Kyoto: Memoirs of a Tourist

schmoo

Long overdue, the first part of my visit to Kyoto, Japan in early November.

There were many many memories I have of this place although now, weeks later, they are gathered in a jumble and I can barely start telling one story without realizing that I have another shoved back there.

Three days, two of which were spent wandering without a plan in the back alleys of the city. Everywhere i read warned visitors to not be disappointed, not be upset that Kyoto is in fact a real city. In the 21st century cobblestones, teahouses and geisha have long fallen in the shadow of trucks, industry and concrete. The bustle of mid-week life between the main roads of Kyoto, however, were delightful. Although I couldn't understand a word of what anyone was saying and every two minutes found me throwing myself out of the way of a bicyclist, it was quite the experience of a lifetime.

Street barricade


Ball Python Cafe. It was closed at the time (stores open at 11 or later) but I was still curious to know if the fact held true that when the Japanese use English it has almost no correlation with what they actually want it to mean



The weather couldn't decide if it was sunny or cloudy, clear or rainy, hot or cold. Maybe this is why the women wear tall boots with short skirts and tank tops and scarves/hats.

Their manhole covers are nicer than ours. I loved that, no matter what country or culture you are in, whenever you're bent over the ground in a compromising position passer-bys will always (ALWAYS!) do a double take at whatever your camera is pointed at and then laugh when they don't get it.



Beautiful grain in the shingles. All the houses are brown and wooden and look like something out of an old movie:



A shaft of sunlight after the rain in someone's courtyard:



School children that may or may not have been heading on a field trip to Nijo Castle.

Bump


Everyone has a garden in little pots outside their doors. Every house still has sliding doors with just enough bubbled glass to hide the interiors


The most unique experience of the entire trip was hearing the distant cry of wandering Buddhist monks. We didn't know what the noise was, but it kept coming closer. When he appeared, we watched him, unsure of if it was acceptable to take his photo. He didn't seem to mind it as much as I did. I am distinctly uncomfortable exploiting people who are different to get a shot. I watched as he cried out into the air, and sometimes the door to a house would slide open and an old woman would step out. She would point to the writing on his canvas bag and they would bow deeply to each other. Then she would see me watching her, give me a frown and watch the monk as he loped away.



I did feel like I was intruding on an ancient ritual, but I wasn't wiling to let it escape completely undocumented.



My own grandmother is a tiny little woman, bent and wiry but still physically strong. Raising seven children during the war has made her as twisted as she is tough. I have not known many other Asian grandparents, however, but every time I saw an old man or an old woman in Kyoto I was moved to remember her. To me, the ancients of Japan have more stories in the lines of their faces and their posture than in a whole book of written history. I do not know if their stooped stance comes from working in the fields or if it is something more genetic and related to their diet or health. Perhaps it is all of the above, but I wanted to photograph and speak with every one of them. I knew they all have their stories and I wanted to hear them.

This diminutive old woman was pulling an enormous cart through the streets. She was so small that as she waited at the crosswalk, her cart completely obscured her except for her headcloth:


I was regretfully not standing square to the wall when taking this shot, hence the ground looks sloped. But maybe it suits him?


Lastly, evening in Pontocho Alley near the Gion District. I was looking forward so much to being here, but I felt a bit deflated. I will say, however, that it is amazingly clean. I would never have believed that such a place was outdoors because it was so tidy and free of any debris. Perhaps later at night it was not the case, but I am unused to such a lack of human waste in an area so rich in drinking establishments.



Do the red lanterns signify ochaya?


If I were in Japan again I would revisit Kyoto. It was a wonderful city rich in history and art, but I left feeling a bit like I had a score to settle.

Thanks for looking in.

leaforte

Sounds like it was a great trip. Funny how, when your in a different country, even the manhole covers are cool....

Elaine

Fantastic! Your colors and textures give me something to aim for. Your words and pictures together make fab stories, as usual! Hope to see more!

My faves:
manhole cover
wood grain
stooped man
red lanterns

schmoo

Thanks muchly. Yes, when I'm anywhere but home I love every little detail in everything but of course it's impossible to capture it all. One of these days maybe I'll relax and shoot things a little more unique than manhole covers and potted plants...

Skippy

schmoo wrote:

Long overdue, the first part of my visit to Kyoto, Japan in early November.

There were many many memories I have of this place although now, weeks later, they are gathered in a jumble and I can barely start telling one story without realizing that I have another shoved back there.

Three days, two of which were spent wandering without a plan in the back alleys of the city. Everywhere i read warned visitors to not be disappointed, not be upset that Kyoto is in fact a real city. In the 21st century cobblestones, teahouses and geisha have long fallen in the shadow of trucks, industry and concrete. The bustle of mid-week life between the main roads of Kyoto, however, were delightful. Although I couldn't understand a word of what anyone was saying and every two minutes found me throwing myself out of the way of a bicyclist, it was quite the experience of a lifetime.

Street barricade

Ball Python Cafe. It was closed at the time (stores open at 11 or later) but I was still curious to know if the fact held true that when the Japanese use English it has almost no correlation with what they actually want it to mean

The weather couldn't decide if it was sunny or cloudy, clear or rainy, hot or cold. Maybe this is why the women wear tall boots with short skirts and tank tops and scarves/hats.

Their manhole covers are nicer than ours. I loved that, no matter what country or culture you are in, whenever you're bent over the ground in a compromising position passer-bys will always (ALWAYS!) do a double take at whatever your camera is pointed at and then laugh when they don't get it.

Beautiful grain in the shingles. All the houses are brown and wooden and look like something out of an old movie:

A shaft of sunlight after the rain in someone's courtyard:

School children that may or may not have been heading on a field trip to Nijo Castle.

Bump

Everyone has a garden in little pots outside their doors. Every house still has sliding doors with just enough bubbled glass to hide the interiors

The most unique experience of the entire trip was hearing the distant cry of wandering Buddhist monks. We didn't know what the noise was, but it kept coming closer. When he appeared, we watched him, unsure of if it was acceptable to take his photo. He didn't seem to mind it as much as I did. I am distinctly uncomfortable exploiting people who are different to get a shot. I watched as he cried out into the air, and sometimes the door to a house would slide open and an old woman would step out. She would point to the writing on his canvas bag and they would bow deeply to each other. Then she would see me watching her, give me a frown and watch the monk as he loped away.

I did feel like I was intruding on an ancient ritual, but I wasn't wiling to let it escape completely undocumented.

My own grandmother is a tiny little woman, bent and wiry but still physically strong. Raising seven children during the war has made her as twisted as she is tough. I have not known many other Asian grandparents, however, but every time I saw an old man or an old woman in Kyoto I was moved to remember her. To me, the ancients of Japan have more stories in the lines of their faces and their posture than in a whole book of written history. I do not know if their stooped stance comes from working in the fields or if it is something more genetic and related to their diet or health. Perhaps it is all of the above, but I wanted to photograph and speak with every one of them. I knew they all have their stories and I wanted to hear them.

This diminutive old woman was pulling an enormous cart through the streets. She was so small that as she waited at the crosswalk, her cart completely obscured her except for her headcloth:

I was regretfully not standing square to the wall when taking this shot, hence the ground looks sloped. But maybe it suits him?

Lastly, evening in Pontocho Alley near the Gion District. I was looking forward so much to being here, but I felt a bit deflated. I will say, however, that it is amazingly clean. I would never have believed that such a place was outdoors because it was so tidy and free of any debris. Perhaps later at night it was not the case, but I am unused to such a lack of human waste in an area so rich in drinking establishments.

Do the red lanterns signify ochaya?

If I were in Japan again I would revisit Kyoto. It was a wonderful city rich in history and art, but I left feeling a bit like I had a score to settle.

Thanks for looking in.

I love reading your stories Stef, and the fact that you supply pictures,
it's so easy to get a feel for what your tell us.

Many years ago I went on a day trip into China,
it was truly like stepping back in time ...
The little school had holes in the old tin roof, there was only a dirt floor,
the kids were still using chalk and slate boards.

I love the mixture of the old and the new that you see in so many Asian countries.

You've captured some lovely shots here Stef
Thanks for sharing ..... Skippy
.

schmoo

Skippy wrote:

I love reading your stories Stef, and the fact that you supply pictures,
it's so easy to get a feel for what your tell us.

Many years ago I went on a day trip into China,
it was truly like stepping back in time ...
The little school had holes in the old tin roof, there was only a dirt floor,
the kids were still using chalk and slate boards.

I love the mixture of the old and the new that you see in so many Asian countries.

You've captured some lovely shots here Stef
Thanks for sharing ..... Skippy
.

Thanks Skippy. Wow! A day trip to China? Is it really that close to you? I imagine the language/culture barrier there is even higher than it was in Tokyo/Kyoto. I think seeing life lived like that would be both sad and enriching for me. Maybe everyone needs to experience something like that once or twice in their life? Good food for thought.

Art Scott

This another fantastic series from You, SCHMOO....Yoou are also vry correct about locals laughing and pointing at the visitors taking notice of things that are very different, when at the same time a liitle like what we ahve at home....mine was in Prague asI noticed the workman ship the Czechs put into replaceing cobbblestones in their streets....here in Wichita they don't replace they take the loose and replce with crappy asphalt of concrete which in turns makes for very bumpy driving.....the cobblestones in Prague were very smoooth to the touch (level that is and I was down flat inspecting the workmanship as passerbys were pointing and giveing me the int'l sign for crazy (you know the finger pointing at head and going in circular motion)....

Thanx for sharing this trip and I appologize for the ramble.....

Tango

i love your shots, did you happen to do any kyoto garden photography?
ive never been to kyoto or japan for that matter, but it is high on my list of place to go. (soley based on photography of the gardens ive seen)

anyway, thanks for sharing!

Skippy

schmoo wrote:

Thanks Skippy. Wow! A day trip to China? Is it really that close to you? I imagine the language/culture barrier there is even higher than it was in Tokyo/Kyoto. I think seeing life lived like that would be both sad and enriching for me. Maybe everyone needs to experience something like that once or twice in their life? Good food for thought.

Ahahaha no China is not that close to us
We were in HongKong at the time .... Skippy
.

jeffreaux2

Superb captures.......and captivating narrative.

Thanks so much for sharing.

schmoo

Art, ramble is my middle name. Thanks for sharing your story of the cobblestones. I was supposed to be in Prague last spring but that never happened. Hopefully I will have the chance to see the smooth goodness for myself at some point and have them think I'm crazy, too.

Aaron I'm not sure if Kyoto garden photography is a genre in and of itself or if you mean photographing Japanese gardens?

Thanks guys! The street photography thing is quite difficult..

Furono

Excellent pictures! I really love Kyoto. It's the only place in Japan I've seen real Geisha out walking. I see lots of Kimono but no Geisha.

In answer to your curosity:
About 70% of the the English they use doesn't really make sense on signs. They mostly choose the words because they like how they sound when spoken and don't really care if they make sense in English. Sometimes they know the right words but they would sound funny to a Japanese person so they change them. Sometimes for the worse or even funny.

The alleys come alive there late at night and the streets get hosed down and cleaned by mostly retired old people in the early mornings. I work by a red light club district in Nagoya and the semi retired do the same work cleaning in the mornings. They give the old people jobs like that so they can still do there part or not feel unworthy.


Next time you go to Japan try and see the out of the way places like Hokkaido and Okinawa. You won't be disappointed! And I'd love to see more pictures from you.

Steve

Shima

Ah Kyoto, I will be going back there myself in March of 2008, so it is nice to see some photos from there recently. Glad you took back such lovely photographic memories with you!

Oh and the top red lantern in your photo definitely reads okonomiyaki....mmmm I can't wait to eat that again.

schmoo

Steve, I would have loved to see geisha but I think I was looking in the wrong places or just wasn't educated enough to pick 'em out of the crowd. Thank you for the information about how the streets stay so clean!

I posted a few threads over the last several weeks as I went through my shots. It's been a busy season so they were kind of spread out, but I have two threads of street shots from Tokyo and the wedding that was the main reason I was in the country.

Japan is such a fascinating country, I would love to get to the far north if I'm ever back again.

I have one last set I need to go through from a day trip to Arishiyama but a lot of other work I need to clear up first. Of course!

Shima I wished I could read any Japanese. I hope you share your shots when you go back in a few months.

Tango

schmoo wrote:

Art, ramble is my middle name. Thanks for sharing your story of the cobblestones. I was supposed to be in Prague last spring but that never happened. Hopefully I will have the chance to see the smooth goodness for myself at some point and have them think I'm crazy, too.

Aaron I'm not sure if Kyoto garden photography is a genre in and of itself or if you mean photographing Japanese gardens?

Thanks guys! The street photography thing is quite difficult..

ya, i meant kyoto gardens all together...i have no idea how many there are and which ones are popular or not...when i get a minute tomorrow i can list some specific ones i want to see myself.....

ian408

Fantastic story that brings a fresh view to the city.

Thanks for sharing!

Shima

schmoo wrote:

Shima I wished I could read any Japanese. I hope you share your shots when you go back in a few months.

Oh I sure will! I majored in Japanese as an undergrad. Going back to Japan now for some research for a grad class I'm taking presently "Cultural Memory in Japan" is the name of the class... so we'll be seeing all sorts of fantastic gorgeous places this time around (last time I went was in 2005 for "Urban Changes in Modern Japan", an undergrad class)...

Some of the places I'm especially looking forward to photographing include Fushimi Inari... Kinkakuji... Kiyomizudera...Nara Koen... Nijo-jo... and the many other awesome places We're also taking a day trip to Hiroshima during our 10 day visit

But yeah, I am not fluent fluent, but I am conversationally fluent... Okonomiyaki I can read because I've eaten it and made it before (therefore seen the characters several times)...

... a few more amusing notes on some of the Japanese in your photos:
The black and white one of the wandering monks, you'll notice there are characters behind the monk on the street ground, they say "tomare" which means stop. that is one of the most amusing things for me about roads in that right before where you are supposed to say stop it says stop on the ground, lol.

The manhole intrigues me, the first character is "to put out" and the second one is "fire" the third one I'm not sure of in this context though...

And then my last comment on the Japanese here is that the first two characters in the barricade have to do w/ Saftey fittingly enough

Anyhoo when I go back I just hope my photos are as beautiful as yours!

squiddd

Great capture. I like the color tones of these pictures.
I will visit Japan next month, Kyoto is definitely a place I don't want to miss

pantherlax

Love them. I'm Japanese, born there but moved here when i was like one, and have grown up here in NY so I'm fluent in Japanese but cant read or write Kanji much (although i did great on the SAT Subject Test in Japanese! lol. I'm a senior in HS).

Shima, I plan to do the same and study some Japanese in college. Shima, as in Island? And Okonomiyaki is the shizz! And ramen!

schmoo

Shima thank you for translating! I always tell myself that after I'm fluent in the Western languages I've started, I will being one that has a non-Latin alphabet. The only words I could read by the end of our stay were the symbols for "yen" and "exit!"

Best of luck in your journeys, as well as the rest of you who have plans to be there.

schmoo

ian408 wrote:

Fantastic story that brings a fresh view to the city.

Thanks for sharing!

Standby for zweiblumen, the new disciple of Japanese street photography.

stirfry

Forgive me a moment of just awestruck blatherings:

Maybe it's because you're Asian/American? Maybe it's just your innate personality? Maybe it's just your born natural talent? Whatever it is, your captures and words from this series are incredibly stirring. In particular, your pictures of people. It's obvious that you have a deep respect for the people you are photographing, and that makes your pictures all the more beautiful.

I have a grandmother that sounds a lot like yours (except mine is Japanese lol); small as a child but strong as an ox, and her face tells her life story of raising a large family, of surviving a war on both sides of the Pacific, of still working and contributing to the family well into her '80s ... the old lady was my favorite picture for that reason. I'm gonna have to call my obachan before I go to bed tonight remind her how much I love her.

We were stationed in Korea for a few years and I totally related to your wanting to stop every old auntie on the street and just inundate her with questions and interest!!!


/end stalker like attempt to be nominated President of the Schmoo Fan Club


Thanks for sharing your journey - off to check out your other links, and standing by for pictures taken by your fellow traveler

schmoo

stirfry wrote:

Forgive me a moment of just awestruck blatherings:

Maybe it's because you're Asian/American? Maybe it's just your innate personality? Maybe it's just your born natural talent? Whatever it is, your captures and words from this series are incredibly stirring. In particular, your pictures of people. It's obvious that you have a deep respect for the people you are photographing, and that makes your pictures all the more beautiful.

I have a grandmother that sounds a lot like yours (except mine is Japanese lol); small as a child but strong as an ox, and her face tells her life story of raising a large family, of surviving a war on both sides of the Pacific, of still working and contributing to the family well into her '80s ... the old lady was my favorite picture for that reason. I'm gonna have to call my obachan before I go to bed tonight remind her how much I love her.

We were stationed in Korea for a few years and I totally related to your wanting to stop every old auntie on the street and just inundate her with questions and interest!!!


/end stalker like attempt to be nominated President of the Schmoo Fan Club


Thanks for sharing your journey - off to check out your other links, and standing by for pictures taken by your fellow traveler

Thanks so much for your sweet words, stirfry! Strangely enough, I don't have any other Asians in my life besides my sister and parents so to hear you say that you have your own insight in your own grandmother is very touching to me. I'm glad you were moved to make that phone call!

By the way (and this is very off-topic) I have many thanks to give you on all of your wonderful information and experience in the veg*nism thread

billanders

Thanks for following up. I missed your original post asking for suggestions, so I couldn't jump in and give you some tips. Looks like you did just fine, too.

I'm glad that you were willing to travel the back streets. To us, that's where Kyoto's beauty and charm really were. Yes, it's a city, but it's easy to forget that right in the middle, just by making a few random turns.

We were able to make a few trips to Kyoto while we lived in Japan. It holds such a place in our hearts that my family and I seriously discussed flying there for Thanksgiving weekend, which would have been just after you were there.

I don't see it here, but hopefully the autumn colors were agreeable for you.

Dayva

Wow, those are such nice pics. Very different than the ones I usually see of Japan. It's nice to see a different perspective. But now I want to go to Japan more than ever!

stirfry

schmoo wrote:

Thanks so much for your sweet words, stirfry! Strangely enough, I don't have any other Asians in my life besides my sister and parents so to hear you say that you have your own insight in your own grandmother is very touching to me. I'm glad you were moved to make that phone call!

By the way (and this is very off-topic) I have many thanks to give you on all of your wonderful information and experience in the veg*nism thread

I meant every word ~ she was happy to hear from me and I emailed her a link to your pictures. Maybe in two years when she figures out how to bring up an internet browser, she'll get to see them!

LOVE the veg*nism thread! I'm glad to finally be able to "know" something well enough to be able to contribute to this forum

Moni

schmoo wrote:

Steve, I would have loved to see geisha but I think I was looking in the wrong places or just wasn't educated enough to pick 'em out of the crowd. Thank you for the information about how the streets stay so clean! ...

Love your shots!

I saw Geisha in Pontocho Alley where you were. I couldn't help it since they almost ran me over. I was looking for a place to eat and I look up and see this Geisha running toward me! I looked at her run by me and then I turn back and three more are running too. And an older lady that must be their "handler" ran with them. After dinner I saw them getting into a limo with some men.
Didn't get a picture tho...it all happened too fast.

How did you like Arishimaya?

Re: China (specifically Hong Kong)...I heard about some abandoned villages there that I am hankering to visit some time...thought you might like to know

schmoo

Bill, I took a swing by your site and your photos of Japan are !!! I'm sorry I missed the chance to get advice and tips from you before we went, as well. I think your work could have been such an inspiration.

Heheh Moni, thanks for thinking of me! I know of abandoned areas of Japan but we had no time and no transportation other than trains. From what I understand many of the ghost towns are at least an hour or two drive out of major cities. Ah well.

Arishiyama was very nice, though packed to the top with tourists looking for the famous red maple leaves (which I didn't really see). I don't think I have ever been so claustrophobic when walking outdoors in the forest before! I still have photos from that day to process, but things have gotten very busy and I've been putting it off.

TPBinKC

Schmoo, great shots!!

I really loved reading about your experiences and thoughts. All those food shots in your gallery are fantastic, it felt like we were sitting down to dinner with you. The shots and commentary bring so many memories. I really want to go back to Japan someday when my daughter is old enough to appreciate it. I will have to spend more time on the mainland this time.

I do not understand why you say you are not good a street photography. I hope to be as good as you someday. I hope to be as good as I used to be even.

Anyway, great work all the way around, the photos, the threads and the blog.

Thad

ChrisJ

These are wonderful shots, Schmoo. Really takes me back there. I got a laugh over the manhole cover... since my civil engineer wife, on our first trip, had to take a picture of one in each city!

We learned a little bit about Geisha on our last trip to Kyoto, and if you do spot them on the streets (like in tourist districts), they're probalby not "real." The class we were travelling with got to see a private showing of a maiko, which is an apprentice geiko, which is what geisha are called in Kyoto. But I don't believe they normally go out in public in their attire.

Anyway, really enjoyed reading about your travels... and you got some fantastic shots!

Giphsub

Great shots Schmoo! Your photos made me laugh, reminding me of all the small things I used to get a kick out of here. 10 years later and it has all become quite normal for me.

I think you missed the fall colours unfortunately. The timing of your trip was a week or two out.

The safety barrier says "Safety first" and the manhole reads "Fire hydrant"