Gion Night Tour

Current City:  Kyoto

We just returned from our evening walking tour of Gion!  This was my HIGH PRIORITY stop for visiting Kyoto.  Gion is all about Geiko (Geisha) and Maiko culture.  

Some interesting things that I learned from the tour:

1.  There is a shrine dedicated to song and dance in Gion district.  Our guide told us that Maiko and Geiko would go here to pray for good performances.

2.  The long black plaque on the right of the picture below indicates this is a Maiko and Geiko "party house."  The other plaques, our guide said, look beautiful for tourists, but it is the regulation utilities plaques!

3.  Here is a Maiko and Geiko boarding house entryway.  The names of the Maiko and Geiko are posted on these wooden blocks above the entrance.

4.  On some doorways, we saw these mounds of salt.  These are meant to ward off bad luck and welcome good luck.

5.  Here is a board of one of the training schools.  It lists the different classes available for Maiko to take to learn how to become a Geiko.  Our guide also told us that Geiko take classes continually, as well.  There are lessons on a variety of songs and dances.  The board also lists a number of the teachers who give those lessons.

6.  Our guide told us, when we see caters on bikes, they will most likely be dropping off food for a Geiko party.  So, if you wanted to spot a Geiko, just follow the caterers.

7.  Three-leaf Clover taxis are know for transporting Maiko and Geiko around the city.  So, if you spot this taxi, our guide said, "You may catch a glimpse of a Geiko."

8.  Our guide said that girls nowadays think Geiko are like rockstars.  She said that they admire them so much, which is what brings a lot of girls to try out to become Maiko.  She said that only a few can make it through the rigorous training program.

My attempt to catch a Maiko on camera!

9.  Geiko have obis that are shorter.  Maiko have obis that are longer (like the Maiko that I tried to photograph above).

I have nine things to share, which seems a bit odd.  Usually ten items would seem fitting.  So, as my last item, with no real relation to the Geiko or Maiko of the Gion district tour:

10.  I am not sure if it is the Gion district or Kyoto, but this area was once famous for its dumplings.  And you can see this reflected in the lanterns that hang around the city.  They have a line of round dumplings ringing around the middle of the lanterns. 

If anyone is in the Gion district, you SHOULD check out the night tour.  It is really quite interesting.

Postcard from Kyoto

Current City:  Kyoto

Over the past few days, we have been sightseeing the temples and shrines of Kyoto.  My feet are properly aching as I write this.  But, I am having one of those YOLO moments.  

[Y.O.L.O. = You Only Live Once]

This might be the only time that I will be visiting Kyoto in my lifetime.  I want to see everything that I can see.  I want to do everything that I can do.  I want to try everything that I can try.  

Below are a few of the temples and shrines that we have seen over the past few days!  Photos do them no justice.  To be in their wake is so inspiring.  To be able to walk through their gateways is such a humbling experience.

I feel so awed by the amazingly wonderful things that this culture has preserved.  

Amazing Finds: Coin Laundry

Current City:  Kyoto

The amazing find of the morning has been this 24 hour coin laundry shop.  Because this trip is of the Backpacking nature, it was about that time to refresh our clothing supply.  Our hostel directed us to this coin laundry shop and it made me think about how wonderful Japan is!

In Hong Kong, we usually take our loads of laundry down to the laundromat.  The woman is always telling me in Cantonese, "Cantonese is such a hard language to learn."  The point is, there is always a human-to-human interaction.

This place had a surveillance camera  and a phone number if you wanted to contact anyone for assistance.  But, other than that, it was just us and the machines.  

The most awesome of machines was this red one (featured below).  You could select a full or half load, the detergent and softener were added by the machine automatically, and it was speedy. 

I appreciated the signage.

I definitely appreciated the English signage.

I wish I had one of these 24 hour shops near my place in Hong Kong.

Postcard from the Kinkaku-ji Temple

Current City:  Kyoto

Another day, another Shinkansen ride.

We've touched down in Kyoto.

We decided to check out the Kinkaku-ji Temple first, as it was one of our major MUST SEE things in KYOTO.

Though it was rather crowded, it was a serene walk around the Kinkaku-Ji Temple and grounds.  The gardens were beautiful.  If I had the talent, I could see myself sitting down during Ancient Japan, calligraphy brush in hand, paint pot at my side, a scroll on my knees, and painting the scene in front of me.

I thought it was so endearing to see this woman using her tablet to catch the image of this waterfall!  She was literally trying to line-up this shot for 3 minutes!  There was a back-up to the left of this image because people were letting her take photos.  It's a nice gesture to allow someone to take their pictures without a drove of people interfering or photo-bombing.

I thought it would be nice to show the droves of people who were so considerate (below):

Something really beautiful, which I have been noticing recently, are all the flowers.  Every petal and every bud seem to be glowing.  Spring is such a wonderful time to experience.

Neon colored flowers!

Neon colored sakura trees!

Luminous sakura!

Though the flowers might not actually be glowing, they appear to be!  The Kinkaku-Ji Temple was definitely a great choice to start our sightseeing tour of Kyoto!