A short, fun stay in Japan

TRAVELING TO KYOTO AND HIIRAGIYA RYOKAN
After two days in Tokyo, it was time to go to Kyoto, and on this part of our stay we decided to splurge. First, we took the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Kyoto ($260 round trip). With its futuristic design, it looks right out of a science-fiction film. We caught a late-morning train and were at our destination before lunch. We hardly realized we were going 240 mph. It took us around 90 minutes to make the 313 mile journey.

Our other splurge was to stay in an historical ryokan inn, the Hiiragiya Ryokan. Doors in rooms are sliding shoji screens, floors are of rice straw matting. At night we slept on thick-cushioned futons, rolled out on the floor, as comfortable as our mattress at home.

Tired from our afternoon of sight-seeing, we took a soak in the cedar tub hot bath in our room. For families and groups there is the traditional communal tub.

Relaxed and refreshed, we dried off and put on robes provided and were ready for a cocktail and dinner. As we were relaxing, looking out a window on to a lovely garden, Keiko, the innkeeper, knocked on our door and invited us to meet a group of geishas who were in the lobby waiting to entertain a group of business men at a dinner party that night in the ryokan. We met them and took photos-indeed a serendipitous experience.

Promptly at 7 p.m., our kimono-clad attendant came to our room and invited us to sit at a low table as she served dinner. Called a "kaiseki" meal, it consisted of eight small courses, each gorgeously presented, alternating between meat, seafood and vegetable.

Hiiragiya is considered one of the best in Japan and our stay here will remain one of our fondest memories. Rooms start around $280 per person which includes two meals, a kaiseki dinner and an equally fine breakfast.

Visiting sites in Kyoto
There are so many wonderful places to visit in Kyoto we should have had stayed several days. With only two, we limited ourselves to visiting only the most popular sites, saving our final afternoon for a trip to Miyama.

Kinkakuji Temple
Built in the 12th Century A.D., the temple of the Golden Pavilion is Kyoto's most celebrated attraction. Its gilded three-storied pavilion is best appreciated viewed from across Kyokochi Pond. where it appears to shimmer as it merges with its reflection in the water.

Nijo Castle
On display here is the lavish compound from which shoguns ruled beginning in the 15th Century. Especially interesting are the various meeting rooms, each gorgeously decorated with scenes from nature, along with the great hall where rulers received dignitaries on their raised throne.

Kiyomizu Temple
Built in 798 A.D., the temple complex, filled with fountains and streams, is located in a lush hillside forest. We were especially taken with the grand view of Kyoto from the platform of the main hall.

Ryoanji Temple
It is famous for its serene 15th Century Zen rock garden, surely one of most photographed spots in the world. Fifteen rocks of various sizes are artfully arranged in sand. Sitting in a viewing area, visitors from around the world contemplate its meaning. Is it symbolic of the natural world or, as a popular interpretation puts it-a mother tiger and her cubs, swimming in a river of white sand toward a fearful dragon?

Kodaiji Temple
From a pavilion, looking out on a garden, we took part in an ancient tea ceremony arranged for us alone. We felt privileged to get this insight into Japanese culture.

On our final afternoon in Kyoto, we took a guided tour to Miyama, 45 minutes through the mountains outside Kyoto. We had seen the crowded cities. Now it was good to get out in the country.

Miyama is a popular tourist area, with a wide stream rushing though a canyon and with a lake nearby. A village of thatched-roofed homes has been set aside as an historical site. It was a treat to wander down lanes, greeting farmers planting rice in paddies or picking tea leaves-just as their ancestors have done for centuries.

It was now time to return to Tokyo to take the flight home. We had a wonderful time and would now tell our friends not to hesitate to visit this marvelous country.


Directory:
To contact the Japan National Tourist Organization in Los Angeles, call (213) 623-1952 or visit the website: Visit Our Site, www.jnto.go.jp.

To inquire about New Otani Inn, call (213) 629-1200.

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