Kyoto & Nara

---

For the second half of our stay in Kyoto we have moved in to a western-style apartment just one stop away from Kyoto station on the subway. Complete with kitchen, and with a large supermarket only a 10 minute walk away, it has given us the chance to indulge in some home cooking. Not an economical choice by any means, probably because we were opting to dine western rather than Japanese, but a welcome break from searching for restaurants with an understandable menu or playing mealtime roulette. Our first home-cooked meal? Al dente spaghetti with courgette, chilli and lemon, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and served with crusty bread, salad and a bottle of white wine. Conversation? That our next holiday should be in Italy!

Anyway, back to the sightseeing. Taking the JR Nara line train from Kyoto to Inari station, again making good use of our rail passes, we visited Fushimi-Inari Taisha, a large shrine complex dedicated to the gods of rice and sake, made famous by its thousands of red torii (shrine gates) lining the 4km pathway which snakes its way up the slopes of Inari-Yama. In parts the gates, which you can purchase for an extortionate number of yen, are so closely packed together they form a vivid red tunnel. In addition to the gates, themselves impressive and making for some great photos, are numerous stone foxes which make the walk rather atmospheric. One of our favourite shrines so far in Japan, we would highly recommend making the effort to complete the 4km walk. It was hard work at times, given the number of steps and current temperature, but most people didn't bother to stray further than the large shrine near the entrance so it was not only quiet but there are great views over Kyoto from the top and the path is really beautiful in parts as it winds through ancient forest.

The more we walked, the cloudier and more humid it became, until the heavens opened in a big way. We have never been so pleased to see rain! We took shelter in a ramen shop, on the corner just opposite the train station. Unfortunately it didn't have an English name to share, but it served 7 varieties of ramen which were probably the best we have had so far in Japan.

The following day we had an early start and caught the train to Nara. For a fairly small place, Nara has two train stations; JR Nara and Kintetsu. Kintetsu is closer to the main attractions, but it was easier for us to get the JR line, the walk from this station only being around 15 minutes through the town centre anyway to get to the temples.

Heijokyo, the ancient capital city of Japan from 710 to 784, was located here, and a number of temples or reconstructions from this time can be found. The most impressive, and probably the most famous, of the ones we saw was the Todaiji Temple. It has a number of claims to fame, being a UNESCO world heritage site, housing a massive bronze Buddha, being located in gardens full of tame deer free to roam and being the largest wooden building in the world, despite being only two thirds of its original size.

The walkway up to the temple is lined by stalls selling crackers for 150 yen, complete with deer lined up waiting patiently to snatch them straight off you, and a surprising number of school trips despite the fact that is was a Sunday.

Standing imposingly at the end of the end of the tree-lined path is the impressive gateway to the temple, the Nandai-mon, flanked by the most incredible wooden carvings of Nio guardians, which are a staggering 800 years old. They are protected behind metal mesh so are best viewed from a distance to appreciate.

Immediately after the gate, before reaching the main hall, is a museum which we found to be a good starting point for appreciating the significance of the temple as a centre for Buddhist teaching over the centuries. It houses an array of treasures, from gemstones and crystals to a wealth of scriptures, which have been remarkably well preserved over the centuries thanks to the fact that they were hidden underneath the statue of the Buddha, thus escaping damage in the several fires which destroyed the majority of the building. There were also a number of statues, ceremonial masks and an original window of the reconstructed lantern which lies in the approach to the great hall.

We recommend getting the audio guide, as there wasn't much in the way of English signage.

The main hall, the Daibutsu-den, houses the famous Great Buddha. It started life in the 8th century, and must have been an incredible sight, given not only the size of the main building and the statue within, but also the two giant pagodas, both destroyed, which were located on either side. The current building, as previously mentioned, is two thirds the size of the original (but itself is still pretty big!) and dates back to the 1700's, a series of war-time fires destroying the original and subsequent reconstructions. After paying our entrance fee of 500yen each, we were approached by a volunteer guide who asked us for 10 minutes of our time for a free tour- bite his hand off if you are offered, he was incredibly knowledgable.

The main hall itself is a very impressive sight. Despite the large volume of visitors, it maintains a sense of serenity, and there are a number of other beautiful statues aside from the Great Buddha, which in itself is worthy of a visit. After purchasing a Buddhist charm, assured by the vendor that it would guarantee my best friend an easy delivery of her first child any day now, we headed out in to the sunshine to explore the beautiful surrounding park.

On the advise of a local gentleman, who claimed to have taken the designer Paul Smith around Japan on a bike, we dragged ourselves up the hill to Nigatsudo Hall, a quieter but attractive temple with views over Nara.

After a spot of lunch, slowly making our way back to the station, we stumbled across a European food festival, complete with acrobat and accordion player, before visiting the three and five story pagodas. You can't actually go in either, but they are free to take a look at and are very impressive given their age. There is also a central temple on the same site which is currently being reconstructed.



That evening we went for an evening stroll in Gion, on of the 5 former geisha districts of Kyoto. Unfortunately we weren't lucky enough to see any geisha, but these narrow streets, located close to the river, make a beautiful place to stroll. The old Japanese-style buildings are lit with lanterns and feel a million miles away from the hustle, bustle and bright lights of the city. A wonderful end to our stay in this fabulous city.



Next stop...Mt Koya.



Love, S & J xx

---