Alex in motion

Koka is a small town that most tourists skip, but I wanted to go since it’s also known as “ninja town”. Unknowingly, there was a ninja festival while I was there, which was an extra bonus. There weren’t any apparent celebrations with parades or floats, but there were stuffed ninja placed around the village, hiding from the casual observer.

Growing up, I loved ninja, believing they were very proficient assassins, using techniques and strategies beyond their time. I learned this was true, and much more. My first stop was a ninja-themed amusement park for kids. Although no one spoke English, and all the demonstrations where in Japanese, Google Translate was able to bridge the communication gap when needed.

I learned a ninja’s home was full of traps, secret doors and passages, hiding spots and concealed compartments. For example, if an intruder entered the home, there was a concealed pit that caused them to fall and damage or break their shin. Once inside, the ninja could evade attackers by hiding in fake ceilings, or behind fake walls that opened differently than typical sliding doors. Basement tunnels and hidden escape passages allowed the ninja to flee quickly. Weapons could be concealed in floorboards designed for quick releases. In essence, you really didn’t want to invade a ninja’s home.

The second visit was a ninja museum, where I discovered even more about these incredible people. For example, a common misconception about ninja is they wore black, while in fact their outfits were dark blue. This made it easier to hide at night when it wasn’t completely dark. They had a vast array of weapons and tools, from special nails for locking sliding doors, to pick-locks for opening sliding doors, to special wooden shoes that allowed them to walk on mud. I was able to practice throwing the shuriken, the throwing star; after several dozen attempts, I started to be fairly accurate. These weapons were normally used for close range assassinations and poisoned, but they didn’t sell any poison 🙁

Aside from physical training and learning weaponry, ninja developed strong memories to save and recall secrets, sometimes cutting themselves while reciting the secret to link the pain to the memory. They usually blended well with villagers, pretended to be farmers or artists, using tools that could be quickly altered to become weapons.

In short, ninja were everything I thought they were and more.

Nara is a small and cute town, famous for its deer park, where you can hand feed gentle deer, the 2nd tallest Buddha statue in Japan (15 meters), and an assortment of beautiful temples and shrines.

I met some Americans living in Switzerland on the train ride from Osaka to Nara, and we ended up spending the afternoon together, feeding deer and admiring the temples. Once they left, I lingered to enjoy the park and take more pictures as the sun dipped beyond the horizon.

While roaming around looking for a place for dinner that evening, I randomly stumbled across a Michelin rated restaurant. I entered, and asked for a menu. The chef, standing in what looked to be his open-concept kitchen next to a counter that could sit only 10 people, spoke very little English. One of the patrons, a friendly woman named Mao, cheerfully offered to act as a translator and invited me to join them. She explained the place offered a 16 course meal, each course comprising of a little brochette with either fish, vegetables, beef or egg. The place had a warm feeling, and the hospitality of the chef and Mao were too welcoming to decline, so I had a seat.

Most courses were tempura, cooked in a special oil. The chef presented each dish in Japanese while Mao diligently translated. Some were to be eaten directly, while others were to be complimented with soy sauce or green tea salt. It ended up being one of the best meals I’ve tasted to date, and at a reasonable price.

I’ve been negligent with recent activity because I have been completely enthralled by Japan. It’s already been 12 days, and each day is filled with wonder, puzzles, delicious food and beauty.

It was very important to be in Japan in early April, for the cherry blossoms, and they are more beautiful than I imagined. The most common variety is mostly white with a pinkish center. But let’s step back for a moment.

Upon arriving in Japan from Nepal, the immigration officer looked at all my stamps for the last 6 months and ushered me to a side room to examine my belongings. He was looking for contraband, as Nepal is notorious for weed and hash. Two officers went through everything, and I mean everything – opening every zipper, unraveling every sock, asking what each piece of technology does. I was patient and smiled the entire time, knowing there was nothing to fear. Through the process, they kept apologizing, and even complimented on how well my backpack was packed. I chuckled, thinking there’s no reason for them to apologize for doing their job!

Here are my first impressions of Osaka, and Japan in general, since the culture shock was formidable:

• Japanese are extremely respectful and polite. I’ve seen restaurant staff bow while I was crossing the street, even though I never ate there. They also apologize for everything (see above for example)
• Cities are super clean, especially compared to where I’ve been for the last several months. Despite the cleanliness, you’re always hard pressed to find a garbage can. It’s though they are allergic to them, so you need to carry your trash until you discover one hiding in a corner.
• Everything is really well organized. It might take a few minutes to determine how things work, but then you usually end up saying, “well, that makes sense!”
  • Example 1, when the elevator door begins to close, the “open door” button starts to flash, so you quickly know which one to press in case someone is running for the elevator.
  • Example 2, when buying a single ride for the subway, you can choose the amount to pay. The screen doesn’t tell you how much you should pay, so I obviously chose the smallest amount for the first time. When exiting the subway, you need to insert your ticket into the carousel. It sensed an error and tried to close, but I was faster than it was. The second time I tried this, the ticket-booth guy stopped me and guided me to a “ticket adjustment” kiosk, indicating I needed to pay more and introduced the machine to pay the missing amount. Then he pointed to a HUGE map above my head which displayed how much you’re supposed to pay based on where you are and where you’re going.
• The infrastructure is extremely well setup for blind and disabled people. On the sidewalk, there are yellow tiles with long ridges, allowing people with canes to navigate a path without bumping into anything. Each time there’s a turn, some stairs or a slope, there’s a different type of tile. Despite the fact that I’ve only seen 2 blind people in the last 12 days, I’m impressed.
• There are streets in each city that are dedicated for shopping and you can find anything and everything in these places. One common sight are arcades, and the occupants are mostly middle aged men. It’s quite a sight.
• Hotels are expensive, but there’s a type of place that’s really cheap – capsule hotels. For about $30 CAD, you stay in a dormitory room, but with a small personal space with screen door, and a bunk bed. Showers and toilets are usually on another floor, but sinks are available on each floor. It’s perfect for a solo traveler that doesn’t require many facilities.

Lastly, and most importantly, Japan has the best toilets on the planet. There are dozens of articles about the superiority of these devices, and it took a single usage to become a lifetime fan. I’ve even contemplated buying one and shipping it to Canada, because I never want to use a “normal” toilet again – it’s barbaric by comparison.

What makes a Japanese toilet so awesome?

1. The seat is heated, making it much more pleasant to sit on
2. Some models have a button to raise the seat, for men
3. Some models do a courtesy flush before you sit
4. Some models play music to mask any unpleasant noises
5. When you’re done, men push the spray button while women push the bidet button. Either way, a warm jet of water splashes the appropriate region. When done, you use a single sheet of toilet paper to dry off – rubbing a dry piece paper on your body doesn’t make you clean!
6. Some models automatically flush when you stand up

People spend thousands of dollars on a comfortable mattress but completely neglect another daily ritual. Not me, not any longer. I plan to pick up one of these babies as soon as I get home.