Zen Garden: Kyoto, Day 2

Being. Taking deep breaths. Letting your soul relax. Quieting your spirit. Allowing your mind's eye to see. The open-air Buddhist temple of Ryonan-Ji and its Zen garden and landscape garden urge you subliminally to do these activities. Is it the infectious calm and quiet? Is it something stronger and spiritual? My guess would be both. I know I react very positively to these environments. I need to meditate more.

The entry way to the building had an orderly rack for storing umbrellas. The foyer had wooden floor runners and shelves for stowing street shoes and a bin of public slippers. Donning mine, I shuffled into the dark wooden-beamed and floored room lined on the left side with neat displays of classy and artistic souvenirs, like dragon paintings and kimono-clad rabbit prints. The opposite wall of this large room opened onto a lush, green garden. Centered there was a miniature of the Zen rock garden we were to view next. One could see all 15 ebony, slate and red rocks arranged in this scaled down form, sets of 2, 3, 5, rock clusters resting on a sea of white rock shards in perfectly uniform rows. The "challenge" was to try to see all the rocks at one time in the real garden; it is said that only 14 are visible at any given time/location. One is always hidden. I studied the model, memorizing each rock's location. I was ready for the challenge!

I crept into the rock garden viewing area, which was a raised, polished wooden patio. The gentle rain clicked subtly on the white rock shards. Few murmurs and movements were noticeable. Serenity ruled. People moved languidly and stealthily here as so to avoid disturbances. I meditated and breathed trying to "see" all 15 stones at once. I think it would take years of practice to accomplish this mental feat! It was an amazing environment.

At this temple, we also saw the natural effects of island living in a moderate climate, moss of all types, shapes and colors. The landscape garden was the name given to me, but I'm not sure if there is a more official name. All around the temple were tall trees, artfully placed rocks and blankets of velvet-soft moss. I took several photos just of it. The colors of the trees and the moss also affected my impression of serenity, too.

At one point, there was a small pool of water cascading onto a round carved stone with a dipper on it. On the rock at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock were the Kanji symbols that translate roughly to "I learn only to be content" (the Temple's brochure) or "Even if I am poor, I am fully satisfied with intelligence." (my guide's interpretation).


It was drizzly and getting chillier when we left the main building, Kuri, to head to lunch. I thought we were headed to the car, but after a bit of circuitous rambling along various paths, we made it to our lunch spot, the Ryoanji Seven Herb Tofu Restaurant, at the temple. It is specifically a minor temple in the Roanji complex. It has a gorgeous little Japanese garden and a Kyoyoike pond. The little temple restaurant is traditional Japanese from the tatami mats, low tables, pillows on the floor, rice-paper screens and view of the Zen garden. It was cool!

The server brought green tea in small cups first and then brought out the 4 small cups with portions of the 7 herb mix for each of us to use. Then, she came out with a large, ceramic bowl of steaming tofu, cabbage, diacon, carrots, scallions and little pink flowers made from flour. The procedure for eating was this, you take the small silver ladles and scoop out a cube of tofu and veggies into the small cup with herbs, and add a bit of the broth. Then, with a chop stick you eat the veggies and tofu. It was so delicious! The food was hearty and soupy on a day of drizzles, so it warmed me right up! The ambiance of the spot was unsurpassable. I felt very special eating with my three guides at this temple.

During the meal, the friends told me that one of the symbols of the temple is the circle, which represents "affability, and an earnest hope for peace and harmony in the world." I feel that it is a good symbol for me.

Exploring Japan’s Ancient Heart: Kyoto, Day 2

Kyoto dawned rainy and sullen, but did not damper my mood. I rested well in my posh little hotel room, Muishan Hotel?, with its gold silken comforter. I awoke and did some yoga stretching to release the tension in my lower back and flex my old muscles and tendons. I also massaged my feet in preparation for another day’s unlimited mileage.

I prepped myself quickly and repacked my one huge suitcase that was only partially full. I left behind the crappy book on werewolves that I toted from the US, which I learned to hate when spending time reading the author’s horrid writing style. Thankfully, I have another book, The Fig Eaters, that I hope will prove more interesting and will keep me entertained on my 13 hour flights home.

I checked my US bank account online and felt reassured that I had enough cash. I was stressing about it, because three different ATMs here would not recognize my card. Praise the goddess, restaurants, shops and the hotel had no problems. I need to resolve this issue as I’m flat busted on cash and many places here simply will not accept a card.

This resulted in my first atypical Kate choice today: I asked to stop at Starbucks for breakfast. I thought that they would for sure accept a card for a small purchase, which they did. So, I had a hot tea with cream and sugar, a blueberry scone and a croissant for breakfast. I wasn’t my preference to eat what I would eat at home, but you can’t purchase food from street vendors without cash. I ate on the way, and ended up spilling most of my tea, to the Rokuon-Ji Temple and Kinkaku, or Golden Pavilion.

The Kinkaku was the guest quarters for the Chinese visitors to the Rokuon-Ji Temple. It is built on an edge of a sizable pond, which reflects the trees and golden walls of the Pavilion in nice weather. They call the pond, Mirror Pond. We walked through the rain protected by umbrellas. The rain dripped off the tree branches and the emerging buds of spring in the garden surrounding the Pavilion. The opaque gray shale pebbles crunched under our sodden leather tread. The fresh rain vapor moisturized my face and stirred my soul. I imperceptibly withdrew socially from my three escorts (the University van driver, Miko, Mr. Fujita present for round two and as affable and attentive as yesterday, and Mr. Mizoguichi, the guide and fried of Mr. Fujita), as rain makes me revert to my introverted nature and walking through parks and museums makes me independent in seeking serenity and peace. My three companions didn’t seem to mind or resent this personal journey of mine; rather, they seemed to appreciate this need for quiet and my mood for meditation. Once in a while, I played the role of dutiful learner so as to honor HUTE’s generosity and allow Mr. Mizoguichi to feel that he was teaching me something and accomplishing in his job. I made sure to smile warmly as often as possible and to pay attention to their banter, if I could. Sometimes, I just tuned out and went on a little meditative voyage in these gorgeous places.

The first glimpse of the 600-year old Kinkaku, or Golden Pavilion, is one of curious surprise. The building, I learned, was built of three different styles: the first floor is comprised of thick, dark wooden beams and stark white panels, the style of Shindenzukuri, the Heian style of noble families’ mansions; the second floor is Bukezukuri, which is the traditional style of the samurai’s houses; and the third floor (rebuilt in 1950 after a crazed 21-year old arsonist, Buddhist monk committed suicide there over his lost love) was built in the temple style. The second and third floor walls are patterned with 3 inch by 3 inch gold foil squares, where the golden coating was applied. Crowning the peak of the roof is a statue of a golden phoenix with spread wings and long wavy tail feathers, which is a suitable symbol for this building. The roof’s corners curve up to a point as though the building will fly. There are open balconies along the carp pond side for strolling. I would have loved to dwell in this building.

Walking farther, there were Buddhist sculptures where visitors made wishes. They tossed coins into a small, square, gray stone container missing most of the time, so the ground around the statues stone with silver and copper.

A bit farther up the small slope was a waterfall that represented a carp. The chilly water splashed white against the almost black stone (i.e., the carp) and cascaded into a surrounding pool. The pool was enveloped in brilliant green, yellow and gray mosses. I loved the sound of the splashing water and the serene feel of the place. Aside from a bit of tourist jostling, I could have spent the whole day here writing and sketching.

Further on the the inlaid stone path, we were came upon a small tea ceremony building equipped with kitchen, tatami mats and calligraphy art that overlooked the whole stunning scene of the Golden Pavilion and Mirror Pond below.

Once past the tea house, there was a Buddhist temple were incense was burning. The temple was a mixture of Buddhism and Shintoism. It had a bell to ring as well as wishes for the gods on wooden plaques and Japanese lanterns, just like the Fushimi-Inari yesterday. It wasn't exactly like the Buddhist temples I'd seen in Thailand, Vietnam or Laos as those didn't have these items. I think I need to venture to India to check out Buddhism there. It's interesting to me that cultures seem to modify Buddhism to their culture.

Moving Around

Biking culture is amazingly pervasive here. I love it! If I lived here I would tool around on a bicycle all the time, too, with my little basket on the front. Interestingly, unlike the US, they ride their bikes on the sidewalk. There are many painted reminders on the sidewalks to look out for them as well as parked vehicles at various shops. They have very pragmatic bike kickstands that come from the back wheel of the bike that allow it to stand upright and not lean alarmingly over. Each bike also has a built in lock on the back tire. Therefore, bikes are much more manageable and efficient here.

The subway system was very clear and well-organized. I could have been in any subway system in the developed world. They were immaculately clean and ran on schedule.

The buses were just as efficient and organized as the subway. Interestingly, one pays the bus fee when you get off the bus, not when you get on the bus, like in the US, and not like Ukraine, where you might pay by passing your money along the line of fellow riders IF a bus monitor was present, but not if they weren’t.

Random Animalistic Observations

The raccoon dog is a creature of interest in Kyoto. It looks like a raccoon, but has a round body of a small bear. Represented in many small carvings and sculptures, it has a smiling face. It is considered a symbol of welcome, wealth and happiness.

Dragons are also present in many forms in the various temples and shrines. I saw a gorgeous painting of one dragon in black ink that spanned an entire wall of about 20 feet long. Other forms were small key chains, images on t-shirts and paintings available for sale at the temples and shrines. What I find so appealing about the dragon images is that they are usually painted in vibrant colors and have swirling curls and lines that contrast with their sharp teeth and jagged back ridges. These creatures fly too, so they whirl dangerously in the air.

Singha, Fu dogs or lion-dogs are present in many forms as sculptures in gardens and in paintings. They are depicted with curly manes and a single horn in the center of the head. They are typically juxtaposed to lions, which appear with only curly manes. Lion-dogs are usually on the left and have gritted teeth as though saying /nm^m:/, which is the last character in Japanese; Whereas the lion is usually on the right hand side and has an open mouth, because they “speak” the /aah/ sound, the first character in Japanese. Think of it as the representation of alpha and omega, the beginning and the end.

Other animals of curious interest are: the phoenix, the cow, the stork, and the carp. All these animals make their way into the lore of the temples, shrines or into the daily lives of the people.

The Ancient Heart of Japan- Kyoto

Kyoto is a like a tapestry interwoven with shrines, temples, maiko/gaiko, Starbucks and Fridays, so your senses tingle and throb with the ancient, modern, traditional, cool, glitzy, and natural in split second increments.

We started our tour of Kyoto, Mr. Fujita and I, at the Fushimi-Inari (Fox) Shrine, which is one of the most famous Shinto shrines in this star-studded city. Shintoism is the traditional, animist religion of Japan. According to Mr. F, few people are still Shinto; although, many Japanese still follow it for tradition and morals. The Fushimi-Inari is dedicated to the Fox who is considered the messenger of the Gods. There were hundreds of icons of fox throughout the shrine complex; mostly the sculptures depicted the fox with a scroll in his mouth. Complex is the best word for the shrine as it spans miles up a mountain with winding stone paths and orange gateways lining the route. At random intervals there were eye-catching shrines, graves, sculptures, stone monuments, pools, ponds, bells, candles, incense burning, lanterns, and food stands. Before one can begin the lengthy trek to the mountain top, one must ritually wash one's hands and rinse out your mouth at a fresh trough-like fountain. There were even directions for visitors unaccustomed to the practices of Shintoism. Once inside the complex, there were stages for weddings, shrines for various prayers, like one for schooling, locations were monks were conducting services, and stalls for purchasing souvenirs, charms, or talisman. At one place, you can call the gods by ringing a bell that has a long brightly colored ribbon attached, then you can pray for something. This is not the quintessential quiet and serene monastery; rather, it felt like a joyful, family place.

Sensations that I will play in my mind from the Fushimi-Inari: the scent of incense on the air, moss-covered and misshapen grave stones, rows of orange gateways spanning the paths that appear like a large caterpillar from a distance, foxes big and small and all smiling, the little lady at the tea stand across from the duck pond who sold duck food for Y200 and cold lemon tea for Y120, the horse sculpture that brought the gods to earth, prayer sticks, wish papers, bright sunlight on the trees, brooks, and moss.

I thought that our day was over when we made our way down the winding mountain paths and reached the intertwined residential part of the shrine, but I had no idea what other delights awaited me. Mr. F and I walked back toward the car, passing the walls of shrine patrons, souvenir vendors, tako ball vendors (we ate some on the way up and they were tasty delicious street food), eel grillers (would have eaten the aromatic grilled eel, but it was $20 for a slice), cute fox-shaped bean curd candy vendors, shops, restaurants, tea houses and bars.

After parking Mr. F's Citoyen at the famous Kyoto University, we headed off in search of sushi for a late lunch. We walked a long way to the subway, seeing temples, people on bicycles, many taverns, and cool houses with Seussian pompom trees in the yards. I thought we weren't going far-wrong! Mr. F was going to show me the town! I was tired, but it was totally worth it. I found my inner physical strength and we just kept going and going. We crossed over the river on an old dark brown, weathered wooden beam bridge Sanjo-oohashi(三条大橋) ("one of the bridges connecting the centre with the eastern part of Kyoto. The bridge is historical and the starting point of Tokaido, a road connecting Kyoto with Tokyo") and arrived at a shopping area, Fujii Daimaru - Shijo-Teramachi. This arcade like covered market was for me reminiscent of Istanbul's Grand Bazaar in that it was colorful, maze-like, crammed full of merchandise beyond all possible description, noisy, frenetic, and exciting. While the Grand Bazaar is Turkish through and through, the Shijo-Teramachi is wholly Japanese, with only the occasional Friday's or Starbucks. I particularly loved the thrift store, Chicago, that sold secondhand kimono. I bought a gorgeous gray, black, red patterned one for me and a silky red one for Maddy. I couldn't resist at those costs (Y1,500 and Y2,600). There were hundreds of them from jackets to robes, and informal to formal attire. I was sorely challenged not to purchase the magnificent 50 year old ones for decor in my home, but I'm running out of wall space as much as luggage space. Besides my wallet is just not that deep. I saw so many things I wanted to buy. Another super cool place made t-shirts with diverse statements in Japanese Kanji characters of your choosing. I had one made that said "Billiards Master" in gray with white characters. It's pretty cool.

Wandering further into the maze, in the food part of the market, we finally found an acceptable sushi restaurant and had a nice small meal with saki. It was quite reinvigorating! I had several kinds of sushi I have avoided eating before, but what the hell, right? I ate a slice of raw octopus, sea eel, sea bream, squid, and some other random stuff I don't know what they were. Some of them were so thick and chewy, I finally just gulped them down so I didn't yack. I think I'll stick with my old sushi standards in the future: maguro, unagi, salmon, smelt roe, tamago, and spider rolls. ;-) The saki helped it all go down anyway. We debated ordering one more piece each, but ended up leaving as the restaurant didn't have bonita, salmon or smelt roe.

Next, even though I begged Mr. F not to let me spend anymore money, we stopped at a saki stall where they were sampling saki and rice wine. Damn. I loved one they offered, so I ended up buying two bottles, one of saki and one of rice wine. I'll share them with friends at home. They were delicious! ;-)

Feeling a bit lighter on my feet after the saki, we walked on and came across a stall selling fresh oysters roasted on a grill. They were shucking and cleaning them right off the walkway, grilling them less than 1 foot away and serving them the next foot over. The place was packed with salivating diners. At a cost of Y180 per oyster, we couldn't refuse. It was a smart choice as we had the last bite we needed and met a friendly couple from the Philippines. They overheard us chatting and immediately struck up a conversation with us. It was really cool. Food was being handed this way and that, folks were nestled thigh to thigh, elbow to elbow, but everyone was amiably chatting and munching contentedly. The Philippino couple have been to Japan before, but not Kyoto, so they solicited my friend, Mr. F, for information. I shared with them my thrift store find, Chicago, and they were very happy about it, just as I was.

Once we left their friendly company, we decided look for green tea mochi while heading back to the car and eventually the hotel. At least that's what I thought!

On our walk, we saw a beautiful, bedecked old women in a kimono who was kind enough to let me take her picture. She told Mr. F that it made her happy to be asked! Cool. My pleasure!

We sought green tea mochi and eventually came across the Green Tea Cafe that sold a selection of green tea cakes, mochi, ice cream and other green tea infused desserts. We ordered a sample plate of green tea mochi, green tea ice cream, cake with a green tea layer in the middle and red bean pudding. To drink, we had iced green tea. Yep, I'm swimming in green tea now. At least it's full of antioxidants. I think I liked the green tea ice cream and cake the best. It was a nice dessert and I didn't feel too guilty eating it.

Back onto my poor tired feet and we were again crossing the Sanjo bridge, but this time it was dark. We stopped momentarily to listen to 4 women playing blues harmonica and singing. It was really good music.

Then, Mr. F said we were going to find maiko (or geisha if you are in Tokyo). He seemed to think that you could go to Gion, a very old district, and walk around and you'd find one. I was a bit suspicious, but thought, he lived here, he knows this town, and let's have an adventure! So, we walked to Gion, AND I'm so glad we did! It was probably the coolest part of Kyoto in my opinion. The ancient dark wooden buildings were no more than two floors tall and pressed closely together in their lantern lit neighborhood that looks like it did one hundred years ago when the Emperor still made Kyoto his primary home. My pictures probably do more justice to this cool locale than I can with words.

We saw several women decked up on kimono, but Mr. F knew immediately that they were not maiko. It took only a second for him to see that they didn't have the hair piece or the pristine white chalk makeup. I learned quickly. We did see a house that had several maiko's names written on small planks of wood above the front door. We also saw some gorgeous family shrines, very expensive restaurants and private clubs, and a beautiful creek. Then, on one of the last streets we were walking down, Mr. F saw a reserved cab parked with its flashers on. We inconspicuously waited several feet away and watched the formally attired, white gloved driver and his handsome black taxi. Within a few minutes, out of the door came two maiko dressed in stunning pastel kimono, head dresses, slippers, white pancake makeup, etc. They genteelly entered the car when the cabby opened the doors. The cab pulled right in front of us and paused, which gave Mr. F a thrill and me an opportunity to note the details of the layered silk kimono and the perfection of their makeup. This experience was really unique.

My fear of walking miles back the way we had come was unfounded. At the end of the Gion street, we jumped a public bus that had us back at the Kyoto University in 10 minutes. Then it was just a short walk to the car. I love to walk, I really do. Can you imagine if someone didn't? LOL!

In my modern, small and comfy hotel room, I immediately washed off the trail sweat, and put my feet up! And here, I leave you for the evening. Off to dreamland for me!

Off to Kyoto Today!

Hi friends,
I'm packing an overnight bag for 2 days/1 night in Kyoto. I hear that it is gorgeous! I'm going with Mr. Fujita from the HUTE, who invited me to go. So kind.

More later...

Mountain Italian & Daiso

At noon today I met Jerry and his new wife, Christy, a Taiwanese beauty, for lunch and shopping. We set out into the mountains in Jerry's cool hybrid car with its flashing display telling the driver when the car is running on gas and when it's running on power. It wasn't far into the winding, hilly roads (maybe 15 minutes) where you find many city dwellers' second homes that we stopped at a seemingly ordinary house. I was sort of surprised when Jerry said, "This is it". Okay. So, we got out and mounted the stairs to the second floor of one of the houses. Inside the door were guest slippers, which we donned, and a passage to the restaurant. The restaurant seemed more like someone's living room with small dining tables and chairs. Jerry explained to me this is like home-style, and it was, like in someone's home. :-) The someone happened to be this older lady who was born in Okinawa and lived there during WWII. She later also lived in Brazil. We'll call her what Jerry does, Obasan (aunt). I can describe her as a beautiful person inside and out. She didn't stand much taller than my shoulder, but her kindness and warmth projected like sunlight all around her. She had an amazingly beautiful face with freckles and smile lines. Before we left, she let me take a photo of her and we posed for one together, and she squeezed me tightly. It was so maternal and caring. She told me she loves Americans and that I'm pretty. :-) So, so sweet.

Her food was great, too! She made a pasta primavera for us as J and C are vegetarians. The plates were mounds of spaghetti noodles with eggplant spears, slices of red and green bell pepper, tiny mushrooms (my fav!), tomatoes, and more. It was hearty and filling. :-) I don't think I'll have any dinner as I'm still full from it!

During the meal we chatted about all kinds of topics from having children, to Maddy, our hostess' background, cultural similarities and differences, etc. Jerry and I had a brief and interesting discussion of the pros and cons of students wearing uniforms in the public schools. He was against it; I was for it. We shared our ideas and it was a good conversation. Christy didn't talk much, so I felt so of bad about my endless stream of words. I hope I didn't annoy or offend her. She is so sweet and quiet!

After the meal, photos and goodbyes, we headed off for Daiso, which is basically the dollar store. Or rather it is the $1.20 store as the dollar is weak against the yen. It was almost like the dollar store at home, except that it was full of more cool things! I was a little crazy! I mean it. I had my basket full within 45 minutes, I think. I bought Japanese language cards, a wooden toy, a world map with international hellos on it, and many other things for Maddy. She'll love them. I bought something for Tym who tipped me off to the Daiso store, has helped me out a ton on this trip and covered some classes. Other who will receive little treats are: Kara, Melinda, Linda (Maddy's bus driver), Analisa, Jennifer and Nicole (Maddy's sitters during this trip), Kwabena, Carter, and several others. I know I have something for many, many folks. I ended up spending Y5,145, and no, I don't want the exchange rate for it. I'd rather live in oblivion ;-).

We also checked out another dollar store in the Aeon building and the Joshin store for cameras. I really want a better camera so badly! The one I liked was Y89,800, but that was marked down more, but it didn't say. Interestingly, Jerry told me I could bargain with them, you know, negotiate in a store like Best Buy! I was so trippy. I almost did it, but wasn't sure if this was the right time to buy this. I was worried about issues with warranties, language of the directions, and the expense. Perhaps I can buy one soon, I'll see...

The Aeon complex of stores was interesting in that there were about 50 stores in one big warehouse type building. I couldn't tell when one started and when one ended. My friends seemed to, which kept me out of trouble! lol. There was even a creperie there! If I hadn't eaten such a big lunch, watch out! They smelled delicious!

On our way back to campus, Jerry drove us by the University faculty housing complex where the faculty only pay a very low rent to reside. The buildings were not the old style traditional ones with the neat tiled roofs that I so admire, nor were they condo-like, they were tall, beige rectangle apartment buildings. Mostly nondescript, but cozy and livable according to my sources.

Random thoughts in no specific order:
-road signs of an angry-looking wild boar with tusks that warn drivers to be on the lookout for wild boar in the road, just like our deer crossing signs.
-road signs of adorable and hug-able raccoon creatures, I guess warning drivers that Japan likes cute cartoon images? lol
-winterizing rice paddies, burning fields being prepared for planting by the farmers, the sunlight lowering on the smoky blue mountains in the distance
-rain gutters that are about 1 foot deep and 8 inches wide
-tiny daffodils blooming
-a little girl with a round face and black straight fringe and a pony tail playing with a wooden car and track in the Aeon complex