Today
was our last structured day in that, while the tour doesn't
officially finish until breakfast time on Friday, tomorrow is a free
day apart from a farewell dinner tomorrow night so we will have some
fun on the Kyoto public transport system tomorrow.
The
day was very much an ABS day, another bloody shrine. But it worked
out better than I was expecting it to be. We started at the The
Golden Pavilion – Rokuon-Ji Buddhist Temple. It is a relatively
simple building by temple standards dating back to 1397 but located
in a very picturesque garden. Its notable feature is the fact that
its exterior is finished in gold leaf.
From
there, we went to the Shimogano Shrine. It was a much more impressive
complex of buildings but its feature of note is its garden. Again
very well done with the usual network of water channels running
through it.
On
the way to lunch, we walked through a geiko district (as the geisha
girls are referred to here) and we happened upon two of them walking
down the street. The one on the right is a geiko. The one on the left
is a meiko, an apprentice geiko.
Lunch was provided today, but in a very Japanese buffet restaurant where they didn't even provide English descriptions for the wide variety of food on offer – but we managed very well. Seven 11 salads for dinner tonight.
After
lunch, we were treated to a Japanese Tea ceremony, a much more
complicated ceremonial event than one might expect.
Our
last stop was the Sanjusangen-do Buddhist Temple dating back to 1164
where there there are 1000 statues on display. As you might expect,
the building is very large but photography is not permitted, so no
photos.
This evening, we went exploring the railway station building itself. I have a vague recollection that we were told that it was designed by the same architect who designed the Umeda Sky building in Osaka. It certainly has some similar features.
Railway stations in metropolitan Japanese cities are mini cities in their own right.
It has a light show feature built into a vast set of steps which go up about ten floors of the building above the station.
As you walk down
the stairs, you have no idea that you are in the middle of a light
show but, from the bottom it is spectacular.
I am having another go at uploading a movie.
Nearby is the Kyoto tower, the highest structure in Kyoto, built in 1964 to celebrate the opening of the Shinkansen and the Tokyo Olympics.
This evening, we went exploring the railway station building itself. I have a vague recollection that we were told that it was designed by the same architect who designed the Umeda Sky building in Osaka. It certainly has some similar features.
Railway stations in metropolitan Japanese cities are mini cities in their own right.
It has a light show feature built into a vast set of steps which go up about ten floors of the building above the station.
I am having another go at uploading a movie.
Nearby is the Kyoto tower, the highest structure in Kyoto, built in 1964 to celebrate the opening of the Shinkansen and the Tokyo Olympics.
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