. It’s all a bit intimidating, but for the traveler, a
true godsend. Knowing what lies ahead for us in future ports, I give thanks and
take full advantage.
We did not know what to expect in Yokohama and in hindsight, it was a great port to start with…sort
of a “soft landing”. From where we were docked, we could easily walk to the city center and other points of interest, such as one of the largest Chinatowns in the world. It was clear that Yokohama had invested in a city plan with included many public amenities, art installations and wide open spaces. The marine terminal had very helpful tourist information and they were
also offering visitors free wi-fi that once joined, could keep you connected as
you moved around the city through a wi-fi network.
Looking out towards the port from Hillside Park |
The first day, Gary and I wanted to just walk the city
without any pressure to be anywhere at any time. We headed towards what looked
like a park on the map. It was the Hillside Park, and afforded us a panoramic
view of the harbor and city. On the way down, we encountered a cemetery for
foreign officers. Nearby, a group of pre-school children with matching color
hats were playing exuberantly…so totally adorable, so totally free and happy as
only children of that age can be, epitomizing what Jane Austen, writing in Sense
and Sensibility, called “that
sanguine expectation of happiness which is happiness itself”.
Cemetery for Foreign Officers |
"Yellow Hat" children...nearby, there was another group of "Orange Hat" children. |
Coming down the hill, we found ourselves in a chic shopping
area with all the usual international prestige labels. We did a bit of window shopping, coming
across an MG, much like the one our good friend Peter had commissioned to be
re-built by our other good friend Jack’s son (who did a truly beautiful,
meticulous job).
Consulting our elementary map, it looked like we were close
to Chinatown so that’s where we headed. Chinese New Year celebrations were
still in full swing, so the area was bustling and lavishly decorated. We saw
that many people were buying steamed buns from street vendors and small
storefront shops. I spied one with a long line and Gary and I decided, why not
give it a try? It hit the spot, warm in our hands and comforting in our
stomachs, on that cold winter day.
Yummy steamed pork bun for 350 yen |
Where we stopped for lunch...shumai and noodles...fantastic... |
Despite our lack of preparedness, we managed to stumble upon
a fantastic place to have lunch. It was a small insignificant storefront, but
again, had a long line forming. We stood in line with everyone else, acting
like we were in the know. After fifteen minutes of waiting, we were finally at
the head of the line. The hostess did not speak English, but motioned us, as
well as another gentleman who was by himself, to a table. Unlike all the other
restaurants in the area, this one’s menu had no photographs! The gentleman, who
did speak English, saw our confusion and came to our rescue, telling us a
little about the restaurant and its specialties (shumai and noodles with beef
or chicken or prawns), and how he felt it was possibly the best restaurant in
Chinatown, as it had been there for many years and remained authentic.
It turned out that the gentleman was an engineer and had visited the US – Mountain View, California, actually a few years ago. We had a lovely conversation. He recommended some places to visit, all within walking distance, and after lunch we headed out to explore again, to the Brick Warehouses where we came across an ice rink and some beautifully designed stores and restaurants.
It turned out that the gentleman was an engineer and had visited the US – Mountain View, California, actually a few years ago. We had a lovely conversation. He recommended some places to visit, all within walking distance, and after lunch we headed out to explore again, to the Brick Warehouses where we came across an ice rink and some beautifully designed stores and restaurants.
All in all, it was a very good day, and a wonderful introduction to Japan.
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