Kyoto, one of the most beloved places to visit in Japan. If you ask any local or tourist they would agree. Just last year the city government announced a record amount of tourists visited Kyoto for the sixth year in a row, and rated Kyoto second most beautiful city in Japan. Kyoto is rich with heritage, culture and traditional architecture; even the Japanese escape to Kyoto for their holidays.
During the night you could hear the rain pouring off the side of the roof. It was a cold morning and an even more miserable experience to wake up to. The weather had other plans though, at about 10:00am the sun started peaking in through the Shoji blinds to warm my space. I peaked out from under the blankets to feel the ray warming my skin. There’s something about the it’s energy; it happens to all of us but the feeling I get turns me into a new person. Within minutes, the energy of 10 men flows through me and I’m ready to take on the day – no matter what! I get myself ready, throw on my trusty runners and head back to the Kyoto JR station, where the Kyoto’s tourist center is located. If you’re having a hard time planning the day, just ask the staff! They will help structure your day trip(s) to fit in the attraction you’d like to see with the time you have.
The first stop was to Sanjusangendo Temple, only 15 minutes by bus from the JR station. “Sanjusangendo” means a hall with 33 bays, the number is sacred in Buddhism, for it is believed that Buddha saves mankind by disguising himself in 33 different forms. Also not to forget the most important part is the 1001 statues of Kannon-Bosatsu which are placed within it! Each as big as 5 1/2 feet tall, carved out of wood and leafed in gold. In the center, the principal image of Kannon is 11 feet tall. In front of the Kannon statues are 28 different guardian disciples of Buddha with intense expressions and impressive detail. No photography was prohibited within the temple, so I captured a couple outside to compensate. If you ran from one end of the hall to the other it would be equivalent to a 200m sprint. Took a few photos outside by the garden and set off to the next destination.
The guide outlined Kiyomizu Temple as being the most famous temple in Kyoto. I hope not setting my expectations to be disappointed! First thing the bus stop I took a wrong turn and ended up walking up the backside side to the Temple. No regrets though, as I stumbled upon this beautiful cemetery! Tombstones of all shapes and sizes covered every inch of soil this side of the mountain. I also couldn’t believe how quite the area was; when I closed my eyes it was as if placed on top of a mountain peak with nature all around and steady breeze through my hair. I did notice one tomb wasn’t like all the others; what distinguished his from the rest was the unexpected can of Asahi super “dry” Japanese draft beer. Now, I don’t know what your thinking, but I’m guessing this man loved his Asahi beer! – and the last thing in Mr. Yoko’s will says, “Instead of placing flowers by my grave, just drop off some cold bruschis!”
The path lead me through a small forest and finally out to where I should have initially been in the first place. Just straight ahead, the entrance to the temple grounds stood beautifully carved orange pagodas and arches. In direct sunlight the vibrant orange only enhanced it’s appearance from the rest of the city, it was hard not to admire the wonderful workmanship! The place also brought out a character in everyone; you’d notice how a lot more individuals wore elaborate kimonos, sporting the wood platform shoes. Even the clocked monks with straw hats and metal cains made themselves present with the tourists – quite entertaining.
The word Kiyomizu translates to clear water or pure water. Reason for this is beneath the main hall is the Otowa waterfall where 3 channels of water flow into a pond. Each stream is believed to have therapeutic property: wisdom, health, and longevity. Visitors are welcome to drink from each of the streams but the Japanese believe if greed compels you drink all three, then you’ll bring misfortune upon yourself. A popular Japanese expression “to jump off the stage at Kiyomizu” or “to take the plunge” if one where to survive a 13m jump into the pond below from the main hall one wish would be granted. Two hundred thirty-four jumps were recorded in the Edo period and, of those, 85.4% survived. The practice is now prohibited – I wonder why! On my way back I was able to relocated main street down – you know, the one I was suppose to take initially! Not only was this path narrow, but absolutely jammed with shops consisting of souvenirs, restaurants and yummy goodies. If your hungry, I recommend dropping into all the goodie stores and sampling their food. By the time you reach the bottom – top depending on where you start – you technically just burned off some fat walking and was fed along the way!
Next stop was the Kyoto Imperial Palace, but upon arrival I found booking in advance was mandatory. Back on the bus it was and off to Gion district, famous for shopping and geisha. I wandered the beautiful streets of Gion in search of Geishas, no luck though! Just 3 blocks from crossing the Kamo River along Shijo Avenue was a popular Japanese BBQ restaurant I read about in a guide. Starting at just 2,200Yen per person (prices varied depending on choice) got you a great selection of quality beef, chicken, seafood, vegetables and desert. Each table had it’s own BBQ grill, so the food came prepared raw. The restaurant itself had great atmosphere, wonderful service and played rock jazz which made for an enjoyable evening. The place was mostly filled with couple, so it didn’t make way to strike up any conversation.
After dinner, just next door I stopped into a six story arcade called “The Namco Wonder Tower”. Every floor had it’s different themed entertainment room for the boys, but the basement was only for the ladies! – strictly just ladies only! At the time I didn’t know because I was absolutely oblivious to the signs. I had also got a little excited because I found out the whole floor was dedicated to those Japanese sticky photo machines. Yup, the whole 3,000sq foot floor taken up by 25 or so of those machines – imagine the choices! There was no way I was missing out on this! ** Disclaimer: Will not be liable for any brains exploding because of cuteness overload. >>Click here<<
Stay tuned for Kyoto Day 2
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