Once we entered Dazaifu Tenmangu, we were greeted by the statue of an ox. We saw the locals patting its head and upon researching, it is believed that you can become smarter by doing this.
MARCH 13, 2020
At Tenjin Station, we bought the Dazaifu and Yanagawa One-Day Sightseeing Ticket Pack (¥3,080). This was a good purchase because you can either choose the route:
Tenjin – Dazaifu – Yanagawa – Tenjin; or
Tenjin – Yanagawa – Dazaifu – Tenjin
The ticket pack also included discounts in various partner stores (restaurants, souvenirs, etc.).
We went for the first route option as we had a scheduled kimono rental in Dazaifu in the morning. And when we reached Dazaifu station, it made us feel like we were transported back in time.
We reserved an appointment for kimono rental in WARGO, the same rental shop I went to in Kyoto last 2018. Still in awe on how quick they were in dressing us up as well as doing our hairstyle. Their location was convenient for us because Dazaifu Tenmangu was just a short walk away.
Once we entered DAZAIFU TENMANGU, we were greeted by the statue of an ox. We saw the locals patting its head and upon researching, it is believed that you can become smarter by doing this.
After this, there were bridges to cross over Lake Shinji to reach the shrine’s honden. These three bridges represented one timeline each – past, present, and future.
Reaching the honden (main hall), people pray and revere Sugawara Michizane, the god of academics and learning. When Michizane was still alive, he was respected as a scholar, politician, and a poet.
I noticed that this shrine had omikuji in various colorful papers and ema in different shapes and designs. I was not able to see it but I read that there Dazaifu Tenmangu offers a unique omikuji called usodori. The usodori is a type of bird and is considered to be the guardian of Tenjin-sama. It is believed to improve people’s fortunes and brings them happiness.
Dazaifu Tenmangu also has an ume garden but unfortunately, the trees were not yet blooming. Or did they finish already?
Before leaving to return the kimono, we dropped by the line of food stalls outside the shrine and bought takoyaki (¥500). I also bought an Amaou strawberry stick (¥700). In a stick, there was one chocolate-covered Amaou strawberry while the other two were plain ones. Seemed expensive but all worth it because those were really good strawberries! Amaou strawberry is the pride of Hakata region because it is considered as one of the best, if not the best, strawberries in Japan.
I was really looking forward to wearing a kimono since that is part of my bucket list. Despite previous trips in Japan, it was not a top of mind activity due to the extreme cold weather (winter and early spring).
One of the popular kimono rental shops in Kyoto is wargo and I chose their branch in Gion as they have a bigger selection of kimono designs and it was the area where I wanted to go around while in kimono.
So as I mentioned in my previous post, I was
really looking forward to wearing a kimono since that is part of my bucket
list. Despite previous trips in Japan, it was not a top of mind activity due to
the extreme cold weather (winter and early spring).
NOVEMBER 22, 2018
One of the popular kimono rental shops in Kyoto is wargo and I chose their branch in Gion as they have a bigger selection of kimono designs and it was the area where I wanted to go around while in kimono.
I got the standard kimono plan and paid an additional
fee for basic hairdo + curling of fringe/bangs. I made an online reservation so I got
everything cheaper than doing it walk-in. But more than the lower cost, online
reservation secured me a sure time slot for wearing the kimono. There was no time
limit as long as I returned the kimono by 18:30.
It took me some time to decide which kimono to wear because they had a lot of designs that I liked. Eventually I settled for a design that had a prominent red color to match the autumn season. I was also torn between two obi (sash) so I asked for the staff’s reco which one best matched the kimono I chose.
After choosing, I was told to sit in one of
the chairs and they handed me a chart which showed the options for basic
hairdo. I pointed to the one I liked and the hairstylist proceeded to do her
magic – she was done in less than 10 minutes! Including curling my side
fringes… how was that even possible?
I went to the dressing room afterwards and got assigned to Noriko-san. The whole process of wearing the kimono was complex. There were a lot of layers to put on so even if I only had one thermal top, Noriko-san assured me that I would not get cold. At one point though during the fitting, her knot was too tight so I was racking my brains for the Japanese translation… I couldn’t think of it so I just said “Sumimasen… too tight.” Good thing she understood so she loosened the knot a bit. After Noriko-san’s magic with my kimono, I placed my important stuff in the small bag I chose then selected a pair of slippers that would match my look.
TIP: Choose a pair of slippers that is either the exact same size as your foot or one size smaller, whichever you will be more comfortable in walking.
Once dressing was complete, the hairstylist
told me to pick a kanzashi (hair ornament). I was so confused which to choose
because everything looked nice so I asked her to pick for me. She chose two kanzashi
and I decided on the one with pink and red flowers.
It was time to go out and I chose the side of GION nearest to wargo. There was a shrine nearby with other people in kimono too so it felt like I was in another era. What else to do here but take pictures. 😊
It was almost sunset so the golden light effect was really nice. Still can’t believe that I looked like this with the magic hands and skills of wargo staff!
After going around, I remembered the Gion area
I visited back in 2017 – the one near Gion-Shirakawa and Tatsumi Bridge (read
it here).
I had to thank my memory and cognitive map because I was able to reach it
without getting lost. Yay!
These two shots from the area are definitely my favorite:
Other shortlisted pictures:
I can’t read the kanji writings in each part of the fence but this added to the traditional vibe of Gion.
After almost 2 hours, I went back to the
rental shop and I returned to being an ordinary-looking tourist in Japan. I headed
back to Kyoto Station to hop on a normal train ride going back to Nagoya –
about a two-hour trip with one transfer in Maibara Station. Taking another
shinkansen would make a dent on my pocket money already. LOL.
Back in Nagoya, even when it was past 9PM, my hair still looked really good! Can’t stop raving about the magic hands of that hairstylist… or maybe it’s because I’m a noob when it comes to fixing my hair. Haha!
I didn’t know where to eat dinner so I just
went to the direction near our hotel that I had not yet explored.
Earlier during this day, I was chatting with my friend – J. She recommended that I try the grilled marinated beef in MATSUYA. So it was a surprise when I found out there was a Matsuya near the hotel.
I got the smallest size for the grilled
marinated beef set (¥650), and ordering was a breeze with their vendo machine that
had an English menu option. I only waited for a few minutes before my order was
served.
I wasn’t too hungry that night though so it
was a bit of a challenge to finish the serving of meat. After dinner, I got a
random ice cream from the convenience store which turned out to be vanilla. Yay
for a non-weird flavor!
Aaand that wraps Day 2 of my 2019 autumn trip in Japan. 😊
Anne Goes to Places 