Kyoto with Teenagers – Part 6 of 6
Some of the thoughts and special moments we had during the Kyoto excursion:
My teenagers mocked me praying at every temple we visited. They had never seen me pray before. I am not sure whether they fully understood what Buddhism, Shintoism and other religions mean to typical modern Japanese including myself. For the most part, Japanese respect the presence of some sort of a higher being. The way they interact with this higher being, however, is typically very personal and not socially organized. To me, these temples provide the opportunity for me to give thoughts to the higher being. Nothing less, and nothing more. The act of praying allows me to focus the thoughts.
My teenagers were constantly amazed by the bicyclists. The bicyclists pretty much own the streets there, and taxi cabs are constantly yielding to the bicyclists. My daughter, who wants to one day live in Japan, is now considering living in Kyoto and owning a bicycle to be one of her life’s goals. I would love for her to live there and perhaps go to school or teach English there. That would give me an excuse to visit Kyoto often.
My teenagers loved the Shinkyogoku shopping district and its vicinity. We went to UNIQLO and LOFT twice (and bought tons of reasonably priced clothes and a rather expensive suitcase). We walked up and down the Shinkyogoku mall.
My teenagers enjoyed shopping at convenience stores without me. They speak no Japanese and store keepers hardly speak any English. But since Kyoto receives so many foreign visitors, the store keepers are able to help clueless customers and my kids rather easily.
My teenagers were able to take the lead in selecting the bus routs thanks to the English bus rout map. Once we were on the bus, the multilingual announcements kept them well informed. Kyoto is absolutely the best place to visit in all of Japan for foreign tourists. The city has a very robust and extremely accomodating tourism infrastructure that is unlike any other place in Japan. I wish the city would do more to attract international conventions. Internationale convention organizers in Japan should be strongly encouraged to consider Kyoto over Tokyo or other cities.
Speaking of conventions, the ASLO meeting will be in Otsu which is just a short train ride from Kyoto next year. I am doing everything I can think of to get funds for me to go to this meeting.
Kakigori was enjoyed before we left the grounds.
Then we too the #59 city bus again to 
Then we hopped onto a little train to go toward downtown, had 
Other than the lack of WiFi, however, the stay there was enjoyable. Our room had an excellent view of the city (the first photo). There was a convenience store, Lawson, just down the street for inexpensive meals and snacks. My 16 year old reported that the gym was small but adequately equipped. And Nanzenji, one of the most important temples in Kyoto, is located just a few blocks away, providing a perfect excuse for a morning stroll or jog (the second photo).
The hotel has a shuttle bus that takes you to Kyoto Station. It lets you get off at the Sanjo-Keihan terminal which is a convenient stop for catching a city bus or to walk over a few blocks to the major shopping district. Some of the shops we enjoyed include 
The uphill pedestrian paths leading up to the temple are a part of the charm this temple has to offer. In fact, some of the most “quintessentially Kyoto” Kodak moments can be had on these paths. They are lined with souvenir shops selling mochi confections, Hello-Kitty key chains, traditional silk crafts and chinaware, as well as tiny cafes offering Kakigori (shaved ice) and soft serve. In fact, my teenagers were handily trapped well before they reached the temple by one of the tourist-trap cafes for some Kakigori.
The temple itself is also a huge tourist trap.
Many Japanese regard themselves as spiritual while not necessarily tied to any one specific religion. They simultaneously take advantage of various belief frameworks offered by different religions. The birth and healthy growth of children are often celebrated in the Shinto framework, while the majority of Japanese receive Buddhist funerals and burials. Meanwhile, the moral is taught overwhelmingly in the Buddhism-Shintoism-Confucianism hybrid context. So, in the typical Japanese manner, my teenagers and I tossed some yens into the offer box (Osaisenbako) and gave some hybrid thoughts.
So we dropped off our suitcases and went to the top floor of the station building where a dozen ramen noodle shops were gathered (i.e., “
My parents, kids and I took a late morning Hikari from Tokyo to Kyoto. Hikari is a “Shinkansen Super Express Bullet Train.” Another SSEBT, Nozomi, runs on the same track and is slightly faster. However, my parents wouldn’t be able to exercise their senior discount privilege on Nozomi, so we took Hikari.
There are vending machines for drinks on board. In addition, a salesperson comes around frequently with a cart full of food, candies and drinks. The prices are comparable to those found at the station kiosks.
Fuji-San appears on the right side windows rather unceremoniously during this ride. As someone who was born and raised in Tokyo, I am obliged to take a picture of Fuji-San when it appears. You know, we are just supposed to. My kids could care less, however. They wouldn’t have had time for my Fuji-San shpeel that would have involved the low viscosity of basaltic lava and three tectonic plates that meet at Fuji-San. Oh, well.
ウチの13歳女子、金曜日にガールスカウトキャンプを終えて帰ってきました。金曜日に迎えにいったときは、けっこう早めに行ったので、ほかの女の子たちまだたくさん残ってて、みんな名残惜しそうにウチの子にバイバイって言ってたのでちょっと安心。いちおうみんなと仲良く過ごせたようです。
Personal Space 