9 April 2009

This morning was the big move from the Higashiyama Sanjo Hotel to our new weekly mansion short-term apartments. We were much more prepared to drag our luggage around, so it wasn’t as tiring and strenuous as the first time we arrived in Japan. I didn’t have very high expectations for the apartments since Don said they were supposedly smaller than our current hotel rooms. When we arrived however, the apartments were even better than the hotel, minus the massage chairs. The rooms are very descent in size, and I would argue that they are actually larger than the hotel rooms we had previously. There is a small kitchen, toilet room, powder room, washing machine, shower room, and a living room/bedroom space. There is only one bed, so I am sleeping on a futon on the ground. The floor is surprisingly springy, and I think I will have no problem sleeping like this for the next two weeks. This apartment is also very high tech, and it is really hard to figure out how to work everything since it is all very technologically advanced. We even have to push a button on the wall to get hot water, otherwise only cold water comes out of the faucets and shower. Those crazy Japanese designers!
After getting settled into our apartments, we headed to Uji with Don for our day trip. The weather was very warm, and the city of Uji was beautiful. We visited the two Uji Shrines and also saw the Byodoin Temple. The two Uji Shrines looked very similar to many of the Shinto Shrines we had seen before, but Byodoin Temple was something completely new. We were able to get a tour of the interior of the temple, and there was also a museum of Byodoin on the premise. Honestly, the museum was probably the most interesting building we have seen thus far. The architecture and use of interior lighting was absolutely astounding, and of course, they did not allow photographs inside. Some people were still able to take a few good ones, so I think we are all going to steal them. If they would’ve had a book about the museum’s architecture, I totally would’ve bought it, but they didn’t. The architecture was that cool! Afterwards, we all got ice cream since it was so hot outside. I got a half vanilla, half green tea ice cream cone, and it was very good and refreshing.
Once arriving back to Kyoto Station, the main train station I will now be using, Derick and I got some mini Belgium waffles as a snack. Mine was green on top since it was green tea flavor, and it was very delicious! I will definitely be getting that again since it only cost 147 yen. For dinner, Derick, Seth, and I got Chinese noodles in the basement of Kyoto Station. I had a combo for 760 yen that came with ramen, fried rice, sweet and sour shrimp balls, cabbage salad, and kimchi. I was so full after the big meal, but it was definitely a great deal for the amount of food that I got. The rest of my night was spent doing Japanese language homework, writing a paper for my architectural theory class, and laying out my travel journal for architecture special studies class. I additionally was able to use Norio’s phone to talk to Nadine McCarty and arrange dinner with her and Kimberly tomorrow night at 6:30pm. I am really excited to see a familiar face for a change.