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Unexpected Japan

Sorry for the shaky, low quality camera work. You could see that CapCut wasn't cooperating and I had to get creative. Anyways, enjoy!

https://youtu.be/7Tu6DVOUA1o?si=IotLqeBoTHJur_rj

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Day 21 Activities

Today we dive more into old Kyoto for some pretty historic stuff, Kiyomizudera and Gion District! Kiyomizudera: I thought it was cool. The walk from the station to here was pretty unfun but once we got there, things cooled down. There was a thing we did where we walked downstairs and through the womb of Kannon, it was totally pitch black! There was also a place with three different streams of water and each stream meant something good like longevity and love and other stuff. We were told to only drink from one stream because if we drank from two or three, Kannon would think we were greedy and we wouldn't get the wish. I chose the middle stream and it was a fun experience. The crowds were present here but it wasn't as bad as a place like Dotonbori or Kinkaku-ji. Pretty fun. Afterwards, we explored the Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka streets and broke for lunch. I took this time to grab lunch and buy souvenirs for the family. Lunch: Everywhere is crowded and busy, so let's roll the dice and walk into Kyoto Bistro, which is basically the hotel restaurant for the nearby Hyatt. Still a restaurant, so I'll rate it. I ordered a cheeseburger with fries with some apple pie for desert. I know, ordering Japanese burgers is a risk (thanks Brisk Stand...), but let's just give it a chance! It was actually pretty good. The bun had poppy seeds I think? The fries were nice as well. The apple pie was alright but I've had better. I gotta give it an 8/10 overall. Gion District: This was a shock. Maybe it was because of the time we went (the buffer zone between lunch and dinner), maybe it was the fact that it was a Sunday, I don't know. Either way, it was barren and I was expecting the worst crowds of the trip. I didn't see any geisha or any rabid tourists taking photos of geisha. It was just a street. Before we went and saw a dance by a geisha-in-training, I stopped and got some hot cocoa at a small cafe. The dance took way less than I thought in terms of time, there were only 2 songs? I was expecting an hour long but it only took 10 minutes or so. I wish I could've skipped this, but then again, you never know what you'll experience in a location until you go there. Tokka Saikan: My first restaurant for dinner (this was spur of the moment as I was going to go to Menbaka Fire Ramen but it fell through) is Tokka Saikan, a Chinese restaurant on the banks of the Kamo River that features the oldest active elevator in Japan. I ordered fried shrimp, spring rolls and corn soup and the portions were huge! I almost didn't finish it all. I really wanted peking duck but it was too expensive. Seems fun, but the food didn't have a lot of flavor, especially the shrimp. I felt like this could have been a skip. 7/10. Y's Burger: This was pretty interesting experience. The chef is going to California soon to learn more about burgers which is exciting. The burger I received was good and had very melty cheese but I'm taking a point off for having unexpected sauce on it. Booooo. I liked Kyoto Bistro better but it still gets an 8/10. We're one week into the Kyoto leg of the trip, so let's go ahead and look at the restaurant leaderboard! Just as a note, I'm keeping Kyoto and Tokyo's restaurants separate. Fu-ka: 10/10 Hanamaruken Namba Hozenji: 10/10 Dining + Cafe & Bar Uruu: 10/10 Kouyouen: 10/10 CoCo Ichibanya: 9/10 Maeda Coffee: 9/10 Steakland: 9/10 Que Pasa: 9/10 Ittottei: 8/10 Kyoto Bistro: 8/10 Sereno Shokudo: 8/10 Cafe de 505: 8/10 Ebisugawa Gyoza: 8/10 Y's Burger: 8/10 Tokka Saikan: 7/10 Sato: 6/10

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Day 20 Photos: Food/Places

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Day 20 Academic

We're back to readings on urban planning for today! We talked a lot in the class meeting about how some Japan cities were planned and how some cities have certain "reputations". It was interesting to observe how Kyoto is laid out more in a grid style and Tokyo is very spontaneous and all over the place. It makes sense as Kyoto was a planned city and Tokyo was just "Well, let's just build stuff wherever!". Kyoto and Tokyo definitely have some major differences but one weird one is that regardless of where I am in the city, it feels like Kyoto, but in Tokyo, it's either I'm in Shibuya or Shinjuku or Akihabara or Ueno. Tokyo has its cities within the big city, but Kyoto feels more whole. It's just a fun observation. Osaka (and other cities like Kobe) earned a reputation for being Japan's Kitchen as it's known for restaurants alongside lots of business and commerce. The reading mentions how the Osaka-Kobe Metropolitan Area was planned to have lots of industry and business and popular stuff. It's understandable that people imagine Tokyo citizens to be serious salarymen who care about the business, and Osaka citizens to be fun party animals who eat crazy good food and buy a bunch of products. Personally, I think I prefer Tokyo over Osaka even though Osaka has the "fun" reputation. Tokyo has enough fun spots to keep itself competitive with Osaka for the weekends, and has the seriousness for that Monday to Friday 9-to-5 work grind. Plus, there's a spot for everyone in Tokyo, like Shinjuku and Ikebukuro and Asakusa. If I ever live in Tokyo, I'd prefer a place like Asakusa - it isn't super packed like Shinjuku/Shibuya, but it has stuff going on!

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Day 20 Activities

Oh wow... 20 days already? That's crazy. This Kyoto leg of the trip has gone by fast. Today we're on a day trip to Osaka to see three main things - the Umeda Sky Building, the Osaka Castle, and Dotonbori. Let's explore! Umeda Sky Building: Our first outdoor high-up observatory! There were some pretty cool views from up here looking out towards the mountains, city and water. I think there was potential for better photos, but the building had a lot of protections around the circular observatory. Nevertheless, it was a cool sight and I actually think I enjoyed it just a little more than the Tokyo Skytree. It was a sunny day and not a cloudy day though - that matters a lot. I got CoCo Curry for lunch. Ol' reliable. Osaka Castle: Getting here was a brutal walk exacerbated by the hot hot temperatures and the fact that I was wearing black. Not a good idea! We walked past a baseball game which was pretty cool and I watched the third baseman make an error and give up a run. Poor guy. Get your head in the game. We continued over the river and up the hills all the way to the front of the castle where... we sat and looked at it. Then walked all the way back to the station. Sigh. It was cool passing by the baseball game again, though! Dotonbori: Crowded, crowded, crowded. Yikes. I think this was the worst crowd I've experienced so far. Starbucks was jammed, the bridge was jammed, you name it. I really didn't stay in this area too long just because it was overwhelming and I was ready to just rest at the hotel. There was one stop I had to make, however... Hanamaruken Namba Hozenji. Home of an absolutely killer bowl of ramen. I was hyped for this spot and it delivered. The short rib was absolutely tender to the point where the cartilage was melting in my mouth. The broth was delicious, the noodles were nice, and the gyoza and fried rice added some nice substance. I can't put it about Fu-ka, but I've got to give this spot an absolute 10/10. There's just no way I can't give it a 10/10. These days are starting to feel a bit episodic. Wake up, class meeting, do activities, go back to hotel and nap, forage for dinner, repeat. That's kinda how it goes I guess.

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Day 19 Photos: Food/Places

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Day 19 Academics

Despite all the crowds, I have to agree with the protagonist from The Golden Pavillion - the Kinkaku-ji Temple is really beautiful! The golden exterior shines and glistens in the sunlight and makes for a wonderful sight. The area I differ with him is that I would never consider burning down such a beautiful structure, mainly because it's not clouding my mind or my judgment or any silly stuff like that. It's just a cool-looking building and it's okay to keep it at that. The rationale of the protagonist needing to burn down Kinkaku-ji because it's keeping him from seeing other beauties in life is stupid - he can easily walk of the park and go see the rest of Japan and the world. It's not hypnotizing!!! I didn't get hypnotized, but then again, maybe it's because of all the crowds distracting me. Maybe I have to see it for myself when it's just me, and who knows, maybe I will get entranced by the temple's beauty... The other big topic at hand mentioned in the readings were about Buddhist zen gardens. We visited a couple around the Daitoku-ji Temple and took some time to examine, learn and take in the scenery. From a personal standpoint, I feel that Zen gardens are less of "gardens" and more of a work of art. I think the definition of "garden" is subjective and based on the person - some associate it with farming, some associate it with flowers, and some associate it with Zen buddhism. It's okay to have different perspectives. I did notice some gardening techniques present, most notably the raking of the rocks to represent the waves of the sea. And if there were gardening techniques used in the Zen garden, then some can claim it's a garden, but I personally see it more as a outdoor landscape. Either way, meditating in front of one is a very peaceful, calming experience that had me feeling very serene. I'd love to see more if there are some in the USA.

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Day 19 Activities

Today we're on the hunt for some Buddhist temples, and once again we're visiting a very touristy place! Kinkaku-ji Temple: I mean, it looked pretty and all, but those crowds, whew! It was absolutely packed with both tourists and local school groups. The temple was indeed golden and looked nice, but I was barely able to get many good photos just because the crowds were so intense. I'm just glad the walk wasn't too intense and that the activity didn't take too long because my sights were set on something I'll get into later. I saw a Pikachu themed vending machine on the way to this temple, which was pretty cool I guess. Daitokuji-ji Temple: This was all about zen gardens! We visited a few rock gardens where we had to take our shoes off and explore. It was a very serene and relaxing experience, sitting and meditating in front of the garden. I like how the raked rocks represent different things like waves and water and wind. The rocks that represent the mountains were pretty awesome too. I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would! Lunch: This is one of the food stops I've hyped up for most of the trip, Fu-ka. It's hidden in the neighborhoods around Ginkaku-ji Temple and hidden away from the swarm of tourists. This is a no frills mom and pop shop. I ordered the katsu curry and the omurice. The katsu was crispy and the curry sauce was pretty good, but we NEED to talk about this omurice. It was perfection. The chef added butter amongst the sauce and there were some steak tips present. Good lord it was good. Fu-ka not only gets a 10/10, but it's the best thing I've had so far in Kyoto. I headed back to the hotel and took a good nap. After attempting to get into multiple restaurants with the groupmates, we ended up going to that pasta place near the hotel. It's too good.

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Day 18 Photos: Places

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Day 18 Academic Reflection

This post satisfies the requirements for the Academic Reflection for independent excursions. Article Link: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/hiroshima-peace-memorial-museum-reopens-japan/index.html The Hiroshima Peace Museum is one of the most popular musuems to visit in Japan, and serves as a critical memorial to those who perished and were injured in the 1945 Hiroshima atomic bomb attack. I was able to visit the museum without any roadblocks and the cost of admission was cheap. Francesca Street of CNN reported in the article that a major renovation/restoration of the museum was completed in 2019. She also elaborated on the popularity of the museum, as in 2017, over 1.7 million people visited the museum that year alone. It's safe to assume that post-covid, this number has easily eclipsed 2 million people. As stated by Street, a major part of the renovation/restoration in 2019 was adding in more personal artifacts of victims directly affected by the attack, donated by survivors and families of victims. I saw these artifacts firsthand and it made for a very emotional and difficult experience. Everything from clothing to a tricycle to a carving of a man's burn scar, it all played its part in showcasing the true human cost of war and conflict. While I personally didn't cry, many others in the room were, and I had a sinking feeling in my stomach and heart as I continued viewing the exhibitions.

Outside of the personal artifacts, the museum also had detailed exhibitions regarding the inner mechanisms of the atomic bomb, the US-Japan relations during World War II and beyond, proposed targets for atomic bombs, and the city of Hiroshima. Outside of the museum, the Hiroshima Peace Park has lots of memorials and also the Atomic Bomb Dome - a building very close to the epicenter of the attack that had its frame withstand the attack. It goes without saying that visiting Hiroshima, the museum, the park and the Atomic Bomb Dome is a very emotional and difficult, yet necessary experience. As an American, I feel that you need to see the effects yourself to understand the true cost of dropping the atomic bomb. As I mentioned in my activities blog post, you can easily say "Oh, just nuke them" when it comes to a foreign adversary, but when you see the human effects for yourself, your entire perspective changes. Mine did change and in terms of war/conflict, I hope that diplomacy can win over violence and fighting. When planning my trip to Hiroshima, I did not have a lot of knowledge about the peace museum or the peace park or the Atomic Bomb Done. I did assume that there were a lot of memorials and that I wanted to visit them and pay my respects. I did not expect to have the experience that I did - a very emotional and moving experience where I saw pictures of burned humans and clothing/personal items from victims. I also didn't expect the city as a whole to be as modern as it was - my outsider's perspective is that everything would be a step down from big cities like Tokyo because of having to rebuild everything from the attack. I also expected there to be a very somber feel and vibe. However, the city was very modern and had its fair balance of skyscrapers and history. It was really cool getting to ride the streetcar that runs through the main city - it's the only city besides Tampa that I've had to chance to experience a streetcar! As for the vibes, it felt like any regular ol' city. It's definitely safe to say that the city of Hiroshima has healed and built back better since the attack. The city absolutely exceeded my expectations and I actually am interested in returning. I hope one day to visit Nagasaki as well and visit the Nagasaki Peace Museum.

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Day 18 ACTIVITIES

I'm in Hiroshima, which is the most west I'll be able to get in Japan on this trip. It's also my final solo excursion for the trip. It's a shame that I won't get to visit Nikko, Hokkaido, Fukuoka, Kumamoto or Akita. I'll have to save those for next trip. The reason I wanted to choose Hiroshima is because I felt it was a very important city to visit as an American. The history regarding WWII and the atomic bomb is a lot, and I feel a lot of people (not just Americans), including myself, aren't aware of the pure scope of what truly happened. I framed my day to go through a journey of hurting, hoping, and healing. - Hurting, as in learning more about the atomic bomb attack and seeing the true effects it had on the people of Hiroshima and Japan. - Hoping, by seeing buildings still standing like the Atomic Bomb Dome and observing monuments dedicated to ensuring something like the atomic bomb attack never happens again. - Healing, by seeing the Shukkeien Gardens and its beauty, a sign that a city can rebuild and regrow, even when faced with one of humanity's deadliest creations. Peace Museum: No jokes here. This was a very somber and sad, yet necessary experience. I got in around 7:45 AM and it was not too crowded, felt very heavy, and it was very quiet. I got through the main exhibitions in about 40 minutes, and I saw a lot of things that opened my eyes and made me feel uncomfortable, which I guess is the point. There was a section that had "Discretion Advised" signs - this was about the reality of the attack and the effects on the citizens. There was a lot to see. Tattered clothes, photos of burned men, women and children, pieces of metal and iron fused together by the sheer heat of the fireball. There were photos of children killed in the attack with their names listed. A tricycle, burned to a crisp, was on display to see. I could hear sniffles from other visitors, and I myself felt like I was starting to get choked up. One can easily say "Just nuke 'em" when faced with an adversary, but your whole perspective changes when you see the effects for yourself. This museum made me reflect on my views on war/conflict. I encourage everyone to visit this museum. Peace Park: After the museum, I took some time to walk around and collect my thoughts. I saw a few monuments and then found a spot overlooking the rivers and the atomic bomb dome. I think I spent about 20 minutes just taking in the scenery? Not sure. I was ahead of schedule (I had planned to go to Hiroshima Castle but it fell through). Eventually, I grabbed some coffee at a small cafe. After a stop at the Pokemon Center to buy stuff, I was off to the Shukkeien Gardens. Shukkeien Gardens: I enjoyed this a lot! There were a lot of scenic spots for photos and I got to see a bunch of carp. Like, a lot! The walk was really nice and it was just a nice peaceful experience. I'd love to return someday. Afterwards, I found a small Anglican church and prayed, then talked with one of the staff member after. I said goodbye to Hiroshima and made my way to Kobe. It's finally time for my Food Frenzy! These restaurants are part of Japan Eat's series in the Sannomiya food street and are highly rated by him. Food Frenzy: - First up is Itiottei, a curry place that Japan Eat gave an S Tier and the #1 spot. I was excited for this, but it turned out to be underwhelming. The tonkatsu was pretty standard and the beef curry didn't shine as bright as I hoped it would. It was still good though. It gets an 8/10. - Next up is Kouyouen, a Chinese restaurant that Japan Eat said had legendary gyoza. This spot lived up to the hype! The gyoza was absolutely delicious and super good. The best gyoza I've ever had. It earns a solid 10/10. - The final spot is Steakland, a touristy spot that serves Kobe beef. I sat down at the teppanyaki grill and watched the chef go to work. My Kobe beef was pretty good! I was pretty full so I didn't need the sides, but they gave me them anyways. I'm gonna give this spot a 9/10. I crashed at the hotel and ended up doordashing CoCo for dinner. Gotta love that curry.

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Day 17 Photos: Food / Places

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Day 17 ACADEMIC

Today, we visited the Kyoto National Museum with a goal in mind - find something that speaks to us or that we find remarkable. One of the main exhibitions going on was an exhibition about Sesshu Toyo, or Sesshu, a noteworthy historical figure in the world of Japanese ink painting. His work is inspired by Chinese landscapes and went on the reflect Zen Buddhist aesthetics. A multitude of his pieces were on display throughout the museum, and I was on the hunt to figure out which piece of art of his was my favorite. In the end, I think I made a pretty good selection. The piece of art by Sesshu that I thought stood out to me was "View of Ama-no-Hashidate", a landscape painting composed between 1501 and 1506. Ama-no-Hashidate is considered one of the "Three Views" of Japan, also known as one of the most beautiful spots. Sesshu's painting of this area is spectacular and very detailed, as it contains mountains, the towns and temples, the bay/rivers and more. It's especially worth noting that he didn't just paint such a wonderful landscape, but he painted it from a bird's eye view. From a music major's point of view, I can easily gain some composition inspiration from viewing art like this and going out in nature in general - from this piece, I can hear something very grandiose and beautiful. That's the power of paintings/fine art from my perspective - it's musical, it's beautiful, and it is the epitome of creativity.

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Day 17 ACTIVITIES

The more we explore Kyoto, the more I realize that our group activites are the true "foreigner" activities. Today was no different: Kyoto Imperial Palace and Kyoto National Museum. Imperial Palace: I mean... it was okay? It was a pretty basic walking tour out in the sun. The group walked slow enough that I didn't have a problem with the walking. It was a pretty "foreigner friendly" tour. I miss when we were doing tea ceremonies and meeting university students back in Tokyo, I'm not too fond of "foreigner activites" (you'll see me complain a lot more soon). The buildings were cool, I guess, but it's starting to get a little old (no pun intended). I mean, it's a lot of wood and other similar architecture. If you eat pizza for one day, it's good, but 4 weeks straight? You see what I mean? National Museum: Honestly, this was pretty boring. I'll talk a lot more about this in the academic side of things. We mostly just looked at paintings and the gift shop. There's better things we could have done instead of this, that's my opinion. Lunch: Me and some members of the group didn't stay too long - we were hungry and on the hunt for food. I personally wanted CoCo Curry, but the rest of the group took over and we ended up at Sato, a western style restaurant. I got the karaage and hamburg steak even though I wanted the gratin (which they ended up not having, for some reason). It was meh. I've had better. I can't ever show my face at this restaurant after the fiasco that was paying the bill. Our group of 4 couldn't split the bill so we all pooled cash... and coins. We even brought out the yennies (1 yen coins. For reference, $1 USD is about 150 Yen). This was hard to watch and a pure embarrassment. I'm giving Sato a 6/10. Lunch (part 2): CoCo Ichibanya. Where I WANTED to go! I ended up ordered "The Chicken Curry" and topped it with some cheese and spicy garlic. Spice level 1 is ENOUGH for me, whew! I gotta say though, this is some pretty good curry for a chain. It's easy to find and not too expensive (it's going to become a repeat). This was a win and I'll throw it a 9/10. Departing for Hiroshima: I got to ride the shinkansen again! I felt bad eating snacks while sitting next to the elderly couple, but they were really nice and moved up the armrest so I would have more space. Not too much scenery to see. I checked into my hotel and it was pretty nice. I ended up doordashing dinner and got my hands on KFC, which is what some Japanese families eat for Christmas! My hype was shattered as I was left with a greasy, sad experience. Seriously, this was not fun. I gotta give it a 4/10.

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Day 16 Photos: Places Part 2

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Day 16 Photos: Food/Places

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Day 16 ACTIVITIES

Today was awesome. Today, I got to feel like the new kid in class. I got the awesome chance to meet up with another study abroad group, the group from SUNY Oswego. My main reason for meeting them is because their host is a professor in my field of study and she's a person that I can learn a lot from. She's the first Japanese woman to ever earn the doctorate in Choral Conducting, really cool stuff!! Heian Shrine: We started our day at the Heian Shrine, a famous shrine in Japan with a giant torii gate and a cool complex. We walked around, I taught the students how to pray (it was their first shrine!), and just chilled. The star of the show was the garden area, super beautiful and not crowded at all! We saw animals like ducks and turtles and we also got to feed some carp! I'm a big fan of carp. This shrine was a pretty nice place to visit and I wouldn't have considered visiting it had I not joined along with the SUNY Oswego group. What a fun treat! Lunch: This was basically my version of "Dinner with Jay Z". I got to sit down with the professor and pick her brain over some delicious food at Cafe de 505. I ordered the panchetta carbonara and it came steaming hot, bubbling, and with an egg yolk in the center. Popping it was fun. The meal was pretty good, I wouldn't mind giving it a 9 but I've been giving too many 9s. Let's give it an 8/10. Lake Biwa Cruise: This was... an experience! I got sunburnt, ate some karaage, and watched likely minimum wage workers sing American songs in English. It was entertaining, slightly confusing, and fun all in one. I won't forget the Michigan cruise from this trip. The views from the top deck of Lake Biwa and Otsu were pretty nice, and as cheesy as the "entertainment show" may have been, I ended up getting a balloon flower. Anyone would be going nuts for balloon art. Round 1 Stadium: Uh oh! What am I gonna do this time? Well, luckily I had some experience under my belt after my not-so-fun Odaiba moment. Instead of tokens/medals, I just threw cash in the machine and got 100 Yen coins. I played the taiko drum game and it was fun!!! And then I noticed something in the claw machine: a pristine Goomy plushie. I must have spent 20 coins trying to get it, and I feel so bad of how many times I had to flag down the worker to put it back into a winnable position. You'd think I won the plushie, right? Nope. Sometimes you can give and give and give and get nothing in return. **** you Round 1 Stadium. You're just a farce so the Japanese can gamble the American way (seriously! they have pachinko, legit slots, coin pushers, horse race betting, everything!). It's basically Harrah's and Dave and Buster's lovechild. Dinner was interesting. Lots of fried foods on skewers. The place was called Honobono, for anyonbe curious. I'm not going to give it a rating as it was an unexpected menu (I know I'm a hypocrite because I rated the Tokyo American Club) and too different from anything else I've eaten. It was good though. Just weird. But weird is fun. If anyone from SUNY Oswego's group reads this, thank you for taking me in for the day! You made me feel so welcomed and you all were super fun to talk to and you made my day awesome. I hope one day, despite the low chances, we can all meet again!