As long as we’re there ...

Jeana Kawamura

With a purpose of acquainting our children with part of their

ancestry, we headed to Japan in August. An invitation from friends

living and working in Beijing broadened our trip to include a side

visit there as well.

When landing in Tokyo’s Narita Airport, our daughter said that she

knew she wasn’t in the U.S. anymore as the runway was partially lined

with a boxwood hedge. We easily exchanged our Japan Rail vouchers for

passes that enabled us to travel in Japan for two weeks, including on

the train from Narita into Tokyo.

In Tokyo, we visited traditional sites such as the Imperial

Palace, which lies in the heart of the city. We also saw the

impressive Meiji Shrine, which is dedicated to the spirit of Japan’s

first modern emperor, Meiji, and his wife, the Empress Shoken. The

Akihabara district is also known as “electric city” because of the

many electronic havens for shoppers and the Sony Building, which has

Sony’s latest electronics. With the aid of the efficient train

system, we went from area to area for lunch or dinner.

Kyoto provided us with an appreciation for the spiritual world in

Japan. We enjoyed a long walk up the Philosopher’s Trail, stopping at

various temples along the way. Most of the time, we had these temples

to ourselves. One evening, we encountered a festival along the river

with plentiful food, games and crafts. After walking by the

festivities, we had a traditional dinner overlooking the spirited

celebration. I think most of the other patrons at the restaurant got

quite a kick out of watching us try to keep our legs still and folded

under the low table.

After the sightseeing of Kyoto and Tokyo, we headed to the Century

Hotel in Matsushima Bay for two days of relaxation. Matsushima is

considered one of the three most beautiful sites in Japan. It

certainly did not disappoint. We had fun walking around several small

nearby islands, exploring the city and touring the beautiful temple

and museum. There were only a handful of Westerners in the entire

town, and none at our hotel. We communicated by pointing most of the

time.

Rested, we headed next to Nikko. The many temples nestled in the

forest were much more ornately decorated than any of the previous

ones we had encountered. This beautiful small town is only two hours

by train from Tokyo and should be included in any visit to Tokyo.

The next day we headed back to Narita for our four-hour flight to

Beijing. Our friends Jennie and Derek Werner joined the Army 14 years

ago and have explored the world. We were excited to visit them and

see Beijing, the Forbidden City, as locals.

Their love of culture, politics and food was contagious. We

visited Tian’anmen Square, which is the largest public square in the

world. We also took a pedi-cab tour through the hutongs, which are

the ancient traditional alleys in Beijing with quadrangle-shaped

homes on either side.

We ate Tibetan food; Peking duck roasted in old wood burning ovens

and picnicked on the Great Wall. Derek taught Paul the art of

negotiation and the necessary Chinese words to close the deal.

Our four days in Beijing were packed with new experiences. When we

left, Paul told them that wherever they are stationed next (New

Delhi, India), he’s there.

After leaving Beijing, we headed back to Tokyo for two nights

before coming home. We found it surprising that there were more

Western tourists in Beijing than in Japan. It is very easy to get

around the cities of Japan as well as the country. There are a wide

range of accommodations to choose from. Meals range from expensive

multi-course dinners to delicious inexpensive noodle shops. We ate

chicken meatballs in Nikko for very little money while being

entertained by the owner-chef-waitress.

The helpful, polite manner we encountered throughout Japan by its

people contributed the most to the success of our trip.

* JEANA KAWAMURA is a resident of Newport Beach.

* TRAVEL TALES runs on Thursdays. Have you, or someone you know,

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