Kyoto: Kiyomizu and Sanjusangendo

At Kiyomizu Temple

On our sightseeing tour of Kyoto, we visited two Buddhist temples, Kiyomizu and Sanjusangendo. Along with Shinto, Buddhism is one of the most prominent religions practiced in Japan. It was introduced in the sixth century from a Korea and currently approximately 96 million people adhere Buddhism (as I mentioned yesterday, it is often practiced with Shinto because they are complementary). There are many different forms, or schools, of Buddhism in Japan and Jodo Shinshu is the most prevalent form practiced today.

The Kiyomizu temple sits atop a hillside overlooking the city of Kyoto. It was built in 1633 and named in honor of the waterfall that is located within the temple complex (Kiymizu means “pure water”). The impressive veranda is supported by hundreds of wooden columns and is the inspiration for the popular saying “to jump off the stage at Kiyomizu.” In the Edo period, it was said that to survive the leap from the veranda to the ground below would lead to a wish come true for the jumper; now the saying is used similarly to our “take the plunge”.

The Sanjusangendo temple is an impressively long structure that dates back to the 12th century. The temple’s name literally means “hall with thirty-three spaces” to indicate the number of columns present in the main hall. Inside this hall are 1,001 statues of the 1,000 armed Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion, 28 statues of guardian deities, and statues of the Japanese gods Fujin (wind) and Raijin (thunder and lightning). The statues are constructed of Japanese cypress and each of the Kannons has a different face. Another interesting thing about the temple is that each year an archery competition is held where competitors shoot arrows the length of the long hall.

Kiyomizu Temple - One of the best views of Kyoto

A view from under the Kiyomizu Temple

The long hall of Sanjusangendo. The most amazing part of this temple was inside and since photography wasn't allowed, click here for some photos of the statues of the Kannon. 

Heian Hanami

Cherry blossom time is the season of the year when the whole country becomes imbued with the spirit of life and hope that is beyond the comprehension of Occidental minds - for here the cherry tree is regarded as a principle of life whose snowy wand transforms the earth and gives new powers to the heart which may be shared by all classes from the humblest to the exalted. 

– Cherry Blossom Time in Japan

Shining spring day

Falling cherry blossoms with my calm mind

- Kino Tomonari

Silent cherry blooms

Your simple eloquence is

  Speaking to my soul  

- Onitsura

With us, a plum or cherry tree in flower is not an astonishing sight; but here it is a miracle of beauty so bewildering that, however much you may have previously read about it, the real spectacle strikes you dumb. You see no leaves - only one filmy mist of pearls.

 -Lafcadio Hearn, Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan, 1894

Kyoto: Heian Shrine

Shinto is the native religion of Japan and originated in ancient times with the worship of nature, tradition and family and physical purification. It is a polytheistic religion and there is no holy text or religious canon. After the arrival of Buddhism in the sixth century, the two religions were practiced together until the Emperor Meiji separated them in 1868 and Shinto was made the official state religion. During the first half of the 20th century, adherence to Shintoism was enforced and the emperor was worshipped as a deity. This changed after World War II when government control of shrines was released during the American occupation.

Shinto and Buddhism were once again practiced simultaneously because the religions are considered complementary to each other. Often, birth and life cycle events, such as weddings, are celebrated at Shinto shrines and funerals are Buddhist ceremonies. Our tour guide explained that the division of these celebrations is based on the Shinto focus on this life and the Buddhist focus on afterlife. While we were touring at the Heian Shrine, we were able to see a Shinto wedding taking place at the altar from a distance and later take pictures of the procession as it made its way out of the shrine. Only immediate family members attended the shrine ceremony, but later the couple celebrates with friends and the rest of the family.

Shinto shrines, like the Heian Shrine, are places for practitioners of Shinto to pray and hold religious celebrations. They are constructed in traditional Japanese architectural styles and painted white, orange and green. There is often a special place at the shrine, accessible only to laity, where kami (religious artifacts) are kept. Another feature of the shrines is that there are no images; this keeps with the belief that Shinto practitioners pray spirit to spirit rather than to objects.

The sun was out, the shrine was peaceful and we were happy to be out and about in Kyoto.

These wooden cards (ema) have pictures of animals on one side and prayer requests on the other. They take the place of the tradition of donating livestock to the shrine when making a request for good fortune at the shrines. 

The Shinto wedding procession - the bride is wearing a traditional white kimono. According to tradition, brides wear the white headdress to cover their horns. You can be sure that Matt had a good laugh when our guide told us that. 

Kyoto: Swords and Samurai

Next to geisha, one of the most romanticized images of Japan in the Western world is that of the samurai. These figures of strength and honor have been depicted in numerous Hollywood films and anime series, but it is often overlooked that the samurai were actually an entire class of people in pre-industrial Japan. Some were indeed warriors, but they also served in other roles of nobility. They were highly educated and often excelled in other interests, such as the fine arts, and were expected to follow a strict code of conduct called Bushido, or “Way of the Warrior”. 

As famous as the samurai are their weapons, most particularly the katana. The samurai considered these artfully crafted steel weapons so precious that they often named them and considered them to have their own soul. Prominent samurai developed their own sword styles and techniques that were passed down from generation to generation. The process that went into making katana was labor-intensive and took several craftsmen to forge, fold and polish the metal blade as well as furnish the hilt and sheath.

Today, there are still several Japanese families that continue the tradition of swordcraft. Unlike commercial reproductions that are readily available, these katana are made by the same traditional techniques with the same materials as the samurai’s katana of yesteryear. Of course, Matt wanted to visit the shop of one of these authentic craftsmen and find a katana as a special souvenir of our time in Japan.

One afternoon in Kyoto, we made our way to the tiny store of the Hashimoto family and were awed by the various swords in their display room. The saleswoman took utmost care in presenting swords for us to examine and explaining differences in quality and construction. Matt selected a gleaming blade that was made in style of the famous samurai Musashi. No doubt it will proudly be on display in our home when we return to the States. 

Matt with his katana (wrapped and ready for travel) in front of Hashimoto swordmakers. We perfected our honorific bow at the end of his transaction. 

An example of a daisho, a combination of katana and wakizashi (honor blade)

(Kyoto Handicraft Center)

Samurai armor at the Kyoto Handicraft Center

Picturesque

An ume blossom Matt spotted at the Imperial Palace

Tiles along the wall at the Golden Pavilion

Kyoto: Golden Pavilion

Kinkaku-ji is one of the most recognizable Japanese structures. It was originally built in 1397 to serve as a retirement residence for one of the shoguns, but was later converted to a place to store relics of Buddha when the surrounding grounds became a Zen temple. In 1950, the pavilion was set on fire by a monk’s suicide attempt. He survived but the temple was badly burned and required extensive rebuilding and repair.

The glinting gold appearance of the pavilion is created by heavy layers of pure gold leaf and Japanese lacquer on the top two stories of the structure. It sits at the edge of a large pond that reflects the sparkling building and sky as a mirror image. We were able to walk along the gardens surrounding the pond to get different views of the pavilion. It wasn’t as large as Matt and I had imagined it to be, but it was an impressive structure nonetheless.

Kyoto: Imperial Palace

Entrance into Inner Courtyard

The Imperial Palace of Kyoto served as the Japanese emperor’s home until 1868 when the capital moved to Edo (now Tokyo). However, it is still used for coronation ceremonies, most recently that of the Showa emperor, Hirohito, in 1926. The palace, constructed of cypress and tile in the Heian style, has been destroyed and rebuilt eight times, the last construction taking place in 1855. It is now managed by the Imperial Household Agency, which grants permits for tours for foreign visitors through an application process. Though we were on an approved tour, our visit also coincided with one of the few days that the gates of the palace are open to the Japanese public.

Special features of the palace include the Shishinden, or Hall of State Ceremonies, that houses the Chrysanthemum Throne (the chrysanthemum is the symbol of the Japanese empire). A sakura tree and a tachibana (orange tree) stand on either side of the entrance to the Shishiden, as symbols of the purity and prosperity of the Japanese empire. Inside, the throne sits on a raised dais that can be separated from the rest of the room by a curtain. We learned from our guide, Kyono, that very few members of the Imperial Court were allowed access to the emperor and almost no one was allowed to make eye contact.

Inside the Inner Courtyard

The Shishiden, Hall of State Ceremonies

 

The palace grounds had several beautiful Japanese gardens featuring ponds crossed with stone and wood bridges.

Kyoto: Nijo Castle

The first stop on our day tour was Nijo Castle in the center of Kyoto. It was built in 1603 to serve as the Kyoto home of the Tokugawa Shogun, who shared rule with the emperor. In 1867, Nijo Castle was where the last shogun, Yoshinobu, returned total authority to the Imperial Court. The buildings in the castle complex later served as the location of the Imperial Court.

Nijo Castle was constructed of mostly cypress in the samurai class style and the interiors have several unique features. The first is the nightingale flooring of the corridors, which makes a chirping noise like a bird when walked upon. The floors served as a unique security system by protecting the shogun from sneak attacks. The walls of the interior rooms are painted with large murals depicting tigers, peacocks and other animals and decorated with wood carvings and gold leaf. Another feature we found interesting was one of the reception rooms where the shogun would meet with the emperor’s messengers. The messenger’s side of the room was a raised platform and the shogun’s side was recessed to show deference for imperial rule.

The grounds of the castle featured several traditional Japanese gardens with sakura and ume (apricot) trees, ponds and placed stones. These gardens, constructed by a famed Japanese landscape architect and tea master, still serve as the setting for government receptions and cultural events.

Hanami

To see the sakura in flower for the first time is to experience a new sensation.
                                        Percival Lowell,  The Soul of the Far East (1888)

One of the most fundamental characteristics of Japanese culture is its appreciation for the beauty of simplicity and nature. Perhaps the best demonstration of this aspect comes every spring with the time-honored and immensely popular tradition of hanami, or cherry blossom viewing. Japanese poetry and artwork dating back 1,000 years document the Japanese fascination with the lush pink blossoms that they believe represent a metaphor for life itself – beautiful, yet delicate and impermanent.

Each year, as spring approaches, sakura (cherry blossom) reports begin forecasting the budding and peak blooming periods across the country, much like winter ski reports in mountainous regions. During the sakura season, which lasts about two weeks in each particular region, millions of Japanese flock to view the blossoms by traveling to popular locations to relax, picnic and meditate on their beauty.

Matt and I decided that we wanted to experience Kyoto during this once-yearly event because we were sure it would be a once in a lifetime experience. This caused a little frustration in booking hotel rooms, because as we quickly discovered, the Japanese make their reservations as much as a year in advance, much like the San Fermin festival described by Hemingway in The Sun Also Rises. However, I can confidently say that the hard work of finding vacancies and switching hotels mid-visit was well worth the experience as soon as we began to see the clouds of sakura floating across the treetops around Kyoto.

The sakura were absolutely breathtaking at moments as they waved gently in the spring breezes. I can honestly say that walking through the forest of cherry trees at the Heian Shrine was one of the most beautiful experiences of my entire life. The stark contrast of the pale blush of the blossoms against the blue sky and the petals as they gently floated to the ground like snow were captivating. Under the canopy, it felt almost as if time stood slowed to a near standstill and the heady effect was slightly dizzying. Though I wouldn’t go as far to align myself with the Japanese maxim that life is complete after viewing the perfect cherry blossom, it certainly does make one marvel at the awe-inspiring resplendence of nature.

Our first taste of hanami at Nijo Castle. 

Standing here made me postively blissful. I could have frolicked among the cherry blossoms all day. 

Matt was able to get some beautiful close ups from his elevated vantage point. 

Gardens at the Imperial Palace - Hanami was originally a tradition of royalty and the samurai class, but became a national custom by 1000 A.D.

Sakura trees lining the banks of the Kamo River, a popular spot for hanami picnics.

Welcome to Kyoto

Kyoto is a city with a distinct spirit that quickly endears. After a day of seeing the major sights, Matt and I enjoyed a few days of just wandering around Kyoto and capturing its essence. By serving as the imperial capital of Japan for over 1,000 years, the city is dotted with history-rich palaces, shrines and temples and brings to mind images of samurai and geisha. But make no mistake; it is also a modern city – the 7th largest in Japan with population of almost 1.5 million people. Modern buildings of steel and glass coexist with tile roofs and sliding paper doors. Both cars and bicycles carry people down broad modern thoroughfares and narrow alleys strung with paper lanterns. Throngs of tourists from across the globe walk side by side with Japanese in kimono and haori.

With every turn, whether at the 400-year old market or 20th century train station, Matt and I found something to marvel at and behold. And it wasn’t just because we were trying out our new digital camera. We spoke more Japanese than we have our entire time here and at the same time more English with Japanese speakers. The people of Kyoto we encountered, from the tradesmen to the taxi drivers, took great pride in their city and were excited to share its delights with us. This was special to me because in my travels, I have become slightly jaded and weary of those who want to sell, sell, sell. I think the proof is in our experiences – one of our taxi drivers presented us with a hand drawn map of the city that he had created with pen and ink; at a family kitchen store, the saleswoman wanted to make sure I knew exactly how to use a certain type of knife and then gave me a lesson on how to care for it so it would last a lifetime.

I fell in love with Kyoto for its beauty, its people, its magnificent historic sights and one-of-a-kind experiences. But I also fell in love with Kyoto because, as I told Matt one evening as we were dining on some of the best sushi in the world, it is a romantic city. It was the perfect place for us to stroll hand in hand through gardens of cherry blossoms or dissolve into our own world over a meal with chopsticks and hot tea. It was just the right place to live in the moment with each other – reveling in each other’s excitement when we saw something delightful, fussing at each other when trying to figure out how to put on a kimono and laughing endlessly over stinky shoes and the quirks of Japanese bathroom decor.

I don’t know if our pictures truly do the spirit of the city justice because it was an experience that captured all of the senses. But I hope you are able to get a glimpse of what Matt and I enjoyed about the city. Welcome to Kyoto!

Kyoto Station  

Our view of the station ceiling from a morning coffee break

Old Street near the Kamo River