Tag: Japan

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A magical visit to Hayao Miyazaki’s Ghibli Museum in Japan

Ghibli Museum souvenirs (photo by Sheila Scarborough)The Disney release of the movie Ponyo (here’s an extensive fan review on the Ghibli Blog) has heightened interest in its creator, animation master Hayao Miyazaki, and his Japan-based company Studio Ghibli.

You can visit the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka (a western suburb of Tokyo) to see a spectacular facility dedicated to the wonderful art of Miyazaki’s hand-drawn animation. Opened in 2001, it gives you a stunning peek into the mind of the reclusive Academy Award-winning artist.

My daughter, her cousin and I visited a few years ago and we absolutely loved it. Miyazaki calls it “the kind of museum I want to make….a building put together as if it were a film.”

In addition to the imaginative, swoopy, playful storybook architecture of the building itself, there’s the 80-seat Saturn theater with Museum-exclusive short Miyazaki films (in Japanese but I assure you, it doesn’t matter) exhibits and displays about art and animation, the Straw Hat cafe, a toddler playroom with a giant plush Catbus to jump on, and the “Mamma Aiuto” gift shop that requires sumo training to handle the large, polite but persistent crowds.

I don’t have interior photos or video because it’s not permitted by Museum policy (they want you to relax and enjoy, not record things.) You can buy a souvenir booklet in the gift shop, with plenty of pictures.  We loved the handcrafted fixtures made of stained glass, the stairway mazes, the water handpump on the patio, the many ceiling paintings and the bright colors throughout.

Your admission ticket, as seen in my photo above, is an actual piece of 35mm film from one of Miyazaki’s movies.

Continue reading “A magical visit to Hayao Miyazaki’s Ghibli Museum in Japan”
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My top tips for travel with kids to Tokyo, Japan

Ema wooden prayer cards at Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, Tokyo (photo by Sheila Scarborough)Through a couple of referrals by mutual friends on Twitter (here’s my Twitter stream) I got a question from Mzinga executive and social media business strategist Jim Storer about taking his family to Japan later this year.

After pulling together an email for Jim, with links to most of my Japan-related writings across this blog, the Perceptive Travel Blog and some other publications, I thought, why not put the same consolidated information in a helpful blog post?

I lived in Japan for awhile while serving with the Navy near Fukuoka, on Kyushu, and returned a couple of years back when my daughter was a preteen, staying for about a month and a half near Tokyo.

Japan is not an “easy” destination for families  —  that’s not to scare you off,  but so you’ll know that standing around feeling like a complete idiot (and usually a lost idiot who can’t determine north from south) is TOTALLY normal for a visitor to Japan. It’s worth it, though.

I always advocate pushing out of the coddled tourist bubble and striking out on your own, but it’s harder to do that with kids in tow. Mix it up – do the “weird stuff” (occasionally feeling like an idiot) and then allow occasional forays into McDonald’s or Starbucks for some feeling of familiarity. Your brain will need it more frequently than you’d think, especially with kids.

I don’t care what anyone tells you, English is not widely spoken, but it really doesn’t matter all that much. Do a lot of bowing and hand gestures; the Japanese will generally go out of their way to help.

Let me tell you, travel around Europe after that was (comparatively) a piece of cake.

My writings on Japan:

***  Here’s an article I wrote about taking a preteen to Tokyo, for the San Antonio Express-News:  Navigating Tokyo with a ‘tween.

***  One of my first posts – an itinerary for Asakusa to Odaiba in Tokyo. It can fill one whole day.

***  They’re everywhere and they’re awesome – one of the main things I miss about Japan – vending machines!

***  You need to know how to use a squat toilet.

***  If you plan to rent a car in Japan, stand by to blow up your brain by driving on the left.

***  Here’s my guest post on Away.com’s family travel blog about climbing Mt. Fuji:  Trip of a lifetime – climbing Fuji with a preteen.

***  Great side trip from Tokyo: Yokohama (try to see the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum.)

***  Another good Tokyo side trip: the beaches at Zushi and Kamakura (see the giant Buddha, or Daibutsu, at Kamakura – here’s a Taylor family post about it, and an excellent description of the area by travelers Susan and Lars.)

***  Fun souvenir: Japanese children’s chopsticks and bento boxes.

***  More great souvenirs: Kappabashi Dori where you can buy plastic food.

***  Don’t miss the summer fireworks and local matsuri (festivals.) Check the Tokyo tourist Web site event calendar for matsuri dates and locations, but you may also stumble across one going on in the streets so be ready to get swept up in the fun! One of my favorite blogs about Japan, AMPONTAN, has a whole category about Japanese festivals; most posts are titled Matsuri-da!

Guidebooks – I wore out my copy of TimeOut Tokyo and I’m a long-time fan of Frommer’s guides for good overviews. Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Guides are pretty good but are rather heavy. I’d get one good guidebook for Japan overall and then a small one for the city where you’ll spend the most time.

Maps. You’ll want maps. The guidebooks have ’em and they always boot up and don’t need WiFi.

When you arrive, look for copies of Metropolis and TimeOut Tokyo magazines, for the latest info in English (Metropolis Visitor’s Guide online, and TimeOut Tokyo online.)

For good blogs and news sites about Japan, take a look at Alltop, an “online magazine rack,” and their topic page on Japan.

Another good book is CultureShock! Japan: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette.

Here’s the BootsnAll Travel Network portal page for Japan.

Did I miss anything about taking kids to Japan, especially Tokyo? Tell us about it in the comments….

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Asia

Out with demons, in with good luck at Japan’s Setsubun

I was rummaging through some of my non-digital photos this morning and found this one of my daughter participating in the Japanese festival Setsubun, which traditionally chases away dark winter and welcomes spring (according to the lunar calendar.)

It’s always held around February 3rd or 4th (I think it’s Feb 3 for 2009.)

The objective is to toss out the old, drive away evil and welcome good fortune.

Temples all around Japan hold ceremonies; we attended one when we lived in Sasebo, on the southern island of Kyushu.

Mame-maki, or the bean-throwing ritual, makes this event a real hit with the kids.  My daughter was a little surprised that the adults were encouraging her to throw things in the temple, but it didn’t take her long to get into the action.

The idea is to throw roasted soybeans at the evil spirits to chase them away – at the same time, you shout, “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” or, “Out with the demons, in with good luck!”

Try yelling it in Japanese – there’s something about the melodic words that always makes me smile and feel a sense of triumph over evil things like my perfectionism, lists of things that aren’t done yet and my messy living room. Out with those demons – get your gomi (trash) to the curb!

During January, stores in Japan sell special red oni devil masks (wear one to represent evil, and you’ll get beaned!) and little fuku mame bean packets – I like how this writer reflects on her early Japan discoveries each year during Setsubun time.

After we tossed beans at the temple, there was a bonfire outside. You eat special soft mochi (sweet red bean) rice cakes and watch the previous year’s bad fortune go up in flames. There were special decorative wooden tags to buy; scribble a description of your personal frustrations on it, then toss it into the fire.  We bought a tag, but now we use it as a Christmas ornament.

BootsnAll’s own Roving Ronin Report blog has a post about Setsubun, and that’s where I found RoninDave’s video below (here’s the URL on YouTube if you can’t see the box.)

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Fun souvenir: Japanese children’s chopsticks and bento boxes

My fellow Perceptive Travel blog author Nia Malchik had a moment in the spotlight recently on the Going Places blog, which is part of the Cookie parenting magazine Web site.

Nia wrote about some fun wooden beads that she’d found for her son on a trip to Austria, and it got me to thinking about packable, easy-to-find kid’s souvenirs from other countries.

I thought I’d share photos of a couple of my favorites from Japan….

Kid-sized chopsticks and bento boxes.

They are a fun and inexpensive souvenir, and if your children are anime fans, it’s easy to find all sorts of anime bento boxes and chopsticks that go way beyond Power Rangers.

Any large Japanese department store will have an assortment, as will any toy store, houseware/kitchenware shop or large 100 Yen store (the equivalent of a Dollar General in the U.S.)

The bento box compartments are pretty teensy, but work well for small items like cheese cubes and grapes.

Plus, the “cool factor” when they are pulled out of a lunchbox is hard to beat.

Savvy use of chopsticks, however, may take a little more effort….

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Asia

Japan with Kids: Navigating Tokyo with a ‘Tween

Denwa (Cell Phone) Mania, Tokyo (Scarborough photo)It’s up, it’s good….

Here’s my 30 April San Antonio Express-News article about family travel to Tokyo with a ‘tween (preteen, roughly ages 9-12.)

I talk about visiting Harajuku, Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli and Odaiba plus climbing Mount Fuji.

More detailed postings about Tokyo to come, over the next few months.

There was also a sidebar about Yokohama that didn’t make it online, but here is my blog post about it.

Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, Tokyo (Scarborough photo)

Hope you enjoy it along with my other Tokyo blog posts.

Update 5 June 2006: I found a good overview for a week-long Japan trip with Budget Travel Online’s Trip Coach — take a look here.

Update 02 December 2006: Here’s a detailed story on BootsnAll about climbing Mount Fuji.

Update 08 January 2007: From Ampontan, a blog about Japan, is a detailed post about Japanese matsuri, or festivals. Great fun if you can see one while you’re visiting.

Sake Barrel Offering, Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, Tokyo (Scarborough photo) Taking a Break Climbing Mt. Fuji (Scarborough photo)

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Taking Kids to Japan: Manga and Anime.

 Climbing Sticks, Mount Fuji, Japan (Scarborough photo)    Parents, are your preteen/teen kids into Japanese manga (serialized graphic novels) and anime (Japanese animated movies?)

Manga Display at Hong Kong Comics Convention 2005 (photo courtesy Nancy Fancher)

If you’re clueless at this point, go ask them, but prepare for an earful of tongue-twisting names and plots.

For those fortunate enough to travel to Japan to see the real thing, here’s a great link listing manga/anime museums including iconic Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle) in the Tokyo suburb of Mitaka.

Manga How-To Books, Hong Kong Comics Convention 2005 (Scarborough photo)

If you want more details, my “Tokyo with a ‘Tween” article will hit the streets in a couple of days in the “San Antonio Express-News” and I’ll provide a link here.

Miles o' Manga at the Hong Kong Comics Convention 2005 (Scarborough photo)

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Asia Tips

Tokyo Quickie

Here’s a link to Budget Travel‘s new “Snap Guide” to Tokyo, providing info links for transportation, trip planning, etc.

Other “Snap Guides” include London, Paris, New York and Honolulu.

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Kids in Tokyo — Escape to Yokohama

Minato Mirai, YokohamaFeeling overwhelmed by Tokyo’s bustle and sprawl? Take a subway ride just a bit south, to the relatively compact seaport city of Yokohama.

It has the largest Chinatown in Japan, plus the attractive waterside Minato Mirai park area, with its skyline-dominating Cosmoworld amusement park Ferris wheel and the soaring Landmark Tower shopping and hotel complex.

There is a much more relaxed atmosphere here, especially near the water.

Many of the elaborate shopping complexes around Minato Mirai will feel much like your local mall, with brand-name shops and a Hard Rock Cafe.

Still, let’s face it; sometimes your kids (and maybe you) just want something that feels familiar. This can also be good for a rainy day or a slow evening (shops are open till around 8 p.m., and restaurants till later.)

Pokemon enthusiasts will find the Pokemon Center shop in one of the indoor shopping complexes, with every imaginable item branded with the cartoony little creatures. Best option is a chopstick set or a kid’s bento (lunch) box.

Pokemon Center shop Yokohama (Scarborough photo)

You Hello Kitty fans will find plenty of that in this mall as well, including neat little washcloths with the Kitty in various guises around Tokyo neighborhoods.

Take a pleasant walk over the water bridge to the World Porters area if you haven’t had enough shopping, or stroll past it even further to the Red Brick Warehouse (Web site in Japanese) where there is an outpost of the beloved fresh cosmetics company Lush.

Also at the Warehouse is Motion Blue, a smaller version of Tokyo’s dinner club and performance venue Blue Note, with some terrific jazz musicians on the schedule. Good for older kids.

Does your son or daughter like ramen, the noodle soup that blossoms in the microwave in just a little water? Check out the real stuff at the unique Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum.

Once you pay a small fee to enter, you are transported back to late-1950s era shitamachi Tokyo, right down to the advertising signs, street performers, a little toy shop and eight different actual ramen restaurants, each serving different styles of the iconic noodle bowl, at very reasonable prices (including perhaps a Kirin or Sapphoro beer for the adults.)

Some of the museum street performers tell Japanese adventure tales to children using special painted story-boards.

Watch their technique of building up to an exciting point in the story and then quickly showing a new picture: this is one of the cultural foundations of today’s anime styles.

Shin-Yokohama Raumen/Ramen Museum, Yokohama (Scarborough photo)

The gift shop has noodle-related knick-knacks including Naruto, who is a very popular manga character with his own action show on American TV.

His name comes from the traditional small decorative egg item with a swirl that is placed on top of bowls of ramen.

HOW TO GET THERE: Take the subway from Tokyo to the Sakuragi-cho subway station and walk out the Minato Mirai exit.

There is a tourist booth just outside the exit where you can get maps and directions to all of the attractions in Yokohama. The Ramen Museum is a few minute’s walk from Exit 8 of the Shinyokohama subway station on the Yokohama City subway line.

Maritime Manhole Cover, Yokohama (photo by Sheila Scarborough)

Update 8 October 2006: There’s a nice LA Times article on taking a side trip from Tokyo to Nikko.

I haven’t been there myself but it looks like a wonderful option with older kids (and would be closer than Kyoto.)

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Asia

Tokyo: Asakusa to Odaiba Itinerary

Asakusa Kannon Temple, Tokyo (Scarborough photo)

This is a nice combination of old shitamachi Edo (Tokyo) and some modern touches.

Take the subway to Asakusa (pronounced A-sak-sa) to see the lively Kannon Temple, the famous giant red lantern at its entrance and the fun Nakamisedori shopping street between the lantern and temple.

There is also a tourist office near the temple, with very helpful staff, maps and the all-important bathrooms.

If you have time, look for the Asakusa street called Kappabashidori; the shops there sell all manner of kitchen gear plus those marvelous fake foods that you see in Japanese restaurant windows.

The bowls of shrimp, seafood tempura, etc. are hyper-realistic and not particularly cheap, but great fun as table displays or gifts. I like my little ice cream cones that look like they’re just about to melt all over the dining room table.

The kids will have fun finding fairly inexpensive touristy stuff in the little Nakamisedori shops that lead to the Kannon Temple (don’t be alarmed at shop proprietors shouting “Irrasemase!!” when you walk in; they are just saying “Welcome.”)

Look for the little cell phone decorations that hang on a small string off of your phone; it seems as though everyone in Japan has a cluster of these netsuke-like items jangling off of their mobile, to personalize it. They make fun gifts to take home. This area is also famous for senbei rice crackers in all sorts of flavors.

I’m partial to the peanut version.

Asakusa Temple pagoda at night, Tokyo (Scarborough photo)

The temple itself is full of people and you feel as though you are walking into a postcard of quintessential Japan.

Step up to the cauldron in front….the smoke is supposed to help cure what ails you, so do as I did and waft some towards your face (to make you pretty) and rub the smoke on your head (to make you smart.)

I’ll let you know if it worked.

Asakusa Kannon temple entrance, Tokyo (Scarborough photo)

The fountain over to your right is for ritual purification, so before entering the temple you can follow this tradition by pouring water over your hands and wiping a bit on your mouth.

Clap your hands and toss in a coin to the offering box once you are inside, if you desire.

There are also small amulets to buy (one to help with driving or examinations for your teen, perhaps?)

After wandering about and enjoying the temple grounds, get ready to head over to the Sumida River for a boat ride.

Right next to the Azuma Bridge is the Suijo-Bus boat pier. Another landmark is the Asahi Building nearby across the river. Atop the building is a giant gold decoration that is supposed to be some sort of flame, but has become known as the Golden Poop.

Sure makes ME want to drink Asahi beer….

Sumida River Suijo-Bus, Tokyo (Scarborough photo)

Take the swoopy silver futuristic-looking craft for a 40-minute ride down the Sumida to the riverfront entertainment and shopping complex at Odaiba, which is quite a contrast to Asakusa.

There are restaurants, video arcades like none you’ve ever seen, tons of shopping, a Starbucks if you’re jonesing for that, and for manga fiends there is a Jump Shop.

Parents, if you don’t know what that is, your kids probably will.

By the time you’re ready to leave it’s probably night, so for some great views, hop on the Yurikamome unmanned monorail. It will take you from Odaiba across the Sumida under a dazzlingly bright Rainbow Bridge, ending with some Blade Runner-ish scenery as you are deposited at the Shiodome subway station.

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Family Travel in Tokyo: An Overview

Prayer Cards, Meiji Shrine, Tokyo (Scarborough photo)There is a reason that Tokyo is not normally listed as a “family destination” (whatever that is.)

It is a sprawling metropolis, more a collection of distinct towns than a coherent city, and it has no real city center to help you get your bearings. It is crowded, with over 12 million people hurrying and jostling and crowding themselves into every micron of available real estate.

Despite the tourist brochures and other assurances that you may have heard, it is often difficult to communicate in English. The usual fallback to the language barrier is being able to at least guesstimate signs and other written items, but here you are again stymied unless you can understand kanji, hiragana or katakana.

Still, for those who persist, the rewards are tremendous.

The Japanese are unfailingly polite, and they are courteous and kind to children. Even the drunk salarymen on the subway at 11:00 p.m. are polite. The city is safe, if not always easy to navigate.

The culture is rich and rewarding for those who take the time to understand it. Japan seems to hold a particular fascination for pre-teens (or ‘tweens as I call them) and teenagers. They are huge fans of Japanese serialized comics (manga) and animated movies (anime.) Many kids have taken karate in their hometowns, and sushi has become commonplace in US supermarkets. Even the pervasive Power Rangers have helped spread Japanese pop culture (I think Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles might be a stretch example, though.)

The Navy posted my family in southern Japan (Kyushu) when my daughter was young, and she joined me in Tokyo this past summer when I was there on temporary Navy duty.

I am very fond of Japan but also quite realistic about its challenges for family travel. If you are thinking about a trip there, or perhaps considering taking family with you on a business trip, I hope my thoughts on this blog can help.