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  3. TRAVEL: 2007 through 2011
  4. APRIL, 2008 JAPAN (KYOTO TRIP)

NARITA TO KYOTO

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We made it to our hotel. The rain slowed down, and we decided to take a stroll into the older part of the city in the evening.
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We made it to our hotel. The rain slowed down, and we decided to take a stroll into the older part of the city in the evening.

traveljapanbeverli joirainkyoto

  • Gee, Toto, from the looks of these women on this train, I don't think we are in Kansas anymore. On the train from Narita City to Tokyo Station.
  • Tokyo Station. HUGE mall! Japanese children are attracted to sweet confections just as are American children (and me, unfortunately).
  • I was laughing at the mention of the "Coin-Operated Rocker." Bev said that made her wonder what REALLY goes on in the place referred to in the second to the bottom on the right hand side of the list (the "Cloak Room").
  • Bento, or what we might call fresh, hand-made "T.V. dinners" started in Japan in 1185. It is a Japanese custom which is alive and well (and delicious) today (even on Saipan, places which cater to Japanese tourists have their own bento dishes). Nearly all of them have mainly rice, with other portions ranging from hearty vegetarian fare to skewered chicken to smoked salmon to succulent marinated beef. Train station bento has its own name: Ekiben.
  • We had some time before we needed to catch the bullet train (Shinkansen), so we stepped outside to get a look at Tokyo Station from the outside. This is the busiest station in Japan, with more than 4,000 trains coming through here each day. First built in 1914 as a 3-story structure, Tokyo Station was largely destroyed by allied bombing during WWII, especially on May 25 and June 25, 1945. It was re-built within a year as a mostly 2-story building and has been going strong ever since.
  • Back inside Tokyo Station, Bev and I had to decide what ekiben we wanted for our Shinkansen trip to Kyoto. Correct me if I'm wrong, Bev, but I think that there were at least 30 to 50 bento shops inside the train station. ALL had very fresh ingredients, with vats and ovens and stoves turning out the contents (and aromas) as we walked from vendor to vendor, trying to make our decisions on which ones would be most enjoyable on the train.
  • On the shenkansen. The Tokyo to Osaka route (which we were on) is the busiest high speed rail line in the world, carrying 375,000 passengers per day. Through 40 years of operaton, even passing through earthquake-prone regions, there has never been a fatality due to derailments or collisions. There was one fatality (although I'm not sure when) from a door closing on a passenger. When you consider that more than 6 billion folks have ridden, I would say that you've gotta admit that's a pretty remarkable safety record! I wonder if I'm THAT safe just sitting in front of my computer!
  • After the fast rail trains we experienced in Europe, I was really not expecting this to FEEL so fast. But it did. At 188 mph, things just ZOOM by. If you're trying to take photos, by the time you see something you want, it's gone.
  • But, every once in a while we would slow down and pull into a train station. Sometimes a train on an adjacent track would stop, allowing some interaction with strangers sharing the line.
  • I'm sure that Kyoto Tower, with an observation deck 328 feet above the ground, gives a great view over the city. We didn't go up into it, however. Once we got to Kyoto Station, we had our minds set more on finding out how to get to our hotel without getting totally soaked in the rain.
  • The second-largest train station in Japan, Kyoto Station is totally HUGE, to the point of overwhelming. Finished in 1997 to commemorate Kyoto's 1,200th anniversary, it rises to 230 feet tall and spans a length of 1,542 feet, for a total floor area of 2,561,811 square feet! Look up at the top, and to your left from center. See the long "tube" with the flourescent lights beneath it? That's were the next 2 photos will be taken from (it's sort of an enclosed "catwalk.").
  • Kyoto certainly seems to be a city of Yin and Yang. It is a leader among Japan in number of cultural heritage sites, with many dating back more than 1,000 years, and with old stores and craft shops handed down for many generations. But your first introduction to the city is here, at Kyoto Station.
  • Untitled photo
  • We've walked the length of the catwalk (which you can again see at the top of the photo). the photo 2 pictures back was of the escelators you see in the distance in this shot. As I said earlier, downright overwhelming.
  • We made it to our hotel. The rain slowed down, and we decided to take a stroll into the older part of the city in the evening.
  • This place has an open front onto the street. The food looked interesting, so we decided to give it a try.
  • The best I can describe this is that it was kind of like a Japanese quesadilla pizza with an underooked egg. We weren't tremendously crazy over it, actually.
  • The restaurant did have a few of these Geisha maniquins at various tables, apparently so that some customers may not feel so lonesome.
  • Now back to Hotel Alpha and a nice night's rest before tackling Kyoto in the day time!<br /> <br /> When you are ready to proceed to the next album, just click the following link: <a href="http://optimimagery.com/Travel/APRIL-2008-JAPAN-KYOTO-TRIP/KYOTO-I/9901743_BtDCa/1/674827564_4QrR9">http://optimimagery.com/Travel/APRIL-2008-JAPAN-KYOTO-TRIP/KYOTO-I/9901743_BtDCa/1/674827564_4QrR9</a>

  • OptimImagery

    on October 13, 2009

    1. tom.Saturday, May 10, 2008 2:35:51 AM
    ...yeah, i loved visiting that one in Saipan---always interesting to see the 'layout' of stores by other folks...
    {in Spain, they are 'hidden' in back alleys and kept dark so they look as if not open. But they ARE!}

    2. BeverLiFriday, May 09, 2008 2:09:45 PM
    such a different way of building store fronts

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