Japan

July 26th, 2016

It was our farewell dinner by a chef Yoshihiro Murata who has been recently awarded seven Michelin stars across three of his restaurants.  I had never heard of Yoshihiro Murata, then again, if they aren’t featured on Top Chef or in Food and Wine, I wouldn’t know who they are.  He was a third generation ryotei (traditional Japanese restaurant) owner and has dedicated his life to spreading knowledge of Japanese cuisine.

The Michelin Guide started as a road atlas for Michelin tire owners.  I couldn’t tell you what it takes to get a one, two or three star rating but I do know that getting even 1 star is difficult.  As the courses of food came out, I realized that I had never seen a meal like this.  The attention to detail and the presentation was amazing.   I really enjoyed most of the courses but have to admit, there were a few items that weren’t up my ally.

While having dinner, we were entertained by Geikos and Maikos.  I created a separate posting on that topic. Continue reading →

July 26th, 2016

Geisha is a term referred to traditional Japanese female entertainers highly trained in Japanese traditional arts.  The book and later movie “Memoirs of a Geisha” gave us an insight to the Geisha culture.   Just how much of that was reality?  What I learned from this night was that being a Geisha was an honor.  They don’t spend much time in public and when they do, they attract a lot of attention.  It is an honor to be a Geisha and they attract a lot of attention when they are in public.

In Kyoto, a Geisha does not liked to be called a Geisha but rather a Geiko.  Geisha is more specific to Tokyo.  Maiko is a term used for a Geiko in training.   They start training when they are a teenager learning the arts until they become a Geiko in about 5 years.  While a Maiko, there are no wigs, the Geiko can wear a wig but the Maiko cannot.  They also wear different clothing with a longer sash in back and longer sleeves.  The Maiko talked about how difficult it was to sleep with the hair.  The get it redone once a week and it has to last the week.

Our entertainers entered the room and sat down right in front of us and I mean, right in front of us – opposite our little tables, one on one.  They introduced themselves, gave me a little sticker/card with their name on it and explained what their name meant.  Here was the girl, all done up, I grew up hearing about them and seeing movies about them and one sits down in front of you.  What do you say after “Hello?” – “Where did you get that Kimono?”, “Ever see ‘Memoirs of a Geisha?”, suddenly I felt like a schoolboy at his first school dance.

They were really good at making conversation even though there English was limited.  They had things tucked away in their sash and sleeves, they pulled out fans and name cards, tissues, makeup mirrors.   They made conversation and they served drinks, poured beer, and posed for pictures and made conversation.

It was a very special evening!   Continue reading →

July 26th, 2016

I have been on several tours where, as part of the tour, we ride on  rickshaw or tricycle.  I always feel sorry for the guy who is pulling the rickshaw or pedaling the bike.  I imagine him thinking “Why couldn’t I have gotten the two old ladies as opposed to these big guys from USA”.   As I step in, I want to say, “Yep, you drew the short straw!”.

He fastens our seat belt and covers us with a piece of plastic to keep us dry from the rain and we pose for a picture and then head out for a tour of the town and through the bamboo groves of Arashiyama. Continue reading →

July 26th, 2016

https://youtu.be/V6fQtwu1bvA

This morning, our group piled on to a boat and went down the Hozu River.  The boat was powered by three men.  In the front was one man who rowed and another man who used a pole to push the boat along.   I am not sure that the guy in the back was doing.   Talk about manual labor!  They rotated the stations, so they all had equal time doing one of the three tasks. The man who faced the passengers while rowing, was also the speaker.  I have no idea what he was talking about but the Japanese passengers in front of me found whatever they were saying very entertaining, frequently laughing.

The river never appeared to get very deep and for the most part, it was slow moving with the men rowing and pushing.   At times we went through some white water rapids – enough for us to feel like we were on an adventure but nothing too dramatic.   Although I had a great seat in the second row along on the starboard side of the boat, when the oar came out of the water, it frequently splashed right into my face.  Overall, this was a really fun event and when I got off the boat I thought, “can I go again?” Continue reading →

July 26th, 2016

A temple dedicated to the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy.  The original building dates back to 1397, the current building that we see today was built in 1955 after a monk burned it down.   The upper floors of the building are covered with gold-leaf and the roof is topped with a Bronze Phoenix.

It is a beautiful temple set in a serene setting.  The landscaping is almost as impressive as the temple.  Of all our stops, this was the busiest.  What you don’t see is the chaos going on behind the camera.  It was difficult to get a spot to take pictures.

July 25th, 2016

After lunch, we walked through an area called Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka referring to two of the streets that slope down from the temple at the top of the hill.  It was a walk through old world Japan with streets lined with old shops and structures.  I felt like this was right out of a movie set.

Sophon found a Ghibli studios shop.  I knew that he was hoping to find one. A few nights before, someone else mentioned that they were looking for it as well, their daughter had asked them to pick something up if they found one of the shops. I don’t know a whole lot about Anime but when these guys stumbled on the shop they were very excited.  While Sophon shopped, I soaked in the atmosphere of the hillside village. Continue reading →

Karamon Gate

Ninomaru Goten Palace

Karamon Gate

July 25th, 2016

A UNESCO world heritage site.  The Nijo Castle was built-in 1603 as a residence for the first shogun of the Edo period.  It was also the residence of the last Shogun who declared the return to power to the emperor in 1867, marking the end of the Edo Period.  It is known for spectacular wall paintings decorated with gold leaf still in existence today.

The main palace consisted of 33 rooms with multiple waiting and audience rooms. In the main audience room, the shogun would sit on an elevated door next to a large closet filled with security guards ready to protect the shogun at any instant.   The corridors have nightingale floors that  intentionally “chirp” as you walk along them.   There was no sneaking around the palace without being unheard.

Unfortunately,  we weren’t allowed to take pictures inside of the palace.

July 25th, 2016

Inari is the god of rice and the fox is thought to be the messenger of Inari.  This shrine contained endless red and black painted gates that line the trails from one shrine to the next with statues of foxes throughout.  We were told that to get to the very top of the shrine, it would take a couple of hours, we didn’t have that much time and only got to see the part that was at the bottom of hill.

Continue reading →

July 25th, 2016

Prior to my trip, I came across a documentary on Netflix that documented the sake making process.  The documentary was interesting but was very long.  At the end of it, I knew more than I ever wanted to know about Sake and now here I was in a Sake Museum.   Our Museum guide took us through the Museum and described the sake making process.  I think I got a little bit more out of the movie but nonetheless it was fun to see in person.   What the movie didn’t offer was a tasting or a bottle to go home with us.

I have to admit, although I have learned about the sake making process, I rarely drink and would have no idea what to order off of a menu.  I discovered Sushi in my early 20’s along with Hot Sake.  I even had a hot sake set.   It wasn’t until my 30’s that I learned that sake is not only served hot but also cold and that they were often paired with foods.

July 25th, 2016

A Buddhist temple just outside of Kyoto perched half way up on a mountain.   Over 1200 years old, a UNESCO world heritage site. The temple offers stunning views of Kyoto.  Since my arrival in Japan, I have been impressed with just how beautiful Japan is and this temple is another example of beautiful architecture set in a beautiful setting. Every temple we have seen has been beautiful but this one stood out along with the mountainside town filled with shops.  I felt like I had been transported to another time.  I Wish I could have stayed to have watched the sunset and the city nightlight.

It is here where we learned about “To jump off the stage at Kiyomizu”.  In English, we would way “To take the plunge!” It refers to a legend that said if you jumped off the veranda and survived the 50 foot drop, your wish would be granted.  We had a lot of adventurous people in our tour group but none that stupid to try.  There have been over 200 jumps recorded with an 85% survival rate.  the tour guide had no statistics if any of them could walk again.  The practice is now prohibited. Continue reading →