Kyoto

Today we caught a bus into Kyoto Central, and jumped onto the end of the queue for the 100 bus. In no time the queue was stretching back a couple of buses worth of people. We managed to get onto the next bus that came along, and sailed off smugly observing all the people left behind. Ah, Schadenfreude, so satisfying. We got off at the National Museum but discovered that the main galleries are closed at the moment, and only a special exhibition was on offer. We decided to visit Sanjusangen-do Buddhist temple over the road instead. A good choice we thought. Some of the 28 guardian deities have a lot of personality. The overall affect is spectacular. Anne has it in her top 5 things to see in Kyoto list.  The temple hall is very long, and has been used for centuries as the site of an archery competition. We followed a group of school boys who were being shown round by an older gentleman, who was telling them about this, from his gestures. The boys were a very appreciative audience, with lots of 'oohs' and 'aaahs' and 'eeeees'.

Next stop was the Museum of Kyoto, two buses and a walk through a high end shopping district away. We stopped for coffee in an Excelsior Café, which was playing its soundtrack of the worst cover versions of the worst songs of the sixties. If it is meant to make sure you don't hang around too long, then it sure works for us.

We found the Museum of Kyoto was a bit of a dud, very stuffy, very crowded, not much there, and not a lot of explanation in English for the exhibits. But the lovely lady who sold us our tickets told us that there was going to be a procession of people in Japanese costume that day over to the Heian Shrine. So when we left we wandered in that direction, and sure enough, there it was. Anne said it was sort of like Moomba in slow motion. There was a lot of stopping and standing, people in costumes which the load speaker told us were wearing costumes from different eras. Here is Shogun Ashikaga in 1390s. A bit later here is Oda Nobunuga in 1590. The retainers of each seemed to be wearing pretty much the same outfits though. Anne's theory was that the retainers in the grey and blue outfits ran round the block to help fill out each historical period - we're sure we saw the same guys at least three times. The best value were the palanquin bearers. The palanquin with people inside must be a fair old weight, so the bearers would run along, then stop and, to make lifting easier, they'd balance the palanquin on sticks - which is a great idea except one bearer didn't locate his stick properly and one end of the palanquin crashed heavily to the ground. Ouch.

 

 

 was all good fun but terribly slow progress with all the stopping and stately strolling, so we decked into a restaurant nearby for a spot of lunch. It was one where you order lunch and pay via a machine, get tickets which you trade in for your order. A great system but not super intuitive. We worked it out thanks to Anne's lateral thinking. Sometimes travelling in Japan is like an iq test - with the potential of social embarrassment to encourage you to sharpen your wits.

After lunch the procession was still going, but when we saw the grey blue guys coming again we figured we'd had enough. By good luck, a station for the subway line that runs past our hotel was close by, and we were back home in no time. Anne had a rest, while I headed out to walk to Toji temple, not too far from our hotel. It is a bit faded and bashed, but beautiful in the afternoon light. Kobo Daishi was abbot of a monastery on the site, and there is a lovely statue of him, as well as some impressive sculptures in the halls. Well worth a visit and relatively close to Kyoto station.

 

We explored the neighbourhood around the hotel a bit, lots of little streets and houses not unlike Gion, then headed out for yet another delicious meal. So, we've enjoyed Kyoto, and will be sorry to leave tomorrow, but it will be nice to be somewhere a bit quieter - which we expect Koyasan will be.

 

Kyoto

We were much more efficient in finding our bus platform this morning, and just as well, for seconds after we joined the queue a couple of large rowdy school groups appeared to tag on behind us. We managed to get a seat and could observe the packed mass in the aisle with some complacency. Cultural site visiting seems to be a major part of the Japanese school curriculum. As we walked up the narrow roadway towards Kiyomizu-dera, we walked past charter bus after charter bus, each full of school kids. The road is lined solid each side with little shops selling food, souvenirs, pottery and even one with ninja star knives. The school kids were streaming in and out of the shops, no doubt exploring the educational value of shopping. The atmosphere reminded me more of the show bag hall at Melbourne show, rather than the entrance to a religious site. Everybody seemed in high good humour.

The closer to the entrance to the temple we got the more packed it became, so we turned off down a lovely street that runs along the side of the valley, with numerous temples and shrines as well as interesting little shops and lovely old buildings lining the sides, almost no cars, and relatively fewer other pedestrians competing for space. It is called, I think, the Ninen-zaka path, and is one of the nicest bits of Kyoto I've seen. We walked past the impressive Yasaka-no-To pagoda, last rebuilt in 1440, and said to contain some relics of the Buddha. We passed a group of about 20 of the smallest children we've ever seen, walking along each holding a rope looped between a carer at each end.

 

There are lots of shrines and temples to visit. We patted the ox statue, that is supposed to take on your ills if you pat it in the matching place. Sore leg?  Pat ox's leg. We spun the Mani  prayer wheels, walked around the Temmangu shrine, patted the statue of Hotie, and left coins in front of the Jesu statues, all of which actions are said to earn merit and good fortune. A bit touristy maybe, but we seem to be going ok, so something is working. We had lunch in sight of the enormous entrance to the Choin-in temple, then walked on up the road a bit before we were enchanted by the sight of a number of huge camphor trees, massive things that must be ancient to have grown so large. They stand outside the entrance to Shoren-in Temple, which we visited.  A very peaceful and beautiful place, with wide verandas, long well worn wooden corridors, and surrounded by a delightful "strolling garden." There were only about twenty other people visiting at the time we were there.

There is a bus stop right outside the temple, so we decided to call it quits for the day, and we managed to navigate our way back to the hotel where we laid low for a couple of hours before heading out for dinner. A better day today - finding quieter less popular places seems to work for us. Tomorrow we aim  to visit the National museum and Sanjusangen-do temple, and maybe a shuffle through Gion, then get organized for our trip to Koyasan.

 

 

 

Kyoto

Today we planned to explore a bit to the North, starting at Kinkaku-ji, then catch a train to Arashiyama to catch the Sugano "Romantic Train". We've heard that Kinkaku-ji can be very crowded so we were up and out the door by 8, hoping to get there early. Anne had researched the buses, and we needed to catch a 205 from Kyoto station. We got the subway in to Kyoto no worries, but managed not to see the large sign facing the station which tells you which bus leaves from which platform. Each bus platform has its own sign, and I saw 205 so we hoped on. It was the right bus, but going in the wrong direction, and some 10 minutes later we arrived ... almost back at the door of our hotel. Undaunted, we caught the 205 bus heading in the right direction. Kyoto buses aren't the most comfortable conveyances - short on leg room, hot, diesel smelling, and often crowded, but the trip was made worthwhile by the presence of a couple of groups of what looked like older primary school age kids, in groups of four, heading off for the day to visit some of Kyoto's cultural heritage. (I can't imagine any Australian primary school sending groups of four students out for the day on our public transport to visit cultural sites.) We made friends with one group, we smiled, they smiled, they waved, we waved, good feelings all round. We bumped into them a few more times when we got at last to Kinkaku-ji. Here are the two girls with Anne - lovely beings.

And the Golden Pavilion in the back ground. I was glad to see it at last, even if it is a reconstruction. The gardens are immaculate thanks to the work of the tireless ninja lady gardeners who rake up every leaf. 

We caught another bus onto Ryoan-ji temple, famous for its Zen rock garden. We spent a while contemplating the 15 rocks arranged in a rectangle of racked white gravel, created first around 1500 by a highly respected Zen monk Tokuho Zenketsu. Enlightenment not forthcoming, we strolled around the shadey peaceful gardens for a while, before heading down the hill to catch a wonderful little train on the Kitano line. We had to change trains, to an even more attractive train. On the platform waiting for the interchange was a group of kindergarten age children all in blue shorts or dresses, white socks, and straw hats. They were like a flock of ducklings, and when the train pulled in, the line split up, and the stragglers had to be shooed in.

After a rather squeezey trip, being solemnly scrutinized by 30 pre-schoolers, we arrived at Arashiyama, which is a pretty spot. We were much taken by the sight of a gaggle of young ladies absolutely resplendent in their kimonos, lining up at one of the take-away restaurants in the main street.

 

We didn't have a lot of time so we chose to walk through the bamboo grove, which is promoted as one of the town's attractions. After the bamboo groves on the walk to Tsumago, these seemed a bit tatty, and the narrow paths overcrowded with people on hire bikes taking selfies. A nice walk further up the hill, past lovely tea houses and shrines, but we had to get back to the station in time for our Saguno Romantic Train. Which proved to be a dud for us. The landscape the train passes through is spectacular - steep gorges and a beautiful river, with small boats making what looked like an impossible journey through shallow rapids - but the train itself was packed and found ourselves wishing we'd stayed to explore more of Arashiyama. At the end of the "Romantic Train" ride we found ourselves in a fairly desolate landscape of rice paddies and a fair walk to the JR train to get back to Kyoto. But we did get back in time for a late and delicious lunch in an Oniomiaki restaurant before stumbling home again.The hotel cunningly offers free drinks after 5, which is a great marketing strategy as after a long day and a drink the temptation to eat in the hotel is strong - too strong for us tonight, so that's what we did.

 

All in all not a bad day, but we are finding Kyoto harder work than other places on the trip so far. Tomorrow we will explore the East side, along from Kiyomizu-dera.

 

 

 

 

Kyoto

We woke up with the first light this morning and watched the sun move down the mountain from the warm haven of our doona covered futons. It was chilly and peaceful and still, at least it was for a while until some guy with a whipper snippet started up about 6.30. So we got up and started the day off with another wash and bath in the cypress tub. Breakfast in the Fujimoto Inn was another spectacular Japanese spread, salmon, different sorts of mushrooms, tofu, rice, and yogurt to polish it off.  An unusual but delicious and satisfying breakfast, and the English lady resolutely eating toast at a nearby table was missing out sadly in my opinion, but I guess she was happy too. We went for a quick walk along the quiet streets, deserted except for a few ladies out industriously sweeping their front steps.

The owner and assistant farewelled us very nicely, and we pottered down to sit in the early morning sun to wait for the bus which would begin our journey, and three train changes and about three hours later arrived at Kyoto station. Its my third time arriving in Kyoto, but I found it as disorienting and overwhelming as the first. We found a café and had some lunch and coffee to strengthen our nerves, then blundered round a bit until we found the Tourist Information Centre, and got clear directions on which way to go to get to our hotel. The hotel we are staying at is located in a relatively charmless part of Kyoto, to the South, and the building itself is eye-wateringly ugly. But it is located literally a few steps from an entrance to the subway, and only one stop from Kyoto central, and the hotel inside is very comfortable. We spent the afternoon getting over the culture shock of coming from such a peaceful place to somewhere so busy. And we did some planning and organizing - ran a load of laundry thought the hotel machines, topped up our Suica cards, found the bus ticket office and bought some daily passes for the next few days, and booked tickets for the Sugano "Romantic Train" for tomorrow. We headed off for dinner at one of the group of restaurants on the top floor of the Yodabashi store near the station - I was trying to find one that my kids had discovered last time we were here, but picked a different one - though dinner was still delicious. But Yodabashi is a major sensory overload, such bright lights, so many things, and we decided it was time to scuttle back to the hotel and spend a bit of time on a darkened room to build up our strength for tomorrow.

 

 

 

Nakasendo trail to Tsumago

This morning we caught a train to Nakatsugawa then bus to Magome, then walked along part of the old trail that was one of the main communication lines between Kyoto and the new centre of power in Edo. We sent our bags onto Tsumago and walked with day packs. Another beautiful day, and perfect for walking.

Starting our walk in Magome, we were welcomed by groups of high school kids who were practising their English and pointing out features of the town.

They were lovely kids and a really nice start to the walk. It made up in part for the steepness, as the trail climbs out of Magome and up over the Magome Pass. Once out of the town, the trail passes through a mix of forest and little villages, quite similar to bits of the Camino in places. There are signs warning of bears, and bells at regular intervals with signs encouraging you to ring loudly, perhaps to let the bears know that dinner is coming. But we made it uneaten over the pass, and down to a lovely tea house which really felt like it was out of a time past. It had a fire pit with a big blackened kettle, and a lovely older gentleman who kept making and pouring cups of tea for walkers who struggled in to sit at the long tables inside.

The walk was very beautiful, through bamboo, or pine, or autumn forest, often with the sound of running water and a wonderful freshness in the air.  Magnificent views, shrines, quaint houses, bear bells, flowers, water wheels, enough but not too many walkers heading in the opposite direction to practice saying 'conichi-wa' to - the walk had it all. Shintaro and Tombe the Mist felt not too far away along there.

We got to Tsumago after dawdling along, some 4 hours to walk about 8 kilometres, and had some lunch and a very welcome beer before retrieving our bags and heading to our Ryokan. After a bath in the Hiroki bath 'made from the famous scented Miso valley Cypress wood' and a bit of sitting in our room contemplating the splendid view from our windows, we headed down for what we agreed was our best Japanese meal ever. The Ryokan has been in the same family for over 100 years, the inn keeper speaks fluent Italian, Spanish and English, his wife is a brilliant chef, and they went out of their way to be friendly and to make sure everyone felt welcome and special. A great place - Fujioto

Inn in Tsumago gets our five star award.

 

Today we were given two gift wrapped chestnuts by a nice American couple, two mandarins by a nice Japanese couple, and two twisty sort of things by a young Japanese boy at one of the rest stops. Whether it is some version of the custom of Omiyage - the giving of small gifts - or just people practising random acts of kindness, it is extremely nice,  and something to carry away with us. We feel very grateful to have had such a magnificent day.

 

 



Matsumoto Black Crow Castle

This morning was another beautiful day and we headed off early for the short walk to Matsumoto Castle. Matsumoto is so compact we did not need to take the "Sneaker Bus" - another one of those great, rather odd Japanese English names. It is a lovely city with lots of interesting little streets heading off and a view to the mountains whichever way you look. On arrival at the Castle, we were lucky to be offered a tour by one of the 'Goodwill Volunteer Tourist guides'. Shoji was a knowledgeable and affable guide, who patiently showed us around the castle, pointing out features we almost certainly have missed. Extraordinarily kindness, which we appreciated. Thankyou Shoji.

The castle is largely intact and as built in 1595. It was lucky that it was constructed at the end of the Sengoku Warring States period, so it never saw action, and its special room for the lord of the castle to commit ritual suicide if things went badly has never been used for its designed purpose. Nice of the designers to cover all possibilities though. The most used part of the castle proved to be a later addition, the 'Moon viewing platform' constructed with open windows overlooking the moat, and designed as a good spot for the Samurai to drink sake. And very nice it must have been too.

We wandered back along lovely Naware Street that winds along beside the river with lots of little shops and cafés. We sampled the 'taiyaki' - a local delicacy, essentially a waffle but in the shape of a carp and available with a variety of fillings. We can recommend the apple and cinnamon.

Castle visiting builds the appetite, so we stopped off for lunch in a little restaurant which had a granny sitting at one of the two tables outside, contentedly hoeing into a big bowl of noodles. We figured that was local knowledge, so we sat at the other table. Lunch was good but our castle guide made a reference to 'horse beef' during the tour. We weren't sure if this was a lost in translation thing, but we looked at the bits of beef that came with lunch with some suspicion.

On the way back to our hotel, I saw out of the corner of my eye a lady pointing her camera in our direction. I assumed she wanted to photograph the building behind us, and began to move out of the way, but no, she wanted to photograph us. Funny to have the tables turned. So we posed and smiled, and wondered what on earth she would say when she showed this one to her friends or family. "And here are these two funny gaijin ....'

Back at the hotel we embarked on the adventure of using the hotel washing machines. Detailed instructions for using the drier, but for the washing machine the only assistance was a picture of the character on the ON button. Anne punched a few other buttons, hoping that we would get cold wash. What we didnget was long wash, as tone machine was still going hours later. But eventually it released our wash and we now have nice clean everything.

For dinner we hit a very trendy yakatori bar over the road. The food was very nice though some of the items we got bore little if any resemblance to what we thought we'd ordered. But it was all good, and pretty reasonable price wise. To round out the day we walked back up to the castle, which a nice man in one of the shops we visited today told us would be lit up tonight. And so it was, a grand sight and a nice end to a very pleasant say in Matsumoto, a city I'd recommend everyone should put on their must visit list.

Nikko to Matsumoto

Today was mostly a travel day, with four different trains to get us here to Matsumoto. We had another super breakfast at the hotel before heading off through the drizzle across to the station. The weather gods were certainly kind to us for our stay in Nikko.

Japanese trains continue to amaze me. They are super clean, run perfectly on time, and the whole infrastructure is well organized that you can plan a trip across 4 separate train lines, with connections 10 minutes apart, and be confident that it will all work smoothly. There is the excitement when the sleek shinkansen slides in, and stops precisely so the door is aligned perfectly with the lines on the platform.  Plus there is often good human entertainment. On our first leg, three teenage girls with large wheeley cases got on and sat opposite us. A Japanese granny got on shortly after and sat next to them. As the train began to move, all three promptly fell asleep. With the movement of the train, the wheeley cases started rolling off down the carriage, and would have continued, had not granny firmly stopped them with her walking stick. She let the  girls sleep on, and sat calmly with her stick stopping the cases from rolling away. A bit later another teenage girl gave us an origami stork and an inedible sweet each, which was a very kind gesture which we appreciated. At our next stop, a young mum with a tiny baby in a sling stood next to us as we queued for our Shinkansen. With the universal language of mothers, she was soon showing off the baby's teeth to Anne, and all was going well till the baby locked gaze with me and started to cry. I do have that effect on people.

At Nagano, there was a splendid train opposite ours. Everything extra shiny, an attractive restaurant car and staff in extra snappy uniforms with extra white gloves. Enviously we watched that one sail away as we sat eating our "Iki Bens" - the bento boxes you can get on railway platforms.

Not that our lunch wasn't nice or that our train when we got onto it wasn't pleasant. And the views of the mountains on the last leg were almost too scenic to be true.  So, tired but happy we arrived at Matsumoto, and a short walk to our hotel.

I needed to get some cash from a post office ATM, and on the way back I passed a sight which seems to me quintessentially Japanese. An elderly Japanese lady was carefully taking a photo of an autumn leaf on a tree near the post office with a mobile phone camera. I know I am generalizing wildly, but I suspect that most seniors of her vintage in Australia would not know how to take a photo on their mobile, if indeed they had a mobile with a camera, and they would not have that sort of fascinated interest in a leaf turning its autumn colours. It was a lovely sight though. Good for her. I hope she wouldn't mind that I furtively took her photo as I walked past.

For dinner we went to a little restaurant that felt like it came straight out of a Shintaro  the Samurai episode. It was run by an older Japanese couple.  They were so hard working - a real struggle for Mrs to get up the stairs, and Mr literally ran serving the tables. I saw him out the window flying off down the street on his bicycle, and returning a few minutes later with a plastic bag of something. A lovely meal and very reasonably priced. Matsumoto looks like a nice city, not too big but lively - we are looking forward to exploring both its famous 'Black Crow' castle and some of its streets tomorrow.