May 2019, part six - Kyoto 2/2

Cover photo: Shosei-en Garden with Kyoto Tower in the background

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Kyoto 1/2

The Kansai region includes cities such as Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Himeji, Nara and the largest freshwater lake in Japan - Lake Biwa. The word "kansai" means "west of the border controls (toll gates)". Toll gates are related to historical defensive fortresses on the road between the west and east of Japan. In contrast to the Kansai region is the Kantō region ("east of the border controls"), which includes Tokyo and its surroundings. The Kansai and Kantō regions differ, for example, in spoken dialect, but also in contrasting human natures - while people from Kantō are reserved, people from Kansai are more open with a specific sense of humor. Kansai is the historical center of Japan and the cradle of Japanese culture, as evidenced by the city of Nara (mentioned in the previous blog) and of course Kyoto.

Bizarre find in Japanese department store No. 1: When you discover wooden hammers for feet in an electronics shop

The landmarks of Kyoto are among the oldest in Japan and largely escaped American bombing during World War II. Perhaps the most iconic of them is the Fushimi Inari Shrine and its thousand red torii gates. Inari is the deity of rice, agriculture, and also commerce, and many of the gates were donated by various companies and merchants as thanks for their success in business. Apart from the torii, visitors are captivated by the omnipresent fox statues guarding the shrine. Foxes are considered messengers of the gods and are often depicted holding a key in their mouths - the key to the rice granary - in alignment with the deity Inari. 

Fushimi Inari Shrine is just 5 minutes from Kyoto Station, and the hike to the top of Mount Inari (233 meters above sea level) should take about 40 minutes (2 km). But as I felt during my first visit to Japan in November 2016, this hike is harder than it looks at first glance, and I gave up roughly halfway through. Maybe it was because we went after a long and exhausting day of walking - and the same thing happened this time. However, my determination to make up for that earlier failure was stronger than the fatigue. This time, after a grueling hour full of stairs and panting, I made it.

At the top

A small problem was that by the time we reached the top, it had already gotten dark. The way back down was therefore interesting - almost downright spooky. There were few tourists, and some of the lamps were flickering like something out of a horror movie. To make things trickier, there are several paths and the signage isn’t great, so I ended up taking a wrong turn and found myself in a dark forest. When I noticed the lamps had stopped entirely, I turned around, went back, and took the correct path... 

Kaitó-ró Bridge in Shósei-en Garden

The next day, I took it easy and wandered only around the nearby area. Shōsei-en Garden, just two blocks from our accommodation, was well worth a visit. The garden belongs to the Higashi Hongan-ji temple and offers beautiful scenery, including a lake dotted with water lilies and two photogenic bridges.

The Higashi Hongan-ji temple (“Eastern Temple of the Original Vow”), next to which we were staying, is one of the two temples of Shin Buddhism (the most widespread form of Buddhism in Japan) in Kyoto. The other, the western temple, is just a few blocks away. Both are located north of Kyoto Station.

The main hall of Higashi Hongan-ji boasts impressive dimensions: 76 meters long, 58 meters wide, and 38 meters high - making it one of the largest wooden structures in the world. One intriguing detail is that ropes used in the temple’s construction were braided from hair donated by female followers of this Buddhist sect.

Main hall of Higashi Hongan-ji Temple

Southwest of Kyoto Station lies Tō-ji Temple (“Eastern Temple”), which boasts the tallest wooden pagoda in Japan (54.8 meters). The pagoda has five stories, and its current version was built in 1644. At its base, there are four Buddha statues, each facing one of the cardinal directions.

On the temple grounds, a well-known flea market is held on the 21st of every month - and as luck would have it, I experienced the hustle and bustle during my visit. 

   

To return once more to my beloved Kyoto Station and the Kyoto Tower standing before it: The building of this main station is truly massive, as I’ve already mentioned - even though officially, in terms of area, it is “only” the second largest in Japan (after Nagoya Station, which is nowhere near as impressive). Kyoto Station was completed in 1997 and has 16 floors plus a basement packed with restaurants and shops.

Opposite the station rises the 131-meter-high Kyoto Tower. Its observation deck is exactly 100 meters up, making it the tallest structure in Kyoto. The tower "grows out of" a 9-story building that houses a hotel, restaurant, shops, and even onsen-style baths.

Bizarre in a Japanese department store No. 2: When you find a subsection of train videos in the Blu-ray section

Osaka

Osaka is the third-largest city in Japan and a center of Japanese commerce. Many Japanese companies, such as Panasonic and Sharp, are headquartered here. You can reach Osaka from Kyoto by the Shinkansen bullet train in just 14 (!) minutes, even though the distance between the stations is around 40 km. However, you’ll arrive at Shin-Osaka Station in the northern part of the city, and to experience the real atmosphere, you’ll need to continue south - for example, to Namba Station, which is where we went. Although it's only 8 km away, the metro ride actually takes one minute longer than the Shinkansen trip from Kyoto to Osaka.  

The Dōtonbori canal

This part of the city somewhat resembles Venice. Little boats cruise along the river, transporting tourists - not with Italian arias, but bathed in the glow of countless neon lights. The Dōtonbori canals were built for transporting goods from Osaka to surrounding towns, especially Kyoto. Later, this district became home to important theaters, many of which were unfortunately destroyed during American bombing in World War II. Today, the Dōtonbori area is arguably Osaka’s biggest tourist attraction, filled with shops, restaurants, and a very lively nightlife.

It’s said that people in Kyoto love spending money on expensive clothing, whereas people in Osaka prefer to indulge in good food. It’s no wonder Osaka is also called the kitchen of Japan. Among its most famous specialties are: takoyaki (dough balls baked in special molds, filled with pieces of octopus and topped with something like Worcestershire sauce and mayonnaise), okonomiyaki (a cabbage pancake filled with meat or anything tasty - there are two versions: the Hiroshima style and the Osaka style. The Osaka one is thinner, doesn’t contain noodles, and is topped with mayonnaise), and kitsune udon (a broth with udon noodles and sweet fried tofu skin).

The center of Dōtonbori and the funnel through which the most people pass is the Ebisubashi Bridge, offering the best view of the famous giant neon runner - the mascot of the food company Glico. Ebisu is the Japanese god of luck and fishing, and he's also depicted at the nearby massive Don Quijote discount store. The Don Quijote store chain can be found in almost every major Japanese city, and you can truly find everything there - from wooden beer openers shaped like male genitals to flying drones. On the front of the one in Dōtonbori, there's a 77-meter-tall Ferris wheel... 

Don Quijote store in Dōtonbori

We spent just a little over 3 hours in Osaka, but I can confidently say that Osaka - like Brno - is not just a city, it's a lifestyle :). In the future, I’d love to return to Osaka and explore more of this city of a thousand canals, such as Osaka Castle, the skyscrapers of Umeda Sky Building, or Abeno Harukas.

Supplies bought at 7-Eleven: mango lemonade, lemon tea, green tea, greener tea, matcha mochi, salty caramel ring pastry, melon bread, rice wrapped in fried tofu “skin,” a pitiful Caesar salad, and an expensive banana. Plus - I won (don’t know how) - something like an iced coffee pudding :)

Summary: When visiting Japan, skipping the Kansai region is nearly impossible (unless you only stay in Tokyo and its surroundings). During my two trips to Japan, I had the chance to see: Himeji Castle, the earthquake museum in Kobe, Tōdai-ji Temple in Nara, Byōdō-in Temple in Uji, the Dōtonbori district in Osaka, and many historical sites in Kyoto (Kiyomizu-dera, Fushimi Inari, Tō-ji, Higashi Hongan-ji, Yasaka Shrine, Tōfuku-ji, Kyoto Imperial Palace, the geisha district of Gion), as well as modern landmarks like Kyoto Station and Kyoto Tower. I definitely recommend the Kansai region, as it offers something for both first-time and experienced travelers to Japan. Traditional Kyoto makes a great base for day trips to modern Osaka, ancient Nara, and other towns. Exploring Kyoto’s sights is truly an experience, despite the large number of tourists. Even on my third visit, I will certainly return to the Kansai region, as I plan to explore a few of its more remote corners, like Amanohashidate or Wakayama.

Next blog:

Part seven - Tokio

Kyoto, Nara and Osaka on special edition Coca-Cola bottles