JAPAN, DAY TWO
A day for my dad.
Today started early with a visit up Mt Hiei-zen, north east of Kyoto, its peak is around 2,800 ft. We arranged a taxi, but there is a cable car and regular buses which can get you to the various activities on the mountain. Our trip was to visit the Enryaku-ji Temple to pay our respects to my dad and to experience a buddhist chanting ceremony. Everyone is welcome to enter the temple and take a moment there, so if you visit, don’t be shy, with very little signage in English it’s sometimes difficult to know the etiquette but in most Kyoto temples you’re welcome to go in, even take pictures, just make sure you remove your shoes and cover up a little. As we climb the winding roads up the mountain a thick mist started to fall, by the time we reached the temple, the mist had wrapped itself around the trees and created a mystical silence in the air which on one hand felt nice given the significance of the visit. On the other hand I felt like I was in an episode of The Killing or some other Nordic noir, although even in the mist it was 25 degrees – far too hot for a wooly jumper.
After the ceremony we made our way down the mountain towards Osaka and stopped off at Marugame Seimen for freshly made Udon and Tempura. It’s pretty much Udon fast food, ten times better than you’ve ever had in your life, with a casual school canteen vibe. We arrived at lunch time with a huge line of cars waiting to park, followed by a long line of customers waiting to order, but it was worth the wait. Ordering food in Japan could be a little intimidating (if you don’t have your own handy Japanese relatives!) but luckily even upmarket restaurants use pictures and plastic food replicas, so as a last resort you can point, smile and bow gently to make up for how rude you are. This is something you might want to get used to, I grin my way though most interactions – handy when you have absolutely no idea what’s going on, just use the old, smile and bow.
We spent the afternoon with Japanese relatives in Osaka and then went back to Kyoto for dinner at Takeyamachi Kanza. In a typically humble Japanese way, this restaurant stays off the tourist radar, but I assure you it’s very special and very welcoming. Their speciality is both fish and vegetables using the best and most unique local produce to serve a tasting style menu accompanied by a selection of Sake’s. The head chef Hiro San and his wife Mariko are a young contemporary Japanese couple who immerse themselves in the traditional Japanese foodie world. The highlight was the white fish marinated in a white miso which is native to Kyoto followed by the Matcha ice-cream with cornflakes.
I went to bed full up on nice memories, mountain air, delicious fresh fish, seafood, Sake, ice cream and a few half pints of Kirin. The day was everything my dad would have wanted.
