Although the origin of this phrase is a matter of debate, many claim it is an ancient curse of Chinese origin. For me, the first and lasting encounter with the phrase was its use in a 1966 speech by Robert F. Kennedy. RFK said “There is a Chinese curse which says ‘May he live in interesting times.’ Like it or not we live in interesting times. They are times of danger and uncertainty; but they are also more open to the creative energy of men than any other time in history.”

I relocated to Japan this year recognizing that I was departing my native land in the midst of a period of chaos and disorder as a result of Trump’s presidency. Since arriving in Tokyo, developments have only heightened my concern and focused my attention on the realization that there was no escape anywhere from living in a world made more dangerous and tumultuous by Trump.

It is evident that my adopted country of Japan also faces many challenges at home and abroad. I find it disturbing how much negative influence Trump’s behavior and policies have on Japan’s domestic and international strategies and plans. An obvious desire to please and appease Trump on a host of critical issues significantly hamper Japan’s opportunity to advance important policy initiatives.

In the domestic economic arena Japan remains mired in a period of economic stagnation that predates Trump’s election. While the Abe government’s policies have failed to reverse this condition, persistent structural issues represent an overwhelming challenge and serious threat to Japan’s future.

Foremost is the compounded impact of a declining but fast aging population, a low birthrate, and reduced size of the working age segment. This is further complicated by the continued marginalization of women in the workforce and a failure to address adoption of an immigration policy to effectively deal with the current and growing shortage of workers.

Japan’s vulnerability to devastating natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis and typhoons is also a great concern. The evident impact of climate change requires a more aggressive approach to environmental and sustainability issues.

The route to recovery is also dependent on Japan’s trade policies and relationships with the United States, China, the EU and Indo-Pacific region countries. Trump’s pulling the United States out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact after his election signaled a serious problem. His trade warfare with China and a policy to pursue bilateral negotiations with other U.S. trading partners under the threat of punitive tariffs has greatly complicated Japan’s effort to reach multilateral free trade agreements.

For example, with the recent limited bilateral U.S.-Japan trade pact the Trump administration has managed to resolve its disadvantage in Japan’s agricultural market––a clear Abe political gift to golf-buddy Trump––that appears to offer little benefit to the Japan economy. In fact, Trump’s threatened imposition of further automotive tariffs undercuts its minimal positive economic impact and raises serious questions about the real value to Japan of Abe’s personal relationship with Trump.

Automotive trade accounts for 75 percent of the U.S. trade deficit with Japan. The fear is that with its “America First” protectionist agenda and Trump’s constant reference to the “very large” U.S. trade deficit with Japan, the Trump administration may now use its threat to impose numerical curbs on vehicle imports from Japan or heavy tariffs on Japanese auto and auto parts imports into the U.S. to place greater pressure on Abe in an effort to conclude trade and defense agreements under more favorable terms for U.S. interests.

In fact, Japan now finds itself in a much more insecure external environment that reflects, in part, the impact of Trump’s bewildering tenure.

While Japan faces strained relations with South Korea, North Korea’s provocative missile and nuclear ambitions, China’s increasingly growing military assertiveness in the region and Russia’s determined interest to the north, these perplexing regional issues are made more complex by Japan’s paradoxical uncertain relationship and dependence on the United States under a Trump presidency.

Trump’s contemptuous attitude toward allies, recently confirmed by his disdainful treatment of the Kurds, alone is sufficient reason for concern. His demand for a five-fold increase in Japan’s payment for future U.S. military support in the face of his dismissive view of North Korea’s missile threat, has legitimately made Japan increasingly uneasy about the long-standing defense commitment of the United States.

It is alarming but no longer unrealistic to consider that Trump could undermine an alliance system that has delivered peace and stability for so many decades.

With little I can now do at age 76 to influence events that will determine the policies and behavior of either the United States or Japan, I am nonetheless excited to be an observer “living in interesting times.” I only pray that the “creative energy of men” envisioned by RFK will be able to make the world a safer and better place to live.

I have initiated my “discovery walks” in Tokyo beginning with a stroll to the grounds of our neighborhood temple, the Nishiaraidaishi Daishi Sou-ji Temple.

One interesting benefit of taking these walks is making unexpected discoveries, enjoying spontaneous experiential activities or engaging with interesting people.  Indeed all three were features of my temple visit.

ALTEC – our local jazz cafe

Of special note, was finding a jazz club just a short from our condo.  We plan to visit soon.

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Discovery Walk 11/05/2019

Nishiaraidaishi Daishi Sou-ji Temple

It was a beautiful warm fall afternoon for a 15 minute walk to my destination.  The short trip took me through local neighborhoods of traditional Japanese homes and small shops of all type, an environment very unlike our condo’s modern high-rise location, that confirmed Adachi’s reputation that it retains much of the feel of “old” Tokyo.

Shoueikai, the shopping street that leads to the main gate of the temple presents a great leisurely opportunity to take in the atmosphere of the Nishiarai area, sample local food and appreciate the skills of the various craftspeople in the shops.

Sanmon Gate is the main gate of the temple. It was erected in the 19th century.

Just after I entered the temple grounds an unusual sight I had not seen on other temple visits caught my attention.  With the help of a local temple guide (and my handyPocketTalk translation gadget) I learned that it was a Japanese Buddhist statue of Shio Jizo covered in table salt!

The guide explained that the proper way in which to pray to this particular type of Jizo statue is to first pick up some of the salt at the statue’s feet and then rub the salt on the part of the statue’s body that you are having trouble with. By doing so she said it is believed that your pain will be taken away.  I had to try it.  Not sure if it was Jizo or a very busy day, but I did have a comfortable pain-free night’s sleep!

Although I spent time doing pre-trip research, I was not prepared for the beauty of the temple’s grounds, structures and gardens.  I was pleasantly overwhelmed by the experience.

To put the photo gallery in context, the following is a summary of my research and commentary on the temple visit.

According to legend, the Nishiaraidaishi Daishi Sou-ji Temple, dedicated to Shingon Buddhism, was founded in the 9th century.  Known for its abilities to ward off evil, this temple is famous for dispelling bad luck or feelings of ill will.  It is where many Tokyoites gather on New Year’s Eve for the ringing of the temple bell, said to ward off misfortune in the coming year.  Some years ago Keiko and I joined a crowd of many thousands here to welcome in the New Year.  I am looking forward to having the experience as a “local” this year.

This sacred site is also one of Japan’s “flower” temples, its spacious grounds and gardens full of seasonal blooms all year long, especially the many varieties of colorful peony flowers for which the temple is renowned.

While a stroll through the grounds and gardens would be a wonderful experience at any time, there is almost universal agreement that the temple is best enjoyed on an Ennichi (holy day) festival held the 21st day of every month. These festive events apparently draw large crowds and vender stalls selling Nishiarai local food and other products.

Two festivals are of particular note.  One is the highly regarded Flower Festival held in April when the peony flowers and wisteria tress are in full bloom.  I also  anticipate breath-taking visuals of cherry blossoms in the spring.  The other is the Osame no Daishi, which is the last Ennichi festival of the year on December 21st, said to be an exceptionally lively event day.

In my research I also discovered that during the temple’s April Flower Festival, you can put on a happi coat to participate in the festival’s manto mikoshi junko, or mikoshi procession and help carry the famous ceremonial portable shrine.  I have registered this once-in-a-lifetime experience on my personal bucket list for next April 21st!

Many of the temple’s grounds and buildings were undergoing construction and maintenance in readiness for the coming holiday season.  Consequently I did not get to see the many important works and treasures that are held in this temple.  However, I strolled the grounds and gardens, marveled at the incredible architectural construction and relaxed by the beautiful and restful ponds and waterfalls.

The unexpected dividend to the visit was the presence of many Japanese families with their young children who were at the temple for Shichi-Go-San, an event to celebrate children’s growth and grant them self-awareness about their status as children.  The children wear traditional clothing such as kimonos, haori coats and hakama skirts, and take commemorative photos with their families.  Seeing and engaging with them added a wonderful human dimension to my visit.

While I intend to visit the temple on its festival days, being present in a quiet everyday environment was a calming experience.  It was a perfect beginning to my Japan discovery walk plan.

I recall my amazement on an early trip to Japan in December 2000 walking around the Ginza district and feeling I was on 5th Avenue in New York during the holiday season.  Same sensation last night as we went for a walk in the neighborhood and discovered the appearance of new Christmas decorations and lighting!

Relocating to Tokyo I find myself “car-less” for the first time in 60 years. Living in a city that has a world-class network of clean, safe and reliable trains and subways, and in a neighborhood that provides easy access to transportation, shopping, entertainment, education, medical care services and other needs within short walking distance, owning a car is neither required or desirable.

Therefore, walking with a purpose, to get somewhere (as opposed to leisure or health walking) is a way of life in Tokyo. Indeed Tokyoites seem in a constant state of motion. With everyone intent on getting somewhere, generally quickly, I often marvel that people never seem to collide.

In any major city I visited in the world, I had found that despite intriguing cultural differences that varied radically from place to place, walking generally remained the same wherever I went. I enjoy walking and gave little thought that walking in Tokyo would require any significant cultural understanding or adaptation.

Of course with Japan being one of the world’s most orderly societies, one quickly learns to observe certain manners, in the case of walking, not walking and smoking, drinking or eating. So I felt comfortable walking in my new neighborhood until I encountered another form of popular Tokyo transit––the bicycle.

But before I go on about why this topic is worthy of a blog post, let me provide some important data about bicycles in Japan generally and Tokyo’s astonishing number of everyday cyclists specifically. 

According to a 2017 OECD study, in Japan, a nation of 127 million people, there is one bicycle for every 1.5 people. However, not only is Japan one of the biggest bicycle countries in the world, the bicycle occupies a unique place in Japan’s transport ecosystem. Whereas in many other countries where the bicycle is popular as a leisure and sporting activity, in Japan “the bicycle is an essential form of everyday transport used by millions of people from all walks of life.”

The same study estimates that there are about 8.4 million bicycles in Tokyo and that the main purposes of cycling is shopping in their neighborhood and short-term commuting as an access mode to railway stations. It confirms my personal observation and experience since arriving in Tokyo that cycling is a primary mode of daily short distant travel.

So, what does this have to do with walking and my blog title?  First although I see bicycle riding designations on the roadways in my neighborhood, I rarely see anyone on a bicycle using them.  As far as I can tell, everyone is riding on the sidewalks.

In Japan traffic sticks to the left but bicycles and pedestrian traffic on the sidewalks is chaotic with people wanting to walk and ride their bikes on the right as well as the left. There doesn’t seem to be any social convention of who has the right of way, who moves left or right, or even to signal a cyclist’s approach from the rear of a walker.

The result is that Toma and I have had a number of bicycle encounters and near-miss accidents on neighborhood sidewalks in the short time we have been resident in Tokyo. Frankly, cyclists and pedestrians sharing the sidewalk is a serious problem and the fear of being victim struck from behind by a bicycle I didn’t even known was there is a real concern.

A recent report in The Japan Times noted that between 2014 and 2018, according to the National Police Agency, there was an alarming number of bicycle-pedestrian accidents, the majority involving either children or the elderly including a high profile accident in which a 67-year-old woman was killed by a cyclist. Clearly walkers and riders on the sidewalks are a proven dangerous mix and police reports state that nearly 100 percent of cycle-pedestrian collisions are the cyclist’s fault.

Beyond taking precautions to protect myself and Toma as we take our daily walks, I decided to learn about bicycle laws in Japan as we have shipped our two Cannondale bikes here.

I discovered that there is a large and complicated set of Tokyo laws covering bicycle registration and legal cycle operating requirements.  And much of what I learned appeared to be inconsistent with the behavior of bicyclists I have observed and experienced.

In general, the cycling laws and regulations are apparently both poorly understood by the cycling public and rarely enforced by the police except if there happens to be an accident.  Given that, I am not surprised to see that they are ignored on a regular basis.

Tokyo bicycles must be registered with local authorities and must have a working front lamp and rear reflector. Once registered and road-ready, the cycling laws seek to prevent “cycling dangerously” and prohibit riding tandem on a single-seater bike; calling, texting and other phone use; holding an umbrella; wearing earphones; riding without a light at night, riding side-by-side; and cycling under the influence.  Except for children under 13 there is no helmet requirement.

What about riding on sidewalks?  Like other things in Japan, it’s complicated.  On one hand, its prohibited; on the other hand it’s permitted. The result is organized chaos.

Originally, the Road Traffic Act barred bicycles from sidewalks.  The law was revised in a step to successfully reduce accidents involving bicycles and automotive vehicles.  Unfortunately, allowing bicycles to use sidewalks has increased the number of accidents between bicycles and pedestrians.

Obviously, given the confusion and lax enforcement, cyclists take their chances with the law, ignore many of the rules, and fail to abide by any rational convention to stay left and yield to pedestrians.

Sadly, walking on sidewalks in Tokyo is not always safe!