Journal:

Japan, 23 May 2002

Glorious sunshine greeted me upon my arrival in Japan. Immediately, my spirits were lifted. And they were further lifted after an elderly Japanese man helped me get my bearings. I asked him for directions into the city of Fukuoka and he told me he was going that way himself. After bringing me into the city, he took me on a short tour. He finished by showing me where to get my rail pass and where to go for assistance with accommodation.

Getting my rail pass and booking a hotel room could not have been easier thanks to the very friendly and helpful staff. After taking care of these tasks, I immediately had trouble finding my way to the hotel (Japan does not have street signs as we know them. I was to later discover that they, instead, have markings on the lampposts themselves.) A middle-aged gentleman saw me looking at my map and offered his assistance. He then walked me in the direction of my hotel, staying with me until he was able to point out the building. The contrast between the Chinese people that I had met during the past week and the first few Japanese people that I met could not have been greater. Once again, I felt that there was hope for humanity.

My first impressions of Japan are of a very civilised, organized, and efficient society. I am in the First World again and loving every minute of it. My first impressions of the Japanese are of a very bashful, friendly, and helpful people. I guess that this is influenced by their Buddhist beliefs.

Japan, 24 May 2002

Fukuoka is interesting only because it is my introduction to the Japanese culture and lifestyle. There are no major tourist attractions in the city. After a half-day exploration of new shopping malls and narrow old streets, I took the bullet train to Hiroshima. The bullet train is appropriately named, traveling at speeds of up to 300 kilometers an hour. It took me less than 80 minutes to travel from Fukuoka to Hiroshima. The Japanese railways are as precise as the Irish railways are imprecise. Everything you have heard about being able to set your watch by the arrival and departure of trains is true (today I discovered that my watch is almost a minute fast). I also discovered that when they announce a brief stop, they really mean it. Dawdling when getting off the train is not advised. I timed one brief stop; the train was moving again within 90 seconds.

In Hiroshima, I am staying at a ryokan. A ryokan is a traditional Japanese bed and breakfast. Guests must remove their shoes and put on a pair of slippers upon entering the establishment. Guests then go to their room, take off their clothes, and don a bathrobe. My bedroom consists of a mattress on a floor, a short table with a cushion to sit on, a little shrine, a closet, and a television. The floor consists of matting and the walls are little more than paper-thin. Bath time is restricted to a few hours in the evening before going to bed. It appears that Japanese people typically clean themselves before going to bed and not in the morning. The proprietors of this establishment relayed how they cannot understand why westerners sleep with the day's dirt and then clean themselves in the morning. Come to think of it, it is a little strange.

After settling into the ryokan, I went to explore the area Hondori Street in downtown Hiroshima. Hondori Street is network of covered pedestrian streets, glowing with neon lights and teeming with of fashionable twenty-something year olds. It appears that the "naughty schoolgirl" look is the latest fashion in Hiroshima. I can now claim to fully appreciate the contribution that Brittney Spears has made to society. Thank you Brittney!

After much searching, I finally found a place to access the internet. It appears as if there is little need for internet cafes in this wired society. While walking past a building, I noticed a poster with a person sitting at a computer. A visit to the sixth floor of that building led to the discovery of the "I Love You" multimedia club. Luckily, the computers in this multimedia club also have internet access. So I am now a proud member of the "I Love You" club, with a flash new membership card that occupies a prominent position in my wallet.

Japan, 25 May 2002

Happy Birthday, Sheila!

Today I visited the Hiroshima Peace Park. This park houses numerous memorials that are connected with the dropping of the atomic bomb on this city during the Second World War. One of the most visibly jarring sights is the A-Bomb Dome that is one of the few buildings that has survived the atomic bomb. This building is being preserved in its ruinous state as a reminder of that horrible event. Close by is the Peace Memorial Museum, which houses several fascinating displays. One display that left a deep empression shows a model of Hiroshima the instant before the bomb exploded and the instant after the bomb exploded. Even after seeing this display, it is difficult for me to imagine that the city was completely destroyed and all of those lives were lost in just one moment of time. The goal of the museum is not simply to document this atrocity, but to convince people that weapons of mass destruction should never again be used in this world. Nearby, in the park, a flame burns. However, it is not an eternal flame. It is a flame that will be extinguished when there are no more nuclear weapons in the world.

One of the more poignant memorials in the park is dedicated to a young girl called Sadako. In the years after the explosion of the bomb, Sadako suffered leukemia from radiation fall-out. The crane is a symbol of happiness and longevity in Japan. Sadako believed that if she could create 1,000 origami cranes it would surely be enough to heal her and ensure longevity. She died after completing 644 paper cranes. Her classmates then created the remaining 356 cranes and all 1,000 cranes were buried with Sadako. These days, the memorial to Sadako and numerous other memorials are decorated with origami cranes created by students from all over Japan.

Japan, 26 May 2002

Japan is such an anal-retentive society that the tourist board have even placed an official ordering upon the most beautiful spots in the country. Today I am visiting Miyajima, the third most beautiful spot in Japan. Miyajima is an island housing a number of important shrines. A picture of one of those shrines, a torii gate in the water, is the classic Japanese Kodak moment and adorns most Japanese tourist brochures. After a pleasant train journey and an even more pleasant ferry crossing, I felt a bit of a letdown on arriving at the island. But, then again, that is typical of any tourist attraction that is overly hyped. I enjoyed a lovely excursion, but not the earth-shattering experience that I was expecting.

Japan, 27 May 2002

I awoke to another day of beautiful sunny weather; the kind of weather that, in and of itself, makes you feel good. Today I am taking the bullet train to Himeji, visiting the castle at Himeji, and then taking the bullet train to Kyoto. My guide book claims that if you visit no other Japanese castle, make sure to visit Himeji. It is the premier castle in Japan. And thankfully, the castle lives up to its billing.

When I think of castles, I naturally tend to think of those imposing stone monstrosities that we have in Ireland. From the outside, the castles in Japan look different to my preconceived notions of a castle. They look more like Japanese stately homes. However, closer inspection reveals many of the familiar features of a castle. After spending a couple of hours in the castle complex, I took some time to relax in the nearby Koko-en gardens.

Drizzle greeted me upon my arrival in Kyoto. After finding my hostel, I settled in for an evening of merriment with the other people in my dorm. The World Cup excitement is beginning to build, with quiet a few soccer fans among the guests at the hostel. We enjoyed a nice evening as Mic and Ed (from Limerick), Lesley (from Manchester), and myself quickly form a cohesive drinking team.

Japan, 28 May 2002

The range of tourist attractions in Kyoto is bewildering. Amazingly, there are thirteen World Heritage listed sites in the vicinity. With so many amazing sites on offer, it was very difficult to decide what to do. After a mammoth planning session, I finally figured out a route that would take us to one shrine (Yasaka) and seven temples (Nishi-Honganji, Toji, Higashi-Honganji, Sanjusangendo, Kiyomizu, Nanzenji, and Eikan-do).

The temples here in Japan are great because the have so many un-temple like activities. In one of the temples there are two rocks that are 18 meters apart. Willing participants must close their eyes and attempt to walk from one rock to the other. Those able to do it are assured of luck in love. While we were watching the throngs attempt this activity, no one even came close. And what did I do... I hit the rock so hard that I almost broke my toe. The watching crowds burst into spontaneous applause and I celebrated accordingly. So now with luck in love assured, watch out!

Over the course of the day, Mic and I were bombarded by schoolchildren wanting to practice their English speaking skills. Most of the children asked us questions from an exercise book. They would then write our answers into the exercise book and finish by asking us to write a message in their book. At first, our messages consisted of offers of good wishes to Japan in the World Cup. However, they soon changed to deep messages such as "a bird never flew with just one wing, grasshopper". Good luck translating that one!

The evening was spent living it up in Gion - the nightlife district of Kyoto. Mic, Ed, Lesley, and I had a wonderful time drinking the night away in a local student bar, before moving on to a late night establishment. Along the way, we even have the good fortune of seeing a geisha girl on the way to an appointment.

Japan, 29 May 2002

I wanted to sleep in today, but forced myself to get up for a day trip to the ancient capital city of Nara. The others slept in and nursed their hangovers. Nara is like a small version of Kyoto, with temples and shrines galore. In Nara, I visited one shrine (Kasuga) and two temples (Kofukuji and Todaiji). Nara Park connects these sites, making the walk between sites a very pleasant affair. A tremendous number of tame deer roam the park, inadvertently terrorizing any children that hold food in their hands.

At one of the temples, there is another of these wonderful un-temple like activities that are common in Japan. On one of the support beams for the temple, there is a hole that is reputably the same size as the Great Buddha's nose. If one manages to crawl through the hole, one is assured of enlightenment. However, the line was a little too long for this "attraction" and I reckon enlightenment is overrated. I much prefer blissful ignorance.

Japan, 30 May 2002

Today I took the bullet train to Tokyo where I met my brother Brian. We are staying at a hotel in an area called Akasaka. Our hotel is a short walk from the nightlife area of Roppongi. After a couple of beers in the hotel, we undertook that short walk to Roppongi for what would turn out to be a mammoth session. The other members of our group (Sharkey, Ger, Aiden, and Paddy) would fly in later this evening, but not end up meeting us. We did however meet Paddy Eile (a friend of Brian's) and his buddy Dave for a few drinks on the streets of Roppongi. It would take us a few days to piece together the events of this evening; the only things we were sure of at this stage were that the sun was shining when we decided to call it a night and that a good time was had by all. We found a way around the high cost of beer by spending most of the evening buying beer from a conmvenience store and drinking on the streets. However there was no way around the high volume of beer consumed.

Japan, 31 May 2002

The daylight hours were spent nursing myself back to good health. When the sun set, I finally came back to life. I undertook the short subway journey to meet Emily and her husband Tim for a few drinks (I worked with Emily during my time at Shiva). Emily brought along a blind date for me - a Japanese girl called Masako. To tell you the truth, I'm not really into Masako, but feel obliged to be polite and play along. After a few pleasant drinks, we called it a night and I returned to the hotel for a good night's sleep.

** My interpretation of the events of June 1st have been contradicted, please see the following email for an alternative view.

Japan, 01 June 2002

Today Ireland play their first World Cup match against the indominatable lions of Cameroon. We had arranged to assemble in the hotel lobby at 6.30am, giving us plenty of time to take an early train to Niigata and soak up the pre-match atmosphere. After waiting for a while, there was no sign of Sharkey, Ger, Aiden, or Paddy. It transpired that the lads were comtose after a drinking session that went on late into the night. It was a bit of an ordeal, but we finally managed to mobilize the lads (who were still drunk). Before long Brian, Nigel and I lost our patience and took off (with the lads still trying to organize themselves in the lobby). Once free of their annoying presence, we enjoyed a stress-free journey to Niigata.

In Niigata, a few hundred Irish fans congregated outside the train station for a few hours of banter and singing. The Japanese officials looked bemused at the good-natured antics of the partying Irish fans. When the crowd started chanting for a megaphone-weilding official to "sing-a-song, sing-a-song, sing-a-song, ...", he explained very matter-of-factly, in a way that only a Japanese official could, that he would not sing a song and implored us to let the traffic pass. The Japanese soccer fans, on the other hand, revelled in the very unJapanese atmosphere.

The stadium at Niigata is very impressive, with a state-of-the-art feel about it. Our first view of the stadium had us staring in awe. Inside the stadium, the sight lines are outstanding. We had seats behind the goal, in the sea of green that was the Irish support. According to the official figures, there were almost 8,000 Irish supporters in the crowd. Judging by the number of green jerseys, I reckon that there were quiet a few more. The game itself was a reasonably dull affair, with Cameroon dominating the first half and Ireland dominating the second. In the end, the 1-1 draw was probably a fair result.

Favourite football chants of the day:

After the game, we took the train back to Tokyo and enjoyed a great night of drinking in the hotel lobby. We spent most of the evening in the company of an assortment of really nice English fans. The most notable of whom were Gary, his son William (the youngest official English fan at the World Cup), and Marley.

Japan, 02 June 2002

I spent most of the day recovering from the previous night's exertions. After watching some football with the lads, I moved from the hotel to Emily's place. Emily, her husband Tim, and their daughter Anna live in the charming suburb of Shimo-Kitazawa. They live in a lovely western-style house that is part of a little ex-pat enclave.

Japan, 03 June 2002

I got up early this morning to experience the famed Tokyo rush-hour frenzy. I went to Shinjuku station, which caters to 1.7 million passengers each day. I sat on a platform bench for an hour or so, watching the white-gloved "pushers" squeeze as many people as possible onto trains that passed every two or three minutes. After being entertained by the morning commuters, I explored the temples of Asakusa, the gardens of Ueno, and the shopping district of Shibuya.

I returned to Emily's house in the afternoon and met some of her very-friendly neighbours. Then Emily spoiled me by treating me to a wonderful meal of meatloaf and potatoes, reminding me that the simple pleasures in life are often the best.

Japan, 04 June 2002

Today I enjoyed a pleasant excursion to Hakone. Hakone is a retreat from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. The area consists of a couple of small towns bordering a lake in the shadows of tree-covered mountains. Getting to the towns consisted of taking a bullet train, then a local train, a funicular, a cable car, a rope car, and finally a boat. The views experienced while undertaking these journeys were the attraction. Unfortunately, clouds and haze conspired to hide the fabled views of Mount Fuji during my visit.

Japan, 05 June 2002

Ireland played their second match of the World Cup against the might of Germany. Once again, we made a daytrip from Tokyo for the game. The game was played in Ibaraki, a couple of hours from Tokyo. We enjoyed a few beers before the match, lubricating our vocal chords for the wall of noise that we would make during the game. Once again, the Irish supporters vastly outnumbered their opponents (embarrassingly so for the Germans). Immediately after the Germans took the lead, the Irish supporters probably confounded neutrals and opponents alike by roaring encouragement for their team in a way that would leave one thinking that the Irish had scored. The game itself was reasonably entertaining, with Ireland dominating for long periods. However, the boys in green were becoming increasingly frustrated by the dour German defending. Just when it looked like the Germans were going to sneak away with a victory, Ireland snatched a deserved draw in the time that is added on for injuries at the end of the match. It was a goal that I personally celebrated like never before. We went absolutely beserk. The outpouring of energy and emotion in the goal celebration was a culmination of getting our just rewards after 90 minutes of frustration, keeping our dream of qualifying for the second round of the World Cup alive, and the lingering effects of the various sagas that have surrounded this team for the past few weeks. It was a moment that was definitely worth traveling half way around the world to experience.

Favourite football chant of the day:

We were all on an incredible high as we left the stadium. However, that high was slowly deflated during the agonizing train journey back to Tokyo. The train journey was like taking a rush-hour subway for more than two hours, as we stood in cramped conditions for the entire journey. The onset of emotional and physical fatigue didn't help matters. When we got back to Tokyo, we had enough energy only for a few beers in the hotel lobby before hitting the hay.

Japan, 06 June 2002

Today we enjoyed a great day of football and beer, occupying a table at the Akasaka Sports Cafe between the hours of 3pm and 11pm. A few relaxing beers were enjoyed while watching three successive games of football on the television.

Before our session of beer and football, we visited an internet cafe in Roppongi. In the internet cafe, we witnessed what has now become a common sight for us... Japanese people asleep. There they were dozing off at their terminals, as the charges were racking up. The Japanese penchant for sleeping is astounding. They can fall asleep anywhere, but they have honed this ability to a fine art when on the subways. Like cows in a field, they can even sleep while standing.

Japan, 07 June 2002

This morning I explored the modern Tokyo districts of Omote-Sando and Shibuya before enjoying another day of football and beer at the Akasaka Sports Cafe. The levels of service in Japanese stores in unsurpassed. As one enters a store, you are greeted by an exuberantly babbling staff. I have been assured by people in the know that they are showering customers with welcomes. Then, when purchasing items, the staff again burst into a babbling frenzy. God knows what they are saying, but they do say it with a smile. Meanwhile I with equal measures of ignorance and bashfulness reply with one of the few phrases in my limited Japanese vocabulary origato goziamas (thank you).

Japan, 08 June 2002

Today was another day dedicated to exploring Tokyo. I visited the shrine and iris garden at Meiji-Jingumae, strolled through Yoyogi Park, walked around the Imperial Palace, and finally paid a visit to the Sony showrooms in Ginza. The Sony showrooms consist of six floors of the latest in home and personal entertainment technology. Playing with all the latest toys provided some great entertainment. In fact, I reckon that if they served beer at the showrooms there would be no getting me out of there.

Japan, 09 June 2002

Masako and I spent today in Nikko. We visited a very-ordinary looking lake, an impressive waterfall, and some interesting temples. It was nice to visit the temples with Masako because she pointed out several things that I would never have noticed by myself. After a very full and fulfilling day, we returned to Tokyo. But as you might have gathered from our previous meeting, romance did not blossom.

Japan, 10 June 2002

Today was spent in front of the computer (researching Korea) or in front of the television (watching football). The terrestrial television coverage of the World Cup in Japan consists of one or, if you are lucky, two games a day. The satellite coverage, on the other hand, consists of more than 10 channels of continuous coverage. One channel shows the current game with Japanese commentary, another shows the game with English commentary, another shows the game from a fixed camera behind the goal, another shows one team bench for the entire game, another shows the other team bench, and the rest show reruns or highlights of earlier games. Thankfully, Emily has satellite television.

Japan, 11 June 2002

Today is a day of destiny for Irish soccer. A victory by two goals over Saudi Arabia will guarantee our advancement to the next stage of the World Cup. A victory by two goals over any opposition in international football is a difficult proposition these days, and the recent spate of sporting upsets does not augur well for the favoured Irish team.

As is usual for us, we arrived in Yokohama a few hours before the match to soak up the atmosphere (in other words, enjoy a few beers). While mingling with some fellow Irish supporters, we got talking to a man with a truly outstanding name - his name is Conor - who ended up leading us to a pre-match reception for the Irish people living in Yokohama. The reception offered some traditional entertainment, free food, and last but not least... free drink (Guiness and Bushmills). The highlight of the entertainment was when Paddy, while looking for the toilet, unwittingly walked across the back of the stage. We were in stitches with laughter. God knows what the poor actors thought of our reaction to their performance.

The match itself could not have been scripted better, with Ireland netting an early goal from our hero Robbie Keane to calm the nerves. We then went on to win by three goals. The Irish support was, one again, inspirational. Each match that we have attended in this World Cup has been like an Irish "home" game, with the Irish support vastly outnumbering and outsupporting the opposition. The highlight of the day, for me, was the singing of the Irish National Anthem before the match. It seemed as if every Irish person in the crowd was singing their hearts out, creating a wall of melodic noise that made the spine tingle.

Favourite football chant of the day:

After the match, we joined the hundreds, if not thousands of Irish supporters, who were celebrating on the streets outside Paddy Foley's Pub in Roppongi. The atmosphere was fantastic as we danced, sang songs, and enjoyed the craic all through the night until the next morning. We the sun began to rise, I said my farewells to my brother Brian and the lads before embarking on my journey to Korea.

Spending:

approx $2,350 for 20 nights, including the following:
    - approx. $338 for World Cup tickets
    - approx. $500 for a three-week Japan Rail pass
    - $110 for the ferry to Korea

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