Thank You
 

I just wanted to thank everyone on this board who has helped me. We are leaving tomorrow (wednesday) for 14 days Tokyo and Kyoto.

Any last minute advice?

Bob

Have a fabulous time. It's a fascinating country and the aesthetics are incredible. make sure to go to the food courts in the deluxe department stores!

Have a good/safe trip, and please tell us about your experiences when you get back.

This board works best when its members share their (especially recent) experiences.

eat sushi! compai!!

Don't eat a filled donut unless you know for sure what the filling is.

No offense intended by the donut advice. Did not mean to imply that you might have any particular interest in donuts.

More advice: sit in the right field bleachers.

Yes. You're going to Kyoto-IMO-one of the most fascinating places in the world. See everything you can there-Kinkakuji and Ginkakuki are self-evident-perhaps you already know, "kin" means gold in Japanese and "gin" means silver (hence, "Ginza" is "place of silver" or a place where a lot of money exchanges hands-BUT you'll find that out for yourself soon enough! (smile). Then there's Daitokuji, Ryoan-ji, Saihoji (Moss Temple) Sanjusangendo Temple (the last one of my favorites-can you tell I'm crazy for Buddhist temples?) Plus the Gion district in the evening where you can see the geisha and apprentice geisha called maiko hurrying off to their appointments, experience the wonderful Kyoto cuisine of kaiseki-(I had some fantastic meals there, both at my ryokan and at restaurants but can't remember details).

I would suggest too, if you had the time, to get a copy of Yukio Mishima's brilliant "Temple of the Golden Pavilion" a classic work from one of Japan's greatest writers that attempts to get into the mindset of the mad 21 yr. old student/monk who set fire to Kinkakuji in 1950 because he couldn't stand the beauty of it. When the perpetrator was arrested, he was reported to say that he wished he could die in the flames. It was completely rebuilt and replated with gold leaf a few years later. Mishima's book is a brilliant work which leaves the judgment of right or wrong to the reader. (his novels tend to work themes of the dichotomy of modern life juxtaposed against traditional Japanese values-he committed suicide, it is said, to protest modern Japanese weakness).

Have a great (and insightful) journey!

ya.. kyoto is also one of my favorite asian cities. cycling around town is a verry fun and relativly safe activity.