Trains
I don’t have strong opinions on most things in this world. For example, politics. Don’t care much. Sports. Eh. Human interaction. Take it or leave it.

But trains? I love me some trains. Whether it’s because they’re a rarity in the US, or such an easy way to travel long distances, or the clickity-clack of the wheels are relaxing, trains are my favorite mode of transportation.

Japan has no shortage of trains between their expansive metro, railway system, and most famously, their bullet train (or, Shinkansen). Their speediest car is the Nozomi 700. These odd-looking yet slender bad boys run surprisingly silently at speeds approaching 275 mph and yet you barely feel any movement. (Yes, physics geeks, at constant speed it’s impossible to feel anything; but even when speeding up/slowing down, this train feels remarkably motionless.)

We took the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto for the weekend, and for the entire 2-hour journey I was like a kid in a candy store. (A candy store that smelled like seaweed and fish, mind you.)

Just call me Sheldon.

Traditional Japan
Kyoto is the city to visit for a glimpse of ancient Japan. As the former capital, Kyoto is likely what people imagine when they think of the cultural side of this country, and it is filled with ancient temples and shrines and beautiful gardens. This city is also the perfect place to get a taste of how Japanese people used to live, by staying in a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn.

Here, everything is taken care of for you by people waiting on your every need. You simply lounge around in robes and drink tea, sleep on tatami mats, and enjoy hot spring baths (public though, where no underwear was allowed…ok, so only private baths for me then.)

Most impressively, you are treated to elegant Japanese haute cuisine (kaiseki) for dinner. However, what is haute cuisine for some is unusual cuisine for others. Colorful and perfectly prepared as each dish was of this 10-course meal, it appeared they were made only with raw fish parts. Each time a course was placed in front of us, we eagerly opened the little box hoping to find something familiar, but it never happened. Just cold, raw, unidentifiable pieces of something squishy that was just snatched from the ocean. Some were so fresh that a skilled veterinarian could have probably revived them. It was a very beautiful-looking and masterfully-prepared meal…but unfortunately, for us, not a tasty one.

Temple of 1000 Gates
We took a day hike at Fushimi Inari, one of the most popular shrines in Japan where the 4 km path up a mountainous forest was lined with thousands of bright red gates.

Geisha
Kyoto is home to Japan’s famous entertainment and geisha district. Before this trip I really had no idea what a geisha was…I just thought they were Japanese women who put on lots of makeup, wear kimonos, and write memoirs. I now finally learned who they really are.

First of all, they are not prostitutes. And they don’t sleep with their customers (a shame, because that immediately ruined many of my plans.) They are well-trained and very talented entertainers who liven up social situations. They dance, play games, offer witty conversation, and are skilled at playing Japanese musical instruments. Also, it takes years of training to become one.

Gion is the geisha district in Kyoto where they can often be spotted in the evenings walking on the streets, usually to or from an event. Tourists often hang out in this district at night trying to spot geishas, and we too went geisha hunting while we were here. One night we saw a taxi filled with them, their distinct hair style visible in the back seats. The second night we saw two young ones walking around, but they were probably maiko, geisha in training. We also went to a traditional dance performance, but were fooled…instead of a geisha we got a maiko.

I don’t know what was on her mind, but she sure looked angry the entire time. (Maybe she saw me accidentally (sort of) push over a large Eastern European woman so I could get myself a good seat. Oops.)