Japan (Spring)

 

Thursday, 25 April 2024

Japan in the Spring - Tokyo 1

I visted Japan this spring on a cruise on the south side of the island.  We were lucky to have great weather most days, a bit cool, which didn't help the cherry blossoms although we did get a glimpse of it in the last week. The visit is such a pleasurable experience I can't wait to tell you all about it!  Thanks to two dear friends who are pros in Japanese food and culture having lived there before and visited regularly since, we were armed with lists of places to see, things to do, places to eat which all helped to make this a great experience.

We started in Tokyo.  Haneda airport was easy to negotiate and we found the Airport Express Bus ticket counter easily.   I tried self-service at the ticketing machines, it wasn't hard figuring out the route number from the overhead map but it wouldn't take my credit card.  (TIP: I have since figured out cash is the way to go for the train tickets!)  We finally got tickets at the ticket counter for the bus that took us to the bus terminal a short walk from our hotel in Shinjuku (a district in Tokyo) - a bargain at $12 CAD.  (A taxi would have been around $120 and not much faster).  There was no problem communicating in English.  What a contrast with my first visit in 1975 when hardly anyone spoke English and I remember having to resort to drawing to communicate.  

It was dinner time in Tokyo regardless of our body clock so we ventured out to the streets of Shinjuku to gawk at the busy restaurants with tables spilling out onto the sidewalk.  It was refreshing to be in a city with a busy street life at night and there didn't seem to be any safety concerns at all.  Our first bowl of ramen was tasty and very satisfying!  

Streets of Shinjuku at night

An exceptional bowl with spinach, bean sprouts and cabbage, vegetables are not common unless deep-fried!

Our first destination the following day was the Meiji Shrine.  It is just a couple of stations from the hotel and we could have walked but knowing that we had a long day of walking ahead of us, we decided to brave the rush hour traffic and took the train.  It was an eye-opening adventure and we experienced in person what we had seen online of Tokyo train stations in rush hour.  Proud to say we survived the ticket machine and the crowd and found our way to the relatively peaceful Meijijingu.  

This is how far back we were standing on the platform, but we got on the second train

The main Tori gate at the Meiji Jingu

 

Sake wine barrels lined the path to the shrine - sacred ritual wine is an essential component of Shinto purification rituals

 

The "temizuya" where worshippers wash their hands and mouth before proceeding

The main courtyard of the shrine

Lineups to purchase amulets and votive tablets

Omamori or amulets for luck and protection

Ema - votive tablets for special personal prayers are hung around a divine tree with wishes written on the reverse side.  These are offered at the morning ceremony held every days and the supplications are conveyed by the priests.

These camphor trees, planted in 1920 at the time of the enshrinement of the Meiji Jingu, are considered sacred.  Known as "Meoto Kusu" or "Husband and Wife", the coupled tress have become a symbol of happy marriage and harmonious family life.

One of the side entrances

Because of our early start, we finished at the shrine and ended up on Omotesando Street ahead of schedule, too early for lunch (especially after our sumptuous hotel breakfast).  So we walked the famous street with its designer buildings and designer fashion houses all the way to our destination, the National Art Centre.

Lineup for donuts?

Omotesando has been describe as the "catwalk" of Tokyo architecture.  I can see why. These are just a few that caught my eye.

Long line up outside the Gentle Monster store.

The National Art Centre -  stunning in green glass and curves

Inside the NAC

A reflection of the NAC on the building across the street

On our way to Rappongi Station to take the train back to the hotel, we stopped by a noodle place for lunch, attracted by its distinctive look.  I've since found that many Japanese restaurants have very attractive entrances.  You will see more of these in upcoming posts. 

We went back to the hotel for a midday break - (TIP:  it's so important to stay at a place in the middle of everything so we could take these essential breaks.!)  We wandered out to Omoide Yokocho, a maze of narrow alleys near the busy Shinjuku Station with lots of street food.  These narrow alleys seem to be an incredible hive of activity all day, not just at night.

Shinjuku Crossing

We went on to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building's 45th floor to see the much touted Tokyo nightview.  We were surprised at the long lineup to go up the elevator but equally surprised that it didn't take that long.  The view was indeed worth it.  

We had to take a taxi back to our hotel as Google got lost under the canopy of the many covered passages under the government mall.  It was a short ride as we were at worst a 15 minute walk from the hotel if we hadn't got lost.  Our night ended with dinner near the hotel at a place serving small dishes with mostly locals.  We tried a sampling of several things on the menu - they were delicious.  My first full day in Tokyo ended with 22,751 steps, a record for me.

Sunday, 5 May 2024

Japan in the Spring - Tokyo 2

We spent our second day in Tokyo with a gentleman from the Tokyo Free Guide.  I was alerted to the  service by my friend - it was a great experience.  I had to apply for the service two months in advance and the service provides a local volunteer as a guide for a day, no fees other than covering meals and transportation costs.  The best thing about this is getting to know someone who actually lives there - it was a great cultural exchange.  The volunteer actually has to pay a nominal annual fee to be part of the service.

Our guide introduced himself in an email, a retired professional with a spouse and grown up family.  He was very helpful in helping us plan our day, pointing out closures, and making reservations for lunch.  He picked us up at our hotel and took us to the various spots on our itinerary and at the end of the day went out of his way to show us the way to Ginza.  

It was another packed day starting with a trip to the Asakusa Visitor Center, a Kengo Kuma building looking down upon the famous Nakamise Shopping Street.  The view from the top was definitely better than the one at street level.  It was insanely packed all the way to the Sensoji Temple - apparently a must-visit for Tokyo visitors.  

View from the top floor of the Asakusa Visitor Center,

The Asakusa Visitor Center designed by Kengo Kuma

Inside the building

The busy crossing to Nakamise Shopping Street

The packed entrance to the Thunder Gate

The even more packed Nakamise Street

Sensoji Temple - the oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo

Younge ladies dressed up for the visit.  There is a shop across from the Temple that rents entire outfits, including accessories for tourists. 

Sukiyaki lunch at the Asakusa Imahan was definitely the highlight of the day.  Delicious food and amazing service!  It was lucky that we had reserved a room because when we arrived at the restaurant, the dining room which doesn't require reservation is completel full and they were not even taking wait lines.

An after lunch stroll along the waterfront allowed a glimpse of the river and the famous Tokyo Skytree Tower and the Asahi flame (nicknamed the "golden turd" for obvious reasons)

The Hamarikyu Gardens yielded a respite from the bustling Asakusa area.  The beautiful Otemon bridge rook us into the gardens with some of its beautifully landscaped areas but also my first encounter with Tokyo wildlife.  The duck pond also has some Canvas backs which I didn't expect to see. 

Otemon Bridge



A brown-eared bulbul - a lifer for me in the most unexpected place, and I didn't even have my birding lens with me!

The Shogun's teahouse surrounded by beautiful Japanese pines.  

A 300 year old pine on the property

Love this window sign in one of the Shogun's lodges

We walked form the Hamarikyu Gardens to Ginza, gawking at all designer houses along the strip.  The Kabuki Theatre was was quite exceptional among all the glitz.  Since the neon lights were not on yet we decided to have an early dinner to beat the crowd at the Chikuyotei Ginza.  The eel dinner was exceptional!  Coming out onto Ginza with its lights turned on was a treat as you can see below.

The Kabuki-za Theatre, the largest in Japan, opened in 1889

Front door of the Theatre

One of many interesting buildings on the Ginza strip

Ginza crossing - you just have to catch it in that 30 seconds before you get run over!

Ginza Crossing when the lights came on

A few of the buildings on the strip that caught my eye...

I was proud to say that we made it back to the hotel on the subway without having to take a taxi.  It was easy, because our Guide had found us the best route among the many options available.  Tokyo is just amazing with so many varied options for transport!  But even more remarkable was how busy and yet pleasant it was even at night.  There were no scary corridors or dangerous platforms to navigate, everything was orderly and calm in spite of the bustle.  Above all, it felt safe! 

Taking the wrong turn coming out of the subway yielded unexpected opportunities for photography.  As the landscape was not familiar, we decided to turn back, but not before taking a few shots!  

This wrapped up our remarkable two days in Tokyo.  In the morning, we negotiated the train station again and made it to Yokohama to catch the boat.  Wish there were more time in Yokohama as it looked interesting.  All I could manage was this night shot of the harbour before we took to sea.

Next stop:  Nagoya

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Saturday, 11 May 2024

Japan in the spring - Nagoya

Nagoya is the first port after Yokohama.  It looks like a busy shipping hub with lots of bridges and cranes all around the port.  I was glad though that the three places we visited on our shore excursion were far from commercial.  

Our first stop was the Tōshō-gū shrine, a small shrine in the Naka area.  It is small compared tot eh Meiji Jingu in Tokyo but it has essentially the same set up - the cleansing fountains, the Tori gates, the amulets and votive tablets.  It is set in a beautiful landscaped garden.  We felt like pros after having gone through all the bows and hands clapping that are part of the shrine visiting etiquette at the Meiji shrine.  

The first tori gate entrance to the shrine

The cleansing fountains

The landscaped garden beside the shrine

A local doing his hand exercises 

I had thought Nagoya Castle would be another castle with fortification and moats.  But it turned out to have some stunning art work in the castle rooms.  The surprise was that the imposing tower that stood out in photos of Nagoya Castle is actually the dungeon.  The castle proper, like most Japanese palaces, are unimposing single level buildings.  It was such a pleasure walking through the living rooms and the reception rooms inside the castle, each decorated with gorgeous murals.

Nagoya castle

The very thick walls of the castle entrance

The main palace all on one level

The entrance to the palace

The rooms were all covered with murals

The hallway leading to the reception rooms

The stunning artwork in the reception rooms

Love this one!

The Shirotori Garden (White bird) is a peaceful Japanese-style garden with koi pond, bamboo grove, springs, streams and a beautiful tea-house.  We enjoyed seeing the different kinds of flowers and trees in the garden, including an unusual spring that creates music.

One of many huge kois in the pond

Our first plum blossom

Pieris

A musical spring - you can hear it play through the bamboo pole

Bamboo grove

Entrance to the garden beside the tea house

The teahouse entrance

Inside the tea house

I was certainly pleasantly surprised by Nagoya, knowing that we had only skimmed the surface of this city in the few hours that we visited.  This was just a foretaste of the many delights yet to come on this trip.

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Catherine AuYeung. Simple theme. Powered by Blogger.

Sunday, 19 May 2024

Japan in the spring - Kochi

Kochi, on the island of Shikoku, seems small enough that I thought we can handle ourselves without joining a shore excursion.  The city has arranged a shuttle to take us into town from where it is a short walk to the main attractions - Kochi Castle, the Museum beside it and the Obiyamachi shopping arcade that would lead us straight to the castle.  Katsurahama Beach, another atrraction, is a bit further away but it is visible from the ship.  

Katsurahama Beach

This open air Obiyamachi arcade with a skylight made with wood has lots of shops and stalls selling local products.  The perfect walkthrough for tourists heading for the castle. - knick-knacks like ceramic chopstick rests, dolls, dried fish among others.

It was a fairly steep climb to get up to the 400 year old castle after walking through the very thick walls at the entrance.  The 17th century castle is much smaller than the one in Nagoya so it did not take long to walk through it.  There is access to the tower via some very steep ladder-like wooden steps so we decided to forego the view from the top as it's not worth the risk of breaking a leg.

This is the second gate at the top of the climb to the castle

This is a side view of the gate tower

Kochi castle like other Japanese castles have some shachihoke on its roof - the protective talisman has the head of a tiger/draagon and the body of a carp.

Carvings inside the castle

The main reception rooms

The main study of the shogun.  The calligraphy on the wall is probably in Kanji which is adapted from Chinese characters.  There is a secret chamber at the back where the shogun's body guard would be stationed ready to come out at a hint of trouble from the shogun's visitors.

View from the castle 

The moat around the castle is now decorative

The History Museum at the foot of the castle yielded surprising photo ops with its spectacular architecture.

On our way back to the ship, we stopped at a local restaurant to try Kochi's most famous local food, katsuo-no-tataki.  It is a dish of skipjack tuna or bonito fish grilled over a straw flame and served seared on the outside and rare in the center.  

The sumptuous set menu complete with bonito bottom centre, salad, soup, tempurar and dessert

The visit to Kochi was pleasant - leisurely and at our own pace.  It was a reassuring start to the rest of the trip where we will be exploring most ports on our own.  

Next stop: Kagoshima

Friday, 24 May 2024

Japan in the spring - Kagoshima

Kagoshima was the first city where we saw the cherry blossom in bloom on this trip.it was such a pretty sight especially after anticipating it for a week.  We saw the cherry blossoms at the Sengan-en Garden, part of the Sengan-en complex, a stately home belonging to the Shimadzu family built since the 17th century.  It is a beautifully landscaped traditional Japanese garden attached to the Shimadzu clan residence.  

Cherry blossom in the Sengan-en garden

Again the Kagoshima city administration offered us a free shuttle from the port to the city centre from where we took a taxi to the garden.  The garden could also be reached via the scenic tram loop but as it was at the far end of the loop, it would take an hour to get there via tram.  Given that the sky was threatening rain, we thought it prudent to get there as soon as possible before the rain started. 

We made the right decision because it started to rain just after we finished touring the beautiful garden and home.  Fellow passengers who took the ship's short excursion to the garden arrived just as we finished and they toured the garden in the rain.   We took the opportunity to go inside the restaurant for lunch to try the famous Kagoshima kurobuta pork (black pig initially bred from Berkshire pigs). 

The entrance gate to the complex

Rhododendrons in the garden

It seems that every Japanese garden has a bamboo grove

The landscaped garden with the essential pond

The gorgeous spring colours extended up the mountain side

Pine trees along the waterfront facing the famous volcano

The famous Sakurajima volcano was shrouded in clouds while we were there so we never saw the top

There are several shrines in the garden but this Cat shrine seems very special

Prayers and wishes left by worshippers for their cats

One of the impressive gates on the property

The layered roofs of the main mansion

Love these knots at entrances!

Inside the mansion

This room with decorative panels of birds opened out onto the garden

Exquisite!

The beauitful central courtyard with its own garden pond - note how the tree inside seemed to extend in harmony with the ones outside

The Master bedroom

The dining room - an interesting mix of Japanese and western furniture for entertaining foreign visitors.

The set menu for the kurobuta pork at the garden restaurant.  The Tankan orange drink on the right was delicious.

The other volcano nearby Kaimondake was less shy - we were able to see its clear conical shape from the ship 

I enjoyed the walk through the Sengan-en gardens very much - there were lots of different kinds of flowers, trails that took us through different levels of the garden, all the time with the lovely spring green of the trees both as backdrop as well as being an essential part of the garden.  It was a very enjoyable visit.

Next port:  Nagasaki

Sunday, 26 May 2024

Japan in the Spring - Nagasaki

Nagasaki was the only port where we had to walk around with an umbrella but only for a part of the morning.  We have been very lucky.  There was no free shuttle so we ventured onto a tram after getting some very helpful instructions from the Tourist Information at the port.  It was a pleasant tram ride, not too crowded and gave us an opportunity to see the locals.  I've noticed that the Japanese ladies are very nicely dressed when they go out,  even in the rain.  

Our main destination was the Nagasaki Peace Park and the adjacent museum.  The Peace Park had some striking memorials as you can see in the photos below.  The park was also nicely landscaped on higher ground that can be reached by a covered escalator.  Some of the memorials were donated from other countries so it was interesting to see how different nations expressed their compassion for the city that was bombed.

Fountain of Peace, the centrepiece

The beautiful floral pathway up to the Peace Park

Memorial to the people who died in the bombing

This memorial was donated by the Czech Republic

Donated by China, the back of the sculpture has the characters that represents "Peace"

Peace statue

This is where all the wishes for peace in the form of strings of origami cranes are hung

View from the Peace Park of Nagasaki with the Immaculate Conception Cathedral 

All toilets we have encountered in Japan are impressively clean - but this one is actually pretty!

Ground zero was marked by this dramatic plaza in between the Peace Park and the Museum. 

The river separated the Park from the Museum

Origami cranes are symbols of peace

What luck to come across a snowy egret beside the river

After the visit we dropped by the renowned Spectacles Bridge on the way back to the port. I was surprised that it actually looked like a pair of spectacles! 

A surprise cormorant drying its wings

Two children and a dragon - not sure about the symbolism behind this statue, but they all seem to have happy faces

A traditional house in between two high rises

Japanese lady in the rain

I have noticed that Japanese restaurant entrances tend to be very decorative. Here are a series of restaurant entrances that caught my eye on the street that ran alongside the river

This looks like a shop selling supplies for cats - with an unusual entrance

Nagasaki Chinatown was our lunch stop.  It was quite busy but we were able to find a table at a fairly large restaurant - food was okay but I still missed Chinese greens!

Chinatown consists of several streets like this one - a lot of reds and golden dragons -  unmistakably Chinese...

It was a short walk from Chinatown back to the ship but on the way, the Nagasaki Art Museum caught my eye.  I lucked out because the Museum happened to be running a retrospective on the well-known Japanese artist Yoshimura Yoshio (1950-2013).  It was an amazing exhibit of the works of this artist known for his awesome pencil drawings - a feast for the eyes.  I can only include a few here but the exhibit included "perfect reproductions of newspapers made by copying every single character by hand, a series of self-portraits made every day for a year, and a ten-meter-long depiction of flowers that could easily be mistaken for a photograph."  It was an unexpected bonus.

Nagasaki Art Museum

Yoshimura Yoshio self-portraits

The 10 metre wisteria painting done with Faber colour pencils and close-up below

Nagasaki waterfront

The ship left Japan to sail to Busan, Korea that night.  Japanese authorities had to come on board to do exit procedure for every single passenger.  And they will come back for re-entry...

Next post:  Busan, Korea

Wednesday, 29 May 2024

Japan in the Spring - Busan (Korea)

It's strange to put this under Japan in the Spring when Busan is actually in Korea..  I kept the heading just to keep everything together.  There seems to be some legality that requires a cruise ship to visit at least one international port during a cruise, in this case, it's Busan.  We joined the ship's shore excursion as it was an early port departure and we didn't want to miss the boat.

Busan looked like a busy international port with loads of cranes, bridges and containers visible on the waterfront.  Our first stop was the temple by the sea - the Haedong Yonggungsa Temple.  It is in a beautiful seaside setting north of Busan.  Our Korean guide spent a lot of time talking about Korean social issues but didn't talk much about this Buddhist temple.  Some of the rooms are quite spectacular as is the seaside it faces.

The Haedong Yonggungsa Temple

The lineup of animals representing the zodiac along the entrance

One of several dazzling chambers

Golden buddha 

Many steps lead to the upper levels 

The essential bamboo grove

The seaside in front of the temple

Our next stop is the Nurimaru APEC House on Dongbaekseom Island, an island of camellia trees.  The round building was the site of the 2005 APEC summit and continues to be used as a memorial hall and conference centre.  It was a nice walk by the sea with a great view of the nearby islands and the Busan skyline in the distance. 

The Nurimaru APEC House

The conference room

This waterfront trail leads to the mermaid statue on the rocks, reminiscent of that other famous mermai in Europe

Eurasian Magpie (another lifer for me!) and camellia flowers on the island

The bus took us back to the city where we were taken to the gigantic fish market - a real eye-opener.  We were rained out for the subsequent tour of the shopping street but it was interesting to see some of the shopping alleys - very Asian in character. 

An incredible variety of shellfish!  These are smaller stalls outside the actual fish market

Inside the actual fish market

The impressive building housing the fish market

Roadside stalls just outside the fish market

The shopping streets - this could be anywhere in Asia!

There is even a star walk

Containers galore

Bridges and cranes dot the waterfront skyline near the port

These look like oyster farms in the harbour

The fireboat gave us a cool farewell display

Port of Busan panorama

This short stop in Busan gave me a first glimpse of Korea - the brief insight into Korean society provided by our chatty guide (identifying social and academic pressures) helped me understand a little better where movies like Parasite and Minari originated from.  

Next post: Hiroshima

Wednesday, 5 June 2024

Japan in the Spring - Miyajima (Hiroshima)

After our stop in Busan, Korea, we had to go through re-entry process again with the Japanese Immigration officials who came on board at Hiroshima.  It took all morning before we could get off the ship, one of the most disappointing moments on this trip.  There wasn't enough time to see everything we planned to see so we had to make a choice - Hiroshima Peace Park or Miyajima and its floating Tori gate.  Since Miyajima was one of the main reasons I joined this tour, the choice was obvious.  We had already seen the Nagasaki Peace Park, while the two are not the same, it would have similar vibes.

We missed the noon ferry from the pier close to where the ship was docked so we took a taxi to the regular ferry to Miyajima.  This particular taxi experience was heart-warming. The driver was so enthusiastic it was an impressive display of the Japanese commitment to doing a good job.  He didn't speak any English but he made an extra effort to communicate with us via Google translate on his phone.  He had suggested we should try going to the closer ferry so we can save on the taxi fare. After I explained why we can't, he took us to the regular ferry 10km away all the while pointing out interesting sights along the way to us.  We knew he didn't do this for a tip as there is no tipping in Japan.  When we got off, he gave us each a candy!  What a lovely encounter!

We arrived at Miyajima just before the tide recedes so we were able to catch the Tori gate while it is still more or less surrounded by water "floating" and not swarmed by people.  You can see the difference in the atmosphere between high and low tides.  The shrine itself is beautiful.  

Miyajima is also famous for its oysters.  We were able to get easily into the famous oyster restaurant Kakiya for lunch because by the time we finish at the shrine, it was almost three o'clock and the regularly long lineups to get in have disappeared.  The set menu lunch had oysters made in several different ways - all fresh and delicious! What a treat!

Just before low tide

Low tide

Viewed from the ferry before the tide completely receded

The Itsukushima Shrine

The long corridors

The essential wine barrels - symbolic offerings to deities and representing the connection between the spiritual and human realms

This is a side pavillion at the shrine - love the mural!

A buddhist temple on the island

Getting aggresive

The town

Kakiya Restsaurant - not to be missed!

Oysters grilled in the shell

Steamed, deep fried, smoked...

Jumbo chestnuts!

This is the high speed boat that took us back to the port - not far from where the ship was docked.

The taxi driver made sure we saw the woman sleeping on top of Miyajima

Oyster farms

We didn't see much of Hiroshima other than from the cab.  It could mean another visit.  And perhaps the Tori gate at sunset...

Next post:  Beppu

Thursday, 13 June 2024

Japan in the Spring - Beppu

I had initially thought there is not much to see in Beppu other than hot springs but was pleasantly surprised to learn that it has a park which is home to some 1500 Japanese wild macaques, a species I have never seen before. TheTakasakiyama Monkey Park is a 15 minute taxi ride from the port so we were able to get there ahead of the feeding time.  It was fun to watch but it was more interesting to watch the monkey dynamics before food comes into the picture -  monkeys at play and the perpetual fur picking that seems to obsess monkeys. As you can see from the photos, the monkey fur looks very clean.

Macaque Monkeys at play

Young one enjoying a quiet moment

A nursing mother & baby

Family portrait

Obsessive fur picking

I found this old guy interesting with his wrinkles - so human-like

            

Our next stop was the "Hells" of Beppu in Kanawa.  The staff at the monkey park were very helpful in interpreting our request to call a taxi and also making sure the taxi driver understands where we had wanted to go.  We made it there just before the long lineups for tickets started. There are seven Hells but we went to only five of them as the other two involves a bit of a hike.  Five was more than enough to satisfy our curiousity and after a while, they all look the same.  

A beautiful pond at the main entrance complete with cherry blossoms

Umi Jigoku: Ocean Hell - a picturesque hell with a green pond and blue pond complete with Tori gate

Tori gates leading to the Hot spring Shrine

Onishibozu Jigoku has these mud bubbles - interesting although not pretty

Cute rock art at the spring

Kamado Jigoku has a blue pond with some beatuiful trees above it and a blood red pond

Demon Mountain Hell has ponds of crocodiles.  Apparently crocodiles have been raised in these 98degree springs for a hundred years

hiraike Jigoku White Pond Hell is surrounded by a lovely garden 

This statue commeorates the monk founder of that "hell"

We were lucky to spot a taxi that had just delivered its load of passengers to the Hells tour so it was a short ride back to the ship.  It was a full day of touring at minimal expense.  We would not have seen as much with an expensive shore excursion from the ship.

Beppu drummers went all out to send the ship off

Next post:  Kyoto

Tuesday, 18 June 2024

Japan in the Spring - Kyoto

We were docked at Kobe for two nights which theoretically would give us lots of time in Kyoto.  Unfortunately there was a stormy sea the night before and the ship arrived more than an hour late at Kobe which threw our tour plans out of whack.  Our booked private tour that was supposed to start at 8am and hopefully missed the rush hour traffic into Kyoto didn't start till close to 10am by which time the roads were packed and it was a long two hour drive into Kyoto.  It was our only day in Kyoto because it coincided with the Easter weekend over peak cherry blossom season and all the guides were booked.  Lesson learned - try not to go to Japan during cherry blossom season.  True, you may get to see the blossoms but it was crowded everywhere and really detracted from the whole experience if cherry blossoms are not the only reason why you are in Japan.

Our first stop was the bamboo forest. The streets leading to the forest were all jam packed, as was the hike into the forest. The bamboo forest was spectacular, as long as you look up and not around you!  

                       

Our guide took us down a rocky slope to hike down to the river in order to avoid the crowds.  It was very peaceful and lovely along the river.  We even encountered a great white egret and a few other shore birds, including what looked like a red-headed duck.

Cherry blossoms out by the river

Egret in breeding plumage foraging on the river

River cruise boats

This is what the streets leading to the bamboo forest looked like

Our second stop is the famous Golden Pavilion Temple (Kinkakuji), a Zen temple.  It was originally the home of a shogun but he wanted it to become a Zen temple after his death.  The top two floors were completely covered by gold leaf.  It was especially golden when caught by the sun.

From the back, the gold leaf is not so obvious because there was no sun on it

This is the hojo, the living quarters of the former head priest beside the pavilion - it has a zen garden on the side

Kyoto Tower 

Our next stop is the Fushimi Inari shrine - the highlight is of course the thousands of red Tori gates.  It was a challenge to get the right frame with a crowd in front but our guide told us to take it on the return trail and it was a good tip.   

Fushimi Inari shrine

Cleansing fountain

The dog is the usually the guardians at Shinto shrines but at Fushimi Inari, they are replaced by foxes 

This is the way up

This was taken on the way down

The exit gate

Our last stop was a visit to the Gion district, Kyoto's famous geisha district.  We were not able to encounter a geisha on her way to work but lots of tourists.

Interesting restaurant entrances

Night view of Kobe port

Thursday, 20 June 2024

Japan in the Spring - Kobe & Osaka

We were docked in Kobe for two days but we never got out to see Kobe as Kyoto and Osaka seemed more interesting.  However we were treated to a performance of Japanese drums while we were in Kobe.  These young Taiko drummers were so energetic with such a great rhythmic sense, it was a totally immersive experience.  The intense pulse of the beats reverberates through our senses - a memorable encounter with a 12,000 year old art form.

The following morning we set out on an adventure to Osaka, testing our wits with the Japanese train system. It turned out to be not a big deal because of the amazingly connected transit system and the helpfulness (once again) of the Japanese locals.  There was a port liner train that stopped right by the Kobe port terminal.  We stepped off the boat into the terminal and onto the train that took us to the train station in Kobe from where we took a train to Osaka.  After hearing me ask another passenger whether we were headed in the right direction to Osaka, a very helpful lady came up to me and shared her screen with me - she had a list of all the stations that we would be passing through before we get to Osaka.  

Commuter fashion...?       

My interest in Osaka was strictly seeing the Dotombori area with its vibrant street life. We didn't have a lot of time as it was an early port departure so we kept an eye on the time to make sure we don't miss the boat.  The area was an eye-opener for us, coming from the staid North American cities we are used to.  Take a look at the images to get a sense of the flamboyant billboards and signage all vying for your attention.

Note the famous crab with moving claws!

An octopus and a dragon...

The noodles in this place must be good - customers slurp their noodles standing up

Long lineups in front of this octopus

The canal runs through the district

Ebisu Tower Ferris Wheel

The must-see must-pose-in-front-of Glico running man sign!  It's been there since 1935 and one of the most well-known landmarks in Osaka.

The designer shopping street

After two weeks in Japan we had our first bowl of soba noodles in this restaurant - I just needed to know that the soba I tasted at home are close to the real thing...it didn't disappoint.

The return trip was smooth - we just did everything in reverse and made it back to port! 

The lit up low building on the left is the terminal for the port liner that took us to the train station.  The deck of the ship is in the foreground - that's how close it was.

Last post:  Shimizu (Mt. Fuji)

Saturday, 22 June 2024

Japan in the Spring - Shimizu

Shimizu has a lot of attractions but it is mainly known for its views of Mt. Fuji.  The mountain would magically appear out of nowhere and also disappear without notice - it is also stunningly beautfiul, no matter how many times one has looked at it.  This means it is the subject of pursuit by tourists - every time it is visible, everyone gawks, never mind what else the guide was pointing out.  

We were lucky to get many views of Mt. Fuji with different foregrounds.  And this post is mainly about this magical mountain, the symbol of Japan and worshipped as sacred.  I did not get iconic shots with reflections or with cherry trees in the foreground but being able to see it and capture shots of it was already a wonderful treat for me.  It rather reminded me of Mt. Rainier in Washington which also habitually appears and disappears, equally elusive and has a haunting presence over the Seattle skyline as does Mt. Fuji over the many cities in Japan from which it can be visible - sometimes.

First sighting from the ship - wish I had remembered that at sunset when I could have seen the sun hit the top right from the ship's deck, but I missed that, much to my regret...

Framed by cherry trees but no blossoms yet...

On the way to the Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine - this is where climbers come to pray before their ascent.  It is known as the protector from natural disasters and easy childbirth.  At the temple, we were lucky to see a wedding, a bride to be with her family and a newborn baby in traditional costumes.  

Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine

Bride and groom in traditional costumers (Photo credit: D. Quon)

And cherry trees in bloom!

A bride to be

A newborn at the shrine for a blessing

Wakutama Pond where climbers would traditionally wash before making the ascent

Our next stop was the splendid pine grove at Miho no Matsubara with its 33,000 pine trees and of course - its view of Fujisan!

Mt. Fuji from the beach at Miho no Matsubara - it was covered by haze when we were there so I was really grateful for the Dehaze feature in Lightroom!

I was also grateful for this serene gentleman sitting in the square at the pine grove

 - with all those prayer beads, no wonder he was serene...

The small Miho Shrine and its Tori Gate

The waterfront at Shimiu with its many modern silos and the obligatory ferris wheel

Shimizu was the last port before we made our final docking back at Yokohama.  It was a lovely two weeks in charming Japan, certainly a place I would return to, perhaps one autumn for its famously gorgeous fall colours.  Thank you for coming along on the trip.

Meanwhile, on to the next adventure...