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Japan trip
Day 4 - 9th June - Rokuonji/Kinkakuji, Kyoto (Part 1)
Fake pussy in MR's room
Girls' cubicle - in a boys' toilet. Gotta love their pragmatism.
The dorm where I slept on the floor for 3 nights
Road down to the main road
I'd seen a sprinkling of schoolboys on the previous days, but overall it was almost all the schoolgirls who were running around, despite my careful observation. Don't believe me? Decide for yourself; play this challenging yet fun and exciting game: "Where's the schoolboy?"
Train on the way to Shinyokohama to take the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Kyoto
On the way to Shinyokohama, I experienced the infamous Jap train crush. Each time I thought it couldn't get any worse, it did; I pre-emptively poked my arm into someone, otherwise my camera might have gotten crushed (hanging as it was in its pouch from my neck). No wonder you can get chikan-ed and never know who it was. The train crush was so bad that I couldn't get off at my stop and had to get off a stop later and backtrack, making me miss my shinkansen.
Beanie, brown shoes and suit. Eee.
"For emergency use only. Violators will be prosecuted and sued for damages"
It sounds so much cooler than a fine. I guess they calculate losses caused by your mischief.
When I got to Kyoto, I paid the penalty for having slept all the way on the shinkansen. I was overwhelmed by the sites. After wringing my hands planning for half an hour, I decided to just whack.
"In the Beautification Enforcement Areas you will be fined up to Y30,000 for littering regardless of your nationality or status"
Nice to know they don't discriminate. Nice to know that they thought it necessary to tell you so.
Kyoto river
On Kyoto buses you pay on exiting. Apparently no one jumps out the entrance when people get on so they don't have to pay.
There are a ridiculous number of buzzers on Kyoto buses (sometimes 2 within 15cm). They kind of overdid it. The density scared me.
My first stop was Rokuonji/Kinkakuji (the Golden Pavilion). The schoolkid gender ratio here was more balanced, but that's probably because they were forced to go (I doubt they pon school en-masse).
Entrance
Map
The official name is Rokuon-ji (Deer Park Temple) but given that there are no deer there it's no wonder everyone (even the bus routes and materials for tourists) calls it Kinkakuji.
Schoolkid horde
With all of the schoolkids visiting tourist sites in Japan, how do they ever get down to studying? No wonder they need cram school.
World Heritage Plaque
Horde on the path
Given that it was going to rain, the darker pictures are slightly more faithful to the scene.
Kinkakuji
Schoolgirls taking pictures with an Ang Moh. Perhaps this is a sign of what their aspirations are. Fortunately or otherwise, he was from El Salvador (there was some tag).
Kinkaku
They sold charms. "Avoid bad luck" cost 500-700Y. "Good luck" cost 900-1400Y. I guess one supercedes the other. They also had Hello Gitty "Good luck for health" charms according to blood type (great, they're fusing concepts of Western medicine, ancient spirituality and modern Japanese culture).
Side
Gardener
Path
Through the trees
Fish
Pond
Some fountain
Named staircase
Waterfall
Throwing money away: a good way to get rid of 1Y coins.
The target
This boy is very happy because his coin made the bowl ring with an echo-ey sound. Presumably it grants one good luck.
White snake pagoda. This isn't Madam White Snake. Translation courtesy of MR (english not very good.. japanese not very good also..):
"white snake is the messenger of Saraswati..
Saraswati is the god that gives intellect, Eloquence, 'art', prosperity, and brings improves the family fortune
this is the remains of the most flourishing 西園寺 family"
Rooftops
More Occidentalism
Hut
Shrine at the exit of the complex
"不動明王" - "The God Who Cannot Move" (Acala)
Shrine
There were 2 dispensers in the toilet. I thought at first that these Japs were remarkably liberal, with condom dispensers in the toilet, but later found out they dispensed toilet paper.
Green tea chewy thing (90Y)
Love brand taxi