Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto

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No reason, just had to use the reference while we were still in Japan.....

Written on March 7, 2006 - Tuesday - 11:12 am

Here we are again on the shinkansen bound for Tokyo. Our Japan Rail pass expires today and so this is the last bullet train we will take. We wish we could take these trains around the world. They are privately owned and operated, clean, comfortable, easy to use, fast and on time (to the minute). They don’t remind us of Amtrak at all. The Japan Rail pass allows for unlimited travel within a certain time frame and is a great value but if you are planning a trip to Japan make sure that you buy the pass before you leave America. You cannot buy the Japan Rail pass in Japan.

Day 1 -- We made the first of what we are sure will be many travel mistakes on Saturday. Thankfully, in the scheme of things this was fairly small. We arrived in Kyoto around 11:30 am and proceeded to eastern Kyoto where Amy had read about a hostel that had private rooms with bathroom and breakfast for around $50. When we arrived at the hostel we discovered that it was closed until 3:30 at which time we could check in. With about 3 hours to kill at that point and a lot of luggage (more thoughts on luggage to come), we went to a “coffee shop” to have lunch and discuss what to do. The coffee shop was mainly a hang out for older Japanese men so we were nervous about what our lunch would be like but it was actually very good yakisoba (stir fried noodles) with pork and cabbage. After that we tried to find a park to hang out at but there was not one nearby so we proceeded to McDonalds because we had heard that we could access wireless internet there (and hopefully fountain diet coke). No luck on either front but we did sit and work on our blog until about 3:30. At 3:30 we walked over to check in and after signing in discovered that the rooms were actually $100 (for a hostel!) and Amy had misread the book. Being as cheap as she is when it comes to rooms and food, we walked out and found a budget business hotel for about $80 (hey every dollar counts) that had a bathroom in our room with a shower (a luxury we haven’t yet had in Japan). The desk clerk apologized for how small the bathroom was but he had no idea (i) just having a bathroom in the room was delightful and (ii) what our bathroom on Capitol Hill was like. The bathroom did feel like quite a luxury despite the fact that it was essentially an airplane lavatory with an efficiently tiny tub and shower. So we lost several hours in this process but ended up with a hotel we liked. After checking in and being ready to head out again most of the temples and shrines were closing so we walked around the rest of the night before an early dinner and bedtime.

Day 2 -- Kyoto was Japan’s capital city for 1,100 years and remains one of the nation’s cultural capitals. Kyoto offers many of the sites and sounds that Americans picture when they think of traditional Japan - tea service, geishas, pagodas, gardens, cherry blossoms, temples and shrines. It has a population of about 1.5 million people, over 1600 temples, and hundreds of shrines. Our second day in Kyoto began with a walk suggested by Let’s Go and expanded as we passed by various interesting sites (which are plentiful in Kyoto).

We are sad to report that much of Day 2 was a blur before it even concluded. If you set out to walk in any given direction in Kyoto you will discover beautiful estates, schools, temples, alley ways or other grounds that are hundred upon hundreds of years old. Due to the wealth of historic riches and the toll on any post-war reconciliation with the Japanese, the United States never targeted Kyoto during the otherwise comprehensive bombing of Japan in the closing days of World War II. While numerous feudal disputes and the occasional mad monk-turned-arsonist may have destroyed an ancient building here or there, each has been painstakingly rebuilt or preserved to great glory. We found more than a few gardens and temples over 400 years old, some of which were second or third versions of the original. This tremendous wealth can confuse a weary hiker. To make matters more confusing you will discover numerous grand locations go unmentioned on your map or in your guide. A handicap for a traveler but rewarding even if the experience lacks detailed names and histories. That’s the long way of saying we loved many, many sites in Kyoto and were constantly in awe of the tangible presence of ancient and significant Japanese iconography BUT we can’t provide the detail we’d like of our walk. So here’s the incomplete, we’re sorry we don’t more easily remember Japanese names (but we have tons of photos) version:

Chion-In was our first major stop. The gate at the foot of the hill leading to the temple was massive, and to our American eyes would have suited us just fine as a temple itself. At the top of the broad, steep stone steps there lies a great compound, a working temple and numerous out-buildings, fountains and gardens. As the day was young we did not pay the fee for full access to the grounds, but we were able to view a morning prayer by some of the resident monks. It seemed odd to us that places of holiness and antiquity might feature entrance fees, gift shops, a small café, and various other commercial features, but as the day wore on we got used to it. For the most part the commercial aspects of the temples were tastefully managed. It’s also fair to say that without paying any fees at Chion-In and several other temples we were permitted to see an enormous share of the place, including the chant-filled prayer that morning.

From Chion-In we explored Marayuma Park and Yasaka Shrine. We cannot remember when the park was designed but we believe it was in the last 200 years and so it is very young for its surroundings. We entered the park through a winding pathway lined with small commercial carts selling everything from fried octopus dough balls to goldfish to prayer beads. It was nothing as crass as we’ve experienced in some public markets or parks and completely without gimmicky toys and aggressive sales pitches. Within the park we found the Yasaka Shrine to the god of medicine, a lovely building with bright orange beams surrounded by a few small pagodas and shelters. As we arrived we stumbled upon what we assume was a traditional wedding ceremony that featured an elegantly clad parade of guests and a bride dressed in ornate traditional dress.

Our walk continued to the Kodai-Ji temple, a temple known for the rich raised lacquering that covers the walls, furniture and cabinets (which we did not see) which rests atop a slope overlooking Kyoto and some of the market streets. We declined to pay to enter the temple grounds, which extended deep in to the forest uphill. Around the temple, however, we saw several women dressed in extraordinarily elaborate and traditional clothes and make-up. The thick sandals, plaster white make-up, beautiful dress and intricately coiffed hair turned the heads of Japanese and tourists alike. We assumed they were geishas but it was hard to tell if they were authentic or simply playing dress up. In any case they were striking.

Next to the Kodai-Ji temple grounds we found Ryozen-Kwannon, a tribute to The Unknown Soldier of World War II. The property consists of a large courtyard enclosed by white walls and features an arresting, enormous statue of Kwannon at the back near the edge of the forest. The eighty foot statue sits placidly overlooking the courtyard and includes a variety of ceremonial items and a shrine below it. Erected in 1955 to honor unknown Japanese soldiers of World War II, the shrine also honors those unknown dead of all services and nations who died in Japan or in territory under the control of Japan. The facility includes a registry of all Japanese lost and unaccounted for, several small, unit or service specific memorials, and space for regular ceremonies to honor those who fell during the war.

From Ryozen-Kwannon we marched up the stone street Sannenzaka. Carved between the temples and residences this street is lined by small confectioners, restaurants and salons. The street was thick with Japanese families and was almost exclusively commercial. A we walked the street we noticed that vendors offering free samples of candies or food items would remove their samples as we walked by, immediately offering them to locals behind us (one older man pulled his samples away so quickly as Amy passed by that it almost seemed spiteful). We are not sure if they just assume we wouldn’t like them or if they think we wouldn’t buy them.

At the top of the market street stands Kiyomizu-Dera. As you approach the temple the street becomes increasingly steep before the small buildings peel away to reveal a large open area of steps, a huge orange archway, and a bright pagoda signifying the entrance to Kiyomizu-Dera. The temple, built in 788 is one of Kyoto’s famous images. This was the most commercialized temple that we found with several ways you could lose your money - paying for various good wishes, a fortune, a charm, or a drink from the waterfall. This temple was very entertaining for entirely different reasons that anything we had already seen.

Adjacent to Sannezaka the hill that leads to Kiyomizu-Dera is covered by an enormous and densely packed cemetery. The cemetery is covered with some 15,000 tombs and is a part of the property of Nishi-Otani Mausoleum. The mausoleum is dedicated to Shinran Shonin, founder of the Shin Buddhist tradition that is practiced by more than 10 million Japanese. Shonin died in 1263 and his remains have resided in eastern Kyoto since. The mausoleum was built in 1589 and moved to its current location in 1603. The grounds are open and very welcoming and we enjoyed a brief rest here. We were struck by the fact that our guidebook was mute on this mausoleum and its namesake, “one of the foremost figures in Japanese religion.” We only learned what we know thanks to the comprehensive (and unusual) English description provided at the gate but it is worth mentioning if for no other reason than to highlight the wealth of history and spiritual power that Kyoto holds.

What to do after a day of spiritual enlightenment? The shopping arcade of course. On the walk from the temples to the downtown shopping district we found evidence that little boys are the same all around the world. Two twelve-ish looking boys were jumping from a ledge on a bridge on to cardboard that they had placed atop bushes. They were greatly amused by this and so were we and once they realized they had an audience they would look up to check that we were still there after each jump. They were not amusing to an older Japanese woman out for a stroll, but her scolding did not seem to inhibit the boy’s fun.

There are several large shopping arcades in Kyoto, but we hit the largest. Two covered streets, running north to south, feature every color and texture in modern consumer goods you can imagine. Running east to west from the south end of these streets is the food market, an even more colorful and aromatic six or seven blocks of covered shopping. Most of the food market items were not ready to eat but we were able to find a few treats including chicken yakitori and fried octopus balls. We were able to get 6 fried octopus balls for a little over $1, which led Roger to believe they were not going to be as delightful as they were. The balls consisted of fried doughy balls with ginger, scallions and one little piece of octopus cooked in and covered in a thick teriyaki type sauce. As much as we enjoyed the treats, we were even more impressed with the teenager running the place who took the orders, took the money, and cooked the balls (all in varying degrees of readiness). It was a very busy place and he was able to juggle it all expertly.

On our way out of the market we stumbled upon a karaoke place. Amy became very excited as she has always wanted to do karaoke at a place like this - a tower of private rooms with full service. Roger was not quite as enthusiastic but ended up singing along despite his desire to not offend the locals. We were able to do karaoke in a private room for us and get a free drink for 30 minutes for about $2.50. It took us about 10 minutes to figure out how to find the songs we wanted because everything was in Japanese (seriously - in Japan) but we were able to get in about 20 minutes of Take A Chance on Me, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Twist and Shout, The Ballad of John and Yoko and some others. You could really fully hear yourself in the room and so Amy was convinced that there was something wrong with the microphone or the acoustics because she just didn’t sound quite as good as she normally does in the car.

Because of our full day of snacking, we did not feel like a sit down dinner so we went to our old standby, the convenience store, for a couple of meat buns and sushi balls. We love the convenience stores here (Lawsons, 7-11, Family Mart) because we can try a variety of different things for cheap and they’re always freshly prepared and tasty. It appears that the food is very popular with the Japanese, as well, but we could be kidding ourselves because someone in America is eating a cheeseburger big bite at 7-11 right now….

Day 3 -- The day began with a quick visit to a few temples and a walk along the Philosopher’s Path, a favorite morning stroll for a 20th century Japanese philosopher. Today it is a nice walk along a canal that passes a few shops and restaurants. It was very peaceful and pleasant despite the steady rain (thus far the folks at Gore-Tex have not let us down). After the Philosopher’s Path we walked west to the Imperial Palace. We knew we would not be able to tour the palace because you have to apply in advance to the Imperial Household Agency but we were eager to see the outside of the building. Unfortunately, we discovered after walking a good distance in the aforementioned rain that the Imperial Palace is not visible over the walls that surround the Palace. The former Palace grounds outside the walls are now a massive park (1300 meters north to south, 700 meters east to west) which would have been lovely to explore but it was raining and so there wasn’t much to see or do.

At this point we were tired and the last few days of walking had taken a toll on our bodies. We debated whether to continue on to the northwestern corner of the area to visit more temples or call it a day and do laundry, check our email, relax, etc. We decided to continue on our long walk to another temple which we probably regretted right up until the moment we passed through the gates and viewed the grounds. Kinkaku-Ji was the private villa of a shogun and was transformed into a Rinzai Zen temple upon his death in accordance with his will. The main area contains the Golden Pavilion, a three story building overlooking a beautifully arranged pond and garden. The top two stories are covered in 24ct. gold foil which must glitter gorgeously in the sun (despite the mists and rain it still created a beautiful reflection in the water). The pond-scape was the highlight because of the mirror-like water and various sculptured islands. Before leaving the temple, we indulged in traditional tea and a cake service. This was one of the many times where we have been reminded that everything in America is huge. The cake was the size of a piece of chocolate but it packed a lot of flavor into the two bites. We probably could have done without the tea which was the greenest tea either of us have ever had as evidenced by the green foam on top.

We had dinner at a kaiten-zushi-ya (conveyer belt sushi) which was quite good and shockingly cheap (under $20 for both of us). It contained a variety of things we had never eaten (or seen) but we were not very adventurous about what we could not identify and stuck to the eel, salmon, tuna, etc. After dinner we went back to the hotel to do laundry for the first time and try out the public bath in the basement of our hotel. From what we have seen, baths typically open late afternoon and close around midnight. The bath is filled when it opens and drained when it closes and so you are supposed to shower to get completely clean before getting in the bath. The bath is meant for soaking, not washing. The single-sex bath in our hotel was in a large room that had shower faucets around it with shampoo, soap and buckets. It was the size of 3 or 4 hot tubs and contained hot bath water. Luckily for our western sensibilities, we had our respective baths to ourselves and did not have to bathe with any other people. Amy really liked it and thought it was the perfect fix for her tired muscles aching from walking and sleeping on the Japanese style beds. Roger was not quite as enthralled, but only because it was public and in water.

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Photos

Tea
I couldn't possibly eat all of that

Comments

[karmajenn]

Way to ease into your trip...
I've been utterly fascinated with your trip so far and how you've been getting around in a place where speaking English isn't a mandate decreed by the lord almighty. Just know that I'm living vicariously through this blog while marinating in various infant excretions at 3 am. Ok, maybe you don't really have to know that. Anyway, can't wait to see where you go next!