I joined one-day Yokohama City tour arranged by District 76 in honor of Toastmaster Lance Miller, the 2005 World Champion of Public Speaking.
Sankei Garden (三溪園)
I arrived at JR Negishi Station before 9:30. Toastmaster Toshio Yada was already at a nearby coffee shop enjoying his breakfast. Toastmaster Miwa Imamura arrived after me. We three early birds had a pleasant talk about my workshop rehearsal at Bashamichi Toastmasters Club. Lance arrived at 10 past 10 with an entourage of Japanese Toastmasters, including Toastmaster Yumiko Shimizu, Akiko Yoshizaki, Kozue Sakai. We took two taxis to Sankei Garden, a traditional Japanese-style garden in Yokohama.
Imagine taking a promenade in a traditional Japanese garden on a Sunny Autumn day! It was in the paradise with beautiful ladies cladding in exquisite kimonos admiring chrysanthemum blossom. We followed the elegant pageant to visit the chrysanthemum exhibition.The migratory birds swimming at the main pond in the middle of the garden caught our attention. We took a rest and took many photos by the pond. Many people sat on the grassy area eating box lunches and feeding carp in the pond.
Our next stop is Sankei Memorial with a huge collection of painting and calligraphy. Inside the Memorial, we enjoyed tea ceremony* at Bototei (望塔亭). We were asked to savor two tiny red and white cakes imprinted with a three-story pagoda, the taste of bitter sweetness. In the outer garden, stood a three-story pagoda build in 1457 during Muromachi Era, and moved from Tomyoji (燈明寺) of Kyoto in 1914 during Taicho Era. On top of the landmark pagoda, currently the oldest wooden pagoda in Kanto region, we enjoyed a panoramic view of the splendid landscape of the Sankei Garden.Sankei Garden, 175 thousand square meters of ponds, streams, and undulating paths, was designed and built by Tomitaro Hara (原富太郎) (1868–1939), known by the pseudonym Sankei Hara, who was a silk trader. Seventeen buildings in the garden are historically significant structures bought by him from all over Japan. Ten of which have been declared Important National Cultural Properties. The garden was open to the public for free by him in 1906.
Badly damaged during World War II, the garden was donated to the City of Yokohama in 1953. Sankei Garden was then restored almost to its pre-war condition. The garden is popular for its cherry blossoms, ume blossoms, and the autumn foliage.
Hotel New Grand
Yokohama City, the second largest city in Japan, lies on Tokyo Bay, approximately 30 kilometers south of Tokyo. During the American occupation period, Yokohama was a major transshipment base for American supplies and personnel, especially during the Korean War. General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander for the Allied powers (SCAP), played a pivotal roles in World War II and the Korean War.
On Aug. 29, 1945, just days before the formal Japanese surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, President Harry S. Truman tapped MacArthur to oversee the occupation, rebuilding and democratization of Japan. By late 1945, MacArthur's troops were across Japan, two-thirds of them flooding the Tokyo-Yokohama area. When war erupted in Korea in 1950, MacArthur flew to Taiwan to visit Chiang Kai-shek, a trip that amounted to a state visit to the Chinese Nationalist leader. Many thanks to General Douglas MacArthur, Taiwan was not taken over by Chinese Communists. My father, an aircraft engineer, was given a chance to visit US via Tokyo for two months in the 1950s.
The Hotel New Grand is a historic hotel in Yokohama, overlooking Yamashita Park. It opened in 1927, four years after the Great Kanto earthquake devastated much of the city. The hotel was used as accommodation by American troops during the Occupation of Japan following World War II. One of the hotel suites is set aside and maintained just as it was furnished when General Douglas MacArthur stayed there, his first night in Japan during the Occupation.
After a pleasant stroll at Sankei Garden, we took two taxis to Hotel New Grand. Toastmaster Matsumoto Maki was waiting for us at the boutique shop when we arrived. With the perfect luncheon arrangement by Toastmaster Imamura Miwa (an employee of Hotel New Grand), we enjoyed a gourmet dinner at the Italian Restaurant—il giardino where General Douglas MacArthur used to entertain colleagues and friends. Among 8 of us, Toastmaster Yada Toshio was the only Toastmaster who ordered a dish different from the rest 7 of us. Toshio must have studied Mandarin for too long, he has changed the thinking and behavioral pattern from a typical Japanese to follow the majority to a person of liberty and freedom.
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| 大きな古い時計 Grandfather's Old Clock |
The Yokohama Bay Cruise
After lunch, we crossed the busy Japan Boulevard of maidenhair trees leaves turning golden on both sides. At the waterfront Yamashita Park Cruising Terminal, we boarded on Marine Rouge at 14:30. The one hour cruise enabled us to savor the entire Yokohama Port. We were served a plate of assorted desserts, I was the only one who finished the entire plate of desserts at Room Cerezo (2F). I usually carried a box with me to take home the leftover, as it is my life policy to save food in my plate. But I was in Japan, I used my stomach to save the energy on earth.
While Marine Rough was cruising at Yokohama Bay, we went up to the Skydeck (3F) to take a few photos with Grand Toastmasters Club banner. A beautiful stewardess with her big smile came up to join us in the wind! I love cruising. My first cruise experience was with golden ladies Toastmasters on Sun Princess in late September this year from Kobe to Keelung via Miyasaki. Cruising is acarefree experience to enjoy the blue sky, immense sea, luxurious food, and friendly people. It possible, I don’t mind joining a cruise trip between Japan and Taiwan every year, expecially with fun Toastmasters.We still had two scenic spots to visit, between China Town and Harbour View Park. I propose we went to China Town first, then we could see the night view of Yokohama harbor (the best three night views along with Hakotade and Nagasaki) on top of Harbour View Park. Due to the transportation conveniences, we went to Harbour View Park first.
Harbour View Park
It was just as windy on top of Harbour View Park. We took a group photo with Yokohama Bay Bridge in the backgroud, took a walk in the beautiful rose garden, took a group photo surrounding a fountain, visited Osaragi Jiro Commemorative Museum, took a walk on the Bluff, visited Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery, strolled all the way down to Yokohama China Town.
Harbour View Park, the crest of the hill overlooking the harbour, were stationed small troop garrisons built for the British and French diplomatic missions from 1863 until about 1875. Many of the original foreign houses were destroyed in the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. The remaining buildings and ornamental gardens have now been opened to the public and serve as popular tourist attractions.
Yokohama Port was opened to foreigners in 1859. Settlers started at a low-lying area known as Kannai. After commercial activity rapidly took place, the elevated Yamate Bluff was construced in 1862. One of the first structures on the Bluff was the residence of the British Consul-General, Sir Rutherford Alcock.
Osaragi Jiro Commemorative Museum
We took a group photo with the Cat statue in front of Osaragi Jiro Commemorative Museum. Osaragi Jiro (大佛次郎, 4 October 1897 – 30 April 1973) was the pen-name of Nojiri Haruhiko (野尻清彦). He published his first popular historical novel in 1924 while he lived in Kamakura behind the famous Kamakura Daibutsu. The kanji for Daibutsu can also be read Osaragi which became his pen-name. Osaragi was a noted cat lover. Friends and neighbors claimed that he fed at least 500 semi-feral cats at his house in Kamakura. Osaragi's manuscripts and artifacts were donated to the city of Yokohama by his heirs, where they now form the collection of the Osaragi Jiro Commemorative Museum.Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery
Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery, located in Yamate Naka ward, was immediatly established after the port was opened to foreigners in 1859. There are graves and memorials to many prominent members of the Bakumatsu and Meiji Period foreign community. In 1864 a memorandum for the foreign settlement at Yokohama was signed by the Bakumatsu with the legations of the main trading nations permitting the extension of the cemetery area to the top of the Bluff.
Yokohama Chinatown
The moment I walked into Yokohama Chinatown, I felt like transcending back to Tamsui Fisherman Wharf Night Market instantly, except the languages were different, Japanese, and southern Chinese dialects. There are roughly 250 Chinese shops and restaurants scattered throughout the district of 300 square meter. Yokohama Chinatown is located just south of Tokyo. It's 150 years old in history. It is the largest Chinatown not only in Japan but also in Asia.Radika's Curry
I was hoping to see the entire family of Pierre, but Pierre was busy at work, and didn't show up when I left the restaurant. At 20:00, Lance wished to call it a day, I had a long way back to Makuhari. We took a bus to Garden City Line and changed trains to our separate destinations.
Lance fell asleep all the way. It was his second night in town, the jet lag took over him. I changed the train at Shinkiba and changed to Keiyo Line. What a long way back to Makuhari. It took me almost two hours from the tip of Yokohama to the tip of Chiba. If there was a tunnel below the sea or a ferry, I can travel between Yokohama and Chiba within 30 minutes.
Remarks:
*Tea Ceremony Harmony-Respect-purity-Tranquility 和敬清寂
How to Enjoy Japanese Tea Ceremony
1. Please don't think it so difficult; it's only a method of drinking green tea.
2. Feel harmony of all things around you.
3. Please eat the cake before drinking the green tea.
4. When a bowl of green tea is served, bow to the tea master with respect.
5. Pay attention to where the front of the tea bowl is. The front of the tea bowl is always facing you.
6. Do not drink from the front of the tea bowl. Put the bowl on your left palm. To avoid drinking from the front part of the tea bowl, turn it clockwise slowly with your right hand. And drink the green tea in three or four sips.
7. Wipe the tea bowl rim where you drank with your thumb and forefinger slightly. And wipe your fingers with your handkerchief or any purity thing you may have.
8. Turn the bowl, and put the bowl in fornt of you as it was before. While a appreciating the tea bowl consider to what the tea master treated you.
9. Turn the tea bowl clockwise or counterclockwise and put the front of the tea bowl toward the tea master, and bow to each other with deep respect.
10. Feel the tranquility in mind.
The Japanese tea ceremony reminds me of the four core values of the Toastmasters, Integrity, Respect, Service, Excellence.
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