Osaka & Kyoto Weekend - Day Three - More Osaka Edition

(the other two and a half days are here and here and here)

After spending the day in Kyoto, we headed back to Osaka for dinner. Mexican food. A rarity in Japan and the number one thing I miss. It was a little different since there were mashed potatoes and green beans on the plate with the enchiladas, but that there were enchiladas on the plate distracted me. Besides there were margaritas. Then we went out for some nightlife (bonus creepy lady sexual advances). The next day was spent wandering around, in the rain, and finally going to a very cool building.

Enchiladas + Margaritas = Happy Girl
El Pancho Restaurant, Shinsaibashi, Osaka
November 21, 2009


Soemon-cho, Osaka
Near Shinsaibashi and Namba


Zerro, Shinsaibashi, Osaka
(warning, music plays when you click the link)
This bar does absinthe, and I was fascinated with how drinks were prepared. Anytime something you are about to ingest is lit on fire in front of your eyes it's a good thing (suddenly craving saganaki). I just had a sip, and it really wasn't bad.
Things got really weird when the drunk Japanese woman sitting next to me started talking to me. Somewhere between giving conflicting answers about where she was from (I was just keeping up my end of the conversation she'd started) and admitting that she couldn't remember the name of the guy she was with, she kissed my cheek, whispered in my ear, humped the back of my chair, grabbed my boobies in an almost nonchalant way, attempted to rub herself against me and gave me the secret palm tickle handshake I always thought was just a joke. I Googled it, and it means what I thought it did. Bad touch. Bad touch. Thankfully, just after the handshake, they left. Without me.


Osaka Castle
November 22, 2009


View from Osaka Castle
(and yay for autumn!)


So Cute I Could Die
Near Osaka Castle in the beautiful and huge park


That Times Four


Osaka Manhole Cover


Aw, Oklahoma in Osaka
Amerikamura, Osaka


Kinda Describes the Night Before
Amerikamura, Osaka


Dotonbori, Osaka
If there'd been less rain, there'd have been more time spent here. Next time.


Yay for Christmas!
North Umeda, Osaka


More Christmas
It barely felt like Japan with all these Christmas shops.


Umeda Sky Building
Yes, it's blurry. Part of it was the weather and part of it was my hands shaking. I don't love heights, and those two straight things in the center of the top circle are the escalators with a view that I was going to be riding shortly. Turns out that the glass elevator getting to that point was scarier than the escalators, but it was still pretty amazing. The weather also prevented me from taking half the shots I wanted to from up there. This might be the coolest tall building with observation deck kind of building I've ever been in. Everything was done up for Christmas inside as well, and they had these cute little two seaters facing the view with hearts drawn on them saying "Heartful Christmas," perfect for the romantic overtones that Christmas has here.


My Picture of Their Picture


Balloon Santa

Osaka & Kyoto Weekend - More Day Two Kyoto - Kasajizo Tangent Edition

Last post, I expressed my fascination and fondness for Jizo statues. Today there is more. I`d seen a different kind of Jizo statue when I was in Miyajima (didn`t post the pictures that time) and then again in Kyoto. These are bigger, cuter with rounder faces and are wearing straw hats and holding signs. I knew they were different somehow, but I had no idea why.

Can I take a moment to express how fabulous it is this time around to have tools like the internet to look up stuff that I otherwise might forget to ask about or ask about and not really understand? Technology is a good thing. It also means I get to chat online with my Tom here and there throughout the day and video chat once in awhile. I don`t know how I ever did this before the internet.

Back to these special Jizo statues. They are called kasajizo (or also kasakojizo), and they represent a well-known (except that I didn`t know it until now) folktale in Japan.

Please go read it now. It`s not terribly long, but it`s sweet and worthwhile. Then, if you have kids, please go read it to them. A little exposure to the concept of compassion once in awhile is probably good for kids of all ages, I think. This is all good timing, too, since we are nearing the end of the year, which is when this story takes place. Go. Read. I`ll wait.

Did you read it?

If you didn`t, promise you`ll go read it later, but here is nutshell version: Old man, old woman, poor in the countryside with no money for rice cakes on New Year`s Day (which, you really kinda gotta have). They make straw hats (kasa) to sell in town for money, so the old man went to sell some to buy rice cakes but sold none, so he was coming home empty handed when it started to snow. Along the way, there was a row of 6 Jizo statues, and he felt bad that they were probably getting so cold in the snow, so he took the 5 straw hats that he had and covered their heads. Since there were 5 straw hats and 6 Jizo statues, he gave his own hat to that last one. When he returned home and told his wife, she didn`t bitch or moan or nag or berate him or call her friends to talk about how all men are stupid and lose their hats (sorry, side rant) but praised him for being so kind and said how being kind is way better than having some rice cakes. They went to bed but awoke in the wee hours to a loud noise, which was that of one of the biggest and most delicious rice cakes (like, evar, yo) being dropped at their front door. Footprints in the snow led out into the distance to the six Jizo statues, still gratefully wearing the hats. They had a very happy new year andlivedhappilyeverafter.theend.

Even shorter 9 short sentences version is here. I accommodate.

Since I already have a soft spot in my heart for the concept of Jizo statues and because, too, a part of me still believes that stuffed animals can feel things (I mean, I know in my head that they can`t but some part of my heart still thinks they can), this story touches all the mushy corners of inside me. Every time I see kasajizo from this point on, I`ll probably get a dopey Awwww.... look on my face. I probably saw these last time I was here but just didn`t notice and definitely didn`t know the story. I`m glad I wondered.

Osaka & Kyoto Weekend - Day Two Kyoto Edition

Finally, I can say that I have been to Kyoto. No more regretting that I never went and seeing the quizzical looks that mirrored what I wondered inside. I`m so lucky to have another chance to live in Japan. On days when frustration happens, it`s good to remember this. And to plan another trip somewhere.

Kyoto was the former capital of Japan from 798 to 1868 (!) before they packed it up and made it Edo (now Tokyo). Kyoto was mostly spared during World War II, so much of what has been old forever still remains and is now even older. As an American, I am often left speechless when I see places that are so much older than the historical places back home that are usually merely hundreds of years old instead of thousands. It`s a feeling I can`t quite describe, but simultaneously humbling and just wow comes pretty close.

There is way more of Kyoto to see and do than what can be done in an afternoon. There are a gazillion (rough estimate) famous temples and shrines. To be honest, we only made it to one. To be more honest, we just wandered around the beautiful grounds at the entry but didn`t actually go in. We intended to go back and go inside at night when the gorgeous autumn leaves would be illuminated, but there was the longest line. And it was cold. And Raining. And we wanted to get back to Osaka for dinner. I accomplished the goal of getting to Kyoto and kind of scouting it out so that I can come back next time, and again after that, to properly see some of what it really has to offer. Still, I managed to take a bucketload of pictures, and these are my favorites.

Kyoto. Finally.
Saturday, November 21, 2009

Kyoto Station
So modern looking that it seems like a juxtaposition in the middle of so much history.


Green Tea Cake
Kyoto is all about the green tea. I love green tea flavored everything, so I was thrilled to see this little shop out in front of Kyoto Station handing out samples. The cake is basically baked in layers, one layer at a time. After talking with some of the teachers, I found out that this is called バームクーヘン (baamukuuhen) in Japanese. Since it`s written in katakana, it was clear that it was a "borrowed word," and with some creative internet searching, I found that it`s German in origin, from Baumkuchen (tree cake, like tree layers, I get it), and is a cake that many Europeans would know. Then I learned that the spelling above is a common mistake in Japan and is really バウムクーヘン (baukuuhen). I won`t correct anyone. Who knew this free sample would turn out to be so educational? I`ve also learned that it can be all kinds of different flavors, but since I was in Kyoto, green tea makes sense, and it was awesome. I may or may not have gone back for a second sample. If I did, it was only for research purposes to be sure that I was madly in love with it.


Ninja Tanuki


Fans


Outside Kiyomizudera (清水寺)
This is one of Kyoto`s most famous temples.


View of Kyoto from Kiyomizudera


Pretty Underneath


A Dddd...ddd...ragon!
I`m supposed to bring back a dragon`s tooth for Tom`s friend. Instead, all he gets is this lousy T-shirt picture.


Jizo
Jizo statues seem to be everywhere in Japan. I have always been fascinated by them. Even last time I was in Japan, long before I knew that I would ever know what it is to lose a baby that you might have had. Now, I`m still fascinated, but my heart goes out a little more to all of those who have experienced a similar loss and have dressed him with a bib with the hopes that Ojizo-sama will protect a little more extra specially their unborn, stillborn or child that died too young some other way. The link above gives a better explanation, but that`s my simple version.
In general, I like the way that Japan remembers those who have died, and I adopted a little something last time I was here as a way of remembering my mom. Some other post, some other time, maybe I`ll explain if I haven`t already somewhere. Mighta. I forget stuff.
Ojizo-sama also protects travelers and firemen. I like traveling, and I like firemens in their uniforms sometimes.
Next post will involve Jizo, too. Just so you know.


Green Tea Ice Cream
I have loved green tea ice cream since the first time I tried it, back in college, staying with a Japanese family in Chicago as a sort of homestay in Japan without actually going there. It seemed all strange and exotic back then. Now it seems like green tea as a valid flavor is becoming a little more common with even green tea lattes at Starbucks. I`m OK with that. Even though it was cold and rainy and icky, green tea ice cream sounded good. And it was. This one in the picture is plastic (love all the plastic food displays here). The one I ate was not plastic.


In Gion District, Kyoto
The real deal. When you`ve read books or seen movies about geisha, there is a good chance that the setting was in Gion. I need to go back when it is not cold and about to rain and look around some more.


Manhole Cover, Kyoto


Hot for Teacher