HND – LHR (in monochrome)

When I can, I opt for the window seat on the plane, for the photo opportunity that may come by. This was taken while travelling from Tokyo, Japan to London, England, today.

The best meal in Japan

This is in a tiny restaurant, in typically Japanese style, consisting of an L-shaped counter with 10 seats  or so surrounding a kitchen. Cold ramen dipped in a hot flavour-packed bowl of broth with slices of pork. The flavour was so intense, just thinking back about that meal is making me go “wow”.

Miyajima through the rain

It rained and rained and rained but I went to Miyajima anyway.

This charming island is a mere half an hour away from Hiroshima and famous for the Itsukushima shrine (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the “floating” torii. But apart from this, this island is home to only 2,000 and there is not a single traffic light in sight, making it charming in its own right. Deer wander around freely and munch on t-shirts of unsuspecting tourists. Wandering around the side streets and into the mountains makes for a very pleasant afternoon, even in the rain.

The island is also famous for oysters. They were decidedly delicious.

Torii gates galore and many foxes too

Took an hour-long bus journey to the outskirts of Kyoto to see Fushimi Inari-taisha.

This is the head shrine of Inari Ōkami (the kami, or Shinto spirit, of foxes, fertility and industry (among other things)) and fox statues can be found dotted all around the grounds of this shrine. Inari shrines typically have many torii (a symbol of a Shinto shrine, this is a traditional Japanese gate that symbolically marks the transition from the profane to the sacred) because they are donated by those who have been successful in business. Kyoto must be home to many happy businessmen because the torii at this shrine number in the thousands and span a four kilometre uphill stretch.

Zen and philosophy

It must be impossible to get mad in Kyoto, with the number of zen temples and zen gardens within the city.

The philosopher’s walk in Kyoto is a path next to a canal lined with cherry trees, so named because the influential 20th-century Japanese philosopher, Nishida Kitaro, is thought to have used it for daily meditation. On one end of this walk is Ginkaku-ji, or Temple of the Silver Pavilion. While there is no silver-coloured pavilion (just a regular one, the initial plan to cover the pavilion in silver foil never materialised), Ginkaku-ji was originally built to serve as a place of rest and solitude for the Shogun, and the grounds contain a zen garden, reflective ponds and an uphill walk amidst Japanese maples and mossy knolls. Walking around, one cannot help but feel, well, zen.

On the grounds were gardeners busy with the upkeep, and such care is taken that even leaves that fall on the moss are picked up by hand. Only in Japan.

Kyoto Station

Spent last week wandering around a little bit of Japan.

Arrived in Kyoto by train, so the first place I saw was Kyoto Station. This is Japan’s second largest station, one of the country’s largest buildings and everything a proper train station should be, from the high ceilings to the gleaming steel supports. From the 11th floor, a great view of Kyoto Tower and the city can be had.

Train stations (like airports) are interesting places because there seems to be constant movement, creating a palpable sense of excitement that comes with embarking on a journey or arriving at a new destination.

To boot, delicious tempura can also be found within this train station, prepared right before your eyes by a serious but kindly chef wearing a tie. The restaurant’s walls are lined with photos of the famous who have come for tempura, from Sinatra to Clinton to Gorbachev.