Japan is Cool

Upon arrival, Japan had the appearance of a organized home just tidied up for company--and this was the view from the train window!  I found Japan to be modern, cultured, quiet, clean, and convenient. 

We arrived in Kyoto late. Once our dignified taxi driver found our hotel by entering the phone number into his navigation system (that along with doors that open automatically made our cab extra cool), we headed out to dinner--yummy sushi down the street. Here an eel swam in a small tank in a space efficient kitchen where two sushi chefs crafted our delicious meal. 

Our ryokan, or hotel, was near Kodai-ji temple, and this is where we started exploring the area on foot. We walked toward Kiyomizu-Dera temple, sampling foods made with green tea along the way. 

The Kiyomizu-Dera temple was originally constructed in the eighth century.  It borders a popular street filled with shops and restaurants. Once we entered we looked for the Tainai-meguri which symbolizes the womb of the female bodhisattva. It is pitch black, and the handrails were very useful as we made our way to a rock illuminated by a single shaft of light. We spun the rock and made a wish. 

The main hall was beautiful with its dark wood and intricate lamps and lanterns. 

Then we descended to the Otowa-no-taki where we drank the sacred water (and hoped the therapeutic properties would work).  

Then we visited Jishu-jinja, or lover's rock.

Finally we walked up a bit to get a close view of the beautiful orange pagoda which functions as a chedi. 

Walked along Kiyomizu-michi and Sannen-zaka and Ninen-zaka. Here we saw three breath-taking geishas. They were stunning. 

While walking we saw at least 100 people dressed in traditional Japanese kimonos.  Some seemed to be well dressed for their Saturday outing, some were women who appeared to have rented a geisha costume for the day, and, the most entertaining, were couples who looked like they had rented the his and hers kimonos (some looked happier than others).

We wandered down Ishibei-koji, a picturesque alley. 

Then we passed our hotel, where we changed clothes because we had missed the memo that going out in public in Japan necessitates business casual dress.  Then we headed to Maruyama-koen park.  The park is beautifully kept and includes the grounds of the Chion-in temple. This temple is very grand in size. It had already closed for the day, so we enjoyed the view from the gate. 

We continued to the Shoren-in temple next door, which has beautiful trees. It is a much less visited, and, therefore, was incredibly peaceful. 

That night we went to a traditional Japanese restaurant.  We had a five course set menu, and it was delicious!

Our second day, we wanted to go a bit farther north, so we rented pretty pastel yellow bikes for 1000 yen ($10). 

 We headed for the Path of Philosophy, which is a shaded path along a canal. 

Our first stop was Nanzen-ji temple. The renowned zen gardens and open, airy space of the buildings were beautiful. 

Then we continued north to the Ginkaku-ji Temple (also called the silver pavilion, even though it was never covered in silver). This humbly sized retreat for a shogun was grand in its natural beauty. 

After a quick stop for our next helping of green tea (frozen yogurt and cream puff), we started back, stopping at the small and quiet Honen-in temple. 

Then we biked to the Pontocho and Kiyamachi-dori areas near the river.  Here we found a delicious snack (beef tenderloin and tongue on skewers grilled over charcoal--truthfully, the tongue was delicious) in a small yakatori style bar.  

Then we walked a bit more and found a sushi restaurant with room at the counter. Here we used the pictures on the menu to try some new sushi. In the end, the salmon and eel were the most delicious!

Our third day we took the quick and easy JR train south to Inari (for 140 yen, or $1.40) to visit Fushimi-Inari.  The Kyoto train station was wonderfully easy to navigate.

We had seen an art installment in Central Park by Christo Yavacheff Jeanne-Claude on 2005 which imitated these gates. Seeing the real gates was incredible. 

This shrine and the collection of shrines on the extensive grounds are dedicated to the gods of rice and prosperity.  Fushimi-Inari is the leading shrine for over 30,000 other Inari shrines in Japan.  The vermillion torii, or gates, are donated by individuals either seeking favor or showing appreciation for prosperity. The bigger the torri, the larger donation it requires (which is why my torii souvineer fits in the palm of my hand). 

It is a beautiful scene with the contrast of bright orange and verdant green. For being one of Kyoto's most visited sights, it was incredibly quiet after we had walked the first kilometer. 

This shrine had strands of paper cranes.

Then we took a JR train to Nara, which was the capital of Japan before Kyoto (and now Tokyo).  My Hello Kitty card got me on to all kinds of trains and subways...and it worked at many vending machines too.

We headed to Nara Park. Here we spent the afternoon walking through the beautiful grounds admiring the endless Japanese stone lanterns.  While walking, a hungry, sacred deer ate our map (I guess I should have bought him some deer snacks).  

The park is filled with thousands of stone lanterns.

Then we visited the Todai-ji Temple which houses the Daibutsu Buddha.  It is quite large and is housed in the world's largest wooden building. For some reason, one of the huge pillars has a hole the size of the Daibutsu Buddha's nose, and if you can crawl through it, you are guaranteed good fortune in your next life. So I crawled through it to ensure that if I am reincarnated, I'll be set. 

Then I had my first experience of an onsen, or hot spring bath. We stayed at Super Hotel Lohas at the train station in Nara.  I picked it because it is attached to the train station and we were only coming here for a night. I was pleasantly surprised by impeccable service, a free room upgrade (I accidentally booked a single room for two people, which may have consisted of a single bed with a trundle), and an onsen!  It was very hot and relaxing!

For dinner, we found an okonomiyaki restaurant that made room for the two of us. Okonomiyaki was new for both of us, and we found this Japanese frittata with cabbage, cuttlefish, and BBQ sauce delish!

Back in Kyoto, we visited Kinkaku-ji. The Golden Pavilion is one of the most iconic sights in Kyoto, as the second and third floors of the temple are covered in gold. This was the inspiration for the Ginkaku-ji Temple (silver pavilion).  Since it is such a popular sight, the areas we could see were limited and the crowd was much larger than our previous experiences. 

Then we went to the Nishiki-ji market, taking a very circuitous route. Here we saw the fresh fish, meat, and produce that feed Kyoto. We also did a bit of shopping as the market transitioned from food to retail. 

That night Neil found a craft beer bar, Beer House on Karasuma-doji (which also had delicious food), and I went for a run to and through Imperial Park.  The park houses a former Imperial Palace, yet the 300 year old trees and wide empty gravel paths were much more fascinating. 

The next day we set out for Arashiyama for a day trip. This small town is known for its Zen gardens and bamboo grove.  We took the scenic route there, taking the JR train past the town and then traveling by small boat on the Huzagawa River. The three oarsmen who powered our boat were impressive, as each had a different role (rudder, rower, poler), and they rotated roles throughout the journey. 

The river was calm, so the ride was relaxing with wonderful views. 

After docking, we walked to the Tenryu-ji Temple. The 14th century garden is still intact, despite the main buildings burning down.  

The hydrangeas in the garden (and really all over Kyoto and Osaka) were stunning. 

We then walked through a grove of incredibly tall and beautiful bamboo.

We wandered (a bit lost) and eventually found lunch of cold soba noodles--which solidified my opinion that I do not enjoy cold soba noodles. 

  

We took the train back to Kyoto and visited Nijo Castle, which was the residence of the first shogun. It is more decorative than the temples we have visited (it is apparently ostentatious by Japanese standards), but it still felt serene and beautiful. 

Then it was time for a soak. Funaoka Onsen is apparently one of the best known in Kyoto. It has a lot of history and was much busier than the onsen at our hotel a few days ago. It has many different baths of different temperature and pressure. A wonderful place made even more wonderful by the fact that the woman at the front desk calculated our total (1310 yen, $13.10) on an abacus. 

From there we were refreshed and didn't need to go back to the hotel before dinner. I read a great Trip Advisor review for okonomiyaki at Janbo. With the help of a kind stranger, a navigable bus system, Maps with Me app, and two adorable children, we found it. We were definitely in the right place, as there was a 20 minute wait, and everyone was eating the same two dishes--okonomiyaki and stir fried noodles. It was authentic and delicious--and now I need to try to find it in Philly (where it will likely cost more than the 1300 yen that it cost here).

Osaka was our final stop in Japan.  We stayed near the Dotonobori neighborhood. 

We spent our first afternoon in this ultra modern city shopping because it was raining.  We found a delicious lunch spot with photographs of our lunch options--super smart!  

 When men shop in Japan, they shop for white dress shirts.  This store had walls of white dress shirts.

The ubiquitous full-sized umbrella told me that the residents of Osaka don't play when it comes to rain. 

On the 4th of July we visited Osaka Castle, which at seven stories was one of the tallest historic buildings we visited in Japan.  The castle has been converted into an extensive museum of Osaka history. 

The highlight of our time in Osaka was a baseball game, which is another blog post. 

Simply stated, Japan is really, really cool.