kyoto colors

my dear jpo insisted that we take a couple of days to visit kyoto, japans former capital for over 1000 years. although it was considered a target for the a-bomb it was ultimately spared from ww2 air raids, keeping its impressive retinue of 1600 buddhist temples, 400 shinto shrines, palaces and gardens (many of them designated world heritage treasures) mostly in tact. an hour or two after stumbling back from karaoke we rose with great difficulty, checked out of the b rappongi hotel, stashed my backpack in a tokyo train station locker, and hopped on the shinkansen (bullet train). japan is pricey. the 1.5 hour ride cost 円13,220 ($111) each way! as we chug-a-chugged along i was eager to see some of japan out my window but was too pooped. in a few minutes i succumbed to sleep.

upon reaching kyoto we made our way to the taxi queue and dropped off our bags before embarking on our temple tour. we chose a japanese holiday at the peak of fall colors so nihon tourists were everywhere but we nonetheless caught some impressive sights:

heian jingū (平安神宮)

a few blocks from our inn is a huge torii marking a grand entrance to the heian jingū (平安神宮), a shinto shrine featuring several bright orange buildings with green-tile roofs. built in 1895 to celebrate kyotos millennial bday, the shrine celebrates japans first and last kyoto-based emperors. inside i clumsily mimicked my hostess as she went through the various entrance rituals and later i stifled my desire to photograph a traditional wedding in progress.

kinkaku-ji (金閣寺)

kinkaku-ji (金閣寺 or golden pavilion) is japans most famous temple. part of the larger rokuon-ji temple and set on a serene lake, the pavilion is covered in brilliant gold leaf and topped by a golden fenghuang or chinese phoenix. it was originally built in 1397 as a retirement villa for shōgun ashikaga yoshimitsu but was converted into a zen temple after his death. the current structure was rebuilt in 1955 after a nutzo monk burned the place down five years prior. the fall foliage provided a spectacular complement.

the karesansui (枯山水) at ryōan-ji

ryōan-ji (temple of the peaceful dragon) is a unesco world heritage site best known for its karesansui (枯山水 or dry landscape rock garden), which is thought to have been laid down in the late 15th century by general hosokawa katsumoto. the garden measures 30 x 10 meters and includes 15 moss-blanketed rocks interrupting a bed of raked white gravel. japans most famous rocks are positioned so that only 14 are visible from any one angle- its said that only englightenment would reveal the 15th. according to some euro researchers, '...the implicit structure of the garden is designed to appeal to the viewers unconscious visual sensitivity to axial-symmetry skeletons of stimulus shapes.' you dont say? tho gorgeous and serene, meditiation was complicated by the several rows of gawking tourists snapping their visual momentos. check out the gardens website for some pretty amazing engrish.

kyotos kiyomizu-dera temple

currently in the running for the 'new 7 wonders of the world status, the spectacular kiyomizu-dera is a series of buildings first built in 798 (present structures constructed in 1633). the main building juts over a hillside and the otowa-no-taki waterfall and is supported by hundreds of pillars. there is a popular japanese expression (「清水の舞台から飛び降りる」) whose meaning is similar to what we anglophones mean when we reference "taking the plunge." as it went in the old days, if u survived the leap from kiyomizu your wish is granted. 35 of the 234 jumpers during the edo period didnt fare so well.

garden outside nijo castle

finally, nijo castle (二条城) is an impressive 275000 sq meter complex completed in 1626 that features two concentric rings of moats and fortifications. as the kyoto residence of the tokugawa shōgun, gold leaf, elaborate hinoki cypress carvings and extensive frescoes by kano school artists impressed visitors with the shōguns wealth and power. from the painting of clouds and various patterns, it was immediately obvious how much japanese painting influenced art deco. my favorite part of the castle was the uguisubari or 'nightingale floors' which were designed to foil sneak attacks since even the softest step causes nails to rub against the floorboard clamps and emit a beautiful chirping sound! the symphony created by scores of feet walking along the corridors was a delightful reminder of human ingenuity. (listen to a recording here).

geisha in gion district

aside from the temples we also enjoyed kyotos famous pastries and yours truly got to see real geisha (芸者) shuffling along in the citys historic gion district (祇園 or 祇をん). we also walked along a river and saw a few snowy egrets. spent from our temple-hopping we retired to a charming ryokan (旅館), a traditional japanese bed and breakfast that jpo had booked as a very sweet belated birthday gift. our huge compound featured two rooms with tatami mats surrounded by an enclosed porch and washi sliding rice-paper doors. after a several course japanese meal we indulged in the hot communal (tho gender-separate) baths and i exposed my inner yankee tourist self by requesting a photo of me in an incorrectly sported yukata (浴衣 or casual kimono). all said it was a delightful two days outside tokyo.
more kyoto photos here.