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With our time in Tokyo nearing an end, Dr. Munson had just a few more places on the list of sights he wanted us to see. Today’s items included a trip through Ueno Park to the Tokyo National Museum, Bentendou Temple, and then finally the Shitamachi Museum.

We arrived in Ueno around 10:00am and walked through Ueno Park to the Tokyo National Museum. We were given a little over two hours to tour the museum, so I took my time walking through the various exhibits. I found the first exhibit, a collection of various statues of Buddha gathered from all around Japan, to be quite captivating. When viewed from a purely artistic perspective, these pieces can easily be seen as exquisite. When viewed through the eye of my own faith, they become something altogether very different. Pondering over these things, I found myself spending a considerable amount of time on the first floor.

There were many other exhibits spread throughout, some of them holding my interest for far too long. An exhibit showcasing Japanese lacquerware followed the statue exhibit. Although not particularly interested in what appeared to me to be dishes, I did find myself lingering on one section of lacquerware. These pieces, after being lacquered, were sprinkled with gold dust. This gave them a shimmering quality, one which I was unable to capture on camera. I considered buying one of the reproduction pieces in the gift shop, but at nearly $3,000 dollars, I felt it would be a bit excessive.

Further down the hall were exhibits showcasing everything from swords (a few genuine Masamune pieces), recovered Ainu pieces, and various other pieces of art including paintings, scrolls, and sculptures. At the end of the first floor, under the stairs leading to the second floor, was a dimly lit exhibit detailing the journey of the Buddhist faith from India, through the East, and into Japan. In the details were various points describing the changes in nomenclature and artistic styles as the faith moved across the East.

As I began to make my way to the second floor, I noticed that it was time for our group to meet back up at the front of the museum. Looking around, I didn’t notice any one member of our group waiting in the area. So I walked outside for a moment and, after looking around, decided to head down to the gift shop. Apparently everyone had decided to converge in the waiting area behind the gift shop and, after making a couple purchases, I joined them in waiting for the few remaining members. Although I’m sure that the exhibit will be different, as we headed out I made a mental note to return some day to see what the second floor has to offer.

We walked back through Ueno Park and broke up to eat lunch in Ameyoko-cho which, if you’ll recall from an earlier post, is a very large open air market just outside of Ueno Station. I took a few moments to quickly look through a rather large toy store for a few last minute gifts. Unable to find anything particularly striking, I grabbed a bite to eat at the same Turkish Kebab stand I had visited on our last visit to the market, then hurried back over to meet the group at the entrance to the park.

This time, as we walked along the same path taken that same morning, we took a path leading across a small land bridge to the center of Shinobazu Pond. In the center of the pond sat Bentendou Temple. With a purifying well out front, a place for tying fortunes off to the side, and the main temple structure in the center, Bentendou was not unlike the many other temples I had visited over the course of my visit to Tokyo. What stood out about this particular temple, in my opinion, was not the temple itself, but its location. Even though some would have viewed the scene as boring, or lifeless, I saw a sort of melancholy beauty. The bright white sun, clear blue sky, and the city as a backdrop, all came together to create a striking scene. Unfortunately, being an amateur photographer whose feet are barely wet, I feel as though my pictures do not even begin to capture what I saw with my own eyes.

The walk around the pond was, in my eyes, no less spectacular. The sidewalk followed the edge of the pond to a small corner. On that corner sat a small museum dedicated to preserving the Shitamachi, or commoner, way of life. The Shitamachi Museum (in Japanese, but with pictures) was quite the treat, as we were guided around by a little old Japanese lady who worked as a volunteer English tour guide. Most of the pieces in the museum were donated, and even though most everything in the museum was authentic, this was a “hands-on” museum. We were allowed, and encouraged, to look around, touch things, enter the rooms (after removing our shoes, of course), and experience everything. Upstairs our tour was stalled by a table full of old toys and we found ourselves spending a great deal of time playing with the many puzzle and strategy games. So much so, that I’m sure some never realized the collection of pieces from the Great Kanto Earthquake displayed in the back side of the upper floor. After looking around at the various pieces and articles from the earthquake, I decided to take a seat for a few minutes. It wasn’t long before I was beginning to doze off. I as began to drift away, Dr. Munson told us we were finished for the day, so I pulled myself up and made my way to the train station.

 After a quick trip to the post office, I returned to the hotel and quickly jotted down and turned in my journal entry for the day. A few minutes later, I headed out to Ginza for a couple quick purchases. While shopping, I remembered that I was in need of a new set of headphones, so I stopped by the Apple store and picked up a pair. About an hour later, the temperature had dropped with the sun and the wind began to pick up, and I decided it was time to head back to the hotel.

On my way back, I decided to exit at Ueno Station for a short coffee break. This turned into a four hour affair, as I pulled out a book I had started reading on the flight over. Four cups of coffee and a brownie later, I finished my book and decided it was time to move over to Django.

I had arranged for Kyoko to meet me at Django following her singing gig. This was the final chance for Koji, Kyoko, and myself to get together before my departure Saturday morning. Having arrived a bit early, as Kyoko had mentioned that she would show after 11:00pm, I sat and enjoyed another cup of coffee as I listened to the nights performers. The group playing was a local trio and, unlike the many other performances I had seen over the course of the past seven days, they had no pianist and were being led by an electric guitarist. The group had a very jazzy sound which at times bordered on bluesy. I really enjoyed the departure from the sound that I had grown used to hearing when visiting Django. When the band finished, I expressed my gratitude and applauded their skill.

As the last band member was leaving, the phone rang. It was Kyoko. She had called to let us know that she was close by and would be there soon. While waiting, Koji handed me a bag. Inside of the bag was a beautiful printed towel, two food covering cloths made of loose weave cotton, and four coasters from kimono fabric. The coasters were identical in print to the ones used by Koji in the bar and when I thanked him I said that every time I used them, I would think of Django.

About twenty minutes later, Kyoko arrived. After getting settled in, we each took turns taking pictures with each other’s camera. We then gathered at the table for drinks and began discussing food. The topic turned to the food “natto“ which we had discussed on a previous night. I had commented that there are very few foods that I will not eat, and nothing which I will not try at least once. Kyoko then jumped up, mumbled a few words to Koji, and rushed out the door. A couple of minutes later she returned with a bag in hand. Inside of the bag were two containers of “natto.” She opened the package and prepped the dish with its packets of soy sauce and mustard. One hundred stirs later, sitting in front of me was a stringy, slimy, beany mound. The smell immediately reminded me of a strong cheese and the taste that followed was not much different. Already being a fan of cheese, yogurt, and other fermented types of foods, I found “natto” to be quite flavorful. The only thing I experienced that could be an affront to most palates would be the texture. Slimy is a texture that most people try to avoid and can sometimes ruin the best of flavors. I have never been one to let an aroma or texture to dissuade me from trying new foods, and I have almost always met with tasty results. As for “natto,” I would likely enjoy it more if it were served with rice, as the rice would tend to cut the taste.

Starting after 11:00pm left us with little time and it wasn’t long before we had to part ways. We hailed a taxi and when we arrived outside of my hotel, aware that this would likely be the last time I would see Kyoko, I said my goodbyes and expressed my deepest gratitude for her company and the hospitality shown over the past week. I told Koji that I would likely see him the following night, and waved good bye as the taxi disappeared down the street.

For pictures, click here.