Kyoto is the Birthplace of the Planet of the Apes

Posted on May 8, 2014 by David Cross

Our final day in Kyoto was to check out a few more things before we head south. Last night, we did have an opportunity to learn about and listen to a little traditional Japanese music. The Japanese bamboo flute is not easy to learn….that is for sure.

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This morning, we thought the best way to check out the Imperial Gardens in Kyoto is to run through them.

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Nice way to kick off the day, but it is closer to a 12K run. Highly recommend for runners visiting Kyoto.

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We then headed back to the northwest of Kyoto to check out the Monkey Park.

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It is known locally as Iwatayama Park or Monkey Mountain.

It is one heck of a hike.

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Steep, but not crowded outside of a handful of people.

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But the views of Kyoto are amazing.  The monkeys run free and are very friendly.

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It is fun to feed them and watch the babies compete with the adults

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And the youngsters compete with the koi fish for peanuts.

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It was so hot, we decided we deserved ice cream after that climb.  To end the day, we went to the Kyoto museum.

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It had a nice French collection this month and we were able to view a large number of Monets we had never seen before. Great collection and a small, but very nice museum. Very popular with the local crowd.

One more dinner and then we take the bullet train to Hiroshima tomorrow!

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Some Not So Well Known Sites Outside of Kyoto

Posted on May 7, 2014 by David Cross

We went to the northern part of Kyota near the Togetsu-kyo Bridge where there is a couple of highlights not well known by many tourists.

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We will share one today and share the secret of the second tomorrow. The first was a small hike up to the Senko-hi Temple.

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It was built originally in 1614 but recently reconstructed due a typhoon a few years ago. It rum by Monk Obayashi to evangelism Zen Buddhism and maintain the temple.

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Everyone is welcome and the views of the city and surrounding area are gorgeous.

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We even joined a ceremonial tea session and some meditation guidance on how to solve the conflict in the Ukraine.

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Definitely worth a visit and an awesome hike near Kyoto.

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We then ventured out into the farming region a little south of Kyoto but not all the way to the Kobe cattle region. Many people do not know that most Samurai were from farming families. The highlight of this excursion was to check out another Samurai residence (known as the Heki Residence) which was built and used in the Edo period.

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We stopped and had lunch in the house with the family (the husband is actually in Samauri lineage). Many movies are actually made here because some parts of the home are still original. But if you look close, you can see that modern Samurai are high tech now.

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Different Parts of Kyoto Japan

Posted on May 6, 2014 by David Cross

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Yes – we had to start the day off with an early morning run along the river. Gorgeous weather and wildlife along the way.

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It was so tempting to follow the river all the way to the mountains…I was tempted, but the trail stopped and you could only run along the street to get to the mountain area 😦

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Running around the world is always fun.  Some of my other favorite spots:

We then ventured off to the contemporary art museum on the east side of town – designated by a huge arch/gate (Tori). The largest we have ever seen before in Japan.

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And then to the Noh performance hall. Today being a holiday was a great opportunity to join the half-hour long performances by many local amateurs.

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Another amazing experience…and it was quite an honor to be welcomed as westerners in these activities.

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Since we were close by, we could not resist visiting the Kyoto zoo.

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They had a nice selection of animals in a surprisingly small facility. I felt bad for the animals though.

Speaking of animals, on the way back to our hotel, we saw this very strange shop/exhibit/store…not sure what. It all these animal heads and bodies in the window.

I have no idea what this was all about, so we kept moving.

And yes, Starbucks is very popular here in Japan. I think the Starbucks density is greater here in Japan than Seattle.

If interested, here are my other posts on Kyoto:

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Exploring Kyoto Japan

Posted on May 6, 2014 by David Cross

A little rain today so it felt like home as we explored this city a little further. Our first stop was the Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji) that was a very picturesque park and set of small temples. The temple is covered with 300,000 sheets of gold leaf.
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Next, we went to Sanjusangendo (三十三間堂) which is famous for its 1001 statues of Kannon, the goddess of mercy and was originally built in 1164. It is an amazing site to see, but they don’t let you take pictures.

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In the center of the building there is a huge statue of a 1000-armed Kannon (Senju Kannon) that is flanked on each side by 500 statues of human sized 1000-armed Kannon standing in ten rows.
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You do have to follow the instructions to use the bathrooms though.

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We stopped by Kyoto University where the Japanese pronounced war against the US and the UK in 1941 at this spot:

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and then had a fantastic lunch in a French restaurant inside of the main hall.

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Later in the afternoon, we went to Kiyomizu-dera which is the most popular national site in Japan.  It starts with a nice walk in the trails through the hills and trees…

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It is an amazing structure on the side of the mountain. It is hard to believe not a single nail is used in the structure.

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Great view of the city in the distance.

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Many people flock to the temple and surrounding area and rent kimonos to celebrate the experience.

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Many kilometers of shopping on the way out as you head to the famous pagoda at the exit.

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Then, to end the day, we finally went to a Wagu/Kobe beef steakhouse. Itoh – which was a Nobu subsidiary http://www.itoh-dining.co.jp/kyoto_shop/index.html.

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It was simply amazing…the steak melts in your mouth. It was like magic and worth every penny. What an amazing dinner in Japan and there was no sushi at all in the 5 course meal.

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And surprisingly, there was a Geisha walking down the street just after we finished dinner. Always something new to see while visiting this city…

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Here are some of the other places we visited in Japan on this trip:

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Arrived in Kyoto

Posted on May 4, 2014 by David Cross

We met with a local family in their home before leaving Kanazawa…we met a fantastic man and his wife. He was part of a big family that makes and sells Sake in Japan.  Wonderful experience.

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We then took the train to Kyoto.  Gorgeous ride along the lake and mountains.  Great time to catch up on some reading along the way.

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 Kyoto is full of energy without a doubt.  Different than other cities in Japan.

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The shopping street at night is also crazy! Definitely not to be missed.

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 More will be coming tomorrow after touring around the city today.

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One cool thing about Japan is that you can actually drink the water out of the tap…but if you need a drink…vending machines are almost every 100 meters on every street, alley or country road. They have more coffee in a can choices than I can count!

We spent a few days exploring Kyoto, so here are some of my other postings:

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A Hidden Gem in Kanazawa

Posted on May 4, 2014 by David Cross

Today was a holiday across Japan so we got to hang out with the various radical political groups around the city Kanazawa.

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It was fun walking from location to location and joining them. The most interesting were the groups with the most police standing by.

Our true goal was to try and visit the Prefecture History Museum which has many samurai exhibits and gear you can even try on, but it is under renovation until March 2015 😦

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So, instead we visited the Honda Zohinkan museum. It was small and an overpriced entrance, but it was an interesting perspective of the Honda family.  The poster is the only picture they let us take.

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We then found our way to Teramachi Temple area.

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This a great area to visit in Kanazawa in my humble opinion…I don’t think it is a place where many western tourists visit.

But is a very quiet and serene gem to seek out.

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The best hidden secret (pun intended) is the Ninja Temple, or the proper name is the Myoryuji Temple.

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It is very similar to the Winchester House in San Jose, California. Hidden stairs, trap doors, etc. It is only in Japanese and you have to make reservations. But if you are sly, you can convince them to let you in and give you a English pamphlet and it will make your day. It will take some time and patience, but one place I can definitely recommend to visit in Japan.

Here are some of the other places we visited in Japan on this trip:

 

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Hanging out with the Geishas and Samurais in Japan

Posted on May 3, 2014 by David Cross

This morning we toured the inside of the Kanazawa Castle which is partially renovated as it was built 400 years ago and used up until WWII.

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In case there is a tsunami, we know where to go while we are in Kanazawa.

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Right next to the castle was the Kenrokuen Gardens which is one of three large national gardens in Japan.

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It is a pleasant stroll after a morning coffee although the Australian elites in our tour let us know that the Japanese coffee does not meet the minimum espresso strength standards set by the UN for western travelers. We even found the mythical prince of war that was erected after the Samurai war period.

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From there we walked across the river to go explore the “entertainment” (Geisha) district in Kanazawa which is still very popular and a thriving business in Japan.

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The specific area we walked through is officially known as the Asanogawa Romantic District.

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We were actually interviewed by a local newspaper journalist who was writing a story about tourists who were talking to a local policeman for directions.

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On a small minor side stop, we learned that Kanazawa is the source of 99% of all gold leaf produced in the world.

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We stopped by one of the famous shops on the way back from lunch and paid homage to the local good luck idol.

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After a nice lunch, we took a walk to visit Kurando Terashima‘s home http://www.kanazawa-tourism.com/eng/guide/guide1_3.php?no=4 who was a middle class samurai warrior that fought the oppressive government against high taxes and then later became a known artist. His home is one of the rare samurai homes that are actually open to the public.

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Here are some of the other places we visited in Japan on this trip:

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Where to run in Kanazawa Japan?

Posted on May 3, 2014 by David Cross

Today, we decided it was time for a run.  First, find some Gatorade to drink as it is fairly warm out…but they don’t have Gatorade here in the 7-11…some runners carry green tea around, but there must be something else.  Found it!

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Pocari Sweat!  You have to be flexible and willing new things in other countries.  My favorite is still Gatorade though.

Next question: where is the best place to run in Kanazawa?  Who can we ask?  Easy answer: just watch outside for other runners and follow them!

They lead us to the gathering runners in Kanazawa…of course!    Along the river!  🙂

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It was a great run with many of the locals and early morning fisherman.

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What a great way to start the next day of adventure in Kazawana!

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The only bad thing is Bing and Nokia just do not have good maps for Japan 😦

Running around the world is always fun.  Some of my other favorite spots:

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Riding the Trains and Running the Hills Around Japan

Posted on May 2, 2014 by David Cross

Today we explored around the Hakone area which is an actual ancient volcano. It is a traditional Japanese resort area with hot springs and classic hotels with futon beds. Surprisingly they are very comfortable.

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We took a gondola ride over the area but it was very foggy and rainy, so limited views. We did take a nice hike up to the hot springs to check out the minor hot geysers and enjoy the fresh sulfur air 🙂

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The local delicacy is the “black eggs” that are cooked in the hot springs.  Eating one will extend your life by 7 years…

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Our hotel in Hakone was quite pleasant, but it did not have a fitness room (gym) to work out. On the first day, I explored the hilly area and got in a nice 10K run.  The calves were a little sore after going down the hills and running back up 1,000+ feet!

Hills of Hakone

The next day was a different story. The rain was pouring down and I did not want to wade through huge puddles on the steam hills. Our solution: use the stairs of the hotel as a stair climber. Put on a good podcast on your Zune and the time flies away. The other trick is to pack resistance tubing for arm/weight exercises. You can attach the device to a door and have great resistance training when no gym is available…and it takes almost no space in your luggage 🙂

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This morning, we took our first bullet train west on the yellow line. They are very efficient and comfortable. We were told that the average delay for a given train is less than 36 seconds a year and it has been over 20 years since the last human injury/death. They really know how to run a massive transit system here in Japan. Interesting statistic, a 1 hour bullet train ride is approximately $100.

While waiting for the 10:08 train, we took a few minutes to check out the nearby castle that was built about 400 years ago. They were getting ready for a local festival since it is Golden Week.

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We switched to a little more of a traditional train later as the bullet train service is limited in Japan. In switching to our next 3-hour travel segment, like many, we purchased a Bento box (and local beer) to eat on the train for lunch. Very efficient, convenient and tasty.  Yes, Japanese beer goes well with sushi!

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The most interesting difference in this leg was the fact that at half way through the journey, the train changes direction and accordingly, the direction the seats faced. It was pretty cool that in Japan, you can swivel the seats in different directions in a few seconds so you don’t have to be uncomfortable in facing backward.

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Leaving Tokyo and Travelling to Hakone

Posted on May 1, 2014 by David Cross

This morning we strolled around the gardens of the Imperial Palace a little more before leaving Tokyo.

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The gates opened at 9:00 AM and the scenery and flowers were quite amazing. The only disappointment was that we discovered there was a 5K race around the Imperial Palace today and we did not know about it … that would have been fun to join.

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The reason for the race was the fact that today was “Green Day” in Japan (no, not for the American band) as part of the “Golden Week” which is a set of national holidays. Many factories and businesses completely shut down this week since so many people have holidays and take vacation days to give them a full 2 weeks off. Good timing for a vacation in Japan 🙂

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Then we headed west to Hakone and Mount Fuji. We have been lucky the past few days with sunny skies and 70 degree weather. It is looking like we might be headed for some rain though…

We stopped at a restaurant next to the lake and had some nice lunch and green there. From there, we stopped and checked out a local museum that depicted a famous artist that discovered an ancient method of tie-dying techniques in Japan. It was the Itchiku Kubota art museum and it was quite educational, unique and a nice treat in the cloudy/rainy weather.

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No everyone may see it, but there was also some nice gardens and shrine hidden in a small cave that was a nice hidden gem if you walk up into the trees further up the hall from the museum.

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Despite the weather, we did go up to “Level 1” on Mt. Fuji. Apparently since it gets very rainy, foggy and (snowy?), they restrict people from going up the mountain much more strictly than the past.

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The positive is we did ascend part of the way (by bus), so that was cool to say that we have been to Mt. Fuji (even though we did not get the try the 6 hour climb to the summit).

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The one positive aspect is the fact that the cherry trees are still blooming at the base of Mt. Fuji (2500 feet) since it is much cooler here than in the city (Tokyo). A chance to take some pictures of the cherry trees at the end of April.

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