When we were planning this little jaunt of ours and read about Kyoto we saw that are two distinct areas to the town and thought it would be easier if we spent three nights in the west and three nights in the east. Now we are here we realise that cross-town transport is quite good (if somewhat slow because of the amount of traffic) but it’s too late as we had already booked another three nights at a different hotel in the east of town – and got a very good rate into the bargain. So here we are back at a Westin Hotel - if you have been paying attention you will know that they’re the ones with the heavenly beds, heavenly pillows, heavenly baths etc. – this one has the added advantage of heavenly heated toilet seat, heavenly sound effects of waterfalls when seated on aforementioned seat, heavenly bottom washer etc. etc. Before moving on though G had gone to buy himself a new camera – the one he had his eye on is £1669 in the UK and because it is manufactured in Japan it just HAD to be cheaper. Wrong! It is £600 more expensive. It was not purchased.
Over in the east of Kyoto is where there are even more temples and shrines but it also contains areas of attractive lanes and traditional houses set against the wooded slopes behind. In fact our room looks out onto the hills and the hotel has access (from the seventh floor) to a tranquil mountain path that ascends through the trees to the mountaintop. Evidently it is possible to see over 50 species of wild birds on the walk and complimentary binoculars are available – that’s one up on shower caps and sewing kits! We don’t think we’d recognise most of the bird life though although we did recognise the vultures, herons, egrets and cranes we saw today as well as some beautiful coal-tits (we think!).
Yesterday we said we thought it may be some sort of holiday because of the vast numbers of people around – today we have found out that it is a sort of holiday as it is (and this may not be a totally accurate translation) “the first weekend after the official announcement from the Japanese Meteorological Office that the cheery blossom is out” – really catchy name that. Today there were even more people out and about and there was an almost carnival atmosphere around town – we say almost because apart from a few young people and a lot of salary men after lots of beers, people are quite restrained – nonetheless it was evident from the oohs, aahs and big smiles there was real happiness at seeing the cherry blossom again. We love it.
A brief visit to the Heian-jingu shrine with its vast vermillion torii that crosses the main road revealed much more of the same but with two significant differences – in front of the temple is a huge gravel courtyard with ancient trees (in blossom) and two towers evidently housing the protective “Blue Dragon” and “White Tiger”, fortunately neither of them were at home so we wandered on to the next thing that made this complex different – the garden.
The garden is designed in the Heian style and is divided into four sections with a moss garden, another bloomimg cherry tree garden, a rock garden and a water garden – with stepping stones and G didn’t fall in once! It was quite charming. Halfway around we came upon the traditional tea-house which was offering (we thought) a drink of green tea and a traditional sweet that is eaten with the tea. Well we did get that plus a lot more we hadn’t bargained for! As we approached the tea house we were invited to remove our shoes, step inside, kneel upon the tatami matted floor, contemplate the ikebana flower arrangement and the calligraphy scroll, and partake in a full-blown tea ceremony with ladies in traditional kimono preparing the tea in the very rigorously laid down traditional manner. This was a hugely interesting experience and the etiquette and manners were superb; the utensils used also contributed to the mood of refined ritual.
The teabowls were of the Japanese “happy accident” style, the water container, the water heater (above a charcoal fire set in a hole in the floor), the lacquered tea caddy, bamboo ladle and whisk all had a simplicity that somehow added to the overall refinement. The matcha (powdered green tea) was whisked into a thick, frothy brew and presented to us in turn – in presenting the bowl our hostess turned each one clockwise and we drank it down in three slow sips. The tradition is then to admire the teabowl whilst eating the dainty sweetmeat called wagashi and made from bean paste which counteracts the tea’s bitter taste. By this time we were both beginning to wonder if we would be able to stand up let alone ever walk again – do Japanese people never suffer from arthritis? There was a great deal of bowing and we were invited to leave the teahouse, as tradition demands, by a different door so that we could get a new view of the garden. It was here that we came upon people doing what we thought we were going to do – sitting on chairs with a bowl of tea and a sweet! Why we had been chosen to participate, we do not know but we were so grateful that we had – perhaps that “Good Luck” charm that Gregg was foolish enough to buy at one of the temples does work – now where did we put those lottery numbers?
After more wanderings we realised that it was approaching 3o’clock and we hadn’t had lunch but we did know of this lovely little Zen Buddhist restaurant just around the corner (and past the heavenly waterfall, over the rickety-rackety bridge, through the dingly-dell and wibbley-wobbley steps). We arrived to see a wonderful sign outside (in English) which read: “ We have only tofu course serving with: Sesame Tofu; Grated Yam Soup; Tofu baked and coated with misun; Boiled Tofu; Vegetable Tempura; Rice and pickles – so we went in. We were invited to remove our shoes and place them into small lockers – G couldn’t even get one of his in a locker so they sat on the floor – just the same as we were going to have to do!
After the tea ceremony G’s knees would just not take kneeling for a whole meal so C asked if there was any way he would be able to have a small seat, without further ado the kimono-wearing waitress slid back a screen and bought out with a flourish and a bow what G called an “old-man chair”. No matter what he called it, it meant that he was able to partake of all six courses (plus more tea) in moderate comfort. C’s knees couldn’t take anymore either but at least her feet were small enough to be able to slide her legs and feet under the table.
A further perambulation bought us to Ten juan garden – a Zen garden created in the 17th century but based on 14th century landscaping. Like many others it is a stroll-garden that requires people to walk around it in a certain direction so that new vistas keep coming into view as do new sounds – that of the babbling stream was replaced by a the sound of a small waterfall which was replaced by that of a large waterfall until one walks away from the water into silence and birdsong, then back again, crossing bridges and stepping stones and being greeted by the watery jewels that are the koi carp. There are rock gardens with carefully raked gravel, moss gardens, bamboo groves and carefully manicured trees. A great small garden and the perfect end to the afternoon just as the shadows began lengthening and G’s legs began working again. As we walked back to the hotel, people were still milling about beneath the cherry blossom, many bringing their evening picnics – one road we walked along had no trees but that was not a problem, the local council had thoughtfully placed branches of artificial cherry blossom on the lampposts. And talking of thoughtfulness, the cherry blossoms have Braille notices for visually-impaired people who come to visit the cherry blossoms.
We went for a night time walk and at about 8 o’clock people were still picnicking by the side of the river, we walked through an incredibly atmospheric area of narrow lanes containing a mixture of old wooden houses and brightly lit clubs and restaurants. Very few restaurants in Japan have English menus and those that do frequently contain strange translations; one last night was offering “Beef Rectum” and “Five kinds of assorted grilled skewers hormone”! We decided to give it a miss and, after all that lunch, decided on some vegetable tempura. Upon entering the restaurant our knees quivered to see low tables and cushions and people kneeling in front of them but they kindly cleared a space at the bar for us and we ate sitting on real chairs. The place is run by six elderly ladies whose combined age must be twice that of the Rolling Stones who bustle around the customers like loving great-aunts. Great Aunt Calculator had got our bill wrong – in our favour as she had missed 800yen when adding it up – when we pointed this out Great Aunt Cashier just kept saying “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Thank You, Thank You, I’m Sorry”. As we departed all of our Great Aunts lined up and bowed to us. Just another unforgettable moment among so many.
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