It's been a while since I have been in Kyoto 京都. Almost 2 years have passed and my memories of being a student at Ryukoku University are smoothly fading away. On September 5th, I was given the opportunity tho visit Kyoto once more, and it was completely worth it although I had a time-frame of only a day. The following is a short account of what I encountered this day:
I left Tokyo early in the morning. The first Shinkansen 新幹線 (so-called Nozomi のぞみ No 1 [engl. hope] ) leaves around 6 am, and better be punctual, because they wont wait for no one. Around this time of the day, one of the largest stations in Tokyo, Tokyo station, is completely empty and gives a really impressive contrast to what one usually witnesses from rush hour and forth.
The first thing I needed was a hot coffee, seriously. I also bought a great Bento 弁当 (small or big lunchboxes to take on a trip or on school, work etc.) with the name Kabuki 歌舞伎 (traditional Japanese arts) and and various contents.
My main purpose in going to Kyoto was related to my actual research I do here in Japan. Although, I only have been in Japan's old capitol for 1 day, I managed to have a look at the city I really enjoyed living in 2 years ago. While Tokyo station looked exactly the same as I always knew it, Ryukoku University's Fukakusa campus improved a lot in terms of facilities and green on the campus site (they also moved the old international center to another building, hiding it in the basement).
What I generally realized was that while living it Tokyo sure has it's advantages, the charm of the more rural-like Kyoto and the people's hospitality combined with it's almost 500 temples and shrines (I had the chance to visited the famous Daitoku-ji with it's christian-influenced zen garden) surely is a class of it's own. However, the problem to have not enough space for living seems to be still eminent in Kyoto.
All in all a busy but wonderful day which ended up in meeting old friends and having diner with a former Professor of mine and his family.
[gallery]
I left Tokyo early in the morning. The first Shinkansen 新幹線 (so-called Nozomi のぞみ No 1 [engl. hope] ) leaves around 6 am, and better be punctual, because they wont wait for no one. Around this time of the day, one of the largest stations in Tokyo, Tokyo station, is completely empty and gives a really impressive contrast to what one usually witnesses from rush hour and forth.
The first thing I needed was a hot coffee, seriously. I also bought a great Bento 弁当 (small or big lunchboxes to take on a trip or on school, work etc.) with the name Kabuki 歌舞伎 (traditional Japanese arts) and and various contents.
My main purpose in going to Kyoto was related to my actual research I do here in Japan. Although, I only have been in Japan's old capitol for 1 day, I managed to have a look at the city I really enjoyed living in 2 years ago. While Tokyo station looked exactly the same as I always knew it, Ryukoku University's Fukakusa campus improved a lot in terms of facilities and green on the campus site (they also moved the old international center to another building, hiding it in the basement).
What I generally realized was that while living it Tokyo sure has it's advantages, the charm of the more rural-like Kyoto and the people's hospitality combined with it's almost 500 temples and shrines (I had the chance to visited the famous Daitoku-ji with it's christian-influenced zen garden) surely is a class of it's own. However, the problem to have not enough space for living seems to be still eminent in Kyoto.
All in all a busy but wonderful day which ended up in meeting old friends and having diner with a former Professor of mine and his family.
[gallery]
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