Day Nine - Kyoto

OK I have to update my blog fast, coz today's the let's-visit-all-the-popular-locations-in-one-go day. So I'm in a hurry now, so excuse my commentaries if they seem... uh... short.

Yesterday the weather was good and sunny...



...fully approved by my mom, of course!

I heard that the Nintendo's first HQ is in Uji, so we headed down there. I actually just wanted to go there and take a picture and that's it!, but we just found out that only the factory was there. We had to go somewhere else to see the HQ.

Oh well, since we're here, might as well walk around.



I dunno what the heck this is, but it looked cool anyways.



Check out my mom's pose. Looks like one of those Micheal Jackson spin dance moves.



My mom wanted to buy some scroll paintings. Just as we were talking about it, out popped a Japanese painting shop! To my mom's dismay, as you can see here, the scrolls usually cost 38,000 yen. That's about 1,300 ringgit! Eh, it's nice, but it ain't worth that much, especially for me.



There were various scroll paintings for sale, but all too expensive.



At least this cat is affordable enough!



This is a very nicely decorated shop, with a few surprises hanging here and there.



I actually didn't want to go in, but I... couldn't... resist... the cat's... invitation. Nya~ nya~.



This is my and my mom's favourite painting. Such simple lines, yet depicts something so strong and passionate.



Uji has a lot of shops selling green tea, coz green tea leaves in Japan were first planted here in Uji! We bought some green tea sachets and I bought some green tea cookies. (if ) is gonna have some brand new snacks!



Yup, there's even green tea ice cream.



Practically, you can merge whatever food item with green tea, as this menu suggests!



This is one of the World Heritage temples in Kyoto, called the Byodoin temple. But have to pay lah, and my mom wants more variety in her travels, not just temples after shrines after temples after shrines. We're gonna visit the two most famous temples today anyway!



This is the park in Uji. Very peaceful place. I bet there's a river beyond these steps, it just looks like that kind of place.



Up we go...



hah! I knew it! A river!



Isn't this the life you've always wanted?



This guy seems to be looking for a quick meal.



A boat sailing through the Uji river. And where there's a river as beautiful as this, there's a beautiful arch bridge that goes with it.



And yes, the daily pose! This time, it comes with a river and a bridge! Yatta!



Japan just love to make walkways with trees lined up so nicely like this. In anime, sometimes love confessions are made in this kind of place (but of course, it also normally fails due to some nicely timed distraction).



Woooh, I could stay here all day!



My god, what did you feed him, dude?!



Oh, another bridge, orange this time. This is near the boat rental place.



And this is the view from above the bridge.



Heh heh I love this picture... The composition of the Sakura blossoms, the pagoda, the mountain and the clouds... oh wait a minute... the weather doesn't look good.

Man, were we distracted or what! According to the information center in Uji, we had to go to Tokufuji train station to find the Nintendo HQ. Then the train counter lady mentioned that the HQ is actually near another station!

Once we reached the station, we went out into the unknown. No tourists were in sight, obviously.



Always wanted to take a picture of the rail crossing from the pedestrian's perspective. Again, becoz I saw it in anime and drama.



Dunno why, but it reminded me of a scene from Initial D the Movie. Luckily Jay Chow was not in sight.



Finally found it! Although reconstructed, this is where one of Nintendo's oldest office was built.



ok ok must show proof that I'm here.



Yea check out the year on the plaque! Of course the company was established way before that in 1889, creating playing cards and all. But hey, for a video gamer, 1954 is old enough for me! :D

After that, we took note of another HQ located "near" this one (no, mr. security guard, it was not near at all... the map you gave me was out of scale, man!). So off we went.



The map was a little confusing, so I really had to figure out where I was. As Nagano-san of our guest house mentioned to me when he saw this picture, I was half desperate and half hopeful (haha good one, Nagano-san!)



On the way, I saw this apartment. Nice pattern, with beautiful trees to boot.

Then... it started to rain! GAK! My poor mom, I dragged her all the way here just for my cause. Sorry Mama.

After that, we reached the place! My mom took shelter somewhere while I go around the building.



This is a newer branch of Nintendo in Kyoto.



My mom wasn't around, so I had to take picture of myself with the logo. It took a few tries before this picture came up.



Imagine. This is where dreams are made.



Hopefully I could work here someday. But I have to wait till I level up first.

Then we reached the hotel. Today's the day I go to the onsen (hot springs)! My mom didn't want to bathe naked among other women, so I left the hotel on a personal journey towards public nude bathing!



I'm set! IKE~! (LET'S GO~!)



Oops, forgot my map. Had to go back to the hotel to get it. What a bad start.



Don't you just love the fusion between the organic and the non-organic?



I needed to change trains in order to get to the Onsen in Kurama, a VERY remote area. The distance between the two stations is quite a bit, so I had to walk. I was walking right beside the Imperial Palace, which is pictured here. Hopefully we have time to go through it later today.



This is a neat stone compass. Luckily, knowing how to play Mahjong helped me in identifying these characters :D (left side - east, right side - north)



Yup, another river. Such an adventurous couple, those two.



Sometimes, if the weather is good, some people will set up their musical instrument and sing their hearts out, just like the girl guitarist in Hiroshima. And they're unlike the Buskers in New Zealand, coz they don't have hats to put your coins in. They do it purely to express themselves.



These three were quite good. I'm sure the river really enjoyed their music.



Other than buses and trains, people here seem to like using the bicycle. In a few places, there are sidewalks with a dedicated bicycle lane.



Ah, the sun is going set soon. Better hurry before it gets dark.



Well, looks like my ability to take picture of birds improved!



This is the train that goes uphill to the rural area of Kurama.



As you can see, there was only me and that small sleeping boy on the train. I hope you didn't miss your stop.



Luckily, as I got out of the station, a free direct bus to the Kurama Onsen was waiting, as if I'm the expected VIP or something.



Yes, they use vending machines everywhere. Even the ticket to the Onsen is generated by the machine.



There were two onsens, the indoor one and the outdoor one. I chose the outdoor version, since I wanna show my body to the world!



This is the male entrance. Darn, I was hoping that this was the konyoku onsen (mixed hot springs). Oh well, better luck next time.



You can put all your personal belongings in a locker, in which you could strap the key to your wrist. Then you place the dry towel and your clothes in these baskets before dipping yourself in the hot spring.



ok girls, this is where you have to stop. Sorry la, the kids are also watching.



And it was a refreshing bath! Just look at my rejuvenated face.

Alright, that's all that happened yesterday. Today will be the big day where we visit the very famous shrines in this district. Then tomorrow, it's time to go to the big city, Tokyo.

Mata ne!