Divanun Guide/Kyoto & Nara

March 22, 2018 Ceraun Loggins

This DivaNun Guide is a one pager of everything to do, see, and eat in Kyoto & Nara.

Historical

Kyoto
- The Kyoto Imperial Palace:
  - Not as cool as I expected it to be. They were doing construction so maybe when more of it is available it would be more fun
- Fushimi Inari
  - Head shrine to the god Inari in Kyoto
- Saganoo Bamboo Forrest
  - Beautiful grove filled with bamboo in the outskirts of Kyoto
- Kinkaku-ji/ Ginkaku-ji
  - A pair of zen temples built by the family of a shogun
Nara
- Todaji Temple
  - One of the seven great buddhist temples in Nara

Cultural

Kyoto
- Aoi Festival
- Seeing a Geisha performance
Nara
- Feeding the Deer

Food

Kyoto
- Kitchen Raku Raku
  - by far the best meal I've ever eaten in my entire life. The chef's special is a reminder of how delicious and simple traditional japanese food is with a flair of western influences
  - The Chef's Special was three course's a seafood, beef, and desert
- Kyoto Gogyo
  - The Burnt Miso Ramen is one of my favorite ramen dishes I've ever eaten in the world. The burnt flavor provides a contrast to the typically rich and silky ramens I had been eating.
- Honke Owariya
  - Didn't make it here but apparently has really good Soba noodles
- There is a restaurant that sells amazing tempura on the way to the way to Ginkaku-ji that the photo above was taken. Such a delicious meal but I can't find the restaurant on google maps.
- Cafe/Bar Oil
  - Recommended by a friend for having good drinks
Nara
- Harushkia Sake Brewery
  - they have sake tastings for 500 yen and you get a free sake cup.
  - You can also buy all the sake's you taste plus more to take away
- Maguro Koya
  - Tuna Heave
  - very reasonably priced but you will have to order multiple plates. Think tapas style

Miscellaneous

Accomodation
- Kyoto
  - Backpackers Hostel Kyoto
    - $24 a night
      - this is a chain but it felt very at homey with a large common area and a kitchen that you could cook your own meals in.
      - About a 10-15 minute walk from the city center and the main train station as well as a closer to the local subway stations for access to Fushimi Inari
- Nara
  - Deer Guest House
    - $12 a night

Kinkaku-ji & Ginkaku-ji

February 16, 2018 Ceraun Loggins

Nervously, a pair of girls in matching plaid skirts and white shirts came up to me with a piece of crumpled paper in one hand and a pencil in another. They expressed they were at Ginkaku-ji, The Silver Pavillion, for a school project to interview tourists about Japan. I now understood why the gaggle of children had been starring at me since my arrival. They had been working up the courage to interview me. When I responded to their first question in Japanese their faces lit up. After they finished their questions we posed for the photo below.

After the photo Sejan and I made our way out of the pavillion grounds and headed off to get some food. Satisfied and exhausted from our final day of exploration around Kyoto. After returning from Nara we only had one full day before we caught the night bus back to Tokyo. We decided to check out the sibling pavillions of Kinkaku-ji and Ginkaku-ji.

Turned into a Zen temple after the death of the wealthy Shogun that bought it, Kinkaku-ji ( The Gold Pavillion) might be one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. It stands solitary on a lake. A reminder that pure beauty is sometimes best presented without distraction. The top two floors of this pavillion are covered in gold leaf and when the midday sun illuminates this pavillion the entire grounds take on a warm golden glow. Despite not arriving till after noon the crowds of tourists didn't impede our photographic pursuits. Kinkaku-ji does not take a long time to explore, the pavillion on the lake is the main attraction so afterward we caught the bus to Ginkaku-ji.

Ginkaku-ji (The Silver Pavillion), was built by the grandson of the Shogun who created Kinkaku-ji. The architecture of the former was used as inspiration when creating Ginkaku-ji. The grounds of The Silver Pavillion are a lot grander than the Gold. Perhaps because the pavillion itself is unremarkable. My favorite part of this complex was the Sea of Silver Sand a gorgeous dry sand garden. The photo above is of the Moon Viewing Platform the main attraction of the sand garden.

The rest of Ginkaku-ji has been beautifully landscaped to take advantage of the rocky terrain and sharp changes in elevation of the grounds. With large trees and rocks placed around pools populated by fish. This pavillion could double as a garden. After hiking up Fushimi Inari and dashing across the city this was the perfect peaceful end to our trip to Kyoto.

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Fushimi Inari

October 3, 2017 Ceraun Loggins

The sun wasn't even out when my alarm shook me awake. My eyes half open, I climbed down off the bunk bed making sure not to awake the person on the bottom. Through the dim light I could see that Sejan's bed was already empty. It took every fibre of my being to stay awake but I knew we had to arrive before the hoards of tourist descended.

By the time we were on our way the city of Kyoto was just starting to wake. Buisnessmen rushed past us heads focused on emails. School children were groggy as their parents took them to classes. We stopped by a bakery before we started our cimb. The curried pork was cradled in thick dough and provided the energy we needed for the two hour hike up Fushimi Inari.

The food vendors that line the way to the main shrine of Inari, the God of rice, fertility, and agriculture, were just beginning to set up as we first set our eyes on the beautiful vermillion gate. Fushimi Inari existed before the capital was moved to Kyoto in 794, and you can tell that the mountain contains a powerful energy. So it's fitting that the mountain is adorned with thousands of torii gates- whose existence serves to demarcate the transition from secular to sacred.

Sejan and I made our way to the Senbon Torii, two parallel rows of gates that sprout from behind the main shrine at the Romon gate. By this point, the sun was still faint, not strong enough to illuminate the dense cluster of gates that start the beginning of the hike.

The senbon torii empties you into the first of many small shrines that dot the mountain side. A tiny fox sits on a stone pedastal with a piece of wheat dangling from its mouth. In Shinto mythology foxes are seen as Inari's messengers and are also portrayed with keys and other objects in their mouth.

The trail is relatively level the first half. The Torii gates get further apart and specks of green stand cool against the warmth of the vermillion. Some of the gates are well aged, bearing the weight of the prayers that placed them there. While others gleam shiny and new. The gates have been paid for by business and individuals which is why Fushimi Inari is one of the few shrines in Kyoto that is free of charge to enter and explore. 4,000 dollars can get you a small gate while six figures can fetch you one of the extremely large gates.

After walking past a beautiful stream the pathway turned to stairs. At this point more people joined us on the narrow trail. Despite being no earlier then 9am the steep incline of the stairs and the breathability of my gown caused me to sweat profusely, but Sejan and I press on. We pass a few restaurants selling water, snacks, and other refreshments. As well we see the price of water in the vending machines increase the further up the mountain we go. My calves are tight, I pray that we are more than half way up the mountain.

A plateau appears where I can see and hear people gathering. I gathered my energy thinking we've reached the top. As I cross the last stair a strong breeze greets me like an old friend. The city of Kyoto looks snug in between a forrest and another set of mountains off in the distance. I turn around and instead of being greeted with a big shrine I see three different trails as well as a small sign that states the peak is still a 50 minute hike away.

After climbing the equivalent of 39 flights of stairs Sejan and I made it to the peak. By then it was extremely crowded and it no longer felt like we had the mountain to ourself. The quiet and tranquil walk we had as we journeyed up the mountain was replaced with the sounds of camera shutters, sneakers falling on the concrete, and crying children. The breezy cool morning air was now filled with stagnant heat which would have made just starting the climb unbearable. The further we got down the mountain the more congested it became.

My beautiful dream had become a nightmare. It was hard to believe that Sejan and I were on the same mountain. Once we exited the main gate we looked around and a sea of people greeted us. The food vendors now operational filled the air with delicious scents of fried chicken, takoyaki, and grilled meats.

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Aoi Matsuri

September 25, 2017 Ceraun Loggins

The bus ride from Tokyo to Kyoto happened under the cover of darkness. The pale sunlight of the early morning signaled we had arrived in the once capital of Japan. The restaurants of Kyoto had yet to open their eyes for the morning rush so Sejan and I ate food from a convenience store as we waited in the brisk air for our hostel to open.

Once the time came we began to make our way to our hostel. The train station that we arrived in dominated most of the view of the city but as we explored more Kyoto began to resemble a city from a 90's anime.

We first heard of the Aoi Matsuri over some amazing buttered toast after check in. The couple next to us struck up a conversation and mentioned they were going to see the most boring parade in Kyoto. Which also just so happens to be one of the longest running festivals in the entire world. Aoi is Japanese for Hollyhock and the festival is named after the leaves of the flowers that are worn by members of the procession.

The Aoi Matsuri began sometime in the 6th or 7th century and predates Kyoto becoming the capital in the late 8th century. To give some historical perspective this festival started around the same time Islam began. The Tang Dynasty has just begun its rule China, and the Byzantine empire started to shrink from outside threats.

The procession starts at the southern gates of the Imperial Palace of Kyoto, there are paid seating at various points along the parade route but we just stood on the street. What made the Aoi Matsuri so interesting was that the people in the parade were completely silent. They file by you as if you aren't even there. A long continuous stream of people flow out of the gate, dressed in bright colors, some bearing only a hollyhock branch, while others carry large umbrella's or pull beautifully decorated oxen and horses along the route.

Serendipity brought us to Kyoto on the day of one of its oldest festivals. I was excited to see what else Kyoto would share with us as we explored its beauty and history. Make sure you subscribe below so you never miss an addition to the Archive!