HIKING GUIDE
Climbing Mt. Hiei
The Higashiyama（東山）course of the Kyoto Round Trail begins at Mt.Inari
(稲荷). Quite a long trail, it travels through the beautiful areas of Kiyomizu
(清水) and Keage (蹴上), along Mt.Daimonji（大文字）and past Ginkakuji
(銀閣寺), before finally leading to Mt.Hiei (比叡). There are numbered
guideposts along the way to guide you to the top.
On this occasion I will introduce the northern part of the trail, from
Ginkakuji to
Mt.Hiei. Cross over the small bridge just near the intersection of Imadegawa-dori（今出川通）and
Shirakawa-dori (白川通), and take the road that runs northeastward. Continue
along this road (it does not have a name) for a few minutes and you will
soon come across the first guidepost (No.53), on the right-hand-side of
the road. Turn left at the next guidepost (No.54) on your left and then
right at the next corner, arriving at the gate of the Baptist Hospital.
There is a guidepost on the right-hand side (No.55) of the gravel path
in front of the hospital's signboard. Even if you can't find the first
guidepost, so long as you can find your way to the hospital you will be
fine. From here we join the mountain trail. The adventure begins...
The trail continues for a while along a pleasant mountain stream, passing
guideposts No.56-1 and 56-2. Look out for a tall cedar tree on the right
hand side of the path - it serves as a obvious land-mark. Just after this
tree you will notice a trail leading to the right - take this and you will
soon see guidepost No.57. Following this trail you will cruise by guideposts
No.58 and 59. When you reach No.60 you will come to a fork in the road.
Take the right fork which leads to Mt.Hiei (left goes to Mt.Uryu-yama 瓜生山).
From here the narrow trail slowly winds its way through a scattering of
trees, the tops of which appear to embrace each other, creating a tunnel
like effect. From around guidepost No. 61, however, you can catch a glimpse
of the city below through the trees. At No.63 you fork left (right goes
to Jizodani 地蔵谷), and at No.64 you fork right (left goes to Manshuin
temple 曼殊院). Take care not to miss the latter path as it is very narrow.
When you reach No.65 you will come to the junction of three different paths
-- take the one leading uphill, the center path of the three. The right
one goes downhill and left one leads to Manshuin temple.
Passing No.66, the path widens and flattens out making it easier to walk
along. Guidepost No.67 is situated beside a 2-3 meter high stone torii
(gate of shito shrine). Take the left path soon after, and you will eventually
reach No.69 after crossing three mountain streams via fun stepping stones.
Again the road splits into three - this time take the trail leading to
the right. The middle one leads to Sekizanzen'in temple (赤山禅院), the
left one to Shugakuin (修学院). Getting tired yet? Well, we're not far
off - gambatte-ne! (c'mmon!) A further thirty-five minutes brings you to
the long awaited goal: Cable-Hiei station (No.74). It stands at a height
of 614 meters (not to be underestimated) and offers a grand view overlooking
Kyoto.
This route is about 8 kilometers long and takes a little over 2 hours.
On the way home, you can take a cable-car to Yase-yuen station (八瀬遊園駅),
then Eizan（比叡）line to Demachiyanagi（出町柳）station. The fee is \530
and \260 respectively. Alternatively, you can walk up to Cable-Enryakuji（ケーブル延暦寺）station
and take a cable-car to Sakamoto station (坂本駅). From there, take the
Ishiyama-sakamoto line to Hamaotsu (浜大津) station and then change to
the Keishin line for Keihan-Sanjo station. However, if you have enough
energy, why not return down the mountain and enjoy it all over again!
For those unaccustomed to hiking, I suggest starting from Shugakuin station
on Eizan line. This way it takes only an hour and 20 minutes to reach the
Cable-Hiei station. This course joins the original route at the No.69 guidepost.
Enjoy!
Notes: Ginkakuji --(15min.) -->Baptist Hospital --(70min.) -->Stone
torii -- (10min.) -->No.69 guidepost--(35min.) -->Cable-Hiei station
# Place names on guideposts are only in Japanese.
M. Amanuma
JAPANESE ANIME
Everyone's Hero "Doraemon"
In recent times Japanese anime (cartoon) have been riding a worldwide
boom in popularity. Pokemon has become a household name in the west, almost
as familiar to audiences there as it is to youngsters in Japan. While generally
aimed at young children, anime are now gaining popularity among adults
as well. In Japan, anime have enjoyed a long history dating back as far
as prewar times. However, it was with the introduction of television in
the 1960's that anime really took off, and brought us the likes of Atom,
Anpan man, Ameitantei (The Good Detective), Konan, Gegegeno Kitaro, Doraemon
etc., the list goes on and on. Are you familiar with any of these? My favorite
anime and one of the most popular is "Doraemon".
If you grew up in Japan or have lived here for some time, you have probably
heard of Doraemon. When I was a child, I was crazy about Doraemon. I used
to watch the program on television every week and read almost every manga
(comic) he appeared in.
For those of you who have not heard of Doraemon, let me briefly explain
his background. Doraemon was created by FUJIMOTO Hiroshi and ABIKO Motoo
(alias Fujiko F. Fujio), and first published as a comic in December 1969.
Since then hundreds of manga volumes and cartoon series have been released,
as well as several movies.
Doraemon is a story about a robotic cat sent back to the past (from the
22nd century) to save a kid called Nobita from a bleak future. Nobita's
grandson is the mastermind behind Doraemon's mission, as of course it is
his future that is at stake.
The stories generally follow the same pattern. Nobita, weak and clumsy,
is constantly harassed and bullied by two troublemakers, Jaian and Suneo.
They are fellow fourth graders who live in the same Tokyo neighborhood
as him. Jaian, boss of the kids in their area, and Suneo, his faithful
henchman, do their best to make life difficult for Nobita. This is where
Doraemon lends a hand. Doraemon has a fourth dimensional pocket that links
to the 22nd century. He can put almost anything in there, as well as pull
lots of weird and useful gadgets out. For example, there is Take-copter
(take means banboo, copter is short for helicopter) for flying, and Dokodemo-door,
a door which provides access to any place you like - literally "go-anywhere-door".
Doraemon regularly uses these gadgets and others to save Nobita, but invariably
Nobita ends up misusing the gadgets and getting himself into more trouble.
Doraemon's favorite food is Dorayaki - a type of pancake filled with bean
jam, a very yummy traditional Japanese snack. This is actually where his
name comes from: Dora-emon. He also has a little sister called Dorami.
Although intended for elementary-school students, each of the characters
has a distinctive personality that anyone, regardless of age, can relate
to. The imagination expressed, and the themes and ideas explored reach
far beyond those of most other comics or cartoons. So, if you have yet
to watch or read Doraemon, I suggest you head to your nearest book/video
store and check out what you have been missing.
C. Okajima
Let's begin this walk from the front of Kyoto Station.
Directly ahead you will see Kyoto Tower.
Kyoto Tower (京都タワー)
A huge white tower rises up to the sky. When illuminated, it assumes
the appearance of a giant candle. Kyoto Tower is one of the cities major
landmarks. It痴 observation deck is 131 meters high and offers a fantastic
view of the entire city.
Fee: \770
Open: 9:00 - 21:00
Tourist Information Center
The Tourist Information Center (TIC) is located on the first floor
(eastern side) of the Kyoto Tower building. There, you can obtain guide
maps, pamphlets and travel advice free of charge. With a city map in hand,
let's continue this walk along Karasuma-dori (Avenue). Admiring the row
of "gingko" trees (銀杏) turning yellow, to the north, you will
spot a huge 27m high mon (gate) on your left-hand-side. This is the entrance
to Higashi Hongan-ji temple.
Higashi Hongan-ji temple (東本願寺)
Higashi Hongan-ji temple is conveniently open everyday of the year. Go
through the main gate, Hondo-Mon or Amidado-Mon, it is known by both names.
The Hondo or Amidado (main hall) is huge - 401 tatami-mats in total (one
mat is approx. 180cm X 90cm in size) with its roof supported by seventy
pillars. A sculpture of the Buddha Amida, the primary deity of the Jodo
Shinshu Buddhist sect, is enshrined within. Despite its impressive size,
Higashi Hongan-ji temple is not actually the main temple of the Jodo Shinshu
sect. During the Edo Period (1600-1868) the main temple, Nishi Hongan-ji,
had grown so powerful that TOKUGAWA Ieyasu (1st Shogun of Edo Period) had
been forced to split the sect into two schools in an attempt to weaken
it political influence. He donated land and had Higashi Hongan-ji temple
built in 1602 to "rival" the Nishi Hongan-ji temple.
Also found in the temple grounds is Taishi-do, also known as Goei-do. Standing
125 feet high and measuring 190 feet long by 240 feet wide, Taishi-do is
the largest wooden building in Kyoto and the second largest in Japan.
Open: 6:00 -17:00
Inquiries: (075) 371-9181(Higashi Hongan-ji)
Shosei-en Garden (渉成園)
Shosei-en, also known as Kikoku-tei - a name that comes from the trifoliate
orange hedging which surrounds most of the grounds, is quite a beautiful
garden. Particularly during spring and autumn, when the garden bursts with
color, it is a sight to see. As the villa-annex of Higashi Hongan-ji temple,
Shosei-en is located just two streets east of the temple.
Open: 9:00-16:00 (last entry 15:00)
Admission: free (but a small contribution is appreciated)
Costume Museum (風俗博物館)
Turn left at the northern edge of the Higashi Hongan-ji temple, and walk
five minutes west along Hanaya-cho Street. You will soon see the "Izutsu"
office building, a long established vestment shop (traditional Japanese
clothing) situated on the northeast corner of Hanaya-cho and Horikawa-dori.
The Costume Museum is on the 5th floor of this building. Taking the elevator
up, life size mannequins dressed in clothes from past eras come into sight.
These include a court noble's wife dressed in ceremonial robes, a warlord
fitted in traditional armor and a tradesman's daughter dressed in a long
sleeved kimono among others costumed mannequins. The dress and accessories
of old Japan are perfectly reproduced, appearing just as they would have
in times gone by. From looking at these costumes it becomes apparent that
the Heian court taste for grace and refinement has exerted a lasting impact
on later cultural traditions, establishing "elegance" as a key
characteristic of Japanese beauty.
Miniature models of traditional style houses dating back to the Heian Period
(781-1185) are also on display. It is interesting to peep inside the small
simply designed Japanese rooms made from wood and paper.
Open: 9:00 - 17:00
Fee: \400 (\300 students)
Inquiries: (075) 351-6750
Nishi Hongan-ji (西本願寺)
Nishi Hongan-ji temple is located on Horikawa-dori, just across from
the Costume Museum. This is the headquarters of the Jodo-Shinshu sect of
Buddhism, which is based on the teachings of Priest Shinran (1173-1263)
and founded in 1272 by his daughter. It is one of the finest Momoyama-period
(1596-1644) examples of architecture and interior design. In 1994 the many
national treasures and important cultural assets collected within its confines
were designated as world cultural heritage.
Open: 8:00 - 17:30
Admission: Free
The traditional, curved Chinese gate and cypress wood roof of Dai-Shoin
(State or abbot's lodgings) is also sure to catch your attention. Entering
from the south side via a large entrance hall, you will discover a variety
of rooms hidden within. Each room is decorated with beautiful paintings
on the ceiling panels and fusuma (sliding doors). The rooms include:
Nami no ma (Wave room) - powerful waves, Tora no ma (Tiger room) - prowling
tigers, and Taiko no ma (Drum room) - beating drums. Oshoin (Audience room)
was TOYOTOMI Hideyoshi's council hall, the largest room in Daishoin. There
is also Suzume no ma (Sparrow room) and Gan no ma (Wild geese room). The
contrasting beauty among the different rooms touched my heart, and inspired
me the to write a haiku poem.
On the paintings of sliding doors,
Autumn shadows fall,
Hongan-ji temple
襖絵に(Fusumae ni)
秋のかげりや(Aki no kageri ya)
本願寺(Hongan-ji)
On your way home, drop in to Daiso, a Hyaku-en (\100) shop located on the
2nd floor of the tower building. There are household utensils and many
other things - all costing just 100 yen. You can take your time exploring
and pick up a few useful things without blowing your budget.
There is also a sento (銭湯: public bath) on the 3rd basement level. Why
not take a bath and unwind - it's a great way to relieve the fatigue of
walking.
N.Suematsu