Thursday, March 22, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
Hirakata-shi: relaxushimasu
My friend Virginia, who joined me for Jidai-Matsuri and Kurama no Hi Matsuri, teaches English at a university in Hirakata-shi just outside of Osaka. Actually it's a ways outside of Osaka, you have to travel there by bus from Hontoni, the closest suburb (note this is fairly rare - most places have a train station).
Let me just put in a plug for Japanese transportation. Not only the trains but the busses all run to the minute - so much so that you can tell you are at the correct track by the departure time. It is a marvel to behold.
I spent all day in Kyoto on Friday as Virginia was teaching and the plan was to hang out Saturday and go hiking in the mountains. This plan fell though as she had to work. It turned out to be a really enjoyable day for me though - I caught up on dumping my photos off of my camera, postcard writing and sketching.
Hirakata-shi consists of a Lawsons, 7/11, small shrine and a post office. I wandered away from the "shopping" and ended up at this pond/reservoir. They were burning fields which accounts for the haze in the photos. It was a really lovely place to stop and recharge.
Let me just put in a plug for Japanese transportation. Not only the trains but the busses all run to the minute - so much so that you can tell you are at the correct track by the departure time. It is a marvel to behold.
I spent all day in Kyoto on Friday as Virginia was teaching and the plan was to hang out Saturday and go hiking in the mountains. This plan fell though as she had to work. It turned out to be a really enjoyable day for me though - I caught up on dumping my photos off of my camera, postcard writing and sketching.
Hirakata-shi consists of a Lawsons, 7/11, small shrine and a post office. I wandered away from the "shopping" and ended up at this pond/reservoir. They were burning fields which accounts for the haze in the photos. It was a really lovely place to stop and recharge.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Kyoto: Tennin-ji and Yasui-Konpiragu
I saw a picture of this roof on pintrest and put it on my list of places to see. This gorgeous roof of the Kennin-ji was done for it's 500th anniversary by the artist Junsaku Koizumi. It was inspired by the air dragons that are found on screens in the temple complex.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Kyoto: Fushimi Inari-taisha
One of the most iconic images from Kyoto are the torii gates of Fushimi Inari-taisha.
On my last day in Kyoto I packed my bags, put them in a station locker and hopped on a short train to Mt. Inari. Now I'm going to let you in on a secret - I had no clue that Fushimi Inari-taisha was a mountain. So when I set out I was wearing heels.
Fushimi Inari-taisha is most definitely on a mountain and for a good 2 hours I climbed up and down it - making it all the way to the summit and getting some sympathetic and curious looks from passers-by. The visitors to Mt. Inari were by far the friendliest and most willing to chat or throw out a happy Ohaiyo! (good morning). There are no roads up so all the little stops and shrines and vending machines are stocked by the priests there - packing the supplies up the mountain themselves. (look for the photo near the end of the slide show).
On my last day in Kyoto I packed my bags, put them in a station locker and hopped on a short train to Mt. Inari. Now I'm going to let you in on a secret - I had no clue that Fushimi Inari-taisha was a mountain. So when I set out I was wearing heels.
Fushimi Inari-taisha is most definitely on a mountain and for a good 2 hours I climbed up and down it - making it all the way to the summit and getting some sympathetic and curious looks from passers-by. The visitors to Mt. Inari were by far the friendliest and most willing to chat or throw out a happy Ohaiyo! (good morning). There are no roads up so all the little stops and shrines and vending machines are stocked by the priests there - packing the supplies up the mountain themselves. (look for the photo near the end of the slide show).
Monday, March 12, 2012
Kyoto: Kiyomizudera
There is a good reason that Kiyomizudera is a world heritage site - it's massive, if plain, main building hangs over a small gorge almost weightlessly. It's hard to tell when you first enter the temple, but it takes on a beauty and significane when viewed from afar - with the cypress and maple trees dusting the bottom of their viewing platforms.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Remembering the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake
I had already decided to go to Japan by the time the earthquake and tsunami struck this day last year. My friend, who I was meant to travel with, expressed doubts about our trip and ultimately pulled out. And so I went alone, and I am so glad I did. The people I met and the friendships I started mean a lot to me. I am inspired by the resiliency and hope that I found in the stories that emerged from the tragedy and the people I was able to talk to while there.
Below is a beautiful and poignant BBC documentary about the tsunami and nuclear evacuation as experienced by children of the area.
via Hello Sandwich
Below is a beautiful and poignant BBC documentary about the tsunami and nuclear evacuation as experienced by children of the area.
via Hello Sandwich
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Kyoto: Without a (live) tour guide
I had been in Kyoto for 5 days by now and was fairly comfortable getting around. It's a surprisingly easy city to navigate.
For day 6 I wanted to keep fairly close to my home base so I could do a little shopping in the morning. I ended up finding a route in this book that ended on the street my apartment was off of. I had no clue that was a route that took in the Kiyomizudera temple complex which was on my mental list of places to go to (which I will blame jetleg for forgetting).
For day 6 I wanted to keep fairly close to my home base so I could do a little shopping in the morning. I ended up finding a route in this book that ended on the street my apartment was off of. I had no clue that was a route that took in the Kiyomizudera temple complex which was on my mental list of places to go to (which I will blame jetleg for forgetting).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)