In the Times of the Stealthy and the Brave (A.K.A. The Geeky Trip)

Ninja Mura: The so-called ninja village is in Koka, Shiga Prefecture. It's kind of hard to access unless you can drive there or manage to catch a bus there, but as for me, I had to walk. And to be honest, it wasn't really worth the effort. Far from the station, quite small, muddy and not walking friendly. There really isn't much to do there and it's not very oriented towards foreign tourism as everything is in Japanese. I don't really recommend it unless you have children who will enjoy running around playing ninja. The place is fairly small and built on a mountainous area. The day I went, the ground was muddy and gross, so walking was very unpleasant.

When I walked in, two buses full of little children had just arrived, and considering the limited size of the site, I couldn't really try any of the attractions. It's nice if you have kids because there are a few games they can play, like shuriken throwing, rock climbing and the crossing of a lake on "mizukaki" (mud sandals). It's possible to rent a ninja costume (but it's quite pricey, around 2000 yen). Fortunately, you get 1000 yen back when you return the costume, but unless you stay for a long time, it's not really worth it. Also, I had no idea how to put it on and although I asked really nicely, the lady didn't seem very eager to help me... I felt a little uncomfortable after that. :( To be honest, I thought this place was a waste of my time and money. Hell, the way there was more interesting than the time spent inside...! But maybe it's just me!

Iga Ryu Museum (Mie Prefecture): Now, if the Ninja Village was disappointing for me, the Ninja Museum greatly exceeded my expectations (which were at their lowest, to tell the truth)! From Igaueno Station to Uenoshi, you get to ride on an awesome ninja train: painted in blue with sharp eyes drawn across. The driver was the friendliest, most laid-back, friendliest and warmest I have ever met. There were still about 20 minutes to go before the train's departure. The driver was on the platform, having nothing else to do. As soon as I approached the flashy yet tiny machine, he struck a conversation when he noticed my interest and offered to take pictures for me. Despite not being very tech savvy, he spent the next few minutes desperately trying to snap a shot, without much success. He was friendly, pleasant and polite. What a great guy! He offered the same thing to other tourists that arrived after me. When I stepped inside the car, I was overjoyed at the sight of the various shapes of ninja around the doors and the dolls stealthily hiding on the baggage shelves. This was all I needed to erase the day's previous series of mishaps and let-downs. I walked around a bit before I succeeded in locating the museum site which happens to be a park. Once I got there, I was relieved to find that my day wasn't going to end as badly as it had started.

Uenoshi Station also had its fair share of ninja decorations. The Ninja Museum, as well as the ninja trick house, ninja shows and shops are among other attractions that the entrance fee gave me access to. The ninja house is a nifty little building that is riddled with traps and hiding places. It was built to protect the owner against potential invasions, robberies and attacks. The staff demonstrated its various secrets and gave clear explanations. The museum, too, was fascinating. It contained a large number of ancient ninja equipment, clothing and weapons. All the explanations had an English translation (and quite good, I must say), so I could learn a lot about techniques and strategies of the stealth artists.

I was lucky to catch the ninja show right on time by coincidence. When I spotted the long waiting queue, I inquired to the staff about what was going on in there, and they told me all about it, and invited me to go in. Because I was alone, and despite my protests, they made me get in right away without having to wait in line.

Recording was prohibited, but thankfully, taking pictures was allowed, even encouraged. The performers were quite few (they numbered three or four at most), but extremely talented and experienced pros. The battle sequences were realistic and explosive (literally). I especially liked how they added a touch of humor to the stunts (like pretending to throw their shuriken at the crowd by accident, which caused a few screams of terror, followed by uncontrollable laughter). Fun times.

The museum is located in a park which has a few other facilities, including a shrine and a really nice castle. As short as was my stay in Iga-shi, I loved the atmosphere!

I would go all the way to see this place again.

Kyoto Toei Studio Park: This is a set where many period dramas and movies were and still are recorded. A few years ago, it was made into a theme park and opened to the public. There, you may walk the streets of ancient Japan as if you were in one of its epic stories. There is so much to do there! Sometimes, some areas are off-limit during shootings, but there is much to see.

Entrance is 2000 yen for adults, a reasonable price considering how awesome this place is. What's more, people who come dressed in kimonos get a 50% discount. There is a mini-anime museum that is free of charge, and also shows and energetic performances of old folk tales by talented actors. At any moment, while you are walking the streets of the studio, you may encounter actors who, all dressed-up, make the experience all the more realistic. I met a geisha and a samurai who were both very sweet and visibly delighted to strike a pose for me. Also, at one point, I spotted a ninja perched on a rope up high doing his thing. XD

And that, my friends, was priceless!

It's possible to rent costumes and get a complete geisha or samurai makeover. The price is well over 10,000 yen so I passed, having had chances to wear kimonos in the past. But if you choose to make this exciting investment, you can have your picture taken and walk around the set in your awesome getup.

There are a lot of souvenir shops, too, obviously, including Shinobiya, one of my personal favorites!

Everyone needs to go there at least once.

Obakusan Manpukuji (Uji, Kyoto): This Buddhist temple is unique in that it was built by a Chinese monk, which is reflected in the architecture. Upon my arrival, I was shocked at how desert and quiet the place was. As I wandered, camera in hand, I actually thought I had made a mistake and had trespassed on a private property (although many temples used to be someone's residence, so it kind of makes sense). When I finally got to ticket booth, I saw a group of tourists and it dawned on me that I was at the right place. I spent a much longer time there than I had planned. The site is gigantic. There are so many buildings erected on a piece of land that stretches out forever. This was a nice break from civilisation, as everything was so serene and beautiful.

I wandered around for a long time.

Pulling me out of my contemplations was the sound of a gong being struck. Hesitatingly, I made my way towards the main building, where I found a few monks reciting prayers and chants in a single, powerful and entrancing voice. I stayed for a while and then took my leave quietly after bowing one last time.

I like temples and shrines, but considering their number, I usually try to visit the ones that strike me as being out of the ordinary.

This one definitely qualifies as unusual.

Again, highly recommended!

Byodoin: The dawn was drawing near and I almost did not make it to this place. Unfortunately, not only had the weather been sunny all day, but the sun was about to set, which is never good news as far as iPhone photo taking is concerned. For that reason, the quality of the pictures was affected, but I managed to take some decent ones. Sakura were in full bloom so walking to the temple was a feast for the eyes. This is a very nice area which has a number of temples, shrines and other such notable places.

I wanted to linger a bit more, but time was flying.

Byodoin is a Buddhist temple which is most famous for its main building, the Phoenix Hall. Dating back to the 1000's, it is the only original building which remains. I wasn't able to go in as it was too late, but the outside is impressive enough as it is. The view from accross the pond is scenic. I did not know about this place and just happened to go there because I had no other plan.
But in the end, I was really glad I did.

Did you know? This temple is actually featured on the 10-yen coin! It is also yet another of Japan's UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Not too shabby, huh.

All in all, I had a really nice vacation.

Before I left, however, I stopped in Nagoya and decided to try one of its breakfast restaurants and cafes, something the city is famous for. All things considered, like distance, opening hours and menu, I decided on a small place called Early Birds.

If you have the chance, please give it a try!

The most unique breakfast I have ever had...! Tomato-Bacon egg biscuit sandwich in white gravy sauce with veggies on the side. SO YUMMY! Check out "Early Birds" in Nagoya if you're "in town"!

Until the next trip...!