Japan, April 1996 – The Intergalactic Tourist

I had hoped to make it to Japan when I was in the Navy in the ’60s, but the Navy refused to oblige me, and since then there hadn’t been any opportunities because I was either too busy when I was working and, when out of work, was out of money also. But in April 1996 the pace of work slowed down enough that I was able to take some vacation, and I had an opportunity to stay for free with my good friend Dave Winter when I was in Tokyo. Dave had been living in Japan for a number of years by then, teaching art history in Tokyo colleges; he spoke the language and knew the good places to go and how to get around, where to stay, etc. He pointed me first at a town called Nikko, north of Tokyo, which contained the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, which ruled Japan from 1600 to the 1860s. I also went to Kyoto, the old Imperial capital, and to Nara, another font of Japanese history and culture. From there I took the bullet train to Hiroshima, and while there I visited the island of Miya Jima, site of a famous and venerable temple and nature park. Of course, I also took some time to sample some of the attractions of Tokyo while staying there.

Unfortunately, Dave Winter died in August 2013. This account of my stay in Japan in 1996 is dedicated to his memory.