Kyoto - I

Wow, Kyoto! Wish you could see it, but we forgot our camera. Claudia, the other ALT brought hers so I will steal the pics from her as soon as I can. We also plan to go back on Thursday for the final day of the Bon festival so we'll try to remember the camera then.








Kyoto is now number one on the list. We actually expected it to be up there, but it really is a cool city. From the end of the Hankyu line we really only walked a mile in one direction. In that mile we saw a major shopping street, covered shops like many other downtowns, major department stores and the Gion district, Old Kyoto, with an untold number of shrines and temples.

A good portion of the hillside above old Kyoto is nothing but shrines and small shops. Within a radius of a quarter mile we could see the famous temple with 5 roofs (go-jo) stacked one on the other, a sitting Buddha about 50 feet tall at another shrine, a bunch of major shrines, temples and little worship areas. It is the Bon holiday so there were lots of visitors and worshipers everywhere. From the side of the mountain overlooking Kyoto, we could see most of the city and way off in the distance, Osaka.

Along the river, running through Kyoto are several restraunts with decks overlooking the river. In the evening they open them up for the diners. The decks are lined with hanging lanterns and it is beautiful.

During the Bon festival, they light paper lanterns (with real candles) on every gravestone on the side of the hill above the temples. We followed a path lined with hanging paper lanterns, past the temples, up to the graveyard - very long & steep with many stairs. At the top of the path, Buddhist monks helped little kids creat their own prayer bead necklace, very similar to the rosary, I think it even has the same number of beads, but I am not sure. There was also a table where people were working on their script, possibly to place on the stones of their ancestors. People also lined up at the entrance of the graveyard to collect buckets of water to bring up the hill and wash the tombstones and would leave presents and fresh flowers for their ancestors. The walk at night was truly special. Yumi, one of the Sogo staff, was our guide for the day. She grew up around Kyoto and went to university there, but she said she had never been there for the Bon Festival and that this experience was very special to her. She even taught us to give an offering and pray at one of the temples.

There is a lot more to say, but the most important is that Kyoto is top of the list for must sees when you come visit. I'm sure we'll visit there many times this year.

Goodnight,

Rex