On Saturday, I traveled 70 kilometers to Kyoto to change the lubricating oil for my motorcycle. Originally, my motorcycle had a 400cc engine, but it has been modified to a 500cc engine. To increase the displacement by 100cc, the engine’s piston and the cylindrical hole in which the piston fits have been enlarged. These modifications have been made with high precision, but there still seems to be a slight margin of error. In other words, there is a possibility of interference between the piston and the cylinder inside the engine, where they come into contact. To prevent this, the engine is filled with lubricating oil. For a regular motorcycle, changing the lubricating oil once every six months is sufficient, but due to the modifications on my motorcycle, it is recommended to change the oil every 1,000 kilometers. This means that the oil needs to be changed approximately once a month.
During the weekend, the traffic was heavy everywhere, and it took me three hours each way on local roads for this trip. I left at 12:00 and arrived in Kyoto at 3:30 PM. I went to Arashiyama at 4:00 PM after changing the oil. Arashiyama is one of the representative tourist spots in Kyoto. It has beautiful mountains, rivers, and bridges. There’s a bridge called Togetsukyo, which means “Moon Crossing Bridge” in Japanese, and it has a beautiful name. It was a very hot day, so there were many tourists enjoying boat rides on the river. The boat ride costs around $11 per hour. I bought and enjoyed a matcha (green tea) soft-serve ice cream. I used to live in Kyoto when I was a university student. After finishing work, I often came to Arashiyama with my colleagues from part-time jobs. There’s no one around in Arashiyama at night. As students, we shared various worries, anxieties, and happy stories with our friends. No matter what, in the evening in Arashiyama, there were always the sound of flowing water in the river and immovable mountains that seemed to absorb everything. We loved spending time in Arashiyama at night back then. While it’s bustling with tourists during the day, at night, it becomes a strangely silent space, as if the entire mountain has absorbed everything.
After enjoying my ice cream in the crowded Arashiyama, I soon headed towards a crossroad. The return journey was also congested. The mountain pass road that leads from Kyoto to the neighboring city of Kameoka was consistently congested, with an average speed of about 10 kilometers per hour. It took me an hour for a 10-minute distance. Although I ride a motorcycle, I don’t lane split through the cars. Many motorcyclists do that, but I feel fear when motorcycles pass by me while I’m in a car. Therefore, I prefer not to do it myself. Once I got through the traffic, I continued on rural roads. On the way to Kyoto, I took the route through the city, but on the way back, I chose the longer route through the countryside. Since both routes take a similar amount of time due to the congestion, I opted for the scenic countryside road.
On the way back, I noticed hydrangea flowers blooming at the spot where I stopped to take a break. The roads lined with trees and lush greenery were refreshing. The scent in the air also had a summery feel to it. I arrived home around 8 p.m. I’m grateful that I made it back safely.
After returning home, I went out for a meal with a friend. They recently moved to a distant city due to marriage and were visiting their hometown today. We went to Sannomiya, a local bustling district in Kobe City. Kyoto and Osaka, along with Kobe, are collectively known as the Kansai region, which is a major tourist destination in Japan. The character “Kan（関）” in “Kansai（関西）” comes from the name “Sekigahara,（関ヶ原）” which is a place that holds historical significance. The kanji “関” can indeed be read as both “seki” and “kan.” It was the battlefield where Tokugawa Ieyasu（徳川家康）, who established the longest era of samurai rule in Japan, emerged victorious. It is often referred to as the “decisive battle of Sekigahara.” This “Seki-city” (Sekigahara) is roughly considered to be the center of Japan. From this “Seki-city,” the western part became known as Kansai(関西), and the eastern part as Kanto（関東）. However, further west of Kansai, there are regions called “Chugoku” and “Kyushu,” making it a bit confusing. In this Kansai region, we have Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe. Osaka and Kyoto are particularly popular among tourists, while Kobe attracts fewer visitors. Consequently, Kobe is a more tranquil city. Although it’s been quite some time, according to past rankings, Tokyo was ranked first, Osaka second, Kyoto third, and Hyogo Prefecture, where Kobe is located, ranked twelfth. Sannomiya, where we went, has seen recent development and has become quite beautiful. It seems that trendy dining establishments have also increased. I ordered a bottle of wine and some pizza with my friend. It was enjoyable as the evening weather was pleasant.
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