In search of the geisha

This is the eighth of my posts about my six-day trip in Japan.

It’s a stereotype that all women like to shop – a stereotype that I fully adhere to six out of seven days a week. So when I heard we were in Kyoto for its monthly antiques fair, I knew we’d have to put it on our itinerary.

Hosted on the grounds of the Toji Temple, in the shadow of Japan’s tallest pagoda, it was Antiques Roadshow meets flea market, and Kat and I browsed to our hearts content, without actually buying anything. It’s no myth that Japan is terribly expensive, especially compared to South Korea.

Kyoto is an overabundance of culture and history. Two days were simply not long enough to take it all in, but we sure did give it the old college try. I recommend throwing away the guide book and simply cruising through the city, stopping at whichever temple strikes your fancy. We found our favorites were the ones that didn’t even charge admission, meaning they don’t rank high on what the Japanese consider the most view-worthy structures.

The one you simply cannot miss, however, is Kinkakuji Temple, also known as the Golden Pavilion. It is the symbol of Kyoto in the same way that the Gore Range represents Vail. Yes, it’s touristy. But it’s touristy for a reason – it’s really, really cool to see.

Architecturally schizophrenic, the temple was built in three styles representing its previous uses before claiming the title of Tourist Trap No. 1 (and UNESCO World Heritage site). It was originally constructed as a vacation house in 1397 in the old “palace” style, and then reinvented as a temple with a mix of Zen and Samurai styles. All three stories, including the Chinese phoenix perched atop the roof, are drenched in layer upon layer of gold leaf, making sunglasses a necessity on sunny days.

I’m not gonna lie – I left the Golden Pavilion a little bitter about not having been born into 14^th century Japanese nobility. But who’s got time to be bitter on a whirlwind tour of Kyoto?

After my requisite afternoon nap, it was off to Gion, the past and present “entertainment district” of Kyoto where we’d heard of geisha sightings. While we got an eyeful of the low-brow “entertainment,” we didn’t have any luck glimpsing the real deal. So, we consoled ourselves with a heavenly five-course Japanese fusion meal – think fois gras, roe, lobster and lamb – some random performance art – girls dressed as nurses brushing the teeth of passersby – and called it a night.

It wasn’t until we were leaving town the next morning that we got our treat – a real, live geisha on her way to her morning appointments in full costume. Heaving a sigh of pleasure, we boarded the bus bound for Osaka.

Check out my photo album, "In Search of the Geisha, Days and Nights in Kyoto," on my facebook page.