It’s late and I’ve got two days to cover here so let’s bullet point this. There’s a lot of housekeeping in this chunk so this will go quick.
Tuesday Morning – Still Nagano
Well, Obuse to be exact. Obuse is a charming little town about 30 minutes from Nagano by bus, known for being home to the chestnut industry and also the most famous artist in Japanese history. The Hokusai museum, a cradle-to-grave exhibition of the ukiyo-e master’s works, seems to be the centerpiece of the town. It’s the reason I was there, after all. I bought a Fine Wind, Clear Morning print because I absolutely refuse to take home any Great Wave souvenirs. So cliché.
Tuesday Afternoon – Trains Trains Trains
There’s not a Shinkansen train directly from Nagano to Kyoto, so I had to transfer to a limited express train at Tsuruga. Thrilling, right? I had a nice view of Japan’s west coast until the sun set though.
I can now say from experience that Kyoto station is far more confusing than any station on Tokyo’s Yamanote Line.
Tuesday Evening – The Local Multiplex
I did it last year in Norway, so now I’m making it a habit. When I go to another country, I have to see one of that country’s movies in a theater. Kokuhou was an option, but I’ve heard enough buzz around that one that I want to watch it with English subtitles. I went with Orokamono no Mibun, whose official English title is apparently Baka’s Identity. Unlike Norway where the theaters display subtitles even for Norwegian movies, there were no Japanese subtitles for the Japanese movie. That made it a challenge to follow but I think I got the gist.
The movie’s okay, I think. It’s a meandering thriller that’s way more of a bummer than I expected going in. The reviews say the book is better. I believe it.
Wednesday Morning – Chores
I slept in, organized my bags (I had sent my suitcase ahead of me from Tokyo), and then did laundry. The laundromat had a huge library of manga, so I read the first few chapters of Detective Conan since his mug has been smirking at me everywhere I go in this country. Turns out I did not know what Detective Conan was about!
Wednesday Afternoon – Converted to Buddhism
I like the way my tour guide from the ill fated Mount Fuji expedition put it: When Japan moved the capital to Edo, they left all their history in Kyoto. There are so many temples and shrines that I could spend a whole week here and not even see everything in walking distance. Based on the recommendation of a drunk guy I met in a soba restaurant the other day, I prioritized Kiyomizu Temple.
Kyoto is by far the most tourist-y place I’ve been. If I take a walk around my hotel’s block I’ll probably hear at least 3 languages and none of them are Japanese. The one place where I’ve been the only white person is the hotel’s public bath, for some reason. The walk up to the temple was packed shoulder-to-shoulder and lined with shops either renting kimonos or selling matcha snacks. I did take the opportunity to finally try a matcha ice cream. (Last time I do that, probably.)
On the way down I instead ducked down a side alley and wound up at Yasaka Shrine. I think I like the vibe of the Shinto shrines more than the relative ostentatiousness of the Buddhist temple. Then I bought a love fortune and got the worst result. A girl walking by saw my reaction and laughed at me. Did I upset these gods somehow? I’m switching back to Buddhism.
Wednesday Evening – Shopping
This is the final leg of the trip, so it’s time to pack all available space in this suitcase. I found a retro game store where I bought a complete in-box copy of Kamaitachi no Yoru and almost dropped 7,000 yen on Mother 2. Maybe I still should? I also decided that I’ve seen so many capsule toy stores by now that it’s worth the novelty to try one. I got a little figurine of a panda eating bamboo. Worth it.
I’ve noticed that the nerd stores I duck into (for gifts!) pretty reliably have a Touhou section, even if it’s just a small corner. Meanwhile the main sections are dedicated to Uma Musume, My Hero Academia, Vtubers (?!), and several brands that I don’t even recognize. Overlord?
And Nintendo, of course. Specifically Kirby and Pokémon, but plenty of Mario too. I’ve mostly held off on the Nintendo merch so far. There will be plenty of time for that tomorrow.
