We walk slowly, without watches on our wrists.
After leaving Asakusa and Sensō-ji Temple, and the crowds of tourists and devotees, this is a welcome change. The bright sun on our brows, the cool spring air, the scattering of trees weighed down by sakura blossoms. From the Nippori station we enter narrow and quiet streets, with only the chirping of birds and the light gossip of old ladies as accompaniment. There are small temples around every corner, all of them very beautiful.
This is Yanaka.
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My friend Satomi tells us that Yanaka is situated next to two other temple districts called Sendagi and Nezu. Collectively, they are called Yanesen — Ya (Yanaka) Ne (Nezu) Sen (Sendagi). This is old Tokyo, a neighbourhood that still retains the old Shitamachi feeling. The houses and buildings here are nearly historical artifacts themselves, designed in the traditional style, imbuing visitors with a charming sense of the past.
Everyone whom we pass by has a smile for us. The warmth of this neighbourhood and its friendly inhabitants is certainly disarming. Satomi tells us Yanesen is well loved by the Tokyoites, a good place to just spend a weekend with no specific agenda, for there aren’t many attractions, or distractions even, here.
We walk slowly, without watches on our wrists, not talking much, just walking and taking it all in.
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1. The Cherry-blossom Avenue • Yanaka Reien
We stumble onto a graveyard.
Well, not exactly stumble. Satomi has her Tokyo guidebook in indecipherable Japanese (but not for her, thankfully, obviously) but mostly she doesn’t use it. It’s easier simply to walk around at our own meandering pace and somehow, yes, stumble onto the graveyard.
The graveyard in question is the Yanaka Cemetery (谷中霊園, Yanaka Reien) which is more well-known by its old name Yanaka Bochi (谷中墓地). There are more than seven thousand graves here, the final resting place for many local commoners but also many famous artists, writers and celebrities of their day (which may centuries past, but still).
The Meiji era novelists Soseki Natsume and Ogai Mori rest here. So does Tokugawa Yoshinobu (徳川 慶喜), the 15th and last shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. All graveyards are holy ground, venerated places, but this one comes with a redoubtable pedigree.
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Satomi reminds us how fortunate we are to come here at the right time, for the sakura season. Even the locals have no way of determining the exact time of the cherry blossoms coming to bloom, though it’s usually in early April. Here, the main street of the Yanaka Cemetery is canopied with huge and ancient cherry blossom trees, earning it the moniker of Cherry-blossom Avenue.
The alternating play of shadow and sunlight, dappling the pavement and the blissful smiles of other visitors like us — this is serenity, this is an escape, this is love.
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2. A Picnic with the Departed • Yanaka Reien
Of course, it’s only in Japan would people have such great respect and ceremony for the dearly departed, and then proceed to have a picnic in a cemetery.
And it may be that I have completely embraced the Japanese culture at this point, because none of this seems strange to me — large blue plastic sheets spread carefully over each side of the Cherry-blossom Avenue, picnic baskets laden with all sorts of goodies, from home-made bento sets to flasks of hot green tea or cups of sake being passed around — this is Tokyo.
Everything is possible here, and usually very fun, too.
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3. The Artist in the Graveyard • Cherry-blossom Avenue
Sometimes it sucks being a tourist, and a foreigner at that. You don’t understand the language, none of the road signs make sense, no do the directions given by helpful locals for that matter (because, again, you don’t understand the language), everyone looks at you funny (or you think they do), and the list goes on.
Sometimes it rocks being a tourist.
We notice two long rolls of parchment pressed against the pavement, one with Japanese calligraphy and the other blank. Walking over to admire the art of the brushwork, we are greeted by a small group of a rather bohemian nature, which is saying a lot for Tokyo, a city filled with potential bohemians (only, you know, dressed in a very careless and chic manner that takes hours to prepare). They ask us where we come from. Malaysia, we say.
“Ah so. Come, come, we introduce you to the Artist.”
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The Artist turns out to be a famous local calligrapher (whose name escapes me now, unfortunately — will check with Satomi), a sorta Japanese Picasso with an Artful Dodger personality, his charisma alone could pull his faithful followers and students to him. But he wouldn’t need to.
They are there for his art.
Such humility too, for who else would get down and dirty, bare feet and dead leaves strewn all over his “canvas”, and not bother? For it’s the experience that matters, nothing else, and for anyone to have access to this experience. No special VIP invitation to a high-end art gallery; this is out in the open for everybody.
We talk to him. He asks us where we are from and we say Kuala Lumpur. He’s heard of it, he says, but not been there yet. Come, we say, come. Be welcome to our home. He looks pleased. Now, he tells us, I will write. Watch, please. Hope you will like it.
Oh we already do. (It totally rocks being a tourist.)
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He starts at the top of the parchment, body bent over and his fingers grasping only the head of the brush, and writes. And writes. And writes.
His disciple helps him shift the pot of ink along as he progresses. He moves the book from which he follows the poem himself. Writes, writes, writes. The air is sweet with simple sounds. Crowds gather. We watch, in amazement, in appreciation, in delight. The sky above us is redolent with light fragrance of new cherry blossoms.
This might not be a zen moment we are sharing here, not exactly, but it sure is wonderful.
When he finishes, his audience erupts in applause, polite but unrestrained. We thank him and tell him we like it very much, indeed. His calligraphy is beautiful.
The Artist is pleased and tell us he is grateful we enjoyed his performance. We bid him farewell and continue walking, taking leave of this peaceful and happy graveyard.
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4. Cats Howl • Yanaka Ginza
Cats guard the entrance to Yanaka Ginza.
But these are not demon cats, enormous and evil, seeking to sink their large fangs into our wilful flesh. These cats are statues, figurines, and most of them cute and friendly. Mostly. They watch us and protect us, strangers to this neighbourhood and welcome us.
Yanaka Ginza is a quieter and smaller cousin of its more famous namesake. Actually it’s very different from the original Ginza, a cosmopolitan shopping district in the heart of the city. Yanaka Ginza is more of a shopping lane than a entire district, and therein lies its charm. There are no cars here, no motorists, no one hassling you, the hustle is gone.
What’s left is the slow bustle of a quaint neighbourhood shopping street, where on either side of the lane are shops selling sweets and snacks, crafts and clothing, household goods and toys, even daily groceries like fish, rice and vegetables. Fresh flowers for your sweetheart.
Don’t hurry. Take your time. There is no rush.
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5. Tofu Delights • Yanaka Ginza
Sit down.
Have some of our delicious fare:
Our delicate tofu delights —
They may look like fishballs or meat patties or pouches of gold
But these morsels are worth more than just pouches of gold
Don’t take my word for it
Try some yourself
There, wasn’t that remarkable?
That first bite
Like the softness
Of a kiss
Only your true love could give.
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Copyright © 2010 Kenny Mah Ying Fye.
~ the Tokyo, Tokyo series ~
Prologue • Bye Bye Sakura
Part 1 • All You Can Eat Ameyoko
Part 2 • Uniquely Ueno
Part 3 • Okachimachi: The Best Sushi in Tokyo
Part 4 • Tsukiji: The Biggest Fish Market in the World
Part 5 • The Giant Lanterns of Asakusa, or The Girl Called Spring
Part 6 • Yanaka Cemetery: A Picnic with the Departed
Part 7 • Leonardo DiCaprio & the Gangs of Ginza
Part 8 • A Match Made in Meiji
Part 9 • Harajuku Girls in Love
Part 10 • Heavenly Hakone
Part 11 • Where Did Mt. Fuji Go?
Part 12 • Beautiful Boy Ramen
Part 13 • Ghibli Museum: Spirited Away by Princess Mononoke
Part 14 • How We Got Beaten Up by Bruce Lee at Roppongi Hills
Part 15 • Shinjuku Gyoen
Epilogue • The Last Meal in Tokyo
Kenny Mah believes in the good in people. He has been blogging for over ten years. No, his hands aren't tired. Yet.
wah, calligraphy as performance art!
reading this, i get a sense that u’d enjoy this movie, if u haven’t seen it yet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring,_Summer,_Fall,_Winter…_and_Spring i didn’t quite enjoy it, because i thought it was slow/plodding, but u might like it for that very reason :P
@Sean: Yes, performance art! We were initially simply astonished to see a scroll of Japanese calligraphy taped down on the pavement in the middle of a graveyard… and then when the Artist came forth and performed for us (and not finishing his meal in the process, poor guy) simply cos we are Malaysians, we were astounded.
And then much humbled by his art. Beautiful, I tell you.
P.S. Not seen this film yet but want to. Slow and plodding seems right up my alley. :P
P.P.S. Speaking of alleys (ones with wantan mee and meandering shots of lovely cheongsams, that is), I still belum watch your Criterion Collection DVDs of ‘In the Mood for Love’. So sorry… will do my best to do it this weekend.
I bet the interviews will be… cryptic. (Knowing WKW.) :P
ya, i pretty much have two left hands, so anyone who can works using his/her hands (painters, carpenters, even surgeons) is a miracle-worker in my eyes!
p.s. right. i’ll pass the dvd to mrs not-very-lyrical-these-days to pass to you.
p.p.s. no rush, even when i get it back, i’ll probably not watch it again until 2046 or something. :P
p.p.p.s “anyone who can works using…” ok ok, i make grammatical errors when i type with purpose :P
@Sean: And me, I got two left feet, so there goes for my dancing moves, haha.
(Though ToyCouple may tell you differently. I remember a orgiastic sandwich on the dancefloor at Pulse, Grand Millenium KL some years back, hehe.)
P.S. How come this Mrs. not so lyrical these days? Whatcha do to her?
P.P.S. ROFL
P.P.P.S. But it’s adorable. Heh.
Everything is so Japanese until the last pic “Coca-Cola”. :P
@jemima: Haha, but Coca-Cola is universal ma… So, it includes Japan! :D
WOW WOW WOW! I’m really enjoying your posts on Japan! I almost feel like I was there with you!
@Paprika: I wish you were there with us, and our all other friends too. It was an incredible experience. :)
all this talk about anatomical parts is reminding me of a new movie that i haven’t watched yet. though, ermmmmmm, i don’t think u’d like it [link removed]
p.s. perhaps one woman’s lyricalness is another man’s ludicrousness? hehehe :D
@Sean: No, I haven’t watched that movie, but had read the synopsis in Wikipedia after reading a minor mention of it in a film review site.
Really. Truly. Regretted. It. Later.
Now, I don’t normally like horror films. Not cos they are scary but mostly cos they are not scary. Long gone are the days of good quality horror like “The Exorcist”.
(These days, I’ll be happy with a good suspense film, hopefully Hitchcockian, but more recent fare lah.)
This film (to which I removed the link you provided) is just disgusting. Or at least the concept. It’s given me horrible daytime nightmares, the thought of it. Now, I simply wanna un-think the concept from my mind.
Eww.
P.S. To be fair, when I was forced to divulge the plot of the film to some friends during a yum cha session last weekend, nobody seemed particularly bothered.
Most just went “Gross!” and then asked when they could go watch it. Go figure.
P.P.S. The above rant (first comment) is directed at the concept & the storyline, not to you or the film or even the director/writer. It is, truly, just me.
Still. Eww.
Who says large cities like Tokyo is unsustainable? how I wish there’s a place in Malaysia, be it a park, even a cemetery, a place to spend a weekend with no specific agenda. – not crowded shopping malls.
@Casey: There is a lot of planning that goes into making a city sustainable and in this case, also green (environmentally-conscious in some areas) and heritage/preservation-oriented.
It could be Tokyo. It could be Kuala Lumpur. Just needs proper planning. And a pool of good minds and hearts behind it all. :)
gosh, now u might make some people wonder what movie we’re talking about. but ok, i guess that’s one dvd i won’t be passing to you (if i ever find it in a local store).
horror is my least favorite genre, cos i do get easily creeped out (even shutter island was a nerve-jangling experience for me). but luckily for me, those feelings evaporate as soon as the movie ends.
@Sean: Hehe. I certainly hope they don’t go and try find out… (Though the more we discuss this, the more they are gonna want to, curiousity piqued and all that.)
I don’t find most variety of blockbuster horror these days scary, just silly. I tend to laugh. But this? Just gross. Eww.
What’s good that is coming from this is that the more out there it is, the more I release and vent my emotions about it, the less poisoned I am by the whole experience (of simply reading a Wikipedia synopsis, mind you.)
Oy vey. I need a life.
i want some of my ashes to be scattered underneath these sakura trees after reading and seeing all these beautiful pics :D
@babe_kl: That’s actually a beautiful thought. I wonder where my ashes will be scattered. Under these sakura trees, mingling with the fallen petals – this sounds like a magical idea. :)
I like the part where you can just walk and walk and take it all! This may jolly well define the kind of place I would like to be at.
I cannot imagine people having a picnic in any cemeteries in Singapore!? :O
@tigerfish: Yeah, I don’t think the Singaporean cemetery authorities would take kindly to that… :P
But it could be fun though. Just being able to walk and walk and take it all in…
Is the film you guys are talking about “Audition”??? I am really intrigued. Pls pls tell me which one it is.
@Ming: No, it’s not “Audition”, though I did audition someone yesterday at the office, coincidentally enough.
Now that sounded wrong somehow… :P
i miss the sakuras so much!
@rokh: Me too, babe. Me too. :)
My favourites are the hanami and the man painting with the brush head. amazing huh. Good thing it was you who went during the cherry blossom season. I can trust u to take enough photos to satisfy my hanami cravings, since I have never seen it!
@ciki: Yes, the Artist was amazing. I am so glad we decided to ask the folks sitting on the ground what all the calligraphy on the avenue was about. Had we not, we’d have missed an extraordinary performance!
P.S. More hanami coming up… Look out for it! :)
This is amazing. A part of Tokyo I didn’t see.
I hunted down the graveyard of the 47 Ronin instead. Sengakuji Temple at Minato-ku. A lot more sombre than this!
http://www.thetokyootaku.com/2009/09/sengakuji-temple/
I love old Tokyo.
And their artists and musicians are just the coolest! The stuff they do in the streets just blows your mind.
@Camemberu: Ooh, thanks for hunting down that link. I like those sorta graveyards too! I mean, Yanaka Cemetery is a very respectable and well-respected graveyard… it’s just that it’s FUN too! :D
And here’s cheers to all the street artists, musicians and performers!
Big surprise to me!!! Looking at your pictures from Yanaka, Who do I see…my son-in-law and my 2 granddaughters!!!
I myself live in Belgium. My daughter married her Japanese prince 7 years ago and they live in Yanaka.
It is the picture above
2. A picnic with the departed,
the man with the phone, and the children on the right side, you see their back, with the curly brown hair.
You now why the cats are at the beginning of Yanaka Ginza? Yanaka is called ‘cattown’. Many cats there, and everyone cares for them. They are said to be guardians of the graves on the big cemetery. If one is sick, the first person who discovers it, goes to the doctor whit the cat. They are not allowed to come into the house, but in many garages stands a catbed, food and drink.
For me, when I was there, Yanaka was a bit like paradise. Nice people, peaceful places, and of course my Japanese family.
If you ever have the chance, look for the movie..Yanaka boshoku..(deep in the valley
NB. sorry for the bad English, my native language is Dutch (Flemish side of Belgium), and I only went to school untill the age of 13. The rest was all self-education.
And my website…a lot of work to do yet.
@Liliana: And an even BIGGER surprise to me! :D
Who would have guessed that when I took photographs at the Yanaka Graveyard that day, I would caputre a glimpse of your son-in-law and granddaughters?
The world indeed is a very, very small place. And I, for one, am glad the internet and our blogs and pictures can bring so many different people together, when shared.
Thanks so much for the ‘Cat Town’ story… it is beautiful. All the best with your website!
héhéhé…there’s a lot of stories about Yanaka, ‘Yanaka boshoku’ tells about the pagoda that stood in the middle of the graveyard, next to the playing ground. The story goes that it has been burnt down by 2 unhappy lovers, and the only thing left of them was a thimble.
The picture you took was my son-in-law playing guard of the blue plastic under his feet. People hire a blossomtree for the picnic and someone has to take care of the place till everyone arrives, mates from work, family, friends…
and not everything may be so perfect in Japan, but most of them really have respect for children, elder people and…their ancestors. They have respect for the dead, so they involve them in their lifes. Chidren play with the falling blossoms at the graveyard, and with o-bon (festival of the dead) they invite the dead to return home for a few days and prepare food, play games, dance and so on, and then send them back to their graves lightning their way with little candles floating on the rivers…if within a week or 3, you remember my posting, come and look at my picture page.
I am busy sorting out the pictures of 2009 and 2010, you will reconize at least 3 people, maybe more, because the girls sitting on the monument are colleages of my son-in-law.
I’m glad I found your site, and enjoy it very much, not only the Japan-things, thank you so much :o)
Smiley had to be a nice laughing one, sorry
@Liliana: Oh yes, the blue plastic used for the picnics – I’ve seen at Ueno Park some folks sleeping there, thereby “booking” the place very early before the rest of their friends arrive. It’s really a communal activity that is fascinating.
It’s true about the respect for family (and ancestors) – very heartening that the Japanese treat the departed with reverence and at the same time, with no fear, that the children would be happy playing in the graveyard.
I cannot wait to return to Japan for sure! :)
P.S. I’ve dropped by your website and saw a wonderful photograph of Hiro drawing a stone feature/face. Beautiful. I couldn’t leave a comment as one has to login, I believe, but just wanted to let you know I’ve visited. :)
Hoy, and yes, to leave a comment, one has to login. Same as here haha…
Meanwhile, the world is getting smaller and smaller.
I just discovered that one of my ‘partners in crime’ (learning Japanese) has a Malaysian wife. And at this moment he is visiting his parents-in-law and traveling around in Malaysia with his wife and kids.
I wonder…when he returns with a lot of pictures, I’m going to get a good look at them all, who knows…I might find you on it.
Allthough, reading your blog, you’re not at home THAT much!
@Liliana: Aye, I am not often at home, what with work travel but always, always, I long for home.
Maybe one day I shall only travel for leisure and build my life on one place only. But for now, I am a semi-nomad of sorts. :P
P.S. Wouldn’t it be cool if your partner in crime did indeed capture a candid shot of me? :D