Traveling Adiva

Today was a very relax-y day. No big walks or trips (well, mostly), no walking all over the world. We woke up at 5 to head to the station and took a metro to the Nobu line, an express subway that would get us to Ota to meet up with Donna's friend Jen (the one we went to Takarazuka with). We had a bit of confused trouble about whether we were on the right line or not, but thanks to my handy-dandy phrase book we were able to ask if we were in the right place and understand that yes we were, just had to transfer over.

The ride was uneventful and within a few hours we were in scenic Ota home of...not very much XD They've got a Subaru company there. Jen met us at the station in her company-issued clown-car (they are TINY) and we swung by to pick up her friend Charlotte, and then it was roadtrip to the onsen time.

We got there a little early so we wandered around a closed-for-Monday town for a bit. We did see first a tiny little shrine, then a large sort-of famous one and both Donna and I got fortunes. I was going to have a good school year, but be unlucky with travel. Uh, considering that we're n the middle of travel, we all figured that was bad luck, so I left it, as you're supposed to.

Then the onsen. It was an interesting experience. I'd never been to one before (obviously) and the outside one was closed that day, but the inside was still good. It was a very nice Onsen, complete with body and hair cleansers (which were sort of fun to use) and we stayed for a while.

Once re-dressed (and floppy) we went to get lunch, managing to find a soba and udon place that handmakes their own noodles. The handmade noodles were served cold, but I still wanted to try them. I ordered the soba, and they were pretty good.

Lunch over, we started the way back to Jen's apartment, where she showed us (me, mostly, because SOCOOL) her collection of Takarazuka paraphernalia. Pictures, flyers, that sort of thing. They've put on everything guys. Because I was so interested, sshe pulled out her DVD collection (!!!) and showed clips from a run of Singin' in the Rain (!!) and Guys and Dolls (!!!). What was interesting to note is that Lina Lamont and Adelaide were both played by Otokoyaku in those shows. It was probably odd for the fans to see their beloved 'male' stars all of a sudden turn female for a show.

She also played the openings from two different versions of Elisabeth, one of the most famous German musicals of all time. I. I want to see it. Because. This.

Doesn't do it justice I'm sure, but look at it.

Interestingly enough, Elisabeth is played by an Otokoyaku who, in a later run of the show, actually stars as Death. The Otokoyaku playing Luigi the narrator starred as Adelaide in the Guys and Dolls clip Jen showed me, and...someone else played something else and it was cool too but I don't remember. Anyway. Takarazuka is a Very Neat Thing.

We parted ways then and Donna and I headed back to Tokyo. Tomorrow is a tour of the Imperial Palace, wandering around Ginza, and going to see Kabuki theatre. Looking forward to it!

Our second day in Kyoto was different but still fun. More of a modern thing. Sorta? We got to sleep in (till 8! We planned on till 9, but just...couldn't). Got up and ready and then met my friend Monica and her two friends Britney and Reny. Then off we headed together to Rokuon-Ji Temple (also known as the Gilded Palace. You will soon see why.) ( Our adventures, picspam style )

From the temple we headed over to a shopping mall for wandering and lunch. Each of us got different things, and I ordered something-Udon. Luckily we had Monica, who is fluent (and it is cool traveling with someone who is fluent I want to be fluent baw), so we pretty much barraged her with questions on the food. The Udon was pretty good but really filling and chewy in a way I wasn't really used to. Did eat the whole thing though (I was hungry!) ( Foood )

After lunch we headed over to the Kabuki theatre in Kyoto, as that was where we were meeting Peter Mackintosh, one of the world's leading foreign Geisha experts who happens to give tours of the district in English. We had been worried since we kept not managing to contact him to confirm the reservations, but it worked out all right in the end. ( Boy, did it. )


My money shot. She was just walking into the building and I mean. I was there. I took this. ( Wow. )

Been staring at the screen blinking rapidly for a while because I'm tired, but epic post of awesome really needs to be made so here I go.

NAGOYA WAS GREAT.

We had a little bit (a TINY bit, really) of trouble figuring out which line to take where, but we got it sorted and explained to us eventually and then off we were to Nagoya and the Tokugawa Art Museum. Ate breakfast on the train, including a drink we weren't able to find anywhere yesterday, even after searching every conbini we came across. ( Train times! )

Upon arrival at the Nagoya station, we have the directions to leave by the south exit, walk straight for about ten minutes, and boom! you're there at the museum.

So, of course, we immediately get incredibly lost, even after the help of an amazingly nice lady who came up to us and asked, "are you...okay?" and then proceeded to walk with us two streets before heading on her way. I gave her a chocolate and a postcard. I think she was surprised to see me pull it out of my bag. However, let me assure you, the getting lost was not at all in a bad way. We wandered around the back side streets of Nagoya, just out for a stroll, and got to see some ( pretty awesome pocket gardens. )

We ended up stumbling across a Shinto shrine and just went to town snapping pictures. A man came out from one of the buildings and we went over to ask him for directions, and got into a conversation about where we were. Turns out he was the Shinto priest of that shrine, and we spent a good few minutes having halting conversation about what we were doing, including something that went like this (in Japanese):
Him: What are you doing today?
Us: We were going to the Tokugawa Art Museum, but, *throw arms wide to mean the shrine*.
After a bit more talking, he took us over to the charm station (where people can buy charms and tokens from the shrine) and presented us each with a wish plaque as a gift. Both Donna and I bought charms from him and his disciple there, and I gave each of them a postcard too. So far everyone we've met has been so amazingly nice and helpful, it's amazing.
( Our first Japanese shrine: )

From there we wandered a little bit more up and down streets before ducking into a shop to ask directions yet again, and them from a person walking down the street to finally get to the museum we sought.

( Tokugawa art musuem! )

After finally heading back to Tokyo, we asked and found our way to a Lawson convenience store and, with the help (again) of an incredibly nice Japanese assistant, we purchased ticketsto tour Ghibli studios, the makers of the Miyazaki films on the 17th. I AM MAYBE A LITTLE EXCITED. We've got something cool lined up for every single day.

From there we went on a hunt for a noodle house, finding a not-noodle-house instead. With ( ginormous portions of food. )We managed to finish a lot of it, but the miso soup just didn't fit. And a very cool thing? That meal cost me 680JPY. That is about seven dollars for INCREDIBLE PORTIONS OF FOOD. Not that, you know, I was able to eat all of it, but still. The shredded cabbage was my favorite part. I've been needing some veggies in my life.

All in all, a very good day indeed. And just think--we would have missed half of that amazingness if we'd gone in the right direction in the first place.

Tomorrow, Kyoto!