A six hour flight
From K.L. overnight
Food choice of Japanese
Soba soup and lychees
Tokyo Narita airport large sprawling
Immigration customs baggage claiming
Made my way to the Reception Counter
For information on bus departures
Everyone so polite helpful
To the taxi stand made it cheerful
Taxis clean and spotless
Doors drivers open and close
To Shibuya made our way
Using highways and byways
Concrete buildings all over
Using elevated flyovers
Shibuya like an ant`s nest
Flickering signboards for the eyes no rest
Many roads here converge
Pedestrians into all this merge
Nighttime whole place comes alive
Eating shops bars basement dives
A favourite place for me a pizza restaurant
Very much a German establishment
Shibuya station busy morning and evenings
People to work and back travelling
Very good pastry shops at the station
Cakes pastries cookies at strategic
locations
In front of Shibuya station a dog`s statue
Hachiko a legend for devotion and virtue
Waiting for his master instead of roaming
This time his master died when home coming
But Hachiko continued waiting
Always at the time of master`s returning
This went on even with master`s absence
People began to notice Hachiko`s presence
Hachiko died heart broken
His faith till the end unshaken
So moved everyone was
Decided on a statue for this loss
Taken to Japanese restaurant
For commuters a favourite haunt
Tempura soba sushi yakitori
Sake rice selecting from such variety
Springtime at the gardens hardly any room
Sakura cherry blossoms in full bloom
Sitting on a bench in a quiet corner
A treat to the eyes as the day gets warmer
To Nagoya by bullet train
Almost like flying even in the rain
Nagoya castle atop a hill
Made my way uphill with strong will
In the castle many nooks and corners
Hiding places for Ninja warriors
An ancient feudal tradition
Intrigue stealth needed in such situations
Visit to Hiroshima for me a sad moment
Shed tears at the children`s monument
By the atomic bomb many children died
Their skins melted as if fried
Today at the children`s monument
Paper Cranes hang in memory of the moment
A soul wrenching experience
The nation never fails in this observance
I stood by the side of the monument
Hung a paper Crane at that moment
My tears unable to stop
Got a photograph from the souvenir shop
Stayed overnight at a Japanese inn
Inn keeper does everything our hearts to
win
Changed into a Yukuta a cotton kimono
A good night`s sleep refreshed for the
morrow
In the morning refreshed and calm
Using a quilt to keep warm
Food served on a low table
Kneeling trying hard to keep stable
For a Japanese bath joined the lot
Stark necked in water piping hot
To scrub my back someone always willing
I do the same with good feelings
Reluctant to leave routine life to face
The innkeeper makes all the difference
For the traveler a warm friendly presence
Japan for me a special place
Its people humble with kind ways
I often think of Japan
Feel elated every time.
M P Prabhakar
13.5.2016
PJ
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