New Year's Part II

Monthly installment, as usual. I keep saying I'll get better at this, but I suppose we'll have to wait and see if that's true.

In any case...

IN THE LAST EPISODE:

Lauren ventured out by train, braving neatly dressed women, crying children, and suit-clad sexual harassers, and arrived in the concrete jungle of Osaka, Japan. After serving justice on a side street, she proceeded to Nara, where she battled with the Holy Deer. With the blessings of the Giant Buddha, the deer were stripped of their horns -- and there was much rejoicing as peace once again reigned in the Kansai region of Japan...

AS THE STORY CONTINUES...

The night that we returned from Nara was relatively uneventful. I went to the central shopping streets to meet up with my friends from Amakusa -- coincidentally ALSO in Osaka for new year's -- and ate dinner there. As I was on my way to the train, I stopped in at a random bar. It was tiny, but classy. There was a 500 yen cover charge, but once I was in, I figured I may as well stay. I nursed one drink -- a Cuba Libre, which happens to be my drink of choice as of late -- and proceeded to chat up the bartender. There were only about 3 other people at the bar, but they were a group that seemed uninterested in my foreignness. I didn't mind at all.

As I went to leave, the bartender smiled at me and told me the drink was on the house. Turns out he was just a lonely man with poor social skills. That was, quite literally, the reason why he opened the bar in the first place, he confessed. As a child, he couldn't really talk to people because he was always nervous, and he wanted to create a place where others could converse and gather. I think he was happy that someone tried to hold a conversation with him despite his reserved appearance. So next time you go to a bar, talk to that surly bar tender. He may just need a friend!

December 30th

Anyway, the next day was a complete wash-out -- it rained ALL DAY. Since there's not much except for shopping during the day in Osaka, I decided I may as well spend the rainy day in Kobe. I caught an early afternoon train to Kobe, which is only about 30 minutes from Osaka. Regrettably, I couldn't really see much of the city, but it seems like a beautiful place.


Kobe is famous for sake, among other things. There are several breweries in an area of Kobe that have been making sake for generations, and most of them offer tours and free sake tastings. I decided "Why not? That's what trains are for!" I went to Kikomasamune, a brewery that has a small museum displaying the items that they use to make sake, and a really helpful English video explaining the process. The method used by Kikomasamune today is the same as it was a long time ago, with the exception of a few more machines. The biggest point, from what I understood, is that they even let the rice create it's own lactic acid, as opposed to introducing foreign lactic acid. Consequently, it takes a lot longer for the sake to be done (about 20-something days for one batch), but the results are worth it. The free sake had a really delicious, clean taste, and I ended up buying Umeshu, which is an alcoholic spirit made from plums. It's sweeter than sake, and I personally like it better.

December 31st

 On the day of the 31st, I went to Sumiyoshi Shrine in the early morning. "Great, another shrine," you may think to yourself with waning enthusiasm. "What's so special about it?" you ask. Don't knock it, I tell you. What distinguishes Sumiyoshi Shrine from the rest is its age: estimates date it back to around 200 A.D.  As it predates the influx of Chinese culture into Japan, it can be said that Sumiyoshi shrine is an authentically Japanese shrine, its architecture untouched by the influence of the mainland. If you go to any other shrines, and then see Sumiyoshi, you can understand.  There are six or so individual shrines on the complex, neatly side-by-side. In particular, the crossed beams are of interest. The tapered tips of most of the buildings indicate the shrine of a male deity, while the horizontal cut of one set of beams indicates the shrine of the only female deity at Sumiyoshi.

There are also three bridges that lead to the entrance of the shrine grounds, round in shape, which is also rare. It's said that you cross the central bridge for good luck.



But back to the story. It just so happens that as I got near the shrine, I couldn't find the entrance. A nice woman with a cute baby hanging in a sling from her front immediately offered help, and we walked around the shrine together. It turned out that her father was the head priest of the shrine, and that it had been in her family for generations! Completely unexpected and welcome surprise, convincing me that for the most part, Osaka people are great.

After the shrine, I returned to my hostel where an old college friend of mine from Osaka came to pick me up. I took him around in the States when he was studying English, so he was my tour-guide for the afternoon! We drove to Arashiyama in Kyoto (about 40 minutes from Osaka). Arashiyama ("Storm Mountain") is a beautiful area of Kyoto. There are still some shrines, but they're more natural, slightly removed from the more touristy albeit stunning shrines. As we descended from the car, he turned to me with a serious expression and said, "Today, we're going to eat a lot." I was confused, but he made sure of his promise. While we walked through the forested area, he proceeded to stop me every 15 minutes or so to eat at some randomly placed stall or restaurant, and thus we ate many small, delicious foods...

Arashiyama - the Bamboo Forest

Hot Tofu...
  




Zenzai: a hot, sweet red-bean soup with pieces of mochi (a sweet, soft, sticky ball made from rice flour).





Beef Croquettes (Somehow, they're crispier here...)

My friend Ryuto, posing with the croquettes and his man-purse

Kushikatsu: Literally "stick fry." Osaka is pretty famous for this food as well. There is no documented evidence, since it was consumed too quickly.

As if that weren't enough, as we drove back into Osaka, it struck him that we hadn't eaten Takoyaki, an Osaka staple. Before I knew it, were were parked on a side street just off of a main Osaka thoroughfare, eating mouth-scorching doughy balls filled with octopus in his car.

Nighttime drive through Osaka

Had it not been New Year's I would have been ready to throw in the towel and call it a successful day. However, the adventure was not over yet! After being dropped off, I met up with my OTHER awesome college friend. We went to a bar to drink for a while and catch up. The bar, called Lapichu, is co-run by a Japanese man and his Colombian employee. The atmosphere is really fun, and they serve pretty much anything, as well as hookah. My friend and I had planned to catch a train to Tennoji Temple (where my other friends were meeting) for the countdown, but we were so absorbed in talking that we almost missed the 11:30 train! By some miracle, we made it. However, the temple was crowded with people coming to pray before the new year. In looking for my friends, we lost track of time (again!) and barely caught the last 5 minutes of the countdown.

Tennoji Temple

Tennoji with my friend Satoshi

I then proceeded to wait in line for an hour with my friends to ring the bell. In Japan, it's tradition to ring a shrine bell at new years for luck. It was freezing, below 0 degrees celcius, but we somehow managed to stay alive by playing Shiritori, a Japanese word game where the next word begins with the last syllable of the previous word. Just don't use a word that ends in "n," because then you lose!

NEW YEAR'S DAY

On New Year's day, my friends were dead tired. So, like the travel trooper my mother raised me to be, I set off on my own for Sumiyoshi Shrine once again. THAT again! Yes, that same shrine. Why? Hatsumode. Hatsumode is another New Year's Tradition in Japan. From around January 1 to January 6, people visit shrines to pray for luck and whatnot in the new year. The previous day, I saw what seemed suspiciously like booths being prepared. I was completely unprepared for the mass of people that came to Sumiyoshi, slowly trudging through the crowds to cross the lucky bridge and toss 5 yen coins into the prayer box (5 is supposedly lucky because it's got a hole in the center, representing eternity and continuity, etc.)

Over the Bridge

Omikuji - tied to a fence to dispel the bad luck foretold by the fortune

It's the Year of the Snake! Wishes written and tied on wooden plaques

Goldfish Scooping! A traditional Japanese game for festivals

Dragon Dance outside the shrine gates

The morning was cold and crisp, and the sunshine was glinting off of the red-orange Tori gates. On the small road leading up to the bridges in front of the shrine, maybe a hundred vendors had set up booths, selling games, stuffed animals, but mostly FOOD. I grabbed my breakfast there -- an interesting "Chinese style" okonomiyaki (at least according to the vendor) and a hot cream Tayaki (a sweet bread in the shape of a fish, traditionally filled with sweet red-bean paste, but now also with chocolate, cream and caramel).

Vendor street food!

Breakfast I: mini-"Chinese" Okonomiyaki

 

 

 

 

 

 

Breakfast II: Cream-filled Taiyaki - perfect on a cold day!

 

Sea-shells, anyone?

Somehow, I was able to call my sister and tell her that the world hadn't ended in the future, although that transmission was short-lived due to the crappy application I was using. After a nice lunch with a Korean girl and a Japanese girl who I met at the hostel, I took a nap and rearranged my things, then set off for the airport in the evening. I had an early flight the next morning, and since my airline had a strict early policy, the owner of the guest house suggested that I sleep at the Manga Cafe in the airport (In Japan, "comic book" cafes offer lockable cubicles and rooms with couches that you can rent by the hour. If you're ever traveling and find yourself without a hotel in the middle of the night, a "Manga Kisa" is your best bet!)

DISCLAIMER: No pictures for the rest, since I was too exhausted to take them from this point in the story.

My flight was in a different terminal, which was in a completely different building than the cafe. While I intended to go back to the manga cafe after checking out my terminal and eating, I was so tired that I didn't feel like catching the bus back. I settled near some of the other waiting passengers, and tried to sleep in the terminal like them...with the music blasting from the cafe behind us. I arrived at around 9 pm, and my flight the next day was at 7 am... needless to say I passed out as soon as the plane took off! Best hour of my life -__-

January 2nd

The plane landed in Fukuoka, where I had to wait get my reimbursement for the ill-fated flight to Tokyo. About to die from sleep deprivation, I  managed to drag myself and my luggage to the Shinkansen and train back to Kumamoto city, where I caught the bus to Amakusa. My amazing supervisor from the board of education picked me up at the station and drove me home. Total travel time? Let me not even mention it, since it makes me sad.

All in all, my trip to Osaka was an amazing experience. I saw so many things that I hadn't thought to see, and the coolest part was seeing the things I had studied in school up close. There are no words to describe the value of personal experience over textbook/second-hand learning. That's why I encourage you to go anywhere you've had even a remote interest about.  I promise, even if it falls short of your expectations, you're bound to experience something incredible along the way!

New Year's in Osaka

Upon request from high authority, I have decided to update my blog. This will, as usual, be a (late) recounting of my adventures during vacation.

This past winter holiday, I made plans to split and travel. December 24th happened to be a national holiday, but Christmas day was a work day (go-figure). I had planned to take off on the 26th and go to Tokyo for a few days before rendezvousing in Osaka with some friends, but a cold struck me down on Christmas day. Thus, I canceled my trip to Tokyo. However, by Friday I was right as rain again, and set out to meet my friends in Osaka. I stayed at Tennoji Guest House, a wonderful hostel near Tennoji Station, with my friend Raquel. Entrance is restricted by electronic code at the gate, and everything was exceptionally clean. The host was exceptionally wonderful, and I would recommend it to anyone staying in Osaka.

I arrived early Friday evening, and went down the street to get dinner with Raquel. As we were reading a menu on the street, where there was no one but us and a bus boy across the street, a man turned down the street. As he passed us, he lightly smacked my butt...and got a terrible surprise when I yelled at him in loud, angry Japanese. He fled pretty quickly. The bus boy was frozen in shock. Needless to say, I think he'll reconsider inappropriately touching a foreigner the next time.

The next morning, previous ire forgotten, we set out early for Nara. Nara was once the capital of Japan from 710 to 784. As such, you can imagine that the history there is very rich. Like it's more famous sister city, Kyoto (also once the capital), it has lots of temples. However, unlike Kyoto, it is not a huge city - there's something quaint, something more natural about the way that the old coexists with the new in Nara. Maybe it's all the deer running rampant everywhere.

That's right, I didn't mention the deer yet, did I? They are, perhaps, what Nara is most famous for. And when I say they're everywhere, they are quite literally EVERYWHERE. Though there is a park that they are known to frequent, it's not strange to see them hanging around temples and shrines.

You can buy "Shika-senbei" or "Deer Crackers" and feed them - a MUST if you go to Nara. But BEWARE! These deer are fearless! The babies are still wary, but the older ones know food the second they see it, and they're not patient, either. I thought my Japanese Culture teacher was exaggerating when he said this, but they really DO beat you up with their horns! Which is why, once a year, the Deer are herded and their horns removed so that they can't harm people. When you don't have food, however, they're pretty tame. Raquel and I got to pet some even!

Another thing that Nara is famous for is Todai-ji Temple, which has a giant (and I mean GIANT) Buddha inside. It's a beautiful area, surrounded by nature and deer.  Todai-ji houses the World's largest bronze statue of the Buddha. The detail to the piece is amazing, but unfortunately I couldn't catch it all on camera.

Entrance to Todaiji Temple Grounds

Todaiji Main Complex

"Daibutsuden" ("Great Buddha Hall")

  After Todai-ji, we walked to Kasuga Taisha Shrine, a Shinto shrine located (relatively) nearby. The morning, though cold, was pleasant and crisp, and the morning sunlight bathed the city with a warm glow that can only really be seen in winter. It made for a lovely walk. Kasuga Shrine, established in 768 AD, is famous for its many bronze and stone lanterns.

At Shinto Shrines, you can buy things called "omikuji," which are fortunes. You shake a box and pull out a stick with a number, and one of the shrine priests/priestesses gives you the corresponding fortune printed on a paper. The fortunes cover all aspects of life, including wealth, marriage, childbirth, work, living, and love. Kasuga Shrine has the added advantage of selling Omikuji in English! Whether you believe in the accuracy of these aside (I don't), it's a fun and interesting experience.

Raquel, buying Omikuji!

We also went to Kofuku-ji, a temple with a large pagoda seemingly in the middle of the city.

Finally, we went to see the Kofun, which I really wanted to see. There are a few of these - key-hole shaped islands on which the kings of old were burried. Of course, it didn't occur to me that you can only really see the shape from the sky... >.<

(THE REST IS YET TO COME!)

Christmas in Japan

Against my hopes, this is becoming a monthly blog it seems. In this issue, we'll talk about Christmas in Japan!

Japan is a predominantly Buddhist/Shinto society. However, Christianity does have a small foothold, especially in Amakusa, where the Christians hid during the persecutions way back when. It's no surprise, then, that Christmas has at least made it big in Japan as a commercial holiday, if not as a religious observance.

Here are some unique Christmas traditions in Japan:

1. Illuminations: Basically, places put lights up. Unlike in America, a majority of people DON'T go through the trouble of putting up lights. However, certain cities will put up illuminations in certain famous areas as tourist attractions. In Amakusa, it was called "Romantic Fantasy." Several famous places throughout the islands were beautifully lit up, though on a much smaller scale than America.

2. KFC Christmas: So, the Colonel has inserted himself in to Christmas here. The Japanese idea that Westerners eat chicken on Christmas has led to the idea that, well, it's fried chicken. Thus many Japanese people will have some kind of fried chicken on/around Christmas day, and KFC is a famous one.

3. Christmas decorations were available for purchase at stores, including Christmas trees and wrapping paper. Exchanging gifts for Christmas is not rare, but not as many gifts are given as in the U.S.

4. This year, New Year's Eve fell on Monday. It turned out to be a holiday, which was nice, but completely unrelated to Christmas. All jobs were open for business on Christmas Day, even the schools, despite there being no students because of winter break. Teachers still had to work though :(

5. Christmas is more of a couple's holiday than anything else in Japan. Usually couples will make date plans to go out on Christmas night, or something of the sort.

Overall, Christmas isn't really that different in Japan. It's actually quite unremarkable. I chalk it up to the fact that it's overshadowed by New Year's, one of the biggest holidays for the Japanese. This year it was a little rainy, which was kind of depressing, but I had a good Christmas Eve dinner with some friends.

PART II: OSAKA

First, I'll apologize for the current lack of pictures. My camera died in Kyoto, and I forgot to take my backup...and my charger. All my Osaka pictures are on my phone, and they have yet to be uploaded.

Our trip to Osaka was much shorter-lived than our trip to Kyoto. It mostly consisted of meeting up with some old friends and hanging out. When we got there, we met with our awesome friend Taka and went to have Okonomiyaki (of course!) in one of the more well-known areas. For some reason, the people who came and were seated AFTER us got their food and finished BEFORE most of us. So Taka had to get all calm-and-polite angry (aka, his alter-ego Yakuza-Taka), which got us free takoyaki in addition to the food that we were going to eat.

We went to the Pokemon Center that night, as well as the...Air Garden? I don't remember the name, but it's an awesome look-out on top of a tower, where you could see the beauty of the city lights for miles around.

Kyoto/Osaka Weekend

I know, I know -- LATE. Again. This time by more than a month. But let's not bicker about the little things.

As you may have guessed from the title, this post will feature my trip to Kyoto and Osaka, which took place on the first weekend of October.

Monday was due to be a holiday, so my JET friends in other prefectures and I decided to meet up to explore Kyoto and Osaka. For me, this was the first trip I had ever arranged and taken on my own. It was also a trip I decided to join at the last minute. As you may well imagine, the result was a trip rife with uncertainty and adventure.

I set off on Thursday afternoon, driving 1.5 hours to the nearest train station to train into Kumamoto City. There, I bought my bullet train ticket, which I was lucky enough to catch just 5 or 10 minutes after my purchase.

Just a heads up to people who plan to travel in Japan: while it is possible to get tickets for the Shinkansen at the station before you leave, it is usually unadvisable to do so on the weekends (or so I've been told) since many people are (supposedly) traveling.

You can also buy two kinds of tickets: Reserved and Non-reserved. Buy "Reserved" and you will have a specific seat assigned to you. You will, of course, pay more for that seat. Buy "Non-reserved," and you will pay for the chance to get into one of the three or so "Non-reserved" cabins, where you can pick your own seat, but which will also mean that you run the risk of not getting a seat if everyone in the city decides to leave at once (not that likely...)

 Luckily (perhaps because I was traveling on a Thursday), my non-reserved cabin was comfortably empty with the exception of a few sleepy business men and women in suits, so I had a row to myself for most of the trip.

Training Interlude

I say MOST. After I changed trains, I had a row to myself. About half-way through, a man whom I had seen sitting in a reserved cabin entered. He looked around, and then asked me if he could sit in my row. Not wanting to be rude, I gave him the go-ahead. He inquired politely as to my nationality, and immediately started talking to me in considerably good English. I figured he was jumping at the chance to practice, since his English was pretty good and the conversation was pretty normal (standard "Where are you from"  "Where are you going,'' "How do you like Japan," etc.) As soon as he mentioned he had twin daughters and a wife, I was more at ease. that is, of course, until he looked at my ring and asked me if my BOYFRIEND had given it to me.

The rest of the conversation was strange. When I said "No," he proceeded to ask me if I had a boyfriend. When I said "Yes" (a default answer when you want to ward off men), his response was "Oh, I hear that long-distance relationships are easy for men, but difficult for women."

My red flags were fluttering in the wind.

While I usually like to give people the benefit of the doubt, I've learned to be wary of conversations like these in Japan, as I've already mistaken people's words and intentions.

Everyone I told this to thought it was strange; in Japan you don't typically ask such personal questions to someone you've just met.

I answered straight-away that it was the opposite and that my "boyfriend" and I were fine, then changed the conversation. After that, I kept my answers concise and occupied myself with mails to my friend who was picking me up at the station. That was the end of that.

When I finally got to the station, I had to change trains twice to get to my friend's stop. They were small stations, so it should have been simple enough...except I acidentally went one stop too far, had to get off, cross the platform, and wait for the next train to come to take me back one stop. Then get on the right train, and go to my friend's stop. At 10:45pm ( -__-;)

Anyway, I finally made it to the correct station, and I met my friend, who walked me half an hour through the streets of Kyoto to the apartment I was staying at.

Since I decided to go on this trip last-minute, everything was booked for  two of the three nights I was in Kyoto, so I stayed at my friend's apartment on Thursday and Saturday nights (thank GOD), and at the very nice and VERY cheap Kyoto Hana Hostel on Friday night.

Friday - Ginkakuji

Friday morning, I woke up refreshed...and alone in Kyoto for the day, it seemed. My friend was busy, and my other friends weren't coming in to the city until nightfall. So I walked to a little cafe and had breakfast.

Then I plugged Ginkakuji in to my phone gps and walked 40 minutes through residential areas to the famous temple...

Tio Pepe: A random Spanish resturant in a residential area!

Ginkakuji, or The Silver Pavilion, is one of the more famous temples in Kyoto.
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My friend met me at around midday, and we had lunch before going to Honen-in, a seemingly unassuming temple next to Ginkakuji. It's up the road from Philosopher's Path, nestled on the side of the hill amongst the woods. When we entered, it seemed almost like it was just a Buddhist cemetery, but then we went to the actual temple, which is actually very relevant to the history of Buddhism in Japan. It was particularly nice, because it was shady and quiet, with very few other people around.

My friend Masafumi

We then went in search of espresso...and wound up at this nice French themed store, where we got a three dessert cake set and some coffee - the perfect way to end the day!



Saturday - Kinkakuji, Yasakajinja, Kyomizudera - My Fortune is Told!

My friends came in on Friday night, and after an unassuming dinner and beer, we all hit the sack at our hostel. Saturday morning, in order to beat the crowds, we got up extra early and went to Kinkakuji, The Golden Pavilion. This is perhaps one of the MOST famous temples in Kyoto, although there are MANY. And when I say "many" I mean an uncountable sum. I was honestly surprised myself...

I paid 200 yen to ring a bell...

We met with our other Japanese friends, and had Ramen for lunch...


Then went to see the Imperial Palace....Only to realize that we couldn't see the imperial palace!

Dreams dashed  - and legs sorely tired after schlepping back for nothing - we persevered and went to Yasakajinja (Yasaka Shrine). This was honestly one of my favorites - colorful and HUGE. Also, there was a Buddhist wedding ceremony going on within the temple. We couldn't take pictures, and couldn't see much beyond the designs cut in the wooden doors, but what I did see was pretty cool.

After Yasaka, we went yet another temple. To go to this one, we left through the back of Yasaka and through the streets of Gion, the "traditional" neighborhood of Kyoto where you might just see...

A GEISHA. Or two.

Or...A NINJA DOG.


There were many lovely shops, the general attractive tourist traps, but somehow nicer than in the States. When we finally got to the temple, Kyomizudera, it was amazing. Nestled in the mountains, held up by these huge wood stilts, it has a few different parts. It has a Love shrine, where you can pray for love and such. It also has these three waterfalls - wisdom, wealth, health -  where you can drink from one. It is said that if you take a sip, you can gain some power...but for each additional sip you take, you dilute the initial power you got. So be careful!

Also at this temple, you can get your fortune. I paid 100 yen, shook a box full of sticks, and poured one out. Turns out the stick I got was the best fortune you can possibly get. Apparently, I won't be dying any time soon, can have many children, and don't have to worry about building a house...?

Oh, and it mentioned I should carefully plan things from now on. Like trips. My friends laughed at me.


That's all to report for this trip to Kyoto. STAY TUNED for "PART II: OSAKA"