Kyoto, the traditional capital of Japan. Kyoto, the tourist capital
of Japan.
That is to say, I saw a lot more Western faces in Kyoto in greater
concentrations than I had anywhere else during my visit.
I even heard some Chinese being spoken here and there as well, with
a couple of East Indians in the mix.
The only time I actually chose to help anyone was when I heard a California
accent, hehe. I refused to believe that I had an accent until then...
Just a quick train from Osaka - things are really close in Japan.
The famous Kinkakuji, or Golden Pavillion.
Yes, that's all real gold around it. My aunt actually wanted me to
try to duplicate the pic in the pamphlet, but I learned that to do so,
I'd have to have access to restricted grounds.
This was the best I could do for the time being...
The famous Ginkakuji.
No, unlike the golden one which is actually golden, the Silver Pavillion
is silver in name only. It's a large complex (relatively), with hikes up
into the hills to get better views.
I caught this view toward the end of the walking circuit - I really
like the composition.
The famous Kiyomizudera, front entrance. (the more attractive, glitzy
side)
Unlike the shrines, which are Shinto halls, Kiyomizu is a Buddhist
temple.
The religions coexist in Japan, as neither are exclusive, which may
seem odd to most Westerners. Especially when...
... you see a shrine inside temple grounds. See the torii? I just really like this picture...
That's me, with Kiyomizu's Buddha's crib in the back. My aunt took this picture.
That's my aunt. This terrace is actually sloped downward, which is slightly disconcerting when you're standing on it.
Got Buddha? Still Kiyomizudera...
I'm not sure if there are sakura, but it looked nice in front of the
pagoda at the front entrance...