Japan Days 3 & 4: Kyoto
Kyoto is revered as one of the few remaining examples of traditional Japanese culture, in that there are a huge number of shrines, temples, palaces, and gardens that date back to at least the 9th century. The city served as the capital of Japan for more than a thousand years, ending in the mid-19th century when the title was transferred to Tokyo. There's so much to see in this city, and the history of the country so complex, and the Buddhist and Shinto sects represented by the temples and shrines so numerous, that I quickly gave up trying to tie everything together into one big coherent picture. Instead, I just tried to understand and appreciate each individual site for what it was.
The plethora of Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples is overwhelming; there are more than 2000 of them in Kyoto alone. While the architecture is largely the same, the contrast of the aesthetics of Japanese Buddhist temples with those of Korea is stark: whereas the former are almost exclusively made of muted white, brown, or black painted wood or tiles, the latter tend to be much more colorful and vibrant. Buddhist temples in general mesmerize me; their entire being seems to encapsulate and exude calm and tranquility, which seems ironic (or essential?) considering the intensely jarring potential of truly understanding Buddhist teachings. The more of them I see, and observe, and soak in, the more I feel that there is a definite place for this kind of environment in my future. I've been well aware for some time that I could - and should? - benefit immensely from the kind of disciplined introspection and self-realization that Buddhist teachings strive to impart and attain. For now, though, the question is simply - when?
Anyway, Kyoto is packed with far too many amazing sights to describe with any degree of justice, so I won't even bother trying. It's a big city, and we only had time to see the city center and north- and southwest areas. Aside from temples and shrines, highlights included the introspection-inducing, closed-to-traffic, kilometer-long Tetsugaku-no-michi (Path of Philosophy), which winds along a canal among cherry trees; the Gion district, known for geisha sightings and associated closed-to-outsiders entertainment establishments; Nishiki Market, a huge food market where you can find everything from fresh fish to doughnuts to green-tea-everything; the multiple arcades full of shops; and Ponto-cho, the ritzy but beautiful area along a waterway, full of restaurants that generally "prefer Japanese customers" by not bothering to translate any of their menus or signs outside.
I feel as if I'm only appreciating Kyoto properly now, in retrospect. While there, we were trying to get up early and see as many sites as possible before our curfew of 11PM - set by the nice old lady who ran the ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) where we were staying. Because Ladan had the Lonely Planet Japan book with her, and she was in Japan a week before I arrived, I didn't have much chance to study up on what we'd be seeing ahead of time. At the end of each day, we'd come back and look through the book, deciding what to see the next day.
Now that I'm back, though, and looking through the pictures, and projecting myself back into how I felt while there - well, aside from the sweat and aching feet - I'm fully realizing how much fun it all was. Having so many amazing things to see no matter which way you turn, or which metro stop you get off at, is just blissfully enjoyable. I suppose it's not hard to feel that way in contrast to my average uninspired working day back here in the US; but it's more than that. Now I have time to research some of the places we went on the internet, and it's been fascinating to read more of the background behind the cities, towns, shrines, and temples that we visited.
Kyoto, although being a large, modern, busy city, has an enormous number of areas that really do feel as if they haven't changed in a thousand years. You can almost forget that Tokyo or Osaka even exists, and convince yourself that this is the Imperial Japan of long ago. It's an incredible experience.
The plethora of Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples is overwhelming; there are more than 2000 of them in Kyoto alone. While the architecture is largely the same, the contrast of the aesthetics of Japanese Buddhist temples with those of Korea is stark: whereas the former are almost exclusively made of muted white, brown, or black painted wood or tiles, the latter tend to be much more colorful and vibrant. Buddhist temples in general mesmerize me; their entire being seems to encapsulate and exude calm and tranquility, which seems ironic (or essential?) considering the intensely jarring potential of truly understanding Buddhist teachings. The more of them I see, and observe, and soak in, the more I feel that there is a definite place for this kind of environment in my future. I've been well aware for some time that I could - and should? - benefit immensely from the kind of disciplined introspection and self-realization that Buddhist teachings strive to impart and attain. For now, though, the question is simply - when?
Anyway, Kyoto is packed with far too many amazing sights to describe with any degree of justice, so I won't even bother trying. It's a big city, and we only had time to see the city center and north- and southwest areas. Aside from temples and shrines, highlights included the introspection-inducing, closed-to-traffic, kilometer-long Tetsugaku-no-michi (Path of Philosophy), which winds along a canal among cherry trees; the Gion district, known for geisha sightings and associated closed-to-outsiders entertainment establishments; Nishiki Market, a huge food market where you can find everything from fresh fish to doughnuts to green-tea-everything; the multiple arcades full of shops; and Ponto-cho, the ritzy but beautiful area along a waterway, full of restaurants that generally "prefer Japanese customers" by not bothering to translate any of their menus or signs outside.
I feel as if I'm only appreciating Kyoto properly now, in retrospect. While there, we were trying to get up early and see as many sites as possible before our curfew of 11PM - set by the nice old lady who ran the ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) where we were staying. Because Ladan had the Lonely Planet Japan book with her, and she was in Japan a week before I arrived, I didn't have much chance to study up on what we'd be seeing ahead of time. At the end of each day, we'd come back and look through the book, deciding what to see the next day.
Now that I'm back, though, and looking through the pictures, and projecting myself back into how I felt while there - well, aside from the sweat and aching feet - I'm fully realizing how much fun it all was. Having so many amazing things to see no matter which way you turn, or which metro stop you get off at, is just blissfully enjoyable. I suppose it's not hard to feel that way in contrast to my average uninspired working day back here in the US; but it's more than that. Now I have time to research some of the places we went on the internet, and it's been fascinating to read more of the background behind the cities, towns, shrines, and temples that we visited.
Kyoto, although being a large, modern, busy city, has an enormous number of areas that really do feel as if they haven't changed in a thousand years. You can almost forget that Tokyo or Osaka even exists, and convince yourself that this is the Imperial Japan of long ago. It's an incredible experience.
posted by GregP at 11:51 PM
2 Comments:
How expensive is Japan if you're traveling w/ dollars?
On average I'd say that everything is 10-20% more expensive than here. For example, a week-long Japan Rail pass (for tourists only) is about $280, which seems expensive until you add up all the individual trips you might make over a week and see that it's a good deal.
We lucked out since Ladan's plane ticket and hotel in Nagoya were paid for by Intel, so in the end it was a relatively cheap vacation for us. Four nights in the ryokan came out to $260; average metro ride is $3; average meal is maybe $12.
Post a Comment
<< Home