Matsuyama Part II: Claustrophobia and Ojiisan Guides

This is the second half of my spring break trip, for part one read here! The second night in the Hostel we ventured down to the kitchen area to socialize and eat our gourmet convenience store dinners. Talking with the owner about things to do around the area he told us about an interesting hike that passes through a bamboo forest, some old Buddhist shrines eventually leading to an underpass and temple.

View from the top of the hill.

     Naturally this sounded like an adventure I'd want to pursue, so the next morning map in hand we left in search of the trail. We passed the designated landmarks he had kindly circled for us on a map, a shrine, a parking lot, large tennis courts. This all seemed relatively suburban, well maintained and almost quaint like we'd stumbled upon some type of country club. However as the tennis courts faded into the background the population started to dwindle, rice paddies replaced roads, large stalks of bamboo the tiny geometric houses, and the monotone whine of the cicada the rush of passing cars. When we had all but been engulfed in the bamboo forest and long winding road peaking through the overgrowth was forever smiling face of a Buddha. 

Fancy meetin' you here Buddha.

     I wondered why they would just leave a Buddha statue in the middle of nowhere. Was he welcoming passing cars into town? Was the decrepit stair case beside him that led to nowhere some metaphor? I didn't know all I knew was that as we continued down the road more and more decrepit, weather worn statues popped out between the bamboo.  They'd hang over the road with their twisted and missing limbs, plaster flaking off to reveal wire skeletons and inner workings. A small bridge led to off to the side and we decided to follow it. It opened into one of the most interesting shrines I've ever seen. Hundreds of carved faces greeted us, all starring up at the beaming golden mandala in the shrine's center.

     I had never seen anything like it and no signs in Japanese or English were around to describe it. Just a small and aged shrine in the middle of a long dusty road. It gave the whole area an eerie aura like i'd just wandered into someones own back yard. Or if I touched something I wasn't supposed to the carved faces might turn angry.

     Off to the corner was a large statue of the starving Buddha, incense burning at his crossed legs. and further down as I left the shrine and began to explore the area around it, decrepit statues peaked out between the overgrowth. It was beautiful, creepy, chilling, and wonderful all at the same time.

     However Japan has a way of showing me my own limitations, abilities and in this case, heart crippling and irrational phobias. ^.^" As we left the shrine and continued our hike we found an "under pass" or at least that's what it said in Japanese. And also what the hostel owner had told us.

Just an under pass

An under pass from Hell.

     We entered the "under pass" and were greeting by pitch darkness. No light flickered in the cave walls (lets stop pretending it's just an under pass now!) only the glowing sun from the entrance revealed a line of tiny red capped Buddhas snaked down the middle of the passage.

The infamous entrance to the "underpass"

As we journeyed further into the tunnel the walls grew thinner until they opened up into a large inner chamber.

What I expected to see in this chamber was another chubby smiling Buddha. What stared back and my friends and I  however were four snarling statues of anthropomorphic demons. 

Their back drop? 

Murals depicting the Buddhist rendition of Hell.

And let me tell you from the looks of it, Buddhist Hell is no picnic.

No smiles to be found.

     It was probably a few minutes after that that my claustrophobic, superstitious and sometimes highly irrational mind had had all it could take. I couldn't stand to be in the cave any longer, whether it was the weight of the statues' twisted and gnarled stares or the ground above my head something struck a down right primal cord within me. And as we walked to the end of the cave (okay I ran)  it was like we'd resurfaced, returned from some backwards and foreign place no human was supposed to set foot in.

     It was a side of Buddhism that shocked me, as it most likely was intended to. And as I tried to steady my shaking hands and wipe tears off my face I thought for a moment how something that I assumed was so peace-minded could enact from me such an intense reaction.

I regained my composure, with the help of my friends (who I had thoroughly embarrassed myself in front of) and took in my new surroundings. We had surfaced in the middle of an old temple. And in the spring sunshine I could hear the whine of cicadas mixing with the low hum of a Buddhist monk's chants and smell the comforting aroma of burning incense and age.

We explored and found an entire wall of origami cranes in various sizes and colors pouring down like cascading rainbows. A room in which  lanterns, bird houses, and dials grew from the ceiling  intermixing with talismans and colored curtains lining the entrance in sun-bleached shades of purple, red, yellow and green. 

     And in the middle of the Temple grounds was an old man with a bicycle who as I came down the steps smiled at me like he had known me my entire life, if not before.

And then he spoke to me in quick and mumbled Japanese, 

"Good Afternoon. Where are you from?"

      He asked us where we were headed and when he learned of our plans (to have Hanami in the near by park) escorted us all the way there all the while pushing his bicycle along besides us making polite conversation.

     Once we arrived in the park we said our good bye's and thank you's and I watch him and his bicycle fade away around the corner.

Call me a romantic or say I have a slight inclination towards sappiness but in that small series of events something happened. I was reminded in the wonderful dichotomy of the world. Everything is double sided and there cannot be "good" without the "frightening." My trip through the cave showed that we cannot be reborn without facing the consequences, challenges and wounds of our pasts.  It was my entire internal, emotional and physical struggle with my adventure in Japan personified. And as I sat with my friends drinking cheap beer underneath the sakura trees I felt a sudden and well deserved swell of pride and gratitude. Like I said before Japan has a way of showing me my limitations I never knew I had.

And consistently showing me ways to over come them.

Matsuyama Part I: Castles and Cherry Blossoms

While other students were going to Korea, Taiwan, Tokyo and Okinawa for spring break I decided to go to good old Matsuyama. Was it because I heard the raving reviews about Matsuyama's fabulous tourist attractions? Not particularly Was there white sandy beaches and tropical weather that might rival Hawaii? Nope Was it because the flight to Matsuyama was the cheapest place to go to? Yes. 100% yes. In fact many of my Japanese friends here in Osaka didn't really even know where Matsuyama was! Matsuyama is in fact located on Shikoku Island in Ehime prefecture. Its a small little city (in Japanese standards) with it's major attractions being the famous Dogo Onsen and Matsuyama Castle. I was a little worried upon my arrival in Matsuyama, staying there for three days I wondered if there would be enough to do in this small little bedroom town. However I was surprised by not only the beauty of the town but the down-to-earth nature of the people. 

When we arrived in Matsuyama, checked into our hostel (which was gorgeous by the way, if you ever need a place to stay in the area check out Sen Guesthouse) we were greeted by the first hints of spring. The weather was sunny and cool and the cherry blossoms were almost at peak bloom.  Right off the bat we decided to check out Matsuyama Castle built in 1603. There are a couple ways to get to the castle, walking, by cable car or ropeway.  Walking up the side of the mountain at that moment didn't seem like a great idea to me, neither did sitting in a cable car with a bunch of other tourist.   Nope I opted for the ropeway. 

Matsuyama Castle via the questionable ropeway.

A single plastic chair all but hung on a wire rope. It was probably totally safe, I mean I am still alive and well after the fact. But at the time the gentle swaying of my chair every time the wind so much as subtly breezed by me was less than comforting. 

The view from the castle

After making it to the top (and thanking sweet Jesus for land and reliable steal wires) we were greeted by a whole spread of blossoming sakura trees and a miraculous view of the whole city. Looking out over the blue tinged mountains, the clustered building roof tops, and the far distant sea was breathtaking and a refreshing change of pace from the skyscraper dotted horizon of Osaka.

Me and the view. After this everyone took picture in the same spot.
Look at me being a trend setter and all that.

Before entering the castle we took a short break and bought some ice cream to eat under the trees while looking out at the view.  I bought a flavor that I thought slightly strange but absolutely fitting for the occasion, Sakura. What could cherry blossom flavored ice cream possibly taste like? Cherries? I thought when I was handed a large swirling mass of pink, that kinda looked like frozen Pepto-Bismal. (I'm doing such a great job of making that sound appetizing aren't I?) When I tasted it however I was pleasantly surprised it tasted well, very Japanese. And thankfully not at all like indigestion medicine but more of a mixture of mochi with a faint floral taste. 

After the ice cream break we hit up the castle. It was like straight out of those old samurai films, small closed off chambers, large wooden beams, arrow slits in the walls, and one rather image breaking element, stairs from hell. Seriously how did anyone get around when your stairs were placed at a 90 degree angle? It was like I needed climbing gear just to get to the second floor! Had to tell the old lady behind me to hold her horses while I hooked up my carabiner.

On the subject of old women however, (smooth transition huh?) Japanese Obaasans (Grandmas) are not to be taken lightly. They will mow you down, and many a time have I been on the receiving end of their quarterback sacks. While I was mentally preparing myself and giving a pep talk to my leg muscles I was bypassed by a horde of Obaasans casually hiking up the stairs like they were walking on a sidewalk. 

They even beat me to the top.

Obaasans: 1  Danya: 0

I need to get on their level.

Cat Cafes: RonRon and the Special Hat

For all of you who didn't know a couple months ago I visited an Owl Cafe, so to keep with the theme of strange cafes in Japan going I thought I'd venture into a Cat cafe! While in Matsuyama for spring break, we were casually walking down Okaido, an outdoor mall similar to Shinsaibashi when all of a sudden I spied this wonderful little sign. And of course out of a sense of vicarious duty to those back home I simply had to go in.  It was for you guys really, I clearly put your interests before my own.

Look at those apple cheeks, they really know how to pull you in.

We entered up a steep set of stairs and after telling the shop owner how many people we had we were given a card with our time on it (you get one hour generally) and ordered our drinks. I was surprised that they had more drink options than the owl cafe. Caramel Macchiato, Cafe O' Le, Cafe Mocha, various teas along with cappuccinos and espressos. There was about five cats in the room when we entered, a couple of couches, book cases filled with manga, a kotasu, and blankets for people to use. An over all cozy atmosphere with a lighthearted Studio Ghibli piano soundtrack playing in the background.

 It was peaceful, just your average cafe with slightly more cat hair than normal.  However, this normality lasted for all of about fifteen minutes. The owner was a very unique fellow. Now there are times in our lives when we must fess up and admit that our side hobbies and leisure activities have spiraled down that strange, strange abyss called obsession.  And when you wear a cat suit, you've gone too far. That's right, a straight off the Broadway stage catsuit. Now unfortunately (or fortunately) the owner didn't dawn his feline alter ego in our presence. But pictures speak a thousand words. Plastered on the walls along with the names, genders, and ages of all the cats was select photos of the owner with his cats in his catsuit. But hey what you do in your spare time, is your own business right? Maybe it's just a sales pitch, something to stir up some more business? I can't condemn a man to the abysmal label of crazy cat lover without more viable proof now can I? Proof there shall be!  Slowly over the period of our hour the shop owner would pop in with more and more cats, small cats, big cats, smushed faced cats, genetically mutated dwarf cats, etc. He brought in so many, each time telling us their names and a fun fact about them, that the room became crowded with them.

But it didn't stop there, He brought out special toys, special food, special boxes for the cats to sit in, even special outfits. And lastly, the crown jewel, the special hat. We thought  it couldn't get much weirder than cat clothes and cat suits. But suddenly the owner came back in the room brandishing what he coined, "the special hat."

He's getting real tired of your crap Catsuit guy. Real tired.

It was special alright.

I think my case is made here.

Crazy Cat guy or not, the owner really did make our experience more enjoyable. His passion for his cats and business helped break down the language barrier and kept our hour filled with excitement. I really recommend anyone visiting Matsuyama to stop by RonRon Cafe, and see it for yourselves. It really was a purrfect experience. 

 Come on, did you really think I'd go through this whole post without at least one poorly made cat pun?

Nara: Todaiji Temple and Killer Deer

      I had been planning a trip to Nara the first week I arrived in Japan. And time after time, weekend after weekend something has always come up, whether it be  lack of funds, the weather, or change of plans it seemed like going to Nara was a distant deer filled fantasy. However, the opportunity came when I was invited to tag along with my friend over spring break!

     I'm from  Upstate New York, where seeing a deer out in the open alone is an excitement so being up close and personal with about over a hundred friendly deer was endlessly fun for me. We took a bus right from Nara station to Nara park, though it turned out it was only like a 10 minute walk away. The park is about medium sized, there's benches, vendors, and the two museums filled with Buddhist art and ancient artifacts. 

My friend and her minions




Oh and over a hundred hungry deer.

     I had been warned. My Japanese professor had told our class about the over zealousness of the deer, I've heard the stories of old obaachans getting knocked over or children getting bitten. But when I looked into those cute black eyes did I believe any of those horror stories?  Nope, not one bit. In my innocence I joyfully bought some crackers and fed the herd of deer that flocked around me, took numerous deer filled selfies, snapped up close pictures, and just when I thought I was safe....they attacked.

Yeah they definitely did bite.

My friend and I had sat down to eat some green tea flavored ice cream on the curb. Things where looking good, no deer seemed to be interested in us, the ice cream was delicious, weather not too hot or too cold. A group of young Japanese kids walked by all laughing at a small deer that followed them. They stopped for a moment in front of us petting the deer and trying to take pictures.  Much to our misfortune, the moment the deer found out they were cracker-less he turned his ravenously hungry eyes on us. And in the process somehow summoned about six of his friends. We were bum-rushed  and mugged by deer like an episode of when animals attack. And worst of all, they stole my ice cream. Jerks.

Do not be deceived this is the face of evil

After the theft of my ice cream I had spied a pleasant looking old lady selling baked yams. The sign had read 200 yen, or so I thought. As the lady grabbed and wrapped my yam she asked not for a reasonable 200 yen I had already waiting and ready, but for 800 yen. For all of you who don't know me personally, I'm extremely cheap when it comes to my own money. That's an 8 dollar yam right there. You know what I can get for 8 dollars? A whole set meal, two medium Starbucks coffees, a days worth of train fare, reasonable things. Not a side street baked yam in a brown paper bag. But if you also know me personally you know that I have a horrible habit of not wanting to complicate situations. And this often means I say Yes when I really mean Hell No. So I begrudgingly handed over 800 yen and took my yam.

Post deer mugging photo

But besides over priced yams and being bullied by a four legged animals, Nara was beautiful. We had gotten to most of the temples fairly later in the day so towards sun down it seemed like we were the only people in the area. Although the major sections of Todaiji Temple were closed, we were free to walk around and take pictures without the hundreds of  temple goers. 

Main Gate of Todaiji Temple

     All the temples and shrines I've visited in Japan have had their own ethereal qualities, but Todaiji at dusk was not only the most evocative but the most other worldly place I've been to thus far. There's something about the shear size of the grounds that magnifies your singularity. Something about the worn faces of the Buddha and other statues that makes you feel like a bleep on the radar but at the same moment makes you feel entirely connected.

     It's a hard feeling to put to words, but as I ran my fingers over the wooden railings, large stone pillars and listened to the soft rustling of the budding sakura trees around me I felt in every respect, full. Of greatness, of potential, of thanks, and of a vague but growing sense that this is where I should be at the moment. I was always a person who thought that I knew myself and yet I'm constantly discovering new parts of me.

There's a proverb I learned recently in Japanese, "いのなかのかわずたいかいをしらず" or The frog in the well knows not of the great ocean. I never want to be that frog, trapped stuck in a well never knowing of what lay outside of me. And as I looked out at the skyline of Nara I think of all the ups and downs I've had in Japan. The questionings of my own abilities, the funny and awkward stories I've collected, and the people I've met and I am nothing less than eager to experience more of it. There's moments when I think I'm getting greedy, overwhelmed by this ocean outside of my well.

Happy exploring everyone!

Climbing The Steps of Fushimi Inari

           A couple weeks ago I journeyed to Kyoto to visit the Fushimi Inari Shrine. If you've seen Memoirs of a Geisha than this shrine might be familiar to you. And if you haven't, then you probably have no idea what the heck I'm talking about. Let's remedy that!

This is the scene where a young Sayuri is running through the torii gates at Fushimi Inari 

    The Fushimi Inari Shrine is dedicated to Inari the goddess of prosperity, rice, and industry. She also happens to be the patron deity of merchants and farmers. You can say that she's rather popular, the Fushimi Inari Shrine alone has more than 32,000 sub-shrines throughout Japan.

Main Gate at Fushimi Inari

     When I visited it was a perfect day sunny and cool like the autumn weather back home. And I can say that from the moment we arrived to Fushimi Inari station it was like stepping back in time. Almost every temple I've visited thus far has had this aura of the past but in Fushimi Inari the air was different.

The 狐 (fox) messengers of Inari

     Maybe it was the size, the small stolen glances of  the Miko and priests between the shrine doors, a quick flash of a red hakama, or the distant echo of a Buddhist chant, or the snarling faces of a hundred foxes jaws lulling open. Or perhaps it was it's utter foreignness to me, not only in language but in customs, practices, and religion. Everything was tainted by my distance with an air of mystery.  

As we climbed the orange torii gates wound up the side of the mountain and the light seeping in from the gaps made it seem like I was walking in the fiery belly of an old and giant snake.  The whole way up an underlying tranquility pervaded everything and in its infectious and almost jarring nature I found myself stopping and attempting to cast out my senses. Running fingers over the cold stone of shrines, the shined and sometimes splintered wood of the gates, hearing the dull gong and high twinkle of temple bells, and breathing in deep the heady mixture of temple incense and mountain air. It seemed like we were all propelled forward, old and young, singular and in groups. Feet moving of their own accord, stair after stair in a destination-less procession up the mountain.

     Small individual shrines sat in clusters on the edge of the main trail, like villages for the tiny foxes that guarded them. At times when I was snapping pictures it almost felt like they were watching me, hungry with their open mouths and tiny snake silted eyes. Waiting to gobble up offerings and prayers and in return grant prosperity. 

And as I reached the top and saw the last shrine surrounded by a hundred mirrored miniatures, I felt a near chill. Like I had walked into to an abandoned city, undisturbed and uninvited. Still, I felt draw there, drawn to put a hundred yen coin in the mouth of the kitsune and grab for myself a piece of good fortune. Climbing the steps of Fushimi Inari one realizes what it takes to receive prosperity, repetition, motivation and an audacity to disturb something in yourself that you never have before.

Osaka Adventures: Owl Cafe フクロの店

       You've all probably heard something about the animal themed cafes here in Japan. But before I came to Japan  I had found a Buzzfeed article, about Owl Cafes. The article had mentioned that there was one in Osaka. And it was right at that moment that I made the decision, I would not leave Japan until I found one! And find one I did. 
Well, maybe I didn't find it....
Maybe I got lost for a couple hours, gave up and happened to pass it on my walk of shame back to the station.
...Just maybe
     But don't worry if you're planning on a visit, the cafe is relatively easy to find (I just have the directional sense of a piece of toast). Take the Keihan train line to Tenmabashi Station, find the shopping district (a whole line of stores you can't miss it) and go straight!

You'll find a cute little shop like this!

     However, word to the wise walking straight into the shop lifting those white curtains and blinding all the owls isn't the best way to go about making an appointment. Simply open the door a little, yell "すみません” and a staff member will come and help you outside. Thankfully they also have an English menu, which explains the rules of the cafe and how to interact with the owls on the front. After a brief explanation your hour with owls begin!

     The owls differ depending on when you go, there were four owls total we were able to hold and pet. Besides  these ones, near the back of the cafe you can see other owls and take pictures next to them.  The shop owners are very friendly and will gladly take a picture for you, help you with the owls and tell you about them. Some of the smaller owls you can even have sit on your head (I passed on that one)!

This big boy was in the center of the room for everyone to visit with and pet

     Over all it was a nice time and experience, it isn't too pricey and would be a fun brunch outing. I'm not sure what kooky themed cafe I'll be hitting up next. I've heard that they have penguin bars in Japan. The search may begin yet again.

Living the dream.

Osaka Adventures: Shinsaibashi 心斎橋

           I can't say this enough: Kansai Gaidai is located in an awesome spot. Being literally an hour to an hour and a half train ride from a number of places means that my weekends are jammed packed with exploration. For my first official weekend since school a bunch of friends and I decided to check out Shinsaibashi. 

     Shinsaibashi is a shopping district in Osaka. It spans on for blocks in an open air mall type fashion, filled with food stalls, clothing shops, Pachinko parlors, and the like. They also have all the high class name brand stores like Gucci, Chanel, Armani, Dolce&Gabbana, and Versace (not that I could even afford to window shop in  any of those stores). There is also a ton of arcades, restaurants, clothing shops, shoe stores, electronics, and even massage parlors and palm readers. If you cant find a store dedicated to what you want in Shinsaibashi than it probably doesn't exist! .   

The Famous Glico Man in Dōtonbori

For me, the whole experience was a tad bit overwhelming. My senses buzzed with different stimuli, the bells and whistles of the Pachinko machines, the calls from vendors, glowing sign after glowing sign. My head spinning between taking in my surroundings and watching where I was going, trying many times unsuccessfully to not bump into the masses of other shoppers. We went into various shops, from fashionable clothing stores, 100 yen shops, to the ground floor of Tsutaya, covered with Manga and Anime merchandise. We also found a three story arcade with Purikura!
     For all of you who don't know, Purikura is a Japanese photo booth, that "enhances" your face while allowing you to add a variety of effects. They are really fun but the end result...can be a little shocking. For example, Purikura turned me into soul sucking void of uber cuteness (look into those cold empty eyes...look at them).

I am what nightmares are made of.

          Besides discovering my ability to be horrifyingly cute, I tried for the first time the Japanese's take on pizza. I am not a fan of pizza in the States (I know completely unamerican right?) so I had my doubts about Shakey's, an all you can eat pizza buffet akin to Cici's or Little Caesar's. However, their pizza was great! Who knew squid on pizza could taste so good? But my greatest discovery, a marvelous hidden gem deserving of the highest praises was dessert pizza. I could see a line slowly start to form at the buffet station, people hovering and grabbing returning with plates full of a strange looking thing. My friend kindly grabbed me a slice before they ran out and what followed after my first bite was a series of simultaneous epiphanies. 
Why didn't anyone think of this before? 
Why aren't there dessert pizzas on every menu in America? 
Plastered on billboards,
 Given on birthdays, holidays and anniversaries.
Covered in the morning section of the daily news!  
     Maybe I'm overstating here, because if you put dark chocolate and strawberries on anything you can be sure I will devour it.  Seriously America, dessert pizza. Look into it.

Isn't she pretty?

     For those who love shopping in any form, Shinsaibashi is the place to visit. As the day came to a close the streets got even more crowded.  People standing in groups, people passing out night club, karaoke, and food advertisements, and bustling in and out of stores. As I weaved my way in between the masses, past girls with their hair meticulously sculpted, and guys lighting up cigarettes smoke billowing above their heads in the cold. I felt a little lost and yet at ease, that I was just another face passing swiftly unrecognized amongst the idle chatter and city lights.