Bottom sign says "Flower Dance"
|
Model of the Rajomon Gate - ancient southern gate to the city |
Deceptively plain exterior of the Kyoto Train Station
|
Sign for Kyoto Theater - housed within the train station |
|
Main entrance
|
Main atrium of the station
|
Looking up from below
|
Wedding bell - lots of weddings take place here
|
Grand piano on one of the levels - for anyone to sit down and play
|
Interesting sculpture
|
Escalator to the Skyway
|
|
Skyway - walkway from one end of the station to the other high above the main hall area
|
Kyoto tower from the Skyway level
|
Roof garden on an adjacent building
|
Superstructure
|
Flights of stairs from the main level up to the roof garden. These stairs are lighted at night - signs, pictures, etc.
|
From the top looking down
|
Roof garden - very pleasant
|
Warning signs - look out for the birds and bees
|
|
Tuning the piano for an evening concert
|
Modern sculpture - name unknown
|
Information about the trains
|
The Japanese line up in a very orderly fashion to await the train
|
From the train station, we ventured a trip on the subway north two stops to walk over to the Nishiki Food Market and then to the adjacent Teramachi and Shin-kyogoku Shopping Arcades. The food market was as jam packed as it was two weeks ago - fish, vegetables, and a variety of eating places and sweets and lots of people. The arcade had clothing and shoes (lots of American brands like Sketchers and Patagonia) and lots of chopstick stores, three shoe repair shops, kimonos, two kitchen stores, and everything else under the sun.
Lunch was again at The City Bakery, where we had eaten a couple weeks ago. We each had two slices of very good pizza, dessert, and one lemonade beer - very good!
|
|
Nishiki Market
|
Looks good enough to eat! |
More expensive beef |
Nice crab sign
|
Very helpful sign
|
The helpful signs on the sidewalk took us back to the subway to return to Kyoto train station from where we walked back to our hotel. 12,000 steps today! We rested the remainder of the afternoon.
Dinner was “Kyoto cuisine” with the group at a little family restaurant called Hozan. |
Sat., 10/29 - Kyoto
This morning our bus took us to the “moon bridge” for a boat ride on the Katsuragawa River. We sat on stools six-inches off the deck and leaned on the gunwales as two men poled us one-half mile upriver. The boats were the type fishermen once used. They were also used for cormorant fishing.
The Zen Buddhist Daihikaku Senkoji Temple is located in the Arashiyama Mountains, 100 meters or 242 steps above the river (someone else counted them). At the temple, a monk gave a presentation that included everything from the geography of Kyoto, the clothing the Japanese monks wear, etc. to the three principles of Zen Buddhism, etc. We practiced breathing and meditation. It was interesting.
We retraced our steps and boat ride back to the bus and back to town for lunch and the next activity.
|
Moon Bridge over the Katsuragawa River
|
Heron and egret
|
Official character Mr. Tsu
|
Lantern with Moon Bridge drawing
|
Approaching the landing
|
Zen Buddhist Daihikaku Senkoji Temple
|
The bell
|
Meditating
|
On the river |
Rickshaws waiting for customers
|
Another crazy sign
|
More Halloween
|
Lunch restaurant, again
|
Street sign
|
The after lunch activity was a flower arranging experience. This is a 1500 year old tradition and arrangements originally were devoted to deities. They mix a branch, flower, and leaves and maybe, fruit. There are 50 rules involved like it should be 2.5 times higher than the bowl or vase. The bowl, table it sits on, and the wall behind it are all part of the arrangement.
We worked in pairs and were given a bowl, a frog (that holds the stems), a pair of shears, 2 broom sprigs, 2 mums, 2 coxcombs, and 1 leaf to arrange to show power. All arrangements have a theme. It was fun.
|
Flower shop
|
Flower arrangement
|
Tori gate |
Electrical nightmare
|
Small Japanese fire engine
|
Nice façade
|