Kyoto - Day 2

Today was a late start since our hotel had a very small breakfast area and when we went down at 8 am there was no where to sit. It was a cheap hotel. We came back at 9 and found seats but considering what was on offer it was hardly worth the wait. Etsuko enjoyed it but I'm still not accustomed to Japanese style breakfasts.

Our first stop today was Ryōan-ji another of kyoto's Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto UNESCO World heritage site.


Japanese Rock Garden - Ryōan-ji

This is perhaps the most famous of Japan's rock gardens. There are 15 rocks in this garden but no matter what angle you view it from (except above) you can only see 14 rocks. It is said that once you have attained enlightenment you will be able to see all 15 rocks. Looks like plenty of people are trying...


Ryōan-ji's Tsukubai


Also at Ryōan-ji is this tsukubai. It's used for the ritual washing of the hands at Buddhist temples. The 4 kanji characters carved in to the stone have little individual significance but when combined with the 5th central kanji, they take on a profound meaning, ware tada taru shiru, which roughly translates to mean "what one has is all one needs". Very Zen.

Next up is Kinkaku-ji or the Golden Pavilion, another world heritage site and one of the most visited places in all of Japan. The top two floors are made of real gold.


Bowl and Coins

I have know idea why, but people were trying to throw coins into this bowl. Given the number of coins outside the bowl, it looks quite hard but it wasn't that far away so I thought I would have a go too.  However 15 yen later and all I could do was add to the outsiders. I'm not sure what you "win" if you get one in. No one else could do it either.


Shinto Priestesses


Later in the day we made our way to Heian jingu, a Shinto Shrine.


Stone Guardian


Not sure if these statues are supposed to be lions or dogs. I think they look like lions but others have told me they look like dogs. Most shrines and temples have a pair of them.


Paper Lanterns at Yasuka Shrine


We ended the day at Yasuka Shrine before walking back to Kyoto station. Our night bus left at 11:30 pm but all the cafes closed at 9 or 10 pm so it was a chilly wait for the bus after that. Unlike the bus we came here on (different companies) this one had some reasonable leg room and I managed a little sleep.

Kyoto - Day 1

With over 2000 shrines and temples, Kyoto is a cultural mecca for Japan and a must see on any travellers check list. It's even more impressive in the cherry blossom season and as a result accommodation becomes hard to find, so we made reservations some 6 weeks in advance. However cherry blossoms can be a little fickle and as luck would have it, they were late this year. So when Etsuko and I arrived early this morning, there wasn't a single cherry blossom in sight.

So no cherry blossoms, but there are still many other treasures to see. We started the day walking the streets north of Kyoto's main train station.


Nishi Hongan-Ji Temple in early morning light

First stop was Nishi Hongan-ji one of two large temple complexes near the station. The other one is Higashi Hongan-ji but it's still under renovations. It was under renovations when I visited 5 years ago too.



Historic Mission Hospital


We came across this European styled architectural gem while walking the back streets. It's a recently restored 1912 Mission Hospital that operates as a part of the Nishi Hongan-Ji temple complex.



Japanese dragon watching over a temizuya

A Japanese dragon watches over a temizuya. Most Shrines and Temples in Japan have one of these. It's a Shinto water ablution basin for a ceremonial purification rite known as temizu.



Pomegranate


Several shrines have pomegranate trees growing in them, especially those that are devoted to Kishibojin the goddess of fertility. I wonder why Etsuko wanted to visit so many of these temples...



Japanese Lantern


A Japanese Lantern in a private garden we passed by while walking the streets of Kyoto.



Bamboo Forest

Who could resist photographing the straight lines of a lush green bamboo forest.



Togetsu-Kyou Bridge - Arashiyama

The ever popular Togetsu-Kyou or Moon Crossing Bridge, especially in the cherry blossoms or autumn leaves seasons. Alas, no cherry blossoms for us this year.



Corridor - Ninna-Ji Temple

The ancient wooden corridor leading to Ninna-Ji temple, one of the buildings in the "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto", a UNESCO world heritage site.