Kyoto is a serene and magical place - the storehouse of most of Japan’s traditional culture. There are 17 Unesco World Heritage sites in Kyoto alone (not that we were able to see them all) and there are more than 1600 Buddhist temples and over 400 Shintō shrines (which we definitely did not see all of). It is where the Japan that we all think of in our imaginations (unless we are immediately drawn to the bright lights of Tokyo). There are raked pebble zen gardens, gorgeous bamboo forests, trees that in winter whistle in the breeze and in the autumn burst into a kaleidoscope of oranges and bronzes, whilst in the spring they come alive with pink cherry blossom. There are hidden temples, flowing streams, wooded mountains, striking geisha tottering in wooden slippers and a sure sense of peace in the air. As a town itself it is a delight, where the people are as friendly as can be and the food as delicious as possible. There is plenty to do in the centre, with excellent shopping and a few sites, as well as the incredible old districts where Geisha spotting is all in an evening’s entertainment. They are truly incredible to see, like something out of a movie. There are only about 800 modern day Geisha in the country left, so spotting not one, but three was a thrill for me. It sounds silly to get so excited about seeing one but when you think about their lives and the work that goes into looking the way that they do, it is really quite something. They spend years learning how to be the perfect companions (now for business men though once for Samuri and generals) learning to dance, sing, tell jokes, serve tea and alcohol is a graceful way We spent several early evenings in the old district of Gion just wandering up and down amid the bamboo fronted teahouses (ochaya), restaurants and traditional residences (machiya) dating from the late Edo period (around the 1800’s) to see if we could spot any geisha or maiko (apprentice geisha).
We had over a week in Kyoto but used it as a base to visit some nearby cities as well such as Hiroshima, Osaka, Nara and Hikone, as well as return to Tokyo for the Sumo! Bosh! In that time we stayed in three different place, first off was a little youth hostel in a dorm, then the rather more upmarket Westin Kyoto (where all the dignatories stay when they are in town) and then finally to a small hotel with Japanese style rooms and shared bathrooms, which I still just love!
We started off with a days’s bussing and walking to take in some of the closer sights including the Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavillion) and Daitokuji Temple (Zen Gardens). The Kinkakuji Temple was truly a site to behold, especially on such a sunny day when the glorious gold building was reflected in the silvery waters of the pond. Everything is so serene and delicate and a world away form the craziness of Tokyo. This is the Japan I dreamed of (minus the cherry blossom - oh well we can always come back!) Everything has its place, everything is perfectly created and positioned with peace and simplicity in mind. The Daitokuji Temple and Zen Gardens was another haven of tranquility amongst a huge complex of temples. The gardens were painstakingly perfect, raked everyday, with rocks and stones positioned with accuracy for specific meanings. One of the walkways around the main central room was what is called a Nightingale Floor, which has been created to “sing” (basically squeak) specifically when you walk in certain places in order to prevent intruders. Apparantly a few important old Japanese buildings such as castles and temples would have these as well as secret hideouts where Samuri could jump out of the ceiling to attack intruders.
Our next day, we moved to the Westin and headed out on a walk to wherever! We started off trudging in the rain up to the hotel’s garden viewpoint which was pretty spectacular over the city and countryside and then simply headed into the woods, where we walked without seeing anyone, through the rain and in and amongst temples and shrines. We headed further towards the mountains and in true us form walked massively further than we ever intended getting utterly lost but finding Buddhist schools, observatories and baseball teams in training along the way. We ended up walking for about 8 hours as we just couldn’t get distances correct and people kept giving us a million different directions. We wanted to end the day at the famous Fushimi Inari, and the walk there took us past numerous other temples and shrines and famous houses as well as the loveliest and cheapest little sushi place (which we would never refind as we were totally lost!) After literally hours of walking and threats to turn back we finally found it and were relieved to see that it was totally worth the crazy walk to get there.
Fushimi Inari Shrine is the most famous of several thousands of shrines dedicated to Inari throughout Japan. We had read that it had lots of Torri (entrance gates to holy areas) but were simply unprepared for just how many there were - literally thousands of orange and black gates to walk through, winding past smaller temples and shrines. Inari is the Shinto god of rice, and foxes are thought to be his messengers, therefore there were countless fox statues amongst the shrines. We must have walked for about two hours through the gates, though we in no way passed through all the Toriis as they were scattered in all directions. After all that walking, if ever we deserved a delicious noodle dinner and warm communal bath, tonight was the night! Thank goodness we seem to be lucking out with always getting the bathrooms to ourselves.
Next day it was off to Nara, the ancient capital of Japan from 710 to 784. We had come here to see some of the old town, walk through the countryside and enjoy the tame deer that rome through the town and park but we didn’t expect quite the amount of deer that there were or just how tame they were! According to the legendary history of Kasuga Shrine, a mythological god Takemikazuchi arrived in Nara on a white deer to guard the newly built capital of Heijo-kyo. Since then the deer were regarded as heavenly animal to protect the city and the country and now they are great fun, nudging you for food and roaming at free around the district. Nara is home to some incredible temple and shrine complexes. The Kasuga Shrine has hundreds of lanterns surrounding it which when lit up would like mind blowing; the Kōfuku-ji temple is home to a giant bronze Buddha and the Nigatsudo Temple afforded us breathtaking sunset views over the district.
After Nara we spent a day in nearby Hikone, taking in one of the country’s best preserved castles. Built over almost 20 years from 1603 to 1622 it escaped demolishion at the start of the Meiji period in 1868, only at the hands of the emperor himself, who ordered it to be kept intact, making it one of the oldest original-construction castles in Japan. There isn’t much inside of it - no old furnishings or such but as a structure it is quite magnificent and Stuart and I have noted a few design points for the house one day we will build! Walking around the old town we also stumbled across a lovely newly built area that Stuart fell in love with. So whilst he snapped away at the new buildings I found myself a couple of vintage kimonos to send home and then we bought some rather dubious sweets to try including what turned out to be jellyfied sweet beans and another green sticky gooey something or other!
Kyoto is just an hour or so away from Hiroshima and so we visited for a day to take in the museum and commemorative sites. As a city it is an energetic and happy place that doesn’t forget its past but which has moved on quickly and progressively. It also serves up one of our favourite dishes - okonomiyaki. Apparantly the city is home to over 2,000 okonomiyaki restaurants. The specialty is prepared by spreading a mixture of flour and water onto a griddle and adding bean sprouts, sliced cabbage, meat, egg, and noodles in to the thin pancake. Delicious! Of course though, no visit to the city is a visit if you do not get an understanding of the atomic bomb that decimated the city in 1945. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum was an incredibly moving experience and one that I would not want to revisit. It wasn’t a museum that went on a rant against the USA it simply told the story of what happened and implored everyone to fight against any future atomic and nuclear bombs. The images, displays and stories were incredibly hard to look at and read and visiting the other sites including the Children’s Memorial (after a girl who subsequently fought and lost her battle with Lukemia as a result of the bomb) and the A Bomb Domb, were also very hard to visit but it gets you thinking pretty hard about what happened and about what is happening right now. It is terrifying to think of the damage that can be done with bombs we are creating in this day and age.
But on to happier visits we enjoyed whilst staying in Kyoto...Sumo - bosh bosh bosh! What an awesome day and well worth the six hour return train journey we took to get there! I was a little bit worried that i really wasn’t going to be that interested or that after a short while I would be thoroughly bored. However, it was awesome and we both loved every second of it and have well and truly become sumo officianos. The day starts quite quietly in terms of the audience as there are hundreds of bouts between junior wrestlers (junior in rank not in age) which meant that we were able to get up close an personal to all the action, in fact at a could of points we had to duck out of the way before being flattened by these hundred stone men - ok not quite a hundred stone but these are huge men. Not that their size makes them any less athletic than the likes of me and you - in fact the moves they were making and the flexing of their legs suggests extreme fitness and agility - something you don’t really expect when witnessing giant men in what look like nappies with slicked back perfectly quiffed hair. As the day went on and the better known “celeb” wrestlers came on the crowds were huge, raucous and beer fuelled! All great fun and such a laugh to see the usually quiet and demure Japanese going well and truly at it - little old ladies and all!
We also had time to spend an afternoon in nearby Osaka and were lucky enough to go for the Naked Man Festival - ooh la la !!! no such luck ladies - the men actually wear loincloths - not that it always covered everything!! Trust me though girls - it’s not the best site in the world seeing hundreds of skinny and freezing cold Japanese teens and men marching around, chanting and getting water thrown on them!!!! The even started with hundred of little school children, of about 3 or 4 years old, marching to the temple in teeny little shorts and T’s for the girls (no top for the boys) - bear in mind this is January in Japan and we were wrapped in gloves, jackets, thermals and hats! They were so darned cute though as they chanted and stormed up to the temple - great fun! After two lots of school kids did their stuff, next came the (almost) naked men - chanting and stomping, with gritted teeth, absolutely freezing up to the temple. Once there the leader gives a speech and the water is thrown all over the poor lads who then clamber all over each other reaching for prayers or wishes that are thrown from the temples eaves. We have never seen anything like this - absolutely hilarious! Dating back over 1200 years, the festival - known as the Hadaka Matsuri takes place at several locations throughout Japan. Its origins lie in a decree issued by Emperor Shotoko in 767, which ordered the nation to offer prayers in order to dispel a plague. It is a brilliant site to behold - the Japanese are totally crazy - no wonder they love Tashiki’s castle so much - they are all absolute nutters. It’s just hilarious to see the two differnt sides of the nation’s people - the quite, peacfeul, demure and respectable side and the loud, raucous, naked, laughing side - later fuelled with ciggies and alcohol in the city bars! Brilliant!!!
Sunday, 1 March 2009
Tokyo (30th December to 8th January)
Tokyo is a city of millions of people but plenty of space; space to move about in and breathe what seems like fresh air in; space to walk in parks as well as through busy streets, where the people actually move out of your way, apologise if they bump into you and smile as you pass; space to take a step back or stop dead in the middle of the street to check out the neon signs, buzzing and whirring twenty four seven. It is a city full of parks with gnarled but perfectly trimmed giant bonsai trees, neatly decorating the grass you aren’t allowed to walk on, and of parks with big lakes in them surrounded by the most perfectly pleasant and tidy homeless people who have made their own villages of blue tarpauling and collected piles of cans, neatly stashed away ready to sell. It is a city of noise and colour and, especially when you open the doors to a pachinko parlour, where the noise simply blows you away; and it is a city of pachinko parlours a plenty, with the kerchink of coins and balls running through the slot machines cranking it up at all hours of the day, in front of the square eyes of the punters putting coin after coin down the throats of the hungry machines as they gobble up their hard earnings; noise, noise, noise keeps them going, egging them to put more money in and they do in droves, sitting there for hours on end, collecting buckets and buckets of balls to trade in for useless tat; meanwhile their arcade comrades bet on digital horses, with their books of stats in hand, as if they were really at the races, or waste time and cash trying to manipulate machine arms to grab boxes of ice-cream, cartoon covered pillows or useless little dangly dongles for their phones. And more noise comes as you pass the shops, with the screams and shouts of the staff calling you in to get your 2009 lucky bags - MUSHI, MUSHI. It is a city of mod cons mixed age old traditions, modern shops criss crossed with rammed markets from yesteryear, where you move cheek by jowel and in pigeon steps amongst the crowds. Where new years’ revelling mixes parties in Roppongi with queuing for hours to collect balloons and write wishes to send in the air and thousands upon thousands rushing, practically crushing each other as they go, to get in to the temples for their first new year prayers. A city where millions line up for hours to visit temples over the festivities and thousands form orderly queues to catch a glimpse of the royals in one of their two public appearances in their palace, each year. A city where those lines are so neat and tidy and no one barges in or tries to bump up their place, where they move quickly and precisely and if you need to duck out of line for whatever reason, no one will mind when you come back and slot back in. It is a city where the food is delicious, oodles of noodles, cheap as chips and tasty as pie. A city where there is a bakey on every corner, selling increible baked goods filled with sweet bean, chocolate, savoury treats and all sorts. Where water is free in every restaurant and you can slurp and burp away to your heart’s content. Tokyo is a city of interesting districts, completely different from the next but all full of the most glorious shops and boutiques and hundreds of restaurants. It is an urban landscape of designer stores a plenty and cute boutiques which dress the bow legged girls as they shuffle shuffle - wiggle wiggle through town. Some districts are designed to modern perfection, others completely covered or underground, like small towns within cities and others still mixing the charm of old school Tokyo with glassy new shop fronts and funky modern malls - where quirky kids dress for kicks in the most odd little outfits they can find, posing provocatively for what appears to be the benefit of their old man pimp of sorts. It is a city where even away form Harajuku and the crazy dressed up punks, the kids are all fashion furious with cool simply oozing out of their pores and the drab and dreary rarely seen, except amongst the salary men and women who predominately walk around in pristine black suits, accessorised with see through umbrellas (apparantly the brollies de rigeor). It is a city crammed with temples and shrines at every turn, decorated by prayer tablets and wish papers tied into the trees and scented by cauldrons of incense burning, waiting to rubbed into your skin for good health and wishes. Where the statues of Buddha and of mothers with babies are well wrapped in red aprons to keep them warm through the winter. Tokyo is a city where the trains run on time and the tubes have separate carriages for women and children only, where the ticket barriers are open unless you try and get through without a ticket and where it seems you are innocent until proven guilty and the staff not only are super friendly and helpful but bow to every passenger as they pass by. The underground system is one where there are lifts and escalators at every turn, making navigating your way through the warren of immense tunnels more pleasant, even if you do come out of the wrong exit and end up walking quite some way back to the correct one. Tokyo is a city which is easy to live in, where quickly you feel like a local and where eating fish bone chips becomes the norm. It is a 24 hour city, full of vending machines for cold drinks, hot drinks, brollies, clothes and even vending machine restaurants. It is a city that owns the most pleasant red light district you could imagine and one where people want to help you, both the locals and expats alike. When you get your guide book out they rush to aide you or when you ask for directions, they walk you there themselves. Tokyo is a city with mind blowing hotels where we were lucky enough to stay in the Ritz Carlton (woke up their on my 30th) the ark (went to bed there on my 30th) and the Park Hyatt, from Lost in Translation, that was awe inspiring. All three had incredible view over Mount Fuji, the city of the Tokyo Tower and sunsets were simply jaw dropping. So what is tokyo? Tokyo is a city you could move to and love and maybe one day it will be city where we do just that!
Takayama (24th to 30th December 2008)
Takayama is simply an adorable place to spend time, the kind of place where one would want to retire to and happily spend the rest of their lives, knowing they have the best of it all. As a town it is small but not too small, with no high rises spoiling the atmosphere and enough different districts (if they are large enough to be called that) to keep you occupied. Lets start with the pretty little main area, which is where we spent Christmas Eve evening. Christmas Eve day was spent on the slowest imaginable, but perfectly pleasant train (all of two coaches long) tootling through the countryside, stopping at the tiniest little ports of call, before arriving in gorgeous Takayama. We decided to treat ourselves a little, with the Christmas money we had been given, to a better room than we would normally have done and ended up in one of the most popular little hotels in town, with a lovely large Japanese style room. It had a little living area with a table, perfect for Christmas dinner and a rather smart cubicle style bathroom, plus the best of all of Japan’s inventions, the heated toilet. I had been to a public toilet earlier that had a button to make flushing sounds, so no-one need hear whatever it is you may be doing! After sorting our stuff out we went for a walk around town and popped into a noodle joint for noodle and pork soup, which was delicious. The Japanese don’t celebrate Christmas at all but some of the streets had a few beautiful wooden decorations and bunting made of children’s Christmas drawings and as we walked down the main street festive music was playing. After dinner we bought a whole host of treats for Christmas Day lunch.
Christmas day started off a little more unusually. Well actually it started off rather deliciously as we had bought some apple and cinnamon buns and bacon and cheese rolls for breakfast! Scrumptious! But after that we had to walk in to the nearby city (if it is actually that) centre to buy a cable to get the internet working for the hotel, as I had had a little Christmas Eve strop at not being able to Skype anyone! It was strange on Christmas to be shopping and really nothing would suggest it was Christmas at all, after all it was just another day in Japan! The walk into the more modern area was lovely as we followed the route of the carp filled river, through the morning market, where we tried an egg white fluffy sweet, which was incredible and passed by cute houses before we crossed into the busy area. We had a quick pootle around the supermarket, which stocked the most fantastical things and then got ourselves to the electronics shop. Once we got the cable sorted we walked back and went about setting out our Christmas Dinner! The Harker’s had put together a little Christmas kit, so we put up some decorations, watered the self growing Christmas tree, I put in my flashing earings and we laid out all the sweets and goodies and mini crackers on the table. Lunch was a fanfare of Japanese goodies, including noodles, rice, tempura, fried veggie things and egg things, sushi and so much more (including local Takayama rice crackers and to die for local Hida sweet beef) and we even had a couple of cold beers to enjoy. It was actually delicious and whilst it was an odd way to spend our first ever Christmas together we really enjoyed it and have decided that our new family tradition will be to go for Japanese on Christmas Eve. After skyping with all and sundry, which was great to do, we went out for a another walk, nose around the old district and popped into a few shops. The old district is truly gorgeous, all wooden and very understated and simple. There are several preserved areas in the town and they have lovely little shops and restaurants to wander around. Just as we had set out for our walk a few flakes of snow began to fall, which was lovely and gave a real spirit of festivities to the day. As we walked around the old town we kept saying just how beautiful it would be with snow. Little did we know that overnight that was just what was coming - snow upon snow upon more snow!
So we woke up to one of the whitest Boxing Days I have ever had the pleasure of seeing. It was simply beautiful. The snow was the softest and most delicate snow imaginable, just like casting sugar and it was well over a foot deep and had no sign of stopping! A walk was definately in order so after a treat of Frosties that we bought on Christmas Day, for breakfast, out we popped, map in hand, to follow a route that would take up up close and personal with plenty of temples and beautiful scenery. The walk took about two or three hours and throughout it did not stop snowing, it was simply incredible and showed the most beautiful side of Japan I was worried we weren’t going to see. We passed a number of temples, all very simply and elegantly designed and walked through tightly packed but well organised and uniquely designed neighbourhoods before reaching stunning forest land. The forests were awesome, truly spectacular in the snow and as little gusts of wind blew we would be showered with snow fall that would panic me into running - I thought we might be caught in an avalanche but the snow was so light it would barely have bothered an ant! By the time we got to a park, filled with perfect snow, we were just that bit too cold to build a snowman so opted for a vending machine coffee and hot chocolate instead (very cool) and took what turned out to be the very long, but interesting way back! We then topped up our fuel with some little treats in town including these rice dough (we think) balls and little pancake fishes filled with chocolate, sesame and sweet bean.
Next day the snow was just as beautiful as we started our morning with a walk to the second of the morning markets to pick up breakfast. We mainly spent the day mooching around town, enjoying the setting, as it would be the last real day in Takayama. We also went for a second walk along a marked trail but got terribly off trail as the snow was so deep that we really didn’t know where we were meant to be going. It was pleasant enough though and we had a lovely day. By now we had moved to a second hotel which had a shared bathroom, which was kind of a neat experience and one that throughout the rest of Japan (I write with hindsight, in what is now February) I cam e to really love and would be disappointed if we had a private bath instead! Basically there is a separate room for men and women and in the middle is what is fundamentally a huge hot bath, that after a sit down, stool shower, you would all sit in and enjoy! Interesting! the first one I was alone but on the second time there were others in their, it is odd how quickly you accept totally different customs as ordinary! I’m not kidding when I say I absolutely love the idea of the shared bath, not because I actually want to share my bath - I preferred it on my own, but because it is so novel, much better for the environment and the idea of just jumping in when you want a bath without having to wait to run it (although there are set open times in Japan) is great.
Over our last two days in Takayama we actually left town and with a two day bus pass, went up and down to several different onsen towns and spent a night in Takayama’s hostel, housed in a temple, which was interesting to see, but run by a hideous American guy who should not be allowed near happy travelers. Our first onsen experience was at Hiraru Onsen. Here there were two large onsen complexes, one for boys and another for girls, where you stripped off and sipped in and out for about eight different pools. The matter of order is to start with a sit down shower and then relax in the steaming inside bath first. Once in the water you are meant to put the small onsen towel folded on your head and when walking about, just hold it in front of your more intimate areas for discretion. Some women had no discretion whatsoever and others far too much (when it comes to onsen tradition), wearing little toweling skirts to protect their dignity. After the fist inside bath there are a number of others outside, all with different purposes, heats or setting. It was great fun running from one hot bath to the next, with the invigorating chill of a snowy sky on your body! It was also really gorgeous to be in a hot spring (fed from totally natural waters) with snow all around! The only shame was not sharing it with each other, let alone anyone else. After an hour, we met up in the relaxation area, which was a big lounge where you could get a massage or just fall asleep. After a drink I popped back in for another half hour, whilst Stuart had a sleep.
Our last day we got back on the bus and went to the end of the line to a place whose name, now two months on, I can’t quite remember but will insert at a later point! It is popular walking territory and when we arrived there was a huge search party going on with media attention for a couple of walkers who had got lost in the mountains. We didn’t go too far but headed into the snow to build some snow seats to eat a snack on and them make a gorgeous little snowman - best one ever! It was really beautiful with more snow than you could imagine, whilst back in town the snow had completely melted, leaving behind not so lovely slush! After a short walk and a huge snowball fight (me losing terribly) we jumped back on the bus for a few minutes to Fusihiki, which we had heard had some great little onsen - if you could find them! We got off at the wrong bus stop and ended up walking a little but further than we though we would (story of our travels!) but passed striking little rivers with boulders strewn across in what would seem like organised beauty, with little rapids and mini waterfalls tumbling around, all surrounded by inches of the white stuff! After lunch in a bus stop (of bakery pastries which we have already grown fond of) we strolled around trying to find these little onsen. Finally we came across one, which we still don’t know if it was the one we were looking for but it was superb. The place looked to be just a little tearoom, with an irory (square fire pit) in the middle, but upon a little misscommunication we managed to work out that there were two natural baths at the back, one small indoor one and one small outdoor one. It was just the two of us and as such we had the chance to share the experience together which was great as this was an altogether different affair to the Hiraru Onsen. Here the baths were really small and the indoor one far too hot to go into, but why would you even want to when you could be outside, in the rock pool, surrounded 360 by stunning snowy mountains and alpine scenery. It was truly incredible. We are well and truly onsen lovers and will be onsen hopping throughout Japan if we have our way! We spent a few hours in the baths, well in and out as it was so hot, but it was such a thrill and just so relaxing and beautiful - this is a good good life!
Christmas day started off a little more unusually. Well actually it started off rather deliciously as we had bought some apple and cinnamon buns and bacon and cheese rolls for breakfast! Scrumptious! But after that we had to walk in to the nearby city (if it is actually that) centre to buy a cable to get the internet working for the hotel, as I had had a little Christmas Eve strop at not being able to Skype anyone! It was strange on Christmas to be shopping and really nothing would suggest it was Christmas at all, after all it was just another day in Japan! The walk into the more modern area was lovely as we followed the route of the carp filled river, through the morning market, where we tried an egg white fluffy sweet, which was incredible and passed by cute houses before we crossed into the busy area. We had a quick pootle around the supermarket, which stocked the most fantastical things and then got ourselves to the electronics shop. Once we got the cable sorted we walked back and went about setting out our Christmas Dinner! The Harker’s had put together a little Christmas kit, so we put up some decorations, watered the self growing Christmas tree, I put in my flashing earings and we laid out all the sweets and goodies and mini crackers on the table. Lunch was a fanfare of Japanese goodies, including noodles, rice, tempura, fried veggie things and egg things, sushi and so much more (including local Takayama rice crackers and to die for local Hida sweet beef) and we even had a couple of cold beers to enjoy. It was actually delicious and whilst it was an odd way to spend our first ever Christmas together we really enjoyed it and have decided that our new family tradition will be to go for Japanese on Christmas Eve. After skyping with all and sundry, which was great to do, we went out for a another walk, nose around the old district and popped into a few shops. The old district is truly gorgeous, all wooden and very understated and simple. There are several preserved areas in the town and they have lovely little shops and restaurants to wander around. Just as we had set out for our walk a few flakes of snow began to fall, which was lovely and gave a real spirit of festivities to the day. As we walked around the old town we kept saying just how beautiful it would be with snow. Little did we know that overnight that was just what was coming - snow upon snow upon more snow!
So we woke up to one of the whitest Boxing Days I have ever had the pleasure of seeing. It was simply beautiful. The snow was the softest and most delicate snow imaginable, just like casting sugar and it was well over a foot deep and had no sign of stopping! A walk was definately in order so after a treat of Frosties that we bought on Christmas Day, for breakfast, out we popped, map in hand, to follow a route that would take up up close and personal with plenty of temples and beautiful scenery. The walk took about two or three hours and throughout it did not stop snowing, it was simply incredible and showed the most beautiful side of Japan I was worried we weren’t going to see. We passed a number of temples, all very simply and elegantly designed and walked through tightly packed but well organised and uniquely designed neighbourhoods before reaching stunning forest land. The forests were awesome, truly spectacular in the snow and as little gusts of wind blew we would be showered with snow fall that would panic me into running - I thought we might be caught in an avalanche but the snow was so light it would barely have bothered an ant! By the time we got to a park, filled with perfect snow, we were just that bit too cold to build a snowman so opted for a vending machine coffee and hot chocolate instead (very cool) and took what turned out to be the very long, but interesting way back! We then topped up our fuel with some little treats in town including these rice dough (we think) balls and little pancake fishes filled with chocolate, sesame and sweet bean.
Next day the snow was just as beautiful as we started our morning with a walk to the second of the morning markets to pick up breakfast. We mainly spent the day mooching around town, enjoying the setting, as it would be the last real day in Takayama. We also went for a second walk along a marked trail but got terribly off trail as the snow was so deep that we really didn’t know where we were meant to be going. It was pleasant enough though and we had a lovely day. By now we had moved to a second hotel which had a shared bathroom, which was kind of a neat experience and one that throughout the rest of Japan (I write with hindsight, in what is now February) I cam e to really love and would be disappointed if we had a private bath instead! Basically there is a separate room for men and women and in the middle is what is fundamentally a huge hot bath, that after a sit down, stool shower, you would all sit in and enjoy! Interesting! the first one I was alone but on the second time there were others in their, it is odd how quickly you accept totally different customs as ordinary! I’m not kidding when I say I absolutely love the idea of the shared bath, not because I actually want to share my bath - I preferred it on my own, but because it is so novel, much better for the environment and the idea of just jumping in when you want a bath without having to wait to run it (although there are set open times in Japan) is great.
Over our last two days in Takayama we actually left town and with a two day bus pass, went up and down to several different onsen towns and spent a night in Takayama’s hostel, housed in a temple, which was interesting to see, but run by a hideous American guy who should not be allowed near happy travelers. Our first onsen experience was at Hiraru Onsen. Here there were two large onsen complexes, one for boys and another for girls, where you stripped off and sipped in and out for about eight different pools. The matter of order is to start with a sit down shower and then relax in the steaming inside bath first. Once in the water you are meant to put the small onsen towel folded on your head and when walking about, just hold it in front of your more intimate areas for discretion. Some women had no discretion whatsoever and others far too much (when it comes to onsen tradition), wearing little toweling skirts to protect their dignity. After the fist inside bath there are a number of others outside, all with different purposes, heats or setting. It was great fun running from one hot bath to the next, with the invigorating chill of a snowy sky on your body! It was also really gorgeous to be in a hot spring (fed from totally natural waters) with snow all around! The only shame was not sharing it with each other, let alone anyone else. After an hour, we met up in the relaxation area, which was a big lounge where you could get a massage or just fall asleep. After a drink I popped back in for another half hour, whilst Stuart had a sleep.
Our last day we got back on the bus and went to the end of the line to a place whose name, now two months on, I can’t quite remember but will insert at a later point! It is popular walking territory and when we arrived there was a huge search party going on with media attention for a couple of walkers who had got lost in the mountains. We didn’t go too far but headed into the snow to build some snow seats to eat a snack on and them make a gorgeous little snowman - best one ever! It was really beautiful with more snow than you could imagine, whilst back in town the snow had completely melted, leaving behind not so lovely slush! After a short walk and a huge snowball fight (me losing terribly) we jumped back on the bus for a few minutes to Fusihiki, which we had heard had some great little onsen - if you could find them! We got off at the wrong bus stop and ended up walking a little but further than we though we would (story of our travels!) but passed striking little rivers with boulders strewn across in what would seem like organised beauty, with little rapids and mini waterfalls tumbling around, all surrounded by inches of the white stuff! After lunch in a bus stop (of bakery pastries which we have already grown fond of) we strolled around trying to find these little onsen. Finally we came across one, which we still don’t know if it was the one we were looking for but it was superb. The place looked to be just a little tearoom, with an irory (square fire pit) in the middle, but upon a little misscommunication we managed to work out that there were two natural baths at the back, one small indoor one and one small outdoor one. It was just the two of us and as such we had the chance to share the experience together which was great as this was an altogether different affair to the Hiraru Onsen. Here the baths were really small and the indoor one far too hot to go into, but why would you even want to when you could be outside, in the rock pool, surrounded 360 by stunning snowy mountains and alpine scenery. It was truly incredible. We are well and truly onsen lovers and will be onsen hopping throughout Japan if we have our way! We spent a few hours in the baths, well in and out as it was so hot, but it was such a thrill and just so relaxing and beautiful - this is a good good life!
Takayama (24th to 30th December 2008)
Takayama is simply an adorable place to spend time, the kind of place where one would want to retire to and happily spend the rest of their lives, knowing they have the best of it all. As a town it is small but not too small, with no high rises spoiling the atmosphere and enough different districts (if they are large enough to be called that) to keep you occupied. Lets start with the pretty little main area, which is where we spent Christmas Eve evening. Christmas Eve day was spent on the slowest imaginable, but perfectly pleasant train (all of two coaches long) tootling through the countryside, stopping at the tiniest little ports of call, before arriving in gorgeous Takayama. We decided to treat ourselves a little, with the Christmas money we had been given, to a better room than we would normally have done and ended up in one of the most popular little hotels in town, with a lovely large Japanese style room. It had a little living area with a table, perfect for Christmas dinner and a rather smart cubicle style bathroom, plus the best of all of Japan’s inventions, the heated toilet. I had been to a public toilet earlier that had a button to make flushing sounds, so no-one need hear whatever it is you may be doing! After sorting our stuff out we went for a walk around town and popped into a noodle joint for noodle and pork soup, which was delicious. The Japanese don’t celebrate Christmas at all but some of the streets had a few beautiful wooden decorations and bunting made of children’s Christmas drawings and as we walked down the main street festive music was playing. After dinner we bought a whole host of treats for Christmas Day lunch.
Christmas day started off a little more unusually. Well actually it started off rather deliciously as we had bought some apple and cinnamon buns and bacon and cheese rolls for breakfast! Scrumptious! But after that we had to walk in to the nearby city (if it is actually that) centre to buy a cable to get the internet working for the hotel, as I had had a little Christmas Eve strop at not being able to Skype anyone! It was strange on Christmas to be shopping and really nothing would suggest it was Christmas at all, after all it was just another day in Japan! The walk into the more modern area was lovely as we followed the route of the carp filled river, through the morning market, where we tried an egg white fluffy sweet, which was incredible and passed by cute houses before we crossed into the busy area. We had a quick pootle around the supermarket, which stocked the most fantastical things and then got ourselves to the electronics shop. Once we got the cable sorted we walked back and went about setting out our Christmas Dinner! The Harker’s had put together a little Christmas kit, so we put up some decorations, watered the self growing Christmas tree, I put in my flashing earings and we laid out all the sweets and goodies and mini crackers on the table. Lunch was a fanfare of Japanese goodies, including noodles, rice, tempura, fried veggie things and egg things, sushi and so much more (including local Takayama rice crackers and to die for local Hida sweet beef) and we even had a couple of cold beers to enjoy. It was actually delicious and whilst it was an odd way to spend our first ever Christmas together we really enjoyed it and have decided that our new family tradition will be to go for Japanese on Christmas Eve. After skyping with all and sundry, which was great to do, we went out for a another walk, nose around the old district and popped into a few shops. The old district is truly gorgeous, all wooden and very understated and simple. There are several preserved areas in the town and they have lovely little shops and restaurants to wander around. Just as we had set out for our walk a few flakes of snow began to fall, which was lovely and gave a real spirit of festivities to the day. As we walked around the old town we kept saying just how beautiful it would be with snow. Little did we know that overnight that was just what was coming - snow upon snow upon more snow!
So we woke up to one of the whitest Boxing Days I have ever had the pleasure of seeing. It was simply beautiful. The snow was the softest and most delicate snow imaginable, just like casting sugar and it was well over a foot deep and had no sign of stopping! A walk was definately in order so after a treat of Frosties that we bought on Christmas Day, for breakfast, out we popped, map in hand, to follow a route that would take up up close and personal with plenty of temples and beautiful scenery. The walk took about two or three hours and throughout it did not stop snowing, it was simply incredible and showed the most beautiful side of Japan I was worried we weren’t going to see. We passed a number of temples, all very simply and elegantly designed and walked through tightly packed but well organised and uniquely designed neighbourhoods before reaching stunning forest land. The forests were awesome, truly spectacular in the snow and as little gusts of wind blew we would be showered with snow fall that would panic me into running - I thought we might be caught in an avalanche but the snow was so light it would barely have bothered an ant! By the time we got to a park, filled with perfect snow, we were just that bit too cold to build a snowman so opted for a vending machine coffee and hot chocolate instead (very cool) and took what turned out to be the very long, but interesting way back! We then topped up our fuel with some little treats in town including these rice dough (we think) balls and little pancake fishes filled with chocolate, sesame and sweet bean.
Next day the snow was just as beautiful as we started our morning with a walk to the second of the morning markets to pick up breakfast. We mainly spent the day mooching around town, enjoying the setting, as it would be the last real day in Takayama. We also went for a second walk along a marked trail but got terribly off trail as the snow was so deep that we really didn’t know where we were meant to be going. It was pleasant enough though and we had a lovely day. By now we had moved to a second hotel which had a shared bathroom, which was kind of a neat experience and one that throughout the rest of Japan (I write with hindsight, in what is now February) I cam e to really love and would be disappointed if we had a private bath instead! Basically there is a separate room for men and women and in the middle is what is fundamentally a huge hot bath, that after a sit down, stool shower, you would all sit in and enjoy! Interesting! the first one I was alone but on the second time there were others in their, it is odd how quickly you accept totally different customs as ordinary! I’m not kidding when I say I absolutely love the idea of the shared bath, not because I actually want to share my bath - I preferred it on my own, but because it is so novel, much better for the environment and the idea of just jumping in when you want a bath without having to wait to run it (although there are set open times in Japan) is great.
Over our last two days in Takayama we actually left town and with a two day bus pass, went up and down to several different onsen towns and spent a night in Takayama’s hostel, housed in a temple, which was interesting to see, but run by a hideous American guy who should not be allowed near happy travelers. Our first onsen experience was at Hiraru Onsen. Here there were two large onsen complexes, one for boys and another for girls, where you stripped off and sipped in and out for about eight different pools. The matter of order is to start with a sit down shower and then relax in the steaming inside bath first. Once in the water you are meant to put the small onsen towel folded on your head and when walking about, just hold it in front of your more intimate areas for discretion. Some women had no discretion whatsoever and others far too much (when it comes to onsen tradition), wearing little toweling skirts to protect their dignity. After the fist inside bath there are a number of others outside, all with different purposes, heats or setting. It was great fun running from one hot bath to the next, with the invigorating chill of a snowy sky on your body! It was also really gorgeous to be in a hot spring (fed from totally natural waters) with snow all around! The only shame was not sharing it with each other, let alone anyone else. After an hour, we met up in the relaxation area, which was a big lounge where you could get a massage or just fall asleep. After a drink I popped back in for another half hour, whilst Stuart had a sleep.
Our last day we got back on the bus and went to the end of the line to a place whose name, now two months on, I can’t quite remember but will insert at a later point! It is popular walking territory and when we arrived there was a huge search party going on with media attention for a couple of walkers who had got lost in the mountains. We didn’t go too far but headed into the snow to build some snow seats to eat a snack on and them make a gorgeous little snowman - best one ever! It was really beautiful with more snow than you could imagine, whilst back in town the snow had completely melted, leaving behind not so lovely slush! After a short walk and a huge snowball fight (me losing terribly) we jumped back on the bus for a few minutes to Fusihiki, which we had heard had some great little onsen - if you could find them! We got off at the wrong bus stop and ended up walking a little but further than we though we would (story of our travels!) but passed striking little rivers with boulders strewn across in what would seem like organised beauty, with little rapids and mini waterfalls tumbling around, all surrounded by inches of the white stuff! After lunch in a bus stop (of bakery pastries which we have already grown fond of) we strolled around trying to find these little onsen. Finally we came across one, which we still don’t know if it was the one we were looking for but it was superb. The place looked to be just a little tearoom, with an irory (square fire pit) in the middle, but upon a little misscommunication we managed to work out that there were two natural baths at the back, one small indoor one and one small outdoor one. It was just the two of us and as such we had the chance to share the experience together which was great as this was an altogether different affair to the Hiraru Onsen. Here the baths were really small and the indoor one far too hot to go into, but why would you even want to when you could be outside, in the rock pool, surrounded 360 by stunning snowy mountains and alpine scenery. It was truly incredible. We are well and truly onsen lovers and will be onsen hopping throughout Japan if we have our way! We spent a few hours in the baths, well in and out as it was so hot, but it was such a thrill and just so relaxing and beautiful - this is a good good life!
Christmas day started off a little more unusually. Well actually it started off rather deliciously as we had bought some apple and cinnamon buns and bacon and cheese rolls for breakfast! Scrumptious! But after that we had to walk in to the nearby city (if it is actually that) centre to buy a cable to get the internet working for the hotel, as I had had a little Christmas Eve strop at not being able to Skype anyone! It was strange on Christmas to be shopping and really nothing would suggest it was Christmas at all, after all it was just another day in Japan! The walk into the more modern area was lovely as we followed the route of the carp filled river, through the morning market, where we tried an egg white fluffy sweet, which was incredible and passed by cute houses before we crossed into the busy area. We had a quick pootle around the supermarket, which stocked the most fantastical things and then got ourselves to the electronics shop. Once we got the cable sorted we walked back and went about setting out our Christmas Dinner! The Harker’s had put together a little Christmas kit, so we put up some decorations, watered the self growing Christmas tree, I put in my flashing earings and we laid out all the sweets and goodies and mini crackers on the table. Lunch was a fanfare of Japanese goodies, including noodles, rice, tempura, fried veggie things and egg things, sushi and so much more (including local Takayama rice crackers and to die for local Hida sweet beef) and we even had a couple of cold beers to enjoy. It was actually delicious and whilst it was an odd way to spend our first ever Christmas together we really enjoyed it and have decided that our new family tradition will be to go for Japanese on Christmas Eve. After skyping with all and sundry, which was great to do, we went out for a another walk, nose around the old district and popped into a few shops. The old district is truly gorgeous, all wooden and very understated and simple. There are several preserved areas in the town and they have lovely little shops and restaurants to wander around. Just as we had set out for our walk a few flakes of snow began to fall, which was lovely and gave a real spirit of festivities to the day. As we walked around the old town we kept saying just how beautiful it would be with snow. Little did we know that overnight that was just what was coming - snow upon snow upon more snow!
So we woke up to one of the whitest Boxing Days I have ever had the pleasure of seeing. It was simply beautiful. The snow was the softest and most delicate snow imaginable, just like casting sugar and it was well over a foot deep and had no sign of stopping! A walk was definately in order so after a treat of Frosties that we bought on Christmas Day, for breakfast, out we popped, map in hand, to follow a route that would take up up close and personal with plenty of temples and beautiful scenery. The walk took about two or three hours and throughout it did not stop snowing, it was simply incredible and showed the most beautiful side of Japan I was worried we weren’t going to see. We passed a number of temples, all very simply and elegantly designed and walked through tightly packed but well organised and uniquely designed neighbourhoods before reaching stunning forest land. The forests were awesome, truly spectacular in the snow and as little gusts of wind blew we would be showered with snow fall that would panic me into running - I thought we might be caught in an avalanche but the snow was so light it would barely have bothered an ant! By the time we got to a park, filled with perfect snow, we were just that bit too cold to build a snowman so opted for a vending machine coffee and hot chocolate instead (very cool) and took what turned out to be the very long, but interesting way back! We then topped up our fuel with some little treats in town including these rice dough (we think) balls and little pancake fishes filled with chocolate, sesame and sweet bean.
Next day the snow was just as beautiful as we started our morning with a walk to the second of the morning markets to pick up breakfast. We mainly spent the day mooching around town, enjoying the setting, as it would be the last real day in Takayama. We also went for a second walk along a marked trail but got terribly off trail as the snow was so deep that we really didn’t know where we were meant to be going. It was pleasant enough though and we had a lovely day. By now we had moved to a second hotel which had a shared bathroom, which was kind of a neat experience and one that throughout the rest of Japan (I write with hindsight, in what is now February) I cam e to really love and would be disappointed if we had a private bath instead! Basically there is a separate room for men and women and in the middle is what is fundamentally a huge hot bath, that after a sit down, stool shower, you would all sit in and enjoy! Interesting! the first one I was alone but on the second time there were others in their, it is odd how quickly you accept totally different customs as ordinary! I’m not kidding when I say I absolutely love the idea of the shared bath, not because I actually want to share my bath - I preferred it on my own, but because it is so novel, much better for the environment and the idea of just jumping in when you want a bath without having to wait to run it (although there are set open times in Japan) is great.
Over our last two days in Takayama we actually left town and with a two day bus pass, went up and down to several different onsen towns and spent a night in Takayama’s hostel, housed in a temple, which was interesting to see, but run by a hideous American guy who should not be allowed near happy travelers. Our first onsen experience was at Hiraru Onsen. Here there were two large onsen complexes, one for boys and another for girls, where you stripped off and sipped in and out for about eight different pools. The matter of order is to start with a sit down shower and then relax in the steaming inside bath first. Once in the water you are meant to put the small onsen towel folded on your head and when walking about, just hold it in front of your more intimate areas for discretion. Some women had no discretion whatsoever and others far too much (when it comes to onsen tradition), wearing little toweling skirts to protect their dignity. After the fist inside bath there are a number of others outside, all with different purposes, heats or setting. It was great fun running from one hot bath to the next, with the invigorating chill of a snowy sky on your body! It was also really gorgeous to be in a hot spring (fed from totally natural waters) with snow all around! The only shame was not sharing it with each other, let alone anyone else. After an hour, we met up in the relaxation area, which was a big lounge where you could get a massage or just fall asleep. After a drink I popped back in for another half hour, whilst Stuart had a sleep.
Our last day we got back on the bus and went to the end of the line to a place whose name, now two months on, I can’t quite remember but will insert at a later point! It is popular walking territory and when we arrived there was a huge search party going on with media attention for a couple of walkers who had got lost in the mountains. We didn’t go too far but headed into the snow to build some snow seats to eat a snack on and them make a gorgeous little snowman - best one ever! It was really beautiful with more snow than you could imagine, whilst back in town the snow had completely melted, leaving behind not so lovely slush! After a short walk and a huge snowball fight (me losing terribly) we jumped back on the bus for a few minutes to Fusihiki, which we had heard had some great little onsen - if you could find them! We got off at the wrong bus stop and ended up walking a little but further than we though we would (story of our travels!) but passed striking little rivers with boulders strewn across in what would seem like organised beauty, with little rapids and mini waterfalls tumbling around, all surrounded by inches of the white stuff! After lunch in a bus stop (of bakery pastries which we have already grown fond of) we strolled around trying to find these little onsen. Finally we came across one, which we still don’t know if it was the one we were looking for but it was superb. The place looked to be just a little tearoom, with an irory (square fire pit) in the middle, but upon a little misscommunication we managed to work out that there were two natural baths at the back, one small indoor one and one small outdoor one. It was just the two of us and as such we had the chance to share the experience together which was great as this was an altogether different affair to the Hiraru Onsen. Here the baths were really small and the indoor one far too hot to go into, but why would you even want to when you could be outside, in the rock pool, surrounded 360 by stunning snowy mountains and alpine scenery. It was truly incredible. We are well and truly onsen lovers and will be onsen hopping throughout Japan if we have our way! We spent a few hours in the baths, well in and out as it was so hot, but it was such a thrill and just so relaxing and beautiful - this is a good good life!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)