Table of Contents
After over 4 years of absence, I have now finally found my way back to...
I've been here in Kansai two times before, once in 2018 in Nagahama (see Book II ~ Chapter 12 ~ The Great Escape) and once at the turn of the year to 2019 mainly in Kyoto but also briefly in Nara (see Book II ~ Chapter 20 ~ Kinky Kyoto). This time around, our official base of operations is Nara, which is located in a valley south of Kyoto and east of Osaka (which as a matter of fact I still haven't gotten to explore, and once again should not get to explore this time around either).
And we, that is me, my best friend Robert, Robert's sister Bea, and Bea's husband Brett. Originally, I had only planned to take Robert along, but since Bea and Brett had been planning to go to Japan for some time and I am an experienced traveller of the country by now, I figured that if I can plan a tour for two then I could also plan a tour for four. Turns out things should not be quite that easy, but more about that in a later chapter.
Bea and Brett live in the United Kingdom and booked their own flights, so Robert and I only met them the morning after our arrival in the Ryokan, which brings us to...
The Place
Finding places to stay that were nice and still reasonably affordable for four people was a bit tricky, especially since my goal is to not only have us stay in boring old hotels but rather nice places that really get the Japan experience across. And it is in fact here in Nara that I managed to get what turned out to be the best booking of the entire trip: The Ryokan Kousen (旅館江泉 "Guest House Bay Spring).
Ever since our fantastic stay in the Suzukiya Ryokan near Shiroishi (see Book II ~ Chapter 5 ~ A Trip Together), it was a given for both Robert and me that at least one of our future stays in Japan had to involve a Ryokan again. Not only do these traditional Japanese inns feature typical Japanese rooms, complete with a Genkan to take off your shoes, followed by a tatami-mat floor where you sleep on futons, but they also have an ofuro, a hot communal bath where the guests can bathe together, naked (though separated by gender).
The main part of the room, meanwhile, is typically small, with just enough space for our futons and little more. But that's okay, because we do plan to spend most of our time outdoors anyway.
The other door from the entrance area leads to a not so traditional and yet very typical Japanese bathroom unit. These roughly 2x2x2m large cubic all-purpose sanitary units can not only be found in many hotels, but also apartment buildings, and include a toilet, sink, shower and tub all packed together in the most compact way that is still feasible for actual everyday use.
Now, while all these things are nice, both Robert and I agree that the most amazing part of staying in a Ryokan is that you get a traditional Japanese breakfast delivered to the room every morning, and the quality of that breakfast is amazing! Consisting of small tasty bites of various typical Japanese foods - including but not limited to seafood, pickled goods, fish, meat, egg, salad and fruit - it is further supplemented by a bowl or rice and miso soup each, along with a pot of tasty tea. The Ryokan is even happy to accommodate both Robert's pescetarianism and Brett's seafood allergy.
Curiously, our particular room is also equipped with an emergency crane, which is also advertised by a sign above our room. And while I'm not entirely sure about the description, the pictographs still make it reasonably clear about how it's supposed to be used. The full name of this device is Hinankigu (避難器具 "Evacuation Apparatus") by the way, and the box it's stored in is labeled Hinankigusecchibasho (避難器具設置場所 "Evacuation Apparatus Establishment Place"). So if you're ever trapped in a Japanese building, make sure to keep an eye out for those easily memorizable terms.
I should actually spent quite some time in imminent proximity to the Hinankigusecchibasho, since it is there that I set up Liete on the laptop-friendly workplace.
Right next to me, there's a window from which I not only get a nice view of the stairs leading up to the nearby temple complex, but occasionally can also spot the odd deer right there on the steps.
Inside, meanwhile, I have some inanimate vulpine company in the form of Theria, who is going to be my plush companion on this particular journey.
Outside of our rooms, the hallways of the Ryokan are simple, yet a number of well-placed details still manage to evoke a traditional Japanese flair.
Robert and I meet up with Bea and Brett right after breakfast, and before long we're all set to head out. My three companions are eager to see what this part of Japan has to offer, while I for my part am looking forward to re-connect with this land that I love so much. And on this first day, we should accomplish all of that by...
Navigating Nara
11-Sep-2023Distance: 16.0km
Ascents: 160m
Duration: 9.0h
23⛩ (4🦊); 14卍; 1/2🎁︎
The route of today's stray should end up being a bit convoluted on account of us returning three times to the roofed Higashimuki Shoutengai (東向商店街 "East-Facing Shopping Street"). Once our way randomly leads us there in the very beginning, and after that we head east into the park, temple and shrine district. Looping back from there to the shopping street for the second time, we follow it all the way south in search of a nice food place for lunch, only to take a side street back and find a nice place near where we entered the first time around. After that we embark to explore the northern parts of Nara (since I already covered the south during my first visit here), which ends up leading us to a great tree, and then south a pilgrimage street full of temples. Eventually, we return to the shopping street a third time for dinner, and then it's back to the Ryokan.
Oh yeah, and I know I already mentioned this before (see Book II ~ Chapter 3 ~ Living, Learning and Working), but since that's been half a decade ago, I figure I might as well clarify one thing again, just to avoid misunderstandings. The Swastika (卍) is an ancient symbol which in Japan is primarily associated with Buddhism, which is why you'll also find it on maps to denote Buddhist temples.
I know a certain German dictator defaced this symbol with heinous crimes, but I for my part refuse to let them destroy this symbol's age-old history with the acts of a little over a decade. So I'll follow Japanese tradition and use the Swastika to denote holy places of Buddhism. Also, the "evil" version of this symbol is typically mirrored, and rotated by 45°. So to sum it up:
And that's enough exposition. Now, let's get out there! The first thing we run into once out the door is Sarusawa Ike (猿沢池 "Monkey Swamp Pond"), a picturesque little lake, which, despite its name, is home to tiny turtles and not monkeys.
After that, it's up the stairs and into the first temple complex for today. This one is Koufukuji (興福寺 "Interesting Fortune Temple"), which as it happens is presently undergoing renovations, but fortunately there's still plenty of interesting buildings to look at even so.
Also, there's deer. Deer are everywhere. Get used to it! To me, this is nothing new, but Bea and Brett are certainly delighted, and I, too, am happy to have these cute crevids around.
Originally, I had planned to go north through the Koufukuji grounds and then head east towards the park, but unfortunately, construction bars that way. So instead we end up heading west, which has us run right into the Higashimuki Shoutengai, which again becomes a highlight for Bea and Brett. Conveniently, we run right into a Daiso, which is a popular chain of discount stores where everything that is not explicitly labeled sells for 108¥ (that's 100¥ +8% tax). And they have a big selection, so it's no surprise that we as a troupe exit with quite a number of new items and snacks.
Leaving the shopping street behind, we turn east onto the Omiya-Dori (お宮道り "Shrine Road"), which is pretty much the main road of this part of Nara. As we get closer to the park area, the deer become more numerous, and we start encountering the first deer cracker vendors enthusiastically peddling their wares.
It is also along this road that I have my first foxy moment this time around in Japan: Sitting atop a utility box next to the road, not from from a Jizou that I already visited the last time around, there's a little cute fox doll, watching over us. Maybe someone lost it nearby and a bypasser placed it up there to await its rightful owner?
Eventually, we turn left and enter the main deer hotspot of Nara, which is the road leading up to Toudaiji (東大寺 "East Great Temple") from the south. Here, the number of deer roughly matches the number of humans, and both species are free to roam around as they please, which warms up not only my heart, but also puts a smile on the faces of my companions.
It is on this approach that we come across our first shrine for this visit: A tiny nameless shrine that I am already familiar with from my first time around. I use this to give everyone a brief intro on Shintoism, as well as how it peacefully coexists with Buddhism, as is evident by the fact that this Shinto Shrine is effectively on the grounds of a huge Buddhist Temple complex.
Oh, and speaking of which, here it is, Toudaiji. Going in to see the great Buddha statue costs admission (and photography is probably prohibited too), so we limit ourselves to looking at it from the outside. In retrospective, the others probably would have wanted to go inside, but since they kinda latched onto me and basically use me as their free tour guide, I have few qualms about letting them experience Japan my way, which is taking advantage of the many, many amazing sights that you can have for free.
Including for example the turtle-dove shrine further up the mountain. This one is Tamukeyama Hachimangu (手向山八幡宮 "Offering Mountain Hachiman Hall") and the many little shrines around it.
On the other hand, in retrospective going inside Toudaiji would have sheltered us from the rain that presently commences as we walk along a rope past a slope full of deer. Which is a good enough cue to talk about the weather in general. The rain is definitely annoying, yes, but what's much worse is the temperatures. Those are above 30°C, which is roughly 5° more than what I expected them to be here in Japan during this month, and is in fact unnaturally warm for the season. Despite the temperature, it doesn't feel quite as bad as in the Philippines, but it still detrimentally affects the quality of our entire stay, since they should not drop significantly during our entire time in Japan.
Our next stop is Kasuga Taisha (春日大社 "Spring Day Great Shrine"), where we briefly take shelter under a roof aside from one of its many side shrines. There, I tell my companions the story of this shrine, which is the shrine of Nara. Located in the Kasugayama Genshirin (春日山原始林 "Spring Day Mountain Primeval Forest") - which just so happens to be an UNESCO world heritage site in its own right - this shrine was founded in 768AD when the deity Takemikazuchi (建御雷神 "Building Honorable Thunder God") rode here on the back of a white deer, thus making deer the sacred animals of Nara ever since. As a result, they were never hunted in this area, and consequently have become the tame and friendly companions that are the trademark of the city today.
We continue exploring the shrine after the rain let up a little. Among other things, we see a couple of deer, both live and in engraved form, and we randomly happen across a Kagura (神楽 "gods' delight") performance in one of the "no photographs" area. That is a dance for the gods, performed by Miko (巫女 "shrine maiden"), and is a rare thing to just randomly run into, which makes me all the more happy that I am able to show my friends something like this on the very first day.
After that, we return to the city proper, intending to find some food. However, before we run into any food places, we instead run into two more shrines.
Eventually, our quest for food places leads us back to the blissfully roofed Higashimuki Shoutengai...
...and after a bit of looping around we find a place that sells the one thing that I promised myself would be the first thing I look for upon returning to Japan. Tasty, tasty Kitsune Udon, the alleged favorite food of foxes. I certainly dig it! And there's also plenty of interesting dishes for the others to choose from.
Once we finish lunch, we stop by the nearby Daiso once again to stock up on snacks and drinks. I for my part get one of my favorite Japanese drinks that is Melon Soda. Unfortunately, they only have the Suntory variant here. Personally, I think the Fanta Melon is better. A shame that they don't sell it outside of Japan.
Having dried, drunk and eaten, we once again embark out in the rain, which right now is at its heaviest. However, all of us agree that we won't let a bit of rain stop us!
This next part of today's stray now takes us through northern Nara, which means less touristy spots, and more genuine Japanese city, including more normal-sized shrines and temples along the way, and also little Jizou, which are small Buddhist wayside statues.
Much to my delight, we also run into my first fox shrine since 3-Feb-2019, namely Ota Daimyoujin (太田大明神 "Fat Field Great Radiant Deity"), which curiously is not an Inari Shrine and yet still features a whopping 16 foxes, which is way more than the average. For me, this feels like a homecoming, and I leave an extra-big donation as thanks fur us getting here safely and without any notable complications. Meanwhile, for my companions, the main entertainment value probably comes from me going a giddy "Wheeeeee!!!"
Along the way I also point out the modern solar-powered road delimiting lights, which is something that the German government probably does not even realize is a thing that exists yet. But then again, we do have proper sidewalks instead, so...
A minor sightseeing spot that we run into is the Daibutsu Tetsudou Kinen Kouen (大佛鐵道記念公園 "Great Buddha Railway Memorial Park"). Built in memory of the short-lived Daibutsu Tetsudou railway line (which was only in service from 1898 until 1907) it consists of little more than a wheel-and-axle on a pedestal as well as an all-Japanese memorial plaque. It's pretty small too, so unless this is, like, right on your path, I don't think it's worth checking out.
We also come across a rare sight, as in, something I did not see (or notice) in my entire first year in Japan: A traditional small wooden house being constructed. I assume that is because construction projects in Japan go just so much faster than they do in Germany. With motivated workers giving their best and a streamlined process, I suppose building a new house is simply such a fast process that there's not that many houses under construction at a given time (unlike in Germany where you can see construction projects all over the place, and they usually take a long time to complete, if not longer).
By now, we have reached the outskirts of Nara, which means idyllic temples, quiet ponds such as Konoike (鴻ノ池 "Large Bird Pond") - which befittingly comes with a large bird - and somewhat more adventurous paths that lead up the hills and past bamboo groves.
It is on top of that hill that we run into the first Inari Shrine, namely Kurokamiyama Inari Jinja (黒髪山稲荷神社 "Black Hair Mountain Inari Shrine"), which features a generous amount of foxes, along with some small side shrines. One of those is basically a collection of Ishi-no-Kami (石の神 "Stone Gods") with a pair of Torii in front and a pair of foxes watching over them. These can be found at Shrines occasionally, and in fact represent one of the simplest forms of Shinto Shrines. In Hokkaido, for example, I did encounter a Shrine that consisted of nought but an Ishi-no-Kami with a Torii in front (see Book II ~ Chapter 6 ~ A Hokkaido Homerun).
Next, we reach a bit of a vista in the form of a bridge connecting two neighboring hills. Now, the weather is not exactly right for a great view, but we still get a good overview of our immediate surroundings and the local lay of the land. Analogously to the shrine we just visited, this one is called Kurokamibashi (黒髪橋 "Black Hair Bridge"), and I think the gap which it bridges was actually artificially created to serve as a swathe for the aforementioned Daibutsu Tetsudou to pass through. Today, this gap is utilized by a road instead of a railway.
Moving on, we walk through a suburban area with gardens the produce of which includes suicidal zucchinis and compact discs. So this is where those are grown!
We proceed through the idyllic and kinda narrow suburban backstreets for a while.
...until we arrive at what turns out to be an old pilgrimage path from Kyoto to Nara, which consequentially features a lot of Shrines and Temples. The first temple - Saifukuji (西福寺 "West Fortune Temple") - is already special, since it turns out to be one of those very rare religious places that feature Tanuki, the adorable counterparts to foxes which are typically depicted with big testicles. They are supposed to bring good luck and fortune, so it' actually makes sense that they'd be at a fortune temple. Typically, they are seen in shops and restaurants, though. Interestingly, there's also a rare female Tanuki statue here, which features a clover.
And right next to that, there's Naratsuhiko Jinja (奈良豆比古神社 "What Good Old Bean Contrast Shrine"), a big Shrine that not only features a nice garden with lakes out front, but also a sacred grove in the back, in the middle of which stands a giant camphor tree that must be hundreds of years old.
This great tree marks the northern turning point of our stray, and as we head south along the ancestral pilgrimage route, we naturally pass by many temples, shrines and Jizou...
...as well as what I'm going to assume is the house of a crazy cat person.
Also, there's this side road where the road just randomly turns to stairs with no physical barrier to prevent drivers to accidentally take a wrong turn and go over it. I guess the fact that places like this can exist without accidents happening constantly stands testament for how careful Japanese drivers are.
Eventually, we arrive back in the central part of Nara again, as becomes evident by the deer grazing in front of Tegaimon (転害門 "Revolving Harm Gate"), which serves of the northwestern gate of Toudaiji.
By now, it's already well into the afternoon and/or early evening, and as such the main road that we walk along is quite busy with the evening rush hour.
Our destination now is, once again, Higashimuki Shoutengai, and yet along the way we randomly run into a little street food market near the Nara Kenchou (県庁 "Prefectural Office).
For the last bit of our stray today, we are literally walking into the sunset (which is literally the only time that we should see the sun on this otherwise rather rainy day)...
...and then we're back in the walking mall for the third time, now from the other direction, which allows me to spot this neat deer window below the roof.
We returned here specifically because Robert requested that I find them an Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き "Whatever you like fried") place, and putting my Japanese skills to good use I inquired at the local tourist info (though they should be proficient in English, I have found that talking to them in Japanese yields much better results) and found an Okonomiyaki place, which, as chance would have it, happens to be right next to the place where we ate lunch a few hours ago. However, it's no surprise that we didn't notice it earlier, because it does not exactly say "Okonomiyaki" in giant letters. More like as a little addendum above the place name that's kinda easy to miss unless you specifically look for it.
So, what is Okonomiyaki, and why is it Robert's favorite? In short, it's an amazing and unique culinary experience that you'll do hard to find outside of Japan. In itself, Okonomiyaki is a cross between pancake and omelette with all sorts of ingredients that you can pick from, which is why it translates to "Whatever you like fried". However, much more important to what it is is the presentation. Now, in Japan I've been to all sorts of different Okonomiyaki places. Some of them (the boring ones) just prepare the Okonomiyaki in the kitchen and then bring it to you place, like in a normal restaurant. The interesting ones meanwhile have a stove plate integrated into each table, and depending on the place either the waiters will prepare it for you in front of your eyes, or you get to prepare it yourself. Luckily, this turns out to be one of the best kinds where we get the food prepared at the table, which makes me really happy for being able to share such a cool experience with my companions.
(Click here to view the video if the website fails to load it)
The preparation also includes a bit of waiting time after which the Okonomiyaki are flipped and fried from the other side. As the finishing touch some mayonnaise is skillfully added on top by the waitress, forming that characteristic criss-cross pattern. In the end, Robert, Bea and I are all left with one tasty Okonomiyaki each, while Brett - worried about his seafood allergy - has chosen to play it safe and have some Yakisoba on a separate plate (because seafood is one of the possible ingredients in Okonomiyaki, and neither of us three did hold back on that).
After dinner, the others express their desire to check out some local Izakaya (居酒屋 "Existing Sake House"), which is exactly what it sounds like: Bars where you can get alcoholic drinks. With me not doing alcohol, this is where I'm out. The others ensure me they'll be fine on their own, so I head back to the Ryokan via the nearby back streets...
...but not without randomly running into a back street shrine right along the way.
Shortly thereafter, I emerge on the far side of Sarusawa Ike...
...and a few minutes later I'm back in the Ryokan, were I spend my evening updating my maps and shrine list, as well as taking a dip in the Ofuro. In the end, Robert arrives well before I'm done, and eventually I, too, call it today. Tomorrow, we have another exciting day ahead of us, and I for my part am quite...
Keen on Kyoto
12-Sep-2023
Just like yesterday, today once again begins with an amazing Japanese Ryokan breakfast, which is about the best start into the day that one can get.
After that, we're quick to head out, our goal today being the nearby cultural capital of Kyoto. For that, we first have to head down the road towards Nara station - a fact which we would naturally unable to accomplish without running into at least one new shrine along the way.
As a side node: Like many Japanese cities, Nara has a very generous "No Smoking" area, which pretty much encompasses all of the inner city and major public areas. In fact, you'll rarely be bothered by cigarette smoke in all of Japan, quite unlike Germany where humans smoke on stations despite smoking being prohibited there, completely valiciting all the other people there.
Anyway, we soon enough reach the Nara station...
...where I am able to impart an important bit of Japan travel wisdom upon my companions: The first train that arrives is not always the fastest to reach the destination. In Japan, many lines have local and express trains, with the express trains skipping some minor stops to arrive at the major stops faster. Often these express trains overtake local trains somewhere along the line. And just to make things more confusing, those fast trains can come by a variety of names, such as "Rapid", "Express" or "Liner". In our case, we make use of that by skipping the first local train headed for Kyoto and taking the Miyakoji Rapid instead, which overtakes the local train somewhere along the line. The fare is the same for both, by the way.
The route to Kyoto takes us almost straight north through the Nara valley and into the Kyoto valley. It does feature a notable dent to the east, though, which is owed to the fact that there's a number of population centers on the eastern side of Ujigawa (宇治川 "Roof Rule River") that it collects at that point.
Now, Keihan (京阪 "Capital Heights", refers to the Kyoto-and-Osaka area) is among the most densely settled in all of Japan, so it comes as no surprise that most of the right should take us through the towns and cities that form an almost continuously settled area all the way from Nara to Kyoto. There's also very few fields in between, as well as the rivers Kizugawa (木津川 "Tree Port River") and aforementioned Ujigawa.
(Click here to view the video if the website fails to load it)
In the end, we get off two stops south of the Kyoto main station at what must be my favorite train stop in all of Japan: Inari.
This one is aptly named because it is located literally directly in front of Fushimi Inari Taisha (伏見稲荷大社 "Prostrated Hopes Inari Grand Shrine"), which is the Inari Shrine. This is where Inari worship started and subsequently spread all around the country, which makes this place the Vatican of Inari worshipers such as myself. Also a tourist hotspot and probably another UNESCO world heritage site, it goes without saying that I just had to show this to my companions.
However, before we head deeper into the shrine complex, we first must venture out into dangerous territory: The nearby shopping street! Lined with countless stores selling fox-related merchandise, this place is prone to simultaneously lighten my wallet and burden me with stuff I have to carry around for the remainder of the trip.
Also, I randomly get interviewed by a class of Japanese high school students...
...while Brett gets attracted by a store selling crispy thin Okonomiyaki wafers.
Incidentally, he weather is still hot, which is why this shrine features a makeshift "cooling mist" system that people can stand under to take the edge off the heat.
From there on, we proceed deeper into the shrine complex, past many foxes, and through many, many red Torii.
Since the main path is quite busy with people, I eventually lead my companions down the same side path that I took during my first visit, leading around the southern flank of the mountain, through a beautiful bamboo forest...
...and past the many, many hidden tiny fox shrines that lie along that way.
Overall, we should walk a scenic round course combining both natural and cultural beauty. Following our hike along the southern flank of Inariyama into a small valley (which already gradually takes us upwards) we proceed to climb up the remaining 50m to the summit from there, and then take the shrine-and-Torii road back to the bottom.
Distance: 5.1km
Ascents: 210m
Duration: 3.5h
(no new shrines or temples)
Walking up said valley, we unexpectedly come past a little crab walking up by the wayside and wonder where that one came from. After all, the ocean is well over 40km away from here, the shore of Biwako (琵琶湖 "Glissando Lute Lake") only 9km, but it's across a hill range, and even the closest river is over 2km away. In short, this is a relatively unlikely point to come across a crab.
The final ascent is taxing for all of us in this heat, but none more so than Brett. Though this final segment is only roughly 150m long, it's nonetheless quite steep, and at one point Brett is about ready to turn back, and I have to encourage and assert him that we're actually almost at the top, which is the truth: At that point, we have already scaled over two thirds of the vertical distance to the summit.
In the end, we make it to the summit, where the same old pile of fox shrines awaits us, and while Brett finds a shady spot to cool down, Robert, Bea and I go exploring among the many, many tiny foxy shrines that make up this place.
Afterwards, we descend Inariyama again via the back route, which naturally still takes us through many Torii and past many shrines.
Among other things, we come across Yakuriki-no-Taki (薬力の滝 "Medical Power Waterfall"), a small stream with alleged healing properties that cascades out of a bamboo pipe.
Eventually, we reach the crossroads. This is where the back path to the summit - coming from the east - loops back to the front path coming from the south, with the third path leading west down back to the main shrine, and a fourth path heading north down the mountain. This is also a good spot to get a scenic view of the city of Kyoto below.
Next, we come across something outright adorable: A notice by the kids of the nearby Inari elementary school kindly asking people not to litter. Makes me wish I could have gone to that school. Never mind all the pressure that kids go through at Japanese schools, I still would have felt right at home there.
Continuing further down along the way, we pass by many more fox shrines, including one that I now recognize as a Toyokawa Inari Shrine (see Book II ~ Chapter 21 ~ The Twofold Toyo Thuggery). Its interesting how you start seeing all the interconnectedness the more you know.
And then, it's time for me to fulfill the true purpose of my visit here today: That is, getting rid of a lingering regret that I carried around for months now. You may or may not recall the matchmaking shrine that I already mentioned the last time around, the one with the many trios of fox statues. Well, after what happened with first Elgen and then Ashley (see Book V ~ Chapter 14 ~ Broken Promises), I have bitterly regretted not purchasing a set when last I had the chance. Well, that gets remedied now, and while the others have a look around these particular shrine grounds, I go inside the shrine store and purchase a set of the little statues for 5000¥ (around 32€). There's even a brief purification ceremony where the seller - who probably also holds some religious rank, though I have no idea what that would be - places the statues atop a little altar and strikes a spark with some flint before thoughtfully wrapping and packaging them in a little but sturdy box that makes me feel confident about getting them home in one piece each.
Eventually, we make our way all the way to the foot of Inariyama once again, where the more common houses start. Still, there's yet quite a large number of Shrines still around, including one that features a little Koi pond.
By now, it's already past noon, and we're about ready to grab a bite to eat. Conveniently, we come across a cute little place called the Kafe Inari, and if it had been just me I would have gone inside in the swish of a tail. However, my companions are hesitant since there's no menu displayed outside and we still have to consider Brett's allergy, and since I already chased them all over the mountain and achieved my personal main goal for today, I figure my priority now is to find something that makes them happy, so we move along.
Instead, we head back to the Inari Station and from there take the train to the Kyoto Station, which is only two stops away.
There, we stroll around the really big station building in search of a nice place to eat - a quest that eventually takes us to the top floor of the integrated shopping mall where all the restaurants are located. Randomly, we witness a parade of sorts taking place in a semi-covered section outdoors, but since it starts raining again just about that time, we decide to stay inside.
Agreeing on a place with four people turns out to be a little bit difficult, but then we come across one restaurant that both Robert and I agree on is selling another relatively unknown Japanese specialty that Bea and Brett should try: Omrice!
I for my part have the Katsudon Ebiten Omrice Teishoku, which is a mouthful, so let me break that down from you. Starting from the end, Teishoku (定食 "set meal") is something that you commonly find in all sorts of Japanese restaurants for all sorts of dishes, and is something that I like to go for since it includes the main dish and some small condiments, such as salad, rice, miso soup or other things. Basically, that upgrades a meal from just the main dish to the dish with a little bit around. Omrice is rice wrapped with an omelette, typically served with some sauce, and though it sounds simple, it's actually amazing how hard that is to find outside of Japan. Ebiten (海老天 "Shrimp Heaven") is short for Ebi Tenpura, which already nails what it is: An Ebi-Shrimp fried in Tenpura dough. And Tonkatsu finally is breaded pork chop cut into bite-sized slices that are perfect to eat with chopsticks.
After lunch, I leave the rest of the day to my companions, offering my skills as Japan-navigator for whatever they have in mind. For starters, that means navigating the underground walkway networks of Kyoto station in order to find the subway stop, which again is something that sound simple yet is actually made quite adventurous by the sheer size of the station and its labyrinthine multi-story walkway networks, which actually look a lot like a shopping mall.
Once we find it, I am once again impressed by how 21st century technology can look if companies set their minds to being modern. It's only a little thing, again, but the fact that the train display at the station features an blinking indicator showing where the next train presently is relative to the current station still makes it seem that much more modern than the functional but crude displays we have back in Germany.
Two subway rides and one transfer later, we arrive at our target station of Nijojo-Mae (二条城前 "In front of Two Paragraphs Castle"), which is not to be confused with the next station of Nijo (二条 "Two Paragraphs"). In fact, apparently people (including Japanese people) get confused about that routinely enough that there's a big standing board stating as much in both Japanese and English right in front of the ticket gates - that is, at the last chance to turn back and take the subway for one more stop without having to be charged extra for going out and back in again.
As the station name might already have spoilered, our destination her is Nijojo, a 17th century samurai castle complex covering roughly 50 acres. From where we emerge from the subway, we get a good view of the Tounan Sumi Yagura (東南隅櫓 "Southeast Corner Watchtower") across the road.
Built as residence for the first shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, this imposing complex stands testament to times long past. It features both an outer and an inner moat, and part of it is accessible to the public, which is what we're here for.
But we have to hurry, because it turns out the last admission is at 16:00, which is just about now. As such, the gate staff urges us to hurry as we approach to buy tickets, because Japanese are notoriously inflexible when it comes to deadlines. Fortunately, we manage to purchase our tickets just in time, and as such are all set to go inside.
Once inside, we first walk through the graveled outer courtyard before passing into the Ninomaru (二の丸 "Second Circle" = "Second Keep") by means of the Karamon (唐門 "Foreign Gate").
Within that, we already come face to face with the main event of this visit: The Ninomaru Goten (二の丸御殿 "Second Circle Palace"), which is the only building of the complex that we're allowed to enter. Inside, we do not only have to leave our shoes at the entrance, but are also not allowed to take any pictures, so this next section is going to be a bit bland.
The Ninomaru Goten is a chain of four connected buildings through which a round-course leads. As is typical for old Japanese buildings, the walkways lead around the outer walls (all of which are actually removable paper-screens), while the actual rooms are in the cores of those buildings. The rooms are all pretty empty, but feature screens with intricate and elaborate artworks. There's also descriptions of what each room was used for - fortunately also in English - as well as genuine Edo-era electric fans to keep the visitors cool in these hot temperatures.
After that, we proceed through the Ninomaru Teien (二の丸庭園 "Second Circle Gardens"), which feature lots of green and also a little pond system...
...before crossing over the pond into Honmaru (本丸 "Main Circle" = "Inner Keep") by means of a wooden bridge under which plenty of Koi eagerly hope that some visitor will purchase Koi food for them from the nearby vending machines.
In Honmaru, we only get to walk through the gardens as the palace itself is closed for renovations until further notice. Oh well.
At least we get a nice view of our surroundings from the top of the foundation atop which the Tenshukaku (天守閣 "Heaven Guard Tower" = "Castle Keep") used to be standing. Not only do we get a good view of all of Nijojo, but we can also see all the way to Daimonjiyama, the face of which I scaled during my last visit to Kyoto, and there's also a rainbow standing testament to the fact that the weather is still kinda wet right now.
After that, we loop back to the entrance by means of the northern path taking us through the Seiryu En (清流園 "Clear Stream Garden"), and as we do, a melody and announcements begin, stating that Nijojo is going to be closing soon, and asking all visitors to proceed to the gate.
As we approach the gate, we pass one more curiosity: The Hibaku Aogiri (被爆アオギリ "Nuked Chinese Parasol Tree"), which is an offspring of one of the Aogiri trees of Hiroshima, which survived the atomic bombing of the city in 1945 despite being only 1.3km away from the impact site. I wonder if the unusual pattern of wilted leaves is a consequence of that.
By the time we reach the exit gate, the main gate is already closed. However, fortunately a little side door is still open, and so we're able to leave without any problems. And here we were already making emergency plans for catching some Koi and spending the night in the castle.
It's now 17:00, which means its slowly starting to get late, but we might still have time for one more thing. As such, we decide to hike over to the nearby Kyoto Gyoen (京都御苑 "Kyoto Imperial Garden"), which also contains the imperial palace. That one is only a few blocks away, and naturally I smell the opportunity to hunt for some shrines along the way. Counting the distance we covered inside Nijojo to that, we arrive at:
Distance: 6.4km
Ascents: 30m
Duration: 2.5h
10⛩ (2🦊); 2卍
And so, it happens that we proceed through the canyon-like backroads of central Kyoto, with me looking out left and right in search of hidden little shrines and temples. Note that while there are no sidewalks, there's still quite a bit of greenery despite this being pretty much in the heart of the city.
Just as I hoped, we do run into quite a few shrines and temples along the way, some big, some small, some obvious, some hidden, and two of them even featuring foxes. It is at this point that my companions give me the nickname "Shrine Radar".
As we approach the imperial gardens, we are once again prone to behold the only rays of sunlight on this day as the setting sun briefly peeks through the gap between clouds and horizon...
...and shortly thereafter we reach the southwestern corner of the imperial gardens.
Over four times the size of Nijojo, this park covers an area of almost one square kilometer in the heart of Kyoto. Since it's already getting late and dark now, we should not be able to cover more than a quarter of that.
We enter through a side entrance, and soon enough find ourselves on a very wide gravel road, the likes of which make up the main walkways in this park. It is there that Bea and Brett find themselves a bench to sit down on. Apparently, all the walking we did both yesterday and today was a bit too much for them.
Meanwhile, Robert and I check out two little shrine complexes in the park...
...before eventually heading to the imperial palace. Unfortunately (though not entirely unexpectedly) that one is already closed, so we can only marvel at its concealing walls from the outside.
Backtracking from there to the area with the benches, we meet up with Bea and Brett, and after a short talk agree to head back to Nara now. After all, it has been a quite eventful day with lots of sights seen.
Also, it's starting to get dark by now, what with it already being 18:30 and all. Heading out of the park, we follow the road south to the next subway station, and as we do still come across yet another shrine...
...as well as the Daimaru Bira (大丸ヴィラ "Great Round Villa"), a British Tudor style building that seems as exotic here as a Japanese temple in Europe. Built in 1930 as a residence for the owners of the nearby Daimaru Department store, it served as a role model for the western-style buildings that were becoming more popular in Japan at that time. And though architecture has yet evolved into the present-day Japan that we all know and love, this historic building silently stands testament to the developments that once took place.
Once we reach the subway station, we get the dubious pleasure of experiencing the Japanese evening rush hour as we board a rather crowded subway heading for the Kyoto station. Well, at least we're not in Tokyo (yet), so there's no train attendants pushing people inside.
Unfortunately, we just so missed the direct train to Nara, because this subway line is actually the northern extension of the Kintetsu Nara Line, which I also used on my first visit to Nara. Occasionally, there's trains that run the entire length of that line at once, but we just missed that one, so instead we change at Kyoto for the JR line to Nara, which we also took on our way here. A mistake, as it turns out, because the unthinkable happens:
The train is delayed due to technical issues.
Yes, you read that right. A technical issue with trains in Japan. In the whole year I spent in Japan before, that happened only once, and here's it happening to us right at the very second day! From what we can gather, there is a problem due to flooding, but the train driver (with whom I can fortunately communicate in Japanese) ensures me that the train is going to depart eventually. Still used to German standards, we already expect the worst, but in fact, only about twenty minutes later, the train starts moving, and we're on our way to Nara. Also, the CEO of JR West probably has to commit Seppuku (切腹 "Cut Stomach", also known as "Harakiri" if you switch the Kanji around (腹 切)) in order to restore the company's honor.
Once again, there's not much to see on our ride to Nara on account of it already being dark outside. The lights of the cities zoom by, as well as the darkness of fields, rivers and hills. However, that is not to say that the ride is boring. Since this is once again the train type where you can switch the orientation of the seats by flipping the backrests, I at the very least get to blow the minds of Bea and Brett just like I blew that of Robert on our way from the airport.
Arriving at Nara, Bea and Brett prefer to head straight back to the Ryokan, while Robert and I still want to grab something to eat before that. Fortunately, there's a nice place with the name of Osaka Oosho (大阪王将 "Great Slope King General" = "Osaka Shogi King") just across from the station square.
There, I am going for a Gyoza Teishoku (which also features a bowl of rice and a dish of Karaage) while Robert orders a vegetable soup, and we're both quite happy with our food.
And on a whim, we also order a pair of sesame Mochi as desert since it was advertised as a specialty of the house. And Dragon was that the right choice! Normally, I am not a big fan of those rice-paste balls filled with bean paste, but the roasted sesame coating turns out to compliment it so extremely well that it defies words. Definitely a strong finish to an eventful day!
After that, Robert and I walk back to the Ryokan, taking a parallel side street just because we've already walked the main road twice by now. And since this is Japan, there's absolutely nothing to worry about, and we safely arrive at the Ryokan a short time later.
Then, we get a bit confused as there's no receptionist on duty despite it being only 21:30. We wait for an adequate time, not wanting to be unnecessarily rude, but eventually we simply grab our key from the desk and head to our room. And that's it for our day trip to Kyoto. Now, let us proceed with:
The Retrospective
We had single rooms with futons to sleep on that were basically okay. Futons are always a bit rough if you're not used to them, but as far as futons go, I had nothing to complain about with these. At any rate, that was the genuine Japanese experience I was looking for, but I won't be singing any praises to those either anytime soon. Unlike to the food, which was absolutely fantastic, and the only regret I had was that unlike near Shiroishi, we weren't able to book dinner as well. The atmosphere was very nice, with a good flair, and like most places in Japan, it was nice and quiet at night. Our rooms had their own bathroom units and there was also a nice Ofuro available to use. Both station and shopping options were reasonably close, and we had freaking deer right outside the windows on stairs leading from a turtle pond to a Buddhist temple complex. Beat that in terms of location! Finally, the free WiFi worked most, but not all of the time, but we also had room service and an AC that kept the room temperature acceptable. Finally, with this being a Ryokan and all, the place had a luxurious feel to it for my tastes, but naturally that also means it was kinda expensive. At 7236¥ (roughly 46€) per night, this was one of the more expensive places I stayed in, but I figure it was worth that price in order to give my companions the genuine Ryokan experience right off the bat. All things summed up, this was not only a great place to stay in, but in fact the 4th-best place of the 66 places I have in my list today, and the 2nd-best place after only the Bantam House of Cape Town (see Book III ~ Chapter 5 ~ African Adventures) if you factor out the Fox Den and Fox Loft in Munich, which I naturally made as close to ideal as they get. So, if you are ever looking for a place to stay in this area, my warmest recommendations go to the Ryokan Kousen.
And that's it for Nara! Time to look towards:
The Road Ahead
Next, our trip should lead us to Ise, but since this chapter is already
getting a bit crowded, I will cover that trip in its own chapter. So stay
tuned for the next chapter of the Travelling Fox Blog, and until then be
of great cheer!
