Kyo (Today) was the 1st day of our Japan Highlight Bus trip. We had to meet
Mochan-san, our Japanese host, at the Kita (North) Exit of the Tokyo Station for some sightseeing activities in Tokyo. Mochan owned a mini bus and throughout the next ten days (27 April – 6 May 08), we had to rely on his bus to take us to various touristy places in Shizuoka, Nara & Kyoto. Mochan’s full contact details in Japan are:Mr Toshikazu Mochizuki
35-2, Ishikawa, Shimizu-Ku
Shizouka City PC-424-005, Japan
Tel: +81908459 (mobile); +81543632566 (home)
Website: www.couchsurfing.com/people/mochi
Mochan, who is in his early 40’s, had traveled widely to many overseas countries via the Couch Surfing network. In March 08, Mochan visited Jakarta, Seoul and Kuala Lumpur. He lives in a double storey brick house in Ishikawa, a suburb in Shimizu of Shizouka District. Shimizu is about 164km from Tokyo. His strong passion in travel has led him to start a local traveler’s club called Shizuoka Wish Club House. Each year, Mochan takes the initiatives to organize a number of sightseeing activities in Japan. This was the second time he organized the Japan Highlight Bus trip for local and overseas members. For the Malaysian CS members (Cheng, Hitomi & Artem), we were proud to be his first overseas guests from Malaysia! Two CS members from France ie Van & Claire were in our bus trip too. Each of us contributed Y2,000 (RM64) per day to Mochan to defray the cost of the fuel and toll fees incurred during the travel period. Accommodation was free but we chipped in to buy some groceries, meat, fruit / vegetables so that our group could dish out some home cooked meals for dinner at Mochan’s house. What I enjoyed most was the friendship, home stay, home cooked meals and free & easy travel, which allowed us to see Japan in a greater depth and also to gain a better understanding of the Japanese lifestyle and culture which we might not able to experience if we were to travel in a package tour!
So the real action started this morning. We checked out our hostel at around 09.00 and took a Metro Tokyo & JR line to the Tokyo station. On arrival at the station, we had difficulties in finding the right exit as this station is connected to a big high-rise commercial complex, Marunouchi Building. We wasted thirty minutes before Mochan was able to locate us, thanks to a Samaritan onna (lady) who offered to use her mobile phone to contact Mochan and picked us from a spot somewhere in this complex.
Mochan took us to his bus, which was parked in ma-e (front) of the Kita (North) Exit of the Tokyo station. As we were late by almost an hour, a group of the overseas CS members (7-8 Italians) & Wish Club members (mainly locals) had gone to visit the East Garden of the Imperial Palace and we had to wait for their return.
At 11.30, Mochan drove us to Asakusa and our first stop was the Sensoji Temple area, which we had visited yesterday. Our group took a picture in ma-e (front) of the Kaminarimon Gate. I had my lunch at the Nakamise Dori (street) and bought a takeaway pack of grilled octopus for Y
500 (RM16) and together with two local members; we found a public place with tables and chairs to sit and enjoy our lunch. The tourist belt of Asakusa has a number of sushi & sukiyaki restaurants catering to sushi lovers. A few boutique restaurants served tsumami (wine and vegetable dishes) for their discerning customers.After the lunch, a local member suggested that we pay a visit to a Kimono garment shop, located in a busy touristy street nearby the temple area. The shop offered a good mix of quality Kimono at bargain prices. As the quality and the price were attractive, both Hitomi & Artem ended up buying one. It appeared that their shopping mood had begun and more to ensue I supposed!
After Asakusa, our next stop was Yoyogi Park. This spacious park has a central square with a beautiful lawn, fountains and bird sanctuaries. As today was a weekend, the park was crowded with people and there were
a lot of recreation & seinen (youth) activities organized in the park area. On the sidewalk of the park, we saw a number of small musical bands (3-4 people) playing their electric guitars and drums; blasted with loud speakers to thrill the bystanders and music lovers. The lead singers were there to promote their favorite CD songs for Y500 each (RM16). There were no less than ten musical bands performing on
that day and the music generating from their electric gadgets made the entire place very lively and noisy! Both my eardrums were badly bombarded after spending 15 minutes in the area. A short distance away, a group of local danshi (male) adults wearing black jackets were seen dancing “ferociously” on an open ground with loud music playing the local & western hit songs to thrill the passing crowd. I spotted a group of three teens car
rying “free hugs” placards inviting young girls for a picture session with any of the guy poising in a free hug position! If I am a young girl of sweet seventeen, I do not mind accepting a free hug from these seinen (young looking teens)
with cheeky baby face!!!I walked around the central square and bumped into small families, obasan (aunties) and ojisan (uncles) taking along their pet dogs, all smartly dressed, for a stroll in the park. Others were found jogging, having picnics and sitting around at the lawn enjoying the surrounding environment.
On the hidari (left) hand side of the Yoyogi Park where Mochan’s bus was parked, there was a flea market, with numerous yatai (roadside stalls) selling all sorts of mono (merchandise) ranging from food to fashion wears etc.
As the Meiji Jingu Shrine is located at the kita (northern) end of the Yoyogi Park, I took the opportunity to pay a visit to this famous shrine. I understand this shrine was built for the Emperor and Empress in the Meiji Era. The original main buildings were lost in the war. The present one was built with wood donated by the people.
After the Meiji Shrine visit, I walked to the Takeshita Dori (street), located on the opposite of the JR Harajuku station. This place is popular among the local seinen (youngsters) as most of the idol goods are on sale in this dori (street). The place was jam packed with people (Chinese interprets as “People Mountain People Sea”) and I had to jostle every inch to walk through this busy dori. I gave up after walking for less than ten inute
s and decided to head bac
k to the Yoyogi Park.On the way to the Yoyogi Park, I passed by the Tokyo Gymnastic Olympic Stadium. The front entrance of the Stadium was packed with many seinen (young people) lining up to enter the Stadium and the queue was so long that it virtually blocked the pedestrian way. It was so konran (difficult) for me to pass through! I had to cross over to the opposite side of an overhead bridge in order to avoid this madding crowd! Our sightseeing activities for kyo (today) ended here.
Mochan picked us up at 18.30 and drove us to his hometown in Shimizu, Shizouka, the traveling time took two hours. We finally arrived at his home, a two-storey brick house in a quiet residential suburb of Ishikawa. We had our first home cooked meal (using a gas operated hot plate) at Mochan’s house. Guessed what we ate? A delicious dinner of stir-fried ramen noodles with cabbages, chicken meat and sliced Japanese apples as dessert.
Today is our first day in Japan. The best is yet to come!
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