ARRIVAL IN TOKYO! March 21, 2007
On March 21 we are in Tokyo. Greetings Francesca, it would be nice them also Micol.
It 's the spring solstice, a national holiday, we still do not know, it seems strange that the Narita Express is half empty on Wednesday morning, but I am also happy because we are full of bags with and without wheels, and with so many people that move would certainly have been more uncomfortable .... in any case it is uncomfortable ... .. From the train, which is a circular line, which serves all suburban centers, we pass to the metro line, which runs around the center of the city on 10 routes operated by two companies, from 5 am to midnight. The minimum cost of a journey is 170 yen, little more than one euro. We reach the Asakusa, where it will be Stephen 
friend of Milan, which often works in japan to accompany us to the residence, who has booked for us. Thank you, you have been very valuable as well as nice, but we already knew that. are a bit 'dazed , fortunately Simon moves easily with the map of the lines and continue to do so in the following days because I'm just focused in space and time!
On the train I enjoy watching people, many are young women who will have access to a bit ' time can be arranged for the stage "makeup." Pull out of the bag, unexpectedly, small terry towel, spread them with grace on his knees and begins to lay low for the time necessary for the face, mirror, light cream and cosmetics, but phase is more fun than the care of eyes. Extract glue and fake eyelashes that will make precise in spite of train movement, this process requires at least 15 minutes, in fact it is the stuff of a chisel, then it is the turn of ' black eyeliner and eye shadow vanished. gloss and final inspection of the mirror with grimaces and smiles to see the effect, are completely at ease, then everything is put in small boxes while I can not take their eyes off believing that the work is finished, in fact resumed through the hair with combs and clips from other outputs colored purses ... a real job, ripassatina nails who like to take long with small floral fluorescent light panels on the enamel. Everything is in order, now is the time of the cell filled with pendants of all types of headphones for music and at last a bit ' relaxation. I realize that cell phones do not ring and no one speaks. Find out that in Japan on public transport is strictly forbidden to use this useful but evil object. I also note that everyone is very silent except for some child who has not yet been severely punished, perhaps, I think, not old and some sound is produced but did not get a response if not attentive eyes and smiles of those who accompanied him. I still can not resist the children and smile without reservation! We know that we must take care not to bother, you need to stay away from the doors except when we are preparing to go down and that we should not strike anyone with the body, even by mistake, if it happens, we must bow down and apologize. ... I am that day, to sleep, I'm careless and Simone takes me ... (it will often rightly acquire some nervousness)
In a change of trains are a bit 'awkward, it comes forward a little old man with a wife and a relative small handicapped dependents, and shows us the 'elevator ! Drag excessive boldness with our luggage in the elevator, so I find myself with them talking and smiling in Japanese while Simon has been out on the dock ... help me to download, even the lady who is barely standing, as I say thanks, thanks, that's fine and I'll stop there ... otherwise I would have dragged somewhere. If the Japanese do not you take a liking to give up more, keep talking and gesturing, as I do the rest! Finally a bit
' exhausted we reach Asakusa - bashi district of Asakusa one of the oldest in Tokyo, near a Buddhist temple that is easily identifiable by the large paper lantern that is at the door Kaminarimon . We come to the temple through a narrow street lined with small shops selling everything. To look at everything carefully, you can just go by yourself or with a woman! The neighborhood is lively, now known flowers in front of all the shops and all the doors, pots everywhere, and diverse group, very colorful. By Stephen come now to our house , I have now called caravans, small room with bathroom, bright and clean with a balcony. In Tokyo, everything is small, the space is gold and should never be wasted. Even in the metro is better to keep your legs closed and not over because they occupy less space! 
We are hungry so we do lead by Stefano to eat ramen , type species of egg pasta noodles in broth, a typical Japanese dish, served in large bowls on narrow benches in front of a cook, on the other side works with its pots and pans and vegetables and meat broth in which the pay ramen. With chopsticks and spoon begin the game, you have to do a bit ' noise with his mouth while pulling up the ramen con le bacchette, tutti mangiamo in fila,ognuno sul suo sgabello fisso al pavimento. Il piatto è gustoso, mi soddisfa e il brodo caldo che si beve in ultimo, direttamente dalla tazza o con il cucchiaio, (sempre imitare, mi raccomando) credo sia ottimo anche come lassativo. Per dieci giorni abiteremo in roulottes e ogni giorno accadrà qualcosa di inaspettato e nuovo, anche perché non ci limiteremo ad essere turisti ma dovremo preoccuparci di organizzare i nostri prossimi mesi. Oltre a Stefano a Tokyo c’è anche il nostro maestro di aikido Andrea Re, ospite nella grande suite dell' albergo di Irene, dove lui dice di perdersi ogni volta che rientra da solo!Irene, infatti è spesso a Tokyo to work, fluent in Japanese and letting us take a walk to explore a city she knows well.
More fortunate than you could imagine so, because this situation of "hot landing" in a strange and complicated place to live, was not, in truth, organized by Milan. We often ate together, went shopping, trips to the temples, we laughed and learned a few words and rules of conduct.
Simon can not resist the day after arrival and wants to go to ' Hombu dojo , his real reason for have come this far in the land of the rising sun.
Of course, I follow his enthusiasm and accompany him. Backpackers arrive in the district of Shinjuku with the 
I admire him for the courage to throw it in an unknown environment, assure him a photographic record, but I limit myself to attend the lecture on the edge of the mat white, as befits its knees. Simon has already entered the locker room and I do not know where to go, then I ask two girls skirts (they say so because the long skirt and blue that puts on the jacket and white pants, indicates the degree of competence in aikido (eg we do not have it ....) They do not
understand English, then look and copy them from my entry. Simone instead mistaken entry, the males come from another part, but his demeanor and his raiment white save him, plus the Japanese master has not yet arrived. Log
tip at 15.30 not a minute more, not one less. As the subway
. And always will.
Actually I'm pretty excited, I feel special effect that gives me be in this place, in this atmosphere so charged with energy and respect, I feel that is familiar to me and I like it.
I know I'll have time to get to know each floor of this building and that I have time to meet new people, that I will work my body and my spirit also. I do a bit
' photos without flash and a bit ' secretly ... not really even know if you can. It can not, but in the meantime for two lessons click! 
In Tokyo you walk a lot, evening comes and you have tired legs even if you are traveling on fast boats, to changes in line sometimes you have to do 
black and 24 hours without sleep problems, too. If they do not sleep in their hands small books that read from right to left course for vertical lines, full of kanji incomprehensible to us, or playing with the phone full of pendants and rarely communicate or look up. Often you see women dressed in kimonos, with their purses and their wooden sandals with strict white sock. I think of my dress carnival as a child, when my mother had sewn a beautiful kimono with Japanese silk, which if I remember correctly had brought my uncle Charles, always the traveler of the family, with a large yellow ribbon on the back ... . 
also to exit the subway otherwise it takes the ticket does not open automatically switch mica ... stupid idea ... there is a controller there, too. Although I do not
love to travel under the earth in general much I like to stay in stations and on public transport and observe people and account to learn quickly to use the bus!
I think it's a good way to capture the spirit of a country, the mood of gente e i suoi problemi
E’ un’umanità che si muove ordinata, i mezzi pubblici a Tokyo sono un esempio di un’efficiente amministrazione pubblica, tutti in uniforme:gli studenti, i bigliettai, il capotreno con l’occhio sempre sull’orologio e la lampada in mano per dare il via.
Libera dalla routine di tutti i giorni, senza alcun dovere tranne quello con la mia coscienza, la mente un po’ si acquieta, riaffiorano pensieri piacevoli, inutili e al fondo un grande senso di curiosità, libertà e gioia.
Nella settimana in cui c’è il maestro Andrea andiamo anche in gita a Kashima a nord di Tokyo e to visit Kamakura, a town on the sea south of Tokyo, where he lives the master of Katori Shinto Ryu (Japanese sword) Hatakeyama ... ... ... ... .... then that is the master Andrea. We will follow him all day and the next day ... .. will be a grind but definitely interesting. The first meeting ... we do not jump at 8.30 to find the last car of the train as agreed, we have 5 minutes late, and dismayed, especially Andrea; Hatakeyama, seeing no point, he says. We follow him with the next train will see it then and Irene per caso da una vetrina di un ristorantino ! Andrea è visibilmente contento e subito, veloce come una lepre, lo acchiappa! 
E’ un uomo che ha più di sett ’anni e ancora insegna questa antica disciplina. Da buon giapponesese , molto determinato, ci accompagna per visitare i templi le strade della cittadina, decidendo sempre lui il ritmo e le soste e anche cosa eventualmente consumare…Se esprimiamo il desiderio di fermarci ad osservare qualcosa lui dice “ apres ’ apres ” e prosegue imperterrito. Vuole a tutti i costi parlare in francese e in italiano(che conosce poco) quasi niente in Japanese, although there is that Irene could easily be his interpreter, but he is a special kind! 
in the beautiful gardens around the temples he points out the attention to care for nature, as if the natural world and God were the same thing for us Westerners God created nature, the Asian world, God and nature are the same thing and then the man by nature, because nature is divine. Even their writing made of images, like the Chinese, is by nature and not from an abstract convention as our alphabets. In any European language would be enough to agree that the word for "sun" from tomorrow means "moon." In Japan, as in China, the use of the character makes it impossible.
entrance of the temple teaches us to distinguish from Buddhist Shinto temple, as the big guards at the sides of the doors in case they are armed and the other not, then shows us how to purify your hands and mouth with the ' well water and the use of ladles. 
In Kamakura temples there are 83 ... we see three, including the great bronze buddha-high 13 yards. 
In these places, which were once the monasteries, were hosted by the sword masters, who retired and had time for 1000 days grow lighting on the art, after this period, they could stay or be sent away ... or not depended from finding the truth ... 
Simon is a bit 'disappointed by the fact that within these sacred areas there are areas to eat and buy souvenirs, they do not like these sites are altered, so a bit' is isolated and lost, but we we find him always.
When Andrea, Irene, and Stefano will be allocated for Italy, missing a few days, we will find ourselves alone and we will start the real adventure 
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