Sudden pouring

It started suddenly! After lunch, we were supposed to head for Golden Pavillion as the second leg of our tour. When we got out of the Okonomiyaki restaurant, it started raining. At first I thought it would slightly rain, but against my prospect, it started pouring.


Avoiding the heavy rain, under the roof of the bus stop, we were waiting for the bus for Nijo castle( because we can see inside of the building, which means we can walk inside without getting wet)
However, the rain was getting harder and harder. At that time, suddenly, a woman of our group took her shoes off. It was surprising to me. That was because she hate to have her shoes gotten wet.

Anyway we,including a woman with no shoes on, looked around inside the Palace.
It was the first time to see all the wooden shutter of the palace closed. It was a shame that it was too dark inside to recognize the design of wood carving above the sliding doors. Happily, it stopped raining while we are visiting the castle, so we went to Golden Pavillion.

However, unluckily, we failed to visit Ryoanji rock garden due to delay of the bus we were going to take. Instead we headed for Arashiyama to see Bamboo forest. To go to Arashiyama, we used Randen line.

It is a very small train consisting of only one coach. When she saw the train coming, she said " How cute!" It seemed to be beyond her expectation.

The next day, our member, Saki showed them around in Nara and Fushimi.


the first day ( a half day)
Yasaka shrine, Nishiki Food market, Nijo castle, Golden Pavillion, Bamboo forest.

the second day ( a full day)
Kasuga shrine, Todaiji temple, Fushimi Inari shrine.

Deer Deer Deer!

They insisted on going to Nara, because they were recommended by somebody. We met at the exit of JR Kyoto Station at 9:30. That was the beginning of the very busy day.

In the station, it has some useful services. One of them is so-called Carry-service. All you have to do is to carry and leave your luggage there, and you can get it at your accomdation in the evening! So, you can enjoy sightseeing without heavy luggage just after your arrival.
We left our luggage there, and headed for Nara.



Around Todaiji temple, wild deer are hanging around. They know sightseers are very interested in feeding them. They also know where we get deer crackers. As soon as we stand in front of the shop, they are coming to get some crackers. Sometimes they poking us, pulling us and picking something like a map out of our pockets. In spite of such cute attacks against us, we fully enjoyed playing with these deer before entering the temple.




Of course, we were impressed by the huge buddha image.

In the hall, one of the pillars has a hole. It is said that the hole is as large as the nostril of Daibutsu( a big buddha). We say that, if you pass through this hole ( hight 30cm -width 37cm -length 120cm), you will make your wish come true, or you can get a good luck! Why don't you try it? me? mmmmm, I will try it after loosing my weight....

We were on a hasty trip. We hurried back to Nara station. On the bus, a man of our tour asked me what the driver was saying. It sounded something like shawa shawa shawa shawa shawa.... I listened to him, Yes! exactly, he was saying shawa,shawa,shawa. For me, a native Japanese, it was hardly understandable. ^^;

We went Fushimi Inari shrine on the way back to Kyoto, had lunch and went to Kiyomizu temple. In the precinct of Yasaka Shrine, we saw a big circle made of plants. It is Chinowa. At the end of Jun, after passing a half of the year, we walk through the circle in order to cleanse a sin we committed without being aware of it. We walk through the circle and turn left and come back to the front and walk through again, turn right, and then, again we walk through the circle and turn left. Now we are purified, probably....

After visiting Nishiki Food market, I sent them to Westin Miyako Hotel and said good bye to them.

the tour : Nara Todaiji temple, Fushimi Inari shrine, Kiyomizu temple, Sanneizaka Nineizaka, yasaka shrine, Nishiki Food Market.

Yummy Yummy, Candy making!

This time we challenged candy making!


I guided a family from USA for two 1/2 days. On the first 1/2day, I showed them around to the historic places. We went Golden Pavillion, Nijo castle and the last stop,Nishiki Food Market.


In the Ninomaru Palace(in Nijo castle), they listened to me with much interest. Samurai used to have two swords with them, a long one and a short one. A long one is for fighting, and the other is for cimmitting suicide, so-called Harakiri. In those days, samurai was to commit Harakiri suicide to show their loyalty to the lord or the person in an upper position that he worked for. Kids carefully listened to my explanation, but looked tough to understand why.



I thought it was difficult to fully understand why they killed themselves because of such a reason. In this mordern society, we hardly imagine it.








Later we went Nishiki Food Market, and yes! we enjoyed soy-milk doughnuts. Yummy! The photo is a kind of fish called HAMO. In summer, people in Kyoto love to eat Hamo. Of course they tried one, and said " Good"







For the next day, we planned to go to Monkey Park in Arashiyama. Unfortunately, it was raining in that morning. We gave up the plan and, instead, we challenged candy making.




I found the sweets shop which gives us a class for candy making. In addition, they take today's reservation. It is very helpful. In that morning, I called them and made a reservation.

We had a candy making class with Japanese school kids who were on the school trip. Such interactive class was very interesting to the people I guided.

Well, yes! They made something like Sweets. Later, we were served Japanese tea for tea ceremony and the original sweets of this shop.

Of course, we can take the candy we made. They ate them in Shinkansen during the trip back to Tokyo.





Course : Golden Pavillion, Nijo castle and Nishiki food market ( the first 1/2 day)


Kyoto tower, Candy making, Higashi honganji temple and Seisho en garden( the second 1/2 day)

Soooooo lucky to see inside of a sake factory!

When I received the list she wanted to visit, I was at a loss to make a plan for her. She told me that she wanted to visit Kinkakuji ( the north west in Kyoto), Arashiyama Bamboo forest ( in the west ) and Fushimi inari shrine( the south ) along with Daigoji temple ( behind the Higashiyama mountains)

Yes, Daigoji temple has a large precinct which has a pagoda, a garden and a museum. It's worth seeing. However, from Daigo station ( subway), we have to walk for at least ten minutes. We surely need a lot of time to get to and come back from there,including the train-ride.
We had to give up going there, instead I suggested visiting Sake museum if she was interested in it.
Leaving her accomodation, a machiya style hostel, we first visited Kingakuji temple. As she had been staying here for 4 days before we met, she saw enough temples, shrines and gardens to feel too much.......a little too much for her.. She wanted to see something different.






Skipping Ryoanji temple and Ninnnaji temple, we headed for Arashiyama. Needless to say, we skipped Tenryuji temple but enjoyed calmness and peacefulness in Bamboo forest. She seems to really like it.




She was interested in the man fishing in the river, and took some pictures of him. After lunch, we walked to the JR station talking a lot and got back to JR Kyoto station. There we changed trains to go to Fushimi Inari.


In Fushimi Inari, we tried so-called OMOKARU stones. After making a wish, lift this stone. If you feel it light, your wish will be realized. But if you feel it heavy, the wish won't come true... And I always feel it heavy. Again, yes, I felt it same as usual, though she felt it light..
I should try it again after I have trained enough to lift it easily!!


Then, we visited GEKKEIKAN SAKE Museum. Luckily, we were mistaken for a member of the tourists who had a reservation of the tour to see inside of the old style factory. We were called and were told to hurry into the factory. The visitors who reserved it were from Canada. Somehow, the woman in the factory mistook me for a translator. She gave an explanation looking at me. Of course, I explained how to make sake to them in English. Anyway, we were very lucky.

Sheila seemed to enjoy visiting here. She said she would never visit there if she had not found a guide. I was happy to hear that despite the accidental good luck..

She sampled three kinds of Sake, which tempted her, and finally she bought one of the three. She said it tasted very soft and light, and the sake sold in UK was not like that.





Tour: Kinkakuji temple, Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Fushimi Inari shrine, Gekkeikan sake museum, Nishiki food Market.

Talking a lot with a couple from USA part 2

Again, I talked a lot about various topis with the tourists from USA! It was, of course, fun.

During the tour, mostly on the bus from one place to another, I had time to talk with them. The most impressive topic was the one about jury system. Last year the citizen judge system started in Japan. They knew about it, but the system in Japan is different from that in America. Both of us thoght it almost same despite a little difference. I explained the citizen judge system in Japan to them and I heard what the system in America is like. We found them slightly different. It was very interesting to me.



Let's get back to the main topic!
Most of the famous places in Kyoto are so crowded with visitors. However, Daitokuji is not comparatively crowded like those. There are many small temples in the precinct of Daitokuji.
Koto-in is the most popular among them.
Recently the number of visitors to Koto-in has been gradually increasing. Yet it still keeps calmness.
There we met a man who was sitting and viewing the garden. He noticed me, and spoke to me.
He was wondering where in Koto-in the grave of the famous Kabuki female dancer, OKUNI, was . Unfortunately, I didn't know about it. I felt sorry I couldn't answer the question. What I don't know should be asked to somebody who knows. I asked the woman at the wicket.

That is true. The grave of OKUNI is surely in Koto-in. But it is not opened to the public.
So that's why he and we couldn't find it.




After that, we had lunch at OMEN near Ginkakuji temple.








This restaurant serves a special UDON.
They have a branch restaurant in New York. You can enjoy it in America, too.




They loved Japanese tea, and looked for tea cups for themselves.
We walked a lot around Kiyomizu temple, Nineizaka and Sanneizaka and Chawan zaka! At last they found what they wanted. Nice!
















I got an e-mail from them saying they enjoy Janapese green tea with the tea cups they bought here.







Tour : Ryoanji temple, Koto-in (Daitokuji ), Silver Pavillion (Ginkakuji),Lunch at OMEN, Sanjusangendo Hall, Kiyomizu temple ( Chawan zaka)

Talking a lot with a couple from USA

Yes! I talked a lot with a couple from USA. I was a guide for them on May 12th and 13th. At first, I was supposed to be a one-day guide, but one of us was not able to come due to her health problem. It was hard for me, but I really enjoyed the tour with them!

I planned to visit the western part on the first day, and the eastern part on the second day. After visiting Golden pavillion, we had OKONOMIYAKI for lunch. At that restaurant, we had to make OKONOMIYAKI by ourselves.OKONOMIYAKI is very popular meal for the people living in Kansai district. As for me, I sometimes make it at home with a portable BBQ pan on the table. Along with OKONOMIYAKI, we fry/grill sausages,beef, chicken, vegetables and some other foods which can be cooked on it.

They were interested in the meal. As I heard that they were going to visit Hiroshima following Kyoto, I talked about Hiroshima style OKONOMIYAKI. Of course, Kansai people are really fond of Kansai style. However, one of my friends who has lived in Hiroshima said Hiroshima's is really as good as Kansai's or it could beat Kansai's...

The other day, I got an e-mail from them and knew that they had Hiroshima style OKONOMIYAKI twice. They are going to make one at home, too. That's nice, isn't it?

The next day, when we were at the gate of Kiyomizu temple, some junior high school students spoke to them. The school boys and girls had to inteview foreign tourists in English, and had to get their autographs(?) as they were told to by their teacher.
One of us said "Now, we are celebrities." However, when we got out of the temple, we found the students spoke to some other tourists and tried to have their autograph.
Again he said, "Now we are no longer cerelbrities.." (^^;

After visiting Kiyomizu temple, they got 4 Yukatas for souvenirs to their daughters at one of the shops along Sanneizaka.
One more thing, she was looking for a bookmarker for a souvenir. I tried to find one, but somehow, I could not find it.

Fortunately, I found one at the exit of Silver Pavillion. I was happy to find all they wanted.
They had the tickets of Kamogawa Odori, or Geisha dance show.



So, I said good-by to them a little earlier so that they could have a little rest before the show.

I had two days with them, and talked about various topics, which was a lot of fun to me, too.

the photo
irises in Heian Shrine





The tour
1st day
Fushimi Inari shrine, Golden Pavillion, Ryoanji rock garden, Nijo castle, Nishiki Food market
2nd day
Kiyomizu temple, Nineizaka Sanneizaka, Yasaka shrine, Heian shrine, Silver Pavillion

With a group from Italy part 2

May 1st. It's the day called May Day. However, I completely forgot it, and I chose Nijo Castle as the first leg of our tour. When I got there, I found so many people gathering in front of the castle. Actually I thought I had made a blunder.

On the contrary, they got interested in the rally, and took some pictures. Secretly I was releaved.....though, after visiting the castle, we had to walk to the next bus stop due to the halt of the traffic.




It was amid so-called the Golden week, luckily we saw the wedding ceremony held in the castle garden. When we saw the on-going ceremony, we talked about the registration of the marriage to the public office.

When we got married, we have to file our marriage paper to the public office and make a new household. They were interested in how we deal with our family name at that time.

However, we have to choose one of the names we had before our marriage. Many people choose the husband's name. They were wondering if it is confusing that the woman has to change her family name at the workplace. There are, of course, some cases in which they keep using their maiden name.




At Ryoanji temple, they were attarcted by the small moss side garden. So we visited Kotoin in Daitokuji temple and Silver Pavillion, both of which have moss gardens, too. They seemed to fully enjoy each garden.







The tour
Starting their hotel, Nijo Castle, Golden Pavillion, Ryoanji rock garden, Koto-in (Daitokuji ), Silver Pavillion (Ginkakuji temple), Phylosophy path.