July 2, 2008

Kyoto JAPAN

Touring the Temples and Gardens of Kyoto, Lunch at the Garden Oriental, and Traditional Japanese Cormorant Fishing

Every day during SAKURA season I was blown away by the beauty of the Japanese cherry blossoms in full bloom. Even in Tokyo, a sprawling metropolis, the cherry blossoms made one feel as though one is floating through an imaginary dream world. Well, little did I know that I was to re-encounter such a swell of emotions in Japan's ancient capital city, Kyoto.

In order to maximize my time in Kyoto, Maki-san prepared a detailed itinerary of things to do and emailed it to me early this morning. I subsequently printed off the list of locations, phone numbers, and corresponding background information in the business center of the New Miyako Hotel. At 10:00 a.m., my mother and I set off for a full day of touring Kyoto - with nine pages worth of documents in hand.

Our first stop was at TOFUKUJI (1236), which is a massive compound containing buildings, temples, and gardens all built in the ZEN style. We had a difficult time locating the attraction because it is tucked away in a walled neighborhood in an old part of Kyoto, which is really not saying much because much of Kyoto is so old. Anyway, it took about 20 minutes of searching and the help of numerous Japanese locals. As another demonstration of the kindness of the Japanese people, there was one elderly woman who gave me directions, and then three minutes later pulled up alongside me on her bicycle to say that I had made a wrong turn - she had actually followed me to make sure I did not get lost!

TOFUKUJI was built by a famous statesman, KUJO MICHIIE, during the KAMAKURA ERA. He was attempting to create similar zen temples found in NARA, a former Japanese capital city south of Kyoto. Each letter of TOFUKUJI is a combination of one character from each of these zen temple names in Nara.

We approached the compound after crossing an old wooden bridge, pictured to the right. Then, after passing through an imposing gate (old homes in Kyoto are all walled along the perimeter), the complex opened before our eyes. We bought tickets at the ticketing counter and proceeded through the zen gardens, saving the National Treasure architecture for last.

While while most people try to emulate the beauty of Western gardens, with exotic flowers and ornate arrangements, I doubt anyone fails to see the beauty of a Japanese garden with all its elegant simplicity. The weather-worn wood, historic design, perfectly sculpted landscape, immaculately raked stone gardens, and the calming sensation created by hand-planting every last flower and tree is something that represents much of what I love about Japanese culture. Once more, I was discovering the feeling of MONO NO AWARE.

The latter pictures above show the zen architecture, including what is widely viewed as the best example of all "Zen Buddhist Gates." I don't know enough to comment on this, but I will say that it is far more imposing than the pictures make it seem.

Since our schedule was packed with different places to visit, we could not afford to waste any time walking back to the train station and transferring. Instead, my mother and I hopped in a taxi for the 10 minute drive to SANJUSAN-GENDO, which is the longest wooden building in the world (nearly 120 meters).

What makes this such an amazing attraction is not so much the long building, or even the equally impressive architecture in the surrounding complex, but the collection of over 1,000 Buddhist statues. These statues, carved out of cypress and layered in gold leaf, are ten statues deep, and stretch the length of the hall. Additionally, there are larger statues of important BODHISATTVA every meter or two. Pictures were forbidden inside the hall, but I conducted an internet search that yielded the photo to the left.

By the time we finished the second main attraction for the day, it was already 13:00, and I had made a lunch reservation at Kyoto's famous Garden Oriental restaurant for 1:30p.m. Once more, we hopped in a taxi and rode to one of Japan's most famous streets, NENE NO MICHI (The Path of Nene), which is where the restaurant is located. There were several men in business suits waiting at the gate, and after calling inside to confirm our reservation we were allowed through - such is the prestige of this restaurant.

I ordered another full-course meal with most of the dishes being Japanese-prepared Italian, along with the obligatory wine that I can only afford to drink when someone else is paying. The food, ambience, and service were first class, as is indicated by this newspaper article I found on the web.

After lunch, I was feeling considerably more relaxed and was less worried about "checking off all the boxes" on the itinerary. Instead, I decided to slow down the frantic touring pace, and so we embarked on an hour long walking tour through downtown Kyoto. We started near NENE NO MICHI, where a collection of up-scale shops were selling rare Japanese cultural items. My mother was tempted by the wood-block prints that hang on silk screens, but as they were actual antiques - the kind of artwork a connoisseur would appreciate enough to justify the high cost - I persuaded her not to make any purchases. The photo to the right, although different from what we saw, is of the same general genre.

Remainder of post, and subsequent posts, to come soon!

July 1, 2008

Hiroshima, Himeji, Kyoto JAPAN

I had hoped to head down to the ONSEN once more this morning, but I was too mentally and physically exhausted from the extensive travel over the past week. Instead, I was happy to pull myself together in time for the 7:30 a.m. Japanese breakfast served in the main dining area. I discussed the day's plans with my mother, including my hope to climb Mt. Misen before our 10:00 a.m. check-out.

I set off to climb the mountain at around 8:30 a.m., which was far later than was wise but between taking care of emails, packing, and breakfast there was little alternative. I took with me a camera, my mobile phone, loose change, and a printed map of the island, and set off at a brisk pace. From the RYOUKAN, I headed straight back into the island, climbing parallel to a stream that runs down from the mountain. With 15 minutes, I located the proper climbing route and from here onward it was all steeply uphill.

I searched out a strong climbing stick in the thick underbrush and used this to propel myself along at a faster rate. By 9:00 a.m. I still had another 1.5 kilometers of climbing to go, and then there was the problem of getting down in time for the 10:00 a.m. check-out, so time was becoming a serious concern - in Japan, a certain time means a certain time.

I only passed two other climbers on my way up: both were elderly Japanese men, and both were more than happy to exchange a few pleasantries with me. I knew better than to simply rush past them, which would have been extremely rude, so I used these encounters to catch my breath. Each time, the men wished me well in finishing, and probably smiled to themselves afterward thinking, "Ah, the impetuosity of youth: rushing through an experience that is meant to be enjoyed!"

I reached the spine of Mt. Misen with about half a kilometer still remaining, but from here it was easier going: the path ran along the crest of the small mountain with a less severe incline. Additionally, the views were far more panoramic in their scope, although the greenery and sounds of flowing water and wildlife were nothing to complain about. Indeed, I passed a number of wild deer on my way up, most of whom only ran off if I tried to approach them too quickly or if I made a sudden movement. The doe shown below allowed me to quite close, although she kept her eyes firmly fixed on me as I passed.

The apex of Mt. Misen is obviously a holy place, as is the entire island, so I stopped at the shrines and gave small offerings - both performing the ritual clapping and praying, and depositing the loose change I brought along for this very purpose. Strangely, no matter how much of a rush one is in it is always possible to spare a few extra moments - no matter how much we like to think otherwise.

The view from the highest vantage point is always going to be something special, and Mt. Misen was no different. I only had a couple of minutes to savor the view because it was already 9:30 a.m., meaning I had 25 minutes to descend 2.8 kilometers of trail. 

I finally stumbled back, sweaty and exhausted, into the RYOUKAN room at 9:53 a.m., where my mom was fully packed and ready to check-out. I sent her ahead with my bags, grabbing what I needed so that I could stay in the room and shower before leaving. In the end, it worked out fine and we didn't have to pay the exorbitant late check-out fees, which seemed ridiculous to me anyway considering the rates of IWASO.

We were driven to the ferry terminal in the IWASO minivan where we bought tickets and boarded the 10:45 ferry back to the mainland of Honshu. After 30 minute quick train ride, we alighted at Hiroshima Station. Rather than hopping directly on a Shinkansen train, I decided to see some of Hiroshima, notably the famous Peace Museum. My mother and I left our bags in a train locker and caught a taxi to the museum, which is in Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park, only a few kilometers from the station.

Established in 1955, and charging only 50 yen ($0.50) for admission to attract more visitors, the Peace Museum presents the history behind the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima as well as pushing for the need to abolish all nuclear weapons in the world. The East Wing of the large complex deals with life in Hiroshima before the bomb was dropped. The information was both informative and fair-minded, citing all the facts without needing to add any bias. Needless to say, I lost count of the number of people, mostly foreigners, who were in tears as they walked through the museum.

By the time I reached the second half, the West Wing, I was shell-shocked enough to deal with the after-effects of the bombing - notably radiation illness, destruction, death, scarring, severe burns, and all the other awful things brought on by a nuclear explosion. The museum is massive, so there is no way to recount everything. Instead, pictures are easiest. They are worth looking through.

As a few closing remarks for the Peace Museum, and more specifically related to the use of atomic bombs, it would be negligent of me not to address the use of atomic weaponry by the United States in World War II.

"The use of atomic bombs was not necessary." This is a common criticism leveled toward Command Headquarters, and it is certainly a fair question to ask. Let us not forget, Hiroshima and Nagasaki are the only times in history when nuclear weapons have been used for non-developmental purposes (i.e. to kill). The debate centers around two conflicting points of view.

Those who, with the benefit of hindsight, are opposed to the use of atomic bombs generally feel this way out of an ethical dilemma - atomic weaponry is immoral as it targeted civilians and can thus be viewed as a war crime. 

Conversely, those who, with the benefit of hindsight, support the use of atomic bombs (in this instance), generally feel so because it saved more lives for both Japanese and Americans. Without dropping the bombs, which did trigger the end of the war, an invasion would have been necessary, and the Pacific Theater was already the deadliest in the world.

I am not sure where I stand on the matter because it is complex both in a military-strategy sense and in a moral sense. I do support the idea that the use of atomic weapons quickened the war's end, which in turn saved more lives. There was widespread bombing at the time that was also killing hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians, and if there was an armed invasion this bombing would have gotten worse; the Japanese were prepared to fight door to door until the death. Conversely, I think United States command could have handled the situation better by (1) warning the Japanese that the bombs would be dropped, and (2) perhaps holding out for longer before using the bombs. However, these are easy claims for me to make and they may not be justifiable.

The counter to (1): after the first atomic bomb was dropped, Japan still did not surrender, which "necessitated" a second bombing of Nagasaki. Thus, a warning likely would not have been heeded, and using the atomic bombs still would have been necessary. Nevertheless, a warning would have been morally better because civilians could have protected themselves underground.

The counter to (2): How long is enough for waiting? This could have gone on indefinitely, and that was no good for Allied Command because they feared the Soviet Union would move into Japan soon thereafter.

Enough of the depressing stuff. There was actually a very kind Japanese woman in the museum who approached me and began showing me around several of the exhibits, mixing her English with Japanese so we could converse. What has stuck with me about this woman was not her knowledge, which was impressive as she volunteers at the museum, but her upbeat outlook toward what happened. While she recognizes it was a horrific tragedy, she is more concerned with staying positive and teaching others so that this kind of thing never happens again. Indeed, I left the museum strongly believing atomic weapons should be laid to rest forever, however much I once adhered to the theory of Mutually Assured Destruction.

After lunch we caught a taxi back to the Hiroshima train station, where I had the taxi driver direct us to the "best OKONOMIYAKI around." It was not hard to locate the place, which was on the second floor of a shopping mall attached to the station.

OKONOMIYAKI, shown to the left (photo taken after I started digging in), is famous in Hiroshima because they use a "magic sauce" that is tastier than everywhere else in Japan. The chefs layer the concoction of pan-fried batter with cabbage, cheese, chopped octopus, and a host of other goodies, and then throw in some tasty noodles to boot. Served with ice-cold draft beer, nothing tastes better!

After lunch, we rode the SHINKANSEN for about an hour to the city of HIMEJI. This would only be a stop on our way to Kyoto, where we were booked into a hotel, but it would prove to be one of the best parts of the trip. The reason is simple: Japan's greatest castle, HIMEJI CASTLE, exceeds any expectations one may have. The white elegance and imposing size are impossible to grasp without seeing it for yourself, but once more I will give it a go... Using photographs!

We caught a 19:00 Shinkansen train from Himeji to Kyoto where it was only a five minute walk to the NEW MIYAKO Hotel. Typically a haven for traveling businessmen for its convenience, the New Miyako Hotel also had a fair representation of foreign families on an amazing vacation in Japan. I was actually very surprised by the hotel's amenities, which included internet access in the room, a business center with free printing, and a great selection of in-house restaurants. Perhaps these "amenities" are fairly normal, but after having stayed in RYOUKAN for the past four days the setting was very different.

After dropping our bags off in the room, my mother and I headed back down to the ground floor where we dined at the RONDE. As may be obvious at this point, it had been a very long day, so I did not hesitate to order a bottle of Chardonnay and a full course Japanese meal. We then spent the next few hours unwinding with the help of mankind's most convenient relaxant: alcohol.

Tomorrow, the heavy-duty touring of Kyoto will begin.