Now I was settled into my Nagoya hotel it was time to have two day trips to the ancient old capital Kyoto, which had been voted the best city in the world this year. It has a stupid amount of UNESCO World Heritage sites and I had given myself quite a lot to cover in a short space of time.
Day 5 started really early. A 5am rise and 6:30am train to Kyoto was surprisingly fine I didn’t feel that tired at all, probably because the sleep I did have I was completely comatose.
I rejigged my itinerary a bit because I was concerned I would miss the start of my Samurai Kembu lesson. So instead of Fushimi Inari, I started by heading to Maruyama Park.
It was absolutely roasting again and the humidity was cranked up to the max. I was grateful I could just take what I wanted in my small bag today but it was still going to be a tough one I could tell.
Sticking to my guns, I continue to walk enormous distances instead of getting the one pound fifty subway. It was a hell of a trek to Maruyama park but nothing compared to what I was going to face later.
On the way through to Maruyama Park I came across Yasaka shrine so I wandered around that first. There was also a coffee shop stop for an amazing ‘fat free’ honey and mango frozen drink with a blob of frozen yoghurt. It was amazing and refreshing so I treated myself to a not fat free strawberry and chocolate dohnut!
Once I had gone around the shrine and the park I spotted a mausoleum which I went in. I also saw a graveyard which was incredible, I couldn’t go in as it’s private to those who have lost people there but it was tiered and vertical, was quite a sight. I tried to sneak a photo without being disrespectful, but it was no where near as good as some of the photos they showed of the place at night with a lantern lit for each person (only happens on certain occassions).
After that it was time to trek to my Samurai Kembu Lesson which I was pretty excited about. I had gone for the full whack, three hours including show, lessons, photos and costumes.
I was glad to see some Americans when I arrived. The father of a few children was a Gooner from San Francisco so it was cool. His kids were cool too, one of which was a soccer player himself, he was my Samurai buddy for the day.
First of all we were given Samurai socks so we did not have to wear slippers in the arena. These were weird split socks and of course, the kids had no difficulty but there I was five minutes later claiming they’d given me two left feet (they hadn’t).
We started off learning the basics, how to bow to the sword (because it’s a sacred object remember) and how to draw and hold the sword. I got that part pretty well, it was putting the sword back in I was struggling with because I kept turning the bloody thing right instead of left.
First thing we learnt was a step and strike. The best thing about the instructor was (even though there were a couple of kids there) he would describe the move if in battle. So the description for this one was, you want to split his face down through the head and nose. One thing I loved was he did that ‘hm’ thing like Pei Mei does in my favourite film, Kill Bill but he had no beard to flick (btw I know Pei Mei is Cantonese).
All these moves have Japanese names and are much more meaningful. For example the cross strike is named after the Japanese dress where the collor crosses, because that’s where you want to strike. We covered the side on strike, defense, jumping squat and strike (these are all my names for them by the way) and the thrust, which he described as ‘want to present enemies stomach to the floor’.
So far so good, but my instructor then took it up a level when we had to do these as a combo and incorporate all sorts of steps and spins.
I found out my American colleagues for the day were only doing an hour lesson where I had three, so they sadly went. This meant I basically had a further hour private lesson and then the demonstration.
For the final hour of tuition, I learned about the fan and how it was used by the Samurai with the different movements. The fan was never used for cooling by Samurai and the fan movements were so hard to grasp. I was so bad at it my tutor said ‘I think you better with sword, you use sword for final performance’. Two things stood out there for me, one, I was shit at the fan but two (and most alarmingly)… final performance? I quizzed him and he enlightened me I would be doing a Kembu performance at the end using all I had learned, not forgetting i’m the only one there now.
I got all my photos done in the full costume which was ace. I naturally chose a red costume even though I was still fuming about yesterday. She instructed me on all of the poses. As I did the full course, I got a gift of the neckwear Samurai wore, I again forget the name of it. So was happy with that!
Before my final performance, I learnt how to walk like an absolute Don Samurai. They walked with their arms out around the town, basically saying I am the absolute business! When they were in castles, they couldn’t walk with their arms so they sort of shuffle run while knees bent across the castle, it was mad and amazing. Clearly, I was never going to master these but he was surprised how well I mastered the sliding, shuffle, castle walk.
It was time for my performance, thankfully, given it was just me, I asked him if he could perform it at the same time as me on the floor, while I do it on the stage with the lighting and the music. It went quite well, although I nearly fell on the horse jumps (hopping on one leg with other leg bent while holding a sword). To end the lesson we did the bowing to the sword etc and then I was in the waiting area so they could set up the performance.
Now the awkwardness cranked up a level for me. They set the performance up as if they had a full house, the Japanese would do nothing less because that would be seen as disrespecting me. So we had two rows of the floor chairs (no legs) and the performance began. This is where it got a bit funny (I can laugh now but not then) because English is not their first language, they performed it (script memorised) as it was full. So it was ‘can you all give a round of applause when performers bow’ and ‘does anybody know what type of fan movement this is’. The performance was unbelievable though, 5 staff members performing all sorts of Kembu pieces and re-enacting a few Samurai ceremonies including a Samurai death where the enemy would offer a sword to an enemy to take his own life. As soon as the Samurai opens his own stomach (the very second) the Samurai cuts off his head. I can’t detail every performance but would love to, it was that good (albeit a little awkward). Oh, and I got my certificate and anybody who knows me will know I love a certification!
Next up was to visit Kiyomuzu Dera temple which again I decided to walk, and it was miles (and uphill). It was brutal even though it was a nice walk through gift shops and little eateries. I did stop for some more of that shaved ice although I have not been brave enough to try the exciting ones with fruits and sauce etc on yet, I stuck to a lemon one.
Kiyomuzu Dera temple was really cool because it was high up and had amazing views over Kyoto. It was rammo’d up there though so actually going into the temple made it unbearable. After wandering around there, I was struggling big time but was determined to get Gion, Fushimi Inari and Nishiki Market ticked off my list as I thought tomorrow was going to be tight to even do the three things on my list.
Fushimi Inari is not just any old temple, the grounds have something like 2000 orange gates to walk through up the mountain and it looks amazing. The temple itself is lovely but nothing spectacular, I think it’s all about the gates up the winding hills and the mini gates surrounding the mini shrines on the way.
Once I had finished around Inari, I was basically dying. Back was in agony and my feet were screaming. Wandering out Gion was relaxing because I just wanted to see the district, I wasn’t lucky enough to spot any Geisha but I was probably a little late for them going to work. I headed to Nishiki Market which looked really cool but a lot of places were closing. I had some food around the corner which had no English but I managed to end up with an amazing beef stir fry and some chicken skewers.
I headed back to Nagoya on the train and collapsed on the bed, packing can wait for the morning. Kyoto had done me in big time!
I should probably mention the bit of drama in Nagoya. . You can buy Japan Rail passes which I think I mentioned either in Day 1 or planning, but only from abroad. They cost a fair bit despite making you savings overall. I was using my 14 day one so had plenty more use in it yet. As I got out of the train, it fell out of my pocket and onto the line. Now, there’s a few things
1. You don’t want to be hit by any train, but a shinkansen is going to make a smoothie out of you
2. I didn’t fancy Japanese prison
3. I didn’t fancy paying for another (about 280 quid)
4. I was aching so bad I would have struggled to get down and back up.
I asked the platform staff could I jump down, he said wait. I thought he was waiting to get clearance for me to jump down. At this point as a side note, I’d noticed all railways lines have refuge areas. If you fall on the line you can roll under there. Clearly we don’t have them in the UK because of rubbish and it would be a tramp neighbourhood. Anyway, as I waited for the green light I was limbering up for some Crypton Factor style stuff until this rail worker came with an enormous picker. Imagine the pickers litter men have but the size of a high jump pole. He came marching along and retrieved my pass. He said there was something else there but I told him that was my shit poem from the Emporer so don’t bother. (I can’t remember if I mentioned this but in Tokyo’s Meiji Shrine I had my fortune stick and the poem translated into ‘I lack genius but will have a good life’ – cheers Emporer lad!)
Day 6 and it was Kyoto again but for a shorter day and unfortunately with my massive rucksack which I intended to leave at the station.
I took a later train this morning as I only had three things on my list but I was nervous I did not give myself enough time before my 17:00 train to Takayama. I dropped off my bag and off I went to find the Bamboo Grove. I did bump into my American Samurai buddies in the station which was cool and their guide helped me on my way.
I arrived in Arahiyama after chatting to a family from Essex on the train. One of the lads had gone to UEA so small world and all that! After leaving them I got chatting to some girls from New Zealand and was picking her brains because NZ is right up there with my potential next travelling destinations.
The bamboo grove is spectacular. I am not sure if my photos would do the height of these things justice to be fair. This was one of the things I was most looking forward to seeing and it did not disappoint.
I got chatting to Heather, a teacher from New York City and we headed to Kinkaku Ji (the Golden Temple) together. As we got off the bus, I spotted Joe (a teacher from South London) who looked like he knew where he was going so the three of us headed to the Golden Temple together.
If I am totally honest, I was all a bit ‘templed out’, I remember feeling the same in Thailand. However, Kinkaku-Ji is an out of the ordinary temple so I was chuffed to be there and see it. The scenery is absolutely amazing and the gardens are often as picturesque as the temple itself!
Heather was heading to the other side of Kyoto to do Fushimi Inari so Joe and I moved onto Royan-Ji which was the final thing on my list for today. Joe, like me, loves a wander so we ditched the idea of a bus and walked to Royan Ji which was only about 1.5km (no idea what that means but I remember Joe saying).
I knew I would find Ryoan-Ji challenging because I’m not really into all the zen, spirituality type stuff… Even though I appreciate it’s place in Japanese culture. The Ryoan-Ji grounds are beautiful but it is famous for it’s 700year old zen garden built by a monk. Basically, it is a stones garden (so load of little stones) with 6 big stones (some may say boulders) plonked around the place. They don’t have any idea to their meaning but monks very rarely did things without meaning so people have always come to visit this zen garden. As Joe pointed out mind, there’s nothing zen about visiting here in August with clicking cameras and screaming kids. Still, there were a few people meditating there, I thought I’d give that a miss.
Joe and I got the bus back to the station and I needed to head back to JR station for my Takayama train and he was off to see the bamboo, so we parted ways. He is off to Koh Tao in a few days which made me jealous but I’m sure that’ll wane when I am in Miyakojima.
The Takayama train was long, fast but uneventful. I was glad of the rest to be fair and it gave me a chance to write this on my phone, reflecting on what I’ve done for the last two days! I am due into Takayama at half eight in the evening so the plan is to dump the stuff, go out for food to this Soba Noodle place I’ve heard lots about and then get to bed for another long day tomorrow (in Takayama and Kanazawa).
I’ve roamed around Takayama tonight and it looks the type of place I love to visit, so I am already annoyed I am not even staying a full day. It’s small, traditional and not very touristy. The restaurants look lovely and I had their local Hida Beef for dinner and it was unbelievable, and there look like there are loads of nice little restaurants about. I am so gutted about this, I have rejigged my plan for tomorrow to stay closer to the centre and tick off a lot more things. I am also declaring tomorrow a shrine free day!
