Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Kyoto - Day 2







Kyoto Day 2. Cloudy, rainy and humid.

Kiyomizu-dera temple. Thankfully we took a cab to this mountainside temple as it is an uphill path lined with tea shops and craft vendors. There are tremendous gates and pagodas. The temple was founded in 780 but the buildings of today are from 1633. You remove your shoes to enter the temple and they say that young people visit to seek help in finding their life partner. They try to walk between two stones placed 59 feet apart with their eyes closed. It is said that love will materialize for anyone who can walk in a straight line between the two.

Heian Jingu temple. The massive vermillion and white walls of Heian Jingu are one of the Kyoto’s best known landmarks. Built in the 1890’s to commemorate the 1100 anniversary of the city’s founding, it pays homage to two emperors. It is a slightly smaller replica of the Imperial Palace.

The red torii gate is the biggest in Japan and the three elaborate gardens are impressive. This temple is the spiritual center of the nation as well as the patriotic citizens of Kyoto. Emperor Kamu is deified as the ancestral god of Kyoto and Emperor Komei was the last ruler of the Heian capital.

Chion-in. These headquarters of the Jodo sect of Buddhism, is impressive enough to have been cast in the film “The Last Samurai”. The imposing tiered gateway is the largest in the country and we took shelter there from a huge downfall of rain. Later we found out that the taxi will drive up the hill to deliver you directly to the temple!

Gene and Nancy wandered in to the pray area by mistake and were informed the area was only for Buddhists... The outside walkway around the temple has exposed “uguisu-bari” boards which make them sound like a nightingale singing when you walk on them -- a wonderfully innovative way to expose intruders! These buildings were from the 1600s.

Photos:
Gene and Nancy by the squeaky floor of the temple
Thick temple doors
Taxi and temple
Luisa by silly statue of little boy!
NO SHOES