Kyoto is home to a few hundred shrines and temples and we managed to visit a handful of them during our weekend visit. First was the Fushini Inari Shrine, pictured left. I read that there were over 5,000 of the orange gates, some big and some small. They are donated to the shrine by families and companies. It offers a nice walk through the gate lined trail that winds through a forest and up the hills surrounding the city. This was one of my favorite shrines.
Next was the Kiyomizu Temple. This is a very popular temple that is situated in the hills overlooking Kyoto. It's central building is built somewhat on stilts on the hillside. Several other buildings and paths are also located in the hills and it has a kind of a waterfall fountain that is used for cleansing. Great views of the beautiful mountains.
The next temple we visited was the Ginkakuji, or Silver pavilion. This was quite a contrast to the Golden pavilion as seen below. Mostly it is a garden of sand sculpted to hint of Mt. Fuji (see left) or groomed to look like water. It is a peaceful reflective place.
The Kinkakuji or Golden pavilion, was a very impressive building, set beside a reflecting pond. It is a very popular tourist attraction so the crowds were thick with picture takers. Still the gold flecked paint on the building shone brightly in the morning sun and made for a striking vista.
Finally we visited Nijo Castle. As we toured the main building the wooden floor squeaked beneath our feet. This was by design so any spies sneaking around the castle could be caught by the guards. Four hundred year old paintings lined the walls where pictures were forbidden and the odor of feet was tangible. Not because of anything from the castle but because everybody was required to take their shoes off and shuffle about in stocking feet. Outside, the castle had notable walls, gardens and ponds.
In all Kyoto was a fun place to visit although different than we expected. It is a modern city dotted with many, many historical, noteworthy locales.
4 comments:
While I was struck by the beauty of your photos and the descriptive passages about each shrine, I couldn't fail to notice that your descriptions seemed remarkably like a tourist brochure:
"Still the gold flecked paint on the building shone brightly in the morning sun and made for a striking vista...
Outside, the castle had notable walls, gardens and ponds...
It is a modern city dotted with many, many historical, noteworthy locales."
you smell feet; I smell plagiarism. Or someone who is going to start writing copy for tourist brochures...
Definitely no plagiarism, maybe just talented writing? Maybe I smell jealousy. Which is worse, that or the feet?
Where is Kyoto? You need a map of Japan on your blog so we know where you are, where you are going, where the earthquakes occur and where you run.
Really nice photos of Kyoto - many, many shrines, huh? I had to reread your comment about smelling feet, kind of came out of the blue. Maybe people should wash their socks more often.
Where to next?
You are right, I do need a map of Japan on my blog. I'll get to work on that. Kyoto is close to Osaka. Does that help? I didn't think so. Kind of south and west of Tokyo.
The last earthquakes were east of Tokyo out in the ocean.
Next place to visit is Oshima, an island south of Tokyo. We are going by some sort of hydrofoil jet boat thing. That is in two weeks.
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