Kyoto In The Spring Time

Our friend Eric Dunham came to Japan and invited us to a wine dinner he was hosting at the Kobe Bay Sheraton. Kim and I decided to make a little trip out of it and headed off to Kansai for the weekend. We got to Kobe on Wednesday evening where we met up with Eric and his fiance Luana for cocktails before the dinner. Dinner was exceptional with Eric talking about each of his wines that was paired by the chef and sommelier. It was unique to me because the wine was paired with Japanese inspired dishes. I found it fun and enlightening. My favorite was a fried foie gras paired with Riesling? I thought it was going to be impossible to enjoy together but I was proven wrong. We finished off the night in the lounge over some nice champagne and conversation.

The next day Kim and I were off to Kyoto. There we booked a room at a traditional Japanese ryokan. Being one of the busiest seasons in Kyoto, Kim found a little place called Ryokan Izuyasu online which the price included a traditional Japanese dinner and breakfast. It is located down a small side street and does not look like much from the outside. I would highly recommend it as it is close to the train station, clean, family operated (which made it genuinely pleasant), and an overall fun experience. We got to Kyoto around noon and check in was not until 4:00 in the afternoon. We dropped our bags off and headed out for some sight seeing.

First let me preface this by saying that the purpose of going to Kyoto (again) was to see the cherry blossoms which were forecast to bloom that week. Kyoto is the most spectacular place to see the cherry blossoms for several reasons: 1) there are many of them 2) you can visit many of the temples and gardens which are amazing when the blossoms are in full bloom 3) you can see many women dressed in traditional kimono walking around (if you are lucky as we were, you might even see maiko with their geisha).

We bought city bus passes which are 500 yen/day (or $5.00). We decided to head to Kiyomizu-Dera first. Because it is the busy season, the buses were packed, but for the price vs. a cab or train, it was bearable. When we finally got to Kiyomizu-Dera, it was already obvious that we were too early for the blossoms. It looked like we arrived a few days too soon... only a few trees bloomed and the rest seemed like they were about to. We made the best of it by taking pictures in front of only the trees with flowers.

Although the cherry blossoms were almost non-existent, the feeling of being in Kyoto during hanami was amazing. The weather was not particularly great as it was cold and did rain a bit, but you could tell that there was a buzz in the air. Japanese get really excited during this time as they have big celebrations in the parks around the city. As I mentioned before, Kyoto can be a very traditional city with many women wearing kimono. Kim and I were fortunate to run into some maiko and of course I had to take a photo with them!

I have to say that it looks like a pain in the ass to get into one of these things... not only are their layers of clothing to wear, but I can't imagine the time it takes to do their hair and put on all that makeup which runs down their back (I only know cause I took a picture... I don't know how far down it goes).

After Kiyomizu-Dera, it started to rain and we had to get back to the hotel for dinner. We walked down some side streets and found a few more trees with flowers. Then called it a day.

Himeiji Castle

During our week in Osaka, we had some free time and caught the train out to Himeiji (about 45 minutes). On my quest to visit as many of Japan's 26 castles, we spent the day touring the Himeiji Castle and its many surrounding samurai gardens. Himeiji Castle is by far the most popular castles in Japan and my favorite thus far. We were fortunate that the weather was remarkably nice on the day that we went. Blue and sunny skies allowed for a clear view of the castle from a distant. From the train station, you walk about a mile or so down a busy street that was once the outer moat protecting the castle. We were also fortunate when we arrived because they offered free English tours so Kim and I jumped on the opportunity. The guides name was Yamamoto San. The tour took almost 2 1/2 hours and was well worth it. Kim and I were the only ones in the group so Yamamoto San took his time explaining all the little details about the castle and it's many unique defense features. Aside from the high stone walls and many moats that most Japanese castles have, Himeiji was designed with many paths and illusional walls that trick possible attackers. For example, the picture above looks like a continuous brick wall or a likely dead end. It in fact leads to a secret path for soldiers to flank the enemy if they broke through the first gate. The path that you see in the picture was added for the purpose of tourists but allows you to see what I am referring to. Yamamoto San would ask us "which way would you go?" We would state the obvious path which would lead up to the castle, but again it was another trick and usually lead to a dead end or a courtyard where would be attackers were ambushed with a flurry of arrows. The castle was full of these paths and other interesting defense designs. From secret passage ways for escape to narrow doors so only one attacker can pass through at a time. It is still unclear to researchers as to what actual purpose of some of the designs but it was fun to let your imagination run wild. Himeji Castle was never attacked...

Surrounding the castle were several samurai gardens known as Koko-en. Samurai once surrounded the castle and the closer the samurai lived to the castle, the higher their rank was. These 9 gardens were recently developed but named after the samurai that once lived there. They were elaborate zen like landscapes with cherry blossom trees and ponds abundant with colorful and extremal large koi. The gardens also included a bonsai exhibit where some 100 year old bonsai trees were on display. Each of these trees had a special name and cost about 4,000,000 yen (or $40,000) each.

All in all, it was a great day trip. I suggest that you bring comfortable walking shoes if you go. The castle itself spans over 10 acres.

Note: You can buy a combined ticket to see the castle and Koko-en for a discounted price of 700 yen (or $7.00).

Kim's Big 3-O

Kim turned a whopping 3-O on March 4th. I planned a surprise birthday party for her this past weekend with the help of one of her friends. We started off at a small (hole-in-the-wall) restaurant in Sakae, Nagoya. From there we met everyone at a place called Amataro for food, drinks, and karaoke (all of Kim's favorites in one place).

There are 2 Amataro locations in Nagoya. One is 2 blocks from our house and the other is a 10-15 minute walk to downtown. We chose the one in downtown because there is a private karaoke room you can rent out. Being that we were all foreign, it was probably a good idea we did. For $50 bucks a person, we were able to enjoy all you can drink booze, all you can eat shabu shabu, and hear Kim serenade us for 90 minutes. Not a bad deal since we ate and drank a tremendous amount. Following that, we decided to hit the town. One of the highlights of the night was finding this kebab stand selling beer and kebabs - it was delicious (at 2:00 AM)!

Note: Bars and restaurants in Japan offer nomihodai and tabehodai. Both are a great deal if you are thirsty and/or hungry. You can usually find places that offer a combination of both for a reasonable fee.

On Kim's actual birthday, we ate at a restaurant down the street called Garuva. It is unique because each table is a tent lit only by candle light. At first, when you enter the restaurant, it almost seems like they are closed. The large heavy iron door leads you to a waiting area where you are welcomed by a soft spoken host which sets the tone and manner of the evening. You are then lead to your table (or tent) by way of flashlight. In the tent, you will find pillows and bean cushions for you to sit and lounge on. Most people kept their conversations to a low whisper. The atmosphere is meditating with the smell of incense and soothing Enya-esque music playing in the background. The food is not bad with an eclectic mix of Indian, Vietnamese, Italian, and more. We chose 5 different food items from the Vietnamese Salad to a Prosciutto Pizza, a bottle of wine, and 2 desserts which came to about $100 US total- not a bad deal considering the atmosphere and a great time with Kim.