(Finally again) Kyoto and Nara (20th-22nd April)

To finally wrap up our time in Kyoto, we went there one last time (for now) on Friday and Saturday to see the Golden Temple and the Bamboo Forest. But before that, we had to successfully get through the university week. I'm having difficulties getting used to the teaching methods in the Japanese courses, as they are not motivating from my perspective and the lecturers speak too fast. So, in my opinion, there are only two ways to deal with it: either study a lot and learn regularly at home, or simply give up and try to follow the classes with minimal effort. So far, I'm doing quite well with this method. The other courses are a bit different, as most of them are not taught by Japanese teachers, and I think it would be relatively easy to get good grades in those. As expected, the Kendo course is the coolest. In the first lesson, we already learned some theoretical and practical basics, so that we can later strategically attack each other with bamboo swords. But no, we don't have protective gear (at least not at the moment) and therefore have to be careful, but it's still a lot of fun. However, I still need to get used to shouting every time I attack my partner. Otherwise, I won't get any points later if I don't shout the name of the body part I'm attacking. Well, it would be significantly easier if I could remember all the Japanese terms for it... But oh well. Not much else happened during the week, except that one of my friends ordered a dessert at a restaurant without knowing what it was. My other friend was curious and googled it, and seconds later he was rolling on the floor laughing. Well, it was just fish sperm, and my adventurous friend didn't eat it all. Made my day!

On Friday, we visited the Kinkaku-ji Temple, the counterpart of the Ginkaku-ji. It's the Golden Temple, one of Kyoto's most significant landmarks. On the way there, we came across numerous other shrines, so the day was already over. We ended the day in a cozy, tiny, and inconspicuous café. It made our day better because the owner was incredibly cute and very nice to us, and her café was just very cozy with furniture of different styles that somehow matched. At the entrance, we took off our shoes and were guided to our seats on smooth, dark wooden planks wearing socks. I ordered an iced tea, and I mean it literally. It was black tea brewed with ice cubes, which was a true delight in the warm summer temperatures. In the evening, I had time for a shower before heading to the city center. We had a reservation at a restaurant where we also had to take off our shoes and were ushered into a room with sliding doors and tatami mats. In typical Japanese style, the table was sunken into the floor, and we sat on tatami mats. Luckily, we didn't have to kneel, and we could store our legs under the table. It was the first time I experienced such a restaurant, and it was very cozy. And it was delicious too, I ordered Okonomiyaki.

On Saturday, we went to Arashiyama, where there is a beautiful Buddhist temple with a garden, the Bamboo Forest, and the Monkey Park. We left very early to avoid the tourist crowds for a while, and it was definitely worth it for the temple. There was a completely different atmosphere, and you could really imagine that monks live there. The associated garden was also very beautiful and had pretty stone formations in the small pond. Then we went to the Bamboo Forest, which was not as spectacular, to the Monkey Park, and back to the city center. In the evening, we went to a bar because one of the international students was celebrating their birthday, and I got to meet some new people there.

On Sunday, we wanted to experience something new again, so we went to Nara to meet the tame deer. Nara also has the largest Buddhist statues in Japan and one of the oldest wooden gates. We discovered beautiful temple complexes with countless stone lanterns, which are already covered in moss and gradually reclaimed by nature. It looks beautiful, and with the many deer in the spacious parks that you can also feed, this little town has a very special atmosphere. I will definitely come back here again, as it showcases old Japan with its traditional charm. Even if you quickly make the round in Nara, it would still be worth getting up early, as this whole park with the wildlife and temple complexes can never look as peaceful and majestic when it is overcrowded with tourists. But still, it's incredibly beautiful there.

On Saturday, the Golden Week begins for us, a week-long holiday, or rather a string of three holidays, where Tuesday and Wednesday are not actually free, but pretty much the whole of Japan (except for the people at the university, of course) takes this week off, and because we want to adapt to the country and its people, we'll do the same. ;) So, we will take the opportunity and leave Japan on Saturday for nine days and fly to Korea to explore a bit there.