Chapter 10
Day 10
Nara
July 2009
“Lula, come here, look at this picture!”, “What are these things? Candles?”, “Here there’s written that in a place, called Nara, in August, people have a party… They call it the Obon Mantoro or 10.000 Lanterns Festival. Looks like that, at night, they light all these lanterns along the trail from a temple to the next across the woods and they make a sort of party”, “Where is this place?”, “Hmmm… Google Maps… Here, it says… A bunch of kilometers from Kyoto”, “When is this festival?”, “It should be, let’s see… Here it is, the night between August 14th and 15th!”, “Where are we planned to be, Osaka?”, “Kyoto…”, “Nara?”, “Hmmm… Yes, let’s write Nara!”.
August 2009
It was August 14th and we got up from your bed feeling like a huge bottle of Sake wore boxing gloves and beat us all the night long. Lula was looking like a ghost, I felt like I was sitting on a spinning bed and the room was keeping on turning all around.
“Room, stop!” no response
“I said, room, stop spinning!” still no response
“Ok, I need a coffee…” I got up and the room kept on spinning. Perhaps I should have said “Stop” in Japanese.
We staggered downstairs where I had a huge breakfast while Lula barely touched some tea. Then we came back to our room, we packed our backpacks and we headed for the train station.
A new train and a new landscape. Japan kept on changing at every train ride. Now we were about 40 Km from Kyoto, and it was looking like a brand new whole World. The landscape, this time, had shifted into a land of hills and mountains. The train took almost an hour to reach the Nara station, and when we arrived, we found ourselves in a quiet mountain town. That day the sun was high in the sky and a nice bright light was shining upon us. Nara was welcoming us with a sparkling smile.
Just like in Kyoto, we took an hotel near the station again. This time it was the Nikko Hotel. This hotel was nice, clean and following the most obvious Japanese architecture rules, the rooms was tiny. We felt like we were entering one of those toy-homes for kids. But this didn’t matter, we were in this town for the party! We left our bags in the room, actually, filling it up, and then we left the hotel.
Our first stop was at the Tourist Information Centre, where nice ladies gave us plenty of information and covered us in leaflets and maps.
We checked at the maps and Nara looked quite easy to navigate. So, we left the station area and we went up the main street which was first flaked by nice shops and then a pond. When we reached the pond we took a stairway on the left-hand side and we climbed the hill up.
“Lula, come here, look at this picture!”, “What are these things? Candles?”, “Here there’s written that in a place, called Nara, in August, people have a party… They call it the Obon Mantoro or 10.000 Lanterns Festival. Looks like that, at night, they light all these lanterns along the trail from a temple to the next across the woods and they make a sort of party”, “Where is this place?”, “Hmmm… Google Maps… Here, it says… A bunch of kilometers from Kyoto”, “When is this festival?”, “It should be, let’s see… Here it is, the night between August 14th and 15th!”, “Where are we planned to be, Osaka?”, “Kyoto…”, “Nara?”, “Hmmm… Yes, let’s write Nara!”.
August 2009
It was August 14th and we got up from your bed feeling like a huge bottle of Sake wore boxing gloves and beat us all the night long. Lula was looking like a ghost, I felt like I was sitting on a spinning bed and the room was keeping on turning all around.
“Room, stop!” no response
“I said, room, stop spinning!” still no response
“Ok, I need a coffee…” I got up and the room kept on spinning. Perhaps I should have said “Stop” in Japanese.
We staggered downstairs where I had a huge breakfast while Lula barely touched some tea. Then we came back to our room, we packed our backpacks and we headed for the train station.
A new train and a new landscape. Japan kept on changing at every train ride. Now we were about 40 Km from Kyoto, and it was looking like a brand new whole World. The landscape, this time, had shifted into a land of hills and mountains. The train took almost an hour to reach the Nara station, and when we arrived, we found ourselves in a quiet mountain town. That day the sun was high in the sky and a nice bright light was shining upon us. Nara was welcoming us with a sparkling smile.
Just like in Kyoto, we took an hotel near the station again. This time it was the Nikko Hotel. This hotel was nice, clean and following the most obvious Japanese architecture rules, the rooms was tiny. We felt like we were entering one of those toy-homes for kids. But this didn’t matter, we were in this town for the party! We left our bags in the room, actually, filling it up, and then we left the hotel.
Our first stop was at the Tourist Information Centre, where nice ladies gave us plenty of information and covered us in leaflets and maps.
We checked at the maps and Nara looked quite easy to navigate. So, we left the station area and we went up the main street which was first flaked by nice shops and then a pond. When we reached the pond we took a stairway on the left-hand side and we climbed the hill up.
Sanju No To, Kofokuji Temple and Deer
As soon as we reached the top of the stairway, we found ourselves into the Sanju No To, a park with a three storey pagoda tower. Again another flight of stairs and we reached the park of the Kofukuji Temple. Here we started to meet the first deer. In Nara deer are some sort of sacred animals and it’s quite easy to spot some of them wandering around the temple grounds. Of course, they come so close to the people because the tourists are accustomed to bring food to them. In this part of the temple there is also a very nice five-storey tower, that depict the Nature Elements (I guess that they are: kittens, chocolate, 20 SPF sunscreen, silk and jazz. If you don’t agree, search on Google).
In this area we found the highest concentration of deer. Here there are many Japanese biscuits hawkers that sell sweets for the deer. Actually I’m not very sure that biscuits are healthy for deer, but here the tourists buy those sweets and they get assaulted by herds of deer that want them. This practice is quite dangerous as a deer wouldn’t mind a second to stab somebody with his antlers.
And then here he came. The anomaly in Nara. The Deer that loved the fibre. To be exact, he loved not the vegetable fibre, but the paper ones.
The deer stalked me from behind, hiding himself among the other biscuit crazed ones. It passed by the people and other deer unnoticed, it had his psychotic eyes focused only to one thing, his favourite obsession (anyone has one, as Dr. Frank’n Further teaches). The deer waited patiently for the right moment to strike and when I was turned to take a picture to Lula which was surrounded by many deer, he came from behind and in a matter of a fraction of a second he took from my pocket my Kyoto Map. This map for me was precious as it covered both Kyoto and Nara, and beside this, I wrote a quite important address on that map, and I couldn’t let it get lost. As soon as I felt the map slipping off I turned around and I found myself facing a forest of deer antlers. It didn’t matter. The deer was chewing my map, I needed to get it back. In a flash I grabbed the map from the other end and I started to pull it out of his mouth. He didn’t want to let it go. It was in those moments, while we were struggling for that map, with my hand between his antlers that I thought “Franz, this time you did a bullshit. This time you get impaled”. I imagined Lula helping me somehow, but she was with all the other people that made a circle around of us laughing at the show. As the people laughed, it needed a telepath to understand that the deer was getting really pissed off of me. So, I needed to do something, and quick. With the other hand I searched in my pockets if I had something to use. No, I couldn’t stab the deer in the forehead with my small knife. People wouldn’t approve that. In the end I found that I still had a biscuit, so, with my free hand I took it and I flashed the biscuit before the deer psychotic eyes, hoping that, like all the other deer of Nara, it had an addiction for simple sugars and transfats too. In was a second. A shiver. I could feel the adrenalin rush exploding inside the deer. The irises burst wide and I felt it inhaling fiercely the smell of the biscuit. He left the map and at the same time, like if we rehearsed the scene for an hundred times I threw the biscuit far from me.
I grabbed my map and a second later the deer was already fighting with the other ones for the same biscuit. I checked at my map, it was chewed, but safe.
We crossed the temple grounds, and on the opposite side than the Five Storey Tower, we passed by another beautiful building, the Tokon-Do Hall. Just near this building, there is the way out of the temple grounds and we reached the street. We turned uphill and we followed it until we reached the next Temple Complex.
In this area we found the highest concentration of deer. Here there are many Japanese biscuits hawkers that sell sweets for the deer. Actually I’m not very sure that biscuits are healthy for deer, but here the tourists buy those sweets and they get assaulted by herds of deer that want them. This practice is quite dangerous as a deer wouldn’t mind a second to stab somebody with his antlers.
And then here he came. The anomaly in Nara. The Deer that loved the fibre. To be exact, he loved not the vegetable fibre, but the paper ones.
The deer stalked me from behind, hiding himself among the other biscuit crazed ones. It passed by the people and other deer unnoticed, it had his psychotic eyes focused only to one thing, his favourite obsession (anyone has one, as Dr. Frank’n Further teaches). The deer waited patiently for the right moment to strike and when I was turned to take a picture to Lula which was surrounded by many deer, he came from behind and in a matter of a fraction of a second he took from my pocket my Kyoto Map. This map for me was precious as it covered both Kyoto and Nara, and beside this, I wrote a quite important address on that map, and I couldn’t let it get lost. As soon as I felt the map slipping off I turned around and I found myself facing a forest of deer antlers. It didn’t matter. The deer was chewing my map, I needed to get it back. In a flash I grabbed the map from the other end and I started to pull it out of his mouth. He didn’t want to let it go. It was in those moments, while we were struggling for that map, with my hand between his antlers that I thought “Franz, this time you did a bullshit. This time you get impaled”. I imagined Lula helping me somehow, but she was with all the other people that made a circle around of us laughing at the show. As the people laughed, it needed a telepath to understand that the deer was getting really pissed off of me. So, I needed to do something, and quick. With the other hand I searched in my pockets if I had something to use. No, I couldn’t stab the deer in the forehead with my small knife. People wouldn’t approve that. In the end I found that I still had a biscuit, so, with my free hand I took it and I flashed the biscuit before the deer psychotic eyes, hoping that, like all the other deer of Nara, it had an addiction for simple sugars and transfats too. In was a second. A shiver. I could feel the adrenalin rush exploding inside the deer. The irises burst wide and I felt it inhaling fiercely the smell of the biscuit. He left the map and at the same time, like if we rehearsed the scene for an hundred times I threw the biscuit far from me.
I grabbed my map and a second later the deer was already fighting with the other ones for the same biscuit. I checked at my map, it was chewed, but safe.
We crossed the temple grounds, and on the opposite side than the Five Storey Tower, we passed by another beautiful building, the Tokon-Do Hall. Just near this building, there is the way out of the temple grounds and we reached the street. We turned uphill and we followed it until we reached the next Temple Complex.
Todaiji Temple
Talking about Nara is like a talking about a Temple Town. Here you can walk from a temple to the other passing through perfectly cared streets along the hill and the woods. At the sides of the streets, long lines of stone lanterns accompany you along the way.
The first building of this temple has been the Nandaimon Door. This is an ancient building-portal with also a pagoda roof. You’ve to get through it to reach the next temple. Just after this portal, we found ourselves in front to the majestic Todaiji. It’s huge, fantastic, with gigantic towering statues of Kongōrikishi. Inside of the temple, in the so called Daibutsuden there is also the Daibutsu, the World largest statues of the Buddha Vairocana. This temple is also the base of the Kegon school of Buddhism. Inside of this temple there is also a wooden column with a hole that goes through it from side to side. The hole is wide enough to let a kid to get through it. It’s said that if somebody can get through this hole, he’ll have Good Luck. Once outside we went by a very nice pond and then we went back on the way to the next temple.
The first building of this temple has been the Nandaimon Door. This is an ancient building-portal with also a pagoda roof. You’ve to get through it to reach the next temple. Just after this portal, we found ourselves in front to the majestic Todaiji. It’s huge, fantastic, with gigantic towering statues of Kongōrikishi. Inside of the temple, in the so called Daibutsuden there is also the Daibutsu, the World largest statues of the Buddha Vairocana. This temple is also the base of the Kegon school of Buddhism. Inside of this temple there is also a wooden column with a hole that goes through it from side to side. The hole is wide enough to let a kid to get through it. It’s said that if somebody can get through this hole, he’ll have Good Luck. Once outside we went by a very nice pond and then we went back on the way to the next temple.
Kasuga Grand Shrine
We went through the Nigatsu-Do Hall and, after a nice walk in the woods, we reached the Kasuga Grand Shrine. This is a beautiful Shinto shrine into the forest. It is mainly painted in red and has thousands lanterns of any kind and shape all around, from thick and heavy beautiful bronze lanterns hanging from the ceiling, to stone lanterns in the outside of the same temple. That day the people in the temple were very busy with the preparation for the festival, and it was really interesting to spend some time there watching all these persons, in traditional clothes, working hard for it. In this area there are also many deer, so be careful to your maps!
Old Nara
After this Temples tour we went back to the city and we went into the historical part of Nara. In this area the houses are lower and the street become a sort of small labyrinth. The sun that was high and strong, and it was a pleasure to wander there around. While wandering around we stopped by a supermarket where we bought a ripe Dragon Fruit. So, we sat on a bench at the side of a small square and, using my little knife, we ate this sweet tropical fruit. It was a very nice snack in a wonderful place.
Obon Mantoro Festival - The 10000 Lanterns Festival
The same evening, after a nice and long shower, we got dressed well and we went back to the city. This night would be the Obon Mantoro Festival, the 10000 Lanterns Festival, and we came to Nara for this. As soon as the sun went down and the night fell on the city, the city started to light up with thousands of small lanterns. We followed the same path that we did by day, but now the city changed her face. Now all the city was partying and sparkling at the light of the lanterns.
As soon as we stepped into the crowd we became euphoric. People were partying in the streets, there were stalls selling any kind of things, there was music and happiness. The mundane party was in the street and by the same time, in the temple were held religious ceremonies. We were in the middle of it all, and it had been an unforgettable experience.
We went back to the city that was late evening, and we decided to stop by a local restaurant. When we placed the order, we discovered that we should cook, again, by ourselves. Seen that I felt both courageous and self confident, I dared to order a Noodle Okonomiyaki, while Lula ordered simple noodles. I was given all the raw ingredients, the waiter explained me, both quickly and in Japanese, the procedure. I tried to understand by the movement of his hands what I should do, and I started working on it. In the end, I made a sort of “Noodles and Vegetables Omelette”, while Lula’s noodles were absolutely perfect, something went wrong with my cooking and in the end my Okonomiyaki was so horrible that it should be inscribed into the list of the mass-destruction weapons. Of course, I left most of it.
As soon as we stepped into the crowd we became euphoric. People were partying in the streets, there were stalls selling any kind of things, there was music and happiness. The mundane party was in the street and by the same time, in the temple were held religious ceremonies. We were in the middle of it all, and it had been an unforgettable experience.
We went back to the city that was late evening, and we decided to stop by a local restaurant. When we placed the order, we discovered that we should cook, again, by ourselves. Seen that I felt both courageous and self confident, I dared to order a Noodle Okonomiyaki, while Lula ordered simple noodles. I was given all the raw ingredients, the waiter explained me, both quickly and in Japanese, the procedure. I tried to understand by the movement of his hands what I should do, and I started working on it. In the end, I made a sort of “Noodles and Vegetables Omelette”, while Lula’s noodles were absolutely perfect, something went wrong with my cooking and in the end my Okonomiyaki was so horrible that it should be inscribed into the list of the mass-destruction weapons. Of course, I left most of it.
Okonomiyaki Recipe
Okonomiyaki is known as a kind of Japanese-style pancake. There are a variety of ingredients and toppings for okonomiyaki. This is a recipe to make Osaka-style okonomiyaki. The dish can vary depending on what region of Japan it’s made in, but it can be found almost anywhere in Japan. Perhaps the most common version is Oasaka-style okonomiyaki, which is also known as the Kansai-style. The other most widely known version is the Hiroshima-style. The name comes from the Japanese words okonomi, which loosely translated means “favorite,” and yaki meaning “grilled.” Yield: Makes 4-6 sheets Ingredients: · 2 cup all purpose flour · 1 1/4 cup dashi soup stock or water · 4-6 eggs · 1 - 1 1/2 lb cabbage, finely chopped · 4-6 Tbsp chopped green onion · 1/2-3/4 cup tenkasu (tempura flakes) · 12-18 strips of thinly sliced pork or beef · vegetable oil · For toppings: · ao-nori (dried seaweed powder) · okonomiyaki sauce · mayonnaise · katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) *optional · beni-shoga (pickled red ginger) *optional Preparation: Put flour in a large bowl. Pour dashi and mix to make batter. Rest the batter for about an hour in the refrigerator. To make one sheet of okonimiyaki, take out about 1/2 cup of the batter in another bowl. Mix about 1/4 lb of chopped cabbage, about 1 Tbsp of chopped green onion, and about 2 Tbsp of tempura flakes in the batter. Add an egg in the batter and stir. Heat an electric pan or skillet and oil lightly. Pour the batter in the pan and make a round shape. Cook for about 5-7 minutes. Meanwhile, fry a couple slices of meat on the side and place the meat on top of the okonomiyaki. Flip the okonomiyaki and cook for about 5 minutes or until cooked through. Flip the okonomiyaki again and spread okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise on top. Sprinkle aonori over the sauce. Sprinkle katsuobushi and beni-shoga if you would like. |
After dinner, when we got out of the restaurant, we discovered that Nara had changed face one more time. The Japanese efficiency was astonishing. All around there were no more lanterns and people were slowly coming back at their homes. For a moment I even believed that the 10000 Lanterns Festival had been, simply, a wonderful dream.