The Ancient Capital of Kyoto

Kyoto was the former capital of Japan for over 1000 years yet even until today it remains as the country’s cultural centre and very much loved by visitors both locally and from around the world.  It truly is a magical place.  Unfortunately for me, I only had a short day to visit, but definitely not the last one – I will be back for more.

Following the weekend at Tateyama Alpine Route, next on my agenda was the ancient capital of Kyoto!  It is a super express ride from Nagoya and quite easy to get around.  From the time I stepped out of the train, the atmosphere around the Kyoto Station was welcoming.  With the Kyoto city tourism right within a few steps from the central exit I felt comfortable tackling the day tour already.  The ladies at the counter were helpful, spoke very good english and knew what was going on as we spoke.

As it was the golden week many places were closed due to the many public holidays happening that week.  So I thought I will start with some world heritage sites.  First up was Sanjusangen-do Temple.  This was second top on my list of places to see (first on the list was the Imperial Palace) for its collection of 1001 Sanju-Kannon statues of buddhist deity.  What I failed to read even at the back of my entry ticket was there was a very strict rule on ‘no photos’ inside the hall.  I was speechless! as this was the main reason I visited this place! But, I moved on and enjoyed the Kannons and planted them in my memory.  There are photos on-line and books about them as well.  Nevertheless, outside the temple was as beautiful as the ancient Kannons.

The original temple was built around 1164 but lost in fire then reconstructed in 1266 and has remained unchanged for 700 years.  It has since had four great renovations since.  It is also known for its 120 metres long temple hall made in the Wayo or Japanese style architecture.  The name Sanjusangen-do derived from its famous thirty-three spaces between the columns.

The main hall

Back view of the hall

Inari Shrine, promises to bring good fortune

Taikou-bei, the earthen wall is also an important cultural property

Minami-daimon, the south gate is an important cultural property

The whole west side of the temple was lined with this bright orange wall!

 

There are literally over a thousand temples and shrines in Kyoto.  I managed to visit a couple smaller once within the vicinity of Sanjusangen-do temple before I made it to another UNESCO world cultural heritage listed building – Kiyomizu-dera.  This temple was more tourist friendly which allowed photos, except from the private garden, where you can sit down and enjoy with only your memory.

Kiyomizu Temple is set atop a hill along the Otowa Mountain.  Built in 778 which, unfortunately, was also burnt down by fires then rebuilt during the Edo Period between 1631-33.  The temple is beautiful with the Kiyomizu stage built high on 12 metre pillars and boasts a great view of the city.  The landscaped garden all around the temple is so pleasant to walk around (even when crowded) as there are splashes of colour everywhere.

A thousand Jizo (children’s guardian deities) statues

Otowa-no-taki, where one can drink for good health, longevity and success in study

Even on that cloudy day, you can still enjoy the great view

 

From Kiyomizu temple the walk down beautiful Higashiyama District where you find souvenir shops, cafes, restaurants or just people watching is another experience.

 

There are many interesting sight to see on the eastern side of Kyoto also known as Higashiyama Dirstrict, but it is a vast area to cover.  I missed out on Nijo Castle and the Kyoto Imperial Palace.  Instead I chose to visit Rokuon-ji Temple more famously known as Kinkaku-ji (The Golden Pavilion.)  The golden pavilion is a shariden, a buddhist hall containing relics of buddha.  The garden and buildings are believed to represent the pure land of buddha in this world (albeit the crowd) and it was crowded.  The design is quite tourist-efficient, though, as everyone can just walk through a path and see all the important features of the temple, without overcrowding in one area.

The garden around the pavilion is a National Special Historic Site and Special Place of Scenic Beauty where one should enjoy strolling around.  For such a popular tourist attraction, this might be a bit challenging to accomplish, as it seemed always crowded.

The first gate

The beautiful belfry

The priests’ living quarters

Fudo-do

The golden pavilion

 

The rain stopped and the clouds were clearing, but it was also getting late and museums and temples were closing.  Instead of going to Gion District, which I really wanted not only to visit but experience, I chose to make a final dash over to Heian Jingu Shrine.  Considered as the replica of the Kyoto Imperial Palace, Heian Jingu is an important cultural property of Japan.  A young temple, compared to other temples in Kyoto, at only over a hundred years old – 1895, was burned down in 1976 and rebuilt using moneys collected from donations to what is now the current structure.

Kyoto Municipal Museum, which is along the walk to the shrine

The giant red Torii gate to welcome one to the avenue leading to the shrine

 

And that concluded my day in Kyoto, but only for now, I will definitely visit Kyoto again especially as I want to experience the culture in Gion District.  I hope you enjoyed the photo tour with me.  Up next is Nara also a former capital of Japan.

12 Chapters of Nagoya Tour: Chapter 8 – Atsuta History Course

Welcome back.  We move on to Chapter 8: Atsuta History Course.  Atsuta Shrine is considered one of the most venerable shrines in Japan  second to Ise Grand Shrine or simply called ‘Jingu’ meaning The Shrine.  This chapter’s course will introduce us not only to Atsuta Shrine and its treasures but some history around its property.  So join me for a bit of a stroll around Atsuta.

1.  Atsuta Jingu (Main Shrine).  I have visited this shrine more than any other shrines in Nagoya.  I am not a shinto believer but do not mind experiencing the many events celebrated in this beautiful temple.  Previous visits included last Christmas day when they replaced the shimenawa and in Chapter 3 of the Nagoya Tour which I have written about.  The other times I have visited were for other reasons but every time it seemed I discover something new about the shrine.

For this chapter I timed to visit Atsuta when they had a special dance festival on the first of May.  The Bugaku Shinji is a ceremonial dance performed with ancient court music since the tenth century during the Heian era.  Present day celebrations are just reminders of the bygone monarchy days of Nagoya.

 

2.  Atsuta Jungu (Treasure Museum).  Since 1966 the museum collection exceeds 6000 items, of which 95 precious items are designated as national treasures of Nagoya.  The items were donated by people from the imperial families to general philanthropists, including a large number of swords.

3.  Saidanbashi Bridge (Birthplace of Dodoitsu).  This small bridge was a scene of a farewell between a mother and her son on his way to the battle of Odawara, led by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1590.  The young man, unfortunately, died during his military service wherein the mother replaced it as a memorial for her lost son.  The original ornamental cap on the post was engraved with a touching inscription of the mother’s love and is now kept in the Nagoya City museum.  Dodoitsu, a Japanese poetry and a famous ballad played with a three-stringed Japanese instrument-shamisen apparently originated here.   The area later on flourished as a literary centre.

4.  Miya No Watashi Park.  This park was the former site of a ferry crossing along the only sea route on the Tokaido Highway.  Known as Shichiri no Watashi, a Japanese phrase which means crossing on seven ri, which translates to 27 kilometres in current measurement.  The stone night light marked the departure and arrival of night ferries.

Tile art along the park

Tile art along the park

The current stone night light is a replica built in 1955

 

5.  Shirotori Garden.  This is a beautiful Japanese garden with a theme called ‘a watery story’ to represent the geographical features of the Chubu region.  Established in 1991 and spreads through 3.7 hectares.  I have visited this garden numerous times as well but never tire of its changing beauty.  I have written about previous visits here and here.  So for this post I would like to show the garden during different colours.

 

6.  Hoji-ji Temple, Shiratori Tomb.  The shrine was built as a small local shrine where Kobo Daishi worshiped Yamatotakeru-no-Mikoto and protects the treasure of Shiratori Tomb, believed to be the tomb of Yamatotakeru.

Shiratori Tomb

Hoji-ji Temple

Monument of a Sumo grand champion

Inner temple of zen buddhism

 

7.  Danpusan Tomb.  Danpusan means ‘to be without a husband’ as a reference to Mizuhime, wife of Prince Yamato Takeru, was known for not re-marrying after Takeru died.  This is one of the legends behind this burial mound which has not been excavated.  Known as the largest key-hole shaped mound, whoever was buried there must have been an important figure in history.

8.  Seigan-ji Temple (Birthplace of Minamoto-no Yoritomo).  The shrine contains a stone monument as a birthplace of Minamoto-no Yoritomo in 1147, the founder of the Kamakura Shogunate, a Japanese feudal military government.  He was the third son of Minamoto-no Yoshitomo, the head of the Minamoto clan, a general during the Heian Period of the Japanese history.

This course was a rather interesting walking tour as it contained a number of historical facts that I would never have known just by visiting the shrine.  I hope you enjoyed that as much as I have.

If you would like to trace previous chapters, here they are:

Chapter 1: Nagoya Castle Course

Chapter 2: Course covering region of the Owari Tokugawa family and the Cultural Path

Chapter 3: Oda Nobunaga “Owari’s Foolhardy Youth” Course

Chapter 4: Course Covering the Birthplace of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Kato Kiyomasa

Chapter 5: Course for Experiencing Nagoya Manufacturing

Chapter 6: Nagoya Stroll Course

Chapter 7: Funtown Osu Course

Weekly Photo Challenge: Pattern

Patterns in any form are very interesting.  Some tend to be quite pedantic in nature and others are purely aesthetic.  Both are equally beautiful.  This week’s Photo Challenge is Patterns.

For this challenge, I thought I would show you some photos I have of various Emas.  Ema is a wooden plaque where Shinto worshipers write down their wish and hang at the temple for the spirits or gods of the temple to receive them.  Here are some of them and hope you like it.

Travel Theme: Beaches

I love beaches and I love that Where’s My Backpack chose this for this week’s Travel Theme.

Spring? Is it?

It was the the start of the golden week here in Japan.  Golden week is named so as there are numerous public holidays that fall within the same week and some workplaces, such as mine, take the whole week off.  Unluckily for my hubby he had the usual work week.  But that didn’t stop us from having fun on his consecutive days off (that I never get) and booked ourselves a (Japanese) tour to Tateyama Alpine Route where we could still enjoy a winter wonderland in the form of the Murodo Snow Wall.

I know some of you real adventurers out there might think, “umm, tour group? maybe not.” But we had no clue how to get there and the trip sounded easy with english guide provided.  This part was a bit hilarious, the tour guide sounded like she was on a bilingual tv channel.  She spoke Japanese on PA, then gestured for our instructions to follow.  The trip started early in the morning and involved a lot of waiting and queuing.

From the Nagoya station where the tour kicked off we drove for a couple hours to our first toilet stop, and this was one thing I loved about the tour – generous toilet stops along the way! (It must have been put up by a lady tour planner)  The first town was Unazuki where we hopped on an old style Kurobe Gorge train.

 

The train was an open type train and the view from the turn-around ride gave us an outlook of what the rest of the trip was about.  Then we went off to Hakuba Onsen Village where we stayed for the night.  Based on the tourism website the village came to life since the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano.  The village hosted many of the athletes as it offered a number of winter sports actions.

The sun setting behind the alps of Tateyama, beautiful

Our shabu-shabu dinner, YUM!

 

The next morning we started with a Japanese style big breakfast and off to more bus and trolleybus rides to get to walk on the Kurobe Dam.

 

Next stop was a quick visit to Daikanbo Station via a ropeway ride up the mountain.  This was our first touch of the winter wonderland of Tateyama.

 

Then onto our final trolley bus ride for the Murodo Snow Wall.  I must say, after all the rides and waiting to get here…it was worth it all!

The top height on the day of our visit was 18 metres

 

I couldn’t help myself touching the wall, it was such a amazing experience for me! Growing up in a tropical country where the weather was either sunny or rainy then seeing a snow wall like this was beyond words.  The rest of the trip was just a blur compared to the experience of walking through this wall!

I highly recommend a trip to the Tateyama Alpine Route.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Culture

This contribution is a bit late for last week’s Photo Challenge.  But, nevertheless, I would like to share this bit of cultural experience I had last week from Toyokawa, Japan.

Toyokawa Inari Shrine Spring Festival

These worshipers, mostly men, and a lady which can be seen here in peach dress, help lift this shrine placed on a deck of (heavy-looking) timber from the main shrine and around the temple grounds.  Stopping is main halls and lifting it at least three times.  The great spring festival is for harvest prayer.  Around Japan many spring festivals are celebrated for fertility and harvest.  Last year I also witnessed another Matsuri for fertility during spring time.

12 Chapters of Nagoya Tour: Chapter 7 – Funtown Osu Course

Osu Shopping District is one of the oldest and most popular shopping districts in Nagoya.  Welcome to Chapter 7  of the 12 Chapters of Nagoya Tour.  This course takes us through both history and shopping experiences.  This is in my immediate neighbourhood and a nice place to walk around.  So let’s go for a walk.

1.  Fureai Park.  Central to this park is the huge Maneki-neko, known in Japan as a welcoming cat, good luck or money cat and happy cat.  This small Fureai Park is a famous relaxing area, meeting area or entertainment area.  During weekends and special festival days this little park would be packed with audience enjoying a variety of entertainment.  On quieter days people like to meet up here, have a snack and relax.

 

2.  Nanatsudera Temple.  In the olden Edo period days this temple was bustling with festivals and many events.  Built in 735 and moved here from Kiyosu and became a place of worship for the Owari Tokugawa family.  Today, the temple is quiet but still popular amongst local residents during market days and Osu festivals.

 

3.  Osu Kannon Temple.  Built in 1324 at Nagaoka Village and moved to its present location by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1612 in conjunction with the construction of Nagoya Castle.  Osu is popular amongst local residents and tourists for a traditional Japanese shopping experience, during many festivals and bimonthly flea markets.  The temple is central to these experiences.

Wooden belfry

 

4. Osu Entertainment Hall.  Opened in the 1960′s as one of the “Osu 20 Theatres”, but only the Osu Entertainment Hall remains.  Famous for a variety of entertainment including comedic story telling, stand-up comedy and magic.

5.  Akamon Myooden.  A small and quiet temple tucked within one end of the Akamon-dori on the Akamon Myouo-dori.  Akamon means red gate and affectionately nicknamed Temple Myoosan amongst locals.  This small street comes to life on the 28th of each month with stalls during its monthly street fair.

 

6.  Nagonoyama Park.  The park was Nagoya’s first park way back in 1879 until Tsurumai Park opened in 1909.  What remains of the park is a gentle hill, which is an authentic burial mound, a remnant from a group of burial mounds in Osu.

7.  Bansho-ji Temple.  A former place of worship for the Oda family.  The site had a “famous” event wherein the young Nobunaga threw incense powder during the funeral of his father Nobuhide.  Formerly located near the Nagoya Castle then moved to the current site which occupies the whole of east Osu in the past.

 

8.  Shintenchi-dori Akamon-dori (Electronics Marketplace.)  Known as one of Japan’s three largest electronic shopping areas.  There is a large concentration of electronics stores along these streets which is frequented by electronics lovers.

 

If you have missed the previous chapters, here they are again:

Chapter 1: Nagoya Castle Course

Chapter 2: Course covering region of the Owari Tokugawa family and the Cultural Path

Chapter 3: Oda Nobunaga “Owari’s Foolhardy Youth” Course

Chapter 4: Course Covering the Birthplace of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Kato Kiyomasa

Chapter 5: Course for Experiencing Nagoya Manufacturing

Chapter 6: Nagoya Stroll Course

Weekly Travel Themes: Benches

I love taking photos of benches, preferably when they’re empty however, I do not mind when someone is enjoying their comfort.  In last week’s Travel Theme challenge benches are on order.  So here is my (rather late) contribution to the many others who have already shared their beautiful benches as well.

I hope you all have a great week.

The Historical Town of Takayama

We had the chance to visit another part of the what is known in Japan as the Central Honshu.  Described by tour books as the region that shows the contrasts of present Japan – with its densely populated coastal cities whilst in the middle the highest and wildest mountains can be found.  Whilst the region is very accessible to travel it has kept its traditional rural lifestyles, architecture and festivals.

Last Sunday, the 14th of April was the first day of Takayama’s world renown Spring Festival – Sanno Matsuri.  The festival is a celebration of the guardian deity of the southern half of the ‘old town’ Takayama to welcome spring as well as pray for good harvest and peace for the year.  The main event of the festival is the parade of 12 yatais (festival floats.)  Later in the year after the hot days of summer Takayama then celebrates the Autumn Festival where there are 11 of these yatais on show.  They are believed to date back as far as the 17th century.  The current Takayama spring festival in the Ishikawa Prefecture have been celebrated for the past 40 years.

Every float has its own unique design with very intricate details.  They were very beautiful!  Here are photos of the floats but I haven’t named them individually as I do not wish to misquote their names.

 

Walking through the old town we experienced the beautifully preserved Edo period merchant’s businesses and private homes.  Takayama is not only known for these festivals.  The city is also well-known for the numerous sake breweries and gourmet restaurants.  The old town was awarded the highest 3-star Michelin travel award as a destination worth travelling.

Yatai-gura, store houses for the festival floats

Fancy a rickshaw ride

 

Aside from the beautiful festival and old preserved streets, it was the spirit of the locals that I loved the most.  These festival participants were very proud of their heritage.  The police and volunteers were very helpful, considering there were many lost (tourists) souls with their guide books and cameras.  Here is my tribute to the lovely people of Hida Takayama.

 

We truly enjoyed our brief day in Takayama.  Our only wish was if we could have stayed to watch the night festival when the floats were lit and went around the city streets once more.  But…there’s always next time.  I look forward to visiting the city again to explore the many temples and I can’t wait!

When you do get the chance to visit, It is really worth it!  And stay the night if you can.

Hida Takayama’s detailed website is here.

12 Chapters of Nagoya Tour: Chapter 6 – Nagoya Stroll Course

6 down and 6 more to go! I reckon I’m going to finish this course, which is a bit of a challenge for me, starting something and going for it every week.  I hope you are still enjoying following these courses as some of them are a bit boring, but I’m counting on the bigger picture to knowing the city I am in at the moment to be more than just what it seems in touristy brochures.

This course takes us to the modern side of Nagoya – “that continues to modernise; a profound city that combines modernity with human warmth.” That’s the intro quote from this week’s Chapter 6 of the 12 Chapters of Nagoya Tour.  When I read through this week’s course I thought – easy! it’s my immediate neighbourhood!  So I took advantage of the power of editing and took this course leisurely.  So, here we go for this week’s stroll.  Enjoy!

1.  Nagoya Station Mae.  The station Mae is famous for the number of skyscrapers in a small area around the Nagoya Station.  Originally opened in 1886, surrounded by marsh, in what was then considered an outlying area of the city.  Formerly a wooden station building reformed in 1937 to what is now a modern structure.  After WWII the area became a commercial area with the city’s first underground commercial facility in 1937.

The station is complex and crowded.  When walking around to find something I have lost my way here many times, but my trick was to keep walking around and it seems to just take you back around where you first started.  Eventually, you will find what you were looking for in the first place.  I have included Nana-chan in the photo gallery as she is considered one of the main meeting points when you get to Nagoya Station.

Nana-chan doll

A sample of the intricate underground shopping

 

2.  Yanagibashi Central Wholesale Market.  Markets in this area started as a group of wholesalers in the late Meiji Period (1868-1912).  This area is famous both with the local and international tourists.  A short walk from the Nagoya Station in the city centre and a rarity in Japan.

When I arrived at the market street around midday the whole area was clean, quiet and closed.  Only when I listened to the podcast did I learn that this market was mostly opened during the morning.  There were still some stalls closing up, but I did not miss taking photos of the life after the rush.

 

3.  Nayabashi Bridge.  Nayabashi Bridge spans the Horikawa River, which flows from the north to the south through the center of Nagoya, both believed to be built in 1610 in conjunction with the building of the Nagoya Castle.  The current retro bridge was re-built in 1981.  Recently, restaurants and cafes are popular around the bridge and along the river.

During a flower festival (May 2012)

A boat ride along the Horikawa River

 

4.  Nagoya City Science Museum.  Opened in 2011 the dome belongs to the Brother Earth Planetarium of the Nagoya City Science Museum, one of Japan’s finest comprehensive museums and the world’s largest.  Once inside one may experience standing in an artificial tornado as well as being in an aurora laboratory in -30 degrees celsius.

Unfortunately, I have not been inside this museum as all the tours and instructions are in Japanese.  I just enjoy the changes it goes through the year.

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Winter

 

5.  Sunshine Sakae.  The Sky Boat ferris wheel is the first sight that stands out of downtown Sakae area.  The building is known for various entertainment venues, restaurants, pubs and cafes.  Popular amongst the younger Japanese crowd as well as those who want to experience a little bit of Japanese pop culture.

 

6.  Oasis 21.  Another icon in downtown Sakae area is the Oasis 21.  This facility consists of a park, bus terminal, connections to the subway, underground shopping and the Aichi Arts Centre.  The Milky Way Plaza/Galaxy Platform on the basement level hosts many events throughout the year.  Visitors can enjoy a grassy area to rest and enjoy a day in Nagoya on the Field of Green level and provides a quick access to the Aichi Arts Centre.  One can enjoy walking along the periphery and enjoy the sights of the city of the Spaceship Aqua on the rooftop level where water flows along the glass surface of the roof.

Milky Way Plaza/Galaxy Platform, basement level

Field of Green, garden level

Reflection of the TV Tower on the Spaceship Aqua, roof level

 

7.  Nagoya TV Tower.  A symbol of downtown Nagoya since 1954 the Nagoya TV Tower stands 180 meters tall.  One can enjoy relaxing in the cafe and beer garden on the ground level; banquets and parties on the upper level; and 360-degree view of the city at the top level.  The tower was designated as a Lover’s Sanctuary in 2008.

This is an interesting tower at towards one end of the Hisaya-odori park.  It holds open air markets, special event at the beer garden and popular for weddings.  I will be back one night to take night photos of the city as this is highly recommended.

 

I enjoyed this course even though I have walked through these streets and sights many times.  I hope you have as well.  Here are links to the previous chapters if you are interested.  Have a great week everyone.

Chapter 1: Nagoya Castle Course

Chapter 2: Course covering region of the Owari Tokugawa family and the Cultural Path

Chapter 3: Oda Nobunaga “Owari’s Foolhardy Youth” Course

Chapter 4: Course Covering the Birthplace of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Kato Kiyomasa

Chapter 5: Course for Experiencing Nagoya Manufacturing