(This is an actual photo of Sarah writing her blog on the train.)Well, Day 5 of our Japanese adventure has come and gone, and my what a day it was. It started off at the crack of dawn (ok, really just 8:00) with a fusion breakfast of both Japanese and American fare. The spread included everything from pastries and pineapple to the less than conventional (though equally delicious) dim sum dumplings and mustard seed paste. Our stomachs fully loaded, we headed out into the gauntlet that is Namba Station at rush hour. After a short and extremely cozy ride on the subway, we caught a train to the ancient Japanese city of Kyoto.
As the capital of Japan from 784 to 1869, Kyoto is home to dozens of shrines, temples, and palaces. Luckily our always-wonderful guide, Tamami, was able to ensure that we visited the most important of these sights. Kicking off our tour was the Rokuon-ji Temple, otherwise known as the Golden Pavilion. Though we were not able to go inside, we were still able to appreciate the structure’s beautiful gold leaf exterior and Japanese-style garden. Next on the schedule was the Nijo Castle, built in 1603 by the first Tokugawa Shogunate. Inside, we looked at the political meeting areas and walked across a Nightingale floor, which squeaked when walked upon to indicate the presence of assassins. The castle’s garden was also interesting in the way it was styled around the idea of enlightened stone placement. We then headed off to lunch, grateful for a reprieve from the boiling temperature, which was roughly equal to that of our bodies.
The day’s lunch spot gave us our second chance to experience a traditional Japanese-style meal. Our delicious feast varied greatly from the usual suspects (mizo soup and raw fish) to the less than ordinary (shrimp jelly and soybean film). The peaceful mood of our meal was suddenly interrupted, though, when our hostess came in yelling urgently at us in Japanese. Thinking it a fire drill, we all grabbed our valuables and ran into the lobby. Once there we learned that we were actually being treated to a performance by a maiko (an apprentice geisha). Though wrapped tightly in kimono and heavily made-up, she preformed two graceful dances using a fan to imitate the four seasons and fireflies. We were all astounded to learn later that she was only 16 and went to a special school for training. It was hard for us to even comprehend deciding what you wanted to do for the rest of your life at such a young age. After finishing our dessert of red bean cakes, we rode to the main attraction—the Imperial Palace.
A required tour (unfortunately not given by Tamami) gave us great insight into the one of Japan’s greatest treasures. We began by learning about the formal receiving process of allies by the Emperor through the Okurumayose gate. Next was the Shishinden, in which formal affairs of state were conducted. The rest of the tour showed us other interesting areas including the Emperor’s bedchambers, the study, and the garden. Our White house truly paled in comparison to the astounding ancient compound. Following the Palace, we toured the Kiyomizudera Temple, where it was believed that one could achieve their greatest wish if they survived jumping from the temple’s high terrace. None of us attempted this feat, and instead chose to go shopping (perhaps an even more painful experience). After a quick ice cream stop, we headed on back to Osaka via jumbo taxi, train, and finally subway.
Though exhausted from our long day, hunger drove us once again from our hotel to an exclusively-chicken restraunt. As you can probably guess, our meal consisted almost wholly of chicken. Chicken on a salad, chicken grilled on skewers, chicken liver, and chicken gizzard. Yes, chicken gizzard was actually consumed unknowingly by us (except Rylan who partook voluntarily even after being informed). Stuffed with all the poultry we could hold, we retreated back to the Swissotel for much needed rest.
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