Farewell to Tokyo

Our last day in Tokyo was absolutely amazing!

We had our fruit tart for breakfast, and  after packing up our luggage, quickly walked to the station, passing the galleries we had not had time to visit near our hotel.  I was very impressed by the clothes like thistop that I saw in one shop, but was firmly convinced they were out of my league.  We suspected that the porcelain, antique and fine art galleries we passed were similarly of high price and high quality.

 

 

We then took off for Shibuya for some last minute shopping.

We went staight from Shibuya station into a department store, with floors and floors of women's clothing and goods, which looked interesting, but we really didn't have time to explore.  We thought the ninth floor looked interesting from the pictures above the lift, and found ourselves in an incredible art and craft department called Tokyu.  This is what life must have been like for master craftsmen in medieval and renaissance times.  Each section of the floor had a different specialist example of a master artist  or craftsperson.  These were incredibly individual and talented artists  and the prices were accordingly high, but they were worth every yen.  This is where Tokyoites with money and taste and a value for the traditional skills of Japan came to buy something unique.  It was definitely not aimed at tourists, and in fact, we were the only tourists and English speakers present, yet we were made to feel quite welcome.  I was in Heaven and Bob was absolutely stunned and impressed.  I wish we were mega-rich!  I would buy samples of every artist in that store.  Wow!

There were rolls of kimono brocade and obi materials for sale of a quality I have never seen before.  You could have  garments made up after consultation with the  artist.  There were stunning examples of indigo dyed fabric which had been made into modern garments of incredible quality and style.  One wood worker was hand carving kanji which you could buy separately, or join together to use as hanging ornament in your home.  Another artist in wood made beautiful computer keyboards, postcards, furniture and bowls from wood.  There were jewellery makers who worked in pearls, coral, tortoiseshell and amber.  Other artists printed on handkerchiefs, scrolls, bags and wrapping fabrics.  There were specialist knives, superb examples of pottery, beautiful umbrellas, glasswear, hair adornments.  The last time I saw this reverance and appreciation for design and art was in Scandinavia, but this was far, far more a celebration of the true artist, and a real amalgamation of the past and the present.  It was amazing. 

We weren't getting anything we had planned to get there, just lots of what we wanted to get so we visited the children's floor, but though I love my grandchildren dearly, and the clothes they had there were beautiful, we left empty handed.  Sorry we are so mean with money, honey buns!

 

 

 

 

We emerged from that store into the square outside to find ourselves in modern mayhem.  I have never seen so many people, especially young people, so much noise, so much activity, so many flashing lights and signs.  Bob and I went into instant shock.  This is the Tokyo of movies and of commercialism and materialism.  But there were also lots of art installations and statues.

I spotted the famous famous statue of Hachiko, the Japanese Akita version of the Skye Terrier, Greyfriars Bobby.  This dog loyally waited for his master at the the station at the end of the day for nine years after his master died, just as he had when his master returned from work for the year he lived with him.

We crossed the intersection with difficulty, fighting the urge to run.  We really are not city or crowd people.

It was invigorating in an odd way, but I wouldn't want to be epileptic, agoraphobic or acousticophobic there!

 

We went hunting for shoes and told the nice young man in the shoe shop that we wanted a pair like he was wearing, not what he had in the shop, and he pointed up the street and told us to go to.  It sounded like he said Cruckus. We took off and, on the way, passed these cute little girls 

 

 

this amazing building which looks like something out of Doctor Who

 

 

some of the first real graffiti I have seen in Japan

 

 

some of the most peculiar celebration decorations for Halloween I have seen in an overpriced but trendy cafe, where we had some very average coffee

 

another escapee from Doctor Who, a very English looking telephone box

and some very attractive street decorations.

 

We found the shop, though we didn't buy the shoes there.  It was Clarks!  I can't really laugh at the Janglish we encountered daily in Japan from speakers and in signs.  My pronounciation of words and failure to be able to read or write Japanese does not allow it.

 

It was getting late and we were hungry, but we just had to do a bit more exploring.  We found another department store which had a floor dedicated to craft supplies called Tokyo Hands, where I bought some craft stuff. The Japanese really seem to do an awful amount of craft work.  There are lots of places for buying craft supplies everywhere.  We also made a quick trip to the petshop on the roof to do a bit of hopeless yearning for a land tortoise, a chinchilla, a land tortoise, an odd looking rat or an exotic looking lizard. Damn the Australian quarantine laws.

Was very tempted to buy a little pair of socks or shoes and a matching outfit for the dogs, but didn't. I am sure the dogs wouldn't forgive me.

 

  There were more stores for women and young people around in this area than I have ever seen before - including shoe shops, make-up stores, gaming stores,clothes shops

 

 

and food shops

 

 

But this are is also the best place to do people watching.  You can find such an assortment of styles here:

 

 

 

 

 

 

But, time was flying by and we had to race back to get our bags.  We didn't even have time to eat.  Oh woe!  It was on to the bullet train and back to Narita airport.  We had to make do with snacks in the Qantas lounge before the flight back.

 

This visit to Japan has been the most amazing overseas experience I have ever had in my life.  I have done a lot of travelling, but this is the only country I have ever visited that has surprised me every single day of my visit, and where I feel like, even if I was there for a year, I wouldn't have experienced everything it has to offer.  It is such a mixture of East and West, tradition and modernity, technology and craftsmanship.  It is fascinating in that it is so unique and has its own style.  It is insular, in that it looks inward and in many ways is self-satisfied,  and yet represents the world at large.  It is confronting and soothing.  I really have to go back to Japan again.  I have seen and experienced very little of what Japan has to offer.  And this time,  I need to return with more control of the language, more knowledge of the culture, and more money for buying things - mostly useless, but beautiful.  I would also love to do some cooking and art classes there.

 

We were very lucky to get three seats to share in Qantas on the way back, although, as usual, I couldn't sleep.  I may not have had jetlag, but I was exhausted for the rest of the day.  Our animals had had a wonderful time with their baby-sitter and, in return, the dogs had rewarded her with an expensive  visit to the vet to clear up the flea infestation they had succumbed to, and the cat had made an aborted attempt to bring in a dead rat, a refusal to eat her food and a large amount of vomit on her bed.  In spite of this, Jenny appeared to have enjoyed her trip to Brisbane - especially North Stradbroke Island, the Art Gallery and the St. Lucia university campus.  Now, we are all returning to our normal, rather boring lives.

 

PS.  I hear that some of you have been trying to comment on my blog, but can't.  When I can, I'll consult with my darling, computer literate, kids, and fix the problem.  I promise!