Oceania Riviera in Japan – Discovering a Premium Experience: Tokyo Part II

It was time to experience two days of learning and understanding of the history of Tokyo, formerly known as Edo.  

Between Instagram,  TikTok, and YouTube, you can be lulled into the belief that you can easily visit Tokyo on your own. The reality is that you can “visit” Tokyo, but you really can’t “see” it without an excellent guide. 

My guide, Patrick, was an excellent guide and enthusiastically made sure I “saw” and “understood”. A brilliant American man who has lived in Japan for 52 years combined his unbelievable energy with passionate (not merely encyclopedic) knowledge.  Patrick sent me pages of background information to read, a reading list, maps of where to meet each day, and wonderful pre-tour communication. So I was excited to meet up…in the Tokyo subway.

Using Google Maps, it was clear that not only the easiest, but the fastest, way to meet Patrick was via Uber. The subways are very inexpensive, but they are confusing – sometimes really confusing – and take significantly longer than a taxi.

Arriving early (I hate to be late), I was to meet at a ticket booth. This became great people-watching as hundreds (thousands?) of well-dressed men and women rose out of the subway and into the buildings above for their workday.

I could have been in New York City if it were not for the definitely more honor system of open gates to swipe your card or phone, rather than turnstiles that block you until you do. It is only if you fail to swipe that small gates close that could easily be stepped over. That would never work in New York, but does typify the “follow the rules” I would encounter throughout my time in Tokyo.

What struck me right away is that history seems not to be terribly important in Japan. In fact, not unlike Germany, there has been a definite effort to hide anything dealing with World War II and more specifically the Pacific War. While Patrick was very forthcoming, the city is not. There is talk of the American firebombing of Tokyo as being akin to the Great Earthquake of 1923 that caused fires that literally burned Tokyo to the ground. Both devastated the city as was made up of so many wooden structures.  Those facts are accurate, but the missing facts – starting with Japan’s aggression bringing the man-made destruction upon itself – are pretty much left out.

Tokyo’s history really only extends 400 years; something as a child “learning” of Japanese I assumed its history was much more ancient. I guess this is, in part, due to the more primitive existence combined with how the mysticism and the romanticized “shogun” and “samurai” concepts and the ritualistic world was portrayed.

During the time today’s Tokyo was known as Edo, the Tokugawa Shogunate ruled from about 1603. But the Emperor ruled from Kyoto. That was until 1868 when Imperial Rule was restored and began the Meiji era that lasted until 1912. After which the Showa era came into power.

Central to Tokyo is the massive Imperial Palace, but you cannot enter it. There is a huge moat surrounding it. There are remnants of ramparts located on the palace side of a number of the bridges that cross the rivers that flow through Tokyo, as the layered areas of the palace grounds became “visible” among the massive modern buildings and overhead highways.  Without a great guide, I don’t believe you would be able to see them, no less put them in context.

A fun visit was to the little (and hidden) shop that invented the Bento Box still run by the same family. Pine Lunch Box is the name, and the owners were just charming, though they spoke no English.

My search for Sakura this early in the season wasn’t very fruitful, but right outside that ancient shop was the most beautiful Sakura…butted up against a construction zone. Fitting?

With my head spinning from all the interesting history, trying to put it in perspective, imagining what was located where now only massive skyscrapers and granite plazas exist while craving a view of blue sky, I found myself in an old Soba Noodle restaurant. And then I heard the word “sake” and an impromptu sake tasting was had!

As we wandered – always at high speed – many times using the subway system (I eventually filled my Bingo Card with every color subway in Tokyo!) we came upon a small park that was a wonderful little respite from the somewhat frenetic pace. I noticed in the distance a tower and asked what that was; expecting it to be an ABT (another bloody temple), but oh I was so wrong.

We walked over to Yomoamicho Park; a monument to the 44,000 people that huddled into the area after the 1923 earthquake only to die when the ensuing firestorm literally sucked all the oxygen out of the area, suffocating all of them. Adding to this tragic memorial it was expanded to include the 105,400 people who died during the firebombing on Tokyo during the Pacific War. (Once again, the tragedies were combined though the causes could not have been any different.)

Although it was cold with a bitter wind, I ended the first day with Patrick at Kiyosumi Garden; a beautiful ancient garden that brought a peaceful end to an amazing day of touring in Tokyo.

I then met up with some clients who, unfortunately, booked their air directly and didn’t take into account crossing the international dateline so they missed a day in Tokyo. But we all didn’t miss the opportunity to spend a fun evening drinking sake…lots of sake!

The next morning, with my clients, we met up with Patrick in a totally different, area of Tokyo that was more residential with homes rather than hi-rises. There was a bit of grittiness, but also signs of gentrification (not so different from Brooklyn, New York). There were also unseasonably cold temperatures and gale-force winds. Brrrrrrr.

We spent a good bit of time at the Nedujinja Shinto shrine discussing the mix of Shinto and Buddhist beliefs and how it shapes the day-to-day lives of many Japanese as well as the mix within the architecture of the shrines and temples.  I’m not going to give a lecture on the subject not only because I just don’t know enough to do it justice, but because it will affect everyone differently. Philosophy and religion, need I say more?

Aside from that, there was a serene beauty.

We wandered through some residential areas, learning a bit about the Japanese real estate market and life in the area. When Patrick said it was getting close to lunchtime, it was only 11:00 AM, but anything to get out of the cold would be nice!  We stopped at a small – warm – restaurant that has been run by the same family for generations. I, of course, went for a large Udon noodle bowl with lots of ingredients, including some tempura.  Yum!

After lunch (and getting warmed up) we visited a cemetery which, again, mixed Shinto and Buddhism that was quite fascinating.

I did need to stop at an ATM which means either a Family Mart or a 7-11. That led to a discussion about how good the food is at these convenience stores and my son’s insistence that I had to try the egg sandwich and onigiri.  And so I obliged (adding in a tuna sandwich too) sticking them in my pocket until we could get somewhere I could eat them. (Remember, eating while walking is frowned upon.) It was worth the wait, as I was guided to a bench overlooking a beautiful Buddhist statue.  The view was as good as the food!

We continued our walk through Yanaka Reien cemetery, hopped on a subway, and found ourselves face-to-face with a fortune teller of some renown followed by a quick ice cream stop. Once again, cash only into a vending machine, handing the ticket over to the woman behind the counter. From then on it was as American as it gets.

It was then another subway ride to a rather insanely large and crowded shopping area, but I had no interest in shopping so it was rather quick.  I know for others it would have been a playland for retail therapy!

Next up was a visit to the Asakusa shrine and the Senso-ji Temple. It was jam-packed with Chinese and Korean tourists with the street lined with souvenir shops…exactly what I had no interest in. But there was a method to Patrick’s madness! While the (other) tourists were focused on what they were told they “needed” to see, right around the corner was a beautiful ancient shrine and an impressive shogun statue.

Our day and, unfortunately, our tour ended at the Asahi (Beer) Building for a final chat with Patrick over a beer and the view of Tokyo. 

But I was not done!  During our wander through the area I saw a number of street food restaurants and I was headed there for what I guess one could call Japanese tapas!  Whitebait, beef somethings, marinated and fried sardines, pork dumplings, and fried chicken, paired with a beer and some sake.

After a few whiskeys in the Tokyo EDITION lounge next to Rod Stewart and his entourage having dinner.

The next morning was another amazing Japanese breakfast, a wander around the Ginza District with all of its luxury shops, then back to the Tokyo EDITION one last time to pack up and head to the Oceania Riviera.  But when I arrived the lobby bar and restaurant were crowded and large tea trays filled with pink cakes and sandwiches were everywhere.

I had walked into what I came to learn was a made-up national holiday (there are quite a few of them created to force workers to take days off…an interesting concept in this high-stress society): National Vernal Equinox Day.  And with also being strawberry season, everyone was at the hotel for Strawberry EDITION Afternoon Tea; something I couldn’t pass up!

What a way to complete my truly amazing time in Tokyo.

Next up: The beginning of my Oceania Riviera experience sailing through southern Japan.