From Tokyo to Kyoto

I am not having much time to write my blog. I am enjoying my stay in Japan, still working hard and being in good company.

Yesterday, 22 July 2015, was my second free day in Tokyo. I had planned to work on my presentations for 24, 25 and 26 July during the day, and then afterwards go into the city, but it went differently. In the morning I overslept big time. Instead of waking up at 8.30, it was 11.30. My body obviously demanded me to sleep, which isn’t so weird, because I didn’t sleep much in the past days. So after waking up, I then started working on my presentations. I went to the Italian restaurant that is attached to the hotel, and ordered “Drinkbar”, which means unlimited refills from the bar with softdrinks and coffee. I spent all afternoon working there. Yoshi had offered to have dinner together with 2 of his students (Ai and Aska), and we went to the entertainment area opposite to the hotel, where several restaurants were. We choose “Viking” (a buffet) with Japanese food, which was again really delicious, and we had a very nice evening together, talking about many things, culture, movies, work and soon. After the dinner, we went to another Japanese restaurant nearby, where we met Yui, a colleague of the same law firm as Yoshi. We had some drinks and again very nice talks. And I mentioned the word origami, and that unleashed some creativity at our table. That was really nice. After this nice evening, I went back to the hotel. It was almost midnight by then. It felt a bit weird that I hadn’t been further than a couple of hundred metres from the hotel all day, and that I had seen practically nothing of Tokyo today, but I didn’t feel bad. I had a good evening, and the work has to be done. I am not on a regular holiday here. I have a mission which is important, and this is a unique experience. I am not a lonely tourist, but I have very nice contacts here. I like that. In the night I packed my bag, because the next morning we were leaving to Kyoto. I found out that I need to find a solution for bringing the 2 pairs of shoes home, because there is no way that they will fit in my suitcase, but maybe I can tie them onto my suitcase in a box, or arrange extra luggage at the airport. I had a short night of sleep again.

Today, 23 July 205, I was picked up at the hotel by Yoshi and Ryugan at 9.30. They offered to store my shoes in Yoshi’s office, so that I didn’t have to take them to Kyoto and back. That was a very good idea. Then we went to Tokyo train station, took the Shinkansen-train (150 km/h) to Kyoto, which lasted about 2,5 hours. During the train ride, I worked again to prepare the presentation for 26 July on Forensic psychiatry (I will enjoy the view on my way back, when I have less work to do). We had our lunch in the train, and then arrived in Kyoto, which is really different from Tokyo. It has no skyscrapers and is not such a metropole, but it is more of a human-sized place, cosy and nice. It is an international cultural tourist city, as is written on the map.
After our arrival, we had a drink, because we had to wait for check-in at the hotel New Hankyu Kyoto. While we were in the bar, Yui, Kasumi and Kirihara came to join us. It was so nice to see them again after last week in Tokyo at the training on Family Group Conferencing. After the check-in , and some time for email-checking, we went sightseeing together.
We were with 7 people now, nearly all users survivors of psychiatry. It felt so good, warm and welcome. We took a taxi and drove passed 2 temples, Nishi-Honganji Temple and Higashi-Honganji Temple (west and east temple). Kyoto really has a lot of temples and shrines. We went to visit Sanjusangendo Temple, which is a very old one, from 1162 or so, and it has many big statues inside of the Buddhist deities, and 1000 statues of supporters, who all look similar, but have different faces. They represent the people. Kirihara was very creative in explaining and interpreting the gods and their powers within the perspective of the user survivor movement and the CRPD, it was really hilarious (but still respectful), with references to gender bias, domestic violence (Shiva and Ganesh) and a god with no specific powers as a “god with a disability”. It was really nice. I had a great time. I took a fortune telling lot from the written oracle, and it said that my luck was good. So no worries ;)

After this temple, we went to Kiyomizu Temple, which is on the World Cultural Heritage list. This was beautiful, but also flooded with tourists. It was so interesting to see that a Japanese Shrine of Shinto (another religion) was located in the same compounds. How open minded to have 2 religions existing at the same site! We enjoyed the view and the atmosphere, and even drank from the spring-water, which is said to be fulfilling wishes.
Then walked around in Kyoto Gion district, which is a very nice neighbourhood in traditional style, with small alleys, slopes (and if you fall down you will die in 2 years it is said) and small houses, and beautiful nature. It was a very romantic and peaceful place. Basically the full opposite to the busy big city of Tokyo. We had a break in a café with a garden, and I had a nice crushed-ice with strawberries. Then we strolled through the streets of Kyoto Gion district a bit more, and entered a very small and cosy Japanese restaurant, where another person from the Japanese user survivor movement joined us, and we had dinner cooked on a hot plate on the table. Again it was delicious.

After dinner, we went to a Jazz bar in one of Kyoto’s very small and famous alleys, where we had a drink and there we finished our day. I really enjoyed today. It was wonderful to be in such a great company, and to enjoy real sightseeing together.
Before midnight we were back at the hotel. In my room I first revised my presentation for tomorrow, and now some blogging, and now it is past 4 AM, I wish the time didn’t go so fast... I also need time to sleep, so that is what I will do now.
Good night!