Train to Tokyo & Hotel Monterey Akasaka - Hotel #6

We packed up once again and headed to the subway. I was nearing the end of my fourth week in Japan and I was sick and tired of moving luggage; Ken was a trooper and my lifesaver when we moved from hotel to hotel.

Hotel Monterey Akasaka was our last hotel in Japan. The hotel was conveniently only one mile from the Imperial Palace and being the third Monterey hotel we'd stayed at it, the accommodations felt very familiar.

Hotel lobby.

Hotel lobby.

Our room.

Last Day in Kyoto

We tried to make the most out of our last day in Kyoto by visiting a variety of temples. We rode the JR Sagano Line to the Hanazono Station and began our journey...

Our first stop was Myoshin-ji, a walled-off complex of temples and subtemples.

Tall Ken!

Ninna-ji, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site, was built in 888. It was formerly called the Old Imperial Palace of Omuro as it served as a residence for the ex-emperor. The temple is now noted as the headquarters of Omuro School of the Shingon Sect of Buddhism.

Five-story pagoda from the 17th century.

Ryoan-ji is home to a simple rock garden, which is acknowledged to be one of the masterpieces of Japanese culture. The rock garden was said to be created at the end of the 15th century during the Muromachi Period by a highly respected Zen monk, Tokuho Zenketsu.

The rock garden, consisting only of white gravel and fifteen rocks, is Japan's most famous hira-niwa (a flat garden void of hills or ponds). The rock garden is surrounded by low earthen walls made of clay boiled in oil.

After meditating at the rock garden we cooled off by eating some vanilla and green-tea ice cream; it was actually very tasty!

Kinkaku (Golden Pavilion), also known as Rokuon-ji, is a three-story pavilion covered in bright gold leaf and features a bronze phoenix on top of the roof.

The building consists of three types of architecture. The 1st floor is Shinden-zukuri, palace style; the 2nd floor is Buke-zukuri, samurai house style; the 3rd floor is Karayo style, Zen temple style.

After viewing the temple and the gardens, the rain started to pour down. Already somewhat drenched, we hailed a taxi and rode the rest of the way to the train station.

In the evening we visited the Gion District, the famous entertainment and geisha quarter on the eastern bank of the Kamo-gawa. Unfortunately we didn't see any geisha.

Interesting advertising in a storefront.

The night was pleasant and I was able to take some night photographs of the Kamo-gawa.

Mishima-tei Restaurant - Kyoto

Mishima-tei Restaurant was identified by the guide books as an inexpensive place to sample sukiyaki; I'd hate to see what the prices are at an expensive sukiyaki restaurant. Our meals were prepared in front of us in a private room - loved it. We ordered two meals: tokutoku-sen sukiyaki and tokutoku-sen mizudaki, both were first class meats, 160-grams (0.35-lbs), at a cost of ¥9,933 each - yeah, a little steep, but worth it.

Please push to call for service... we had an electronic bell.

They gave us disposable bibs to wear! Ken was so ready to eat.

The sukiyaki dish was first; the sliced meat and vegetables are cooked, then you dip them into raw egg, and eat 'em!

Ken ready for round two...

The mizudaki dish was next; the sliced meat and vegetables are boiled in water and then you dip them into a vinegar flavored broth.

So full of good food!

Photograph of meat at the butcher store next to the restaurant.

Gotta love the peace sign when your in Japan!

NARA

Nara was the capital of Japan, called Heijokyo, from 710 to 784. They say Japanese flock to Nara because it gives them the feeling they're communing with ancestors; foreigners come to Nara because Nara offers a glimpse of a Japan that was.

We visited Nara Park on a very hot and humid day. Ugh, we were both in a bad mood at the end of the day; exhausted and tired from walking all day in the heat, sick of being soaked in sweat drenched clothes, and having gone with out food for hours (my bad). Would we do it all over again? YES, of course, but now we know what to expect! I would definitely bring more mini towels, Febreze, and Under Armour HeatGear.

I took oodles of photographs and have tried to narrow them down to the best.

Three-Story Pagoda.

Five-Story Pagoda.

Tokon-do Hall.

Hitchhiker.

Great Bell.

Nigatsu-do Hall.

We rode the subway and the train to Nara. Above is the subway map, which is easy to decipher, using the machine to pay for a ticket (below) is a whole different matter.

Subway ticket machine.

These signs were strange! One reads, "I carry a 700°C fire in my hand with people walking all around me." and the other reads, "Your seat should only be as wide as your bottom, not the width of your spread legs."