Kyoto - A Glimpse into Japan's Past

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Before I first arrived in Japan, I had a vague idea of what I expected to see. Based on the few books and films that I had read/seen, I (perhaps naively) expected to see temples filled with Buddhist monks and geishas walking the streets dressed in kimonos and serving tea. Needless to say, Japan as a whole is nothing like that; but Kyoto is something totally different.

As I soon discovered, Kyoto is a rare relic of Japan's past, and a city that I feel everyone should visit to get a sense of what Japan was really like before the 20th century. Having served as the capital of Japan for over a millenium (from 794 to 1869 CE), the city is filled with literally thousands of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, which dot the city on almost every block. Due to its historical and political prominence, many people have compared the city to Washington, DC or Paris. But, based on the extent of its reign as well as its overall general awesomeness, I think a city like Rome or Instanbul is probably a fairer comparison.

Thankfully, I was fortunate enough to explore Kyoto with my friend Galen, who happened to be in Kyoto at the time doing graduate research/fieldwork. We only had a few days to explore the city (which was not nearly enough time), but we still got to see many of the city's most impressive sites (including my first onsen!). My favorite was definitely the Golden Pavilion, or Kinkaku-ji - a Zen Buddhist temple built around 1400 CE that is literally covered in gold. My second favorite was probably the bamboo forest in Arashiyama (not far from the Golden Pavilion), which literally makes you feel like you've entered a foregone period of Japanese history.

After exploring the traditional sites of Kyoto, Galen and I then decided to hedge our bets on finding a gay bar in the city- something that no foreigner should ever, EVER attempt to do. We eventually found a place called "Rainbow," that seemed pretty promising. Quickly after we arrived, though, we discovered that it was actually a high-class straight bar filled with female escorts. In order to be polite, we ordered a few beers and then decided to move on; but, upon leaving the bar, we were charged $300 per person just for being 'entertained' by the escorts! We pleaded with them that we were gay and not interested at all in the female escorts...but it was no use. In order to avoid any more awkwardness, we eventually bargained them down to $100 per person and left vying never to go gay clubbing in Japan again.

But despite Galen's and my sad foreigner mishap, Kyoto as a whole left me both humbled and excited to learn more about what Japan was like before it became the technology powerhouse that it is today. While I was there, I also learned that Kyoto was actually the original target for the first atomic bomb during World War II, but that the city was eventually spared due to the insistence of the US Secretary of War (who had gone to Kyoto during his honeymoon). While I am obviously sad that any city had to experience an atomic explosion during the war, I cannot help but think of how heartbreaking it would have been to have lost such an amazing and awe-inspiring city as Kyoto.

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Photos

Geisha
This was actually not a real geisha, but apparently they do still exist in Kyoto...

Kinkaku-ji
ie, the "Golden Pavilion"

Galen!
...in the bamboo forest.

Comments

[anonymous]

$100 or $300, it sucks!
My, that really burns a big hole in the pocket. And for what? That must have been so frustrating. But I had a good laugh, reading how you pretended to be gay. :))