Continue to visit Tokyo/Carlos Pueblo

Continue to visit Tokyo/Carlos Pueblo

It was very miserable for the first two days in Tokyo, lost on getting off the train

station to find the inn; walking on a raining on the second day to continue to visit

Tokyo. I attempted to solve my first issue of this trip, to find a broken line for the

charger for my notebook; therefore, we went to Akihabara, an electrical center

of Tokyo nearby the inn. Then, I bought something and found out later which was

not the right one.  Then, we took Yamanote Line again to visit the famous Hachiko

Statue at Shibuya Station and continued to Ginza afterward and ended up at the

world known Tsukiji fish market.

I noticed Akihabara name from a Build, Operate, and Transfer BOT project in Taipei

City for the identical function of Akihabara in Tokyo and I like to know what it looked

like. We were early for that morning and most of the stores were not open. Finally

after several blocks walking, I found a Family Mart to get a help from the clerk to buy

an identical line to replace the malfunctioned one. The problem was that the line was

for telephone connection and one end was a little big to go into the notebook.

Hachiko’s statue is in front of JR Shibuya Station. We knew him through the reinforce-

ment of Richard Gere’s Oscar award winning film. Like most of the tourists from Japan

and all over the world, we must join the que to take picture with him. I have been very

amazed that this nation can generate so many touching novels influencing the rest of

the world. Last time in Japan, I made a mistake to visit Akita, Hachiko’s hometown on

the shore of the Sea of Japan and was advice that statue should be at Shibuya Station.

The owner was a professor who resided at Shibuya and Hachiko had been waiting at

the station after the owner’s death of heart attack for the rest of his remaining life.

Finally, I got the opportunity to visit the famous Ginza district for only two large

avenue. Ginza is famous of many, I did see many beautiful high rise building and

at the turn of second avenue, I saw the famous Kabuki theatres. We kept on walking

toward Tsukiji Hongan-Ji Temple and Tsukiji market. We got Tsukiji by accident because

that I didn’t know where was the location and we just walked into it. Amy liked to have

a sashimi lunch at Tsukiji Fish Market and we accomplished it while walking at that

direction.

Tsukiji Hongan-Ji is a Buddhist temple affiliated to Nishi Hongan-Ji of Kyoto, a clear earth

branch of Japanese Buddhism. I have visited both Nishi and Higashi head temples in

Kyoto and also a ruined one, Nishi, in Taipei. The main function of this temple is a resting

place of the death, their ashes. This temple also a final resting place for the death of

Japanese between 1895-1945 in Taiwan.

續訪東京/莊峻華

續訪東京/莊峻華

東京梅雨，我們帶傘外出，續訪東京，先到秋葉原買續電零件，再到涉

谷車站拜望八子公銅像，然後再搭車到銀座，逛街逛到築地本願寺，對

面就是聞名全球之，築地魚市場。

秋葉原是電器中心，台北市想蓋類似中心，授權私人企業開發，號稱台

北秋葉原，我注意到就在旅店附近，我想順便去購買續電電線，結果抵

達時早，逛上一圈，只能找到一家方便商店，買錯一條電話機用線，而

且一端呎寸不符，非常掃興。

再搭車到涉谷，這也是大商業區，年輕人所愛，我是專誠前來參拜這隻

義犬，八子公，上次旅行不經查，跑到八子公故鄉秋田市，經多人提醒

，銅像在涉谷驛前，我們和全球聞名而來旅客排隊，與八子公銅像合照

。

銀座是一箸名東京商業區，許多美麗新穎之高樓大廈，終於逛到有歌舞

伎劇院之大街，此街通築地本願寺和築地市塲，我們正想購買新鮮水果

，像香蕉，柑橘，和蘋果之類，結果先達本願寺，此時是冰雨凌傘，皮

靴果然派上用途，我仍在外面仔細研讀告示碑文，其中有一項與台灣有

關，就是一年日本人，經台灣政府同意，將葬在台灣之日本人墳墓，納

骨移葬於此，我與寺廟招待談論，這是西本願寺系統，本身就是納骨塔

，剛好成立五百年，我參拜過京都之西東兩本願寺，還有各地衍生之西

本願寺，是淨土宗，我甚至找到台北貴陽街之西本願寺遺址。

 走進築地市塲，始知此為箸名魚市拍賣處，遷移計劃暫緩，愛美本要求

到此用餐，因此，我們選上一家海鮮餐廳，下雨箸實狼狽，若想真正參

觀拍賣，需要凌晨四時，就到市塲，我想過，但從來不敢計劃。

Re-visiting Kokyo-gyoen/Carlos Pueblo

Re-visiting Kokyo-gyoen/Carlos Pueblo

The inn which we stayed in Tokyo is at Chiyoda with several famous parks within

walking distance. We started the walk toward the Yasukuni Shrine and ended up

covering Kitanomaru Park and Kokyo-gyoen as well. We saw some book stores on

Yasukuni Boulevard still in good shape and in business. When we saw the sign of

the Shrine, I was attracted by a lovely tree with pink cherry blossom at the front

of Kitonomaru Park.

Kitanomaru was an old residence of three kin families of Shogun Tokugawa back

to the early 17 century when they had had an annual duty at the court of the

Shogun. It was a mandatory duty to the Shogun. The rest of the daimyo, local

lords, stayed at another place current day Hibiya Koen or Park. The first Tokugawa

set up such requirement, six months in a year, to exhaust the local daimyo’s finance

to prevent any rebellion. We walked through the park back and forth to enjoy the

design of the park and early cherry blossom. On our way back, we even visited two

museum one at the current art museum and the other for four famous artists at

Meiji era. On the way out of the museum, I found a statue of a general riding on a

horse,  Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa who died on his mission at Tainan, Taiwan

of cholera. I do pay very much attention of the history of Taiwan; therefore, I feel

very fondly of such person in the history of the island nation. It was very amazing

to read his story of military life that he was on the other side of 1868 battle of

Toba-Fushimi where I visited the Fushimi Inari Shrine and read the story. He was

on the other side of Emperor Meiji and yet the Emperor took him back to be his

commander of garrison in the capital.

We entered the Kokyo-gyoen, the outer garden of the Palace, from the Sakurada

Gate on the north to visit the huge garden and peaked through some part of the

Kokyo literally means the Palace, current day the Emperor’s residence and has been

the residence of Japanese National head since Edo era for more than 400 years.

I have been here for three times and still very fond of the visit. I enjoy the most of

spring blossom and well design and manage of the garden, the old guards post,

various flowering trees, lakes, etc. I saw a large group of volunteers kneeing down

with a sickle to pick up the weed in time for the spring lawn. The lawn is huge.

Finally, Amy was hungry and I accompanied her to a small noodle restaurant in

front of the famous Yasukuni Shrine. I introduced to her the war hero of Japan.

I remember the old song of the Kudannoha, the mother of the Kudan Hill to

describe her visit to the shrine to mourn her dead son. We also walked aroud

the pond with beautiful koi carps which I read the written epitaph about the

original donation from Niigata for the celebration of Shinkansen opening.

重訪東京皇居/莊峻華

重訪東京皇居/莊峻華

居停旅店，座落東京都千代田區，神田神保町，算是老城中，離皇居和靖國

神社甚近，過去曾經東京驛，步行到皇居，與百萬人同行，這次決定走靖國

通道，逕行皇居神社，不巧遇上遺落之北之丸公園，甚至看到在台病死，或

是陣亡之北白川宮能久親王騎馬英姿銅像，靖國神社仍然參拜者忙碌。

走到靖國神社附近，就為北之丸公園攔截，這是上次注意到，但無緣拜訪之

美麗公園，戰後日本，將城北兩處綠地，精闢為北之丸和日比谷兩大都會綠

洲公園。先是為幾株早櫻所引，回程時又參觀兩座美術館，就是古近衛師連

隊營區改裝，館外就是北白川銅像，藏在樹林中，我讀過此段歴史，馬關條

約後，北白川領日軍進入台灣，據日本歴史記載，得霍亂病死台南，回家後

查谷歌，原來此親王是幕府派，和勤王之長薩軍，在伏見城決戰，戰敗後為

明治剃髮在京都出家，獲赦後送往徳國習兵事，後復親王爵位，並為京師近

衛師統領，死年四十八歲。

出北之丸，過馬路天橋，就是皇居外苑，靖國神社在垂直交叉馬路另邊，我

看到一株早櫻，我們早到東京一週，錯過今年盛開，但椿花盛開，而且是美

不勝收。我們從北門進入，門警給一卡片通行，苑內花園設計，幾座古衛士

崗哨據點，這皇居承繼徳川之大將軍府，就是日劇中之大奧二奧等，明治維

斯，遷都江戶，一切從舊，戰後不再是國家行政中心，外苑開放給國人欣賞

，像是華府之國家公園，我最喜愛其花園設計佈置，剛好遇見一大群市民義

工，除野草，跪在廣大草原中，手持小鐮刀，一一剃除。花園有各種果株，

春初均含苞準備怒放，我不斷拍攝，也幫其他遊客，在古建築前拍照留念。

走到正門，不得出口，蓋入口卡片，需還北口，於是再逛一次外苑，走回北

之苑，購票參觀近代美術館，和一博物館展覽明治四工，就是四位藝術家作

品，這是舊近衛軍改裝，館內職員親切服務，我坐在櫃台前休息，嘆為觀止

。出外就是一騎士銅像，原來是與台灣有緣之，北白川宮能久親王銅像，他

奉命領近衛軍，接管台灣，一路從台北，新竹，到台南，病死於霍亂，我指

銅像給一澳洲來之日本女士，她說再等一週，櫻花將全數怒放，我說僅留兩

日，於是她建議我們參觀銀座，這是我三訪東京之所遺漏之珠。

走近靖國神社，已無法想像九段之母歌曲中之情景，大鳥居仍在，日本人仍

舊虔誠追悼戰死先人，我到錦鯉池，原來是新瀉市紀念北陸新幹線通車所贈

池旁已有早櫻。

Taking off to Japan/Carlos Pueblo

Taking off to Japan/Carlos Pueblo

Several months ago, I was watching an advertisement for a repositioning cruise

from Yokohama, Japan along the Pacific coast north via 4 Japanese ports, one

Russian port and 4 Alaskan ports to Seattle, Washington State for a total of 21

days. I was stopped by the factor of the airfare which was very difficult for me to

swallow, one way and round trip rate were basically the same. Then, I changed

my mind for just planning for a land trip to Japan and took off to Japan for 24

days. We flew from Houston to Tokyo via Calgary, Canada on two fully booked

planes. On the second leg, I met a young stewardess who was fluent in three

languages, Japanese, English and Spanish that I wished to borrow her talent for

the trip.

I had had no problem to get our Japan Rail Pass issued and 50,000 Yen out of the

ATM machine and took Amy to take Narita Express to Tokyo Station. Upon our

arrival to the huge station, I was not deterred. After consulting with several staff

on the station, we took Chou Line to Kojanomitsu station, the water of the tea,

and lost at night on the way to our inn at Jimbocho, Kanda, Chiyoda.  I was too

confidence myself due to previous staying at that inn twice in 2014 and it was

too early to get off a station and ran into a parallel and similar avenue. Finally,

a pair of high school students came to rescue us at night and walked us to the

inn in half of an hour.

The night shift manager of the inn helped me to solve two connection difficulty

of my small lap top and large notebook by loaning me two parts in order to

recharge the computer to send and check the e-mail daily. It became a burden

after leaving Tokyo due to a failure to purchase those two parts and could not

put in to use especially in a smaller room. I have been so stubborn and out of date

for such a long time and getting by without i-phone to read while travelling.

The inn provides free breakfast which is very considerate for us, a group of frugal

travelers. The breakfast is consisted of coffee, tea, bread, very diluted miso and

vegetable soups. I could easily maintain my skipping lunch routine. Most of the

customers are young travelers from all over the world. I selected this inn to meet

two of our Japanese friends and have dinners with them at a nice restaurant nearby

in a consecutive nights of our stay in Tokyo.

啓程日本/莊峻華

啓程日本/莊峻華

幾個月前，注意到一回程郵輪珠寶號，從橫濱出發，經日本四港，海森威，

阿拉斯加四港，到西雅圖港，一共三週，俗又大碗，愛美同意，正準備訂票

，問題卡再單程機票昂貴，幾乎與來回平價，於是錯過郵輪特價機會，廉價

旅行社，一直繼續寄來特價機票廣告，終於找到加拿大航空，從休市飛卡爾

格瑞，再會合多倫多來機到東京，果然整機客滿，連機位都需分離，一位日

裔空姐，一聞我之細，就開始和我講西班牙語，我真後悔，當年不認真求學

，西日語均洋京幫，無法流利自如。

抵達成田機塲，我就好整以暇，辦好日本鐵道通帕斯，搭上東京特急，到達

東京車站，這是世界級忙碌車站，我找日鐵案內職員問路，大約順利，三口

線，中央線，又認得御茶之水站，結果釀成大錯，應該是水道橋站下車，兩

站都在中央線前後站，下車後兩大街互相平行，都經過靖國神社大通，晚上

在東京迷路，真是一大考驗，問上幾位當地人，仍舊不知所措，最後遇上兩

位高校善心學生，按其手機地圖，親自領我們步行半小時，到達旅店，翌日

上車站，始發現應是水道橋站下車，結果三日間，搭車又錯了一次，走到靖

國神社通，又不知南北，山田兄聞言曰，是中央黃線和橘線之錯亂矣。

這旅店我在兩年前，先後下榻兩次，印象深刻，我遭遇之困難，是手提電腦

充電問題，先是美日三孔兩孔之別，然後是一連線段不靈，兩問題均先後為

一夜班經理幫忙解決，但在秋葉原尋找零件，結果買錯，空忙一陣，離開東

京後，就設法使用旅店電腦，接發信函，一直撐到最後一站成田旅社，旅社

小器收費，結果加航更改航班，陰錯陽差，也無小礙。

這旅社提供免費早餐，我非常欣賞，就是咖啡熱茶熱味噌湯吐司，簡單扼要

，各地來東京旅行者，均善其用，附近是東京僅存之書店街，還有很多餐廳

。東京為日本首都超過四百年，許多古蹟新建，也是世界中心，觀看不完之

活動，我雖然來過四次，仍舊發現諸多新穎有趣，光是搭火車，都是一級方

便，一級舒適。

Visiting Japan in 2018/Carlos Pueblo

Visiting Japan in 2018/Carlos Pueblo

Before my trip to Japan, I did finished my Kanji edition of the trip; however, I

was in a hurry and missed my English edition. Tonight, I shall make it up for

the idea of such trip plan in compare with a series of writing of the real trip

which we just have finished today.

I managed to get a pair of round trip tickets from Houston to Tokyo via Calgary

, Canada with a third discount from a credit bonus. First, we would stay in Tokyo

for three nights at a small Jimbocho inn to meet two of my Japanese friends for

dinners at a Small Shuraku Restaurant which I had had a good experience on my

previous trip. I like to let Amy to have a real taste of Japanese seafood, Shushi and

Sashimi raw fish rolls and raw fishes to make up her miss of such on the cruise. I

Planned to make some visit to some nearby famous Tokyo scenery, the Emperor’s

Palace, Ginza, Akihabara, the Hachico Statue of Shibuya Station, etc.

After Tokyo, we would take Shinkansen high speed rail to Osaka for 4 nights. During

the visit, at least I would take her to visit Kitashinchi and Osakajo, one day to visit

Himeiji Castle, one day in Hiroshima.

After Osaka, we would go southwest to Kumamoto for 5 nights. During the time, we

Would visit Kumamoto Castle, Kagoshima City, and Hakata/Fukuoka, if possible, we

would try a fourth town, Nagasaki or Shimonoseki.

Then we would go back to Shinkansen to reach Matsumoto via Shizuoka near the

famous Fujisan Mountain. At Matsumoto, we would visit the famous Castle; therefore,

she would complete the famous three castles of the National Treasures of Japan. I

planned to take her to visit nearby Nagano and Karuizawa if possible.

After Matsumoto, we would go north to taste the newly open Hokkaido Shinkansen

to Shin Hakodate via Aomori on the northern tip of Honshu Island. We would stay 3

nights at Hokodate and I attempted to visit Sapporo and a park for the red head cranes.

Then, we would rush back to Narita before the expiration of 3 weeks Japan Rail Pass.