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For Golden Week last year (2001), Kristin and I toured Japan and Hong Kong. It was awesome! Following are the pics that actually came out. Some of them are random- please bear with me. Captions are provided.
Click on the thumbnail for the larger pic.
The images on this page are all ©2001 by me. Don't steal them without asking, unless you are K-chan or Miko.
A big hug and thank you to K-chan and Miko, the world's coolest hosts and native guides! (Also the world's most continuous entertainment addicts who pass along their addictions to poor, unsuspecting souls who then start writing Clover fics and downloading hundreds of pics of Jiro. Aku, I tell you! Aku!)
We visited two famous temples while in Kyoto: Kinkakuji and Ginkakuji ("Ji" means "temple"). We also ate at a fabulous little hole-in-the-wall the guidebook recommended. In the taxi (which we had to use to get between the two temples, having run out of bus karma by then), we passed the old palace. It looked gigantic and beautiful, but a little forbidding....
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One of the buildings at Ginkakuji ('Silver-pavilion temple') |
Main building at Kinkakuji ('Gold-pavilion temple') |
Oddly enough, Ginkakuji does not have the silver for which it was named. If I remember correctly, the builder ran out of money before he could add that final touch. However, Kinkakuji impressed me as being a bit overwhelming, and the mist made at least the roof of Ginkakuji look silver.
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Is it my imagination, or are these the flowers used in the Kenshin OVAs? |
The stair railings were made of fresh bamboo |
Arrangements of plants preserve the illusion of solitude |
Ginkakuji was built by a retired 15th century Shogun who wanted to study some of the great arts of his time, such as Chinese painting and tea ceremony. When he died, his "retirement home" was converted to a temple.
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Just downhill from Ginkakuji. The pedestals are topped with stylized lions. |
The other buildings have mostly been converted into souvenir shops and ticket sellers, except one unassuming, wood-walled temple near the exit. |
Kinkakuji had large grounds outside the temple. They were impecably groomed, so much so that I was almost overwhelmed. It was a bit more touristy than expected.
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Does anyone know what these posts are for? |
Ginkakuji had several streams and a lake. The small bridges added to the "order in disorder" feel of the grounds. |
At least, that's what it looked like. It could have just been a historical marker ^_^;;; |
Ginkakuji, on the other hand, was smaller outside and had more landscape inside. It included sand and rock gardens and a pleasing arrangement of flowers and trees that made the place seem less crowded than it actually was. The greenery also softened sound and left a kind of hush over the place that did not feel forced. Shielding the shrine from the street was a small bamboo grove- and thus, my bamboo obsession was born.
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In late March, the Sakura on the Sakura road (along a canal below Ginkakuji) were in full bloom |
Only the roof of the pavilion is visible from the top of the hill. |
Gaijin notes: 1) Vending machines = your best friends. Always have coins on you, and expect machines wherever you go. Learn to recognize your favorite beverages and foods, because you will not be able to tell what items are going to taste like before you try them (the names are of limited use). Also, next to each vending machine is a recycling bin- for your last item, of course.
2) Buses take exact change. As do coin lockers. Always have change. If you need change, buy your return train ticket before you leave the station.
3) Almost every Japanese restaurant has a random day on which it is not open. This is not always Sunday, like it tends to be in the U.S. They also do not seem to post their hours on the door, at least not at traditional places.
4) Carry an umbrella. Or watch the news forecast. Otherwise, you will be sorry. Weather in Japan appears to be about as unpredictable as that of New England, only the forecasts are in Japanese.
5) One day is not enough time to do Kyoto.
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Why are there so few pictures of the city in which I spent the most time? Because I was busy having fun, silly! Osaka is a grand place, and you should go there.
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Osakajo ("Osaka Castle") played a major role in the Meiji Restoration. If only I could remember what it was! |
There was an Arashi concert scheduled for that evening, and many fangirls were present, along with their giant sneakers. |
The best part about Osakajo was the walk up to it. The castle was built in layers, with little parks and grottos in between the walls. We climbed many stairs to even reach the front door of the castle itself. The museum inside showed models of what the grounds used to look like, and they were impressive- a lot of people lived in that place.
As we were returning from the castle by way of the park, some guys rode by on their bikes. One of them paused long enough to shout "Kakkoe~" at K-chan (who naturally took it as her due). Kansaiben is so cute.
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Sakura are Cherry Blossoms. They bloom at the change of school seasons, so their use implies memories and new beginnings. |
Always have a map. See the Gaijin notes below. |
What can I say? K-chan was taking a really long restroom break. 101 views of Osakajo, anyone? |
The Tennoji ward is full of little temples and shrines everywhere. There's also a reasonable amount of illusory greenery that implies the ground is not entirely concrete after all.
Gaijin Notes: 1) Take a map. When the map fails, ask directions. Train stations have an information booth, or at least the big ones do. K-chan and I failed to find Shi-Tennoji, so we ate and went to an animate instead. When I came back to Osaka on my final morning, I wandered around with the bums and old people at 6am until I finally found it. It didn't open until 8am, apparently, so I had to leave without going inside. But I found it! Mei triumphs!
You would think something that tall could not be missed, but...
2) Mayonaise comes in some breakfast breads. Beware. Red bean paste, however, makes an excellent bread filling.
3) Obey walk signs. Or just bleet like a sheep and follow the crowd. It amounts to the same thing.
4) If you are staying in a small hotel, find a major landmark nearby, like a train station or a ferris wheel ^_^;;; It's easy to get lost, especially in underground shopping malls.
5) Vegetarians, beware. K-chan says (and our experiences tended to confirm) that the Japanese may eat lots of vegetarian food, but they don't actually meet very many true vegetarians, or that they don't expect such a restriction from Gaijin. It can be hard to cofirm that there is no meat or seafood in the dish you want to order. Fortunately, Japanese waiters seem to be very patient and accomodating.
6) Never pass up an opportunity to talk to someone from Osaka. You never know what cool Kansaiben you might hear!
Read more about Osakajo (or read here or here), or go to the official website (mostly in Japanese). You can also read more about Shi-Tennoji and its Gagaku performers.
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Apparently, there are five things one must do while in Hong Kong. I did four of them. The first is to have high tea. K-chan and I did that at the Penn, and it was lovely. They even served us extra cucumber sandwiches when we asked them not to include meat on the food tray.
Second, one must see the bird and flower streets. Really, one must. They are incredible. Third, one must shop. Lots. Preferably in Mong Kok, if one is an Otaku of any flavor. Fourth, one must take the ferry across the harbor, especially at night when one can see all of the beautiful lights and signs on every building- these are truly a work of art, if such a thing is possible with neon.
Finally, one must climb the mountain. Sadly, I failed to do this. ::pout::. I have no one to blame but myself. Someday I'll just have to go back ^_^.
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For the life of me, I cannot recall what building this is. |
Bird Street is a long, narrow alley between stalls full of birds, cages, and accessories. Occassionally, there are little courtyards like this one. The bird beside me is a Mynah. |
Gaijin Notes: 1) Unlike Japan, many places in Hong Kong take credit cards, and the better exchange rate makes this advantageous. No longer do you need to carry large wads of cash around! (caveat: Mong Kok shops mostly take cash.)
2) Dressing rooms are often in short supply, or not allowed at all. Huge women like me (who in America wear medium tops and size 8 pants) often have trouble finding clothes. And don't even think about shoes (though these are more possible in HK than in Japan).
3) The old British hotels are often famous for their food. Find one and go there! High tea, dessert bar, whatever. They are excellent (though mildly expensive, not nearly as bad as you would expect). Miko says tipping in HK runs about 5%.
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K-chan had the excellent luck to be placed in beautiful Kochi Prefecture (often known as "Tosa"), which is way far away from everything but the moutains and the sea. Kochi is a large town at about my comfort level of size, with lots of interesting history and plenty of trees. Happiness.
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No, that's probably not what it says. Should have brought my kanji dictionary. |
It appears that at the top of most castles there is a 360-degree balcony. Osakajo had nets everywhere that kept you from falling (or taking good pictures). Kochijo apparently believes in natural selection and better photos. |
Like all of Japan's mountains, they start abruptly from the plains. They look like tree roots to me. |
Kochijo sits on a little hill in the middle of a plain. On the plain lies Kochi City. Beyond the plain are the mountains, abrupt and still green because really, who in their right mind would build on them?
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The bridge of Kochi, which sits beside a four-lane highway going over the same creek. |
An aerial view from Kochijo. |
We had to take our shoes off before going into the castle. They had a huge wooden bin full of slippers. Everyone leaves their shoes by the door, and no one's shoes disappear. I love small towns.
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As with Osakajo, the castle had several layers, though not as many as Osakajo did. Kiosks at the top sell drinks, food, and film for weary travelers. |
I could sell this as a postcard, I swear. One out of five shots comes out okay ^_^. |
Like a porch, but with no railing. Just outside was a garden. |
Kochi was featured in the Miyazaki film "Umi ga Kikoeru" ("I Can Hear the Sea", also known in America as "The Ocean Waves"). The show made some fun of Tosaben (the local accent), but not too much. If you ever watch the movie, the food stands where the girls work are set inside the main shopping center, and Kochijo is visible in one of the last scenes. The realistic setting of the film is probably its best quality.
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A bad pic, but I like the moon, Sakura, and lampposts. It was irresistable. This was taken in the picnic area outside Kochijo. |
Unlike silly Americans, Japanese provide benches. This is in the front garden outside Kochijo. |
In the picture above and to the right, you can just see the tops of K-chan's striped socks. Oh, I was in sock heaven! They had an entire store devoted to the subject in Kochi. It was hard not to buy 2 dozen pairs. Kutsushitaya, as they were called, had all sorts of colors, patterns, everything imaginable. The bag, which I brought home and hung on my doorknob, says "We support your socks life". Can't get a better recommendation than that ^_^.
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I'll have to go look at the movie again, but I think this is almost the same shot used in "Umi ga Kikoeru". |
You can't tell, but the petals are falling in the wind. Kochijo Babylon? Read Nightfall by K-chan. |
I was struck by the up-close and personal quality of the castle, as well as the beauty of the wood in the lower sections. |
One of the neat things about Kochijo was the inside. Unlike Osakajo, Kochijo does not much resemble a museum. You can walk into most of the rooms, and the upper floors are bare. It is relatively small and comfortable, with an atmosphere that says people still live there.
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Okonomiyaki is wonderful! It's kind of like an omellete, but not really ^_^;;; It's the only thing I used mayo on the entire trip. |
Gaijin Notes: The world is always more beautiful and interesting outside the major cities. With buses and trains connecting all of Japan, why not take a detour?
1) Book Off! is a used bookstore, of which I am told there is a branch in New Jersey. They saved me a lot of money on CLAMP manga and KareKano. If you want to buy lots of older volumes, it's a good place to try.
2) Oh, I'm so proud of us for figuring out how to work a city bus, I simply must share the secret! Get on the bus at the back door and get off at the front door- I know it sounds backwards ^_^. Also, pay as you leave. You pick up a ticket when you get on, so as you leave, you drop the ticket and the cost into a machine next to the driver. You know the cost from a board above the windshield- it lights up to tell you how much you have to pay to exit the bus right now if you got on at a particular number. So under "16", it might say "350 yen", so if your ticket says "16" and you get off right then, you should pay 350.
3) Those little sticker-pic booths that come in the arcades are really cool, but they only let you take a small amount of time to make up your mind what frames and styles you want. Think fast! (and don't hit the wrong button, or K-chan will glare at you.) Um, well, we wanted monkeys, right?
You can read more about Kochijo, "Umi ga Kikoeru", Book Off! (Japanese only), and Okonomiyaki.
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Anyone who finds any inaccuracies in this page should email me so I can fix them. Anyone who uses these pics in a public setting (including the web) without permission will be just as publicly flogged- especially if the pics have K-chan in them.
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Email me at meikundayo@yahoo.com
Last Updated: March 3, 2002
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