Another whirlwind morning of labrador and kid wrangling and we leave our friends in Machida for a few days. Machida to Kyoto on the bullet train (shinkansen) is the plan.
The shinkansen travels 300 km/hr and gets us to Kyoto in about 2 hours. It is blazing fast. We opt for comfy business seats because we're saving so much money by staying with friends. We regret nothing. It connects with the train systems in both Tokyo and Kyoto nicely. The train system continues to be a wonder.I adore the complexity, efficiency and utility. Although I should note that cell phone cameras in Japan are legally required to make a loud camer-esque "clicking" sound. This is because there is a problem with some dudes trying to take upskirt photos of girls on the train. So maybe it's not quite an ideal situation for everyone. I come from the western U.S. where mass transit is generally associated with smelly people and the poors and best avoided if you can afford a car. So it's nice to see an example of mass transit used by so many people from so many walks of life.
Anyway, bullet train. The Japanese countryside between Tokyo and Kyoto is gorgeous, especially on a rainy day with fluffy clouds nestled in the hills. The shinkansen moved much too fast to catch any of it really, but I tried a few times. So you'll just have to trust me that it's worth seeing. The cities are a little less inspiring, but I admire Japanese architecture and urban planning so even that had much to recommend it.
On my list for Japan is Soba noodles for some reason. Luckily, they are not particularly hard to find. That plus some Oyakodon (a rice bowl with chicken and and a half-cooked egg that serves as the sauce). It literally translates as "Parent/child bowl"). Crazy delicious.
Luggage in a locker, we walk through a sweet park with an aquarium and a contemplative stream/pond. Some interesting side roads as always. A small shrine to the god of women in trouble, a wonderful foot bridge structure over a particularly large intersection and then back to the station for luggage and a quick train trip to the hotel. As it turns out, we haven't even gotten to the interesting part of town yet.
Our hotel is thick in a very touristy, cultural district with many geishas in training, and old-fashioned streets full of little hole-in-the-wall eateries. We wander around for a bit to see the sights. It really is alive with tourists and locals looking for food and fun. Japan has a big interest in internal tourism and exploring cultural heritage so there are many out-of-towners walking around. We eventually settle on an inviting little Ramen shop. It is perfect. I cannot resist another small side bowl of rice and half-cooked egg. Despite all the walking, I think I am getting fat on this trip.
Tomorrow, temples in shrines in the foothills of Kyoto with old friends.
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