e heart of traditional Japan. Only in Kyoto is it possible to cross paths with a real geisha (or as they are now called... maiko. But actually, they're not really real... people just pay so they can dress up as the geishas to walk around the city and take pictures of themselves so they can be cool. Or hot and sweating as the case may be when I went. And the only people who think they are real are the foreigners) as you stop for a snack at a convenient store. On Saturday, after walking the stre
ets of old Kyoto, we visited the Kodai-ji Temple which is located in the Higashiyama Mountains. It was established by Kita-no-Mandokoro in memory of her late husband, Toyotomi Hideyoshi (one of the founding fathers of Japan). It's pretty big and has a gorgeous garden of which I am envious and a lot of tea houses... which could have also been converted to a guest house or a place where bad children had to live. There was also a nice bamboo forest/path that led from the tea houses to the main house. It reminded me of how a certain friend of mine used to play "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" in his bamboo filled backyard... Lol too bad we can't really do the flying bamboo thing, ne?
ets of old Kyoto, we visited the Kodai-ji Temple which is located in the Higashiyama Mountains. It was established by Kita-no-Mandokoro in memory of her late husband, Toyotomi Hideyoshi (one of the founding fathers of Japan). It's pretty big and has a gorgeous garden of which I am envious and a lot of tea houses... which could have also been converted to a guest house or a place where bad children had to live. There was also a nice bamboo forest/path that led from the tea houses to the main house. It reminded me of how a certain friend of mine used to play "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" in his bamboo filled backyard... Lol too bad we can't really do the flying bamboo thing, ne? We also went to the Kiyomizudera, which is another one of Japan's most popular temples. Its "dancing stage" (which has a fantastic view of Kyoto) stands about 13 meters tall. Kiyomizu means "holy water" in Japanese and by drinking the water from the springs here purifies the spirit and grants one's d
esires (supposedly anyway). Not sure if it really works, but I gave it a try :) The main hall of Kiyomizudera is notable for its vast veranda, supported by hundreds of pillars, that juts out over the hillside and offers impressive views of the city. The popular expression "to jump off the stage at Kiyomizu" is the Japanese equivalent of the English expression "to take the plunge". This refers to an Edo period tradition that held that, if one were to survive jumping from the stage, one's wish would be granted. (FYI- Survival appears plausible: The vegetation below the platform might cushion the fall of a lucky jumper.... however the practice is now prohibited. 234 jumps were recorded in the Edo period and, of those, 85.4% survived)
On Sunday, we went to the "Forest of Legends" aka Tadasu-no-mori where the Shrine of Shimogamo-jinja is located. Supposedly, this is a forest where the gods dwell. This shrine is famous for its sacred forest which was used as a model for the movie Princess Mononoke directed by Hayao Miyazaki (also created Spirited Away, KiKi's Delivery Service, Laputa etc.. probably my favorite director). Aside from the guide book's opinion, I thought it was pretty cool. The forest was nice and cool and peaceful. Lots of green... of all sorts of variations. Lots of good energy flowing and keeping you relaxed. Smaller than what I thought it would be however. I was expecting HUGE vast forest... but it was just a litle area of forest. I guess that's what happens when people start to urbanize. Despite that, it was still cool.
esires (supposedly anyway). Not sure if it really works, but I gave it a try :) The main hall of Kiyomizudera is notable for its vast veranda, supported by hundreds of pillars, that juts out over the hillside and offers impressive views of the city. The popular expression "to jump off the stage at Kiyomizu" is the Japanese equivalent of the English expression "to take the plunge". This refers to an Edo period tradition that held that, if one were to survive jumping from the stage, one's wish would be granted. (FYI- Survival appears plausible: The vegetation below the platform might cushion the fall of a lucky jumper.... however the practice is now prohibited. 234 jumps were recorded in the Edo period and, of those, 85.4% survived)On Sunday, we went to the "Forest of Legends" aka Tadasu-no-mori where the Shrine of Shimogamo-jinja is located. Supposedly, this is a forest where the gods dwell. This shrine is famous for its sacred forest which was used as a model for the movie Princess Mononoke directed by Hayao Miyazaki (also created Spirited Away, KiKi's Delivery Service, Laputa etc.. probably my favorite director). Aside from the guide book's opinion, I thought it was pretty cool. The forest was nice and cool and peaceful. Lots of green... of all sorts of variations. Lots of good energy flowing and keeping you relaxed. Smaller than what I thought it would be however. I was expecting HUGE vast forest... but it was just a litle area of forest. I guess that's what happens when people start to urbanize. Despite that, it was still cool.
After the Tadasu-no-mori, we went to the Kamigamo-jinja which is said to be the oldest shrine in Kyoto. The shrine is dedicated to a deity who appeared miraculously when Tama-yori-hime- no-mikoto, the daughter of Kamo-taketsu-numi-no-mikoto of the ruling clan o
f Kamo, went to the Kamo river to perform purification ceremonies. At first, the deity was enshrined on a stone altar on top of the peak of Ko-yama. The mountain was regarded as sacred,and therefore later religious rites were performed on pure grounds at the South-eastern foot of the mountain. This shrine was built as Yosai-den in 678 during the reign of the Emperor Tenmu, which became the principal building during the reign or of the Emperor Kanmu in the Heian Period. Its 2 large conical sand mounds supposedly represent Ying and Yang of Taoism. The mounds itself... not that impressive. The travel magazine's pictures were more impressive. But the shrine did have some nice amulets and good luck charms which I bought. They also had a nice creek where you could sit and rest your feet in the running water after doing all that walking. It was very relaxing.
f Kamo, went to the Kamo river to perform purification ceremonies. At first, the deity was enshrined on a stone altar on top of the peak of Ko-yama. The mountain was regarded as sacred,and therefore later religious rites were performed on pure grounds at the South-eastern foot of the mountain. This shrine was built as Yosai-den in 678 during the reign of the Emperor Tenmu, which became the principal building during the reign or of the Emperor Kanmu in the Heian Period. Its 2 large conical sand mounds supposedly represent Ying and Yang of Taoism. The mounds itself... not that impressive. The travel magazine's pictures were more impressive. But the shrine did have some nice amulets and good luck charms which I bought. They also had a nice creek where you could sit and rest your feet in the running water after doing all that walking. It was very relaxing. Of course, after relaxing, we relaxed by getting some of the local food- Aburimochi. Aburimochi is made of sticky rice cakes which are cut into finger sized pieces. They are then skewered onto a bamboo stick and dusted with a sweet, toasted soybean flour called kinako. They are then grilled and dipped in a white miso sauce. Eating this sweet has traditionally been regarded as a defense against ill-health and bad luck.
All in all, it was a pretty good weekend. Saw some sights, got some pictures and got a little cultured. Yep, good weekend.
Keep Smiling :)
PS. If you are reading my blog, you should comment... otherwise I'll think no one is reading and then maybe I won't post anymore.but then again.. i guess that wouldnt be such a bad thing either.. ..
1 comment:
hey you have to keep posting this is like the discovery channel for me sometimes i throw in mental commercials of bear grilz and merecat mannor jost to make it seem right. airp
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