Japan – Kyoto

JAPAN – KYOTO

Another ride on a Shinkansen, albeit a shorter one up from Osaka, Kyoto was an unknown quantity to us and to be honest, it was going to have to be pretty special to come up to the high standards set by Osaka. We wanted it to be old fashioned and quaint, traditional Japan, but on exiting Kyoto station we were instantly assaulted on all sides by total chaos. Kyoto station is simply huge and really busy with walk ways to an underground shopping arcade and the station forecourt was also a bus terminal too.

Our home in Kyoto was to be a traditional Japanese ryokan, the Ryokan Matsubaya, and as instructed by our hosts, it was indeed just a short and easy walk from the station.
We arrived early due to the Shinkasen schedule, well before official check-in, but our host still showed us our room, instructing us how to activate the lights and where our bed rolls would be and most importantly, which slippers to wear upstairs and which to wear downstairs.

Traditional ways are still VERY strong in Japan. What a delightful warm and welcoming start to our stay. Our bags were kindly stashed safely away by our host and with that we headed out to explore Kyoto.

First stop on our agenda was a traditional Japanese tea ceremony at the Room Juan, a tiny tea room in the grounds of a nearby hotel. Our host, the delightful Masumi, in traditional kimono enlightened us in to the ways, if not all of the whys, of the infamous tea ceremony. I never knew there was a front and a back to a cup before! We shared this experience with a Canadian guy, so the whole thing was quite intimate and very personal if just a little baffling.

Needing to locate our venues for the next day, we hoofed it around Kyoto, bumping in to the amazing Sanjusangen-do, a huge Buddhist temple and one of the last remaining long hall variety. Wonderful statues and delightful gardens. Quite simply stunning. Made yet more stunning by the warm light of the setting sun. We arrived just at the end of the day, so our viewing was good as the tourist crowds had all but gone for the day, but time was very limited as the place was wrapping up to close.

Having been bowled over by the temple we followed our noses down to Gion, in an attempt to find the theatre that was hosting the Miyako Odori, a show for Maiko to show off their newly acquired traditional skills of singing and dancing. Our wonderful hosts at the Matsubaya Ryokan very kindly assisted us with purchasing tickets.

Finding the theatre pretty quickly, we spent the evening walking through Gion, down the Hanamikoji Dori a road which to be honest was truly awful. This area of Kyoto appears to be nothing more than a tourist trap with lots of restaurants and shop after shop selling tourist trinkets and tat. We so wanted it to be old fashioned and cute but we we very disappointed.

Dinner, not taken in the tourist area as it was a little more expensive, was taken back at the railway station in an amazing little restaurant, Soup Stock, serving curry and soup. Great tasting meal and great value too.

Having walked what felt like miles around Kyoto during the day, after dinner we popped in to shop called Yodobashi, a shop that sells everything electrical and electronic. From the latest cameras to food processors and monstrous 4K TV’s to electric toothbrushes, and purchased the cheapest pedometer we could find to find out just how far we walked in our day.

Our Ryokan offers its guests a traditional Japanese breakfast, which needs to be ordered in advance as they can only make a limited number, so if you fancy trying it, book early as it is well worth trying. Both of us tucked in to our boiled rice, Miso soup, seaweed, fish and various pickles. Very scrumptious.

Appetite satisfied we headed in to Old Kyoto heading towards a Henshin Studio for Karen to be transformed in to a Geisha. Sadly, or recce the previous night found the wrong office of the two on their website and we did get a little lost. The area is quite hilly and is made up of lots of lanes and Japanese street names are totally baffling. Even asking the locals where the studio proved fruitless but we finally stumbled in to a couple of Geisha taking pictures of themselves and they instructed us with broken English and waving of arms how to get around to the front of the studio.
Once inside, money was exchanged and Karen was whisked away to be transformed with me being dispatched to waste some time wandering around Gion.
On my return I was greeted by a stunning Geisha.
Pictures were taken and great memories made.

We headed off to partake in a Kyoto tradition, eating lunch in the park. Picking up some Sushi in a corner shop we joined half of Kyoto eating their lunch in Maruyama Park finding a bench under some cherry blossom trees. After Sushi we enjoyed cherry blossom ice cream, a speciality at this time of year, which didn’t really taste of anything, let alone cherry blossom.

Being a little early for our theatre trip we stumbled across a Zen Garden in Kennin-ji Temple, the oldest in Kyoto founded in 1202, a remarkable building surrounded by a simply amazing garden.

Then, it was time to enjoy the Miyako Odori.
Paying extra for the tea ceremony, we were ushered in to a queuing area selling gifts and programs before being welcomed in to another seated holding area. Once we were assembled we were then led in to the tea ceremony room where two Maiko sat poe faced while we were ushered to our seats. Somehow we had front row seats and had a perfect view of the Maiko making and pouring the green tea, luckily offering it ceremoniously to the women to our right. Once the ceremony had been completed other Kimono clad servers appeared delivering our souvenir plate topped with a single Mochi in the middle. Tea ceremony over, we took our seats for an amazingly colourful show a series of charming vignettes, but a show that was totally unfathomable and completely confusing but very enjoyable none the less. Highly recommended.

Our evening was spent wandering around the shopping areas enjoying the delights on offer and looking for our evening meal. Heading back toward the hotel after our meal we stumbled across a small canal running parallel to the river. We knew if we followed the river that it headed back towards our Ryokan so we decided to wander along and see where it went. It was delightful as it passed through residential areas and was mostly light by illuminated cherry trees that cascaded over the water way.

Up early next day we headed out into quiet Sunday Kyoto to find a nearby bamboo forest. Our transport out to the forest was to be a small private railway, the Keifuku Electric Railroad. Almost at the station we paused to check the map and were accosted by a very friendly local elderly man, who without a single word of English, confirmed our direction to the station before disappearing off in to a side street.

The train was a delight. Just a couple of carriages it wound its way through the suburbs of Kyoto giving us great views of back gardens and businesses that you wouldn’t normally see. On arrival in Arashiyama the place was very quiet, very pretty, but very touristy. The bamboo forest was well signposted and after a short walk, found ourselves amidst a towering forest of bamboo. As we wandered around the signposts vanished but we bumped in to a host of small temples and gardens, most of which required a fee to gain  entry but we also happened upon the home of World Renowned Haiku poet, Basho, whose retreat was a delight to look around. Lovely peaceful gardens that were his Haiku inspiration. During our walk it was getting busier and busier, so we headed back to the centre of Arashiyama to see the World Heritage Site Tenryuji Temple to be greeted by swarms of tourists and coach loads of people heading in the same direction, so instead we headed back to Kyoto on the train. Luckily our plan of making an early start paid off as most of our trip we hardly saw or met anyone.

After a cup of tea and a snack, and also monopolising the Ryokan washer/dryer, we headed back to Gion via the Nishiki Food Market, nicknamed Kyoto’s Pantry, where we started what turned out to be our safari supper. Lots of different food was on offer along with great bubble tea and we sampled a lot of things we’d never seen or tasted before like green tea coated roasted soya beans, vegetable lollipops, Hokyu, and a host of free samples. Another stop on route was the park where we had a tin of Asahi beer with vegetable noodles whilst watching the locals doing the same. It seems to be a regular thing during cherry blossom time for friends and family to meet in the park after work. We also sample Dango balls, rice flour shaped in to balls and coated in a sticky sugar syrup. Armed with a green tea ice cream each, we excited the back of the park finding ourselves in the winding back streets of Gion. Again, we picked up lots of samples of sweets and pastries, trying pretty much anything we ran in to. Reaching the top of the hill we found ourselves, more by luck than design, outside the gates of Kiyomizu-dera Temple. We didn’t realise what it was, or how important it was, but thought we’d join the queue anyway. This place was amazing to put it mildly. Built atop of a huge hill, the path meandered ever upwards bringing in to view amazing temples and buildings that astounded us both. One such temple was the womb of Daizuigu Bosatsu, a pitch black tunnel that you enter and follow solely by feeling your way along the walls to a glowing stone hidden amidst the winding tunnels. Silent and very dark it was strangely moving. But the highlight of the site was the enormous wooden temple perched on top of the hill. No screws or nails were used in the construction of the temple, which clings perilously to the side of the hill. Our path then led us down through an illuminated park, stopping at a monk run refreshment tent where we sat cross legged at a very short table table to enjoy a neat, hot Sake before finally making our way back down though Gion enjoying a small custard donut on the way back to the Ryokan.

Kyoto was truly, truly amazing and again another city that will remain deep in our hearts.