Cultural Soul

On my first Shinkansen ride from Tokyo to Kyoto. Quite a cool train but expensive as a habit.
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The regions of Japan are wonderfully unique from each other.  Each takes pride in its geography, language specifics, and culinary delights.  The megapolises of Tokyo and Yokohama, for example, may be considered the technological and business heartbeats of the country.  The cultural soul of Japan, however, lies within Kansai.  Between Kyoto, Nara, and Himeji, there are 26 World Heritage sites and hundreds more that have not earned the same acclaim but are no less peaceful, beautiful, or blissful.

My favorite paid residence in Japan, the Kinsuikan Ryokan (Japanese-style inn) in Kyoto. I stayed here on two separate stints I enjoyed it so much.
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I was fortunate enough to visit Kansai twice, each time with friends from my home in California.  In most cases, when I visit a place I leave with many things I'd still wish to see.  By visiting Kansai, most specifically Kyoto, I was able to reduce the number on that list.  The first time I visited Kansai I traveled with my friend from home, Amilia, and her two cousins.  I knew I'd later be returning to Kyoto and seeing some of its more famous sites, so I chose to spend the days in nearby Nara and investigating Kyoto's more modern personality.

To reach enlightenment, one must pass through the Buddha's nostril.

Eating my first yakisoba dinner with Amilia and her cousins, Xerxes and Tinaz.
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Nara, home to eight WHC sites, is a great one-day trip from Kyoto.  It is a small town whose tourism industry thrives on its magnificent temples and, how shall I say, "interesting" wildlife.  Although there are eight WHC sites to see, time and convenience dictated that our group only see four: Kofukuji, Todaiji, Kasuga Taisha, and Gangoji.  Each boasts more history and deserves more photographs than I can possibly do justice to here, so I encourage anyone to read one, preferably on the signs outside the temples themselves. :)

Amilia tries to fend off the antler-less, but aggressive, deer at the Kofukuji Temple in Nara, one of the city's eight World Heritage sites.
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Kofukuji occupies a sizeable piece of land with notable buildings, but the most impressive was its five-story pagoda.  The pagoda is the second tallest in all of Japan and nearly 1300 years old.  What really amazed me about this building was actually an intangible: a restoration project that occured about 600 years ago.  Apparently, the Japanese were wise enough to know that a 700 year-old pagoda needed some repair and upkeep if it was to stand another 700.  This was in the 1400s...about the time Columbus was discovering the New World.  Kofukuji is also home to some of Nara's "interesting" wildlife I mentioned earlier.  Dozens of deer inhabit the temple grounds looking for sembei (rice cracker) handouts from the visiting patrons.  Their antlers have been filed down for safety because unlike other deer, these animals have no qualms with bumping, edging, or pushing passers-by who choose not to feed them immediately.  To state the apparent, we all had a great time with them.

The gate to Todaiji Temple. Within this gate stand two of the finest examples of Japanese wood carving anywhere in the country.
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Todaiji is Nara's crown jewel.  The main temple is the largest wooden structure in the world, now only 2/3 the original size.  Within is one of the largest bronze Buddhas in the world.  At its entrance gate are two of the finest examples of Japanese wood carving anywhere, the two large, animated gods of wind and thunder.  Although its scale is enough to bring one to his knees, it is not without its entertainment.  The temple roof is supported by massive wooden columns and all but one are completely solid.  A hole the size of the Buddha's nostril is cut from the base of one.  If a person can pass through this hole, he/she is guaranteed enlightenment.  Much to my gratitude, I made it through...almost independently.

Todaiji Temple, the largest wooden structure in the world, although I could have sworn some airplane hangar in Oregon also held that title...suspicious.
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Kasuga Taisha and Gangoji are both smaller in scale but wonderful visits even with only a few minutes.  The former is the home to hundreds of standing stone and hanging bronze lanterns.  The shrine is set deep within the surrounding WHC forest and a steadily inclining path allows everyone to see the lanterns.  Unfortunately, my good luck was only a few days off from being perfect luck.  Just days before my visit one of the year's largest ceremonies was conducted in which all of the lanterns are lit.  However, a strong imagination was enough to see the flicker.  Gangoji is the most modest of all of Nara's "must-see" list, however, its stature is arguably the biggest.  It is Japan's first Buddhist temple.  It was built in the 4th century at a different location and later moved to Nara when it became Japan's first capital city.

The water ladles at the cleansing station outside Todaiji temple.
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I digress away from Kansai momentarily to comment on Hakone, a small town perched in a national park not too far southwest of Tokyo.  Hakone is a town offering solitude and peace, not to mention dozens of wonderful onsen (hot springs), to travelers and residents alike.  I spent just a couple of days here with Amilia, her cousins, and her husband, Corey, before they left Japan, but I was treated to one of Japan's most awesome sites: Fuji-san.  At the foot of Hakone is Lake Ashi, a rich blue lake cradled between mountains on all sides save one.  It is through this open side that some of Fuji's finest photographs are taken, and all though my small Canon can do little justice, I was compelled to fire away.

One of the reasons the temple is so grand, whether it is the largest wooden structure or not, one of the world's largest bronze Buddhas.
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Upon returning to Kyoto, I was accompanied by one of my closest friends from home, Amanda, and a few of her teammates, all of whom were conveniently in Japan for an ultimate frisbee tournament.  During this second go-round, Amanda and I managed to squeeze in some of Kyoto's 17 WHC sites.  Our first was Ginkakuji Temple, better known to Westerners at the Silver Pavilion.  Although its namesake building was closed, the rainy weather cleared out the regular teeming crowds and provided us with a somewhat-private garden to explore.  Our second site, Fushimiinari shrine, is one of Kyoto's more unique attractions.  Hundreds of torii gates sit adjacent to one another forming a tunnel of Shintoism through which a visitor must pass before paying homage at the temple at the top of the hill.  Our third site, Tenryuji temple, sits on Kyoto's western border and boasts a garden unchanged since its inception 1500 years ago, making it one of Japan's oldest protected natural sites.  The fourth and final site Amanda and I were able to visit was my favorite.  I had visited it once with Amilia and wanted to return.  Kiyomizu Dera sits upon Kyoto's southeastern slopes and has been the source of "clear water" (kiyo - mizu) for hundreds of years.  It is complete with a pagoda, several prayer halls, and even a test of strength, but its most loved feature, a thick grove of cherry trees, was too shy to make an appearance during either of my visits.

Inside the temple there is a column with a hole cut from it. The hole is the same size as one of the Buddha's nostrils. Should one get through the hole, he/she is guaranteed enlightenment.
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On the western edge of Kansai sits one of its proudest sites.  Himeji is a rather small town through which passes dozens of bullet trains, local trains, and buses for one very important tourist attraction: Himeji-jo.  The massive fortification of Himeji Castle sits proudly atop the city's only hill and safely behind an impenetrable wall with surrounding moat.  It has survived earthquakes, feudal wars, and even world wars for nearly 700 years.  Even now visitors to the sixth and highest floor of the 'White Heron' can gaze for several kilometers searching for would-be intruders.  Himeji is Japan's finest example of an original feudal castle and is a proud symbol of the Japanese people everywhere.  It even claims movie star status as a setting in The Last Samurai as well as a few Akira Kurosawa films.

Does it count if someone else pulls said person?...
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After leaving Kyoto, I rounded out my Kansai experience with a three-day visit to its working center, Osaka.  I spent my days enjoying the urban wonders of the Kita area, the people-watching and shopping centers of Dotombori and America-Mura in the Minami area, and the city's largest greenbelt at Osaka Castle.  It was during my time in Osaka that my appreciation for Kansai became complete.  The region offers mountainous hikes, which I had no time to explore, a major bustling city, and more temples than can possibly be visited without being a lifelong resident.  Kansai's tempo may change with its sites, but its rhythm is felt throughout the entire region.