![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Started out early after dropping my bag in a coin locker at Kyoto Station. Then headed to Ryoanji with itsfamous zen rock garden. I wasn't all that impressed. I'd expected it to be, I don't know, bigger. The zen garden in Yamaguchi City is just as good imo. The temple did have the best merchandise and good English explanations. Pity I had no money (I am literally going home with about 500 yen total.) After Ryoanji, I did some bus manuveuring and walking to get to Goryo Jinga shrine for their festival which turned out to be more of a low key flea market. Did pick up a nice set of small screwdrivers at least.
Next was Ginkakuji (the Silver pavilion though the silver melted off long ago), which really was a beautiful temple. It was just as impressive as Kinkakuji only in a different way. Also, the grounds were magnificent - all moss covered with streams wandering through. Also, a grove of bamboo and cedar. Beautiful pics, and a better, if weirder Zen garden than Ryoanji.
Caught the bus to the Heian Shrine which despite being a modern scale model was pretty impressive architecturally (or is that because of?). It was also teeming with shrine maidens. I wandered past the Budo centre on my way out which is full of training halls for the martial arts though I couldn't go inside. Then I stopped at the Kyoto handicraft centre which is kinda a tourist trap and kinda not. It really depends on what "swag" you want to buy. Anyway, I was drawn to the woodblock printing floor where I got to watch them actually carving the blocks out and printing them. There were tons of prints there, but the actual old ones were too expensive as were any of the bigger/nicer reproductions. But I did manage to find a cheap, near postcard size modern print by K. Nishijima. It's quite pretty and is called "Festival day". There was also a half price sale on a few of those 8X10 reproduction prints which happened to include one of my all time favourite prints by Hiroshige (one which I've always called "guy losing his hat" myself) so I picked it up for about $18. Thank god they took credit cards.
I killed as much time there as possible then headed back to the station. Kyoto's much less crowded now that Obon's over, which is nice but some of the energy is gone, or maybe that's just me. Had yakisoba for lunch, did a bit of shopping in the mall under the station before catching the Shin.
I wanted to note that Jen, the Korean guy I met at my hostel said I have "really warm eyes" and I must be good with kids. Also, that I look Spanish. o_0
Home again. Here I come.
Next was Ginkakuji (the Silver pavilion though the silver melted off long ago), which really was a beautiful temple. It was just as impressive as Kinkakuji only in a different way. Also, the grounds were magnificent - all moss covered with streams wandering through. Also, a grove of bamboo and cedar. Beautiful pics, and a better, if weirder Zen garden than Ryoanji.
Caught the bus to the Heian Shrine which despite being a modern scale model was pretty impressive architecturally (or is that because of?). It was also teeming with shrine maidens. I wandered past the Budo centre on my way out which is full of training halls for the martial arts though I couldn't go inside. Then I stopped at the Kyoto handicraft centre which is kinda a tourist trap and kinda not. It really depends on what "swag" you want to buy. Anyway, I was drawn to the woodblock printing floor where I got to watch them actually carving the blocks out and printing them. There were tons of prints there, but the actual old ones were too expensive as were any of the bigger/nicer reproductions. But I did manage to find a cheap, near postcard size modern print by K. Nishijima. It's quite pretty and is called "Festival day". There was also a half price sale on a few of those 8X10 reproduction prints which happened to include one of my all time favourite prints by Hiroshige (one which I've always called "guy losing his hat" myself) so I picked it up for about $18. Thank god they took credit cards.
I killed as much time there as possible then headed back to the station. Kyoto's much less crowded now that Obon's over, which is nice but some of the energy is gone, or maybe that's just me. Had yakisoba for lunch, did a bit of shopping in the mall under the station before catching the Shin.
I wanted to note that Jen, the Korean guy I met at my hostel said I have "really warm eyes" and I must be good with kids. Also, that I look Spanish. o_0
Home again. Here I come.
Tags: