Huis ten Bosch

After all the events in Nagasaki, we all travelled to Huis ten Bosch on Sunday the 14th of October. The journey took approximately 90 minutes by train from Nagasaki. The train journey was enjoyable and a great chance to rest whilst taking in the scenery of Kyushu. Having lived in Holland for over 2 years, I was very interested to see how successfully Huis ten Bosch reproduced Dutch life and architecture. We stayed at the very impressive ANA Hotel, modelled on Central Station in Amsterdam. Nice rooms, good service, nice breakfast, and nice onsen.

If my memory serves me correctly, we arrived at the ANA Hotel mid afternoon. We all had coffee in the lounge and then headed to our rooms to get organised and relax. We had a nice big room with great views over Huis ten Bosch. I then headed to the onsen for a soak.

Around dusk, we walked to the main area of Huis ten Bosch in order to find a place to eat. There was a nice ambience to the place and the other tourists seemed to be enjoying themselves. I was very impressed at how authentic the buildings looked and was looking forward to a nice dinner.

We decided to eat outside at an Italian restaurant. There were plenty of tables and chairs to sit at. As there were 5 people in our group, and each table only had 4 chairs, we naturally asked if we could move an extra chair to our table. Unfortunately, the answer to the question was less than natural. It was in fact bizarre! They said "NO"! What? Why? Are you joking? I am still totally bemused by the response. I still cannot imagine why the answer was in the negative. Baffled. There was no shortage of tables and no shortage of chairs. The only real shortage that the restaurant may have faced was a shortage of customers. I can only come to the conclusion that they did not want our business. Tossers.

We therefore decided to eat at a steak restaurant. Although a little expensive (thanks Mum and Joep), the food was satisfying. However, Clara's dinner arrived over 20 minutes after the steaks. Everyone had finished whilst poor Clara was still waiting. The manager knew I was fuming and did not return after I had given him an icy stare and instructions to find out what was going on. I couldn't believe the standard of service. During my time in Japan, I cannot remember the last time I had cause for complaint. Then in the space of half an hour, it felt as if I was dining at Fawlty Towers.

"He seemed to view us as a colossal inconvenience right from the start." - Michael Palin.

Anyway, we all got fed (eventually) and I was enjoying myself despite the best efforts of people who work in the service industry, but have no desire to actually serve people.

After dinner, we walked around, chatted, and generally had a good time. One high point of the evening was the fireworks and laser display. Very impressive, if slightly short. Once back in the hotel, Clara was dispatched off to bed and I met my parents on the 12th floor for a couple of evening drinks. I stayed a little later, enjoying the views over Huis ten Bosch, and the peace and quiet of the empty bar.

The next day promised to be a busy one. Not only did we have to complete a full tour of Huis ten Bosch, but we had to return to Tokyo that evening. No rest for the wicked. We visited the majority of attractions and had a great time, despite continuing to experience very poor service. It was odd that the only place I have experienced awful service in Japan was in a Dutch theme park.After a great time in Nagasaki and Huis ten Bosch, we all returned to Tokyo with many great memories. Mum and Joep had a few more days to enjoy Tokyo and spent their time sightseeing or playing with Clara. I am sure they enjoyed their visit to Japan, and are sure to visit many more times in the future. Their return to Scotland marked the end of a busy 5 weeks and it was time for me to return to my normal routine in Tokyo.

A slideshow of some of the pictures from Nagasaki can be seen by clicking this link.

Nagasaki - Atomic Bomb

Towards the end of our time in Nagasaki, we visited the A-Bomb museum and the Peace Park. I did not learn anything new or unexpected, but the visit to the museum was certainly a sobering experience. There were lots of pictures of blackened bodies, radiation burns, and obliterated buildings. Some of the articles on display in the museum provided additional food for thought....an old army helmet with skull fragments seared into the metal, warped pieces of metal, clocks which had stopped at 11.02am, and bones from a human hand which had melted into a glass bottle.

I do not recall seeing any signs prohibiting photos being taken, but it seemed inappropriate to do so. The only photo I took was when I was leaving. The picture shows various peace messages from various people and organisations. For me, the main issue is not the use of nuclear weapons, it is the targeting of civilian populations.

After the visit to the A-Bomb Museum, we went to eat champon, a famous dish of Nagasaki. Champon is basically a bowl of soup with with noodles, prawns, shrimp, and vegetables. It was ok, but I am in no great rush to eat it again. I also had a beer, not because I wanted one, but because it seemed like the right thing to do whilst on holiday. The next stop was a visit to the hypocenter and Peace Park before we had to meet up at the hotel for the bus journey to Huis ten Bosch.

The hypocenter is the location 300m directly below where the bomb exploded. It is marked by a black monolith which reminded me of the monolith in the film 2001 : A Space Odyssey. I tried to look into the sky above the monolith and imagine what it must have been like when the bomb exploded.

Like the other places we visited in Nagasaki, the hypocenter was fairly devoid of people. We really visited Nagasaki at a great time. I would imagine that at many other times of year, all places would be jammed with tourists and school excursions. After the hypocenter, we had about another 30 minutes until we needed to catch the tram back to the hotel. Just enough time to visit the Peace Park.I guess that the Peace Park is famous (in Japan) for the statue. One hand is raised upwards to point to the threat of nuclear weapons, while the other is stretched out to (somehow) symbolise eternal peace.

Dutch Slope - Nagasaki

I could not find a better map to show our other sightseeing locations, so I guess this one will have to do.

As well as Glover House, we visited other sights in Nagasaki. The other places of interest that we were lucky enough to visit were: Dutch Slope, Oura Church, A-Bomb Museum, A-Bomb Hypocenter, and the Peace Park.

I was a little disappointed that we did not have enough time to visit Meganebashi (Spectacles Bridge) and the grave of Thomas Glover, but I guess that means I still have a couple of reasons to visit Nagasaki in the future.

It seems that using the local tram network is the best way to go sightseeing in Nagasaki. Not only do they exude a certain charm of days gone by, but they are also extremely cheap. If I can recall correctly, the fare was a flat ¥100 (50p) no matter which stop you got off. After breakfast at our hotel, our first destination was Dutch Slope. Dutch Slope seems to have been a residential and business area for the foreign population of Nagasaki about 150 years ago. Initially, it was called Dutch Slope as there were solely Dutch merchants living and working there. Japan was a closed country for about 250 years (and still is in some respects!) and the only national group who were allowed access and trading privileges were the Dutch. After, restrictions on other nationalities were eased, Dutch Slope became the preferred location for all Nagasaki's foreign residents.

Oura Church is one of the major attractions on Dutch Slope. According to my leaflet, it was built by the Portuguese in 1864 and is the oldest church in Japan. It was nice to walk up the steps to the church and have a quick look inside. I was wondering what the Vatican would think of the ¥200 entrance fee. After our brief viewing of Oura Church, we continued our way up Dutch Slope, walking the narrow lanes between the old European style houses and offices. For a moment, I really did feel as if I was back in Europe.

We continued our slow walk up and around Dutch Slope, stopping to enter accommodation once used by ships crews, houses once occupied by the European merchants, and taking the chance to admire the fine views of Nagasaki Bay. My ire was only briefly raised when a light aircraft started buzzing Dutch Slope, advertising a local supermarket. Japan really is the land of noise pollution. I hope that my frequent blogging has not sent you all to sleep, but I still intend to soon post blogs on the A Bomb Museum, Peace Park, and Huis ten Bosch.

The Scottish Samurai - Thomas Blake Glover

Saturday the 14th of October was the big Nagasaki sightseeing day. I had originally intended to cover all our sightseeing in one blog entry, but I think that the story of Thomas Glover is deserving of an entry all to itself.

I have always had an interest in Thomas Glover ever since I read the book 'Scottish Samurai' in Edinburgh about 7 years ago. In Scotland, I had never heard of this man, but in Japan, he is almost a national hero. As a Scot myself, it is only natural that I have been very keen over the last 7 years to visit Nagasaki and the home of Thomas Glover. It turns out that Glover had a finger in many pies. He set up Japan's first brewery (Kirin), started the first rail line, helped establish the Nagasaki shipbuilding yard, and initially made his fortune as a gun runner. An impressive CV by anyone's standards!!!!

As we started our walk around Glover Gardens, I could faintly hear bagpipes coming through nearby speakers. It was also nice to see that Mitsubishi Shipyard still appears to be in fine health as a number of large ships were under construction or undergoing refits.To be honest, I did not find the inside of the house of much interest. It was small, dingy, and had contents that I have seen many times before in similar preserved homes in Scotland. However, that was all immaterial. I was just pleased to sample the place from where a Scotsman had played a major part in the development of Japan.

A few years ago, I recall reading that some Scots had campaigned to have the wording on Glover's bust changed. On the bust, it said that Glover was an Englishman - obviously incorrect. It was interesting to see the remedial work which had taken place and that Glover is now properly represented at his former home. Click on the picture to have a clearer view of the changes.

We are lucky that there is a Glover House to visit in Nagasaki. When the USA dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki, the main target was the shipbuilding yard. However, in a not too unfamiliar example of American precision bombing, the bomb was dropped in a mainly residential area 3.5km away. The luck that saved Glover House saw thousands of civilians incinerated in an instant.

More Nagasaki adventures to follow soon.

Mount Inasa, Nagasaki

On the evening of the 13th of October, Joep suggested that we all take a cable car to the top of Mount Inasa. I have to say that I felt this was one of the major highlights of our trip to Nagasaki. The views were spectacular! It was very refreshing to stand there and take in the views whilst being exposed to some fairly strong gusts of wind.

There were a number of other people on the viewing platform who were also enjoying the views. Apparently it is a popular place for couples to cement their relationships or for couples to break up. Those who cement their relationships often attach padlocks to the railings which need to be periodically cut off by the local government workers.

The visit to Mount Inasa was an unexpected bonus as it was initially not on my 'things to do' list. I would love to visit again someday. After about 30 minutes at the top, we returned to the cable car for our journey back down the mountain. The views on the way down the mountain were not as spectacular but were very interesting - I could see into the windows of all the houses along the cable car route.

The Nagasaki Wedding

The main reason for our trip to Nagasaki was the marriage of Kentaro (Yuki's brother) to Mika. The wedding took place at the Luke Plaza Hotel. The views from the hotel were lovely. We could see our hotel on the other side of Nagasaki Bay and all the comings and goings of various ships and boats. The weather was also pretty good. I was worried that the temperatures would be too high but it was a pleasant 23C.

The Luke Plaza Hotel must specialise in weddings as we counted about 5 other brides during the course of the day. I decided to keep myself to myself as I did not want to introduce myself to the wrong family.

We all sat around for a while and then headed into a side room where a group photo of the two families was taken. During that time, the families of the bride and groom formally introduced themselves to each other. After that, we were soon directed into the chapel which stood behind the hotel. The chapel looked very nice and had recently been renovated. There was a good selection of kimonos on display and Clara was very proud to wear her dress, along with a necklace and earrings. Joep and I both decided to fly the flag for Scotland and wear the kilt.After the ceremony and photos, we were directed inside for the wedding reception. Everything was done very professionally and seemed quite expensive. As is the case with all Japanese weddings, it was a mix of madcap and emotion. Kenken's friends from university bellowed out good wishes to the happy couple whilst performing an odd looking dancing ritual. On the other end of the scale, the bride and groom thanked their parents for all their care and support over the years. Clara was a little star and behaved very well. I was interested to see her thinking about the events and she became quite tearful at times during the day. I guess she is growing up fast as she was able to fully appreciate the significance of the days events.

My parents seemed to enjoy themselves, even if they were slightly bemused by some of the days events. The wedding finished at around 3pm, so we took the hotel bus back to the New Nagasaki Hotel to unwind. For me, the biggest difference between a Japanese and a Scottish wedding is that in Scotland, the partying lasts until around midnight. In Japan, it always makes me feel a little odd to leave at 3pm in the afternoon, sober and in daylight.

Nagasaki Arrival

Hello to all. I'm really sorry about the delay in writing up the details of our trip to the island of Kyushu, southern Japan. I've been quite busy recently and have not had much spare time.

Anyway, we flew down to Nagasaki on Friday the 12th of October. We were all in good form as we had many things to look forward to during our time on Kyushu. I was especially happy as I would be off work for a total of 4 days.

Once, we arrived at Nagasaki Airport, a bus was waiting to transport us all to the Hotel New Nagasaki. As this is Japan, all the travel details ran like clockwork - no problems and no fuss. The hotel was supposed to be of a high standard and was supposed to be the best in Nagasaki. However, it seemed to me that the hotel was living on its former reputation. Perhaps it was a good hotel in its heyday, but it seemed tired and in need of investment. Don't get me wrong, it was fine, but a bit of a disappointment after listening to all the hype beforehand.

We checked in and I was immediately given cause to grumble. We were all looking forward to a swim in the hotel pool but were upset to discover that: (a) swimming would cost an extra ¥3,000 per person. (b) Children are not allowed in the pool at any time. Not exactly family friendly!! Poor Clara was very disappointed and I can't blame her.

Once we found our room, we got organised and relaxed for a while before we went for a Chinese meal on the 14th floor. The Chinese restaurant (called Torin) is "the best Chinese restaurant in Nagasaki".

The room was fine, but as I said before, it was tired looking. The fixtures and fittings were well worn and the wallpaper was slightly discoloured and beginning to become unstuck from the wall. We were happy enough, but I was starting to wonder what the worst hotel in Nagasaki was like. However, I was content with the view from our room on the 11th floor and pleased with our proximity to the famed Mitsubishi Shipyard.

At around 6pm, we made our way to Torin for our Chinese food. I guess the food was ok, but not what you would expect from the best Chinese restaurant in Nagasaki. There was a good deal of seafood (which I hate) and more disappointingly, no sign of beef with black bean sauce, a long term favourite of mine. Despite, my silent grumbling and griping, I refused to be bullied into a bad mood and enjoyed the building excitement for the days to come. By the time the meal was over, I had the wind in my sails and was unwilling to call it a night. I had read in a hotel brochure about the Moonlight Bar. The naming of the bar conjured up images of lofty views over Nagasaki, with city lights blinking invitingly at me from a distance. When I searched for the bar, I was puzzled to discover that it was not on the top floor, but on the second floor. Despite being a little disappointed at the realisation that I would not after all be lording it over the population of Nagasaki, I was still looking forward to viewing the comings and goings of people on the streets outside. Amazingly, the Moonlight Bar had no chance of ever seeing moonlight as it was a room without any windows!! I was led to a small child size seat and waited for my parents to arrive.

We all ordered a small beer (300ml) and were given a bowl of nuts to nibble on. Mum, Joep, and I discussed the days events and talked excitedly about the wedding the following day. After 30 minutes or so, my parents asked for the bill. ¥4,300 (about GBP21)! Any thoughts of staying for another beer evaporated quicker than the money in Joep's wallet.The folks returned to their room while I ventured out onto the streets of Nagasaki, determined to find a place that sold beer at a reasonable price. I initially went to a restaurant across the street but soon grew tired of watching the fish swim around in their tank. I asked a few people where I could find a bar, and none of them knew. Nagasaki is a pretty small city and I decided that the people I asked were either extremely ignorant, or were not long term residents of the city.

After wandering around and watching the trams pass, I hailed a taxi which took me on a 5 minute journey to the Nagasaki nightlife area called Shianbashi. I went to a pool bar which was large, but virtually empty. Two customers were playing 9 ball and I watched their progress (or lack of) as I supped my bottle of Kirin. After a short while, they kindly asked me if I wanted to play them. No quarter was given and I wiped the floor with them. They left after the bar after a 40 minute whitewash. The old magic is still there.

After chatting to a few other customers and bar staff, I came to the conclusion that I probably knew more about Nagasaki than they did. Eager not to feel a hangover on the wedding day, I walked back to the hotel at about midnight, looking forward to the wedding the following day.

Parents in Japan

Hello to all. A very short post to inform you of my parents arrival in Japan. They've had a great time with Clara and we are all flying to Nagasaki tomorrow (Friday) for Kentaro's wedding (my brother in law). I'll do another long post when we return. Topics will include the A-Bomb Park and Museum, Glover House and Gardens, and our visit to a Dutch theme park called Huis ten Bosch. Look out for an update around Tuesday next week.