A DAY IN KYOTO

Kyoto is some 42 km from Osaka and well served by train and bus.  In fact there are many different railway companies that serve the two cities.  We chose JR Railways.  There was a quicker way using the Bullet Train  - which has its own dedicated track - but we chose a cheaper option using our ICOCA railpass.  Getting around on the Metro and trains is very easy.  The trains are clean, fast and leave dead on time. All important signage is in Japanese and English.  As we said a useful resource is You Tube, where individuals have posted all kinds of useful information of travelling in Japan. We were into Kyoto main station in short order and found the correct very crowded bus to take us to the beginning of a walk in East Kyoto we found on the web where we would find some of the more important temples - http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3950_eastern_kyoto_full.html

We started out at Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion) which is a Zen  temple along Kyoto's eastern mountains.

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The Hondo (the main hall)

A dry sand garden - the "Sea of Silver Sand"

A peaceful lake in the grounds

Another view of the lake

A beautiful moss garden

The Silver Pavilion 

Despite its name, the Silver Pavilion was never covered in silver. Instead, it is believed that the name arose as a nickname more than a century after the building's construction to contrast it with the Golden Pavilion. Alternatively, it is explained that moon light reflecting on the building's dark exterior (which used to be covered in black lacquer in the past) gave it a silvery appearance.

Leaving the Ginkakuji temple the walk continued down the Philosopher's Path. The path follows a canal which is lined by hundreds of cherry trees. We were just too late to see them in full bloom. The path gets its name due to Nishida Kitaro, one of Japan's most famous philosophers, who was said to practice meditation while walking this route on his daily commute to Kyoto University.

Along the Philosopher's Path which runs by a narrow canal

The canal, that the path follows, is part of the Lake Biwa Canal which tunnels 20 kilometers through the mountains to Lake Biwa in nearby Shiga Prefecture. The canal was built during the Meiji Period in order to revitalize the stagnating local economy, and was used to power Japan's first hydroelectric power plant

One of many small shops along the way

We reached the Nanzenji Temple, one of the most important Zen temples in all of Japan. The temple dates back to the mid 13th century, when the Emperor Kameyama built his retirement villa at the temple's present location and later converted it into a Zen temple.

At the entrance to the Nanjenzi temple

The Sanmon Gate at the Nanjenzi Temple

The Nanjenzi temple

This aqueduct links to the canal on the Philosopher's Path

A series of graves in the temple grounds

Our walk continued passing the entrance to the Heian Shrine

The huge toril gate at the entrance to the Heian Shrine

We saw a few Japanese in traditional dress

The Sanmon Gate at the Chion-in temple

It wasn't possible to see the Temple itself as it is undergoing a major reconstruction that will take some 5 years to complete.  This was also the case with some other temples in the area.

Our walk continued to the Yasaka or Gion Shrine close by Maruyama Park.  As was the case at the Chion-In temple, the main temple is under reconstruction but there are many other building so visit.

In the grounds of the Yasaka Shrine

A libation is a Buddhist ritual pouring of a liquid as an offering to a god or spirit 

A Buddha at the Yasaka Shrine

One of many buildings in the temple grounds

A monk at prayer in a temple building

Bells to ring

We had had a long and tiring day in the heat and made our way to catch the train back to Osaka.  We chose a different railway company for the return journey - the Keihan Electric Railway. Keihan started its operation between Osaka and Kyoto in 1910.  It was the first electric railway to connect these two cities.

 End of Part 14 of 16

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