Yoriko's Personal Tour

We decided to do a day trip to Nara, Japan's ancient capital.  We arrived early in the morning and stopped by the tourist information centre at the train centre to get a good map and some tips on where to go.  They told us that they had a limited number of English speaking local tour guides available and, if we were interested, we could have one show us around the city.  Of course we were interested.  Her name was Yoriko.

Yoriko showed us a number of temples, shrines, and attractions.  We saw a Japanese wedding ceremony and a few thousand stone and metal lanterns at a Shinto Shrine, a few hundred deer being fed specially made and marketed deer cookies, and a wooden temple used in fire ceremonies that had, of course, been burned down a few times.

The most famous attraction in Nara is the Daibutsu or Big Buddha.  It is the largest Buddha statue in all of Japan.  It is housed in a specially protected and adorned temple building.  It was very big and very impressive.  There is a theory that if you can fit through a hole the size of the Buddha's nostril you will be enlightened.  There was a hole created in a huge wooden pillar for just this purpose and we could see many small people attempting the journey.  Yoriko encouraged me to try but the line was a few hundred people long and I'm not sure I believe in the power of nostrils, even giant ones.

After showing us around, Yoriko took us to a soba restaurant.  Of course I can't eat anything at restaurants, especially soup restaurants because the stock is always made with "katsuo" or "bonito flakes" (from fish).  I felt awkward and unappreciative not getting anything but Yoriko talked to the cooks and they made me some veggie tempura with no egg in the batter.  It was delicious and I am going to attempt Tempura at home soon.

We headed back to Kyoto and visited Nijo Castle which was having a special thing during Cherry Blossom season where you could visit the castle at night when the cherry trees were lit up spectacularly.  We witnessed a performance of "Koto" players and sampled some Kyoto sweets before heading back the hostel.

[A Koto is a 13-string zither, about 2 meters long and made of Paulownia wood. It is plucked using picks on the thumb and first two fingers of the right hand, while the left hand can be used to modify pitch and tone. ]