May 2019, part six - Kyoto 1/2

Cover photo: In front of the Higashi Hongan-ji Temple

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Part five - Takamatsu 2/2

Kyoto (translated as 'Capital City') probably needs no introduction. It served as the capital of Japan for over a millennium - until 1869, when Tokyo took over. And some might think of the Kyoto Protocol, a treaty signed in December 1997 that commits to reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions.

When we returned to Kyoto, I already knew what to expect, as I had visited it in 2016. The huge train station is not so impressive the second time around (although it is still a fascinating sight), you notice the ubiquitous Western tourists more and realize that you no longer feel as special as in smaller cities. This feeling is even more amplified in Tokyo, so I recommend putting these two cities on your travel itinerary until the last few days. The first fascination with Japan is best enjoyed outside the biggest tourist destinations.

Samurai decorations in the common room of Guest Inn Chita

We stayed right across from Higashi Hongan-ji Temple (where the bells woke me up every morning at 5am, but it was thematical at least :-)) at Guest Inn Chita, a traditional Japanese ryokan. Four nights cost us around 100 EUR per person (25 EUR per person per night), which is a pretty good price for the location and the traditional Japanese style of futons on tatami mats.

Restaurant on the banks of river Kamo

Our first steps after checking in were to the ancient Gion district, known as the geisha district. It is a very popular tourist destination, so be prepared for crowds. As in 2016, we also stopped at the Yasaka Shrine, which is truly photogenic. Its history dates back to year 656.

Main gate and stage of Yasaka Shrine

The shrine grounds are large and include a Japanese garden, which is a popular spot to view the cherry blossoms in spring. Gion's picturesque streets are filled with history and are a great place to wander for a long time.

                

Uji and Nara

Kyoto offers a wide range of opportunities for trips to the surrounding area due to its location. One of the most popular destinations is Nara, the former capital of Japan. You can get to Nara from Kyoto's main train station in an hour, and the Nara train line runs every 30 minutes. Along the way, I recommend stopping in the city of Uji, for example, as we did.

Phoenix Hall of Byodoin Temple

Uji is famous for its green tea and the Buddhist Byodoin Temple ('Temple of Equality/Balance'). Completed in 1052, the temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a 10-minute walk from Uji Train Station (follow the crowd). The extremely photogenic Phoenix Hall, floating in the middle of a pond, is also depicted on the back of the 10-yen coin. The temple also houses a museum with a video presentation and exhibits on the temple's history.

One of the two golden Phoenixes on the roof

After arriving in Nara, we went straight to our destination - Tōdai-ji Temple. You can walk from the station to the temple in half an hour and the road is lined with many restaurants and souvenir shops. Nara was the first official capital of Japan and the seat of the emperor - from 710 to 784, when Kyoto became it. Nara became the epicenter of Buddhism in Japan and several important Buddhist temples were built here. The first temple we saw was Kōfuku-ji, whose origins date back to year 669. The temple complex also includes a 5-story pagoda, which is the second tallest in Japan at 50.1 m. 

Deer in Nara Park

Here, 'attention' was already starting to appear on the sidewalks from the symbol of the city - deer. According to legend, the god of thunder and sword Takemikazuchi galloped on a white deer to protect the newly built capital. Since then, deer have been considered sacred animals, protecting the city and the countryside. In Noborioji Park, we caught a glimpse of a herd of such deer resting under trees surrounded by curious tourists who were taking pictures with them. The deer are a real attraction, they are completely tame and used to the presence of people, they hang around everywhere around temples and have priority over cars on the road. For 200 yen you can buy special rice crackers for the deer, which are even taught to bow to deserve this treat.

This doe was hungry and stocked up

Since there were so many tourists and school trips in the city, some of the doe were completely full and didn't want any more crackers and just blew them away under the trees. With the increasing number of school trips, it was clear that we were approaching the main temple.

South gate Nandaimon, approaching Tódai-ji

Tódai-ji ('Great Eastern Temple') built in the mid-8th century is truly magnificent. It contains one of the largest bronze Buddha statues in the world, sheltered under one of the largest wooden buildings ever. After its completion, the temple played the role of the main Buddhist center and had such significant influence that the emperor ordered the capital of Japan to be moved away from Nara to escape the influence of Buddhist monks. The temple was damaged by fires several times and after the last reconstruction in 1709 it reaches 2/3 of its original size. The current dimensions are: 57 m long, 50 m wide and 49 m high. Until 1998, this reconstruction also held the title of 'The largest wooden building in the world'. The complex also included two 7-story pagodas, which reached a height of up to 100 meters and were higher than the pyramids in the world at that time. They were destroyed by earthquakes, and the original location of one of them is its peak.

Main Hall of Tódai-ji Temple - The largest wooden building in the world (until 1998)

The 15-meter Buddha statue is one of the largest in Japan. It weighs 500 tons. When it was first cast, it used up most of Japan's bronze and nearly bankrupted the country. It has since been recast several times due to damage from earthquakes. Another popular attraction at the temple is a huge pillar with a hole the size of Buddha's nostril. It is said that those who can fit through this hole will be enlightened in the next life. Since the hole is quite narrow, I have only seen children try. Behind the Buddha statue is a model of the original temple grounds with two 100-meter pagodas. 

A large bronze Buddha and a smaller golden one behind it

After leaving the main hall, we headed to the park to watch the deer. The Todai-ji grounds are extensive and include, for example, Nigatsu-dō ('February Hall' or 'Hall of the Second Month'), from whose balcony there is a nice view of the city. The ancient Omizutori festival is also held here every spring, during which Buddhist monks draw holy water from the spring below the hall and wave lit torches on the balcony to protect against misfortune.

As usual, I'll save the summary of Kyoto and its surroundings for the second part ☺.

Next part:

Kyoto 2/2