Japan – In Cherry Blossom Time
My trip to Japan should have happened exactly 3 years earlier, but it had been cancelled due to the tsunami; and I felt apprehensive as well as excited. After a really cramped flight and long wait at immigration, I was relieved to finally reach my hotel.
But wanting to make the most of my free day, I went out to find the Imperial Palace gardens - where the blossom was supposed to still be at its best. There was a moat around the palace and the walkway was still full of colourful, blooming trees - a lovely sight.
Unfortunately, I arrived too late to go into the inner garden, so I just went to the outer park where I sat on the pale, scorched lawns – and dozed off - only to be woken by the sound of horns! They were the signal to leave the park, which disappointingly closed at 4pm. Walking back around the moat, I saw many bonsai type trees, a curved bridge and several black and white watchtowers on the corners of the high, black 400-year-old walls. In Tokyo I had been expecting crowds of people, hoards of cars and lots of noise; but I was so surprised!
There didn’t seem to be that many people about (even though over 13 million live there), the roads, even though some were 12 lanes wide, weren't too busy or noisy - and it was so very clean and manicured. Most of the cars seemed to be big, black, flash cars; not the small economical cars I was expecting. Along all the roads and paths there were pretty trees and bushes cut into various shapes in so many different shades of red and pink. Finally, back at the hotel, it was nice to unpack and have a shower; the windows of my room were imitation paper sliding doors, it was like being in a traditional teahouse - brilliant!
But wanting to make the most of my free day, I went out to find the Imperial Palace gardens - where the blossom was supposed to still be at its best. There was a moat around the palace and the walkway was still full of colourful, blooming trees - a lovely sight.
Wednesday
We drove around the city, past the Imperial palace where the emperor and his family live, and along roads lined with gingko trees, tulips and pansies - seeing policemen with their whistles at every junction. We passed the Hitec areas of Euno and Akihabar, and a store known as Electric City. We had a quick photo stop to see Tokyo tower, on our way to Asakusa Kannon Temple - Tokyo's oldest temple.
This was a huge wooden building with large lanterns hanging around it, crowds of people and young women dressed in traditional kimonos. There was a small garden area with stone Buddhas, trees still blossoming, and alleys full of shops – all with cherry blossom above them. I left our group at lunchtime (they were going to the designer shops), and caught the underground to Shinjuku Gyoen - which was quite an experience.
I had been told to go to the garden at Shinjuku, as the blossom was still out. I was so glad that I had made the effort to go there, it was the most beautiful place; all of the trees looked like snowy lace curtains.
There were lakes with perfectly sculptured trees and bushes around them, dainty bridges and teahouses; and huge carp and turtles swimming in them. The sun was still out, and the park could not have been more picturesque.
There were thousands of people there, but it didn't feel overly crowded. I felt very privileged to have seen such an amazing place, on such a lovely day and still in full bloom.
As had happened the previous day, at 4pm there was some loud music and talking over the loud speakers; and soon I was being ushered out of the park by the security people, who very kindly took my photograph under a lovely tree before insisting that I leave! I caught the underground train back to the hotel, experiencing a traditional Japanese meal before bed! That was a disaster - it was awful; I ended up with noodles in a bowl of brown water and skewers with chicken skins and sausage balls!
Thursday
This morning we journeyed north towards Nikko, passing flat farmlands heading into the Alps where the forests had a delicate pink tinge to them – as the blossom that was still out amongst the pine and cedar trees. We were taught a few useful words of Japanese; konnichiwa (hello), ohayo gyosimas (good morning), arigato gosymas (thank you) and summimasen (excuse me).
A couple of hours later, we arrived at the famous UNESCO World Heritage site - Toshogu Shrine (Tokugawa Ieyasu's mausoleum, where only the highest ranking samurai were allowed). Before we went inside, we had to purify our hands and mouth, with long handled spoons of spring water. There were traditionally dressed girls at the entrance, giving out amulets that were supposed to keep you safe on the road! We climbed the steps to reach the first of the many different temple buildings, Buddhist and Shinto shrines, all beautifully lacquered with gold leaf. Every surface has delicate wooden carvings on, of children, animals, flowers, fruit, dragons, cranes etc, in black, white and various bright colours.
Most people here worship both Shinto and Buddhism religion, the Shinto is the traditional religion taken up after the collapse of the Shogun government (who were followers of Zen Buddhism). One of the temples is dedicated to The Three Wise Monkeys - See no evil, Hear no evil, and Speak no evil, and their story about the meaning of life! There is even a real life white horse in one house, which is supposed to be a spiritual creature.
When we went into the inner chambers of the shrine, where only the shogun was allowed to go into, we had to take our shoes off. The floor was so slippery and I had to be really careful on the brass steps, both going up them, but even more so coming back down! It was a pity that we couldn't take photos in here; it was an amazingly ornate place.
The black lacquerware was so shiny, it looked like plastic; and the gold leaf was everywhere - it was too beautiful to describe. We also went into the Temple of the Crying Dragon, where a monk clapped pieces of wood together and the painted dragon (on the ceiling) was supposed to make a crying noise. Next, after taking a travel sickness tablet, (because I knew what was coming), we headed up the I-Ro-Ha Zaka driveway. This road has 48 hairpin bends and reaches an elevation of 3,940 feet at Lake Chuzenji with its heavily wooded shores, and the famous Kegon Waterfall. Although earlier the temperature had been 20 degrees, there was snow still on the roadside here and it had turned windy and cold; and I was so glad to get back on the coach – as we headed back to Tokyo. I had a 'good food experience' at a motorway service station - a custard pancake in the shape of a fish! And then later, I had fried chicken, salad and hibiscus tea; and was so pleased that my last night in Tokyo had ended on a high.
Friday
Today we headed across country towards the Sea of Japan and as we left Tokyo, I could see the majestic Mount Fuji, even though it was 163 miles in the distance.
Our first stop was the dynamic 16th century Matsumoto Castle, also, called "Crow Castle" because of its striking black and white design. There was blossom out in the garden and with the moat all around, the castle looked wonderful. When we entered the castle, we had to take our shoes off; the wooden steps were so high and shiny that it was dangerous trying to get up and down them.
The castle has 6 floors all full of historical displays, some dating back to the 8th century; and I did manage to get up to the top where the view was brilliant. Then I had a leisurely walk around the moat, where I saw a striking red and white bridge, some white swans and huge carp in the water.
We left Matsumoto and headed towards Nagano, and the scenery was reminiscent of travelling through Austria or Switzerland. The green valleys had quaint houses, the icy rivers were full of boulders, the rice paddy fields were the tidiest I have ever seen and high mountains were on every side. Nagano was where the 1998 winter Olympics were held; but we were there to visit the 7th century Zenkoji Temple that houses the first Buddhist statue brought to Japan.
There were many black, carved wooden buildings in the temple complex, but inside the main hall, we were taken below the temple and through a pitch-black tunnel. You had to hold on to the person in front with one hand and the wall with the other hand; and if you felt a key on the wall “it would be the key to paradise, and your salvation would be ensured".
There was a spectacular red sunset, which made me think of the saying “The Land of the Rising Sun”, and someone had left a bicycle by the waters edge - just to be in my photograph. It was virtually impossible to get anything to eat, as there was nothing written in anything I could understand, but I found the most fantastic bridge with cherry blossom trees growing along a river. It was magical! I ended up with potato croquettes and fried chicken from a supermarket, then back to the hotel.
Saturday
I got up extra early, to go and see the bridge I found last night, and I was so glad I did! The blossom trees along the river were some of the best I had seen; probably because it was colder here and the blossom was slightly later.
After breakfast, we headed off through Japan's beautiful mountain scenery to one of the country's most remote regions - Shirakawa. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site where the unique Gassho-Zukuri (meaning joined hands) style thatched traditional farmhouses can be found.
The steep ‘A’ shaped roofs are designed to withstand severe snow drifts of up to 2 metres and there would have been as many as 30 people living in each house. It was a fascinating place, set in a valley with a river running through it, surrounded by pine trees and snowy mountains in the distance. The snow was so late melting this spring, that as well as huge piles of snow by the road, there was an igloo in the centre of the village.
We had to cross a suspension bridge to reach the village, where several families still lived and worked. We paid to go into one of the houses, a fascinating place, all dark wood with sliding bamboo doors just like you expect of Japanese houses. There were tatami mats on the floors, relics, working equipment, the traditional low table and chairs and a complimentary cup of Japanese tea! Around every house, were fields being prepared for planting rice; and around each field was a water channel.
They are very cleverly designed, to take water to wherever it is required; there were even rainbow trout in these waterways; and every house had a pond with huge koi carp. Outside one house there was a trough full of bottles of pop, with water flowing through to keep them cool - this was an outdoor fridge! It was a delightful place to visit. Then we continued on through the Alps, via many tunnels, finally arriving at the secluded, mountain town of Takayama, one of Japan's most traditional towns.
It had a charming old-world atmosphere and some fine almost black, Edo-period architecture that has been untouched by the passage of time. This is due to its remoteness at such high altitude; but today it was heaving with tourists. We visited the Kusakabe Heritage House, a merchant's home that was built in the late 19th century, and we were given a cup of cherry blossom tea, before having a tour of the house. We also saw the old samurai headquarters and many beautiful carved wooden shops.
The streets were very narrow, with deep gutters at both sides, like little rivers, and rickshaws were taking tourists around the town. After lunch, the scenery changed from snowy Alps, past neat patchwork valleys, along the quiet motorways towards Nagoya. It felt good to reach our hotel before dark, so I headed out exploring and found a most unusual area near the central park.
At first I thought there was a monorail high up above, but as I got nearer, I saw that it was a sort of viewing platform. I went up the lift to the roof floor, in what was called an Aqua Spaceship! It was a viewing platform that was 4 stories up, with a glass floor, a walkway around the outside and perfectly calm water in the middle.
As the night grew darker, it changed colours and it felt strange walking on glass; it really was like being on the Starship Enterprise! A truly amazing find! Anyway I found an Italian restaurant and had a lovely meal, which ended my day off perfectly. The lesson for today was that due to the number of earthquakes here, roof tiles are now made from plastic, to stop them falling off and killing people!
After breakfast, we headed off through Japan's beautiful mountain scenery to one of the country's most remote regions - Shirakawa. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site where the unique Gassho-Zukuri (meaning joined hands) style thatched traditional farmhouses can be found.
The steep ‘A’ shaped roofs are designed to withstand severe snow drifts of up to 2 metres and there would have been as many as 30 people living in each house. It was a fascinating place, set in a valley with a river running through it, surrounded by pine trees and snowy mountains in the distance. The snow was so late melting this spring, that as well as huge piles of snow by the road, there was an igloo in the centre of the village.
We had to cross a suspension bridge to reach the village, where several families still lived and worked. We paid to go into one of the houses, a fascinating place, all dark wood with sliding bamboo doors just like you expect of Japanese houses. There were tatami mats on the floors, relics, working equipment, the traditional low table and chairs and a complimentary cup of Japanese tea! Around every house, were fields being prepared for planting rice; and around each field was a water channel.
They are very cleverly designed, to take water to wherever it is required; there were even rainbow trout in these waterways; and every house had a pond with huge koi carp. Outside one house there was a trough full of bottles of pop, with water flowing through to keep them cool - this was an outdoor fridge! It was a delightful place to visit. Then we continued on through the Alps, via many tunnels, finally arriving at the secluded, mountain town of Takayama, one of Japan's most traditional towns.
It had a charming old-world atmosphere and some fine almost black, Edo-period architecture that has been untouched by the passage of time. This is due to its remoteness at such high altitude; but today it was heaving with tourists. We visited the Kusakabe Heritage House, a merchant's home that was built in the late 19th century, and we were given a cup of cherry blossom tea, before having a tour of the house. We also saw the old samurai headquarters and many beautiful carved wooden shops.
The streets were very narrow, with deep gutters at both sides, like little rivers, and rickshaws were taking tourists around the town. After lunch, the scenery changed from snowy Alps, past neat patchwork valleys, along the quiet motorways towards Nagoya. It felt good to reach our hotel before dark, so I headed out exploring and found a most unusual area near the central park.
At first I thought there was a monorail high up above, but as I got nearer, I saw that it was a sort of viewing platform. I went up the lift to the roof floor, in what was called an Aqua Spaceship! It was a viewing platform that was 4 stories up, with a glass floor, a walkway around the outside and perfectly calm water in the middle.
As the night grew darker, it changed colours and it felt strange walking on glass; it really was like being on the Starship Enterprise! A truly amazing find! Anyway I found an Italian restaurant and had a lovely meal, which ended my day off perfectly. The lesson for today was that due to the number of earthquakes here, roof tiles are now made from plastic, to stop them falling off and killing people!
Sunday
We had an early start to get to Toba in time for a show at Mikimoto Pearl Island, that was founded in the late 19th century when it was developed into an industry for cultured pearls. Women here dive for pearls from the seabed in a type of white dress (apparently sharks don't like white!) and a primitive looking glass mask.
We watched them dive down, holding their breath for well over a minute and put their collections into wooden buckets floating on the surface (attached to them with a rope). The divers (some as old as 70) spend 4 hours a day in the water, all the year round!
We saw a film show about the culturing of pearls and had a look around the museum; but didn't have enough time in the shop - which was a good job really – it stopped me spending! On the way back to the bus I saw a rather unnerving tsunami evacuation sign, showing you where to run to if the worst should happen!
Next stop was Japan's most important shrine in the Shinto 'church' - Ise Grande Shrine, which is set in dense woods, and there were thousands of people there paying their respects. No one is actually allowed into these shrines that were built in the 4th and 5th centuries, and the main buildings are behind tall wooden walls - so you couldn't actually see anything! Every shrine is identically remade every 20 years and its wood is recycled to remake bridges, gates and posts.
The wood was a very light colour and the roofs were thatched with straw - so everything looked brand new. We weren't allowed to take any photos of the priests, who wore white tunics, tall white pointy hats and black clogs; apparently nothing has changed with anything here for the past 1300 years. After seeing the shrine area, we walked down the old lanes of the adjacent village, where the houses were very old, dark and traditional looking; but were teeming with people and fast food stalls.
Our Rep told us what some of the strange looking foods were. I didn't fancy eating octopus, or squid but tried the local speciality - Kobi beef; it was a sort of burger in breadcrumbs and it was delicious. After we left there, we had a long drive to Osaka, past miles and miles of pine forests, mingled with tall yellow bamboo. Everywhere was so tidy, the fields were immaculately laid out, the paths surrounding them were straight, the farmers were strimming all the edges of the fields and there was no wasted space. Even the forests looked manicured.
We were told the Shinto gods gave the Sun Princess (from whom the current Emperor is descended) a present of a mirror, to bring to earth. Looking at all of those hundreds of rice fields we passed, that were filling up with water, ready for planting - the reflections made me think of this holy mirror! Many of my photographs this trip, had reflections on them; so my thought for today was that Japan is a country of reflections and mirrors. We arrived in Osaka just before it got dark and I went a quick walk out to find a local park. Then to finish the day, I found a cafe that did fish and chips Japanese style - at least the fish wasn't raw which was great!
We watched them dive down, holding their breath for well over a minute and put their collections into wooden buckets floating on the surface (attached to them with a rope). The divers (some as old as 70) spend 4 hours a day in the water, all the year round!
We saw a film show about the culturing of pearls and had a look around the museum; but didn't have enough time in the shop - which was a good job really – it stopped me spending! On the way back to the bus I saw a rather unnerving tsunami evacuation sign, showing you where to run to if the worst should happen!
Next stop was Japan's most important shrine in the Shinto 'church' - Ise Grande Shrine, which is set in dense woods, and there were thousands of people there paying their respects. No one is actually allowed into these shrines that were built in the 4th and 5th centuries, and the main buildings are behind tall wooden walls - so you couldn't actually see anything! Every shrine is identically remade every 20 years and its wood is recycled to remake bridges, gates and posts.
The wood was a very light colour and the roofs were thatched with straw - so everything looked brand new. We weren't allowed to take any photos of the priests, who wore white tunics, tall white pointy hats and black clogs; apparently nothing has changed with anything here for the past 1300 years. After seeing the shrine area, we walked down the old lanes of the adjacent village, where the houses were very old, dark and traditional looking; but were teeming with people and fast food stalls.
Monday
It was a beautifully morning; the countryside, with its green forests and houses in the valley looked magical - just as you image Japanese houses! We were heading back across to the coast on the Sea of Japan. We had a brief stop at a building that looked like a castle, (but it sold sweets and cakes) enroute to the highly respected Izumo Shrine.
It was a beautifully morning; the countryside, with its green forests and houses in the valley looked magical - just as you image Japanese houses! We were heading back across to the coast on the Sea of Japan. We had a brief stop at a building that looked like a castle, (but it sold sweets and cakes) enroute to the highly respected Izumo Shrine.
It is in one of the oldest inhabited areas in Japan and full of temples and ancient buildings and everything here looked old and traditional. We couldn't go inside the inner shrine, but we saw where sumo wrestling takes place and saw guests arriving for a wedding. Next stop was Buke Yashiki - a former samurai residence; which had a pretty garden and the view outside, of the moat with the blossoming trees along it was delightful.
The sun was still out and the last stop of the day was the 400-year-old Matsue Castle, also known as Plover Castle because of its shape. Little work has been done to restore this building, so it has a truly authentic feel, especially as it is surrounded by a moat. The lawn and trees around it were so pretty, the blossom was still out, and it made a lovely picture.
Our hotel was only 5 minutes drive away, and it was still daylight I headed off to find the lake - arriving just in time to see the sun setting. It was a very calm, serene place; the lake was like a mirror, the mountains in the distance were a dark pink haze and the sky was different shades of orange - it was certainly worth the walk.
Tuesday
We left Matsue heading for the coast and as we approached the harbour, to catch the ferry over to the island of Miyajima, the misty islands out in Hiroshima Bay reminded me of the film Tora, Tora, Tora! The smooth crossing only took 10 minutes and as the island - the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Itsukushima Shrine and its famous floating Torii Gate came into view – it was the most amazing site!
It wasn't red as I had imagined, but orange and stood magnificently tall and proud in the ocean. The present gate, which seems to float when the tide comes in, was built in 1874, but a similar torii has lured pilgrims here for hundreds of years.
We walked around the shrine, which was the best Shinto shrine we have seen.
It was colourful, we could see inside it (we even saw some priests), there were bright lanterns hanging everywhere, there was relaxing music playing, the sun was out, and the view of the Torii was mesmerizing. I felt so privileged to have come here - to this iconic place. It was a very pretty island, densely forested, surrounded by clear blue sea, and with hundreds of traditional shops and cafes.
Wild deer wandered along the streets, paddled on the beach and up the shopping streets. We went to a local café for lunch to try a Hiroshima special - Okonona yaki, a type of pancake with pork, cabbage, noodles and soy sauce - it was delicious.
After the short ferry ride back, we continued on to Hiroshima city to visit the Peace Memorial Park and Atomic Bomb Museum. The museum contains graphic portrayals of the war and the bombing, with photographs and films shown in all languages; and although there were many distressing images, it wasn't as awful as I expected.
We saw the building that was at the epicentre when the bomb exploded, it was in ruins, as you would expect, but it hadn't disintegrated like the rest of the buildings in the surrounding area, that ended up like a desert. The most upsetting thing I saw was the burnt slab outside a house - it was all that was left of someone who burnt to death and there was a child’s tricycle that was completely 'fried'.
I hadn't realised that the bomb exploded 600 metres high above the city - that is why it caused so much devastation. There is an arched cenotaph in the park, with white flowers in front of it, and a flame burns, waiting to be extinguished when the world is finally rid of nuclear weapons. I found it hard to believe that there is no bitterness or resentment here; everyone is so kind and caring.
It was upsetting and unbelievable to learn that the Japanese actually persecuted their own “survivors” of the bomb. These people are called hibakusha – which translates as “explosion affected people”, not letting them marry, discriminating them in work places and educational establishments; and forcing them to be outcasts.
The last stop of the day was to visit the beautiful Shukkeien Landscape Garden, which was built in 1620. Although it was destroyed in 1945, it was replanted and restored to its exact condition a few years later. The sun was still shining and it was a perfect end to our day. The garden was so typical of what you expect of a Japanese garden, the lawns were neat, every tree and bush was immaculately shaped and there were shrines and teahouses dotted around the lake.
There was the inevitable red bridge, an unusual white semi circular bridge - over the centre of the lake and several small islands in the water, each with its own bonsai tree. The reflections were astounding! There wasn't much blossom about, but the colourful azaleas and peonies were in full bloom. The koi in the lake stole the day; they must have been 4 feet long and were so tame.
I walked along a path by the waters edge, very quietly, and disturbed one; well that koi nearly jumped out of the water and I nearly jumped in! I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the gardens; it had been a brilliant day. Back at the hotel early, we had to repack our cases, cramming our hand luggage into our suitcase - ready for our journey on the bullet train tomorrow!
It wasn't red as I had imagined, but orange and stood magnificently tall and proud in the ocean. The present gate, which seems to float when the tide comes in, was built in 1874, but a similar torii has lured pilgrims here for hundreds of years.
We walked around the shrine, which was the best Shinto shrine we have seen.
It was colourful, we could see inside it (we even saw some priests), there were bright lanterns hanging everywhere, there was relaxing music playing, the sun was out, and the view of the Torii was mesmerizing. I felt so privileged to have come here - to this iconic place. It was a very pretty island, densely forested, surrounded by clear blue sea, and with hundreds of traditional shops and cafes.
Wild deer wandered along the streets, paddled on the beach and up the shopping streets. We went to a local café for lunch to try a Hiroshima special - Okonona yaki, a type of pancake with pork, cabbage, noodles and soy sauce - it was delicious.
After the short ferry ride back, we continued on to Hiroshima city to visit the Peace Memorial Park and Atomic Bomb Museum. The museum contains graphic portrayals of the war and the bombing, with photographs and films shown in all languages; and although there were many distressing images, it wasn't as awful as I expected.
We saw the building that was at the epicentre when the bomb exploded, it was in ruins, as you would expect, but it hadn't disintegrated like the rest of the buildings in the surrounding area, that ended up like a desert. The most upsetting thing I saw was the burnt slab outside a house - it was all that was left of someone who burnt to death and there was a child’s tricycle that was completely 'fried'.
I hadn't realised that the bomb exploded 600 metres high above the city - that is why it caused so much devastation. There is an arched cenotaph in the park, with white flowers in front of it, and a flame burns, waiting to be extinguished when the world is finally rid of nuclear weapons. I found it hard to believe that there is no bitterness or resentment here; everyone is so kind and caring.
It was upsetting and unbelievable to learn that the Japanese actually persecuted their own “survivors” of the bomb. These people are called hibakusha – which translates as “explosion affected people”, not letting them marry, discriminating them in work places and educational establishments; and forcing them to be outcasts.
The last stop of the day was to visit the beautiful Shukkeien Landscape Garden, which was built in 1620. Although it was destroyed in 1945, it was replanted and restored to its exact condition a few years later. The sun was still shining and it was a perfect end to our day. The garden was so typical of what you expect of a Japanese garden, the lawns were neat, every tree and bush was immaculately shaped and there were shrines and teahouses dotted around the lake.
There was the inevitable red bridge, an unusual white semi circular bridge - over the centre of the lake and several small islands in the water, each with its own bonsai tree. The reflections were astounding! There wasn't much blossom about, but the colourful azaleas and peonies were in full bloom. The koi in the lake stole the day; they must have been 4 feet long and were so tame.
I walked along a path by the waters edge, very quietly, and disturbed one; well that koi nearly jumped out of the water and I nearly jumped in! I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the gardens; it had been a brilliant day. Back at the hotel early, we had to repack our cases, cramming our hand luggage into our suitcase - ready for our journey on the bullet train tomorrow!
Wednesday
At 9am we headed off to catch the Bullet Train to Kyoto and everyone was very excited about going on the famous Shinkansen train. The station was chaotic and heaving with commuters.
When we got to our platform, we were lucky enough be able to photograph a few trains, they all looked so sleek and streamline – before boarding our train. The 2-hour journey was a very smooth, comfortable ride, and we reached Kyoto just before midday.
A few of us decided to visit Arashiyama, a quaint town 30 minutes out of Kyoto. We had to catch the local train there, and when we arrived, it was nothing like the mayhem of Kyoto station - what a lovely place!
There were multicoloured 8 feet tall poles along the end of the railway line - that looked like sticks of rock. We walked through the town, and into a temple that was renowned for its wonderful gardens.
There were many different coloured azaleas, peonies, and rhododendrons out, together with the blossom, and the backdrop of the temple buildings, it looked wonderful. There was the obligatory lake with koi, as well as wooden bridges.
But the most amazing thing here was the bamboo grove. You walked through what seemed to be a tunnel of giant bamboo, curved in above you. It was a strange colour, green but with a tinge of grey or silver - an eerie sight.
Then we walked to a viewpoint and saw the river down below with boats punting, and a red steam train travelling along the rivers edge. We walked down to the river and sat with a drink enjoying the rest - it felt like it was the first time we had stopped since we had arrived in Japan! The tram back had cherry blossom on the roof and lanterns hanging in the carriages - it was lovely! Some of us had decided to go to Gion next, so we hailed a taxi and got there in no time.
We were told how girls become maiko and then gaiko; how they learn their trade, how they live and how many girls are only 'tourist geisha' - not real geisha. In the 1920's there were over 80,000 geishas in Japan, but now there are less that 2000, most of which perform traditional dances at exclusive tea houses in Gion. There were red lanterns hanging outside every building, blossom still on some trees with lights shining through them, bridges over waterways and the scene was quite perfect. Expensive cars were parked outside some houses, waiting to take maiko and gaiko to appointments. I felt like someone in the paparattzi, waiting there with my camera - but the closest I saw to any geisha was name plaques on their doors.
It was a very pleasant evening, and after the tour we went to a small restaurant for another of the local speciality; but this time it was a delicious beef and vegetable ocknomy yaki. It was 9pm by the time we got to the hotel and checked in - what a brilliant day we had, had! Thought for the day was that if I ever come back to Japan, I would bring pictures of cows, fish, chickens, etc, so that I can show the people in restaurants what I want to eat!
Thursday
We left early to get to Nijo Castle before the crowds. The black and white castle built in 1603, was the official residence of the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, with his symbol of the chrysanthemum everywhere. We arrived just before it officially opened, and were taken around the gardens and ponds, with their large grey stones, koi and lovely trees - it was a Zen garden with lines raked in the pebbles.
It is a World Heritage site, because of its 15th century paintings on the walls, which were mainly of trees, birds, blossom, and wild animals - painted on gold leafed walls. It was interesting seeing where the Shogun would have conducted his business and his personal life with his many wives and concubines.
But I was very excited about the next stop; the best-known temple in Japan, Kinkakuji, the Temple of the Gold Pavilion. What an amazing place, it was the goldest, most reflective temple you could ever imagine. It is nestled in lush gardens in Kyoto's hills, a perfect setting, and the large lake that it stood in the middle of, reflected it perfectly!
This temple is a replica of the original 15th century one, with 3 storeys, each covered in gold leaf. Each storey has a different theme; the first floor is a palace, the second is a samurai house, and the top floor is Zen-temple style. It was built by the Shogun to entertain the Emperor, offering him private tea ceremonies.
It was interesting to see priests inside, as so many shrines were totally empty - that is the Shinto way! Inside the white-pebbled courtyard it was hot and dusty, but then we went into the gardens and we walked through a cool, shaded, wooded area, coming out at a mirrored pond with dragon stepping-stones, a Chinese style bridge and blossom hanging down over the water.
After the show, we got a taxi to Kyoto station, which didn't look too spectacular from the outside, but it was unbelievable inside. There were 12 floors, with escalators going right up to the arched ceiling; you could see 100’s of girders criss crossing this ceiling, so much metal, so many lights. The view of the city at night up here was rather special too, especially viewed through one of the station's arches. When you reached the very top, you could cross the walkway to the other side of the station.
One end of the station had coloured lights on the 100’s of steps that kept changing colour. When you stood at the opposite end, you could see that these represented flowers and hangi letters - but every so often people walked down the steps and it appeared that little figures were in the moving pictures. It was amazing! The white Kyoto Tower, that looked nothing special until it was dark, was lit up magnificently.
I could not believe that I had walked around a train station for about 2 hours, and then had a nightmare finding my way back out of it. There were exits in 4 directions; 3 levels below the bullet train line as well as 12 rows above; but eventually I got the shuttle bus back to the hotel, and had to sort myself out for an early start the next day - just for a change!
Friday
After an extra early breakfast we headed back onto the expressway, in the rain today. We travelled all morning through densely forested valleys, with low cloud that completely obliterated the tops of the mountains. The motorways were very efficient; they didn't pass through or go around towns, they passed over them all - making a very smooth journey as well as a scenic one. I have mentioned before that no space is wasted here, and even some of the central areas of the motorway had solar panels on them. The rain started coming down heavier and the visibility was awful; I loved the signs on the motorway gantries that showed a blue umbrella with rain above it! Today we were going on a 'leisurely' cruise on Lake Ashi, in Hakone National Park, reputedly one of the most picturesque places in Japan. Hakone is famous for its hot spring resorts and you could smell the sulphur. People used to come to this area for their aches and pains to be cured - now they come for help with stress and fatigue.
Lynne
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Here are a few other lovely photos from that trip :-
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