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Japan’s Three Thriving Cities

By Anthony Mastracchio

There are two myths about Japan, which I would like to clarify. One is that Japan and the Japanese are aloof and distant. This is totally false. The Japanese people and Japan itself is extremely visitor friendly. Japan loves having visitors and Japanese people will go out of their way to make a visitor feel welcome.

The second myth is that Japan is expensive. It is for US citizens traveling with dollars, but the truth is Japan is really no more expensive than anywhere else in the world. It is just that the dollar does not trade well with the Japanese yen. A thousand yen is about $10 so a 600 yen bowl of noodles is $6.

This exchange rate should not deter Americans from visiting.  Japan is worth the visit and if you are lucky enough to fly American Airlines Business Class then you are in for a treat before your journey even begins. Flying to Japan is a fairly long voyage all things considered and AA makes the flight fun.

My trip took me from Los Angeles to Tokyo Narita Airport and was about 12 hours.  We left LAX at night and arrived in Tokyo the following afternoon. My first impression of Tokyo, with its neon lit buildings was that I had just stepped into a video game. Tokyo is a large sprawling mega city, with tall glass skyscrapers.

The people move at an incredible pace. The Japan Rail system is one of the best in the world, but it moves fast and you need to be on time and quick to keep up. A few times I was almost left standing on the platform because I did not get my luggage or myself on the train fast enough.

My hotel in Tokyo was the Hotel Seiyo Ginza, which is within walking distance of the Tokyo Station. Hotel Seiyo Ginza is a Rosewood Hotel property. Since its founding in 1979 Rosewood has bestowed on each of their properties a one of a kind ambiance and feel.

To quote Rosewood, “At Rosewood, each and every hotel and resort evinces a sense of its location’s culture, history and geography in combination with exceptional service and incredible attention to detail.”

My most memorable experience was when Mr. Lloyd Nakano, Managing Director of Hotel Seiyo Ginza, took myself and three other journalists to the Tsukiji Fish Market at 6.00 a.m. for breakfast. The fish market is amazing and I could not have imagined there was this much fish in the ocean. The market went on and on for what looked like 10 city blocks. There was every fish imaginable for sale and it is here that the storeowners, restaurant owners and chefs come to buy the fish, which they in turn sell to consumers. The fish market is open to the public, but you must be willing to buy in large quantities.

We had breakfast at a local sushi place, which Mr. Nakano knew of and the sushi was fabulous. There is nothing like sushi and warm saki at 7.00 a.m. to start your day!

That afternoon I had a very nice lunch with Mr. Takeshi Maeshiro, Senior Sales Manager of Hotel Keio Plaza Intercontinental Tokyo. After lunch I had a guided tour of Tokyo with my guide Mr. Yasuhiko Maeno. He took me to the Meiji Jingu Shrine and the Omotesando Shopping area. He showed me one of the landmarks of Tokyo - Roppongi Hills complex with the Mori Art Museum and Tokyo City View Observatory.

The next day Mr. Maeno took me to Sensoji Temple, where I enjoyed the downtown atmosphere, Kappabashi Street, where many wholesalers sell their wares and Chidorigafuchi Park where I would have seen the cherry blossoms had they not been late.

Dinner that evening was at the Park Hyatt Hotel where my host Ms. Karina Shima confided that this was the hotel where the movie “Lost in Translation” was filmed.

After a few days in Tokyo I was on to Hamamatsu, the largest city in Shizuoka Prefecture.  Its three major industries are musical instruments, motorcycles and textiles and such companies as Yamaha Corporation, Honda Motor Co. and Suzuki Motor Co. make their home here.

Hamamatsu is also very beautiful for its climate is mild, it is on a lake and the mountains including Mt. Fuji frame its background. Hamamatsu is comfortable hosting the business or recreational traveler and making it the “best of both worlds.” In fact, the name Hamamatsu means pine beach.

I met my guide, Mr. Kenji Tanaka of Hamamatsu Convention & Visitors Bureau at Hamamatsu Station and the first place he took me was to Act City Hamamatsu

Observatory for an overview of Hamamatsu City. After that we transferred to Kanzanji Onsen Hot Springs where I enjoyed a nice view of the ocean and Hamamatsu Lake along the way. At the Kanzanji Onsen Hot Springs we had a “tea break” and lunch.

After lunch we took the Ropeway Ride where I had a panoramic view of the Hamamtsu Lake then took a bird watching cruise at Hamamatsu Lake.

The following day Mr. Tanaka took me to Hamamatsu Castle Park for a lovely tea ceremony after which it was back to Hamamatsu Station and my visit to the “musical city” of Hamamatsu was over.

My final stop was in Kyoto, which turned out to be a very magical city. The hills in the distance were almost purple in color. The city of Kyoto is over 1,200 years old and for 1,100 of those years Kyoto was the imperial capital of Japan.

The original name for Kyoto was Heiahkyo – “Capital of Peace.” Today Kyoto is a thriving modern city and is the seventh largest in Japan. Kyoto is truly the cultural heart of Japan.

When I arrived in Kyoto Station Ms. Shiho Ikeuchi, International Marketing Manager of Hotel Granvia Kyoto met me. The Hotel Granvia is very centrally located and is a magnificent property.

The first place I visited in Kyoto was Kiyomizu Temple, which is a world cultural heritage site. Next we visited the Heian Shrine another shooting location for “Lost in Translation.” Then it was off to Kodaiji Temple where I finally saw the cherry blossoms in full bloom. That evening I was taken to the Gion Corner Theater where I saw a traditional Japanese performance of a Maiko Dance. After the performance we were treated to a traditional tea ceremony.

The next morning I visited a Japanese Traditional Sweet Restaurant and then to Kinkakuji Temple another world cultural heritage site. Lastly I visited the Arashiyama area. By now the cherry blossoms were in full bloom and the cherry blossom festivals were being celebrated. People celebrate the cherry blossoms by bringing picnic lunches to the parks and spending the day with family and friends.

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