Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Friday, August 5, 2016
May 18, 2016, Wednesday
After breakfast, we took a taxi to Okochi Sanso Villa, a lovely garden located on top of a hill, providing a peaceful glimpse of the quiet Kyoto environs. Okochi Sanso was the private villa of a famous silent-film era actor, Okochi Denjiro. He constructed this unique garden villa on the south side of Mount Ogura over a 30 year period. Here we were served Japanese green tea.
Then we walked through a bamboo path to Tenryuji Garden.
Another stop in the Arashiyama neighborhood was Tenryuii Temple. Tenryūji is the most important temple in Kyoto's Arashiyama district. It was ranked first among the city's five great Zen temples, and is now registered as a world heritage site. Tenryuji is the head temple of its own school within the Rinzai Zen sect of Japanese Buddhism.
Tenryuji was built in 1339 by the ruling shogun Ashikaga Takauji. Takauji dedicated the temple to Emperor Go-Daigo, who had just passed away. It has been destroyed by wars and fires and rebuilt many times. Most of the structures here now date from the late 19th century, but the exquisite Zen garden -- which includes a large pond, elevated rock grouping, and delicate cherry trees -- is many centuries old.
In the afternoon we had free time so I went shopping at and near the train station. I bought myself a Geisha doll and small gifts for Noah and Cole. This shopping area included many American shops.\
That evening we gathered for our farewell dinner. We had cold bento boxes full of tempura which, due to it being cold, was not particularly good.
After breakfast, we took a taxi to Okochi Sanso Villa, a lovely garden located on top of a hill, providing a peaceful glimpse of the quiet Kyoto environs. Okochi Sanso was the private villa of a famous silent-film era actor, Okochi Denjiro. He constructed this unique garden villa on the south side of Mount Ogura over a 30 year period. Here we were served Japanese green tea.
Then we walked through a bamboo path to Tenryuji Garden.
Another stop in the Arashiyama neighborhood was Tenryuii Temple. Tenryūji is the most important temple in Kyoto's Arashiyama district. It was ranked first among the city's five great Zen temples, and is now registered as a world heritage site. Tenryuji is the head temple of its own school within the Rinzai Zen sect of Japanese Buddhism.
Tenryuji was built in 1339 by the ruling shogun Ashikaga Takauji. Takauji dedicated the temple to Emperor Go-Daigo, who had just passed away. It has been destroyed by wars and fires and rebuilt many times. Most of the structures here now date from the late 19th century, but the exquisite Zen garden -- which includes a large pond, elevated rock grouping, and delicate cherry trees -- is many centuries old.
In the afternoon we had free time so I went shopping at and near the train station. I bought myself a Geisha doll and small gifts for Noah and Cole. This shopping area included many American shops.\
That evening we gathered for our farewell dinner. We had cold bento boxes full of tempura which, due to it being cold, was not particularly good.
Japan's Cultural Treasures
May 18, 2016, Wednesday
After breakfast, we took a taxi to Okochi Sanso Villa, a lovely garden located on top of a hill, providing a peaceful glimpse of the quiet Kyoto environs. Okochi Sanso was the private villa of a famous silent-film era actor, Okochi Denjiro. He constructed this unique garden villa on the south side of Mount Ogura over a 30 year period. Here we were served Japanese green tea.
Then we walked through a bamboo path to Tenryuji Garden.
Another stop in the Arashiyama neighborhood was Tenryuii Temple. Tenryūji is the most important temple in Kyoto's Arashiyama district. It was ranked first among the city's five great Zen temples, and is now registered as a world heritage site. Tenryuji is the head temple of its own school within the Rinzai Zen sect of Japanese Buddhism.
Tenryuji was built in 1339 by the ruling shogun Ashikaga Takauji. Takauji dedicated the temple to Emperor Go-Daigo, who had just passed away. It has been destroyed by wars and fires and rebuilt many times. Most of the structures here now date from the late 19th century, but the exquisite Zen garden -- which includes a large pond, elevated rock grouping, and delicate cherry trees -- is many centuries old.
In the afternoon we had free time so I went shopping at and near the train station. I bought myself a Geisha doll and small gifts for Noah and Cole. This shopping area included many American shops.\
That evening we gathered for our farewell dinner. We had cold bento boxes full of tempura, which due to it being cold, was not particularly good.
After breakfast, we took a taxi to Okochi Sanso Villa, a lovely garden located on top of a hill, providing a peaceful glimpse of the quiet Kyoto environs. Okochi Sanso was the private villa of a famous silent-film era actor, Okochi Denjiro. He constructed this unique garden villa on the south side of Mount Ogura over a 30 year period. Here we were served Japanese green tea.
Then we walked through a bamboo path to Tenryuji Garden.
Another stop in the Arashiyama neighborhood was Tenryuii Temple. Tenryūji is the most important temple in Kyoto's Arashiyama district. It was ranked first among the city's five great Zen temples, and is now registered as a world heritage site. Tenryuji is the head temple of its own school within the Rinzai Zen sect of Japanese Buddhism.
Tenryuji was built in 1339 by the ruling shogun Ashikaga Takauji. Takauji dedicated the temple to Emperor Go-Daigo, who had just passed away. It has been destroyed by wars and fires and rebuilt many times. Most of the structures here now date from the late 19th century, but the exquisite Zen garden -- which includes a large pond, elevated rock grouping, and delicate cherry trees -- is many centuries old.
In the afternoon we had free time so I went shopping at and near the train station. I bought myself a Geisha doll and small gifts for Noah and Cole. This shopping area included many American shops.\
That evening we gathered for our farewell dinner. We had cold bento boxes full of tempura, which due to it being cold, was not particularly good.
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Japan's Cultural Treasures
Day 12; May 17, 2016
This morning we were to take a river boat trip to Senkoji Temple, but it had rained during the night and the water level had risen so we weren't able to take the boat (apparently the oars had to touch the bottom). So we walked down a path beside the waterway where we were to have gone by boat. We had to walk 200+ steps up a hill to get to the temple. The 400 year old Senkoji Temple was once a prayer temple for Emperor Gosaga but was severely damaged by a major pyphoon in 1959. They are struggling financially to rebuild the main hall so the Grand Circle Foundation is funding the rebuild of the handrails and steps on the main approach slope.At the temple we had a chance to practice Zen meditation and read a chant lead by a Buddhist monk. We also experienced another aspect of Zen by partaking in a simple Japanese tea ceremony, called sado. The monk taught us how to creased the beverage by placing powdered tea called matcha in a teacup, covering it with hot water, and whipping it with a bamboo whisk until it foamed slightly. I didn't really care for it, but, of course, I drink it.
After the temple visit, we journeyed to Kameoka, a city in the countryside near Kyoto, where we visited Heki-tei, a 300 year old house where a famous samurai once lived. The house is now owned by the Heki family, whose ancestors were notable property owners in Kameoka. There we learned to prepare makizushi (rolled sushi) which we ate for lunch along with all sorts of tempura, include chrysanthemums.
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Japan's Cultural Treasures
May 16, Monday
After breakfast we went a tour to Nara and Fushimi. The city of Nara was the capital of Japan before Kyoto. We first visited Todaiji Temple, stopping to explore its expansive grounds. There we met Nara's famous residents -- It's free-roaming deer. The deer approach you for food and may even bow in their request for food. You can buy a package of crackers for them for about ¥150. I bought the crackers and so many deer approached me that I couldn't hand out the food fast enough and one bit my left index finger drawing blood. Luckily someone in our group had a small package of neosporin and I have bandages with me.
At Todaiji we also explored Daibutsu-den Hall. ,The Great Buddha Hall (Daibutsuden) has been rebuilt twice after fire. The current building was finished in 1709, and although immense—57 metres (187 ft) long and 50 metres (160 ft) wide—it is actually 30% smaller than its predecessor. Until 1998, it was the world's largest wooden building. TheGreat (Vairocana) Buddha is 52' tall, and is made of bronze which was then plated with gold. The statue was consecrated in 752, but was damaged and repaired several times in the following centuries.
Later we went to Kasuga Shinto Shrine which dates back to 768AD. We walked along the wooded paths of Kasuga, to admire the many sub-shrines, along with its astonishing collection of 3,000 stone lanterns.
After lunch of tempura and udon, we continued to the lovely town of Fushimi, home of one of Japan's most famous shrines: Fushsimi-Inari. The Fushsimi-Inari Shrine was dedicated to the gods of rice and sake in the 8th century, but today it is know for its 10,000 red torii gates, which cover the trails that wind up Mount Inari.
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