Land of the Rising Sun - Kyoto

Kyoto, 9^th most populated city in Japan, and one of the oldest dating back to 794 when it was chosen to be the capital, and where the Emperor lived until he shifted to Tokyo in 1868.  We didn’t get to either Tokyo’s or Kyoto’s Imperial Palaces, but the pics look like they are grand living quarters!

Instead, we ventured up the Kyoto Tower to get our bearings and had a wander around what ended up being a quieter part of the city.  Just down the road from the hotel was the Higashi Honganji temple which is the mother temple of Shinshu Otani-ha (Shin Buddhism) and has one of the largest Buddhist denominations in Japan.

We felt like we needed to see some countryside so rode the train out to the Arashiyama area to see the famed wooden Togetsu-kyo bridge over the Katsura River and the Sagano bamboo forest which is part of the Tenryu-Ji Temple gardens.

Following on from that peaceful afternoon, we arrived back to Kyoto to explore the crazy Nishiki Market.  There was so much to see, smell and listen to, we didn’t know where to look or go.  Instead, we found a seat, our bearings and ventured into the Gion district to find a bar for a cold beverage.  The options for food and drink felt like they were infinite so we decided to head back to the quieter district of Kyoto Tower and its food hall where we could try a number of different yet still delicious dishes for a cheaper price.  Our favourite so far is the tempura battered seafood and vegetables along with fried chicken accompanied by a variety of sauces.

One last ride on the Hello Kitty Hakura bullet train to Kansai Airport near Osaka but instead of going on another hour trip on the train to visit the 2^nd most populated city in Japan, did some retail therapy at nearby Rinku-Town where they had numerous retail shops with every brand imaginable!  Not too much purchased though as we are finding that the Japanese clothing is considerably a bit smaller than what we require!

And so, we say sayonara to Japan, let’s sum it up in three words each…

Rosie – polite, organised systems, friendly

Grant – busy, enriching culture, safe

Steve – sweaty, delicious food, hot (mid-high 30s).  Too much for this Southern character!!

Land of the Rising Sun - Hiroshima

Hiroshima, a somber reminder of what happened at the end of World War II with many memorials and tributes to what happened at 8:15am on 6^th August 1945.  Every day at that time a clock chimes but you can see how the city has come together to rebuild after that devastating event in world history.

Dedicated to honouring the memory of those who lost their lives in the atomic bombing is the Peace Memorial Park.  Throughout the park there is a message advocating nuclear disarmament and global harmony, encouraging future generations to strive for a world free of nuclear weapons. The most significant landmark that survived the bombing is the Atomic Dome which was formally the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall.  Because the blast struck from almost directly above, some of the centre walls remained standing, leaving enough of the building and iron frame to be recognizable as a dome.

The Bell of Peace is a symbol of Hiroshima Aspiration.  “Let all nuclear arms and wars be gone, and the nations live is true peace!” There are also many memorials to the children who were killed instantly in the blast as there were several schools nearby.

In Japanese, Hiroshima means ‘wide island’ and has a long and proud history before and after 1945.  The community has done an excellent job of the rebuilding and have many new buildings and stadiums.  One such building is the Orizuru Tower.  From the observation deck you can see a 360 view of the this lovely city.

Using the very efficient public transport system, we travelled to Miyajima Island to see the Miyahima O-Torii Gate, one of Japan’s most iconic landmarks, which is the entrance to Itsukushima Shrine.  This gate symbolizes the connection between the spiritual world and nature.  On the island there are native, friendly, deer.  If you don’t watch your belongings, they will have a wee nibble.  At one stage I thought I was going to be lunch for one of them!

A venture under the shade of the trees in the beautiful Shukkeien Garden was a great way to keep a bit cooler.  Did I mention that the temperatures are in the mid to high 30s?  We have even had to buy an umbrella, not to keep us dry but to keep the UV rays off us! There were also some very cool fish and turtles, again wondering if I was going to feed them!  The construction of this garden dates back to 1620, built by Ueda Soko, a famous master of the tea ceremony, and expresses the idea of collecting miniaturizing many scenic views.  Unfortunately, it was destroyed by the atomic bomb but was quickly restored to its condition prior to the bombing.

Near the gardens was the Hiroshima Castle.  Touring through the rebuild of this historic place, you were taken back to the Nambokucho period (14th century) and what life was like back then, especially if you were a Samurai.  I got to try on a helmet!  Very, very heavy so imagine fighting with that on and with an equally heavy sword!!

A highlight of our trip so far was to experience a Japanese baseball game, of which the locals are very passionate about.  At the Mazda Zoom-Zoom stadium (capacity 31 000), we were soon joining in with the chanting and cheering for their local heroes, the Hiroshima Toya Carps.  Unfortunately, the Hanshin Tigers were too strong and beat them 6-1.

Land of the Rising Sun - Tokyo

First stop on Steve’s overseas adventures Tokyo, Japan.  After a smooth flight with AirNZ, the first thing to navigate was the masses of people.  Here we were, 3 hardy souls from the bottom of the South Island, competing with over 37 million people, the largest populated city in the world.  Onto the train system we went, and after a bit of toil and trouble, and a lot of patience (manawanui at its peak) we managed to get ourselves into Shinjuku where our hotel was situated.  Thank goodness all the signs are also in English!  We do need to be proud of ourselves for navigating around one of the busiest stations in the world with 3.5 million people travelling through it every day!

To get our bearings, the Hop On, Hop Off bus was a must.  This was a great way to see the main sights of Tokyo but also to get some interesting insights into the history and customs via entertaining commentary.  We only hopped off at one place, the Tokyo Tower, once the tallest building in Tokyo at 333m high.  Emulating the Eiffel Tower, we were able to get a great view of this mammoth city and help get those bearings under control.

Did we though?  Not really, still managed to get lost a bit walking around the streets of Shinjuku looking for some traditional Japanese food to try out, along with some liquids to hydrate with!  We were not disappointed with our choices of cuisine.

The next day was spent with a wee tour group, guided by a very knowledgeable guide, Aya, who also thought that I, Steve, was a carrot, to Mt Fuji and Hakone.  The weather was mainly on our side for this time of year as we got to see Mt Fuji in its entirety from the flat (where we had lunch with some Ninjas)

but when we bused halfway up to 5^th Station, the clouds were too low to get a view of any kind.  FYI Mt Fuji last erupted 300 years ago and is now considered dormant but is revered as a sacred mountain and a symbol of Japan.  According to one Japanese myth, a farmer named Visu witnessed the mountain’s sudden eruption, transforming barren land into fertile ground.  The Goddess Konohanasakuya-hime is associated with Mt Fuji and all volcanoes, symbolizing delicate earthly life and the power of nature.  If you are after a spiritual journey, climbing Mt Fuji is traditionally a pilgrimage, a path of spiritual purification and reverence for the mountain’s deities.  We didn’t have time for that but visited the shrine to say a wee prayer, remembering 2-2-1 (bow twice, clap twice, pray).

We then ventured to Owakudani via the Hakone Ropeway where another volcano was simmering away, and last erupted 10 years ago.  It reminded us of the sulphuric smells of Rotorua. 

The last bit of the tour was a leisurely cruise on a pirate ship along Lake Ashinoko where you could see the Hakone Shrine on the shores of the lake.

To get back to Tokyo was our first experience of a bullet train.  Amazing how smooth and relaxing they are considering how fast they are going – 300km/hour.  A long but entertaining tour to one of the major natural landmarks of this very interesting country.

Sunday, currently back on the bullet train on our way south to Hiroshima nervously watching the Tribe app’s scoring of the Steel vs Mystics game.  All three of us were wanting Southern Steel to have a bigger score than the Mystics but alas, it was not to be the Steel’s day!  Bad luck team!  Even just watching the score was exciting, we will look forward to watching the highlights for yet, another exhilarating game, in between our continuing adventures of this fascinating Asian country.