We are still in Kyoto, an ancient imperial city with a long history and a large number of important sights. It has over 1600 temples and is probably the best place to get a sense of the splendor of old Japan. It was specifically exempted from most Allied bombing during WWII because of its historic significance.
The
bus left at 8:30 for the Kiyomizu Temple.
The Temple was founded in 790 although the present buildings were
erected after 1633 by Iemitsu, the third Tokugawa Shogun. This Temple’s main claim to fame is the
terrace of the main hall which rests on pillars 95 feet tall, supported by five
rows of cross-beams. It is used as a
stage for temple dances and ceremonies and provides a wonderful view of the
city. Like most temples in Japan
Kiyomizu is situated on a hill, requiring a walk up – negotiating one’s way
through stalls selling food, souvenirs, and anything else a tourist might
purchase. And, of course, when one
arrives, there are a lot of steps to climb up to the gate.
There
are also steps up to the temple itself.
The
temple precincts are quite large with varied terrain and plant life.
As advertised, the
stage was impressive – looking at it from a slight distance and from below.
And
the view of Kyoto was worth the climb.
Within
the Temple itself there was some sort of ceremony in which most members of
school groups participated, consisting of a brief prayer and hitting a huge
bowl making an impressive noise. I hope
they got their wishes – if that’s what was involved. There was also a Buddha figure with a place
for contributions for earthquake victims with about the only sign in English in
the place.
Walking around the grounds, one saw interesting, if not understood, activities – such as little waterfalls with people catching water in bamboo ladles and statues dressed in what looked like cute little aprons. I did wish there were better explanations.
Next
we visited the Nishijin Textile Center where one could see displays of kimonos,
a kimono fashion show, some demonstrations of weaving, and even have the
opportunity to purchase some woven items.
As a some-time weaver I was interested in the loom which had Jaquard
cards (early punch cards) that governed very complicated weaves. They can be seen hanging down behind the
colored threads in the photo below.
There
was a kimono fashion show which confirmed to me that kimonos are beautiful –
and I wouldn’t want to wear one! Again,
I would have enjoyed more information on the kimonos: material, special occasions for each, cost.
Lunch
at the Textile Center Dining Room (more trading of seafood for whatever else
was available) and then we moved on to the Golden Pavilion which is a shariden,
a Buddhist hall containing relics of Buddha.
The area was originally the site of a villa which was acquired in 1397
by the 3rd shogun of the Muromachi period. After his death the villa was converted into
a temple. Gold foil on lacquer covers
the upper two levels of the Pavilion which is located in a pond, and a
glittering phoenix decorates the roof.
There is no admittance to the Pavilion; exterior views only – but they
are impressive. Not surprisingly, this
is a reconstruction, a fairly recent one since the building was most recently
destroyed in 1950 (burned down by a “mad monk”).
Everyone
wants a picture with the Golden Pavilion in the background including school
groups wearing kimonos (rented, according to our guide, for about $50 an hour
in order to fashionably parade around famous sites) and me.
The
grounds were lovely with the pond teeming with flowers, including some gorgeous
irises.
The
villa had boasted a tea house for entertaining important visitors who could
wait on a sheltered seat; although I sat there, I'm sure I wouldn't have been important enough to be invited to the tea house. A statue with
a bowl into which coins could be tossed (most seem to have missed) sort of
reminded me of a game on the midway of the State Fair. Perhaps the prize for a successful toss was
having one’s wish granted. . . .
The
Ryoanji Temple, founded in 1473, our next sight in Kyoto, is primarily known for its Zen stone garden
which is a famous place for meditation.
There are 15 rocks carefully placed on raked gravel; except for one
specific spot, one cannot see all of the rocks at the same time. And without a panaromic camera one could not get a photo of them all.
There were some pleasant grounds with a
lovely pond. With most of the path in
the shade, people enjoyed the coolness. There were even a few Japanese maple trees with some color.
At
the end of the path around the pond we found a turtle sunning itself. At first we weren’t sure if it was real. It was – but the guide said it is often found
in exactly the same place which makes it seem as if it could be a statue.
After
a brief rest at the hotel (the weather was unseasonably hot), we were taken to
Gion, which is the old Geisha part of Kyoto.
The buildings were very interesting, and we actually saw four geishas –
two in cars being royally transported and two walking together down the
street. I wasn’t quick enough to get a
picture of either of the geishas in cars but did get a slightly out of focus
picture of the two walking down the street and being admired by one of the
members of our tour. The signs prominently
displayed around the area make clear that one is not to accost the geishas or otherwise misbehave.
We
went to dinner at a Shabu Shabu restaurant where one cooks the meat and
vegetables in boiling water at the table.
Operative words: Cook and Meat
(beef). It was delicious; I ate a lot! We insisted that Hiroko, our guide, sit with
us because we needed help in the cooking process. It was the 22nd birthday
of one of the members of our group so her mother (with the guide’s assistance)
had purchased a birthday cake in which we all shared.
At
8 p.m. we were returned to the hotel for some much-needed rest (except for two
of our members who went out to party a bit – two of the younger members!)
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