Kyoto - Bookbinding + Temples

This morning I attended a Japanese sketchbook-making class! We added designs to the book cover (which was a kimono fabric with coloured dots from trials of a kimono colour palette), created a thread design in the inside cover, sewed together pages, bound and glued everything together. It was really fun!

After this I headed over to Kinkaku-ji (Kyoto's Golden Temple). The top two levels are completely covered in gold leaf! The temple and its reflection in the water were really pretty. Before moving on to another temple I stopped at a cafe for a snack (and some aircon), it was 38 degrees!

After a super crowded bus, my next visit was to Higashiyama Jisho-ji (Kyoto's Silver Temple). It is one of the only temples representing the Muromachi period and is surrounded by beautiful gardens and ponds.

I then made my way through the Philospher's Path, stopping to speak to and buy some postcards from a Japanese artist along the way. This path is about 2km and runs along a canal, past a number of shrines and temples. There were heaps of cats along the way too!

At the end of the path I had a quick stop at Nanzen-Ji Temple and walked through the large brick aqueducts that run through the temple grounds.

I then had a plan to start walking back to my accommodation, and found some other shrines and temples on the way! I walked through the Heian-Jingu Shrine. This place was massive with gorgeous designs and brightly painted red architecture. This was a Shinto shrine that had been built to celebrate Kyoto's legacy of once being Japan's capital.

I then passed through a little festival area in Maruyama Park as it is a national holiday in Japan, Marine Day. This is a day when people give thanks for the blessings of the ocean and pray for the prosperity of the maritime nation of Japan.

Next to this area was Yasaka Shrine, it was big, red and very crowded! This temple is known for the Gion Matsuri festival which involves a procession with many floats and occurred earlier this morning. I ended up running into a different parade. The street I needed to go to was blocked off by thousands and thousands of people. I arrived at the perfect time, just before it started! It ended up being a procession of 3 portable shrines known as Mikoshi-Togyo. They held deities of Yasaka Jinja and their shrines remain in downtown Kyoto for 1 week. There was a lot of music (drumming), chanting and shaking of the shrines as they believe this increases the power of God.

I then headed back on my journey home, taking a big detour, and passed the massive and beautiful gate to the Choin-In Temple and later the Kofuku-Ji Pagoda.Read more