Story of Kyoto and Kobe

Hello once again, everyone! Due to the long period of time since my previous posts, I decided to follow the most recent one up with another shortly afterward. In this post, I'll be talking about trips that I took earlier in the semester to Kyoto and Kobe!

The trip to Kyoto was sponsored by Kansai Gaidai as a part of their Experience Japan Program, giving students and opportunity to visit various areas in Japan as a part of groups. When I went to visit Kyoto, it was with a very small group composed of a friend, my speaking partner, and her friend. It was also my first time using the train system in Japan (and my second time on a train, ever) so it was very exciting!

Taking a picture of friends taking a picture on the train to Kyoto.

The ride was fairly smooth, though I was a bit intimidated by the speed of the train in motion. When we arrived in Kyoto, I was surprised by how beautiful the area was! The specific area that we visited was a fairly urban area with interestingly-style buildings, built near the famous Kamo River, looking a bit like New York City with a slight rural touch.

A view from a walkway near the Kamo River, in Kyoto.

After exploring the area's shopping districts for a short while, which consisted of various department stores and other shops, we stopped by a local okonomiyaki (a savory food created from flour and ingredients, often described as being like a vegetable pancake and literally meaning "what you like, fried") shop to have dinner, and it was delicious! I ordered a pork okonomiyaki, and we all shared some of the other choices, such as ika (squid), cheese and roe, and yakisoba (stir-fried noodles). The okonomiyaki shop had a very rustic and somewhat nostalgic feeling somewhat like old diners or steakhouses in America, with some old and very interesting advertisements posted on the walls.

Advertisements for Met's Cola and Kirin Beer on the walls.

Though I never learned its name, we also visited an old temple that was built in one of the now-more urban areas of Kyoto, my first time seeing a temple in Japan. It was a very beautiful place, with the various things one would usually see - statues, hanging decorations unique to the temple, and a place to wash one's hands outside the temple. It was interesting as a cultural experience to see for one's self what it looked like, and the care that was taken to preserve the place.

The inside of a temple in Kyoto.

Finally, it was time to leave Kyoto, though it felt a bit sad to do so - It was a very interesting place, one to which I have not had a chance to return due to my schedule (though I would certainly like to someday).

One last picture in Kyoto before returning to Hirakata-shi.

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Several weeks after leaving Kyoto, I went with some other friends to Kobe, the area of Japan known across the world for its famous beef. It was a bit surprising to me when I actually saw it, since the descriptions I had heard from others usually seemed to make it seem as though it were a small or otherwise rural town - it was definitely well-developed, and home to various large buildings and businesses.

In front of Sannomiya Station, upon arriving in the area.

The first place we visited upon our arrival was an area known as Nankin-machi, a China-town style area which was home to various decorations and stalls selling items particular to the China-town style, such as ramen stalls, places to buy meat-filled buns, and so on. The food was delicious, and the sights were very interesting! Statues of figures in the Chinese Zodiac surrounded a gazebo where patrons sat and enjoyed foods prepared in a Chinese style.

A gazebo in the central area of Nankin-machi, a Japanese China-town.

The area of Nankin-machi also featured various references to famous martial artists famous in China such as Bruce Lee, with statues and various products featuring his likeness within the area.

A statue of Bruce Lee in Nankin-machi.

As we explored more of the area of Kobe, we also came across a section which was home to a large number of European-style houses which were built many years in the past, standing in contrast to the rest of the buildings yet beautiful in their construction. For those who are familiar with the visual novel and anime series Fate/stay Night, it was also home to the building whose filtered image was used for the house of Tohsaka Rin. Mainly, it was interesting to see such a literal example of how Western culture stood among the residents of Japan, especially how similar it was - in some ways - to regular old homes one might see in America or Europe.

A Western-style house in Nankin-machi.

Before leaving to return to Hirakata-shi, my friends and I stopped by a local Starbucks Coffee, where I ordered a Matcha (Japanese green tea) Latte. We had a lot of fun, and made sure to make some good memories before we left!

Silliness ensues at Starbucks, as picture-taking commences.

When it was all over, I once again returned to Hirakata-shi, satisfied with the experience and even more excited to be living in Japan! While I knew that classes would make things more busy in the weeks to come, it was definitely nice to be able to take a break and enjoy time with great friends!

That's all for today's second post, and I hope you all enjoyed it! The next post will come relatively soon, so keep an eye out as ever for Kansai Gaidai Stories!