Kyoto with Jo-Anna

Edited - pictures added!! More posts to come soon...I promise. Darn school takes too much time.

In February, my good friend Jo-Anna booked a flight to come visit me. I was sort of disappointed, because she wasn't comin until August, and that didn't help my lonliness at the time. But time flew, and lo and behold, yesterday, she arrived.

Since I had to finish working, I gave her explicit and detailed directions with colors, maps, and pictures - and we met up at Tsuruhashi. I was super excited to see her and looking forward to spending the week together; she was super happy to be in Japan and see again too. We dropped off her stuff at the dorm, and went for supper to a little place by my house - Akoya. I haven't been yet, so it was to be an adventure. It turned out to be a great one! It's quite small; there was the chef and one patron. The patron spoke some English, and the four of us had the grandest time.



They thought we were pretty awesome (cuz we're foreigners) and kept saying how pretty and good looking we were...but not in a creepy way, more in an amazed way. We laughed and talked and ordered some food. I asked for their recommendation, which was fish and octopus. It came sashimi-style...I didn't realize Jo-Anna doesn't like sushi and has never tried sashimi. But she tried it (kudos for being brave) and liked it! We took some pictures, and then pulled out our money to pay. We misread the bill, and as we were pulling out more money, they both gave all the money back and said it was on the house. I tried to pay them and shove some money in their hands, but they wouldn't take it (bill amounted to just over $30). They just said to come back sometime soon, so we're going to stop by again this week. They also said they had noticed me before (I walk by twice a day).

Today, we visited Kyoto. We wandered a bit and bought some beautiful pottery from a nice couple - took some pictures with them and chatted for a few minutes.


The man who made our beautiful pottery

This week is the Gion festival, so stands are starting to appear in Kyoto - we spent quite a while looking at the infinite and intricite pottery. When we realized we couldn't look at pottery forever, we headed up to Kiyomizu Temple.



Just before going inside, we met Gaku. He is a computer programmer who has been working in Japan for 10 years. He asked if he could join us, which was fine with us. We went into the temple area and looked at all the buildings and the three story pagoda. We also got inside one of the buildings that is normally closed - it is open today for Sen Nichi day; if you make a wish on this day inside the temple, it is as if you came for sen (1000) days! Gaku also showed us the Kiyo Mizu of the temple (kiyo = pure, mizu = water) - which I hadn't known about!



The water was really good, especially since it was so warm out, and we were quite thirsty! Then we visited some of the smaller shrines...there was one shrine especially for love. It is said that if you successfully walk from one Love Rock to the other, with your eyes closed, you will find love soon. I had to try, and I made it! So I shall find love one day soon...



After we left Kiyomizudera, we were getting pretty tired and I was pretty hungry. We walked back down to Shijo Street, and searched for food.... which took a while to find. Jo-Anna was tired and her back was sore. I was hungry. Really hungry. We were at each other's throats a bit.... and we were both a bit annoyed by Gaku. He was really nice, but we wanted to talk to each other, and didn't want to be rude to him. So we had to try and include him, which was awkward sometimes...and he was a pretty clingy walker (you know those people...whenever you turn around they are right. there.). But we did finally find food, yummy food. We relaxed in the AC and ate, and felt much better and less grumpy after.


Finally - dinner! Jo-Anna & Gaku

We did a bit more shopping and exploring, then decided to head home. We were both a bit annoyed by Gaku, but felt bad because he was really nice, and really helpful. He was asking about our plans for the week, and I sort of vaguely told him, but as soon as I sensed he might ask to join in, I changed the subject. I figured that was nicer than having to tell him "No".... On the train ride, we sort of talked to each other a bit more and (unintentionally) ignored him a bit. But he seemed really happy to have met us and gave us his email address, and got promises that we would email (and we will).

On the way home, we stopped at the supermarket and picked up some snacks, and had a party and girl talk in my room. It's been great to catch up with Jo, and we've had lots of giggles and good talks already - and it's only Day 1 of the week!

Sanctuary (of the Body & Mind)

Among other things, Dictionary.com defines sanctuary as 'A sacred place' and 'A place of refuge or asylum'. I've come to realize that what I love and appreciate about (most of) the Japanese temples and shrines is the sanctuary they provide. The atmosphere in a temple or in front of a shrine is one of serenity and reverence. Voices are low and soft, if at all. Steps are quiet, slow, and smooth. I find that even my turbulent thoughts quiet and slow in deference to the holy place I stand in.

I realized that I feel closer to God and more spiritual in these holy places than I often do in a Church at home. North American sanctuaries (typically the main room of a Church where the service is held, among other events) are usually bustling with activity - before, during, and after services. Pre-service, people are lively and talkative, catching up with friends, running after children, squeezing into seats. Throughout the service, the auditorium is almost silent, but there are always whispers and shuffling of feet. People nodding off, making to-do lists on paper or in their heads. At the end of the service, perhaps after a moment or two of silence or prayer, activity inevitably picks up again. Voices chase away the silence, feet rushing to get out or around dispel the calm.

Fellowship is important, people are busy, and children cannot always be controlled. But having experienced being in a holy place that is respected not only as 'a sacred place', but also as 'a place of refuge or asylum' - from life, worries, activity, the whirlwind of events and thoughts that make up our day ... I realize what we are missing.

With the constant stimulation that our North American society and culture provide, we lack a place to go in silence. Often, not even church - a holy place of refuge to interact with God - provides a place of serenity and calm.

Not all temples and shrines uphold the atmosphere I described - some are popular tourist destinations and are full of people and voices. But I think these are few, in comparison to the majority. The temple I visited in Nara, for example - just visiting and sitting for a while left me with a peace and calm that I find difficult to experience in daily life, surrounded by the bustle of society.

Would it even be possible to have a room or a place set aside in a North American church; for silent, reverent prayer and meditation? I'm not even sure we (as a whole society) understand the concept enough to uphold the room as such. I also believe that we are so over-stimulated that it takes anyone time and practice to get their thoughts to slow enough to sit in silence and listen for God; without wondering where the kids are, what's for supper, or whether the file is on the right desk. Placing your body in a holy sanctuary and being able to attend with your mind is two different things, the latter being much more difficult.

I'm sure there are churches, temples, and shrines in North America that do have places and rooms like this, but I've never been aware of them. Having experienced such a place in Japan, I will be on the lookout for times and places to experience the same silent reverence, even once I'm back in Canada.

Serenity & Sanctuary

Today could not have been improved upon in any way. It was a perfect day of solitude in a place of serenity and sanctuary. I realize that sometimes I blog a little wordy/dramatically, but it really was.

I decided to do some exploring on my own, instead of spending the day at home in my dorm room. I read about a walking trail from Ikoma Station to Ishikiri Station. I took a train to Ikoma station, and started on my way. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find any maps or specific directions online, so I decided to wing it. Which turned out to be...pretty...wingy. I had no idea where I was going. But with the help (again) of some very nice people, lots of pointing and incomprehensible Japanese, I managed to find my way to the walking trail. I'm not sure I went the right way, because it turned out to be more of a hike....with my pretty new shirt, purse, and sandals, I wasn't dressed for hiking. But the trail was nice and it was so beautiful, I went anyways.


On the (fun) cable car on the way up the mountain...turns out there's also a kids amusement park at the top!
This is my fancy new 'Japanese Shirt' that I spoke of...

I met a few people on the trail, but not many. We exchanged nods and 'Konnichi-wa's, and occasionally I asked to make sure I was still heading towards Ishikiri. They all thought it was just delightful that I was walking by myself, in my sandals. One guy asked if I was alone, another woman wasn't sure I should continue in my sandals. Everyone was very friendly, albeit giggling and smiling a lot when they saw me, and watching me until I was out of sight.



The trail was in large part big stone steps and staircases, interluded by rocky paths and dirt trail. There was a light and cool breeze, and overhead the path was shaded by brush and trees of all kinds. The birds chirped and sang, and from time to time I could hear water in the distance. It was so beautiful and serene; I sat, from time to time, just to take it all in and imprint it in my memory. I walked slowly, partially due to my footwear (or lack thereof), but mostly because I wished I could walk forever. About halfway through, I came to a shrine - perfectly situated in the trees. Made of stone and faded wood, it didn't look at all out of place. I washed my hands in the fountain and stepped inside to look around. There were several statues and buildings, but most of the buildings were closed. One was open - so I stepped up to the door and peeked around the corner. It was beautifully decorated, and there was a lady sitting inside at a desk. I quickly stepped away from the door and back down the steps, but then decided to go inside and look around. I always find myself hesitant to enter such a holy and revered place - lest I do something to embarass myself or offend other visitors. But everyone is very forgiving and friendly, and I knew I would regret it if I didn't go inside.



As I expected, she just smiled at me as I looked around . . . I never tire of the ornate gold carvings and beautiful flowing paintings. Just before I reached the door to leave, the woman offered me some tea. I accepted and she laid out a cushion, then poured me some tea and ran into the back - coming back with a packaged cookie. The gesture was so kindhearted and genuine, it made me feel as welcome as if I was an honored guest and friend. We chatted a bit - with some difficulty as my Japanese is somewhat lacking - about where I was from, what I was doing in Japan, and her trip to Canada some years ago. As I had finished my tea and we had finished talking, I heard several people coming and decided to leave so they could pray and worship. I thanked her from the bottom of my heart, conveying my gratitude as best I could - because it really did mean a lot to me that she had taken the time to talk to me and give me tea and a cookie.


The rest of the trail was downhill - every couple hundred feet were statues, often with incense or flowers or candles in front of them. I found a waterfall to the side of the path and sat for a few minutes - all I could hear were the birds and the water; all I could see was greens and natural browns, and the wet rock wall.




The trail turned into a paved road, with neat little houses on both sides. As I was walking, I heard a clackety-clack noise, and saw a big water wheel to my right. Set up under a covered area was a smaller water wheel with big wooden hammers that made the noise I had heard. Beside it was the larger water wheel - still functioning, but looking as though it had seen generations come and go more than once or twice. There was a little information board with old pieces of similar equipment, and pictures and captions (none of which I could read).


There was a map of the area, once the road got closer to town. I almost headed to the train station, but I noticed pictures for another temple off to the side. Of course - I had to go see it. I wasn't disappointed - again, it was beautiful and as tranquil as any place I've been. There were some more small ones that I visited as well - one had over 700 small statues in glass cases. Every temple and shrine was neat and well cared for, with small offerings and prayer requests on and around it.



When I was satisfied that I hadn't missed anything, I continued into town, and explored a short shopping street. I had a delicious (and well-deserved) lunch before I headed back to the train station.



I spend a lot of my time alone - but the solitude of being in the green forest, just with the birds, the running water, and the timeworn statues...it was different. A sanctuary of solitude that released all but peace and joy from my heart and soul.



More Pictures...

Statues, Spoons, and Low Tide (Miyajima Part III)

The mandala had me mesmerized for quite a while, as did the many gorgeous statues and decorations.



1000 Fudo Images - The Immovable King

I could have wandered the temple area forever...the detail on the statues, the innumerable prayer requests hanging beside the idols. The different temple buildings are spotless and neat, and have a peaceful and quiet air about them.



One of my favorite places in the Daisho-in Temple was the 500 Rakan Statues. The statues are of Shaka Nyorai's disciples and all have unique facial expressions. I could have looked at them forever. Some seemed so happy - full of joy and bursting at the seams to tell the world their secrets. Others seemed as though they just sat quiet, content in contemplation - enjoying a simple existence. Still others looked frustrated - as though they couldn't understand the world's need to cling to such futile things.





We finally left the temple - I admit that I didn't want to go, but we moved onto slightly (but only slightly) more modern things, such as...

The world's largest rice serving spoon! (5 meters long)

By time we finished marvelling at the serving spoon big enough to be Gulliver's soup spoon, the tide was out and we could walk right out and up to the Otorii! It was beautiful from the shore, in high tide - but in low tide, it was just HUGE! Again, I caught myself wondering how they built it, and pondering the reverence with which it was treated. Today it is more of a tourist attraction, but for some it still holds religious significance and value.

Note - Blogger won't let me upload these photos for some reason...but I'll keep trying!

After visiting the gate, we talked ourselves into doing The Hike. We were both exhausted - both from an overnight bus ride and a day of walking. It was hot out. We didn't want to do the hike. But we knew that if we didn't, we would regret it the next day.

The Hike is 2.5 kilometers to the highest point on the island. You can take a ropeway either up or down (or both). We planned to hike one way and ropeway the other... Unfortunately, by time we made our way there, the ropeway was closed for the evening. We decided that we still should do it. And that's when the real adventures began... but you'll have to wait until tomorrow to hear about it! :)

Other Miyajima Posts...
More Pictures...

Moms Visit - Part III

Tuesday - On Tuesday we got up (again) at the crack of dawn (for me, that meant 7:00, for Mom, that meant 5:30ish) and took off for Kyoto. Kyoto is the previous capital of Japan, and the old architecture has been quite well preserved / copied for tourism's sake. Mom and I visited Nijo Castle - a beautiful castle with amazing artwork.



We were required to take off our shoes to walk the old wooden floors through the castle. The original artwork on the doors and walls was breathtaking - unfortunately, cameras weren't allowed. The shogun who built the castle wanted to be quite sure of his safety - and incorporated two over-the-top safety features (the castle was already surrounded by large stone walls and a moat). The castle is famous for it's 'nightingale floors' - floorboards designed to creak, creating a sound like a nightingale. With the special floor, no one could sneak into a room or around the castle without someone knowing. The shogun also had hidden rooms for his bodyguards, marked by large red tassels. We saw the red tassels in several places.


Above - Nijo Jo and it's garden in the background...

After Nijo-Jo, we walked in the hot weather to Imperial Palace Park. We were quite hungry, so we stopped for a Japanese lunch of udon (thick white noodles) and fried rice. After lunch, we discovered that you can only access the Imperial Palace if you request a special permit...so much for that idea! But it was a nice walk through the park, and we had a good lunch there.

We subway'd a ways and walked some more, up to Kyomizu Temple. Since we were pretty tired and it was late in the afternoon, we decided not to go into the temple, and to do some souvenir shopping instead. (Warning: I may rant and ramble in the next paragraph...)

We visited a short but delightful shopping street with all kinds of delightful things...notebooks, art, dishes, incense, dolls, clothing, shoes, umbrellas. I was trying to decide souvenirs I wanted to purchase now to send home with Mom - less stuff for me to bring home in August! I don't remember when it happened - or even how it happened. But near the end of our trip, while I was finally making a decision, we noticed a tag or a label that proudly read, "MADE IN CHINA". Disappointed, we promptly decided that we could not purchase a souvenir from Japan that was made in China. However - this proved more difficult than we thought. Once we started checking, almost everything was made in China! I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was slightly surprised, and disappointed. The shopping street looked so...quaint and realistic. But Kyoto is a tourist district, and let's be honest - it's much cheaper to buy in bulk from China than make it! I was frustrated that I couldn't even buy a true Japanese souvenir. In the end, Mom bought a couple notebooks, and we had some ice cream. Last time I was in Kyoto, I found a beautiful little dolly, and the lady told me she was an antique. She's been on my mind since I first saw her, and I decided that instead of buying several 'Made In China' souvenirs, I would rather have one authentic souvenir. We found the place again, and I bought her. She is handmade with antique fabric - even her face was painted by hand. Purchasing a beautiful and authentic souvenir of my time here took away a bit of my frustration and disappointment in all the China souvenirs.

We left Kyoto with our (few) souvenirs, and went home, with big plans for Wednesday morning.

Wednesday - We got up Wednesday, at the crack of dawn one more time, and had another delicious breakfast. Mom finished packing her (and some of my) stuff up, and we went to the onsen for an early morning soak. We left with plenty of time to get to the airport...

Once we got there, we found out that her flight departure had been delayed by - not 1, not 2, but 4 hours! Didn't need the extra time to get there, after all... So we had a nice lunch, checked her baggage, and then did some airport browsing. We found many of the similar souvenirs we had found before...some seemed more authentic, but you never know. We shopped, then sat, then shopped some more...we explored across the plaza, and into the airport hotel. Sitting in the sunshine on some coin-operated massage chairs, I had a short nap, and Mom had a massage.




We did a little more shopping, and then said our goodbyes. I waited until Mom went through the first security check, and then headed back to the train station. It's difficult to describe what I was thinking and how I felt when I hugged her goodbye.

I felt very small, very alone, and very vulnerable, and somewhat hopeless. I made it this far, by myself - I knew I would survive the rest of my adventure here. But I suppose I had gotten used to spending most of my time alone, and having Mom there for 5 days - someone to talk to, listen to, hug, laugh with, walk with, eat with...I suppose I knew that being alone now would be that much harder than it was a week ago. Part of me wanted to book a flight home for the next day, part of me wanted to go home and curl up and cry myself to sleep, and part of me wanted to not think or feel at all. I chose the latter most one - pulled out a book, and buried my face in it on the train; so no one would ask if I was alright...because I wasn't.

It's been a week since Mom left, now. I've slipped back into my routine, but I still miss having her here. I miss Canada (I never realized how proud I am to be Canadian, but I am!), my family and friends, and the busy and active life that I am used to having. Mom and I talked some about my life here vs my life in Canada, and some of her thoughts, combined with some of my own thinking has helped me understand why I don't feel like myself, and why I am somewhat over-emotional and so up-and-down. It's encouraging to understand some of why I've had a difficult time, but it's still hard to get through those difficult times.

In 86 days, my friend Jo-Anna will come visit for a week, and then I will be home. I'm excited, but I suppose a little nervous. I wonder how much I really have changed, how much the life I had has changed without me, and how everything will fit together in the fall. But - no matter - that's not for 93 days...

Until then, more Japanese adventures to come...

Kyoto Sightseeing

Sunday morning, bright and early (kind of) at 10am, we headed off to Kyoto. The 45 minute train ride went by quickly in good company, and we chatted up religion, beliefs, reading, books, etc. We had some lunch (yummy!) and then explored Eastern Kyoto. You can find all my photos here.

We visited Yasaka Shrine (the same one I went to last week, when I dressed up as a Geisha/Maiko with Satomi and Mai). We wandered through and past Yasaka, and into a beautiful Sakura (Cherry Tree) area - and it still had some beautiful blossoms! We spent a few minutes there snapping photos of all kinds before moving on.



We visited several temples and shrines with some beautiful history and architecture. I find it all fascinating - I suppose partially because it's new to me, and partially because there is so much about the history, traditions, and culture that I don't understand. The prayers to the ancestors, the washing in the fountains, the shrines, incense, coins...it's all outside of my world.



At Ryozen Kwannon - a memorial to the soldiers who died in World War II, there is a 24m statue, and Japan's largest stone footprint of Buddha. When you pay the fee to enter the memorial area, you are given incense to place in a large pot. Ceremonies are performed four times each day in memory of the two million Japanese who died in the war. There are several shrines, including those to the gods of wind and thunder. Beside the massive statue are the footprints - that people throw coins onto for good luck. Inside the statue is another series of shrines - 12 for the signs, and some other Buddhas.



We wandered to Kiyomizu Temple, but didn't stay long - we were running out of time. The streets on the way there were filled with shops and such - infinite things to look at! We decided to leave Kiyomizu for another day (so we could properly visit and explore it), and made our way back down into Kyoto. We met up with Eric & JP for a nabe dinner, and then train'd back home. It was a great day - the weather was beautiful. Although - we got just a hint of the Japanese summer in the afternoon, and it was HOT! And from what I'm told...that's nothing. The summer should be a fun adventure. There's so much more I could write and describe, but I could probably describe forever! Check out the pictures (once again - here), and come visit me if you really want to see! Hehe.

PS - We also saw this little guy - adorable!