Wow, I just got back from Japan and what a country. This is one of those places that I've wanted to visit all my life. Japanese Architecture has been a great inspiration for me over the years and it was about time I paid my dues to the country.
My best bud Keith came and met me in Tokyo for what would be an eleven day vacation around Asia. This was his first time in Asia, but what a trip it was, 9 cities 2 countries all in 11 days, pretty good!
Due to the Chinese Holiday we got eight days off of work. So the first leg of my trip was based in Tokyo. We were pretty fortunate to have been able to stay at the Ritz-Carlton due to Keith's luxury status with the Mariott. The hotel was amazing, five star all the way.
Our first day was around Tokyo where we saw the Imperial Palace and had a Sushi Breakfast at the largest fish market in the world.
Day two we went to Kamakura about 45 minutes outside of Tokyo. Here was saw a couple nice Zen Buddism temples (dating all the way from 1000 a.d.). They were very tranquil and to my surprise all still active with Monks. That night we went out for Shawn's birthday in Tokyo.
Day three we used to catch up on sleep and rest, but explored a bit of Tokyo.
Day four we went to Nikko which was an example of scenic Japan. The leaves were changing colors and we did a nice 4 km hike. All in all, great packed day.
Day five we headed to Kyoto, one of the most beautiful historic cities in the world. Everywhere you looked there was history. We spent the afternoon looking at some temples near the hotel.
Day six we woke up early and went temple hoping all day. In the morning we saw a temple (Ryokonji) which is a large reason why I became interested in Landscape Architecture. My second year in college Terry Schnadelbach (Florida Professor) explained to me how this garden was one of the first examples of people's relationship to landscape design. It was nice to see the garden in person and although my career has taken a shift towards planning, I really appreciate when garden design has social aspects. The rest of the day we saw great temples, probably some of the best in the world. At night we had a traditional Japanese dinner (about 100 US Dollars, ouch). It was a 12 course meal though, pretty cool experience. We even saw a Geisha walking around... amazing thing only a few people get to see.
Day seven was even more packed. We saw three cities in one day. Started in the ancient city of Nara. Some of these buildings date back to 700 a.d. and the city is said to have the oldest structure in the world. Afterwards we went to Himeji, where they are known for this amazing castle (where The Last Samuri was filmed). On the way back to Kyoto we decided to catch some nightlilfe in Osaka. What a cool city too, but to our luck we got caught in a Typhoon, although I think they were just a little weak - I see that weather everday during the summer in Florida.
Day eight, on the way back to Tokyo we stopped to see Mt. Fuji and took some incredible photos.
Overall, my thoughts on Japan were like this. Probably the most civilized country in Asia, but also the most developed and expensive place. The culture is so thick you can see it even the probably the most modern city in the world - Tokyo. They are a very proud culture, I'm glad I had the opportunity to experience it.
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