Japanese adventures: my most wonderful experience of Kyoto, Nara, & Osaka, Japan.

Would you like to visit Japan? Would you like to visit in a cost-efficient manner? How would you enjoy a native friend who will not only show help you navigate your way through a foreign country, but will also guide you to the must-see sights, sounds and tastes of Japan? If this sounds appealing to you, if this excites you, then you are getting a tiny glimpse of the blessed experience I had in Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara, Japan.

My friend Miki was born and raised in Osaka, Japan. She moved to the States for undergrad and now is pursuing her PhD. in biochem. Coincidentally her favorite band toured Japan last weekend, which brought her all the way home after about 3 years. In her short visit home, she traveled to Korea where we had a lovely visit. (See previous blog). More exciting than that, she invited me to follow her home the following weekend. I couldn't resist. Although choosing to visit Japan also brought into question my ethical code, the pros of this situation out weighed the cons, especially considering now I can say with full confidence that the cons ensued from this experience were minimal at best.

Before I move on to explaining the wonders and beauties of Japan, let me first reflect on what traveling has done for me. Although I considered myself semi-open minded before I truly began traveling independently, I have since realized that there is something the traveler experiences that the non-traveler cannot grasp. Even though one might read books and ponder cultural norms and differences, just the fact of traveling (even if it's more for fun and less for cultural awareness, as is the case so many times) somehow places questions in your mind you would otherwise never ask. For example, last week while enjoying drinks with my British friend, he said that the Americans he has encountered abroad do not represent America well at all. At first, I wanted to immediately defend myself and say that the typical American expat I've experienced in Korea is very different from the typically American expat in Belgium. Before I could say that, however, he said he thought the typical American was less eager to try to new things, more set in their ways, and was difficult to define considering how vast America territory expands. He said even the most narrow minded American abroad is considerably more quirky cool than any of the non travelers back home. In this way, he indirectly posed the question to me: How has traveling changed me? How do I represent my country, family, etc.? Do I seem like the 'typical' American and what does that mean anyhow?

I could, of course, spend the majority of this entry attempting to answer just those questions. Except I think there is a greater thing going on here: the part where I want to ask the questions in the first place; the part where I already question all of the above simply because being a minority for a change has changed my perspective on many things. I carry myself in a more humble manner in hopes of not being so obvious. I care not so much to 'blend' but rather to co-exist peacefully. I try to understand how although I technically believe in an 'us-vs.-them' mentality, I feel subjected to such a mentality every day. Is that my own insecurities manifesting or is one of the most homogenous groups on earth subliminally sending that message my way? Again, I could elaborate but must press forward.

Upon arriving at Kansai International Airport the first thing I noticed was that the Japanese drive on the opposite side of the road, similar to England, Australia, Thailand, etc. this confused me, for most countries that drive on the opposite side of the road were somehow influenced by colonial Britain and pardon my ignorance, but I am unaware of the connection between Japan and England. The second thing I noticed was that there were considerably fewer taxis, which were Toyotas and looked like black Butler cars for the wealthy. The third thing I noticed was Osaka and Kyoto are bike-friendly cities, unlike most of Seoul.

I managed to find the bus quite easily, although by this point I had been up for over 24 hours. I attempted to stay awake on the bus, trying to catch cultural differences and first impressions but sleeps heavy wonder beckoned me to close my tired eyes. When I awoke I had a moment of panic unsure where I was and if I was at the right bus stop.

I got off the bus thinking I was one bus stop too far. My first inquiry to the bus driver was quite in vain, for he spoke no English. I then wandered the streets for a few minutes going up to random school girls and strangers in hopes of getting some direction of where I was. Just think, here I was in a new country with no cell phone, no knowledge of the language, no phone number or address of my friend, and no way of contacting her if, in fact, I had gotten off at the wrong stop. I decided that worrying was pointless and the best thing I could do was stay put. Some 60 minutes later my sweet friend ran towards me. Torrents of stress evaporated as I saw her smiling face.

Considering we had only the weekend, it was important to prioritize. She was super awesome and we managed to do/see everything I wanted and even more. Our first stop, Japanese noodles. Although different from the delectable real ramen my bro and I experienced in a Japanese restaurant in Copenhagen, nonetheless, these were pretty good. I especially enjoyed that they served tea with lunch. Our next stop was the famous Golden Palace in Kyoto. We boarded a bus and with the swaying and rocking of traffic, I lolled off to sleep again. When I awoke we were there.

More things I noticed: traffic/pedestrians are managed in a much more orderly manner. Within the Golden Palace there was a specific path tourists followed unlike the wide expanses of free-strolling found in Beijing and S. Korea. Things are more expensive: water in Korea = $.50; water in Japan = $1.50.

The Golden Palace is tucked away lagoon style in the middle of bustling Kyoto. It appears to floating in a quaint and surreal lake surrounded by nature's glory. It is tiny but impressive. Although there are many tourists, the place still reverberates a calmness and peace, I have found only within such holy places as Buddhist palaces and Christian cathedrals. While following the path and crowd (perhaps to enlightenment?) Miki told me about "protection" You purchase this protection for a whole plethora of things: good fortune, long life, happy marriage, safe traveling, etc. I was so intrigued by them that I bought a few. I love this idea. She said it is similar to Catholic saints people wear around their necks. Again, love it.

After the Golden Palace we paroosed (sp?) down the happenin' street in Kyoto. I love the architecture. Japanese seem to be more eclectic in taste than the Koreans. They seem to be more free- spirited in some senses. They also seem to have pride associated both with their past and their booming present (future). Koreans, although proud of being Korean, do not seem to have the same outward pride about their history. Perhaps that is because the Japanese and Chinese have had a much bigger (and negative) impact on them than say the reverse? Regardless, I enjoyed this pride of history. It was not arrogant nor in your face, rather just a calm confidence with who they were and where they came from.

Meandering the streets of Kyoto seemed tiring enough, and then we came upon the great upward slope to the Kyoto Temple and Palace (the second most famous tourist attraction in Kyoto). Although the trek up was tiring, it was well worth the sweat. This palace was significantly bigger and had more detailed architecture. I love that people take their shoes off to enter the temple area. I also loved that they had many small stones shaped like people with what looked like red aprons on them. Miki informed that they were there for protection against evil spirits. Some of them were loved ones who had recently died or child deaths, all looking out for the living. This is yet another example of how important it seems to be for people to believe that the living and dead are somehow connected. I could elaborate and hope to do so soon. For now, just know that regardless of where I have traveled I have seen this spirituality for the living and dead again and again. It makes me question if there is some fundamental need for humans to believe in something greater than themselves? It also makes me long for just this belief...

The location of this temple was very symbolic. It was nestled on the side of the mountain. We had to trek up a hill/mountain to find the peaceful temple and then slowly stroll down. How frequent we find our most peaceful moments after realizing or experiencing some stressful mountain. It seems, for me anyway, that the only way I can enjoy and appreciate peace is through the pain experienced previously.

On our way down we enjoyed most delicious green tea soft serve ice cream. My bro introduced this brilliant stuff to me at O'Sulluc tea plantation in jeju-do. I count my blessings this stuff was created: green tea = awesome; ice cream = delicious; green tea soft serve ice cream = brilliant!

That night I was in for the time of my life. Miki took me to the hippest concert around. I could not understand the words mind you, but you would be surprised with how much one can understand through body language and tone. Being abroad has further demonstrated how much body language and tone matter. It is also pretty awesome to see that the Japanese can rock out! It was so much fun. I ended up buying a hip t shirt and post cards. rockin times.

After a most busy day and rockin' night, we finally headed back to her place. Apparently, most Japanese people have their own free standing homes. Unlike Seoul where the skyline is dotted in high rise apartment buildings, Japan is has a much lower skyline with fewer high rise buildings and only a few apartment buildings. The neighborhood was very quite although it was a Friday night. The houses looked like Cali stucco houses but tall and lean. Miki's house was nestled against the bottom of the mountain.

We walked in and immediately took our shoes off. The floors were hard wood. The dog barked. ^^ She showed me around and we went to the third floor to her room. Only recently did her parents place a western style bed in her room. All of her life she has slept on the floor. Sounds uncomfortable the spoiled westerner, but alas it is quite comfy. The mats are thick and the floor is clean.

The bathrooms in Japan are different than in Korea. Most Japanese homes have a bathtub (with a cover), a shower faucet, a toilet separated by either a curtain or door. Half of the bathroom still gets wet when one showers, but here baths are normal. More importantly, they share bath water so as not to be wasteful. Although Miki explained this to me, I'm still uncertain that I understand. Anyway, I ended up taking a quick and much needed warm shower and then went to bed. I fell asleep with the windows open, a cool breeze blowing in and feeling quite grateful for my friend.

On Saturday after a less-than-restful sleep, I awoke to sounds of breakfast being made downstairs. The sun gleamed in through the windows and the house was bustling with activity. After getting dressed I enjoyed eggs & tomatoes, peeled apples, yogurt (with jelly bits), and tea. We then took the subway to Osaka castle. Out of the three areas I visited the Osaka castle is the newest. I was amazed at the gigantic stones placed around the castle as a barrier from intruders. How did they move those huge rocks? Osaka castle is on a huge expanse of beautiful land. Beautiful trees, grass and flowers accompanied our trek towards the castle. The castle has since been transformed into a modern day friendly tourist attraction. Is this a good thing or bad thing? I don't know. Surprising, that's for sure. Regardless, at the top it is a gorgeous view of a city with a rich culture, a historic, complicated past and an encouraging modern-day present/future. I could have chilled up there for many hours. Alas, the clock the ticking.

After descending the castle, we had green tea ice cream again and strolled through the parks. Then we went via metro to the shopping district of Kyoto where we went into a Kimono (sp?) shop. There I bought a few souvenirs. Now for the real pleasure: sushi, but on a conveyor belt. You read it correctly. Considerably cheaper and oh-so-abundant, it was an all-you-can-eat sushi buffet. After paying $11, we sat down at a wooden bar with a conveyor belt in front of us. On this belt there were numerous forms of sushi: salmon, tuna, crab, eel, carp, etc. they had various other dishes, all of which I attempted to try. Oh yea, in Japan, they have ginger ale. Rock on! and in between eating various forms of sushi, I ate real ginger -= delicious. I had two cups of wonderful green tea and more soy sauce in this one setting than in the rest of my life. I loved it.

We continued our day strolling the shopping district and stumbled upon a tiny independent store that sold used goods. I was attracted to this store because of the pottery in the window. (I have a thing for glassware/pottery). Come to find out, most of the pottery there was made in Osaka and had special meaning. It cost quite a bit but I ended up buying almost every piece they had. I hope I can get it back to the States safely. How delightful.

Afterwards, I cleaned up and they dropped me off at this older woman's house. She hosts foreign exchange students. She was a dear! While waiting on home cooked Japanese dinner, Yoona, an Estonian material physicist, came down stairs and we spoke for an hour or so comparing cultures and traveling experiences. It was nice to have a conversation in English with an Estonian. I had never met an Estonian before and found him to be quite intriguing.

And there was dinner! wow! We had tempura (yum) dipped in soy sauce, cucumbers, onions, and boiled eggs dipped in another thousand island like sauce, pork loins dipped in a bbq type sauce, water, miso soup and rice. Conversation was lacking either because there was the tiniest of language barriers or more probably because the food was too delicious. Following dinner we had green tea and coffee cake. This is when the older lady pulled out a scrap book dating back to 1949. Intriguing. Her husband went to U of MI- Ann Arbor for medical school starting at the end of WWII.  She visited him once and they explored mid west America. She said she loved America. We talked about Japanese and American relations during this time (through simple questions and broken English). I was fascinated. So full of history. I was honored. I carefully turned the 60+ year old book hoping to not leave a fingerprint on anything. I looked at the pictures and bus stubs and wondered what she thought about America then? How she felt about life? etc. We spoke about her scrap book and life for a couple of hours. When I thought awkward peaceful quietness was inevitable she then bent down and pulled a colorful assortment of paper: origami. She taught me origami. We were interrupted when my friend and my friend's family returned with Japanese treats and drinks. I tried dried squid, ham, Saki, plum wine, etc. Unlike Soju, you sip Saki (fyi). We then walked home. Wonderful. Upon arriving home we showered(/) and then gathered around the kitchen table for a glass of wine, conversation, and finally sparklers outside (which they call flower fire instead of fire works).

The next morning, true to form, I awoke to gleaming sun, a cool breeze and smells of breakfast waning up the stairs. Breakfast on Sunday consisted of kimbap, granola and yogurt, bread and butter, and apples. Miki's father kindly agreed to take me around Nara, the oldest capital of Japan (1300th anniversary currently). Nara is well worth a visit. It is expansive, gorgeous, and wonderful. Unlike other Buddhist architecture which consists of maroon, teal, blue, etc, Nara is white with brown. Simple and beautiful. I wanted to reflect and ponder the meaning of life here. I know, cliché, but true. We spent a good amount of time enjoying the architecture, soaking up the ancient meaning and spirituality of the place. I purchased more protection, just in case ^^

we then stumbled upon another store where I spent too much money on more souvenirs. And then we wandered the narrow streets of Nara. I tried samples of random fish food, etc. and we even found the tiniest building with an independent artist actually painting. I had the support this independent artist and his noble trade. Then we had another delicious most traditional Japanese meal. We sat on the floor. I noticed the clean lined shutters, the comfy “wooden” floor, the dark panels, etc. we had cooked eel with rice and soy sauce. I added seasoning from the table, which I loved. Alongside it was a traditional soup (which had a fish liver in it). Tea. Radishes and other pickled vegetables (yummy) and egg with mushrooms inside of it. I loved this meal, this experience. I tried to soak it all in, for my time in Japan was coming to a close. A most wonderful way to end my beautiful trip to Japan. Heading to the airport I couldn’t help but smile knowing I had the best experience ever. I heart Japan.