More Japan: Kamakura, Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima

Having heard of Kamakura from a fellow lodger at the hostel in Tokyo, I decided to go there before heading to Kyoto.

Kamakura was the capital of Japan during the rule of one of the Shogun governments.  It was selected by these warlords as their capital because it was easily defensible, being surrounded by mountains on three sides and by the sea on the fourth, and these same geographic features mean that the town is surrounded by natural beauty.  Many tourists are drawn by hiking, windsurfing, and the long, sandy beaches; just as many are drawn by the town's many impressive temples, shrines, and other historical sites dating back to the Shogun period.

Japanese temples and shrines all tend to be quite similar to one another, and between Kamakura and Kyoto I managed to see quite enough of them for my tastes.  Nonetheless I enjoyed exploring Kamakura for the three days I spent, and its relative quietude and small-town feel was a nice change of pace from Tokyo.  I'd readily recommend Kamakura as a destination on par with to Kyoto in terms of classical Japanese spiritual sites and Japanese-style natural splendor.

Once my three days were up, I hopped onto the Shinkansen for the first time and headed for Kyoto.  If one is planning to travel around in Japan at all, the JR pass is a fantastic deal.  (More on this later.)

Kyoto, while a significant city in its own right, is much smaller than Tokyo, and its feel is much more laid-back.  Its value as a tourist attraction, like Kamakura's, stems from its abundance of temples.  The most impressive of these, for me, were Fushimi Inari, a mountain covered in shinto shrines with Torii-gate-lined paths leading up to the top, and Kinkaku-ji, a Buddhist temple the outside of which is gold-plated.  The nearby city of Nara, with its friendly (and at times aggressive) deer, is also worth visiting.  As much as I enjoyed them, though, the best times I had in Kyoto were spent singing at Kareoke parlors into the wee hours with a crowd of other backpackers from all over the world.

Osaka followed Kyoto.  Osaka had more of a big-city vibe, closer to Tokyo than Kyoto but with a distinctive edginess to it.  It was for the most part more run-down and seedier than Tokyo.  My hostel was located in a poorer part of town, which seemed to be mainly populated by 'homeless people and retired Yakuza', as one fellow lodger put it.  This is not to denigrate the city, nor to say that it is without more refined, upscale districts.  Indeed, it gave the nightly wanderings through the town with other guests a more adventuresome feel.  Another thing I found was that the residents seemed friendlier and more open than those of Tokyo.  They were more prone to starting conversations with Western strangers.

One adventure in Osaka is worth special mention.  There's a local law in Osaka that all foreigners are required to carry their passport at all times, and that if you couldn't show it when asked by a police officer, they could detain you.  I'd heard that this rarely actually happened, so for the first few days hadn't bothered to carry my passport with me.  

Then one night, while walking back to the hostel from halfway accross town at 1 AM, I was stopped by two plainclothes policemen who asked to see my passport.  This was slightly scary, but I figured the smartest thing to do was to be honest and to try to get on their good side.  Swallowing a knot of panic, I cheerfully told them I didn't have it with me but that it was back at the hostel where I was heading to.  They asked if they could come with me so I could show it to them.  I said I didn't mind, but that it was still a long way - an hour's walk, probably.  Hearing this, they called a car from headquarters to drive us there.  We stood around chatting for a few mintues; I asked them about their lives - one of them had studied English on exchange at UBC! - and I managed to impress them with my limited Japanese.  When the car arrived it took us straight to the hostel.  I showed them my passport, they asked that I keep it with me in future, and then they said goodnight.  So because I broke the law, I got a free ride home!  Still, I did make sure to keep my passport with me after that.

Next was Hiroshima.  I only spent a few days here but I had a great time.  Sumo wrestling was happening in Fukuoka, another city not far from Hiroshima, so I made a day trip out there to watch the higher-tier matches, which were quite gripping (ha, ha).  The second day I explored the peace park and attendant museum, and in the evening enjoyed the street food and traditional drum performances going on at a street festival, which by fortunate coincidence was happening over the same three days as I was there.  The third day was spent at Miyajima island with some Australians and an American.  As far as Japanese shrines and temples go, those at Miyajima are the best I've seen so far, better than any of those in Kyoto or Kamakura.

Once again, most of the details of each trip are captured in the associated photo albums:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152060702940879.1073741835.514945878&type=1&l=41fedbc7cc

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152090913085879.1073741836.514945878&type=1&l=d0467584ad

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152098080900879.1073741838.514945878&type=1&l=bdbb4c573b

Now I'm back in Tokyo for another week, after which I'll be heading to Singapore.  Thanks for reading!

Japan 1: Tokyo

Tokyo is an enormous and highly varied city.  In parts of Tokyo, if you ignore the street signs you feel like you could be in any wealthy Western city.  But most of it fulfills the North Amercian idea of the city as being at once futuristic and anachronistic.  Highrises and animated LED signs are shoulder-to-shoulder with paper lanterns and kawara-tiled roofs.  Simple wooden shrines are nestled in alcoves in the outside of multi-story department stores.

All this is in the central parts of the city, which are busy and crowded.  Yet they contrast sharply with other parts of the city that in many places are just a few minute's walk away.  Cross a bridge from busy downtown Asakusa and you may find yourself in Sumida ward, where the narrow streets are lined with miniature gardens of potted plants and a strange silence pervades.  The hostel where I stayed was situated here.  This contrast, between quiet serenity and riotous modernity, was another of those that characterized my experience of Tokyo.

After a week I still felt as though I'd only scratched the surface of this city.  I'd only seen one or two of the notorious Harajuku kids (though on the street and in train stations I did pass one or two girls in elaborate goth-loli dress).  And apart from walking in on a performance by a local gypsy-jazz duo at the bar near the hostel one serendipitous evening, I hadn't gotten to enjoy any of the city's jazz scene, which I'm told is as vibrant and varied as Tokyo itself.  So I've decided to return for another week once I've visited the other parts of Japan I planned to go to.  I'm glad I held off on buying my ticket to Singapore, giving me the flexibility to extend my stay in Japan.

Am I missing anything?  Hanging around the club district in Shibuya around Halloween was a lot of fun.  Other than that, the specifics of my time in Tokyo are mostly documented in my two photo albums that I've linked below (if you've got me on Facebook you'll already have seen them).

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152016831060879.1073741833.514945878&type=1&l=2cc81a4379
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152030145070879.1073741834.514945878&type=1&l=613cd37e93

Next time, my account of Kamakura and Kyoto!