JAPAN!!! (Part I)
Firstly, I am SO SO SORRY this has taken so long (yeah, like, a month). In my defence, I had over two thousand photos to get through (I only got the last six hundred or so off Sophie on Friday) and I've had so much else on, but FINALLY it's here: the long awaited Japan post!
♥
We set off on Wednesday evening, as I think you know, to get the 7.35pm flight from Manchester to Charles de Gaulle in Paris (an hour's flight, then a change over, and a twelve hour flight from Paris CDG to Tokyo NRT). In case you can't work out how INSANELY LONG that is, we reached Tokyo at about 7pm on Thursday night (effectively 24 hours later, with the time difference). Fortunately it's pretty easy to keep me amused (half an hour into the journey I passed a napkin to the Japanese guy on my right and was thrilled when he bowed as he took it. The other eleven and a half hours were spent plotting what else I could pass to him so he'd do it again).
But yeah, it wasn't so bad, despite the fact I discovered I was VICTIMISED BY AIR PERSONNEL THE WORLD OVER. Every single chance they got, I had people searching my bags and whipping my shoes off me while Sophie strolled merrily through, goddammit!
I can't say much about my first impressions of Japan, other than it was dark. No, really, it was about 7pm and it was PITCH BLACK outside, we were like, 'WHOAH'. There are no summer evenings, haha; it's one of those things you don't expect to notice but somehow it's extremely trippy when you're there. We had to get on a coach for an hour-long journey to Yokohama from NRT almost as soon as we arrived, and naturally we were almost dead with exhaustion, so the priority upon reaching Sophie's aunt (Eileen)'s flat was sleep, basically.
That is, until we woke up at 3am in the morning like, 'GRAARRJETLAGWTF'
This did mean we got an early start though; we set off for Yokohama station ridiculously early in the morning to get the train to Kamakura. Even stuff like walking to the station was amazing- we took a route along the back streets where people live, and seriously, it's like something you see in National Geographic. I can't exactly describe why it all seems so foreign- maybe the telephone wires all over the place (they can't have them underground like here cause of the earthquake risk) or the way everything was so spotlessly clean (no chewing gum on the pavements or anything). And there were loads of people on bikes, and teenagers going to school in uber cute uniforms like something out of an anime!
The station was awesome too- for one thing, stand still long enough and a queue forms behind you! Not for any, like, reason- but people don't push onto trains or whatever, they wait for people to get off and then you all go on in a line. YAYQUEUEING. This was mad the first couple of times it happened though; we'd be talking and look round to see twenty or so people lined up behind us, haha.
We started off in Kamakura by going to the first temple, which I can't find a proper name for in all my stuff now but is declared by the leaflet as Engaku-ji. This could mean bloody anything as far as I know but hey, let's assume that's its name X__X.
YAY US! (If you don't know- I'm the one with red hair, and Sophie is the taller one with dark hair)
The guy above was the absolute highlight of my day- take a good look at him.
Is he sweeping a road? Is he sweeping a path?
NO!
HE IS SWEEPING A BUSH!!
This was no one-off, either. He swept ALL THE BUSHES.
For obvious reasons, I am in love with him.
If you paid Y100 (about 50p) to go into this adorable courtyard you were given an incense stick, which you put in that little stone holder in the middle. And then a monk came out and gave us bowls of whisked up green tea on a tray- if you look you can see the little bird shaped biscuity things too (they were absolutely not biscuit, but I can't describe them- very soft, I don't know) ♥
Vending machines. Everywhere ^__^ Including ICE-CREAM VENDING MACHINES = BEST IDEA EVERRR.
Next we went to Kencho-ji temple (above), which was beautiful- we went into this temple area at one point and had to take our shoes off to walk on the tatami mat and everything- SO COOL. What you really noticed though was how seriously everyone took it; there were huge groups of school kids all walking round on their own, without their teachers, but everyone was acting really respectfully and really taking it all in... it had been me I'd have sat behind a bush and eaten my packed lunch within ten minutes, but no! The effect of this was that we all found ourselves walking round in this totally Zen haze (serious inner calm, we should hang out around temples more often).
LOLZ AT THE TOILET:
YEAH. YOU HAVE TO SQUAT. XD
After this we walked down Sakura Street which had loads of little shops and stalls and food places. We got crepes and filled pancake thingys to eat (yay for good nutrition). There was a guy working at the stall opposite while we ate them, and Sophie was like, 'AAH, HE SO LOOKS LIKE RENJI!!!' (Abarai Renji, from Bleach).
'Renji has pink hair,' I reminded her, but she was not to be swayed. I sort of saw what she meant... he had his hair back, and it WAS sort of Renji-ish...
Unfortunately Renji seemed to take our appraising looks as interest and kept flashing me flirty grins while I became increasingly involved in my crepe. I took a picture of the street to get all the girls in Japanese school uniform, and I think he noticed, cause next thing we knew he was BLATENTLY taking a picture of us on his phone. HAHAHAHAHAHA. Score XD
The school kids WON AT LIFE though. Everyone stared at us (apparently I am the only red-haired, blue-eyed girl in the whole of Asia. I also have the BIGGEST BOOBS IN JAPAN. I kept walking around, minding my own business and finding people looking at me with this expression:
O_____O
) and then this group of girls got up the nerve to call out 'hello!' as we went past (they learn English in school), and they were obviously overcome with their own daring, cause everyone was so reserved and polite and everything. So I called back 'hello!' and waved, and they actually SQUEALED. Cutest thing EVER. I've never got such a good reaction, haha.
I also achieved one of my lifelong ambitions in the 100 Yen Shop on the way to see the Great Buddha- SOCK GLUE.
What is sock glue, I hear you cry? IT IS GLUE. THAT GLUES YOUR SOCKS UP.
ULTIMATE WIN.
♥ ♥ ♥
This is the Great Buddha:
..No, wait, that's Sophie's aunt Eileen.
THIS is the Great Buddha:
It's 37 feet high, according to what I've got written down here... seriously made of massive.
Kamakura is on the coast, so we got the train down a bit further to Kamakura-kokomi, the beach. By this point it was MADLY HOT, you can probably tell by how bright the photos are, especially compared to the earlier ones. During the week the temperature was about 30C every day, it was fantastic. The beach was gorgeous- Sophie and I regressed and comandeered an abandoned children's toy XD
And a nice picture of Sophie's arse for you.
Seriously though, Japan is the most amazing place in the world. I stood on the pavement, on the wrong side of the road to take a picture of the sea, and CARS SLOWED DOWN for me to take my phto. That actually blew my mind. I think you'd have to experience it, haha.
...I can't believe this is only the first day done; I've been at this for two hours already. Basically that's Friday done- we went to the supermarket in the evening and it was the BEST THING EVER (where else could you buy single, ready-cooked hard-boiled eggs?!)
I'll try and speed up a bit now.
On Saturday morning we had another early start to catch the Shinkansen- that's the bullet train!- to Kyoto. Kyoto is like, the old capital of Japan, with the old houses and temples and all sorts. It is STUNNING, the whole region is like a giant film set- like wandering into Spirited Away, honestly.
This is the Shinkansen:
And this is Sophie and I, both pretending to be Kuchiki Rukia from Bleach with our Japanese juice cartons ^__^:
That's my very first bento box, above- I had no idea what to expect, but WAH, YUM. Basically as long as I didn't try to work out what the hell stuff was, I did OK XD
Our first experiences of exploring Kyoto took us up a big hill where we could see all over the region, and up to Kwan-on, a huge buddha shrine, where obviously I cemented my reputation as ZEN-MASTER by doing the hand-washing thingy. It's very cool... but it does kind of mean you have wet hands X__X
You should have seen all the offerings people left! It's such random stuff- sweets, children's toys (people are so honest; they'd just pinch them in Britain), god knows what. We think the bibs are from people praying to have babies or something.
In the other picture we're writing Japanese characters onto prayer sticks (they had ones to copy- we didn't know what they meant, haha. Actually, I picked mine cause the first kanji character was one of the (eleven X__X) I know: kokoro -heart.)
On the way back from the shrine we did a bit of impromptu souvenir shopping (I picked up the green parasol/umbrella that's in more or less every photo from now on, and Sophie got her treasured see-through umbrella; EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN JAPAN HAS ONE, hah)
This took us to the Yasaka Shrine in Maruyama Park- SO. ORANGE. Sophie was like, 'THEY WORSHIP GINGERS HERE. THIS IS A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN BE AT PEACE'.
'Sophie,' I said, 'I am already at peace. I am the Zen Master.'
Nonetheless we took loads of pictures of Ginger Temple, where (I am told) I will be free to roam one day. Also we wrote a musical, but I don't think I have time to go through that.
I also sat in some bird poo here, but we'll gloss over that as well.
As we were spending the weekend in Kyoto we were staying in a ryokan, which is like a traditional Japanese hotel- by which I mean, tatami floor, people kneeling and bowing when you check in, low table, bowls of green tea, futons, the works XD. It was called Motonago and it was STUNNING.
Our room had a little entrance hall to leave your indoor slippers before you stepped onto the tatami, and then -GUH, IT WAS SO JAPANESE- there was a big dark wood low table with cushions to kneel on, and long windows with rice paper screens overlooking the oriental garden <333 We sat down, and a tiny little old Japanese woman in a kimono came in and set out green tea for us- this was Toziko!! And WAH, I COULD TALK TO HER. She spoke a bit of English, and I spoke a bit of Japanese, and it was the coolest thing EVER. Cause I spent all that time learning Japanese, but I never expected it all to actually work, you know?
We changed into our yukata (light cotton kimonoythings which you just wear 'at leisure' ^__^) for dinner, which was amazing. And there's Toziko, too:
Dinner was FIVE COURSES and we had no idea what most of it was- Sophie ate effectively nothing, haha, but I made a point of trying EVERYTHING.
Yes.
Even when we opened up a stripy bowl to reveal TENTACLES.
Only one bite though, cause it felt like I was eating the Kraken.
But it was so lovely (green tea icecream = love), and then Sophie and I put on our bikinis under our yukata and went downstairs to have a traditional style bath! Obv no photos, lol. But they were like jacuzzis basically, except not bubbly- little mini showers at the side, where you wash your hair and get clean, and then when you're sure there's no soap on you you soak in the bath, haha. OH, and Sophie made the TERRIBLE MISTAKE of beginning to go into the bathroom without taking her slippers off (in her defence, she was exhausted)- everyone GASPED, and I practically shrieked, 'SOPHIE, SOPHIE, SOPHIE!' and started frantically apologising in Japanese on her behalf, haha. Classic.
However, this did mean that on the way back to our room Sophie hid behind me the whole time in case any members of staff lunged at her for befouling their ryokan, but fortunately the staff ADORED me (NO JOKE. I AM LOVED. SOMEONE LOVES ME. IT'S PROBABLY THE AFTERMATH OF GINGER TEMPLE) so I said 'oyasuminasai' as we went past and they all beamed at us.
FUTONS, WHEN WE GOT BACK! I'd never slept on a futon before and expected it to be madly uncomfortable, but it was gorgeous. And they'd left little origami birds on our pillows!
In the morning (Sunday) we woke up at about 7am to get ready before another little old woman came to clear our futons away and serve breakfast. I WANTED TO STEAL HER AND BRING HER HOME. She was about eighty and absolutely MINISCULE, and whipped everything away in SECONDS, like a little whirlwind <333
We hired bikes in the morning (just a fiver, for the whole day!) and cycled to Nishinjin Textile Centre where we were just in time for the kimono fashion show that takes place there:
Then onto Nijo Castle, where this uber cute group of school kids came over to practice English with us (<333)- one came over and shook my hand, then scurried back into the group giggling and telling all her friends that she'd done it XD And they asked me my name (Sophie was rejected, presumeably for not looking foreign enough) and took photos of us, eee! ^___^
Shopping in Kyoto Handicraft Centre next- we got kimono!
The Heian Shrine:
Ginkakuji Temple- this had amazing Zen gardens, with sand all in patterns and little oriental trees and bridges and wah. I tossed a coin into a little still pond in the vague hope it'd be like the Trevi Fountain in Rome and mean I'd be back someday X__X
It was getting to be early evening now, so we cycled back to Motonago and were greeted by the staff immediately - I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY DID IT. We kept trying to sneak in, to see if we could catch them by surprise- but then the light'd go on and they'd all leap out of trapdoors and concealed entrances and be kneeling on the floor in front of us before we'd even set foot in the entrance hall.
Or something like that.
Toziko brought us green tea again and we talked- she said 'please come to Japan again!' in Japanese, and I understood it! OK, well, I understood 'please', 'again' and 'Japan', so unless she was saying 'please don't ever come to Japan again' (fairly likely), I think that was the idea. Aah, I LOVED her!
We went to Kyoto Station for tea cause Sophie was getting pizza-withdrawal symptoms, so she got Italian and I got Japanese (cause it seemed like a travesty to come to Japan and not eat Japanese) and we looked round the BEST SHOPS EVER WAAAH before heading to Yasaka Hall to Gion Corner to see a traditional theatre thing in the evening.
The first part of this was the tea ceremony, and they wanted a volunteer, so...
YAY COOL =]]]
It was me and this Australian bloke, and we were given a little piece of paper with instructions of what to do in English, while the hostess made the tea ^__^
The next performers were two women playing the koto, this thirteen-stringed instrument, and one flower arranging (while another knelt behind her, doing, uh, nothing constructive as far as I could see. Maybe she was adding symmetry. Zen?) It was so pretty! Then it was a group of men playing Gagaku music (WEIRD. Sounded like someone playing the recorder through their nose), while this guy in an orange lion costume did a traditional dance. I wasn't sure what this was all about, but Sophie (who'd been reading the programme while I was being given tea) told me it was to show, 'his joy at running in battle. His power is shown through his linear... lines?'
I imagine dancing about dressed as a lion to the music of a broken recorder is a fairly effective battle technique.
Then a comic play, a kyomai dance by a maiko (trainee geisha) and a bunraku puppet play- SO COOL. It was telling a story through this puppet controlled by three! men in black, moving her around. The one without a mask is, we think, the master puppeteer (although maybe he'd just forgotten his hood):
Seriously though, it was so amazingly cool. I can't even begin to describe how much I love that country; everyone in it is amazing, and they're so polite and helpful and just- wah, just do anything at all to make your day even a tiny bit better. Going back up through Kyoto to the ryokan after the show = the prettiest, most magical thing in the world.
...OK, It's almost half one in the morning and I'm only three days in, so I'll leave it here for now- expect Part Two ASAP X__X
Love you all, and I'm sorry I've failed so much at commenting your LJs recently- hopefully I can stay more up to date now, haha.
Ilu!
Indy.x ♥