The city of Kyoto is truly the jewel in the crown of Japanese tourism. The ancient city which boasts some 1500 Buddhist temples and 200 shrines, has been the cultural heart of Japan since it was made capital in the 8th Century AD. The area draws huge numbers of international and domestic tourists annually. So important is the city to the Japanese that it is estimated that one third of Japan's population of 120 million visits Kyoto each year, including a seemingly endless flow of children on school trips. It has also become a must see for overseas tourists looking for a glimpse into traditional Japanese culture and history. My parent's visit presented a great opportunity for us to explore the unique city together and despite some indifferent weather we had an unforgettable time there.
I arranged several days off work around my weekend so that we could have four clear days of sightseeing time. We traveled two and a half hours northeast from my home in Kokura on the very fast Shinkansen train. We arrived at Kyoto Station in mid afternoon and quickly found our lodgings in 'Ks hostel'. I had booked the rooms a few weeks earlier on the recommendation of a friend and we were thrilled with the quality of the accommodation. Costing only 2900 yen (40NZ$) each per night for a double room and 3500 (NZ49$) for a single, the place was fantastic. Immaculately clean and modern, it had remote lights, TVs and air conditioning in the rooms and the helpful staff spoke English fluently. We discovered on arrival Ks hostel was awarded the best hostel in Asia prize last year and it was certainly well deserved. It was to provide a great base for our excursions over the next four days and we were able to meet and share stories with tourists from all over the world.
Each day we awoke fairly early, bought a bus pass and traveled around the city exploring numerous gardens, temples, shrines and castles that had been recommended by friends or helpful guidebooks. We went to so many great places during our visit that I can't possibly mention them all, but three places stand out in my mind as highlights of the trip; Nijo Castle, Kiyomizu and Kinkakuji temples.
On our first day we traveled to Nijo castle which is a huge structure in central Kyoto that was built in 1603 for the first Tokogawa Shogun (ruler). The first thing you see when you arrive at Nijo is the huge moat and giant wooden gates at the entrance. It appears to be a real fortress and its sheer size is impressive. Once you enter the grounds however the imposing nature of the exterior gives way to the beauty of Japanese gardens and the wonder of the inticrately designed palace buildings. The castle area grounds are very big at 275,000 square metres, and you can walk around for a long time exploring but my favourite part of the visit was the Shogun's residence; Ninomaru Palace.
The palace is a traditional wooden structure and inside theres a lot of ancient and restored artwork decorating the walls and sliding doors including many screen paintings of animals and tranquil nature scenes. The art is so delicate all the windows are covered up so the light won't damage them. The dim light and serene images create a feeling of calm within the palace and even amongst busy tourists there are only hushed whispers. The loudest noise is an eerie squeaking of the wooden floorboards as you walk down the hall. Intriguingly this is a feature of the design rather than a flaw. The so called Nightingale floor was an ingenious invention to prevent the Shogun's enemies, like stealthy Ninja assassins presumably, from sneaking into the palace. As you step on them clamps which are beneath the floorboards move up and down. The clamp and the nail holding it, rub together creating a squeaking noise like a bird.
Later in the day the weather began to get darker and umbrellas became a necessity in the steady drizzle. Mum and I decided to brave the fading light and at about 4:30pm headed to southeast Kyoto and ancient Kiyomizu temple. The temple was founded in 788 AD and was reconstructed in the 17th Century. The huge wooden buildings of Kiyomizu are built on steep Mt Higashiyama and even in late afternoon the red and white colours of the pagodas and archways at the entrance are striking. To get there you need to walk uphill for five or ten minutes before you arrive at some challenging stone steps at the temples base. Once you reach the top though there is a great view of Kiyomizu's many thatched roofed temple buildings surrounded by dense forest along the hillside. If you look back towards the west there is a fantastic view of Kyoto city with the bright pagodas in the foreground. There was a thought that we would not visit Kiyomizu as fatigue, time and the weather seemed aligned against us. However once we arrived our doubts were erased by the majesty of the place and it remains one of my best memories of Kyoto.
The reputation of Kyoto's famed Kinkakuji or 'Golden pavilion' certainly preceded it. Everyone I spoke to about Kyoto recommended this temple ahead of all others. As such we waited until our last day in the city to see it in the hope the weather would clear. Unfortunately the best we got was an overcast morning but miraculously we were able to view the temple for an hour or two before it started belting down with rain on our way back to the hostel. However even in this dull climate the temple glowed like a jewel. Originally a 14th century construction Kinkakuji like most of the historical places here has been beautifully restored. It is a two storey building with a traditional black tiled sloping roof and its exterior is completely covered in gold leaf.
In front of the temple is a large clear pool of water which captures the reflection of the structure and surrounding greenery to create a striking scene. The lake, full of colourful carp up to two feet long, is encircled with fine gardens and beyond this woodlands. Although it wasn't a bright or sunny day, as we walked along the viewing path, the sight of the crisp, golden temple surrounded by perfectly manicured trees beginning to turn to red and yellow autumn hues gave a real sense of aesthetic perfection. Kinkakuji scale was certainly not as big as I had imagined prior to my visit but the smooth symmetry of its design and the bright sheen of its walls remain in my mind. It's probably the most elegant structure that I've ever seen.
When the time came to leave Kyoto there was a feeling between us that we had experienced something unique and special. I would recommend Kyoto to anyone with even a vague interest in history, culture or beauty. I will certainly always remember my time there.
I arranged several days off work around my weekend so that we could have four clear days of sightseeing time. We traveled two and a half hours northeast from my home in Kokura on the very fast Shinkansen train. We arrived at Kyoto Station in mid afternoon and quickly found our lodgings in 'Ks hostel'. I had booked the rooms a few weeks earlier on the recommendation of a friend and we were thrilled with the quality of the accommodation. Costing only 2900 yen (40NZ$) each per night for a double room and 3500 (NZ49$) for a single, the place was fantastic. Immaculately clean and modern, it had remote lights, TVs and air conditioning in the rooms and the helpful staff spoke English fluently. We discovered on arrival Ks hostel was awarded the best hostel in Asia prize last year and it was certainly well deserved. It was to provide a great base for our excursions over the next four days and we were able to meet and share stories with tourists from all over the world.
Each day we awoke fairly early, bought a bus pass and traveled around the city exploring numerous gardens, temples, shrines and castles that had been recommended by friends or helpful guidebooks. We went to so many great places during our visit that I can't possibly mention them all, but three places stand out in my mind as highlights of the trip; Nijo Castle, Kiyomizu and Kinkakuji temples.
On our first day we traveled to Nijo castle which is a huge structure in central Kyoto that was built in 1603 for the first Tokogawa Shogun (ruler). The first thing you see when you arrive at Nijo is the huge moat and giant wooden gates at the entrance. It appears to be a real fortress and its sheer size is impressive. Once you enter the grounds however the imposing nature of the exterior gives way to the beauty of Japanese gardens and the wonder of the inticrately designed palace buildings. The castle area grounds are very big at 275,000 square metres, and you can walk around for a long time exploring but my favourite part of the visit was the Shogun's residence; Ninomaru Palace.
The palace is a traditional wooden structure and inside theres a lot of ancient and restored artwork decorating the walls and sliding doors including many screen paintings of animals and tranquil nature scenes. The art is so delicate all the windows are covered up so the light won't damage them. The dim light and serene images create a feeling of calm within the palace and even amongst busy tourists there are only hushed whispers. The loudest noise is an eerie squeaking of the wooden floorboards as you walk down the hall. Intriguingly this is a feature of the design rather than a flaw. The so called Nightingale floor was an ingenious invention to prevent the Shogun's enemies, like stealthy Ninja assassins presumably, from sneaking into the palace. As you step on them clamps which are beneath the floorboards move up and down. The clamp and the nail holding it, rub together creating a squeaking noise like a bird.
Later in the day the weather began to get darker and umbrellas became a necessity in the steady drizzle. Mum and I decided to brave the fading light and at about 4:30pm headed to southeast Kyoto and ancient Kiyomizu temple. The temple was founded in 788 AD and was reconstructed in the 17th Century. The huge wooden buildings of Kiyomizu are built on steep Mt Higashiyama and even in late afternoon the red and white colours of the pagodas and archways at the entrance are striking. To get there you need to walk uphill for five or ten minutes before you arrive at some challenging stone steps at the temples base. Once you reach the top though there is a great view of Kiyomizu's many thatched roofed temple buildings surrounded by dense forest along the hillside. If you look back towards the west there is a fantastic view of Kyoto city with the bright pagodas in the foreground. There was a thought that we would not visit Kiyomizu as fatigue, time and the weather seemed aligned against us. However once we arrived our doubts were erased by the majesty of the place and it remains one of my best memories of Kyoto.
The reputation of Kyoto's famed Kinkakuji or 'Golden pavilion' certainly preceded it. Everyone I spoke to about Kyoto recommended this temple ahead of all others. As such we waited until our last day in the city to see it in the hope the weather would clear. Unfortunately the best we got was an overcast morning but miraculously we were able to view the temple for an hour or two before it started belting down with rain on our way back to the hostel. However even in this dull climate the temple glowed like a jewel. Originally a 14th century construction Kinkakuji like most of the historical places here has been beautifully restored. It is a two storey building with a traditional black tiled sloping roof and its exterior is completely covered in gold leaf.
In front of the temple is a large clear pool of water which captures the reflection of the structure and surrounding greenery to create a striking scene. The lake, full of colourful carp up to two feet long, is encircled with fine gardens and beyond this woodlands. Although it wasn't a bright or sunny day, as we walked along the viewing path, the sight of the crisp, golden temple surrounded by perfectly manicured trees beginning to turn to red and yellow autumn hues gave a real sense of aesthetic perfection. Kinkakuji scale was certainly not as big as I had imagined prior to my visit but the smooth symmetry of its design and the bright sheen of its walls remain in my mind. It's probably the most elegant structure that I've ever seen.
When the time came to leave Kyoto there was a feeling between us that we had experienced something unique and special. I would recommend Kyoto to anyone with even a vague interest in history, culture or beauty. I will certainly always remember my time there.
No comments:
Post a Comment