The search for new spectacles

A week ago, I dropped my spectacles while sightseeing on my bicycle.

The signboard I saw along the streets before I lost my spectacles -_-

I was cycling on the Kyoto streets one Saturday. My spirits were high and the weather was great. I passed this huge signboard that says "Your good times are just beginning" and I truly believed that only good things would happen on that day. 

And then it started to pour.

I put on my new raincoat from the 100 Yen shop and kept cycling, spirits undampened. Cycling in the rain in a raincoat (I had not worn one since I was a child) was to me a very novel experience. So I was really enjoying it.  As the raindrops on my spectacles hindered my vision,  I removed them for safety reasons. Having nowhere else to put them, I placed them in my bicycle basket.  That was the worst decision I made that day.

I realised that my spectacles were gone after about 20 minutes of cycling. I immediately retraced my route, half expecting to see them lying in the middle of the road as the wheels of a truck ran over them.  Twice, I retraced the route but there was no trace of them.

After that hapless day, I embarked on a week-long operation to search for new spectacles.  When I entered the shops to enquire about the prices, I was often asked about the whereabouts of my old spectacles.

Now, there are 2 Japanese verbs for "drop", depending on whether someone drops the object or the object drops by itself.   In my case, the spectacles dropped from my bicycle without me realising.  But in my broken Japanese, I somehow managed to make all the shop assistants think that I dropped my spectacles and broke the lens while cycling.  They were all very sympathetic.  I was exasperated, more from the fact that I had made little improvement in Japanese though, rather than from having lost my spectacles.

Price range

On the right, a JINS outlet in OPA, a shopping mall at Shijo Kawaramachi.

A second outlet can be found in the Daimaru nearby.

Anyway, I checked with a few people and gathered that a pair of spectacles cost about 10000 Yen (SGD 160).  Prices for the spectacles frame usually start from 5000 Yen and you pay about 5000 Yen more for the lens.  However, I guess I was still considered lucky because it was the summer sale! With the summer sale, I could get a pair of spectacles at half the price!

Recommended shop for spectacles

Upon the recommendation from a friend, I checked out JINS, a shop selling really trendy and affordable spectacles. There I got a new pair of spectacles, complete with lens at 3990 Yen (about SGD 64).  The "standard operating procedure" for buying spectacles at JINS goes like this :

1. 

   

   A wide selection of colourful light-weight plastic frames at JINS.

   You can also find metal frames here.

   You choose the spectacles you like and bring it to the counter.
2. Next, it is the eye check.  You will be asked to wait for your turn at the seating area that flanked both sides of the counter.  During the eye check, I was asked if I could read Japanese. I was then asked to read Japanese alphabets from a chart.  I believe a different chart will be used for people who do not speak Japanese.
3. After the eye check is done, you make payment at the counter. During that time, you will be asked to choose the colour of the spectacle case that you like. I chose fuchsia. Other colours include brown, white, turquoise, gold and silver etc.
4. After payment, you will be asked to wait at the seating area for your spectacles. I waited about 15 minutes.
5. And after getting your spectacles, the staff will make sure they fit nicely on your ears and nose before packing them into the case.  A warranty card is included in the spectacle case.

My new blue plastic spectacles.

I was really happy with the service and the prices offered by JINS.  It was a pleasant surprise to be able to get my new spectacles on the spot too.  I think the prices of spectacles in Japan are comparable to and perhaps even cheaper than in Singapore, especially during the summer sale.

However, if you are looking for Japan-made frames, I am not sure if you may be able to find it in JINS though.  I believe most of their spectacles are not made here. 

Well, I sure hope that my good times are really beginning with these new spectacles!

Getting around in Kyoto

Transport in Japan is expensive.The standard cost of a bus ride on the Kyoto city bus is 220 Yen (SGD 3.50). The subway costs about the same, starting from 210 Yen.  I met 2 Singaporeans visiting Kyoto through a Taiwanese school mate and they had an interesting perspective.  "In order not to feel the pinch, just pretend that you were riding in a taxi all the time".

When I arrived in Kyoto, I was determined to find an apartment near my school so that I didn't have to incur unnecessary transport costs. I could of course invest in a bicycle like everyone else living here but I had no confidence riding a bicycle then.

And so my most important criterion to my housing agent was to find a place within 20 minutes' walk from my school so that I could walk to school everyday.  It was fortunate that they found me an apartment 700m from school, about 10 minutes' walk. 

To save on transport costs, I started to walk to places I wanted to go instead of getting on public transport.  My threshold for what was considered "far" was raised.  Any place within a hour of walking was considered "near" by my new standard.

A bicycle shop near my university.

When I started to get engaged in volunteer work, I began to realise that transport costs were depleting my budget.  The venues for those activities were too far for walking.  The transport costs on an activity day would cost me more than 1000 Yen (SGD 16).  

At first, I bought 1-day bus passes for unlimited travelling on the Kyoto city bus. That costs 500 Yen each. However, the transport costs for a month of volunteering activities were still quite high. Eventually, I started to seriously consider a bicycle.

Getting a bicycle

There are many shops in Kyoto selling used bicycles.  The shops in areas where there are universities tend to sell their used bicycles at higher prices, from around 6000 Yen (SGD 100). There are some cheap  department stores like "Kohnan" which sell new bicycles from about 8000 Yen.  The internet, notably Amazon.co.jp has some pretty good offers for new foldable bicycles costing slightly more than 9000 Yen.

A friend also pointed me to the message boards at the Kyoto City International Foundation to check out the items for sale. There, I found someone who was willing to sell his bicycle for 1000 Yen but you must first justify to him why he should sell his bicycle to you.

I also heard about school mates who managed to get cheap second-hand bicycles at only around 3000 Yen.  So I started to ask around in school with the hope of buying an even cheaper used bicycle from overseas students who were returning home.  Eventually, I found someone who offered to give me her bicycle as she was returning to America.

Soon after I got a bicycle, my quality of life improved tremendously. I no longer had to walk the distance back from the supermarkets with the heavy groceries. I was also able to explore more places in Kyoto, which also meant I could seek out places where the bargains were.

Used bicycles in tip-top condition for sale at Toji flea market.

Recently, I went to a flea market at Toji Temple, cycling almost 1.5 hours to get there.  I discovered bicycles going for less than 3000 Yen at the flea market.

My neighbour quipped that I should get another bicycle since  it is so cheap. It was very tempting indeed, considering that they all came in many different bright colours and were in tip-top condition. I would have loved to get the one in fuchsia to match my wallet and laptop.

A bicycle crossing right beside a zebra crossing for pedestrians.

The bicycle is indeed the best and cheapest way to travel around Kyoto.  Kyoto streets are easy to navigate due to the grid layout of the city.  The walking paths are usually shared between the pedestrians and cyclists.  On some sidewalks, a path for bicycles is clearly marked out. 

The only grouse most people have is probably the challenge of finding parking for bicycles.  There are many people who park illegally in parks or sidewalks.  They would then risk getting their bicycles removed and being slapped with a 2300 Yen handling fee. Taking the advice from friends, I usually pretend to be a patron of a pachinko outlet or a restaurant and park my bicycle there for free, like everyone else.

With a bicycle, anywhere within 1.5 hours of cycling could be considered "near" by my new standard. As temperature soared in summer, cycling could be pretty torturous.  I also found out that discounted bus and train tickets could be purchased in downtown Kyoto. So on days when I did not feel like cycling, I would use such tickets.  

A shop along Shijo Kawaramachi selling discounted train and bus tickets. On the right is a diagram showing the price of the discounted Hankyu Railway tickets for use on normal days, non-peak hours and on weekends.

The 1-day bus pass, and the discounted

 tickets for off-peak travel on the Kyoto City Bus.

Discounted tickets for public transport

The discounted bus tickets have to be bought in bulk so it is really for people living in Kyoto. You pay 2000 Yen for 13 tickets which means that each ticket costs only about 150 Yen instead of 220 Yen.  However, the catch is you can only travel between non-peak hours from 10am to 4pm, and you cannot travel on Sundays.  If you do not want such restrictions, you can pay 5000 Yen for 26 tickets and each ticket will cost 190 Yen.

The shops selling such tickets also sells JR train passes and sightseeing passes for tourists. They even sell movie tickets at lower prices.  I went to Osaka on the private Hankyu Railway at only 300 Yen on a Sunday, using the discounted Hankyu tickets. 

If you are coming to Kyoto, you know that there are always cheaper options available for travelling around here. 

When Orihime meets Hikoboshi at Kitano Tenmangu

7 July was the Tanabata  (七夕）Festival in Japan. Originating from China, the festival was adopted by Japan during the Heian period (794 - 1185) when Chinese influence on Japanese culture was very strong.

 

 

The story behind the Japanese festival is similar to the common Chinese story in which a weaver girl (known as Orihime in Japanese) fell in love with a herdsman (Hikoboshi) but were eventually torn apart from each other.  They were only allowed to meet once every year, on the 7th day of the 7th month in the lunar calendar.

Bamboo leaves with tanzaku paper outside my favourite supermarket.

Interestingly, many areas in Japan do not follow the lunar calendar, celebrating this festival on a date based on the Gregorian calendar.  Also, unlike the Chinese who celebrate the festival like Valentine's Day, the Japanese write their wishes on colourful tanzaku paper and hang them on bamboo branches. The bamboo branches, often decorated with colourful papers, are placed outside houses or buildings.

After a few days of rain, the fine weather that Saturday was a surprise. I was glad as it meant the star-crossed lovers could meet afterall. It was widely believed that Orihime and Hikoboshi would not be able to see each other if it rained, and would have to wait for another year to meet.

The Tanabata Festival celebrations seemed rather low-key in Kyoto. I supposed Kyoto was too busy preparing for one of its signature festivals of the year, the Gion Matsuri, to do much about the Tanabata.  As I heard that the Kitano Tenmangu Shrine was holding special performances as part of the Tanabata celebrations, I decided to check it out.

Kitano Tenmangu is one of my favourite shrines. It  creates an impression in a quiet way. No bright red torii, only dignified gray.  


Majestic stone torii gates, stone lion statues and stone lanterns line the path to the main hall of the shrine.  I love the quiet atmosphere which seems to overshadow the chatter of the visitors.



The shrine is especially popular among students.  Visitors can pay about 500 Yen to write their wishes on a wooden plaque known as 'ema' (絵馬).   It is common to see 'ema' being scribbled with wishes related to scholastic achievements, such as wishes for successful university entrance exams.


On Tanabata, tanzaku paper hung on bamboo leaves flanked the entrance to the main prayer hall of the shrine.

 As I read through the tanzaku, I was amused by an unusual wish from a primary school child. 

'I wish to be able to strike lottery,' he wrote,  while his school mates wrote about becoming a sportsman or entering university one day.


And then, as I walked through the grounds of the shrine, I heard children singing. So the special performances actually featured children!  Japanese children from various kindergartens in the neighbourhood were singing, dancing and playing a variety of musical instruments at the festival.

There were children who realised the significance of what they were doing and like celebrities, waved from the stage excitedly at their proud parents and grandparents.  And there were those who lost focus, and yet never lost too much of it to disrupt the singing and dancing.

It amazed me to see how children are so full of potential. They can achieve so much if you would just give them the opportunity. 

Before I left the shrine, I met my neighbour by chance. He shared that he didn't expect the performances to be of such a 'small' scale.  I had to admit that like him, I was expecting a massive cultural event with a larger crowd.

I missed the point then but I think I might have grasped the wisdom of it now.


How else can we best celebrate and preserve traditions if we do not get the kids involved?

Prologue: the first three months

When I first arrived in Kyoto on 26 Mar 2012, I wanted to start a blog as soon as possible to share my adventures and observations. But I didn't.

It was because it took me longer than expected to set my life in order in this foreign land.

I didn't speak  much Japanese; I had to look for an apartment; I had to furnish my apartment; I didn't have internet; I didn't have a mobile phone and I knew no one. It was winter then. I remember feeling rather gloomy because of the cold and loneliness. 

April

The semester started on 2 Apr. A flurry of orientation activities followed. There were the Japanese class placement tests to grapple with at that time, amidst questions on whether and how to get myself a bed, internet and maybe some friends, for a start.  I was kept busy.

By the end of the first month, I was plagued by a different set of concerns.  I couldn't articulate my thoughts in class. My proficiency level was too low. I thought the class placement was a mistake but I was not allowed to rectify it.  I couldn't keep up with everyone's pace.  My classmates are young, in their early 20s. I was too slow for my age. By trying to keep up, I spent most of my time in my apartment studying.

It was fortunate that the sakura trees were in bloom at that time. The transience of the beautiful flowers reminded me of my mortality. I felt blessed to be able to undertake this journey on my own, and in good health. More importantly, I found strength and optimism.

May

With the passing of the sakura,  the Golden Week - a series of public holidays in the first week of May - brought me my parents and my friends from Singapore. Their short stays with me dispelled my loneliness for a while.

 

 

But by the end of May, I started to feel disconnected from society. Every day, when I went to class, it felt unreal.  It didn't help that I live somewhere else while most of the people I would have loved to hang out with stay in the school dorm. I was hardly included in the social activities of people I know in school. 

I felt a desperate need to fill the emptiness that surrounded me after class. I needed to interact with people.  I wanted to contribute to society again. I started job hunting but couldn't make any headway with my low Japanese proficiency. I thought of getting a television but it didn't seem right to replace people with a box.

And so, I started to look beyond the school campus for activities targeted at working adults. I was afterall a shakai-jin (社会人).

June

Life becomes meaningful knowing you are able to help others. I eventually found a non-profit organisation with a mission I could identify with, where I volunteer my skills.

It is an organisation that promotes international exchange between Japanese children and children in other parts of the world. The founders of the organisation escaped death because of a postponed meeting that made them cancel the ill-fated flight on 11 Sep 2001. They felt that they had to do something for the chaotic world and set up the NPO.  These are people who dared to make the difference.  I was deeply inspired.

I also started searching for cultural activities that I am interested in. For two Saturdays per month, I am now learning Japanese traditional dance.  At the class, I met people who share my interests, understand my difficulties, and are willing to listen and advise. 

Not too long ago, a classmate who is returning to America generously gave me her bicycle.  The bicycle, in its orange splendour, seems to have a message for me. Every time I look at it, I hear the words, Do More, Feel Better, Live Longer!

It looks like life in Kyoto has just begun.