NEW YEAR’S WORSHIP AT SHIMOGAMO SHRINE (下鴨神社), Kyoto (京都), Japan
We slept briefly after our night visits of Yasaka and Heian Shrine. On New Year’s Day, we checked out our hotel room, early in the morning, stored our luggage at the lockers of Kyoto Station, and took the metro for our Hatsumōde (初詣, First Shrine Visit) at Shimogamo Shrine (下鴨神社). Before our 2pm Haruka Express train to the Kansai Airport, we had the entire morning for our New Year worship. As one of the oldest shrine in the city and a World Heritage site, we longed for a visit to Shimogamo Shrine since our first Kyoto trip. Going for Hatsumōde is perhaps the best moment to visit Shimogamo, experiencing the 6th century complex at its fullest. We approached the shrine from the southern gate of Tadasu-no-Mori Forest (糺の森), a peaceful urban forest park north of the fork of Kamo River. Before reaching the shrine, we made a detour in the park to Kawai-jinja Shrine (河合神社), the shrine for beauty and guardian angel of women. One of the most remarkable features of Kawai-jinja were their unique mirror shaped Kagami-ema, (絵馬, wooden plaques for making wishes).
We continued to head north on the main approach (表参道). Before reaching the second torii gate, we slowed down as we passed by the colourful festival stalls, keeping in mind which stalls to check out after visiting the shrine. Beyond the torii gate, we were captivated by the scent and smoke from the bonfire at the forecourt. It could be the physical warmth, the scent of firewood, or the symbolic purification of our soul, somehow the bonfire had made a great welcoming feature for the crowds. Inside the shrine’s main courtyard, twelve posters were posted up at the central pavilion to guide worshipers which altar to go to according to one’s lunar zodiac animal. After checking the posters, we entered the inner courtyard where crowds of worshipers queued up in front of each altar. We paid respect at our corresponding altars, and returned to the main courtyard to photograph the lovely decorations for the Year of Rabbit. At the east side of the complex stood Mitarai-sha Shrine, along with the sacred stream Mitarashi (御手洗川) and the shallow Mitarashi Ike Pond where dozens of worshipers were soaking their omikuji (御御籤) fortune papers in the water. We watched for a few minutes and went ahead to put our fortune papers into the water. Japanese text began to emerge in a minute or two. Thanks for Goggle Translate, we could get a sense of what the messages were about. Ours didn’t sound as good as we were hoping for. Instead of taking the paper home, we tied them on a rope right by the shrine.
Before leaving Shimogamo, we bought a set of Hama-ya (破魔矢, a lucky charm that looks like a traditional arrow to fight off evil spirits) to take home. Outside the main gate Rōmon (楼門), an even longer queue had formed as more worshipers were arriving for Hatsumōde. We walked by the bonfire one last time and let the smoke to touch our faces. Back to the forest main path, we stopped by two festival stalls for quick snacks. At a vegetable stall, we picked up a few fresh local produces to bring back to Hong Kong. After an eventful night and morning shrine visits, we once again returned to the Kamo River for one last glimpse of the tranquil scenery before returning to Kyoto Station by metro. Once we sat down at our seats on the Hello Kitty HARUKA Express, we couldn’t help but to revisit photos of our eventful trip. From Kinosaki Onsen to temple hopping in the ancient capital, our Kyoto Trip 2022 would certainly stand out as a uniquely festive encounter of Japan.
TRADITIONAL CELEBRATIONS ON NEW YEAR’S EVE, Kyoto (京都), Japan
To take part in Japan’s traditional New Year celebrations was the main reason why we selected Kyoto as our destination in the first place. For the locals, traditional celebrations usually involve New Year dinner with family on Ōmisoka (Last Day of Year, 大晦日) and visits to temples and shrines on the New Year’s Day. Our celebration officially began as soon as we returned to Central Kyoto from Arashiyama and found ourselves at the food hall of Takashimaya Department Store (高島屋). Apparently, grabbing ready-made Osechi ryori (traditional New Year food, 御節料理), sushi, tempura and other cooked dishes from a department store is quite popular among the locals on New Year’s Eve. We battled hard to reach different food counters and queued for ages at the cashier. Many locals would also queue at soba shops for a meal of Toshikoshi soba (year-crossing soba, 年越し蕎麦). We thought of visiting the renowned soba restaurant Honke Owariya, but didn’t have the time for the queue and only managed to buy some of their raw noodles to bring back home. From traditional tea shops, we also bought home Obukucha (大福茶) (fortune tea), which would be drank in the first few days of the year.
After dinner at our hotel room, we rested a little and headed out again. The plan was to check out Joya-no-Kane at Chion-in Temple (知恩院). Joya-no-Kane (Sacred New Year’s Bell Ringing, 除夜の鐘) is a Buddhist ceremony by ringing the temple bell 108 times on the night of New Year’s Eve, and by doing so to get rid of evil desires and impurities of our soul. The ceremony would be performed at a number of Buddhist temples, but the one at Chion-in Temple is by far the most famous and hence the most crowded. Many said the queue would be long, and would probably take 2 hours of queuing in order to reach the temple bells at around midnight. To our disappointment, we soon found out at the temple gate that due to pandemic rules all ceremony participants had to make a reservation weeks ahead. Like many foreign tourists, we were unable to enter. So we opted for our Plan B: to check out Okera Mairi (をけら詣り), another popular event at Yasaka-jinja Shrine (八坂神社).
Okera Mairi (をけら詣り) is a late night festival at Yasaka-jinja Shrine where medicinal herbs would be set ablaze to generate an iconic fire. The fire is said to remove worshiper’s negative energy from the previous year. Most visitors would “bring” the flame home by taking with them a lit bamboo rope. To keep the good fortune home, the fire from the lit bamboo rope can be used to either cook a Zōni soup or light a candle. At the very least, the extinguished bamboo rope can be brought home as an amulet to protect against fire, and that was exactly what we did. Apart from the fire ritual, checking out the colourful snacks and souvenir stalls offered us a delightful way to end the year. After Yasaka-jinja Shrine, we headed north to Heian Shrine (平安神宮), another shrine popular with festival fair and Hatsumōde (First Shrine Visit of the New Year, 初詣). At Heian, we paid respect at the main shrine and went into a large hall to enjoy a cup of Amazake (fermented rice alcohol, 甘酒).
OKOCHI SANSO GARDEN (大河内山荘), Arashiyama (嵐山), Kyoto (京都), Japan
Continuing our journey of garden strolling, we exited Sogenchi Garden via the back door of Tenryū-ji, walked through the Bamboo Grove and arrived at Okochi Sanso, the garden villa of former actor Denjiro Okochi (大河内 傳次郎, 1898-1962). Famous for playing roles such as samurai in Jidaigeki (時代劇, Period Drama), a genre of films and plays set in the Edo Period, Denjiro Okochi was an admirer of Japanese heritage. Construction of his traditional garden began from 1900’s with Jibutsudo, a small Buddhist shrine. Over the years, other buildings were erected according to the actor’s needs for meditation and rejuvenation of his creative mind. So what exactly was needed to nurture an actor’s soul? For Denjiro Okochi, that would be a living lodge, a Buddhist shrine, a tea house, a hilltop pavilion overlooking Kyoto, and 2 hectares of Japanese gardens. After his death in 1962, his wife continued to manage the villa and decided to open the garden to the public. Thanks to her decision, we were able to visit the garden six decades after the death of Denjiro Okochi.
From Chūmon Gate, we followed a sign that led us to the Daijōkaku (大乗閣), the main house where Denjiro Okochi’s bedroom used to be. Raised from the ground, the building was an elegant example of traditional Japanese dwelling. We then followed another sign to Jibutsudo Temple (持仏堂), the first structure built by Denjiro Okochi for Buddhist worship. Not opened to visitors, the wooden structure stood as a spendid feature in a Zen garden. A narrow winding path on a carpet of yellow moss led us to Tekisuian (滴水庵), a cabin from the Meiji Period (1868-1911) which Denjiro relocated to the current spot in 1932 to serve as his tea house. At the garden’s highest point stood Moon Light Pavilion (月下亭), a traditional gazebo offering fantastic views of distant mountains and the city of Kyoto. The view was quite a pleasant surprise for us. Before leaving the garden, we stopped by the communal tea house for a cup of matcha, and Myokoan (妙香庵), a veranda building which offer visitors a quiet space for copying sutra and meditating in a Zen garden.
A 700-YEAR-OLD POND IN TENRYU-JI (天龍寺), Arashiyama (嵐山), Kyoto (京都), Japan
In the 14th century, Zen master Muso Soseki designed the magnificent Sogenchi Teien (Sogenchi Garden) with the concept of shakkei, “borrowing” scenery of nearby mountains as backdrop for his strolling pond. 700 years later, little has changed to the pond, its rocks or its background mountains. Sogenchi Pond (曹源池) remains as the main feature in Tenryū-ji (天龍寺), a UNESCO World Heritage site that should be on the itinerary for every first-time visitor to Arashiyama. As the leading institution of Kyoto’s Five Mountains, Tenryū-ji is one of the most important Zen Buddhist temples in Kyoto, second only to Nanzen-ji Temple. Like many other Zen gardens in Japan, Tenryū-ji was designed for both strolling around and appreciating from the building’s veranda. At the ticket office, we bought tickets for both the temple buildings and gardens. Once inside the complex, we soon found out that no matter we were in the buildings or gardens, the Sogenchi Pond would always be the focal point. We were among the first group of visitors. Before the temple ground got too busy, we spent considerable time just sitting on the veranda of Daihojo (Large Hojo or Ceremonial Hall) or on the tatami floor of the Kohojo (Small Hojo or Reception Hall) to appreciate the pond scenery. In the gardens, we strolled along the water to check out the colourful koi fish, and contemplate upon the lovely reflections of rocks and trees. And then there were the lovely timber walkway that led to Tahoden or Hall of Many Treasures, exquisite paintings of Bodhidharma (達磨) and Unryuzu Cloud Dragons, bamboo groves and mossy rocks, delightful wishing pond with frog sculptures and Kannon bodhisattva statue…
GOLDEN RIVER & LUSH BAMBOO, Arashiyama (嵐山), Kyoto (京都), Japan
Below the western hills of Kyoto lies one of the city’s most popular tourist designations, Arashiyama (嵐山). On the very last day of 2022, we get up at dawn to catch an early bus from Downtown Kyoto to Arashiyama. Despite the early hours, the bus was already half full with foreign tourists. After half an hour of bus ride, we get off at the bank of Katsura River (桂川) just a stone throw away from Togetsukyo Bridge (渡月橋). First built in 836, the current bridge was erected in 1934 with concrete structure and cypress balustrades. Under the morning sun, Togetsukyo Bridge appeared under a golden glow against the backdrop of Arashiyama Mountains, where just weeks ago must be covered with fiery autumn colours. Despite the modern structure, walking on the iconic bridge still provoked a sense of entering the scenery of a traditional Japanese painting.
Leaving Togetsukyo Bridge behind, we ventured north and entered the ground of Tenryu-ji (天龍寺). Time was still too early to visit the World Heritage temple, and we found our way to the temple’s back door, where one of the most iconic sight of Kyoto was just around the corner. Along with the golden pavilion of Kinkaku-ji, autumn foliage of Kiyomizu-dera, and red torii gates of Fushimi Inari Taisha, the lush green Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (嵐山竹林) has become a symbol of Kyoto, especially in the age of Instagram. It was 7:50am when we entered the grove, and already there were plenty of tourists scattered on the shaded path. It didn’t take long for us to reach the end of the grove, where a small group of visitors were trying to get the perfect selfies in the lush green tunnel of soaring bamboo.
Having taken enough bamboo photos, it was time for us to grab some breakfast. We passed by a cafe housed in a charming historical building with a stunning thatch roof. Named Bread, Espresso and Arashiyama Garden (嵐山庭園), the lovely cafe was too popular that we were scared away by the long queue of tourists. Back near the Togetsukyo Bridge, we decided to queue for a cup of coffee at % ARABICA. Designed by Tokyo design studio PUDDLE in 2015, the sleek glass pavilion of white bar counters and cool sliding doors is an attraction in its own right.
FLOWERS OF KYOTO & DENIM OF OSAKA, Japan
In Downtown Kyoto, behind the commercial blocks on Karasuma-dori (烏丸通り) stands a hexagonal temple structure. Erected long before the surrounding buildings, Chōhō-ji (頂法寺), which commonly known as Rokkaku-dō (六角堂) – the Hexagonal Hall, was hidden from plain sight along the main street. We walked by the area several times but didn’t notice its presence until the morning when we returned from Higashiyama. Rokkaku-dō is loved by the locals not only for its 800-years of history, but also for the heritage of Ikebana or kadō (華道), the traditional art of flower arrangement dated back for centuries. In 538 AD, Buddhism was introduced into Japan. Instead of causally placing flowers in a vase upon the Buddhist altar, the Japanese took one step further by giving series considerations on the floral arrangement. Early flower arrangement emerged from an effort to place offering flowers in a proper and upright position. Throughout centuries, it further developed into an elegant way of living, an attitude attentive to details, and had become one of the three classical arts of Japan. Ikenobō (池坊), the biggest and oldest school of ikebana, is based at Rokkaku-dō since the 15th century. Ikenobō began when the 12th abbot of the temple created a method of flower arrangement as an offering to Kannon, the goddess of mercy at the temple. That’s why Rokkaku-dō is considered as the birthplace of Ikebana. We heard there is also the Ikebana Museum and Ikenobo Headquarters nearby, but we just spent time wandering in the temple garden and taking in the spiritual ambience that nurtures the development of a traditional art.
In the afternoon, we took a break from temples and shrines by hopping on a train to Osaka. We specifically wanted to check out the denim stores of the Osaka Five. In the postwar years, American influence was evident in many aspects in Japanese life, from food to film, music to fashion. Against the economic boom in the 1970’s and 1980’s, the pursuit of a rebellious youth and spirit of Americana was popular in Japan. As a symbol of freedom and rebellion since the days of James Dean, high quality jeans from America found a growing demand in Japan. However, high quality denim products gradually became rare in America since 1970’s when the denim industry shifted to mass production on projectile looms. Despite of the gradual drop of quality, a small group of denim enthusiasts continued to bring high quality denim into Japan by introducing vintage denim from America. And when vintage became too expensive and rare, they decided to reinvent heirloom denim in Japan that combined the traditions of American denim with local dyeing and weaving techniques and attention to details. Known as the Osaka Five, namely Studio d’Artisan, Full Count, Warehouse & Co, Denime, and Evisu, this small group of enthusiasts branched out into five small companies based in Osaka. Not only did they transformed the denim scene for Japan, but also reintroduce their take on selvedge denim to the world. During our time in Osaka, We ended up spending most of the time at Studio d’Artisan in Minamihorie (南堀江), and a nearby store that carried Full Count. By the time we reached Warehouse & Co, shops were beginning to close their doors due to the New Year’s holiday.
MORNING STROLL IN HIGASHIYAMA (東山), Kyoto (京都), Japan
Morning walks before breakfast have become our most enjoyable way to appreciate a city. With no specific destination in mind, we intuitively made a right turn from our hotel at Shijo-Karasuma (四条烏丸). We basically had two things in mind: to follow the beautiful sunlight with our cameras and to find for a restaurant for breakfast. Our walk first took us to Bukkō-ji Temple (佛光寺) where we still very much want to check out the lovely D&Department shop and cafe. Under the golden sunlight, we crossed Kamo River and soon found ourselves arriving at Higashiyama (東山区), the hugely popular tourist neighborhood where centuries old temples, timber pagodas, and stone paved alleys have defined the image of Kyoto. It wasn’t our intent to revisit Higashiyama, where we based ourselves for five days during our 2016’s Kyoto visit. But since we were at the door step anyway, we wouldn’t mind to take a brief stroll. Just reopened its borders after lifting pandemic restrictions, Kyoto’s tourist scenes in December 2022 had yet fully recovered. In early morning, we could even enjoy moments of peace while walking between Ninenzaka (二年坂) and Sannenzaka (三年坂), whose stone paved alleys are often packed with tourist groups all year round. We slowly walked uphill towards the iconic Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺), photographing interesting street details along the way. As shop owners prepared to open their doors, arriving tourist groups began to gather in front of Niomon Gate (仁王門). We didn’t enter the temple, but instead walked downhill to quietly find our way to Cafe Segan.
Blue Lapis Road 