Monday, November 28, 2005

The view outside of our hot spring hotel.

Waking Up in Hot Springs

After a great night of sleep on the tatami mats, we got up and had another soak in the baths before meeting up with the rest of our tour group. We had a traditional Japanese breakfast and were treated with the view of the mountains outside the window. Because we'd arrived at night (in the rain, no less), we had no idea of what our surroundings were like, so we were blown away by the hotel and its surroundings.

We left soon after breakfast and drove to the hotel where the other half of our tour group stayed. Driving through the area, I was reminded of a story my friend Will told me about his adventures as a Mormon missionary in Tokyo. In this particular adventure, he and a friend were riding their bikes through a farming area and were chased through rice paddies by a man who was screaming gibberish at them. I know it's a strange story to mention, but I couldn't help imagining Will pedaling furiously through the streets we were passing on the bus.

The other half of our tour group had spent the night at a hotel overlooking Lake Biwa. I'm not sure where it was, though I was given the impression that it was in Otsu, like the hotel in which we should have stayed. The hotel was bigger, more modern, and more upscale than the other one outside of Nagoya, but I liked the fact that our hotel had been in such beautiful and traditional surroundings. This one was just up the hill from the rest of town. Since we had time to lounge around the hotel and have coffee, I called my friend Justin and his wife Mayumi from there and confirmed plans to meet them that night at the hotel in Kyoto.

The main hall of Kiyomizudera.

Kiyomizudera

Our first official stop of the day was Kiyomizudera, a temple built into the eastern Kyoto hillside. Because of the steep terrain and the narrow rows of shops in front of the temple, our bus let us out at the base of the hill, and we walked up through the shops. We were told not to stop and browse, as we would have more time for that later.

From what I've been told, Kiyomizudera is not the biggest or the most beautiful temple in Kyoto, but I was incredibly impressed with it, anyway. It is one of the most popular Buddhist temples in the area, and is one of Kyoto's most celebrated cultural landmarks. Statues of several Buddhist gods can be found here (I like to think of them as being the equivalent of Catholic patron saints), so many visitors came not only to admire the beautiful scenery, but also to buy good luck charms, to pray, and to seek good fortune.

Like Chionin, a large gate marks the entrance of Kiyomizudera, though this one is reddish-orange in color. Much of the main building is surrounded by terraces so that visitors could take in the breathtaking foilage and gaze across the horizon at the rest of the city. Once one wanders away from the main hall, however, the building's amazing underside can be seen. This is of particular note because not one nail was used in the construction of the wooden pillars holding up the main hall. Instead, the entire structure is held together using large trees with holes placed within them. It is much like the pillars in Todaiji, though on a grander scale. It is, in a way, an architectual marvel.

Inside the main building of Kiyomizudera. Rex was disappointed that he did not manage to take the photo while a woman was praying there.

Kiyomizudera also has a shrine area for the "Love Stone," which is actually two rocks placed a distance away from each other. According to legend, if a person can touch one rock, turn and walk across the path with his or her eyes closed, and touch the other rock, then that person would be lucky in love. This was easier said than done, as many people were wandering the walkway between the two stones, but I did see people accomplish it, including one of the women in my tour group.

The gardens of Kiyomizudera were absolutely breathtaking, especially with the autumn foilage. My mom was especially impressed and decided that she wanted to return to the temple at night to view the leaves again. Normally, the temples in Kyoto are closed during the evening, but they remain open for a short time during the autumn so that people can enjoy the gardens at night. Since Justin had suggested taking us through Kiyomizudera when we met up with him and Mayumi, I agreed. More pictures from that will follow.

Kiyomizudera featured streams of water for cleaning one's hands, just as Todaiji did. However, what I didn't realize was that there was a particular spring in Kiyomizudera that falls into three streams. Using the metal cups, people are supposed to drink from all three streams in order to be given health, longevity, and academic success. I suppose this explains why so many people were crowding around that particular area.

The shops below Kiyomizudera.

After wandering through the grounds, we wandered back down to the shops to spend a little money. Many shops sold beautiful Japanese accessories, such as intricately designed fans and bags. Others sold pottery items, such as sake sets and bowls. Meanwhile, food shops sold soft serve (vanilla, chocolate, and green tea), cream puffs filled with green tea ice cream, and Japanese pasteries filled with red bean paste or chocolate. It seemed as if we purchased a little bit of everything.

While wandering about the shops, we also saw a woman dressed as a geisha. I heard that there was a store nearby that allowed people to dress as geisha--right down to the makeup and hairdos--to pose for pictures. Nobody knew whether or not this store allowed people to walk around the area in the outfits. To my untrained eye (and minimal knowledge about geisha in general), she looked like she could've been the real deal. She was quite beautiful and demure, and I noticed that her white facial makeup covered all of her skin except for a small section in the back of her neck. One of my tourmates, Rosalie (big Samantha's mom), said she heard that the neck area is considered very alluring, so the lack of makeup there was presumed to be intentional. Unfortunately, I wasn't quick enough with the camera to get a picture, but I think James got one.
[more photos from Kiyomizudera]

Kinkakuji and its surroundings.

Kinkakuji (The Golden Pavilion)

After a curry lunch at a hotel, we headed over to another famous Japanese landmark, Rokuonji, better known as Kinkakuji ("the golden pavilion"). The main attraction of the area is, as you may expect, a temple covered in gold leaf. The building houses several Buddhist relics and is not open to the public, though I heard that George W. Bush was allowed inside during his visit a couple of weeks earlier.

Kinkakuji was originally built to serve as a retirement villa for a shogun, and was converted into a temple by his son. Apparently the Chinese phoenix on the roof of the building is meant to symbolize the shogun's power. I'm not sure how Japanese legends work, but the two most important animals in Chinese mythology are the dragon and the phoenix (if you ever go to a Chinese banquet hall, you may notice that there is always a red wall featuring statues of a dragon and a phoenix). Dragons are always used for emperors, though, so the shogun used the phoenix for himself.

One of the kimonos worn during the fashion show.

In my opinion, the gold leaf exterior of the building is not what makes it particularly impressive. In fact, when viewed close up, the building can seem a bit tacky. What really makes Kinkakuji impressive is its surroundings. The building sits beside a clear lake that reflects the pavilion like a mirror, and all around it were carefully placed stones and trees. Although many of the trees had not yet turned, the green and occasional red of the woods made for beautiful contrast.

Much like the other temples and palaces we had already visited, the buildings we saw were surrounded by gorgeous gardens and wildlife designed to instill an air of tranquility in those who wandered through. In particular, the grounds of Rokuonji featured several picturesque ponds framed by trees and stones, and across the path from the pavilion itself was a tree rendered into the shape of a boat.
[more photos of Rokuonji]

After wandering through the grounds of Rokuonji, we were whisked away to the Nishijin Textile Center, just a few blocks away. The company specialized in kimonos and the fabrics used in kimonos. The main event at this place was a kimono fashion show, which was exactly what it sounds like. The runway seemed a bit awkward, as it was basically in the lobby of a business building, though I have to say that I was quite fond of the flower-shaped lamps that covered the ceiling. As one might expect, the kimonos were beautiful. I suppose it's easier to look at the pictures than it is to read about it, though. After that, our time here was spent browsing through merchandise. Nobody bought a kimono, but there were plenty of beautiful handbags and other items purchased.
[photos of Kimonos]

Next page: Monday, November 28, part 2