On our return to Tokyo, Mr. Wonderful was occupied preparing for and presenting at the Adobe MAX Conference, so I learned the Tokyo subway and explored the city by myself. Solo exploration is lonely, but more instructive, since I am forced to relinquish my passive role and make a decision. It is a testament to a shrinking world and the genuine friendliness of the Japanese people that I was able to get by knowing a single world of Japanese. Even that one word–thank you–slipped through my swiss cheese brain more often than not.

Ginza–the 5th Avenue of Tokyo–where giant signs assail you from every angle and fashion is hot off the runway. I was in pursuit of washi–Japan’s traditional handmade paper. Looking lost on a street corner, someone took pity on me and helped me locate my target stationary store, Haibara (est. 1806). Street names and addresses are almost non-existent here. Despite my Lonely Planet guidebook and map, lost was my middle name and there were a handful of restaurants and stores–including the Tokyo Disney tourist booth–that I never did find. Next stop was Ito-ya, housing eight floors of stationary, handmade paper, cards, pens, art supplies and a tea lounge. I confess I became inspired to start writing more snail mail!

Of course, I also visited Maruzen book store to drool over the romance novels. Harlequin had an entire rack of books in japanese with familiar authors and completely new covers. Discovering Outlander and Twilight in Japanese inspired a giant grin. I attempted to locate anything by Linda Winstead Jones to bring back for my mother-in-law, but without understanding the organization of the books I was unable to find any.

The Imperial Palace is in the center of Tokyo. Koi and swans swim in the wide moat that separates the ancient rock wall from the surrounding skyscrapers. It is a travesty that two major arterials bisect the historic grounds. Only the East garden is open to the public, but this outpost of history is a must see for visitors to this modern metropolis. My pictures were taken at dusk as it began to drizzle. Notably, the lighting could be better.

And that concludes this edition of Wanderlust: Japan. Stay tuned next time for Wanderlust: Cruising the Caribbean!

Part I: Tokyo

Part II: Minakami

Part III: see more photos on facebook

Sunday we rode the train to the center of Japan, up into the mountains to Minakami. The scenery was…um, to be honest I was reading a book instead of paying attention to the scenery. Minakami is a hot spring town that attracts numerous outdoor enthusiasts to Joshinetsu Kogen National Park. The river running through it and beautiful snow-capped peaks surrounding it were picturesque.

We stayed in Tanigawa Ryokan: a traditional japanese inn dating from the Edo period (1603–1868). Upon entering, we were instructed to remove our shoes and were provided slippers. Our room had traditional tatami mats and a private hot spring bath, call onsen, on the balcony. Yukatas, traditional cotton kimonos, were provided for morning and evening wear. We read, we soaked, we lounged we drank sake. It was all very relaxing and quite a unique experience.

Kimono-wearing staff brought elaborate dinners and breakfast of traditional japanese delicacies. The language barrier prevented us from understanding what it is we were served, but I took lots of photos. If presentation is everything, then these meals were some of the finest to be had. At night, staff moved the short table and spread futons on the floor for sleeping.

Tuesday we hired a guide to take us snow shoeing around the Tanigawa-dake mountains. We had beautiful sunny weather and saw monkeys on the way back.

Part I: Tokyo

Part II: Minakami photos on facebook

Part III: Tokyo Returns

First Impressions: A city of lights, of fast moving people and colorful umbrellas, active streetscapes and efficient mass transit. A relentlessly modern metropolis of towering office buildings. Tiny snatches of history tucked in convenient corners. A fashionable shopper’s paradise where my no-nonsense shoes and bright green gortex jacket stood out like a beacon of uncool among polished black boots and sleek black peacoats. Wet asphalt, cloudy skies and drizzle–just like home. In many ways it felt like New York to me, just as big and crowded and incomprehensible. Rushing, well-dressed people on cellphones packing into small boxcars to be whirled through space. Each alone in a crowd.

Unlike New York, Tokyo is clean. I could eat off the pavement. People are infinitely polite and welcoming despite my inability to communicate. How could I ever feel homesick in a city with so many Starbucks? By pointing I ordered my hot tall mocha with whipped cream, unable to say “short” or “non-fat,” but still comfortingly familiar.

Food, as usual, was a problem. I envy my husband’s ability to order the unknown. “What’s good?” he asks if he speaks the language. He points to a random item on the menu if he doesn’t and savors the adventure. I am a vegetarian. Ovo-lacto. No meat. No seafood. Perhaps with a time machine I would enjoy Tokyo cuisine in the 1800′s, before the carnivores overthrew the Buddhist vegetarians. Fish is a staple of the Japanese diet. Tofu became my constant companion. Boiled, steamed and fried. Freshly solidified silken soy that made me think of toothless babies and geriatrics.

Eventually I gave up and embraced the barbarians. Pizza is king.

But it was, as always, the experience that matters. Stepping outside my comfort zone. Trying new things. I don’t have to fall in love with traditional cuisine to have been stretched and strengthened by my time abroad.

Our trip began in the sleek Ebisu neighborhood, which rekindled my dormant city planning dreams. The walkable streets! The high density mixed use! The efficient, effective subway system! The vibrant urban landscape! I saw all the ideals of textbook Smart Growth brought to life. Not a blighted building or trash-strewn alley to be seen.

We visited the Tokyo National Museum‘s permanent exhibit on Japanese art through history. Ryan ogled the calligraphy, claiming that no other culture had such an art of lettering. I disagreed of course. Hasn’t he heard of the Book of Kells? I was more attracted to the samurai armor and wished to see more on Washi, the art of paper making. Ueno Park, where the National Museum and others are located on acres of tree-lines paths, would be beautiful to visit in the spring. Someday I hope to return to see the cherry blossums.

After a dinner of more Tofu than you could ever possibly eat, we took the subway to Shibuya. Often called “the Times Square of Tokyo,” Shibuya is known for it’s bright lights and rushing people. The busiest pedestrian intersection in the world is located here, with a Starbucks overlooking it. The photo is from a different busy intersection nearby.

Part I: more photos on facebook

Part II: Minakami

Part III: return to Tokyo

On Wednesday I leave for my first foray to Asia and a tantalizing taste of Japan. After two days in Tokyo, Mr. Wonderful and I will board a train into the mountains to the town of Minakami in Gunma-ken. We are staying in a traditional Japanese bed and breakfast (Ryokan) at a hot springs. No internet for four days! Returning to Tokyo, I will explore solo for a few days while Mr. Wonderful presents at a conference.

I would love suggestions on what to see and do and am looking for recommendations of romance novels set in Japan.

I enjoy reading romance novels set in the country to which I’m traveling, but in this instance I can hardly find any. Help! Yes, I’ve read Memoirs of a Geisha. Google has suggested the following. Has anyone read any of these?

Ice Blue by Anne Stuart

The Last Concubine by Lesley Downer

(From The Guardian, book nominated for Romantic Novel of the Year) The Last Concubine has been described as “Gone with the Wind set in Japan”. Through the tale of a concubine chosen by a young shogun who is rescued by a rebel warrior, Downer chronicles Japan’s extraordinary change from a medieval to a modern country over just a few years in the 19th century. It is Downer’s first novel although she has written a number of books about Japan and its culture.

According to Downer, “I grew up with Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice and hugely enjoyed creating a romantic world of my own. I found it utterly gripping to write about a society which has no concept of romantic love. It made it all the clearer what a powerful and primeval force love is.”

Anna and the King of Dragons by Karen Harbaugh

(from All About Romance) Fantasy Romance (1650s Japan): Anna Vanderzee is a Dutch woman, trained in the healing arts, who has been living in Japan for several years with her scholar parents. When they are suddenly killed in an accident, she finds herself almost penniless and alone in a country that doesn’t trust foreigners. Deep in the forest where she has gone to privately grieve, she meets a scholarly dragon who gives her gold coins in exchange for some of her father’s books. Leaving the forest, she is set upon by bandits and saved by a samurai, Nakagawa-sama, who becomes her friend and protector. As her relationship with both samurai and dragon deepens, she becomes more reluctant to return to the Netherlands, but is there a future for her in Japan?

Pure Silk by Susan Johnson

(from Barnes & Noble review) Disguise, intrigue, danger, and pleasure mingle dangerously in this sexy romance set in 19th-century Japan by New York Times–bestselling author Susan Johnson. The story begins as Tama, the princess of Otari, is forced to flee after her father is killed and his forces defeated. Disguised as a peasant boy, Tama hides in the city’s pleasure quarter, where she finds Captain Hugh Drummond, who agrees tol take her to Paris. In return for his assistance, Tama will pay him with the only currency she has — pleasure — but those sensual hours are eclipsed by Tama’s desperate need to escape her enemies. The developing romance between this most unlikely and spirited couple will delight Johnson’s many fans, and the exotic historical setting is a wonderful bonus.