Down Tokaido Way

I am still learning things about Japan, the country that became my second home. Thanks to the thoughtful Christmas gift given me by my brother, Yumeko and I have traveled a part of Japan even she knew little about. What follows is our first foray along the most famous of the Five Routes of the Edo period: Toukaidou.

The game Tokaido puts you into the shoes of a traditional Japanese traveler on his or her way from Kyoto (Japan's first capital) to Edo (Tokyo, the modern-day capital) by way of the eponymous road. The goal is to be the traveler who experiences the most eventful journey (measured by a point tracker, 0-100), buying the most diverse set of souvenirs (omiyage), enjoying the most trips to the hot springs (onsen), having the most colorful encounters, and eating the finest foods at the inns (ryokan) along the way (left to right).

You are randomly dealt two traveler cards (out of ten total) to select from at the start. I chose to play as "Chuubei the messenger," whose special talent allows him to have an extra encounter (draw an extra pink card) prior to eating at each of the interim inns. Not a rich character, he starts with 4 coins.

Only slightly more well-to-do than Chuubei, at 5 coins, Yume chose to play "Sasayakko the geisha." Her special talent grants her each time the ability to waive the cost of the cheapest souvenir when buying two or more so long as she has the coin needed to buy them legitimately. (Which begs the oh-so-obviously-answered question: What is the vendor getting in return for his charity?)

Lastly, the two-player rules require that a third non-player character (NPC) join on the journey. "Zen-emon the merchant," starting with 6 coins, can purchase one souvenir each time for 1 coin rather than the listed price (up to 3 coins). As an NPC, however, his only role is to act as a blocker under the control of the player who is farthest along the route each turn, and to donate coins at the temples (again at the players' discretion), creating added competition for bonus points based on donations made in the final tally; otherwise, Zen-emon takes no other actions during the game.

Yume (blue) demonstrated this strategy, as seen here, by using Zen-emon (gray) to block all available spaces at the nearest farm (the main means by which players earn back coin). No two player markers can occupy the same spot on the road (except for double spaces), and the player who is farthest back on the road takes the next turn. That meant I (gold) was stuck having to jump over the two of them on my way to the next location, and running low on coin. (Note: Only after playing did I realize that a 2- or 3-player game is not supposed to use the double-spaces. At least we were consistent in our error! :/)

Nearer to the first inn stop-off, I turn the tables and use Zen-emon to block Sasayakko-chan from getting access to the hot springs (an easy place to earn 2 or 3 points). By doing so, I've also ensured that Yume is the first player to reach the inn, giving her the greatest number of choices when selecting a meal. Meal cards, taken at the inns, are all worth 6 points, so if you don't have the coin to buy what's left at the inn when you arrive, that's 6 points you'll never get back!

Before the second inn stop-off, I'm lucky enough to secure some more coin at the farm, but Yume again reaches the inn first. Her choices are soba (a buckwheat noodle dish), donburi (a rice bowl dish topped with meat or fish and vegetables), nigirimeshi (rice balls wrapped in seaweed), and fugu (a notorious type of fish). 

I enacted a real coup here as I finished two different panoramas, placing myself in a commanding lead, 63-37. Panoramas are massive multipart paintings that you find time to complete as you journey along the road, provided you stop at the places on the route where your muse is at its best (green, white, or blue locations).

Luckily, at the previous inns, I twice drew the encounter card "Annaibito, the guide" (at bottom-left), who freely gives you a panorama card. You can see the two achievement bonus cards (3 points each) for the finished panoramas (at top). Each card you collect along the road grants you points or other needed items and tells the story of your journey. (Notice how I was at this time broke [no coins]; back to the farm!)

Leaving the final inn before Edo, I had arranged it so that Yume would be left with a choice of meals too expensive for her remaining coin, robbing her of an easy 6 points. Then here, I employ the blocking method again to keep Yume from a panorama location. Pretty scheisty, I'll admit, but at 83-54, I was enjoying my largest lead at that point.

By the end, Sasayakko-chan had cut considerably into that lead, but Chuubei-san's earlier run had proved too much. Despite my efforts, Yume had managed to piece together two out of three panoramas, even garnering the 3-point bonus for completing the three-piece green panorama first. She also got 3 bonus points for having the most expensive taste in cuisine (center middle).

Sasayakko had also posted the most coin at the temple, awarding her with 10 points. Chuubei and Zen-emon had tied, so they were both awarded the second place prize of 7 points. 

In the final summation, making sure you eat at each of the inns (a sure fire way to 24 points), and nabbing as many panoramas as possible (potentially 31 points) go a long way to ensuring victory. Above, you can see I finished all three panoramas (two of which I got the completion achievements for), and also scored 9 bonus points by visiting the hot springs most (middle left), having the most encounters (bottom left), and buying the most souvenirs (bottom middle).

All-in-all, the art design is elegant, the gameplay is intuitive but offers strategy, and the materials are of sturdy make. Time and further playthrus will tell whether playing as each of the other travelers offers a different but balanced play experience. My wife, Yume, herself Japanese, can't get over how delicious-looking all the meal card illustrations are. Perhaps, for me, the thing I love the most is how the game marries a real world place, with its own history and significance, into a game that never once feels dry or dated. Go out and get yours!

A Tokyo Sandwich - The Mayo

And so there we were...

...having struggled – after a tickling battle with chopstick wielding ninjas, out belly-flopping a sumo wrestler, beating a gang of yakuza at Dance Dance Revolution, and trapping a crazed oni in the trunk of a car – we gasped our way through the clouds to the peak of Mt. Fuji.

(Err..."A Tokyo sandwich - The Mayan Ruins?" Say what?!)

Well, while Mt. Fuji it is not, what it is (and what follows) are the various peculiar places and people that we encountered in Tokyo. From the offbeat to the strange to the downright weird, these were the sights and memories that kept our "sandwich" from tasting dry.

Above, I took a snapshot of the facade looming over visitors as they stood in line for the Raging Spirits roller coaster at Tokyo DisneySea. It's a really cool design, based off one for an Indiana Jones ride located at Euro Disney in Paris. As it turns out, one of the few things I was able to enjoy this day (considering it was opening day, and the wait in most lines was often 2 or 3 hours) was the Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull "thrill" ride (not to be confused with the similarly titled film). I've got to say though, I didn't enjoy DisneySea's Indiana Jones ride quite as much as the original Indiana Jones ride I remember actually being thrilled by in the 90s at Disneyland. That high stakes, seat-of-your-pants, close personal feeling of connection that used to rip up and down my spine was lacking this time. Perhaps it had something to do with Indiana Jones and other animatronic characters present speaking in Japanese instead of English. (It's said that watching dubbed anime doesn't compare with the native language track, and I guess the reverse is true for things we've become conditioned to). Even the ride itself felt tame. Maybe I'm just getting too old for such things. Then again, the ride was sorely lacking in the wasting-your-life-while-waiting-in-line category too! There weren't as many fun things to look at in line, and there was no Sallah on the intermittent video monitors to greet visitors and warn them of their IMPENDING DOOM-DOOM-OOM-OOM!

Ah, well...did I mention it was opening day?

"Ev'rybody was cell phone snapping! ~ Those pics were quite en-rapt'ring!"

We also got to take in a few live musical performances while we were becoming acquainted with the amusement grounds. The first was a trio of "American steamboat cooks" decked out in white and chef's hats as they sung popular show tunes and beat out fast-paced rhythmic beats on their standing grills and trash cans in a lively Vaudevillian manner. It was pretty fun(ny)! I'm not sure if many of the elder Japanese who were congregated there made much out of three ethnically-diverse foreigners thrashing out mad metallic beats and tossing utensils behind their backs as anything more than, "Oh, wee! Look, noisy gaijin!" Some of them looked as if they didn't know how to respond after the guys finished a number. And if so, that's okay, cause I'm reminded of a few words shared by Marty McFly in a similar situation: "I guess you guys aren't ready for that, yet. But your kids are gonna love it."

Next we sat in a crowd through a staged song and dance show put on by traveling steamboat actors and a who's-who of Disney characters. It was nice (a good draw for the 6 and under crowd), but didn't have the same appealing involvement as the smaller more personal venues. Like the trio of Mexican mariachis we discovered in an across-the-border style cantina where we had lunch. These guys were good! "And to think," Mom said, herself a proud Mexicana. "I come half-way around the world, all this way to Japan, and find mariachis playing traditional music!" We even let out a few mariachi inspired-"Ay, yai, yai!" whoops and hollers as they performed. After a few numbers, and our bellies were full, my mom ventured greedily, "I wonder if I can fit one in my luggage!" "I dunno," I said, reminded of her other carry-home plans. "Could be difficult getting both a mariachi singer and a Harajuku girl past customs in San Francisco."

A few days later, we decided to find out directly. It was our mission to seek out a "Harajuku girl" and ask her if she wouldn't mind traveling inside someone's luggage on their way back to America. After an exhaustive search of the Harajuku district of Tokyo, during which we were involved in a couple side-tours (one to the Meiji Shrine as seen here, and the other to a mass girls gathering for a talent show taping), we at last found them:

My mom sandwiched between "Harajuku girls."

Or at least, one of them. I'm not entirely sure if the one on the left is a girl. (An ogre, perhaps?) Alas, we forgot to ask them the ever important question. (Though I'm pretty sure I know what the answer would have been. ;)

Hey check it out! While we were out scoping around for Harajuku girls, we came across this very eye-catching fire escape, complete with inner city art. Cool huh? (Well, I thought so.)

Near the end of our stay, we took a guided boat/tram tour of lower Tokyo including the bay and the man-made island of Odaiba.

A look at Tokyo Bay and the Rainbow Bridge from Odaiba.

On the boat I met a friendly, old, toothless Chinaman whom I shared a couple laughs and took pictures with (on his camera), while he spoke to me about the old days during "the war" and his past "visit to America." (To be honest, I'm not 100% sure what he was talking about because I could barely understand him. For all I know he could have been asking me about when the next time is war will visit America?) Then IT happened....

What was it? A giant statue composed of dark chocolate? Godzilla rising out of the depths? The Chinaman trying to shove me overboard?

[REDACTED]

Whew! I'm glad I got that off my chest. I don't think I'll ever be able to talk about that again.

Soon we were out strolling the island's interior, enjoying the day and each other's company, and realizing that in a short 24-hour period we'd be back on our way to our everyday lives, no longer fellow adventurers in a far-flung land in search of that perfect Tokyo sandwich.

It had been a great week full of fascinating people, big city locations, and far too much time spent roving the streets for a satisfying place to eat (let's order out next time, huh Mom? Love ya!)

"An Olive-skewer In The Heart Of Our Tokyo Sandwich"

A Tokyo Sandwich - The Meat

"Hey punk, no flash photography!"

One of the first major cultural venues we visited was the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Park. There are three places one might visit that command a certain level of austere silence when regarding what's kept within. If churches are sanctuaries of worship, and libraries are sanctuaries of learning, then museums must be sanctuaries of memory. The pensive afternoon allowed us to quietly take in a plethora of physical memory spanning much of Japan's religious, artistic, domestic, and militaristic past.

While you can't take the physical memory stored inside a museum with you once you leave, fortunately, I wasn't without a camera!

To start off with, we have what I believe is a representation of Vajrapani, (I couldn't read the kanji on the placard so this is only an educated guess). I like how the flash from the camera really sets off the colors, also providing a drop shadow behind the arms giving the statue a unique dimension that makes it seem to be caught in the midst of movement.

Next, we took in a series of byobuu, or folding screens (the pictures that follow not doing them proper justice). I found it interesting how each could be viewed at a different angle and still provide the viewer with a complete picture that told a separate story. (This may not have been the intention with regard to these specific murals, but I like to think all art can be viewed in different ways regardless of how its presented.)

We also found a set of highly detailed life sciences manuscripts containing accurate hand-drawn representations of flora and fauna, some of these opened to pages displaying an internal cross section of the subject. (And, by Jove! I find that while proof-reading these entries my writer's voice takes on a very precise, scholarly tone, like I'm doing a piece on the Discovery Channel; and then you realize how pathetic you are when you go back to change the words "plants" and "animals" to read "flora" and "fauna," so that the whole thing sounds even stuffier. That's a long ways to go for a self-deprecating joke.) Anyway, here they are – Biology 101, courtesy pre-modern Japan!

Dinosaurs aside, the other type of exhibit that is sure to get my attention is one dealing with weapons and armor. The wing at the museum devoted to Japan's military past was a veritable armory! They had various types of armor including those worn by samurai, called O-yoroi, and others like what were worn by the ashigaru (conscripts).

Meiji Shrine

Later in the week, we visited the Meiji Shrine in Shibuya. We actually ended up there on accident as we were roving the forested park, sort of drifting along with the flow of people, in search of the attention-getting "Harajuku girls" (more on that later!), but we spent a good hour or so exploring the spacious grounds of this famous Shinto site (say those two words five times fast).

Most Shinto shrines are located by the red wooden gate-like presence of a torii, an entrance to the shrine that demarcates the boundaries between sacred and profane ground. In this case, the torii at Meiji was not red, but was very large and required each visitor to walk directly under it before treading beneath the solemn eaves of the shrine itself.

The torii at Meiji Shrine.

The purification fountain where visitors can wash their hands using the ladles pictured before entering the shrine.

The shrine's doorway looking out from inside (the torii visible in the distance). Though the door serves more of an ornamental purpose, everything is constructed of heavy timbers and has a sturdy, fortressed look about it.

A few nishikigoi ghosting about the surface of a pond near the shrine complex.

A wedding procession led by Shinto priests on their way out of the shrine.

The lucky couple (at center), attended by two "ladies-in-waiting," and followed by their wedding guests.

The artificial moat that wends around the Imperial Garden.

One of the last places we visited during the week was the Imperial Palace. Much of the location was off-limits to visitors, with some of the innermost grounds and gardens open to the public only one day a year (usually on New Year's or the Emperor's birthday). But when you're roaming grounds that at one time were said to have more value than all the real estate in California combined, I suppose it's okay to keep certain areas private year-round.

Upon arriving we walked down a long paved causeway flanked on both sides by wide recreation areas where people jogged, biked, and picnicked on low-cut grass. Then we crossed a large gravel lot that brought us to the edge of a moat. From there several directions for touring were available, and we began to plot our way through the maze like confines.

Bridge leading across the moat to the Sei Gate; a portion of the Imperial Palace itself is visible amidst the trees in the background.

The Sei Gate, main entrance to the palace grounds with two honor guards standing at attention.

A swan paddles easily across the moat.

An example of the specially tended niwaki found throughout the Imperial grounds that have a distinctive curving trunk and asymmetrical branches with closely clustered pine leaves.

"Black Pine Against The Sky"

Next time, we get out on a limb a little bit more and add some unique Tokyo flavor to the mix!

A Tokyo Sandwich - The Bread

And so it was, we arrived in Tokyo at the Shinagawa Station on the evening of March 29th. After a brief huddle staring at the station map with a couple of other foreigners, a kindly American gentleman realized our concern and promptly directed us to where our hotel stood. (It's funny. A fellow JET who is Canadian once told me that when she encountered other foreigners in Japan, it was typically only the Americans whom she met that would offer any kind of "Hello!" or greeting, rather than just pass you by. In light of that, and what happened to us at the arrival station, I find her observation encouraging in today's world. Sometimes you'd think Americans are seen by others as the most snobbish, standoffish sort, and then you leave the country and find out things like this.)

The nightlife in Tokyo sure looks grand! However, this trip wasn't about bar-hopping (ugh! what a mindless occupation that is) or late night marathons doing karaoke, sipping sake in smoke-filled rooms (now that one I know, but it somehow loses its luster after the fifth hour singing nothing but anime theme songs). It was about long days, and even longer walks trekking from location to location. Needless to say, neither of us lost any sleep!

Looking out our window the next morning from the 28th floor of the hotel, we decided our first little jaunt would be Tokyo Tower. It was a 4 km walk one-way, and with the prospect of taxis turning our pocket money into chump change, we knew our legs could handle it.

As we walked the streets, my mom found it very interesting how so many Japanese men and women seemed to be dressed up. I told her we were in a business district, which explains part of it, but it's true: men, if not in a suit, were sporting neckties and black dress shoes while the women all strutted about in knee-high boots or heels and often very short skirts. And with rice and fish such a staple in the diet, finding a fat person in Tokyo was like finding an anorexic in McDonald's.

Soon we were in front of Tokyo Tower, a structure built on the same design principles used to erect the Eiffel Tower in Paris (though, a placard here boasted that while the two towers are of comparable height and similar build, Tokyo Tower weighs significantly less).

While there, we traveled up a cramped mass transit elevator to the first observation deck (about 500 feet up). At various locations near the base of the tower were shopping malls, an eatery, a max museum, an indoor dungeon maze, an arcade, and a gift shop. I took the opportunity to snap a few shots of the surrounding sights (below).

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at a local Chinese shop (of which Tokyo has many, run by Japanese of course). My mom thought it remarkable how many Japanese food joints did not exercise restrictions against smoking. I nodded and wheezed, "Yeah, it sucks!" in reply.

Looking northwest from Tokyo Tower. The tall buildings here strike me as the type some nefarious executive might operate out of, like some megacorp from Shadowrun.

Looking east from Tokyo Tower. 

A view of an inner city area from Tokyo Tower.

A view of the area we traveled from our hotel window. The large empty space in the center of the shot is a massive open air switch-track and service junction abutting the Shinagawa Station where trains from all over Tokyo converge.

The next day we traveled by subway to Shibuya, a common tourist and shopping district where it is said one of the busiest intersections in the world can be viewed. I waited for just the right opportunity to catch the intersection when the frame was filled with as many Japanese heads as I could see. Both of us having visited New York City before, we agreed that Shibuya reminded us a lot of Times Square.

Next time we'll take a look at more of the specific places and happenings that we experienced on our Tokyo trip, delving deeper into the smog-choked urban jungle, and I'll pile on the good stuff as I endeavor to build for you the picture perfect Tokyo sandwich!