....... Divertimento: July 2012

Monday, 30 July 2012

Day 3-Kyoto京都市


We visited Kyoto today.

Kyoto, formerly the imperial capital of Japan is now its 8th largest city. It is 14 minutes by Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka station to Kyoto station. However, as we were setting off from Sheraton Miyako Hotel, it is much cheaper and just as quick to travel by regular train. Here’s how the 2 options stacked up:

Shinkansen:
Tannamachi 9 Chome station to Shin-Osaka Station (changeover at Namba Station)
Shin-Osaka station (Shinkansen Nozomi 360)
Total cost – ¥1,650
Total travel time - 52 minutes

Regular train:
 Tannamachi 9 Chome station to Temmabashi station
Shin-Osaka station to Gion-Shijo station in Kyoto (Keihan Line Ltd Express)
Total cost – ¥600
Total travel time - 60 minutes

Besides, the places I’d like to visit are closer to the Gion-Shijo station anyway.

The weather in Osaka and Kyoto been really hot and dry, topping 30°C everyday. Before I left Hong Kong, the weather forecast on my iPhone was for cooler temperatures and a fair bit of rain. I don’t think I’ll be needing the raincoat and spare pair of shoes I packed! Anyway, the point is, whilst I had originally planned a more ambitious schedule for Kyoto, I don’t think I am up to it in this scorching heat. So I’ll pare down to the top 3 places - Ginkakuji (銀閣寺, Silver Pavilion), Gion (祇園) and the cultural show at Gion Corner. The focus is on traditional Kyoto, on the eastern side of the Kamogawa River. Have to leave out the manga museum, the Imperial Palace and the Nishiki Market (錦市場, Nishiki Ichiba).

Here is a great website for information on Kyoto http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2158.html

I highly recommend the cultural show at Gion Corner. Firstly, whilst the performances are in Japanese, the introductions are conducted in English and it is aimed at tourists. You get a “taster” of 7 different Japanese performance/arts – Chado (tea ceremony), Koto (Japanese harp), Kado (flower arrangement), Gagaku (court music), Kyogen (ancient comic play), Kyomai (Kyoto style dance performed by Geiko or Maiko) and Bunraku (puppet play). The show lasts an hour and there are 2 performances each day at 6 and 7 pm. I learnt the hard way that tickets are only on sale from 5.30 pm – I headed to the theatre as soon as I got off the train to make sure I secured our tickets for the 6 pm performance. That’s not all, due to wonky map reading by one in our group, a 10 minute walk from the station turned into a 40 minute walk in the heat. (Did check out the Kenninji Temple along the way though). Funny thing was, no one in Kyoto knew where the theatre is – even when I showed them the address etc in Japanese. Definitely something for foreigners only! In fact even the concierge at the hotel in Osaka had not heard of this performance. Pity – it should be better promoted. In fact the theatre was only 1/3 filled for the 6 pm show.

Kyomai performed by Geiko (Geisha)

Before I left Hong Kong, I printed off a discount coupon from the theatre’s website http://www.kyoto-gioncorner.com/global/en.html.
The full price of an adult ticket is ¥3,150 and ¥2,800 with discount. It is even cheaper for young persons - ¥1,900 for 7-15 year olds and ¥2,200 for 16-22 year olds.

We had lunch at a traditional Japanese restaurant close by the theatre, along Hanami Koji Dori. This is a cobbled stone street with preserved machiya houses converted into restaurants. The restaurant we picked offers a choice of traditional tatami seating and western style dining tables. As the tatami seating did not have a cross-legged-challenged-people friendly “pit” under the table to hang your legs, I opted for the regular dining table. The pretty little Japanese garden at the back of the dining area was very pleasant especially when viewed from the air conditioned interior. The four of us either had the Japanese beek steak lunch set or the more traditional Japanese tofu/sashimi/tempura lunch set. Total cost for 4 meals is ¥13,110. We were served by a very gracious lady in kimono.

We then headed off to Shijo Dori to catch a taxi to Ginkakuji (銀閣寺, Silver Pavilion). This is a Buddhist temple originally intended to be covered in silver, similar to the Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion) which is covered in gold. The taxi ride cost us ¥1,520 in a super hot taxi whose driver kept nodding off….seriously, I had to wake him up when the lights turned green! Even my attempts to chat with him only worked for a bit. At least his eyes were opened when he was driving, so I thought I’d let him doze at the stop lights. Funny thing, the return trip cost us only ¥1,200. Mmmh, do you think we were taken for a ride??

The walk to the temple from the street is lined with souvenir shops and eateries. Very my kind of thing. We stopped off for shaved ice cups, mochi and some souvenirs on the way out. Bought myself some furoshiki風呂敷– scarve sized fabric for wrapping gifts, bento boxes etc. Its my current “thing”. My daughter was delighted with her shurikens 手裏剣(“sword hidden in the hand”) or as some refer to them as “ninja throwing stars”.

Entrance to Ginkakuji costs ¥500 per person. Only disappointment is that you can only admire the temple from the outside. As they don’t throw open the doors and illuminate the interior, we had no idea what the temple is like. We were free to explore the extensive gardens, including a walk up the hill. There is also a gift shop on the way out. Great for a respite from the heat.

Ginkakuji in Kyoto

Then, back to Shijo Dori by taxi. We drove via a different route, passing the Kyoto University and  the Heian Shrine 平安神宮, Heian Jingū, and  through the shrine’s giant red torii gate. We had a bit of time to fill before heading back to the theatre at 5.30pm. So, some retail therapy along Shijo Dori. Shijo Dori is filled with shops selling traditional Japanese goods, souvenirs and foods such as pickles, dried foods, mochi, rice crackers, fans, fabrics etc. Stock up here for gifts.

Headed back to Osaka for dinner – shabu shabu.

For more information on Kyoto, I found this to also be an excellent website: http://www.kyoto.travel/


Sunday, 29 July 2012

Osaka Day 2

Planning to see and experience as much of Osaka as we can today to make full use of our one day subway pass. It costs ¥2,000 for a whole day unliited travel plus pre-paid entranceto a 40 attraction plus discount coupons to restaurants and attractions. Here’s how we spent our day.

Osaka Castle (entrance fee ¥600)
View of Osaka Castle from the main gate

Replica sailing ship, the Santa Maria at Osaka-ko/Osaka Bay (price of ticket ¥1,600)

Ferris wheel, the Tenponzen also at Osaka Bay (price of ticket ¥700)
The Santa Maria - photo taken from the Tenponzen ferris wheel near the  Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

Ferris wheel at HEP FIVE, in the Uemeda area (price of ticket ¥500)

Dotombori River Cruise (price of ticket ¥700)
Night view of Dotombori River

 The total price of entrance tickets we saved was ¥4,100. In addition, the total cost of subway tickets had we bought single tickets as required would have easily cost us upwards of ¥1,500. Did we get value for money? Most certainly. In fact, had it not been such a hot day, we would have gone to a few more places. Also, unfortunately, the Aqua Liner river cruise at the Osaka Castle did not run on Sundays or that would have been another ¥1,600 value. The package also included a ¥900 discount coupon to the Spa World – but we did not make use of it as it is a segregated “nude” spa which meant that we couldn’t spend the time all together . We also would have liked to have visited Uemeda’s Floating Garden Observatory (¥700) but it seemed like a trek in the heat from the nearest subway station. There’s always next time……..All told, I was very satisfied with my all-day subway pass.

We are heading to Kyoto tomorrow. Nice!

Saturday, 28 July 2012

Osaka Day 1


I had requested for non smoking adjoining rooms for my family of 4 and the only adjoining rooms available at the hotel during our stay is on a smoking floor. Sigh. I guess I’ll give it a shot and see if this works out. I forget how accepted smoking in public is in Japan compared to Hong Kong.

Right next door to the hotel is a shopping center with coffee shops, retail outlets for fashion, a supermarket – brands known to every Hong Kong person includes Muji, McDonalds, Yoshinoya, Mozoroff Cafe and Subway (the sandwich shop).

Time to venture out. We headed back to the Namba/Dotombori area. It’s very touristy, very happening. We had to have ramen拉面 ( ラーメン) for dinner – what else. Time to check out what Osaka has to offer. I picked a small no nonsence ramen shop on the Sennichimae Shopping Street. Not a word of English understood here. I decide to be adventurous and tried a chashu ramen with a thick soup. It tasted like it had mashed up hard boiled egg yolk in the soup – more like thick gravy than soup. By the time I finished the ramen, the bowl was just about bone dry! The gravy/soup clung on to the ramen so that nothing was left behind. Very different from the watery Hong Kong style soups for noodles and the Japanese miso and even tonkatsu soups. Definitely better for winter time. Of course, there was also the half a nearly hard boiled egg. The chashu was everything I wanted Japanese chashu to be – melt in  the mouth layers of meat and fat! Yummy! Several condiments were on the table. The chilli sauce was very good.

Ramen menu
Poster in the ramen shop in Osaka

Ramen in Osaka
My bowl of delicious ramen


Speaking of "nearly hard boiled egg" reminds me of the time I dropped into a ramen shop in Hokkaido's ramen alley one Christmas. I asked if my son could have his egg fully hard boiled instead of nearly ..... The answer was a firm "no". They only do eggs one way and it cannot be changed. How quaint. I  have not asked again, ever, anywhere, in  Japan.

The Namba/Dotombori/Shinsaibashi area is full of alleys with brightly lit shops and eateries open till late (I have yet to figure out what time the shops close). There were some shoppers dressed in kimonos but sadly, I did not spot any geikos (in kanji 芸妓 or in Chinese 艺伎) (as geishas are called here is Osaka) this evening. I am not giving up...keeping my eyes peeled. Maybe I'll be luckier in Kyoto? Let's hope.

Osaka here I come…


Good timing. With Typhoon Vincente out of the way and the airline backlogs nearly cleared, I’m on my way to Osaka for a quick 5 day trip. I have my hotel booking and my YOKOSO! OSAKA ticket. Sheraton Miyako Hotel Osaka is built on the Kintetsu train station and is a mere 400m from the subway station via underground walkway. I am very pleased with my choice of hotel as I am definitely going to be taking public transportation in Osaka. My Yokoso! Osaka ticket includes a train ride from the airport to Namba station and all day subway and bus rides.  As it came free with my air and hotel package, I chose this option. The airport limousine (coach) runs directly between Kansai airport and the hotel. Most definitely, I will be taking the airport limousine on my way back. The train ride from Kansai costs 1.350¥ plus 200¥ for the subway and the door to door airport limousine costs 1,500¥.

Yokoso! Osaka flyer
Follow this link to the Nankai Railway company website for more information on Yokoso! Osaka tickets. Please note that the tickets are only available outside of Japan so you will need to purchase them prior to your trip.


Tuesday, 24 July 2012

Typhoon Vincente


The Hong Kong Observatory issued a No. 10 storm signal in the early hours of this morning. It was lowered to signal 3 at 10 am this morning. It was a wild night. Some of my windows leaked and I had some mopping up to do this morning. A window from a higher floor landed partially on my balcony. My potted plants were strewn about. Two trees in the estate garden that were damaged during the previous typhoon were uprooted.

This is what the streets around my area looked like at 12 noon.

Typhoon Vincente
Debris on street

Broken branch
A broken branch hanging precariously

Wind blowing branches
Branches blown about