Kansai Overview.
Mar. 21st, 2010 12:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sechan19Saturday, March 13th: traveled from Yokohama to Kyoto, Checked-in at the hostel and then went off to Sanjusangendo (the Hall of the Thirty-Three Bays) to see Raijin, Fujin, and the rest of the Buddhist posse. Had a 45-minute conversation about education in Japan and the US on the street corner with a retired professor of English. Birthday cake for Mom from a shop in Kyoto Station; dinner at a Japanese beef-bowl fast-food joint.
Sunday, March 14th: a walk along the Path of Philosophy that included stops in Ginkakuji, Honen'in, Otoyo Jinja, and Eikando. Approached at Ginkakuji by a group of three university students who wanted to give us a free tour and practice their English. Mom gave her email address to one of the boys, who said he really hoped to visit Ohio someday. At Otoyo Jinja, we found a shrine to Michizane, overhung by a weeping plum in full bloom (super appropriate), and I got a lesson on unlucky years from a very kind woman who happened to be there as well.
Monday, March 15th: got an all-day bus pass to visit Nijo Castle (actually a palace, really), Kitano Tenmangu, Kinkakuji, and the Hanatoro (Flowers and Lanterns Festival) in Higashiyama. Kitano Tenmangu happened to have its treasury open, so I finally got to see the Tenjin scrolls (or a replica, actually) in person. They are even huger than I thought. The Hanatoro included a juggler, scores of ikebana arrangements, and a fox wedding. As we had just prayed to the fox god, both of us found the sudden appearance of a local procession serendipitous. (Incidentally, the phrase fox wedding, kitsune no yomeiri, can also refer to the phenomenon of a rain storm out of a clear blue sky. Cool, ne?)
Tuesday, March 16th: the Byodoin of Uji City in the morning; a walking tour of Nara Park and Todaiji (with it's big freakin' Buddha) in the afternoon. Met friends at the station for lunch before the walk and enjoyed that immensely. Spent the rest of the time fighting off droves of deer and schoolchildren. Now think of the walk to Todaiji as a gauntlet. Crawled through a tiny hole in the base of one of the Daibutsuden's pillars, a feat that supposedly insures good luck (or Buddhahood... whichever comes first). Weird experience made even weirder by the crowd of schoolchildren standing around laughing and taking photos of me.
Wednesday, March 17th: Himeji Castle has a lot of stairs. It also has a lot of irritable people wandering around. Have decided to refer to packed situations like that (also found in temples, parks, museums, etc.) as the hageshii rojin no jikoku: the Hell of the Frenzied Old People. Fully aware of the fact that I am damned for all time; determined to make it count. The nearby Kohko Garden was much more serene. Dinner in Sannomiya, a part of Kobe. Friends recommended a to-die-for Italian-style pizza restaurant there. Now I know where to go for the good pizza in Japan, so that's pretty cool.
Thursday, March 18th: a rainy day called for a two-hour boat ride down the Hozu River; baby rapids and cool rock formations, deer and monkeys and water foul, incredibly buff boatmen. What more could anyone ask? Wandered about Arashiyama afterward; took in the sublime garden of Tenryuji and then wended our way through a massive bamboo forest. Tonkatsu for dinner in Kyoto Station's 11th-floor Cube restaurant mecca. Had the seasonal vegetables katsu roll, which was out of this world.
Friday, March 19th: Toji in the morning - 3D mandala and totally awesome books for sale! Lunch in an Irish Pub, because why not? Traveled from Kyoto to Kanazawa. Got checked-in and headed for the supermarket to buy supplies for dinner. Relaxed after a truly hellish train ride. (JR West could seriously improve its service.) Makoto-san of Guesthouse Namaste is as lovely as ever. Beer and wine and fantastic conversation ensued and a good night's sleep completed the picture.
Overall, the trip to Kansai was really wonderful. We saw many fantastic sights, met several charming people, and ate well of the regional (and seasonal) foods. The cherry blossoms weren't blooming yet, but the plums were still out, and when there's cherry blossom ice cream to be had the blossoms themselves become kind of superfluous for me. ;>
I did note, however, that there were several instances of really unpleasant exchanges - which I cannot but attribute to racism. I was rather shocked by them, as I can think of only one instance where such a thing happened in Kanto and I've spent way more time there than I have in Kansai. In terms of politeness/kindness, many visitors compare folks in Kansai in an overly favorable light to those in Kanto, but I just don't see it myself. (Although, for anyone out there about to have a knee-jerk reaction to what I just said: I recognize that the people I encountered do not represent the sum total of people in the region. But the tendency of discrimination there seemed much more pronounced to me than in other areas of the country I've visited.) I keep trying to like Kyoto and its environs wholeheartedly, but every time I go there I seem to have a real mixed-bag type of experience. I really hope I can figure out a way to station myself in Tokyo for my dissertation work...
Sunday, March 14th: a walk along the Path of Philosophy that included stops in Ginkakuji, Honen'in, Otoyo Jinja, and Eikando. Approached at Ginkakuji by a group of three university students who wanted to give us a free tour and practice their English. Mom gave her email address to one of the boys, who said he really hoped to visit Ohio someday. At Otoyo Jinja, we found a shrine to Michizane, overhung by a weeping plum in full bloom (super appropriate), and I got a lesson on unlucky years from a very kind woman who happened to be there as well.
Monday, March 15th: got an all-day bus pass to visit Nijo Castle (actually a palace, really), Kitano Tenmangu, Kinkakuji, and the Hanatoro (Flowers and Lanterns Festival) in Higashiyama. Kitano Tenmangu happened to have its treasury open, so I finally got to see the Tenjin scrolls (or a replica, actually) in person. They are even huger than I thought. The Hanatoro included a juggler, scores of ikebana arrangements, and a fox wedding. As we had just prayed to the fox god, both of us found the sudden appearance of a local procession serendipitous. (Incidentally, the phrase fox wedding, kitsune no yomeiri, can also refer to the phenomenon of a rain storm out of a clear blue sky. Cool, ne?)
Tuesday, March 16th: the Byodoin of Uji City in the morning; a walking tour of Nara Park and Todaiji (with it's big freakin' Buddha) in the afternoon. Met friends at the station for lunch before the walk and enjoyed that immensely. Spent the rest of the time fighting off droves of deer and schoolchildren. Now think of the walk to Todaiji as a gauntlet. Crawled through a tiny hole in the base of one of the Daibutsuden's pillars, a feat that supposedly insures good luck (or Buddhahood... whichever comes first). Weird experience made even weirder by the crowd of schoolchildren standing around laughing and taking photos of me.
Wednesday, March 17th: Himeji Castle has a lot of stairs. It also has a lot of irritable people wandering around. Have decided to refer to packed situations like that (also found in temples, parks, museums, etc.) as the hageshii rojin no jikoku: the Hell of the Frenzied Old People. Fully aware of the fact that I am damned for all time; determined to make it count. The nearby Kohko Garden was much more serene. Dinner in Sannomiya, a part of Kobe. Friends recommended a to-die-for Italian-style pizza restaurant there. Now I know where to go for the good pizza in Japan, so that's pretty cool.
Thursday, March 18th: a rainy day called for a two-hour boat ride down the Hozu River; baby rapids and cool rock formations, deer and monkeys and water foul, incredibly buff boatmen. What more could anyone ask? Wandered about Arashiyama afterward; took in the sublime garden of Tenryuji and then wended our way through a massive bamboo forest. Tonkatsu for dinner in Kyoto Station's 11th-floor Cube restaurant mecca. Had the seasonal vegetables katsu roll, which was out of this world.
Friday, March 19th: Toji in the morning - 3D mandala and totally awesome books for sale! Lunch in an Irish Pub, because why not? Traveled from Kyoto to Kanazawa. Got checked-in and headed for the supermarket to buy supplies for dinner. Relaxed after a truly hellish train ride. (JR West could seriously improve its service.) Makoto-san of Guesthouse Namaste is as lovely as ever. Beer and wine and fantastic conversation ensued and a good night's sleep completed the picture.
Overall, the trip to Kansai was really wonderful. We saw many fantastic sights, met several charming people, and ate well of the regional (and seasonal) foods. The cherry blossoms weren't blooming yet, but the plums were still out, and when there's cherry blossom ice cream to be had the blossoms themselves become kind of superfluous for me. ;>
I did note, however, that there were several instances of really unpleasant exchanges - which I cannot but attribute to racism. I was rather shocked by them, as I can think of only one instance where such a thing happened in Kanto and I've spent way more time there than I have in Kansai. In terms of politeness/kindness, many visitors compare folks in Kansai in an overly favorable light to those in Kanto, but I just don't see it myself. (Although, for anyone out there about to have a knee-jerk reaction to what I just said: I recognize that the people I encountered do not represent the sum total of people in the region. But the tendency of discrimination there seemed much more pronounced to me than in other areas of the country I've visited.) I keep trying to like Kyoto and its environs wholeheartedly, but every time I go there I seem to have a real mixed-bag type of experience. I really hope I can figure out a way to station myself in Tokyo for my dissertation work...
