Dates visited: March 30, 2013 – April 3, 2013
My fingers were crossed… …up until the trip since we wanted to be there for sakura (cherry blossoms). And we got unbelievably lucky with our timing as the cherry blossom peak came in about two weeks earlier than usual while we were in Tokyo and Kyoto. So we were in Kyoto during the peak bloom!
Here are the highlights of our fabulous time in Kyoto.
- Ryokan experience— A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn with tatami-matted rooms and communal baths. We’ve all seen it in movies where the distinctive features are a room with no furniture except for a small round table, sliding paper doors (fusuma) and sliding paper screens (shoji), and an alcove (tokonoma) which displays a hanging scroll (kakejiku) and a flower arrangement (ikebana). It was an enriching experience though I didn’t have the guts to partake in the communal bath portion of that experience.
- Sakura (cherry blossoms)—the most perfect time to experience celebration of beauty and harmony. The sakura was out in full force as we visited several shrines, temples and gardens. The locals love to celebrate this colorful season as several of them dress up in yukata and/or kimonos. No amount of words can do justice to the beautiful sight of thousands of sakura swaying in the wind so I will let the pictures speak for themselves. I will just say that these stunning images are permanently etched in my memory, and my mind is never short of happy places to wander to.
- Hanami—hanami parties are a century-old tradition of picnicking under a blooming sakura tree. We were hanami-virgins in Tokyo, but we lost our cherry (blossom) by having our own hanami in Maruyama Park. We didn’t quite go 100% local with the food, but when you are under a sakura tree with an enchanting ambience all around you, even our Starbucks cake and coffee seemed like ambrosia.
- Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples, Zen temples (and rock gardens)—We visited several of the ones designated under “Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities)” as a UNESCO World Heritage site. These monuments are a delight by themselves, but coupled with peak sakura blossom, they lent themselves to a magical experience. We visited Kiyomizu-dera, Ginkaku-ji (Temple of the Silver Pavilion), Kinkaku-ji (Temple of the Golden Pavilion), Ryōan-ji (The Temple of the Dragon at Peace). We also visited other culturally important and nationally treasured places such as Sanjūsangen-dō temple, Kodai-ji temple and the Heian Shrine.
- Tetsugaku-no-michi (The Philosopher’s Path)—I had read amazing reviews about this one mile of stone path that follows a sakura tree-lined canal between Ginkaku-ji and Nanzen-ji, but I can honestly write that none of the reviews come even 50% close to describing the positively stunning and absolutely gorgeous view that greets you during peak sakura bloom.
- Walking down the Philosopher’s Path… …a sakura tree-lined canal named after Nishida Kitaro, one of Japan’s most famous philosophers, who was said to practice meditation while walking this route on his daily commute to Kyoto University
- Ginkakuji (Temple of the Silver Pavilion)—built by shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa in 1482, and modeled after Kinkaku-ji (see next photo)… …but the work of covering with silver-foil got delayed and never started
- Kinkaku-ji (Temple of the Golden Pavilion)—covered with pure gold leaf was the retirement villa of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu
- Just love the pink sakura against a blue background
- Late night dinner and this mom-and-pop restaurant was the only one open… …the grilled fish was delicious!
- A crowded, but fun-filled street between Kiyomizu-dera and Yasaka Shrine… …sells pretty much everything and anything
- Wooden stage of Kiyomizu-dera’s main hall… …offers a great view of the cherry trees
- Visitors drinking with a ladle at the Otowa Waterfall at Kiyomizu-dera… …notice the three streams—one is for longevity, one is for success at school and one is for a fortunate love life. However, drinking from all three streams is considered greedy!
- Sakura, sakura, sakura!!!
- Kaizan-dō hall at Kiyomizu-dera
- Temizu Basin at Heian Shrine—for a cleaning ritual before entering the shrine
- Koyasu Pagoda… …viewed from the main hall of Kiyomizu-dera
- Zen garden at Ryōan-ji (The Temple of the Dragon at Peace)… …finest surviving examples of kare-sansui (“dry landscape”), a refined type of Japanese Zen temple garden design generally featuring distinctive larger rock formations arranged amidst a sweep of smooth pebbles (small, carefully selected polished river rocks) raked into linear patterns that facilitate meditation
- Three-storied pagoda at Kiyomizu-dera
- Lit cherry tree in a rock garden at Kōdai-ji
- Took this shot outside Kōdai-ji
- Deva gate and three-storied pagoda at Kiyomizu-dera
- The Philosopher’s Path… …a sakura tree-lined canal named after Nishida Kitaro, one of Japan’s most famous philosophers, who was said to practice meditation while walking this route on his daily commute to Kyoto University
- Sand garden of Ginkaku-ji that has the carefully formed pile of sand that symbolizes Mount Fuji
- Clusters of sakura
- Chatting with an elderly gentleman on top of Mt Arashiyama with Kyoto in the distance
- Moss garden at Ginkaku-ji (Temple of the Silver Pavilion)
- Trying a pastry puff with a soft cherry blossom-flavored filling inside
- Main gate of the vermillion-colored Heian Shrine
- Lanterns hanging onn the dance stage at Yasaka Shrine
- Jizō (guardian of children) statues guaranteed to evoke an “Awwwwww!”
- Centerpiece of Maruyama Park—this tall shidarezakura (weeping cherry tree)
- Bought snacks at Starbucks… …on our way to hanami at Maruyama Park
- Hanami in Maruyama Park… …what a wonderful experience to be a part of such a festive ambience
- Garden at Heian Shrine… …with hundreds of weeping cherry trees
- Feeding a Japanese macaque at Iwatayama Monkey Park… …since they can bite, we are the ones who had to be inside a cage to feed them!
- Castle in the corner (Sōryūrō) at the vermillion-colored Heian Shrine
- Clusters of sakura
- Yasaka Shrine… …a Shinto shrine built in 656
- Mount Arashiyama across the Ōi River
- Japanese macaque at Iwatayama Monkey Park on Mount Arashiyama
- Shops at Maruyama Park
- Garden at Heian Shrine
- Jishu Shrine… …dedicated to Ōkuninushi, the deity of love and matchmaking
- Bridge at Kōdai-ji—a Zen Buddhist temple