Byodoin Temple- Uji (On Back of 10 ¥ Coin), Kyoto Station & Kyoto Tower; A Goodbye to "The Land of the Rising Sun"

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Today was kind of a cool interesting day as Alex Pawling, Alex Finnegan, Chris Cepero, and I went to Uji city with Takenaka sensei. Noda sensei wanted to do a day trip here one day but couldn't find the time so Professor Takenaka took the few of us that wanted to go. Uji is still part of the Kyoto perfecture and is the hometown of Savas sensei, my Japanese professor in the fall. Our destination was to Byodoin Temple, the famous temple that appears on the reverse side of the 10 ¥ coin.
Like many of the other places we have visited, Byodoin Temple is listed as a World Heritage Site. The temple began construction in 998 during the Heian Period. The actual building that appears on the 10 ¥ coin is called the Phoenix Hall. Perched on top of the roof is a Chinese Phoenix; the originals are in the temple's museum. It is an extra cost to enter the main hall so we refrained from doing such but as you walk around the complex, there is a new museum that was built quite recently. Inside, are several artifacts that have been preserved since the temple was erected.
Once you exit the museum, there are several smaller temples still used to this day. At many of the temples, shrines, and castles, you can't help but notice all of the family crests adorning the roof tiles. Many shoguns who had elaborate crests wanted them to be visible to all visitors to see their power and prestige. All of these crests are unique in their design.
Following Byodoin Temple, we traveled back into the heart of Kyoto; we then made a stop at the famous Kyoto station. This is an unbelievably huge station, nothing like South Station or Penn Station here in the states. Hundreds of JR trains, subways, and the Shinkansen, make brief stops at this hub. One of the best known things about Kyoto Station is it is home to the longest elevator in all of Japan. It's insane and makes you feel like you're scaling a mountain, except for the climbing part. The elevators are broken up in sections as it ascends but it looks like there is no end in sight. After you make it to the top of the station, there is an observation deck that overlooks all of Kyoto. It's an amazing view and with the mountains on all three sides, it is a great photo opportunity.
Kyoto Tower is right next door to the station so we decided that we would go up and have a look at the city. So we made our way down the elevators once again and headed over to the tower. What's pretty interesting is the intersection you have to cross. It's a four- way intersection but instead of there being just a square outline of crosswalks, there are two that go diagonally to either side. It was a really cool thing to try!
We took an elevator up the Kyoto Tower all the way to the top. The view again is phenomenal. The landscape goes on for miles until it meets the mountain barriers. All of Kyoto is laid out in a grid so when looking at the buildings all you see is grids of them. From this height, you can see many temples on the outskirts of the city. One of the temples that you can just barely view is Kiyomizu Temple, the one that we visited the previous day.
That night Noda sensei made reservations to go to a Kobe beef steak house. Kobe beef is considered the best beef in all of Japan and is very famous. So later that night we took the train to another part of Kyoto city. After getting off the train, we had to walk approximately 4 miles to the restaurant. Noda sensei was telling us that the restaurant owners were surprised that we made reservations there as it is not very well known to tourists. After arriving at the steak house we were seated and ready to try this so called "best beef you can find anywhere in Japan". We were given a few small starters, stewed beef, bread and such. Then finally came the main course. I must say it was very good, the steak was very tender and fell apart while eating. Following dinner we were given a piece of chocolate cake with some kind of liquer in it. I guess they were trying to get us wasted? LOL
We all had good conversation for some time and shared the memories we all had made while here in Japan. The next day was departure day.
After we all got back to the hotel later that night a few of us went to a local bar to have some drinks. The drinking age in Japan is 20 years old but not strictly. We all enjoyed some mixed drinks and gave a special cheers to this awesome trip!
This trip has taught not just me, but all of us the importance of camaraderie between ourselves and other cultures. Japan is similar to the United States in many ways (they are technologically advanced as we are, it is a very industrialized nation, etc.) but also there are numerous differences from our own society. It's hard to say everything but to name a few differences there would be the carefulness and attentiveness that Japanese people show for each other and foreigners. Every store that I entered, the workers were well pleased by our visit to their store and appreciated our business. If I bought clothes or gifts, they would be carefully wrapped. To me, this is a major difference from American culture where businessworkers are only concerned about how fiscally well they are doing and are not concerned about their customers. Even to just stop and someone directions, even though they didn't understand us nor we understand them, but the willingness and the effort that put into helping others is phenomenal. I really appreciated this kind of attentiveness. Another major characteristic of Japanese culture is how much they respect simple things in life and nature. Everywhere we walked, there was no trash fragments to be found nor gum sticking to the sidewalks. Cabs are immaculate. The funny thing is, you seriously can't find a trash barrel for miles! No lie or exaggeration! People are very religious with Shinto being the primary religion throughout Japan. People respect one another and do not go to extremes to get revenge like many people do in American culture. After Noda sensei and I talked with a few police officers at a Koban in Hiroshima, we were informed that there were only 25 murders in all of Japan last year. That's pretty amazing considering more than 25 people are murdered in Massachusetts alone in one year. Also, I asked Noda sensei if being a lawyer is a prestigious and powerful job in Japan; he said it is own of the worst jobs financially because no one sues each other. If there is an accident or such, people won't sue. As long as the one who caused the incident apologizes and expresses concern, all is well.
Japan is a very important economy in today's world. However, as I said in a previous blog, Japan and North Korea hate each other. While we were in Japan, North Korea tested some missiles and sent them into Japanese territory. The Japanese do not like the way North Korea exhibits itself as a nation and would probably join any other nation in combating their nuclear program where they are so close to the communist country. However, I also mentioned that four of us, along with Noda sensei, went to a Peace Rally. This really was a unique experience that many tourists probably don't do while visiting someplace. The rally was to spark support to keep Japan from having an offensive military. However, the government is probably concerned that North Korea could target them where they do not get along. I do think that this is a great thing that Japan is doing. Many people there obviously believe in peace and will take a stand in order to get it. I think that more countries should follow Japan on this quest for peace.
All in all, this trip, as short as it was, has to be one of the best trips I have ever taken and ever will take. The whole bunch of us bonded and everyone has established long- lasting friendships. Also, the sites we saw have given us all a deep admiration for this diverse and rich culture. I have always admired seeing five- tiered Pagodas in pictures and I never thought I would be standing in front of one taking a picture. I never thought that I would be riding on the Shinkansen in my lifetime. But dreams do come true and with determination one can achieve anything. Since coming to Japan, I now have a dream to visit "The Land of the Rising Sun" again and possibly teach English to Japanese students. I will definitely always remember this trip, and the pictures and memories that I made will never fade away.

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