My Trip to Japan - Days 2 & 3

Tuesday, October 14th 2008

While I had left Dayton on Sunday, I woke up to Tuesday morning - I'd lost a day between travel time and the 13 hour time difference.  The first thing I did was too look out the window of my room at the Conrad Tokyo to get a good look at Tokyo for the first time during the day.  Though it was a bit overcast  on Tuesday, the view was still quite spectacular: 

After I showered, I went downstairs for breakfast - the view in the dining room was equally impressive:

After breakfast, I met the Seiko team and the rest of the international journalists assembled for the "Seiko Media Experience" - journalists from Indonesia, Italy, Singapore, UK, Turkey, Spain, France,  and Belgium were in attendance.  I was the only journalist invited from the US.  Many of the journalists attending had considerable expertise in the subject of horology.  Others, (such as the gentleman from GQ Spain) had very little technical expertise in watches - it was an interesting mix of cultures and backgrounds for the week. 

After the preliminary briefing from the Seiko Team, we were loaded on a bus that would transport us to our first stop that was part of the Seiko Media Experience - the Seiko Institute of Horology in Tokyo.  It was here that we were introduced to our tour guide for the week Mariko:

 

We had some time prior to our appointment at the Seiko Institute of Horology, so we Mariko told us we'd be making a surprise stop to the Japanese Imperial Palace in the heart of Tokyo - home of the Emperor of Japan!

We parked the bus near this park and walked over to the palace:

She then showed us this statue of a famous Japanese Shogun who long ago served an Emperor of Japan:

We then made it to the Imperial Palace - This photo shows Nijubashi, the Double Bridge, in the Kokyo (Imperial Palace):

A single guard is posted at the gate - one of seven gates one must pass to get to the entrance of the palace:

Apparently the Emperor of Japan isn't the friendliest of chaps - he's a figurehead, much like the British monarchy who's power is only symbolic as Japan is now, also like England, a democratic society.  However, we were told that the Emperor only meets with those outside the palace gates twice a year.  No outsiders are allowed through the palace gates outside of those two yearly occasions.  So there wasn't much to see from this side of the gate unfortunately.  But at least I got my picture taken in front of the famous double bridge:  

After our brief stop at the Imperial Palace, we loaded back on the bus and started driving through downtown Tokyo toward the Seiko Institute of Horology. I snapped a few photos along the way:

Here we see the Asahi Beer Hall building with the "Asahi Flame" (1989) which sits on top of the building, known locally as the "Golden Turd."

After a short drive through Tokyo, we finally arrived at the Seiko Institute of Horology, which is essentially a museum of all things Seiko:

The museum tour was quite facinating - look for my upcoming complete report on my tour of the Seiko Institute of Horology in the Japanese and Asian Watch Forum on my site WATCH TALK FORUMS:

We had a late lunch after our museum tour, then headed for Shinjuku Station to board our first train of the week.

 which would take us from Tokyo to Suwa City on Lake Suwa, in rural Japan. 

I'm almost ashamed to admit that the train ride from Tokyo to Suwa city was my first real train ride - I've just never taken a train when I've traveled in Europe, and certainly haven't had need to travel by train in the US.  It certainly was a nice way to see the rural Japanese countryside:

 

Once we arrived to the train station, we were transported by taxi to a traditional Japanese Inn right on lake Suwa called Hamamo-yu:.  

 

The inn was quite nicely decorated and was lovely - not opulent, but well appointed:

 Our stay at this traditional Japanese inn was perhaps the most culturally enlightening experience for someone like myself.  Here's what my room at the inn looked like:

  Inns like this one in Japan strictly adhere to several Japanese conventions and traditions.  One such convention is the partaking of a Japanese public hot spring bath au naturale, which I tried before dinner.  Fortunately, they do have separate hot spring areas for men and women:

 

After my relaxing trip to the hot spring, I went back to my room to change for dinner.  When staying at a Japanese inn, guests are expected to dress in the traditional Japanese "yukata" robes and no shoes are allowed - only slippers.  I found a yukata in my room:

 

After putting on my yukata, I practiced my traditional Japanese bow for the camera.  :) 

 

Here are some photos from dinner that night with the Seiko team, and the rest of the international journalists.

Yep, I got to learn how to properly use chop sticks.  I got pretty good with them too - of course, I've always had a strong aptitude when it comes to eating.  :)

Most of those in attendance partook liberally of the plumb wine and saki (I stuck with water as I learned to my dismay that diet soda is hard to come by in Japan...) and by the end of dinner, the group was more than "warmed up" to take part in another Japanese tradition - the art of karaoke.

 After listening to some of the journalists attempt (being kind) to sing karaoke, I was coerced by some of the ladies into singing - I delivered a stirring karaoke rendition of Sinatra's New York, New York which seemed to genuinely impress our hosts and guests alike.  We'll have to assume their collective musical discernment had been somewhat dulled by alcohol consumption.  Powerful stuff, that saki....

After a few more songs it was time to call it a night.  I was quite tired and looking forward to a good night's sleep.  Did you notice the lack of a bed in the above photos of my room at the inn?  Well, when I got back after dinner, the table had been taken away, and a "bed" had been set up:

 

 I actually slept better than I anticipated (thank goodness for Tylenol PM) but woke to a rather stiff back the next morning.  

DAY 3 IN JAPAN
Wednesday, October 15th 2008

 I woke up at sunrise and got my first look out the window of my room at Lake Suwa:

 

 After breakfast, we boarded a bus which drove us about an hour and a half to the Seiko Epson manufacturing facility in Shiojiri, which is near Nagano Japan.  

 

We spent the entire day at the Shiojiri Seiko Epson plant attending presentations and doing a plant tour. Much of Seiko's high-end products including their Spring Drive, Grand Seiko Spring Drive, and Credor Sonnerie lines are produced at the Shiojiri Seiko Epson plant.  A full report of the factory tour will be published in the Japanese and Asian Watch Forum on my site WATCH TALK FORUMS.

After a long day, we took cars to the local train station, and took a short train ride to the city of Nagano which is the seat of the Nagano province. 

 

Once at the Nagano train station, we simply walked out, crossed the street, and checked into the Nagano Metropolitan Hotel:

 

 After checking in, we all changed and went down for dinner - an authentic Japanese "steak house."  Our hosts from Seiko were quick to point out that while the cooks at an American "Japanese Steak House" make a big show of juggling their utensils, it isn't something you'd ever see in an authentic restaurant in Japan.  Here's a few photos from dinner:

 

The pumpkin soup was fantastic - perhaps my favorite new food item which I tried in Japan.

After dinner I decided to go out for a night walk and explore a little of Nagano.

 

 In this photo, you can see a book store that I decide to go into to browse:

As a watch enthusiast, I've always heard about the fantastic watch magazines readily available in Japan - I was not disappointed:

Here's a night shot of the Hotel Metropolitan in Nagano:

After my walk, I went back to my hotel and had a good night's sleep (in a bed!).  I had two more days of train rides, factory tours, and presentations before heading back to Tokyo on Saturday.  I was certainly having a fantastic time!

 *All text and images contained in this review are the original work of the author, John B. Holbrook, II and are copyright protected. Use of any of the information or images without the permission of the author is prohibited.

Please note that the Author and this site are in no way affiliated with or related to The Rolex Watch Company Limited. All trademarked names, brands, models and designs mentioned herein are the sole property of The Rolex Watch Company Limited.

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