Bang The Drums!

Entry Way Garden

Every had a Tofu Doughnut?

Bandō Tamasaburō in Amaterasu 

American Food: Steak

Today was our last full day in Kyoto. We have spent 6 days here and have barely scratched the surface of the city. We do feel at home here and love to just wander down the streets. After a finally shopping spree we returned to our hotel to get ready for what turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip. We went to the Minamiza Kabuki Theater. We did not go to see Kabuki but to see the  musical dance play "Amaterasu". The production features glorious dance by Tamasaburo Bando as the sun goddess Amaterasu, and Kodo performers playing taiko, koto harps, flutes and singing as they depict the gods who appear in this well-known Japanese myth.

Tamasaburo Bando is a male performer that has been awarded the title of: “National Living Treasure”. This is a way that Japan recognizes great artistry. We have seen Kodo drums many times and we always appreciated them. This was different. The giant drums were integrated into this performance. They actually were able to take on personalities. Tamasaburo Bando plays the role of the Sun Goddess with incredible dignity and dominates the stage. The drummers (they even have a female drummer) are exhausting just to watch. They never stop drumming, dancing and even singing. The audience predominately, Japanese, gave the longest ovations I have ever experienced. There must have been at least 10 curtain calls. It was a fabulous performance.

We returned to the hotel and organized our clothes. Japan has incredible delivery services. Since we were taking the train to our next destination, we were shipping some of our luggage back to Tokyo where we will be re-united with it. This shipping of your luggage, is very inexpensive and reliable. Everyone does it, rather than schlep your luggage with you.

We then when out for dinner, choosing a western style restaurant. Woops, when in Rome do as the Romans do. We should have gone for Japanese food. Typically although we had the name of the restaurant in Kanji, a map to the restaurant and the taxi driver had GPS, after calling for assistance twice, he couldn’t find the restaurant. He got out of the car and walked with us asking people where it was. Finally, I took mercy on him and made him realize it was ok, I knew we were in the general vicinity and I would find it. He left, we took 10 steps, I looked up and saw the restaurant sign. Feel sorry for the taxi driver, he will forever think he couldn’t find the restaurant, but he actually did. He just couldn’t read the sign, which was English. We walked home after dinner. Tomorrow Taxi, Bullet Train and Driver to our next destination, Hakone.