BLOSSOMING CHERRIES AND BEYOND!

AIRPORTS - THROUGH THE EYES OF A TRAVELLER! 

It has always been a part of my bucket list to travel all over the world and learn about people, their cultures, traditions, aspirations, behaviour, how they preserve and protect their environment and then try to implement their small, though very important ideas in your daily life. It is said in Sanskrit;

यस्तु संचरते देशान् यस्तु सेवेत पण्डितान् ।
तस्य विस्तारिता बुद्धिस्तैलबिन्दुरिवाम्भसि ॥

Just as a drop of oil expands on being dropped on the surface of water, the intelligence of a person who travels in different countries and converses with scholars, goes on expanding! 

World is a very small place! We have been traveling all over India and world and it has given us a broader sense of perspective, added to our patience and widened our horizons! It gives a sense of excitement, physical and mental well-being! We feel we belong to the universe!

Traveling adds to your general knowledge, common sense, practicality, sense of direction, alertness and smartness.

Japan, the land of the rising sun, was one place in the East, which held a sort of charisma for me. I always wanted to visit and explore Japan! Having heard about the industriousness, hardworking nature of Japanese, a phoenix flight into the sky, with all advances in technology and yet look so quaint, dainty, delicate, has always been a mystery for me! Their traditions, patriotism, a passion for beauty, rising from scratch, defying the strong, have always been qualities to be recognized very strongly, for me! The penchant for keeping their country clean, tidy, updated as a duty of each and every one of its citizens, found a way in my mind and heart!  

With this feeling, we booked for the Japan, Cherry Blossom Tour, in the month of April, which is supposed to be the Cherry Blossom Season. Our tour was to start from Pune.

Our first concern was the weather, which is supposed to be quite cool there and rains which appear unexpectedly! Food was another concern as vegetarian diet is considered in different perspectives, at different places, globally. That was resolved after talking to the tour management personnel. The on-going war and its worldwide impact was yet another issue! We had to hop flights but the luggage was taken care of, by the system! That was another fact resolved! Currency is acceptable in in the form of yens only and because of the war situation, it was available at the last moment and that too limited! We were aware of the security check in limitations about liquids, unpacked food and sharp edged articles, so could comply. Our Visa documents were sent but we had to wait for them till around three days before the travel! It was truly a cause for concern but finally all that ends well is well enough!

Finally we embarked on our well thought over journey, on the decided day! It was a long one but as they say, when your mind is into something, everything seems rosy! All airports have their own characteristics, which was clear from the ones we visited! All had a few things in common; special and specific things about the regions were depicted, in paintings, sculptures, idols, spick and span washrooms, lighted, illuminated corridors, indicators, escalators, walking electronic belts, 24 x 7 helpful personnel and proper announcements! Cleanliness stood out in every platform, waiting room, boarding gate and flight! One thing we can learn from observation and inculcate as a habit, is that whenever we visit any place, its human to keep it neat, clean and tidy! Let them not say and say it to their shame, that all was fine and clean, until you came! That would really be a shame, on the travellers’ part!

All set, we were off to “THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN!”

Pune airport is a spectacular site, with huge pictures depicting the pride of Maharashtra, Shivaji Maharaja’s throne ceremony, various selfie points, suryanamaskar sculptors in bronze and many more.

Kuala Lumpur airport was a spectactular site, with huge architectural wonders! Lovely quotes adorned the airport. Green houses, water falls, green globes, have been installed, keeping eyes cool and stressfree!

Tokyo Narita international airport seemed to be a very busy one, huge and systematic. It was here that we stepped into Japan, The Land of the Rising Sun and started our tour!

 While coming back to India, we flew from Kansai international airport, the first island airport on reclaimed land. It is commonly called as Kanku, built on artificial island, the third busiest in Japan. 

    FIRST DAY IN JAPAN! 

After a huge spread of intercontinental breakfast, our first visit was to the Skytree tower, boasting of a 634 m. height. Tokyo Skytree was known as New Tokyo Tower initially. It is a multi-purpose tower engaged in broadcasting, serving as a restaurant and as an observation deck in the capital city, Japan, Tokyo! Tokyo Skytree is situated quite close to river Sumida. It took around four years to complete and was opened for public 29 February 2012. It is the tallest structure in Japan, with a very special height, 634, representing the province of Musashi, the previous name of the area where the tower stands. As of today, it is the tallest tower in the world, though it doesn’t house people or offices. It is known to be the third tallest tower structure in the world. It gives a 360 degrees spectacular view of the whole of central Tokyo from special viewing platforms, situated at 350 m. and 450 m. It is illuminated with coloured lights at night! It also has escalators, to help people move, without the lifts. We have visited other towers in the world, like the Burj Khalifa, Empire State building, One World Trade centre, Spice needle, Eiffel tower, Observatory in New York, Manhattan tower and so on! This was comparable, with latest technology employed!

Our next visit was to the Statue of liberty, which is the replica of Statue of Liberty of New York City. It is popularly known as the Odaiba Statue of Liberty and is 1/7th scale replica of the original statue. It is considered as a symbol of  Japan - France friendship. Its location is scenic, giving lovely, elevated view of the Tokyo Bay and Rainbow Bridge. It is situated in Odaiba Marine Park. It was made a permanent monument in 2000, because of its popularity. It is 11–12 meters tall. It is surrounded by many sakura trees, which were in full blossom, when we visited.

The rainbow bridge,  built across Tokyo river, is a type of suspension bridge, crossing the Pier of Shibaura, at Northern bay of Tokyo and waterfront at Odaiba, in minato, city of Tokyo. It is two storied structure, with road, rail and pedestrian walks. It is prominent component of Odaiba waterfront skyline.

It is 798 m in length, covering 580 m area. The supporting towers are painted white and lamps on the supporting cables are red, white and green, utilizing solar energy. It looks beautiful against the skyline.

We crossed the bridge to visit the spectacular TeamLab Planets in Toyosu. It is a digital art museum, with a concept of body – immersion. It has multiple specific areas, organized around key zones and huge artworks. It is something to actually experience and difficult to describe in words!

Visitors walk through water and interact with huge installed illusions.

The first zone at the entry point is the water zone, where visitors are required to walk barefoot! It includes a waterfall of light particles in the unknown, which simulates walking through the water. It has huge areas filled with water to the knees, through which one can enjoy wading.

The third zone is the Garden zone featuring immersive illusions, based on nature. It has floating flower garden. It exhibits thousands of live orchids, expressing that ALL LIFE ON THIS PLANET IS ONE!

Our next place of visit was the Hei Shinto Shrine, in Tokyo. There are three main spiritual festivals in Japan, one of it is held here, in the presence of Oyamakui no Kami deity. 

It has escalators to help people climb up the tall hill, where it is located. It has a big  series of Torii gates, through which, one has to pass, to get the blessings and wash all sins!

Our next visit was to the Shibuya scrambler crossing, in Shibuya, Tokyo. Located near Shibuya railway station, it is a main commercial and entertainment square in Shibuya, in Tokyo. It is supposed to be the world's busiest crossing for the pedestrians. Approximately 3,000 people cross the roads during a single green light cycle. It is a popular tourist attraction, a recognized symbol of Tokyo featuring in media!

Interesting part is, road traffic jams rarely occur, even during the busy working hours of heavy rush! 

It promoted the Summer Olympics, held in Tokyo, in 2020. 

Just at the centre of the side footpath of Shibuya crossing, is a bronze statue, in the memory of a dog, called Hachiko Dog statue. It is a symbol of loyalty of Akita dog, waiting for nearly a decade for its deceased owner.  

Tr