Part 4
2018 © K. W. Bridges & Nancy Furumoto www.kimbridges.com kim.bridges@gmail.com
Viewing Notes • This photolog consists of four parts. • The layout is designed for double-page spreads. • Some pictures span two pages. A black page background color indicates that an image is split between two pages. Picture Information • All of the photos were taken by K. W. Bridges and Nancy Furumoto between November 22 and 27, 2017. • We used a combination of Google Pixel 2XL phones and a Sony RX1R II camera to take the photos. • Photo processing was done with Adobe Photoshop. • Composite panoramas (of which there are many) were created using Kolor Autopano Giga 4.4 Acknowledgements • Cindy Howland-Hodson helped with the editing. She has a sharp eye and a great command of the language. We’re greatly indebted to her. • We relied on many Internet websites for information. We appreciate the efforts of many businesses and government agencies in creating and maintaining information about travel in Japan, especially for peak tourist seasons. • Chris Rowthorn ’s InsideKyoto.com website was especially valuable. We used his recommendations to craft an itinerary prior to coming to Japan. Without his advice, we would have missed many key sights.
Organization This is a long document. It is divided into four parts, each about the same length, for convenience. The places visited are listed on the next two pages. They are grouped for each part in the order in which we went to the places. This map of Kyoto, Japan, provides a general spatial context for our explorations. The areas of daily activities, corresponding to the parts of this document, are shown on the map.
Kamo River 162
Part 4
Hozu-Katsura River
367
Citadines
Gion
Part 3 Part 2
Kyoto Station 9
Shinkansen Tokaido Route
N
1
Part 1
Meishin Expressway
Part 1 Distance Walked: 4.6 miles Wednesday & Thursday – Honolulu To Japan Honolulu Sky Club JR Train Office Tokyo Station Shinagawa Station InterContinental The Strings The Dining Room
Part 2 Distance Walked: 6.2 miles Saturday – Southern Higashiyama Kiyomizu-dera Temple Inoda Coffee Kodai-ji Temple Ryozen Kannon Temple Otani Shrine Chion-in Temple Maruyama Park Yasaka Shrine Shoren-in Temple Minami-za Gion Uokeya U
Friday – Tokyo to Kyoto & More Shinagawa Station Kyoto Terminal JR Office Tourist Information Office Citadines Sobanomi Yoshimura Keihan Station Fushimi Inari Shrine Tofuku-ji Temple Tsuten-Kyo Bridge Kamo River CoCo Ichibanya Karasuma Gojo Co.
Part 3 Distance Walked: 6.6 miles Sunday – Northern Higashiyama Nanzen-ji Temple Nanzen-in Temple Nanzen-ji Temple Dojo My Garden Eikan-do Zenrin-ji Temple Philosopher’s Walk Honen-in Temple Ginkaku-ji Temple The 24 Hour Meat Shop
Part 4 Distance Walked: 6.4 miles Monday – Western Mountains Kyoto Station Katsura River Bamboo Forest Tenryu-ji Temple Nonomiya Temple Dangoro Cafe Gio-ji Temple Gion Manzara Tuesday – Travel Day Kyoto Station Tokyo Station Narita Airport Terminal 1 Muji To Go Kabuki Gate Sky Club
Total Distance Walked: 23.8 miles
Red is always there Winter chases green away Ěś Watch the falling leaf
Monday: Western Mountains So far, our focus is on the mountains to the east. We started in the south and worked our way north. Today’s plan is to cross Kyoto to the other side. Over there are temples that rank high on the visual beauty scale. We start the day with a few cups of coffee in the room. Then it’s time to get going. There are two ways to cross to the Arashiyama area: a scenic train or a city bus. We’ve not done the city bus. Crossing Kyoto on city streets will let us view more of the character of the city. The cross-town bus departs from Kyoto Station. To get there, it’s easy to take the subway that runs near the hotel. A short ride; we go just one stop to the south. They have organized the bus plaza well. We find our platform. Lots of people wait for the bus on this route. We’re far back in the line. The bus fills before we get on. No problem; another bus arrives in a few minutes.
A few other tourists are on the bus. They are pretty obvious. School kids, too. You can tell they are in school by their uniforms. That’s not unusual. Many people wear uniforms in Japan. We encounter all the usual things as we cross town. Classic buildings. Modern shops. Strange signs. The school children ride with us for almost the entire trip. Their destination appears to be a junior high school. This is a little surprising as they arrive at school after 9 AM. Isn’t that late to be starting class? It is also a long daily commute. The students don’t seem to mind. Riding the bus is a social event. Our destination is an area with narrow streets. The driver is very careful. We reach our bus stop. We get off near a wide river. A short spillway crosses the river here and we spot lots of birds standing in the water. Mostly egrets. A few cormorants, too. These big black birds are holding out their wings. Interesting. Isn’t the water too shallow for these underwater fishers?
The route we’re following leads us up the Hozu River (which is called the Katsura River downstream). There are some interesting sights as we walk the few blocks next to the city. Here’s a parking lot filled with rickshaw. We didn’t expect that. Tree-covered mountains rise steeply up from the riverbank. There are few people on the riverside pathway. Most of the crowd went the city route. We think the river is more scenic. However, without people to follow, we’re on our own for navigation. Signs point toward a mountain overlook. We head along the river in that direction. Our pace matches a boat moving up the river. The boatman is pushing the boat using a long pole. It’s an interesting sight. This old-style transportation sets the stage for the upcoming views of ancient Kyoto temples and shrines. Our path leaves the river and heads up the slope. Then it goes through a park and crosses to a viewpoint. We’ve found the Hozu River overlook. Peer down. There are riverside facilities tucked into the forest. A short section of the river is visible as it winds through the valley. This is a nice spot to look at the mountain slopes. You can assess the trees that are changing color from here. Many trees have lost their leaves. Some color remains. It is pretty clear that the autumn foliage peaked earlier on this side of Kyoto.
It doesn’t take much more walking before we’re back with the crowd of other tourists. We’ve found the start of the Sagano Bamboo Forest walk. This is a famous place. A path leads through a green forest of towering bamboo. These are huge plants. We’ve seen big bamboo other places in Kyoto. This is different. The arrangement is a photo magnet. People jam together. Groups maneuver for position. Each party wants a commemorative photo. It’s not very comfortable. We have a different concern. What is the best route through the crowd? We must get to the path running through the forest.
A man sees our camera and grabs it. He tells us he’s not stealing the camera. He wants to take our picture. And that’s what he does. Not just one picture. He takes a lot of photos, some from low and others from eye-level. Then he hands the camera back. Another nice guy! Are these good shots? They are likely better than the “selfies” taken nearby. OK. I guess that we’re now like everyone else. We’ve had our picture taken with a bamboo background. It is time to start walking. We need to examine this unique forest. The bamboo are protected by a tall wall of dry plants. How strange. The rather unappealing barrier blocks a view of the forest floor. People going into the forest must be a serious problem. Too bad. This control tactic spoils the visual drama of the huge bamboo shoots.
We head down the path, pausing here and there to examine the forest. The bamboo shoots are huge. The canopy is really tall. It’s an interesting sight. We can’t linger too much. This is a popular attraction. People fill the path. Most stop to take pictures. We take a few, too. Unfortunately, the crowd is a great distraction. We should visit this forest in an “off season.” There will be fewer (read: many fewer) people. There are no seasonal colors in the bamboo forest. It is simply green. A change in forest composition tells us we’re nearing Tenryu-ji Temple. Maple trees, with bright colored leaves, begin to mix into the monoton bamboo forest. Shinto spirituality attributes bamboo with an ability to ward off evil spirits. No wonder we’re seeing bamboo forests near the temples and shrines.
We arrive at our next destination. Tenryū-ji Temple is a large complex of buildings. Many people are at the entrance. They’re here, like us, to view the fall foliage. We pay the fee and enter. This site ranks first among the city’s Zen temples and it is a registered World Heritage Site. It’s good to know that when you arrive. The temple dates to 1339. Like a lot of Kyoto establishments, this temple’s history is mixed with political and religious struggle. Buildings were lost to fires and war. None the less, the reconstructions are old structures. Temples provide a place to wash before entering the buildings. These are often interesting works of art. We’re staying in the garden so we pass on this traditional practice.
Once we’re inside the temple grounds, it’s not clear where to go. Unlike the other temples and shrines, this location seems to encourage wandering. While that’s OK, it leaves us with the feeling we may not be seeing everything. This is our “large temple” destination for the morning. It is the second-highest priority destination in Kyoto. We don’t want to miss anything. The map is little help. We’re on our own. We start with a walk up the hillside. From up here, we look down on the temple buildings and survey the tops of the colorful trees. The path leads around the temple property. There is a forest behind us. The view toward the buildings contains a mixture of seasonal color and many bare-branched trees. We think that these are cherry trees. We’re getting a pretty view today. It is likely even better in the spring. Soon, we are back among the temple buildings.
This temple’s signature view centers on a large pond. This water feature sits between the largest building (the hojo, or abbot’s quarters) and the base of the mountain. It is a great scene. There are plenty of colorful trees on the banks. The bright colors reflect in the water. This is a perfect place to pause. We stop and admire the view. We’re not alone. People stand here, shoulder to shoulder. Many visitors have expensive camera gear. These “pros” mix with photographers capturing images with cell phones. There is a courteous jostling for space. Many people sit on temple-side benches or along on the edge of the temple itself. Everyone is soaking in the view. This is a magnificent sight. The Tenryū-ji Temple garden’s historical accuracy is controversial. Some maintain that it is close to original. Others say that only traces remain. A 1799 woodblock print shows the garden is similar to what you see today. Perhaps it hasn’t changed very much. The garden is designed to encourage walking around. You’re supposed to view the scenery from different perspectives. We comply. The view is so wide that we’re taking panoramic photos. The nearby mountains are part of the garden design. We can imagine that the now-faded colors provided a spectacular backdrop when the trees are at their peak autumn foliage.
There is a large dry garden on the other side of the hojo. It is interesting but not a people-magnet like the pond. Beautiful spots exist throughout the property. We see a monument inside a moss garden. The reflection of red leaves over a canal causes us to pause. Look up and see brilliant red contrasting the blue sky. There is a lot to see here if you seek it out. But the crowd is overwhelming us. It is now late morning. We’re hungry. Time to move on.
There are more temples nearby. We’re suffering from “temple fatigue.” Mostly, we are pausing at the entrance and peeking inside. We’re not in the mood to mingle with the crowds at these places. One of these temples, Nonomiya Temple, catches our attention. There is an informative sign outside. We learn this was a place to send court women for “purification.” The women must live at this temple for a year or more before returning to their royal duties. That was long ago. Those were tough times. Lots of rules. Let’s keep moving. By walking through the neighborhood we’re likely to find a place to eat. We are running low on energy.
It is a shock to see piles of cut bamboo after seeing the tourism value of these grass shoots. Perhaps a little perspective is needed. Bamboo shoots up rapidly. These tall stems re-grow in about six months. The result: the forest is harvested every 1.5 years. The fast growth permits a sustainable bamboo industry. Many useful items are created from this grass. It is a very old institution in Japan.
Back to the hunt for a place to eat. Look over there. It’s a small cafe. It is called “Dangoro.” Let’s go here! This is a good find. The food is just what we want. One of the goals on this trip is to eat noodle dishes. That’s what they serve here. We order. Udon with shrimp tempura is one choice and soba-vegetable (with fern tips) is the other. All of this in a comfortable setting. Just what we need. Another lucky find. Or maybe, wonderful places fill Kyoto and they are easy to find.
Navigation from temple to temple works by following people. We consult our GPS now and then to make sure we’re headed to the right place. This has turned into an easy walk. The route takes us along level streets. Three days of mountain climbing has worn out our legs. This is a good change. We head through residential areas. It’s interesting to look at people’s houses. You get the general impression that everything is neat and organized. No junk. Well-tended gardens surrounding interesting houses. Lots of beautiful little touches. See? A pot of flowers next to the front door. Cars, most of them small, sit outside. There are no garages. We’ve skipped a few places listed on our itinerary. All the temple views (and memories) are merging. This isn’t the time to quit. A highly recommended temple is nearby. We need to visit it. Press on.
Gio-ji Temple is different. We’ve been seeing a lot of very large temples. This one sits on a tiny site. There is no water feature. No big buildings. You can view the property by following a path around a moss-covered square. This is more properly viewed as a hermitage than a temple. There is a famous story about a lustful ruler. Conflict and threats of suicide. In the end, a mother, her two daughters and a rival dancer retreated to this place. They lived together as nuns. This place is beautiful in its simplicity. Spectacular trees. Many are at their peak color. We snap photos from all sides. This is a little gem. We’re glad that we came.
Saga Chrysanthemum The Saga Chrysanthemum was originally found on the small island, Kiku-ga-shima, of the Osawa pond inside the Daikakuji Temple. The Saga Emperor (786-842) particularly admired and used it for decoration. Refined and cultured over many years by emperors, this unique wild flower is of extreme high quality. An amazingly long stem (2 metres) made it possible to be seen by highclass patrons of the upper floors of castles or temples. There are typically 3 flowers at the top of the stem, 5 at the middle and 7 at the bottom. Leaves also vary in colour according to position. Bottom are yellow; central leaves are green and pale green at the top. 54 flat petals each 10 cm long constitute typical Saga Chrysanthemum. Pale colours of the flowers compete in beauty and have a strong fragrance. Exhibition notice at Gio-ji Temple
Our visit here ends by going up a short side path to a small cemetery. There are a few old monuments. Perhaps over 800 years old. The people buried here had tragic lives. This temple is a fitting memorial to them. The monuments are covered with lichens and moss. Autumn leaves have fallen on the stonework. These memorials stand in such contrast to the well-kept, shiny marble tombs we saw in the other temples. You can’t help but wonder. Its time to leave the Gio-ji Temple.
This general area of Kyoto has many famous temples. We’ve only see a couple. There are more that litter today’s agenda. Let’s reexamine our priorities. Completing our original plan will take considerable effort. Is it worth it? No. Should we change our schedule? Yes. Let’s abandon the additional temple visits. Time to plan an alternative. We should head back to the hotel. This will give us some afternoon down time. In the evening we’ll return to the streets. We haven’t investigate much of Kyoto’s famed Gion District. We can remedy that tonight. We took the bus to the Arashiyama area this morning. We’ve now found a JR train to take us back to Kyoto Station. It’s much faster. It is also free as we can use our JR passes. Kyoto Station is the main transportation hub. This terminal is a huge, modern building. It is one of Japan’s largest buildings. Let’s explore! We’ve got enough energy left to do that. First thing: take the escalator to the rooftop viewing area. Look at the city from above. It is easy to view both north and south from the building top. Taking photos from up here doesn’t work very well. The rooftop is surrounded by glass barriers. Our pictures are spoiled by reflections. Too bad there isn’t a open slot for photographers.
Kyoto Station is a full-service building. The floors below hold many restaurants. There are shopping malls on several floors. Our choice is to go to the second basement. Here is one of Japan’s famed “department store” food courts. What a feast for the senses! This place is filled with high-quality takeout food. Counter after counter. Each offers different treats. Some places have sushi, others fried foods. There are vegetable specialties and deserts. Food comes in a variety of containers; bento boxes, clear plastic containers, and paper bags. We dive in. Walk. Look. Walk. Discuss. Think. Decide. Finally: a few croquettes is just right. Then to the subway. Take a short ride. Divert to the 7-11. Buy beer. Then into the hotel. Now we can get off our feet, nibble, and drink. Then nap. We need a long nap. Let’s sleep until it’s dark.
We’re awake. Refreshed. Ready to go. Time to bundle up. It’s cold outside. Tonight we’re travelling light. No bags or packs. We won’t take a camera. Just our cell phones for pictures and wayfinding. The trip starts with two subway rides. That takes us to the heart of Kyoto. Time to wander. Walk a ways. Turn a corner. Go down an alley. Turn again. Take another alley. The streets are almost empty. Our wandering takes us to a hostess-bar region. Here, bars fill the tall buildings. You find bars on every floor. These seem to be private. A small sign gives the name of the establishment. Perhaps with a simple logo. Dozens of bars in a single building. Interesting, but it’s not what we’re trying to find.
Keep walking. Head south. Go a few blocks. We’ve found it! This is the Gion District. It’s the old area filled with restaurants. That’s perfect. We’re here to eat and enjoy the ambience. We were in Gion on Saturday. Then, it was very crowded. People poured into these streets after viewing the temples. Long lines formed at the restaurants. Now, it is after 8 PM. The streets are nearly empty. No lines of people waiting to eat. We wander back and forth as we search for a place to eat. A red lantern near the door marks a restaurant location. A few places have menus outside so you know what they serve. Most establishments seem anonymous. Just the restaurant name next to a closed door. You can’t peer inside. Is this the place to go? Are you welcome inside?
A sign at one restaurant catches our eye. “Trip Advisor.” Aha! That’s a significant clue. We can check the web and see if this place gets good reviews. It does! The menu outside Gion Manzara lists things we want to eat. Another positive confirmation. We enter through a sliding door. A few exchanges in stumbling Japanese and we’re told that we have to wait 50 minutes for a table. That’s OK with us. We can walk around and soak up the atmosphere. No problem. We’re dressed for the brisk weather.
Up and down streets again. What do we spot nearby? Wow, some women with … yes, they have faces painted white. We’ve spotted geisha/maiko on the street. We watch them walk down the street. And then there is another. What a treat. The more we walk, the more maiko we observe. This is what Kyoto visitors hope to encounter. Tonight, we’ve gotten to see more classic Japanese women than our share. Vending machines light a dark corner of the Gion District. An interesting contrast between the old and the new.
There are several establishments that have pots of orchids in front. These are beautiful floral displays. They are, for the most part, nearly identical. The same moth orchid (Phalenopsis), the same size, and the same color. We can’t read the signs attached to the potted orchids. We’re guessing that these are business celebrations. A nice touch. Time to return to the restaurant. Now they have a table for us. It appears there is counter seating for eight people and small tables for four groups. (We later discover there is upstairs seating, too.)
Gion Manzara specializes in Kyoto specialties. We choose the set menu (ÂĽ5,500/person). A perfect choice. This gives us course after course. Each one has several specialties. This is the modern version of kaiseki. Here is the key. Serve small tastes of carefully prepared items. Small servings. Each dish a perfection in taste and appearance. Combine items with related tastes. Use unique serving dishes for each course. Excellent food. Dish after dish after dish. This saturates your senses. We pair the meal with sake. That works well, too.
It’s after 10:30 PM when we leave the restaurant. We’re the last customers. Out on the street, we navigate back to the subway station. We travel a few stations on each of the two lines. There are few riders at this hour. Back to the hotel. A big relief. It has been a long day. Great experiences filled our day. Some things happened by design. There were some lucky situations, too.
Tuesday: Back to Hawai`i How about sleeping in today? We’re not in a great rush. We don’t have to beat the crowds. Well, we’ve got to get started. First, let’s pack. Then, to go to a bank. A web search, before we came to Japan, told us that Japanese currency we stored for future travel is obsolete. This is equivalent to about $50. Can we “rescue” these bills? We present a nearby Bank of Kyoto our understanding of the situation. They say, “Huh”? Talk more. Now they see the situation. Bank personnel complete the paperwork and we receive new currency. We weren’t sure this was possible. But we did! This helps our cash flow. Back to the hotel and get ready to leave. It’s been a great location. The room’s features were a help. We’d stay here again. But now, we need to check-out.
Back to the subway. We need to buy tickets as our two-day passes have expired. No problem. We’re getting good at handling machines and tickets. Our Shinkansen train to Tokyo doesn’t leave for about an hour. That gives us time to buy omiyage. We also need food to eat on the train. Nancy’s found a 6th floor store with Kyoto-style cookies (an omiyage requirement). No problem. Two boxes fit into our backpacks. Then back down the elevator. The second basement has food. Kim opts for sushi. Nancy grabs unagi. We head toward the platform for our shinkansen train. We’ve still got a little time. Nancy searches for cans of hot coffee. Success! Now we’re ready to travel. The shinkansen takes us back to Tokyo. This time, our seats are on the inland side of the train car. We watch the mountains as we cut across the landscape. Before, we didn’t detect many trees changing color. Now colorful trees dot the forests. The cities are much as we viewed them before. Housing covers large areas of the flatland. Industrial complexes punctuate the suburban lands. There are rice fields. Most of these are barren. Rows of tea plants cover the hillsides in some areas. The plants form dark-green round-ribbons that hug the slopes.
Nancy lets out a warning. Mount Fuji is ahead. This scenic highlight is on our side of the train. We wait, cameras in hand. Will we have a clear view? Yes! There is the snow-covered mountain in full view. Wow! What a treat. Click. Click. Click.
The train rolls into Tokyo Station. We exit and head down through the terminal searching for our next train. We spot the needed information. Path markers are both overhead and on the floor. Simple navigation. Just follow the signs. Kim’s traveling with a top hat. Finding a matching (?) statue is a mustdo photo opportunity. We’ve planned a good connection here. We only have to wait ten minutes. N’EX, the express train to Narita Airport, arrives right on schedule. Then we’re off on the last leg of the Japan portion of our trip.
It takes less than an hour to go from the Tokyo Station to Narita Airport Terminal 1. On this return trip we’re seeing the landscape in full daylight. Before, everything looked gray and dull. Now, the view is very different. The buildings are more colorful. Architectural details stand out. Agricultural fields and forests have character. In daylight, the landscape comes alive. It is an interesting sight. The N’EX arrives at our destination. It’s just a short walk to the Delta Airlines area. Our departure starts with a check-in, then a passport check, and finally we claim a boarding pass. It’s a quick process. The next step is security. No line. Fast and easy. Last step; another passport check. This time by an Immigration Officer. Done. We’re inside the terminal. We can relax. Our flight isn’t for about five hours. Never mind. We’ll find things to do. We want to visit a special store. It is Muji To Go. This is a small version of the Japanese chain store that sells well-designed gadgets and clothing. We’ve found useful things in other Muji stores. Who knows? Perhaps we’ll be lucky here, too. Yes. We find an adapter plug that fits in our travel kit. Let’s buy this with our coins. We’ve got too much change. Getting rid of some is good. We still have too many coins. Our goal is to carry as little change back to Hawai`i as possible. A nearby drug store lets us dump a few more coins on a packet of tissues. Nancy remembers a store called “Kabuki Gate.” It is a long walk to reach it. But worth it. This small store has a variety of kabuki-related items, like fans and t-shirts. There are life-size kabuki costumes on display. We pick up a small thing we’ll send to a family member.
It’s time we head to the Sky Club. We can relax in the quiet atmosphere, have a glass of wine and nibble food. This spot also gives us good Internet connectivity so we can use the time to catch up on neglected things, like our email. We keep busy. The time passes. Our flight leaves after 8 PM. We board and settle into our seats. We need to do the mental preparation for the seven hour flight home. The trip is faster going east as a tailwind aids the plane. A quick check of the weather radar shows a few bands of rain in our path across the Pacific. Not a problem. We don’t mind a small amount of turbulence. It is likely we’ll be asleep as we’re in lie-flat seats. These seats come with a big pillow and a thick comforter. Dinner choices are Japanese or American cuisine. We make a split decision. The meals are good. That’s not something people say about airline food. Airlines can serve excellent meals. We just had a good example.
The crew is Hawaii-based. Their service is excellent. They give us a lot of personal attention. They’ve even learned our names and call us by name every time they come to our seats. We do our usual routine for long, red-eye flights. Watch a few movies, eat food, and sleep. The cabin lights come back on when we’re an hour from touchdown in Honolulu. Time for a light breakfast plus juice and coffee. We arrive in Hawai`i early. Global Entry helps us go through Immigration with almost no pause. Same thing for Customs. Then we’re out of the airport. That was fast! An airport taxi takes us through the morning rush-hour traffic as we head to town. We’re tired. We get back to our apartment. Great relief. But what a trip!