The detailed carvings are absolutely amazing.
The last stop on our two week adventure through Japan was the town of Nikko. Nikko is known for it's stunning mountain views and World Heritage shrines and temples. Since it was April (exactly a year ago! Man, time is flying by!) we thought Japan would be nice and warm, but to our surprise it was absolutely freezing. Nothing like wearing two coats and two pairs of pants while hiking around the forests of Nikko! Shinkyo Bridge, a sacred bridge constructed in 1636. Kinda cool, it's ranked as one of Japan's finest bridges. A five-story pagoda next to the entrance of the Toshogu Shrine. The first thing you notice about the Toshogu Shrine is that it's unlike any other in Japan. Most shrines are minimalistic in nature and blend into the surroundings...this one is colorful and full of beautiful carvings. The details are absolutely amazing and one can spend hours photographing every single building on the shrine grounds. There are actually a few buildings, among them the Sacred Stable, it's famous for it's carving of the three wise monkeys as well as a "sacred horse." Ha! Don't ask me, I don't know what the deal with the horse is, other than it lives on the shrine grounds, has service at the stable from 9:30-noon and it's a gift from New Zealand. Somehow it's magical and sacred. "Hear no evil, Speak no evil, See no evil" monkeys! Very cool to see in person but honestly the carving is much smaller than I thought it would be. It's surrounded by other monkey carvings that go all the way around the "Scared Stable." The building is actually very "blah" compared to others in the area, it's very simple and brown. If you don't look close enough you can totally miss it...well that is until you see a massive white horse inside and figure it's worth a look. Can't really miss a giant white horse! Apparently it took 15,000 craftsman two years, using 2.5 million sheets of gold leaf to complete the shrine! Impressive. The detailed carvings are absolutely amazing. There is another famous carving at Toshogu Shrine of a sleeping cat. You have to pay extra to see it but after hearing the other tourists complaining how the cat carving was the size of a match box we decided to pass. There were too many other beautiful large carvings to see. Plus we both don't like cats. So there is that! We even stumbled upon an authentic Japanese wedding! Talk about luck of the draw. The Taiyuinbyo mausoleum, once again very impressive with all the design details and colors. I love these two pictures of my mom. Too funny! Hopefully the Shinto gods have a sense of humor ;) Scary statues to ward off evil spirits...or maybe my mom's sense of humor. For some reason, she didn't want to do funny poses with these guys below. Scaredy cat! After a whole day of exploring in the cold we were ready for a break...some hot green tea and miso soup. Yummy!
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A meal so good it deserves it's own entry. No joke. Since most of our Japanese meals were from local convenience stores or cheap noodle shops we quickly jumped at a chance to splurge on our last dinner in Kyoto. The restaurant was nice and cozy and located about a ten minute walk from the Kyoto train station. The Kouan Dinner (not sure what that means, Kyoto specialities...name of a person...name of the restaurant perhaps?! Not speaking Japanese makes researching frustrating and impossible at times....grrrr) cost 3,000 yen ($35) each but it was well worth it! All local Kyoto specialties paired with good ole sake! The appetizer consisted of pickled pumpkin, tofu and pickled radish. A bit strange and mushy but the massive bottle of sake we ordered helped to wash it down. Next came an awesome sashimi plate with seaweed. Yummy! Our waitress was awesome, anytime she brought out the next course she would have her Iphone ready and translate the dish. Gotta love technology and Japanese hospitality. Grilled fish with minced radish on the left and grilled tofu on the right. Both absolutely A-mazing! They even made little pink sakura (cherry blossom) designs out of the tofu. Salad, tempura shrimp, tempura vegetables and tofu soup. Last but not least, yummy udon noodles with soy sauce, radish paste and wasabi. And of course to end the night, here is my mom posing with the massive bottle of sake....sake galore...but rest assured, we did not drink the whole thing. It was just a decorative bottle the waitress brought out ;) Kamapi to an awesomely memorable trip to Kyoto! If you are interested in checking out the restaurant (which we highly recommend!), this is the best address I could find online:
Kyōto-fu, Kyōto-shi, Shimogyō-ku, Minamifudōdōchō, 3−1 Kyoto has so many amazing sights, and since we had limited time we decided to check out the JTB Sunrise Kyoto and Nara 1 day tour. The tour hit some of the major sights in Kyoto in the morning and then proceeded to nearby Nara. Awesome on a sunny day, but unfortunately it was pouring the whole time. Grrr! A little rain didn't scare us away though. We still enjoyed the sights and tried to listen to our tour guide, who I am certain had ADD. Having a heavy accent and ADD is a bit of a disastrous mix if you ask me...especially when your profession is being a tour guide... that's why the rest of the entry will have very little information. I couldn't understand anything...so we just took pictures in the rain. Enjoy! First Sight:
Second Sight:
Third Sight:
If you want to see some non-rainy photos of the Golden Pavilion, check out my previous visit here. (Only 4 pictures!) After three rainy sights in Kyoto and a group lunch at a Japanese restaurant, we were off to Nara. Thank goodness we got a different tour guide, who was absolutely great! Talkative, informative and did not have ADD. Win, win! Fourth Sight:
The deer are considered sacred messengers of Shinto gods according to a local folklore. Our tour guide told us that back in the day you couldn't hunt them (still can't!) and if you were found to have killed one, you would be buried alive with the dead animal! I am NOT kidding! Buried alive with a carcass of a dead deer! The Japanese are not messing around. Be nice to the deer! Fifth Sight:
Trying to get through a hole in one of the wooden columns inside the temple. Apparently, the hole is the size of the nostril of the big Buddha. If you get through your wish will come true...or you will have good luck. Something along those lines. This better explains what's going on... Sixth Sight:
Shrine workers sharing an umbrella. At least my umbrella made it to this point. Bye bye umbrella...
There are a lot of great districts of Kyoto but the one you can't miss is the Gion District. It's absolutely amazing with traditional Japanese architecture, geishas (if you can spot one!), green tea everything, temples/shrines and lots of touristy hodge podge to buy. Spotted... a geisha! Not sure what was going on though...she was sitting with this lovely gentlemen, getting pulled on a rickshaw and stopping every few steps to take a picture....over and over again. Strange but hey, I guess if you pay that much to hang out with a geisha you might as well take millions of pictures to remember every.single.moment. (Cost varies but we heard it costs anywhere between $2,000-5,000 for four hours! Yikes!) Checking out touristy junk everywhere. Yes, I did get the umbrella below because I was so in LOVE with it (at that moment). Please don't ask me if it has seen the light of day since....but I will look so cool walking around with it with when the time comes. Mom got a fan that hasn't seen the light of day either...she is waiting for that hot day to bring it out. Ha! Such TOURISTS! The best part of the Gion district is the Kiyomizudera Temple. Totally a must see! Great views of Kyoto and simply stunning architecutre! Before we made our way to this lovely view below, we followed a huge group of tourists into the basement of another temple. We had no idea what we were doing or where we were going, just simply following the group. We paid 300 Yen, took off our shoes, and followed the crowd into a pitch dark basement. Pitch dark! You were able to hold onto a rope and follow the crowd, such a strange experience. We probably wondered around the basement for a good ten minutes and then came up to a lit up stone. We had no clue what was going on, everything was in Japanese! Turns out, (after researching it just now) the hall is called Zuigudo Hall, it's dedicated to Buddha’s mother (Daizuigu Bosatsu) and is designed to symbolize a mother’s womb. You are supposed to make a wish when you see the lit up stone and your wish will be granted. We didn't wish for anything... I guess maybe just light...so by paying 300 yen our wish came true! We saw light at the end of the tunnel. Once again, big time tourists!
Finally!!! Beautiful blooming cherry blossoms! Anywhere we traveled to it was too early to see them, but we finally had some luck by Kyoto Castle. Yay! Nijō Castle (Kyoto castle) Beautiful architecture Cherry blossoms & Japanese gardens! Great way to spend an afternoon. After checking out the Nijō Castle, we stumbled upon another shrine near the Gion District called the Yasaka Shrine. They were setting up for a cherry blossom viewing festival, so there were lots of food, drink and toy vendors. We sat on red benches, had a beer and enjoyed looking at the few lonesome cherry blossoms...only imagining how beautiful it must be to see the whole park in full bloom. Beer and takoyaki aka octopus balls. (Not real balls people, relax. Just ball shaped snacks filled with octopus. Oishii!)
Exploring the Tsukiji fish market is definitely a must-do in Tokyo! The fish market is the largest fish market in the world and the top destination for sushi lovers. Many tourists like to see the famous tuna auction that takes place between 5 - 615 in the morning, however, I am NOT a morning person. The couple of times I visited the market I never arrived before 9 am. This time was no different, my mom and I arrived around 9 am and still loved exploring the market. There are a lot of vendors selling different types of seafood, speciality knives, as well as tea. Buckets of eels, massive crabs, octopus, fish-shaped cakes, as well as anything and everything relating to tuna can be found here. The market is great for people watching as well as trying out new types of food: fried tuna bits, little critters on skewers, as well as the traditional sushi! If you are brave enough, make sure to check out all the samples! After wondering around the small streets and admiring all the seafood that was starring at us, we were ready to eat sushi! We found rows of tiny restaurants with eager tourists and locals waiting in line to get in. We patiently waited in line for about 30 minutes until a spot opened up. Next came one of the best meals of our trip! Sushi, sushi and more sushi...oishii!!!! Have you ever had a food moment? A moment of true bliss, where your taste buds were taken on a magical journey? When you took a bite, all you wanted to do was savor the flavor and chew slowly, so the moment would lasts forever? I've tasted some delicious food in my lifetime but this truly was my first euphoric food moment! Feeling truly content, happy, joyous, and excited I savored every single bite as if it were my last. Thank you Tsukiji Market! They weren't lying when they said the BEST sushi in the world can be found here.
The next day started off early with instant coffee and a Japanese breakfast of champions, tuna rice balls. Those two things definitely do not go together but for some reason were always my go-to meal. The shuttle picked us up at 7:30 am and we quickly traveled through Tokyo, stopping at other hotels to pick up tour goers and finally ending at the Hato Bus Tour terminal. We decided to book a full day tour, the Dynamic Tokyo. We wanted to see it all! And having an awesome Japanese tour guide was an added bonus. The first stop was the Tokyo Tower. I've seen the tower on many pictures of Tokyo but didn't have a huge desire to check it out, after all it was just a copy of the Eiffel Tower painted in orange and white, right?! I quickly learned that the answer is both yes and no. Our tour guide mentioned that Japan is famous for adapting foreign designs and making them better. The Tokyo Tower was no exception; it was built in the 1950′s as a symbol of Tokyo’s economic power and closely modeled after the Eiffel Tower. Although from the outside it looks a lot like it's French counterpart, the tower is actually taller measuring 333 meters (1,093 feet) and lighter. It houses a lot of different attractions, restaurants as well as a 2-storey observation deck. Since my mom and I are brave little travelers we decided to check out Tokyo from the higher observation deck (250 meters, 820 feet). Seeing Tokyo from above gave me a new appreciation of the city and it's enormity. It didn't matter which window we looked out, the city just stretched and stretched into infinity. There was no end. No beginning. Just tall building after tall building filling up the whole horizon. Very remarkable sight. After admiring Tokyo from above we were off to the Happo-en garden. The name "Happo-en" means "a garden which is beautiful from all angles", and that is certainly true here. We strolled through the tree-lined paths of the garden and acquired a new appreciation for Japanese landscaping. The grass was meticulously manicured, the bushes were evenly trimmed, and century old bonsai, cherry and maple trees covered the landscape. A school of koi fish slowly swam through the clear pond water. Young couples walked around in traditional Japanese wedding attire, posing for photographers. People laughed and enjoyed the beautiful early spring weather. The whole scene was enchanting! Amidst all of the beauty we stumbled upon a little wooden teahouse with colorful red umbrellas. Our group was instructed to walk in and take a seat on long wooden benches that lined each side of the teahouse. Silence. The tea master emerged wearing a beautiful pink kimono. She walked in quietly shuffling her feet. She bowed and passed out a piece of sweet candy to each of us. She then preformed a beautiful choreographed ritual; she took her time as she measured out the powdered green tea, and then gracefully whipped her wooden tea whisk. She slowly poured water into the cup and delicately mixed the components. The ceremony was enchanting and performed with precision. The tea was served in decorative ceramic cups. We slowly sipped the thick mixture and enjoyed the serene surroundings. In a strange way, the tea reminded me of Italian espresso, giving us a much needed extra kick of energy. After seeing a couple of lonely blooming cherry trees (they were late coming out) in the garden we boarded the bus and headed to lunch at Tokyo's Japanese Garden Restaurant, Chinzan-so. The restaurant is situated in a large garden that offers walking paths and historical artifacts. The restaurant reminded me of Benihana where the chef prepared the food right at your table, however, the food at this resturant was awesome compared to the mediocre American chain. The vegetables and meat were grilled on a stone grill created from Mount Fuji's molten lava! Very impressive! Once again, the chef precisely and masterfully grilled the vegetables and meat. It looked more like a choreographed show than meal preparation. The food was served without any thick sauces or extra added flavors, just soy sauce. Perfectly simple flavors served in a quaint Japanese setting. After a much needed lunch, we were back on the bus heading to see the Imperial Palace. The palace and it's garden are very large, sprawling 3.41 square kilometres (1.32 sq mi). Here is a fun fact, during the height of the 1980s Japanese property bubble, the palace grounds were valued by some as more than the value of ALL the real estate in the state of California. Wowza! The palace is open to the public only two days a year, on January 2 and on the Emperor's Birthday, December 23. Since we weren't there on those dates we simply walked up the long gravel walkway and looked at the Nijubashi Bridge, took a picture, and headed back to the bus. In all honestly, you can't see much when you get there. In my opinion, it's neither impressive nor a must see in Tokyo. The next part of the tour varies seasonally, when the cherry blossoms are out, tour goers get to experience a cherry blossom festival, otherwise the Sumida River sightseeing tour is in place. I can't believe we missed the cherry blossoms! We planned out the whole trip to see them but since it was a chilly spring they were delayed by a week. Ugh, oh well! We did enjoy the 40 minute river cruise though! The river taxi was packed, not only with our group but also with others opting out of the overly packed subway system. The boat cruised slowly, passing under 12 bridges and making occasional stops on it's way. We sat, ordered two beers and enjoyed the ever-changing Tokyo skyline. The boat cruise led us to this lovely site: Tokyo SkyTree on the left and the famous "Golden Poop" on the right. I'll cut right to the chase, the building on the right is the headquarters of Asahi Beer company. The shape of the gold building is that of a beer mug (can you see it?!), and the building on the right is supposed to resemble a beer glass with a golden flame. The flame was actually supposed to stand vertically but since Japan experiences a lot of earthquakes the architects decided to place it horizontally for safety, hence spoiling the actual effect and giving it the lovely nickname. ;) My favorite part of Tokyo was up next, Asakusa and the Buddhist temple Senso-ji. This is the one place in Tokyo I truly felt the old charm of Japan. We walked toward the temple on the famous Nakamise Street, where rows of small shops line the street and vendors sell all kinds of Japanese souvenirs. Chop sticks, kimonos, sake sets as well as other typical and kitschy souvenirs can be found here. If you are looking to buy gifts for family and friends buy it here, by far the best prices and selection in Tokyo! Walking through the crowds we arrived at the majestic Sensi-ji temple. It was absolutely stunning! Massive, made out of red and white wood, and decorated with gold. This was the Japan we were craving to see! Paper lanterns hung in rows, people prayed, incenses burned and dozens of statues surrounded the temple grounds. We were completely mesmorized by the beauty of the temple, the gardens and all the traditional symbols of Japan. Finally we felt as through we escaped modern Tokyo and got lost in the traditional old world Japan. This is where we said goodbye to our tour and ventured out alone. Asakusa was the last stop and the bus was going back to the Hato bus terminal across town. I highly recommend the tour to anyone! It was informative, gave us a great overview of Tokyo, and the tour guide was awesome!!! We had a great day and got a new appreciation of this massive city of 33 million.
This post is incredibly overdue since my mom came to visit us in Japan in late March/early April but hey, a late post is better than no post :) So starting with this entry there will be a short series of posts about our two week journey through Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara and Nikko. I'll do my best to explain all the places we saw, offer some travel tips as well as post lots of pictures. (There's a surprise, right?!) If you have any questions about any of the featured places please don't hesitate to contact me! I would love to help. So first off meet my mom, Grace. Here she is at the famous Shibuya crossing in Tokyo on the first leg of our two week adventure. She is smiling and taking it all in, not knowing that when the light changes green she will get trampled by thousands of Japanese people crossing the famous scramble crosswalk. My mom loves traveling and taking photographs, sound familiar?! Now you know who I get it from. She is an absolutely great travel companion! She is the first person to jump at a chance to try new things and go off the beaten path. We arrived in Tokyo in the afternoon and after checking into our hotel we ventured to Shibuya to see the famous crossing at night. Shibyba is the district with the iconic crosswalk you see in all the movies of Tokyo, hundreds of people cross the street in a million different ways. Thankfully, I somewhat knew my way around the crazy Tokyo subway system because this was my fourth trip to the city. If you are planning on a Tokyo visit I would highly recommend asking the subway personnel for a map of the JR Lines as well as of the Tokyo Metro. There are two different train systems going through the city and not all stations have an English map. I carried mine all the time, you wouldn't want to be caught figuring out this lovely diagram: The best view of the craziness is at the Shibuya Starbucks (you can see it on the right of the photo below). You don't have to buy coffee to go to the second floor, it's for free! If you love coffee, it's a bonus. You can sit right by the windows, sip some delicious Starbucks coffee and watch the craziness unfold below. By far this is the best free location to view the Shibya crossing. The area is also one of the fashion centers of Tokyo (please note "one of" because there are a lot of them). It attracts a lot of young people as it is also a major nightlife area. Anytime I went to visit it was absolutely packed! Check out the "Basketball Street," it's located right past the Starbucks, as you walk down it you will see plenty of stores and restaurants as well as a six story Forever 21! My mom and I ventured inside but after the third floor everything started to look the same. The big disappointment was that all the clothes were similar to the ones in the States, well except they had a Hello Kitty collection. Big whoop! As we wondered around the rainy Shibuya all we could think about was getting back to our hotel, stopping at the local Seven Eleven to pick up some sandwiches, salad and sake and resting up for another day filled with Tokyo exploration. Especially because we had an all day tour planned!
On a side note, food at convenient stores such as Seven Eleven, Lawson, and Family Mart is actually really good! Everything is very fresh and tasty. Plus Seven Eleven is one of the ONLY places that excepts foreign debit cards at ATMs. Japanese ATMs are not open 24-7 like in the States, they function only during business hours and most only accept Japanese debit cards. If you need yen go to a local Seven Eleven ATM. |
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