Ponto-chou

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6:49pm JST

Getting a quick bite to eat at the udon restaurant down the street before heading out to Osaka for a night of … well who knows what. I have a simple, inexpensive bowl of udon but good lord is that udon good!

7:15pm JST

I arrive at Kyoto Station with time to kill, so I graze in the book store, and hey, they have Doraemon volumes 2 through 42!

7:30pm JST

I begin to stare at my cell phone, pretending to be popular and busy, as opposed to frightened and confused in a big city train station.

8:00pm JST

Eric arrives and we decide to head down to Ponto-chou, another of Kyoto’s geisha towns, for sushi and sake. This relieves me of worrying about catching that “last train” from Osaka before the rail system closes.

8:30pm JST

After much wanderage, we settle on a sushi restaurant, other than the one Eric originally had in mind. Apparently that restaurant has closed and been replaced by who knows what. What we’re ordering tonight:

Cold Sake: “Momo-No-Shizuku” and “Super Dry”

Maguro, Salmon, Unagi
Tora-Maguro and Tora-Salmon
Specialty Unagi Tempura
Conger Eel Tempura Style

[ First-Time Travelers Tip: Order two pieces for one by saying “Toro-Salmon Ichi Ni Mae” ]

10:30pm JST

We leave the sushi restaurant and are back on Kawaramachi-dori within five minutes. Instead of walking a half a dozen blocks, I hail a cab and am in the hotel in another five minutes for only Y650.

Toji Temple

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7:33am JST

What a lovely sunrise against a crystalline sky! I was too late to video tape the sunrise, but I did capture scenes of the Komagawa in the morning, and heron against the river. Also captured the early morning sounds of Kyoto on audio.

8:30am JST

Back at the hotel started loading this morning’s shoot onto the computer. Then headed to 7-Eleven to pick up some onigiri for breakfast, while the videos load and render.

10:00am JST

Packed and ready to role to today’s photo shoot: Toji Temple, home of the five story pagoda that is the tallest pagoda in Kyoto. Once again I exercise my new found super powers of bus navigation by purchasing a City Pass and catching the number 4 bus at Kawaramachi Matsubara headed to Sanjo.

Ah, the air is fresh and the warm sun under a blue sky feels so good, especially after the past few rainy days.

Here comes the number 207 bus, headed through Ponto-chou on its way to Toji Temple!

10:45am JST

We pass one of many large and impressive temple/shrines as we turn onto Karasuma dori (????) and head south to Toji.

11:26am JST

The Toji pagoda is directly ahead as the bus drops us off at the dates to Toji! You can enter the gates for free but entry to main area, including the five story pagoda is Y500. More impressive than the pagoda are the grounds and garden, and pond filled with monstrous prize winning koi!

12:00am JST

Huge koi the size of Hakuho!

1:30pm JST

Wind is really picking up, but a cool breeze in the hot sun is pleasant.

2:00pm JST

Walked through the Kodo Hall admiring the Buddha’s, guardian kings and bodisvavas (one of which I believe is the fearsome Enma Daiyo) brought to Japan by Kobo Daishi from China. Truly national treasures. Disposed of my loose change in the offering box appropriately and paid my respects to the deities.

4:00pm JST

Time to stop whipping this dead horse and go home.

4:25pm JST

Found a store right next to Toji Temple that apparently sells kokeshi dolls, at least they have a huge collection of them and these are OLD too. I wonder if they could help identify the maker and other details of my sister’s kokeshi. I catch the 207 bus as it loops around Kyoto and back to Kawaramachi Shijo.

5:06pm JST

It’s that time of day, the time when crows serenade us good and loud. I like the sound of crows.

Waiting for the number 4 bus, easy as pie

Another elderly person wants to help me with my bus schedule and etiquette. I think they see themselves as the local village elder, with plenty of knowledge and wisdom to bestow upon the young. Little do they know that I’m not far behind them…

5:20pm JST

Back at the hotel I’m loading the video and photography from the day’s shoot. Need to rest up for more fun in Osaka tonight.

Gion: Antique and Geisha District

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11:30am JST

Getting a late start this afternoon, so much so that housekeeping is pushing me out to get their job done. Think I’ll visit the Gion district, famous as Kyoto’s last old world enclave of geico, maiko, tea houses and antique dealers. Gion is conveniently located just Northeast of my hotel, allowing me to take the City Bus part of the way to Kawaramachi-Shijo and then walking East towards the river on Shijo-dori.

12:00noon JST

I haven’t eaten yet so I stop by the Matsuya shop just before crossing the river. Matsuya is a major restaurant chain serving beef bowl, donburi and curry dishes using a food “kippu” machine. I’m ordering the beef strips on rice with miso soup.

12:20pm JST

Oishii desu yo!

1:00pm JST

I’ve arrived at the Shijo-dori bridge and, despite the cloudy weather and the incipient rain, I have a lovely view of the Kamogawa to photograph. Crossing I find myself at the Keihan-Sanjo train station and the gateway to Gion!

1:30pm JST

I find the statue of legendary samurai Hikokuro Takayama, stop briefly to take his picture (I’m sure he won’t mind) and head towards Nawate-dori and the center of Gion. Gion is hard to miss, frankly, there’s signage everywhere reminding you of where to find this charming unspoiled section of town.

I walk along Nawate Street, peeking into antique shops along the way. This is pretty high end stuff which I really can’t afford to buy. One shop stocks real period pieces including hilts and parts from ancient katana. I found an exquisite pair of “seppa” sporting rampant tiger motifs in gold, but they also cost Y55万円, or Y550,000. As you might imagine that’s also a lot in American dollars. In fact most prices in these shops start with multiples of 万円 or Y10,000.

2:00pm JST

Turning left onto Shinmonzen-dori we find Edo period tea houses, once used by maiko and geico to entertain guests, preserved in their original state. I turn right and follow a narrow back street until I come to a Shinto shrine at the interseciton of Shinbashi-dori and Shirakawa-minami-dori. This part of town has been preserved as a little piece of Edo with its willow lined streets following the Shirakawa river though a town.

Walking further South we are suddenly plunged back into the 21st century at Shijo-dori, the big commercial street with souvenirs and things to buy galore.

3:30pm JST

Time to head back to Kawaramchi-Sanjo for something to eat. By this time, my dogs are barking and I don’t want to get caught in a sudden downpour, so instead of crossing the river on foot, I head to the local bus terminal near Keihan-Sanjo station. Might as well take the bus, I have a City Bus pass!

4:00pm JST

The return trip is shorter than the wait for the bus and so short I don’t really have time to sit down. I arrive at the Kawaramachi-Sanjo stop in less than five minutes.

4:25pm JST

Started buying stuff, before I have to leave town on Saturday. First purchases: a pair of lovely soy sauce dishes in the shape of fugu and a pair of chopstick holders in the shape of colorful koi, both from a folk crafts place. Fans and chopsticks are notoriously overpriced at these arcades.

4:30pm JST

Found the most wonderful furoshiki of all time in one of the street stores. Made the entire day worth it.

4:49 JST

Need to get off my feet and imbibe liquid refreshment, this time at the St-Marc Cafe where they don’t understand the word “decaf” so I drink green tea and eat cro, “choco cro” in this case. I feel so Bohemian, sipping on my hot tea and munching chocolate goodies at a little cafe table.

5:00pm JST

Searching for usable WiFi hot spots and not having any luck.

5:35pm JST

Back to the Shinyogoku arcade to explore more dark alley ways and stores! This time, I found one of the Shinto shrines where rubbing the head of a bronze seated cow is supposed to bring you prosperity. I remark that I think the cow has a smile on his face, probably from all the rubbing. Alright, I’m leaving.

6:14pm JST

Walked into a beef bowl place on Kawamachi-dori and stuffed my face on curry beef, soft boiled egg and rice for only Y640. The proprietors at even the dingiest hole in the wall will treat you like the emperor because its all about serving the customer!

7:00pm JST

Stopping off at Family Mart for night time snack and Match, walk back to the Shijo-Kawamachi bus stop and I’m on the number 4 bus and back to the hotel in ten minutes. This time no mistakes!

8:00pm JST

Kicking back with Match vitamin drink, a choco eclair and the NHK drama “Sarutobi III” while the day’s video and photography loads. I could get into this Edo period soap opera if only my language skills were better.

Gentle Journeys

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11:00am JST

Back home I used to watch a sweet documentary program on NHK World called “Gentle Journeys,” dubbed in English Gentle Journeys chronicled small stories about just ordinary people in Japan. Well guess what NHK in Japan is airing at 11:00am right now? And its appearing with the original Japanese titles and narration intact. It’s interesting to compare the two versions and also seeing what the program looks like in full HD, just lovely.

The cinematography and editing of this program are lovely, a simple documentary style but crafted with loving care.

Today’s Gentle Journeys is about piano makers, tuners and repair people…

Gentle Journeys on NHK

“Naan that could choke Godzilla”

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5:00pm JST

Just wandered into a random Indian restaurant called “Ashoka” and ordered butter chicken masala, tandoor chicken, lamb biryani rice and a piece of naan that could choke Godzilla. Absolutely nothing Japanese about this restaurant, including the portions which were atypically huge. The chef and wait staff are Indian and authentic to the core.

The butter chicken was quite excellent as was the garlic naan. Paired together, they were superb, fragrant, subtle, wow.

Food is one of man’s basic instincts and necessities. The creation of great food that touches the senses and the soul, and leaves a memorable experience, is one of man’s greatest aspirations.

Shinkyogoku

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11:00am JST

I’ve returned to the hotel room to unpack my laundry and make a cup of hot green tea to go with the bean paste bun I just picked up from the local family bakery. Laundry day is a good time to relax, read the paper and recover from the rest of the week’s hustle and bustle, especially on a rainy day when temple hopping isn’t overly appealing or photogenic.

[ First-Time Travelers Tip: Plan your day by the weather and always allocate one day each week to do relax, do laundry and appraise your trip! ]

This evening I plan to explore the Shinkyogoku shopping arcade, a huge shopping complex at the corner of Kawaramachi and Shijo streets and just one bus stop away from the hotel. What better way to spend a rainy drizzly evening than to go souvenir shopping under covered walkways!

4:00pm JST

Standing in the drizzle at the Kawaramachi Matsubara bus stop waiting for either the number 4 or the number 17.

4:22pm JST

Within a block of stepping off the bus I’ve found a couple high end stores on the street that sell traditional Japanese crafts. Its started raining so I’m glad I decided to shop under covered walkways. All of Kyoto is sporting those Y500 umbrellas you can buy at any conbini.

4:30pm JST

Here is the Teramachi entrance to the Shinkyogoku shopping arcade and whoa is this place HUGE and features everything from both high-end jewelry and designer clothes down to 100 Yen stores. They say the three-street complex is rivaled in size only by Tokyo’s Nakamise shopping arcade in Asakusa.

Not to be outdone by Osaka’s iconic mechanical crab, here’s a restaurant with a giant mechanical crab, so cute!

The arcade map shows several shrines/temples in the arcade and I’m looking at a very traditional Buddhist temple now. Right in the arcade! The arcade and street shops also features several other shrines: Starbucks, so I should have access to WiFi if I’m lucky. And speaking of religious figures, here’s a KFC with the obligatory statue of The Colonel in period Japanese costuming.

By coming to Shinkyogoku I handily dodged the bullet of getting caught in the rain while pursuing temple and cultural sites. Ironically, the rain is now providing me with photo opportunities galore and while I’m under shelter in the arcade.