My Kyoto Excursion

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So, I headed off to Kyoto... not alone as planned, but with Jim because he was going anyway and seemed open to checking out the places I wanted to see. So I was basically in charge.

We got on the train at Hirakata-shi, off at Kyoto Shijo Station. From there, it's a good long walk (30 mins?) to Mibu-dera, the first stop on my itinerary. Mibu-dera is the Buddhist temple where the Shinsengumi trained during the Bakumatsu (Revolution). The Shinsengumi were basically a special force charged with maintaining peace and putting down the Isshin rebels. A few of them are buried at Mibu, including the leader, Kondo Isami. We found the temple without too much difficulty, and I must say, I like it a lot! The grounds are small but very well maintained and the temple is pretty impressive. It's dedicated to Jizo, the bodhisattva in charge of pregnant women and babies, as well as children who die in infancy. We walked around the grounds, then went to Mibu Mound where the Shinsengumi are enshrined. At the souvenir shop, I bought a chibi-Shinsen keychain. I also prayed at the temple.

From there, we headed to Nijo Palace. It was built in 1603 by Tokugawa Ieyasu, and it's where the last Tokugawa Shogun resigned to the Meiji Emperor after the Revolution. You can go inside (no photos allowed) and they've left it basically exactly as it was 200 years ago. That makes it a lot more interesting than Osaka-jo, which has been made into a modern museum. The floors are particularly interesting, because they were engineered to squeak when stepped on, sounding like nightingales. So they're called Nightingale Floors. And they still work! The grounds at Nijo are beautiful too, with lots of gorgeous gardens and trees. It was very serene, especially since it was a weekday and tourism was at a minimum.

Next was a short walk up Horikawa-dori to Seimei Shrine. It is the only Onmyoudo Shrine left in Japan and is dedicated to Abe no Seimei, who lived there during the Heian Era and was the most powerful and revered Onmyouji. Seimei has since been deified, so you get an idea of how influential he was. There are two torii gates leading into the shrine, and you can see the remains of Ichijo-modori Bashi, the bridge that originally led to the Shrine. There are some cool wells and stuff, as well as beautiful detailing on the buildings. The five-pointed star is unique in Japan to Onmyoudo, and the bellflower pattern is associated with Abe no Seimei himself. The Shrine itself is gorgeous but small, with lots of sacred ropes and papers, as well as some nice lanterns. I prayed, then headed to the souvenir shop. I got a Mizu-kagami (water mirror) necklace and a wooden Onmyoudo fan.

From there, a horrendously (3-4 mile) long walk to the Philosopher's Walk, which is a scenic path alongside a canal, overhung with trees. Very pretty, but by now I was exhausted. We could have visited Ginkakuji, the Silver Pavillion, but were too tired. Heading back to the station (Sanjo Station) we ran into Heian Jingu! It was built in 1895 (I think) to commemorate Emperor Kanmu moving the capital to Kyoto, and is a replica of the original Heian Era palace and administration buildings. It's also where the movie Onmyouji was filmed, which makes it extra cool! It was closing when we got there, so we took a few pics and left.

We took the express back to Hirakata-shi Eki and the bus home, very tired but feeling accomplished. I really feel like I've conquered Kyoto now, and I can't wait to go back! There's still so much to see... Ginkakuji, Kiyomizu-dera, Gion, and I still need to find the remains of the Ikedaya! More adventures definitely await us in Kyoto!

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Photos

Mibu-dera
Mibu Temple, training grounds and burial place of the Shinsengumi.

Nijo Palace
It was awe-inspiring and yet far more... personal? Comfortable? than Osaka-jo. As in, I can imagine people living there.

Seimei Shrine
The only remaining Onmyoudo Shrine in Japan. Even though it is small, it feels very special and mystical.

Heian Jingu
I half expected to see Minamoto no Hiromasa come running out, but alas it didn't happen. I want to go back earlier when it's open.

Comments

[Karen957]

Wow!
That was ALOT of walking..but once again the pictures are stunninly beautiful! You write about these places as if you've been there *forever* :-) You're in your element darling!