Kiyomizu- dera Temple - A World Heritage Site

Before we visited Japan, we never realized how many world heritage sites Japan has..

After we landed in this country and started touring the different cities, then we discovered the numerous interesting places.

Kiyomizu- dera Temple - a world heritage site 

We are not Buddhist by religion and have no interest in going to the various temples in Japan. However, we are interested in other cultures and history of different countries and peoples.

In Kyoto, we visited the Kiyomizu- dera Temple - a world heritage site  recognized by UNESCO.

The temple was built in 778 originally but it was repeatedly destroyed by fire over the centuries. However, it was rebuilt on each occasion.




The construction of the temple was special. It was constructed with huge wood beams, large enough for a person to go through. 

Though we did not come for religious reason, we did enjoy the walk and the scenery.











In fact the scenery here is so beautiful that people from all over the country come to view it during the cherry blossom season and again in the fall for the maple leaves during autumn.

The ground of the temple was quite large and there was an admission charge going in to see the temple. The ground could be slippery when wet and this was where I fell but fortunately I was not hurt. Praise God for His protection!

I found that in Japan there were not a lot of benches or rest areas in public places or parks where people can just sit down for a rest or for a picnic.

After walking for a little while, we found a rest place for visitors and it was a welcome sight indeed!






On our way down, we had a little time visiting the shops along the route. There were many shops selling arts, crafts, interesting snacking food. We could have easily spent a couple of hours here just wondering in the shops.

A nice day for the three of us to enjoy some quality time together and were outside to get some fresh air!

R.T.
Kyoto, Japan

A Visit to Gion, Kyoto - Being Transported Back in Time

The second place we visited in Kyoto was the Gion District.















It was a short car ride from the Imperial Palace and we were glad that we chose this place as one of our three attractions to see while
we were spending the day in Kyoto.

Houses Built on the Shirakawa River- Gion, Kyoto

We fell in love with this area immediately when we came across this beautiful scenery!

Did we discover the Venice of Japan?

The scenery was very pretty and old fashioned.

We Caught a Glimpse of a Geisha in Gion

Then we learned that ``Early in the 20th century, rows of restaurants and hotels where Geisha and Maiko entertained guests stood on both sides of the Shirakawa River.










 Parts of these buildings were built over the river, so the water literally flowed under the pillows of some of the guests sleeping in these places.

Unfortunately, during World War II, state authorities demolished all of the buildings on the northern side of the river to prevent the spread of fire in case of an air raid.`

We came across this inn on the river and inquired about the price to stay for a night.

 It would cost between Can. $ 280 - $600.00 per night per person including dinner, depending on the time of the season!

Gion Shimbashi - The Gion New Bridge

We stood on this street for a little while admiring the natural beauty of the landscape.




We felt like we were transported back in the time of Samurai.









 And then, just flashing in front of our eyes, we saw two ladies dressed in beautiful kimonos walking past us.

The few days while we were in Tokyo, we saw huge highrises,  electronic gizmos but not too many people dressed in any Japanese traditional clothes except in some tourist attraction hotspots.








Here in Kyoto, we saw more kimono dressed Japanese ( many of whom could be tourists themselves ) than our entire Japanese trip combined.

We noticed that those who dressed in kimonos were not old people but many of whom were young and hip. They looked elegant, confident and at ease with they were wearing.

 I am happy that the young people of Japan appear to be increasingly embracing their traditional attires and feel proud to wear them, be seen and willing to be photographed by tourists like us.

I am also very happy that my husband and I have this amazing opportunity visiting E.T. and touring Japan with him while he is working here! 

R.T.
Gion, Kyoto, Japan

Kyoto - An Ancient Japanese City!

Bringing the Outdoors in - Kyoto Hotel Dining Room

I can't remember that last time when we vacationed with our sons. It is expected as our children grow, we would have less opportunity traveling with them since they have their own lives to live.

This is why we treasure this time we have visiting our son and spending some time with him.








We took the Bullet Train from Tokyo and reached Kyoto in two and half hours to this ancient city.








 Early the next morning, we took a stroll
around the area near the hotel where we stayed.

We were pleasantly surprised to discover some pretty old and neat houses lining the streets.

Kyoto Gyoen National Garden

Since Er, wished to spend his last Saturday evening in Tokyo, we wanted to make the most of  our day and decided to visit three places.

The first one was the Imperial Palace in the Kyoto Gyoen National Garden located in the centre of Kyoto City.

Though it was drizzling that morning, it was still a nice walk for us in this quiet beautiful green space full of dark green trees.

The Museum about Nature

We visited some of the buildings in the garden and learned about some Japanese history.


One building we visited was the Museum of Nature dedicated to the display of tree and birds found in the area.

A Tree Calendar Outlining Partial Significant Historical Events

One display we found interesting was a Tree Calendar.
Using the rings on a huge tree stump, museum staff created a historical timeline about Japanese history. However, we noticed that some very significant historical events were omitted from this timeline, i.e. the Japanese invasion of South Asian countries and the country's surrender to the Allies in WWII.  










It is a pity that Japanese children will not learn about these important historical events while visiting the nature museum in the Kyoto Gyoen National Garden.

Imperial Palace in the Kyoto Gyoen National Garden

Though most of the buildings in the Kyoto Gyoen Garden are open to the public year round, the Imperial Palace is not.

However, if people are really interested in visiting the palace they can contact the Imperial Household Agency Office and make some arrangement there. We found this sign posted outside the imperial building.









We were a little disappointed at not able to see the palace but was consoled to find a nice resting place and had a refreshing snacks there.

R.T.
Kyoto, Japan
Aug. , 2013

Taking the Bullet Train -From Shibuya to Kyoto

Shibuya

Shibuya, Tokyo - a Popular Place for Tourists & Japanese alike

We made arrangement to meet with Er. At 5 pm  at his office and go together to Kyoto for the weekend.

It is a  challenge getting around  Japan using  the subway if one does not know a word of Japanese.

Thankfully, I have my husband with me and he is gifted in languages. He could learn and decipher the basic words in a new language pretty quickly.

 We got to the district of Shibuya and located Er.’s office in plenty of time.

Some of the sculptures in the Shibuya District

Shibuya  is a very busy commercial area with many office buildings, shops and restaurants serving many different foods.

On a Friday afternoon, it was very busy, fast paced, hectic and crowded; it actually reminded me of the Broadway area in New York City a little.

It was also an area listed in the tourist brochure.

Er's Office Building in Shibuya

We got up to the 11^th floor of Er. office building and looked around. You just could not simply go up to the office floors as there was security people around checking peopel going in and out. We just waited in the waiting area.

 Stan was able to Skye text Er. and communicated with him. Er came and met us right at 5pm. ready to go!

Shinkansen - The Bulletin Train

We boarded the 5:30pm Shinkansen –The Bullet Train, to Kyoto. The cost for the Bullet Train was around Can. $ 120.00 one way, from Tokyo to Kyoto.

 Unfortunately, the train was full to its capacity and since we had unreserved tickets, we did not have seats. It  looked like we had to stand for the two and half hour train ride all the way.

Passengers could buy refreshments from the hostess on the tain

Er. was not very happy about that because he planned to do some writing on the train. The Bullet Train stopped at a number of smaller cities and around 7pm, we did get a seat for each one of us.

The Bullet Train was very comfortable. Though it did not have a dining car, a hostess came around with a refreshment cart and we could  buy sandwiches, rice rolls and beverages from her at a reasonable price.


However, I wished we had bought the reserved tickets so that we could have seats and sat together. Well, we live and learn for the next time!

A Japanese set dinner served beautifully on a platter

We got to Kyoto at around 8:45pm and by the time we unloaded our luggage in our room, it was well past 9:30pm. The hotel restaurant was closed.

Fortunately we found a restaurant next door that was still open. It had a pretty good menu.

Er, ordered a set dinner with all the little pieces served on a platter with nine divisions in one plate. ( Can. $ 28, not bad)The food was beautifully presented!

Japanese Baked Salmon & Macaroni

 Stan ordered mackerel, salad, rice set.  I had salmon baked with macaroni. All the food was quite good but the servings were rather small.


Er. was in a better mood to talk after he filled his stomach and shared with us what he learned about the culture and customs of his Japanese colleagues. He even managed to learn a few words in Japanese during the past month working in Tokyo. 

Er  apparently likes his new job better than the one he had in Manhattan. and we are glad and happy for him!

R,T.
Kyoto, Japan

Spending a Rainy Day in Tokyo

Gate City Plaza, Tokyo

Our first day in Tokyo, despite jet lag and all that, we got up at 7a.m. and was out of hotel room ready for breakfast by 7:30am.  Last time when we were in Japan a few years back, we were with a group of people and had a guide therefore, we did not get too much time to explore on our own. For most of our journey this time, it would be just my husband and me, so we had more freedom to do things ourselves.

We needed to use WiFi to send some emails, but had a hard time last night at our hotel because our cell phones don't work in Japan.

Many People were there Enjoying their Morning Coffee

To use the hotel email, the front desk sends its password to the users to their cell phones.  We headed to the Gate City Plaza near our hotel, looking for either McDonald or Starbucks to use the internet.

 Lots of people were there already at about 8am, mostly Japanese business people, all dressed in their white dress shirts and grey/ dark coloured pants, having a coffee or breakfast.

The place was full yet very quiet as everyone there was either eating or reading on their own. There was little or no talking between the patrons there.

A courtyard at the shopping mall

We had our breakfast at McDonald trying their local tuna McMuffin, different and yummy! There were many different food for us to choose from in the Gate City Plaza, a modern and beautiful shopping mall.

 It was raining cats and dogs which meant we had to spend a little more time in the mall than we had planned.


Good thing the mall was designed in a circular way with huge floor to ceiling windows and bringing the beautifully landscaped outdoor garden to the inside.

Though the space is small, Japanese made the best of it!

Though the property where the shopping mall was not huge and there was no large grassy area, the architects of the building were able to make use of what small space it had available and turned it into a peaceful and beautiful garden with pieces of interesting architectures dotting the garen.

We noticed there many people sitting, eating, reading, relaxing, doing work and simply lingering for a long time in this part of the mall.

Japanese enjoying their quiet moments in the mall

One thing for sure, though there were many people sharing this common public space,  people were very quiet, and respectful of others' space.

There was no loud talking, yelling across tables, blasting loud music nor talking loudly on their cell phones.

The mall is decking out for a special festival

We spent a much longer time  in the mall than we expected. We did a little bit of shopping and when the rain subsided a little headed back to our hotel.

On our way to our hotel, we passed by some workers setting up and getting ready for a street celebration.

Looking forward to the next few days visiting Japan

Hope we will get to see some of these street celebrations during our stay here!


R.T.
 Tokyo

Hello, Japan, Land of the rising Sun

Welcome Wall Mural in Narita Airport, Tokyo, Japan

The eagle has landed! We are in Tokyo, Japan visiting our son.  E.T.  landed a new job SF in July and he was relocated  for his new job. No sooner had he landed on the west coast, his company sent him to Japan for a six week training program.

E.T. was generous enough to give us a free trip to Japan and how could we turn it down?

We were in Tokyo before in 2009 for a four at visit with our friends. This time we are here by ourselves and are looking forward to explore places we did not visit before.

Everything was explained clearly around Japan

We visited many countries before but Japan give us the impression that it is a very organized country.

 We were in Europe last year travelling for two weeks by train and often worrying about the possibility of our luggage being lost or stolen after we deposited it at the designated place. 

A rope lock for luggage on the airport train

This time there was no worry as there was a rope lock system on the airport train. It was easy to use and  as we simply put the rope around our suitcase and set the security ourselves to lock it in place. It gave us the peace of mind. A thoughtful design indeed!

It cost 5000  yans ( about Canada $50.00)  for both of us to take the 1 hour ride airport express train to downtown Tokyo. Not bad at all. If we were to take a cab, that would have been very expensive. 

The scenery and some of the houses on our way to downtown Tokyo surprisingly reminded us of Canada!

Nice two story houses and neatly worked farm fields lined the railway route.

Entrance to the Osaki Subway Station, Japan

We checked into our hotel in the Shinagawa district and we look forward to our next few days in Japan.

R.T.

Tokyo, Japan