Kyoto and Hiroshima

Now that our time here in Japan is winding down, we decided to take advantage of the long holiday weekend and head down to Kyoto and Hiroshima. We were able to cover a lot of ground since we ventured for the first time by shinkansen (bullet train which travels almost 200mph).

Kyoto was once the imperial capital of Japan and has now grown into a very large city with a striking mix of ancient and modern architecture. It is surrounded by mountains and 3 rivers run through it, so the landscape and natural backdrop are also very beautiful. The city of Kyoto has over 2000 temples and shrines and is known for continuing the traditional art form of geisha performers.

Needless to say, we did NOT make it to all the shrines and temples in Kyoto, but it was very interesting to learn their historical and cultural significance and to visit just a few! Here are some highlights:

Nijo-jo Castle was the palace of the first Tokugawa shogun and was of particular interest because it was fitted with "nighingale" floors which made a chirping sound and would alarm the shogun and his guards of an invader (unless, of course, they knew about the secret ninja entrance which did not have such floors in place!)
The Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji) is unique in that is it entirely covered with gold foil and gives off a stunning reflection in the surrounding lake. It's original structure dates back to 1397.

Another nice afternoon was spent along the "Path of Philosophy" which connects several shrines and temples and winds along an old canal. It's lined with cherry trees and has no car traffic. We had a nice time looking at the works of local artists and stopping at a little cafe for an ice cream cone during our quiet stroll.

Our favorite day in Kyoto was the day we spent in the Arashiyama area of the city. We took a train along the river and into the mountains and then strolled through several small villages and a bamboo forest. Then we hiked up to the top of a small ridge to see a wild monkey park. Elise was quite taken by the monkeys and thought she needed to converse with each one of them as we walked along the path. Funny!

Gion is best known as the Geisha district, with lovely traditional architecture and a chance to catch a view of a beautiful kimono-clad Geisha walking down the street. Geisha literally translates to mean "performing artist" and patrons can pay up to $3000 to spend the evening being entertained by the songs, dances, and friendly conversation of these well schooled ladies. We did manage to see several Geisha on the street in the evening, but missed our chance to get a photo op because I'm too chicken!

Our time in Hiroshima was quite short, so we had a lot to pack into our day and half there. The A-bomb Memorial and Peace Museum were sobering and very well done. We were both taken with how "un-biased" the accounts of the war were - the "voice" of the museum was much more from an outside pacifist point of view than from any one nation. The museum sited all of the countries involved in WWII for various acts against other nations and peoples and seemed to give a very fair historical perspective on all of the issues and events leading up to and following the dropping of the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The A-bomb dome is the only damaged structure that was allowed to remain after the reconstruction; it is a haunting cornerstone to what is now know as Peace Park.

Our next day in Hiroshima was a little lighter, as we traveled to Miyajima Island to see the famed floating Torii gate. It is said to be one of the top three views in all of Japan! It was interesting to share the streets with the wild deer that roam all around the island. After seeing the torii gate and taking full advantage of the photo op, we took a cable car up to the top of Mt. Misen to see great views of the island and surrounding sea.

One last thing we did in Hiroshima was to enjoy some of the local taste treats. Okonomiyaki is a local dish made from a pancake-like batter that is topped with cabbage, onion, egg, meat, and special sauce. We thought it was really delicious until we discovered what seemed to be something strangely like eel at the bottom of the dish - that was a bummer for sure! Fortunately, the Momiji Manjyu more than made up for our secret eel surprise! These were sponge cakes in the shape of maple leaves that were filled with a selection of chocolate or vanilla pudding or sweet bean paste - can you guess which flavors we liked?!?!