Drawing Parallels at the Cultural Hotspot of Tokyo: Asakusa

Now that we figured out the how to explore on the Tokyo Metro, we were confident to begin our journey to discover the country and understand their people.  And there is no better way to understanding people than learning about their culture and tradition. We began our exploration and education at the Senso-ji Temple at Asakusa, cultural hotspot in Tokyo that attracts over 30 million visitors annually (2.5 times the population of Tokyo).

Asakusa is on the North-East side of Central Tokyo on the Tokyo Metro Ginza line, approximately 1.5kms East of Ueno station, not far from where were stayed. We had no idea of what to expect when me made the trip, but what we experienced helped us get closer to the people of Japan.

Asakusa is like what Mylapore or Triplicane is to Chennai, it showcases the co-existence of the Tendai (Senso-ji Temple) and Shinto (Asakusa Shrine) sects of Buddhism, very similar to Shaivites and Vaishnavites. The Matsuri (festival) held at the Shinto shrine during spring and attracts followers, while food stalls, sumo matches and other entertainments is a big draw for tourists like us. 

Such a cultural hotspot was targeted by the Americans during the WW2 and was reduced to dust. Today, what we saw including the temples, traditional ryokan (guest-houses), homes, and small-scale apartment buildings were all rebuilt after the war. I also heard from locals that Akakusa is also the Tokyo's oldest Geisha district, and still has 45 actively working Geishas, who are akin to Devadasis in our temple tradition. Click here to read an interesting article on the similarities. 

We followed the directions from Asakusa Metro station to Senso-ji temple and came to a standstill after spotting the huge red lantern painted with black tones representing the thunder and lightning.  We came to a standstill looking at the intimidating visage of God of Thunder (Varuna) and Wind (Vayu) at the Nakamise-Dori entrance to the temple. 

This entrance is lined with small shops selling souvenirs. Like tourists, we curiously peered at traditional fans, wood block prints, kimonos, Buddhist scrolls and traditional sweets and saved the rice crackers for our trip back.

The side streets leading to the temple are closed to motor traffic with appealing displays. And sometimes it was interesting to see such displays on the roof/windows of buildings.

One of my friends was busy photographing the façade; the other got attracted by fortune sticks, while I went looking at the Warrior on top of the water fountain where people washed their hands before entering the temple. Nevertheless, we all tried to get our fortunes answered for 100 ¥ by drawing the stick and looking the right number and reading Japanese numbers in the chest of draws.

From the entrance the two-tier red and white roof looked majestic, but was devoid of ornate carvings.  The temple is dedicated to the Bodhisattva Kannon (Avalokiteśvara – God of Mercy). According to legend, the statue was found in the Sumida River in 628 AD by two fishermen, the brothers Hinokuma Hamanari and Hinokuma Takenari. I was reminded of similar tales about idols in our temple founds in water bodies.

Though we were not allowed to enter the main temple as the sanctum is restricted to only followers of Buddhism, we still lighted candles and prayed to the God of Mercy to bless us with a great trip and good weather. Before we stepped out of the main temple, I noticed the hand painted images of dragons and Apsaras on the roof reminding me of paintings in the Hindu temples.

Adjacent to the main temple, is a five story Pagoda believed to contain ashes of Buddha. Buddha is believed to have born, lived and died in India. How and when did we part with his ashes? Is it another story like Subash Chandra Bose?

Discarding my doubts, I stepped out of the main temple into the garden, the red exteriors and huge black doors with gold trims were striking enough to get my friends to pose for picture. We put aside our cameras and walked into the garden surrounding the temple enjoying its peace and tranquility. A huge stone statue of Buddha in the garden set the mood for contemplation. 

Besides the Pagoda, is another temple enshrining the 9 manifestations of Buddha with each one seated on an animal and propitiated for a certain blessing.  We discussed how similar this is to the Navagrahas (nine planets) in our temples nibbling some flavored rice crackers, a Japanese delicacy as we moved on to out next spot.

Understanding the culture and tradition is the best way knowing a city and its people and the visit to Asakusa and Senso-ji made us feel at home and helped us draw parallels and appreciate our kinship. 

How to plan and enjoy your vacation

Some people like Vasco da gama and Columbus went around the world for a vocation and ended up discovering fortunes and new worlds. But many of us travel for a vacation where we spend our hard earned money to relax, rejuvenate and return with rich memories.

Before we decide on our vacation jaunts many of us tend to ask around for opinions, experiences and budgets. But often, we get jaundiced by perceptions and prejudices and end up missing out on great vacation places. When I decided to book my trip to Japan, I refrained from asking around for opinions. And when I disclosed my travel plans, I was dissuaded citing Japan to be very expensive location, a non-English speaking country to lack of vegetarian food. But I didn’t pay heed to their unsolicited opinions.

After a two week trip in Japan, here I stand on the podium as a self-proclaimed winner and loser. I won against those naysayers by disproving their perceptions and I lost my heart to the country, its people and culture. But before I make the naysayers jealous with my travel experiences and pictures, I would like to share my approach to planning and preparing for a trip.

Have a reason to travel: There must be a fundamental reason why you would want to vacation in a certain place. You should fuel that desire by trying to read up about the place, its culture, history, lifestyle of people, their cuisine, geographical and climatic conditions, etc. to qualify or disqualify the place.

This summer, Australia featured during my conversation with another travel aficionado. But then when we did further reading and research, we decided against traveling there despite English being their native language and playing home to Kangaroos and exotic species in the Great Barrier Reef. Why? Because I didn’t find their culture and history compelling enough to spend my hard earned money and moreover, I was not looking for an opportunity to fill my Face Book page with scenic images to show off my affluence or happiness.

And when I looked up from Australia I spotted this beautiful Island Nation, Japan that was often rattled by earth quakes and nuclear disasters.  But what intrigued me was their faith and resilience. Soon I was mired in a million questions on their culture and faith and wanted to explore the country and experience their customs firsthand.

Do you research: While many jump on package tours, I prefer doing my own research and customizing an itinerary based on my interest. Packaged tours are like canned food – very much unappetizing and unhealthy. One just needs to invest time to match their interests and pick spots of interests before they set out to experience and explore. Though travel guides often do a quick job of outlining culture, places of interest, accommodation, food, transportation, etc., but doesn’t provide to in depth view into culture. When I watched travel videos on Kyoto, a city of thousand temples, I realized the similarities it bore to Kanchipuram and Varanasi and I could guess why our Prime Minister tied up with Kyoto to develop Varanasi. Only when you read and research you can understand the subtle parallels and enjoy the place and culture even more. Otherwise it would be a paralull!

Read their newspapers: An expert traveler understands the social, political and day-today issues before he/she travels into any country. The best way to begin your journey is to start reading an English Daily, develop your own perspective and go beyond guide books. By closely reading one of their dailies I discovered that the famous Tsukiji Fish Market was closing down for good on November 14 and I was able to go there and get an experience despite being a vegetarian. The digital age and social media has made this more easier; by simply following popular newspapers and journalist one can get access to day-today happenings and issues. This is how you can be a more knowledgeable, informed and sensitive traveler distinguishing yourself other vagabonds.

Go beyond guide books: Guide books are written for pedestrian travelers and may never be able to meet individual interests and needs. If you want to see the dark side of a city, throw away the guide books and start self-exploration. When you walk around the city you discover what guide books seldom share. I have been always interested in graffiti and during my visit to East Berlin I joined a paid tour to explore graffiti and learn about squatters. When I was wandering along the streets of Shinjuku in Tokyo, I asked myself could this dirt-free and beggar-free country have homeless and graffiti. And during my explorative walk from Shinjuku to Shibuya, I discovered the underworld that wasn’t describe in any of the guide books. The underpass was filled with graffiti and had a few homeless people. Had I gone with guidebooks, I would have missed a rare sight in this city.

Speak to a local: Most guidebooks and websites often exaggerate on what customs must be observed, traditions to be followed, tourist traps to be avoided and sometimes they forget to keep their material up-to-date. When we finished our dinner at Milan Natraj restaurant at Shibuya and as we got ready about to pay our bill, we realized that tipping at restaurants is considered rude and insulting. A few days later when we were at Tennoji Shrine at Osaka a notice at the entrance in local language warned us against playing their latest craze (Pokeman) at the temple. Though none of us played Pokeman at Tennoji, it is always safe to learn the customs and traditions with a local. While we all want to be a courteous and polite traveler, our actions can offend people inadvertently.

Disconnect from reality: To get enjoy your vacation to the fullest and get the most out of your trip you need to disconnect yourself from reality. Disable office emails on devices, uninstall Face Book, and stop reading newspapers from back home. As you are away you will neither be able to help nor participate and sometimes what you read can make you feel miserable.

A friend of mine on the trip was pre-occupied the day American Election results were out. He was constantly on his mobile checking the status and ended up feeling unhappy about Trump’s triumph. On the same day rest of India was crying and queuing up outside banks with demonization announcement. I had no idea of the pain and two weeks later when I landed at the Airport I felt life was as usual with no disruption. It is good idea to stay disconnected from reality and re-connect when you are back from vacation.

Sumimasen: Travel to me is  very much an intellectual and internal journey as it is fun. Not sure if you would ever want to travel with me after reading this blog, but remember to make your trips fun and memorable.

Get ready for the next one on Tokyo...from guide books to beyond guide books.

Arigatou Gozaimasu!