We decided we just couldn’t leave this part
of the world without getting a little taste of Japan. Air Asia meant we could get to Osaka cheaply
but we knew it was going to be expensive once we landed. So, for once, we didn’t use every minute of a
week’s holiday but only went away for 5 nights – that was expense enough! So how much more expensive was it going to be
compared to Malaysia? What we usually
spend in a week in KL was going to be our daily budget in the land of the
rising sun. Did we come back skint? As
well as spending way too much money, Steve was also wondering if a northern lad
could avoid upsetting the locals in the prim and proper land of Japan. He was
worried about accidentally head butting someone with all that bowing!
Kyoto
As we came in to land we could see Osaka
spread out along the coast – it’s a big city to say the least. Kansai International Airport was as clean and
efficient as you would expect but what surprised us was how empty it was. We’d just landed in a city that is home to
millions so where on earth were they all hiding? We found the correct ticket office from which
to buy a JR West Rail Pass as Steve had read that it would save us a few
bob. It cost Y2000 and is only valid for
a day; however, we saved Y980 each on our single journey from Kansai to
Kyoto. Our train pulled into the station
early but we weren’t allowed to board before the already immaculate train was
given another spruce up. We pulled out
bang on time and trundled through the seeming never ending suburbs of
Osaka. In fact we never did spot an
obvious stretch of green land and felt that Kyoto is basically an extension of
Osaka. We quickly got the underground
sussed and found our guesthouse just as it was getting dark.
We’d expected everyone in Japan to be super
polite so were a little surprised to find there was no one at the guesthouse to
meet us – just a note telling us to check in.
The trouble was we couldn’t work out which was our room and we were
hungry. So we lugged our bags back down
the street looking for a likely spot in which to eat. Easier said than done when you don’t read
Japanese and everywhere is behind closed doors.
We eventually found a noodle place and the guy who worked in there had
enough English to tell us what the dishes were and how to order. This was a waiter free zone so you had to
order and pay for your meal via a machine.
It wasn’t a vending machine and the food was actually cooked fresh
behind the central counter. Meanwhile
back at the guesthouse someone had arrived and duly showed us the room and
other facilities and gave us lots of information about things to do in Kyoto. Steve managed to upset the owner straight
away by taking off his shoes on the steps, which were deemed to be inside the
house, oopps! Aoi-so Inn proved
to be a good choice for a taste of Japanese life as the place is converted from
a private home and is immaculately clean.
There were tatami mats, paper walls, thin sleeping mattresses, legless
chairs, slippers and bonsai trees galore!
We would recommend the place as by Kyoto standards it was good value and
we were in a lovely quiet district. We
were north of the central city area but within striking distance of the
transport system.
In actual fact we used the train very
little as walking around was so pleasant with all the roads having wide
pavements. Plus it’s a good way to see
smaller older streets to give you a clearer picture of how Kyoto looked before
it got a modern make-over. Being north
of the city also meant we were near some of the main attractions that were on
our list of must sees. There are so many
shrines and temples to visit that we decided to prioritise and to mix up the
day with other sites. We were also
careful to have just one ‘pay per view’ wonder each day otherwise we had
visions of our budget disappearing way too quickly. To be honest just wandering from one port of
call to the next throws up some lovely free treats. Many of the lesser shrines and temples are
not only free but empty; leaving you to enjoy them at leisure. With everywhere being so well organised there
is always a sign telling you about where you are and how it fits into Kyoto’s
history.
Day 1
Our main aim of the day was to visit
Kinkakuji-cho or Golden Pavilion and at Y500 (RM20) we hoped it was a good
choice. It really was lovely and even
though it was cloudy we got a good view of the gold leaf covered roofs
reflected in the water. The gardens were
immaculate but because it is one of the main places to visit it was very
busy. The crowds weren’t really a
problem, as no one was being loud or generally getting in the way, but it meant
that you had to shuffle along in a queue.
From there we made our way back towards town and popped into Shakuzoji
Temple along the way. This proved to be
an inspired little find – free and people-less with this one’s gimmick being it
was the nail removing temple. Next stop
was the Imperial Palace Grounds that were again empty and made a smashing spot
for a brew we’d picked up from a nearby convenience store. With having the use of a kitchen in the
guesthouse we decided to go self-catering for breakfast and lunch to leave more
in the kitty for evenings.
Following a rest – well we’d already walked
a fair distance – we set off in the direction of Nishiki Market. Another shrine caught our eye along the way
so we popped in. The market was very
interesting and so very different from the umpteen markets we’ve been in over
the years. All the produce was
beautifully presented; though of course there was an over reliance and usage of
plastic in many cases. We had no idea
what the majority of the goods were but the traders were doing brisk
business. Even though most of it didn’t
look particularly appealing to us, looking at food was making us feel peckish
so we carried on to Maruyama Park for our picnic.
It turned out the park was part of a temple
complex; almost like a stylish Buddhist theme park. With this being Japan it was far from tacky
but we’d found the tourists again. I
should point out that 95% of the tourists we saw were Japanese and then about
80% of those were school children. The
obvious language barrier means you are never asked if you want to buy
something. In fact no one bats an eyelid
and you are free to wander at will. By
now we were south of the central city area so decided to carry on down to
Fushimi-Inari-Taisha which is to be found on most of the top ten must see
lists. It proved to be a huge shrine set
in natural woodland with loads of paths meandering through it. The main route through this extensive shrine area
consists of a pathway lined with huge bright orange gates. There are all manner of sized gates dotted
around so we can only assume that the bigger they are the greater the donation
that has been placed. This was our
favourite place of the day (not just because it was free!) but because it was
set in a lovely, peaceful, natural setting and the gates made it very different
from other places of worship we’ve seen.
We realised that we were running out of
time and it would be getting dark so jumped on the train back to the Gion
district. Once there we tracked down a
student bar (A-bar) that we’d read about for an almost affordable beer. In fact we tried some of their snacks too but
it would have cost a fortune to buy enough to feel full. Another little place also had some specials
on so we grabbed something to eat. It
wasn’t the most successful foray into trying Japanese food and we weren’t
particularly comfortable being cooped up indoors. It turned out that the best option was to
grab a couple of beers from the vending machine, find a bench and get on with
some serious people watching. We also
reflected on just how far we’d walked and all we’d done and seen. We realised it was time to get back, lie down
and recharge our batteries for the next day.
Day 2
Today’s main attraction was a double-header
where we would start at Ginkakuji Temple and end at Nanzenji Temple with the
bonus of walking along the Path of Philosophy that joins them. Once again we’d mapped out the route we would
walk and of course stumbled upon some little gems along the way. Not least of which were the lovely
neighbourhoods we walked through. It’s
great to know that you can’t accidentally wandered into a less than savoury
area and so reassuring to know that you’ll be safe regardless of which lane you
choose to amble down. First stop was
Kangaan, a vegetarian temple that had a nice collection of Buddha statues in
the garden. We then popped in to take a
look at Jojenji Temple whose claim to fame was an old wooden Buddha; not to
mention the fact that the place dates back to 863! Shimogano Shrine also managed to attract our
attention with its huge orange gate-way and beautiful wooden halls. There were some rather splendid gold lanterns
hanging up under the eaves too.
Our route took us through the University
area where there were of course loads of places advertising good deals on food
– we vowed to return that evening. As we
approached the wonder we found ourselves walking along a pretty canal and I
happened to peer into the water to see if there were any fish but instead spied
a snake. We’d not expected to see any
wildlife this holiday so it came as a lovely surprise. Our friend slithered out of a pipe, went for
a bit of a swim and then investigated the canal walls for something to eat.
Ginkakuji or Silver Temple wasn’t silver
and the pathway to the top of the hill for views of the city was closed. A bit of a let- down really especially as
we’d forked out the Y500 each again. To
be fair I don’t think the temple ever claimed to be covered in silver; they
just chose a name in keeping with its golden friend across the city. This site was just as popular as the other
and once again we shuffled round in a long queue. It wasn’t our favourite ‘must see’ but the
gardens were amazing - just as clipped and trimmed as all those images you’ve
ever seen. After a while though it all
seems too perfect and I took great pleasure upon seeing a leaf out of place!
The walk down Tetsugaku-no-michi (Path of
Philosophy) was fantastic as it followed the canal, was leafy, green, natural
and quiet along its full length. In fact
it turned out to be the highlight of the day.
Nanzen-ji Temple at the end of the walk was also very enjoyable as, like
the one we hiked out to yesterday, it was set in extensive, natural
woodland. This place’s extra quirk was a
cave you could walk to and we duly did.
It wasn’t very big and in fact we didn’t bother going in but sitting
under the trees listening to the birds was a lovely respite from pounding the
streets. Our last port of call was
Arashiyama; a bamboo grove on the west side of the city. This is a great spot where you literally walk
along a path lined with tall bamboo.
There are other walks in the area but by this point we’d yet again
walked for miles and miles so we; had a quick look in the pond and were
delighted to see some huge frogs, popped down to have a look at the river and
hopped on a train back to the guesthouse.
We needed to give our weary feet a rest as
we were determined to go back to the University area and we knew it was not
covered by the train network. The area
we were staying in was very close to one of the rivers that flow through Kyoto
so we broke up the journey sitting watching the sunset over the hills. It wasn’t a spectacular sunset but it was
great to see just how close the hills are to the city. I enjoyed watching the egrets, herons and
kites too. That evening’s meal was much
more successful and Steve finally got to try sushi. Surprisingly there was something noodle and
chicken based for me so I didn’t have to resort to eating plain rice! It was quite a walk to save a few bob but
worth it as the restaurant was cosy and welcoming and the food great.
Day 3
I think you’ve got the idea by now that we
were spending our time on foot exploring Kyoto as much as possible and popping
in to the odd wonder and sight along the way.
Today wasn’t so much different other than we’d be going to a village
outside the city. We took a different
route towards the river so we could pop in to have a look at Kamigoryo Shrine
with its most impressive gate. We walked
along the river towards the station where we caught the train to Kurama about a
30min journey out of the city. As luck
would have it the train that pulled in was the panorama train with full length
windows and seats facing out. This time
we did notice green land between the city and the village and the train chugged
its way up a forested area. I’m sure
this journey is spectacular in the cherry blossom season and amazing during
autumn but we were happy with lots of green and trees very different from our
familiar jungles.
Our walk started at Kuranadera Temple, very
near the train station and we were headed up and over the hill to the
neighbouring village, Kibune where there was another smaller shrine to visit. The path itself once again wends its way
through a temple complex set within magnificent woodlands. We had more orange gates lining stepped paths
and the now almost familiar shrines and lanterns along the way. The added gimmick this time was the
long-nosed goblins(!) but for us the towering, massive cedars were the added
bonus. The pretty little village of
Kibune was dominated by restaurants set up on bamboo platforms over the river
at this time of year. I’m sure it makes
a great setting for a meal but the prices were way too steep for us. To be honest I got the feeling that the
village felt it had to come up with some way to attract tourists during the
summer i.e. in between the spring blossoms and autumn colours that attract
people in their droves. As attractive as
the restaurants looked it meant we couldn’t see the river. Luckily the station is a little way down the
hill from the village so we found somewhere on the river bank to have that all
important picnic. The trains go hourly and
we almost missed one as I spotted another snake.
We didn’t want to get back too late as we’d
pencilled in a mosey round the Gion district later that afternoon. However, we still had time to fit in one more
thing on our walk back from the station to the guesthouse – the Botanical
Gardens. We didn’t spend ages in there
looking at every blade of grass and leaf but enjoyed the bonsai tree collection
and the iris garden. Plus it made a nice
detour on the walk back instead of just sticking to the main roads.
Walking everywhere, making breakfast in the
guesthouse and taking a picnic with us every day meant that we were well within
budget so we decided to go and enjoy our last night in Kyoto. First we tried an ex-pat pub, The Pig and
Whistle which was fine and had a good meal and pint deal. We’re not huge fans of Japanese food but there’d
been certain things we, especially Steve, had wanted to try. We decided that we’d pretty much exhausted
the list and a burger would hit the spot very nicely thank you. As night was falling we went to have a look
at the Gion district. I don’t know if we
hit the wrong time, wrong day or simply got the whole idea of the place wrong
but it was empty and lifeless. We
thought it would be a night-time place and regretted that we’d not had a proper
look round on the first day as it looked lovely. Oh well, you can’t win them all.
We had a bit of a mooch round the area
anyway as it was still quite early and stumbled upon an open-fronted locals’
bar. It turned out to be far cheaper
than anywhere else we’d tried (other than the vending machines and supermarkets!)
and was friendly and welcoming. In the
end we got chatting to some ex-pats who were fluent in Japanese and with their
help talked to a couple of locals too.
It ended up being a fun night but we probably didn’t need that last
beer! Not that it was going to stop us
being up and at’em the next morning as we had to pack our bags and move on to
Nara. We’d thoroughly enjoyed our brief
stay in Kyoto and managed to fit in an immense amount of stuff. The weather was fantastic every day and
although there were crowds at the main shrines and temples we found Kyoto
quiet, easy and pleasant to walk around with great public transport for when we
needed it.
Even just going to Kyoto station turned out
to be a bit of an activity too. We’d
read that you can go onto the roof of the station for views of the city so
thought we’d go and have a look. It took
ages to find the way up to the top but we were glad we did although the weather
had turned and it was very hazy.
Nara
As we arrived at Nara station it was
actually raining but we weren’t going to let that stop us. The ladies at the information counter were
very helpful and we were soon armed with a map and directions for our
guesthouse. So we plunged into the
drizzle and sure enough were soon at Nara
Komachi Guesthouse which proved to be a smashing find by the boy
Steven. It was half the price of Kyoto
but with all the same facilities and the added bonus of a proper bed and chairs
with legs! We were way too early to
check in so left our bags and set off to be tourists once more.
By the time we’d meandered our way into
town we were peckish so tried a Japanese curry dish. Little did we know just how big the set meal
was going to be so ended up stuffed. Still
it was good value but it was too late for us to learn that sharing these set
meals could have been the way to go. To
be honest with the weather being so good and it being so easy to find somewhere
nice to sit I don’t think we’d have changed the picnic option. By now it was time to do the day’s
sightseeing and I know you’re not going to be surprised to hear that temples
and shrines were involved! In fact
people only really go to Nara to visit its huge temple complex although I have
to say that wandering Nara’s narrow streets was good too.
We first looked at Kofukuji Temple that
comprises of a 3 and a 5 story pagoda – built in the style which we’d thought
we’d have seen more of. These were very
impressive especially when you consider how old they are and the workmanship that
has gone into them. The main wonder is
Todaji Temple but that afternoon it was mobbed with coach load upon coach load
of school children so we gave it a miss.
However, we did go back the following morning and were very glad we did
as it was most impressive. Its claim to
fame is it’s the largest wooden building in the world. I have to say it is rather grand in terms of
scale and architecture and even more amazing is the fact that it is a third of
the size it used to be due to fire or woodworm.
Plus the massive Buddha statue inside was well worth a gander at.
The best thing about this temple complex is
there are wild deer roaming around.
Obviously many of them have become very used to people and will approach
you – particularly if you’re carrying a packet of deer crackers. I don’t normally like feeding wild animals
but these are special crackers and the deer are free so they are choosing to
partake in these tasty snacks. Yes – I
had to feed some! We decided to try to
lose the crowds and once again it proved to be easy. We walked towards Kasuga Taisha Shrine up a
path lined with old stone lanterns and from there we found a quiet woodland
path. There were some nice little
streets to mooch down so we did and realised we were following the signs for Fuku-in
Temple. So of course we popped in to
have a look and then returned to the park, past the lake and back into town.
We finally checked in at 4 o’clock and
enjoyed lying on a bed for an hour or so listening to the rain – how about that
for perfect timing?! It was our last
night in Japan and Steve had yet to satisfy his curiosity and taste sake. So once the rain eased we set off on this
quest. As luck would have it we stumbled
upon just the right place round the corner from the guesthouse. It wouldn’t go down as one of our favourite
drinks and I’d happily never have it again but it wasn’t as potent as we
thought it might be. That said you’d be
falling over if you polished off an entire bottle – they’re huge!
Osaka
We didn’t really want to spend much time in
a big city but thought we should have a look so spent the last afternoon taking
in the centre of Osaka. With limited
information in our guide book we didn’t want to stray too far and the main
attraction didn’t sound that great compared to all we’d seen. Unfortunately we got on the wrong train and
ended up having to pay more when the ticket inspectors came round. We tried the dumb tourist option but it
didn’t work – to be fair to us we could only see one machine from which to buy
tickets and jumped on a train with our destination written on. Most of the time there was enough English to
ensure we didn’t make this kind of mistake but this one caught us out. We’re obviously not the first as the
inspector had a laminated note, written in English, in his pocket explaining
our mistake. More information before
boarding would be a better plan we thought.
Anyway it didn’t blow the budget so we
could still enjoy our last afternoon knowing that we would just have enough
time to see the neon being turned on before we had to head to the airport. Having stowed the bags in a locker it was
time to explore. We certainly found
people and noise; it made us realise just how quiet everywhere else had been. Steve thought he’d read something about a
boat tour on the river running through town so we went to investigate. Not only was it a very short tour and went to
places within easy walking distance it seemed very expensive – we gave it a
miss. We actually walked the length of the
tour and couldn’t really see what you’d gain from being on a boat. Granted there was commentary but since it was
all in Japanese that would have been lost on us. Plus we didn’t spot any obviously
interesting, old or historic buildings to talk about / photograph. We literally just wandered the streets round
the main area, grabbed our last noodle dish, tried some street food and sat on
a step people watching. It was good
watching the night set in and the bright lights being turned on; I have to say,
hand on heart, big cities aren’t for us.
General observations
- It really
is as polite a society as you’d expect – even restaurants are closed in
with small windows.
- No one
wears cycle helmets which was a surprise in an otherwise highly safety
conscious nation. Even the hedge
trimmers had all the protective gear and safety equipment.
- Plus
everyone cycles down the pavement – why they have to do that in a country
where the roads are fantastic and quiet I really don’t know. At times walking down the road would
have been preferable!
- Everywhere
you go things are binging and bonging at you; traffic lights, zebra
crossings, entering shops, train doors etc, etc, etc. It got a tad annoying.
- In
contrast to here in Malaysia the food is not too salty or oily and the air
conditioning is not set to sub-zero.
Oh yeah – the loos are spotless but we never worked out what all
the buttons were for!
- Yes it’s
very expensive but you can have a good time if you watch the yen and find
cheaper options. We actually
returned to KL with about a third of our budget intact.
- We had a
fantastic time and were very glad that we’d pushed the boat out to gain an
experience of such a different country and culture. Our last holiday in Asia? South America here we come……
