A Japanese Article on our trip to Koyasan

We follow the traffic to our blog when we have a good enough internet connection, and noticed something surprising today - that within the last couple of days, our viewership had jumped dramatically - and we now had a lot more Japanese readers (welcome readers from Japan!).  This was terrific, but we did wonder why.

We tracked down the source of our new traffic: an article written about our trip to Koyasan.  The best we can do is provide the Google translation for our English readers, but we encourage you to visit the actual article if you can read Japanese.  (http://news.searchina.ne.jp/disp.cgi?y=2010&d=1231&f=national_1231_057.shtml)

Here's the article as best Google can render it - you can definitely get the gist of it from the translation:

[Blogs] Beikoku Koyasan, Wakayama Americans worship, "a mysterious story of the Japanese surprise"

【 社 会ニュース 】 2010/12/31(金) 12:06 - Society News - 2010/12/31 (Fri) 12:06

The hobby blog of Americans traveling spell "sherer-travel.blogspot" in memory of noted that in Japan, Koyasan Buddhist holy sites.

Koyasan is a mountain in Wakayama Prefecture, about 1000 meters above sea level, as many people visit Buddhist holy sites. I will depart early in the morning in Osaka, subway or train, cable car transit, high-road toward the hills, to the quiet mountains of Koyasan from urban tumult, he said experienced a variety of different landscapes. Koyasan temple is located in 117 months, about half of which is also a temple lodging it.

In temple lodging luggage, the authors went to town to dine on the fly, the spell that had eaten the rice Tojita poultry and eggs. The egg is not fully cooked, hot rice, put it, he said the food was curiously seemed to solidify the egg.  Koyasan is the low season in December, it was the state temple lodging is mostly reserved.

I arrived at the inn, take off your shoes slippers shoes sorted. Then, removing his slippers when entering a room, toilet room, how to spell the other slipper and that there was confusion. Out to explore the Koyasan temple lodging, visited the mausoleum of the inner shrine. There are still training and will continue to be the founder of the Shingon sect Kobo Daishi, and hear every day carrying food and clothes a priest, I was surprised about how the mystical.

In addition, the ritual can take place to celebrate the Buddha's head and poured water, which is very similar to the ritual purification of Islam in Egypt, he wrote that impressed with the guide says. Tour of the famous temples, the authors return to the temple lodging, dining table chairs instead of dinner, he said the leg is bent shocked Gurawokakuka there.

Eat dinner at the vegetarian Buddhist monks in the temple, and all meals from sushi to soup, and spelling have been made in soybean and vegetables. The author, by visiting the high hills, and said we got deeper into Japanese culture, and concludes that interested in Shinto and Buddhism. （編集担当：田島波留・山口幸治） (Editor: Yamaguti Yukiharu 波留 Tazima)

Exploring Kyoto by Foot

Today was a great day because we were able to sleep in! We woke up at 9:30am and took our time getting ready. Our tour guide had given us a free day, and we were thankful to have some time to explore Kyoto on our own.

When we finally left our hotel room (around 12pm), we decided to walk towards the major tourist and shopping areas in Kyoto, which included a number of the Japanese galleria-type walking areas we've seen consistently in Japan. Our tour guide had pointed out a few shopping centers that were pretty unique the day before, so we were really looking forward to exploring them. Because it was a beautiful day (sunny and 50 degrees F), we opted to walk – even though the mall was about 3 miles away.

In addition to the temples we visited previously in Kyoto, there are two large temples in Kyoto's center: Nishi Honganji and Higashi Honganji, which are known as the headquarters of the two factions of the Jodo-Shin Sect (the "True Pure Land Sect"), one of Japan's largest Buddhist sects. 
We read (later) that these two temples are are a good place to experience contemporary Japanese Buddhism.  We first stopped at Higashi Honganji, notable because part of the temple complex is undergoing extensive renovation under a metal roof.  Our stop was not planned, but we saw the enormous wooden temple from the road, and because James was curious, we turne around, took our shoes off, and went inside. From here, we continued on our way to the mall, stopping once at another 100 Yen store. (Erin is convinced that James is able to locate these stores from miles away).

Slippers within slippers - these were necessary to use the restroom within the Temple.

James shows off a stylish pair of SpongeBob washcloths in the 100 Yen store.

We finally arrived at the large covered mall and made our way through one of the long arcades of stores. There were two shopping malls parallel to one another, so, of course, we wandered through both. James eventually found the store he had been most excited about: Loft. Loft had about 7 floors, each a bit unique (stationary, travel equipment, health and beauty, etc...). We spent some time exploring the store, before leaving empty-handed. On a side note, we have been extremely well-controlled when it comes to making purchases throughout our travels – part of this is dictated by our budget and another part of it is because we simply don't have room in our backpacks for anything additional.

A view down one of the gallerias or covered shopping arcades prevelant throughout Japanese cities.

A vast array of silly socks available at one retailer.

Of course!  Michigan College!  If we knew any grads, we would've gotten you the sweatshirt.

A Japanese-style keyboard in Loft.

After our shopping stint was finished, we made a pit-stop at a nearby bakery where James tried an interesting pastry. He thinks it was a melon flavored roll. From there, Erin suggested we head to the Noji-jo Castle. The castle was another mile or two away, but again, we were really enjoying having a nice day to walk around. We arrived at the castle and walked around to the entrance, only to discover it was closing soon and they weren't allowing any additional visitors inside. We were a bit disappointed, but realized we had been a bit leisurely during the day, and it was our own fault.

James savors the first bite of (he swears) his melon pastry.

This is the remote control.  To the toilet.  In the bakery.  It is more complicated than anything we have ever used.

Kyoto City Hall, on our way to the Palace grounds.

Tabitha poses in front of Kyoto Palace.

The sun was starting to set, so we decided to begin walking back to the hotel. We came across Nishi Honganji, the other temple complex described above, and tried to go inside; however, due to the late hour, most of it was closed off. We eventually returned to our hotel around 6pm. James was exhausted and decided to relax, while Erin went and wandered around a bit more. Our hotel in Kiyoto was right near the SkyTower and the train station, so there was a lot to see and do right outside our door.

Our glimpse inside the Nishi Honganji complex.

James demonstrates perfect compliance with the Kyoto traffic sign - hat and all.

We met up with the rest of our tour group around 7pm and all decided to do dinner on our own. So, we went to the grocery store and purchased some healthy dinners (Erin had a salad and James had some sushi).  After dinner, we watched a movie together and went to bed - we knew we had a long day the next day, as we planned head to Hakone.

From Hiroshima to Kyoto

We had another early start to our day – we met up with our group at 7am and checked out of our hotel. We were leaving Hiroshima and heading to Kyoto by train today. We had a quick breakfast at the train station before boarding the bullet train for the two-hour ride. The bullet trains are quick, clean, and smooth. We have been sitting in the “quiet” cars during our journey, so there isn't much noise during the ride either.

We arrived early in Kyoto, and were able to find our hotel rather quickly as it was very close to the train station. It was too early to check into the hotel, so we dropped off our luggage and ventured out for the day.

Our tour guide did his best to help us navigate the enormous train station. He said he has had people in previous tours get lost in the train station, so he pointed out a few key landmarks to help prevent any of us from losing our way before leading us to the public bus. We took the bus to Fushimi Inari Taisha (伏見稲荷大社) home of 10,000 Torii gates. We were impressed by how beautiful all of the Torii gates were! Any New Yorker would recognize the design quite easily as Central Park had an art exhibit (Cristoph's “The Gates”) a few years ago that was inspired by the Torii gates in Kiyoto. We spent about two and one-half hours walking through all of the magnificent gates (and up and down the extensive walkways).

The main Shrine entrance to Fushimi Inari Taisha.

A look down one of the many paths lined with Torii gates.

A view of downtown Kyoto from the mountain.

Erin and James pose in front of some of the Fushimi Inari Taisha Torii gates.

It's no mirror image - here are two separate paths lined with Torii gates.

By the time we finished touring the torii gates, we were starving! We jumped back on the bus and headed back to the train station. Our tour guide took us to a large Japanese food court at the very top of the train station. We had to climb up several flights of stairs before we arrived, which made us even more hungry! When we arrived at the food court, we found it difficult to read the menus and order. The ordering system was all done by pushing vending machine buttons. Once you ordered, you could find a seat and wait. Because it was nearly impossible to read the Japanese writing, everyone in our group opted to take the safe route, and eat at a burger joint.

The Skywalk in Kyoto's train station.

The view of downtown Kyoto from the Skywalk.

A festive french-fry case and Japanese-style, Western-inspired hotdog.

After lunch we took the public bus to explore the Kiyomizu Dera Temple. The temple was up on a hill and was beautiful. In Kiyoto, the fall colors are in full bloom, so it was amazing to see the temple with the gorgeous foliage behind it. During our walk through the temple, we participated in two rituals specific to the Kiyomizu-Dera Temple: the love-stone walk, and sampling the sacred water. In order to complete the love-stone walk, two lovers must blindly walk towards each other from each stone – if the two meet up in the middle, their love was meant to be. (Luckily, we successfully met up in the middle). We also sampled the sacred water together. We had the option to sample two of the three sacred waters: one for longevity, one fore prosperity, and one for wisdom. Unfortunately, we weren't sure which water was which – but, we both sampled two of them!

James demonstrating the chill high atop Kiyomizu Dera's grounds.

Tabitha poses before the Kiyomizu Dera Temple.

Erin smiles along a Kiyomizu Dera pathway.

Erin and James (behind the column) recieving...wisdom (maybe)?

A lovely view of a Kiyomizu Dera sitting area.

After we finished wandering through the temple, we walked through the Gion or Geisha district of Kyoto. This part of the city is immaculate. There are tea shops throughout and plenty of restaurants and shops along the way. Our tour guide explained more about the process of becoming a Geisha and about the type of work the women actually did. We had the opportunity to go to a tea shop for an appointment with one, but the cost was ridiculously high, so no one in our group opted to go.

James poses with a couple in traditional Japanese dress.  Ironically, this was a Taiwanese couple that had paid to dress "Japanese" for the day.

A distinctive temple in the Gion district.

After spending about 5 days in Japan, we finally enjoyed our first real, "full" sushi dinner. We ate our dinner at a sushi train restaurant – basically, the sushi is freshly made and is put on a conveyer belt that goes around the restaurant and you select whichever type of food you desire (they had more than just sushi available). It was quite fun, and luckily, reasonably priced as well.

The sushi conveyor passing by our table.

Once our dinner was finished, we walked through some of the shopping areas before catching the local bus back to our hotel.  We were exhausted and definitely ready for a good night's sleep.

Erin and Tabitha pose with a number of Japanese Santas - and a Pokemon?

The Magical Island of Miyajima

About an hour outside of Hiroshima lies the island of Miyajima. We visited this beautiful island today, by train and by ferry.  It was a hike to get there, but the views were amazing.

Miyajima is a holy place in Japan, filled with Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. The island is supposed to be pure, so no one is allowed to give birth or to die on the island – instead they are shipped away if they are ill or pregnant. The island is amazingly well preserved, and is a nature lover's paradise. There are deer wandering through the parks, gorgeous green trees, views of nearby islands, and, of course, views of the surrounding sea.

James poses in the sun in front of some Miyajima palm trees.

Erin joins him for some tropical flavor.

One of the Miyajima temples that overlooks the water.

James and one of the wild deer that roam the island, stealing paper and food from tourists (the deer, not James)

In the bay, close to shore is the “floating torii,” which is the gate to the shrine behind it Itsukushima. The shrine and the torii were stunning.

Erin and James pose before Miyajima's floating Torii Gate.

The courtyard to Miyajima's Torii Gate shrine.

We also visited the Daisho-in temple, up in the hills. We witnessed a ceremony taking place – the monks were chanting, beating drums, and gonging away as we entered.



At the entrance to the temple are the Dai-hannyakyo Sutra, which are the golden prayer wheels that are said to bring enormous fortune to anyone who touches them.



Walking up to the Daisho-in temple.

Tabitha sits next to a shrine honoring the "year of the tiger."

Inside the Henjokutsu Cave, there are paper lanterns all along the ceiling - they gave an eerie feel to the temple.

We had plenty of time to explore the island, so we also hiked up the mountain and entered Momijidani Park. During our hike we saw amazing fall colors, and views of the water. We also walked through some of the tourist areas, and stopped at some of the shops to check out the local specialties.



Goju-no-to, a vermilion red Five-Storied Pagoda built in 1407AD.



Some of the mountain landscape surrounding Miyajima.

The island is known for its "Momiji manjū," which are small cakes made in the shape of a maple leaf.

James sampling some of the famous cookies.

Tabitha and Howard join Hello Kitty in celebrating Miyahima's beauty.

We left the island the same we came, by ferry and then by train. We returned to our hotel where we enjoyed lunch we bought from the grocery store on the way back. James spent some time using the internet, while Erin continued to walk around the city a bit. We later made a jaunt outside for dinner together and did some more exploring in Hiroshima. We enjoyed our time in this modern and vibrant city and were very glad we had the opportunity to visit and learn more about its history (the good and the bad).

A Day of Remembrance in Hiroshima

Our night in the Buddhist temple was interesting – that is certain. In Japan, they sleep on the floor and use pillows filled with buckwheat shells - that feel like small pebbles. While lying on the floor wasn't too bad, we found the pillows especially uncomfortable. Neither of us slept that well, which was disappointing.

Perhaps it was for the best, as we had to awake at 5:15am to attend the morning prayer service with the monks. We were dressed in our robes, ready to go right on time. However, our tour guide accidentally misread the information and the prayer service didn't start until 6:30am. So, we tried to go back to bed for an hour. However, we were unsuccessful in our efforts to get more sleep.

We attended the ceremony at 6:30am. During the service we sat in the back of the room (on our knees – which is incredibly difficult to do for long periods of time), while the monks chanted away. There were incense, gongs, and lots of speaking in Japanese during the ceremony. We had no idea what they were saying or doing – we just watched. Towards the end of the ceremony, the monks encouraged us to participate by dabbing some ash from the incense and rubbing it on our foreheads. We kindly obliged.

Following the ceremony, we had breakfast that was, again, prepared by the monks. The breakfast was definitely non-traditional for us. It included seaweed wrap, rice, miso soup, tofu chunks, and green tea. We did our best with the breakfast.

Once breakfast was completed, we packed up our belongings, said goodbye to the monks and left Koyason. We took the bus, the cable car, and a train in order to get to Namba station, where we purchased tickets to Hiroshima. From here, we grabbed some food. We were planning to get Bento boxes for lunch, but couldn't find any that looked that tasty. Erin had picked out a salad, with what she thought was chicken – but, James kindly informed her that it was not chicken, but squid (he could see some tentacles). Erin then gave up on choosing a Japanese lunch, and opted for a safer bet – McDonald's. James, however, grabbed a package of noodles and some pork dumplings. Unfortunately, James discovered that the noodles were supposed to be heated before being eaten as there was a gelatinous substance on the bottom of the package that was supposed to liquify with heat to become the sauce. Needless to say, he ate them anyway.

Our cable car back down the mountain.

One final, beautiful view from Koyosan.

James's inappropriately-eaten noodle lunch.  (note the gelatin bottom)

We very eagerly flashed our Japanese Rail Passes to the train agent and hopped on the "Shinkansen" or "bullet train" to Hiroshima. The bullet trains travel extremely fast – nearly 300 km per hour. The train was very new, clean, and comfortable. We arrived in Hiroshima around 1:30pm and quickly checked into our hotel, which was right in the center of the city. From there, we went directly to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. The museum was really interesting. We both learned more about the use of the atomic bomb in World War II. We learned of the heartbreak that occurred as the first bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945. Nearly 160,000 people lost their lives after the attack. It really was eye-opening, and we felt extremely sorrowful as we viewed the exhibits.

Erin and James pose in downtown Hiroshima.

One of the many peace parks in downtown Hiroshima.

The direct view of a peace sculpture, with the museum directly behind.

A museum exhibit, demonstrating various views of Hiroshima's mushroom cloud.

A tragic remnant of the Hiroshima bombing.

We also walked by the A-Bomb Dome and saw the damaged building that was one of the few to survive the attack. The building was the closest to the hypocenter of the nuclear bomb that was not completely demolished. We also walked through the Peace Memorial Park, which is dedicated to those people who suffered from the attack. We stopped by the Children's Peace Monument, which is a memorial for all of the children who died or suffered in some way from the bombing. The statue on the top is of a girl with a folded paper crane. This statue is a memorial to a young girl named Sadako Sasaki, who became ill due to radiation from the bomb and willed to make 1,000 paper cranes with the hope that if she achieved the goal she would be healed.

Tabitha solemnly stands in front of the A-Bomb dome memorial.

Another view of the A-Bomb Dome memorial, subject of some controversy in Hiroshima.

By the time it got dark, we had some free time to wander through Hiroshima. We found a large covered mall with another 100 Yen store in it. With our tour group, we also stopped into one of the arcades and watched a few people play some of the games. We had a group dinner, and we really enjoyed our food tonight. We were able to order some of our favorite Japanes foods: sushi, edamame, and yakitori chicken.

The siren song of the 100 yen store...

Our guide and fellow tour member playing the drum game in the arcade.

A truly Japanese dinner - edamame (soy beans), sushi rolls, and grilled chicken.

After dinner, we walked around a bit more before going back to our hotel and heading to bed. It was a long, and draining day for us.