The Eagle Has Landed

We made it. We landed at Kansai International Airport at about midnight our time (7 p.m. in Japan). Nancy’s sister’s late husband’s family was there to pick us. They drove us back to Osaka where they treated us to a grand dinner of Chinese food (Japanese style). The family is warm, generous, friendly and a couple of them have a wonderful sense of humor. They also invited the sister-in-law’s English teacher, a gregarious Irishman (is that redundant?) named Mike McKenna (www.facebook.com/discoscience). I am not sure if we were very good company as after 12 hours on the plane jet lag hit us like an NFL lineman (the sound you hear is Raymond Chandler turning over in his grave).

We spent the night at the in-laws and then they took us to Kyoto the next day. Before we could even get in the car Nancy spotted camellias in the neighbor’s yard so we had to go next door and meet them. Many of the camellias were bonsai as were several trees.

We toured the famous Moss Temple (reservations must be made months in advance) and the Bamboo Temple. Lots of camellias in bloom at the temples and in resident gardens along the way. Camellias were frequently used as hedges at the temples. The Bamboo Temple (Jizo-In Temple) is small and virtually unknown but it was our favorite. We walked up to a small wooden building on a path through a bamboo forest. Then we sat in the small house while an elderly Japanese woman served us macha (powdered green tea) and sugar cookies while we gazed out at a garden that has been there, green and serene, for hundreds of years (founded in 1367 A.D. by Yoriyuki Hosokawa). We were the only visitors until more arrived just as we were leaving.

The Moss Temple (Saiho-ji) is an entirely different story. To quote from a guide book, “. . . you must apply to the temple well in advance, pay a hefty fee and participate in a Zen service.” The family had made reservations well in advance so we were in. There was a huge crowd there including the first Westerners we had seen since leaving the airport. It is called the Moss Temple because the landscaping, originated by Muso Soseki in 1339, includes “a veritable magic carpet of crushed velvet . . .” which is entirely moss.

Later we saw the Arashiyama Bridge and the Kyoto Station shopping mall. Kyoto Station is a huge, several story tall shopping mall on steroids. I don’t think the relatives were prepared for the McGowan sisters shopping stamina.

Before I succumbed to shopping fatigue I pointed out to Nancy some cute Yellow Submarinish artwork. I wandered off and when I came back Nancy was talking with a small, slight Englishman who turned out to be the artist. We chatted with him for awhile and he was fascinating. As a young man he had been in rock bands opening for the Beatles, Stones, etc. Later he was involved with children’s’ art. Unbeknownst to him he was, as Tom Waits wrote, “big in Japan.” Some Japanese tracked him down and he lives and works there now. You can learn more at www.rabindradanks.com.

Some first impressions after about 24 hours of consciousness in Japan. (Like most first impressions probably not terribly reliable but I know some of you are thinking, “Dude, you have third impressions I wouldn’t trust.)

Young love is in the air. Young couples holding hands are everywhere. (Of course it was a Saturday in the spring.)

Teenage Japanese girls travel in packs (gaggles? giggles?). Boys not so much.
Japan is incredibly urban.

Heated toilet seats are everywhere!

It is a hoot to encounter English words out of context here. There is a fast food chain called “Jolly Pasta.” An apartment rental agency called “Mini Mini.” Another business that I have not determined what called “Texas 1000.” But my favorite so far was on the platform waiting for the bullet train. There they have electronic signs (like BART) announcing incoming train destinations. One was called “Deadhead.” I really want to know where that one goes.

I am posting this from the Hakata Miyako Hotel in Fukuoka. Sayonara cyber buddies.