Rues of Roo

Autumn Maple in Kyoto

What I find most interesting about places you’ve visited is comparing notes with individuals who have completed similar journeys as yourself. With a somewhat lack of that sort of conversation during the trip, it’s therefore always entertaining (in a sort of strange, rather odd way) to read the guide book once again once you have left the place of visitation.

Pulling a page out of the Let’s Go Guide to Japan, one segment of their description of Kyoto reads as such

“Dreamy-eyed historical romantics, though, should beware. Given that Kyoto’s name evokes images of moonlit boating parties and snowy cherry blossoms, the first glimpse of the city from the gargantuan glass-paned train station inevitably disappoints…”

It’s funny how experience makes the difference, and reading this, post-Kyoto (and post Japan) you can’t help but chuckle to yourself as you recall your first memory of this city. And yes, Let’s Go is spot on, it really truly disappointed. This was all, mind you, with the expectation of Kyoto’s self proclaimed 1600 temples, hundreds of shrines and many national treasures. Pulling into Kyoto was like pulling into, say, Ang Mo Kio. It was really, quite extraordinarily ordinary. And not to offend any AMK hub lovers, I could similarly say, it really was like pulling into Wimbledon station. Grey, boring and unattractive in most ways possible.

Ultra Modern Kyoto Station

So after arriving in Kyoto station, we really weren’t quite sure what to expect anymore. The hotel we stayed in was a fair way from the main station, and taking the metro was no mean feat, with most things in Japanese. However, we managed our way there, and arrived at a rather aptly named small hotel called ‘Petit Hotel’. It was really from here that we could explore and see the supposed treasures that lay within this ex-capital ancient city.

While our first day, if it could even be called a day, was rather uneventful, it was really the first few hours which one could say that we walked in Japan, exploring the streets and the shops on our own, discovering in essence, what the normal person in Japan looked like and did. It was really at this point that you begin to see the little details, those small things that seem to ooze with culture and significance. Little things like how there are vending machines every 20 metres that sell different drinks, every time. Little things like how the signboards of many restaurants and stalls are so eloquently designed and how the food, everywhere, had the most wonderful scent imaginable, and was certainly all the more desirable when walking down cold, dark, Kyoto streets, hand in hand.

Kids running through the small streets of Kyoto

The interesting thing about the Kyoto we first saw, was how you sort of expect it to end at the end of the road you are walking on. It really reminded me of those little towns in Wales around lake Windermere or the like when you walk down a row of shops, the main high street, and then some houses, and that’s it. The whole of Kyoto (at least in the suburban areas) just seemed like this. Low rise buildings, nothing imposing, a row of shops that looks like it’ll end just round the corner.

Of course, that was just not the case. Small as Kyoto may be, it’s not that small, which was perhaps our mistake in covering most of the place by foot (we paid in full for this with aching calves for a few days after).

Nevertheless, in our own naïve way, we aimed to cover the temple side of Kyoto on our first day by foot. To cut a long story short, as with most things in life, the magnificent things can become extremely ordinary in a very short period of time. Temples in Kyoto are no exception to that rule, though you would be grateful thereafter that you did go and see a few. The greatest temples in Kyoto are inevitably the most popular, and as a result, it’s pretty easy to tell when you are on the right track, you just follow the hoards and hoards of other tourists who are oddly, mostly Japanese (and during our time there, mostly schoolkids). So, to summarise, and to cut out all the totally unnecessary temple memories, there are three that will always stay in my mind.

Part of Ginkakuji Temple

The first temple, and one that actually is recommended in all guides to Kyoto, is the Ginkakuji Temple. It’s a Zen temple apparently, with lots of sand raked into nice rows and one mound. We had to pay to get in which at first I was quite reluctant to do, but it was a bargain on hindsight. The highlight was the view from the top of the garden, which had a majestic view of Kyoto in the background and the temple in the foreground, something I hardly expected. It was also here that we had our first glimpse of autumn maple, glistening bright red in the morning dew. Beautiful.

Nanzenji Temple Gate

The second temple, which, after a long walk down the ‘Path of Philosophy’ came into undoubted view was Nanzenji Temple, is just incredible because of its immense size. The gate that precludes the temple is immense, and just sitting under it you’re rather in awe at this huge structure, which is actually the prelude to what you’re meant to be visiting. The number of tourists does dampen your experience of the place, somewhat, though there’s no doubt as to the reason for its popularity.

Pagoda at Kiyomizudera Temple

The third temple, and I’m guessing what seemed like the most popular is the Kiyomizudera Temple. What I never realized was that if you pay to go in, there’s actually a terrace which overlooks the pagoda and temple as well as Kyoto, an image that is ever popular in guide books and the like. Somehow or other I never put two and two together. I shan’t rant about that here. Nevertheless, the view outside the entrance to the temple sufficed, and as the sun set the orange tint it set upon the pagoda was beautiful to watch.

Sunset over Kiyomizudera

These three temples would have satisfied my temple hunger rather nicely. Once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all, some would say, though I guess you should probably see at least a few first, before you make that conclusion. Nevertheless, honestly speaking if there was time, I would have liked to have gone to see more, perhaps on the outskirts of Kyoto which are the less seen, but equally beautiful.

Torii gates at Fushimi Inari

Shrines, apparently, are a different breed to temples. Why, I’m not entirely sure, I can only guess that a temple is for worshipping and a shrine is for…remembering? Honestly I was rather clueless. There were a mix of shrines and indeed temples that we saw, not just in Kyoto but all over Japan, and there was one that stood out by pure amazement. If there was one thing that lived up to expectations by my standards in terms of the image that it conveyed, it was the Fushimi Inari Shrine. The red torii gates that lined the shrine were just a sight to see. Initially, I had perhaps expected just one row, but there are many, many rows, and a few entrances to the shrine that are lined with torii gates. Sunset dappled the tunnels formed by the torii gates with spots of sunlight, which gave the area a very serene atmosphere, much different than the eerie silence that would follow night, I presume.

Pay attention to detail

Shrines and temples in Japan seem to say a lot about the country for me. On one side you have the zen movement, a modernistic, minimalist design that is so commonly associated with Japan and modern day culture. Yet you have a history that is so intricate and complicated in architecture. However, the attention to detail when put into the large scale has a certain simplicity to it, the symmetry, the simple formations that the architecture forms. On the reverse side, much of the simplicity that is so evident in the modern design of Japan, has much more detail than meets the eye, and indeed, much more attention has been put in than initially expected, even in the ordinary, everyday restaurants and stores. I suppose that’s why first impressions don’t always count for much, as looking further into the grey of a city can reveal the little treasures it holds within.

A few more photos after the jump

Zen sand at Ginkakuji Temple

Ginkakuji Temple in the foreground and Kyoto view

Moss in Ginkakuji falls under two types… VIP type… and

The interrupting kind!

Another temple

Prayers

Pagoda

Cat and Torii