1,000 Places to See Before You Die

by Patricia Schultz

  THE SCREEN—Kyoto’s first high-design boutique hotel opened in 2008 with 13 chic and glamorous rooms, all spacious and uniquely decorated by different designers; some have sofas covered with locally woven brocade and hand-painted shoji screens, while others are more like loft-style apartments with traditional-style earthen walls (depending on availability, guests can choose their room at check-in). Because of its central location, great food and drink is close by, but many guests gravitate to the hotel’s French restaurant, Bron Ronnery, which serves sophisticated meals made with locally sourced ingredients. The fifth-floor bar and champagne garden, Shoki, looks down on the surrounding temple rooftops and ancient trees of the nearby Imperial Palace. INFO: Tel 81/75-252-1113; www.screen-hotel.jp. Cost: from $386; dinner at Bron Ronnery $90.

  TAWARAYA RYOKAN—Of the country’s many traditional inns, Tawaraya, a 300-year-old family-run ryokan now in its 11th generation, is one of the most famous and luxurious. Elegance and refinement pervade its every aspect, from the subdued, almost spartan accommodations to the small, private gardens off most of the 18 rooms, each a harmonious blend of red maple, bamboo, ferns, stone lanterns, moss-covered rocks, and water. A restorative soak in the steaming water of a perfumed cedar tub is followed by dinner, an elaborate, multicourse, kaiseki-style meal served in your room by a kimonoed attendant. After that the shojis (paper screens) are drawn and a plump futon is brought out and made up with starched, fine linen. INFO: Tel 81/75-211-5566. Cost: from $1,000, inclusive.

  EATING & DRINKING

  GIRO GIRO HITOSHINA—The chefs may sport Mohawks or pink hair, but don’t be fooled: They know what they’re doing in this contemporary kaiseki. Artfully presented morsels of traditional dishes arrive on antique lacquer plates or funky ceramics; expect to be surprised and entertained and to eat very, very well. Giro Giro Hitoshina is surprisingly small but conveniently located on the Takase-gawa canal south of Shijo-dori, with counter seating downstairs and table seating on the second floor. It is open only in the evening, and its growing popularity means reservations are necessary well in advance. INFO: Tel 81/75-343-7070; www.guiloguilo.com. Cost: set dinner $45.

  IPPODO KABOKU TEAROOM—Ippodo has been in the business of selling tea across Japan since 1717, and the original main store, with its walls of antique ceramic tea jars and the wood-beamed ceiling, is worth a visit for a glimpse of old Kyoto. The adjacent Kaboku tearoom is a newer addition and the perfect place to sample various grades of green tea grown in nearby Uji. From the green frothy matcha (the fine powdered green tea of the tea ceremony) to the lighter hojicha (a roasted blend of coarser tea leaves), you can make your own or have the staff do it for you, plus you can stock up on gifts for those back home. All teas are served with a traditional seasonal sweet—usually red or white bean jam encased in fresh mocha (pounded rice). INFO: Tel 81/75-211-3421; www.ippodo-tea.co.jp.

  IZUSEN—Izusen is tucked into the peaceful garden of Daiji-in, a sub-temple of the large Daitokuji complex in northern Kyoto. It specializes in shojin-ryori, Buddhist vegetarian cuisine, which mostly consists of soybean ingredients, such as tofu and miso, and ofu (wheat-gluten), alongside delicious seasonal vegetables. It is both nutritious and flavorsome, with sesame seed, citrus, and seaweed used to accent many dishes. A beautifully presented seasonal lunch is served outdoors in the temple garden, with dishes presented in exquisite red-and-black lacquerware bowls. Izusen is perfect for lunch either before or after visiting Kinkaku-ji and Ryoan-ji temples (see pp. 510 and 511). INFO: Tel 81/75-491-6665; www.kyoto-izusen.com. Cost: set lunch $38.

  KITCHO—Kitcho enjoys a storied reputation for offering the country’s unquestioned finest in Japanese kaiseki (traditional multicourse) dining. It was described by science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke as “frighteningly expensive,” but if your purse can afford it, you’ll savor the gourmet meal of a lifetime—specifically designed to include impeccable regional produce of the season and the unique preferences of each guest (you’ll be interviewed when making a reservation), all in a quasi-ethereal environment. Preparations begin days in advance, and the most infinite care is taken in producing multiple courses of too-beautiful-to-eat artistry. The main restaurant is in Arashiyama, western Kyoto, but there is also a small branch in the Granvia Hotel at Kyoto station (see p. 513). INFO: Tel 81/75-881-1101; www.kitcho.com. Cost: set lunch $520, set dinner $810.

  OMEN—Located on the Philosopher’s Path (and the perfect destination after a visit to Ginkaku-ji temple, see p. 510), Omen promises the best udon (thick wheat) noodles in Kyoto. Omen’s noodles are renowned for being served with a delicious combination of fresh ginger, roasted sesame seeds, pickled daikon radish, and a lightly flavored shoyu (soy) dipping sauce. The menu also features some excellent side dishes such as tempura vegetables, fresh silken tofu, grilled hamo (conger eel), and other seasonal dishes. There are two other branches of Omen located downtown on Shijo-dori. INFO: Tel 81/75771-8994; www.omen.co.jp. Cost: lunch $18.

  DAY TRIPS

  NARA KOEN—The highlight of the ancient parkland of Nara Koen is a colossal bronze image of a sitting Buddha that has drawn Buddhist pilgrims and foreign visitors for centuries. Nara’s most visited site, it is housed in Todai-ji, the Great Eastern Temple, the world’s largest wooden structure. The 53-foot Daibutsu (Great Buddha), the largest in Japan, was commissioned in 743, not long after Nara was founded as the capital of a newly united Japan. Buddhism flourished, and so did Nara as a center of politics and culture. Nara is on a smaller scale than Kyoto, but it too has a fascinating array of ancient buildings and temples. Nara Koen’s 1,300 acres of ponds, grassy lawns, trees, and temples are home to more than 1,000 deer, believed to be sacred emissaries of the temples’ gods. WHERE: 26 miles/42 km south of Kyoto.

  MIHO MUSEUM—A mountain literally had to be moved—and then put back again to allow the completion of I. M. Pei’s masterpiece. Finished in 1997, it features some of the same design elements and materials he used at the Louvre (see p. 114). Two wings sit harmoniously in a natural setting, connected to the main entrance by a tunnel and suspension bridge. The Miho Museum houses the magnificent private collection of Asian art and antiquities belonging to the Koyama family, the founders of a new-age sect called the Shinji Shumeikai, which claims that spiritual fulfillment lies in the beauty of art and nature. Among the Miho’s treasures are classical Chinese, Egyptian, and Assyrian artifacts, but they are on display for only a few months every year, so check exhibition dates well in advance. WHERE: Shigaraki is 40 miles/65 km southeast of Kyoto. Tel 81/748-82-3411; www.miho.or.jp/english.

  HIMEJI—The 16th-century Himeji Castle (White Heron Castle) is Japan’s oldest UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of its grandest. A fortress built in the days of the samurai, it offers an enlightening glimpse into Japan’s feudal past. Himeji Castle is one of only four remaining castles built before the Edo Period (1603–1867), and it never saw battle (its confusing maze of paths leading to the main “keep,” meant to repel attackers, was never tested); it thus retained its present shape for over 300 years (and is currently undergoing restoration through 2016, though all areas remain accessible). Himeji has frequently appeared in Hollywood productions, including the miniseries Shogun, the James Bond movie You Only Live Twice, and The Last Samurai. The adjacent Koko-en gardens are nine connected Edo Period–style gardens built on the former site of the castle’s samurai residences. WHERE: Hyogo is 111 miles/180 km west of Kyoto. Tel 81/79-285-1146; www.himeji-castle.gr.jp.

  Himeji, said to resemble a bird taking flight, is called “White Heron Castle.”

  In the Footsteps of Samurai

  WALKING THE NAKASENDO

  Narai, Tsumago, and Magome, Nagano, Honshu, Japan

  In the 17th century the 330-mile Nakasendo—literally “the road through the central mountains”—was the principal inland route between the Imperial capital, Kyoto (see p. 509), and Edo, the Shogun’s seat of power (better known these days as Tokyo; see p. 519). The 74-mile-long Kiso-ji section of the Nakasendo, winding its way
through the Kiso Valley, is one of the most scenic and best-preserved parts of the route. Three of the 11 post towns (places where travelers would rest and take refreshments) that originally lined the Kiso-ji are particularly worth visiting for their efforts to preserve the look and feel of feudal Japan.

  Traveling south by train from the central Japan castle town of Matsumoto, you’ll first come to Narai, which has a painstakingly preserved main street of wooden houses, inns, craft shops, temples, and a sake brewery. Cars running through Narai shatter the illusion that you’ve slipped back several centuries, but farther south in Tsumago the time travel effect is complete: The picturesque village surrounded by steeply raked forests is a pedestrian-only zone. Tsumago also marks one end of the most popular hiking stretch of the Kiso-ji, a 5-mile route along the original Nakasendo path that winds over a mountain pass to the equally well-preserved village of Magome.

  The Japan-based travel operator Walk Japan covers Narai, Tsumago, Magome, and other post towns along the route in an organized tour that starts in Kyoto and finishes in Tokyo. Luggage goes by car while walkers put in a moderate 14 to 16 miles a day, staying in family-run ryokans (inns), many of which date from the early 1600s. These inns are a highlight of the trip, providing home-cooked meals, the ambience of Hiroshige feudal woodblock prints, and the occasional soak in onsen (hot springs). Japanese-speaking American or British academic specialists accompany you and provide running commentaries on both the Edo Period (1603–1867), when the road traffic of feudal lords, itinerant merchants, and pilgrims was at its height, and contemporary issues in Japan. For a luxurious stay at the beginning of your trip, consider a splurge at the venerable Tawaraya, a 300-year-old family-run ryokan now in its 11th generation (see p. 514).

  WHERE: Tsumago is 50 miles/80 km south of Matsumoto. HOW: Walk Japan organizes 12-day tours of the region. Tel 81/90-5026-3638; www.walkjapan.com. Cost:$3,980, includes most meals. When: Mar–Nov. Originate in Kyoto. BEST TIMES: Apr for cherry blossoms; May for azaleas; late Oct–Nov for fall foliage.

  A Venerated National Pastime

  CHERRY BLOSSOM VIEWING

  Yoshino and beyond, Nara, Honshu, Japan

  Witnessing the exquisite yet fleeting beauty of countless cherry trees exploding into bloom is a quintessential Japanese experience not to be missed. Come spring, sakura (cherry blossom) devotees check daily TV weather reports for advice on when each area of Japan can expect these short-lived blooms to peak. The pale pink flowers’ ephemeral nature—they last no more than a week or two—draws crowds to wander beneath the heavily laden boughs and picnic and drink sake with family, friends, and work colleagues at hanami, or flower viewing parties, amid flurries of gently falling petals.

  The cherry tree was imported into Japan from the Himalayas, and the custom of hanami is said to date back to 8th-century Nara (see p. 515), the capital that predates Kyoto. The courtly Chinese tradition of flower viewing was adopted and given the Japanese twist of mono-no-aware, the melancholy appreciation of the transient. A half hour’s train ride from Nara, visitors can witness one of the most beautiful natural wonders of the season: the blooming of tens of thousands of wild sakura across the slopes of Mount Yoshino.

  The mountain is covered with centuries-old white mountain cherry trees divided into groves (called Hitome-Sembon, or One Thousand Trees at a Glance) that, according to their altitude, bloom at different times, usually beginning in early April. Marked pathways, scattered temples, a predominantly Japanese blossom-viewing crowd, and the shops and teahouses in the pleasant town of Yoshino promise an unforgettable experience.

  You don’t need to venture into the countryside to take part in hanami. In Tokyo, cherry blossom hot spots include Ueno Park; Shinjuku Gyoen; the Chidori-ga-fuchi moat, at the northwest corner of the Imperial Palace grounds; and the stretch of the Meguro river flowing through Naka-Meguro, which becomes a tunnel of fluffy blossoms. Kyoto’s key blossom-viewing locations include the Kyoto Imperial Palace Park; the mile-long Philosopher’s Path, a sakura-lined walkway beside a canal that begins at the Ginkaku-ji Temple (see p. 510); and Maruyama-koen, a park that’s home to the famous Gion no Yozakura (Night-time Cherry of Gion), a spectacular weeping cherry tree that is illuminated at night.

  Thousands of sakura trees make Mount Yoshino Japan’s top spot for cherry blossom appreciation.

  WHERE: Yoshino is 21 miles/34 km south of Nara, 42 miles/68 km south of Kyoto. WHEN: usually in Apr, with lowest grove blossoming in early Apr. BEST TIME: Apr 11–12 for Hanakueshiki, the annual cherry-blossom festival at Kinpusen-ji Temple in Yoshino, although in some years this can be on the early side for peak viewing.

  Pilgrimage to Japan’s Sacred Mountain

  MOUNT FUJI

  Shizuoka and Yamanashi, Honshu, Japan

  Revered in the Shinto religion as a sacred mountain, 12,388-foot Mount Fuji is Japan’s highest peak and its national symbol. Elegant, snowcapped, symmetrical—and spellbinding when not shrouded in clouds—Fuji-san (as it is affectionately called by the Japanese people) is particularly beautiful when reflected on the mirror-calm surface of Lake Ashi.

  The Japanese say that goraiko (sunrise) on Fuji’s summit is a spiritual experience. Prepare yourself for a lot of company and camaraderie on what is reputedly the world’s most climbed mountain: Huge numbers of trekkers show up every summer (an impressive percentage of senior citizens among them).

  The various mountain paths that lead to the summit all have ten stations, and most climbers begin the 4- to 8-hour trek to the top from the fifth station (reachable by paved road) at either Gogome, on the north side, or Shin-Gogome, on the south. Many climbers hike at night with flashlights, arriving at the summit by dawn to catch sunrise, avoiding the packed dormitory-style accommodations along the way. The descent is a (3-hour) breeze.

  Fuji last erupted in 1707, but in the nearby resort area of Hakone, within the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park (Japan’s most visited park), intense volcanic activity can be observed daily from the funicular that passes above the Valley of Great Boiling and its steaming, sulfurous gorge. For centuries, public baths have tapped into searing-hot, mineral-rich onsen (hot springs) that promise to cure everything from stress to rheumatism to sore muscles. On weekends, wonderfully scenic Hakone fills with Tokyoites who come for a long, hot soak.

  Of the handful of traditional ryokan inns with their own indoor and outdoor onsen, Gora Kadan, the former summer residence of the Kan-In-No-Miya imperial family, is one of the most acclaimed in the country. Enjoy their exquisite spa followed by a traditional 10-course kaiseki meal served in your tatami room.

  Those with a less imperial budget should check into the old-fashioned Fujiya Hotel, the sprawling grande dame that has welcomed guests since 1878. The renowned Hakone Open-Air Museum is an escape from the summer weekend crowds and is home to sculptures by Henry Moore, Rodin, Giacometti, and Takeshi Shimizu. An indoor pavilion is filled with Picasso pieces from his later years.

  WHERE: 44 miles/71 km south of Tokyo. VISITOR INFO: www.city.fujiyoshidayamanashi.jp. GORA KADAN: Tel 81/460-23331; in the U.S., 800-735-2478; www.gorakadan.com. Cost: rooms with private open-air onsen $1,000 (off-peak), $1,445 (peak), inclusive. FUJIYA HOTEL: Tel 81/460-82-2211; www.fujiyahotel.jp/english. Cost: from $185. BEST TIMES: Mar–Apr during cherry blossom season; May when azaleas are in bloom; Jul–Aug for climbing Mt. Fuji, but you won’t be alone.

  “More than any other city, Tokyo demonstrates that ‘city’ is a verb, not a noun.”—MORI TOSHIKO

  TOKYO

  Honshu, Japan

  Japan’s frenetic capital is a trip in more ways than one. By turns reassuringly familiar and unsettlingly strange, Tokyo offers up neon-bright canyons of consumerism, contemporary pop cultural escapades, outstanding dining, and blissful, Zen-calm gardens and shrines. The effects of the catastrophic 2011 earthquake and its aftermath will be felt for years to come. But to the unsuspecting eye, life in Tokyo continues without a blip at high speed and around the clock. An astonishing architectural mi
shmash, its densely packed neighborhoods include everything from the remnants of a 17th-century castle to high-tech towers wrapped in giant LED displays. With perpetual change hardwired into its DNA, it is the ultimate urban adventure.

  TOP ATTRACTIONS

  IMPERIAL PALACE AND GARDENS—In the center of Tokyo, surrounded by a massive moat, lies the residence of the Japanese royal family. While the Imperial Palace building itself is off-limits, part of the royal compound is open to official tours (advance booking essential). No reservation is needed, however, to access the palace’s 50-acre Higashi Gyoen (East Garden). Wooded paths, bridges, and impeccably manicured gardens lead you to the stone foundations of the Honmaru (inner citadel), one of the few remaining original structures dating from 1640, when the first imperial palace (at the time, the largest castle in the world) was completed. From Kokyo Gaien, the large public plaza on the southeast side of the Imperial Palace, visitors can view the serene Nijubashi, the double layer bridge forming an entrance to the inner palace grounds, with the picturesque turret Fushimi Yagura behind. INFO: Tel 81/3-3213-1111; www.kunaicho.go.jp/eindex.html.

  SENSO-JI—This Buddhist temple, also known as Asakusa Kannon, is dedicated to the goddess Kannon. It is Tokyo’s oldest temple and one of the country’s most visited. According to legend, around the year 628 two brothers fishing in the nearby Sumida River netted a tiny golden statue of Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy. They presented it to their village chief, who was inspired to become a Buddhist priest and remodel his home into a temple dedicated to her so the villagers could come and worship. According to rumor, the statue is still here, although it is never shown to the public. Rebuilt after being damaged in World War II, the temple complex is home to the Sanja Festival, held the third weekend in May and said to be the biggest and loudest party in town, with over 100 mikoshi (portable shrines) paraded through the surrounding streets. Walk the colorful Nakamise Dori, a historic pedestrian lane leading to the shrine lined with shops selling beautiful, traditional Japanese souvenirs, or search out the nearby Demboin Garden. INFO: Tel 81/3-3842-0181; www.senso-ji.jp.