Kyoto

Once our rail pass ran out, we decided to explore our base town of Kyoto. Kyoto is a fairly large city, and it took us several days to explore the different neighborhoods. The first day we went to downtown Kyoto, which is the main shopping district of the city. The main streets Shijo-Dori and Sanjo-Dori are lined with large department stores and small boutiques selling clothing, tea pots, fans, chopsticks, and other specialty items. The Japanese are very fashionable, and the shops both carried traditional clothing and the latest runway fashions. You could find all the major American clothing stores, plus some local shops which used traditional Japanese fabrics. One store in particular caught my fancy. It was called Raak and was filled with hand-dyed Japanese fabric. The scarves came in different sizes and could be folded and tied to create purses, bottled water holders, gift wrapping, etc. I decided to purchase one and went into the store ready to buy. Unfortunately, the store clerks were less than thrilled. English is not widely spoken in Japan, and I don’t speak Japanese. As soon as I walked into the store, the clerks ran in the opposite direction and an intense discussion began over who was going to have to help me. Finally a girl timidly walked over and helped me choose a scarf. It was a bizarre feeling, walking into a shop and feeling like a leper. In most countries the tourists are welcomed with open arms for the revenue that they generate. Japan, though incredibly beautiful, is not particularly tourist friendly. I don’t expect people to speak English, and I always try to learn at least a few phrases in the local language, but Japan was a struggle.

Another day we did a walk around the area known as Southern Higashiyama. This part of the city is older and has some beautiful traditional architecture. There are winding cobblestone paths and a couple of beautiful shrines. It wasn’t uncommon to see women dressed in the traditional kimono walking the streets completing their daily errands.

The shrines in this area are amazing. They sit on the edge of the city, and walking through the gates you feel as though you are transported miles away. All at once you find yourself in a peaceful environment surrounded by nature. They are always crowded with tourists and locals, but the feeling of serenity is stronger than the push of the crowds.

We also used our days in Kyoto to sample some traditional Japanese dishes. Ramen noodles were a favorite, and were much better than the Top Ramen that I lived off of in college. Tempura was tasty, and of course there was the sushi. For a quick lunch we found a local restaurant that served inexpensive bento box lunches. The only thing that we were not a fan of was soba noodles. I love pasta, but the soba noodles, made from buckwheat, just tasted too much like health-food for my taste. The thing that surprised me the most about the food here was the lack of vegetables. At home, Japanese food is a lot of steamed vegetables, whereas in Japan, the food was mostly meat and rice or noodles. Vegetables were rarely seen and were expensive to add. Even at the grocery store, you were unlikely to see the wide selection of produce that is available to American consumers.

After ten days in Kyoto, it was time to head to Tokyo. We had an early flight on Japan Airlines, and left our apartment at 5 am to catch the train that would take us from Kyoto to Kansai International Airport. Unfortunately, we didn’t realize that the subway in Kyoto doesn’t start running until 6. We walked out to find the streets deserted and no trains running. Nothing like running 2 km with 16 kg of weight on your back to wake you up! We arrived out of breath and just in time. It was off to Tokyo!