02 May 2024

 

Kyoto

We offer a wide choice of cheap flights to Kyoto together with Kyoto hotels, tours and self-drive itineraries.

Cherie blossom special

For Cherie Lunghi, the magical meeting of past and future made Japan the gem she never realised was on her must - see list - and even the trees were in bloom.

Kyoto, Japan - Temple of the Golden Pavilion Kyoto, Japan - The city lights of Tokyo Kyoto, Japan - Peace cranes at Hiroshima

1 Temple of the Golden Pavilion 2 The city lights of Tokyo 3 Peace cranes at Hiroshima

JAPAN WAS NOT, I have to confess, high on my places to visit list. I thought it was too far. Yet the flight took half the time it takes to get to Australia. I thought it would be expensive but food and travel are far cheaper than in the UK.

And I feared the language barrier would be insurmountable. But a guide is provided on the nine-day tour I took – and most Japanese speak some English and will go out of their way to help.

First stop Tokyo, and welcome to the future! It’s a wonderland where every convenience from vending machines to public toilets displays the Japanese flair for gadgets and gizmos. I could wax lyrical about the toilets but won’t spoil the surprise.

Throughout subway carriages, small TV screens give you the daily news, sport and weather forecasts and, at the time of year I went, even a cherry blossom update.

It was springtime and across Japan from the south to the cooler north, fruit trees were blossoming like a pink Mexican wave. This was my first glimpse of how attuned to nature this outwardly materialistic society is. I began to understand this when on the first day we visited one of Japan’s oldest Shinto shrines.

Harmony of two worlds

Tosho-gu Shrine is a cluster of brightly coloured, intricately carved sacred buildings and home to ‘hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil’ monkeys. Shinto is Japan’s indigenous religion and worships nature.

Strolling around the ancient buildings among lofty pines, I appreciated that harmony between the man-made and the natural worlds.

Day two began with the Tokyo Tower, a Star Trek version of the Eiffel Tower in red steel with great views from 250 metres up.


We then popped into a traditional Japanese teahouse for the delicate tea ceremony, before visiting the enchanting Chinzanso Garden,with a 1,000-year-old pagoda at the centre. Lunch was ishiyaki, a feast of meat and vegetables sizzled on a hot lava rock.

During the afternoon we visited the imposing Imperial Palace, then took a river cruise. As night fell we headed for the dazzling neon of Ginza (‘Place where silver is minted’). The mint has long gone and nowadays much silver is spent on Dior, Chanel and Bulgari.

After such a full day, you can, like us, reward yourselves with a cocktail and a fine dinner. You can try Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant on the 28th floor of the Conrad Hotel, or the Mai Japanese restaurant at the Westin. Or bask in contemporary luxury at the new Mandarin Hotel.

Ancient capital

Day three and we headed for the Hakone National Park, a picturesque region of cedar forests and lakes. We saw the Open Air Sculpture Park exhibiting works by Moore, Rodin, Picasso and other luminaries, and a fine collection of Japanese art at the Narukawa Art Museum.

A cable car took us to Owakudani and a moonscape stained rust-red by minerals the mountain has oozed since it last erupted, 3,000 years ago.

The following day the Bullet Train whisked us to the ancient capital, Kyoto, where we spent a night in the old quarter of Gion in a traditional inn called a Ryokan, which feels like a doll’s house made of balsa wood and rice paper.

Here, we had our most authentic Japanese meal. I had a problem with the raw snail, and not wishing to offend, I discreetly slipped it into my handbag.

My companions and I ventured out into the lantern-lit lanes of Gion. To spot a Geisha girl is a thrill as they are so rare and come out only at night but we saw two.


Among the unforgettable sights was Kinkaku-ji, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion, coated with gold leaf and floating like a jewel in the centre of a lake. And the 13th Century Buddhist temple Sanjusangendo is equally impressive, housing 1,001 lifelike images of the god Kannon.

Reverence for nature

If you include Hiroshima in your tour, do see the Children’s Peace Monument, encircled by millions of multicoloured garlands of paper cranes made by schoolchildren from all over the world in the name of peace.

Our last stop was Osaka and a ferry to the serene Itsukushima Shrine with its huge red O-Tori (Grand Gate) standing knee deep in the sea. On the homeward crossing I remembered my Kyoto snail and buried him at sea.

Visitors can treat themselves to one last, extremely comfortable night at the Hotel Hankyu International in Osaka.

I was sad to leave. I would miss the delicacy and courtesy of this culture that embraces technology with such gusto, yet still preserves a reverence for nature.

This article was featured in the March 2007 DialAFlight magazine. All information was correct at time of going to print.

0330·100·2220i 0330 calls are included within inclusive minutes package on mobiles, otherwise standard rates apply. X 0330 calls are included within inclusive minutes package on mobiles, otherwise standard rates apply. X
 
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