Japan - Kyoto

Ok just start writing. We are in the first stage of a month long Japan trip. We flew into Narita, navigated getting a SIM card, got the train to the station in Tokyo and from there the bullet train - Shinkensen - to Kyoto. We left Vancouver Sunday at 1:30 pm arrived in Kyoto Monday 9:00 pm. A little worse for wear and with the usual frayed nerves resulting in a hissy fit over cab vs transit to get to our hotel. Incredible that we always have the same melt down on arriving at our final destination. The train trip from Tokyo was flawless of course and indeed Japanese trains leave on the minute. I thought that would be a source of stress given our fluid sense of time, but in fact it is a source of comfort. You know you are on the right train based on its time of departure. So far trains, subways, buses have been easy and we have yet to have the panic moment - "F_____ we are going in the wrong direction!"

I have just a few observations at this point on the nuances of daily Japan life. It has only been five days but respect and adherence to rules are apparent. The train conductors from the bullet train to the most local subway, wear a smart, blue uni with cap and white gloves. Prior to any train leaving a station they step out, look back at the train doors, signal to what appears to be some big brother train god (or CCTV camera) with smart hand gestures, step back in and continue with a formal demeanour even when underway in their conductor area. You know they would go through the same rigamarole even if no one was around.

Other examples of the strong discipline are you do not 'j' walk or cross on a no cross signal which are painstakingly long. You are not impatient or rude when a tourist fumbles for exact change to pay for a bus ride. You nod in the affirmative even when you are telling someone at the door your full, tiny restaurant can not accomodate you. You go out of your way to instruct a western poseur on how to burn incense at an altar - lovely.

We are currently in Nara staying at a lovely, small ryokan which is like a B&B. It is owned and run by a lovely woman who has an art studio adjacent and is a caligraphy artist in addition to a devout Zen Buddhist. We just arrived today and it is a good time to capture this chapter of our trip.

A few thoughts about our four full days in Kyoto. They were full as we got up early to get to shrines, temples, gardens before the crowds. Day one we headed to a collection of temples along a beautiful pedestrian walk known as the Philosopher's Stroll. It is along a narrow canal with a narrow unpaved path on one side, a path with pavers on the other, shaded by trees and along a narrow road. Bordering the path were small homes, shops, food places. It was very natural and untouristy. It was where I would want to live if I lived in Kyoto. We visited about five temples. Some very large covering large grounds with collections of buildings. Some immaculate and some in slight disrepair. It was our first exposure to a Japanese landscape and classical buildings. There were moments that were deeply moving for reasons that are hard to explain. Feelings brought on by the way one moves up slight rises on stone pathways with overhanging trees and moss. The greens are radiant and with the trees and overcast skies it is atmospheric. Both our phones died so we had no chance to take photos which for a moment created panic as you realized you wanted to 'possess' these images. Of course it created a zen moment as you had to just be there and were 'forced' to take in far more than if we had been on image capture mode.

I won't recount each day and will let pictures tell the storey. I know I am prone to take detail shots and don't try to capture entire scenes. For me Kyoto is all about detail. Moss and stone, gutters and how rain is channelled, huge roof overhangs on classic temples, lighting on narrow streets at night, huge colourful banners hanging from temple roofs, the smell of incense or cedar panelling. An absolute stand out for us was visiting the famed raked stone garden at Ryoan-ji about an hour by transit from where we were staying. We arrived at just after 8:00 and came upon the space virtually alone. It is the world's most famous zen garden and it is no exageration to compare being in its presence to being alone with the Mona Lisa.

An experience we had on our last day in Kyoto summed up the Japanese sensibility. I splurged and bought a shirt from a shop that has been Japanese Indigo dyeing for generations. They are part of a guild where they dye the thread, someone else makes the fabric and another sews the shirt. They advertise a product that is "insect repellent, snake avoidance and bacterial effect". It took an hour for us to buy the shirt and a scarf with father, wife and son waving goodbye to us on the doorstep and advising on what bus to catch. The son summed up what is becoming apparent to us. "Everything in Japan has a purpose".