There are a few sites that are invaluable when researching Yokai, but one in particular, Zack Davisson's hyakumonogatari.com, stands out as a page I find myself going back to time and again. Zack is an author, translator and authority on Yokai, and I'm always impressed by his passion and attention to detail. A good chunk of my leads have come from Zack's articles. For everything that goes into it, hyakumonogatari.com is a true gem with the information it freely provides.
Matt Alt and his wife Hiroko Yoda have also been a great source of information. Their "survival guide" Yokai Attack! is a compact edition that provides the Western reader a grounding in Yokai folklore without requiring an in-depth knowledge of Japanese culture. The entries in their book have also supplied me with some leads, and I'm grateful to them for the kickstart Yokai Attack! gave me when I was getting into the hobby.
My other sources are a mix of books, travel guides, tourist sites and blogs, local government websites, and good old Wikipedia (in both English and Japanese). Special thanks also go out to the local Japanese bloggers and folklore societies who are writing about the Yokai in their area. I hope one day we can do a "korabo" together!
Driver Gragma (yokaitourbus "at" mail "dot" com)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yokaitourbus/
The Master Lists
Osaka: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-the-master-list-osaka.html
Hyogo: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-b-master-list-hyogo.html
Kyoto: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-c-master-list-kyoto.html
Shiga: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-d-master-list-shiga.html
Nara: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-e-master-list-nara.html
Mie: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-f-master-list-mie.html
Wakayama: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-g-master-list-wakayama.html
Saturday, August 8, 2015
Sunday, August 2, 2015
4. The Midosuji Train Line
The "red" Midosuji subway line in Osaka Prefecture cuts north to south through the city like a zipper. The segment from Shin-Osaka Stn. in the north to Tennoji Stn. in the south is arguably the most convenient stretch of line in the prefecture, if not the region. Those eleven stations, which I will list here, all connect to at least one other train line. Umeda in the north, Namba in the middle, and Tennoji in the south are large hubs that connect to several lines. Shin-Osaka Stn. caps things off by being the transit stop for the Shinkansen, or bullet train.
As Osaka Prefecture is a hub in itself at the approximate center of the other six prefectures, my starting point for each entry will be a station on the Midosuji Line. The eleven stations from north to south are as follows:
Shin-Osaka
Nishinakajima-Minamigata
Nakatsu
Umeda
Yodoyabashi
Hommachi
Shinsaibashi
Namba
Daikokucho
Dobutsuenmae
Tennoji
Another convenient line is the JR Osaka Loop Line. The eleven stations above roughly equate to the diameter of the line's circle or "loop." Though it can be convenient for getting around Osaka City, the Midosuji Line in my opinion has it beat. However, the Loop can get you to either JR Osaka Stn. (which is right next to subway Umeda Stn.) or Tennoji Stn., and these two stations will be common starting points for many of our journeys. A special mention also goes to Kyobashi Stn., a station on the east side of the Loop. From Kyobashi you can get out to the eastern sightseeing spots of Kyoto City. Kyobashi will also get you back to Umeda (JR Osaka Stn.), Yodoyabashi, or Tennoji in no time at all.
Driver Gragma (yokaitourbus "at" mail "dot" com)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yokaitourbus/
The Master Lists
Osaka: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-the-master-list-osaka.html
Hyogo: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-b-master-list-hyogo.html
Kyoto: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-c-master-list-kyoto.html
Shiga: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-d-master-list-shiga.html
Nara: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-e-master-list-nara.html
Mie: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-f-master-list-mie.html
Wakayama: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-g-master-list-wakayama.html
As Osaka Prefecture is a hub in itself at the approximate center of the other six prefectures, my starting point for each entry will be a station on the Midosuji Line. The eleven stations from north to south are as follows:
Shin-Osaka
Nishinakajima-Minamigata
Nakatsu
Umeda
Yodoyabashi
Hommachi
Shinsaibashi
Namba
Daikokucho
Dobutsuenmae
Tennoji
Another convenient line is the JR Osaka Loop Line. The eleven stations above roughly equate to the diameter of the line's circle or "loop." Though it can be convenient for getting around Osaka City, the Midosuji Line in my opinion has it beat. However, the Loop can get you to either JR Osaka Stn. (which is right next to subway Umeda Stn.) or Tennoji Stn., and these two stations will be common starting points for many of our journeys. A special mention also goes to Kyobashi Stn., a station on the east side of the Loop. From Kyobashi you can get out to the eastern sightseeing spots of Kyoto City. Kyobashi will also get you back to Umeda (JR Osaka Stn.), Yodoyabashi, or Tennoji in no time at all.
Driver Gragma (yokaitourbus "at" mail "dot" com)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yokaitourbus/
The Master Lists
Osaka: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-the-master-list-osaka.html
Hyogo: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-b-master-list-hyogo.html
Kyoto: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-c-master-list-kyoto.html
Shiga: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-d-master-list-shiga.html
Nara: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-e-master-list-nara.html
Mie: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-f-master-list-mie.html
Wakayama: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-g-master-list-wakayama.html
Friday, July 31, 2015
3. Getting Around
The Japanese transit system is a modern wonder that makes other cities look like the town of Bedrock. And by transit system I really mean the trains. There. Enough said. Jump on a train.
I cannot overstate the relative pleasure and comfort of traveling by train in Japan. The sardine-can rush-hour journeys are not enjoyable, but getting from A to B in no time at all makes it worth it. I'm going to have you jumping on a train a lot.
Changing trains can be a daunting experience the first time, but trains run frequently for the most part, so take your time buying your ticket, finding your platform, etc. and you'll be fine. There are plenty of helpful signs posted at most stations, so when in doubt, look around or look up. If you do these two things, you'll never get (completely) lost while on the rail network itself.
Buses are also convenient but at times less fun. A lot of Kyoto outings will tempt you with direct bus trips to temple such-and-such, but Kyoto City traffic and the constant stopping can make you appreciate the joys of walking. Many Japanese buses don't have much in the way of leg room, and despite being a modestly not-short-not-tall 5'11", I'm sometimes scared I'll kneecap myself if the bus goes over a bump. Though I like big butts and I cannot lie, I'd be lying if I said your long legs and fat ass won't prevent anybody else from sitting next to you on a two-person seat.
Taxis. I used to think taxis were expensive when I first came to Japan, but on a sweltering hot day a taxi can start to look mighty good. If you are traveling with a couple of friends, a taxi can be comparable in price to public transportation for shorter trips. I definitely don't recommend taking a taxi from one end of a city to the other, but if you're in, say, northern Kyoto City wanting to visit a site in the East, you might feel refreshed after a cab trip rather than drained by another slow-moving bus. This is particularly the case in the middle of summer.
As for cars, motorbikes, and bicycles, these can be impractical or unnecessary for the short-term traveler, though they can be a lot of fun. If you really enjoy one of these methods of transportation, by all means look into it, but I apologize that I don't have the space to discuss them in detail here.
Driver Gragma (yokaitourbus "at" mail "dot" com)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yokaitourbus/
The Master Lists
Osaka: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-the-master-list-osaka.html
Hyogo: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-b-master-list-hyogo.html
Kyoto: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-c-master-list-kyoto.html
Shiga: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-d-master-list-shiga.html
Nara: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-e-master-list-nara.html
Mie: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-f-master-list-mie.html
Wakayama: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-g-master-list-wakayama.html
I cannot overstate the relative pleasure and comfort of traveling by train in Japan. The sardine-can rush-hour journeys are not enjoyable, but getting from A to B in no time at all makes it worth it. I'm going to have you jumping on a train a lot.
Changing trains can be a daunting experience the first time, but trains run frequently for the most part, so take your time buying your ticket, finding your platform, etc. and you'll be fine. There are plenty of helpful signs posted at most stations, so when in doubt, look around or look up. If you do these two things, you'll never get (completely) lost while on the rail network itself.
Buses are also convenient but at times less fun. A lot of Kyoto outings will tempt you with direct bus trips to temple such-and-such, but Kyoto City traffic and the constant stopping can make you appreciate the joys of walking. Many Japanese buses don't have much in the way of leg room, and despite being a modestly not-short-not-tall 5'11", I'm sometimes scared I'll kneecap myself if the bus goes over a bump. Though I like big butts and I cannot lie, I'd be lying if I said your long legs and fat ass won't prevent anybody else from sitting next to you on a two-person seat.
Taxis. I used to think taxis were expensive when I first came to Japan, but on a sweltering hot day a taxi can start to look mighty good. If you are traveling with a couple of friends, a taxi can be comparable in price to public transportation for shorter trips. I definitely don't recommend taking a taxi from one end of a city to the other, but if you're in, say, northern Kyoto City wanting to visit a site in the East, you might feel refreshed after a cab trip rather than drained by another slow-moving bus. This is particularly the case in the middle of summer.
As for cars, motorbikes, and bicycles, these can be impractical or unnecessary for the short-term traveler, though they can be a lot of fun. If you really enjoy one of these methods of transportation, by all means look into it, but I apologize that I don't have the space to discuss them in detail here.
Driver Gragma (yokaitourbus "at" mail "dot" com)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yokaitourbus/
The Master Lists
Osaka: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-the-master-list-osaka.html
Hyogo: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-b-master-list-hyogo.html
Kyoto: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-c-master-list-kyoto.html
Shiga: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-d-master-list-shiga.html
Nara: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-e-master-list-nara.html
Mie: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-f-master-list-mie.html
Wakayama: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-g-master-list-wakayama.html
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