Kyoto was a half hour local train journey from Osaka, easy enough once we had found a way to the platform without stairs! And we looked forward to the luxury of 5 nights here! We had read somewhere that there are 1000 temples in Kyoto, so that would be 200 a day! Unlikely - if we do 3-4 sights in one day, we call that a full day.
The Kyoto Tower reflected in the railway station facade.
Kyoto downtown is a large flat expanse, surrounded by hills, and bound by a forked river on the east. The main attractions are all around the edges of the city as it climbs into hills, and not within walking distance unless you are an epic hiker, so we made big use of JR, subway and buses while we were here. More on that later.
Another shrine protecting little children, this one near Saga-Arashiyama.
The day we arrived, it was fine, so we scarpered out to get a few sights in before dusk. We caught the subway to
Keage
and visited the Nanzen-ji temple. It's a zen Buddhist temple established in 1291 by Emperor Kameyama, and which has been burnt three times over the centuries. To us, the most amazing feature of the temple was its huge gate (also destroyed at some time and rebuilt) which dominates the shrine, and the totally unexpected aqueduct which skirts around the back of the temple site. The aqueduct was built in 1889 during the Meiji Restoration as part of the city's modernisation, but many thought it was westernisation, and resisted the project.
Most temples we visit have maps like this one at Nanzen-ji. This one shows the Meiji Reconstruction aqueduct.
Door hinge detail on the huge Sanmon gate at the Nanzen-ji Temple.
Inside the shrine at Nanzen-ji Temple.
Cemetery at Nanzen-ji Temple.
Aqueduct cutting a swathe around the back of the Nanzen-ji Temple.
Maintenance workers in the aqueduct didn't notice the crane landing.
Visitors were fascinated by the aqueduct, wondering why it was here.
The Nanzen-ji temple shrine.
Massive gate structure at Nanzen-ji.
We decided to walk around the neighbourhood of Nanzen-ji, and as usual, found that this was a rewarding enterprise. We came across an impressive statue and some infrastructure that suggest there was mining in this area, but there was no English interpretation. And a taxi driver, seeing how cold we were (it was sub-zero at the time), hopped out of his cab to give us each a packaged hand-warmer, as we walked by. These mysterious products, avaailable at convenience stores, get warm and stay that way for hours after the package is opened. Imagine a Sydney cabbie doing that!
JR local trains can be ultra-modern like this one, or much older in great condition.
It's great how you can watch where you are going from the front of a JR local.
One day was the last that our 21 day JR Rail Pass was valid, so, with a thin layer of fresh snow around in Kyoto, we decided to tick off some of the "must see" items which are close to JR Stations. One was the bridge at Uji, touted as the "oldest of its kind in Japan" but when we got there (about half an hour south east on the same line as we will take to get to Nara) it wasn't that impressive - it is a 1996 model carrying lots of cars, trucks and buses, and its famed reflection in the water is obscured by fast flow. What does make this bridge special is that there has been a bridge at this point in the river since before 1221AD, and that its older incarnations have been referenced in significant traditional works of literature such as The Tale of Genji and in artworks.
But the town of Uji near the river was quite pretty (no snow here), transformed into a pedestrian precinct of matcha tea (green tea) shops to entice visitors. One of the prettiest buildings in this area was a brand new Starbucks outlet (we didn't go in!) which must be the most serene and "Japanese" that we have seen.
Totally unspectacular Uji Bridge.
The bridge at Uji when it truly was a "place of scenic beauty".
1636AD design of Uji Bridge giboshi.
Author Murasaki-Shikibu is forever remembered in front of the bride he featured in "The Tale of Genji".
As an aside, the giboshi on the current bridge, and in the painted image, are obviously of cultural significance. These are the onion shaped knobs on top of railing posts. On another day, we noticed a photographer polishing one up prior to shooting it. Giboshi are the traditional weather protectors on top of pagodas, and you now see them everywhere. The current giboshi on the Uji Bridge use a 1636AD design.
Green tea (matcha) in all its forms is easily available in Uji.
The most serene Starbucks of them all.
Cute letter box at Uji Station.
Still on the JR Pass, we went to the opposite corner of Kyoto to the station at Saga-Arashiyama from where we could walk to the next attraction, a huge commercial bamboo grove which welcomes visitors. On the walk there, we noted bicycle rental establishments. These are not like the Velibs of Paris of the "dump-anywhere" dockless system of Sydney, but outlets that expect you to return the bike to them. Kyoto is pretty flat, and bikes are a great way for vistors to cover good distances.
The Sagano Bamboo Forest at Arashiyama grove is famous because CNN once referred to it as "the most beautiful on earth". Indeed, it is very pleasant to be there, especially if you can find a quiet spot away from shutters clicking, jabbering visitors and the trains rushing by, and just listen to the wind rustling through the tops of the immensely tall bamboo trees. The Ministry for Environments lists this place as one of the "thousand soundscapes of Japan".
Massively tall stands of bamboo at the Arashiyama grove.
Bamboo is used for a myriad of purposes, and here are signs of harvesting.
People flock to enjoy the bamboo grove here in Kyoto's north west.
How the snow clings to the bamboo ribs.
A little Aussie shrine at Arishiyama.
Korean girls on their first trip without their parents.
Our turn for a photo in the bamboo grove.
JR trains speed through the bamboo forest.
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