McGregor Musings: Tokyo day 1

Day one of our Tokyo adventure:

1. Yasukuni shrine

There are thousands of shrines throughout Japan but this shrine is special. Established by Emperor Meiji over 150 years ago to remember all those who have died fighting for Japan - now over 2 million people. It's controversial because some convicted war criminals from World war II are enshrined here.

We approached the beautiful shrine through three massive Tori gates and passed the workman putting up lights on the scaffolding for the upcoming anniversary. We were struck by the space and quiet compared to the train journey we had just been on. Respectfully we approached and watched and asked a guard how people came to pray. You ceremonially wash your hands

step up, place a coin in the box, bow twice, clap twice, silently say your prayer, clap twice and bow twice.

But if you want to be involved in the formal prayer further inside the shrine you must make a written application and pay the $10 fee. Others had written their requests on paper or on wooden ornaments and hung them on hooks. Workers were removing these, placing them in cardboard boxes, but when we asked where they were to be taken they simply said to 'another location.'

We respected the sincerity of the worshippers but were reminded again of our great privilege to be able to pray to our Heavenly Father at any time and in any place.

2. Yasukunan museum

You may be relieved to know that we don't have many museums on our itinerary but I had read that this war museum gave a revisionist history of Japan's involvement in the second world war. Not only this, the museum traced the history of Japan through its many different periods. Having put myself through a crash course of podcast episodes and books over the last couple of months to understand the sweep of Japanese history I really appreciated the way this was presented. We especially liked the samurai armour

and this rope which was made from the hair of 10,000 women.

The highlight was the narrative from the forced exposure to the Western powers in 1850 and Japan's determination to become a modern world power.

The series of exhibits tried to persuade us that Japan's invasion of China in 1933 was only a reasonable reaction to anti-Japanese sentiment and a couple of attacks on its troops in China (though even the museum admitted that the main one of these was staged by the Japanese military itself to give a pretext for war). As a result the attack on Pearl Harbour and the rest of the Pacific and East Asia was then only a necessary decision to secure natural resources when the Americans imposed sanctions. What's more, Japan's sacrifice inspired other nations to throw off their imperialists masters.

I guess there was some logic to it if you thought that the 12 year invasion that left millions dead in China was a good decision in the first place. Oh, and they did completely ignore the atrocities in Nanjing, the treatment of prisoners of war and the enslavement of comfort women.

Particularly striking was the memorial to the one judge in the war crimes tribunal who wrote a 1200 page dissenting judgement to the convictions and objected to the whole trial as 'victors justice'.

Ok I agree, enough of a history rant.

3. Omoide yachoko

A small series of alleyways with tiny Japanese eateries.

We sampled various cuts of pork - head neck intestines etc. but the highlight was the couple we met for lunch. Through her limited English and Google translate we got to know each other.

He said he was the grandson of the founder of Mitsubishi, well known for cars fridges air conditioners and apparently Kamikaze planes. He virtually offered a job to Hamish. After all there is a Mitsubishi hospital in Tokyo. As we walked away we still weren't sure whether we believed him. He had had a few drinks and bought me one as well.