Kyoto: Gion and The International Manga Museum

We got to Gion by bus after we left Shosei-En. Aside from the very efficient densha (local train) systems, Japan can be commuted by buses that almost swallow up the very narrow inner streets. The bus stop is smack right in the middle of the shopping area. The shops normally sell most things related to kimonos and tradtional delicacies and omiyagi (souvenirs). It is not unusual to see girls and women wearing kimonos rushing in tiny hurried steps, beautifully coiffed and in exquisite make up amidst contemporarily fashionable dressed women and koukou gakuen (high school) girls.

Gion was and is known as the Geisha District. Sadly, there are only about 1,000 practicing geishas all over Japan. They only come out at dusk and since we were there early afternoon, we didn't get to see one. Since they go about their ways surreptitiously and shun people, it is even a treat for Japanese people to see one. It's like a celebrity sighting.

Hailed as the most beautiful street of all Asia, is Shimbashi. A preserved place full of okiyas (tea houses) where geishas used to entertain centuries ago. All left intact. Stepping into it feels like you're stepping back in old world Japan. 

The shrine at the fork of the road

We had quite a bit of a hard time finding it being gaijin (foreigners) and such. Here's Thad excitedly pointing to its location on our map. 

This is my favorite part of Shimbashi. I just love looking at the row of okiyas and listening to the rush of crystal clear river. In the novel Memoirs of a Geisha, this was the stream where Sayuri first meets the Chairman. 

While I pose for photos all demure-like, Thad never loses an opportunity to ham it up. ^_^ 

Although in some Western mythologies it symbolizes death, in Japanese mythology,a karasu (crow) is a mark of rebirth and rejuvenation. The bird to historically clean up after battles feasting on corpses signifies renaissance after a tragedy. I love the way Japanese culture always puts beauty and hope in every facet of life. 

Now we're trotting along, soaking up the sights of these old shops...

  

Thad with his LSU T-shirt-shaped cozy to remind him of home ^_^ 

I love how this tree looked like it's growing out of the house 

This triptych started with me hastily snapping this photo of Thad and then telling him to not pose like a geisha so he regained his manly composure and posed like a samurai.

Since it's such a bother to ask people to take photos, we asked the road-san to take one. 

I did however asked these two girls in kimonos  if I could take their sanshin (photo)

Now leaving Shimbashi to go on what we later realized was a long trek to seek the 

International Manga Museum!

The hotel we're at is only 8 minutes away from Akihabara by foot, known as the otaku ( manga and anime fan) paradise but I bet a few of them have ever been to the International Museum of Manga (Japanese Comics) in Kyoto. Travel to Kyoto is costly and would have to probably be done with a purpose of staying a while and planning one's itinerary... not a day's jaunt. The entire trip cost Thad and I $300 if not for our 7 day unlimited JR Rail pass only available to non-Japanese passport holder and would have to be bought before you leave for Japan...with a price tag only a Japanese can dream of. So, if you want to travel all the other places in Japan aside from Tokyo ( to Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, etc) you will be better off shelling the cost of a JR rail pass. It will pay itself off.

We walked and walked , trying to find the museum. 

We did find another museum for contemporary arts. 

We had walked past it since it wasn't on the main road we were on but slightly off the side.

 But here it is... 

The site was once the Tatsuike Elementary School. Manga fans can come here, pay an entrance fee  and read 300,000 manga in their library. They can spend an entire day here reading with occasional breaks to eat at the manga cafe. There's also an exhibit of rare manga from the Meiji period and fun facts about being a manga-ka (author) and the process to create manga. I was thoroughly educated on that exhibit to a point of it inspiring me and intimidating me. . 

Thad on astro turf ^_^ We couldn't take photos inside, of course. We wanted to take a photo of Osamu Tezuka's Phoenix sculpture as seen inside the building behind Thad and I. Tezuka invented the ubiquitous wide eye manga look drawing inspiration from the Disney classic movie Bambi and Betty Boop. Tezuka aslo created the manga, Astro Boy whose anime

 I have watched religiously as a kid. 

photo cred: Gigazine 

With my love of everything Showa Era manga anime, the galaxy-eyed maidens, I was so happy to find that they had an exhibit of Showa Era popular manga-ka Eico Hanabi whose works I have gazed at from internet websites. So actually gazing at her actual works was like a mecca pilgrimage to me. 

I know we weren't allowed to take photos but Thad couldn't resist my enthralled fascination and bliss at wandering into this pink room of wonder...

When I go to museums, I always try to get a little souvenir from the gift shop of something relevant off of the exhibit I just had the opportunity to see. Much to my delight, they had Eico Hanabi merch so I bought myself a tote and file. Also, worthy to note that 70year old Eico Hanabi wears her hair in a beautiful shade of sakura pink!  

If you are a bonafide manga fan visiting this museum should be in your bucket list. I was tired from the walk and the frustration of trying to find it that I wanted to give up and head back to Tokyo but Thad wasn't going to give up. I am so happy that he didn't...I would've regretted 

it so much if we missed it. 

That was the last leg of the Kyoto day tour. We are thinking of coming back before we leave Japan and explore some more of the shrines and castles. When we got back to the Kyoto Station to take the shinkansen back to Tokyo, Thad saw a Cafe Du Monde shop! Home away from home! 

  

We barely made it to our train (again) but we HAD to take these Cafe Du Monde photos. Aaaah I miss me some beignettes.

So that's it for Kyoto for now! Keep an eye for the next update... Studio Ghibli! Squeep!!!

Shosei-En garden 360°

After the stress of getting to Kyoto. Xiomara needed some stress relief. Luckily, Shosei-En Garden is not far from the station.

Put put your hands in the air, don't wave em like you just don't care. Now everybody meditate and go "ohmmm"...

Photosphere:
http://plus.google.com/117220229319287930142/posts/VtLdzPLWWbB

Kyoto: Higashi Hongan-Ji and Shosei-En

Aside from the modernity of Tokyo, we also wanted to experience old world Japan. Kyoto has always been in the plans to go visit but we never settled on a date till this morning when I had an epiphany. Kyoto should happen today or never. So I did a very uncharacteristic thing and decided to go on an adventure with no planning. I like my plans. I like planning. The stress of it has a relieving effect on me.  Very luckily for me, I am married to the bestest sport and trooper of all. I woke Thad up at 5 AM and told him what was going to happen for us today. Now, we had to be quick about it because  Kyoto is a long way from where we are in Tokyo. About the same distance as Dallas from New Orleans. Imagine going to Dallas in the morning and come home in the afternoon. That was however, possible with riding on the shinkansen (bullet train) that went up to 300 mph. The ride roughly took three hours. Now we had to make sure to make it back before the last train leaves from Tokyo to our hotel in Asakusabashi or we'll be stuck in Tokyo for the night. 

I did say I didn't plan anything but it wasn't from lack of wanting. I did try but we really had nothing to work with. We had no Kyoto maps for the subway or bus system, there's a brief commentary on places on our Lonely Planet book, some of which didn't help us on how to get to where we wanted to be, heck, aside from Gion, we didn't even know where exactly we wanted to be. 

   

We almost missed our train because the website where we have been plotting our routes, for some reason got the platform number wrong. We just stood on the wrong platform for a bit, wondering what to do or who to ask. It is hard asking for any help from people here because even though they are very polite and very, very nice, they hardly speak English. Essentially, when you are in Japan and all you know is English, you are on your own. I spied the conductor from the train that just arrived and he promptly and courteously directed us in broken English to the right platform. We got to the platform just as our train was boarding passengers. Since we didn't have reserved seats, we had to go to the 1-5 cars that were on the butt end of the train. We had to run the ENTIRE length of the train. Thank God, I started running the track weeks before coming to Japan otherwise that sprint would've killed me. So we finally found some vacant seats, settled down, caught our breaths and took that photo above. Not even 5 minutes, the train started to depart. 

                                                   and we finally got to Kyoto Station! 

Since this temple was a walking distance from the station, we checked it out. Higashi Hongan-Ji is massive! Built by the shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa in 1602. The Goei-do main hall is one of the largest wooden structures in the world. We weren't able to take a photo but inside, encased in a glass shell is  a curious object of a huge coil of rope made from human hair all donated by female devotees to help haul the massive timbers used for the reconstruction of the temple after its destruction in the 1880s.

Tremendous ornate door at the entrance

Thad at the purifying fountain having a face-off with the mythical ryu (dragon)

About 5 minutes walk from this temple is the Shosei-En. One can hardly believe this is nestled right in the heart of bustling Kyoto. The well kept grounds were completed in 1657 and still maintained meticulously to this day. 

Ceremonial Gate (Boka-kaku)

The Sochinkyo (Tea House) on the brim of Ingetsu-chi (pond)

Gosho-u (The North Island)

Shinsetsu-kyo (Snow-capped Bridge)

O-genkan Porch

The Kaito-ro Bridge is my favorite part of this garden. 

Thad, the pensive philospher

The Corridor Where Minds Meet

Xiomara, the forlorn Chibi-Hime ( Child-like Princess)

The Shiogama (Brine pit-like spring)

Thad in front of the Rofu-tei

A line of old traditional shops along the street off of the exit...

Next installment is Gion which is known as the Geisha district. For now, I can't barely keep my eyes open. I also don't want to promote ocular sensory overload :-) See you guys, next post!