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| Posing with Meiji era historical figures |
That's what made this place an eye-opener. It was just hard to imagine Japan this way in the relatively recent past (at least compared to, say, the temples in Kyoto). It was like looking at the missing link in Japan's transition to the modern state though the militaristic era soon followed. It must have been quite a shock for the people at the time.
What was a shock to me was the feature attraction - the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Imperial Hotel lobby. I certainly know the name and I'm no expert when it comes to architecture but I certainly did not expect what I can only best describe as Aztec-like columns for a Japanese premier hotel. I can't imagine what the people back then thought of it.
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| Front of Imperial Hotel Lobby | Kawasaki Bank building | Inside of Imperial Hotel Lobby |
It was a lot to see, 67 buildings and structures. The guide book said to take at least three hours. I took four-and-a-half. The location was nice too, in a park beside a lake about a 20 minute bus ride from Inuyama Station so it was peaceful, especially on this mild sunny day. It was a well-rounded mix of public buildings, like schools, courts, hospitals, offices, as well as businesses, breweries, even a kabuki theater. There were also a few christian churches, as they often do, had some elaborate interiors. Transportation was also a popular theme with the old trains, streetcars, buses, horse carriages, even old-fashioned bicycles to try. The Kawasaki Bank headquarters building was also eye-catching, tall, thin and modern-looking. I initially thought it was the Imperial Hotel lobby because it stood out so well. It also had a great view.
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| Post Office | Kabuki Theater | Inside of Kabuki Theater | 19th century passenger train |
The problem with spending all that time at the museum was that it left me with no time to see Inuyama Castle. I got there before the 5:00 closing but the ticket gate closed at 4:30. Nice site though. I got a peek through the door and that was it. It's the oldest and only privately owned castle in Japan right now so it's too bad that I won't have the time to see it before I leave.
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| A peek at Inuyama Castle |
The evening was spent shopping in the Osu arcade. Three things are still on the top of the agenda - gifts for family and friends, a bag for the trip home, and a watch, my personal souvenir for this trip. Well, at least I struck the last item off the list. Knowing me, I think a few people would be surprised at my choice. Even though I have never owned a cell phone, I 'm still a bit of a gadget person and usually I expect my watch to be multifunctional. This time, though, I went completely in the completely opposite direction because I wanted something that reminded me of Japan. It has just the hands, doesn't even have numbers or even notches to mark the minutes and seconds but it has a titanium body and a clear crystal that around the outer edges, is completely transparent. I call it my zen watch. Looking at it reminds me of the Ise Grand Shrines, Ryoanji Temple, Japanese gardens, the fashion, calligraphy, amongst other things - simple and elegant.
Mind you, I didn't understand until I decided to buy the watch that the place I was buying it from was an outlet and second-hand store so the watch was used, though it still looked fairly new. I certainly did get a good deal for it naturally. One thing that bugs me about it, though, that for an Eco-Drive watch, meaning it's solar powered and thus implicitly environmentally friendly, it came with a ridiculously large and heavy box.
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| Yabaton restaurant (the pigs are taking over) |
I sought out a Donkatsu (deep-fried pork) restaurant for dinner that was also recommended by my Frommer's guide book. It was a cozy kind of place. The outside was cute. Kind of suits the times - the pigs are taking over the meat market here after all with the BSE and bird flu scares going on. I read this week that the price of pork rose about 40% this month.
Sunday morning, I decided to try again to attend one of the free OIA Japanese classes. I found out, after the missed first attempt a couple of weeks ago, that the classes were moved to a place closer to Higashi Okazaki Station, maybe the same location as on Saturday. I was hoping for more of a conversation session but I was more open to a classroom setting after feeling a bit burnt out after the first month here. It was a pretty good session - about an hour of small group lessons, then twenty minutes of conversation.
One thing I noticed looking out the window, I could see nothing but the rooftops of buildings and no greenery for miles, the first time I noticed such a site here in Okazaki. Certainly not something I expected outside the bigger cities.
For the afternoon, aside from checking a couple stores on the way, after skirting around the perimeter several times in the past couple of months, I decided it was finally time to actually go inside of Okazaki Castle for a change. It was a fine structure with a collection armor and weapons reflecting its military history. Still, aside from its history, after seeing a number of castles already on this trip, I didn't find anything particularly distinguishing about it otherwise. Nevertheless, like many of those other castles, Okazaki's embodies the city's spirit and it felt that way, especially with the 360 degree view from the top floor. There, on the north side, a tube was placed through which is supposed to be where Daijuji Temple is visible, recalling that the city ensures that the view between the castle and that temple is never to be obstructed.
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| Okazaki Castle | Now there's a Japanese phone booth! | House of Tokugawa |
I went for the combo ticket that allowed me entry into both the castle and the House of Tokugawa on the other side of the park. I was not allowed to take any pictures there and much of the place was completely in Japanese so I just quickly browsed through the displays though I did read about the family history, including the rise of Tokugawa Ieyasu to shogun, which was in English. I don't know when the building was opened but it certainly was more new and modern than I was expecting for a place featuring a family with a 500-year plus history in the city.
One thing that is said about buying souvenirs from traveling in Japan is that bringing home something that reflects the food of the region being visited is always a good choice. I had that in mind for awhile but when it comes to Okazaki, I wasn't sure what to look for. What I found in the park was some sweet crackers made with Hacho Miso, a well-known miso maker that was a favorite of the Tokugawas. I bought quite a few bags. It's not chocolate or manju but at least it will be a different kind of treat for my family and friends.
Before it got dark, I was hoping to visit the Central Sogo Park and the Mindscape Museum there in the eastern side of the city. It meant cycling across the city to get there for about half an hour. What was worse, getting there-wise, was that the park probably has the best view of the city. In other words, I had to cycle up a pretty good hill to get there, not a lot of fun after the long run I had done in the morning.
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| Sports complex at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park | Garden at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park | Night view of Okazaki city |
It was worth it though. The views were great and the park was very nice. It was getting too dark to hike around which was a shame but I still got a pretty good look from a couple of the high viewpoints. The Mindscape Museum was a pretty interesting building too, probably a one-of-a-kind for the area. Though I didn't feel like paying the 1,000 yen to see Baroque Art, it was just nice to walk in and around the building. There was also a few large buildings for sports nearby, one of them certainly for baseball, if not soccer, and a pair of arenas though I couldn't tell whether they had gyms, skating rinks or swimming pools. There was also an archery range that would have been interesting to see if I could have tried (I tried it a few times back in high school) but it was closed.
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| Top of Okazaki Mindscape Museum | Okazaki Mindscape Museum | Night view of Okazaki Mindscape Museum |
The nice thing about going up the hill on a bicycle is the trip down though I did use the brakes often. Unfortunately, on the way, I got Panku'ed! In other words, I got a flat tire from what looks like a piece of a rusty nail. It made the last three or four kilometers from the Oto River bridge back to village a slog.
Not a great way to end the weekend but it was a good one otherwise.