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Our last day in Kyoto was May 24th. I need to write a separate article for that, not this one. On the morning of May 23rd, we boarded that tour bus again. This time, we went to the city of Nara, which is located between Kyoto and Osaka.
First, we went through Nara Park to see the Kasuga-Taisha Shinto Shrine. You can see pictures of a small reservoir we passed and the buckets hanging at the Shinto temple in this slideshow.
This temple is one of Nara's most important. It was built around 768 AD. The Fujiwara noble family was very powerful, and this temple was initially built as their private shrine. Many copper lanterns, offered to the temple, hang here, creating a beautiful sight. The wooden plaques hanging there, similar to those hung on Bodhi trees in Sri Lanka, are for writing good wishes or commemorating deceased relatives.
Pleaser see the slides:
Deer and stags are believed to carry messages to the Shinto gods at the temple. That's why there's a statue of a stag there. Because of this, our next stop was Nara's Deer Park. After visiting the Shinto Kasuga-Taisha Temple, everyone comes here to feed the deer. You can buy small biscuits for a few yen.
Feeding them is quite a funny sight! The women run around with the food, screaming and giggling, and the deer chase after them. No matter how many times you tell them to stand still and throw the food, they don't listen. The woman in the picture with us was a South African woman who was on our bus.
However, some people fed the deer without any problems by bowing to them. This is called ojigi. First, you need to bow your head to the deer, just like the Japanese do. Then the deer will bow its head back. After that, you should hide the biscuit behind your back. The deer will then bow its head again, and that's when you should give it the food. You can see this on my YouTube channel. If you like, subscribe for new and attractive scenic videos. . 😀😁
අTwo years ago, when I visited Sri Lanka, I saw some tourists taking photos inside the Isurumuniya Temple in Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka. They were facing away from the Buddha statue, trying to get the statue in their picture. Suddenly, a tourist guide, started shouting and scolding them and and looking for their guide. He accused them of disrespecting the country's laws and the religion. Since Ines and I were standing nearby, he started scolding me too, thinking those tourists were with me. We had hired a separate tour guide from Polonnaruwa. He said, "No, these people came with me," and then that man joined us in scolding those tourists. The other tourists' guide eventually came and took his group away.
On this trip to Japan, with only one exception (they don't allow photos of the thousand Bodhisattva statues, fearing damage), I saw tourists taking pictures as they pleased. They wore shorts, long pants, anything they wanted, and were very free. The Japanese people didn't come and yell at them, saying they were disrespecting their religion. I also took pictures with my back to the Buddha statue. Take a look at the slideshow.
The Todai-ji Temple is a Buddhist temple. This was the last UNESCO site we visited. A large bronze Buddha statue, Buddha Mahavairocana, or Dainichi Nyorai in Japanese, is enshrined in the hall. This Buddha is considered the embodiment of the entire universe. The temple building was built 1200 years ago from wood. The temple's significance lies in the fact that it was the first Japanese temple built by the Huayan school, a Chinese Buddhist sect.
Below is a statue of a Buddhist Arahant (enlightened one). It's believed that if you touch it, illnesses in your body will be cured. You need to rub the corresponding part of the statue where you have an ailment on your body – for example, if it's your knee, you'd rub the statue's knee. And oh, the Arahant's feet and legs are quite worn and shiny from all the rubbing! The head is barely spared, probably because you'd need a ladder to reach it. The funny thing is, it's mostly Western and Asian tourists who touch the Arahant.
Instead, I'll write about where we went for lunch that day. You know we usually look for places where ordinary Japanese people eat. As we were walking, we came across a white guy sitting in front of a restaurant. We asked him what was up, and he said he was waiting for it to open so he could eat. Turns out he was German. So, Ines quickly started chatting with him in German. The German guy said he had been eating there for the entire month he was there on a business trip. He said the food was fantastic.
We went inside too. I don't remember the details of the food, but I have pictures. Ines had ramen and said it was delicious. I had the rice dish with meat pieces and spring onions on top. We also got some fried squid with two sakes. These restaurants here are small. They cook and serve the food right there. The food is tasty and fast. By the time we finished eating and came out, people were queuing to get in.
Most houses in Japan are smaller than those in England. Also, there are many small cars, like the Wagon R models you see in Sri Lanka.
This can't be a drivable car.
This was a witch's shop. Turns out, the person inside was a man dressed as a woman. He was apparently a singer back in the day. A very unusual character. He had a lot of old junk piled up. I asked him what he did, and he asked me to tell him why his website wasn't loading. I gave him many reasons, and then I finally asked if he had published it. He said he didn't know; he just assumed the person he gave it to would have published it. Then, I mean, shouldn't he call that guy first? Oh well, these Japanese people!
A bicycle parking lot near the hotel above.
Next to my room at the hotel was a train station. So, naturally, I set up my camera and started videoing.
I came across the train line from Kyoto to Fukukusa on the way. So, this train enthusiast recorded them near the railway gate. You can find them right here.
There's one more very important article about Kyoto: "The Last Few Hours in Kyoto." After that, it's Osaka.
After Kiyomizu-dera Temple, the tour bus went directly to Sanjusangen-do, another temple made of wood. The temple was built in 1164 for the Kannon Bodhisattva. Its special feature is the display of a thousand standing statues divided into 33 sections. It's said to be arranged that way because the Bodhisattva takes on 33 forms to save people. This temple caught fire and was rebuilt in 1249. Now, there are 1032 statues.
Almost all of these statues are different from each other; Ines actually observed that. Taking pictures there is prohibited, so the one included is from a souvenir book. Another interesting thing is the statues of characters from Jataka tales. Sakra, Varuna (the thunder god), Vasu, Maha Brahma, Virudhaka, Virupaksha (the set of four guardian kings), Kinnara, Garuda, and Asura are all there.
We saw some Chinese and Taiwanese tourists, as well as Japanese, worshiping those statues. A teacher was there with adolescent school children. They were also asking for details and worshiping in line, just like our school days.
The garden of this temple is very beautiful. The picture I posted above looks like a real Japanese garden, just like the ones we used to see in books back in the day. Down below, there are some tombs of monks. This place feels both serene and majestic. Even though this temple also has many statues, perhaps because it's large and beautiful, it has a very calm and tranquil atmosphere.
After that, we went for a buffet lunch. I didn't take any photos there because we only had about twenty-five minutes to eat. The food was absolutely fantastic, though, with a really wide selection.: Korean style fried chicken, fried fish, sushi and they even had German cheesecake in small pieces, with mocha.
While we were there, I met a British Indian guy with roots in Tamil Nadu. Turns out, he's from Barnet, which is the town right next to ours in Enfield! What's even crazier is that he works for a company that makes legal software, and it's actually one of our rivals. He basically does the same type of job as me. It was a surprising coincidence!
After lunch, we headed to an even more beautiful temple,Tenryu-ji, located in Arashiyama. It's a Rinzai Zen Buddhist temple that was founded in 1339. This temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is part of Japan's "Five Mountains and Ten Monasteries" system. This name came about because these temples were supported by the Ashikaga shogunate during that period.
The picture I've uploaded to my Facebook profile is from there. The temple is situated within a large bamboo forest, known as the Sagano Bamboo Forest. It reminded me of that scene from the Chinese film, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Bamboo Forest Final Fight. This forest is entirely natural, which is incredible.
Apparently, the roof of the temple and the distant mountain peaks are designed to align perfectly, though I couldn't quite capture that in a photo myself. The entire area is incredibly scenic. It would be even more beautiful if there were fewer people.
Japanese families, dressed in kimonos and traditional attire, are sitting in the large hall. They're chatting very casually while drinking tea.
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From there, we went to see the Golden Temple, officially called Kinkaku-ji. It looks incredibly beautiful because of the small lake outside. The roof's peak and the first and second floors are covered with 0.5 µm gold leaf. Because of this, you're not allowed to go inside.
This is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site belonging to Zen Buddhism. The palace, which belonged to the nobleman Saionji, caught the eye of the third Ashikaga Shogun, Yoshimitsu, a samurai general. He acquired it to turn it into a palace. It's said that the "Kitayama" culture (integrated with Chinese influences) began here.
Legend has it that the lowest, third section of the temple doesn't have gold because it was where the noblemen were allowed to sit. The Shogun apparently disliked the noblemen and did this to mock them. However, it's also said that he was killed by the noblemen because of this.
To wrap up this post, I wanted to include our visit to the Shinto Fushimi Inari Shrine, especially since I have two more articles to write about Kyoto! Shinto temples often have beautiful paths designed for walking. Along these paths, you'll find posts for lighting candles or lamps, which must look stunning at night.
Next, you'll notice that the gates of every temple are painted red. This color symbolizes vitality and is believed to ward off evil. Inside the temple, there are special paths with wooden arches called Torii gates. If you follow this path upwards, you can reach Mount Inari. Inari is the deity of rice, making this a very important shrine. You'll find many statues of wolves and foxes here, as it's believed that the gods send messages through them.
The Torii gates serve as a reminder of deceased relatives and close friends; you're meant to walk through them in their memory. If you have the means, you can even contribute a gate in honor of your parents or other departed loved ones.
The entire Kyoto region is overflowing with natural beauty, though it does attract a lot of tourists. To truly appreciate places like this, you should visit on days with fewer tourists. This way, you can fully absorb the tranquility of the area, meditate by the lake, calm your mind, and enjoy a peaceful stroll.
One more thing to note is that Japanese people often visit these temples dressed in traditional attire. Men wear Montsuki and Yukata, while women wear Kimono and Yukata.
