Drinking Games with Geisha in Kyoto

The other evening, I had the great pleasure of joining some of my guests for an evening of geisha entertainment here in Kyoto. First off, this was one fun family: in addition to enjoying the food, they were very keen to learn geisha drinking games, and the maiko and geiko on hand were more than happy to oblige. A fair bit of sake was consumed. And we all learned that it's hard to beat geisha at their own games! After dinner, we went to a larger room and the girls performed some brilliant dances for us. This is the way to enjoy geisha entertainment. It shouldn't be formal: it should be a party.

Here, the girls demonstrate one of the drinking games.



Here, one of the guests does his best to beat the geisha at her own game. Actually, he won a few rounds, which is better than I've ever done.

My Kansai Scene Article About the Kyoto Aquarium

Kansai Scene, a fine magazine for Kansai residents, recently published an article I wrote about the Kyoto Aquarium, which is presently under construction in Kyoto's Umekoji-koen Park. The original article is here.

Here is my article:

Raw Feelings for a Fish Tank

What do dolphin shows and fish tanks have to do with Kyoto? That’s the question that many Kyotoites have been asking since the city government announced plans to allow the construction of an aquarium in Umekoji-koen Park, one of the city’s last islands of greenery. Located over 50 kilometers from the sea, Japan’s traditional capital is better known for its quiet Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. Unfortunately, despite significant opposition by residents, the city government, led by Mayor Daisaku Kadokawa, gave Orix Corporation the green light in April of this year and construction has already started on the project.

Umekoji-koen was established by the city 15 years ago in the southwest of the city to provide Kyoto citizens with some much needed open space and greenery. The park, which presently includes woods, open meadows, a stream, is popular with local residents, who use it for jogging, relaxing, strolling and meeting their neighbors. Children, in particular, make regular use of the park for playing games, hanging out with friends and exploring the natural world.

The aquarium, which is slated to open its doors in 2012, will occupy a large part of the park. According to citizen opposition groups, the facility will release an estimated 5,400 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year. This is highly ironic, given that Kyoto takes pride in being the home of the Kyoto Protocol, the landmark anti-global warming treaty. The irony doesn’t stop there, however, as the city government is pushing the aquarium as a way to preserve biodiversity and educate children about nature.

Perhaps most tragic is the fact that the star attractions at the aquarium will be dolphins, that will be kept in confined conditions and forced to perform tricks for visitors to the aquarium. There are even rumors that the dolphins may be brought from Taiji, the Wakayama town that holds a notorious annual dolphin slaughter.

As if this weren’t enough,opposition groups point out that Kansai is already home to one of Japan’s finestaquari- ums, the Kaiyukan, located in the port city of Osaka. They note that the planned Kyoto aquarium will not be able to compete with the Kaiyukan, rather, it will merely draw business away from Kyoto’s existing tourist attractions.

The final irony is this: the aquarium is a pet project of Kyoto mayor Daisaku Kadokawa, who is acting president of the World League of Historical Cities, which includes such cities as Paris, Rome and Florence. One wonders what his counterparts would think about his plan to put up a big-box concrete attraction in the heart of Japan’s ancient capital, while ancient wooden buildings are torn down and carted away.



A group of Kyoto’s foreign residents has recently formed the Committee to Protect Kyoto (Kyoto Mamoru Kai) to work with Japanese residents opposed to the plan. Barry Louie, a member of the group notes, “An aquarium fits Kyoto like a bad haircut. People come to Kyoto to see Gion, World Heritage sites, maiko in kimono, and Kyoto-esque crafts; they don’t come here to watch captive marine mammals do tricks.”

Another member, Michael Lambe, editor of the popular Deep Kyoto blog www.deepkyoto.com), says, “If the city administration were serious about wanting to educate young people about the environment, they would take people out into the surrounding woods and mountains for some hands on conservation experience. There are plenty of environmental NPOs that could help them with that.”

Even if citizens groups are unable to stop construction, they want to send a message to Mayor Kadokawa: he has a responsibility to protect the ancient heritage of Kyoto.


For more information, visit the Committee to Protect Kyoto’s website.

Fall Foliage in Kyoto November 2010

The fall foliage this year in Kyoto is the best it's been in years. I was lucky enough to be out with some clients on the day that it was absolutely peaking. And yesterday, I took a casual stroll in the morning up to Shinyodo and Kurodani temples, behind my house, and here is what I saw:

Here's a shot looking north from near the Kurodani Pagoda:


Here's a shot of the main gate of Kurodani:


Here's a shot looking out of the gate of Saiun-in, a subtemple of Kurodani. Note the flowering purple tree in the background (I think it's a kind of camelia):

Kieran Feels Drawn to Buddhism

I must apologize: I am what the Japanese call "oya-baka." That is, I'm crazy about my kid. Here's a picture of him climbing the steps to Shinyodo Temple behind our house:

Colors of the City

I ranged far and wide in Bangkok today. As usual, the chaotic and frequently grim appearance of the city is punctuated by corners and moments of sheer loveliness.

Here is a fruit cart stacked with starfruit and guava in the early morning light:


Here are some flowers in preparation for Loi Krathong, one of my favorite Thai festivals. Tomrorow night, Thai people will float little boats made of flowers with lit candles down the river to symbolically cast off their bad luck and to invite new fortune. I dearly wish we didn't have to fly back to Japan tomorrow afternoon. The sight of all those lights floating down the Chao Praya river is magical (I was lucky enough to see it a few years ago).


Here's a Chinese temple I found hidden down an alley near the Tha Thien Pier:

Fish Massage!?

Bangkok has more massage parlors than any city on earth. The sheer number and variety of massage parlors in Bangkok has to be seen to be believed. Indeed, it's a running debate whether there are more tailors or massage parlors in Bangkok. The other day on Khao San, I even spotted a streetside open-air massage parlor where you could get massaged while legions of half-drunk backpackers wandered by you smoking and ogling you. In fact, I thought I had seen it all until I found this "Fish Massage" place on Khao San. I thought it was a joke, but I walked inside and I saw a fish tank filled with little fish and comfortable seats for you to sit on while the fish gnawed at your feet. Being a natural entrepreneur, this Fish Massage place got me thinking of other possibilities: how about a ferret massage parlor? Or a komoodo dragon massage parlor? Frankly, I'm pretty sure this whole Fish Massage got its start on some Japanese "gaman taikai" TV show. Of course, in that case, they'd probably have used half-starved piranas.

Thailand: The World's Most Baby-Friendly Country

We have been pleasantly surprised to discover that Thailand is the world's most baby-friendly country. Thai people are just crazy about babies. And it's not just the women: men of all ages can't stop smiling at Kieran and making funny faces at him. At restaurants, waitresses and even waiters will just pick him up and carry him off, sometimes disappearing completely from sight for minutes at a time. I must say, this takes a bit of getting used to, and I find my eyes wandering around trying to find where he is, and fighting the urge to go retrieve him. I get the feeling that not only do these people just love carrying babies, they also are being kind in trying to give us a moment to enjoy our meals by ourselves. And Hiroe comes home every day to report how people helped her carry Kieran's stroller up and down the steps of the Sky Train. So, hats off to the Thai people: you make traveling with a baby a joy!

Fruit Carving

My wife's friend Chisa is over here in Bangkok studying fruit carving. She gave us this beautiful carved watermelon today. I love watermelon, but I can't bring myself to dig into this work of art. For now, it sits on our table. I suspect my son Kieran has plans for it, though.


Here's a papaya she worked on:

In Search of Peacock Feathers in Little India

My friend Anthony is in Bangkok now. He is in need of a bunch of peacock feathers for a New Year's party on the island of Mustique (go figure). This is Bangkok, where, if you can't find it, it probably doesn't exist. So we were confident we could find some. A Thai friend directed us to Little India and told us how to say "peacock feathers" in Thai (not surprisingly, these are not the first words you find in your phrasebook). Deep in the bowels of a crowded market in Little India, we struck the motherlode. Now, after helping Ant find his peacock feathers, I feel like I deserve an invite to his party on Mustique, but I'm still waiting.

Ant finds his feathers:


Outre headgear alert: the same shop also stocked this unusual tiara which Anthony took a real liking to:


I suggested that Ant buy one of these shirts to complete his wardrobe:


This is just an aside: There are more tailors in Bangkok than anywhere else on earth. These guys will make you not just a suit, but an entire wardrobe, for about US$100. A good friend of mine needed a suit for job interviews in Japan. When he returned to our hotel and tried the suit on, I almost gasped with horror: it was traffic-stoppingly bad. Everything that could be wrong with it, was. The fabric was uniquely cheap and horrible. The cut was bizarre and anti-fashionable - like he had gone blindfolded into a Salvation Army store and groped his way to the suit rack and hauled it out of the store. It had weird waves and ripples and wouldn't sit right no matter how he adjusted it. Strangly, he was convinced it was a fantastic suit and I fear he still sports it on formal occasions. Now, one thing I've noticed about the tailors in Bangkok: the fierce competition has driven them to new heights of one-upmanship. First, every tailor in the city claimed to be "The Tailor of the Year." Then, some enterprising soul claimed the coveted "Tailor of the Decade" award. Then, the guy below topped them all by claiming to be not only "The Tailor of the Millenium" but also, "The Only Tailor in Bangkok to be UN Certified." I am still trying to get the number of the UN Department of Tailor Certification so I can complain about the suit my friend bought all those years ago. And, to be fair, it wasn't from the Ambassador Tailors.

Nectar of the Gods

The most delicious fruit on earth is the mangosteen. Nothing else even comes close: not a good mango, not a nectarine, not a papaya, not a durian, nothing.

Here's a mangosteen that I've just opened. You eat the white segments and discard the purple shell.


Unfortunately, mangosteens don't travel well. There is a legend that Queen Victoria, having heard about the mangosteen, offered a reward of several thousand pounds for anyone who could bring a fresh one back from the east. Even today, it's very difficult to get them overseas in good condition(although I once smuggled a few back to the States, much to the delight of my family). I've purchased canned mangosteens in Japan, but they were a disappointment. And let's not even discuss the mangosteen jam I bought once. Mangosteens also fare poorly in cooking: I tried a mangosteen and duck dish here in Bangkok that was a total failure. But, when I came across a smoothie stand at Bangkok's Weekend Market that was selling mangosteen smoothies, well, I had to give it a try. Here's a picture of Hiroe with the mangosteen smoothie:


I have to tell you, it was the best smoothie I've ever tried and I think Hiroe agreed. It was truly the nectar of the gods - worth a trip to Bangkok just to try. If you find yourself at the Weekend Market, here's the stall to look out for:

Takoh: A Tiny Dollop of Deliciousness

Every time I come to Thailand, I purchase a few trays of "takoh." These are little dollops of sweet tapioca and coconut milk in banana leaf "cups." Their name comes from the "ta" in tapioca and the "co" (koh) in coconut. They are incredibly good: sweet but not cloyingly so. The best place I know to get them is Aw Tor Kor Market.


Here's the section of the market where you can find takoh:



Here's part of the fruit section of Aw Tor Kor. Trust me: this is only a tiny fraction of the fruit section here. It's the best tropical fruit selection on earth.

Through the Klongs

Today, I went exploring the klongs (canals) of Bangkok to plan a route for one of the clients of my Bangkok private tour company. I hired a boat and driver to take me through Klong Mon and Klong Bangkok Yai. I've been through quite a few klongs in Bangkok, but these two are my new favorites. With the water so high from the rains up north, when you go through the klongs, it's like taking a boat through a flooded city.

This picture captures the feeling of motoring through the klongs:


I love this overgrown house. Looks like something you'd expect to see along a bayou in Louisiana.


As we were motoring through the klongs, my boatman starting yelling "Mahon! Mahon!" I realized he was talking about this gigantic monitor lizard that was sunning itself on the banks. I've seen some huge monitors in my time, but this one took the cake: it was pushing two meters. I don't know about you, but I'd find it hard to live in a house where there was a danger of a "mahon" like this slithering up the front steps.

Another Day on Khao San

Every time I come to Bangkok, I make the obligatory pilgrimage to Khao San Road. A big part of it is nostalgia: like almost every other backpacker who's ever done an Asia trip, I spent my fair share of time on Khao San back in the day. By visiting Khao San, I can almost taste the feeling I had when I was a lot younger and just starting out on my first big trip. That was back in 1994. Needless to say, the road has gone through some serious changes since then. I mean, when I was there, the only people who had heard of the internet probably worked for NASA. We used to cram into little telephone booths at the back of travel agents to call Mom and Dad and say, "Guess what: I'm in Bangkok!" Still, the vibe of Khao San is essentially the same.


Just when you thought Khao San couldn't get any more developed, well, it gets twice as developed. Here's a picture of the way it looks now. I can't understand how, but in two years or so, it will be twice as developed as this. Perhaps they'll figure out a way to combine Starbucks, an internet cafe, a travel agent, a pad Thai place, a tattoo parlor and a bar. Actually, I bet if you looked hard enough, that place probably already exists on Khao San:


There are several places on the road where, for a modest fee, they will put braids, extensions and beads into your hair. These folks never cease in their tireless task of making white women look ridiculous. Note to white women: the only white woman who ever looked good in corn rows was Bo Derek.


In my more cynical moments, I find myself thinking that there is nothing lamer than sitting on Khao San in the afternoon drinking beer with all the other punters. Then, I have to remind myself: I sat in that same restaurant and drank that same Singha beer and, you know what: I had a blast. I mean, let's face it: a bad day on Khao San is better than the best day at the office.

Back in Bangkok

I'm in Bangkok for a few days with my wife and son. It's wonderful to be back in the city I consider my second (or third?) home. I've been working on the routes for my private walking tours.

Here's a picture of me with Kay, my best guide in Bangkok. I'm carrying Kieran, my son, in a sling here.


Here's a shot of me, Hiroe and Kieran (hidden in the sling):

Hong Kong: Peak Views and Dim Sum

I spent a few days in Hong Kong recently with my family. I was working on routes with my main guide there, Jim. As usual, Jim amazed me with his knowledge of Hong Kong. We also took a trip over to Macau to work on our Macau route. My private walking tours of Hong Kong and Macau can be found here. We flew from Japan to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific and we were really impressed with their service. We would recommend Cathay to anyone traveling with children - they really went out of their way to help us with Kieran and to make us comfortable.

Here's the classic view from the Peak:


Here's a typical Hong Kong street scene:


My wife and I blundered into a classic local dim sum joint while exploring one day. Our son really enjoyed the mango dessert here:


Here's a picture of me and Jim, with my son Kieran: