Exploring Kyoto

Today we had a full itinerary exploring Kyoto with our G Adventures tour. We got started with our first destination of the day, the 'Golden Pavillion' or Kinkaku-ji.

The site of Kinkaku-ji was originally a villa called Kitayama-dai, belonging to a powerful statesman, Saionji Kintsune. Kinkaku-ji's history dates to 1397, when the villa was purchased from the Saionji family by Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and transformed into the Kinkaku-ji complex.

On July 2, 1950, at 2:30 am, the pavilion was burned down by a 22-year-old novice monk, Hayashi Yoken, who then attempted suicide on the Daimon-ji hill behind the building. He survived, and was subsequently taken into custody. The monk was sentenced to seven years in prison, but was released because of mental illnesses. Subsequently, his mother committed suicide due to the shame of her son. Grim tidings. The reconstructed building itself was spectacular though the site was the most crowded attraction we'd seen so far.

Our next stop, the Daitokuji Busdhist Zen temple was an entirely different experience. This location was quiet and serene with little in the way of tourists. This was a large temple complex with mossy gardens and shrines aplenty. There were no photos allowed inside, but that's okay with me. It gave us a chance to sit in peace, enjoy the sun and the location. Many temples in Japan have fell victim to fire and destruction over the years but this one remains intact, exactly as it was hundreds of years ago. I really appreciated the philosophy of some of the zen pieces, so much so that Nat and opted to buy one.

The final stop of the day was the Nijō Castle. It was built by the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1601 and it the place where the shogun period started and ended. It was a really fascinating place, with some striking artwork and architecture mostly for me in the various meeting rooms of the Ninomaru Palace where feudal lords would wait to meet with the shogun. We were even fortunate enough to see a large heron in the surrounding gardens. The sun sets early in Japan and 3.30pm feels like dusk, so by the time light started to fade at 4.30 upon our exit, it was time to return to the hotel.

We spent the evening exploring the city centre of Kyoto. Wow, what a huge place.. markets, shops, dining areas seemed to stretch for miles. Nat and I eventually decided to break off from the group and do our own thing. We found a fantastic place called Nick Stock Grill which was outstanding, with by far the best Japanese beer iv had so far, a craft beer called Nagahama IPA special. We managed to negotiate our way back to the hotel easy enough by public buses. Tomorrow we're going to use our free day to get to Himeji Castle!Read more