Tot drumul prin Japonia am zis ca o sa scriu cateva randuri in care sa exprim experientele prin care am trecut.
Imi dau seama acum, post-factum, ca initiativa mea poate deveni destul de ampla, data fiind bogatia de impresii, ganduri, imagini.
Nu ma voi aventura intr-o monografie nipona, desi cateva referiri la istoria Japoniei ar trebui presarate, pentru a condimenta textul. Sper sa reusesc sa fie succint si, in acelasi timp,cuprinzator. Ar fi in armonie cu spiritul japonez, dealtfel…
Gandesc ca as putea structura ideile in mai multe moduri. Optez sa tin firul cronologic ca filon, pe marginea caruia sa brodez diverse adnotari si comentarii.
Asadar, zborul Londra-Tokyo, de care imi era oarecum teama data fiind durata sa (aproximativ 11 ore), s-a terminat mai repede decat imi imaginasem. Ajunsi la aeroportul Narita, am mers prima oara la Japan Railway (JR), pentru a ne ridica abonamentele (turistii straini pot cumpara abonamente la JR, deci inclusiv la celebrele trenuri rapide Shinkansen, doar ca trebuie sa faca acest lucru cu mult timp inainte, din tara. La fata locului nu mai este posibil). In circa jumatate de ora am rezolvat. Am fost mirat de informatiile postate in locatia respectiva, in care aflai tot felul de lucruri interesante despre Japonia. Modul de afisare imi amintea insa de caminele studentesti mai debraba, nicidecum de un office dintr-o lume de top a tehnologiei.
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| afisaje in locul de ridicare a abonamentului JR |
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| afisaje in locul de ridicare a abonamentului JR |
Tot din aeroport ne-am ridicat si un router wifi, cu ajutorul caruia am avut Internet pe toata perioada. A costat cam Euro50 pentru 2 saptamani, dispozitiv la care se puteau conecta simultan 5 aparate. Pana in final, ne-a fost de mare ajutor, fara net acolo cred ca e semnificativ mai greu…
Primele 2 nopti am dormit in Tokyo, la un hostel (Imano Ginza).
Am ajuns acolo cu un bus (Y1000/pers, circa 35Lei). Hostelul era foarte curat (ceea ce am concluzionat mai apoi este un leitmotiv pentru intreaga tara, cel putin pe unde am fost noi) si oamenii primitori. Dormitorul de 4 persoane, un fel de vagon de dormit destul de spatios.
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| Camera la Imano Ginza |
Toaleta pe hol, la comun. Insist un pic pe acest aspect deoarece toaletele sunt un prim soc in Japonia. Evident, sunt extrem de curate. Pe langa asta, sunt pline de butoane, sunt incalzite, te simti deja un pic in alta lume…
Prima seara am mers spre un eveniment pe care l-am identificat de acasa: o plimbare in parcul Ricugien, in care este pusa in lumina (la propriu si figurat) toamna tarzie. Foarte frumos si un prim contact cu zen-ul impresionant al gradinilor japoneze, care sunt cele mai frumoase din ce am vazut pana in prezent.
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| parc Ricugien |
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| parc Ricugien |
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| parc Ricugien |
In Tokyo am mai trecut pe la templul Senso-ji (in Asakusa), palatul imperial Meiji, prin Ginza, Shibuya si Shinjuku, celebre pentru zonele de shopping si viata agitata de metropola. M-a emotionat statuia lui Hachiko, de langa gara Shibuya, unde cred ca mii de oameni fac poze zilnic. Intr-adevar, Tokyo este un oras pe verticala, un oras “occidental”. Infrastructura iti taie rasuflarea, orasul e strabatut in toate partile de poduri, pentru masini sau trenuri. Cand mergi cu autobuzul, trenul sau metroul, realizezi ca mai tot timpul esti in dreptul etajului 1 sau 2 al cladirilor…
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| Senso-ji |
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| Ginza |
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| Tokyo Station – nivel subteran |
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| Asakusa |
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| Statuia lui Hachiko, gara Shibuya |
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| Shinjuku |
Tokyo este impresionant dar, daca asta ar fi tot, probabil Japonia nu ar fi asa de frumoasa si nicidecum o destinatie turistica remarcabila…Tokyo poarta inevitabil urmele unei occidentalizari rapide, un import cultural accelerat, in care frumosul si liniile estetice au de suferit. Asadar, sa pornim prin tara!
Urmeaza 4 nopti la Kyoto. Stam intr-un studio, pe langa Kiyomizu Dera. Camera este doar a noastra, cu bucatarie si baie, cam tot ce trebuie. Foarte ok si bine plasata. Au si biciclete de inchiriat, ne-au costat cam 50 lei /zi ambele. Deci mai ieftin decat in Romania…Recomand Kyoto pe bicicleta, se parcurg distantele foarte bine si traficul este decent.
Kyoto este fosta capitala a imperiului, inainte de Tokyo (de era Edo). A ramas un oras pe orizontala, este plin de temple si gradini admirabile. Are 4 monumente Unesco! Kyoto este o adevarata bijuterie culturala…este un loc in care simti traditia nipona, unde admiri simplul si frumosul, armonia cladirilor, a acoperisurilor, a gradinilor, a costumelor, a sabiilor de samurai…
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| Muntele Fuji, din Shinkansen-ul spre Kyoto |
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| spre Kiyomizu Dera |
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| gradina la Kiyomizu Dera |
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| acoperisurile au ceva militar in ele… |
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| plimbare prin Kyoto. costumele se pot inchiria |
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| gradina in palatul imperial Kyoto |
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| gradina in palatul imperial Kyoto |
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| gradina in palatul imperial Kyoto |
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| plimbare intr-o padure de bambusi (Kyoto) |
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| Kinkaku-ji – Pavilionul de aur |
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| gradina Zen |
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| gradina Zen |
O experienta aparte in Kyoto a fost participarea la o ceremonie a ceaiului (la Camellia). A durat o ora, dar pot fi si mai lungi. Este interesant. Se foloseste tot ceai verde, dar pudra, care este mult mai dificil de produs si implicit mai scumpa. E un intreg ritual, iar maestrii ceremoniei ceaiului urmeaza cursuri speciale. Este mai mult decat o insiruire de gesturi, este vorba despre un intreg complex de semnificatii asociate acestui ritual. Foarte interesant…
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| ceremonia ceaiului |
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| ceremonia ceaiului |
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| dupa ceremonia ceaiului 🙂 |
Pe parcursul sederii in Kyoto, avand abonamentul pe JR, am dat o fuga pana la Hiroshima. De acolo am mers pana in Miyajima, o mica insula aflata la cativa kilometri de Hiroshima. Se ajunge cu curse regulate de bac, in circa 15min. Insula e foarte frumoasa, fiind e linie traditionala. Aici am intalnit caprioare libere, care umbla linistite printre oameni si sunt foarte domesticite. Miyajima este celebra pentru Itsukushima Torii, despre care se zice ca este unul dintre locurile cele mai fotografiate din intreaga Japonie.
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| Itsukushima Torii |
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| foto de nunta… |
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| Itsukushima Shrine (templu shintoist) |
Pe drumul de retur spre Kyoto, am mers in Hiroshima la un loc celebru pentru okonomiyaki, o mancare specifica. Am avut o experienta foarte frumoasa, ne-am distrat cu japonezii care erau si ei la masa, ne-au oferit sake din partea lor si am ras impreuna, fara sa stim intotdeauna de ce 🙂 deh, sake effect 🙂 (apropo, sake este destul de slab, seamana a tuica. e drum lung pana la palinca…)
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| restaurant okonomiyaki in Hiroshima |
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| restaurant okonomiyaki in Hiroshima |
Din Kyoto am pornit spre Koyasan, o asezare budista, ridicata de Kobo Daishi (cunoscut si drept Kukai) la inceputul secolului IX. Este o zona aflata la altitudine, am avut norocul, zic eu, sa prindem si o prima zapada, ceea ce a dat farmec. Localitatea este mica si astreaza spiritul. Am stat la un templu, shukubo (un fel de ryokan, deci han traditional, dar templu buddhist). Am fost bucuros deoarece arata intr-adevar ca in filmele vechi cu samurai, din lemn, cu o gradina interioara, totul in liniile arhitecturale specifice. Am dormit pe tatami, am mancat pe jos si am fost la baile lor comune. Seara, am fost la o mica sedinta de meditatie, o introducere in ceea ce inseamna meditatia lor si rolul respiratiei. Dimineata, am fost la o slujba si la un ritual al focului, ambele experiente foarte placute. Per ansamblu, desi cazarea in shukubo este semnificativ mai scumpa (aprx Euro 200 pe noapte, cu mic dejun si cina incluse), recomand cu tarie, in cazul in care se doreste contactul cat mai intim cu traditia japoneza.
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| templul Ekoin in care am stat |
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| cina este servita! |
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| Pagoda in complexul Garan |
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| peisaj de iarna in Koyasan |
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| Koyasan |
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| Rasa Akita |
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| prin templu 🙂 |
Pe drumul spre Tokyo, am trecut putin prin Nara, capitala a imperiului inainte de Kyoto. Am apucat sa ajungem pana la templul Todai-ji, despre care citisem ca este cel mai mare templu buddhist de lemn din lume. Am prins ora de inchidere si l-am vazut doar de afara. Mi-a placut orasul, merita revenit, desi nu pare la fel de amplu precum Kyoto 😉
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| Nara, in specificul sezonului |
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| spre Todai-ji |
Dupa intoarcerea in Tokyo, singurul lucru mai deosebit a fost o excursie de o zi in Takaragawa, la un onsen (bai termale, celebre in Japonia). A fost zona cea mai putin circulata de turisti straini, ne-am bucurat si noi de bazinele cu apa termala, care inteleg ca au si diverse roluri terapeutice. Aici si pe drum, in general, am interactionat cu mai multi japonezi care ne salutau sau doreau sa intre in scurte discutii cu noi, fiind pentru ei din alta lume.
La final, as zice ca suntem din alta lume… Nu numai noi, romanii, ci toti europenii, americanii, si asa mai departe… Japonia este intr-adevar o lume aparte, nu atat ca relief, cat din perspectiva sociala. O societate care merita toata admiratia, pentru ceea ce este. Iar din punct de vedere turistic, categoric, este un loc de vizitat! Cel putin o data :)…
pentru mai multe poze:
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PS:
As I was travelling, I wrote a few thoughts on my phone. I insert them below, being in a sharing mood 🙂
UK. London. Ddec1, 2017.
London has the same impressive vibe. A large metropolis, well organized, vivid. So different people, still so homogenuous as a community. We passed through Heathrow in 30min. A guy looked carefully in Adriana’s luggage, never making us feel awkward for the process. He was smiling and making jokes. Here you feel as part of a great world. You can still feel the empire UK once was, the cultural mixture, the acceptance and tolerance, the basic human values of respect and collaboration. the focus on doing things right. I think it is a great and useful experience for people in countries like Romania to travel and live this, it is awakening. Just a simple scan of the books or magazines in a small bookstore could be enough to understand you are in a global central spot. Hard not to recommend students and all young guys to come by for earning a wider perspective in life…I know I would have done it. Maybe I will 😉
Japan. Tokyo.
As a first time visitor of japan, I am impressed by it from the very first moment. It is indeed a different world, thumbs up and down.
My first opinions on tokyo, after two days here:
What I like or appreciate: it is very clean, no litter on the streets, around corners, in the gutters, everywhere you look it is clean (though you could hardly find garbage bins in the streets if you need to get rid of something). The infrastructure is amazing. Roads are built on 2-3 layers, it is basically a 3D city. There are more people speaking english and signs in arabics in Tokyo than I have been warned. I found the local spirit, the one I expected from Japan, in the parks, in the beauty of the trees and the zen look of the gardens. Their cars also carry some form of a design mark, being more square, more boxed. The modern architecture is somehow nice, clean, diverse. Though it is so huge, there are not so many cars, i could not spot serious traffic congestions, maybe more for the pedestrians. People are very disciplined, very well organized, in the way they socially behave, in the respect they show to others, how they wait or interact. Prices are decent in most instances, public transport covers the city at very good prices. Toillets are masterpieces, real electronic devices.
What I question: Tokyo has imported modernity in style, artefacts, but it is quite hard to find traditional japanese markers. It is all steel and glass, all about technology and high commercial pressure, but little of Japanese specific. London has it, Paris has it, aso. Tokyo is more like New York, it somehow lacks history in its look, though unlike NY, it has so much more to build on. I could hardly see people practicing sports (no runners, few biking, few courts). The national sport here is queuing. They queue to enter the bus, to enter a shop, to go to the restaurant or restroom. Everywhere you look, there are people queuing (which is good and reveals again the Japanese discipline). The commercial noise is quite annoying. Lots of loud commercials, with sounds and voices like in their cartoons or electronic games, create a strange atmosphere. Hard to think of zen, buddhism meditation or nippon spirit in such an environment. The shops are quite obscure, though many are large, they lack in aesthetics, in premiumness. products often are far from top, the layout and decorations suffer, the design often childish and ordinary. The feeling of open market is found in many shops, even in central malls. Though it is written in arabics, still quite hard to find your way with underground, trains, streets, etc. Difficult for me to highlight what to improve on signing but it is definitely room for improvement (for instance, when taking the shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto, the signs indicate only trains to Osaka. Kyoto is before Osaka on the route, but it is not mentioned on any sign, allegedly assuming tourists know this detail. it is worth mentioning that Kyoto is the most visited travel destination from Tokyo!). It is interesting that talking on the phone is not frequent and quite inhibited in many public places. And I dont mean in temples or shrines (first are buddhist, the latter shintoist), but also in trains, for example. It is also recommended people keep phones on silent mode, relatively strange after being bombarded in all public places with lots of electronic sounds and commercials. In general, in my opinion, the way they dress is quite strange, they are not skilled at all in fitting colors, materials or styles.
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the flow of the trip took control so I get back to writing upon my return flight…
so, it’s been quite an experience! the Japanese are fabulous. They have built such a compact society, it looks like a perfect mechanism, without being glacial. They are human, they enjoy life, socialising, you hear them laughing or joking as much as they respect silence and contemplation. I was impressed by the way their values are passed between generations. Kids are grown with respect for the elder, for the traditions they have. There are lots of groups of children everywhere, in guided trips visiting their historical fabulous sites. They are dressed in uniforms and behave. The elder are respected, they work in various places. There are many people placed in key areas for directing traffic or giving support to passers by. They are generally old people. The society found them a place to fit in and continue to be useful and valued. No beggars in the streets. I guess this would be unacceptable for a Japanese. Either to beg and, conversly, to give to beggars…
Would people from other countries or cultures fit into the nippon society? Hardly believable. The Japanese have this thick protective wall which is the language and their complex wrintig. On top, I guess they are not favorable to mixing their culture with massive immigrant input. They are content with who they are. And I dare to say, after only a few days there, that I respect their perspective.
