This entry was posted on 2001-04-12
Kamakura, Yokohama, and Tokyo
I did end up in Kamakura. It really wasn't supposed to happen. I was planning on spending the day in Yokohama. But then I started feeling guilty. I should at least give Kamakura a chance. Sure, I wasn't exactly in the mood for temple trotting (I mean, I am going to Kyoto on Saturday), but there was one temple in Kamakura that I really wanted to see, Hase-dera. (Dera/Tera means temple)
Hase-dera is a place that I have always wanted to visit for it has a Jizo Hall. In certain Buddhist sects, jizo statues are placed at temples to represent aborted fetuses. The last temple I visited with a Jizo Hall was in Kyoto and I got some really excellent notes and pictures for my research.
The Jizo Hall at Hase-dera was a lot like others I have visited. A lot of the individual jizo statues (that women can buy after they had an abortion or a miscarriage) were dressed up in bibs, scarves, and hats. Toys (like pinwheels, marbles, and stuffed animals) surrounded some of the statues. The bodhisattva statue is placed right in the center to watch over the individual statues.
I must have used an entire roll of film on this area of Hase-dera alone. Most of the pictures probably won't be of any interest to anyone but me, though. If I ever have to present my paper again, I plan to use the pictures as visual aides. I lit a pink candle (which symbolizes a baby girl), not because I ever had an abortion myself, but because I strongly advocate choice in my own country. Don't get me wrong, I was not apologizing my pro-choice position (and Jizo statues, candles, etc do not represent an apology from the women who have had abortions), in a sense my lighting a candle symbolized abortion as something that I hope all women could try to avoid, but as something necessary to the health and happiness of women. And that is how abortion is viewed in certain Buddhist sects.
I was starting to get annoyed (what else is new?) because there were too many fucken tourists (mostly American which I am ashamed to admit) talking loudly and posing for funny pictures by the statues. Hello?! Couldn't they fucken read the brochure? Why couldn't they learn what this part of the temple symbolized. I have been to Jizo Halls where Japanese women were practically weeping over a miscarriage. Jizo Halls are not happy places and I find it completely and utterly disrespectful to laugh loudly, talk (saying completely stupid things) so everyone else can here, and turning the statues into "cutesy" objects to take photographs with. In fact, I told one group of American tourists that their behavior was inappropriate (I know it was rude, but they were being even ruder). I explained to them (just in case they were illiterate and couldn't read the brochure) that this part of the temple ain't Disneyland. I explained the significance behind the statues (haha. I think I was boring them). After I finished they left the hall and went to another part of the temple. Good riddance.
I know I may be passionate about this, but that right there is my research. I've probably done more research on feminism and abortion in Japan (that was basically my thesis title) than many Japanese women. And I was completely appalled by the behavior of my fellow Americans. How would they like it if a group of Japanese tourists went to the Vietnam memorial in DC and acted as if they were at Disneyworld?
After some of my pissyness went away, I went up to the top of Hase-dera to chat with one of the Buddhist priests. I had a few questions about the Jizo and the women who come there. The priest was really friendly. He didn't even laugh at my broken Japanese (I made a few particle mistakes). When I finished "interviewing" him, he sold me a small Jizo amulet and wished me luck on my research. He told me if I ever translate my paper into Japanese (yeah right...) that he'd be interesting in reading it. Very cool, especially considering the fact that I told him that my research centers around the feminism and abortion rather than religion and abortion (though religion does tie in).
I left Hase-dera figuring that there'd be damn tourists at every temple and shrine in Kamakura, and I did not want to deal. Besides, as I've said before I've been to both Nara (which is supposed to be similar to Kamakura, but I like Nara better) and Kyoto. And since I leave for Kyoto on Saturday, I'll get a lot of temple hopping in this weekend. So I left Kamakura.
I set off for Yokohama, Japan's second largest city (though now almost considered to be a suburb of Tokyo) hoping to find something to eat. After wandering around central Yokohama for a while, I came to the conclusion that all the food is either too expensive or something that I refuse to eat. I walked around Yokohama, looking at the "sights" for a little longer before I boarded the train back to Tokyo. Yokohama reminded me a lot of Kobe in the Kansai district. Despite the fact that it's so near Tokyo, Yokohama has a completely different feel. I was not impressed.
When I got back to Tokyo, I hung out in Shibuya for a while. But I figured that if I had any hope of being awake enough to go out at night, I better rest for a while. I took a quick nap and headed back to Shibuya for my night time adventure.
First I set off to Love Hotel Hill (which I had tried to find during the day unsuccessfully). Here in Japan, there are love hotels scattered around most major train stations and highway interchanges. Living in a house in Japan, there is hardly any privacy. In traditional Japanese homes, the bedrooms may be separated by nothing except for paper screens. It's really hard for couples to find time alone together. So the concept behind love hotels is renting a room for 1-3 hours (after midnight love hotels become cheap hotels for weary travelers because after midnight you can rent a room for pretty cheap until 10 in the morning or so) to have sex. Love hotels are themed. There is a love hotel for anything you can possibly imagine. And more. I have seen nautical, Mexican, French, rock and roll, Tokugawa Japan, American, and even Elvis themed love hotels. The architecture is really wild. And the best part is, you can go to the lobby and look at a screen display of all the available rooms. Just push the button next to the picture of the room you want, insert your money, and a key will pop out. I find it really interesting to just walk around various love hotels and look at the rooms available. They're pretty wild. Near Shibuya station, Love Hotel Hill is home to the world's largest concentration of love hotels. Walking around all by myself got a little lonely. Too bad I didn't have a hot Japanese guy in my arms...
After my little tour of Love Hotel Hill, I had every intention of going out drinking. Of course I got lost and ended up walking in circles for about an hour. I finally knew that I was on the right path when I spotted Tower Records. The Shibuya branch of Tower has an excellent English magazine selection. And the best part is, it's open till 11pm and browsing is encouraged. I sat down with the current edition of the Utne Reader and read for a while. I have a tendency to get easily distracted at Tower. I went downstairs to the music floor and what did I see on display at a listening station? AMY RAY'S SOLO ALBUM STAG!!!! The Indigo Girls have not really made it here in Japan. But wow! Stag, on display, just waiting to be listened to! Of course I got sucked in. I could tell that the cashier was trying hard not to laugh at me. I was really trying not to dance and sing, but "Lucystoners" just begs to be sung along with. So there I was in the middle of Tower Records in Shibuya mouthing "Lucy Stoners don't need boners, ain't no man can ever own her..." and shaking my ass. Oh, what a site that must've been.
I think the cashier was both pissed and surprised that I didn't buy the album since I had been enjoying it so much. Little did he know that I owned the album about two weeks before its official release date. Little did he know that I am one of the Indigo Girls' biggest fans (probably their biggest fan in Japan right now) and that I have seen the Girls over 20 times in concert, have met them many of times, and have a bootleg collection of about 250 tapes. Nope. I didn't need to buy Stag tonight.
Nothing could compete with the excitement of seeing Stag on display at a listening station. And besides that, my feet really hurt from walking in circles near Shibuya. So I decided to forget about drinking and call it a night. Besides, I totally couldn't wait to post my Stag experience to the IG list!
Tomorrow is my last day in Tokyo for about five days. I don't know what I'm going to do yet. I do have a few logistical things to take care of (banking matters mostly) before I leave for Kyoto.
Until tomorrow (mata ashita)...