The distance from Denver to Taipei is great enough that I planned a stop in Japan as a reprieve and rest stop. It has worked out well. We stayed at the large Narita Nikko Hotel near Narita which, with its economies of scale, is able to offer free shuttle service to the airport, train station, and a local mall. The hotel also has a concierge. This service facilitated our arrival at the hotel. I was given good instruction prior to arrival on how to access the shuttle. Although the hotel provides such convenient tourist services, the hotel is much more tailored to serve native Japanese than tourism. The popular buffet breakfast was full of items which were totally unfamiliar to us; a great chance to try new things.
From the shuttle drop-off at a mall, we had a map to guide us along a couple of narrow winding streets, full of interesting shops, to a major Buddhist Temple complex near Narita which offered volunteer guides to show us around. This temple complex has been a significant religious site for more than a thousand years. Although our guide’s English was not very good, he was obviously a very sincere person, trying his best to inform us. He offered to show us the interior of a major Temple. I declined, feeling ill at ease as a nonbeliever in a Temple full of true followers of Buddhism. Should religious services be tourist fodder?
Dawn accepted his offer, removed her shoes, entered, and was swept up in a lengthy Buddhist holy service. Loud drums, rhythmic bells, fire and smoke, and a parade of priests in their costumes and wooden clogs. I have met some wonderful Buddhist people, but to me, the ceremony, as viewed from outside, seemed like some pagan ritual. (As perhaps with other religions as well.) The Temple complex also included extensive grounds with walking trails in a park-like atmosphere with koi ponds and forest. We had lunch at a small Japanese restaurant located among the shops on our path between the mall and temple. It was a chance to practice using chopsticks.
The following day, we went to the Sakura Castle Park. The National Museum of Japanese History is co-located with this park. ‘Sakura’ translates as cherry blossom, and the park was full of flowering trees, as you might expect for April. It was a very pleasant day. We had lunch at the Museum but did not tour it as it would take too many hours. To get there, we took a shuttle to the large Narita airport which has its own train station. Then we had to buy train tickets, determine the schedule, and know at what stops to enter and exit the train. From the Sakura train station, it is about a 20-minute walk to the park. We got a map from the local TI center to guide us. Returning, we reversed the process. Tickets are purchased from an automated machine with limited guidance in English, but I made the correct guesses to obtain our tickets. Doing things like this on your own forces you to immerse yourself a bit deeper in the immediate surroundings.
We elected not to include visits to Tokyo proper or other major tourist attractions. What interests me most is concept of what would it be like to live in one of these foreign locations. What would our home be like? What would our meals be like? Where would we shop? What transportation would we use? What recreation opportunities would be available? Are public services reliable? Is the area safe? Dawn and I have seen our share of cathedrals/mosques/temples and museums. History is interesting, but present-day life is more relevant.
While in this Pacific region, I bought a newly published biographical book, "The Good Daughter", written by a Kumi Taguchi (Japanese father/ Australian mother, divorced) who struggled to bring together these two cultures in her life. She worked in media and traveled the region and world-wide. She wrote about the 'regimentation' that guides behavior in Japan. We could see it in the uniformity of behavior and dress, school uniforms for the children and almost identical suits for office workers.
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