24 | GO EAST: JAPAN PART 2
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mix of higher end bars and restaurants
with
cuisine from across the world ranging from Thai to French. I even saw a Fondue restaurant! During the day the Ponto-cho area is especially nice as it runs along the river and has many venues with terraces. Also, just off these areas you will find numerous other restaurants / bars which are less expensive and equally diverse. Clearly, I could not do all the sights & experiences Kyoto has to offer in two and a half days, but I gave it a good shot. I really loved the historical and cultural experience it provided. The people were again so nice, as I have found throughout
BY GLENN LINDSAY
Continued from November/December Edition 2023...
7th to 9th October- Kyoto Kyoto is only 40 minutes on the bullet train from Nagoya. On the JR Rail Pass you can use three of the Shinkansen Trains – Hikari, Kodama & Sakura. The Nozomi & Mizuho are the fastest and stop at few stations, so you must pay extra for these. Of the three you can use, the Hikari stops the least and is the fastest. As a result, most people opt for this one meaning they can be busy. However, if you are just doing short hops the time difference is minimal and hence, I opted to take a Kodama train and as a result had nearly the whole unreserved carriage to myself. In Kyoto it was just one subway stop to my
hotel – The Amanek Hotel. This was the most expensive of the hotels I am staying at on this trip as Kyoto is very popular with tourists and rates are higher. I paid about £106 per night including breakfast – still a fraction of what you would pay in big European cities. Again, the hotel has everything I need but like most Japanese hotels the rooms are smaller. Kyoto was the capital of Japan for over one thousand years, and is packed with historical sights. Straight away, I set off to explore, and over the 3 days I visited... KIiyomizu-dara
A stunning Buddhist Temple set on the hills overlooking Kyoto. First built in the 8th century and rebuilt in the 17th century. The temples are stunning as are the views over the city. Kyoto is very popular and this was my first taste of the crowds that I would see at every attraction. Chion-in
I was able to walk to the Chion-in temple quite easily via roads across the mountainside. This
is the home of the
Jodo sect of Buddhism – the largest school of Buddhism in Japan. The main temple building is massive (the largest in Japan), and the site is also home to the largest bell in Japan. A very beautiful setting, it was large enough that despite the crowds there was still a real feeling of calm and serenity. Path of Philosophy to Ginkaku-ji
Having walked so far, I decided that I
would continue my first day pilgrimage on foot towards the Path of Philosophy and Ginakau-ji. Having turned up from the main roads, I suddenly found myself walking on an old footpath made up of two parallel lines of stone. Alongside,a lovely river and under the cover of trees. I can see how it got its name. However, modern development of shops and cafes alongside somewhat distracted from it as an experience although I still really enjoyed it. Eventually, we arrived at Ginkaku- ji, originally constructed as a retirement homefor a Shogun, it was converted to a temple in the 16th century. Ginkaku-ji is beautiful set of structures but what really makes it is the ornate and stunning gardens surrounding it. Fushimi Inari-Taisha
This proved to be my most memorable experience in Japan to date and will be enshrined in my memory forever. This is a climb up a 237m mountainside of steps through seemingly endless orange ‘Torii’ (Shrine gates). As you move up the Mountain you pass by a series of headstones/shrines all protected by stone statues of foxes (kitsune) who are considered the messengers of the Inari and who seemingly ward off evil spirits. The climb seems never ending but luckily there are rest points and food / drinks / souvenirs available along the way. You are rewarded with stunning views over the city and a real sense of achievement. Fabulous – do not miss it! Arashiyama Bamboo Grove & Tenru-ji – these are further away on the outskirts of the city, a short train ride away. The Bamboo grove is inspiring although I think it is one of those things you have to be there to understand, as taking a photograph just can’t capture the scale and impressiveness of the path. This leads you to Tenru-ji, a temple of Rinzai school, but what really makes the experience here is the gardens, a bit like Ginaku-ji. They must be seen to understand their commanding beauty.
Nishiki Market Right in the centre of town almost touching
the high-class department stores at one end is the most extraordinary narrow market running for five blocks undercover. To say it is crowded is an understatement but that kind of makes the experience also. Every type of fish, meat, pastry and sweets are on sale from vendors. There are also specialist shops such as arts, knives, souvenirs and lots of tea related merchandise for sale. I sampled two very large prawn tempura cooked to order with a large glass of sake – all for just over £5. You could aim your sights higher with Wagyu beef and oysters selling well also. Just off the market itself there was even a micro-pig café where you could interact with micro-pigs whilst sipping your latte – only in Japan! Gion & Ponto-cho
These two areas are best walked in the early evening. I found them a very eclectic
Japan. It is a very relaxed city which I found walkable with the help of google maps and easy to navigate by train, subway & bus. When you got behind the big buildings and hotels, the narrow streeted residential areas with their shops and restaurants are what I will remember as the real beating heart of Kyoto.
10th to 12th October Osaka I travelled to Osaka on Tuesday morning – a short hop on the Shinkansen. Five stops on the subway and I was supposedly at my hotel. What I didn’t realise was that the station had 28 exits and exit 24 was specific for my hotel. Admittedly when I did leave at exit 24, I was right at my hotel but that didn’t include the near 1km I covered underground to reach it! I stayed at the Super Hotel Premier in Hommachi. It was a great hotel with an Onsen bath and everything was automated including digital coded locks for your room. They also threw in free drinks between 5pm and 9pm! I paid about £55 per night which is almost unbelievable in hindsight. Osaka is a huge bustling city much like
Tokyo or London. I started by using the subway to get around but after a little time I found my bearings and everything I wanted to get to was within 25 minutes’ walk, so I decided to stay on foot after that. I just wanted to chill a bit more and experience the vibe of the city. There really wasn’t specific sights I wanted to see here so I decided to experience the main shopping, eating and entertainment areas. Much like Tokyo, Osaka has a version of electric city, anime city, and an amazing food market with vendors selling every type of food possible. One stall in the market did catch my eye… You picked your piece of tuna from a fridge and the stall would then prepare it into sashimi or sushi but what really struck me was the price. As you moved across the fridge the tuna got paler (which is a sign or more fat content apparently) and more expensive, ranging up to about £80 a piece which would barely have fed a couple more than six pieces of sushi each.
The shopping areas ranged from arcades
with bargains and tourist items to the luxury brands in their own wide promenades. All were thronged with people. Again, off the main areas you could find quieter streets with lovely cafes and restaurants which seemed like a haven from the crowds. I also managed to find a Comedy Club called ROR. Very small and artisanal in nature but all English speaking for the sum of £8 entrance. It turned out to a great investment – no less than four comedians and a host who kept the laughs coming. A great way to start my night before heading to Dotonbori – the night entertainment area with the bright lights / big electricity bill. It can be a bit daunting given the crowds, but I found some smaller bars in the areas off the main street and enjoyed a few drinks before calling it a night – it is definitely an area with something for everyone so be prepared to look around. Thursday 12th and I am back on the Shinkansen for an even shorter hop to Kobe. On my travels, I had promised myself that I would stop off here and enjoy a Kobe Wagyu
night including breakfast cost around £80. Given that my motive for visiting was to have a steak, I felt a little guilty after a couple of hours stroll around the city. It is beautiful! All but the very central downtown areas are much more relaxed. It has the most wonderful waterfront area called ‘Harbourland’ and there is a cable-car to the top of a nearby Mountain which overlooks the city – I wish I had planned more time here!
And so, to the famous steak – well if it didn’t disappoint either – it was spectacular. The price matched but when in Rome! It can be difficult to get booked in the best restaurants so plan and persevere with the emails, WhatsApp and Facebook messaging – I found it hit & miss getting replies. I ate at ‘Kobe Beef Kiyama’ which can trace all its meat back to the farmer and they only serve A5 graded beef – the top grade of Kobe
January 2024
Steak in its hometown. I stayed in Hotel Pienna, a little bit out
of the centre but it has turned out to be my biggest and brightest room yet in Japan. I am told they also have the best breakfast buffet which I am looking forward to tomorrow ! 1
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