Where Old Meets New

One of the most fascinating things about Japan for me thus far has been the fusion of both old and new elements of culture. Here, wearing a traditional kimono on a subway while simultaneously listening to an iPod and eating a Big Mac is considered far from a cultural contradiction. In Japan, the land of contradictions, it's quite normal. Before arriving in the Land of the Rising Sun, I had thought that such opposite aspects of culture would be more like oil and water—completely ceasing to mix. As each day passes here, parts of Japan's old and new culture (such as this photo I took of a woman in formal dress on a subway—yes, I know I'm creepy) continually flash in front of me and I have only come to realize that this intricate balance is what makes Japan's culture so unique. Instead of seeing the country's old and new culture as oil and water, I now see it as spilled gas on wet pavement—it's a rainbow and the beauty can only be appreciated if it’s seen at a precise angle.

After a long debate about what to do on our day off (a trip to the hot springs in Wakayama or a historic castle tour), Scott and I decided to make the trek to the famous Himeji Castle in Hyogo Prefecture. About an hour west of Osaka by train, the castle, also known as "The White Heron" because of its pristine and white exterior, is nestled in the small city of Himeji and gets billions of visitors each year. If you've seen "The Last Samurai," you probably recognize the castle from the movie. Portions of the movie were actually shot on location using artificial snow (and I only know this because of Wikipedia). It's also the most famous castle in Japan!

The elaborate plans for Himeji's constructed date back to 1331 whereas the actual construction began in 1333-46. During the Battle of Sekigahara, the structure was completely demolished and was rebuilt in 1580. In 1601, the castle went through an elaborate nine-year expansion because it had been badly demolished in various wars of the Muromachi period. When the expansion was complete, Himeji included eighty-two wooden buildings and was the size it is today. Good old Wikipedia also informed me that the castle was bombed during the Second World War and while the surrounding area was burnt to a crisp, the castle remained untouched. I kind of feel like I'm back in university writing a history paper or something...so I'll stop rambling with the boring stuff!

It took me and Scott about two hours to walk through the entire castle and it was quite the labyrinth, but very beautiful and kept in tip-top shape nonetheless. We later found out that it was purposefully constructed this way to confuse attackers—makes sense! You would have never guessed the wooden floors were as ancient as they were because there wasn't a scratch in sight. As you may already know, the Japanese take their shoes off when entering certain buildings. We had to remove our footwear and carry our shoes around in plastic bags while we toured the castle. Most of you know I hate wearing socks, but I just happened to be wearing them that day (probably a good thing)! Lots of artefacts were displayed throughout the interior including warrior apparel, weapons, and even ancient flip-flops! They looked just like a pair that I had a couple of summers ago (remember our beat-up straw flip-flops that we refused to throw away, Kristin?) When we were finished going through the interior, we had to put our shoes back on and return the plastic bags to a bin. The staff promptly re-folded them and placed them in a neat pile, ready for the next visitors.

While I was at the castle, I didn't really feel like I was in Japan. I kept telling Scott "I feel like I'm in Greece or something" because the white exterior reminded me of stucco and ornate details on the roof reminded me of something else un-Japanese. Anyway, we got lots of pictures to share, so enjoy!

We're pretty excited about our upcoming adventures. This Friday is a national holiday so we're going to Universal Studios Japan with two of our friends and are really looking forward to it. Some good theme park action is just what I need. Every Thursday, I pass a theme park on my way to work. I always look out the train window and the endless string of roller coasters and rides seem to be coaxing me to get off a stop early and buy an admission pass instead of going to work. A nice thought, isn’t it? This week, I’ll hopefully get my fill of thrill at Universal Studios! We've also been talking about a weekend trip to Tokyo in January and a six-day trip to Thailand in February. We'll keep you posted!

Hope all is well. We miss you!

xoxo

Jo & Scott