Steve and Cathy's Blog

We arrive in Kobe harbor right on time around 8:30am and pass by the sprawling Kawasaki Kobe Shipyard where we see the hull of a huge ship under construction.  In typical Japanese fashion, the ship is cleared and we are prepared to commence our 9.5-hour excursion, Traditional Kyoto, straight away.

It is quickly on to our bus, where we meet our guide for the day, Checko.  She welcomes us, and immediately begins giving us information on our day.  She warns us that the expressway we will travel in often jammed and the 46-mile trip can take up to two hours.  She notes that it runs parallel with the famous Bullet train, the Shinkansen, and that journey takes only 32 minutes.  Steve would have loved to do that.

The expressway is elevated for practically the entire way through the city of Kobe.  Checko tells us that Kobe is known for many things, one of them unfortunately being a huge earthquake in January of 1995 that killed almost 7,000 people due to falling buildings and fire.  She mentions that a good portion of the expressway we are riding on collapsed, and that its replacement is built to much higher earthquake-proof standards.  One of the first unusual features of this road, we notice, is that there are highway noise barriers that are sometimes fifteen feet high all along the road.  It feels a bit like traveling in a tunnel and obviously obscures our view of this city of 1.5 million, the sixth largest city in Japan.

Traffic is merciful this morning, and we are making very good time as our guide gives us this introduction to the city of Kyoto and all kinds of interesting tidbits about Japan:

• Kyoto was the capital of Japan for a thousand years, from the end of the 12^thcentury until 1869, when the emperor moved the capital to Tokyo.
• Until the end of WWII, the capital of Japan was typically anywhere that the emperor was born.
• The city is designed as an easy-to-navigate grid system of numbered streets and roads that run north/south. This design happened in the 16^th
• Checko will talk extensively during the day about the Shoguns, who ruled Japan from the beginning of the 12^thcentury through the 17^thThere were 15 shoguns total.  The word “shogun” means “generalissimo” and they were actually the true power behind the throne, the emperor often being merely a figurehead.  The history is fascinating and as important as is that of our presidents, but I couldn’t begin to keep up with it.
• We are riding on a portion of the first highway in Japan, which ran from Kobe to Nagoya.The speed limit is 100 kilometers per hour (65 mph) but Checko says that speeding is common with many cars doing 120 kph.
• Kyoto used to be the place to purchase silk textiles, and it is still the place to purchase kimonos. “In Kyoto, people lose all their money buying clothes; in Osaka, people lose all their money on food.”  Osaka is 36 miles from Kyoto and I think the two cities have a friendly rivalry going.
• She points out that there are several tunnels along this stretch of road, one of them almost 2,400-feet long.
• We arrive in Kyoto in just over an hour, a really good omen. Our guide points out how the grid system of roads and streets is laid out as we progress through city streets.
• She also points out that there are many convenience stores in Japan, just like in the states. She points out one called Lawson, and, of course, the ubiquitous 7-11 chain.  Quick aside: in researching for this post, I stumbled on the history of 7-11.  The Southland Corporation ran into big financial difficulties in the late 80s/early 90s.  A Japanese company provided financing through the bankruptcy and emerged with a 70% ownership.  The firm is still headquartered in Irving, TX, but of the 64,319 stores around the globe, 20,260 stores (31 percent) are located in Japan!
• Because land is so scarce in such a densely populated country, most people like to live in apartments in cities. As we pass through residential areas, we see dozens of apartment buildings of no more than 10 stories.  The postwar boom period for Japan must have been from the late 50s through the 70s, as that appears to be the vintage of most of the buildings we see.
• The legendary cherry blossoms came early this year – in March. As have our other guides, Checko apologizes.  Another quick aside: the Japanese people are unfailinglypolite, and this is a good example. Confrontation is anathema to a Japanese person, and we cringe when we see one of our bellicose fellow passengers berate a guide for some trifle.  It’s embarrassing that some of these guests of another country can be so ignorant of the culture of the Japanese people.
• There are 1,700 Buddhist temples and 800 Shinto shrines in Kyoto. Buddhism was introduced in Japan in the 6^thcentury from China and Korea.
• Religious beliefs are very fluid in Japan. Checko grew up with two different shrines in her house, but today is a Christian. Many people, if they are religious at all, practice rituals from both Shintoism and Buddhism.
• School starts in April of each year and ends in March, so school is not in session right now.We will see evidence of this all day, as most tourist attractions are jampacked.
• Japan has a history of wars between emperors and their families.
• Two rivers flow through Kyoto. The one on the east side is the river Duck.

At 10:30, we arrive at our first stop, the magnificent Kinkakuji, or Golden Pavilion.  It was built in 1394 as a retirement residence for a former Shogun.  We will tour the grounds and walk past the Golden Pavilion.

We will do so with half the population of Japan.  More specifically, we will become part of an enormous herd moving through the grounds of this former Shogun residence.  There are thousands of school children all dressed in their uniforms.  There are families.  There are busloads of tourists such as us.  Everybody we see is polite (as polite as you could possibly expect teens to be) and there is quite the festive atmosphere.

We are also treated to another example of Japanese efficiency.  The buses are all in long rows, and we must remember that our bus will be in Row 11.  However, when we return, which should be at 11:40, the bus will have moved from the back of the line to the front.

We are handed a ticket, and join the river of humanity.  We do stay within a few yards of our guide at first, and she attempts to explain things, but most of the time we just move downstream with the crowd.  I do separate myself for one minute to get a good photo of the Golden Pavilion.  I consider it a triumph, not because it is a nicely composed photo but primarily because it does not show any other human beings in it.  It gives the totally false illusion that we are in a peaceful, tranquil, quiet place all by ourselves.  Nothing could be further from the truth. [But even with the crowds, it was a pretty nice place.  Lots of nice shrub plantings, spring flowers, and interesting wood carvings here and there; you could tell everything was really old. And everyone is so polite! Not like China where they just shove you out of their way. And the Japanese tourists far outnumber everyone else so it was a good experience with “the locals.” ]

Eventually, Cathy and Steve work their way back to a place where we think we were supposed to meet. Time goes by and we see no one in our group.  It finally occurs to us that perhaps we are in the wrong place and we head for the bus. It’s a good thing.  We were to meet at the bus.  We board five minutes late and apologize to our group, one member of whom suggests that we now have to pick up the tab for lunch.

Lunch is indeed next on the agenda.  The drive to reach the restaurant is about twenty minutes through residential areas. It is on a side street and we have to walk about ten minutes through a nice, quiet neighborhood.  At this point, I could not name the restaurant if I were sitting in it, but everything was all set for the three busloads of us from Insignia.

We enter the premises and are first asked to remove our shoes.  We are given slippers to wear.  We then find our way to long tables that are all set up with our lunch. And what a lunch it is.  We are given a menu of what we are being served, but we couldn’t even match up the actual food with what was printed on the menu, except for the beef “stake.”  No matter.  Everything was delicious, interesting and authentically Japanese – with the possible exception of the vanilla ice cream we had with dessert (served with those cute tiny spoons like you got with Dixie Cups as a kid).  This is definitely the high point of the day so far.  The Golden Pavilion was a hoot, but this nice lunch is the real deal.

After lunch, we walk back through the neighborhood and meet the bus.  We travel for about a half an hour through reasonable traffic.  Quick aside #3: We have noticed ever since we arrived that that the Japanese people drive as politely as they are otherwise. In China, the most used option on the car is the horn.  We never hear a horn in the five cities we visit here.  Never.  They stop at lights.  They wait for pedestrians.  You actually feel safe here.  It’s wonderful.

Soon we arrive at Nijo Castle.  Here is a quick description from Wikipedia: “In 1601, Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate, ordered all the feudal lords in Western Japan to contribute to the construction of Nijō Castle, which was completed during the reign of Tokugawa Iemitsu in 1626. Parts of Fushimi Castle, such as the main tower and the karamon, were moved here in 1625–26. It was built as the Kyotoresidence of the Tokugawa shōguns. The Tokugawa shogunate used Edoas the capital city, but Kyoto continued to be the home of the Imperial Court. Kyoto Imperial Palace is located north-east of Nijō Castle.

“The central keep, or Tenshu, was struck by lightning and burned to the ground in 1750.

“In 1788, the Inner Ward was destroyed by a citywide fire. The site remained empty until it was replaced by a prince’s residence transferred from the Kyoto Imperial Palace in 1893.

“In 1867, the Ninomaru Palace, in the Outer Ward, was the stage for the declaration by Tokugawa Yoshinobu, returning the authority to the Imperial Court. Next year the Imperial Cabinet was installed in the castle. The palace became imperial property and was declared a detached palace. During this time, the Tokugawa hollyhock crest was removed wherever possible and replaced with the imperial chrysanthemum.

“In 1939, the palace was donated to the city of Kyoto and opened to the public the following year.”

In short, its place in history was where the last Shogun gave up his power and returned it to the Emperor in 1868.  This is a very significant date in Japanese history, as the country then opened itself to the outside world.

Fortunately, the place occupies 68 acres, so there is plenty of room for the massive crowds.  It is a beautiful place, and the true showpiece is the Ninomaru Palace, which is described thusly: “The 3,300-square-meter (36,000-square-foot) Ninomaru Palace consists of five connected separate buildings and is built almost entirely of Hinoki cypress. The decoration includes lavish quantities of gold leaf and elaborate wood carvings, intended to impress visitors with the power and wealth of the shōguns. The sliding doors and walls of each room are decorated with wall paintings by artists of the Kanō school.

Cathy and Steve don’t see any of this.  In order to enter, one must remove one’s shoes. Cathy has had enough barefoot walking on our around-the-world journey to last a lifetime, and her orthotics-less feet don’t want to cooperate.  Instead, we walk through part of the lovely grounds, including a beautiful garden.  [Here again we see lost of local tourists. Several of the women and one little girl were dressed in kimono! Two teenage girls looked just gorgeous and were taking selfies in front of cherry trees. Very cool.] In half an hour, we meet up with our group, whereupon we walk through the beautiful Japanese garden again. That is fine with us.

We finally pass back through the entrance gate and board our bus.  We have one more stop to make: Sanjusangendo.  Here is our guide book’s description: “…famous for its 1,001 12^th-century statues of the Buddhist deity Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy. Sanjusangendo translates to ‘hall with 33 bays’ and the 33 alcoves display 1,000 awe-inspiring statues and a single giant sitting image of Kannon.  Carved from Japanese cypress and painted with gold leaf, each of the multi-armed figures stands five and a half feet tall, and has subtle differences in expression and accouterments, testimony to the skill and originality of the Momoyama wood carvers.”

As this is another barefoot experience, Cathy demurs. Steve joins the herd, and we walk slowly down the long temple.  Besides the 1,000 statues of Kannon, each with 42 arms, there are statues about every twenty feet of other deities, all of them of some Hindu derivation.  There are good signs with explanations for each of these but, as photography is forbidden, Steve remembers nothing.

We emerge at the end of the long hallway, and our tour is over.  It is a very interesting place, but the day is getting long and we are all ready to head back to Kobe.

Kyoto has many interesting tourist attractions, and we have seen but four (including lunch).  Tourism is a big industry here, and we can attest to that.  There are many reasons, the most important that it was the capital city for so long.

But there is one other interesting element: the city is intact, even after WWII.  It was largely spared the relentless conventional bombing from American forces that were visited on other cities.  And it was actually chosen as the first target of the atomic bomb, but was dropped from the list specifically by Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson, who had visited the city on his honeymoon and admired its culture.

The traffic gods were with us once again on our return to Kobe.  Cathy took a quick snooze while Steve took photos of trucks on the highway so that he could show the grandchildren.  90% of them are straight trucks with fluted stainless steel sides, almost all with tandem rear axles.  The larger ones, of which he saw hundreds, have two steering axles. Tractor-trailers are not nearly as numerous as these straight truck rigs.

As we arrive back in Kobe, Checko tells us more about the city:

• There are many sake breweries in Kobe. One of the principal reasons is the purity of the water, which flows down from Mount Rokko, to which the city backs up.
• There are high buildings in Kobe, but not so in Kyoto. There are regulations in place that limit the height in order to protect the view of the city.
• The city is home to Kobe Steel, one of the largest steel producers in Japan.
• Kawasaki Heavy Industries is also headquartered here, and they have a huge shipyard (that we saw on our way in).
• As we near the ship, she points out the red Kobe Port Tower and Maritime Museum.

It’s right around 5:00pm when we board Insignia.  During the day we chatted with Pat Watt, who suggested that we find a place to have Kobe Beef.  Cathy knows that Brian and Barbara are planning to do this, and we hope that they have done the research and will allow us to join them.  After a few phone calls, it’s all set.  Cathy and Steve and Pat will tag along with Barbara and Brian, who have already planned a dinner with Helma and Rich Rosenthal.  We will eat at the Oriental Meriken Hotel in their Oriental Steak House at 7:30pm.

We all meet at 7:15 and head for the hotel, which is actually attached to the cruise terminal.  We have to return by 10:00pm because Immigration closes then.  We find our way to the hotel lobby and are pretty much lost. One of us finds out that we need to be on the 14^thfloor.  Up the elevator we go.

[The restaurant turns out to be like Benihana, with the large table/grill and 8 seats. We were a bit disappointed at first but we got over that real fast. The service was impeccable, and even though the waiter did not speak much English we were able to communicate quite easily with him. After a bit of sticker shock over the menu we all chose the basic meal: appetizer, salad, soup, grilled meat, veggies and rice, dessert. Barb and Brian went all out and ordered the expanded menu with a fish/shellfish app and some Wagyu beef crepe thing. But we figured we would be fine with the price tag of US$170 each (not including beverages, my ginger ale was US$7!).

The chef arrived, introduced himself, and began. We expected the knife wielding, sake-squirting performance of such restaurants at home, and thank goodness we were very pleasantly surprised. The chef was a true artist. Everything he did was artfully done and presented. And the food! It was amazing. The beef was as fabulous as we had heard. Steve had the sirloin and Cathy had the filet. The chef also had a big chunk of beef fat, which he cut up in little pieces and cooked until crispy. We wondered about that…and then he cooked the vegetables in it! Amazing flavor. We had little cups of sauces to go with everything but nothing needed sauce or salt. Steve and Cathy shared a cold sake and it arrived in an ice filled glass beaker with little glasses and a fresh cherry blossom garnish. Everything was just incredible, down to the last detail. And over the chef’s shoulder we could see the skyline of the city. The entire experience was so memorable. It was worth every penny! ]

After the meal, a couple of us head for the outdoor terrace to take pictures of our ship and the brightly lit ferris wheel across the harbor. (By the way, thank you to Brian O’Dell for letting me use some of your pictures)

Checking the time, we decide that we had better hoof it back to the ship as we do not know how complicated it will be if we don’t make the 10:00pm closing time.  We drop down to the lobby, find our way to the other elevator just in time.

We are in Kobe, Japan and have just eaten Kobe Beef.  And with good friends in a beautiful restaurant on the 14^thfloor of a hotel overlooking Kobe Harbor.  What a special evening.  It’s back to the room for a good night’s sleep.  More fun tomorrow in Kobe.