Phil and I had a wonderful trip to Japan, courtesy of Sophia, who moved back home for the week to take care of Ben. After curating the photos, there were still 200 that I loved enough to post, so I decided that those could be metered out on Facebook over the next few days, without commentary.
This trip was different from most other trips we have taken because we were half a world away from our comfort zone. We didn’t even know exactly what we were looking for, which makes it all the more surprising that we found it and so much more. Our approach was to see this as a balanced vacation, with touristy sightseeing, relaxation, and food contributing to our overall goal of soaking up the vibe. I read a couple books while there that were perfectly timed for what we were seeing (The Woman in the White Kimono, Ana Johns and Daughters of the Samurai, Janice P. Nimura.) Without Rick Steves, who only covers Europe, I was more than a little unmoored, but thankfully, our friend Len gave us invaluable tips and the confidence to take it on. Once I got over the fact that we would not really have a strong agenda, I could let the trip wash over me and sink in and in and in. I think I will soak in the Japanese experience for a good long while.
Grounds of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.We took a bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto, with our eyes on Mount Fuji. At 200 mph, watch for the train going the other direction.At Chion-in Temple in Kyoto, we took off our shoes to enter and listened to drumming, chanting, and a meditation.Sights around KyotoAll over Kyoto there were kimono rental shops so strolling through gardens and grounds usually involved seeing many young women or couples all decked out.SukiyakiI will always associate the color orange with Kyoto.The Senbon torii gates in Kyoto (at Fushimi Inari Taisha.) We climbed a mountain through a thousand brilliant orange gates.Here we are delighted to be done climbing!DescentEven the egg yolks in the katsu meal are orange!Our day trip to NaraThe tourist booth man at the train station told us that Japanese deer are polite and will bow for a cracker.The very tame deer wander freely throughout Nara park.In Nara, Todai-ji was first built in the 700s! (Rebuilt in the 1700s.)The Buddha within the temple.OctopusGyozaWagyu beef tenderloin sandwichThis is the gate to Nijojo-Mae in Kyoto – a shogun’s castle and later an imperial palace. The “nightingale” floors creaked and chirped, sounding exactly like birds when we walked on them (sans shoes, of course.)Our day trip to Himeji was one of my favorite days. We climbed to the top of Himeji Castle in site-issued slippers while we carried our shoes. The slippers, as their name implies, kept sliding off our feet so we ended up carrying both slippers and shoes all the way up and down.The view made the climb worth the effort.For an extra 40 cents, we gained entry into the adjoining Koko-En Gardens. Bamboo.On the way back from Himeji, we stopped in Kobe, where Phil was on a mission to have Kobe beef, of course. Looks good, right? Read on.We tried going to a highly rated place, that naturally had no availability, so we ended up here. There is a mirror behind Phil, and in this picture, we are trying hard (and failing) not to laugh at ourselves. Mennonites have no business ordering Kobe beef. We got the cheapest cut, but at least the portions were hearty! We chewed and chewed and chewed, much as I imagine a lowly cow chews its cud. We were exhausted from all the climbing of the day, and all the chewing, and the extended meal service from an elderly waiter (if you have seen the Kominsky Method, you know.) Kobe was a failure of our own making.Pontocho alley in Kyoto.SushiA tree grows out of a balcony. As Ben would say, why not?We walk the Philosopher’s Path on our last day in Kyoto, where I suggest to Phil that we need not walk it as if we are storming the Bastille.
The trip was unforgettable, and in spending the day recounting our time through photos, I feel like I’m still there: riding the bullet train, eating sushi, slurping noodles, walking up mountain paths, taking in temples and shrines, wandering in beautiful Japanese gardens, touring castles, chewing that Kobe beef…
