Goodbye Japan
posted by kmac @ 9:25 PM
Tuesday
Thursday
Monday
Kyoto
Kiyomizudera
This is the most famous temple in Kyoto according to Japanese. It is beautifully situated on the side of a mountain overlooking all of Kyoto Valley.
You must first walk up a small street with many divergent alleys all filled with shops, some food, traditional goods and the cheasy souvenirs. Once you make it up the street you come across a giant orange torii, or gate . If you are lucky to come in the spring or fall, it will definitely be a memorable sight.
Once inside, you can walk up to the top left and go to 'lovers rock'. You are supposed to start at the first rock and with your eyes closed, walk to the next rock about 20 yards away, if you can get there and touch it then you will be lucky in love. There are always tons of young girls trying out their luck. If you walk to the very back you'll be at a temple with a balcony that provides the best view of Kyoto. Its the 'picture taking area'. Walking down from there, you'll come across the 3 fountains. They represent money, health and love. Whatever fountain you choose to drink from shows what is important to you in life.
Kiyomizu is a big area that usually requires about half a day, considering the walk up and the different tings to do once inside.
Kinkakuji
This is the most picturesque building in Kyoto (and quite possibly the world). It is a golden temple (as the name translates in Japanese).
The temple is set behind a well manicured lake. The reflection from the lake and the mountains behind it make it one of the most beautiful pictures you could take. You will find hordes of people posing for pictures here.The walk behind the temple leads you through a garden. However, the reason to come is for the picture.
The temple is on the opposite side of Kyoto and takes quite a while on the bus. A trip here should be doubled with Ryounji, the most famous zen rock garden. Ryounji has a long rectangular area that has well-raked small white rocks, with a couple of oddly placed big rocks. Supposedly if you sit and meditate long enough you can find some meaning in the rocks and the way they are situated. Only a few people have been so enlightened. Its cool, but more interesting is the fact that such a plain unexciting area is so highly respected.
Fusimi Inari
My favorite place. This is a temple for money or good business. As you can imagine it's fairly popular with salarymen in Japan; ususally on a business trip to Kyoto, they'll go after a meeting. This is not too popular with the foreign tourists. But, it's COOL!!!
There are thousands (hundreds of thousands?) of torii, the orange gate. They are stacked directly behind each other creating a torii tunnel. You can walk about 5 miles around the complex. It goes about 2 miles up a hill to a small shrine at the top which overlooks the city. They range in size from about 12 to 8 ft tall, with some very thick and some very thin, but also there are random spots along the walk with hundreds of small ones stacked in any random order.
The light coming through the gaps is awesome. As the day gets later, the shadows create an eerie feel. Add to that the tons of foxes that are used as this temples mascot or guardian or whatever their purpose. The stone foxes are skinny but mean looking, like a rabid dog. They are scattered around the area and all different shapes and sizes, but usually their are two of them facing each other, like palace guards.
I highly recomend a half day for this walk. Its away from the tourists and a chance to get some spiritual enlightenment (a temple for money$$$$$?)
Arashiyama
This is an old upper-class area of Kyoto that looks as nice and clean and new as you'd imagine it was centuries before. Its beautiful and although there are no famous temples or sightseeing attractions, a stroll through the city is to go back in time and witness the allure of old-Kyoto. The town is located along a river and in front of mountains. Its a great way to spend a half a day.
When you walk over the river you'll see a big mountain. If you choose to climb this mountain, you'll hike up to Monkey Mountain. This place ISN'T well-known amongst Japanese, in fact, most have never heard of it. However, this is cool. Its a research/conservation area. It is a natural area for monkeys to live. There are hundreds of them everywhere, and because this is a conservatory and people are often around, they are fairly well-behaved monkeys. Also, when you get to the top, you'll see that the monkeys have the best view of Kyoto, on top of a mountain opposite Kiyomizudera.
This is the most famous temple in Kyoto according to Japanese. It is beautifully situated on the side of a mountain overlooking all of Kyoto Valley.
You must first walk up a small street with many divergent alleys all filled with shops, some food, traditional goods and the cheasy souvenirs. Once you make it up the street you come across a giant orange torii, or gate . If you are lucky to come in the spring or fall, it will definitely be a memorable sight.
Once inside, you can walk up to the top left and go to 'lovers rock'. You are supposed to start at the first rock and with your eyes closed, walk to the next rock about 20 yards away, if you can get there and touch it then you will be lucky in love. There are always tons of young girls trying out their luck. If you walk to the very back you'll be at a temple with a balcony that provides the best view of Kyoto. Its the 'picture taking area'. Walking down from there, you'll come across the 3 fountains. They represent money, health and love. Whatever fountain you choose to drink from shows what is important to you in life.
Kiyomizu is a big area that usually requires about half a day, considering the walk up and the different tings to do once inside.
Kinkakuji
This is the most picturesque building in Kyoto (and quite possibly the world). It is a golden temple (as the name translates in Japanese).
The temple is set behind a well manicured lake. The reflection from the lake and the mountains behind it make it one of the most beautiful pictures you could take. You will find hordes of people posing for pictures here.The walk behind the temple leads you through a garden. However, the reason to come is for the picture.
The temple is on the opposite side of Kyoto and takes quite a while on the bus. A trip here should be doubled with Ryounji, the most famous zen rock garden. Ryounji has a long rectangular area that has well-raked small white rocks, with a couple of oddly placed big rocks. Supposedly if you sit and meditate long enough you can find some meaning in the rocks and the way they are situated. Only a few people have been so enlightened. Its cool, but more interesting is the fact that such a plain unexciting area is so highly respected.
Fusimi Inari
My favorite place. This is a temple for money or good business. As you can imagine it's fairly popular with salarymen in Japan; ususally on a business trip to Kyoto, they'll go after a meeting. This is not too popular with the foreign tourists. But, it's COOL!!!
There are thousands (hundreds of thousands?) of torii, the orange gate. They are stacked directly behind each other creating a torii tunnel. You can walk about 5 miles around the complex. It goes about 2 miles up a hill to a small shrine at the top which overlooks the city. They range in size from about 12 to 8 ft tall, with some very thick and some very thin, but also there are random spots along the walk with hundreds of small ones stacked in any random order.
The light coming through the gaps is awesome. As the day gets later, the shadows create an eerie feel. Add to that the tons of foxes that are used as this temples mascot or guardian or whatever their purpose. The stone foxes are skinny but mean looking, like a rabid dog. They are scattered around the area and all different shapes and sizes, but usually their are two of them facing each other, like palace guards.
I highly recomend a half day for this walk. Its away from the tourists and a chance to get some spiritual enlightenment (a temple for money$$$$$?)
Arashiyama
This is an old upper-class area of Kyoto that looks as nice and clean and new as you'd imagine it was centuries before. Its beautiful and although there are no famous temples or sightseeing attractions, a stroll through the city is to go back in time and witness the allure of old-Kyoto. The town is located along a river and in front of mountains. Its a great way to spend a half a day.
When you walk over the river you'll see a big mountain. If you choose to climb this mountain, you'll hike up to Monkey Mountain. This place ISN'T well-known amongst Japanese, in fact, most have never heard of it. However, this is cool. Its a research/conservation area. It is a natural area for monkeys to live. There are hundreds of them everywhere, and because this is a conservatory and people are often around, they are fairly well-behaved monkeys. Also, when you get to the top, you'll see that the monkeys have the best view of Kyoto, on top of a mountain opposite Kiyomizudera.
posted by kmac @ 3:38 PM
Tuesday
The Best of Japan
Around Japan
- Kyoto
- Osaka
- Hiroshima
- Kobe
- Nagano
- Sapporo
- Okinawa
Around Tokyo
- Kamakura
- Nikko
- Hakone / Mt. Fuji
- Izu
posted by kmac @ 4:25 PM
Monday
Why Japan?
Why did I come to Japan?
That was the question I heard the most both before and after arriving here. Well... because I couldn`t think of anything better to do. I had lived in Costa Rica for a year and got a good feeling for the Latin culture. I had travelled western Europe and realized that the culture was similar to that of the US. I didn`t want to go to Africa to live, so Asia was next. I knew there were tons of jobs teaching english in Asia and that they were easy to get. China was my first choice, Thailand second, then I looked at the pay scale and realized that any mainland Asian country didn`t pay anywhere near what Japan, Taiwan or Korea did. The pay would be good within the country but once leaving the country it was virtually nothing. I had already experienced this kind of economic experience in Costa Rica and realized that if I was going to travel, I needed to work in a country that had a stable economy. So, of the 3 choices, Japan seemed the most interesting and the easiest because several companies held interviews in LA or SF and would process all visa work and other documents that allowed easy entry in the country.
I had no idea what to expect of Japan. I knew about geisha, sushi, and Tokyo being an urban, modern city, but that was about it. I really had no expectations.
I figured I could work for about 6 months and then travel around Asia. I must`ve lost track of time. Whoops!
That was the question I heard the most both before and after arriving here. Well... because I couldn`t think of anything better to do. I had lived in Costa Rica for a year and got a good feeling for the Latin culture. I had travelled western Europe and realized that the culture was similar to that of the US. I didn`t want to go to Africa to live, so Asia was next. I knew there were tons of jobs teaching english in Asia and that they were easy to get. China was my first choice, Thailand second, then I looked at the pay scale and realized that any mainland Asian country didn`t pay anywhere near what Japan, Taiwan or Korea did. The pay would be good within the country but once leaving the country it was virtually nothing. I had already experienced this kind of economic experience in Costa Rica and realized that if I was going to travel, I needed to work in a country that had a stable economy. So, of the 3 choices, Japan seemed the most interesting and the easiest because several companies held interviews in LA or SF and would process all visa work and other documents that allowed easy entry in the country.
I had no idea what to expect of Japan. I knew about geisha, sushi, and Tokyo being an urban, modern city, but that was about it. I really had no expectations.
I figured I could work for about 6 months and then travel around Asia. I must`ve lost track of time. Whoops!
posted by kmac @ 9:12 PM
Thursday
Wednesday
Japan
Japan is crazy. I can't believe I've lived here almost 2 1/2 years...I'm crazy!
posted by kmac @ 11:29 PM
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