Yoshitsune's Foot step part 3 and Nagoya

And we were back in Osaka! The plan for today was to go to Kanazawa but since rain was on the forecast there, we decided instead to go to Nagoya. But first we were to stop at Fukushima station in Osaka to quickly see another Yoshitsune mark stone. The famous place where Yoshitsune said: "Nothing good can come from thinking of retreat before you even start. We shall fight just with oars at the stern of the boat."

So we set off and fallowed the direction according to what I had found out about the place. Now, I shall make a brief pause here to explain that unlike the rest of the world, Japan has a really different way to number houses. First you have the city. Osaka. Then the neighborhood: in this case Fukushima. Then you have the Chome... here 2 *which is the numerical subdivision of the neighborhood but which does not always fallow a numerical order in its placement.* Then you have another number which equals to the block in the chome. Here 2 as well. Then you have another number which would be the house number within the block, here 4. So the only information I had went as fallowed: Osaka, Fuhushima-ku, 2-2-4.

So  we got to the place I had marked on the map only to find out it was the wrong Chome!!! So we asked some construction workers and after looking it up on their GPS, pointed us in the right direction. Once we found the right Chome, we thought it would be easy to find the block, but no... we wondered around for about half and hour and had to ask a few people for direction. At the same moment, we magically happened to walk right by it!!! So we took a few pictures and that was it!

We then stopped by a small shop and had an Okonomiyaki top celebrate our victory!! We ordered a Kimchi Okonomiyaki! It was good but not as good as the ones we had had so far in Osaka.

Then we hoped on the Shinkansen and headed for Nagoya! We got there in about 1 hour and realized the weather was a LOT colder than in Osaka! So we stopped by Uniqlo to buy some warmer cloths. We also went to very big Daiso and ended up spending almost all afternoon shopping. Then we headed to the castle. We walked for about 1 hour, fallowing the map they gave us at the station, and NEVER found the damn castle!!!! We must have been really close by at one point because we could see tour bus, but with little time left before our train back home, we had to turn around and go back to the station! Overall Nagoya is Blah...... Just another big city... but very very very American. No charm. Expensive. And not for me.

Shimonoseki: Yoshitsune's Foot step part 2

The next morning, we once more got up early and headed to Shimonoseki on my Yoshitsune's foot step Odyssey. We had plan the outing well and the was no reason for which we should fail. Well...

We got to Shimonoseki is less than 30 minutes on the Shinkansen. Once at the station, we found the information booth and proceeded to ask direction. The over zealous clerk was so happy to see tourist that they started marking ALL attraction in the area. We had to explain to them that we were only here for a few hours (not a few weeks) and that we were only interested in Dan no ura. The disappointment on his face.... Anyway, he directed us toward a bus as it turned out we were still a good 30 minutes away from the historical point. A transit employed took care of us as we navigated through the city and the different bus change.

That's where the adventure began!! As we sat on the bus, we realized Marie and I had no change to pay for the fare. We only had a 10000 yen bill and a 5000 yen bill!!! The fare was about 260 yen each! we started panicking. We kept trying to explain that the transit employee but he kept saying "no problem, no problem". he obviously was not understand us!! So we showed him the bills and he understood!!! But to our rescue came and old old old lady!!! She had heard our conversation and assured us she had change for our 5000 yen bill! Thank's god for her!!! She really saved us!!!

Yoshitsune's Foot steps Part 1

I didn't mean it but I started my tracking down of Yoshitsune by the beginning of the story. But let's look back at yesterday's near disaster first.

Kyoto! Kyoto! Kyoto! As some of you might remember from my previous trip, this city always failed to impress me. It just doesn't do it for me. I will refer to it as the Disney land of temples. Just like the Vatican, it leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth. Oh! Sure it is beautiful. Full of historical site, cherry blossom, culture... but FAKE! FAKE! FAKE! Well, I shouldn't be too harsh here, definitively not as fake as Vegas.  Fake on a different level! Here, they sell you history! They don't allow you to appreciate it. They sell it to you, with a day pass, a lucky charm and an omiyage. Sure there is nothing wrong with that. So does the rest of Japan. But here to make the matter worst, try doing it while fraying your way amongst thousand of dumb tourists!! There you got it. A nightmare.

So that's how our day started. In the over zealous crowd of history-go-getter. We made our way to Nanzen-ji. Grand, beautiful... no different than the other 100 temples and shrines. We walked along the canal and enjoyed the Cherry Blossoms. Had a little Hanami of our own by the art gallery. By then I had enough. Time for me to head out of town. Somewhere far, somewhere still meaningful... Marie headed to the Gold temple (Which I had already visited on my first trip there). I jumped on the train to Mt. Kurama.

 

It took me about 30 minutes to reach Kurama station. From there I started an 1 hour hike up the mountain. It is hard to describe the hiking trail. There wasn't much to it except beautiful tall trees, bamboo and cherry blossoms. Along the path, many shrines or stone markers. The main temple, not the biggest, not the richest, not the most beautiful one of Japan. But from it front steps, you could enjoy one hell of a view over the surrounding area!!

 

The reason I wanted to go that far, was not only to get away from the tourists (did I forget to mention, that on my way there a saw but a handful of them) but to visit the site where Ushiwakamaru (Yoshitsune) grew up. That temple was the one where he was sent as a toddler to study.

 

At the main gate, after paying your 200 yen, you are given a map that marks all the important places along the path, including the water stream Yoshitsune drank from, the stone where he marked his height and the field where he learned his swordmanship skills.

After wondering for 2 hours around that holy site, I went back to Kyoto and met with my sister at Gojobashi (once more ignored by the tourists) where stands a stone scene of Yoshitsune and Benkei's mythical fight.

Yoshitsune's Footstep

View Yoshitsune Footstep in a larger map

There are only 4 days left before take off. I am growing ever more anxious. I hate flying. I am relieved that this time my flight is a direct one. No stop over, no long wait.
In the last few days, Marie and I have been working out the last details of the trip. First we will spend 2 days in Tokyo, then we will set up camp for 3 weeks in Osaka. From there we will explore the Kansai region, with a quick trip to Hiroshima, Kumamoto, Kanazawa and Hataka. Then we will go back to Tokyo for 3 days. We will go for 1 day to Takasaki and then we will change camp once more and move in with Ayu-chan's family in Chiba. Her father proposed to take us to Fukushima for 2 days and we are also planning a day trip to Kisarazu.

Now the interesting part of our trip is that I decided to visit as many places as possible connected to Yoshitsune. On the map, I listed a few places, obviously there are many more but these are the places I hope to visit (except Kamakura and Haraizumi) during my trip. If you are unsure who Yoshitsune is, check out this web site.

For those who asked, during our stay in Osaka,we will be staying at Banana House. I will try to post a review of the place once we get there.

I will be attending two concerts (Yoko's solo con in Osaka and Tokyo). Check back for concert report as well.