Half Day Shopping is Better Than None!

Our flight didn’t leave till 4:55pm, the airport limousine (really a glorified bus) didn’t leave until 1:30; so we had a morning to check out some more of Tokyo. The weather had turned good, warm and clear. We took the subway to the Mandrian Oriental Hotel. Next to the hotel is the Mitsukoshi Department Store. This store has to be seen to be believed. In the center of the Department store is a 9 story atrium with a GIGANTIC Sculpture. At one end of the Atrium is a Wurlitzer Organ. They have an organist play music while you shop. I created a Youtube of it you can play here, make sure your speakes are on.






Every possible designer is there. It is an amazing place.

Today on the airplane we read a nice story about one of the Bellboys at the hotel we stayed at in Tokyo. The hotel name is: The Royal Park Shedome Tower. You can read the story be clicking here.

This is hotel is where I would always want to stay in Tokyo. Easy walk to Ginza etc. It has great access to subway. Some thoughts:

1. I didn't really realize until Sat. morning when we took the Subway that once you enter the subway station at Shiodome you are also connected to the Shimbashi Station and the Ginza line & JR.

2. Directly across from the hotel via elevated walkway is the Conrad Hotel. It is a far more elegant hotel (and I am sure a lot more expensive). At any rate, It is a better place for a drink. The bar is on the 28th floor with a great view.

3. The Bad Boy of British Cooking Marco Pierre White has 2 restaurants at the Conrad, we ate at his Bistro - Great place for American Style food.

4. It is only 45 minutes from the Hotel to Narita airport.

5. In the Ginza the main street is closed off to traffic on Sat. and Sun. The whole street becomes filled with people.

Day 16 Last Full Day in Japan

We woke up and it was raining in Tokyo. We had breakfast (a big deal in Japan – you wouldn’t believe all of the food they serve). We then did our first part of packing, we are leaving tomorrow. We wanted to make sure everything could fit in our suitcases. We think we are ok.

We then took a taxi in the rain to the Kabuki Theater. We really enjoyed it. They do something very smart. They rent headsets radios that you stick in one ear. They broadcast during the show an explanation of what is happening in English. You hear through the other ear the Japanese being spoken on stage. This not a translation but an interpretation of what is going on. It makes it very clear. It was a wonderful performance.

Since it was raining the best thing to do was to go inside some big department store and shop We did! We then went to a Chinese restaurant for Dim Sum lunch (got that Billie?). Then we went to the Sony Building where they have all of the Sony Computers and other technology on display. Lots of computers that aren’t yet available in the USA. It was interesting for me, I think Cathy wanted to get back to shopping.

We then walked down Ginza and went to an amazing watch complex. There were separate glass elevators for every brand of watch. The elevators had displays of the watches built into them. If you were interested in a particular watch, you would enter the glass elevator for that watch and be slowly elevated to the floor that sold the watch.

Then back to the hotel, a little more packing and we both had massages in the hotel room. It was a true Japanese Shiatsu Massage, not pleasurable, but you felt good when it ended. Kind of like Thai Massage!

We then went over to the Conrad Hotel (if is very close) for a final dinner in Tokyo. They have a great bar overlooking the city. I had a Samurai Martini and Cathy had a glass of wine. Gordon Ramsey has a bistro there, and we went for a non-Japanese dinner. Lots of meat, no fish and a great bottle of wine (no Sake). We then went back to our hotel to bed. Tomorrow we leave for the airport at 1pm. Back to the States. It has been a great trip!

There will be some corrections to this blog I will do when I return. Betty sent me some about the Okinawa artists, Cathy says there are some miss-spellings (what else is new). I want to put some hyperlinks to places we went so you can read more.

Once again thanks to Betty for showing us Okinawa, to Nancy Craft at Esprit and Jill at Santa Fe Weaving Gallery to putting together an amazing adventure.

Day 15 Still More Shopping Left in Us

Shopping, Food, and the Ginza

We started off by walking the short distance into the Ginza area where there is fabulous shopping. In Japan department stores are real shopping havens. They have the best designers and fabulous service. In addition, usually the basement is a food court selling the priciest and finest food Japan has to offer. Everything from fresh fruit, lots of sweets, meats, prepared food, imported food, etc. It is fun to just walk through.

There was also an Apple Store I visited. Courtney and Ferris were leaving at 11:30 for the airport so we decided to hustle on back to give them a double wave (Both hands waive at the same time – very Japanese). We went to lots of stores in the Ginza area. It is We saw them off then went to the Hotel to meet a friend of our Aunt Pearl. Aunt Pearl lives in Santa Barbara and had taught English to Kimiyo. She is a professor who is married to a doctor. They live in Tokyo, but spent a summer in SB. Kimiyo feels like Pearl is like a grandmother to her daughter. Kimiyo had arranged for lunch at the Conrad Hotel which is near the hotel we are staying at. It is a very elegant hotel and the Japanese dinning room had a spectacular view from the 28th floor. It was a very good visit, we really enjoyed our time with her. We hope to reciprocate when she returns to California.

From there we took the subway to the Blue and White Store. On a previous visit I had them make a shirt for me that I really like. In Japan it is sometimes hard for me to find shirts that fit. I found one at B&W, I was lucky.

We then eventually returned to the hotel in preparation for dinner. We went back for a third time to Kiraku. But this time we ate at another restaurant they have that is 2 doors away. It was very good, it specializes in Sushi and Tempura. We traveled this time both by Subway. We can even do it after 3 bowls of sake. We are getting pretty good at navigating the Tokyo Subway System. We are ready to leave for home, yet we have one more day to maximize. Maybe we can have some new adventures.

The view is from the dinning room at the Conrad Hotel. The pictures on the subway show two characteristics. The woman next to Cathy fell asleep on Cathy’s shoulder during the ride. It is very common experience for people to doze off on the subway, they work so hard. The two guys are text messaging on the subway. The Japanese communications infrastructure is far better than in America. You are not allowed to talk on cell phone in the subway, but you can text message and everyone has their cell phone and is doing it. The Japanese do not have cell phone cases attached to their belts. They place the cell phone in their pocket and each cell phone has a string with ornaments attached to it that they grab to pull the phone out of their pocket. Everywhere you go in Japan they are selling the stings.

Day 14 Shop Till You Drop

Shop to You Drop

Tokyo is a shoppers paradise. Besides all of the name brand Japanese Designers every possible designer is here in depth. Because the city is so huge, and Japan is so rich there are multiple areas with unbelievable stores.

We started out the day and headed for shopping frenzy. The stores are designed by the best Japanese Architects and are truly amazing. The Bags of goodies mounted up!

We had a small lunch and then headed to what can only be described as the worlds best Eye Glass Store. It was an exhausting day of shopping but fun.

We took a taxi to the Mandarian Oriental. The hotel is gorgeous and the lobby and bar are the 28th floor with an unbelievable view of the city and the Imperial Palace. We went to the bar and just enjoyed mellowing our drinking wine and looking at the city. Then I went to the GREATEST MEN’S ROOM in the world!
The picture says it all! While you are standing at the Urinal you are looking out the window at all of Tokyo! Truly amazing!

We then went to back to the same restaurant we had eaten ate on Monday Night.
They were having a gallery opening of new ceramic artists and we all bought a few pieces. We then had another fantastic dinner consuming 4 bowls of Sake. Each bowl was a hand made ceramic pouring bowl, more beautiful then the previous one. As we staggered out, the owner insisted we take her picture and she took ours. It was very friendly.

We made it home and went to bed. Another great day in Tokyo!

Day 13 A Black Label Experience

Over the Internet one of our small band of Tokyo explorers had found a guide that we hired for the day. The plan was that he would take us to various art venues and to show us Tokyo architecture. It turned out to be one of the most surrealistic days of our lives. We have discussed the day over many Sakes and much wine, and we really don’t know what the truth is and what the fiction is. It is clear that our guide was an art hustler. It is also true he knows a lot about Tokyo and is well known in Tokyo. Here is what happened….

He picked us up and we headed out in his vehicle. He quickly informed us he was a Sephardic Jew, who has never eaten any meat or fish or chicken. He then informed us through story after story that he was gay. He then explained his family was from India, moved to Burma and lived in Rangoon, then to China and finally to Japan many years ago. He carries a Japanese passport but is clearly not-racially Japanese. He was born after World War II in Japan. Because of what he claimed was racial prejudice against non-racial Japanese, his parents sent him to India to a top school in the Himalayas. At the school he became friends with a fellow student who was the Prince of the Kingdom of Mustang located near Nepal.

He considers him self an underground art rebel and has according to him, a non-profit art foundation and has established an art investment hedge fund.

We learned all this has he drove us to a part of Tokyo we had never seen. It was all low buildings, much like Kyoto, and what Tokyo must have looked like before it was devastated in the war and rebuilt. We walked through and old Shinto Shrine, went to and exclusive Tea Emporium and then bought rice cookies from a vendor who clearly knew him and knew that the cookies would be given to his dog who loved them. He spoke fluent Japanese and talked to everyone. A gentleman from India walked down the street and our guide turned to him and started an elaborate conversation in Hindi. At the end of the conversation the Indian commented in English how good his Hindi was. Anyone would think he was an American – that is what he looks like, and are surprised when he speaks Japanese. In fact he doesn’t much care for Americans or Japanese.

We have all read Japanese books translated into English that were written by Murakami. We especially liked “Kafka on the Shore”. He related how Murakami has been a friend of his for 30 years. He then said that a major character in the book is him. We realized it was true - his life story is the character in the book. On reflection we don’t know if Murakami modeled the character on our guide, or our guide read the book and adopted the persona of the character of the book.

He talked a lot about his friend, the famous Japanese photographer Nobuyoshi Araki. He talked of their sexual lives, and a strange exploit when they tied a movie camera to his dog and went into whore houses and secretly made movies.

He drove threw the back alleys of Tokyo and clearly understood the winding, twisting narrow streets better then most of the taxi drivers we have used. He then proceeded to ask if we knew the British Expression: Wankers, he then explained it, then said there was a 1920’s Negro Spiritual about them and how wankers weren’t allowed on the train. Soon as we drove through Tokyo, where you never hear a car honk, his windows are down and the car stereo is playing a 1920’s Negro Spiritual about wankers on a train.

We then seemed to drive aimlessly from lunch restaurant to lunch restaurant, all being closed until Ferris declared she wanted Soba Noodles for Lunch. Soon we arrive at one of the oldest Soba Noodle restaurants in Tokyo and are having a great meal. A very strange and wonderful thing happens in this restaurant, as the orders are given, a woman sings the order to the kitchen in beautiful voice. It was really a treat to be there.

We then went to Ueno Royal Buddhist Museum where we visited the Horyo-ji Homotsu-kan. This sleek new gallery contains a selection of priceless treasures donated over the centuries to Nara's Horyu-ji temple . The most eye-catching display comprises 48 gilt-bronze Buddhist statues in various poses, each an island of light in the inky darkness, while there's also an eighth-century Chinese zither and an inkstand said to have been used by Prince Shotoku when annotating the lotus sutra. This was a beautiful museum we certainly wouldn’t have ever seen on our own. We went to several other great museums, he pointed some amazing architecture and took us to several galleries.

He would switch on Armed forces radio and play as we drove through the city streets. Armed forces radio is apparently the only English language radio in Tokyo. It is not to our taste. He was constantly on the phone doing art or real-estate deals or pretending to.

We went to several galleries and saw a lot of art. The wife of a diplomat from the EU stopped us on the street to talk to him.

He declared that because of his childhood friendship with the Prince of Mustang, he was made by the King of Mustang, the Ambassador from Mustang to Japan. He said that he was asked to give a gift to the Emperor of Japan and he flew to India, took another smaller plane that landed in a field. He was given a small horse and rode 5 days to Mustang where he was then given a rug to take back to the Emperor of Japan. He said he went to see the Princess of Mustang, who had an electric cable strung across the ceiling of her home to give the impression of have electricity, yet had bronze lamps hanging from the wire that lit the room with Yack Butter.

He also answered his cell phone “Shabbat Shalom”, although it was Tuesday. He related how his aunt was a platonic lover of James Baldwin and how Jimmy and him were friends. He related how is dog has always kept Kosher. He related that his parents lived in Shanghi and brought their Chinese servants to Japan and that when he went to school in India, his parents sent the Chinese cook (and his dog) with him to make sure he kept Kosher.

He talked and talked, about art, about his friendships with artists, low-lifes and investors and his sex life. He dropped names of everyone. He discussed everyone’s sexuality. He staged parties. He got the Empress of Japan to come to one of his art openings. How his electricity gets turned off because he can’t pay the bills because of his art foundation.

He was maddening to be around. Yet strangely intoxicating. He was racist (against Japanese) and condescending and rude and funny. He speaks in dialects and tells crude jokes. He is a character. We finally collectively decided we couldn’t take him much more and ended our tour about 7:30pm. It was a full day. We are all glad that he was able to show us a part of Tokyo we never would have seen. We drove back to the hotel crossing next to the Tokyo Tower that looks just like the Eiffel Tower, except it is painted orange. It looks great at night. We all went back to the hotel for a drink way up high in our hotel overlooking Tokyo. Cathy and I then went out and found a small Yokatori restaurant located underneath the elevated railroad tracks, where we grilled our own pork and had a Sake. We were ready for bed. We really like Tokyo!

Day 12 from Naha Okinawa to Tokyo Japan

We had breakfast at the hotel and headed out for our flight north to Tokyo. The sky was absolutely clear and I got a good photo of the snow capped Mount Fuji that is so important to the Japanese.

Upon arriving I got in taxi and took our luggage to the Royal Park Shiodome Tower Hotel to check in. It is very hard to find anyplace in Tokyo. There is no rhyme or reason to the addresses. Building numbering is not consecutive and many streets have no name at all. My cab had GPS in it like most cabs yet the cab driver couldn’t find the hotel. He had to stop twice to ask other cab drivers where it was, and then delivered me to the wrong hotel. Eventually we got to out hotel. It has a computer and Internet in the room so I am happy. It is located near the Ginza and lots of shopping. Cathy and fellow shoppers grabbed a separate cab and headed directly to Nuno’s.

After checking in I braved the subway system and made my way to Nuno to meet Cathy. Nuno is a great textile store that sells fabric and finished clothing. In addition they will custom make clothing. I am having a shirt made from fabric we chose it will probably arrive in the states in a month or so.

We then went to the Mori Art Museum. It is on the 52nd floor of the Mori Building. It is a spectacular space, but it was in between shows so it was closed. They do have a walk around the outside of the building called City View where you gaze out on the unending Tokyo spectacular skyline. Think of the density of New York City, spread over the area of Los Angeles. 30 Million people live here.

We then went to the Grand Hyatt and had drinks.

We had asked Betty in Okinawa what restaurant she would recommend. She recommended Kiraku. We decided to go there. Of course our Cab driver couldn’t find it, even with his GPS. I eventually suggested he call the restaurant for detail directions. He needed to do that twice. Eventually we drove down the street and the manger of the restaurant was at curbside flagging us down to tell us we were at the right spot.

The restaurant is in conjunction with small gallery that sells pottery and other things. The shows at the gallery change quite often.

Nothing I saw could do justice to the dinner we had. It was the consensus of the group it was the most elegant dinner we had ever had! To start they brought a tray of Sake Glasses and you got to choose the one that you wanted for the night. The sake was served in a large ceramic bowl that you would pour into your selected cup. We ordered 3 bottles of sake in the course of the night and each time they served the sake in a different ceramic bowl. It was course after course of the most delicious fish, rice, and vegetables and sauces. Each course would be served on a large hand crafted bowl or tray to be shared by two people. Each separate part of each course was then in a separate ceramic bowl. No two bowls were alike, they were all beautiful. The food it self was delicious. We were so blown away that we made reservations to return on Wed. night where they promised us the chief would make a completely different multi course dinner. The entire dinner came to $120 per person, which by Tokyo standards and great dinner standards is reasonable especially considering we had 3 bottles of Sake!

The manager invited us to come early on Wed. night because they are changing the gallery inventory and having an opening party. We will try to attend.

Taxi home and to bed!

Here is Kiraku's web address, if you are ever in Tokyo, you now know one great restaurant to go to!

http://www.spgim.com/kiraku/home/index.html

Day 11 Last Day in Okinawa

We had breakfast in the hotel. We went first to a weaver who showed us many textiles and kimonos which were not for sale because they were part of her collection of old family kimonos. She had sent most of her weavings to an exhibition in Tokyo that we plan to visit. She did have a few beautiful scarves for sale. Cathy purchased a beautiful one that we gave to Nancy as a thank you for her leading the tour. We loved her studio / home. It was in a typical heavy concrete building that they had wonderfully modified. She and her artist husband were very creative and the living space was most appealing.

From there we went to the Shuriji Castle. Naha was the capital of the Ryukyu Empire. Because of its central location on sea routes there were constant wars with China, Japan, Korea, etc. followed by times of peace. Usually they were placed in a position of having to pay tributes to the dominate force. Tribute ships sailed out from Naha. The men were forced to pay tribute in the form of rice; the women were forced to weave Kimonos. The Castle was the home of the Japanese army in World War II and was badly damaged by the US in the battle of Okinawa. It has been reconstructed and is a major cultural center and unifying entity today for the Okinawans.

After the tour of the Castle we went to a favorite Okinawan restaurant of Betty’s. It is modeled after a typical Japanese Zen Monastery and we ate with our legs dangling out over a sand garden. The food was delicious. The Okinawans live longer than anyone else on earth, so maybe eating all of their food we have extended our life a week or two!

From the restaurant we went to the Sunday market. It went on and on, organized like most South East Asia night markets with Food Stalls, Clothing Stalls, etc. We were on a hunt for a SHISHI. They are almost always sold as a pair of animals, one with the mouth open one with the mouth closed. At the beginning of the trip, when we first saw them we thought they were Kitsch; by the end of the trip we realized they are deeply important to the Okinawans, almost every house has at least one. A long search led us to our SHISHI which we will have shipped back home to help guard us from evil spirits and welcome in the good ones.

We then went back to the Hotel. We had lots of drinks with our friends. Dinner was the ever popular buffet at the hotel, then we went to bed prepared for the flight in the morning to Tokyo for 5 days of hustle and bustle.

We all feel a little sad leaving Okinawa. We don’t know when or if we will return, but Okinawa has certainly charmed us. We did a brief survey, no one has ever had a friend that had visited Okinawa. It is very off the tourist track. Even though the US has major military presence there, we had no contact with any US Citizen. In our 11 days we saw one German and at the Castle just a couple of Americans. It would have been impossible to enjoy these islands without the guidance of Betty, who has lived here for 40 years with her husband Gill and devoted herself to understanding the arts and crafts of Okinawa. Her contacts with artists all over Okinawa allowed us a view that few will ever have.

Day 10 Betty Struts Her Stuff

This was an amazing jam packed day. It is very hard to recollect everything we did, especially after all of the Champagne and Wine. We started out at 7:15 with Yoga on the beach overlooking the South China Sea. Then breakfast and out for the day.

We first went to a weaving coop where the Okinawa government has provided the looms and space for weavers to come and produce textiles. They sell them at a separate location. It is a great way for the local government to promote the island traditions.

We then went up in the hills to a location where there are many local artisans who work in various houses and studios up and down the road. The setting is beautiful, very lush. First we went to a master glass blower. We saw his apprentices create bowl and vases under his very strict eye.

We then went to the first of two different potters: Jissei Omine and Shinman Yamada. We purchased two great vessels one from each. I am sure they will look great in our house.

Betty and her husband invited the group to lunch at their beautiful home. It is located overlooking the South China Sea next to a nature preserve; it is totally isolated with an incredible view. The house itself is extraordinary. It took 9 years to get the permits and construction. The major materials of wood and marble were all shipped in via Seattle. The house is a showplace for the wonderful collection of Asian Artworks but more to the point it is a special refuge for them. It took everyone’s breath away. They provided a great lunch for us.

After lunch we went to an amazing weaver: Michiko Uehara. She is dedicated to weaving the lightest possible transparent textiles. She showed us many examples that are all leaving for an expo in Tokyo. She then showed us the piece that blew our minds. It is shown in the picture. It is a shawl that she wove from a SINGLE SILK WORM. It is over 9 feet long (that tells you how much silk a single worm can create). The entire shawl weighs 3 grams! It literally floats in the air. It is unbelievable!

From there we went to a gallery owned by her husband where we met the artist of a series of paintings that are very political dealing with the violence all around us.

From there we went to Reiko Fujimura textile workshop where they work by applying paste and in hand painting then dyeing the cloth, removing the paste, covering what has been painted with paste and painting another color, then re-dyeing. It is very laborious and complicated process that is famous in Okinawa it is called Bingata.

From there we went to a dealer in rare and precious antique Kimonos who also deals in precious pottery. The Kimonos they showed us were made for royal use.

Dinner was next at a French Restaurant. How it wound up on Okinawa I don’t know, but it was good! We had wine, no Sake!

From there we went to a private dance performance by Takako Satoh and explained by her husband Yamuchi. We saw 4 dances 3 of which were traditional and 1 very modern. It was especially nice to see the very formal courtship dance where one of the central motifs was the small cloth that is presented to a beloved, for we had had seen the same type use of the cloth in the most informal of settings drinking sake late at night under the stars on Iromonte Island. This setting in a beautiful modern dance theater was a very special way to end a great day that Betty created for us.

Day 9 Naha Okinawa

Up and breakfast at the hotel buffet. All of the hotels in Japan serve huge breakfast buffets both American style food and Japanese. We then left for our first visit.

We went to meet Taira Toshiko the woman whose face you see in the picture. She is 85 and has been designated “A Living National Treasure”. She has a weaving studio where every aspect of weaving is completed from creation of the thread to the weaving of the final product. She has taught many people from Okinawa to be weavers and has preserved the art. When she dies a part of the Okinawa tradition will depart with her. Although she has people that can do part of the process she is the only one that knows it all. As you might know, the residents of Okinawa live longer than any other people on earth. Know one knows exactly why, diet, lack of stress, genes, whatever, however when you see the faces of these old weavers, you can’t help but wonder if keeping the traditions alive have something to do with it.

From there we went to visit Maeshiro Okishage. He showed us his finished textiles, beautiful kimono’s and pieces of fabrics. He created many pieces and showed us ones created by his mother and father. His son is now working there and will carry on the tradition.

A bit of history. In World War II, Okinawa was virtually destroyed. Over half of the buildings were flattened. The population was displaced. Today, the US Armed services have bases covering 20% of the island. Surprisingly, where we have been we see no sign of the US presence and almost no non-Japanese.

At the end of the Maeshiro presentation of his collection of Kimonos he then presented the gray one you see on the table in the picture. He then related the story of the Kimono. In 1946 his father who was a weaver wanted to return to weaving. However, he like everyone else was very poor. He took Army rope apart strand by strand for use as thread for the warp (the length of the loom). He then took socks apart using the thread of the sox for the weft of the loom (the width of the loom). To dye the threads he used the following, cause they were so poor: for the grey and black he soaked carbon paper (this was pre-xerox) and used the carbon that came off of the paper. For yellow he ground up malaria pills which were yellow. For the red he used lipstick. He then created the kimono that you see. He said his father just needed to return to weaving and use his hands after the war. It took our breaths away to hear him tell the story (he only spoke Japanese of course, and it was translated for us).

We then were driven way up in the mountains to a little inn for coffee. It was an amazingly beautiful spot. Almost every house and building in Okinawa are protected by twin statues of a mythical creature. One of the statues has their mouth open the other has their mouth closed. One his to ward off bad things the other to gather in good things. Many of the houses have multiple statues, even some attached to the roof, we saw them everywhere. It is an Okinawa thing. The picture shown in this blog is kind of cute one, don’t you think?

We then went to the Okinawa Aquarium. I didn’t expect much, aquariums aren’t high on my list of must sees. I guess I forgot we were on an island surrounded by the East China Sea. This was a fishing culture, they take their fish seriously and have created a wonderful Aquarium, full of amazing creatures of the sea. Everyone really enjoyed it. Lucky we didn’t then go out for dinner for Sushi!

We did go out to dinner at a major resort hotel: The Busena Terrace Beach Hotel. It is gorgeous. The G-8 Summit (The presidents of the major countries) was held a few years ago here, with Bill Clinton (ah for the good old days), and the other Presidents and Prime Ministers. They picked a great hotel! We would have stayed there, but it is actually in a secluded area away from where we want to be. If you are ever in Okinawa, this is the place to stay! We all realized that we have never heard of anyone ever vacationing in Okinawa, but it is VERY nice, especially if you have a guide that can get you into these amazing places.

We then went back to the hotel and wound up the night by have two masseuses come to our room and we had great massages (our first of the trip).

Day 8 From Iromonte to Naha Okinawa

Day 8

It rained during the night. In the morning we got up and did Yoga and Tai Chi on the lawn overlooking the South China Sea. It seemed appropriate. We then had breakfast and left for the ferry to return us from Iromonte Island. The ferry was a local, and made a stop at another island before eventually arriving back in Ishigaki.

When we arrived we went on a pilgrimage for Ishigaki Gelato. The Gelato was exceptionally good. I am glad we went there. They had very unusual flavors, as you would expect the Japanese to have. Seaweed Gelato, Sea Salt Gelato, Dark Cane Sugar Gelato, Hibiscus Gelato etc. We all enjoyed the Gelato. From there we drove to the airport and a farewell to the island of Ishigaki.

We landed in Naha the capital of Okinawa. The island has a major US Armed Forces presence, and is not particularly charming. We went to a weaver who has been declared as the Japanese do, A Living Cultural Treasure. She is very old and ill, and we were greeted by her stepson who showed us through the weaving center.

From there we drove away from Naha along the East China Sea. The area is reminded us of driving along the Pacific Coast Highway. The homes and restaurants and stores all were far nicer than in Naha. This was definitely a nice area.

We then went to a spectacular store that sold Kimono fabrics and pottery. The quality of the Kimono fabric was amazing, the material alone for a Kimono could easily run $10,000. The gallery was located high on a hill side over looking the South China Sea, and was gorgeous: marbled floored room, Beautiful Teak Floors in other rooms and soaring ceilings. We all would have been happy to live there.

From there we drove to our hotel. A giant Renaissance Hotel. It is right on the beach and would be perfect except: NO INTERNET in the room, no way to BLOG! So if you are reading this it ain’t from the hotel! I thought the Japanese we way advanced in Telecommunications, but I now have my doubts.

We checked in, had a drink at the bar and headed out for dinner. It was a multiple course Japanese dinner, accompanied by the local Sake. This is a high proof Sake, more like Vodka then wine. Several glasses later we decided it a very high ration of drink to buzz.

Cabs back to the Hotel and to bed.

Day 7 Iromonte Island

This Blog has been delayed a day because we are now on Iriomote where the Internet is unavailable!

We checked out of our hotel on Ishigaki Island and headed for ferry to Iriomote Island. This is another small island, part of Okinawa set in the South China Sea.

When we arrived we went to visit Ishigaki Akiko. She and her husband Kinsel farm a type of Banana plant that is used in this culture to weave into cloth. Kinsel’s family has lived on the island for 500 years and he is an activist trying to preserve the island culture. He speaks a local island language that none of interpreters could understand, Ishigaki is instrumental in reviving the weaving industry on the island.

We saw the Banana Trees, Kinsel then cut some of the trees down and scraped the trunk to get the natural fiber that can then be processed and used as a very strong thread. We went into the fields to see them do this. We then saw a demonstration of how they use other plants they grow to create an indigo dye for the textiles woven from the threads of the banana tree.

We then shopped for the finished scarves and other products woven on the premises. Cathy was wearing a tee-shirt with Japanese writing that she had purchased in Los Angeles. Akiko saw the tee shirt and liked it. One of the apprentices who had come to train in this ancient weaving process, and Cathy gave the tee shirt to her on the spot. Ferris then lent Cathy a shirt to wear, however the apprentice then gave Cathy a blouse that had locally woven. Cathy’s good deed was quick to come back to her.

It was about noon and getting very hot and humid. We all went for a walk and wound up at a very good Japanese restaurant. We then walked to the local Weaving center where I purchased a great obi (woven belt - and was given instructions on how to tie it).

From there we went on a river boat ride up the Iromonte River. The river is surrounded by lush jungle. There appears to be no planting of rice or other crops or fishing going on. It is just the river and nature. Iromonte is the world’s only home to a rare specie of wild jungle cat. It is the logo of the island. We never spotted one.

We returned from the boat ride very hot and sticky. The hotel we are staying at is on the ocean. So it was cold beer and a swim in the warm ocean water.

More beer and then dinner. For dinner I had donated a bottle of Sake that I had brought with me from Kyoto. I had been carrying it, hoping not to break it, all of the way and tonight was the night we drank the bottle. I had this particular Sake on our last trip to Japan and been looking for it the United States. I never found it in the states. It was as good as I remembered!

After the dinner, Akiko and her husband Kinsel had come to the hotel and were sitting in the dark by the ocean on the grass drinking sake waiting for us. He insisted we sit in a circle as he did as boy with his friends, and he sang Island songs for us while playing the Samisen Japanese guitar. He then explained how when he was a young the youth did this every night. They would have a small cloth with them. Each person would take the cloth and would have to get up and dance to the song. They would then give the cloth to the next person and then they would have to dance. That was how they would get to meet each other. So following the tradition, we all took our turn dancing like idiots who drank too much sake, while hearing the ocean waves and seeing the lighting in the sky. We had repeated the island custom. It was very nice!

Tomorrow we ferry back to Ishigaki, fly to Naha, the capital of the Okinawa Islands which is located on the Island of Okinawa.

Day 6 Taketomi Island

We left the hotel and headed to a dealer in Okinawa textiles. She had lots of old kimonos made locally and other garments. We tore the place apart looking at them. Cathy bought a beautiful Kimono and Obi (the sash that goes with a Kimono).

After shopping we all went to see where black pearls are cultivated. Then to Mikimoto store where thankfully we didn’t do any shopping. The store is right on Kibira Bay where the pearls are cultivated. We walked to a wonderful French restaurant (who knew?) called Auberge Kabira and had a delicious big lunch, with amazingly bread! In Japan!

We then visited a local weaver, Arakaiki, Sachiko, where who showed us many examples of the ancient patterns that she has revived. One of the most interesting things to me, was to see the artist, go into her back yard pick a rami plant (this is big leafy plant), strip it and be able to actually pull the natural fibers from it that are then used to weave textiles. The cloth made of rami and banana fibers is suitable for the hot and humid climate of the islands.

From there, we went took a ferry to the island of Taketomi. Actually our ferry departed without us, we were lined up at the wrong boat. When we realized what had happened, we all went into an instant funk, then a very Okinawa thing happened. Somehow the ferry that had left the dock realized we were confused, the captain turned the ferry around and came back to retrieve us. I can’t picture this happening anywhere else!

Taketomi, located in the East China Sea, is not far from Ishigaki and Taiwan. It has a population of about 500 people living on it and they are devoted to maintaining the crafts of their ancestors. The weaving industry still thrives creating textiles with specific local designs. They have created a great weaving center: The Minsa Weaving Center, and they were very generous in explaining the local weavings. We thought we had seen and used by this time almost every imaginable type of public transportation, however on Taketomi Island we saw the local ox drawn wagons that are used. The streets (like all of Japan) are immaculate; however one very unusual feature was most of the houses had red tile roofs and walls around them built from the local coral. It is amazing, the walls are created without mortar.

We returned by ferry to the Island of Ishigaki and went to a small restaurant for an Itialian dinner (we had wine - not Sake). Returning to the Hotel at the bar I finally was able to order the Mango Liqueur that I had seen. I had never had it before and I wanted to try it. It was good.

It happens that today is the 30th anniversary of the return of Okinawa from American control back to the Japanese. The Japanese government is trying to change the constitution to allow for Japan to have a regular Army, they are currently prohibited from it under the constitution developed by Douglas McArthur. Our local guide’s friend, Yamazato Setsuko, a local political and environmental activist, created a wonderful Japanese lantern in preparation for a rally by the local citizenry against the proposed constitutional change. She is a great activist and very much into ecology and other local issues. Interestingly, although Okinawa is part of Japan they don’t feel Japanese, they have strong Okinawa emotions. In fact, more than a resident of Okinawa, she feels she is an islander and her identity is with Yaeyama and her fellow islanders.

At the end of the day, just before she was leaving for the peace march, she sang songs of peace and friendship for us, in front of the restaurant. She then quietly told of how 4 of her family members were killed in World War II. It was very touching.

Day 5 from Naoshima to Ishigaki

This was an exhausting day. We slept with our drapes open so that we could see that magnificent view when we awakened. We both woke up about 5:30 and enjoyed the view. We had breakfast and then began our journey by to the south of Japan.

A van took us to the jetty where we caught a private ferry that took us to Uno Train Station. We took a total of 4 different trains from a Bullet Train to a small local train that took us to the airport at Osaka. We had lunch at the airport and then flew South to Naha, Okinawa. We transferred to a different plane and flew to the island of Ishigaki. This is rural island, that is part of Okinawa. From there we were driven to our hotel. This trip took as long as the trip from Los Angeles to Japan!

The weather is hot, humid and tropical. Lots of sugar cane, banana, pineapples and Mangos. Orchids are everywhere. We visited one store, met an artist and walked around briefly and were taken to a 10 course Japanese dinner with lots of Sake.