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Escaping Typhoon Shan-Shan
From our first day in Tokyo, the threat of the strongest, most lethal typhoon to strike Japan in a decade, Shan-Shan, loomed in the distance as a potential disruption to our itinerary. We managed to escape her on the bullet train from Tokyo to Kanazawa, but on the day to take the train from Kanazawa to Kyoto, the threat could not be ignored.
Japan scrutinizes safety on these high-speed rail lines, so Shinkansen (bullet train) often cancels scheduled routes due to impending bad weather. We took the bus instead, which turned out to be a smart decision by Overseas Adventure Travel’s Japan Headquarters.
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Worries about Shan-Shan blew away in the wind behind us. I became captivated by the magic of Kyoto, the ancient capital before Japan’s central seat of government moved to Tokyo. Kyoto is like a piece of New York Cheesecake. You eat one nibble and savor the flavors and texture, melting in your mouth, soothing the soul. After that first bite, the compulsion to gobble up every crumb takes over. That was Kyoto.
By now, I had acquired a taste for the Japanese style buffet breakfast and started each day at our last lodging, Vista Premio Kyoto with miso soup, sushi, and broccoli with tuna. The hotel, situated within Kyoto’s Teramachi Shopping district, provided easy walking access to 180 trendy, under-roof shops, the famous, five-block-long Nishiki Fish Market, and across the Kamogawa River, the Gion Geisha neighborhood, lined with teahouses, shrines, temples, restaurants, and live performance theater.
Read More: The Ins and Outs of Tokyo’s Kabuki Theater
Arashiyama Sagano Bamboo Forest
Needing a respite from bustling, central Kyoto, the district of Arashiyama, on the western outskirts, waits to amaze. Nobility, locals, and tourists have visited the region to enjoy its natural beauty since the 8th Century.
Possibly the most photographed in all of Kyoto is the iconic Sagano Bamboo Forest. Walking through the wood’s single path, giant towering bamboo trees, with the sun filtering through the stalks and gentle breezes swaying the leafy tops overhead, creates a personal enchantment.
Of course, along with popularity come the crowds, so to experience the forest’s mystical tranquility, arrive soon after first light. The solitude is worth the early rise.
Tenryu-ji Temple Gardens and Kinkakuji Temple
Adjacent to the Bamboo Forest gate, the exquisite gardens surrounding the Tenryu-ji Temple, with greenery, water features, and rock formations against the backdrop of rising Arashiyama Mountains, provide an atmosphere to sit and reflect on the beauty and history. Built in 1339, it is the most important Zen Temple of this district, but since many of the buildings have been destroyed by fire, people flock here to capture the healing essence of a Japanese Garden.
Close by, another World Cultural heritage spot, the Golden Pavilion or Zen Kinkakuji Temple, built in the 14th Century, remains one of the most visited sites in Kyoto. The top two levels of the gleaming, golden Temple, its floors, walls, and ceilings are coated entirely with gold leaf.
Due to its fragility, entrance to the temple is not allowed, but walking through its gardens offers yet another place where nature and beauty reign. As with any of Japan’s registry of ‘Special Places of Scenic Beauty’, crowds persist as an obstacle to personal reflection; still, a ‘must see’ in Kyoto.
Read More: 10 Interesting Yet Unknown Facts about Japan and Japanese Culture
Zen Meditation at Senko-ji Temple
For me, the experience providing the most solace in all of Japan came during our visit to the ‘undiscovered,’ Senko-ji Zen Temple, nestled in the Arashiyama Mountains. Access requires an arduous 30-minute walk from the Hozugawa River Bridge, hiking up the hill on a winding stone path, through the deciduous forest to the reward at the top. The Temple’s remote location could account for the refreshing absence of tourists.
In the 1400s, the Shogun wanted to expand the river to increase the water trade route to Kyoto. This Temple, constructed in 1614 to comfort the souls of workers who lost their lives while widening the river, includes an extended observation terrace, supported by stilts out over the mountainside. It has been dubbed ‘the best view in Kyoto.’
A Zen Retreat with Monk Obayashi-San
For many years, Monk Obayashi-San has maintained the site by himself and one or two assistants. Long comfortable couches surround the intimate Zen Buddha shrine in the gathering area. Monk Obayashi had prepared green tea and a sweet treat for us to enjoy after our Zen meditation practice.
He offered remarks about the benefits of Zen meditation in a calm and soothing voice. With repetitions of proper deep breathing, my inner stress exhaled, and a strange state of relaxation inhaled with every breath. The silence, except for the wind rustling through the trees and an intermittent chirp from a mountain bird, felt like a welcomed gift.
A nominal fee is charged for guests to help maintain, repair, and supply the Temple. In an effort to attract more guests to the mountain retreat, Monk Obayashi has recently installed a Western-style bathroom on the property, so that foreign guests who make the climb can feel comfortable with the facility during their visit. What an ingenious idea.
My soul had been soothed by these magnificent brushes with nature and prayer. It was time to return to Kyoto and engage in the rigors of exploring this city that has so much to offer.
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Author Bio: After a life-long profession of treating the mentally ill at a PA psychiatric hospital for 33 years, Carol retired to Lake Chapala, Mexico in 2006 with her husband, to pursue more positive passions. Her family thought that she too had ‘gone mad.’ Carol has taught English to Mexican adults and disadvantaged local children for the past 18 years. She writes for local, international, on-line and print publications. Using her adventures to over 120 countries, she has captured a niche in travel writing, and her stories have been featured in _Go World Travel Magazine_. A frequent contributor to _El Ojo del Lago,_ the largest distribution English magazine in Mexico, she’s won several literary awards from that publication. Her psychiatric field work netted a contribution to the anthology,_ Tales from the_ _Couch._ Recently she has also been featured in two more anthologies, _Insider’s Guide to the Best of Mexican Holidays, and Bravados, Life, Love and Living in Lake Chapala, Mexico_, all available on amazon.com.
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