1000km daytrip to Hiroshima

Shinkanzen made it possible... Departing at 7.20 am to Hiroshima, which is 450kms south to Kyoto.
Hiroshima is best known as the first city in history to be targeted by a nuclear weapon. The city's name, 広島, means "Wide Island" in Japanese.
 

On Monday, August 6, 1945, at 8:16 a.m., the nuclear bomb "Little Boy" was dropped on Hiroshima by an American B-29 bomber, the Enola Gay, flown by Colonel Paul Tibbets,directly killing an estimated 80,000 people. By the end of the year, injury and radiation brought the total number of deaths to 90,000–166,000.The population before the bombing was around 340,000 to 350,000. Approximately 70% of the city's buildings were destroyed, and another 7% severely damaged.

 

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park (広島平和記念公園) is a memorial park in the center. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park was planned and designed by the Japanese Architect Kenzō Tange on an open field created by the bomb. The location of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park was once the city’s busiest downtown commercial and residential district.

The A-Bomb Dome is the skeletal ruins of the former Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. It is the building closest to the hypocenter of the nuclear bomb that remained at least partially standing. It was left how it was after the bombing in memory of the casualties. The A-Bomb Dome, to which a sense of sacredness and transcendence has been attributed, is situated in a distant ceremonial view that is visible from the Peace Memorial Park’s central cenotaph.

On the way back from Hiroshima stopped in Fukuyama and took a bus to an old fishing village. 
Tomonoura (鞆の浦), is a port in the Ichichi ward of Fukuyama. It stands on the southern point of the Numakuma Peninsula, 14 kilometers south of Fukuyama Station.

Tomonoura has been a prosperous port since ancient times. Its unique circular harbor was preserved even after modern port facilities were introduced. Tomonoura lies within Tomokōen (鞆公園), which forms part of the Setonaikai National Park.

It's now a sleepy port town – at the old harbour, fishing boats quietly bob on the water, and the narrow cobbled streets that surround it retain much of the flavour of the Edo-period heyday. Inland from the harbour there are a dozen or so temples, some tucked within residential streets, and stone steps lead up the hillside to views of the Inland Sea. The small island of Sensui-jima is a short boat ride away.

 

Film buffs may be interested to know that Tomo-no-ura was the setting for some scenes in The Wolverine (2013).

By 8 pm arrived back to Tokyo station and had dinner in a Teppan yaki restaurant at the sation.

 For more pics click

Still in Kyoto

Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺), officially Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera (音羽山清水寺) is an independent Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto.

The temple was founded in 778, and its present buildings were constructed in 1633, ordered by the Tokugawa Iemitsu. There is not a single nail used in the entire structure. It takes its name from the waterfall within the complex, which runs off the nearby hills. Kiyomizu means clear water, or pure water.

 In 2007, Kiyomizu-dera was one of 21 finalists for the New Seven Wonders of the World.

The Ryōzen Kannon (霊山観音) displays a 24-metre high statue of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (the Bodhisattva of Mercy) which was created in 1955 to honor the Japanese dead of World War II. The statue is 24 m (80 ft) high and weighs approximately 500 tons.

 The shrine beneath the statue contains an image of Bodhisattva Ekādaśamukha and images of the god of wind and god of thunder. Memorial tablets of 2 million Japanese who died in World War II are also stored here.

Geiko and Maiko

Geiko are women trained in dance and music, with an emphasis on grace, beauty and dignity. (Kyoto geisha prefer to be called ‘geiko’ meaning ‘arts child’, rather than ‘geisha’, which means ‘arts person’.) Geiko communities are very traditional, and are governed by strict rules, and the Gion Kobu community is perhaps the most conservative of all. Geiko begin their careers as apprentices called ‘maiko’, usually aged fifteen.

From then on, they move into a geiko house, and dedicate their lives to the geiko world. First they are trained in conduct becoming of a geiko – bowing deeply to show respect to their seniors, and undertaking everyday tasks with grace and elegance. They then move on to training in the geiko’s arts, such as music, dance and calligraphy, and they begin to join the geiko in entertaining clients in Kyoto’s teahouses. Around the age of twenty, maiko graduate from their apprenticeship, and become fully-fledged geiko.

Kyoto has five geisha areas in all, popularly known as ‘hanamachi’ or flower districts. Gion is the biggest and best-known; Pontocho which stages the  Kamogawa Odori is the second biggest. The name is thought to derive from the Portuguese term for ‘point’ in reference to a prominent spur of land once visible in the Kamo River. The geisha first catered to businesses along the Takase Canal, and when the area was made safe from flooding in 1670 teashops sprang up in a narrow passageway between the canal and the Kamo River. It’s said that the well-known term ‘the water trade’ arose here from the geisha’s custom of attracting passing boatmen - See more at: http://www.deepkyoto.com/geisha-dance-kamogawa-odori/#sthash.adFDccIB.dpuf

Kamogawa Odori

Kyoto has five geisha areas in all, popularly known as ‘hanamachi’ or flower districts. Gion is the biggest and best-known; Pontocho which stages the  Kamogawa Odori is the second biggest. The name is thought to derive from the Portuguese term for ‘point’ in reference to a prominent spur of land once visible in the Kamo River. The geisha first catered to businesses along the Takase Canal, and when the area was made safe from flooding in 1670 teashops sprang up in a narrow passageway between the canal and the Kamo River. It’s said that the well-known term ‘the water trade’ arose here from the geisha’s custom of attracting passing boatmen.

The dances began in 1872, four years after Tokyo took over as the capital of Japan. That was the first time that Gion Kobu’s nationally-famous geiko performed in public. Since the second season in 1873, the dances have been held at the Pontocho Kaburenjo Theatre.

 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16IWtzSAzXM)

Tea ceremony

Zen Buddhism was a primary influence in the development of the tea ceremony. Every motion is carefully controlled so that the whole process is performed with grace – geiko spend long-hours practicing so that they can make tea according to a strictly defined procedure that aims to make the whole process as aesthetically pleasing as possible.

 See a video here

 (https://youtu.be/LtdRDYuuWlY)
 For more pics click

Kyoto has five geisha areas in all, popularly known as ‘hanamachi’ or flower districts. Gion is the biggest and best-known; Pontocho which stages the  Kamogawa Odori is the second biggest. The name is thought to derive from the Portuguese term for ‘point’ in reference to a prominent spur of land once visible in the Kamo River. The geisha first catered to businesses along the Takase Canal, and when the area was made safe from flooding in 1670 teashops sprang up in a narrow passageway between the canal and the Kamo River. It’s said that the well-known term ‘the water trade’ arose here from the geisha’s custom of attracting passing boatmen - See more at: http://www.deepkyoto.com/geisha-dance-kamogawa-odori/#sthash.adFDccIB.dpuf

Kyoto

Arashiyama 嵐山 Storm Mountain is a district on the western outskirts of Kyoto, which takes around 40 minutes to reach by bus from the city center.
It is worth to come out here, because several sights are concentrated within walking distance.

The Iwatayama Monkey Park on the slopes of Arashiyama is one of the sights. Over 170 monkeys live at the park. While the monkeys are wild, they have become accustomed to humans they say.
 

I would disagree... Although did not do anything and was following instructions a monkey tried to attack me several times. Maybe because of my red shirts? 

Tenryū-ji, the main temple of one of the 15 branches of the Rinzai school, one of the two main sects of Zen Buddhism in Japan.

The temple was founded by Ashikaga Takauji in 1339, primarily to venerate Gautama Buddha, and its first chief priest was Musō Soseki. Construction was completed in 1345. It has a Zen garden right after the entrance

and a pretty big well maintained traditional garden in the backyard, which is worth to visit in every seasons.

Also a nice place to visit is the bamboo grove just after the north exit of the temple. They say it was here that women were once trained prior to becoming shrine maidens at Ise Shrine, the holiest Shinto Shrine in Japan. I was wondering, trained for what...??? Anyway walking here is quite nice, like being on an other planet, feeling the light breeze and enjoying the shadow on hot days like the one today is refreshing for body and mind.

Fushimi Inari Taisha on the other side of Kyoto (伏見稲荷大社) is the head shrine of Inari, located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan. The shrine sits at the base of a mountain also named Inari which is 233 metres above sea level.

Each of the torii at Fushimi Inari Taisha is donated by a Japanese business. First and foremost, though, Inari is the god of rice.

The earliest structures were built in 711 on the Inariyama hill in southwestern Kyoto, but the shrine was re-located in 816 on the request of the monk Kūkai. The main shrine structure was built in 1499.

For more pictures click

Just arrived in Kyoto

Leaving the countryside visited Hida no Sato a folk village close to Takayama, representing traditional craftsmanship of the area. As said yesterday carpentry and sake breweries are famous and numerous in the surrounding villages. They say that even the temples and palaces in Kyoto were built by carpenters from here.

More than 30 traditional buildings including thatched and shingled houses, shrines, sheds, and others are scattered around the hill.
200kms south in Nagoya, before catching the train to Nagoya visited the Train Museum of Japan, which is also home to all historical Shinkanzen trains. Believe it or not the trains you see here are the past!!!

The future is coming with a Maglev train, which already made a world record with 602kmh and planned to go to public service by 2020 for the next olympic games.

During the short trip from Nagoya to Kyoto, you could see some rice fields, although it is just the beginning of the rice planting season in this area.

Arrived in Kyoto late in the evening, just had time to go have dinner in Pontocho, one of the Geisha districts of the city. Can t wait to explore that city.... See you tomorrow....

For more pics
More pics

A relaxing day in the Japanese Alps

After driving quite a bit yesterday, was looking for a more relaxed day. That part of Japan i.e Gifu and Nagano prefectures are famous for their mountains and hot springs "onsens" (温泉) as the japanese say. 

The Norikura peak being over 3000m high and the mountain pass leading to it was still closed, because of snow conditions, therefore a detour had to be driven to reach the Shirahone hot springs, which is stalagmite and spherical limestone surrounded spring. The white water of the pool is quite unique in the area.

 I ll cite here wikipedia about the etiquette of onsens, since the indications in the bath are usually not clear....

Ensuring cleanliness 
At an onsen, as at a sentō, all guests are expected to wash their bodies and rinse themselves thoroughly before entering the hot water. Bathing stations are equipped with stools, faucets, wooden buckets, and toiletries such as soap and shampoo; nearly all onsen also provide removable shower heads for bathing convenience. Entering the onsen while still dirty or with traces of soap on the body is socially unacceptable.

Swimsuits
Bathers are not normally allowed to wear swimsuits in the baths. However, some modern onsen with more of a waterpark atmosphere require their guests to wear a swimming suit in their mixed baths. 

Towels
Onsen guests generally bring a small towel with them to use as a wash cloth. The towel can also provide a modicum of modesty when walking between the washing area and the baths. Some onsen allow one to wear the towel into the baths, while others have posted signs prohibiting this, saying that it makes it harder to clean the bath. It is sometimes against the rules to immerse or dip towels in the onsen bath water, since this can be considered unclean. In this latter case, people normally set their towels off to the side of the water when enjoying the baths, or place their folded towels on top of their heads.

Noise
Onsen vary from quiet to noisy, some play piped music and often feature gushing fountains. Bathers will engage in conversation in this relaxed situation. There are usually prohibitions against rowdiness in the washing and bathing areas. A small amount of excess energy and splashing around is usually tolerated from children, however. 

Shower cubicles

Tattoos
Many onsen ban bathers with tattoos, which in Japan, as in the West prior to the radical changes that have taken place in society, are recognized as a badge of criminality—Yakuza traditionally have elaborate tattoos. Despite this background reason, the rule is often enforced strictly against all, including foreigners, women, and even when tattoos are small and "peaceful".

After soaking for a couple of hours continued via some curvy roads and Mountain landscape towards Takayama a larger village in the area.  That was also the final destination for today with a special traditional accommodation and dinner served in the room.

Stayed at a ryokan (旅館) which is a type of traditional Japanese inn that originated in the Edo period (1603–1868), when such inns served travelers along Japan's highways.

They typically feature tatami-matted rooms, communal baths, and other public areas where visitors may wear yukata and talk with the owner.

In room dining experience
Kaiseki (懐石) or kaiseki-ryōri (懐石料理) is a traditional multi-course Japanese dinner. The term also refers to the collection of skills and techniques that allow the preparation of such meals, and are reminiscent of Western haute cuisine.

In the present day, kaiseki is a type of art form that balances the taste, texture, appearance, and colors of food. To this end, only fresh seasonal ingredients are used and are prepared in ways that aim to enhance their flavor. Local ingredients are often included as well.
 

Finished dishes are carefully presented on plates that are chosen to enhance both the appearance and the seasonal theme of the meal. Dishes are beautifully arranged and garnished, often with real leaves and flowers, as well as edible garnishes designed to resemble natural plants and animals.

Takayama itself is a mid size village famous about its Sake breweries and carpentry, which I ll write about more tomorrow.

 Luckily there were some festivities around the village on that day.

For more pics
More pics here