Hot baths and the Sky Tree

After my adventures with the family, the Padawan and I took off on our own.

Hot springs
Japan has many hot springs. There are a great place to rest and relax and we went to Ooedo-Onsen, one of the popular hot springs in Tokyo.

Everyone has to wear a yukata (cotton kimono)



Luckily, there are instructions

Remember when you were young and your parents told you not to get a tattoo? Well, they were looking out for you as you wouldn’t be able to get into the hot springs.

The policy is intended to keep gangsters out of the baths

After you get into your yukata, you walk through a main room and then go into the bathing rooms, which are separated by gender. Then you get buck naked. You are provided with a small hand towel, but it quickly becomes soaked as you move around and it is only of marginal value for covering. Everyone starts by sitting on little stools with a personal, detachable shower head and then scrubs thoroughly. Then you can choose hot tubs of various temperatures including some inside and outside (don't worry, it's walled off) and make new friends.

Being there made me realize how self-conscious Americans are about nudity. Don’t get me wrong, seeing more genitalia than I’ve ever seen was not a highlight of the trip, but to a large extent it was only as weird and awkward as I made it. A lot of the Japanese guys came with their friends and for them it was just a relaxing thing to do with their buds like going to a sports game or to a bar.

I felt less self-conscious relative to when I went to hot baths three years ago because this place was more touristy so I was not literally the only white guy and being a naked pasty  6'5"-giant didn’t draw as many stares.

My favorite tradition is that right after people get out of the hot showers, they get dressed, chug milk and then go lie down on super comfortable chairs and take a nap in the relaxation room.

It felt too weird to take pictures where people buy milk in the dressing room
or of strangers' sleeping so here are clothed strangers eating in the food court.
They have tables for Westerners, but you can also sit on the floor.



All of the areas outside of the baths and dressing rooms are communal and
there are lots of places to buy food and drinks.

There is also a gaming center and inexplicable décor like pirates.

Stop! Hammertime!

 

Sky Tree

To continue my tall building tour of the world, I went to Tokyo’s tallest building, the Sky Tree. I had already been at the Tokyo tower, the second tallest building, three years ago, and I looked forward to scaling new heights.

 

Unfortunately, it was sold out. We did enjoy the bottom and there is a large mall next to the tower.

 

 



Tsukiji Fish Market

Fish market
Sushi is my favorite cuisine and I ate it at least once per week when I worked at BCG. Japan is the home of sushi and Tsukiji is where the fish market is located so of course we had to go.

 
The first auction of the day starts around 5am. As growing boys, we valued our sleep and didn’t leave until closer to 6am so the sun was out when we arrived via subway.
 

Once you get there, you have to avoid the shuttles.

 

 

Some people spend most of their lives on the seas catching fish. At my job, I spent most of my life behind a computer working on PowerPoint and Excel. It’s fun to meet new people and imagine what their lives are like when they are so different than yours. Even if you try, it’s hard to fully appreciate how much skill it takes to do tasks like catching, storing, preparing, and selling a fish unless you’ve actually tried to do it.

Directing traffic

Seeing people in action gives you a better understanding of what their lives are like, but your understanding is limited by your own experience. For instance, the son of one of the Partners at BCG went to school and his teacher asked him what his father did. He confidently replied, “He’s a computer repairman!” Since the dad spent so much time on his laptop, the son assumed he must be trying to fix it.

The best way to truly know people is to spend quality time with them in different environments. Although there is still a lot I don’t understand, by spending a couple years with single moms in inner city Detroit, I have at least a marginally better sense of what their lives are like. Although I spent a few days in Japan, I wonder what I would learn if I spend significant time here or even started working in the fish market!

Amid all the moving workers are lots of fish shops where you can buy a variety of goods.

 My two favorite ingredients: unagi (eel) and avocado:

 

You can buy the food in various stages of preparation:

 



You can see the relative size compared to an iPhone

You can also buy the tools you need

Did you know what wasabi plants look like?

It’s amazing to me how I was able to eat sushi whenever I wanted when I lived in Michigan. The global supply chain is simply amazing. It is much better to be middle-class in a developed world today than a king 150 years ago due to the accessibility of a variety of foods, the conveniences of everyday life like consistent hot water and electricity, and the ease in which one can learn about and experience new cultures due to smooth transportation and the internet.

Sushi
Eventually we made it to a sushi restaurant

What time is it? Sushi time!

Step 1: Start with this concoction

 

Step 2: Move on to miso soup

 

Step 3: Finally you get to the good stuff

I've tried many of these pieces in the US and I didn't like many of them. However,
when they are fresh in Tokyo, every piece is amazing

 

Sushi breakfast at Tsukiji definitely makes my life
list of favorite meals

 

Touring Tokyo

The Exceptional Dreamer left for work and his family (we'll call them the Dreamers) showed me around Tokyo. They are incredibly kind and generous. It was special for me to be there because I had spent many hours praying for them with the Exceptional Dreamer when I was in college. Now, I could better understand the people I was praying for and be blessed by them.

Cherry blossom cruise
We were able to see many more cherry blossoms while cruising on a tourist boat.

 

 

 

 

Boats

 

Not all boats are made for my size

Coolest looking tourist boat

City

Flood doors help control the water level



Pagoda
We also went to an ancient pagoda and temple. The last time I was in Japan, I happened to be there during a Christian conference and met many of the Christian college students in Japan. However, there are in the vast minority as less than one percent of the country is Christian. Japan is one of the most secular countries in the world. 

 

 

If this god were real, I would not want to make him mad.

 

Buddha had big feet

A dragon in a Buddhist temple

Burning incense

I also received a fortune playing o-mikuji. I was thoroughly amused at the disclaimers that explained it was a fortune, but if you get a bad one, don't worry because you make your own fortune. In my brief experience, it seemed that adherents at the temple were much less sincere than those I met in some of the southeast Asian countries like Myanmar. Most people quickly rushed through and did the motions and I didn't see any people in contemplation or meditation. Many of the Buddhists in Japan also participate in Shinto, the ancient religion of Japan.

Shopping
Completely surrounding the temple was a shopping area and gardens.



It was raining and everyone had their umbrellas out

Eating at a tempura restaurant

When I was in Portugal, I heard about the deep connection between the Japanese and Portuguese cultures. The Portuguese both reached and established trade with Japan before any other Western civilization. They left their mark as the Jesuit missionaries introduced Japan to the concept of tempura, which the Japanese then made their own. They also introduced a lot of words, and the Portuguese are quick to point out that the Japanese word for thank you "arigato" originates in the Portuguese “obrigado”. According to wiki, the jury is still out although it's a good story.

 

Games

The Dreamers' house is so peaceful. I’m used to being in high pressure environments where time spent without producing anything is wasted time. Thus, it was so refreshing to sit, talk, and simply enjoy being around one another without deadlines or tasks to do. Everyone is so content to be around each other.

The least peaceful time was when they introduced me to the game Blockus and we had epic games. The first game I won handily – some might say, "beginner’s luck” while others might say I’m amazing. However, the second time, it came down to the very end and I was barely outmaneuvered by the Padawan.

He won by one point!

As I was there, I saw their deep love for one another and realized that love is what made the environment so calming. For instance, one sibling would call from the other side of the world to help tutor and develop another sibling’s skills. After the nuclear disaster, one sibling went to Fukushima to sew nets for a widowed fisherman so he could better provide for his family. One of the parents eats simple meals while traveling for work in order to save money to send his kids to college and give them international experiences. Another parent went to an international church even though they didn’t understand the language at first because their spouse liked going there more than any other church. In their own way, each member is so devoted to each other. Since they love and feel so loved by each other and by God, they don’t feel a need to spend all their time and energy trying to achieve. As that love brings peace, they are able to spread it on to others and I was a joyful recipient.