aaaand we're back

It has been some time since my last post, I realize.  Rather than explaining my absence, an observation:

In Tokyo, there are bathhouses all around the city, sort of like mini-onsen, where people congregate to bathe and soak in the hot tubs, usually in the evening.  When I say people I mean older people, generally.  At onsen, you're likely to see bathers of all ages, but at neighborhood bathhouses, in my limited experience, one is unlikely to see anyone under the age of 35.  Also, no tattoos, but that is a whole other story.

Now, in addition to bathhouses, which generally run you between 400 and 600 yen, there are also coin showers located in various places around the city, which are presumably cheaper.  Unlike the bathhouse, they are no frills affairs.  I really have a hard time figuring out the coin shower thing, and ask Jeff frequently when passing "who uses those things?!"  

Having never seen the actual showers themselves, I was curious tonight when I walked by the cluster on our street this evening and some of the doors were wide open, so I popped my head in one.  Eeew.  "Reallly, WHO uses those things?!"  

From what I understand, resulting from the bathhouse culture that still exists to some extent in Japan, there are apartments that simply do not have a shower.  People who live in them must go to the bathhouse or (if they are cheap and not weary of foot fungus) the coin showers to bathe.  Maybe it's my western prejudice, but (with the exception of while camping in state parks and with the protection of rubber flip flops) I could never bring myself to a) live in an apartment without a shower or b) use the skeevy coin showers on the street corner.  

An actual post about what we've been up to in the last month to come. Soon.

superlatives

Kyoto has this temple called Chion-in which, like Texas, embraced the motto "bigger is better" and ran with it.  

Exhibit number one: The biggest gate in Japan

Maybe a little perspective would be helpful.

My dad, in the blue top and red backpack at the top of the stairs, is about 10 feet in front of the huge wooden post of the directly behind him.  The thing is HUGE. 

Exhibit number two: the huge, steep stairs (not the tallest or steepest we've seen in Japan, but a good effort)

Almost there.  Ouch.  The smile is hiding the burning in my quads.  And I'm fairly certain I was muttering "stop taking my picture!" through my clenched teeth. 

Exhibit number three: the biggest main temple in Japan

Beyond just being absolutely ginormous, the building was also very cool for it's "nightingale floor" on what is best described to a westerner as a wrap-around porch.  The floor was specifically designed to "sing"(squeak) when walked on, making it difficult for intruders to move about quietly.  Or teenagers to sneak out at night.

Exhibit number four: the biggest bell in Japan

A picture could not possibly convey how big this thing is.  Unless there were six of me holding hands in a circle around it. If there were no fence preventing me from getting close.  And five more of me.  

In the words of Billy Fucillo (one thing I DO NOT miss from America) HUUUUGGGGGGGEEah.    Apparently it takes 17 monks to ring the bell for the New Year's ceremonies.  That big log with the white thing at the end is what they use to ring it. 

 I think our whole apartment might fit into the bell. 

Mata ne,
Melissa

hanami at The Philosopher's Path

Our first beautiful day in Kyoto was the perfect day to really play with my new camera.  Meet the Nikon D5000.  She and the Philosopher's Path are now well acquainted.



The Philosoher's Path is a 2 km walkway from Ginkakuji, the disappointing (non)Silver Temple, past several temples and heading downtown.  As I mentioned we were in Kyoto during sakura season, when the cherry trees lining the path were in full bloom.  It is a particularly popular path for hanami, flower viewing, but we started from the less popular end and had quite a pleasant stroll. 

My Thinking Man on the Philosopher's Path

Was it pretty?  Yes.

Do I feel smarter?  No.

Should you check it out?  Absolutely.

Mata ne,
Melissa

meeting expectations

As you may recall from our previous visit to Kyoto, I was a bit underwhelmed by the Ginkakuji, the Silver Temple.  Turns out, it isn't silver.

Well, Kinkakuji, the Golden Temple, on the other hand, is spectacular.  It's covered in gold! 

And I was extra excited to take pictures of it using my newly procured super fancy Nikon camera.  (See it there, hanging off my hip?  I'm still getting the hang of it - any advice is appreciated!)

The Newlyweds (we are two curly-haired Jews on a humid day, what do you expect our hair to look like?)

The Not-so-Newlyweds

Jeff and mom holding their omamori, which are small trinkets you can buy at temples for good luck and success.  Jeff's was for academic success.  I think my mom's was for safe driving.  How she's survived the last 35 years of driving without it is beyond me.

 (Editor's note:  Jeff just asked "Why do I look like Ronald McDonald?)

Mata ne,
Melissa

kyoto in the rain, take two

After a few days in Tokyo, we hopped aboard a shinkansen (bullet train) and headed to Kyoto.  Those of you who, like our Vice President, have only enjoyed the pleasure of an Amtrak train should take note, a shinkansen is a step above.  Nicer than your average late model airplane and complete with reclining seats, western toilets, and flight attendants, the shinkansen gets you to a destination across Japan faster and in comfort and style.  Needless to say, I was excited for the trip, in spite of the early boarding time. 

When we got to Kyoto it was raining so we dropped our luggage off at the ryokan and went right to lunch at the original Tenka Ippin, a Japan-famous ramen restaurant.  As usual, Jeff and I ordered ours niku nuki, without meat, and I got the small size.  This in no way means I had a healthy lunch.

Two things: 
1. I eat way too much ramen.  Arguably, any ramen is too much ramen because it is NOT good for you.   
2. I can justify eating way too much ramen while I am living here, knowing that I won't be able to get it in America.  It is near impossible to find "good" ramen in America.  In fact, we don't know of any.  

Tenka Ippin did live up to its reputation, by the way.  Yum. 

Because it was such a gross day, we decided to explore the Nishiki Market in central Kyoto.  It is a thoroughly modern arcade-style market filled with everything from ABC mart, the ever-present shoe store, to small stalls selling exotic ingredients for a traditional Japanese dinner, to a 400 year old family business selling very cool looking, and very expensive, knives. 

It was a rainy day, and every tourist in Kyoto had the same idea as us.  The Nishiki Market was packed.

Many people are surprised to see temples scattered about a modern-looking city, and mixed in with the clothing and souvenir stores throughout the market are several examples of century-old temples and shrines. 

After we'd had enough wandering around we sought out another of my mother's must-dos in Japan: shabu shabu and sukiyaki.  These are both distinctly Japanese methods of cooking very thinly sliced meat, and this restaurant happened to provide a split pot for enjoying both of them.  The fancy set-up:

 It's a Japanese style private room where you sit on the floor at a hori-kotatsu (a kotatsu, in this case, with your feet tucked in a recessed hole under the table).  

They're excited.  My dad because of the amount of meat on the table (it's bottomless as well) and my mom because she's apparently been hearing about this from her friend Cindi since she booked the tickets.
For the record, shabu shabu is swished through a boiling broth (yes, that is the best word for it - shabu shabu is the onomatopoeia for the swishing motion) of vegetables and tofu.  Sukiyaki is grilled/sauteed in a shallow dark broth with onions and a weird tofu (and potentially other vegetables, but we can't remember).

After dinner, we were feeling a little tired from the travel and a little soggy from the rainy weather so we went back to the ryokan to hang out.  We were in Kyoto during sakura season and reasonably priced accommodations meant that we were a little cramped for the first night. 

Those are the futons for all four of us.  Good thing we're family. 

More of Kyoto to come...

Mata ne,
Melissa