The Shrine, The Temple, Starbucks… and the Snow. The last day in Kyoto introduced us to a new element: The snow. It excited us at times. But the cold usually numbed our faces. It was a very exciting day throughout, nevertheless. Started by climbing up Fushimi Inari Taisha, and up to Kiyomizu-Dera. Took a break in a uniquely furnished Starbucks coffee at Ninenzaka. And ended the day walking along Shirakawa River, crossing the Tatsumi Bridge. Kyoto is truly beautiful. #kyoto #japan #holiday #fushimiinaritaisha #kiyomizudera #ninenzaka #starbucksninenzaka #tatsumi #shirakawa (at Fushimi Inari-taisha) https://www.instagram.com/p/Co2G7wth7q_/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
Yes I'd resolved to refer to it as "Won't get through to you" from now on but unforch I don't think folks will know what I'm talking about.
Dailymotion user BetterBL came through with the raws, so here we go!
oh, perspective switch!
I wouldn't have believed it either if I were the teacher
Ahaha Hosaka, you GREMLIN. I'd assume you're trying to provoke them but I don't think that's it.
Oh god, Kakeru really did lick his lips there, didn't he.
adsfadf EVERYONE's noticing, this is incredible
Kakeru you're such a dumdum. takeyabu, chikurin, oh god how do I translate that.
oh god these two
is Kakeru's hair darker this ep than it was?
Oh Kakeru, you know that Hosaka got on Yamato's case for yanking you around?
Oh, now they're fighting
Oh Fujino, read the room
these two are so cute and Kakeru is clearly SUPER not feeling it
oh noooo
oh god these two DISASTER BOYS
but also can I just say I hate meddling friends? I HATE THEM. I also used to have this one friend group that kept trying to set me up with random people and I hated it.
god Kakeru you keep telling this girl who's CLEARLY crushing on you about your best friend
Hosaka and Amamiya … Hosaka's trying to be diplomatic so hard.
Yamato's so cute like this, wow. Also that's (part of) Togetsukyo in the background already, they're sitting on the South bank of Katsuragawa near the Monkey park! which makes ZERO sense the way the rest of the sightseeing thing was framed, he'll have to cross the bridge to get to the bamboo grove in the first place.
god the comphet
I kinda like that they're … we've established that the're not friends with Yamato yet, really, but they're clearly willing to be
Wow okay, Hosaka's had it with diplomacy. He really doesn't hold back when things need saying, huh. Who hurt you, Hosaka??
I feel kinda bad for Akane, ngl. Also I cannot figure out where they are and it's driving me nuts – I'd assume Gion, maybe Ninenzaka? but I cannot tell.
Dramatic hair pin drop!
oh, that's the one she bought at the shop that day, huh.
aaah I MISS Arashiyama, goddamn
the sound here is not capturing the eerie noises swaying bamboo makes and that's a bit of a waste imo
I'm not sure that's the side Yamato would be turning onto the bridge from, coming from the grove? I think he'd be on the right side of the road … ah well, peanuts, this works
I miss Arashiyama T_T I have a picture of myself standing maybe 5-10 metres closer to the end of the bridge from where Yamato is standing when Kakeru runs up to him here, and it's one of my favourites to this day.
Oh Kakeru
KISS!!! in broad daylight and surrounded by tourists! (who are not in the shot, I know, but STILL) (also I'm very confused because if they're still on the side of the river they just were on, that's the rising sun, but … okay okay shutting up)
ah, here it is again, one of my least favourite harmless tropes, but I can deal
oh no, sudden unconsciousness is never good.
Going by the preview, next week's episode looks like a RIDE, let's hope they stick the landing.
I had an incredible sense of nostalgia this episode, stronger still than for last week's. Well done, show.
The origin of Incence Day can be traced back to the 3rd year of the reign of Emperor Suiko (595), when, according to the Japanese Bible, "Jinsui drifted ashore on the island of Awaji" and a large piece of wood was found on the island of Awaji. This agarwood is commonly known as agarwood.
When the islanders burnt the wood, they were surprised to find that the fragrance spread throughout the area, and the pieces were presented to the Imperial Court. It is said that Prince Shotoku made a statue of the Kannon (Goddess of Mercy) from it.
The fragrant wood is still worshipped as a deity at the Kareki Shrine on Awaji Island.
The month of April, when the agarwood was introduced to Japan, and 18 April, which is a decomposition of the Chinese character for 'incense', are combined to form the 'Incense Day'.
To commemorate Incence Day, 'Takai Juemon 2024' was created.
The product contains an assortment of three types of incense: 'Takai Juemon' 2018, 2019 and the Seritsumihime incense that was well received at the GinzaKobako.
In addition, a tin incense stand was specially designed to symbolise the 'ten' of the incense ten.
The precious incense and incense stand are packaged in a limited edition paulownia wood box.
It is now on sale at the main Koju Tokyo Ginza shop and the Kyoto Ninenzaka shop.
And that was all the pictures I took on the hike down, because I made a few friends! 😄
This group of 4 was ahead of me and at a perfect pace, so I was just following them to make sure I didn't go to fast. We got to the part with the steps that just have some random rocks mixed in with them and they suddenly noticed that I was behind them. They stopped and waved for me to pass, but I said "No, no this pace is good!"
They're from all over the area (Nara, Osaka, somewhere in Hyogo, and Kyoto), but they used to work together, so they were back together in Kyoto with the local as the tour guide.
We talked about my study of Japanese, my favorite Japanese food (okonomiyaki, and how they _have_ it in the states, but it's not the same), where I'd visited, and my dad being a pilot & riding with him here. They asked if I had bought any souvenirs yet, and when I flashed the Sumikko Gurashi bag that I had just bought for my sister, they nearly shrieked. 😂
I've spoken to people at shops a little here and there, but this was the first actual Japanese conversation I've had this trip, so that was really nice, if only to confirm I still can. I mostly just talked to two from Nara and Osaka, and they did a nice job of keeping the conversation comprehensible for me, which I could not appreciate more. (Some people just go a mile a minute like I'm native, and I'm very much not.)
We hiked probably halfway down together, then out the shops, and parted ways (they headed south towards Ninenzaka / other temples & shrines). I told them I was glad to have been able to meet them, and they said let's meet again someday. 👋😄
Edit: Just remembered, at one point my fellow hiker, the one from Nara, said that when she first offered to let me pass, she was worried I wouldn't understand どうぞ (in this context, "go ahead")... and then I started talking to her! 😂