Anna and I left Osaka around 8:00, taking the JR back to Kyoto. We quickly dropped our purchases (I bought way too much in Osaka) off at the hotel, just to turn around and get back on the subway to meet Wayne in Gion. Together, the three of us were carried along with the crowd—thousands, thousands! of people—to the entranceway of the shrine. It was a cold, cold night, snow still on the ground and our breath making smoke every time we talked. The crowd was somberly subdued (as opposed to rambunctiously subdued?), as they walked along, befitting the quiet, reflective state they must have felt at the cusp of the New Year and their shrine visit. But there was also a happy, festive, fair-feeling in the air, too. Once we got past the shrine gates themselves, we saw rows upon rows of food vendors selling fried chicken, takoyaki (octopus), grilled corn, hamburgers, and so much more. Everywhere was the smell of food cooking and smoke. As I chewed on a grilled corn on the cob, I reflected on the corn differences around the world: dipped in soy sauce in Japan, slathered in mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese in Mexico, buttered and salted back in the U.S. It was a sobering thought.
Around midnight, everyone starting counting down from ten seconds, even though Wayne’s watch said it was still 11:58. The counting was subdued, though, almost like a mass whispering. There were a few belated cheers; Anna and Wayne and I hugged, but there didn’t seem to be anything else going on. The shrine itself was opened so everyone could go in and pray for blessings at the new year, but we didn’t stay. Instead, we walked back to the train station on our frozen feet on the frozen snowy ground. There were thousands of people lined up to pray, and the street leading to the shrine was closed and filled with people.
At our subway stop, Anna and I stopped at the Seven Eleven for a snack: rabbit-shaped mochi and sake to celebrate the New Year! The cashier spoke a little English and seemed pleased to be able to carry on a slight conversation with us in English. I love how in big cities no one seems to be afraid of trying out their English on us; in Gunma they like to do the all-Japanese thing.
January 1 was my favorite day in Kyoto! We woke up a little later than usual, had another delicious breakfast of coffee shop pastries and coffee, and went to Kiyomizudera Temple. It is so named because of the clear water (Kiyo Mizu) that runs down there. We spent a while at the temple, wandering around into the Love Shrine, too (I bought a love charm while I was there, too, but I didn’t try the walking 10 feet with my eyes closed between two rocks thing because there were too many people). I got a fortune, though, that is the best one possible: apparently everything I want this year will happen! Fantastic! We lined up for the waterfall and drank from the tinny cup we were offered. I think we’ll get wisdom or health for having drunk from it.
After we left the shrine, we ate street vendor hamburgers and teriyaki chicken burgers and talked in broken English with the guys who sold them. We wandered around some more and found a beautiful shrine of a Buddhist goddess (Kannon), 70 meters tall (?) but behind a closed and locked gate.
That night we ate at a tofu restaurant. We were herded in from the street and put in front of our table before we could even say, “Maybe. . . .” I’m glad we did, though. I had the most delicious tofu dish I’ve ever had in my life. I didn’t even know tofu could be so good! It was mixed in with a dish of rice, finely chopped green onions, and ginger. There was also a piece of tofu with a dash of wasabi sauce on one side, and some mixed vegetable tempura. De-de-de-de-licious!
January second was spent much like Black Friday in the U.S.: shopping! Apparently this is the day most of the stores have their big sales, and people line up for hours before the store opens in order to go in and take advantage of them. We discovered Nishi Market and a couple of large shopping districts that sold everything I could ever want. A lot of vendors get rid of excess merchandise at this time of year, and create mystery “Grab Bags” that they sell for ridiculously low prices. I bought a 1050-yen bag at a sock store and got five pairs of cool tights that were worth about 5000. I wanted to buy more, but after walking around for a couple of hours and noticing how light my wallet was getting, I made Anna stop me from making any more rash purchases. (Over the course of my five-day stay in Kyoto, I bought a new pair of boots, a sweater, two dresses, those tights, a ton of yatsuhashi for my friends and co-workers, Kyoto incense, a wooden rabbit plaque, a rabbit-shaped bell, postcards, 2 pairs of leg warmers, and yarn. I needed to get out of there before I went broke!)
We met up with Wayne in the afternoon and hung out with him for a bit. To celebrate our last day in Japan’s oldest and most traditional city, we had dinner at McDonald’s before going to one last store to look around.
I’m writing this from my seat on the Shinkansen heading back to Tokyo. Of course I bought the return tickets for the wrong day, and they were unreserved at that, so we have to make do with where they put us: in the smoking car. Ugh.
It was a fantastic trip, even though I would prefer to return when it’s warmer. Since most of the famous sightseeing destinations are outside, it’s better to go when the sun is shining. I can’t wait to return in May when my Greensboro friends come to visit me (hint hint)!
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