We were in rough shape by the time we arrived at the Ryokan style hostel in Kyoto, a traditional Japanese style inn. We had summited Mt. Fuji the very same day we arrived, taking a series of local trains. As any traveler can attest, visiting Japan is like visiting the future. One of the many joyous convinces we partook in was shipping our luggage between cities.
We had trepidatiously parted with most of our things in Tokyo. For a shockingly reasonable price, we left our bags at the front desk of the hotel. The situation felt risky because we used Google translate to communicate. The staff promised repeatedly that our bags would arrive at our hotel in Kyoto in two days. Imagine our surprise when we learned that not only had our bags arrived before us, but they had been delivered straight to our room. Despite trying his best to remain polite, the receptionist couldn’t help but laugh at how animated we were as we gushed to each other in circles regarding the efficiency and functionality of Japan.
We took our shoes off to enter the building. A different animal name written in Japanese along with a block print identified each room. We stayed in the cicada room. Is it because we are loud and annoying? Brittany wanted to know. Probably. We opened the sliding wooden door to reveal the room itself. It was almost completely empty except for a small table close to the floor. We needed to roll out the thin futon mattresses to sleep each night.
We were so sore from our climb that we were struggling to go up and down stairs. Pretty much any incline presented a challenge. So for our first night, we opted for a shiatsu massage. Brittany found a place in the nearby district of Shimabara, Japan’s oldest red light district. Online the place seemed friendly to foreigners. But as we made our way there we were eyed curiously by Japanese businessmen. And we eyed them back, unsure as to what kind of situation we were actually getting ourselves into. Thankfully, it was just a massage. Once inside, everything went smoothly. As we checked out the staff even offered stickers to commemorate our visit.
All of Kyoto feels like a cultural heritage site, but we were staying in Gion, considered the most traditional part of the city. There are over 1600 Buddhist temples in Kyoto and over 400 Shinto shrines. Our visit was for only a few days. Because of our limited time and temporarily limited physical ability, we opted for a bus tour to visit some of the most famous sites.
The tour included the Kinkakuji Temple, also known as the Golden Pavilion. It is a beautiful wooden structure covered in gold leaf. A monk burnt it to the ground in 1950. It was then rebuilt as an exact replica of the original building. We also visited the Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine, the shrine you will recognize by all the orange gates lining the path. I had not heard of it before but we also visited the Sanjusangendo Temple, which houses 1,001 life-size Buddhist statues, all hand carved and each with a unique face. This temple is also made of wood, and was also burnt down completely once before, and has since been rebuilt.
The highlight of the highlights tour for me was the Nijo Castle, completed in 1626. It is a beautiful feudal-era building. I was most intrigued by the “nightingale floors.” These are floors the make a chirping sound when you walk on them to warn of intruders. The building is almost completely empty of furniture, but features beautiful floor-to-ceiling paintings that cover the interior rooms.
As much as I love to learn about the local culture while traveling, I love to eat much more. That is why for me, the true highlight of my visit to Kyoto and quite possibly all of Japan was our stop at Nishiki Market. Don’t miss the opportunity to go if you visit Kyoto! This narrow street spans several blocks in downtown Kyoto. There are vendors on both sides selling street food, usually specializing in one thing. We had fried seafood, grilled wagyu beef, and Takoyaki paired with beer or sake. We would stop at a stand to try one thing, then meander a bit further until we had curated for ourselves a perfect 10-course meal.
A surprise highlight for me was dressing up in a kimono for a tea ceremony. Donning a kimono is not something I would normally opt to do myself. Which is why I’m so grateful that Brittany convinced me. The experience started as we picked out our kimonos and accessories. A team of women helped us dress and styled our hair.
Once properly dressed, we learned about the tradition of the tea ceremony and how to prepare matcha. A real ceremony takes several hours. Fortunately, considering we were sitting on the floor with no back support, our experience was over in under an hour. Our guide explained that the ceremony is a meditative experience that culminates in the drinking of the matcha tea. The bitter flavor is offset by mochi and a small sugar candy eaten as an accompaniment. She also explained that most of the people wearing kimonos around Kyoto were tourists from all over Japan and the world. Visitors will rent the kimonos to enhance the traditional atmosphere of their vacation to Kyoto.
Another highlight/lowlight depending on your perspective was our day trip to Nara. The small city has become a popular tourist destination because of the sacred deer that roam the city. In videos you will see the deer bow in exchange for a treat you can buy at the park where they gather. From what I had seen on social media the process seemed straightforward and orderly.
But as we all know, social media is a lie. I bought the deer cookies and became marked as a target for violence. Multiple deer approached me at once . I tried to back up but before I knew what was happening I was surrounded on all sides by deer. Another tourist shouted at me multiple times to hide the cookies in my bag but I had already lost control of the situation. Instead of the adorable and peaceful exchange I was expecting, I was attacked.
I tried to get the deer to bow by holding out a cookie. Instead, they began biting and head-butting me, hard. I began dropping the cookies and resorted to flinging them away from me to make my escape. All in all, Nara could have gone better for me and is not an experience I care to repeat.
If you go, learn from my mistake and hide the cookies in your bag. Bring out them out one piece at a time so the deer can’t see you’re carrying. As soon as the deer bow, give them the cookie or they will get impatient. This is allegedly how to stay in control of the situation, but good luck. Next time, I’ll stick to what I’m good at, feeding myself instead.
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