A Tale of Two Japans

It was the best of countries, it was the best of countries. It was a place of wisdom, it was a place of foolishness. It was an experience in bright modern cities, it was an experience with century old traditions in nature. It had spiritual highs, it had debaucherous lows. It was sunny and pleasant, it was cold and wet. The people were well dressed and stoic, the people were dressed like comic book characters and fond of cartoons and dolls. It is a culture of whispers, it is a culture of giggles. I could go on, but you get the idea. The people and places and my experiences of Japan were full of duality, a juxtaposition that made every facet of the trip all the more interesting. I traveled from Ise to Osaka to Koyasan to Kyoto to Nara to Osaka, like so:

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Preamble/warning: there’s a lot of content here, so read at your own risk (leisure?). Also, I have created and uploaded my canyoneering video from the Philippines, embedded in that post and available here.

From Nabato No Soya i headed to Ise (pronounced eeh-say), arriving late. Not on many tourists’ agendas, Ise interested me because I had learned about it 15 years prior in my history of architecture class. The attraction in Ise is the Jingu shrine complex. I had learned about it because the grand shrine is rebuilt every 20 years, representing life, death and renewal. This also allows each generation to learn how it’s built, so that the techniques of constructing or maintaining it aren’t lost if it were allowed to age and decay (everything is wood, with golden flashing). But first, the uneventful evening train ride there.

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The next morning I began at the Geku outer shrine. It was located in a quiet park-like setting where most noises were the crunches of feet on gravel. Total serenity. I appreciated the correlation between religion and nature. I followed the custom of bowing each time I walked through an archway, and followed others’ lead by throwing some coins at each building I visited.

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I walked from the Geku to the grander Naiku (inner shrine) which was almost an hour away. There was a bus, but I wasn’t spending much time in Ise so this was a way to take more of it in. The walk was nice, with very few other pedestrians.

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The Naiku was similar with a larger site. The first spot people stopped to pray in here was the river, and then onto a few shrine buildings where more praying occurred. It dawned on me that I hadn’t seen a single non-Japanese person at both shrines. This meant that I was either successfully doing an authentic Japanese experience or was not supposed to be there (I was later assured that it was the former). After visiting more shrines in Osaka and Kyoto, I later came to appreciate this experience far more due to the overwhelming touristy nature of most other shrines I experienced in the more visited cities.

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My last stop in Ise was Okage Yokacho (pronounced very quickly, oak-a-gee yo-ko-cho). This was a few cute blocks of shopping streets in relatively historic buildings. I sought out Ise’s renowned udon here (it’s fluffier) and did some browsing before walking back to the train.

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From Ise I chose to next go to Osaka for two reasons; it was the weekend, and it was the cheapest train trip I could take. I would later fly out of Osaka so my initial intent was to end there, but knowing it as a good night life city made me want to weekend there. As a transportation hub, it also made getting to Kyoto and other points of interest easy. From Ise I took a local train (I only once rode the high speed Shinkansen, from Tokyo to Nagoya). I arrived in Osaka quietly and took it easy, scoping out my hostel’s neighborhood and grabbing dinner before getting ready for that evening’s festivities.

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The hostel’s evening event was takoyaki making. Takoyaki are fluffy batter balls, typically with a little piece of octopus inside, but we made a variety. There was then an unofficial excursion to Compufunk, a record store celebrating it’s anniversary that had a DJ playing. I went with Eiko (hostel staff), Nil (Spaniard), Ryan and Ashling (Canadians). It was fun. I think I got back to the hostel around 4. They had space invaders for free so I wound up playing too much of that.

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For my only full day of Osaka during this leg I hopped on a bike and first went to Dotomburi, a bustling neighborhood in the middle of the city with lots of street food, restaurants, and shops. Most eateries displayed their cuisine on their facade. Osaka is a good city to bike around, there are many bike lanes, it’s flat, and the streets aren’t busy at all. Elevated highways help prevent cars from mixing with cyclists too much.

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I then headed south to see a couple of temples and shrines. These were near the Sinsekai neighborhood which was a little like Dotomburi but less crowded.

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I visited the Isshinji Temple, Shitennoji Temple, Aizendo Shomanin, and Ikukunitama Shrine. All nice, with the Isshinji being one of the more unique sites, appearing newly constructed with giant statues and modern buildings.

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One thing I gained an appreciation for in Osaka and beyond was the manhole covers, which were fairly artful. I also found some random things to take photos of that evening.

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That night I had hoped to do something for the Chinese New Year, but Osaka’s population did not recognize it. Other Japanese cities have Chinatowns where there were festivities. So after a dim sum dinner I headed to Dotomburi solo with recommendations for a bar and a couple of clubs that I wasn’t sure I would be up for. At the bar I met Jake on my walk in, perhaps the most interesting man in the world. He was 30, had started a company when he was 20 which he had since sold, but is now in litigation for, from Alabama, living in Portland, as physically fit as anyone, used to be a bouncer while at the University of Alabama and had to break up a fight with a future NFL linebacker, on his third trip to Japan with a 4th planned and ideas to move there. He knew name to drop to get into the club Giraffe, so despite thinking I might take it easy I accompanied him. This club had 4 levels, which with music themed differently. I did indeed take it easy that night (by Osaka standards), and got back to the hostel around 2:30, when Eiko, still working at the front desk, was surprised that I was back so early.

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I had wanted to take it easy because the next day I was headed to the town of Koyasan on Mt. Koya. This town was established at 800 meters elevation in the year 819 as a place for Buddhist monks to live and learn away from the cities. Today there are over 120 “sub-temples” and monasteries there.

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I spent the night at Koyasan Saizenan. For a not cheap price I had a private room in the monastery and thought I would be dining with the monks (I didn’t, bummer) but did watch them pray their memorial service at 6:30am. It was a good experience but given the cost of it and my not getting the fully immersive experience I had hoped with meals, I would’ve probably done Koya as a day trip rather than overnight if doing it again.

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I also visited the Okunoin cemetery, the largest in Japan, with over 200,000 graves. Many statues, moss coverings, massive trees, and scattered shrines made this an interesting place, made eerier by the cool drizzle that persisted the entire time I was in Koyasan. Okunoin is also home to the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi, who is the founder of Japan’s Shingon Buddhism. The building was beautiful inside and out, but I respected the rule not to take pictures.

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My retreat in Koya was a nice reprieve from the activity and hi-jinx of the cities. If I was capable of meditating I expect that would’ve been a quite lovely place to do it. Instead, I had a relaxing and reflective 24 hours. From Mt. Koya I retraced my steps back to Osaka where I picked up my bags from a storage locker and then onto Kyoto. Retracing these steps included (1) walking to the bus, (2) riding that to the cable car, (3) taking that to the train, (4) transferring to the other train, (5) getting on the subway, transferring to the other subway (6, where my bag was stowed), and (7) getting on the train to Kyoto, where I took (8) a subway to my hostel.

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I had heard mixed things about Kyoto. Some said it was overrun by tourists and visiting the sites feels like being herded sheep from one shrine or point if interest to the next. I was told I could skip it entirely or do it as a day trip from Osaka. Originally it and Osaka dominated my non-Tokyo time, but the plan evolved. Based on negative feedback I was more recently preparing to just day trip it from Osaka, figuring if really liked it the train ride was short and cheap and I could return a second day. However, the final couple of recommendations I got indicated that Kyoto cannot be missed. So I booked 2 nights and there I went.

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Kyoto and Osaka have blended together a bit in my mind – they weren’t so starkly different to me and I had sandwiched Kyoto with Osaka so I can barely remember which experience was where. When I arrived in Kyoto the weather was miserable. But I had all afternoon so I headed to the eastern part of the city at the base of the adjacent hills to see some sites. First was Kiyomizu-Dera.

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Very quickly I understood the criticisms around tourists. This was probably exacerbated because it was the Chinese New Year, so there were throngs of countless Chinese, in rented kimonos, clogging up streets and sidewalks as they posed for photo after photo. I had been too cold the night before (in the mountains), and as a result I was overdressed and overheating in the somewhat warmer Kyoto. By the time I got to Kiyomizu Dera I was cranky and didn’t enjoy it. There were too many people, most of them Chinese, many in rented kimonos. There was a steady rain, and I was tired (a monastery retreate and sitting on trains all day will do that to a guy). This temple was the exact opposite of what I experienced at Ise.

Still, I trudged on, walking through the Sanneizaka and Nineizaka marketplaces en route to the Chion-In and Shoren-In Temples. I made it to the Chion-In before deciding to sit down in a cafe and unwind. The people were driving me crazy! I didn’t mind crowded Tokyo, where the hordes of Japanese people commuting felt like part of the city. Here I was irritated by people who would pose for 10 pictures every 5 steps. I’m not trying to be critical of any people, just venting based on my frustrated individual experience. After all, I’m a tourist too, and in their eyes likely a rude barbarian oblivious to their customs and manners. But I couldn’t escape the feeling that in Kyoto tourism is more going through the motions to get the right picture rather than being present. Again, something I have certainly been guilty of at points of my trip.

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The next day was better. I got up early and took the train to Arashiyama, on the northwestern outskirts of the city. Arashiyama’s best known for it’s bamboo forest, which was overtouristed, but still pretty special to walk through. I spent some time here, found some secluded parts of the park, and enjoyed walking through here.

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Then I headed up the hill to see the monkeys. They basically turned the native monkeys into a tourist attraction, where seeds are spread across the ground of this area up on the hill and the monkeys all congregate there. It was fun. There were some cute babies, some skirmishes, and good views.

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I then headed back into the urban part of Kyoto to another touristy spot (yet nothing as bad as my first rainy visit to Kiyomizu-Dera) but one that I really appreciated. The Kinkaku-Ji Golden Pavilion. This temple, alongside a pond nestled on expansive grounds, has two floors completely covered in gold leaf. It was beautiful. Still felt a little like walking around it just to get the right picture, I really liked this place. I also suspect that being in a bad mood the day before made me more appreciative this day.

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Next was not somewhere I would’ve made the special trip for, but Ryoanji Temple was about a 30 minute walk, and known for its big rock garden. Ritsumeikan University had a campus in between the two temples so I walked through that too.

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The rock garden was not profound. I appreciated the tactile model they had of it for blind people to experience more than the garden itself. Meanwhile, the grounds were lovely, but visitors only had access to a small portion of the 100 or so acre site.

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I decided to head back to my hostel by foot, over an hour walk that took me past the Nijo Castle (it had closed by the time I was there).

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I had two nights in Kyoto and couldn’t spend them both quietly in bed. I had a recommendation for a bar from the bartender at Jeremiah in Tokyo, so I headed to the Bees Knees.

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I had a drink here and chatted with the bartender, a Japanese guy whose traveled all over the world in bartending competitions. I had two good cocktails here, but was the only customer. I suppose that’s a side effect of a speakeasy sometimes. He suggested I go to a nearby gin bar next, so on I went. Nokishita711 Gin and Cocktail Lab had a nondescript entry and was tiny. Behind the cramped bar was one guy in a lab coat. Next to that was a small table with 4 chairs and branches all over it with slowly pulsating lights near covered by the messages that people had written and attached to the branches. I loved this place, and when the drinks came, loved it more. I chatted with the Japanese girl to my left who was in town for a couple of days, and then with the two British women who sat across. We were all blown away by the quality and inventiveness of the cocktails.

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The next morning I had one more site to see in Kyoto before moving on: the Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto’s south. Here countless reddish/orange archways line paths that wind their way up a few stepped mountain trails. I started with the crowds and then found a path less traveled. I was very glad that I did this.

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I enjoyed wandering through this photogenic place, and spent 2-3 hours total between my walk up and down. The multiple shrines at the top were not too crowded, and visitors to them were actually praying rather than posing, so the experience felt more meaningful than some others.

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The payoffs in terms of views weren’t quite there, but I managed to find a couple of viewpoints on the mountainside.

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Instead of heading straight back to Osaka I decided to detour through the small city of Nara. I didn’t know much about it, other than there was a massive park with deer that will approach people for food. The city was fine, nothing special, but I got an incredible lunch set.

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It was raining so I went to a sake tasting on the way to the park, hoping that it would stop by the time I emerged. I tasted a lot of sake.

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After the sake it was still raining and now I was a bit wobbly when I finally emerged. I walked a few blocks, saw some deer, and decided not to trudge through the mud to see an off-season park in the rain. Back to the train!

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But first, it finally stopped raining, so I wandered a little bit, and saw a pretty impressive pagoda and some temples.

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Sunset on the train was a treat.

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The next day was my last full day in Osaka/Japan. In the morning I did Osaka castle.

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There were many floors of exhibits about Japanese history and the guy who had the place built. I didn’t have the attention span for most of it, so I just looked at things and didn’t read much.

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The views from the top were pretty pretty pretty good.

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Then through the Osaka Rose Garden, which is on an island. Probably quite lovely when in-season. That day just a thorn garden.

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These were en route to the Gate Tower Building.

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The Gate Tower Building was on my ‘to-see’ list because a highway runs through it.

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The Gate Tower Building in part cracked my list because it was close to the Umeda Sky Building. The reflective and structurally impressive Umeda Sky building held much more of my attention than the exhibits of Osaka Castle.

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I spent some time in the garden beneath Umeda Sky before heading up.

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Up top I walked around the indoor level 39 and outdoor roof observation deck.

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After lunch I headed to Osaka Station where I marveled at the massive open air atrium before boarding a train back to American Village to browse consignment shops while strolling back to my hostel.

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I also passed by the Pokemon Cafe, so I of course went in. They required reservations to eat so I just flexed my will power not to buy all the pokemon stuffed animals.

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My last night I did a DIY bar hop, chatting with bartenders and meeting locals along the way.

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I had a redeye out the following day, so I got up late, packed up and left eh hostel and headed down south toward Kansai Airport. I had seen enough of Osaka and thus decided to hang out near the airport for the day, in Rinku Town. Here the biggest attraction for me was marble beach.

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The beach was too cold and windy to stay long, so I wandered around the premium outlets there and ate while waiting for the right lighting.

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Shortly before sunset I got on the giant ferris wheel.

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Then to the airport, where I found myself amongst travellers from all over, during the height of the Corona Virus. I tried to keep to myself and keep my hands washed.

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And there you have it! 16 glorious days in Japan, and I can’t say enough good things about it. The food, most aspects of the culture, the architecture both new and old, the technology, the cleanliness, the countryside, I loved it all! While I don’t like to pick favorites (I do), I might be able to say that this was my favorite country. It’s also my last foreign country (gasp!). Onto Hawaii for my grand finale. While I don’t want the trip to end, I suppose it’s time. And I’ve overextended my budget (which was pretty much always assumed). And I’m looking forward to continuing my career. And staying in one place, not having to pack every day or 3, and seeing people I know and care about, and not sleeping in dorm rooms. I’ll be sharing more about my thoughts and feelings on it all in the coming posts. And now, this one goes out to all the monks and monkeys I came across, not just in Japan but throughout all of Asia.