10: Three World Heritage Sites in Kyoto...

Kinkaku-ji Temple (or the Golden Pavilion), Kyoto, Japan

Kyoto has always been on my list of "must visit" cities. It was the capital of Japan for over one thousand years and in addition to the palaces and temples and shrines, I was very interested in seeing some examples of traditional Japanese townhouses, or machiya. Our one day organized tour was supposed to hit three important sites, but I assumed that on the drive into and around Kyoto, the traditional vernacular architecture would be visible. That was definitely not the case, and if I had done my research, I would have known this.

I would also have known that one day in Kyoto would not be enough, especially when the tour company had included an afternoon session of hands-on Japanese sweet making which however interesting as a manifestation of Japan's unique cultural sensibilities, seems a bit of an unusual juxtaposition (but more on that in another post....).

Each of the three places we visited easily deserve longer individual descriptions, but my inability to upload any posts in China has created quite a lag, I've decided that brevity might be the better choice for now.

A detail of one of the other structures one encounters prior to entering the site of the Golden Pavilion

Our first stop was the Kinkaku-ji Temple (also know as the Golden Pavilion), which was one component of a compound that the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu developed in Kyoto as his retirement "villa". 

The beautiful temple has had it's share of setbacks. According to our guide (whose story differs from that I just read in wikipedia...), upon his death, the next Shogun, tore down the entire complex of buildings leaving only the temple in tact. Then in 1950, a novice monk who suffered from mental illness, set the the temple on fire, destroying most of it. Coming just after Japan's defeat in WWII when the country and the people were poor, a collection was taken up to restore the temple. It was rebuilt in 1955, but the lack of funds led to a reduction in quality, and after a few years, the temple sadly turned more black than gold. With additional funding, the additional thicker gilding and lacquer was added in 1987 and the roof was restored in 2003.

Like the best of Japanese design, nature and building here are beautifully integrated, with outdoor elements of the building masterfully framing specific views to the magnificent garden. While the building is stunning, to my mind it is the garden that is richer in detail and more satisfying to linger on and contemplate. 

Even the wildlife understands its role in the overall design and composition of a Japanese garden...

From the Golden Pavilion, we piled back on the bus (we were on a schedule, unfortunately…) to head to the Nijo Castle, completed in 1603. It is surrounded by a moat and known for its “nightingale floors”…floors (that were designed to act as early warning “announcement” of visitors) and expert use of joinery.

View towards one section of Nijo Castle open to the public

Upper detail of the imposting entry to the Nijo Castle

Because of our limited time at the Castle, Gary and I decided to forego the interior visit and get a sense of the magnitude of the compound by strolling the grounds. As always, the Japanese attention to detail and unique approach to the plants and nature was evident.

Spectacular decorative work on inner section of another entry gate on Nijo Castle grounds

One of the humble entrances into the Garden

Juxtaposition of rooflines, construction, and decorative detailing in Nijo Castle

Our final stop (before our sweet making lesson) was the Kiyomizu-dera (Pure Water) Temple in eastern Kyoto. Though founded in 798, most of what one can currently see on the site dates to 1633. The Temple complex is known for its stage which was constructed without any fasteners and rises thirteen meters from the hillside..

This was quite a different experience. We made our way uphill towards a multi-story temple we could see in the distance. To each side of us were shops with traditionally dressed Japanese women offering free samples of treats. It was Saturday, so in addition to the usual suspects (western tourists) there were Japanese visitors too, as well as Koreans and Chinese who were still enjoying Lunar New Year holidays.

Rather than be frustrated photographing through the crowds, I decided to switch to my 77mm portrait lens and capture interesting details that sometimes get missed, and of course, people.

Detail of the top of the three-tiered temple

Offering of Incense

On going restoration efforts added to the sense of chaos...but use of bamboo scaffolding
and this particular construction worker's sense of balance were impressive.

Bamboo pergolas, delightful even in winter

Men and women can rent traditional kimonos for a day in Kyoto visiting the temples and when doing so, they even receive a discount on the entry fee to popular sites. This idea was conceived as a way to bolster the city's lagging kimono business. Interestingly, our guide told us that many of the visitors we saw in kimonos were Chinese and Korean tourists, rather than native Japanese.

Off on a side street, we serendipitously ran into three others in our group who were also looking for some respite from the crowds and had a relaxing and satisfying lunch before jumping back into the fray…