For all of a day and a half.
I was there to attend a rip-roaring, rollicking, rollercoaster ride of a presentation by the Ministry of Education on the introduction of English as a full academic subject in Japanese elementary schools from 2020. This took a whole day as there was a lot to talk about and to be honest I'm not sure if everyone was listening.
Cian and Sanae came with me but they didn't go to no presentations, governmental or otherwise. They went sightseeing and I caught up with them on the Saturday.
Kyoto, for those who don't know, is the old capital of Japan, a position it held until usurped by the mercantile appeal of Tokyo. It is still regarded at the country's repository of culture and tradition, of all that makes Japan truly Japanese.
In many respects it is akin to Kilkenny (but without the people of Kyoto referring to themselves as 'de Cats'). Nor does it have much of a tradition of comedy festivals. Nor has Bruce Springsteen ever played live there. But in all other respects, the two cities are the same.
There is a lot of history attached to the place and Sanae tried to explain it all to me, in Japanese, but once she found out that I though 'Heian' referred to a Chinese washing machine manufacturer (as opposed to one of the pivotal eras in Japanese history), she kind of gave up on me.
So what follows are photos, lots of them, and a sort of potted, I-really-should-have-read-the-guidebook-properly, explanation of what's what, where's where, and who's who.
We will begin with Fushimi Inari Temple, probably Kyoto's most popular destination, or it certainly seemed that way with. To appease the gods the local agricultural co-op provide vegetables at the main shrine.
What Fushimi Inari is most famous for though are the series of tori or traditional gates that go from the main shrine to the top of the small mountain around which the temple complex is built. We were there early on a Saturday morning in February so atmospheric photos were possible, but in high season (which, we discovered, basically meant any day of the year after 9:00am), the crowds obscure pretty much everything.
We climbed all the way to the top of the 233m, ahem, mountain with fair bit of huffing and puffing. The higher you went the more atmospheric it felt, though not quite enough to 'reach out and touch the glory'. (And no, that's not a turtle they are slowly roasting above the candles).
You could also buy your own tori if you were so inclined, with prices to suit everyone (depending on the size of the tori. The small ones in the center of the photo above would cost you ¥175,000, while a full size replica will set you back ¥1,302,000. And they don't take credit cards.
And there were bamboo groves! Hokkaido is too cold for bamboo but I am trying to convince Sanae to let me attempt growing them inside the house. Once the trunks get too tall I promised her I would either cut them off, or punch a hole in the roof. She didn't seem convinced.
There was also the shrine to the frog, who looked happy to be there. The frog god behind him (I'm presuming), doesn't look all that impressed. Though at least he's got that concrete Toblerone to keep him happy.
By the time we got back down the mountain, the crowds had arrived. The narrow lane down to the train station was reminiscent of the Jones Road on All-Ireland Sunday.
From there we moved on to Gion where, early in the evening we came across a pair of demure maiko heading to work. I admit I did feel guilty about taking their photograph as basically clicking camera shutters follow their every step and I reckon they must be pretty tired of it by now. Maiko are trainee Geisha. I have no idea what is involved in becoming a Geisha but being immune to camera toting barbaric foreigners I'm sure is an essential qualification.
We visited a traditional Kyoto house and garden. The dais on the right is where you sit and contemplate the ineffable evanescence of life. And the unfortunate ubiquity of Irish tourists with cameras.
Cian and Sanae duly did contemplate, while the Irish tourist did duly photograph.
It was chilly in Kyoto. Not as cold as Hokkaido, but damp and cold which we were not used to. The chill got into your bones and made you long for a cup of ... green tea. So off to a rather nice tea house we went.
Cian wasn't all that impressed with the tea but did like the sticky paste traditional Japanese dessert.
This is the dining and entertainment area of Gion early in the evening.
It's worthwhile clicking on the photo below just to read what is written on the sign on the left. Oh, but to be able to live that life.
Cian took this. It's a part of a continuing series. Cian calls this 'Step into eternity - Number 47. Limited edition'.
On our stroll we also happened across a traditional Japanese wedding taking place in one of the city's main temples (which, Sanae reckoned, cost more than our combined annual salary). And the Irish tourist was beside himself with snap-happy excitement.
Early on the Sunday morning, before catching our flight back to Hokkaido we took ourselves off to see Ginkakuji, the Silver Pavilion. Below is the sand garden, with Cian walking in the background (bucket and spade carefully concealed).
This is the entrance to Honen-in, without doubt the most atmospheric place we visited and probably the temple that came closet to infusing us with a sense of the 'serene'.
This is the Philosopher's Walk, a riverside path that winds its way along the hills of the Higashiyama area of eastern Kyoto. On a chilly, grey morning in February it does have a touch of the Wittgenstein about it, but those bare branched cherry trees literally attract thousands here when they bloom in early April.
To Nanzen-ji, which was from the 'F*** You!' school of temple design. Everything is on a grand scale, purposefully designed to showcase the then owner's power and glory.
This is the entrance gate. Modest, eh?
And then it was on the bus to Itami airport in Osaka (which can be seen in the background) and veneration before the Gods of aviation.
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