Thứ Tư, 24 tháng 9, 2008

The Ultimate Kyoto Experience -- Renting the Eco-House Machiya



Some travelers can't do without the familiar comfort of four star Western hotels wherever they go, while another type of travelers strive for farmhouse villas in Tuscany or cave dwellings in Cappadocia. If you consider yourself among the latter, then you may well consider renting yourself a traditional Machiya (Japanese Townhouse) when you travel to Kyoto.

What's so special about staying in a Machiya? A Machiya is a prototypical Japanese wooden dwelling typified by a raised Tatami-mat floor suspended in mid-air, with sliding Shoji room-dividers inside, and intricate wooden lattice windows and doors at the exterior. Greatly reduced in number by fire and redevelopment over the past decades, by year 2006 the number of Machiya's remaining within the City of Kyoto had dwindled down to 24000. If you're an adventurous cultural tourist, now is a good time to sample this gradually vanishing traditional way of life.



Kyoto Eco-House Machiya is a pilot project run by a grass-root, non-profit group of volunteers to raise awareness for the preservation and revitalization of the city's traditional townhouses. Since July 2000 it's been welcoming artists looking for inspiration and travelers yearning for the most authentic lodging, right at the centre of Kyoto.

It is NOT designed to be a tourist's rental apartment -- instead it's meant to provide an authentic exposure for anyone wishing to experience life in a Machiya as a resident of the old Kyoto. IF YOU'RE A CLEAN FREAK, YOU CAN STOP READING NOW. But for adventurous tourists, there's no better way to live and breathe-in the ancient capital -- authentic Japanese architecture, conveniently located at 5-minute walking distance from a subway and JR train station, and costing less than 5000 yen (CAD$50) per night for two people.



So how does the rental process work? The simplest way is to go to their official webpage, read their English instructions, then fill in their inquiry/email form. It's a volunteer organization after all, so expect long delays on replies (a few weeks is not unusual, based on my experience). And at its incredibly cheap rental price, also expect it to be fully booked a few months ahead, especially during the summer and Autumn high seasons.

After confirming that our desired dates were available, we then agreed on a time to meet. At our proposed meeting time arrived the friendly Sano-san (so friendly that later he went totally out of the way and drove us 20 minutes to our next sightseeing spot). Upon arrival we were given a tour of the house, instructions on using the facilities (Air-con and Kotatsu!), and an extremely detailed English User's Guide written by a former occupant (see pictures below). We received one set of keys, which we simply dropped off at a certain secret location upon checkout. For the next few days, the Machiya, and thus this incredibly foreign and yet familiar way of life, was entirely our own to explore.



Kyoto Eco-House Machiya from the outside -- a beautifully aged, authentic little Machiya in the classical Kyoto peasantry tradition. The bright signages ("Mitsubishi Radio Television" and "National Lamp"!) brings a certain nostalgic 1950's look to the house, and the stone Tanuki statue at the front dates from the Meiji Era (at least a century old) according to Sano-san. Of course there's also the quintessential feature of all Japanese townhouses -- a wooden Koshi lattice, this one colored in the traditional ocher red. It may look slightly dilapidating, but that's also part of the charm.

Note the bottom edge of the lattice outside is also the base of the Tatami flooring inside. The wooden structure is suspended atop a few independent pieces of foundation stones, with wooden beams placed horizontally on the stones to act as the house's bottom frame. Tatami flooring and room dividers subsequently go on top, and the end result is the typical Machiya structure with a tatami-mat floor suspending in mid air, which is critical for the purpose of improving air-flow and preventing wood decay in Japan's humid summertime.



Here's what I remember of the floor plan, for those of you seriously considering renting the Machiya for your vacation. This is what the Japanese call a "2K" (two rooms plus a kitchen) floor plan, with the main room measuring 4.5 Tatami-mats and comfortably sleeping two people. Japanese household necessities are basically all included -- a fully functional kitchen, western-style toilet and bath, air-conditioner, TV and radio, a garden veranda for those starry nights, and a Kotatsu (low table with heater) to huddle on a cold winter morning.



The bedroom is basic but well-equipped with an air-conditioner and a TV, and of course the quintessential Japanese sliding doors opening out to the garden. Pillows, blankets and futon mattresses are all provided, stored away in the storage closet in the daytime. The 4.5 Tatami-mat size is enough to lay out beddings for two people plus some extra space for the low table.



A typical Fusama sliding door separates the bedroom from the front room known as Mise, which in the old days could be used as a store-front. Everything in the room is as authentically Japanese as it gets -- an antenna TV from the 80's, an alcove with a hanging picture, and earthen walls coated with a mud-and-straw plaster mixture.



The closets and cabinets of the Mise room provides the Machiya with some much needed storage space. At the bottom left of the picture sits the Kotatsu, a blanket-covered wooden table with a built-in heater, which we didn't use since we stayed during the summer. This is where we always had our home-cooked breakfast before heading out to explore Kyoto.



A classic scene in any Japanese townhouse, with the wooden lattice door providing a beautiful balance of light and shadow. Also note a valuable tool for this Machiya's occupants in the foreground -- a couple of old but perfectly working bicycles for exploring the neighborhood and bringing back groceries. Once you learn your way around the block on a bike, you're now fully immersed into the Japanese lifestyle.



A small fridge sits outside the kitchen -- not a full-size family fridge, but perfect for breakfast meats, juices and chilling Sake.

The builder of this house followed a typical Machiya floorplan know as Unagi-no-Nedoko (Eel's Bed), aptly nicknamed for its narrow width and relatively longer depth. In the old days the government collected property taxes based on the frontage of the house, so this type of layout grew in popularity as a simple matter of tax avoidance.



While the entire right side of the house had the Tatami-mat covering a raised floor, the left side contained a narrow strip of unfloored space known as the Doma, stretching from the front entrance space (Genkan) through the kitchen to the garden at the back.

The chaotic little kitchen is said to be over 90 years old. Haphazard-looking and confusing at first glance, we gradually found it surprisingly well-equipped with a gas stove, toaster oven, rice cooker, microwave, and of course pots, pans, kitchen utensils, cleaning supplies, and everything else we needed to cook and serve meals.



The kitchen sink itself was a rare antique -- a long, slightly slanting stone basin likely built as part of the original house construction. In case you're wondering about the plastic basin, yes this is where we hand-washed our clothes. There are also a couple of coin-laundry places nearby for larger items like the bedding sheets, should you plan for a longer stay.



The bathroom is what the Japanese call a "Unit Bath", which is basically a factory-molded module including the bathtub, sink, toilet and even the toilet-paper holder. But the really cool thing is the basket of body lotions, shampoos and toothpastes "donated" by all the previous occupants, which gives this whole project a warm human touch. We didn't add to the collection, but we bought interlocking plastic floormats for the bathroom. The author of the English User's Guide said it very well ... practice some Western pragmatism and throw out the expired items!



For a few days we had the fortuity to blend in as nameless residents of the ancient capital, hang-drying our clothes in the garden and cooking simple meals in our little kitchen. My only complaint was ... a few nights were way too short for one of life's simple pleasures.



As mentioned, one of the house's former occupants has written an excellent, highly detailed User's Guide to the Eco-House Machiya in English. Just look at the clarity and depth of the instructions for operating the remote control for the Air-con, and you should have no doubt that any English speaker should get settled in no time.



The User's Guide contains instructions for all aspects of making use of the house's equipments, the proper way of setting up Japanese beddings, hand-drawn maps of the neighborhood, where to take out the garbage on which day of the week, and various tips left by different occupants. We did our little part by contributing another local map with the locations of a couple of restaurants and coin-laundry places that we discovered.



Location-wise this is a really convenient place to settle down and explore Kyoto. A five minute walk to the Northwest brings you to the Nijo Station, a local transportation hub with a JR train station, a subway station, popular City Bus routes such as #206 (to Kyoto Station) and #15 (to Higashiyama), and the Kyoto Bus route #72 (to Saga and Arashiyama). And if you arrive from other parts of Japan (eg.Tokyo) by JR trains, you just pay for your trip to Kyoto and the short trip from Kyoto Station to Nijo Station is free. The same applies in the opposite direction.



And in terms of living convenience, there's a huge 100-yen store (Daiso) just one minute walking distance to the South, a shopping mall three minutes to the East, and a large supermarket five minutes to the North. For foodies there are a few Izakaya and Sushi-ya, and for the frugal, the MOS Burger and Nakau fastfood outlets are located next to the train station.

If you've already booked your stay and are wondering how to find the house, just follow the red arrows on the above map, starting from the West Exit of the train station (JR Nijo Station). The numbers inside the Red Dots correspond to the photos below:



(1) Exit the JR Nijo Station on the West side, and you'll be facing the BIVI shopping centre on your left. Walk towards the far edge of the BIVI (in the direction of the blue truck).



(2) At the end of the BIVI, turn left. You're now heading south, down the West side of BIVI, and you'll be surrounded by parked bikes on the sides.



(3) As you reach the end of the building, carefully look for the narrow entrance of the little street on the opposite side of the road. See that 7-Eleven advertisement on the centre-right of the picture? The entrance to the street is just to the right of the advertisement.



(4) Walk down that little street -- now you're heading west inside a typical residential area, with neighborhood garages and coffee shops along the way.



(5) Keep walking for one more minute, and you'll be nearing the end of the block. On your left you'll see a tobacco shop (named Kimuraya) with a couple of vending machines at the front. Just before the tobacco shop you'll see the entrance to a little lane.



(6) This is what the entrance to the lane looks like, with vending machines on the right side. Don't buy drinks from this vending machine though -- there's a cheaper (100 yen) one just around the street corner to right of this picture. Anyway, now walk down this lane.



Finally, Kyoto Eco-house Machiya will be on your right, less than 20 steps down the lane. The whole trip from the train station takes less than 5 minutes.


MORE INFO -- FROM THE ANONYMOUS AUTHOR OF THE USER'S GUIDE!

The whole Eco-House experience keeps getting more warm and more human. The anonymous author who hand-wrote the English User's Guide to the Eco-House Machiya has left me a couple of messages, loaded with excellent tips for future visitors. If you're planning to visit, you have to read this ...

Written by the Anonymous Author:

It's a wonderful place and I am so grateful for being able to stay there. I could not have afforded to stay in Kyoto without it being there. It gives one some privacy which is such a relief when traveling and the ability to sink into a local scene escaping foreign voices and attitudes in hostel type accommodation.

I hope those folks that do find there way there honor all that. Your practical directions and clear documentation complete 'the kit' for non-Japanese speakers, otherwise it is pretty impossible to find.

New regulations in Japan mean that new houses have to be so far apart and the streets wide enough for emergency vehicles to get down. My understanding is that the plot the old house is on is just too small to build a new house on.

For folks who have not been there, it is just a gravel lane between other mainly old machiya-type townhouse at present. Perhaps one day the landlord will be able to sell off all the land and it be developed, so do not expect the project to last forever. Its one of those little miracles kept running by goodwill alone.

Although he looks quite hippie, Sano-san, who comes to greet you, is a local priest. The place also gets used for day parties and events. Its tenants are a broad selection from across society and yet they all seem to respect it.

Each time we go back, someone has bought or left something else, fixed this or that, cleaned up here or there and so, somehow, it all keeps working.

Thankfully, there is not much evidence of slackers wrecking the place. Its helps that the Japanese, who are by far the largest proportion of users, are clean and have a social conscience.

If anyone make it to the Eco-house, there is a large "100 Yen shop" on the main street just around the corner that is open until 25:00 hours (no typo there, they must work 25 hour days explaining Japan increased productivity) where you can buy household and kitchen products. Someone needs to replace the slippers we bought a year ago!

One of the other larger machiyas, Paul has pictured, just around from the station has become a very attractive trendy coffeehouse where you can pick up a wifi internet signal. Next door to it, there is a no frills, community-run cafe which giving work to handicapped folk that does simple, hearty but cheap meals.

Food in Kyoto is generally great but I especially recommend the eat-as-much-as-you-like lunchtime buffets at Obanzai, just off Oike-Dori,

http://www.happycow.net/reviews.php?id=83

Better link ... Obanzai is family cooking style.

http://tamakikat.blogspot.com/2008/09/obanzai-restaurant-kyoto.html

Thứ Ba, 16 tháng 9, 2008

Northwest Kyoto's Hidden Gems


This article is a tribute to my favorite area of Kyoto, abound with breathtaking sights and yet amazingly disproportionate in terms of tourist numbers. If it's ever possible to find an oasis of peace within the beaten paths of Kyoto, this would be my top pick.



If you've never heard of the areas of Saga or Oku-Saga, you're not alone -- chances are it has very little or no coverage in your guidebook. Local photographers hail the vicinities as a mecca for Koyo (autumn foliage) in mid-late November, with amazing traditional sceneries and relatively fewer tourists to get in the way of a good picture. In any other season, you'll encounter the occasional Kyoto-ite families on day-excursion, but that's about it. No huge multi-national armies of tourists until you complete the hour-long leisurely walk back to Arashiyama.



So what's stopping all the Western tourists? The main issue is the logistical question of HOW TO GET THERE AND BACK, but hopefully it won't be a problem for you since I will try to give some decent directions below. Assuming that transportation is no problem, you can now read the rest of this article and decide for yourself whether a visit to Oku-Saga is worth your time.

If you get off the bus like we did, you'll arrive at the front entrance of Otagi Nenbutsuji. This ancient temple was last rebuilt in the 13th Century in Northeastern Kyoto and moved to its present location in the 1920's, but its fame is mostly owing to a much more recent creation ...



Kawaii (cute) or Kowai (scary)? The temple complex was covered by a carpet of little humorous Rakan statues, spreadout over the entire hillside. If you've ever wondered how THE SMURFS would look in Japanese, this is the closest I've ever seen. Actually my wife found them somewhat creepy as all they do is to look at you and smile.



Semi-covered in moss and ancient-looking nowadays, creation of the Rakans actually started in 1981 when the dilapidating temple called out to its followers to hand-craft and donate 500 stone statues in order to revive the temple. The call was met with enthusiastic responses all over the country and the number of statues reached 1200 by the early 1990's. Today Otagi Nenbutsuji calls itself the "Temple of 1200 Rakans", but I doubt if even the temple itself knows the exact number. Walking around the temple grounds it really felt like being surrounded by a thousand little smiling gnomes with untelling intention.



The Rakans were mostly carved by amateurs under the instruction of the late Nishimura Kocho, who was the head of the temple and also a master sculptor and professor at Tokyo University of the Arts. As the statues came from so many different donors, each Rakan has his own unique design with a facial expression or body gesture.

There were adult Rakans, child Rakans, blank-faced, contented, serious, ecstatic, dancing, drinking, with the positive side of human-nature being the general theme. With the Japanese society's fixation on everything Kawaii, it's no wonder that Otagi Nenbutsuji has been successfully restaged as a star attraction of the Saga area.



Inside one of the temple's little halls you'll find this "Fire Prevention" Jizo statue dating from Heian Period (8th to 12th Century). As Japanese buildings are traditionally built entirely of wood, fire hazards has been a paramount concern throughout the entire history of Kyoto. To this day the temple still holds a veneration for the Jizo on the 24th of each month.



We came across this little bell pavilion as we were climbing the stairs to the upper part of the temple grounds. But instead of the typical humongous bronze bell, there were these three smaller bells painted in gold and bearing the inscriptions of "Buddha", "Dharma", and "Monk". It was a quiet day and we seemed to be the only visitors at the temple, and we just couldn't resist the fun of ringing one of these bells.

As we struck one of the bells a couple times with the wooden hammer, the quick and light footsteps of a resident monk came down the stairs. The young monk in grey robes walked into the pavilion and bowed to us, then with one hand in prayer position and another grabbing the hammer, he struck all three bells in clockwise order in quick succession. So now we know -- each bell sounds a different key and we're supposed to strike a harmonious chord with all three ringing at the same time. I wonder if the monk was really just "passing by" ...



This is really a top quality attraction IMHO, a one-of-a-kind sight you won't easily find anywhere else in Japan. And if you enjoy taking pictures in your travels, it's just impossible not to come back with interesting photos when surrounded by such a foreign yet familiar display of human emotions.

Official Website: http://www.otagiji.org
Address: Kyoto-shi Ukyo-ku Saga-Toriimoto Fukayamachi 2-5
Hours: 08:00 - 17:00 Daily (according to official site)
Admission: 300 yen (Aug 2008)
Directions: See general travel directions at bottom of article



Exiting the Otagi temple and just a couple hundred metres to the south, the hiking path opens up into an old village with a row of thatched roof houses under a bright red Torii gate. This is the famous scenic area known as Saga-Toriimoto, and the traditional heart of the Oku-Saga (inner Saga District).



The Saga District had been used as an open cemetery by Kyoto residents since time immemorial, and up to recent times this has been the boundary where the periphery of Kyoto meets the countryside beyond. The modern village still retains a mixture of wooden latticed, tile roofed townhouses, and the simpler, thatched roofed farmhouses. For its preservation of traditional townscape, the immediate area surrounding the Torii gate (Saga-Toriimoto) has been designated as one of the four Traditional Structure Conservation Districts with the City of Kyoto, which places it on the same level of cultural and aesthetic importance as the famous Gion and Sanneizaka. Considering the 1200-year-old history of Kyoto, this is no small recognition.



The Torii gate is simply named Ichi-no-Torii, as it is the "First Torii" to greet a pilgrim on his hike up the Otagi Hill en route to the hilltop shrine. The thatched roof houses are mostly upscale Kaiseki restaurants that has been serving top Kyoto-cuisine at this remote mountain-side for the past 400 years. Historically this was the location where the local Ayu (sweetfish) fishermen filled their buckets with fresh oxygenated water before transporting the live catch into the Imperial Palace in central Kyoto, and today this is still the place for fresh wild-caught Ayu -- if you're willing to pay top money for it.



I did find out what the prices were at one of these restaurants. Tsutaya served a summer-special 7-course lunch centering around Ayu at 10000 yen (CAD$100), and the price range for set lunches started no less than 8000 yen and went all the way up to 15000 yen. In other words, sadly way out of my budget.



There IS a cheaper option if you just want the pleasure of a traditional snack under the serene surroundings of the thatched roofs. Hiranoya, the restaurant/teahouse next to the Torii, serves a tea set with Dango rice-flour balls and salted cherry blossom flavored tea for 840 yen.



Further down the street stands a row of traditional Machiya townhouses, one of which has been renovated and converted into the Saga-Toriimoto Town Conservation Museum (my translation). This is part of the City of Kyoto's effort to revitalize old, deserted Machiya neighborhoods through preservation and effective renewal of usage, in this case preserving a prototypical Japanese style townhouse with raised Tatami floors, a facade with intricate wooden lattices (koshi) at the entrance and mullioned windows (mushiko) on the second floor.



The interior still displays some Meiji Era features such as an in-house water well, a horse stable, smoke vents, and a coal-burning earthen kitchen. Not a huge place, but admission is free so it's not a bad place to drop-in for a few photos. It's open everyday from 10:00 to 16:00 except Mondays and New Years holidays.

Another few minutes walk south of the Torii stands another temple complex with a somewhat familiar name -- the Adashino Nenbutsuji. This is the original "Nenbutsuji" in this area, before Otagi Nenbutsuji was moved here in 1922. If Otagi Nenbutsuji is supposed to display the playful, nonchalant side of the Japanese, then Adashino Nenbutsuji must be the deep, solemn side of the balance.



Approaching the centre of the temple you'll come across this sombre scene with thousands of stone stacks arranged in narrow rows. Each stack consists of one or more crude stone Buddhas originally belonging to a certain burial, some dating back over a thousand years. As we mentioned, this area was part of a huge open burial field since the 9th Century. Kyoto residents would bring their dead here, for open-air burial (ie.exposing the body to the elements) in the ancient times and earth burial in the latter centuries.



Watching over the random, nameless graves for a millenium, the weathered Buddhas were were later exhumed and collected into the temple. Today followers come and pay respect to the dead while tourists take in the extraordinary scene composed by the sheer number of stone stacks. And if you're really into dark solemn sights, for two evenings in late August the temple holds a candle-offering to the 8000 or so stone Buddhas in a ritual known as Sento-Kuyo ("Dedication of 1000 Lamps"). I've only seen pictures and that looks downright eerie.



There's also a less macabre reason to visit Adashino Nenbutsuji -- towards the back of the temple there is a remarkably well-tended footpath winding through a towering bamboo grove. This may look familiar if you've been to the neighboring district of Arashiyama, whose bustling bamboo path is probably the most famous in Japan. But in Arashiyama it's almost impossible to enjoy a quiet walk in solitude, or to get a clear photo without fellow tourists inside the frame. Here you pay the 500 yen (CAD$5) admission to see the stone Buddhas, and get the bamboo grove as a bonus. This works well for peace seekers like us.



There's just an indescribable, minimalist beauty in the air when surrounded by the greenery on all sides, especially with the crackling sound of huge 50-feet-tall bamboos bending under the wind. Ever watched "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" and the bamboo grove fight sequence? This is it -- a giant wall of breathtaking green in tranquil seclusion -- minus the masked assassins.

In other words, undisturbed serenity. And that, is precisely what Arashiyama lacks.

Official Website: http://www.nenbutsuji.jp
Address: Kyoto-shi Ukyo-ku Saga-Toriimoto Adashino-cho 17
Hours: 09:00 - 16:30 Daily (according to official site)
Admission: 500 yen (Aug 2008)
Directions: See general travel directions at bottom of article




Outside the Adashino temple the street of Saga continues southward in the direction of Arashiyama. The neighborhood paths are still lined with antiquated residences and the odd noodle house catering to tourists and hikers. Every few blocks stands a confectionery stand serving Kusamochi ricecakes and tea under a large red umbrella. Women in kimonos occasionally grace the street corners where the Noren curtains of century-old shops drift in the wind.



Elegant little shops peek from their semi-concealed locations at the side of the road. I would have mistook this as someone's resident if I didn't see the small store sign, but it turned out to be a unique little shop selling handicraft art made from silkworm cocoons. Don't ask me what happens to the silkworms -- but the resulted artworks are quite funny and authentically Japanese, and certainly beats the generic dolls and plastic sushi you'll find elsewhere. Besides, they seat you down and serve you free tea and traditional candy, so it's not a bad place for a break.



I would have preferred an armpit-scratching ape, but my wife chose this pair of cuddly owls. If you're interested in browsing what's recently popular and available, you can go to their website in Japanese.



Some of the better preserved townhouses from the feudal era has been converted into souvenir shops. If it is any consolation to conservationists, at least the merchandises are mostly tasteful artistic creations such as hand-crafted pottery or bamboo tools. Here a pair of Daruma doll adorn the entrance of a store selling traditional Kyo-Yuzen textiles.



I love Tanuki figurines! As you probably know by now if you've been following the past articles. These human-sized statues here are much bigger than the ones typically found outside restaurants and Ryokans, and probably cost several hundred thousand yen.



These photos from our early summer visit may look peaceful and leisurely, but this whole area from Saga to Arashiyama gets fairly crowded during the Autumn foliage season in November, when the many temples dotting the countryside roads become packed with international tourists, professional photographers, and TV crews. The Jojakkoji temple in this picture is one such tourist spot that receives most of its visitors in November alone.



As we walked further south, we approached the Arashiyama area where the sights are somewhat randomly dispersed. Literature buffs would pay a visit to the Rakushisha ("house of fallen persimmons"), the former residence of some famous poet (actually a student of Haiku master Matsuo Basho).



If you're still wondering what the famous bamboo path of Arashiyama looks like, this is it -- again a long, well-maintained trail through a large grove of giant bamboos. Beautiful, but justifiably popular with domestic and foreign tourists. And almost impossible to get an unobstructed picture unless you arrive in the early morning or at dusk.



Right in the middle of the bamboo path stood a little shrine absolutely packed with worshippers, who all seemed to be lining up to touch a smooth black rock. That's the o-Kameishi ("Turtle Rock") of the Nonomiya shrine, and yes we did walk up and felt it, and yes it was very smooth from centuries of hand polishing.

This is almost the end of the walk. In case you're thinking what happened to the popular Arashiyama sights of Tenryuji temple and Togetsukyo bridge, yes we skipped them. We would have visited Tenryuji if it was Autumn Foliage season. And the Togetsukyo bridge -- when our bus passed by we saw the concrete bridge and its huge crowds and congested traffic, and we decided it's not worth our time. Sorry for being harsh.


SAMPLE ITINERARY

For readers' reference I've posted a sample itinerary very similar to what we did. A total of 9 temples, shrines and general spots of tourist interest are listed, but I'm only recommending those marked with *asterrisks*.

Kyoto Station --> take Kyoto Bus #72 (52 min, 270 yen) -->
Get off at Otagiji-mae --> see *Otagi Nenbutsuji* -->
5 min walk --> *Saga Torii-moto* --> 5 min walk -->
*Adashino Nenbutsuji* --> 10 min walk --> Gioji --> 7 min walk -->
Nizon-in -- 5 min walk --> Rakushisha --> 5 min walk -->
Jojakkoji --> 10 min walk --> Bamboo Path --> 5 min walk -->
Nonomiya Jinja --> 8 min walk --> *Tenryuji* --> 15 min walk -->
JR Saga-Arashiyama Station --> JR train (230 yen) -->
back to Kyoto Station

The entire walking distance is 75 minutes non-stop, and it took us more than 4 hours after a few temple visits, shopping, desserts, and occasionally simply chilling out and enjoying the view. Time well spent in my opinion, after all it took us 16 hours to fly to Japan.



After getting to Arashiyama we didn't head back to central Kyoto right away, and instead took the Sagano Scenic Railway for a short tour. Promoted on its brochures as the "Romantic Train", this is a narrow-guage diesel locomotive pulling five little semi-open carriages, tunneling through the steep gorges of the Hozu River. The scenery is supposed to be spectacular in the Autumn Foliage season, but we took it in May, and my verdict is that once is enough for me.



The endpoint of the little rail line arrived at Kameoka, where traditional narrow boats would take tourists through the rapids of the Hozu River and back to Arashiyama for 3900 yen (CAD$39). We didn't, and so we walked a few minutes to the JR Umahori Station and took the train all the way back to Kyoto Station for 320 yen (CAD$3.2).


DIRECTIONS:

Now here's the deal -- there's no subway station, JR station, or even City Bus service, which is probably why most Western guidebooks try to skim over this area. But there IS a regular bus service (#72) by the private Kyoto Bus company, which connects the Oku-Saga area to the main transportation hub of Kyoto Station. There's also another bus (#62) that connects to Sanjo-Keihan, right next to the tourist district of Gion.

Here is the easiest way to get to Oku-Saga, according to my experience:

- Go to the bus terminal outside Kyoto Station and find "Bus Stop C6" ("Basu Noriba C6" if you ask the locals)
- At this particular bus stop, take "Kyoto Bus #72"
- Tell the bus driver you want to get off at "Otagi-ji Mae", then sit close to the driver.
- After about an hour you'll get off right in front of Otagi Nenbutsuji temple

I think that's simple enough for even novice travelers. Just note that Kyoto Bus company is separate from the public City Bus system, so don't plan on using the City Bus Daypass. This trip cost 270 yen (CAD$2.7) in 2008 -- very cheap as far as bus fare in Japan goes.

The latest bus schedule is available only in Japanese at http://www.kyotobus.jp/, so I've written down the scheduled times currently as of Aug 2008. Bus #72 departs Kyoto Station at 07:40, 08:25, 08:56, 09:42, 10:27, 11:12, 11:57, 12:42, 13:27, 14:12, 14:57, 15:42, 16:27, 17:12, 17:57, 18:42 on weekdays, and with slightly increased frequencies on weekends and holidays. The bus trip takes approximately 52 minutes.

You can take the same bus (in opposite direction) on the way back, but I'd prefer taking a slow scenic stroll to Saga-Arashiyama station, roughly 75-minutes walking distance to the south, then take the JR train back to Kyoto Station for 230 yen (CAD$2.3).

Or if you've got time to spare, walk over to the Torokko Saga station of the Sagano Scenic Railway, and see if you can buy a ticket for the next train. If you do take the Torokko train, you'll end up near JR's Umahori station where you can take the train back to Kyoto.