Kyosaka 2006

Tadaima.

Daz and I got back on Wednesday night from our summer trip to Kyoto and Osaka. It had been about four years since Darin had been to Kansai and a couple of years since I've visited Kyoto. We were very excited about seeing familiar places, visiting new ones and meeting up with old friends. We only had four days, so we zoomed to Kyoto on the shink - it only takes 2 hours and 20 mins on the Nozomi - I barely had time to knit!

I love Kyoto to bits - always have. It was interesting to go back this time. My main impression was 'Where are all the people?' - seriously, after Tokyo, Kyoto seemed empty (which = heaven). You don't realize how much you get caught up in the frenetic pace of the eastern capital until you take a step away from it. Our main goal on this trip was to RELAX. We have both lived in Kansai before (I lived in Kyoto for four years), so we'd seen most of the famous sightseeing spots. I think I've been to Kinkaku-ji about 10 times (as part of my former job). So we were selective in activities - most involved roaming the streets, sitting by the Kamogawa drinking beer and swimming in the hotel pool. We visited Nanzenji, walked from the hotel in Keage, past Chion-in, through Maruyama park and Yasaka Shrine and wandered around Gion. It's enchanting.

The following day we visited Sanjusangendo and Fushimi Inari Taisha. Both were just as amazing as I remember.

We also found Hanjiro in Kyoto and out of the three I have been to, this is the most spectacular.

And the Nishiki Markets - don't you think these pickles look like eyeballs?

We finished up our trip by spending the last night in Osaka at our friends' new house/shop, Spiral in the Trip. Nobu and Takako have been friends of ours for years (daz used to work for them) and have a few shops selling vintage clothes and furniture. Their specialty is vintage plastic furniture from the 60s and 70s - their stuff is awesome. This year their dream came true and they built a four storey building in Osaka (not far from Shinsaibashi) which is now their home and main furniture showroom. Congrats Nobu, Takako and their cute four-year old daughter, Rui (who sings the Ramones like a professional)! And if anyone ever tells you how much friendlier and more down to earth people from Kansai are - believe it, coz it is true!

BTW, Nobu designed and produced the DJ booth he is leaning on. Only 58 were ever made and you know who owns one - PRINCE!

Ok, that's enough for now. If you want to see all of our photos, you can see them here!!!

ps - Thanks to Yoshi, Kowhai and Tyler for taking care of our pigs while we were away!!!

Comments

[gleek]

looks like a fun trip! kansai's so beautiful. someday i'll have to make it back to japan so that i can go there. hope you're having a great summer!

[SamLaTricoteuse]

Wow - your friend has some talent !!!
Love the house, the shop and the DJ Booth !!!!

[Felicia from sweetgeorgia]

Mmmm, I love it all! I'm coming back to visit Japan in October and although I don't think we'll have time to go back to Kyoto, we will definitely be in Tokyo... oh and I HAVE to get myself to AVRIL this time!!!

[chris]

sounds like a great trip! nice turntable stand - i think c would LOVE that for his turntables! :D

[Jan]

Kyoto may be may favorite place on earth. I loved your photos...so many lovely shots. You've got me drooling for some okonomiaki now.
Isn't Fushimi Inari a great day trip? (I have some *foxy wishes* hanging in my sewing room.)

[Kinki]

Ooooh, love the pic of Gion with the dusk lights - very very lovely - one of my fave parts of Kyoto!!! Sounds like an awesome trip, you lucky bastards...

[Sarah]

Love Kyoto too. It is SO COOL that Prince has that DJ booth. I wonder if it is Purple. To compensate for height difference and in deference to The Imp of the perverse I wanted my husband to dress like Prince for our wedding, in high heels and a lace jumpsuit and grow a little pencil moustache. He declined.

[Julie]

I finally got to visit Japan this year - we spent about 5 days in our sister city, Kakegawa, and then 4 days in Kyoto. Obviously we hit mostly the regular tourist attractions, but our guide also picked out some really interesting stuff too - Sanjusangendo probably being my favorite. Sooo impressive.

I miss the crosswalk at Kyoto-eki! :D We were staying about a block down from that in a ryokan, and we could hear the crosswalk at all hours til it was so stuck in our heads, we were singing it to ourselves on regular crosswalks.

[munieca]

Ohh, Kyoto is beautiful! I know it in the books of Kawabata,He describes all Kyoto.
Greetings!

[Carolyn]

Hey, next time you come to Kyoto, email me! You can meet my friend Gretchen and I for our SnB! Our dates are always flexible! Do you have addresses/maps for your friends' shops?