Arriving in Nagoya

Today, I got up early and checked out so I could face the Tokyo subway during rush hour. The result? It turned out to be a non-event. I somehow imagined hordes of people trying to squeeze themselves through narrow subway openings. Not so. Sure, there were more people riding the subway this morning than I had experienced, but it really was painless. I entered the subway at around 7:25, boarded the train easily, and went a few stops from Asakusa-Mitsuke to Tokyo station, all without a problem.

So I arrived at the platform for the bullet train to Nagoya, the Shinkansen Nozomi, about an hour early and had a snack while I waited, watching businessmen and others coming and going.

While there I noticed the various shop vendors selling drinks, snacks, newspapers, etc. Have you ever seen a perfectly organized vending shop? I'm serious here. These shop clerks are extraordinarily disciplined, and in their shops everything has a place and there's a place for everything ... they're like samurai. Really.

And when each train arrives there's a team of custodians standing at the ready to hop on board and prepare it for the next set of passengers (see photos of the ladies in pink). You see this kind of thing everywhere: people with the discipline of soldiers, standing at attention, waiting to serve should the need arise.

I have the sense that the various "systems" in Japan can cope with additional demands. Very few things seem pushed to the limit as they sometimes do in the US. Here it feels like "things" are done with such care and attention that if something out of the ordinary comes along it can easily be absorbed.

The hour and 43 minute (exactly, as advertised) train ride was very pleasant, and it gave me a chance to see more of the Japanese landscape and little towns in between, as well as some glimpses of Mt. Fuji.

When I arrived my Japanese professor friend, Atsuo, was waiting and picked me up and took me to the Tokugawa Art Museum which included art, furnishings, armor, swords, and garments collected by the Owari Tokugawa family. Among the items there was a copy of the twelfth-century Illustrated Tale of Genji. I can't say I've read this story by Murasaki Shikibu, but I do know some of its poems, which its characters use to express themselves as the story unfolds. Here is one of my favorites:

The memories of long love
gather life driving snow
poignant as the mandarin ducks
who float side by side in sleep.

Floating side by side in sleep ... is there a more beautiful picture of romantic love?

It was also here that I bought my first "souvenir" ... I mentioned the lack of towels in washrooms, so I had had enough: I bought a little handkerchief with a print from Genji, and have been happily using it since, and thinking of this poem each time I use it.

From there we went to a little Japanese restaurant (ha!) and he ordered for me vegetable tempura (batter dipped and fried vegetables) ... it was perfect. Then we headed for the campus of Nanzan University in Seto, talked about research, and found a number of common areas of interest. The campus is very attractive and well maintained. After that we and some of his colleagues had dinner at what must be considered a luxury restaurant in the traditional Japanese style ... and we had our own little room with a staff of young women to assist.

It's hard to imagine being treated with more attention or respect. All in all? A great day.