Tokyo easily encompasses scintillating and glitzy high-rises with ancient temples and beautiful gardens, without losing vibrant vibe and seductive charm.
Word History: The names of Japan's former and current capitals, Kyoto and Tokyo, appear to us to be made up of the same two elements reversed, but in fact they have only one element in common. The elements of Tō-kyō are old borrowings from Middle Chinese: tō means “east” and kyō means “capital,” so together they mean “east(ern) capital.” Chinese has another word for “capital,” pronounced dū, whose Middle Chinese ancestor was borrowed into Japanese asto, “capital, large city.” This is found in the name Kyoto, which was Japan's capital from 794 to 1192. The first part of Kyōto, kyō, is in fact the same word for “capital” found in Tokyo. Kyōto thus means “capital city.”
Location: The capital and largest city of Japan, in east-central Honshu on Tokyo Bay, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean. Founded in the 1100s as Edo, the city was renamed Tokyo when it became the imperial capital in 1868. Much of the city was destroyed by an earthquake in 1923 and by bombing raids during World War II.x
The long avenue leading to the main shrine of Senso-ji Buddhist temple. Photo: Mail Today
A HUNDRED aromas wafted from both sides of the little street, most of them alien but enticing nevertheless. There were distinctly sweet smells, from cookies, pastries, sticky sweets, puddings and a myriad other things, as well as from fried and mildly savoury things. At the entrance to the street was a huge oriental gate, painted bright reddish orange, indicating the presence of a temple. But never had the path to a temple been laid with so many temptations. However, it was all par for the course at Asakusa in Tokyo.
A district in downtown Tokyo, Asakusa was popular for its 7th century Senso-ji Buddhist temple, the oldest and probably the most significant in the Japanese scheme of things. In contrast to Tokyo's image as a densely packed urban metropolis with high rises competing with each other, the temple complex was spread out and quite spacious. The entry to it was through a massive gateway called Kaminarimon or Thunder Gate from which hung a gigantic paper lantern. The gate was adorned with Shinto and Buddhist gods dealing with wind and thunder.
But once I had passed under it, I was engulfed in an array of aromas. Called the Nakamise-dori, it was a long avenue leading to the main shrine but everything was far too distracting. When I could pull myself away from the enticing smells, I noticed there were also shops selling colourful kimonos, paper fans, masks, souvenirs, candles and a hundred other things. But further ahead, there were also illustrations describing the history of the temple, especially the legend of the Kanon (Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva) statue being found in the Sumida river by two fishermen in 628 AD .
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A second gate stood at the end of the Nakamise-dori, much more elaborate and ornamental than the Kaminarimon. Called the Hozomon, or Treasure Gate it had two massive and intimidating statues of Nio, Buddha's guardian deities. Within, a large courtyard opened out, in which stood a fivestoreyed pagoda but more imposing was the sprawling hall housing the Kanon statue. In the centre of the courtyard stood a large metallic cauldron filled with burning incense sticks offered by the devout. Thick, fragrant smoke billowed from the cauldron and a light haze hung in the air, making everything a bit surreal. Inside the main hall, the doorway to which was festooned with a massive red lantern, the Kanon statue was enclosed within a gate and shone golden and brilliant.
While the courtyard and the temple swirled with tourists, a few metres away from the main hall stood a smaller compound with a less ostentatious Shinto shrine dedicated to the three people who founded the Senso-ji temple. Called the Sanja-sama (shrine of the three gods), it was almost deserted while the prayers, wishes and hopes of countless people (ema, prayer notes) mounted on a large wooden frame rustled in the wind by the side.
Hasedera temple sits on a hillock surrounded by beautiful gardens and water bodies. Photo: Mail Today
I wandered around the Ginza area in the evening and was mesmerised. Tall buildings, built beautifully and done aesthetically, reached up to the sky. They were lit in an array of lights that twinkled like a magical landscape. From designer boutiques to chic automobile showrooms, from global brands to homegrown names, from glitzy pubs and restaurants to cosy cafes, there was everything here. Amidst this, traffic flowed unrelentingly on the streets and pavements heaved with people. A sudden light drizzle prompted me to duck into a lovely sushi restaurant for dinner, before retiring for the night.
The next morning, an hour's journey south of Tokyo took me to the ancient city of Kamakura located in the Sagami Bay on the Pacific Ocean. Much calmer than Tokyo, Kamakura was the former political capital of Japan during the 12th century. It declined in the mid 14th century when the capital was moved to Tokyo and reverted to a bustling city in the mid 20th century. It was a bit of a sprawl, but some of the old glory of Kamakura was still evident from the fantastic temples and shrines, more than 80 of them, that dotted the cityscape of Kamakura. Towards the Southern part of the city was possibly one of the most important, Hasedera temple. It sat on a hillock surrounded by beautiful gardens and water bodies and had a massive wooden statue dedicated to Kanon. All over the grounds of the temple were statues of various sizes of jizo, the adorable deity considered to be the patron deity.
All over the grounds of the temple are statues of various sizes of jizo, the adorable deity. Photo: Mail Today
However, Kamakura's iconic symbol was Daibutsu, the gigantic bronze Buddha at Kotoku-in, rising over 13 metres metres. It was hollow and sat exposed to the elements on a pedestal and yet exuded a profound sense of peace and serenity. It inevitably brought to mind snatches from Rudyard Kipling's long poem Buddha at Kamakura. "To him the Way, the Law, Apart,/Whom Maya held beneath her heart,/Ananda's Lord the Bodhisat,?/The Buddha of Kamakura." It seemed like an apt note to end the trip.
Daibutsu, the gigantic bronze Buddha in Kamakura. Photo: Mail Today
FACT FILE
HOW TO REACH: Delhi and Mumbai have direct flights to Tokyo; other metros have convenient connections through code-share partners.
WHERE TO STAY: Tokyo is densely populated and space is a premium, but there are plenty of accommodation options including quirky capsule hotels, though places like Remm Hibiya (http://www-a.global.hankyuhotel. com/remm-hibiya/) near Ginza offer decent accommodation and is within easy walking distance of the centre part of the city.
KNOW THIS: Public transport is excellent and easy to use in Tokyo and both Asakusa and Kamakura can be accessed through the network. Buy a top-up card like Pasmo and use kiosks to add currency.
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