Stairway to Heaven, Part 1

When my alarm rang on Saturday morning, I got out of bed and hustled to get ready. I had plenty of time, but I was determined to get into the city early to avoid potential complications. At last, I was going on vacation. I left the house around 10am, and took the train into Kyoto. 

Surprisingly, everything went smoothly, which got me to Kyoto Station nearly two hours before the bus left. I killed time by working through my Japanese copy of Phoenix Wright while relaxing in Porta Underground. Finally, around 12:30, I decided to go upstairs and wait for my friends. The first to get there was Nick, wheeling a small suitcase behind him. Apparantly, my meeting place was bad – unbeknownst to me, there are multiple entrances to Porta, so my instruction to “meet in front of Porta” was kind of useless. 

Next to arrive was Cara. We had relocated to a more visible location in front of the main JR gate, but I went to check the Porta entrances again, where I bumped into Cara. Last to arrive was Tala – due to my ambiguous meeting place, it was hard to find him. But eventually we did, and with plenty of time to spare.

We made some preparations for the bus – Nick went to buy a new DS game, after which we bought some snacks for the bus. When we got back, Cara had gone to buy something as well, but time was running out. By the time we were all back, it was just about departure time. We cut it close, but we made it to the bus stop on time, and with no difficulty, got on board.

The ride was by no means a long one – total time of just under three hours. We took one rest stop along the way, where we picked up some donuts. They were good, but Mister Donuts is neither Krispy Kreme nor Dunkin Doughnuts. On the way out, we were offered a sample of…mushrooms. To be specific, matsutake mushrooms (one of the most prized mushrooms in Japan). It was really good – it had a very rich flavor, almost meaty. I’d be more than happy to eat those again. Of course, they’re also pretty expensive, so it’s not something I can see coming out at dinner.

When we arrived in Amanohashidate, the first thing I noticed was the air. Kyoto is a fairly clean city, but the air out there was so clean and fresh. Looking at the map I had printed out, we walked from the station to the ryokan. I had anticipated it taking five minutes, but it was actually much closer. In fact, the entirety of Amanohashidate was more compact than I had thought – we could see the ocean from where we were staying. 

Check in was really simple – the obasan who ran the inn brought us a form to fill out, and we were set within half an hour. Before dinner, we decided to scope out the town to get a feel for our surroundings. We crossed the street to head for the ocean. But before we got there, we saw something else that captured our interest – a shop that was selling dried fish and squids, which were hanging out front. We took some pictures, at which point the shop keeper told us in Japanese to take lots of good photos. Calling himself the “Ika-ojisan”, he told us about bigger squids caught in the area that aren’t sold in shops because they’re so big. Squids of that size get sold to sushi shops, he said. I really enjoyed the “small town” feeling that makes people comfortable to talk with strangers. 

We walked alongside the ocean, over and under overgrown trees, around a bend until we came to a dock, near the bridge leading to the land bridge. There, by the water, was a strange stone ring. We read a signpost that explained that it was “The Ring of Wisdom”, which it might have been used by ships in the past, but that nobody actually knows why it’s there. We passed by the main street in the town, and through a temple, only to wind up back by Ika-ojisan’s shop! It turns out we made a big loop around the town.

Since we still had some time, we decided to check out the land bridge. We walked past a shop selling yaki-ika, and onto the beach. We played around for a while, and then then looked at a bunch of stone monuments placed around here and there. Finally, it got dark enough that I figured it would be better just to come back the next day, and we headed back for dinner.

We were served a true feast – fried ebi, oyster soup, grilled fish, sashimi, rice, and more. It was possibly the biggest non-izakaya meal I’ve eaten since getting to Japan. And it was REALLY good. I ate till I was bursting. We had a hilarious dinner conversation, winding up talking about how dumb animals are. Especially turkeys. Nick was talking about weird pets his elementary school teachers had, including hissing cockroaches. Tala provided us with a fantastic example of what these beasties sound like, leading to further laughs being shared.

We bought discount tickets for Chie no Yu, the local onsen. It means “Hot Water of Wisdom”, and I could always use more wisdom (or onsen). We walked over (again, taking about two minutes), and hopped into the bath. We had some hilarious discussions over the hour we spent in there. There were actually three rooms – the actual bath, some outdoor wooden tubs, and a hand-and-foot bath. We liberally made use of all of them. Coming out, I felt both refreshed and drained at the same time. I mean, I guess that’s what really hot water does to you. But man, it was nice! In the Japanese fashion, I drank down a bottle of milk before leaving the bathhouse.

 After a quick stop at the ryokan to pick up some refreshments, we went out to stargaze. We walked back towards the ocean, and found a nice spot away from the bright streetlights. We drank a little and chatted while looking up at the night sky. The weather was clear, and I was able to see more stars in the sky than I have in years. It was beautiful, and reminded me of just how vast the universe is. We had some real heart-to-heart storytelling, and I felt like I was able to let my problems melt away. Even now, I feel that I’ve left some sort of weight behind.

Oh, but there was one creepy thing too. There was a buoy in the water that seemed to be moving like a person, but we all ignored it. Finally though, it DID start to move. It came closer, until we saw that it actually was a human being – a fisherman who was standing in the water up to his waist who decided to call it a night. It startled the living daylights out of me, because I had thought we were alone. Still, it takes more than that to spoil such a good night.

We went to bed pretty late, since we wound up talking after getting home too. Maybe a bad idea, since the next day would be packed with adventures far beyond what I had imagined possible.

Kiyomizu Revisited, and Kyodai Festival, Part 2

Friday was a big day made of many little things. First off, I went over to Yodobashi Camera to buy my host mom a webcam so she could Skype some of the previous exchange students. I bought one of the 'starter models', which I figured would be the best deal for the price. I doubt she needs the top of the line model anyway. On my way to the checkout counter, a small kid goes running by, crying and shouting for his mom. A store attendant saw him, and went over to help him find his parents. Something about seeing this warmed my heart; I guess I'm a sucker for that sort of thing.

Next up was a trip to Nano Universe. My bag, the one I bought three months ago with Hidehiro, was broken - the zipper came right off. Haruhi's mother came to the rescue, calling the store and using her motherly powers to get them to replace the damaged bag. I swear, she's the Japanese version of my mom back home. I walked into the store, and the shopkeeper immediately asked if I was the exchange student he had heard about. Within five minutes, I had a brand new bag in exchange for the broken one. It's hard to find words to describe how grateful I am to Haruhi's mom...again. The timing is perfect, what with Thanksgiving and all.

I met up with Dani at Kyoto Station, and we took a bus on over to Kiyomizu-dera again. If you're wondering why I went to the same place twice in two days, it's because I really wanted to go to the shrine inside of the temple. We went, prayed, and bought good luck charms. I can't say no to a little luck, now, can I?

Afterwards, we went to Kiyomizu's main attraction: the fresh spring water. As always, the tastiest and purest water I've drank. It was Dani's first time at Kiyomizu, so I insisted she try it out. Since we were getting hungry, we popped into this restaurant inside of the temple. I got kitsune udon, and Dani got tsukimi udon. It was surprisingly good: both fresh and flavorful.

Having finished, we went on over to Kyodai's school festival. By now, it was in full swing. The entirety of the campus was filled with booths, shops, performances, and various displays. I first went to find Haruhi, although it took about a half hour to do so. Finally, I found the stand she and her friends were running – it was some sort of Korean okonomiyaki. I introduced her to Dani, but simultaneously got a call from Nick, who had just arrived. Like me, he wasn't familiar with Kyoto University's campus yet, so I ran over to the field to find him. It took about ten minutes to find my way there and back.

Introducing Nick to Haruhi was an interesting experience. It was less of a first introduction, and more of putting a face to the person she heard so much about. I guess Nick has become something of a celebrity among my non-Doshisha friends. We were all pretty hungry, so we bought some of the Korean pancakes. It was pretty good, all things considered. As expected of Kyodai students, after all.

Next, we decided to wander around. We checked out the Astronomy Society, which had constructed a planetarium. Unfortunately, we missed the show. We bought some food, and thanks to Dani, I got tricked into a tequila shot. Unfortunate. The guy we bought it from was an NBA fan and was pretty interested in talking with foreigners, so it was fun to talk with him.

We checked out a bunch of other clubs, including the computer gaming club (where Nick played a bunch of games the club had made), before deciding to head home. Well, not right away. The three of us marched onwards to Book-Off, where we helped Nick pick out a DS. Fun times were had, as always.

When I got to the station, I headed towards the bus. I normally walk, but it’s gotten too cold to do that. I need winter clothes. Anyway, as I turned the corner towards the bus stop, this enormous golden retriever lumbers slowly towards me. Like a freaking bear, that thing. Anyway, I ignore it, but this one lady goes over and pets it. As I wait for the bus, a man, who looks like a shop attendant, walks around the corner, searching for the dog. It turns out that he and his wife own the dog, but sometimes it walks off, and goes as far as the station. He had to push the beastie to get it moving. It was hilarious and adorable to watch, the big doggie lumbering him with the man following him closely behind.

Arriving at home, I packed my bags, and went to bed early. After all, I was finally going on vacation.

Kyodai Festival, Part 1 and the Kiyomizu Light-Up

Last Wednesday, I went to my very first school festival. In Japan, schools have annual festivals at which classes and clubs put together booths. Sometimes they sell food or trinkets; other times they have games, or some sort of activity (haunted houses and themed cafes are popular).

One of the friends I met at Butterfly, Saya, invited me to stop by her club's booth, and so I went over with a few members of KCJS. Her booth was selling hot wine and tea, perfect for the cold weather that has rolled on into Kyoto.

I was surprised by how many people showed up - the sports field where the booths were set up looked like Disneyland on Christmas. I wandered around, seeing what sorts of things were available. Lots of oden, yakitori, and hot dogs, and just as many "bars". It was almost like walking through New York - these kids were not afraid to push their goods. I had a number of students pitch their club's booth, sometimes in Japanese, sometimes in English. I met up with Haruhi for a bit; her and her friends were busy preparing to open up their booth the next day. After a bit, I decided to head home and come back another day, since only a small portion of the activities were open (it was only the first day).

The following day, one of my classes had a field trip to a miso shop. I have a feeling most of the other students weren't interested, but as a food lover I was pumped to be there. Plus, it beats having a lecture any day. The shop owner explained the difference between white and red miso, and the different types of each. In Japanese cuisine, even within a specific category of foodstuff, there is a myriad of variety.

In addition to learning how miso is made and sampling some of their wares (white miso is good! I really am a Kyoto native after all), we got to see some of their innovative products. For example, the have these cracker shaped discs on sale by the front of the store. I had thought they were some sort of miso flavored sweets, but it turns out, it's a type of instant miso soup. The miso and the contents of the soup are wrapped in a gluten shell, so you just drop it into a bowl of hot water and Presto! Soup.

That day, after Kyudo, I took a bus to Kiyomizu-dera. During the fall, they have a "light-up" at night, where they shine lights from under the trees. Since the foliage was more or less at its peak, the effect was a beautiful array of reds, oranges, and yellows. I waited around a bit, and finally was able to meet up with Chen and The Giggles. We wandered through the temple, taking in the beautiful leaves and trying our hardest to ignore the multitude of couples surrounding us on every side.

Unfortunately, the shrine inside of Kiyomizu, dedicated to enmusubi, was closed, to our disappointment. On the way home, we stopped at a big yatsuhashi shop, where we ate samples until we were full, and potentially at risk for diabetes. Those things are so good that it's hard to stop eating! Especially since there are so many flavors <3

Thursday night marked the beginning of our second fall break. Check back soon to hear about my wild vacation!

First and Last: The Rakugo Show (and Epic Afterparty)

At long last, I am free of the shackles of Rakugo. Today was the big show that my host mother recruited me for. I had agreed to participate back when I was trying to get to know my host parents, but it soon became a noose from which I couldn't escape.

I was awoken at 8am by my host mother shouting from downstairs. I felt like crap, since I had come down with a cold. My nose was running, and my throat hurt. But I felt that I'd rather get it over with, so I took some medicine and toughed it out. We took the train to Shijo, and then a taxi to the shopping arcade. I led the way to the temple. Ironic that the white kid led the old Japanese lady to a temple in Kyoto, but I know the Teramachi area REALLY well.

We had to go around back to enter the temple complex. On the second floor, set up had already started. But a small tragedy struck - one of my Kyudo phone straps had broken off during the trip. A shame, since I had really liked that mato charm. Disheartened, I started helping out putting together the stage, and then explored the temple with my friend Akira.

We ate lunch before getting changed. Nothing special, just some cold conbini bento. I ate my fill, and drank a lot of tea, which did wonders for my throat. Even though I was told I could take my time, before I finished eating the leader of the Rakugo circle shooed the men into another room to change their clothes. Of course, I don't know how to put on kimono, so two old ladies came into the men's changing room anyway. They helped deck me out in a heavy wool kimono, which was really warm.

After I had finished, I went into the hall to cool down, where I found my friends Kenji and Sandy waiting for the show to start. I was glad to see them, since I felt more comfortable making a fool of myself in front of my friends. Nick, Tina, and Tala showed up a little late, and soaking wet (it was raining that day). By that time, the show had started.

I was the third act, and everything went perfectly. I didn't make any big mistakes, and I even got a couple laughs out of the audience. Afterwards, I relaxed in the audience and watched the show. Some of the performances were actually good, others, not so much. When it was over, I lost no time in changing my clothes and taking off with my friends. It was party time.

We walked over to Loft, where we met up with a couple more AKP friends, and then went to Chifaja, an all-you-can-eat yakiniku restaurant on Kiyamachi. Since the last two members of our group were running late, we decided to get started without them. We got some meat on the grill, and started cooking.It was only when we started placing orders that the trouble began. While the other half of the table received all of their orders right away, our half didn’t get meat for an entire twenty minutes.

As Chifaja only gives you an hour and half, twenty minutes without food is obscene. Our friend Tina went into rage mode, and we had to talk her down from throwing the next server who walked by onto the grill. Finally, Matsu came to the rescue. In the coolest, most Japanese passive-aggressive keigo, he calmly told the waitress that we've been waiting for a long time, and that we're upset we have to order again, and then ordered six or seven plates of meat. They came out five minutes later. Disaster averted.

Shortly after, Will and Yuka showed up - for some reason or other, they wound up getting there 30 minutes late. Will took over the grill, cooking the meat at an increasingly fast pace. At one point, the grill burst into flames while still full - without showing fear, Will expertly plated the soon-to-be charred meat. He saved every last piece, without getting burned.

Afterwards, everyone headed to the river to pre-game the club. After chatting for an hour, we decided to head to butterfly. Butterfly is one of two major clubs in Kyoto, and the one favored by most exchange students. There were indeed some other foreigners there. After waiting in line for a few minutes, we paid our entrance fee and went in. It was a little smokey, but there weren't too many people there. I crammed my bag into a locker and found a place to hang out with my friends. Before long, we were all dancing, and before I knew it, the floor was packed with other club goers.

Many things happened there in the club - we ran into Gabe and Calum from KCJS, made some new friends, and witnessed some of my drunk friends getting very attached to each other. I also learned that will is a really good dancer, and he attracted some new fans. Overall, a fun day, even though I had a cold. My first night going clubbing was a great success.

Way of the Bow, Part Three

I haven't written about kyudo recently, mostly because every day is just practicing over and over. But today's events warrant their own post.

I got to kyudo very early today, having ridden the bus immediately after class. I practiced with the adults for a few minutes, but then it was time to clean up. Sensei told me to help out, and this time I finally got a chance to. I got to sweep the floor over by the entrance. It sounds silly, but I feel like joining in on the cleaning really makes me an official member of the dojo.

There were also three Taiwanese exchange students there, who seemed interested in trying out kyudo. Sensei gave them the usual rundown, and I dropped a few comments in here and there. I introduced myself, and made some small talk before picking up my bow. I noticed that I've gotten ever so slightly stronger, because I can draw my bow with less difficulty now. And today, I finally took an important step forward: I figured out how to make the arrow fly in a straight path. It's hard to explain, but its almost as if you pull as hard as you can and let the arrow shoot on its own. If you relax as you shoot, the trajectory gets all wiggly.

Oh, and my friend Takuya got to shoot for the first time today. He did well, probably better than I did at first. It seemed to wear him out a lot though, as it did me. The first couple of weeks were the hardest, looking back on it. Dropping the arrow, getting slapped by the bowstring, having sensei whack you when your posture is bad. Sensei told us about the first time she shot an arrow - she was able to draw the bow fully and fire it perfectly from the first, she said. The thing is, she hit the wooden stand instead of the target, so the arrow rebounded and hit her right between the eyes. Luckily, she was okay, but boy would that suck! Pretty dangerous too, if you think about it.


Some guy popped into the dojo for a picture of...the clock, I think he said? I don't really get it, but sensei was really, really funny. She essentially photobombed the guy, diving into the photo with both hands making the peace sign. Picture a tiny, Japanese grandma photobombing in the middle of a kyudo dojo. Yeah, our sensei is awesome.


Just as I was getting ready to go, Leila got to do something amazing - sensei brought her out into the 射場, where you shoot at real targets. What was even more amazing is that Leila hit the target with her first shot; even though it was the farthest ring from the middle, a hit is a hit. That girl really has a knack for archery, I can tell that much. Sensei assured me that I'll get a chance next time, but I'm in no real rush. I'll get there when I'm ready.

I'll end today's post with a bit of philosophical jargon. Some refer to  kyudo as "standing zen". I find this an apt description. When doing kyudo, I think about nothing save the things present in the dojo - the people I'm with, and the practice I'm doing. My cares and worries melt away as I fire arrow after arrow, getting a little stronger with every shot. Although I'm worn out when I leave, my heart is freed from the burdens of everyday life. This is why I love kyudo. It's my happy place.

Mawaru Mawaru: Art Appreciation Club, Part 1

It's occurred to me that the weekends here are colorful and filled with adventure. Today was another of those Saturdays. But before I get into that, let me tell you about Friday. It's been about three months since I got to Japan, and I hadn't gotten a haircut yet. It was time, let me tell ya. My friend, Kenji, really helped me out and made me an appointment. I met him at Momoyama Goryomae, and we went together to the salon. Kenji helped me explain  what sort of cut I wanted, and then waited for me to finish.

First off, I got a shampoo. But not the regular kind. After she rinsed my hair, the hairdresser set me up in this hair washing machine. I'm not exactly how it works since I had my face covered, but it felt like being sprayed by jets of water and shampoo. And that's probably what it was, too.

The haircut was fairly uneventful, as haircuts go. I made small talk about studying in Japan and whatnot. And then the hairdresser announces, "I will now massage your head." You would think that a head massage would be uncomfortable, but it wasn't. It actually was pretty strange, but not unpleasant. And when she finishes, she puts a few finishing touches on my hair, and then I get another shampoo (not by the machine this time). Lastly, I get brought to this room where you're supposed to brush hair or whatever off of your clothes, not that I needed to. The whole thing was 4200 yen - costly, but hey, you only need a haircut once in a while, and it looks pretty good, I think.

Kenji had a bit of time before he had to go to his part time job, so we grabbed a doughnut at Mister Donut and caught up. I actually hadn't seen him all week, so there was a lot to talk about. I told him about how I went to go find his bike, which had been moved due to campus cleaning. Kenji is a real joy to hang out with, being a mix of serious and silly, and really good English skills. But since he had his job, I headed home for the day, where I finally started the newly aired JoJo series.

On to today. I got up decently early, did some laundry, and called my parents. Unfortunately, I had Rakugo practice, and at a different place than usual. Still, rather than pay for the train, I decided to walk there, which was really pleasant in the warm afternoon sun. Despite all my practice, nobody seemed pleased. I think that because my English is so natural, older Japanese people find it hard to understand. Oh well, I'm almost done with Rakugo anyway. An hour later, I was about to leave practice when the leader of the circle showed up, and demanded that I practice once for her, but she made me do the whole entry and exit as well as my skit. I wound up leaving 20 minutes later than I'd expected and  wanted to.

And so a late and slightly cranky Sam found his way to the train station. From there, I made my way, by way of JR, to Saga Arashiyama where I was supposed to meet Nick and his friends. While it was tough to get in touch with them, I finally got a reply from Nick telling me to meet them at Nison-in. I looked at the guide map, and started walking. It was a beautiful area, almost like a fusion of old style Kyoto and Okayama countryside. Maybe that was what old Japan felt like? Of course, caught up in the scenery, I soon forgot which way I was supposed to go.

I walked past a bamboo grove, through a park, and alongside an apartment complex. Finally, just when I thought I was lost for real, I saw an old wooden sign with barely legible characters pointing out the way to Nison-in. I followed it, which led to another sign, and then another. Before I knew it, I was there in front of the main gate.

Shortly after, Nick showed up with the rest of the club. Everyone seemed really shy, so I mostly tried to brighten the atmosphere by cracking jokes in Japanese with Nick. A couple people laughed, so I guess it worked. We toured the temple, which featured two golden Buddhist statues, really old graves, and some incredibly fiery maple trees. The scenery was stunning. At one point, I got into a conversation with one of the guys, which was a lot of fun. It turns out that there are Japanese people who prefer American cartoons to Japanese anime. I guess the thought never occurred to me, because I was decently surprised to hear this.

After the temple, the club leader asked if I wanted to join them for dinner, which I did, of course. We rode one of the buses all the way across the city to Kyoto University. Dinner, as it turned out, was at that curry place that I went to with Haruhi back in October. As before, it was really good, and we even got some special service - free mango lassie. Ah, but I was in for a real shock too: it was the first store in Japan I've been to where you can't pay with a 10,000 yen bill! I had to borrow 1000 yen from Nick, since I had nothing smaller. Weird, Japan is a country where large bills are common, so I figure this was a rare occurrence.

We all returned to the clubhouse, which was pretty much an old storage shed at the university. Still, it had real personality, which was nice. Nick and I were among the first to arrive, and when we walked in, there was one person inside eating dinner. She asked us which one of us was Nick. Surprised, I asked how she knew about him,but it seems he had written in their diary the last time he went. She was eating what looked like a massive inside out sushi roll, which she referred to as a California roll. This launched us into an amusing conversation about American sushi culture, especially when Nick referred to the "authentic" California roll, as if it were traditional sushi.

Little by little, the other club members trickled in, bringing with them a bottle of umeshu and some beer, plus juice and snacks. Everyone sat around, chatting and snacking and drinking. It was nice, just relaxing like that. Then, one of the members suggested they revive an old tradition. They dealt out playing cards, paired us up with the person with the next highest number, and sent us to walk around the block. It seems to be a "getting to know your clubmates" tradition. That, or setting people up on dates. Anyway, I got paired with Shun, this amusing, charismatic, and "not dangerous" fellow. We walked and made small talk, nothing out of the ordinary. It was a lot of fun though. When we got back, I tried to draw America in the club's logbook, which didn't really come out so well. I talked a bit more, until it was time to head home. I was invited to come back again, which I totally plan to do. It seems like a good way to meet people, as well as get to see temples around Kyoto.