I wanted to go to Kyoto again to find some omiyage for people back in Hiroshima as well as in Hawaii. I originally planned to spend the first part of the day there, and the remainder back in Osaka. Unfortunately, this plan didnt really happen. Mostly because I have forgotten the layout of the main shopping area in Kyoto since my last visit, and also because I didnt realise how far away Kyoto is from Osaka. However, I bought the things I needed, and have enjoyed my last day in the Kansai area. I just finished packing, and even though I'm yawning like crazy, I want to write my last blog post for this trip before going to bed.
The Teramachi area of Kyoto is simply a wonderful place to find omiyage. Whether you need a distinctly Japanese item, or if you're looking for things on the cheap, I suggest you check there first. In addition to omiyage, I wanted to check Chicago, a used clothing store for some kimono things. I'm sure there are places like this in Osaka, but I dont know them, and I like Kyoto, so after leaving my hotel, I headed to the Hankyu Umeda Station. I was not expecting the train ride to be as long as it was. The way people talk, it sounds like getting through the Keihanshin area is fast and easy. However, I should have realised that the opposite is true, considering it took about forty five minutes to get to Kobe, from Osaka. To get to Kyoto, it took me about an hour. And when I got there, I promptly got lost. I thought I had remembered the area around Shijo, but I think that was wishful thinking. It took me about another hour to figure out which exit to take, and from there, which direction to get to Teramachi. Even more frustrating was the fact that I later discovered the exit that leads from the station directly to the beginning of the market.
In any case, shopping in the Teramachi/Nishiki Market area was just as wonderful as it was the last time I was there. One of the men in Tsukikage asked me to buy him a turquoise obi for him, and since Chicago is the only used kimono store I know of, I made it a top priority. When I got there, they indeed had a turqoise obi, but I ended up not buying it. Compared to the other obi, it was a bit skinny, and that made me wonder if it was appropriate for an adult man to wear it. And because it was a bit expensive (about thirty dollars, ten dollars more expensive than the others), I didnt want to buy a mistake. I didnt know who I could ask for help, so I regretfully left it behind. I will have to ask around about that, but if it was indeed useable, I feel bad.
A store nearby Chicago was Octopus Army, and it specializes in mens clothes. I was enticed by the mannequin outside of the shop. What caught my eye was its shoes, a pair of beautiful black boots, with blue laces. Boots are very common here in Japan, and I have come to admire them. I really wanted to buy them, but it was about a hundred and fifty dollars, which is way more than I ever plan to spend for shoes. I eventually succumbed in buying from the store. I bought one of the polo shirts they were selling. It is rather plain, with the main body simply being black with a small writing on the left chest area. But the collar is an interesting black and grey check pattern, and I really like it. When they let me try it on, with my white long sleeve underneath, it looked really good. However, it was fifty dollars, which would make it the most expensive shirt I've ever bought. I really agonized about it, and I probably drove the store clerks crazy with my hesitation. What didnt help was it had competition. The shirt I bought beat out a t-shirt with a panda that said "Money doesnt buy happiness" (IRONIC RIGHT), and a white and blue polo. Also, it came only in medium, that actually fit me, but was also a bit tight. It looks fine when I was standing up, but I worry for what it looks like when I sit down. In any case, I bought it, and rationalized that it is my Boy's Day gift to me (a day late). Since it was so expensive, I need to wear it on days that I need to look amazing on. Watch for it, ね!
By the time I finished everything that I needed to do in Kyoto, I headed back to Osaka. By this time, it was about five, and not only had I spent a fair amount of money, but my legs were very sore (yup, still not fully recovered). At this time, I realised that even though I came to Osaka, I spent more time and money in Kobe and Kyoto. Isnt that a bit ironic? After thinking it over, I decided to walk around the Umeda area, and try to support Osaka businesses. With that in mind, I headed to the HEP Five building thing, which I heard was a big shopping mall. And it certainly was! There were ten floors, and so many shops. Naturally, there were a lot of clothes stores, with some really nice stuff for sale, but it was way too expensive for me. There was a piercing shop that caught my eye, but unfortunately, the ones I liked were too big for my holes. I did enjoy the music store in there, and picked up a mixed CD. It's certainly different from most of the other music I listen to, but if I ever need a party mix, I found it.
This concludes my trip to Kansai for Golden Week. Tomorrow morning, I have to wake up early to check out of the hotel and catch my shinkansen back to Hiroshima. It has been a lesson in wasting time and making mistakes. I missed the MBLAQ fan meet on Wednesday, and today I got lost in Kyoto. There are so many things I would change if I could turn back the clock. But you know what? Even though I cant replace lost time, or undo my mistakes, this trip has not been a complete failure. I got a lot of great presents for my nephews for Boy's Day, my mom for Mother's Day, and my father for his retirement. And also I got a lot of omiyage for my friends. Even though things went wrong, I guess I should keep my success at the forefront of my mind. With that, I bid you good night.
Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
Friday, May 6, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Thinking of Honolulu
When I was thinking of what I wanted to do while in Kansai, going to Kobe was not on the list. I knew it was close enough to visit, but I didnt know what else to do there. But the other night, I was talking to a friend that had spent the year at the SAC program in Kobe. She suggested that the shopping in Sannomiya would be a worthwhile trip. Further, my other friend that participated in the same program told me that the port Kobe was nearby. Since one of the other HUSA's visited Yokohama where her grandmother left Japan, I decided to see the port where my great grandfather left Japan. All in all, today was a pretty good day.
When I got to Sannomiya, there were no shops open, so I headed towards the pier. Even though I didnt have any idea of the area, there were maps all over the place, so I figured out how to get there. The station was a few blocks away, so I had to walk through a few blocks of the street. なんとか, the streets I passed by reminded me a lot of Honolulu, particularly the Downtown, business district. Like in Honolulu, the sidewalk is wide enough to give people plenty of space, but not as wide as the street. The buildings were very tall, and undoubtably held offices of business firms and other important type things. But it wasnt completely urban; there were trees and hedges lining the streets, but they were rather large. Like some parts of downtown Honolulu, there was a good mix of concrete and greenery.
Do you think it looks like Downtown Honolulu?
When I got to the port, I didnt know what to make of it. I mean, it looked like any port you would come across. There were ships in dock, and there was the ocean. A hundred years or so have passed between my great grandfather's time and now, so I have no idea where exactly he departed from Japan. At this time, I must admit, I thought that coming to the port was a mistake. With that thought, I walked to the area by the Kobe Port Tower. When I went up the tower, it was still fairly early in the morning, so I couldnt see very far. But even with the clouds, it was still a nice view of the city. After I descended, I decided to check out the small open market that was starting to open. There were a lot of food stalls, one of which was karaage, which of course I bought from. The other stalls were selling used clothes, kid toys, and a few that had accesories like necklaces and bracelets. I wanted to support the vendors, but the only vendor I bought from was this sweet old lady that was selling things she had sewn. I wanted a bag to hold my shamisen stuff, and I found it today. It's made with a blue, Super Mario pattern. It is supposed to be for little kids to hold their shoes or something, but I think it's the right size for my shamisen stuff. I'm very happy with it.
What really made my visit to the port worthwhile, though, was the Kobe Maritime Museum. It is a museum devoted to the history of Kobe Port, and starts from its beginnings in the Heian Era, to its current condition. I was very surprised to see a small entry that talked about its role in the immigration period, near the turn of the last century. The English translation was very short, and the original Japanese wasnt much longer, but still, just that little mention was way more than any Japanese person I've met knows. The panel explained that the first immigrants to leave were the Gannenmono, in 1868. About thirty years later, the government contract period began, which is when my great grandfather left. Also in the early part of the last century, immigration to Brazi and Peru began, and would continue until the 1970's. I feel that the Japan Japanese these days dont know nearly enough about their brethren abroad. They always express amazement at the amount of Japanese people in Hawaii, and seem surprised when they hear about us doing Japanese things, like お正月 and お盆. Seeing a Japanese exhibit on Japanese immigration was gratifying, and it seemed to reaffirm my belief that while the Japanese abroad are not like the Japanese in Japan, we are still more a part of them than they would like to believe.
A statue for the Japanese immigrants that left through Kobe Port.
After that, I decided to check out the shopping district. Like Hiroshima, part of the shopping area in Sannomiya is called 本道 Hondori, and like Hiroshima city, there are about a million little shops that line the area. I dont know exactly how far I was walking, but it was a lot. My legs were so sore! But I found a lot of interesting shops. There were quite a few kimono shops which I checked out. I want to buy yukata for bon dance, but as one of the ladies explained, it's still too early. Maybe later this month they'll be getting more yukata, and that'll bring down the price. Even though I'll probably never be back, I received a lot of 名刺. I didnt know how to turn down those sweet ばちゃんs！ At any rate, I picked up a cheap white obi. The woman that sold it to me said that I could use it with the black yukata that I picked up the last time I was in Japan.
After the two streets that comprised that shopping area, I started walking around the Ikuta area. This area was even more crowded than the hondori area! Not necessarily because there were more people, but the walking area itself was so small! Maybe only three people could walk together at the same time, it was so narrow. But the shops here were definitely a class apart from any other shopping area I've been to in Japan. There were two shops that were selling earrings and other piercing related stuff. Not like Claire's, but more like Hot Topic hardcore. The first one I went to was run by girls that had brightly dyed hair (blonde and pink, in case you wanted to know), and the girl that helped me had multiple cartlidge piercings, nose piercings, and a few on her lips. They had a fair selection of cartlidge piercings (products, not them), but unfortunately, they only had plain bars for my industrial (in Japanese, インダス←新しい単語). The other shop I think is a branch store of the store I patronized when I was in Kyoto. There were a lot of rings and necklaces, which didnt really appeal to me, but their selection of earrings was pretty big. The pair I decided on buying was a pair of skulls in silver. The sales clerk here, like his counterpart in Kyoto, really knew how to butter me up. When he saw what I had in, he said "星はかわいいですよね。Those stars are really cute, arent they?" and when he asked where I was from, he complemented me on my Japanese. "留学生と言われても、信じられないんですよ。Even though you say that you're a foreign exchange student, I cant believe it!" Having said all of that, I couldnt very well not buy from him, now could I?
At this point, it was about three in the afternoon, but I was in pain from yesterday's running. However, I felt that I shouldnt leave Sannomiya without visiting a few of the nearby department stores, so I steeled myself for more walking. Like other department stores in Japan, the majority of the products for sale were quite expensive, so I didnt do much more than look at them. I saw a lot of things I wanted, but seeing how much money was left in my wallet, I decided not to buy anything. I did really nice smelling body wash, which I decided to get for my mother. And I also picked up some candy to give to my other nephew.
Getting back to the hotel was another adventure. I got really mixed up today, because "Sannomiya Station" is the English name for three different places. There is the Japan Railways station, the Hanshin Densha station, and the Hankyu Line station. It took me a while to remember that I came on the Hankyu line, but even after figuring that out, I had to figure out which building with 「三宮駅」 on it was the right one. After getting on the right train, I fell asleep, and when I woke up, I got off at the wrong station. Luckily, I noticed that only a few seconds after getting of the train, so I didnt have to wait for a new train, but still. After hobbling back to my hotel (my legs were so tired, you dont even know), I bought a bento at a newrby convenience store and have been resting in my room since then.
Although I didnt really plan for it, I enjoyed my trip to Kobe today. Going to Kobe Port and seeing a legitimate discussion of Japanese immigration reaffirmed my Japanese identity. And the open market in the area was filled with a lot of fun sights and things to buy. The Sannomiya shopping was also spectacular, and allowed me to cross off some things on my omiyage list. It's late, and I need to get some sleep. Tomorrow I'm heading to Kyoto, to visit a few stores that I enjoyed the last time I was here. I'm hoping that it'll be a 楽 kind of day. But, who really knows what tomorrow will bring?
When I got to Sannomiya, there were no shops open, so I headed towards the pier. Even though I didnt have any idea of the area, there were maps all over the place, so I figured out how to get there. The station was a few blocks away, so I had to walk through a few blocks of the street. なんとか, the streets I passed by reminded me a lot of Honolulu, particularly the Downtown, business district. Like in Honolulu, the sidewalk is wide enough to give people plenty of space, but not as wide as the street. The buildings were very tall, and undoubtably held offices of business firms and other important type things. But it wasnt completely urban; there were trees and hedges lining the streets, but they were rather large. Like some parts of downtown Honolulu, there was a good mix of concrete and greenery.
When I got to the port, I didnt know what to make of it. I mean, it looked like any port you would come across. There were ships in dock, and there was the ocean. A hundred years or so have passed between my great grandfather's time and now, so I have no idea where exactly he departed from Japan. At this time, I must admit, I thought that coming to the port was a mistake. With that thought, I walked to the area by the Kobe Port Tower. When I went up the tower, it was still fairly early in the morning, so I couldnt see very far. But even with the clouds, it was still a nice view of the city. After I descended, I decided to check out the small open market that was starting to open. There were a lot of food stalls, one of which was karaage, which of course I bought from. The other stalls were selling used clothes, kid toys, and a few that had accesories like necklaces and bracelets. I wanted to support the vendors, but the only vendor I bought from was this sweet old lady that was selling things she had sewn. I wanted a bag to hold my shamisen stuff, and I found it today. It's made with a blue, Super Mario pattern. It is supposed to be for little kids to hold their shoes or something, but I think it's the right size for my shamisen stuff. I'm very happy with it.
What really made my visit to the port worthwhile, though, was the Kobe Maritime Museum. It is a museum devoted to the history of Kobe Port, and starts from its beginnings in the Heian Era, to its current condition. I was very surprised to see a small entry that talked about its role in the immigration period, near the turn of the last century. The English translation was very short, and the original Japanese wasnt much longer, but still, just that little mention was way more than any Japanese person I've met knows. The panel explained that the first immigrants to leave were the Gannenmono, in 1868. About thirty years later, the government contract period began, which is when my great grandfather left. Also in the early part of the last century, immigration to Brazi and Peru began, and would continue until the 1970's. I feel that the Japan Japanese these days dont know nearly enough about their brethren abroad. They always express amazement at the amount of Japanese people in Hawaii, and seem surprised when they hear about us doing Japanese things, like お正月 and お盆. Seeing a Japanese exhibit on Japanese immigration was gratifying, and it seemed to reaffirm my belief that while the Japanese abroad are not like the Japanese in Japan, we are still more a part of them than they would like to believe.
After that, I decided to check out the shopping district. Like Hiroshima, part of the shopping area in Sannomiya is called 本道 Hondori, and like Hiroshima city, there are about a million little shops that line the area. I dont know exactly how far I was walking, but it was a lot. My legs were so sore! But I found a lot of interesting shops. There were quite a few kimono shops which I checked out. I want to buy yukata for bon dance, but as one of the ladies explained, it's still too early. Maybe later this month they'll be getting more yukata, and that'll bring down the price. Even though I'll probably never be back, I received a lot of 名刺. I didnt know how to turn down those sweet ばちゃんs！ At any rate, I picked up a cheap white obi. The woman that sold it to me said that I could use it with the black yukata that I picked up the last time I was in Japan.
After the two streets that comprised that shopping area, I started walking around the Ikuta area. This area was even more crowded than the hondori area! Not necessarily because there were more people, but the walking area itself was so small! Maybe only three people could walk together at the same time, it was so narrow. But the shops here were definitely a class apart from any other shopping area I've been to in Japan. There were two shops that were selling earrings and other piercing related stuff. Not like Claire's, but more like Hot Topic hardcore. The first one I went to was run by girls that had brightly dyed hair (blonde and pink, in case you wanted to know), and the girl that helped me had multiple cartlidge piercings, nose piercings, and a few on her lips. They had a fair selection of cartlidge piercings (products, not them), but unfortunately, they only had plain bars for my industrial (in Japanese, インダス←新しい単語). The other shop I think is a branch store of the store I patronized when I was in Kyoto. There were a lot of rings and necklaces, which didnt really appeal to me, but their selection of earrings was pretty big. The pair I decided on buying was a pair of skulls in silver. The sales clerk here, like his counterpart in Kyoto, really knew how to butter me up. When he saw what I had in, he said "星はかわいいですよね。Those stars are really cute, arent they?" and when he asked where I was from, he complemented me on my Japanese. "留学生と言われても、信じられないんですよ。Even though you say that you're a foreign exchange student, I cant believe it!" Having said all of that, I couldnt very well not buy from him, now could I?
At this point, it was about three in the afternoon, but I was in pain from yesterday's running. However, I felt that I shouldnt leave Sannomiya without visiting a few of the nearby department stores, so I steeled myself for more walking. Like other department stores in Japan, the majority of the products for sale were quite expensive, so I didnt do much more than look at them. I saw a lot of things I wanted, but seeing how much money was left in my wallet, I decided not to buy anything. I did really nice smelling body wash, which I decided to get for my mother. And I also picked up some candy to give to my other nephew.
Getting back to the hotel was another adventure. I got really mixed up today, because "Sannomiya Station" is the English name for three different places. There is the Japan Railways station, the Hanshin Densha station, and the Hankyu Line station. It took me a while to remember that I came on the Hankyu line, but even after figuring that out, I had to figure out which building with 「三宮駅」 on it was the right one. After getting on the right train, I fell asleep, and when I woke up, I got off at the wrong station. Luckily, I noticed that only a few seconds after getting of the train, so I didnt have to wait for a new train, but still. After hobbling back to my hotel (my legs were so tired, you dont even know), I bought a bento at a newrby convenience store and have been resting in my room since then.
Although I didnt really plan for it, I enjoyed my trip to Kobe today. Going to Kobe Port and seeing a legitimate discussion of Japanese immigration reaffirmed my Japanese identity. And the open market in the area was filled with a lot of fun sights and things to buy. The Sannomiya shopping was also spectacular, and allowed me to cross off some things on my omiyage list. It's late, and I need to get some sleep. Tomorrow I'm heading to Kyoto, to visit a few stores that I enjoyed the last time I was here. I'm hoping that it'll be a 楽 kind of day. But, who really knows what tomorrow will bring?
Friday, March 4, 2011
Music Review
Most of my friends back in Hawaii dont listen to the same music that I do. And that's the way it's always been, so I've just gotten used to not talking about what I like to listen to. But in the HUSA program, I'm lucky to have found people with similar interests. One of my friends here has posted several music reviews on her blog (which you can read here and here), and I think I'll join her on this bandwagon. Also, I very much believe that these two albums are among the best I've ever heard (as one friend would say, they are "eargasms").
The first album we'll discuss is MBLAQ's "BLAQ Style" album. MBLAQ is a five member KPop group, and I started listening to them by chance, when I saw one of their performances on Youtube. I'll be honest, at first I was like, "Okay, standard KPop fare"; but after listening to more of their songs, and watching their other videos on youtube, I was much more keener on them. When I heard that they were going to release an album this year, I was very excited. Although I was two months late, I finally managed to pick up my copy last month, during my trip to Kyoto.
MBLAQ - Cry
Quite honestly, this is the best KPop album I have ever bought. My favorite song is "Cry", which is the video above. I dont really care for the whole eye makeup thing going on, but as a song, I really do love it. I still have to go look up the lyrics, but from what I gather, it's one of those "Dont break up with me" songs. I have a couple of other songs that I really like on this album, but they're all in Korean, so I have no idea how they're pronounced, so I cant very well tell you them. But that's besides the point. Whenever I play this album, my mood is instantly brightened, and all is better. According to Wikipedia, they're scheduled to make their Japan debut in May, with concerts in Sapporo, Fukuoka, and Osaka, among other places. Am I debating the pros and cons of seeing them in person? ...Maybe.
:D
The second album I'm nuts about is "KJ With...", and as you can imagine, all of the tracks are collarborations between this artist KJ (Kohei Japan) and various other singers. I learned about this album after I subscribed to Pony Canyon's youtube channel. Of all the record labels in Japan, Pony Canyon is pretty small, and I'm not a big fan of a lot of their singers, but I sure am glad I'm subscribed to their channel! From what I gather, Kohei Japan is a rapper, and most of his discography is just that - rap. I'm not into rap. But I really do think I'll change my opinion on that, at least for this album.
近づきたくて with YU-A - KJ feat. YU-A
The video above is the music video for "近づきたくて with YU-A", and is actually the second track I heard from this album. However, it is definitely my favoite track because of its lyrics. The song title translates to something like "I want to get closer to you", and the rest of the song is basically about that. I'm sure we've all been in that position: You're really good friends with this person, and you cant help but think about how happy you would be together. And yet, you're not sure about how they feel about you, and it's driving you crazy. In the song the KJ finally tells the girl, "If we're just going to be friends, let's just end it right now". And I'm not going to lie, that kind of feeling is what I really enjoy. Maybe it's the masochist in me, but as much as I hate it, I also enjoy longing and wanting someone. Is that why I love this song so much? Because it's basically me?
Like I said in the beginning, it's always been the case with me that my friends havent been interested in the same music as me. And it's not wrong to disagree with me as to what constitutes wonderful music. But these two albums are definitely on the list of the top ten best albums I have ever bought. Money well spent, I would say.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Loose Ends
Today was my last full day in Kyoto! As such, it was imperative that I finish doing everything I planned to do here. I had planned to see the two 本願寺, as well as 松尾大社. If not for a few embarrassing events, today was a calm end to a very fun trip.
My hotel is only a few blocks away from the two 本願寺. They are the head temples for the two main branches of 浄土真宗: The Western Branch and the Eastern Branch (大谷派). While I'm not really a Buddhist, my grandparents and all of them went to Papaikou Hongwanji, and I have a lot of friends that went to the ヒロ本派本願寺. I was originally under the impression that the two temples were seperated by a great distance. But when I consulted a map of the city, I found that they are only a few blocks away from each other. I first went to the 東本願寺, which is closer to my hotel (also visible). The temple complex is pretty large, and is surrounded by a wall and moat. An interesting thing about this temple is that they have a huge flock of resident pigeons that you can feed if you buy a small bag of food (100￥). I like feeding animals, but this was either the most hilarious or the most frightening thing I have ever done. Have you ever seen the movie "The Birds"? In the movie, the birds go crazy and start to swarm (and attack) the people of a little town. That's pretty much what happened to me when they noticed I had food. I tried not to scream when a MASSIVE WALL OF PIGEONS surged towards me; out of reflex (and a bit of fear), I swung my arms around and may have hit a bird or two. I never want to be in the middle of a pidgeon storm, so I dont know if I'll ever be feeding those pigeons again. Anyways, after dealing with that, I headed to the main buildings. I didnt know what to expect, but the buildings were pretty much like every other 本願寺 I've ever been in, except on a much larger scale. Photography was not allowed, so I cant show you what the inside looked like, but if you've ever been in a temple, you can imagine the floor of tatami, and the raised platform where Amida Buddha is placed. After browsing the gift shop, I headed over to 西本願寺. And except for the flock of pigeons, everything that I said about the 東本願寺 goes for 西本願寺. I suppose I shouldnt be too surprised, but I was mildy amused that the two were almost exactly the same thing.
It was here at 西本願寺 that I had one unfortunate encounter. Because this year is a big anniversary for the death of Shinran Shonin, the two temples are undergoing renovation/restoration. One of the main halls of the temple was closed off from public access. However, because I saw a group of people walking around that area, I assumed that people were allowed there. But no, a few seconds later, a priest (trainee, I think) and a security guard came running over to tell me that no, you're not allowed there. Arghh. I quickly sped away to the bookstore, with my tail firmly set between my legs.
I wanted to visit 松尾大社 for a long time now. Mostly because it has a similar name to me, but as it turned out, it's a very peaceful shrine to visit. Getting there was the most complicated set of train transfers I've had to do. From Kyoto Station, I took the subway to 四条烏丸, where I had to transfer to the 阪急線 bound for 桂駅. From there, I had to make a final transfer to the 阪急嵐山線 to arrive at 松尾駅. I think this is the farthest out of the city I went on this trip! From there, I walked up to the shrine. The shrine area is rather large; probably the largest shrine I've been to yet. There are multiple shrine thingies, each devoted to a different 神様. I couldnt read all of them, but I did pray at a few of them. The main shrine was pretty nice too; apparently, its architectural style is different from most shrines. They also have a mini museum type thing, where three wooden statues are on display. I feel bad, because the old man in that section played the recorded explanation of the statues, but I have no idea what they were saying. I need to translate the little pamphlet they gave me. From there, I walked up a short path to where there is a small waterfall. It was here that some noble guy back in the day saw a turtle bathing, which led him to build 松尾大社. Because of the turtle, there were many turtle shaped objects around. I should have waited to buy my mother's omiyage here, because she would have loved to get a turtle お守り with our name on it! But instead, I got a small お守り for myself, as well as a book on the shrine. I highly recommend you to visit this shrine if you ever go to Kyoto. Although a bit removed from the city, it was so very peaceful there. It's also surrounded by nature, what with the forrested mountain in the background, as well as the waterfall and resulting river.
I suppose the unfortunate event that happened here wasnt so bad; in fact, for the temple, it was a very good thing. Because I didnt understand what was going on, I paid double admission to the small museum thing they have. There were two windows to pay at; one near the front gates, and another at the start of the path to the museum. After I paid the second time, I realized my mistake when I saw that she gave me the exact papers that the other window had given me. Oh well, I guess it's a good thing I'm helping out the family business, right?
I made my way back to my hotel, where I promptly fell asleep. I dont know how or why, because today was a pretty chill day, considering I only went to three religious sites. Also, while I had to go a bit aways for 松尾大社, it was mostly on a train, so I didnt even rack up that many steps today. And before sleeping, I had a coffee drink from the downstairs cafe!
In any case, after about three hours of sleep, I put myself together and headed back to ヨドバシカメラ to pick up my rice cooker. My aunty apparently feels sorry for me that I cook my rice on the stove, so she gave me money to buy a rice cooker. While it was fairly expensive, it cooks more rice than a single serving cooker that was the same price, so I got it. To make it worth my while, I'm hoping that we go on picnics and stuff during the spring, so I can have an excuse to make musbi, or spam musubi, or something. Feeling a bit hungry, I headed up to the top floor, where all the restaurants are. I decided on eating at a tempura restaurant, and I'm glad I did. I got the 特製海老丼, which had shrimp, shiso leaf, まいたけ mushrooms, and some kind of fishy thing. The waitress must have thought I was an idiot when I asked if it came with rice (PROTIP: If you see 丼 anywhere on the menu, it comes with rice), but the plate in the picture looked too shallow to have rice. But indeed it did, and the sauce that came with it was really something else. Thicker than the regular tempura dipping sauce, it went nicely with the meal. Another interesting thing about this restaurant is that water and miso soup are refillable. I was quite surprised when the waitress came over and asked if I wanted more miso soup after I had finished it. While it was a bit expensive at 980円, I was very satisfied with it, and do not regret it in the least.
I walked back to the hotel and began to pack. I dont know how, but I managed to get everything I had folded and into my suitcase in about forty five minutes. Which is pretty fast, if you know how I tend to spread out all over the place. However, I think I went shopping a little too much, because my suitcase is way heavier than it was when I got here. I think it's mostly because my rice cooker (which I hope doesnt break >.<), but I dont think all the scallops, ika, and rest of the things I bought are helping. Now that I've showered, all my clothes (except tomorrow's outfit) are packed away. I'm ready to check out at eleven, head to the station and leave on my bus a little after twelve. I've had just a wonderful vacation here in Kyoto. Catching up with an old friend, seeing many cultural properties, and of course SHOPPING! Haha. And while there were a few mistakes and embarressments, I think I can live with them. I will return to Hiroshima happy. ^_^
My hotel is only a few blocks away from the two 本願寺. They are the head temples for the two main branches of 浄土真宗: The Western Branch and the Eastern Branch (大谷派). While I'm not really a Buddhist, my grandparents and all of them went to Papaikou Hongwanji, and I have a lot of friends that went to the ヒロ本派本願寺. I was originally under the impression that the two temples were seperated by a great distance. But when I consulted a map of the city, I found that they are only a few blocks away from each other. I first went to the 東本願寺, which is closer to my hotel (also visible). The temple complex is pretty large, and is surrounded by a wall and moat. An interesting thing about this temple is that they have a huge flock of resident pigeons that you can feed if you buy a small bag of food (100￥). I like feeding animals, but this was either the most hilarious or the most frightening thing I have ever done. Have you ever seen the movie "The Birds"? In the movie, the birds go crazy and start to swarm (and attack) the people of a little town. That's pretty much what happened to me when they noticed I had food. I tried not to scream when a MASSIVE WALL OF PIGEONS surged towards me; out of reflex (and a bit of fear), I swung my arms around and may have hit a bird or two. I never want to be in the middle of a pidgeon storm, so I dont know if I'll ever be feeding those pigeons again. Anyways, after dealing with that, I headed to the main buildings. I didnt know what to expect, but the buildings were pretty much like every other 本願寺 I've ever been in, except on a much larger scale. Photography was not allowed, so I cant show you what the inside looked like, but if you've ever been in a temple, you can imagine the floor of tatami, and the raised platform where Amida Buddha is placed. After browsing the gift shop, I headed over to 西本願寺. And except for the flock of pigeons, everything that I said about the 東本願寺 goes for 西本願寺. I suppose I shouldnt be too surprised, but I was mildy amused that the two were almost exactly the same thing.
It was here at 西本願寺 that I had one unfortunate encounter. Because this year is a big anniversary for the death of Shinran Shonin, the two temples are undergoing renovation/restoration. One of the main halls of the temple was closed off from public access. However, because I saw a group of people walking around that area, I assumed that people were allowed there. But no, a few seconds later, a priest (trainee, I think) and a security guard came running over to tell me that no, you're not allowed there. Arghh. I quickly sped away to the bookstore, with my tail firmly set between my legs.
I wanted to visit 松尾大社 for a long time now. Mostly because it has a similar name to me, but as it turned out, it's a very peaceful shrine to visit. Getting there was the most complicated set of train transfers I've had to do. From Kyoto Station, I took the subway to 四条烏丸, where I had to transfer to the 阪急線 bound for 桂駅. From there, I had to make a final transfer to the 阪急嵐山線 to arrive at 松尾駅. I think this is the farthest out of the city I went on this trip! From there, I walked up to the shrine. The shrine area is rather large; probably the largest shrine I've been to yet. There are multiple shrine thingies, each devoted to a different 神様. I couldnt read all of them, but I did pray at a few of them. The main shrine was pretty nice too; apparently, its architectural style is different from most shrines. They also have a mini museum type thing, where three wooden statues are on display. I feel bad, because the old man in that section played the recorded explanation of the statues, but I have no idea what they were saying. I need to translate the little pamphlet they gave me. From there, I walked up a short path to where there is a small waterfall. It was here that some noble guy back in the day saw a turtle bathing, which led him to build 松尾大社. Because of the turtle, there were many turtle shaped objects around. I should have waited to buy my mother's omiyage here, because she would have loved to get a turtle お守り with our name on it! But instead, I got a small お守り for myself, as well as a book on the shrine. I highly recommend you to visit this shrine if you ever go to Kyoto. Although a bit removed from the city, it was so very peaceful there. It's also surrounded by nature, what with the forrested mountain in the background, as well as the waterfall and resulting river.
I suppose the unfortunate event that happened here wasnt so bad; in fact, for the temple, it was a very good thing. Because I didnt understand what was going on, I paid double admission to the small museum thing they have. There were two windows to pay at; one near the front gates, and another at the start of the path to the museum. After I paid the second time, I realized my mistake when I saw that she gave me the exact papers that the other window had given me. Oh well, I guess it's a good thing I'm helping out the family business, right?
I made my way back to my hotel, where I promptly fell asleep. I dont know how or why, because today was a pretty chill day, considering I only went to three religious sites. Also, while I had to go a bit aways for 松尾大社, it was mostly on a train, so I didnt even rack up that many steps today. And before sleeping, I had a coffee drink from the downstairs cafe!
In any case, after about three hours of sleep, I put myself together and headed back to ヨドバシカメラ to pick up my rice cooker. My aunty apparently feels sorry for me that I cook my rice on the stove, so she gave me money to buy a rice cooker. While it was fairly expensive, it cooks more rice than a single serving cooker that was the same price, so I got it. To make it worth my while, I'm hoping that we go on picnics and stuff during the spring, so I can have an excuse to make musbi, or spam musubi, or something. Feeling a bit hungry, I headed up to the top floor, where all the restaurants are. I decided on eating at a tempura restaurant, and I'm glad I did. I got the 特製海老丼, which had shrimp, shiso leaf, まいたけ mushrooms, and some kind of fishy thing. The waitress must have thought I was an idiot when I asked if it came with rice (PROTIP: If you see 丼 anywhere on the menu, it comes with rice), but the plate in the picture looked too shallow to have rice. But indeed it did, and the sauce that came with it was really something else. Thicker than the regular tempura dipping sauce, it went nicely with the meal. Another interesting thing about this restaurant is that water and miso soup are refillable. I was quite surprised when the waitress came over and asked if I wanted more miso soup after I had finished it. While it was a bit expensive at 980円, I was very satisfied with it, and do not regret it in the least.
I walked back to the hotel and began to pack. I dont know how, but I managed to get everything I had folded and into my suitcase in about forty five minutes. Which is pretty fast, if you know how I tend to spread out all over the place. However, I think I went shopping a little too much, because my suitcase is way heavier than it was when I got here. I think it's mostly because my rice cooker (which I hope doesnt break >.<), but I dont think all the scallops, ika, and rest of the things I bought are helping. Now that I've showered, all my clothes (except tomorrow's outfit) are packed away. I'm ready to check out at eleven, head to the station and leave on my bus a little after twelve. I've had just a wonderful vacation here in Kyoto. Catching up with an old friend, seeing many cultural properties, and of course SHOPPING! Haha. And while there were a few mistakes and embarressments, I think I can live with them. I will return to Hiroshima happy. ^_^
Monday, February 21, 2011
Wandering about the Capitol
Kyoto is a far more urbanized city than Saijo, and as a result, the amount of walking one does is huge. Today was no different from the other days. I did so much walking, but it was mostly due to the fact that I got lost a lot. When I visited the flea market at 東寺 I got lost in the endless walkways of vendors. When I walked to Tower Records and ended up back at 寺町, I got lost looking for the Nishiki Market. But I did have lots of fun, and enjoyed myself. And of course, I made a generous contribution to the economic condition of Kyoto. Unwillingly, of course. ;)
I had a late start on what I wanted to do today because I was skyping with my parents. I managed to get along without it during the greater part of the semester, but I've grown to enjoy these sessions. Thank goodness for the wonders of the Modern Age! Anyway, I because of that, I only left my hotel at about eleven-ish. I grabbed a bento and headed for the station. One of the teachers in my Family Life in Japan class mentioned that one of the temples in Kyoto, 東寺, has a big flea market and that we should go to it if we can. A little bit of internet searching turned up that it's the 21st of every month. I planned the dates of my trip around this event, so it was most imperative that I go. I wasnt sure what to expect, to be honest.
I havent found a very good map of the Kyoto, but from what I surmised, I needed to take the 近鉄 from Kyoto Station to Toji Station. However, I've never ridden on that line. I had to ask several people for directions, but I finally managed to get to the temple. My friend had told me that she wasnt interested in the market, but I had the completely different reaction. I LOVED IT THERE! There were simply so many vendors. I wanted to see as many as I could, so I tried to walk in a regular pattern, but it is likely I missed some vendors because there were so many. I would go up one row, and see a side path. I'd walk the side path, only to realize that there was another branch! And this all before I saw the rest of the original row I was walking on! The items for sale ran the gamut of junk, antiques and collectables, to handicrafts and vegetables. There were a lot of vendors selling 漬物 and I really wanted to buy, but because they need to be refridgerated, they would be difficult to handle. Also, there was a lot of pottery type things, but those too would be easily destroyed. But what I really wanted to buy was kimono! Specifically a yukata to wear to the bon dances, but I was really open to anything. And especially because I had just bought an obi yesterday (which is a bit too small for me! T_T), I was interested in getting some use out of it. I ran into one of the few vendors that had mens wear, and she convinced me to buy one of the men's kimono she had. While at the time, I felt bad that I bought it because it was so plain and slightly resembled the kimono I already have, I have grown more attached to it when I realised that the pattern of the weave is slightly similar to the blue yukata that Uemura gave to me. I also picked up a haori at the 寺町 market (more on that later!), so if I get my zori sent to me from Hawaii, and some new tabi, I have more or less a complete ensemble! But that means I need to wear it. I refuse to wear kimono to school, so I have no idea when I'll wear it. I suppose the next time we go shopping in Hiroshima City, or we visit some part of Hiroshima prefecture, I'll be the most traditional guy there. Anyway, my haul for the day was pretty good. I got some two bags of dried ika, one for me and one for my father. I also got a tiny set of 七福神 dolls. And when I say "tiny", I mean tiny; they're probably an shorter than an inch. But they're so cute! I had to get it.
東寺 is not only the host of a monthly flea market. It is also a functioning temple complex, with religious services, and the largest pagoda in Japan. It is one of the many properties that have made Kyoto a UNESCO World Heritage site. As a religious site, the temple sells omamori and other good luck type charms. As a Shingon temple, they do a lot of esoteric rituals; one of the more intense ones is one where you write down your prayer on a piece of wood, and the priest burns them while chanting a sutra. There was a lot of that going on, as well as people making offerings of candles and incense to...um, okay, I dont know Shingon too well, so I dont know who, but they were making them. I made one to Kobo Daishi. He has a statue in the courtyard, and I prayed for the health of all the old people in my family. I also gave some money to one of the priest guys that was chanting by the gates.
But what I enjoyed the most (and I HIGHLY recommend to you if you go to Kyoto) was the area around the pagoda. While I was slightly miffed that I had to pay admission, I am totally okay with it now. The pamphlets and explanations were all in Japanese, so I dont know exactly what was going on, but from what I understand, the pagoda was built under Kobo Daishi's direction. It was built to commemorate someone's death (「つまり墓というものなのです」) or something. Enshrined within are four bodhisatvas. They're to protect either the capital or the pagoda itself. Unfortunately, photography was banned within, so I cant show you one of the things that blew me away. The walls of the structure are painted with the various heads of the Shingon sect! While this may sound boring, I'd point out that they seem to be the original paintings; not reproductions, not restorations, but the real deal that was put on when it was built. And it's not behind the glass, or under some kind of touching; while you are expected not to touch them, you could put your face just inches away from them. You cant get that up close and personal with historical artifacts in most museums or displays. It was fascinating to be so close to something that was made hundreds of years ago. After the pagoda thing, I wandered about, and made it to the lecture hall. I dont know why they call it that, because there's no space for a lecture, but it was another fascinating and pretty amazing thing. There are twenty one sculpture things, each depicting a different Buddha, bodhisattva, or other important being in the Shingon theology. Again, you werent allowed to touch them or anything, and photography was banned, but I was so amazed by it. I dont know what it was about it, but there was just something so...awe-inspiring about them. I think the sign said that they were there to help protect the nation or something. To be quite honest, I was more impressed with these statues than I was with the Great Buddha of Todaiji in Nara. I cant explain why, but I was simply captivated.
At this point, I headed back to my hotel, to drop off my purchases and use the bathroom. I wanted to hit the Kyoto Tower Records, because the Hiroshima store doesnt have one of the (many) cds that I wanted to buy. It's a Korean boy band, MBLAQ, and you should click the link. I could go on about them, but that should probably be its own post. Anyway, I had a general idea of how to get there thanks to Google Maps, but it was mostly a lot of walking. According to what I understood, I basically had to walk up 河原町通り and eventually I would see it. Imagine my surprise when it turned out that I was simply a few blocks away from 寺町 and basically the entire 四条 area I had been to in the last couple of days! I simmered in mild irriation as I made my way up the building to the ninth floor where Tower Records is. But that all disappeared when there was not only one, but TWO copies of the album I wanted! After looking around to see what else this store had, I bought my cd, CELEBRATED, and then made my way back down. I had planned to go to 寺町 again tomorrow, but specifically to go to Nishiki to buy my parents scallops. However, by the time I made it to the market place, a lot of the vendors were closing up shop. I raced to where I needed to go, but I guess the special price they had was only for yesterday, because today's price was slightly more expensive. But because it's for my parents, I dont mind spending money. I stuffed my お土産 into my bag, and headed back to 寺町 to look for dinner.
Before I leave Kansai, I wanted to try 関西風のお好み焼き. There are two types of お好み焼き: 関西風 and 広島風. Because I've been in Hiroshima all this time, I've had a lot of that kind of お好み焼き. However, I have never had the 関西風 before, so since I'm here, I figured that I should have it. I walked around and made it to a restaurant that had it on their menu and ordered it. While it was delicious and filling, I think I've gotten used to the 広島風, and prefer it more. In my opinion, 広島風 has more vegetables, and because there's noodles in it, its volume is comparatively higher. Thus, you get more bang for your buck. If I get the chance, maybe I'll try the 関西風のお好み焼き, but if I dont get a chance to, I think I'll be okay. 関西の友達、ごめんね。やっぱり広島風の方が好きなんだ！
I spent another wonderful day here in the city of Kyoto. I had so much fun walking around 東寺, and got a real kick out of the national treasures housed there. While there, I also injected a lot of money into the city's economy. Another long walk netted me the KPop cd that I have wanted to buy for a very long time, as well as helped finish my お土産 shopping. Tomorrow is my last full day here in Kyoto. I'm not exactly sure what it is I'm going to be doing. But I still havent been to the 本願寺, which are just a few blocks from here, and neither have I been to 松尾大社. Hopefully I can hit the 本願寺 in the morning, and see 松尾大社 in the afternoon. And during the night, I can spend it packing up. But now it is late, and Terrence needs to go to bed. おやすみなさ～い。
I had a late start on what I wanted to do today because I was skyping with my parents. I managed to get along without it during the greater part of the semester, but I've grown to enjoy these sessions. Thank goodness for the wonders of the Modern Age! Anyway, I because of that, I only left my hotel at about eleven-ish. I grabbed a bento and headed for the station. One of the teachers in my Family Life in Japan class mentioned that one of the temples in Kyoto, 東寺, has a big flea market and that we should go to it if we can. A little bit of internet searching turned up that it's the 21st of every month. I planned the dates of my trip around this event, so it was most imperative that I go. I wasnt sure what to expect, to be honest.
I havent found a very good map of the Kyoto, but from what I surmised, I needed to take the 近鉄 from Kyoto Station to Toji Station. However, I've never ridden on that line. I had to ask several people for directions, but I finally managed to get to the temple. My friend had told me that she wasnt interested in the market, but I had the completely different reaction. I LOVED IT THERE! There were simply so many vendors. I wanted to see as many as I could, so I tried to walk in a regular pattern, but it is likely I missed some vendors because there were so many. I would go up one row, and see a side path. I'd walk the side path, only to realize that there was another branch! And this all before I saw the rest of the original row I was walking on! The items for sale ran the gamut of junk, antiques and collectables, to handicrafts and vegetables. There were a lot of vendors selling 漬物 and I really wanted to buy, but because they need to be refridgerated, they would be difficult to handle. Also, there was a lot of pottery type things, but those too would be easily destroyed. But what I really wanted to buy was kimono! Specifically a yukata to wear to the bon dances, but I was really open to anything. And especially because I had just bought an obi yesterday (which is a bit too small for me! T_T), I was interested in getting some use out of it. I ran into one of the few vendors that had mens wear, and she convinced me to buy one of the men's kimono she had. While at the time, I felt bad that I bought it because it was so plain and slightly resembled the kimono I already have, I have grown more attached to it when I realised that the pattern of the weave is slightly similar to the blue yukata that Uemura gave to me. I also picked up a haori at the 寺町 market (more on that later!), so if I get my zori sent to me from Hawaii, and some new tabi, I have more or less a complete ensemble! But that means I need to wear it. I refuse to wear kimono to school, so I have no idea when I'll wear it. I suppose the next time we go shopping in Hiroshima City, or we visit some part of Hiroshima prefecture, I'll be the most traditional guy there. Anyway, my haul for the day was pretty good. I got some two bags of dried ika, one for me and one for my father. I also got a tiny set of 七福神 dolls. And when I say "tiny", I mean tiny; they're probably an shorter than an inch. But they're so cute! I had to get it.
東寺 is not only the host of a monthly flea market. It is also a functioning temple complex, with religious services, and the largest pagoda in Japan. It is one of the many properties that have made Kyoto a UNESCO World Heritage site. As a religious site, the temple sells omamori and other good luck type charms. As a Shingon temple, they do a lot of esoteric rituals; one of the more intense ones is one where you write down your prayer on a piece of wood, and the priest burns them while chanting a sutra. There was a lot of that going on, as well as people making offerings of candles and incense to...um, okay, I dont know Shingon too well, so I dont know who, but they were making them. I made one to Kobo Daishi. He has a statue in the courtyard, and I prayed for the health of all the old people in my family. I also gave some money to one of the priest guys that was chanting by the gates.
But what I enjoyed the most (and I HIGHLY recommend to you if you go to Kyoto) was the area around the pagoda. While I was slightly miffed that I had to pay admission, I am totally okay with it now. The pamphlets and explanations were all in Japanese, so I dont know exactly what was going on, but from what I understand, the pagoda was built under Kobo Daishi's direction. It was built to commemorate someone's death (「つまり墓というものなのです」) or something. Enshrined within are four bodhisatvas. They're to protect either the capital or the pagoda itself. Unfortunately, photography was banned within, so I cant show you one of the things that blew me away. The walls of the structure are painted with the various heads of the Shingon sect! While this may sound boring, I'd point out that they seem to be the original paintings; not reproductions, not restorations, but the real deal that was put on when it was built. And it's not behind the glass, or under some kind of touching; while you are expected not to touch them, you could put your face just inches away from them. You cant get that up close and personal with historical artifacts in most museums or displays. It was fascinating to be so close to something that was made hundreds of years ago. After the pagoda thing, I wandered about, and made it to the lecture hall. I dont know why they call it that, because there's no space for a lecture, but it was another fascinating and pretty amazing thing. There are twenty one sculpture things, each depicting a different Buddha, bodhisattva, or other important being in the Shingon theology. Again, you werent allowed to touch them or anything, and photography was banned, but I was so amazed by it. I dont know what it was about it, but there was just something so...awe-inspiring about them. I think the sign said that they were there to help protect the nation or something. To be quite honest, I was more impressed with these statues than I was with the Great Buddha of Todaiji in Nara. I cant explain why, but I was simply captivated.
At this point, I headed back to my hotel, to drop off my purchases and use the bathroom. I wanted to hit the Kyoto Tower Records, because the Hiroshima store doesnt have one of the (many) cds that I wanted to buy. It's a Korean boy band, MBLAQ, and you should click the link. I could go on about them, but that should probably be its own post. Anyway, I had a general idea of how to get there thanks to Google Maps, but it was mostly a lot of walking. According to what I understood, I basically had to walk up 河原町通り and eventually I would see it. Imagine my surprise when it turned out that I was simply a few blocks away from 寺町 and basically the entire 四条 area I had been to in the last couple of days! I simmered in mild irriation as I made my way up the building to the ninth floor where Tower Records is. But that all disappeared when there was not only one, but TWO copies of the album I wanted! After looking around to see what else this store had, I bought my cd, CELEBRATED, and then made my way back down. I had planned to go to 寺町 again tomorrow, but specifically to go to Nishiki to buy my parents scallops. However, by the time I made it to the market place, a lot of the vendors were closing up shop. I raced to where I needed to go, but I guess the special price they had was only for yesterday, because today's price was slightly more expensive. But because it's for my parents, I dont mind spending money. I stuffed my お土産 into my bag, and headed back to 寺町 to look for dinner.
Before I leave Kansai, I wanted to try 関西風のお好み焼き. There are two types of お好み焼き: 関西風 and 広島風. Because I've been in Hiroshima all this time, I've had a lot of that kind of お好み焼き. However, I have never had the 関西風 before, so since I'm here, I figured that I should have it. I walked around and made it to a restaurant that had it on their menu and ordered it. While it was delicious and filling, I think I've gotten used to the 広島風, and prefer it more. In my opinion, 広島風 has more vegetables, and because there's noodles in it, its volume is comparatively higher. Thus, you get more bang for your buck. If I get the chance, maybe I'll try the 関西風のお好み焼き, but if I dont get a chance to, I think I'll be okay. 関西の友達、ごめんね。やっぱり広島風の方が好きなんだ！
I spent another wonderful day here in the city of Kyoto. I had so much fun walking around 東寺, and got a real kick out of the national treasures housed there. While there, I also injected a lot of money into the city's economy. Another long walk netted me the KPop cd that I have wanted to buy for a very long time, as well as helped finish my お土産 shopping. Tomorrow is my last full day here in Kyoto. I'm not exactly sure what it is I'm going to be doing. But I still havent been to the 本願寺, which are just a few blocks from here, and neither have I been to 松尾大社. Hopefully I can hit the 本願寺 in the morning, and see 松尾大社 in the afternoon. And during the night, I can spend it packing up. But now it is late, and Terrence needs to go to bed. おやすみなさ～い。
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Eating, Watching, Shopping
I was invited to have lunch with my friend's friends, and afterwards watch a maiko performance at the Kyoto Museum of Traditional Crafts. After that, we all went our seperate ways, and I started my omiyage shopping. I normally dont go to bed until one in the morning, but I think I will make an exception tonight. Although today was fun, I definitely walked a lot, and I cant stop yawning.
The restaurant we had lunch at today was called Hale, and was located in the Nishiki Market. It took us awhile to get there, because I think it was everyone's first time there. We had to ask two people for directions, because we missed it several times. Only the door of the restaurant faced the street; except for a tiny little sign, there was nothing to suggest that behind the door was a small little restaurant that specialized in organically produced food. We had the 湯葉あんかけ丼. Photography was banned in the shop, so I dont really know how to explain what it was, but if you've had any kind of どんぶりもの, then you basically have an idea of what I had. It was a set, so it came with 漬物 and tea. I must admit, when I was told where we were going, I was a bit afraid, because (as stupid as this sounds), the healthier the food, the less I enjoy it. But I'm happy to report that I was very, very wrong. The don was very good, and I recommend it to anyone who comes to Kyoto and/or can find the shop.
After a bit of walking and some riding, we got to the museum where the performance was. I had a bit of deja vu when it started. Why did if feel like I had seen it before if I had never been to this museum? After thinking about it, I realised I had seen it, through the wonderful invention we know as Youtube!
That isnt exactly what we saw, but it was at the same place, and I'm fairly certain they did both of these songs. If you ever go to Kyoto, one thing you can count on either seeing or being told to see are the maiko and geiko. On the off chance you dont know anything about them, you can check out this website, which I think is pretty legit. I would go into detail here, but I think it lies outside of the scope of my blog. Since I've been to Kyoto before, I know enough about the maiko to be disinclined to go to everything they appear at, but they are undeniably beautiful and skilled. You dont get to see this kind of dance performed in person very often, so was happy I got to see it, and I enjoyed it very much. They are so graceful! I cant imagine how hard they practice to get that way. After each dance, the announcer woman would ask the maiko a question. I did enjoy this part, because it was really questions about their lifestyle. One was, "Do you put on your own makeup, or does someone do it for you?" The maiko responded that it takes her from half to a full hour to put it on, but she does it herself. Of course, her kimono is put on by a professional dresser(I want to become one!!). Another question was about her typical day, from when she woke up to when she goes to bed. She said that she woke up at around eight or nine, and got dressed for dance practice. After dance practice, she would put on her whole get up to go out and entertain. From about six to eleven, she'd be at various parties doing what maiko do. Finally, she would get home, bathe, and go to bed at around twelve. I suppose it's pretty basic information, but it's quite something to hear it from the horse's mouth, じゃない?
It was at this point that I bade farewell to my friend and her friends. You see, the way her program runs, she's on an American educational calendar. Which means that she has class tomorrow. I decided to head back to the main shopping area at Shijo and Teramachi and do some shopping. The first thing I wanted to do was head back to the Nishiki Market, because I wanted to buy some omiyage for the rents and some friends in Hiroshima. I figure that since I dont know exactly what they want, food would be a good idea. And Nishiki Market is the place for food, though unfortunately the greater part of the food there either needs to be eaten right away or refrigerated. I saw some dried ホタテ, which I knew the rents and my aunty would enjoy, but I didnt get to the store in time. Unfortunately, it was closed, which means I'll need to pay another visit to the market. I did find some small candy type things that I got for my friends in Hiroshima, as well as some 金平糖 for my oldest nephew.
Now that I had some of my omiyage stuff done, I decided to shop for myself. The first store I headed to was Chicago, which my friend recommended to me. They're a second hand shop, and while the first floor has the usual western style clothes, its second floor is devoted to 和服. I headed to the second floor, and indeed, there were several racks full of kimono. As is usual, more than three quarters of the shop is woman's wear, but I eventually made it to the mens section. The yukata section wasnt a bit small, but the kimono section was much larger. I know that men's kimono are duller than women's kimono, but I was a bit taken aback here. There were just two sections: the dark blue section and the brown section. And within each section were either dark blue kimono or brown kimono. While I didnt want the colorful floral prints or dazzling designs of a woman's kimono, I was hoping for something more...interesting. Unfortunately, I already have a dark blue kimono thanks to my sempai, so I didn't really feel I should buy another one. I wanted to buy a haori, but I decided against it because I didnt know when I would wear one. But this was not a bust! I looked over at the obi section, and found a beautiful obi that I decided to buy. The field is a royal blue type, and the design of hammers (good luck, if I'm not mistaken) is worked in gold and silver thread. It's also in really good condition, which made its price of 2000￥ quite a bargain. Part of me wants to buy a kimono from that store just so I can dress up and look amazing, but since I already have what they are selling, it might be cheaper and more sensible to just have my kimono sent her from Hawaii. I dont know, I'm still on the fence.
The other thing that I'm really happy to have bought is a pair of earrings! It was way expensive for two tiny pieces of metal, and they're not the most AMAZING earrings you ever did see, but considering I cant wear most of the earrings I see, I was okay with paying twenty dollars for it. When I entered the shop, I was a bit worried, because I dont know how to say in Japanese, "Excuse me, do you have any earrings that arent made with nickel, because I have an allergic reaction to that, and I dont want my ears to fall off, please and thank you". But somehow, 店長さん figured out what I wanted and said that the earrings I was looking at were made of stainless steel and okay for allergic people (Fun fact: He's allergic too!). They're two black stars, and I really like them. They're simple, and yet they're kinda eye catching. While paying for them, I struck up a conversation with 店長さん, where he complemented me on my Japanese (「僕より上手いっすね」と言ったけど、嘘じゃよね) and was amused that Hiroshima University is in the middle of nowhwere. I want to wear them right now! But I want to clean them first, as well as my ears. I dont have any alcohol with me, but I'm debating whether or not I can get by with just the body wash in the hotel bathroom. I'm pretty excited to finally have some new earrings!
After eating dinner at Moss Burger, I decided to head back to my hotel. My feet were aching, my wallet dangerously empty, and it was getting late (I dont know why, but everything closes so early here! In 西条, most businesses begin to shut down at ten, not a quarter to eight!). However, I couldnt find the subway station that I needed! I walked up and down 四条通り, and a few other streets too, but I simply could not find it. I finally decided to enter the train station, which I knew at some point intersected with the subway station. After walking for about ten minutes down possibly the entire length of the station, I finally made it to the ticket machines for 四条駅. It was at this point that I had an unfortunate encounter with an old person. This tiny little old Japanese lady came up to me and asked me which train she should take. However, there were a few problems: 1. She was speaking Japanese, which (contrary to popular belief) I dont fully understand; 2. I'm like 98% sure she was speaking some form of 関西弁, which I also dont understand; 3. She was an old Japanese lady, and if you've ever met an old Japanese person, you know they dont enunciate well; and 4. I'm not from Kyoto, so I dont know any other line besides the 烏丸線 which links Kyoto station with Shijo. I felt so bad for not being able to help her! If you know me, you KNOW that old people are my weakness. I will do almost whatever they ask me to do, and if I cant, I feel really bad later. I had to tell her that because I was from Hiroshima (white lie, but it's kinda true), I didnt know the subway system well enough. The last I saw of her, she was talking to another guy, and I really hope he knew where she was going. 神様、あのおばあちゃんは安全に行き先へ行って連れましたか。 >____< After making it to Kyoto Station, I had no other mishaps getting back to my hotel.
Today was another good day in Kyoto. I made a few new friends, saw some beautiful dancing, and got in some serious shopping. I am pooped! Tomorrow is Monday, and my friend has school, so I wont be seeing her. I'll be more on my own, which could be a good thing (マイペースでオッケー), or a bad thing (HUGE CHANCE OF GETTING LOST). After a short skype session with the rents, I'm heading to 東寺 for their flea market. After that, I'm thinking of paying a short visit to the two 本願寺 headquarters. I may add more trips in, depending on what I get done, and how much time/money I have. But for today, I think it's time I showered and went to bed.
The restaurant we had lunch at today was called Hale, and was located in the Nishiki Market. It took us awhile to get there, because I think it was everyone's first time there. We had to ask two people for directions, because we missed it several times. Only the door of the restaurant faced the street; except for a tiny little sign, there was nothing to suggest that behind the door was a small little restaurant that specialized in organically produced food. We had the 湯葉あんかけ丼. Photography was banned in the shop, so I dont really know how to explain what it was, but if you've had any kind of どんぶりもの, then you basically have an idea of what I had. It was a set, so it came with 漬物 and tea. I must admit, when I was told where we were going, I was a bit afraid, because (as stupid as this sounds), the healthier the food, the less I enjoy it. But I'm happy to report that I was very, very wrong. The don was very good, and I recommend it to anyone who comes to Kyoto and/or can find the shop.
After a bit of walking and some riding, we got to the museum where the performance was. I had a bit of deja vu when it started. Why did if feel like I had seen it before if I had never been to this museum? After thinking about it, I realised I had seen it, through the wonderful invention we know as Youtube!
That isnt exactly what we saw, but it was at the same place, and I'm fairly certain they did both of these songs. If you ever go to Kyoto, one thing you can count on either seeing or being told to see are the maiko and geiko. On the off chance you dont know anything about them, you can check out this website, which I think is pretty legit. I would go into detail here, but I think it lies outside of the scope of my blog. Since I've been to Kyoto before, I know enough about the maiko to be disinclined to go to everything they appear at, but they are undeniably beautiful and skilled. You dont get to see this kind of dance performed in person very often, so was happy I got to see it, and I enjoyed it very much. They are so graceful! I cant imagine how hard they practice to get that way. After each dance, the announcer woman would ask the maiko a question. I did enjoy this part, because it was really questions about their lifestyle. One was, "Do you put on your own makeup, or does someone do it for you?" The maiko responded that it takes her from half to a full hour to put it on, but she does it herself. Of course, her kimono is put on by a professional dresser
It was at this point that I bade farewell to my friend and her friends. You see, the way her program runs, she's on an American educational calendar. Which means that she has class tomorrow. I decided to head back to the main shopping area at Shijo and Teramachi and do some shopping. The first thing I wanted to do was head back to the Nishiki Market, because I wanted to buy some omiyage for the rents and some friends in Hiroshima. I figure that since I dont know exactly what they want, food would be a good idea. And Nishiki Market is the place for food, though unfortunately the greater part of the food there either needs to be eaten right away or refrigerated. I saw some dried ホタテ, which I knew the rents and my aunty would enjoy, but I didnt get to the store in time. Unfortunately, it was closed, which means I'll need to pay another visit to the market. I did find some small candy type things that I got for my friends in Hiroshima, as well as some 金平糖 for my oldest nephew.
Now that I had some of my omiyage stuff done, I decided to shop for myself. The first store I headed to was Chicago, which my friend recommended to me. They're a second hand shop, and while the first floor has the usual western style clothes, its second floor is devoted to 和服. I headed to the second floor, and indeed, there were several racks full of kimono. As is usual, more than three quarters of the shop is woman's wear, but I eventually made it to the mens section. The yukata section wasnt a bit small, but the kimono section was much larger. I know that men's kimono are duller than women's kimono, but I was a bit taken aback here. There were just two sections: the dark blue section and the brown section. And within each section were either dark blue kimono or brown kimono. While I didnt want the colorful floral prints or dazzling designs of a woman's kimono, I was hoping for something more...interesting. Unfortunately, I already have a dark blue kimono thanks to my sempai, so I didn't really feel I should buy another one. I wanted to buy a haori, but I decided against it because I didnt know when I would wear one. But this was not a bust! I looked over at the obi section, and found a beautiful obi that I decided to buy. The field is a royal blue type, and the design of hammers (good luck, if I'm not mistaken) is worked in gold and silver thread. It's also in really good condition, which made its price of 2000￥ quite a bargain. Part of me wants to buy a kimono from that store just so I can dress up and look amazing, but since I already have what they are selling, it might be cheaper and more sensible to just have my kimono sent her from Hawaii. I dont know, I'm still on the fence.
The other thing that I'm really happy to have bought is a pair of earrings! It was way expensive for two tiny pieces of metal, and they're not the most AMAZING earrings you ever did see, but considering I cant wear most of the earrings I see, I was okay with paying twenty dollars for it. When I entered the shop, I was a bit worried, because I dont know how to say in Japanese, "Excuse me, do you have any earrings that arent made with nickel, because I have an allergic reaction to that, and I dont want my ears to fall off, please and thank you". But somehow, 店長さん figured out what I wanted and said that the earrings I was looking at were made of stainless steel and okay for allergic people (Fun fact: He's allergic too!). They're two black stars, and I really like them. They're simple, and yet they're kinda eye catching. While paying for them, I struck up a conversation with 店長さん, where he complemented me on my Japanese (「僕より上手いっすね」と言ったけど、嘘じゃよね) and was amused that Hiroshima University is in the middle of nowhwere. I want to wear them right now! But I want to clean them first, as well as my ears. I dont have any alcohol with me, but I'm debating whether or not I can get by with just the body wash in the hotel bathroom. I'm pretty excited to finally have some new earrings!
After eating dinner at Moss Burger, I decided to head back to my hotel. My feet were aching, my wallet dangerously empty, and it was getting late (I dont know why, but everything closes so early here! In 西条, most businesses begin to shut down at ten, not a quarter to eight!). However, I couldnt find the subway station that I needed! I walked up and down 四条通り, and a few other streets too, but I simply could not find it. I finally decided to enter the train station, which I knew at some point intersected with the subway station. After walking for about ten minutes down possibly the entire length of the station, I finally made it to the ticket machines for 四条駅. It was at this point that I had an unfortunate encounter with an old person. This tiny little old Japanese lady came up to me and asked me which train she should take. However, there were a few problems: 1. She was speaking Japanese, which (contrary to popular belief) I dont fully understand; 2. I'm like 98% sure she was speaking some form of 関西弁, which I also dont understand; 3. She was an old Japanese lady, and if you've ever met an old Japanese person, you know they dont enunciate well; and 4. I'm not from Kyoto, so I dont know any other line besides the 烏丸線 which links Kyoto station with Shijo. I felt so bad for not being able to help her! If you know me, you KNOW that old people are my weakness. I will do almost whatever they ask me to do, and if I cant, I feel really bad later. I had to tell her that because I was from Hiroshima (white lie, but it's kinda true), I didnt know the subway system well enough. The last I saw of her, she was talking to another guy, and I really hope he knew where she was going. 神様、あのおばあちゃんは安全に行き先へ行って連れましたか。 >____< After making it to Kyoto Station, I had no other mishaps getting back to my hotel.
Today was another good day in Kyoto. I made a few new friends, saw some beautiful dancing, and got in some serious shopping. I am pooped! Tomorrow is Monday, and my friend has school, so I wont be seeing her. I'll be more on my own, which could be a good thing (マイペースでオッケー), or a bad thing (HUGE CHANCE OF GETTING LOST). After a short skype session with the rents, I'm heading to 東寺 for their flea market. After that, I'm thinking of paying a short visit to the two 本願寺 headquarters. I may add more trips in, depending on what I get done, and how much time/money I have. But for today, I think it's time I showered and went to bed.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Walk and Shop
My day started very early today. For whatever reason, my eyes flew open at 7:30 AM and refused to go back down. I tried to close them and get more sleep, but my body refused. I'm a bit irritated with myself. I can wake up at 7:30 when I'm on vacation and relaxing, but I cant wake up at 8:00 to make my classes, which are far more important?! Although I suppose it's better than being late, I still cant believe it. I got ready and headed downstairs and tried out Seattle's Best. I should have gotten coffee, but I felt like having hot chocolate, and bought a pastrami sandwhich too. It was a bit expensive, but it was very delicious, so I'm okay with it. I headed to the station and promptly got lost trying to find an ATM. I was looking for the ゆちょう銀行 ATM I saw last night, but I couldnt find it; I ended up heading to the 7-11 that's next to my hotel, and withdrew money there. After wandering around a little bit more, I bought my ticket for the subway and headed to the station where I would meet my friend. I was a bit early to the meeting place, so I walked around some more at 四条通り until twelve o'clock rolled around. Outside of the Krispy Kreme store, I finally saw my friend. I hadnt seen here in such a long time, I didnt notice her until she was waving me in the face.
My friend is studying here in Kyoto, at Doshisha University. Although she's with a mainland college, UHM also has a trading relationship with the school. Unfortunately, this semester, I didnt know any of the UHM kids studying there, so there is no one else here in this city I want to hang out. On the other hand, a friend of mine in Hawaii is going to be up here next semester. Although they'll be in different programs (and apparently different campuses), I want to introduce them to each other. It's always nice to see a friendly face, and rely on the experiences of another person that knows what it's like. In other words, I think I'll be making another trip to Kyoto either at the end of March, or perhaps the beginning of April. ^_^
Although I've been to Kyoto before, I've never been to 銀閣寺 and the Philosopher's Walk before. They're both in the northern part of the city, and this is where my friend decided to take me today. Ginkakuji is not actually covered in silver, as its name would have you believe. Apparently it was never finished, which made me remark that maybe it should be called 未銀閣寺, or Unfinished Ginkakuji. But the garden which surrounds it is quite beautiful, and I did enjoy walking around it. After that, we walked around, and went into another shrine complex nearby. I have no idea what it's called, but apparently, one of the 神 enshrined there is one of the older kami, who came before Izanagi and Izanami. In any case, we entered the complex and made it up to the shrine. After giving my offering and praying a bit, I decided to play omikuji. I think it was a good one, so I kept it.
Because my friend doesnt spend a lot of time in that section of the city, she didnt fullly understand the bus system there. After getting frustrated, we decided to walk down 今出川通り, which is a HUGE stretch of road. But it was fun to walk there, because we passed by many interesting buildings, like a shrine to Hachimangu (I think) and Kyoto University. When we got to the 加茂川, we stopped a bit because of the turtle stones. To cross the river, you can either walk across a regular bridge, or you can walk over the stones that cross the river. A few of the stones are shaped into turtles! I thought it was the cutest thing. We didnt cross the river, but it was such a site to see. My friend told me that it must look pretty during the spring, and that she hoped to have a picnic near the river. I hope she can! 景色が綺麗なはずなんだよ。
Another trip on the subway (different line) brought us to our next destination, which was another part of 四条. I dont know what it's called in Japanese, but one of the English maps I have called it a shopping arcade, and the similar location in 広島市 is called 本通. In any case, it's a covered set of streets, lined with hundreds of different shops with various things for sale. Today, I mostly did window shopping, just to see what was for sale. My interest was picqued by the many clothing stores, some of which had some really interesting things for sale. I especially was taken by a pair of jeans, that had two family crests on the pockets. However, it was about $240, which is FAR too much for a pair of jeans in my opinion. Part of this area also links up to the Nishiki Market, which the Internet said is a good place to go shopping. They sell mostly food there, so at first I wasnt too keen on buying things there, but I soon changed my mind. While there were many foods there that need to be refriderated and/or eaten very soon, there was also a lot of dried foods and others that can be stored for a long time. I think I will buy some omiyage there, because it'll last if I hold it on me until I go back, or mail it before then.
My friend also wanted to show me another department store that she absolutely loves. I had heard about Loft from one of the girls in my program at Hiroshima, but I have never been in it. But it is another interesting store, with a lot of products I've never seen before. My friend has a thing for elephants, and really wanted to buy the elephant shaped clock in the lobby. I was interested in the many items they had in the housewares department. The many greeting cards they had there too was huge too. There were small cards and big cards, and even little books that had a birthday greeting within them. I wonder if I will go there again, because there are several birthdays next month, and I dont think I can buy those cards in Hiroshima.
I'm sure you're wondering what I bought, right? Like I said, I was mostly interested in looking around, so I didnt buy a lot of things I wanted. However, I have been looking for a small messenger bag for the longest time. I dont like stuffing my pockets full of things, and sometimes I need to carry slightly bulky items. But my school bag is a little too big, and gets in the way of things. But I found a small messenger bag that holds just enough, and looks pretty nondescript. I also did プリクラ for the first time since I've been here. I thought all of our pictures came out really cute, and it was so much fun. I really want to do プリクラ again with more friends!
I bet you're also wondering what I ate today too? For lunch, we went to a 回転すし, which I havent been able to eat at yet. In fact, since coming to Japan, I havent had ANY sushi, which is both ironic and also a bit pathetic. So as you can imagine, I enjoyed this lunch VERY much. I had うなぎ, エビフライ, and also から揚げ. Okay, maybe that last one isnt sushi, but I get it any time I can. =P For dinner, we went to a Korean restaurant near the shopping area. My friend said it's the best Korean restaurant she's been to, and I am inclined to agree. I had the bibimbap, which my second favorite Korean food (the first being mandoo). While I got the normal bibimbap, my friend got hers served in a stone bowl, which made the rice all browned and crunchy. It was a bit on the expensive side, but this was definitely worth it. I dont have a lot of experience eating Korean food, but I definitely think that this restaurant was pretty flippin good. Because this filled us up, we didnt have any dessert type foods. Next to the Korean place was a store selling Hawaiian yogurt. Not sure what makes yogurt Hawaiian, but the music they played there definitely made me think of home. Also, a churro shop has recently opened, and because I've never had a churro, my friend wanted to take me there. Oh well, there will definitely be a next time, so I will eventually try these two places.
Today was definitely a good day. First of all, I got to catch up with a friend, and I really enjoyed hearing how her homestay is going. I also saw parts of Kyoto that I've never really been to, and saw tons of shopping places I absolutely must see before I leave here. And finally, I had so much delicious food, and found out other places that I need to try before I leave. I've been invited to hang out with her friends tomorrow, and I have to meet them at 11:30 AM. I dont want to be late, so I should go to sleep soon. And so ends the second day of my Kyoto vacation.
My friend is studying here in Kyoto, at Doshisha University. Although she's with a mainland college, UHM also has a trading relationship with the school. Unfortunately, this semester, I didnt know any of the UHM kids studying there, so there is no one else here in this city I want to hang out. On the other hand, a friend of mine in Hawaii is going to be up here next semester. Although they'll be in different programs (and apparently different campuses), I want to introduce them to each other. It's always nice to see a friendly face, and rely on the experiences of another person that knows what it's like. In other words, I think I'll be making another trip to Kyoto either at the end of March, or perhaps the beginning of April. ^_^
Although I've been to Kyoto before, I've never been to 銀閣寺 and the Philosopher's Walk before. They're both in the northern part of the city, and this is where my friend decided to take me today. Ginkakuji is not actually covered in silver, as its name would have you believe. Apparently it was never finished, which made me remark that maybe it should be called 未銀閣寺, or Unfinished Ginkakuji. But the garden which surrounds it is quite beautiful, and I did enjoy walking around it. After that, we walked around, and went into another shrine complex nearby. I have no idea what it's called, but apparently, one of the 神 enshrined there is one of the older kami, who came before Izanagi and Izanami. In any case, we entered the complex and made it up to the shrine. After giving my offering and praying a bit, I decided to play omikuji. I think it was a good one, so I kept it.
Because my friend doesnt spend a lot of time in that section of the city, she didnt fullly understand the bus system there. After getting frustrated, we decided to walk down 今出川通り, which is a HUGE stretch of road. But it was fun to walk there, because we passed by many interesting buildings, like a shrine to Hachimangu (I think) and Kyoto University. When we got to the 加茂川, we stopped a bit because of the turtle stones. To cross the river, you can either walk across a regular bridge, or you can walk over the stones that cross the river. A few of the stones are shaped into turtles! I thought it was the cutest thing. We didnt cross the river, but it was such a site to see. My friend told me that it must look pretty during the spring, and that she hoped to have a picnic near the river. I hope she can! 景色が綺麗なはずなんだよ。
Another trip on the subway (different line) brought us to our next destination, which was another part of 四条. I dont know what it's called in Japanese, but one of the English maps I have called it a shopping arcade, and the similar location in 広島市 is called 本通. In any case, it's a covered set of streets, lined with hundreds of different shops with various things for sale. Today, I mostly did window shopping, just to see what was for sale. My interest was picqued by the many clothing stores, some of which had some really interesting things for sale. I especially was taken by a pair of jeans, that had two family crests on the pockets. However, it was about $240, which is FAR too much for a pair of jeans in my opinion. Part of this area also links up to the Nishiki Market, which the Internet said is a good place to go shopping. They sell mostly food there, so at first I wasnt too keen on buying things there, but I soon changed my mind. While there were many foods there that need to be refriderated and/or eaten very soon, there was also a lot of dried foods and others that can be stored for a long time. I think I will buy some omiyage there, because it'll last if I hold it on me until I go back, or mail it before then.
My friend also wanted to show me another department store that she absolutely loves. I had heard about Loft from one of the girls in my program at Hiroshima, but I have never been in it. But it is another interesting store, with a lot of products I've never seen before. My friend has a thing for elephants, and really wanted to buy the elephant shaped clock in the lobby. I was interested in the many items they had in the housewares department. The many greeting cards they had there too was huge too. There were small cards and big cards, and even little books that had a birthday greeting within them. I wonder if I will go there again, because there are several birthdays next month, and I dont think I can buy those cards in Hiroshima.
I'm sure you're wondering what I bought, right? Like I said, I was mostly interested in looking around, so I didnt buy a lot of things I wanted. However, I have been looking for a small messenger bag for the longest time. I dont like stuffing my pockets full of things, and sometimes I need to carry slightly bulky items. But my school bag is a little too big, and gets in the way of things. But I found a small messenger bag that holds just enough, and looks pretty nondescript. I also did プリクラ for the first time since I've been here. I thought all of our pictures came out really cute, and it was so much fun. I really want to do プリクラ again with more friends!
I bet you're also wondering what I ate today too? For lunch, we went to a 回転すし, which I havent been able to eat at yet. In fact, since coming to Japan, I havent had ANY sushi, which is both ironic and also a bit pathetic. So as you can imagine, I enjoyed this lunch VERY much. I had うなぎ, エビフライ, and also から揚げ. Okay, maybe that last one isnt sushi, but I get it any time I can. =P For dinner, we went to a Korean restaurant near the shopping area. My friend said it's the best Korean restaurant she's been to, and I am inclined to agree. I had the bibimbap, which my second favorite Korean food (the first being mandoo). While I got the normal bibimbap, my friend got hers served in a stone bowl, which made the rice all browned and crunchy. It was a bit on the expensive side, but this was definitely worth it. I dont have a lot of experience eating Korean food, but I definitely think that this restaurant was pretty flippin good. Because this filled us up, we didnt have any dessert type foods. Next to the Korean place was a store selling Hawaiian yogurt. Not sure what makes yogurt Hawaiian, but the music they played there definitely made me think of home. Also, a churro shop has recently opened, and because I've never had a churro, my friend wanted to take me there. Oh well, there will definitely be a next time, so I will eventually try these two places.
Today was definitely a good day. First of all, I got to catch up with a friend, and I really enjoyed hearing how her homestay is going. I also saw parts of Kyoto that I've never really been to, and saw tons of shopping places I absolutely must see before I leave here. And finally, I had so much delicious food, and found out other places that I need to try before I leave. I've been invited to hang out with her friends tomorrow, and I have to meet them at 11:30 AM. I dont want to be late, so I should go to sleep soon. And so ends the second day of my Kyoto vacation.
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