My one-week stay in Japan passed incredibly quickly, and I returned to Singapore this past Sunday morning.
I spent the last two days of my Japan trip in Kyoto, which was fantastic. Kyoto is Japan’s ancient capital, so it has numerous historical sites to visit, such as temples, shrines and museums. Because I was only there for two and a half days, it was impossible for me to pack all the important sightseeing spots into my travel plan. Consequently, I limited my itinerary to only a few sites, and visited them in a leisurely manner.
Luckily, my best friend, Mari, currently resides in Kyoto, and we met up a few times for afternoon tea, dinner, and late night drinks during my stay in this beautiful city. It was great to catch up after not seeing each other for more than two decades.
Back in the day, Mari and I used to work together as colleagues in Tokyo. Mari was born and raised in Kyoto, but went to Tokyo for work when she was around 28. By the time I met her, she had already lived in Tokyo for a while, and had completely gotten rid of her Kyoto accent, conversing with me like a typical Tokyo girl.
However, after she got married, she moved back to Kyoto with her husband. It didn’t take her long to get her original accent back, and now she speaks with a full-on Kyoto accent with a touch of urban sophistication.
Hearing Mari speak with her original accent made me realize how much time has passed since we parted ways, during which we have gone through very different experiences in our lives. Nevertheless, it was nice to see her still happy and healthy.
By the way, when I was speaking with Mari, I adjusted my own accent in my attempt to sound more like a local. Much to my relief, she didn’t make fun of my pathetic Kyoto-ish accent, and we carried on our conversation. Had I been able to stay in the city a bit longer, I believe I would have mastered the Kyoto dialect, the sound of which I absolutely love.
Overall, I enjoyed my stay in Kyoto immensely, and hope to travel to the city again soon. Before my next journey, perhaps I can read up a bit on Japanese history, so that I can gain a deeper appreciation for the historical significance of each site I visit.
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