After wandering the temples, I decided to go back to the hostel for a bit before setting out again. I then realized that since it was around 330pm, and most of the temples closed at around 4-5pm, it would be too late to go out and about to go see them. I decided I would see the sights in Ponto-cho, maybe see a geisha in the streets, have dinner at the ramen place I spied the other day, or maybe the eel place, and then head back.

Because I had been misled in the fact that my bus pass covered all train lines, I decided to walk west two blocks in order to get to one of the train stations that was actually covered by my pass. A surprising discovery, as I was soon met by a giant doorway, which would lead to a larger temple.


Heading in, I found two giant structures, one giant temple, and one giant building, which I would later find out was a covering for another temple that was being rebuilt. Initially I was afraid to take a picture because I thought you weren’t allowed or that maybe you had to pay, but I would again later find out that you could take pics. Hence, here are some pics.



Since I couldn't get the entire temple in one shot, here is two shots of it. Using your imagination you can mentally join the two pictures together and then see it in one shot. :D

Going up the steps, I then realized that it was a Buddhist temple. If I could be bothered to run upstairs to get the brochure I would be able to tell you its name too. But I can't. So, um yeah. There was a guard at the door, which I am sure was there not only to prevent vandalism, but also to prevent the taking of pictures. And besides, even if I took pictures, they would not suffice, it was one of those things that you needed to be there to appreciate. Inside was a giant hall, where on the far wall where what seemed to be paintings or wood carvings depicting the story of a Buddhist, among several giant wooden pillars holding buttresses carved with other adornments. People would come in and sit on the tatami mat that covered the entire area, and would pray/meditate. I don’t pray to any Buddhist Gods, but I too sat down and simply marvelled that this structure was still standing, and even the fact that the people of their time had managed to build an ornately constructed building that would last up until now. Sure, maybe it had been restored or rebuilt, but still.

Outside was another giant structure/gateway,


And also a slice of roof showing a cross section of the other temple.


Taking the train thanks to my ill-fated bus/train pass, I decided to look at the Kyoto Imperial Palace and its surrounding garden. Again, another not-so-good decision. Sure the temple and its surrounding garden were good looking and whatever, but the area that it covered it was huuuge. I had blisters on my feet, aching muscles, and rashes on my inner thighs from them rubbing together (lol, that’s gross). I wasn’t about to wonder around this massive area just to say that I saw it. So this is the closest I got to the Imperial Palace, (and the closest my camera could zoom in on). And it was 5pm! The Imperial Palace was closed, and even so, they don’t allow general admission. You want to see it go to Japan.


Also, on the bridge on the way out, there was a bunch of carp vying for my attention, and hopefully some morsels of food. However, I spied what seemed to be a smaller, rounder carp, and upon closer inspection, I found that it was a turtle! Awesome!





In another case of not so serendipity, later that evening I decided I would try to look for the ramen shop in the shopping arcade in downtown Kyoto. Feeling very sleepy and drowsy after another day of walking around, I chanced upon a doorway in the shopping arcade for a tonkatsu restaurant. Breaded pork chops + tonkatsu sauce?? I’m in! And they have an English menu?? It’s on! It’s a tiny doorway squashed in between two stores in the crowded shopping arcade, barely noticeable if it weren’t for the menu being displayed and the table with the plastic food samples. I really should’ve taken a picture. And pictures of the restaurant’s interior would have definitely been profitable. Fatigue and hunger must’ve clouded my judgement.

Anyway, following the doorway, there was a long path along a pebbled garden which led to a really large, dimly lit restaurant which seemed to be full of people. It wasn’t so big so that it resembled a market place, but big enough to accommodate a large number of people yet still maintain a quiet ambiance. There was a large square table in the middle, presumably for those dining on their own or in pairs, and this was where I was sat down. After ordering the cheapest thing on the menu, a Katsudon boxed dinner, ie. Pork chop over rice with some vegetables and a raw egg dropped on top served with a bowl soup, which was 950 yen (!), everything else was over 1400 yen. So yeah. I saw that other people who were waiting for their meals where also given a small bowl and a grinding tool. They then spooned in a couple of spoonfuls of sesame seeds from the container on the table, and began grinding it on their own. They then spooned in what I am guessing was tonkatsu sauce, which they would probably use for their main meal when it arrived. I was not given the respective bowls, so I assumed my meal did not deserve that honour  That’s what you get for being a cheap bastard.

While waiting for my meal, I noticed that two male white teens had entered the restaurant, and were also seated at the same square table. They must’ve ordered the good stuff, because they were then given the sesame seed/tonkatsu bowl. Utterly bewildered and not having the same fortune as myself to have been in there early to enough to spy the other patrons, they were then being instructed by the non-english speaking waiter, and then they were left to their own devices. I sat there thinking self-righteously to myself, well, at least being Asian I have the good fortune of not looking like an idiot, being able to blend in with the local populace, not being hindered by pondering stares or… Teka muna! I looked back at the two white guys and they were now being instructed by the two cute Japanese teen girls sitting next to them. The guy would ladel in one spoonful of sauce, and she would say “Moto” which I think means “more”, which would be followed by a small bout of giggling from the pair, and this would be repeated until the formula was complete. Ako din ako din! Hey over here, I’m a tourist too!! *sigh.

Anyway, my medium sized Katsudon box arrived along with a small bowl of soup, and man, it was too good. The one thing I have noticed about food in Japan, is that the portions may be smaller than those found in Canada, but they make up for it in taste. After eating my meal, I wasn’t necessarily full, but I was satisfied alone by its taste. In Canada at school we would order Pasta Alfredo at the school food court for 7 bucks I think, when poured into the Styrofoam container I’m sure it weighed about 1kg. Our stomachs would be bursting at the seams after eating it, sometimes not even being able to finish it. Yet here, for approximately 9 bucks, in terms of size I would get a lot less, however it was definitely more satisfying.

Good bye Kyoto, welcome back Tokyo! The next day took the Shinkansen back to Tokyo, where after checking back in at the hostel, I went out again to visit Akihabara! Oooh yeah! Now here is where my money would be spent!


Alas, this was not to be, as Mimay’s warning soon reminded me “Hindi na ako dollar earner”, and my wallet was reined in. Sure there was a lot of gadgetry on display, but most of which I could live without. One thing that I did want to check out was the anime and toy stores, so wandering off we went. I entered what seemed to be a comic/toy store, and perused the first floor and its contents, which contained your normal fare, rack after rack after rack of anime DVDs, all of which would be useless to me without knowing any Japanese, and besides, the subtitled counterparts could be easily downloaded, anime books, some toys, sometimes costumes, but not necessarily what I would be looking for. Up the stairs we go, and it seems that when looking upon the DVD racks, they seem to have a pinkish tinge to them, upon inspection of the cases, and looking at the giant posters plastered everywhere on the wall, I find that I have chanced upon the Hentai section. Ah. So. Next floor. Ascending the stairs, inspecting the posters and the same cases, it seems that this is the second floor of the Hentai section, except here there is a definite lack of clothes on the characters on the covers and on the posters. As Rufa Mae says “Ibang levelling na to!” (A joke that I would not yet think of at the time). So. Next floor. Here again I am greeted by the same tinge of pink, except that it now features smiling Japanese girls instead of winking hand-drawn anime characters. It seems I have reached the soft-core porn section. So. Next floor. I think you’re getting my drift here, and will need not to guess what I have chanced upon. That’s right, the hard-core porn section. It seems that the further you ascend the store, the higher up the porn ladder you go. Starting from the lowly comic book store, it slowly spirals to a higher level of debauchery. Maybe some English signs would’ve been helpful. And the shady types who were coming from the higher levels should’ve also been a clue. And this didn’t happen in only one store, I found that this was a common setup in most comic/toy shops.

I also visited one of the many video game stores. One think I like about the Japanese is they love the Nintendo DS. Another common scene in many of the shops in Akihabara, was a display of DS Lites with boxes showing the different colours available, and a label on top of each one declaring that they were sold out. And with the impending release of FF3 (at the time I was there) I’m sure that this played a fact in increasing the ever-increasing demand.


There was a store that I went to, after perusing the first floor which seemed to have all games and peripherals for all the systems, and I thought to myself, teka, where is the DS stuff? I then wandered to the floor above, and in an eyebrow-raising moment, I found that the entire 2nd floor (as small as “floors” are in Japan) was dedicated to the DS and its related paraphernalia.

Everyone here plays it. On the train, I spied what seemed to be a tween girl, playing an aquamarine DS on the train, with her mom looking over her shoulder. I then saw the girl explaining to her mom what she was doing, and moments later, the DS had now switched hands and was in the hands of the mother. In Kyoto on the train back from Kurama Onsen, there was a typical kikay girl, probably in her mid-twenties. She first brought out her lip gloss, touching up her lips, then her comb, brushed her hair, mirror and powder, dab her and there on the cheeks, and then finally brought out her DS to play on the journey home.
On the plane, the lady on the opposite aisle had brought along her DS to while away the time. Even the Gameboy SP/Micro enjoys steady popularity in Japan. The entire time that I was there, I saw ONE person with a PSP. The inner Nintendo fanboy me in shed a tear of joy.

From Akihabara, I then moved on to visit the sights and sounds of Shinjuku. Typical of your big city in Japan, it had the similar features, tall buildings, neon lights and bustling people. I decided to visit More Amusements with directions thanks to the people at SRK. Past the 150 yen sushi place, I found More which seemed to be no different than your average Japanese arcade. Ascending the levels till I got to the level where they had the different fighters, I found, like your average Japanese arcade, there was no MvC2 cab  Watching action from the other machines, I found there was this girl playing Guilty Gear, who was freaking kicking ass and taking names. You wouldn’t find this in the western world. Well, you would but not as common.


I should’ve taken a movie instead.

I wandered over to the 3rd Strike machines, where there were two available spots to play. Checking my pockets for a 50 yen piece, I pondered whether I should play or not. After the embarrassment I had suffered at a-cho in Kyoto, I was having second thoughts. But whatever, I don’t even play 3rd Strike, and when would I ever have the chance to play against the world’s best? So in the 50 yen piece went, and away we go against the Akuma player. Needless to say, I lost the match, but also won one match, and I had the feeling that I could beat this guy. 2nd match went a similar way. And the 3rd. But in Round 3 of the 4th match, after I threw him and the KO flashed on the screen, I realized I had won. I had won my first match on Japanese soil! Hell yeah! He then picked Yun and raped the hell out of me, and the next few matches as well, and I then realized that he maybe let me win so that he could change characters, but whatever, I’ll take the win. :D

Having enough of More, I walked around Shinjuku taking in the different sights and perusing the different stores, and deciding it was time for dinner, I decided to try to look for the sukiyaki restaurant pointed out in the Lonely Planet book. I think you can tell where this is going. After spending probably about an hour and a half of just walking around the similar area, I wasn’t able to find it. I also saw along the way a white middle-aged couple also holding a thick book and trying to point their way around, and thought that maybe they were trying to find the same restaurant.

Even though I didn’t find that restaurant, I did find a good Udon place. In remembrance of the restaurant that I didn’t find, I ordered the beef sukiyaki udon bowl, which looked like thus;


The black ladle would be used to spoon the soup from the big bowl to the smaller bowl, and then eaten with chopsticks and by slurping from the smaller bowl. The challenge was in getting the very long and slippery noodles into the smaller bowl. The long noodles would not fit into the shallow ladle, they’d slide out as soon as you tried to spoon them in, and using the chopsticks to carry them in helped only a little bit. I looked at the other guests who had similar meals and found that they had no trouble, and I assumed I was the (silent) laughing stock of the restaurant, even though they paid me no heed. But after persevering, I did manage to get through the noodle problem.