Kyoto Tower
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The Japanese have certainly adopted Halloween!
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Posters with Japanese women athletes
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Lotus leaves reflected
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Lotus reflection
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Lotus leaf
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Cute sign
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Jizo figures
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Sign: Sweet Potato Shop
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Sweet potatoes |
Bamboo forest
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Bamboo forest
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Bamboo forest
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After strolling along the Bamboo walk, we continued up a path to an overlook across a valley to Senkoji Temple on Mt. Hiei - a temple we will visit on Saturday. Many of the trees along the walk were resplendent in their fall colors.
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Fall colors |
Along the path
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Stone steps
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Senkoji Temple on Mt. Hiei - we will climb up to it in a couple days
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Fall colors were wonderful
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Fall colors and Kyoto
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Colors and Kyoto |
Another peaceful path
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After returning from the view point, the group stopped for a sweet snack (cookie) and macho green tea at a tea house that was once the private villa of a famous silent-film actor, Okochi Denjiro (1898 - 1962).
On the return to the bus, we strolled through the Sogenchi Garden of the Tenryu-ji Temple grounds.
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Frog pond in the Sogenchi Garden
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Sogenchi Garden - Japanese Toad Lily
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Mulberry bush
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Sogen Pond
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The next visit was a return to the Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ju Temple) with its beautiful grounds and gardens. Today, there were lots of school groups touring this historical monument.
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Golden Pavilion reflected in the Serene Mirror Pond
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Serene Mirror Pond
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An attempt at a selfie |
Lotus leaf and reflection
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Attentive schoolgirls
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More schoolgirls - lots of different footwear
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Lunch was in a little restaurant in an old house where the walls were covered with US Rte. 66 signs and advertisements for 1920s U.S. - things like Pillsbury pie crust, etc. Lunch was okay.
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Rt. 66 sign at the restaurant
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So cute
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After lunch we went again to the Nijo Castle. The detail on the buildings and gates is beautiful. Marge and I walked through a different garden instead of taking off our shoes and going through the castle again. The garden was pretty and peaceful.
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Nijo Castle
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Nijo Castle
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Nijo Castle |
Nijo Castle
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Nijo Castle
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Large, historical Japanese bell
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Niomaru Garden
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Niomaru Garden
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Wonderful signs |
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Ginko leaves sprouting from a tree trunk
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The last activity of the day was to participate in one of Howie’s Spontaneous Activities. This one was to see the 1,001 life-sized golden Bodhisattva statues at the Rengeo-in Temple (also called Sanjusangen-do), something we had not seen before.
There are one thousand standing statues and one gigantic seated one. They are from the 12th and 13th centuries and are made of Japanese cypress and covered in gold leaf. The standing Bodhisattvas each have 40 arms and 25 eyes to see everyone and grant their wishes and protect them. Buddha sits in the middle. In front of them at either end are the deities of Thunder and Wind. There are 28 more statues in a single line in front of the 1,001 that are all guardian deities, many of whom are mythical and originated in ancient India. The official name of the temple is Rengeo-in and it is registered as a National Japanese Treasure. The hall is 120 meters long and was once used for archery competitions - long bows shooting arrows 60 meters at a low angle due to the height of the roof.
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Rengeo-in Temple housing the 1001 Kannon Bodhisattva Statues
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Poster advertising the 1001 Kannon Bodhisattva Statues
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Some of the 1001 Kannon Bodhisattva Statues
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Sturdy kickstand for a bike
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