Hiroshima

In the morning after breakfast, Akemi and I took a taxi to the Kyoto Train Station.  In my previous visit, I spent some time at the station.  It's one of the nicest train stations.  It's more than a train station.  It's really like a shopping complex, anchored by Isetan, a big Japanese department store.  When Takeshi took me here in 2010, we went to a very upscale restaurant in one of the buildings nearby.  It was my first time eating traditional Japanese food - about 10 courses, each course a beautiful presentation of fish, meat, tofu, etc.  It was like a dinner spun into a poem.

There is an express train called the Nozomi but the JR Pass I have does not include that.  I think it's because it's an express train and has a higher fare.  I took the Shinkansen Hikari 463 to Shin-Osaka, had 9 minutes to look for the platform for the Shinkansen Sakura 553, then found an empty seat in the front of Car No. 1 and sat there.  I was not able to get a seat reservation this time because I did not plan ahead.  I thought it'd be like the other shinkansens that I took, that I will always be able to get a reserve seat.  But, apparently, the Kyoto to Hiroshima route is very popular because after a few stops the train got very crowded.  Some passengers were standing, which I have not seen on other trains before.  By the time I arrived at the Hiroshima Train Station, the first thing I did was reserve a seat on the train from Hiroshima to Fukuoka two days later.

At the Hiroshima Train Station, I took the No. 1 streetcar to Hatchobori Station, then walked about 10 minutes to the Oriental Hotel.  It costs ￥160 or about $1.50.  It was slightly drizzling when I walked to the hotel.

The mention of the name Hiroshima conjures an image of a city devastated by the atomic bomb.  But, that was 72 years ago!  Americans just can't let go of that image or that moment in history.  Yes, the Japanese can't forget either.  It was and still is the first place to be intentionally bombed by an atomic bomb.  Hiroshima remembers the occasion by building  the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, which holds two prominent memorial:  the Peace Memorial Museum and the Atomic Bomb Dome.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

Atomic Bomb Dome

Going through the museum is a somber experience, just like going through the Nazi concentration camp in Auschwitz or the Killing Fields in Cambodia.  It reminds one of how powerful a nuclear bomb can be and why war should be avoided at all cost.  Today's nuclear bombs are a lot more powerful and will definitely kill a lot more people.  The sufferings that the residents of Hiroshima went through cannot be imagined.

The Atomic Bomb Dome is the remnant of a building that was close to where the bomb exploded.  Most of the building was blown away but miraculously, the structure withstood the explosion.  The City of Hiroshima intends to preserve this structure to remind the world of the bomb's devastation.

On the map that was given to me by the hotel, I found that they have a hop-on, hop-off bus running around the city.  I have taken many of this type of buses in other cities and I find it an inexpensive and quick way of seeing a city.  Fortunately, with the JR Pass I could ride the bus for free, by just showing my pass.  It continued to rain that afternoon and the next morning so I took the bus and went to the Museums of Contemporary Art and the Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum.  Next to this museum is a beautiful garden near called Shukkei-en.  I spent some time here taking pictures of the cherry blossoms and the area around the lake.  Some of these museums offer discounts or free admission for those over 65.

Cherry Blossoms in bloom at the Shukkei-en Garden

Museum of Contemporary Art

Shukkei-en Garden

White and Pink Blossoms on the same tree

A beautiful lake in the Garden

The rain stopped in the afternoon so I walked to the nearby Hiroshima Castle.  On the way I stopped at a small restaurant across the museum and had a very nice lunch for around ￥900.

A bowl of ramen noodle soup, gyoza (Japanese pot-stickers) and a small bowl of rice for lunch

I took a quick tour of Hiroshima Castle, then starting walking back towards the Peace Memorial Garden, hoping to take some better pictures now that the rain has stopped.

Hiroshima Castle, framed by cherry blossoms

Near the hotel is a popular shopping and entertainment area.  It consists of a long covered pedestrian mall and continue towards a couple of streets that filled with bars, karaoke lounges, restaurants, etc. Most people don't realize that karaoke started in Japan.  They continue to be very popular here.  Some of them have private rooms when you can gather with your friends and eat and sing to your heart's content.

The chef at this restaurant where I ate was very friendly.  Above him is the menu in tablets.

Hon-Dori shopping area

Hiroshima is famous for its oysters

A Toy Shop

A restaurant in the entertainment area

Today's Hiroshima is a beautiful spread-out city.  It's lively and the people are very friendly.  In spite of its past, it has moved on and rebuild itself.

Kyoto

I walked around Koyasan for a couple of hours before taking the city bus to the Koyasan Station, which is also the terminal for the cable car.  I took the cable car down to Gokurakubashi, then a 77-minute  Nankai train ride to Shinimamiya.  Here I quickly walked across the station to the JR part of the station and took a 36-minute JR train ride to Kyoto.  It sounds complicated but the trains in Japan are so punctual that if you don't waste any time hanging around the station, you should be able to walk across to another platform and catch your connecting train in a matter of minutes.

At Kyoto Station, I met my friend Akemi at a coffee shop.  Together we took a subway and was supposed to walk 5 minutes to the Rupino Kyoto Horikawa Hotel.  Well, it never work that way.  We ended up walking about 30 minutes.  Somewhere in between, we saw the Imperial Palace and decided to take a short detour to take pictures of my first sighting of cherry blossoms.  A couple from China were also taking pictures (wedding maybe?) on the grounds and I tried to take a few shots of them.  Akemi called many hotels before finding the Rupino with rooms available.  That was about 3 months before we came.  This is the busiest time of the year for Kyoto.  Tourists from all over come here.  The tourist spots were so crowded that you are always bumping into someone.

Akemi was my guide.  I can't remember the names of all the places we went so I had to ask her to list them.  This is where we went on Day 1:

• Kiyomizu Temple
• Sannenzaka (or slope) Ninenzaka
• Kodaiji Temple
• Yasaka Shrine

We found a little place in the basement of a big building for dinner.  It turned out to be a good inexpensive authentic Japanese restaurant run by a Japanese owner/chef.

White Cherry Blossom

Pink Cherry Blossom

Kiyomizu-dera Temple

A Gate in the Gion Area

Sunset over Kyoto.  Taken at Kiyomizu-dera Temple

Korean Girl dressed in kimono posing for pictures

A Night Scene in Sannenzaka Ninenzaka

On the second day, we went to:

• Daigoji temple
• The Kyoto Imperial Gardens
• Nijyojyo Castle Garden

5-story Pagoda in the Shimo Daigo area of the Daigoji Temple

A Garden in the Daigoji Temple grounds

Bentendo Hall in the Daigoji Temple

A Gate in the Nijyojyo Castle Garden

Nijyojyo Castle Garden

That evening we treated ourselves to a fine traditional Japanese dinner at an upscale Japanese restaurant in the city center.  The restaurant is called Izumi, near the Bukoji Temple.  Unlike dinners at a ryokan, where all the courses come together at the same time, a traditional Japanese dinner is served one at a time, like any upscale Western dinner.  The focus here is on the presentation and quality of the food.  I think there are about 10 courses; I lost count.  Every course is like the work of an artist, in this case a chef.  It's like eating a "piece of art."  We sat at the counter, like a traditional sushi restaurant.  The waitresses gracefully served each dish.  It was a joy to be served by them, even though I did not under Japanese.  They try to explain each dish with a beautiful smile.

Business Card of the Izumi Restaurant

Sashimi

Fish

Tofu

Assorted plate decorated with cherry blossoms

The counter of the restaurant where we ate

On Day 3 we took an Arashiyama train to the town of Arashiyama, about an hour away.  This is a very popular tourist town, although it's usually grouped together with Kyoto.  I've never been here nor heard of the place but once I mentioned Arashiyama, everyone who has been here said how much they like the place.

We were lucky.  Akemi has a college friend, Mitsuko, who grew up here.  Naturally, she was our tour guide.  We met her at the train station at 10 am and the first place she took us was the Bamboo Groves, about 5 minutes from the train station.  Mitsuko said she jogs through here in the mornings.  Not surprisingly, it was very crowded.

Bamboo Groves

Next we walk through the small streets through town.  We stopped at a shop selling mochi, which is a popular rice cake in Japan.  They come in all shapes and forms and are usually small enough that they can be eaten in one or two bites.

Shop selling mochi

Mochi wrapped in leaves from the cherry tree.

We finally made our way to the Rakusisha Seiryoin Temple.

We then stopped by for coffee at the Suiran Hotel by the Katsura River and watched people boating or taking boats up and down and across the river.  Then we had a vegetarian lunch at the very popular Shigetsu restaurant.  One more stroll through the Tenryu-ji Zen Temple and the Sogenchi Garden, a beautiful garden with a variety of trees and many cherry blossom trees.  Finally, we had to walked across the famous Togetsukyo Bridge to the other side of town before taking a train back to Kyoto.

Cafe patio looking over the Katsura River

Zen Garden at Tenryu-ji Temple

Beautiful pink cherry blossoms at the Sogenchi Garden

Togetsukyo Bridge over the Katsura River

As a finale to our trip to Kyoto, we went downtown to an area where the canals and rivers are lined with cherry blossom trees.  At night they are illuminated with floodlights and throngs of tourists were strolling around snapping and posing for pictures

Canal lined with cherry blossom trees

Downtown Kyoto - lots of cherry blossoms trees and tourists.

I am not sure but I think Kyoto may be the most popular place in Japan to see cherry blossoms.  Not only were there a lot of foreign tourists, there were a lot of Japanese tourists as well.  The sakuras seem to be able to charm everyone.  Many Asian girls from neighboring countries, like China and Korea, come here and rent kimonos and walk around town, dressed like Japanese girls.

If you want to come here to view the cherry blossoms, my advice is to start booking hotel rooms 6 months in advance.  If you have only 1 week, I think the safest time is probably the first week of April.  Be prepared to pay high prices for a hotel room.

Koyasan

Mount Koya or Koyasan in Japanese, was founded in 819 by Buddhist monk Kobo Daishi Kukai.  After studying Buddhism in China, he came back to Japan, wanting to establish a monastery in the mountains.  Today it's an UNESCO World Heritage site and is actually a small town consisting mostly of temples and monasteries.  It is the headquarters of the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism.  Many of the monasteries also provide lodging, known as Shukubo.  I stayed in one of them - Saizenin.  It costs ￥10,260 or about US$93 for 1 night.

To get to Koyasan from Nara, I had to take two trains and a cable car.  There are many ways to get there by public transportation but none of them straightforward.  Some tourists drive up there.  First, I took a JR train from Nara to Shinimamiya.  Then I took a Nankai Railway train from Shinimamiya to Gokurakubashi, which is at the foot of the mountain.  Finally, I took a cable car from Gokurakubasi up to the town of Koyasan.  There's more.  To get to Saizenin, I took a local bus to the center of town, then walk about 1/2 mile to my lodging.  At Shinimamiya station I bought a combined train, cable car, local bus ticket from Nankai Railway for about ￥3,400.  It includes a reserved seat on the train, the cable car and unlimited rides on the local bus for 2 days.  On the way back I have to pay another ￥780 for a reserved seat on the train back to Shinimamiya.  What's the big deal about getting a reserved seat?  It means you get a reserved seat and not having to stand in case it's full.  It also usually means you ride on a nicer and not as crowded train.

Cable car up to Koyasan

Bus Terminal at Koyasan

The town folks are very helpful.  I guess they have to since the entire town depends solely on tourism.  I found the Saizenin monastery and was checked into the monastery by a young monk.  I didn't realize it at first, but they even take credit cards for payment.  After being shown to my room and walking around the facilities, I realized that this is no ordinary monastery.  The whole place is set up like a ryokan although functionally, it is a monastery.

Entrance to Saizenin Monastery

My room at Saizenin.  On the right, in the middle, is a kerosene heater

With only 1 day in Koyasan I wasted no time in trying to see as many places as possible.  Luckily, the most famous of the places is right across the street from Saizenin.  The Danjo Garan Complex consists of four buildings:  the Konpon Daito (Great Pagoda), Kondo (Great Hall), Fudodo, and Miedo (Portrait Hall),   Other places of interest include Daimon, Kongobuji, Reihokan Museum, Daishi Kyokai, and the Choishi-Michi Route.  Obviously I didn't have time to go to all of them.  I bought a combo ticket for six of the attractions:  Kongobuji Temple, Reihokan Museum, Konpon Daito, Kondo, Tokugawake Reidai, and a Jukai at Daishi Kyokai.  The last one is participating in a Buddhist service at a temple.  I visited all six places in a span of about 4 hours.  Some of them took only a few minutes to walk through.  Nevertheless, they were all very interesting observations of the history and culture of the Buddhist faith.

Konpon Daito

Kondo

Entrance to Reihokan Museum

Daishi Kyokai

Tokugawa Mausoleum

Kongobuji

Another important area in Koyasan is the Okunoin.  This is a cemetery and sacred area that extends 2 km.  In this area are towering cedar trees and amongst the trees are about 200,000 gravestones and memorial pagodas for important historical figures and commoners.  I only had time to walk about half-way but it was a pretty amazing sight to see all these tombstones scattered left and right of the path.  At the end of this path (which I didn't get to) is the Kobo Daishi Gobyo or Mausoleum of Kobo Daishi, where it is believed that he remains in eternal meditation concentrating on the liberation of all beings.  The mausoleum is the religious heart of Koyasan.

Okunoin - 200,000 tombstones among tall cedar trees

One of the tombstones in Okunoin

One interesting aspect of staying at a shukubo is that the meals are all vegan.  The Buddhists don't believe in killing any living creature.  So everything we ate was plant-based.  Soy provides most of the proteins, in the form of tofu or added to some of the other food.  Both meals were actually very tasty. With centuries of practice the Buddhists have refined their meals without killing any living things.

A vegan dinner

A vegan breakfast

It was an interesting visit to a sacred place.  Most Japanese have heard of Koyasan but very few have been there.  From Koyasan I go on to Kyoto.

October 14, 2017 Update:  The New York Times recently published an article on Koyasan.  If you are interested in reading it, here it is:   Seeing Solitude in Japan's Mountain Monasteries