Japan Trip Report - 2 weeks
Oct 22nd, 2003, 06:27 AM
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Japan Trip Report - 2 weeks
Just got back Monday from an amazing 2-week trip to Japan with my girlfriend, our first trip to Asia. I'll do this in installments since it might be long.
10/4 - 10/5: Flew All Nippon Air direct from Washington, DC to Narita (economy class). Flight lasted about 13 hours. Seats seemed a little bit narrow for me, but what do you expect when you're in coach. Food was also a little blah. Watched a few movies but was unable to sleep so the flight seemed long. My girlfriend slept a few hours so it went better for her.
Upon arrival at Narita, and after going through the long line at customs, we immediately withdrew some Yen from the ATM at the airport (we had also changed some $$ to Yen before we left), and took the Keisei Skyliner train from the airport to Ueno Station in Tokyo. From there we were to take the subway to Asakusa. We had our first Tokyo moment when we got into the subway station at Ueno and realized we had no clue how to buy subway tickets. Seemed like everything was in Japanese (duh!). After scratching our heads for a while, we figured out to put money in the machine (hey, it was a long flight), and get our tickets. Upon arrival at Asakusa we had another Tokyo moment as we realized we had no clue how to find our hotel -- Ryokan Shigetsu. When we emerged from the station we were immediately in a mob of people and all the streets in that area look the same. We finally asked one of the street vendors (actually, pointed on a map to the Shigetsu) and she was nice enough to direct us. We were relieved to finally make it into our room at about 6PM.
The Shigetsu is a lovely place. Not a traditional ryokan, it's more like a Japanese style hotel, about 5 floors, with a public bath on the 6th floor. Our Japanese style room was certainly a little cozy. The workers there are super friendly and we got our first taste of Japanese hospitality (bowing, constant thanking, etc.). Our room didn't have much of a view, but it did have a private bathroom, two comfortable futons on the floor, a TV, a minibar and air conditioning (which wasn't the greatest, it was a little hot at night). In Japan, a "futon" is not exactly what it is in the US. In the US it refers to a mini-couch type thing. In Japan it's basically three or four thin mattresses laid out on the floor, with a sheet and blanket put over it, and a pillow (sometimes a hard pillow, sometimes a soft one). We were always so knocked out from sightseeing all day that we slept well no matter what the bed was like.
That night we wandered the streets of Asakusa (half dazed from being up for so many hours) until we found a small restaurant with nice pictures of food outside that we were able to point to and order. We fell asleep at about 9 PM, we just couldn't make it further. We were excited for our trip to begin.
Next up . . . Tsukiji, Asakusa, Harajuku and Shabu Shabu.
10/4 - 10/5: Flew All Nippon Air direct from Washington, DC to Narita (economy class). Flight lasted about 13 hours. Seats seemed a little bit narrow for me, but what do you expect when you're in coach. Food was also a little blah. Watched a few movies but was unable to sleep so the flight seemed long. My girlfriend slept a few hours so it went better for her.
Upon arrival at Narita, and after going through the long line at customs, we immediately withdrew some Yen from the ATM at the airport (we had also changed some $$ to Yen before we left), and took the Keisei Skyliner train from the airport to Ueno Station in Tokyo. From there we were to take the subway to Asakusa. We had our first Tokyo moment when we got into the subway station at Ueno and realized we had no clue how to buy subway tickets. Seemed like everything was in Japanese (duh!). After scratching our heads for a while, we figured out to put money in the machine (hey, it was a long flight), and get our tickets. Upon arrival at Asakusa we had another Tokyo moment as we realized we had no clue how to find our hotel -- Ryokan Shigetsu. When we emerged from the station we were immediately in a mob of people and all the streets in that area look the same. We finally asked one of the street vendors (actually, pointed on a map to the Shigetsu) and she was nice enough to direct us. We were relieved to finally make it into our room at about 6PM.
The Shigetsu is a lovely place. Not a traditional ryokan, it's more like a Japanese style hotel, about 5 floors, with a public bath on the 6th floor. Our Japanese style room was certainly a little cozy. The workers there are super friendly and we got our first taste of Japanese hospitality (bowing, constant thanking, etc.). Our room didn't have much of a view, but it did have a private bathroom, two comfortable futons on the floor, a TV, a minibar and air conditioning (which wasn't the greatest, it was a little hot at night). In Japan, a "futon" is not exactly what it is in the US. In the US it refers to a mini-couch type thing. In Japan it's basically three or four thin mattresses laid out on the floor, with a sheet and blanket put over it, and a pillow (sometimes a hard pillow, sometimes a soft one). We were always so knocked out from sightseeing all day that we slept well no matter what the bed was like.
That night we wandered the streets of Asakusa (half dazed from being up for so many hours) until we found a small restaurant with nice pictures of food outside that we were able to point to and order. We fell asleep at about 9 PM, we just couldn't make it further. We were excited for our trip to begin.
Next up . . . Tsukiji, Asakusa, Harajuku and Shabu Shabu.
Oct 22nd, 2003, 02:12 PM
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10/6: Awoke at about 6AM because of the jet lag. We had read in several guidebooks to check out the large fish market in Tsukiji early in the AM, so we headed there. Flawless navigation of the subway system by yours truly. The trip to the fish market ended up being a mistake. The market was so incredibly busy with men driving around in forklifts, mopeds, etc., that we felt like we were in the way and were lucky to escape unharmed. Not for the faint of heart! Did see some interesting fish, and the Tsukiji area is a great place for milling around and looking at shops/foodstands. At about 8AM we stopped at a sushi restaurant for some breakfast sushi which was delicious. We ordered by pointing to pictures of the sushi that we wanted. The sushi was fantastic and inexpensive compared to what it costs in the U.S.
We spent an hour or so walking around nearby gardens (the name escapes me) which were lovely, relatively deserted, and had a beautiful pond and teahouse. Then we took a boat cruise up the river to Asakusa, where we strolled around the shops and visited the Sensoji Temple. Had lunch at a nearby noodle shop where I had my first taste of soba (but certainly not the last).
Next we headed over to Harajuku to visit the Meiji Shrine. By this time it had started raining which made things a little more difficult for walking around. But the shrine was beautiful, and then we took some time to walk around the shops at Harajuku. My girlfriend bought a kimono as a gift for her mother. By now our feet were killing us from all this walking, so we took the long subway ride back to Asakusa and rested up (and took hot baths) at the Shigestu.
That night we went out for dinner at a nearby restaurant and had shabu shabu. Basically, shabu shabu is cooked at your table. You dip pieces of beef and vegetable into a large pot of boiling broth until cooked, then dip them in sauce and eat. When the meat and vegetables are gone, the broth makes a delicious soup which you can drink. It was a lot of fun and an interesting experience. By 9:00 we were getting tired and hit the sack by 10:00.
Next . . . . Ueno, Ginza, Kabuki, conveyor belt sushi.
We spent an hour or so walking around nearby gardens (the name escapes me) which were lovely, relatively deserted, and had a beautiful pond and teahouse. Then we took a boat cruise up the river to Asakusa, where we strolled around the shops and visited the Sensoji Temple. Had lunch at a nearby noodle shop where I had my first taste of soba (but certainly not the last).
Next we headed over to Harajuku to visit the Meiji Shrine. By this time it had started raining which made things a little more difficult for walking around. But the shrine was beautiful, and then we took some time to walk around the shops at Harajuku. My girlfriend bought a kimono as a gift for her mother. By now our feet were killing us from all this walking, so we took the long subway ride back to Asakusa and rested up (and took hot baths) at the Shigestu.
That night we went out for dinner at a nearby restaurant and had shabu shabu. Basically, shabu shabu is cooked at your table. You dip pieces of beef and vegetable into a large pot of boiling broth until cooked, then dip them in sauce and eat. When the meat and vegetables are gone, the broth makes a delicious soup which you can drink. It was a lot of fun and an interesting experience. By 9:00 we were getting tired and hit the sack by 10:00.
Next . . . . Ueno, Ginza, Kabuki, conveyor belt sushi.
Oct 23rd, 2003, 06:33 AM
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Glad somebody is reading!
10/7: Started the day at the Shigetsu with the first of many "Japanese style" breakfasts. We were given the choice between Western or Japanese style but figured why fly all the way to Japan for a Western breakfast. So we got miso soup, white rice, pickled vegetables, seaweed wrappers (which you dip in soy sauce and wrap around rice, very good), fried tofu, scrambled eggs, and some sort of dried fish. It was all very good. We became very adept with the chopsticks during our trip and didn't have to ask for a fork once.
We started the day by heading to Ueno Park for a stroll and visit to the National Museum. The museum has some interesting old sculptures (mostly of Buddhist symbols) as well as samurai swords, armor, etc. There was also a exhibition of European diamond jewlery that had opened that day and the Japanese had flocked to it. Ueno Park itself has many shrines and temples hidden around every corner and is nice for a walk (although surprisingly there seemed to be a large homeless population there living in tents). After walking around a lovely pond filled with gigantic lily pads we decided that we would head to Ginza for lunch and to see about attending a Kabuki play.
We had a nice mini-kaiseki / obento lunch at a rather upscale place in Ginza. I would imagine that dinner there would have been very expensive but lunch was reasonable. Then we headed over to the Kabukiza theater to see about the play and were told that the show started at 4:30 (and ran until 9!). We were able to get tickets and had about 1 1/2 hours to kill before the show so we headed to one of the nearby large department stores. I can't remember the name but I know it started with an M.
Visiting a department store in Japan is a blast. Everywhere you walk there are sales people welcoming you, thanking you, bowing, etc. Complete opposite from the way it is here in U.S. where you have to often search out some help. I would also note that the Japanese people as a whole are VERY fashionable and seemed to be always dressed very nicely. One style that is huge for women is the tight skirt with huge boots up to their knees. We saw many women dressed like this. Needless to say I didn't mind this very much (I don't know about my girlfriend). The best part about the department store is the foods section in the basement. It is a gigantic space where just about all kinds of foods are sold. It was packed with people and sales people were yelling out things (sometimes with microphones and megaphones). The best part for us were the free samples (of vegetables, chocolates, other candy, etc.).
We headed back to the Kabukiza at around 4 and after asking around several times were able to find our seats. We also got the English headphones which follow along with the play and explain what is going on. Very helpful as we would have had no clue without them. I enjoyed the kabuki show a great deal. One story was about an evil shogun who had imprisoned a princess and her husband, and the princess drew a picture of mice in the dirt and the mice came alive and ate through the ropes that tied her to a tree, freeing her. During one of the intermissions an amazing sight took place. It seemed like out of nowhere every person in the theater took out little bento boxes that they had bought at the theater. I guess they figured they were there for the night so they might as well have some dinner. We were pretty much the only ones not participating in this ritual. I had thought the Kabuki theater would be more for tourists, but I was totally wrong. 99% of the people there were Japanese.
We left after the second intermission (around 8 PM) since we were getting hungry and a little sleepy. We found a very good conveyor belt sushi place near the Shigetsu which was a lot of fun. Basically the plates are color coded, blue plate was 200Yen, red plate 300Yen, etc. I built up quite an impressive stack of plates. And when it came time to add them up, they had the most amazing little scanning device that simply scanned all of the plates and figured out the amounts. We were dumbfounded by this piece of technology.
Next up . . . Kamakura, Great Buddha, Japanese movie theater.
10/7: Started the day at the Shigetsu with the first of many "Japanese style" breakfasts. We were given the choice between Western or Japanese style but figured why fly all the way to Japan for a Western breakfast. So we got miso soup, white rice, pickled vegetables, seaweed wrappers (which you dip in soy sauce and wrap around rice, very good), fried tofu, scrambled eggs, and some sort of dried fish. It was all very good. We became very adept with the chopsticks during our trip and didn't have to ask for a fork once.
We started the day by heading to Ueno Park for a stroll and visit to the National Museum. The museum has some interesting old sculptures (mostly of Buddhist symbols) as well as samurai swords, armor, etc. There was also a exhibition of European diamond jewlery that had opened that day and the Japanese had flocked to it. Ueno Park itself has many shrines and temples hidden around every corner and is nice for a walk (although surprisingly there seemed to be a large homeless population there living in tents). After walking around a lovely pond filled with gigantic lily pads we decided that we would head to Ginza for lunch and to see about attending a Kabuki play.
We had a nice mini-kaiseki / obento lunch at a rather upscale place in Ginza. I would imagine that dinner there would have been very expensive but lunch was reasonable. Then we headed over to the Kabukiza theater to see about the play and were told that the show started at 4:30 (and ran until 9!). We were able to get tickets and had about 1 1/2 hours to kill before the show so we headed to one of the nearby large department stores. I can't remember the name but I know it started with an M.
Visiting a department store in Japan is a blast. Everywhere you walk there are sales people welcoming you, thanking you, bowing, etc. Complete opposite from the way it is here in U.S. where you have to often search out some help. I would also note that the Japanese people as a whole are VERY fashionable and seemed to be always dressed very nicely. One style that is huge for women is the tight skirt with huge boots up to their knees. We saw many women dressed like this. Needless to say I didn't mind this very much (I don't know about my girlfriend). The best part about the department store is the foods section in the basement. It is a gigantic space where just about all kinds of foods are sold. It was packed with people and sales people were yelling out things (sometimes with microphones and megaphones). The best part for us were the free samples (of vegetables, chocolates, other candy, etc.).
We headed back to the Kabukiza at around 4 and after asking around several times were able to find our seats. We also got the English headphones which follow along with the play and explain what is going on. Very helpful as we would have had no clue without them. I enjoyed the kabuki show a great deal. One story was about an evil shogun who had imprisoned a princess and her husband, and the princess drew a picture of mice in the dirt and the mice came alive and ate through the ropes that tied her to a tree, freeing her. During one of the intermissions an amazing sight took place. It seemed like out of nowhere every person in the theater took out little bento boxes that they had bought at the theater. I guess they figured they were there for the night so they might as well have some dinner. We were pretty much the only ones not participating in this ritual. I had thought the Kabuki theater would be more for tourists, but I was totally wrong. 99% of the people there were Japanese.
We left after the second intermission (around 8 PM) since we were getting hungry and a little sleepy. We found a very good conveyor belt sushi place near the Shigetsu which was a lot of fun. Basically the plates are color coded, blue plate was 200Yen, red plate 300Yen, etc. I built up quite an impressive stack of plates. And when it came time to add them up, they had the most amazing little scanning device that simply scanned all of the plates and figured out the amounts. We were dumbfounded by this piece of technology.
Next up . . . Kamakura, Great Buddha, Japanese movie theater.
Oct 24th, 2003, 08:09 AM
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10/8: After another Japanese breakfast (see 10/7 entry for the menu, which pretty much was the same everywhere, although the fish course was sometimes different), our plan for the day was a day trip to Kamakura. We finally would get to break in our 14-day JR Pass. Took the subway to Ueno, where we switched to the JR Yamanote line to Tokyo station. From Tokyo station, we picked up the JR Yokosuka (sp?) line which reaches Kamakura in about an hour.
A note about the Tokyo subway. We generally avoided travelling during rush hour so we did not experience any of the maddening crowds that we had heard about, and did not witness the "door closers" shoving people into trains with their batons. The platform along the subway is marked with lines indicating exactly where the doors will line up when the train pulls in (this is the case for all trains in Japan, not just subways). People politely form a line behind these spots (which amazes me, compared to the DC and NY subways where people just crowd along the platform). Never had to wait more than a few minutes for a subway in Tokyo, and the cars have English displays telling you the direction of the train and the next stop so that it's easy to use. We bought a 1000Yen prepaid card that we used until it ran out, then we bought individual tickets.
The weather on this day was cloudy and a little chilly. We got off at Kamakura Station but unfortunately the principal temple in that area was closed for construction and covered with scaffolding. (The name of the temple escapes me). We were disappointed but spent some time at some of the nearby shrines. Then we went back to Kamakura Station and took a brief 10-minute train ride to Hase Station. This trip, as we learned, is NOT covered by the JR Pass, as it's a private railway. From there we walked 10 minutes to visit the Great Buddha. It was a magnificent site, like 40 feet high set against a beautiful background of trees. For a small fee you can climb into the Buddha.
At Kamakura we encountered the first of many pests that would plague us the entire trip -- the schoolgroup. Now, I've read a lot about the Japanese kids being so much smarter than American kids, spending more time on math, science, etc., but I would swear after this trip that all these kids do every day is go on field trips. And the groups come in all different sizes and colors. The most prevelant is the "Yellow Hats," who wear a distinctive uniform (the groups always wear uniforms) with yellow hats. There are also Red Hats, White Hats, and I believe we also encountered Green Hats. Pretty much every attraction we visited in Japan on a weekday was packed with these schoolgroups, which sometimes were not a problem and other times were a definite annoyance.
Another thing we noticed about Japan was that there are a LOT of old people travelling around. Maybe there are just as many old people in the US, but the ones in Japan are still on the go, taking trains, climbing stairs, visiting sites, etc. We saw many women that we swear must have been at least 100 years old climbing stairs that made me tired (and I'm 28).
But I digress. After the Great Buddha we visited the Hase Temple, which is about a 10 minute walk and is very lovely. We got back to Tokyo around 5PM and had a few hours before dinner so we decided to take in a movie, see what a Japanese theater was like. The movie (S.W.A.T.) was in English with Japanese subtitles, which worked for us. The movie theater was 1 stop away from Tokyo station on the Yamanote line. It's a little weird because you actually get assigned seats, as opposed to just sitting anywhere. We saw a coming attraction for The Last Samurai, starring Tom Cruise, which must have interested the Japanese a little bit (I wonder how they feel about the "Last Samurai" being a white guy?). The bathroom had some sort of crazy hand drying machine where you stick your hands in and air blows at like 500MPH instantly drying it. This was an exception, however, as the vast majority of bathrooms in Japan do not have paper towels or dryers to dry your hands after washing. And I won't even get started on the "Japanese-style" toilet. Suffice to say that my girlfriend made a point of seeking out the "Western style" toilets whereever possible.
Next up . . . Hakone, hard-boiled eggs, Mt. Fuji.
A note about the Tokyo subway. We generally avoided travelling during rush hour so we did not experience any of the maddening crowds that we had heard about, and did not witness the "door closers" shoving people into trains with their batons. The platform along the subway is marked with lines indicating exactly where the doors will line up when the train pulls in (this is the case for all trains in Japan, not just subways). People politely form a line behind these spots (which amazes me, compared to the DC and NY subways where people just crowd along the platform). Never had to wait more than a few minutes for a subway in Tokyo, and the cars have English displays telling you the direction of the train and the next stop so that it's easy to use. We bought a 1000Yen prepaid card that we used until it ran out, then we bought individual tickets.
The weather on this day was cloudy and a little chilly. We got off at Kamakura Station but unfortunately the principal temple in that area was closed for construction and covered with scaffolding. (The name of the temple escapes me). We were disappointed but spent some time at some of the nearby shrines. Then we went back to Kamakura Station and took a brief 10-minute train ride to Hase Station. This trip, as we learned, is NOT covered by the JR Pass, as it's a private railway. From there we walked 10 minutes to visit the Great Buddha. It was a magnificent site, like 40 feet high set against a beautiful background of trees. For a small fee you can climb into the Buddha.
At Kamakura we encountered the first of many pests that would plague us the entire trip -- the schoolgroup. Now, I've read a lot about the Japanese kids being so much smarter than American kids, spending more time on math, science, etc., but I would swear after this trip that all these kids do every day is go on field trips. And the groups come in all different sizes and colors. The most prevelant is the "Yellow Hats," who wear a distinctive uniform (the groups always wear uniforms) with yellow hats. There are also Red Hats, White Hats, and I believe we also encountered Green Hats. Pretty much every attraction we visited in Japan on a weekday was packed with these schoolgroups, which sometimes were not a problem and other times were a definite annoyance.
Another thing we noticed about Japan was that there are a LOT of old people travelling around. Maybe there are just as many old people in the US, but the ones in Japan are still on the go, taking trains, climbing stairs, visiting sites, etc. We saw many women that we swear must have been at least 100 years old climbing stairs that made me tired (and I'm 28).
But I digress. After the Great Buddha we visited the Hase Temple, which is about a 10 minute walk and is very lovely. We got back to Tokyo around 5PM and had a few hours before dinner so we decided to take in a movie, see what a Japanese theater was like. The movie (S.W.A.T.) was in English with Japanese subtitles, which worked for us. The movie theater was 1 stop away from Tokyo station on the Yamanote line. It's a little weird because you actually get assigned seats, as opposed to just sitting anywhere. We saw a coming attraction for The Last Samurai, starring Tom Cruise, which must have interested the Japanese a little bit (I wonder how they feel about the "Last Samurai" being a white guy?). The bathroom had some sort of crazy hand drying machine where you stick your hands in and air blows at like 500MPH instantly drying it. This was an exception, however, as the vast majority of bathrooms in Japan do not have paper towels or dryers to dry your hands after washing. And I won't even get started on the "Japanese-style" toilet. Suffice to say that my girlfriend made a point of seeking out the "Western style" toilets whereever possible.
Next up . . . Hakone, hard-boiled eggs, Mt. Fuji.
Oct 24th, 2003, 08:34 AM
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Thank you!! Great reading and now required. We will go to Japan next October. Can't get it in before that, but...better late than never. It's your kind of posts that we print out and bring with us. Excellent!!
Oct 25th, 2003, 04:56 AM
#8
And then what happened?
Here is a shot of some "yellow hats"
http://www.billk.org/image020.jpg
in Matsuyama who are viewing this animated clock:
http://www.billk.org/image021.jpg
Oct 27th, 2003, 06:50 AM
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Sorry for the delay, I was away for the weekend. Thanks for bearing with me. I guess I should speed this thing up.
10/9: Today we left Tokyo for good and headed to Hakone where we would stay overnight. On the way out from the Shigetsu we were given lovely mugs as parting gifts. Very thoughtful of them. Had yet another Japanese style breakfast (see 10/7 for basic menu) and headed for Tokyo station, from which we would catch the Shinkansen to Odawara. On board the Shinkansen, before the train departed, we were confronted by an elderly couple who claimed that we were in their seats (we had reserved seats). We figured that they were right and we were wrong since we were the foreigners who could barely even read the ticket. But upon closer inspection I noticed that they had tickets for the 10:03 train, whereas this was the 9:56 train, so I was right! My girlfriend was very impressed that I had won this face-off. The Shinkansens are great. Very comfortable. Tons of leg room. Ample space overhead for our bags (we each had a 22" rolling bag). The trip to Odawara was short and we transferred to another train to Hakone Yumato station, and then we transferred to the mountain railway. We got off at Miyanoshita so we could drop our luggage off at our hotel -- the Fujiya Hotel. It was too early to check in but they happily took our luggage and we hopped back on the mountain railway to continue our trip.
We got off to visit the lovely outdoor museum, which has hundreds of sculptures as well as a rather sizeable Picasso exhibit. It was an absolutely magnificent day weatherwise (not a cloud in the sky; temperature nice and cool) so it was nice to walk around.
After the open air museum we took the cable car (or was it the ropeway, I get confused) and got off at the sulphur pits, where a short uphill walk brought you to a spot where you could buy hard boiled eggs that were cooked in the boiling pits. Some old woman told me that it was seven years good luck for each egg, so my girlfriend watched in horror as I ate 4 of them. (I hadn't had any lunch). We were able to get absolutely stunning views of Mt. Fuji from this spot and took many pictures. This area was also overrun by "yellow hats' (see previous post).
After this, we took the ropeway (or was it a cable car) from which we got even more great views of Mt. Fuji. We were very lucky to have such a perfect weather day. We then took the sightseeing boat cruise on Lake Ashi, which was very scenic as well, got to Moto-Hakone and took a bus back to the Fujiya Hotel. It had been a very nice day of sightseeing.
The Fujiya is a huge, grand hotel that seems like it's from another era. We got an excellent foreigner's rate of like $125 or something. This was also our first opportunity to sleep in a real bed for a while.
Next up . . . Kyoto, humiliation, Nijo Castle
10/9: Today we left Tokyo for good and headed to Hakone where we would stay overnight. On the way out from the Shigetsu we were given lovely mugs as parting gifts. Very thoughtful of them. Had yet another Japanese style breakfast (see 10/7 for basic menu) and headed for Tokyo station, from which we would catch the Shinkansen to Odawara. On board the Shinkansen, before the train departed, we were confronted by an elderly couple who claimed that we were in their seats (we had reserved seats). We figured that they were right and we were wrong since we were the foreigners who could barely even read the ticket. But upon closer inspection I noticed that they had tickets for the 10:03 train, whereas this was the 9:56 train, so I was right! My girlfriend was very impressed that I had won this face-off. The Shinkansens are great. Very comfortable. Tons of leg room. Ample space overhead for our bags (we each had a 22" rolling bag). The trip to Odawara was short and we transferred to another train to Hakone Yumato station, and then we transferred to the mountain railway. We got off at Miyanoshita so we could drop our luggage off at our hotel -- the Fujiya Hotel. It was too early to check in but they happily took our luggage and we hopped back on the mountain railway to continue our trip.
We got off to visit the lovely outdoor museum, which has hundreds of sculptures as well as a rather sizeable Picasso exhibit. It was an absolutely magnificent day weatherwise (not a cloud in the sky; temperature nice and cool) so it was nice to walk around.
After the open air museum we took the cable car (or was it the ropeway, I get confused) and got off at the sulphur pits, where a short uphill walk brought you to a spot where you could buy hard boiled eggs that were cooked in the boiling pits. Some old woman told me that it was seven years good luck for each egg, so my girlfriend watched in horror as I ate 4 of them. (I hadn't had any lunch). We were able to get absolutely stunning views of Mt. Fuji from this spot and took many pictures. This area was also overrun by "yellow hats' (see previous post).
After this, we took the ropeway (or was it a cable car) from which we got even more great views of Mt. Fuji. We were very lucky to have such a perfect weather day. We then took the sightseeing boat cruise on Lake Ashi, which was very scenic as well, got to Moto-Hakone and took a bus back to the Fujiya Hotel. It had been a very nice day of sightseeing.
The Fujiya is a huge, grand hotel that seems like it's from another era. We got an excellent foreigner's rate of like $125 or something. This was also our first opportunity to sleep in a real bed for a while.
Next up . . . Kyoto, humiliation, Nijo Castle
Oct 27th, 2003, 12:37 PM
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Thanks for the kind words. By the way, if anyone has any questions about anything I would be very happy to answer them.
10/10 - Today we headed to Kyoto for a four day stay. Took the mountain railway back to Odawara station where we hooked up with the Shinkansen down to Kyoto. Unfortunately there were no more reserved seats available for the Shinkansen, so we had to travel unreserved. We had no trouble finding seats but unfortunately we ended up in the smoking car which made the trip a little unpleasant. About half-way through we were able to change seats into a non-smoking/non-reserved car. Afterwards I vowed to make reservations as much in advance as possible to avoid the smoking cars (plus, it's a lot more relaxing when you don't have to worry about lining up early to get seats). Since reservations are free with the JR Pass there's nothing to lose by making one (and it's fairly easy to do). Just go up to a JR Ticket window (with the green sign) and show them your pass and the train you want.
We got to Kyoto Station around 2, and then changed to take the subway to our hotel. The Kyoto subway is very nice. As there's only 2 lines it's very easy to use (although somehow we managed to get lost). It's also not nearly as crowded as the Tokyo subway, although the trains do not run as frequently so you sometimes have to wait (which was virtually unheard of in Tokyo).
After exiting the subway station I had somewhat of a brain cramp looking for our hotel - the Kyoto Royal Hotel. For the life of me I could not get my bearings on the map. My girlfriend pointed to a nearby building that said very clearly on the side "Kyoto Royal Hotel," but for some unknown reason I refused to accept that that was THE hotel we wanted. I thought there was more than 1 Royal hotel in Kyoto and that one did not seem to match the picture on the website. Well, after 15 minutes of walking in every direction but the right one, I finally relented and agreed to go to the hotel that was clearly marked "Kyoto Royal Hotel." Of course it was the right hotel. Out of two weeks of nearly flawless navigating of Japan, the one incident my girlfriend will remember (and will never let me forget) is my stubborn refusal to believe that the hotel was what it said it was. But anyway.
The hotel was very nice, modern, and in a good location, if not a little expensive. For those familiar with Kyoto the hotel is right on Kawaramachi Dori, near the intersection with Sanjo Dori. After checking in, etc., it was 3PM and we figured that with all the things to see in Kyoto we better get going. So we went to see the Nijo Palace, which was very nice (although swarming with "red hats" even at that late hour. Out of all the places in Japan that we visited, Kyoto by far had the most magnificent sights. Nijo is where the Tokugawa Shoguns held court for many centuries, as we learned.
Another aside. Japan is teeming with vending machines. They are pretty much on every street. You can pretty much get any beverage you want, hot or cold. I was particularly fond of the cold green tea. My girlfriend started each day with a cold coffee. Suprisingly, however, with all the vending machines that we found we did not see any selling food.
By the time we finished at Nijo it was 5PM, so most things were closed. We strolled around the grounds of the Imperial Palace for a while to finish off our day(couldn't see much as the main gates were closed).
Next up . . . Sansunjengo (sp?), weddings, Kiyomizu Temple, geishas, Gion.
10/10 - Today we headed to Kyoto for a four day stay. Took the mountain railway back to Odawara station where we hooked up with the Shinkansen down to Kyoto. Unfortunately there were no more reserved seats available for the Shinkansen, so we had to travel unreserved. We had no trouble finding seats but unfortunately we ended up in the smoking car which made the trip a little unpleasant. About half-way through we were able to change seats into a non-smoking/non-reserved car. Afterwards I vowed to make reservations as much in advance as possible to avoid the smoking cars (plus, it's a lot more relaxing when you don't have to worry about lining up early to get seats). Since reservations are free with the JR Pass there's nothing to lose by making one (and it's fairly easy to do). Just go up to a JR Ticket window (with the green sign) and show them your pass and the train you want.
We got to Kyoto Station around 2, and then changed to take the subway to our hotel. The Kyoto subway is very nice. As there's only 2 lines it's very easy to use (although somehow we managed to get lost). It's also not nearly as crowded as the Tokyo subway, although the trains do not run as frequently so you sometimes have to wait (which was virtually unheard of in Tokyo).
After exiting the subway station I had somewhat of a brain cramp looking for our hotel - the Kyoto Royal Hotel. For the life of me I could not get my bearings on the map. My girlfriend pointed to a nearby building that said very clearly on the side "Kyoto Royal Hotel," but for some unknown reason I refused to accept that that was THE hotel we wanted. I thought there was more than 1 Royal hotel in Kyoto and that one did not seem to match the picture on the website. Well, after 15 minutes of walking in every direction but the right one, I finally relented and agreed to go to the hotel that was clearly marked "Kyoto Royal Hotel." Of course it was the right hotel. Out of two weeks of nearly flawless navigating of Japan, the one incident my girlfriend will remember (and will never let me forget) is my stubborn refusal to believe that the hotel was what it said it was. But anyway.
The hotel was very nice, modern, and in a good location, if not a little expensive. For those familiar with Kyoto the hotel is right on Kawaramachi Dori, near the intersection with Sanjo Dori. After checking in, etc., it was 3PM and we figured that with all the things to see in Kyoto we better get going. So we went to see the Nijo Palace, which was very nice (although swarming with "red hats" even at that late hour. Out of all the places in Japan that we visited, Kyoto by far had the most magnificent sights. Nijo is where the Tokugawa Shoguns held court for many centuries, as we learned.
Another aside. Japan is teeming with vending machines. They are pretty much on every street. You can pretty much get any beverage you want, hot or cold. I was particularly fond of the cold green tea. My girlfriend started each day with a cold coffee. Suprisingly, however, with all the vending machines that we found we did not see any selling food.
By the time we finished at Nijo it was 5PM, so most things were closed. We strolled around the grounds of the Imperial Palace for a while to finish off our day(couldn't see much as the main gates were closed).
Next up . . . Sansunjengo (sp?), weddings, Kiyomizu Temple, geishas, Gion.
Oct 27th, 2003, 05:15 PM
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Wow! What a wonderful report! Can't wait to hear more. You mentioned that everything is in Japanese. How did you get through the language barrier? There's no English at all to help you out? For budgeting purpose, how much should we save for a trip like yours? Heard that everything is so expensive in Japan, did you find that too? Are their prices similar to Washington D.C.? How was the pace of your trip? Is 2 weeks enough or 3 weeks better? Hope it's not too many questions for you.......thanks very much!
Oct 28th, 2003, 01:18 PM
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I am getting crushed at work today so no time to do an entry.
SSN-
The only time we really were confused was that first time in the subway station. Other than that we had little trouble with the language barrier. Most people we dealt with spoke enough basic English for us to be able to communicate. Signs in train stations and for tourist attractions are written in English, so no problem finding your train or subway station or anything like that. Things in Japan are expensive, but not ridiculously so. We found prices to be similar to New York. Things were a few dollars more than they should be, but that's partially because the exchange rate is horrendous right now. I would budget several hundred dollars per day for the trip, not counting one time fees such as airline tix and rail pass. I felt that 15 days was just about right for the things we did; maybe we could have used another day or two, but we didn't feel rushed. Obviously, 3 weeks would be better!!
SSN-
The only time we really were confused was that first time in the subway station. Other than that we had little trouble with the language barrier. Most people we dealt with spoke enough basic English for us to be able to communicate. Signs in train stations and for tourist attractions are written in English, so no problem finding your train or subway station or anything like that. Things in Japan are expensive, but not ridiculously so. We found prices to be similar to New York. Things were a few dollars more than they should be, but that's partially because the exchange rate is horrendous right now. I would budget several hundred dollars per day for the trip, not counting one time fees such as airline tix and rail pass. I felt that 15 days was just about right for the things we did; maybe we could have used another day or two, but we didn't feel rushed. Obviously, 3 weeks would be better!!
Oct 30th, 2003, 08:05 AM
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It's about time I get back to this before the memories fade away.
10/11: No Japanese breakfast today as we were in a Western style hotel and breakfast was not included. Never mind that. We took our first bus since coming to Japan on our way to Sansunjengo Hall in Eastern Kyoto. No problems navigating the bus system (which is a little more complex than the subway because of the dozens of bus routes). Sansunjengo (I'm probably misspelling) is supposedly the longest wooden structure in the world (or was it Japan?). I say "supposedly" because just about every wooden structure we encountered in Japan claimed to be something (the structure in Nara claims to be the "largest," the one in Horyuji claims to be the "oldest."
. Who knows if any of this is true. But at Sansunjengo there is a dramatic site of about a thousand bronze Buddhist sculptures, with I believe a Buddhist trinity in the center. It's an awesome sight and the reason for visiting this site in the first place. In addition, there was a wedding ceremony going on and everyone was dressed in elaborate outfits. We weren't the only ones gawking and taking pictures of the event, although some of the monks seemed concerned about all of the hullaballoo.
After Sansunjengo we walked for about 20-25 minutes to Kiyomizu Temple. To get to this temple you have to walk uphill along a wonderful street lined with shops, etc. As it was Saturday the street (as well as the temple) was packed with people, most of them Japanese (we saw surprisingly few Westerners on this trip). I can't remember the name of this street but it was definitely a highlight. Kiyomizu is more than just a temple, it's a large complex of shrines and pagodas located on the side of a large hill. It has wonderful views of the nearby mountains and of Kyoto itself. Unfortunately the crowds were such that it made it tough to really appreciate the location and beauty, but it was still great. I rubbed the heads of a few bronze Buddhas for good luck, so we'll see what happens.
Leaving the temple you go down another lovely narrow street lined with shops (at least this time it's downhill!). Many of the shops had free samples, especially of the various pickled vegetables. The Japanese love their pickled vegetables. Seems like there's nothing they can't pickle. During this walk we also saw our first geishas, although we suspect that these weren't real geishas in that they were walking around in broad daylight having their pictures taken, etc. I suspect they were there for the tourists. But they looked real nonetheless.
We took a side street and went down some stairs and before we knew it we were in a park. I know it started with an "M" but I can't recall the name. See what happens when I wait too long to write these reports! There was another large shrine complex in this park, the name of the shrine escapes me but I think it was Yokusa or Yokuska or something like that. Well, there was yet another wedding going on, and the poor bride was being dressed by like 3 people in all these layers of clothes. She looked very colorful. And then there was a huge wedding procession that everyone was taking pictures of.
After all this walking we were a bit worn out so we made our way back to the hotel to rest up a little bit. Then we went to the Gion district at night for a stroll and some dinner. There we saw some real geishas, including one getting into a cab with a client that was surrounded by papparazi. Wonder who was in there? The Gion district is very mysterious, with all of these wooden houses that seem shut down but every once in a while you hear music or laughter coming from inside. It's like a secret world that I'm not a part of. After Gion we walked down to the river and sat there for a little while listening to a street band that was playing music nearby. It was a nice evening weatherwise. We found Kyoto to be noticeably warmer than Tokyo was, although maybe a warm front had just moved in.
Next up . . . Golden Pavilion, Silver Pavilion, Zen Garden.
10/11: No Japanese breakfast today as we were in a Western style hotel and breakfast was not included. Never mind that. We took our first bus since coming to Japan on our way to Sansunjengo Hall in Eastern Kyoto. No problems navigating the bus system (which is a little more complex than the subway because of the dozens of bus routes). Sansunjengo (I'm probably misspelling) is supposedly the longest wooden structure in the world (or was it Japan?). I say "supposedly" because just about every wooden structure we encountered in Japan claimed to be something (the structure in Nara claims to be the "largest," the one in Horyuji claims to be the "oldest."
. Who knows if any of this is true. But at Sansunjengo there is a dramatic site of about a thousand bronze Buddhist sculptures, with I believe a Buddhist trinity in the center. It's an awesome sight and the reason for visiting this site in the first place. In addition, there was a wedding ceremony going on and everyone was dressed in elaborate outfits. We weren't the only ones gawking and taking pictures of the event, although some of the monks seemed concerned about all of the hullaballoo.After Sansunjengo we walked for about 20-25 minutes to Kiyomizu Temple. To get to this temple you have to walk uphill along a wonderful street lined with shops, etc. As it was Saturday the street (as well as the temple) was packed with people, most of them Japanese (we saw surprisingly few Westerners on this trip). I can't remember the name of this street but it was definitely a highlight. Kiyomizu is more than just a temple, it's a large complex of shrines and pagodas located on the side of a large hill. It has wonderful views of the nearby mountains and of Kyoto itself. Unfortunately the crowds were such that it made it tough to really appreciate the location and beauty, but it was still great. I rubbed the heads of a few bronze Buddhas for good luck, so we'll see what happens.
Leaving the temple you go down another lovely narrow street lined with shops (at least this time it's downhill!). Many of the shops had free samples, especially of the various pickled vegetables. The Japanese love their pickled vegetables. Seems like there's nothing they can't pickle. During this walk we also saw our first geishas, although we suspect that these weren't real geishas in that they were walking around in broad daylight having their pictures taken, etc. I suspect they were there for the tourists. But they looked real nonetheless.
We took a side street and went down some stairs and before we knew it we were in a park. I know it started with an "M" but I can't recall the name. See what happens when I wait too long to write these reports! There was another large shrine complex in this park, the name of the shrine escapes me but I think it was Yokusa or Yokuska or something like that. Well, there was yet another wedding going on, and the poor bride was being dressed by like 3 people in all these layers of clothes. She looked very colorful. And then there was a huge wedding procession that everyone was taking pictures of.
After all this walking we were a bit worn out so we made our way back to the hotel to rest up a little bit. Then we went to the Gion district at night for a stroll and some dinner. There we saw some real geishas, including one getting into a cab with a client that was surrounded by papparazi. Wonder who was in there? The Gion district is very mysterious, with all of these wooden houses that seem shut down but every once in a while you hear music or laughter coming from inside. It's like a secret world that I'm not a part of. After Gion we walked down to the river and sat there for a little while listening to a street band that was playing music nearby. It was a nice evening weatherwise. We found Kyoto to be noticeably warmer than Tokyo was, although maybe a warm front had just moved in.
Next up . . . Golden Pavilion, Silver Pavilion, Zen Garden.
Oct 30th, 2003, 09:58 AM
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Great reports! I'm really enjoying reading them.
It's Sanjusangen-do (Sanjusan means 33, -gen is a space between two pillars; -do is a hall). The park is called Maruyama park and the shrine is Yasaka. The hill you climbed to get to Kiyomizu is in fact called Kiyomizu-zaka.
The swarms of schoolchildren you saw, esp the older ones (junior high and high school students) are on end-of-school trip called shugaku-ryokoo, an essential part of Japanese school calendar.
It's Sanjusangen-do (Sanjusan means 33, -gen is a space between two pillars; -do is a hall). The park is called Maruyama park and the shrine is Yasaka. The hill you climbed to get to Kiyomizu is in fact called Kiyomizu-zaka.
The swarms of schoolchildren you saw, esp the older ones (junior high and high school students) are on end-of-school trip called shugaku-ryokoo, an essential part of Japanese school calendar.
Oct 31st, 2003, 09:58 AM
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10/12: We had a lot to see today in Kyoto so we got an early start. The first two places to visit were the Kinkakuji Temple and the Ryoanji Temple in the northern part of Kyoto. These two sites are in a more remote part of the city, not accessible by subway. So we had to take a somewhat lengthy busride (30-40 mins) from our hotel. The Kinkakuji Temple, otherwise known as the Golden Paviliion, is a magnificent structure, brilliantly painted with gold. I think that it burned down in the 20th century and had to be restored, but it still is marvelous to look at. And the temple grounds are beautiful as well. The place was absolutely packed (it was a Sunday) with tourists, so we kinda had to keep moving and couldn't linger on too long.
The next stop was the Ryoanji Temple. You can either walk about 20-30 mins from the Golden Pavilion, or take the bus. We opted for the bus, which ended up being supercrowded, but only a 5 minute ride. The temple itself was rahter ordinary (as Kyoto temples go!) but the real reason for coming here is to see the large Zen rock garden. A Zen rock garden is basically a large sand box, well groomed and raked, with a dozen or so large stones and boulders carefully placed. As you sit there and stare at it your mind starts to imagine all the things that it represents. Personally, I saw islands in the ocean (with the sand being the water and the rocks being the islands). But I guess everyone sees something different. Of course, as we're sitting there reading about how the garden is meticulously maintained, etc., some schmuck (me) drops his tour pamphlet into the garden. I carefully leaned in to pick it up (without disturbing even a grain of sand), but felt my face burning with embarrasment. The Ryoanji Temple also has a large surrounding garden that is very nice. There is also a cute little restaurant on the grounds that we ate at which served (exclusively) boiled tofu. It was good, and in a nice setting, but after a while there's only so much boiled tofu you can chow on.
After lunch we returned to Eastern Kyoto (by bus) to see the Gingakuji Temple, otherwise known as the Silver Pavilion. This was constructed by the grandson of the guy who built the Golden Pavilion, but contrary to the name it is not silver, but rather regular wood. Yet the building and the grounds are magnificent (and were very crowded as well).
After the Silver Pavilion, we took a bus to the Heian Shrine, which is a large shrine complex in the middle of the city. The shrine was nice but the real attraction here is the lovely garden (separate entrance fee) with large ponds, fish, turtles, pagodas, etc. And best of all, since it was getting close to closing time, it was not crowded at all and we finally got some moments of solitude. There is a nice little bridge with benches that you can sit on and kinda chill, surrounded by a pond (and some of the leaves were turning fall colors).
That night we ate dinner at a sushi place (conveyor belt) that was only a block or two from the hotel. It was very good and very cheap, like only $1 a plate.
Next up . . . Nara, another Great Buddha, the oldest wooden structures in the world.
The next stop was the Ryoanji Temple. You can either walk about 20-30 mins from the Golden Pavilion, or take the bus. We opted for the bus, which ended up being supercrowded, but only a 5 minute ride. The temple itself was rahter ordinary (as Kyoto temples go!) but the real reason for coming here is to see the large Zen rock garden. A Zen rock garden is basically a large sand box, well groomed and raked, with a dozen or so large stones and boulders carefully placed. As you sit there and stare at it your mind starts to imagine all the things that it represents. Personally, I saw islands in the ocean (with the sand being the water and the rocks being the islands). But I guess everyone sees something different. Of course, as we're sitting there reading about how the garden is meticulously maintained, etc., some schmuck (me) drops his tour pamphlet into the garden. I carefully leaned in to pick it up (without disturbing even a grain of sand), but felt my face burning with embarrasment. The Ryoanji Temple also has a large surrounding garden that is very nice. There is also a cute little restaurant on the grounds that we ate at which served (exclusively) boiled tofu. It was good, and in a nice setting, but after a while there's only so much boiled tofu you can chow on.
After lunch we returned to Eastern Kyoto (by bus) to see the Gingakuji Temple, otherwise known as the Silver Pavilion. This was constructed by the grandson of the guy who built the Golden Pavilion, but contrary to the name it is not silver, but rather regular wood. Yet the building and the grounds are magnificent (and were very crowded as well).
After the Silver Pavilion, we took a bus to the Heian Shrine, which is a large shrine complex in the middle of the city. The shrine was nice but the real attraction here is the lovely garden (separate entrance fee) with large ponds, fish, turtles, pagodas, etc. And best of all, since it was getting close to closing time, it was not crowded at all and we finally got some moments of solitude. There is a nice little bridge with benches that you can sit on and kinda chill, surrounded by a pond (and some of the leaves were turning fall colors).
That night we ate dinner at a sushi place (conveyor belt) that was only a block or two from the hotel. It was very good and very cheap, like only $1 a plate.
Next up . . . Nara, another Great Buddha, the oldest wooden structures in the world.
Nov 1st, 2003, 05:39 PM
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This is great stuff. It will help me out for my upcoming trip to Japan for 2 weeks. When you have time can you please tell me the hotel or inn you stayed at each location and the prices. Did you book them before your trip? If so, how did you go about it?
Nov 3rd, 2003, 10:34 AM
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I was away for the weekend so no updates. Thanks for all the kind comments.
10/13: Took a day trip from Kyoto to Nara. The train from Kyoto to Nara was about 40 - 60 minutes if I remember correctly. Then you have to walk about 20 minutes or so to get to Nara park, where most of the attractions are located. The attractions there are pretty spread out, but as you arrive you immmediately will see deer running all over the place. I read that the Japanese see the deer as their ancient ancestors reincarnated so they are protected. We are nature lovers so we took many pictures of the deer. The main attraction for us in Nara park was the Great Buddha. A little bit larger than the one in Kamakura, this buddha is the largest bronze Buddha in Japan, and is housed in a large wooden building (supposedly the largest wooden structure in the world, but I'm suspicious). It DID seem a little bit bigger than the Kamakura one, but not very much bigger. The temple housing the buddha is impressive, however, especially from the outside.
After seeing the Great Buddha, we went to visit the sites at Horyuji. To get there you have to walk back to Nara Station and take about a 15 minute train ridge to Horyuji (this is covered by the JR Pass). From the Horyuji Station you can either walk about 15-20 minutes to Horyuji Temple or take a bus (which runs a few times an hour). We opted to walk there, but would have been better off taking the bus since it was a long walk and not very scenic. But the Horyuji temple area was fantastic, and for me one of the highlights of the trip. It is a complex of ancient wooden temples and pagodas (again, supposedly the oldest wooden structures in the world) that give you a glimpse of 8th century Japan. And one of the best parts was that it was not very crowded, so you could really enjoy the buildings. I remember watching a brilliant sunset from behind a 1200 year old 5-story pagoda. And there is a nice museum next door with ancient artifacts and sculptures. We returned to Kyoto about 6 or 7 PM.
Next up . . . Rain, Mt. Koya, Kobo Daishi.
10/13: Took a day trip from Kyoto to Nara. The train from Kyoto to Nara was about 40 - 60 minutes if I remember correctly. Then you have to walk about 20 minutes or so to get to Nara park, where most of the attractions are located. The attractions there are pretty spread out, but as you arrive you immmediately will see deer running all over the place. I read that the Japanese see the deer as their ancient ancestors reincarnated so they are protected. We are nature lovers so we took many pictures of the deer. The main attraction for us in Nara park was the Great Buddha. A little bit larger than the one in Kamakura, this buddha is the largest bronze Buddha in Japan, and is housed in a large wooden building (supposedly the largest wooden structure in the world, but I'm suspicious). It DID seem a little bit bigger than the Kamakura one, but not very much bigger. The temple housing the buddha is impressive, however, especially from the outside.
After seeing the Great Buddha, we went to visit the sites at Horyuji. To get there you have to walk back to Nara Station and take about a 15 minute train ridge to Horyuji (this is covered by the JR Pass). From the Horyuji Station you can either walk about 15-20 minutes to Horyuji Temple or take a bus (which runs a few times an hour). We opted to walk there, but would have been better off taking the bus since it was a long walk and not very scenic. But the Horyuji temple area was fantastic, and for me one of the highlights of the trip. It is a complex of ancient wooden temples and pagodas (again, supposedly the oldest wooden structures in the world) that give you a glimpse of 8th century Japan. And one of the best parts was that it was not very crowded, so you could really enjoy the buildings. I remember watching a brilliant sunset from behind a 1200 year old 5-story pagoda. And there is a nice museum next door with ancient artifacts and sculptures. We returned to Kyoto about 6 or 7 PM.
Next up . . . Rain, Mt. Koya, Kobo Daishi.
Nov 6th, 2003, 01:42 PM
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OK, I'm NOT giving up on this report!!!
10/14: Today we left Kyoto for good. We stopped by the main post office, which is near Kyoto Station, to mail some post cards and withdraw additional cash from the ATM. We were headed to Mt. Koya. Getting there is a little bit of a pain. We had to take a train from Kyoto to Osaka Station. From there, we had to take the subway to Namba Station (still in Osaka, but a different station), and then catch a train to Mt. Koya. When we got to Namba Station we wisely left our big bags in a locker there, and just took an overnight bag to Mt. Koya. We got a nice "limited express" train, and when we got to Mt. Koya had to switch to a cable car that goes up the rather steep mountain.
When we got to the top of the mountain we saw to our dismay that it was pouring outside. We had umbrellas and raincoats, but the rain was really coming down hard. Mt. Koya is, and has been for centuries, an important and holy sight for Japanese buddhism. There are I believe hundreds of buddhist temples, and about 50 that will take overnight guests. Instead of heading to our temple, we went for the main attraction, which was the temple and mauseleoum at Okonuin. Getting there from Koyasan station was about a 15 minute bus ride.
Okonuin (sp?) is an amazingly large cemetery, where thousands of buddhists, samurais, etc., were laid to rest. At the center of this graveyard is Kobo Daishi's tomb. For those of you who don't know about Kobo Daishi, all I can say is that he was HUGE for Japanese buddhism. He went over to China and brought back his learnings to Japan, and settled and taught his ways on top of this mountain. Then he was buried here, and everyone else wanted to be buried near him so the graveyard kept expanding more and more. It really was beautiful, even in the teeming rain. There are hundreds of lanterns lining the stone pathways. The leaves were starting to change colors.
Soon the rain simply became too much so we had to head for dryer places. We took the bus back to the center of town, and then set out to find out temple, the Sainan-in. Turns out our temple was about as far as one can get from anything on Mt. Koya, and we couldn't find a taxi anywhere so we had to walk it, in the pouring rain, with little idea of where we were going. Unfortunately, the temple did not have a sign so we ended up walking right past it without even knowing it. Then we ducked into a small store to ask for directions and were told that it was a "20 minute" walk. Exasperated, we told the guy that couldn't be because we were right where it should be on the map. Then he laughed and said, oh, I meant "2 minute" walk. It was right next door.
Our room there was a typical Japanese style room. Fortunately it had a heater, because it was chilly on that mountain and we used it to dry our wet socks. The vegetarian meal, however, was a sight to behold. There must have been 10 trays of food, beautifully prepared and delicious. I'm a big meat eater, so I was skeptical of a completely vegetarian meal, but this was great. Well worth the inexpensive rate they charged. Bathrooms were shared. I had to share the men's with some of the high-school aged students who lived at the temple. We went to bed early because there wasn't much to do there and it was still raining outside.
Next up . . morning services (not), Miyajima, monkeys.
10/14: Today we left Kyoto for good. We stopped by the main post office, which is near Kyoto Station, to mail some post cards and withdraw additional cash from the ATM. We were headed to Mt. Koya. Getting there is a little bit of a pain. We had to take a train from Kyoto to Osaka Station. From there, we had to take the subway to Namba Station (still in Osaka, but a different station), and then catch a train to Mt. Koya. When we got to Namba Station we wisely left our big bags in a locker there, and just took an overnight bag to Mt. Koya. We got a nice "limited express" train, and when we got to Mt. Koya had to switch to a cable car that goes up the rather steep mountain.
When we got to the top of the mountain we saw to our dismay that it was pouring outside. We had umbrellas and raincoats, but the rain was really coming down hard. Mt. Koya is, and has been for centuries, an important and holy sight for Japanese buddhism. There are I believe hundreds of buddhist temples, and about 50 that will take overnight guests. Instead of heading to our temple, we went for the main attraction, which was the temple and mauseleoum at Okonuin. Getting there from Koyasan station was about a 15 minute bus ride.
Okonuin (sp?) is an amazingly large cemetery, where thousands of buddhists, samurais, etc., were laid to rest. At the center of this graveyard is Kobo Daishi's tomb. For those of you who don't know about Kobo Daishi, all I can say is that he was HUGE for Japanese buddhism. He went over to China and brought back his learnings to Japan, and settled and taught his ways on top of this mountain. Then he was buried here, and everyone else wanted to be buried near him so the graveyard kept expanding more and more. It really was beautiful, even in the teeming rain. There are hundreds of lanterns lining the stone pathways. The leaves were starting to change colors.
Soon the rain simply became too much so we had to head for dryer places. We took the bus back to the center of town, and then set out to find out temple, the Sainan-in. Turns out our temple was about as far as one can get from anything on Mt. Koya, and we couldn't find a taxi anywhere so we had to walk it, in the pouring rain, with little idea of where we were going. Unfortunately, the temple did not have a sign so we ended up walking right past it without even knowing it. Then we ducked into a small store to ask for directions and were told that it was a "20 minute" walk. Exasperated, we told the guy that couldn't be because we were right where it should be on the map. Then he laughed and said, oh, I meant "2 minute" walk. It was right next door.
Our room there was a typical Japanese style room. Fortunately it had a heater, because it was chilly on that mountain and we used it to dry our wet socks. The vegetarian meal, however, was a sight to behold. There must have been 10 trays of food, beautifully prepared and delicious. I'm a big meat eater, so I was skeptical of a completely vegetarian meal, but this was great. Well worth the inexpensive rate they charged. Bathrooms were shared. I had to share the men's with some of the high-school aged students who lived at the temple. We went to bed early because there wasn't much to do there and it was still raining outside.
Next up . . morning services (not), Miyajima, monkeys.
