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A few years ago, I had the privilege of living in one of the most interesting and absurd countries I’ve ever been to.
Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun.
Home to Sushi, Harajuku Girls (real ones, not Gwen Stefani knock-offs) Ichiro, J-Pop and the Bullet Train.
Deciding to teach English in Japan was one of the most random and unplanned things I’ve ever done. I’d been pretty out of luck when it came to finding a job in International Education and was trying to figure out ways to get myself abroad again.
Right before Christmas in Dec. 2005, I had just finished reading the book “Memoirs of a Geisha”. The movie had just come out as well and after viewing it, I went home, googled (did we ‘google’ back then??) “Teaching in Japan,” found a company (Nova) and applied that night.
Turns out, three weeks later, Nova was going to be in the Seattle area conducting interviews.
Funny how things work out.
By May, I was living in Takarazuka, Japan (Home of the all Female review) teaching English 36 hours a week and spending as much time as I could travelling around the country.
One of my favorite places to visit was Kyoto. It was about a 2 hour train ride from where I was living and I would go up for a day or two each month. Such a history filled city, Kyoto fascinated me with its Temples, Geisha districts, festivals and traditions. I could spend countless hours roaming the city. It was also the place I felt the most like a White Celebrity. I had many photo requests whenever I was there. I got really good at modeling the peace sign.
There were always women walking around in Kimono. The air smelled like incense and baked goods. School children in uniforms were always making their way to and from the temples. I’m guessing to pray for exams and other teenage woes.
Every afternoon, shop owners would begin to clean the sidewalk outside of their stores, water would flow into the streets and I always remember slipping around in my flipflops.
There’s a saying in Kyoto that if one spots a Geisha, good luck will follow them. It sort of became a ongoing game of Where’s Waldo. We rarely spotted one, but there were a few times when my friends and I would be wandering down one of the small hidden streets and catch a glimpse of these beautifully made up women.
Kyoto had so many amazing places to visit: The Golden Pagoda, various other districts, but my favorite was just outside of the city. A temple called Fushimi Inari. I always went here if I just needed a moment of calm. It was a place that I could go to and clear my head, think, breath. The temple was surrounded by bright red Tori----Gateways that led through a forest. You could walk for what felt like miles.
Kyoto is one of those places that no matter how many times you visit, you never see everything. I even had the chance to Geisha-ize myself:
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