Day 345: Wandering Kyoto — Obsessed with Japan
Last night as we drove into Kyoto in an exhausted, jet-lagged haze, I had this feeling as I looked out the window. Even in the dark and the rain, this place looked…awesome.
You know how some places just give you a feeling? Even based on very little at all?? I was getting that as we rolled into town.
So I awoke particularly excited to get out and see what Japan was all about.
It’s one of our very last Monday mornings of the year. They are particularly precious, as mentioned, because they come with zero angst or anxiety.
The kids took a bath in the huge tub to “wash the farts out of their hair” (my sophisticated way of explaining recycled air on planes/why you need to shower after a long-haul flight).
Back in the US it was still Uncle Brendan’s 45th birthday so we gave him a ring.
We ate breakfast in our room at our small little table and headed out by about 10 am to see what was what here.
We didn’t get far. First stop was 7-11 across the street because Teddy has talked about 7-11 in Japan so much. It’s a ubiquitous, well-regarded chain known for fresh, cheap food. So we stopped and ate seaweed/rice wraps.
After that we walked the Nishiki market — block after block of covered market.
Observations:
- This city is spotless.
- This city is quiet.
- I want to go into every shop and house and office building.
- I want to buy everything.
- It has nailed cozy: wood structures, warm lighting, noodle soup.
Our instant obsession with Kyoto helped us look past some pretty annoying James behavior. Not so much whining as relentless “Are we there yet?” type questions. We tried to explain again and again that we weren’t “going anywhere” and that we were “just wandering around.”
Sigh. To keep him from raining our parade we made frequent snack stops (no complaints here), a playground and eventually an arcade.
5 seconds before he knocked that thing over 
Just sitting waiting at a playground.
They’d seen arcades in a YouTube video we watched about Japan, and pestered us to stop at one. So we did. Teddy beat me at Pong. The kids learned about disappointment when attempting those damn claw machines over and over (despite our warnings).
While we were in this place, I observed a whole garment rack of costumes, walls of photos of dressed up girls, and a section of photo booths.
I used my Google Translate app to figure out what the hell it was all about. It’s called Purikura, and it’s this phenomenon among high school girls and young couples where you dress up, take a series of photos in these booths and print them on stickers and trading cards. The cameras have all kinds of filters and you can decorate your pics digitally in a separate booth with “stickers” and drawings.
The longer I lingered waiting for the kids to finish their video games, the more I became intrigued. Eventually I decided: I had to try it.
In a great example of how we’ve relaxed with the idea of just jumping right in to awkward/new cultural experiences in a foreign language, I got the guy behind the counter to give me a “sexy” Santa outfit and show me how to work the machine. I would have been too self-conscious and embarrassed to go through with this even a few months ago.
Here’s the result:
GROSS!! HILARIOUS!!
I will treasure these photos.
Back out on the streets! We walked and walked, landing eventually in Gion to stroll the narrow alleys and get in at least one of Kyoto’s thousands of temples. Just a drive-by for “texture.”
There were lots of people about in kimonos. We realized many of them had rented outfits from nearby rental shops to take pictures at the temples. Hmm!
Dinner was at a cozy ramen place Teddy found online. SO GOOD.
We cabbed home and put James out of his misery. He was a pain today but we did not let it get us down. Speaking for myself, I am strangely obsessed with what I’ve seen so far of the country.
MISC:
I came across this great quote today: “If you raise your children you can spoil your grandchildren. But if you spoil your children you’ll have to raise your grandchildren.” Ha!
We have come to realize that there’s one thing we are REALLY looking forward to when we get back home. Not having to write this blog every day. I’m so proud of us for having done it this way — we haven’t missed one single day! — and I’m even more grateful that we created this priceless record. But holy shit. Only a few more weeks!
