The Art of Japanese Junketing

Like any normal gaijin, I've had my share of Japanese junkets. My latest "junket collection" was an invitation - "selection" might be the proper word - to a promotional campaign by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Perhaps I was part of Shintaro Ishihara's attempt to brainwash the gaijin, but I "survived." Now, let me write about this "word-of-mouth" campaign kuno.

The date was January 22, 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. At 8:50 a.m. I arrived in Shinjuku, the meeting place, just in time to take a close look at my fellow "junketeers." Majority, I noticed, were Chinese, and so this might be Ishihara's response to China's "cold policy, hot economy" attitude towards Japan. No problem with that. Already, I could imagine myself standing in the corners of Binondo or the eskinitas of Divisoria trying to decipher Chinese. Then I concentrated on harnessing my tatemae skills for the day.

9:20 a.m. The bus started rolling on the dot. This is Japan, so nothing is new. Outside, I can observe people struggling with the cold weather and Shinjuku's homeless people still crouched in their blankets. The guides from JTB Travel and the bureaucrats from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government made their well-rehearsed introduction and Japanese bow.

The first stop, not surprisingly, was Imperial Palace - the residential castle of the Tokugawa Shogunate and later of Emperor Meiji and his descendants that include Princess Aiko. Truth is, it was my first time to step into this lucid - some say sacred - symbol of Japanese nationhood. The palace ground high above sea level and used to be close to the sea, indicating that much of what is now Tokyo is reclaimed land (and therefore vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunami). The houses surrounding the Imperial Court, the guide explained, are closely cluttered around the shogun's castle.

I started a short conversation with one of the government staff accompanying us, but he seems more concerned in playing his imagined role as a "policeman" than answering questions from a gaijin, and so I cut it short. I instead took photos with my disposable camera (some of them might be photos of a lifetime) and got to know my fellow "tourists." I got myself into a conversation with an interesting American named Elizabeth who gave me a cute ballpen as souvenir. Americans, no matter how you disagree with their government and their President, are usually easier to talk with.

Next stop was Sensoji Temple, also known as "Asakusa Kannon" and one of the oldest temples in Tokyo. Frankly, I can't find any tourism significance on the temple, except that it represents old Japan; though find it more significant as a place to meditate and to worship. We were guided through the Niten Gate, which, according to our guide, is the temple's oldest gate. I also learned that the camera and copier brand "Canon" actually derived its name from this temple. The Asakusa area, we were told, has the moniker of Tokyo's "Bermuda Triangle," as people are used to going around and getting lost in the area.

Walking around Asakusa, I came across an impromptu performance by the famous kabuki actor Kankuro Nakamura and his sons Kantaro and Shinchinosuke, with so many people coming to watch - siyempre, libre. I made my own osyoso, and right then and there I became a kabuki fan, instantly admiring the "surreal perfection" of the performance. From a distance, Kankuro-san looked like a perfect ningyo (Japanese dolls) and moved perfectly like a ghost. So this is the art of kabuki.

Lunch was at a nearby restaurant wherein we were served "Fukagawa Obento." This is "Fukugawa" rice (Fukagawa is a place near Tokyo famous for its special rice), and an ulam of sushi, saba, veggies, miso soup, and chicken. This is tourist obento - at its best.

With our stomachs satisfied, we went to the Edo Museum. This was the best part of the tour for me and I would recommend any bagong salta in Tokyo to visit odd-like structure, tagging along a volunteer guide to explain the artifacts within. The museum tour in itself is a crash course on Japanese history and culture. I learned, for instance, that Tokyo already has aqueducts as early as the 17th century, with water tapped from the surrounding lakes and the ducts made of cypress wood. I also learned that the samurai of long ago used to eat cranes, the creature so well-beloved and copied in the Japanese origami.

Then we were brought to a hot spa theme park that opened sometime in 2003. This is an actual onsen - at the vicinity of Shinagawa and Odaiba. Warm water, according to our guide, came from one kilometer below the surface. Outside is a mini moat where customers can remove their socks and sawsaw their feet into the flowing water (perhaps that water would later on make excellent nabe or miso soup).

After wetting our feet, we were treated to a sumptuous dinner, and perhaps the organizers took extra effort to make it the best dinner we had. This time it was at a Japanese restaurant 53 floors above the ground. It was my first time to eat a meal at that high level, and being served what was supposed to be the best varieties of tempura in downtown Tokyo. A bonus was duck liver (perhaps raw) that I tasted for the first time in my life.

Beer and sake were served and our guides and interpreters started to unwind, their stiff, formal attitude giving way to a more relaxed atmosphere, shelving their tatemae stance. However, it's late and, like it or not, the tour has to "disband." As for our guides, they were efficient and professional - perhaps too professional that they, except for one or two ladies, seemed more concerned about avoiding "missteps" than looking forward to making it enjoyable.

After the study tour, I made my own "tour" and I walked around downtown Shinjuku, particularly the nearby the Kabuki-cho area and noticed more policemen than before, perhaps an indication of another crackdown or another yakuza war. I was almost tempted to eat my favorite ramen in one of those yatai stalls, but stopped short, not wanting to "contaminate" the best dinner I've had in months. I just went "home" and savored a good night's sleep.