Dad seems to be stable. He will need surgery at some point but for now, things are pretty much status quo. Japan plans for now, will go back on track. In the event that things change suddenly, well, can't be helped. But if dad remains in a stable condition, I think we will go ahead with the trip.
That said, I made some adjustments to the accommodations, making early cancellations for Vi and mom since for now, Vi and mom will be staying put and not travelling with us. But if anything changes and they come along, well, I think it would not be an issue making additional arrangements.
Briefly, I have gone on to make reservations for Hiroshima and cancelled my reservation for Miyajima at the Forest Villa. In Hiroshima, we will stay at the Chisun Hotel. This is conveniently located with a tram stop right in front of the hotel. Walking distance to the Peace Park too.
In Miyajima, we will stay at the Auberge Watanabe.
I think I might have gone a bit numb about the cost since Auberge Watanabe is far costlier than Forest Villa (though better value - meals provided, including a 9-course kaiseki feast and overall better 'atmosphere'). I am just throwing caution to the wind and splurging. Its that sort of devil-may-care reckless mood that gleefully tells me to just go ahead and spend, kinda like why people fly planes and race cars. You know you might die but you'll die doing what makes you happy. That's the kind of number-numbness I have right now. One day when I wake from my travel-induced stupor (when the credit card bills come) I'm sure all this will come back and bite me where it hurts most.
But until then, ah what the heck...
Osaka hotel confirmed
Booked the hotel for the one and only night we will spend in Osaka. Initially I was considering the Namba Oriental Hotel but a last minute check on Tripadvisor pulled me towards Hotel Ichiei instead.
Their semi-western Japanese rooms look interesting. I booked one of those which can sleep three and another Japanese room which sleeps five. For 5000yen a night per adult and 4500yen per child, I think its reasonable.
The hotel is right on top of the Namba Nankai station, a mere 2min walk away. This places us right in the heart of downtown Osaka, near Dotonbori. We plan to spend the day either going up to the Minka koen in northern Osaka or just hanging around the downtown area. Having been to the Tempozan area and the aquarium the last time, we don't want to revisit. Another option is to try Universal Studios but I am not keen since many of the rides are 3D or 4D rides (a big no-no for me since I am prone to motion sickness) and quite a number would have height restrictions.
Osaka would also be a good time for us to split up for an afternoon if we really want to. After more than a week of being in each other's hair, it would be good to go off on separate adventures for a while to recoup some lost space!
Osaka would also be a good time for us to split up for an afternoon if we really want to. After more than a week of being in each other's hair, it would be good to go off on separate adventures for a while to recoup some lost space!
Looking forward to the neon zones, food and street life of Dotonbori and after that, a good night's rest at Ichiei!
Getting under the Japanese skin
Someone commented that going to Japan is like seeing Singapore from a different perspective. I thought I caught a whiff of a sneer in that comment. It did make me think though, why I was so fascinated with the place.
Well, first I think the comment is not invalid or unfair. I think Japan had a big influence on Singapore when we were growing ourselves into an economic miracle. The whole 'productivity' and 'courtesy' campaigns we had in the early days certainly had some root in Japanese work ethic and culture. Our efficiency, while still at very high levels, is not honed to an art which the Japanese have - the way they run their trains and the way we run ours is testimony!
The Japanese view of the end being more than justified the means is also not dissimilar as well - witness our ruthlessly relentless pursuit of new and modern and 'better' at the cost of sacrificing the 'older' or 'shabbier' eg our approach to building conservation (case in point the sacrifice of the old brick National Library building for a road tunnel that cuts travel time by less than 3min!). Practicality wins over sentiment most of the time. In Japan too, there has been a price to pay for relentless modernization, for endlessly building and building and this is discussed in Alex Kerr's book Dogs and Demons. In many places, the Japanese landscape has changed beyond recognition thanks to over-enthusiastic construction work and almost everywhere, some degree of environmental degradation has set in.
But yet, there is a lot more to the picture. I am fascinated by their mindset of community before self. Despite the flamboyance of the geisha and the cosplayers in Harajuku, the sense of individuality is very much subdued. I read somewhere (in "Lost Japan" I think!)that while the cosplay kids revel in the attention they get, once its sunset, they pack up, change into their ordinary clothes and ride the train back home to their usual lives. And while expressions of fashion like this is tolerated and indulged, you will find that most, once out of school and wearing the mantle of adulthood, will just conform to the usual social order and social norms. In this sense again, I wonder how different we are from the Japanese.
The Japanese code of bushido, or the way of the warrior, is another fascination. The sense of honour (and shame) that they have, in the old days to commit seppuku and today, to resign in face of disappointment or scandal, is interesting to read about.
I am no Japanese scholar and I am probably scratching the skin of the surface only and can never hope to do justice to this topic. But I remain a curious bystander and observer of these issues. When I go to Japan, the things I read - good, bad and ugly - all help to give a deeper depth and breadth to my travel experiences. So while I can appreciate the architecture of a gassho-zukuri house or a machiya, I can equally lament the loss of a changing landscape in preference for 'modernity' and efficiency.
Hence to me, when I research a destination, its not just about where to go and which train to catch and what to see. I like to go beyond the travel guidebooks to books that try to penetrate the Japanese skin. Alex Kerr's books "Dogs and Demons" and "Lost Japan" are staples on my bookshelf. Right now, the bio of Saigo Takamori gives insight into the mindset of the last samurai and the way of the warrior. "Hitching A Ride with Buddha" sketches caricatures and portraits of the average Japanese in his Honda picking up a hitchhiker and letting him glimpse a peek into their lives. Lafcadio Hearn's writing on Japanese supernatural tales give shivery insight into one aspect of Japanese folklore.
All these books are but pieces of a gigantic puzzle I am trying to piece together. Bits and pieces of clues to a larger picture. I don't think I can ever get there, but it sure is fun to try!
Well, first I think the comment is not invalid or unfair. I think Japan had a big influence on Singapore when we were growing ourselves into an economic miracle. The whole 'productivity' and 'courtesy' campaigns we had in the early days certainly had some root in Japanese work ethic and culture. Our efficiency, while still at very high levels, is not honed to an art which the Japanese have - the way they run their trains and the way we run ours is testimony!
The Japanese view of the end being more than justified the means is also not dissimilar as well - witness our ruthlessly relentless pursuit of new and modern and 'better' at the cost of sacrificing the 'older' or 'shabbier' eg our approach to building conservation (case in point the sacrifice of the old brick National Library building for a road tunnel that cuts travel time by less than 3min!). Practicality wins over sentiment most of the time. In Japan too, there has been a price to pay for relentless modernization, for endlessly building and building and this is discussed in Alex Kerr's book Dogs and Demons. In many places, the Japanese landscape has changed beyond recognition thanks to over-enthusiastic construction work and almost everywhere, some degree of environmental degradation has set in.
But yet, there is a lot more to the picture. I am fascinated by their mindset of community before self. Despite the flamboyance of the geisha and the cosplayers in Harajuku, the sense of individuality is very much subdued. I read somewhere (in "Lost Japan" I think!)that while the cosplay kids revel in the attention they get, once its sunset, they pack up, change into their ordinary clothes and ride the train back home to their usual lives. And while expressions of fashion like this is tolerated and indulged, you will find that most, once out of school and wearing the mantle of adulthood, will just conform to the usual social order and social norms. In this sense again, I wonder how different we are from the Japanese.
The Japanese code of bushido, or the way of the warrior, is another fascination. The sense of honour (and shame) that they have, in the old days to commit seppuku and today, to resign in face of disappointment or scandal, is interesting to read about.
I am no Japanese scholar and I am probably scratching the skin of the surface only and can never hope to do justice to this topic. But I remain a curious bystander and observer of these issues. When I go to Japan, the things I read - good, bad and ugly - all help to give a deeper depth and breadth to my travel experiences. So while I can appreciate the architecture of a gassho-zukuri house or a machiya, I can equally lament the loss of a changing landscape in preference for 'modernity' and efficiency.
Hence to me, when I research a destination, its not just about where to go and which train to catch and what to see. I like to go beyond the travel guidebooks to books that try to penetrate the Japanese skin. Alex Kerr's books "Dogs and Demons" and "Lost Japan" are staples on my bookshelf. Right now, the bio of Saigo Takamori gives insight into the mindset of the last samurai and the way of the warrior. "Hitching A Ride with Buddha" sketches caricatures and portraits of the average Japanese in his Honda picking up a hitchhiker and letting him glimpse a peek into their lives. Lafcadio Hearn's writing on Japanese supernatural tales give shivery insight into one aspect of Japanese folklore.
All these books are but pieces of a gigantic puzzle I am trying to piece together. Bits and pieces of clues to a larger picture. I don't think I can ever get there, but it sure is fun to try!
Finetuning Kyoto
Now that the main skeleton of the itinerary is done, all that is left is to fill in the spaces and fatten it up a bit with details.
In Kyoto, we only have one and a half days. It is certainly not enough to cover everything. In fact, I think even if we had stayed in Kyoto for months, it would not be enough to cover everything! Wise ones who visit and stay in Kyoto have said that the city offers so many tiny fascinating little nooks and crannies that it would be hard to discover them all even if you stay for a lifetime.
Well, I don't have a lifetime to spend in Kyoto (unfortunately!) and since we have been there before, and I want to cover more ground in the rest of Japan, we'll just have to make do with one and a half days. I console myself that this means I just have to keep coming back!
My options are:
1) half day in Kibune and Kurama. As Janice suggested, take the Eizan rail line from Demachiyanagi (only 30min ride) to Kurama. Kurama is known for its onsen and Kuramadera while Kibune's shrine is known for its waters with healing powers. Apparently its known as the 'Lourdes of Japan'! Well, having been to the original Lourdes, it is certainly tempting to head for this one. The deity there is also known for granting wishes pertaining to marriage. It sounds so very interesting to me - especially since KH works in the water industry! I think Kibune and Kurama is off the beaten track but will still have lovely autumn foliage to show off. Janice recommends an evening visit where the maples are lit up. Lovely!
2) Exploring the Northwest sector of Kyoto. We have not been here and covered the main sights of Ryoanji and Kinkakuji. Now how could any traveller worth his salt, come to Kyoto and not see these iconic sights? Yet I feel that coming here would be to jostle with crowds and just ticking off the sights as if on some checklist - which is not the way I like to travel. Still, seeing Kinkakuji with the phoenix all aglow on top against fiery autumn leaves would be a treat. My beef also is that the transport connections to the northwest are not fantastic and I would hate to have a long commute by bus! Recently though, I 'discovered' the highly under-rated Koto-in and Obai-ji, all part of the Daitokuji complex. Literally a warren of lanes in a 'temple village' where so many sub-temples congregate, Daitokuji sounds like an interesting place to visit. I could probably combine this with Ryoanji and Kinkakuji - making it a full day trip.
3) Sticking to the tried but true eastern hills of Kyoto - Higashiyama. We covered it in bits and pieces the last time and I think we did not do justice to the place. Last trip, we barely made inroads into Nanzen-ji, we skipped Eikando and barely made it 10min into the Philosopher's Walk before we gave up, headed downhill for ramen and bussed down to Chawanzaka and up to Kiyomizudera. Boy was that a long walk uphill! Even at Kiyomizudera, we missed a lot of stuff since it was near dark and closing time, wet and drizzly. We saw the beautiful stage, but missed the Jishu jinja the 'love shrine'. Because it as cold/wet, we went quickly downhill after that and did not walk around the older lanes of Ninnenzaka etc. We also missed Gion, Yasaka Jinja etc. So this time, I am thinking of revisiting Kiyomizudera and covering more ground in the area.
4) Visit the Toji flea market (which we also missed the last time) for nice 2nd hand kimono buys, and then heading to Nara for half a day. We don't intend to go to Horyuji, but just to Todaiji, Kasuga shrine and the general area of Nara park. The kids would enjoy feeding the heavenly messangers of the gods I'm sure! But KH said, we get the heavenly messangers at Miyajima too! A deer is a deer is a deer right?
So I'm really in a fixed. Over the past few days, I have narrowed down my options to these 4 combinations. I'd really love to do them all but its just not possible. The only thing to do is to get in from Kanazawa as early as possible so that we'd have as much daylight time in Kyoto on the first day, leaving us more time to cover more ground in the second day.
Decisions, decisions - such fun to ponder these dilemma.
In Kyoto, we only have one and a half days. It is certainly not enough to cover everything. In fact, I think even if we had stayed in Kyoto for months, it would not be enough to cover everything! Wise ones who visit and stay in Kyoto have said that the city offers so many tiny fascinating little nooks and crannies that it would be hard to discover them all even if you stay for a lifetime.
Well, I don't have a lifetime to spend in Kyoto (unfortunately!) and since we have been there before, and I want to cover more ground in the rest of Japan, we'll just have to make do with one and a half days. I console myself that this means I just have to keep coming back!
My options are:
1) half day in Kibune and Kurama. As Janice suggested, take the Eizan rail line from Demachiyanagi (only 30min ride) to Kurama. Kurama is known for its onsen and Kuramadera while Kibune's shrine is known for its waters with healing powers. Apparently its known as the 'Lourdes of Japan'! Well, having been to the original Lourdes, it is certainly tempting to head for this one. The deity there is also known for granting wishes pertaining to marriage. It sounds so very interesting to me - especially since KH works in the water industry! I think Kibune and Kurama is off the beaten track but will still have lovely autumn foliage to show off. Janice recommends an evening visit where the maples are lit up. Lovely!
2) Exploring the Northwest sector of Kyoto. We have not been here and covered the main sights of Ryoanji and Kinkakuji. Now how could any traveller worth his salt, come to Kyoto and not see these iconic sights? Yet I feel that coming here would be to jostle with crowds and just ticking off the sights as if on some checklist - which is not the way I like to travel. Still, seeing Kinkakuji with the phoenix all aglow on top against fiery autumn leaves would be a treat. My beef also is that the transport connections to the northwest are not fantastic and I would hate to have a long commute by bus! Recently though, I 'discovered' the highly under-rated Koto-in and Obai-ji, all part of the Daitokuji complex. Literally a warren of lanes in a 'temple village' where so many sub-temples congregate, Daitokuji sounds like an interesting place to visit. I could probably combine this with Ryoanji and Kinkakuji - making it a full day trip.
3) Sticking to the tried but true eastern hills of Kyoto - Higashiyama. We covered it in bits and pieces the last time and I think we did not do justice to the place. Last trip, we barely made inroads into Nanzen-ji, we skipped Eikando and barely made it 10min into the Philosopher's Walk before we gave up, headed downhill for ramen and bussed down to Chawanzaka and up to Kiyomizudera. Boy was that a long walk uphill! Even at Kiyomizudera, we missed a lot of stuff since it was near dark and closing time, wet and drizzly. We saw the beautiful stage, but missed the Jishu jinja the 'love shrine'. Because it as cold/wet, we went quickly downhill after that and did not walk around the older lanes of Ninnenzaka etc. We also missed Gion, Yasaka Jinja etc. So this time, I am thinking of revisiting Kiyomizudera and covering more ground in the area.
4) Visit the Toji flea market (which we also missed the last time) for nice 2nd hand kimono buys, and then heading to Nara for half a day. We don't intend to go to Horyuji, but just to Todaiji, Kasuga shrine and the general area of Nara park. The kids would enjoy feeding the heavenly messangers of the gods I'm sure! But KH said, we get the heavenly messangers at Miyajima too! A deer is a deer is a deer right?
So I'm really in a fixed. Over the past few days, I have narrowed down my options to these 4 combinations. I'd really love to do them all but its just not possible. The only thing to do is to get in from Kanazawa as early as possible so that we'd have as much daylight time in Kyoto on the first day, leaving us more time to cover more ground in the second day.
Decisions, decisions - such fun to ponder these dilemma.
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