Japan Tour: Kyoto Part 1

Tuesday, March 24-Wednesday, March 25: Pottery, Himeji Castle, Homework, Torii Gates, Tea, Buddhas

We had another early start at 7:45am on Tuesday and lots of bus time again as we made our way from Hiroshima to Kyoto. Our first stop was in Bizen, where we learned about the very special artisan pottery. The makers use a special clay harvested from rice fields and work for two years before completing the firing process. In this time, they create nearly 10,000 different items. We got to visit and learn about the process then they were about to start the firing using their traditional kilns and only wood. The process will take two weeks, and they expect about 50% breakage! For this pottery, they don't use any glaze because of the shrinkage that occurs during the firing process, so it's just the ash and the position in the kiln that create the colors and patterns. The rough texture and imperfections are valued and considered a sign of artistry and the uniqueness of these wares. Fascinating!

Our afternoon stop was at Himeji Castle, but we had time for lunch before our group visit to the site. We found the cute Harry & Marie cafe, which didn't have a lot of options for me but was close and had indoor seating, so we made it work, and the Sakura soft serve was delicious! A bunch of our fellow group members ended up there, too, likely for the same reasons. We decided not to go into the castle but instead enjoyed strolling around the grounds. I found the symbols for the restrooms quite charming! And I found someone's cellphone in the ladies' restroom and managed to communicate just enough with a staff person to turn it in.

Then it was back to the bus for the drive to Kyoto. I took advantage of the time to get started on my homework for the week, since my Spring Break was over and I needed to resume my usual class schedule.

We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn in Kyoto, which is obviously VERY popular with tour groups because there were a lot of people and bags all arriving at the same time! We decided not to wait for the elevator and instead grabbed a table in the lobby bar area for cocktails and more homework time for me. Mr. E socialized some more with the friendly sister duo and their spouses whom we'd connected with earlier in the trip. I ordered the salmon entree for dinner and then headed up to my room to settle in and wrap up the day. Mr. E went out with the foursome to a nearby Irish Pub, which had good food but apparently was very smoky. I'm glad I didn't join them!

This hotel was decorated in a really lovely Japanese style with sliding screens and lots of natural wood. And the info about housekeeping and security was inscribed on a wooden lucky cat!!!

On Wednesday, our departure wasn't until 8:20am, so we had more time for breakfast and were pleased to see the steamed veges offerings but still struck by a remarkable lack of fruit. The restaurant was VERY busy, but we managed to get a table and had just enough time for food and coffee. Our first stop of the day was at a Shinto shrine with thousands of Torii gates (and lots of tourists, too).

Then we went to a Buddhist temple for a traditional tea ceremony, which was truly lovely and peaceful. We learned about the ritual for making and serving matcha, including the special equipment and motions involved in the ceremony.

Today was one of the few days that lunch was included, so our group returned to the hotel for the meal. I had a salmon option with fruit (!) for dessert, and Mr. E had the standard chicken teriyaki with rice and ice cream.

The afternoon included a visit to the Golden Temple and the temple with 1,000 Buddhas. I was a bit late finishing up at that last one because I was trying to read some of the signs. Oops! This was one of the few rainy days we had during the tour, so I'm glad we had our umbrellas.

We had some time to walk around the Gion area and still made it back to the hotel in time for Happy Hour. I asked the front desk if they had any of the wooden lucky cats for sale, and the staff gave me a blank one for free! What a unique souvenir to add to the collection!

We went to Lawson's and 7-11 to pick up some snacks for me, and then I finished off the evening with more homework in my room while Mr. E went out with the sister group for dinner again. The pub was less smoky this time around!

Japan Tour: Hiroshima

Sunday, March 22-Monday, March 23: Pottery, History, Beautiful Island

We had lots of bus time on Sunday as we made our way from Osaka to Hiroshima, along with a very early start at 7:50am. Yawn! Mr. E snagged some breakfast items for me to eat surreptitiously on the bus! And we didn't understand why normal-sized bags couldn't come on the bus with us, so we had to pay an extra fee again for Mr. E's new Rimowa. Grr.

Our first stop was at the lovely and serene Kenrokuen garden, where I purchased an adorable Marlene-ish clay kitty from a local artisan and had a three-corgi sighting! We enjoyed strolling around the small lakes and seeing the birds, turtles, and artwork.

Next we went to Kurashiki to visit the historic Bikan area with its lovely canals. This was also our spot for lunch, and we managed to find Mikuku, a very small restaurant, with great fish for lunch. Thanks goodness for Google Translate camera since there were no English menus available!

We did finally see some cherry trees in bloom, although we obviously were a bit too early for the majority of the blossoms. 

Our hotel in Hiroshima was the best so far, and our bags had arrived before us this time, so we were able to unpack and settle in right away. I had noticed a nearby Sheraton, right next to the train station just a couple of blocks from our hotel, so we headed over there and had a lovely time at the bar with a view out over the city towards the station. As we walked, we noticed lots of bicycles and mask use in this city, which was a bit different from other places we'd been so far.

On Monday we had a reasonable departure at 8:15am to catch the ferry to Miyajima Island. We had a great breakfast buffet with beautiful views out over Hiroshima, which is a lovely city with lots of trees, flowers, and five rivers that are lined with pedestrian pathways and pretty landscaping. My favorite place so far, for sure! Miyajima Island is the site of the famous "floating" Shinto shrine, and we loved strolling around the breathtaking coastline (with all of the local deer) but didn't have nearly enough time to explore as much as we wanted to. We definitely want to come back here the next time we visit Japan!

We had enough time for a Starbucks stop on our way back to the ferry, and the staff complimented me on my hair colour because it sort of matches the Sakura trees! When we returned to Hiroshima, we went to a spot near the train station for our Otonomiyaki experience, where we got to make our own versions of this local specialty with noodles, veges, and seafood or pork enclosed in two thin airy crepes. So fun!

The afternoon was spent visiting the A-Bomb Dome and the Peace Memorial Museum and surrounding areas. So very sad and intense and moving to bear witness to the awful first atomic bombing that devastated this city. But also incredibly inspirational to see the resilience and recovery of the city, which managed to rebuild relatively quickly yet continues to honor and memorialize these horrible events as a way to urge people to seek peace and avoid anything similar in the future. 

The main exhibition in the Museum was so crowded and hot and had such devastating pictures and items that I couldn't stay in it and had to power my way through the crowds to the exit to wait for Mr. E, and we were both crying at the end.

We returned to the Sheraton for Happy Hour and dinner, and I had a delicious seared tuna salad. Mr. E won our round of Rummy 500 before we called it a night and returned to our hotel to prep for the early morning departure the next day. At least the early time provided a lovely sunrise view over the city!