Japan2019

Another full day and now I am sitting in the ANA Lounge at Narita Airport with Ria (who has a Gold Airpoints card which allows me to come in as a guest). This morning, Hiroshi Morita from the Toda office picked me up at the hotel and took me sightseeing. It was a beautiful clear day so we went to the Tokyo Sky Tree, now the tallest tower structure in the world at 634m.  The view from the two viewing floors was spectacular - one at about 350 m and the other about 450m.  This view is looking towards the central city and the park surrounding the Imperial Palace.  It was possible to see Mt Fuji in the far distance. Of course it has a glass floor section as well... Reuben may have been here last year. Lunch was Ramen noodles at a restaurant near the Tokyo Sky Tree - here is Hiroshi ordering lunch from a machine. Another delicious and very filling Japanese tradition. Then we headed back to the Shinagawa station where I was to meet Ria. First, a stop a...

I left Kyoto this morning after watching a light snow flurry from the hotel window as I ate breakfast and chatted with a pleasant young Chinese man. There are many Chinese travelling in Japan at the moment because of the Chinese New Year holiday.  Breakfast was on sale from the reception counter - 600Y ($8) for a bread roll, some butter and jam, a juice and a container of flavoursome additions. I chose a container which had peanut butter, some fish and pickled ginger! I had plenty of time, so walked to the station with my bags which took about an hour including a stop at a big shrine.  I bought a delicious bento box of lunch (rice, meat, vegetables) to eat on the train and then easily found my way to the platform. Trains were coming along every 6 to 10 minutes, and right on time, mine arrived at 12.02pm. I tried to capture some photos to show the endless houses, cities, businesses, allotments, factories that stretch the whole way from Kyoto to Tokyo.  The photo here ...

You may have noticed that the blog name has changed to Japan2019 - thanks Unnamed (Sharon or Rachael?) for your sharp eye. Today I check out of my little pod to which I have become very attached. There are 38 pods on my 'women only' floor, in the space of about 20m x 25m including the bathroom (see floor plan attached - my pod is E07). A very  efficient and clever way of accommodating people. Nobody talks - all I hear is slippered feet and screen doors raising and lowering.  It would never work with Kiwis and Ozzies!! It's snowing lightly but not settling so I will walk to the train (about 3km) which will be good for me. I have just a backpack and my handbag, plus another bag now of my purchases.  I did manage some normal shopping yesterday - H&M were having a sale - 3000Y or $40 for a pure wool jersey. I'll let you know how the Kabuki goes.  Satoko from the Toda office is taking me and she has never been either. NB: You may not have noticed a post of ad...

I met Eiko again tonight for a meal. She came to the hostel where I was enjoying a free beer in the communal area (every day between 5.30 and 6.30 apparently).  We went to a Japanese owned Chinese restaurant (playing Italian music!) run by a delightfully giggly Japanese lady and her very quiet husband who did all the cooking. Eiko ordered and here are four of the five courses she chose:  Lettuce in oyster sauce with a carrot good luck character, steamed pork buns, pork meat balls with a rich sauce and rice cakes, and finally a mango mousse in a balloon which had to be pricked with a safety pin to release the sphere of mousse inside. And just for good measure and to make Kyoto look a bit more elegant, here's a lovely foyer I passed as I walked back to the hotel. Tomorrow, Shinkasen back to Tokyo and then Kabuki Theatre. I hear it's four hours long!!

The photos in my last post looked a little dull so here's a few more from the day: the food stalls at the park, an attractive building at the cemetery, a beautifully shaped camellia (I've got a plan for the camellia at home now), a couple in traditional dress, a narrow street as evening fell and a large entertainment centre called Pachinko with video games. I loved the lights on the first floor.

It was so quiet and dark in my little pod last night that I had no idea of the time when I woke up. Turned out it was after 10!  Slight correction on yesterday's description - when the bed is lowered from sitting to flat (via the iPod it transpires) the end of the bed touches the roller door. So my room is exactly the size of a standard double bed. By the time I got showered, had a free coffee here at the hostel and headed out, it was around 11. I walked east across the river. Even the centre of town is surprisingly shanty looking - very low rise compared to Tokyo and dull colours which is some kind of town planning regulation. I explored a park on the other side where something festive was going on - many food stalls and young people in traditional clothing. I also found a lovely shrine (photos forbidden) and huge cemetery on the hill - fascinating. The graves are very close together and I couldn't get a clear answer from Eiko yesterday about exactly what's in them - ac...

Today has been one of those days that seems about a week long. With snow forecast in Tokyo, my very over-cautious colleague Hiroshi decided that I should travel to Kyoto earlier.  In fact there was a light dusting overnight with more supposed to fall later in the morning. My new Shinkansen (bullet train) departure time was 8.47 so he escorted me from the hotel via the Tokyo subway to the enormous rabbit warren which is Tokyo station and in fact right on to the carriage and to my seat.  I had to persuade him that he didn't need to stand on the platform until the train left but could leave me to wait for a few minutes unaccompanied! The train was not so full when we left but after just 2 stops it filled to capacity in my carriage.  It's a holiday weekend in Japan and many people were travelling away.  I had an aisle seat unfortunately and my neighbour, like so many others, went to sleep pretty much straight away. Nonetheless I managed to see past him to marvel at th...

This was my second and final day of 'work' in which I had to try to take notes at two meetings, writing as much as I could catch from a closed meeting of experts on North Korea (many of whom had thick accents) and then at two open conference sessions this afternoon. Altogether about 6 hours of note-taking. I was wearing my suit for the occasion so I fitted right in unless any one happened to notice my feet because I decided my reasonably decent black slippers were just the ticket. I did get out for a walk this morning for about an hour, up to the Imperial Palace area, which is surrounded by a wide and very deep moat, and around the Embassy district and through street after street of apartment buildings and a few neighbourhood shops. I took a photo of the hotel when I arrived back with a rather lovely sculpture in the foreground (all the buildings both near and far are part of the same hotel).  This evening we went to a French restaurant for a post conference thank you meal. ...

Update on Thursday:  Tonight we had the welcome dinner for the special guests who are speaking tomorrow.  It was in a Japanese restaurant here at the hotel (I got lost trying to find it - the hotel has three buildings and many levels.)  It was a traditional Japanese meal and I can't recall all the courses but each one was beautifully presented. It included: Egg custard with spinach miso sauce Sushimi Tempura - deep fried prawns, vegetables and some kind of little insect thing Stewed vegetables Miso soup Rice with eel Dessert -  Sesame pudding with fruits and a slice of melon All served with beer. Here's a photo of the aftermath.  I'm ridiculously full.

Today and tomorrow are about working for the Toda Peace Institute, with my colleague of 7 years Professor Kevin Clements who is the Institute's Director. So today has been a meeting with the Senior Research Fellows on the team who all work part time for TPI leading research in different areas - disarmament, climate change and conflict, and extremist violence/social media.  The morning was planning for the year ahead and the afternoon was a meeting with the TPI Board, all at the TPI offices. Now 4.30 and I'm back in my room to type up my copious notes. Tomorrow there is a colloquium with a closed session in the morning, then in the afternoon an open session with 170+ reps from embassies and other groups representing 22 countries, plus media from all over the world. There is a welcome dinner tonight for the closed session participants, then a dinner after the events tomorrow. I did manage a little walk after breakfast around the beautiful Japanese Gardens here at the hotel (...

Two meals, four movies, 3 Ted Talks and half a documentary later I am finally here. A delayed start when it was discovered that aircraft #1 had a dodgy engine. They found another plane, and only three hours late, we departed.  That means I'm installed in my hotel room (after a 140km/hr taxi ride) at the civilised local time of 10pm and the rather uncivilised body clock time of 2am. So off to bed. NB: For your interest, the movies were: Lost in Translation (thanks Sharon for the recommendation and a touch of Tokyo and Kyoto) In the Zone Juliet, Naked The Danish Girl

Now installed in Room 516 of Novotel, right across the road from the International Terminal. So far so good. Flight leaves at 9.50am and arrives about 8.15pm NZ time, 4.15 local time. Wish me luck!

Hi family and friends Here's the blog site for me to record what's going on during my eight day whirlwind trip to Japan.  If you want to tag along, then please do so. I'll try to write a little something every day and maybe even add a picture. Love to you all Rosemary