Sometimes The Best Plan Is to Not Have a Plan

Travels in Kyoto, Japan

Sometimes the best plan is to not have a plan. I arrived in Kyoto on a Thursday night without having researched a single thing to do or see. The following day, I went downstairs to the hostel common room and was greeted by the owner, Ichiro.

“Maria-san!” He said with a little bow.

Ichiro is a tall thin Japanese man with shoulder-length hair and the friendliest toothless smile. On the day I met him, he was sporting a bright yellow Brazilian futbol jersey and a complementary green hat.

He had lived in Brazil for eight years and learned a little Spanish. During breakfast, we carried on our conversation in Spanish and I asked him for his recommendations on what I should do that day.

Go to “Arashiyama,” Ichiro said. It’s about an hour away by train, so I grabbed my backpack, umbrella for the sun, filled my water bottle with ice, and went out the door.

Escaping the Tourists in Arashiyama

Arriving in Arashiyama, I got off the train and I realized I didn’t exactly know what there was to do or see there. Instead of Googling, “Things to do in Arashiyama,” I simply start walking in the direction of the crowd of tourists that seem to be leading the way. Surely they know where they are going.

They lead me into a bamboo forest where everyone is taking selfies and posing for their Instagram shot. I wanted to soak up the majestic bamboo forest in peace, but meanwhile, everyone’s selfie sticks are in my face.

How is it that we make such a huge effort to come to this scenic place around the world, just to take selfies? I ponder to myself if any of these people actually SAW the bamboo forest. If they felt it’s energy. If they heard it whisper any wisdom to them. Slightly annoyed, I exited the forest.

Back in full sunlight without the shade of bamboo, I quickly became drenched in sweat. Searching for the next patch of trees, I kept walking and found a secluded temple with a shrine dedicated to the North Star, a symbol of good luck. I said a few words in Sanskrit that I learned long ago and continued on my way.

Walking with no destination, I suddenly spotted a handprinted sign that said, “iced tea, cake, and dolls.” Interesting combination.

Air conditioning and a snack sounded great though, so I made my way on the stone path leading to a little house hidden from view by lots of bushes and plants.

I thought I was going in for refreshments and air-conditioning, but what I found was way more.

A Tap on My Shoulder

After ordering my treat, I sat down and spotted a little book containing the story of the cafe, Aightowa, and its founders. Within seconds it captured all of my attention. Thankfully I always carry with me a pocket notebook and a pen, so I started taking notes.

I learned it’s not only a cafe, but it’s an eco-compound. A plot of land where the two homes on it, the porcelain doll gallery, and the cafe are all self-sustaining and ecological. The entire thing was imagined and created by a man named Mori and his wife, Sayoko.

In the book, it says that the 1968 Apollo 8 image of Earth from space, shook him awake. At that moment he realized we are just guests on this planet and we need to do everything we can to protect it.

I was so caught up in the story that I almost jumped from my chair when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

An elderly Japanese woman had shuffled over to my table. Her back was crunched so she couldn’t stand up straight, but otherwise seemed quite agile.

With the biggest smile, she points to a black and white photo in the book and exclaims in English, “It is me!”

She is Sayoko, the talented doll atelier. Her and her husband Mori are the founders of this “eco-compound.”

We communicate in simple English, with smiles, and hand gestures. When I asked her if she enjoys her lifestyle, she looked me straight in the eyes and said, “I am so happy.”

I didn’t doubt it for a second. Eyes speak volumes. Hers were sparkling when she spoke of happiness.

“No stress in my mind. My back has stress, but my mind has no stress. Just happy,” she kept repeating.

She and her husband have been living on this land for over 50 years. He built their family’s home, her doll gallery, and a cafe.

The cafe, Aightowa, became Japan’s first-ever non-smoking bistro. Their home became the country’s first private residence to install solar panels. Somehow without any prior knowledge, I had stumbled into this gem of a place.

Sayoko sent me on my way with two postcards of her dolls. She said her husband is still alive and still chopping wood even though he is almost 80. I was a little sad I didn’t get to meet him but I was glad I met her.

As I was leaving, I stalled my exit by photographing their garden. Thank goodness for procrastination because as I was about to leave for real, guess who I see crouched on the ground on all fours doing manual labor building some sort of metal structure? Mori.

I say hello through the hedge and we exchange a few words. He smiled and waved as I took his photo, then he got back to work.

Tips for Travel

I can hardly give tips for travel. It’s different for everyone. I guarantee if you were to go here, perhaps your experience would be different than mine. We can’t exactly re-create these moments. But we can strive to discover our stories of travel each time.

One thing we can do is try traveling without TripAdvisor “must do’s” or Lonely Planet guides, blogs, or even Atlas Obscura. Some of the best moments are the ones that are in front of us if we only look closer. It becomes less about checking a place off your list. Less about going to a place someone else thinks is special. It becomes more about observing and letting your curiosity lead the way.

What if you don’t see the “must see?”

If we go to a city and don’t do the “must-see” things, does it still count?  Kyoto is known as THE city of temples. But I only went to one, and it wasn’t even the UNESCO one. Instead, I had the experience at Aightowa and the next day I ended up making pottery with an 80-year-old man and drinking tea with his wife.

We must release attachment to the “must see’s” and “must do’s”. Traveling is about finding the beauty unique to our eyes. Finding the places we feel are special. Not just going to the places others tell you are special.

Immersing ourselves in conversation with those who live in a place will always be more memorable than a selfie with a monument or posing for a photo in the bamboo forest and moving on. Travel is more than a checkmark.

In the evening when I returned to the hostel, Ichiro was waiting.

“Hola, Maria-san! How was Arachiyama?”

Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan