K Y O T O
What: sightseeing
Where: Kyoto
No. of Nights: 6 (Days 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 & 19 of larger trip)
Day 14
To the land of the Geisha I come!
From Watarase Onsen I board the bus for the two-hour trip to Kii-Tanabe. Nothing eventful here apart from a western guy who speaks fluent Japanese to an old lady for almost the entire journey – some other passengers ask him about his language skills and he then goes on and on, and on.... His self admiration seems to dribble out uncontrollably, slightly detracting from the awe he had initially sparked up – granted, he's blatantly very intelligent (I'm sure he's genuinely a nice guy too), and I actually learn quite a lot just by listening to him. At Kii-Tanabe, I take the train to Osaka where I change trains to go straight into Kyoto!
The lady at the info centre at Kyoto station is very friendly and helpful, and my hotel is literally right next door!! She proclaims whilst smiling “oh The Thousand Kyoto! That’s a brand-new hotel!” I’m thinking it’s a good sign that she knows it!
What a hotel! My apologies, because this is not intended to be a review on hotels, but for me there are many aspects that contribute to making a trip enjoyable, comfort being one of them. It's a question of balance, sometimes I like camping, hostels, and I'm totally happy with the most basic of accommodation. Right now, a bit of luxury is perfect!
And as soon as I step in, I love this hotel. Actually, even from the outside, it’s wonderful looking, what with the dark glass, the slatted-wood exterior walls, and the bamboo trees.
It has a very nice 'feel' to it - tranquil and inviting.
A sleek building, on a quiet road, right adjacent to Kyoto station
It has a very nice 'feel' to it - tranquil and inviting.
The staff are amazingly friendly and helpful (come to think of it, virtually everyone I have met so far during this trip to Japan has been friendly (and that's a lot of people) and they are so incredibly hospitable – I feel humbled).
The hotel is very new, the design is sleek, the architect has done very well, if I may say so. The spa area (baths and sauna and hot stones) is superb. It's minimalist, spotless and stylish – it's a tranquil haven. When I go there, they welcome me and show me what’s on offer. Usually you would need to pay 3,300 Yen to use it each time (unless it’s included in your room price, but mine it apparently isn't). The manager and I have a chat and we come to the
agreement that I can use it for my entire 5-night stay, at no extra cost. I’m grateful- bookingcom should get their descriptions better organised in this respect, as good as they can otherwise be.
Higashi-Honganji Temple
Kyoto: Higashi-Honganji Temple: one of the great popular centres of Buddhism in Kyoto, and entry is completely free
Late afternoon, after check-in, I walk up the road past the Starbucks and into the Higashi-Honganji Temple, where I gaze in wonder. I already love Kyoto! I just sit here on a bench and fall into a meditative trance.
Higashi-Honganji Temple is one of the great popular centres of Buddhism in Kyoto, and entry is completely free. Higashi Honganji, or ‘Eastern Temple of the First Vow’ is one of two head temples of the Jodo Shinshu sect of Pure Land Buddhism (the most popular form of Buddhism in Japan). The other head temple, Nishi Honganji, is located a few blocks to the west of this one. The Pure Land sect was founded by a monk named Shinran (1173–1263), who simplified Buddhist thought to one principal teaching: repetition of the words “namu amida butsu” or “Praise to Amida Buddha”. Shinran believed that Amida Buddha had vowed to save all those who sincerely repeated these words. The combination of a simple teaching, with an equally simple practice made this belief system popular with ordinary working people. After Shinran’s death, a Honganji Temple was established to promote his teachings (the temple was forced to move several times before finally being granted land in Kyoto). In 1602 shortly after Tokugawa Ieyasu became Japan’s Shogun, he prompted a split within the Honganji sect to prevent it from becoming overly powerful. The Goei-do, or Founder’s Hall, is the largest wooden building in Kyoto, and actually, one of the
largest in the world. This building was rebuilt in 1895 and is the most important structure in the temple compound. Inside the massive high-ceilinged space, hung with gold chandeliers and supported by 90 pillars, is a shining sanctuary.... so it's here I sit for about an hour, in a peaceful trance.
I head back to the hotel, now painted with an invisible film of content, which sinks deeper into my body as I walk back inside this sweet hotel.
Typical street in Kyoto: clean, tidy, good-looking & peaceful.
Before checking out the spa I hit the gym for a light 40 min run. It’s a nice gym!
Transported to another universe
Now to the spa, and once in the spa area, the entire universe feels as big as the space this little sanctuary occupies – and that feeling of content now seeps deep within my bones. And when I lie down onto the hot stones, I think I am transported onto another planet altogether, one where I’m gazing up into a different night-time sky and one where I have no worries or troubles in any way shape or form.... I like to hold on to these kinds of feeling to be used again in future times.... It is bliss, I just need to make sure I don’t fall asleep too deeply!
Wondering out to Gion: dreams to reality
After this, and in a bit of a trance, I wonder out into Gion. I take two metros to get there and walk for about 20 mins. I still haven’t eaten dinner yet, and afraid that everything will soon close, I eat at one of the first places I see. It’s a very average Ramen but sees me through the rest of the night.
Nobody seems to be out at all, even though it’s 11:30pm on a Friday night? I stroll over Kamo River and then through one of the traditional and preserved streets of Motoyoshichō. It really is amazing, even if everything seems closed-up. This place seems to have an incredible ability to transcend time and give the sensation of being back in old Japan. I am on high-alert, not because I’m worried about samurai, but because I’m so desperately hoping to see a real Geisha! I then come across the famous Gion Shin Bridge and turn back upon myself to see the splendid Shirakawa Canal and the beautiful little Gion Tatsumi bridge, which is so picturesque and exactly how I had pictured it to be (from my book ‘Memoires of a Geisha’ mentioned in The Kumano Kodo piece I have written); so much so that my imagination fills the surrounding area with what I picture to be happening back in the 1930’s, or in the book even... and in this world I see many Geisha passing by, and of course I see the exquisite Sayuri and Mameha....
If only this was really happening.... but the feelings evoked are pretty pungent nonetheless. I go back to the bridge and sit there taking it all in, even though it’s dimly lit and there are hardly any people about, it still arouses a huge amount of feeling from within me – and it is still marvellous. And then! A fortunate stroke of serendipity! For the doors of this old tea house I’m sitting close to, slide open and some drunken business-men stumble out, accompanied by an older lady (probably the mother of the Okiwa (tea house)) and to my absolute astonishment, I see what can only be 2 genuine Geisha, exquisitely beautiful, I jump up from where I’m sitting and I sneak over - the mother immediately notices me and sends a quick stern glare my way (quite obviously signalling not to push my luck): I shovel back a little all the while trying to peer right in. I now see the 2 geisha in plain sight, just a few meters away, they are now performing fully seated bows, showing their respect whilst bidding farewell to these important looking business men – the men are thus directed into their car by the mother and one of the Geisha momentarily makes eye contact with me, we lock eyes for a second, and just as quickly she looks away (this is my magical moment)! I am very happy. And this is all real – but I think I mix reality with my imagination when I permit myself to
Friday night 11:30pm in Gion, dark and deserted - so it would seem
Moments before the doors of this old tea-house slide open...
entertain the idea that the Geisha’s eyes sparkled when she glanced over at me! Maybe they did!?
I get a taxi back to the hotel and then aptly finish my book!!!
Day 15
Delicious start to the day
I don't usually eat much for breakfast, but the breakfast here is delicious; because I can't make a good eggs-benedict I usually include one in my breakfast if it's on the menu! On the surface it's a simple dish no? But simple cooking often shows as much skill as making a complex dish, because everything needs to be to perfection - to get the sauce consistency, taste, texture, temperature, along with the perfect poached egg, is not easy! Here it's done to perfection. There are whole unpeeled mangos in the fruit bowl, and you must ask the waitress what you’d like so that one of the kitchen staff prepares it for you. I don't mind peeling my own but hey....
One of the reception staff is particularly endearing and she always makes the effort to chat to me and help me with all of my requests. The manager is a gentleman who seems to handle things very professionally. I have to make some long phone calls to Tokyo, and I had been misinformed about the cost of the call, and although there is no record of this conversation, later the manager without question does the right thing and agrees it isn’t fair to charge me anything bar what I’d been informed (anyway this is not a lot of money we're talking about, but this shows a good standard to me).
Ninomaru-goten palace
Now lunch-time, I take a couple subways from the hotel to get to the castle. It is a magnificent day, the sun is out in all its majesty, and with it comes a taste of the Japanese summer! For indeed it is hot! I have learnt my lesson from a few weeks ago when my arms got over-exposed in the searing Vietnamese sun - now I carry sunscreen and a cap at all times – I’m therefore well shielded today!
I pay the entrance fee and look at the map once inside. I walk through the 400-year-old buildings of the Ninomaru-goten palace, and through the Kara-mon Gate (which has gold and impressive magnificently coloured and intricately carved wood, of bamboo, cranes, pine, plum-blossoms: signifying longevity.... The palace is divided into 33 rooms, with over 800 tatami mats, and each room has its entire walls decorated from floor to ceiling with paintings in ink, colour, and gold leaf – some look as if the entire wall is made of pure shimmering gold, it’s amazing to see it, and looks incredibly opulent! Subjects include pine, hawk, tigers, and even leopards, all of which stress the authority of the Shogun (it was believed that each tiger will have one leopard out of each litter of three cubs!); geese, egrets, willow trees and cherry blossom. Pine trees are an auspicious metaphor for everlasting prosperity. The palace is designated a national treasure.
After peering into many such rooms in awe and with delight, I step back outside into the surrounding grounds and come across a lovely looking tea-house planted with a view onto the Seiryu-en Garden, which is on the Northern side of the castle. I ask a woman sitting next to an apparently empty space if it is indeed empty, as in free?! To which she gives me a very warm and friendly answer in the affirmative.
Tea with mother and daughter
She is sitting with her mother, drinking tea and eating cake, so when her mother gets up to go to the loo I take this opportunity to pounce (like one of the tigers on the wall murals – only kidding, I just want to make reference to the tigers again!). What she’s eating looks tasty, so I ask what it is and whether it's as nice as it looks! She proceeds to explain the menu to me and I indicate I’ll have the same as them! She giggles a lot. Her mother returns. I place my order and spend the rest of the time gazing into the gardens whilst being asked untold number of questions by mother, which are translated by daughter! I also learn that daughter lives and works in Osaka (she must be in her mid-thirties, although it's hard to tell with Japanese as they often look younger than their age, what with their beautiful complexion etc.) and mother, North of Kyoto. I don’t know what it is, perhaps she detects slight disappointment in my voice (?), but she is quick to add that from Osaka to Kyoto takes only a short time on the train! I think this is a hint but I do not feel it appropriate to even go down that route. Mother tells me (via our interpreter, her daughter) that she is so thrilled because I am the first English person she has ever spoken to in her whole entire life!! She is 54, I also find out – actually mother had asked my age first, which I naturally revealed (she had replied how much younger I look – what flattery!). in fact, I had wanted to know daughter’s age but this was somehow lost in translation and it’s mother’s age that I am given. I return the compliment and say she looks young too - she does! To which she blushes and we all giggle! So this was the second time she has ever encountered a westerner, the first being on her honey moon in Hawaii! Japanese love to go there for their honeymoon, in case you wanted to know.
Anyway, I need to get going and so say my goodbyes....
I now stroll back, feeling relaxed and full of energy and excitement!
walking through the streets and then eating freshly cooked chest-nuts in front of a shrine, I feel very happy and chilled.
That night, I head out for a drink at a nice whisky-bar nearby, it’s very enjoyable. Later I watch the football, this is however a complete disaster...
Day 16
Although I’ve only had a few hours’ sleep (and am only slightly hung-over) I do feel remarkably OK! First for a strong coffee at the hotel, overlooking a bamboo courtyard, it's just the tonic I need!
Kyoto National Museum
I embark on my day’s adventures - I ask some random man where the river is (that’s essentially simply all I need to know by way of a reference point, so that I can then follow google maps in the right direction – but no joking, 10 mins later, this nice guy is still explaining (in copious detail) how to
get to the destination, and by this point he even has my phone in his hand – I just give-in to the idea that he will need to finish his explanations and that there’s absolutely nothing I can do to stop him, bar snatching my phone out of his hands and briskly walking off (which of course I have no intention of doing as he’s simply being extremely nice and trying to be helpful)). ...eventually I am set free, and I do indeed now know the direction of the river, so my original question has been answered after all, albeit 15 mins later (see my story on Osaka). Anyway, I’m in no rush, I have all the time in the world, and as I said, this guy was super friendly and full of good intent, as everyone I've encountered so far seems to be!
I walk over the main bridge and come across Kyoto National Museum: it is showing Priest Shinkyo’s 700th memorial special exhibition! Art of the Ji Shu. I also pay for earphones and am swiftly transported into a world of 13th century Buddhism!
Ji Shu was a religious sect of Pure Land Buddhism (mentioned earlier), and founded by Ippen (1239-89) in the Kamakura period. A tradition of Japanese Pure Land Buddhism is perhaps Dancing Nenbutsu (odori nenbutsu) — a practice of dancing while reciting the Buddha's name in an incantatory prayer. Ippen preached that anyone who performed the Nenbutsu would be able to achieve rebirth in the Pure Land (Sukhavati), the paradisiacal Buddha realm of Amitabha where the faithful could spend eons in his presence, accruing the karmic benefits of his perpetual expounding of the Buddhist Dharma. Ippen travelled all over Japan propagating this message and handing out talismanic slips of paper sealed with a Nenbutsu prayer (fusan). After Ji Shū had been established as a religious organization, Shinkyo, the second in the lineage following Ippen, made great contributions to the sect's development.
I must say, it is fascinating and I love it. The pictures are, on a purely aesthetic level, staggering. There is so much detail I spend ages looking at each section of each picture, of which there are countless pieces here! They all link up to tell the story of this priest Ippen – through an illustrated biography.…
After this I look at a number of life-sized carvings and sculptures of seated priests and standing Buddhas. Some of the exhibition is designated as national treasure, so to see it, feels special.
Jishu Shrine and the Kiyomizudera temple
No I stroll to the a very famous shrine, walking via the Chawanzaka slope. I see the Jishu Shrine and the Kiyomizudera temple. Here there are tonnes of people!
I notice a bit of a queue for something and I do quite the opposite to what I usually do, I simply join the queue without actually knowing what it’s for! Whilst in line I notice people are paying 100 yen and then being instructed (by a monk) to take off their shoes, to then disappear down some steps and out of sight completely (never to be seen again?!). I am handed an English
explanatory leaflet, and as I get closer to the front am asked to give 100 yen by way of donation and to take off my shoes.
Pitch-black cave and Buddhist teachings
The leaflet explains that I shall walk through pitch-darkness until I come across a stone which will be very apparent as it will be lit from above. The pure darkness is there to remind you to relinquish all notions of attachment (in Buddhism attachment to anything can only lead to misery and disappointment as nothing is permanent). Once at the stone, I am to place my hand onto it and make one wish, then walk on and out.... So, I then follow the couple in front of me, and we proceed to go down the steps.... It becomes cool and indeed completely and utterly dark. The only way is to walk very slowly step by step whilst keeping your left hand along the smooth stone wall to the left in order to guide you. The path seems to go to the left, to the right, straight and so on and so forth.... it is actually a little nerve-wracking! Some 10 mins later, when I eventually come across the stone, I am unquestionably relieved! I place my hand to make my wish, and then thankfully make it back out into the open! I think it is also a lesson in appreciating the light of day and what you actually have now (also a Buddhist belief), to say the least!
I now go into the main temple, join yet another queue, this time to 'dong' the big bell on the floor and to make another wish (well I presume so at least?) Some people seem to try to make as loud a sound as they possibly can by whacking it with full-force; and so when a little girl, probably no older than seven or so, steps up to kneel down, ever so properly and humbly, and taps
the bell so gently thus
giving off the faintest of
sounds, to me this is the most powerful of all of the preceding sounds combined. Her mother looks proud of her and my heart melts – because this to me is yet another lesson in Buddhism – but incidentally, this brings up one of the most difficult things to get my head round in Buddhism (and for the record I love it): how not to form attachment to others, such as
loved ones (bar physically separating yourself from them forever). For surely a mother and daughter for example, are as attached to one another as anything can be, and when I spoke of this to my own mother, she said to me how could she possibly refrain from feeling attachment to her beloved niece for example – to which I struggled to be able to reply to.
I walk through the lush-green to the pagoda then back half-way down where I drink some cold coffee over-looking the forest below.
Walk to Gion
After this, I walk past the Yasaka
pagoda and via lots of small streets which are designated protected areas of cultural significance and it’s easy to see why: it’s really lovely and old wooden houses and tea-houses are lined with small trees and Japanese plants and flowers.
Through the ancient streets and alley-ways I stroll, and on to Gion I reach. Fantastic.
This evening after the gym, I go for a sauna and hot-stone. It is mind-glowingly good, but I almost fall asleep in the hot-stone room again, so decide I’d better get out lest I am there for the entire night!
The two spa receptionists get the giggles as I am being a right idiot! Because I am feeling so sleepy I first of all forget which one's my locker as well as my code, so she opens several until we find it! But I also forget the locker for my shoes too (there are two separate sets of lockers here!); she’s sure it is no. 20, and I am sure it isn’t! she’s right and I’m wrong of course! Granted, it doesn’t sound very funny but all 3 of us are giggling like mad and I keep telling them how dozy I have been!
Afterwards I venture out for a Japanese curry, which is tasty. But the beef curry turns out to
have no beef so I order an extra side of deep-fried beef katsu – yummy but mega greasy!
Day 17
Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
I venture out, getting the hotel mini-bus to the train station where I take the over-ground train to the world-famous Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine. First I walk through a street aligned with tonnes of street food.... I want to try it all!
Eventually I’m at the entrance grounds! The weather is again perfect! Before I manage to get anywhere I am accosted by a big group of school children armed with paper and pen, bombarding me with many questions - they're on a school assignment to learn about why tourists like Japan! They want to know what brings me to Japan, and what I like the most about Japan! It would be mean to shoo them off so they end up interviewing me for the next ten mins, then onto the next unsuspecting tourists!
I walk up through the initial set of Torri gates, the Senbon Torri (composed of 1000 shrine gates) to then reach the inner shrine. It’s indeed incredible to be doing so. I snap shots as and when I see a good opportunity. There are a lot of people in this section. Later I walk to the peak of mount Inari. It’s rather a long walk (but nothing in comparison to my recent hike in The Kumano Kodo so I do it with relative ease!) That said, I’m sweating profusely because it’s ridiculously hot around here. There’s not a single breeze and it’s stifling. I meet a pleasant girl from America, who’s originally from China – I manage to shake her off (as nice as she is, I am not in the mood for small talk whilst clambering this mountain in 37 degree heat!).
On the way back down (the other side this time) a very friendly guy tells me about the gates, how each one is in fact funded by a sponsor – I think it costs several 100 thousand pounds for one gate, depending on the size of the gate that is. Then another set of mother / daughter give me some further teachings.
I now continue my walk and get lost amidst the hundreds of shrines and pathways. I get tired and make my way out eventually, phew! It’s easy enough to get lost here in my opinion – having read to the contrary beforehand by the way!
Unprompted, a nice Japanese girl starts to talk to me on the train because I'm trying to figure out where to get off and she wants to help - she’s a university student at Kyoto University and planning to visit England one day... but then it’s my stop - byeee!!
This evening I hit the gym and sauna, then head out for dinner to have some sushi! The hotel receptionist is chatting to me loads again – friendly girl!
Day 18
Tenryuji Temple
THIS temple at The foot of mountains features teahouses and serene expansive gardens
Arashiyama (bamboo forest)
Day 19
Kinkakuji (金閣寺, Golden Pavilion)
Today I go to Kinkakuji, followed by Ryoanji Temple and the famous Rock Garden! I take the bus all the way there, about 50 mins to North West Kyoto. Kinkakuji (金閣寺, Golden Pavilion) is a Zen temple in northern Kyoto – the top two floors are completely covered in gold-leaf. Formally known as Rokuonji, the temple was the retirement villa of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and according to his will it became a Zen temple of the Rinzai sect after his death in 1408. Inside is a seated Kannon Bodhisattva surrounded by statues of the Four Heavenly Kings; however, the statues are not shown to the public. Finally, the third and uppermost floor is built in the style of a Chinese Zen Hall, it is gilded inside and out, and is capped with a golden phoenix.
Rock garden, Ryōanji Temple
Then the rock garden: this is Japan’s most famous ‘Zen’ garden and consists of 15 carefully placed rocks that float mesmerizingly on a sea of gravel – an example of 'carefully calculated randomness'. It perhaps shows the stunning simplicity and harmony of the principles of Zen meditation? The temple was built in 1450 by Daimyo Hosokawa Katsumoto (1561-1628), but no one knows for certain when the rock garden was made, who designed it, or what the designer's intentions were.
A viewing platform right above the garden an uninhibited view, although from whatever angle you view the garden, you can never see all fifteen stones (so they say).
no one knows for certain when the rock garden was made, who designed it, or what the designer's intentions were.
no one knows for certain when the rock garden was made, who designed it, or what the designer's intentions were.
My memoires of a Geisha
For tonight, I manage to obtain last-minute tickets to watch a geisha and two maiko performing live. It’s absolutely incredible. They literally bring me to tears with their beautiful dance, which is meant to be a dance expressing sadness, I think so at least – although the nice Spanish girl next to me isn’t sure what it means. It is quite simply breath-taking. This is special to me.
Extra night in Kyoto
I have decided to stay an extra night in Kyoto!
My next piece of writing is on Tokyo. Not happy to leave Kyoto — it is an AMAZING place!!!!
I have a great evening out!
Now I must get some sleep before tomorrow’s relatively easy journey to Tokyo.
