Kyoto and Nara

DAY 5 (3/3): FAREWELL KYOTO, Kyoto, Japan, 2016.12.07

After we came back from Fushimi Inari Taisha, we thought it would be a good idea to find a place for lunch in Downtown Kyoto. There was still a few hours before our 18:30 flight.

We opted for a revisit of Nishiki Market (錦市場), the five block long market street known as “Kyoto’s Kitchen”.

For the past few days we didn’t really have a decent meal of sashimi. We ended up sitting down at a sashimi restaurant Nishiki Daimaru Yoshi (錦大丸). The restaurant was hidden behind its fishmonger shop.

At this popular restaurant, we were the first customers sitting down at the long counter in front of the food preparation area.

There was only set lunch available. We wouldn’t mind as long as the sashimi was fresh. The set included sashimi, tempura and grilled fish.

The washroom at the restaurant was small but full of character.

After lunch, we went outside of the Nishiki Market and arrived at the back side of Daimaru Department Store. There was a small vendor selling farmer’s produce. We couldn’t resist but bought a few items to bring back to Hong Kong.

Then we headed back into Nishiki Market for another stroll.

We passed by a vendor selling all kinds of traditional sweets and snacks. We picked up some regional roasted peanuts.

There were quite a few shops selling Tsukemono (漬物, Japanese pickled snacks). Many items were seasonal.

Then we passed by the chestnut shop where we bought some delicious local chestnuts before.

At the end of Nishiki Market, we arrived at the entrance of Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine, a Shinto shrine conveniently located at the heart of the downtown.

Another shop worth noting in the area was Tamaru Inbo (田丸印房), a Hanko shop, a store selling traditional stamps and seals made of wooden or stone blocks. With over a century of professional reputation, Tamaru Inbo was a great place to check out Japanese hanko.

From Shijo Dori, we walked east to the Kamo River (鴨川). We decided to walk south along the river for a final stroll along the peaceful river.

The weather was perfect for a relaxing stroll.

Like us, many preferred to take the route along the river instead of the city streets.

We passed by many restaurants facing the river. Hopefully next time we would be able to enjoy a meal at one of the many waterfront dining patios during the summer months.

We left the riverbank when we reached Gojo Dori Street. We decided to get a good cup of coffee before leaving for the airport.

We landed on a cafe called Efish just south of Gojo Dori, at Kiya-machi Dori, a small neighborhood street sandwiched between the Kamo River and Takase River (高瀬川). Unlike several blocks up north where Kiya-machi Dori represented the vibrant restaurant and nightlife scene of the city, here the narrow street became a laid-back neighborhood alley.

Efish is great for its relaxing atmosphere by the river. Other than refreshing food and drinks, Efish also showcased cool design housewares inside the cafe.

On our way from Efish to Kyoto Station, we walked past Umeyu Rakuen (サウナの梅湯), a retro 80-year old bathhouse. In 2015, 25 year-old Yusuke Minato, a long-time devotee to traditional bathhouses, took over the declining bathhouse and transformed it into a hip venue to promote traditional bathing, as well as occasional gigs and flea market. We didn’t have time for a soak and would have to save it till next time.

After another few minutes of walk we could see Kyoto Tower from a distance. A big crow on the treetop over our head was making loud noises, as if yelling out our parting wishes with the ancient capital.

Minutes later we reached the futuristic Kyoto Station once again. We took the escalators down to the basement to pick up our backpacks at the lockers and hop on a Haruka Express for the Kansai Airport. As the train leaving the station, we were already planning for a return trip sometime in the near future. Kyoto was and always will be the perfect venue for us to dwell in the power of heritage, nature, and spirituality whenever we were overwhelmed by the dull and routine work lives.

This concludes the record of our 5-day Kyoto trip in December 2016.

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March 12, 2017 | Categories: Japan, Japan: Kyoto and Nara 2016, Kyoto and Nara | Tags: サウナの梅湯, cafe, chestnut, 田丸印房, Efish, 錦市場, 高瀬川, 鴨川, food, Japan, Kamo, Kyoto, market, Nishiki, pickle, sashimi, Shrine, station, Takase, tamaru Inbo, tsukemono, Umeyu Rakuen, 京都, 漬物 | Leave a comment

DAY 5 (2/3): FUSHIMI INARI SHRINE (伏見稲荷大社) Part 2, Kyoto, Japan, 2016.12.07

On the summit of Mount Inari, there was a small Shinto shrine, and a shop selling candles and souvenirs. The shop had yet opened its doors when we were there. From the peak our only way was to head down. We took our time and followed a different route to go down. We ventured into a few quiet spots of small shrines and graves off the beaten track in the woods. The descend was shorter than our uphill hike. By the time we reached Yotsutsuji intersection again at midway, it was quite a different feeling with a whole lot more of visitors looking for the best lookout spot to take pictures. We stopped by a few shrines to bow our heads, throw our coins, clap our hands and pay our respect to the Shinto deity. As we approached the mountain foot, we were so grateful about the unique and delightful experience of the hike. We felt a little sad for both the hike and our 5-day Kyoto trip were coming to an end. We reached the final torii gate at around 10:40, exactly three hours from the beginning of the hike.

There was a small shrine at the peak of Mount Inari. We went up, left some coins and felt grateful to have such nice weather for most of our stay in Kyoto.

The shop at the peak had yet opened its doors.

The sun was higher and certainly brighter by 9:20 when we reached the peak.

We chose a different route for the descend.

There weren’t as many torii gates along the first part of this trail, and it felt like a walk in a densely forested hill.

Occasionally we would see the “donation price list” of torii gate along the trail. Anyone, and in many cases tourists, could pay 1,302,000 Japanese yen to erect a vermilion torii gate to continue the tradition of the Senbon Torii (千本鳥居).

We passed by a few shops that were preparing to open for business.

During our descend, we arrived at a forest opening where the peaceful sunlight shone through tree tops onto old graves and mini shrines.

The air was crisp and fresh. Everything was so peaceful and serene.

There was a maintenance staff moving a few things here and there, but the atmosphere was otherwise supremely tranquil and spiritual.

No matter where we were on the trail of Mount Inari we could also find kitsune (fox) statues.

Other than stone foxes, there were also occasional stone lions.

And at one shrine, there was also a bronze horse statue.

It was difficult to imagine how much work was needed to maintain all the thousands of small shrines and graves on Mount Inari, a spiritual destination ever since the first shrine was established here over 1300 years ago.

There were layers upon layers of history, memories and wishes of different generations of worshipers at different corners on Mount Inari.

Some of the temizuya (手水舎, purification pavilion) in front of the shrine was beautifully decorated.

Despite simple, some small temizuya fit perfectly well with the naturalistic surroundings.

The vermilion small torii offerings stood out no matter where they were placed.

Before reaching Yotsutsuji intersection, we passed by several shops housed in traditional wooden buildings right by the trail.

It was just past 10:15 when we returned to Yotsutsuji intersection. The number of visitors was significantly more than earlier when we first came up.

In maybe an hour or so, the shops and tea restaurants would be packed with visitors. The famous dish at Inari was the kitsune udon (fox udon), a bowl of hot thick wheat noodles topped with pieces of fried tofu, supposedly the favorite food for foxes.

After Yotsutsuji intersection, we basically followed the same route that we came up.

One of the last shrine we passed by was Byakkosha (白狐社), a shrine dedicated to the deity of white foxes.

The vivid maples behind the last torii reminded us that autumn was almost over. It was time for us to head back into city centre of Kyoto.

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March 4, 2017 | Categories: Japan, Japan: Kyoto and Nara 2016, Kyoto and Nara | Tags: cemetery, chozuya, 稲荷大社, fox, Fushimi, Japan, kenzoku, kitsune, Kyoto, maples, senbon, Shinto, Shintoism, Shrine, temizuya, vermilion, 千本鳥居, 手水舎, 伏見 | Leave a comment

DAY 5 (1/3): FUSHIMI INARI SHRINE (伏見稲荷大社) Part 1, Kyoto (京都), Japan, 2016.12.07

For several years the famous Shinto shrine Fushimi Inari Taisha (伏見稲荷大社) has been voted as the favorite tourist attraction in Kyoto on a number of travel websites. The images of the vermilion Senbon Torii (千本鳥居, thousands of torii gates) winding up the Mount Inari (233m) and the clusters of miniature shrines and private graves hidden in the woods certainly nourish the public imagination of a mysterious old Japan. We thought of visiting the shrine in late afternoon or early evening when the twilight was gradually fading away, shifting the tone of everything from orange to violet and then blue. Somehow that wasn’t realized, and instead we chose to explore this highly popular and spiritual place early in the morning of our last day of the trip. To beat the crowds, getting up before sunrise was crucial. It was only a short JR train ride from Kyoto Station to Inari Station. By the time we set foot at the entrance route of the Taisha it was a little before 7:30am.

To make the most out of the last day in Kyoto, we get up before dawn and carried our backpack and luggage to Kyoto Station. At daybreak, we bid farewell to the tranquil Shirakawa River in our Higashiyama neighborhood.

At Kyoto Station, we stored our belongings at one of the many lockers and hopped onto a Nara-bounded train for Inari Station.

The ride to the peaceful Inari Station took only a few minutes, and the entrance route of Fushimi Inari Taisha was just right across the road.

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Fushimi Inari Taisha (伏見稲荷大社) was first established in the 8th century dedicated to Inari (稲荷大神), the God of Rice and Sake. In the agricultural nation, the God of Rice was a powerful figure who governed the fortune of lives. In the modern age, the power of Inari had been shifted to offer blessing on the prosperity of businesses and people’s lives in general.

A large torii gate led us towards the Romon Gate (楼門, Lower Gate).

The Romon Gate (楼門, Lower Gate) was a donation in 1589 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣秀吉), the famous daimyō (大名, feudal warlord) who unified a large part of the country.

There were only a few visitors at the Worship Hall in front of the Honden (Main Building). After paying our respects, we couldn’t wait longer to begin the hike up to the peak of Mount Inari via the remarkable Senbon Torii.

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On Mount Inari, two features stood out. First was of course the vermilion torii gates. Donated by individuals and business companies, there were over 5000 torii gates guiding our way up the Mount Inari. The second feature was the kitsune (fox). Uncounted statues of foxes appeared along the trail, usually came in pairs standing in front of the Shinto shrines. Foxes were believed to be the Kenzoku, the messenger of god.

We walked past the first pair of bronze fox statues right after the visit of the main shrine. Many fox statues here carried a key in their mouth (to the rice granary).

Our hike up the 4km trail began at this cluster of the vermilion Senbon Torii (千本鳥居, thousands of torii gates).

Only a handful of visitors were there, such a blessing given this place is also famous for big visitor crowds throughout the day. The record was 2.69 million during the 3 days of New Year period in 2006.

Soon we arrived at the trailhead of the dual route. Both route would ultimately converge back to a single path. We picked the left route.

From one direction, the Senbon Torii appeared clean and minimal.

Looking back we could see columns of dates and donor’s names along the path as far as the eye could see.

We stopped at most of the sub shrine along the trail.

After a while, the trail gradually turned steeper with stone steps.

Half way through the ascend, the view from the Yotsutsuji Intersection was amazing in a clear morning. Many tourists would turn back from here.

We continued on the uphill journey, and stopped by a number of miniature shrines and grave clusters. Mini fox statues, mini vermilion torii gates and candles were often seen as offerings.

We often made detours from the trail into groups of mini shrines and graves. We bumped into this what looked like a shrine guardian cat.

The cat came from behind the shrine and jumped from a a stone stele to another, and finally stayed on a small tablet under the morning sun… just for a few seconds.

A pair of stone lions and foxes were on guard by the small shrine of God of Rain.

The early morning sun was nice and warm, and cast a magical highlight onto the torii gates.

Fallen autumn leaves added an extra sense of solitude to the quiet trail.

While at certain spots the autumn leaves gave a vivid background to the otherwise greyish setting of stones steles and statues.

By the time we reached “Second Peak” we knew we were just minutes away from the peak.

At around 9:15 we reached the top of Mount Inari, after about an hour and 45 minutes of hike.

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March 3, 2017 | Categories: Japan, Japan: Kyoto and Nara 2016, Kyoto and Nara | Tags: autumn, cat, 稲荷大社, 稲荷大神, 鳥居, fox, Fushumi, gate, hike, Inari, Japan, Kyoto, maples, rice, senbon, Shinto, Shintoism, Shrine, torii, Trail, vermilion, Yotsutsuji, 千本鳥居, 京都, 伏見 | Leave a comment

DAY 4 (6/6): RAMEN & CHRISTMAS LIGHTS, Kyoto (京都), Japan, 2016.12.06

It was already past 7pm when our Kintetsu express train arrived at Kyoto Station from Nara. We decided to check out the Kyoto Ramen Koji (Kyoto Ramen Street) on the 10th floor of the station for a quick dinner. We took the escalators up to the famous Daikaidan (Grand Staircase). The Daikaidan stretched from 4th floor all the way up to the sky garden on the 15th floor. Architect Hiroshi Hara specifically provided a stage on the 4th floor, while the staircase would become an enormous amphitheater. There was no performance when we were there. Instead, the stage was occupied by a large Christmas Tree. The lights changed colours according to the background music.

The big Christmas Tree occupied the open space on the 4th floor.

From the Christmas Tree we walked up the Daikaidan (Grand Staircase) to the 10th floor for our ramen dinner.

There was a strip of LED lights at the nosing of each step. The lights changed colours constantly.

With the LED lights on each step, the entire staircase became a giant screen of festive animations.

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We entered the building on the 10th floor, and could immediately smell the pork ramen and feel the warmth of the atmosphere. Here at Kyoto Ramen Koji (Kyoto Ramen Street), there were about ten different ramen restaurants, representing the ramen style from different parts of Japan. We ended up picking Masutani (ますたに), a Kyoto based ramen restaurant established since 1948.

We queued in front of the restaurant for about 20 minutes and then ordered our ramen from the machine by the entrance.

Once inside, we handed the tickets to the staff and sat down by a wooden counter.

After several minutes, our hot and delicious ramen arrived, a perfect answer for the chilly night!

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After the tasty ramen, we didn’t want to go back to the hotel yet. In front of Kyoto Station, we hopped on a night bus bounded westwards. Our destination was the ROHM Illumination Festival 2016. With 800,000 light bulbs lighting up 82 trees along Kasuga Dori, ROHM Illumination is the biggest annual Christmas lighting event in Kyoto since 1995. ROHM, a Japanese semiconductor manufacturer based in Kyoto sponsored the event annually to light up the immediate area of its office in town. The light show was smaller than similar events in other large cities such as Tokyo and Osaka, it did however transform a tranquil neighborhood into a romantic, glittering and festive promenade of lights.

The entrance of Kasuga Dori was guarded by the two Yamamomo Trees (Chinese bayberry) covered with dazzling lights.

The Yamamomo Trees were round in shape, perfect for turning into spheres of lights.

Kasuga Dori was lined both sides with 20 metasequoias, all dressed up with tiny light bulbs to create the luminous promenade.

With the lighting, the yellow crowns of the metasequoias appeared as if on fire.

Two types of light bulbs were used, small LED and twinkling incandescent lights.

The lights transformed the small Nagura Park into a romantic public venue.

Families and kids were having fun in Nagura Park.

Under different music, the LED balls on the ground and the 13.5m (h) by 9m LED screen made use the lawn next to the Nagura Park to put together the “Ensemble of Light”.

Kids had a good time at the playground and the light show.

Antique cars somehow blended in well with the ambience of the light festival.

At 9:30pm, we turned back to the entrance of Kasuga Dori and had a final look at the two for the trip’s last day.

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March 2, 2017 | Categories: Japan, Japan: Kyoto and Nara 2016, Kyoto and Nara | Tags: ますたに, bulb, Christmas, daikaidan, Ensemble of Light, Festival, food, Hiroshi Hara, illumination, Japan, Kasuga, Kasuga Dori, Koji, Kyoto, Kyoto Ramen Koji, lights, Masutani, noodles, railway, ramen, ROHM, station, Yamamomo, 拉麺小路, 京都 | Leave a comment

DAY 4 (5/6): NAKAGAWA MASASHICHI SHOTEN (中川政七商店遊中川), Nara (奈良), Japan, 2016.12.06

In October 2014, we stumbled upon a small shop in the shopping centre Tokyo Midtown. Utensils, furniture, cloths, and other miscellaneous household items were on display on wooden shelves and stands. Merchandises were displayed in clusters according to brands from different parts of Japan. The design of that attractive small shop in the middle of a high-end shopping arcade, according designer Yusuke Seki, was inspired by shotengai (traditional shopping street). We stayed at the shop for quite some time, and ended up picking up a blue umbrella with a nice wooden handle. At its underside, there was a small label with an illustration of two deer and a traditional logo saying Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten (中川政七商店). Later on, we did some online research and realized that Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten originates in Nara, and has been around for three centuries.

Opened in 1716, Nara’s Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten just celebrated its 300th anniversary. Originally, the small Nara shop produced hand woven textiles for samurai and monk ceremonial robes. The textile was known as Narazashi, or sarashi bleached hemp textile. During the Meiji Period (1868-1912), the society went through a dramatic change. Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten was forced to diversify its focus on other products such as table cloths and handkerchief. Entering the modern age, the shop defied all odds of modernization, persistently remained faithful to its traditional techniques and craftsmanship. Nakagawa, the 13th president who joined the family business in the last 15 years or so, tested the potentials of his traditional shop to a new level. Not only did he opened new shops outside of Nara like Tokyo and Osaka, Nakagawa also re-branded the company, and gave new life to old products such as using the old technique of mosquito net making for the new best selling fukin (Japanese style table cloth). Furthermore, Nakagawa proactively engaged in fruitful collaborations with other craft companies across the country to come up with new brands and merchandises suitable for the contemporary era.

This time around, we were in Nara after a long day of temple hoping. We promised ourselves that we couldn’t leave the city without visiting the Yu Nakagawa Main Shop (遊中川本店), the flagship store of Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten located at a tranquil alleyway near Sanjo Dori. At one corner of the shop, several merchandises commemorating the 300th anniversary of Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten were on display. A beige cloth with beautiful embroidery was a reproduction of their 1925 product exhibited at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris, the design world fair that gave birth to Art Deco. 90 years on, Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten is still standing at the crossroad between the old and new, advocating a good mix of traditional crafts and contemporary aesthetics. At their 300th anniversary, their locally made fabrics and household merchandises are as cool and modern as ever.

The subtle wooden machiya (町屋) facade of Yu Nakagawa Main Shop provides a perfect fit for the shop that advocates high quality local crafts and products.

The design of Yu Nakagawa is a comfortable blend of traditional and contemporary elements.

The signage of Yu Nakagawa Main Shop (遊中川本店) with the iconic deer symbolizing the city of Nara.

Rows of colourful textiles behind the cashier counter attracted our attention right from the beginning.

Cloths, bags, paper products, socks, scarfs, utensils, etc were on display in the pleasant interior.

Most items on display came from their own brands, such as 2&9, their line of well made socks.

It was already dark by the time we left Yu Nakagawa Main Shop.

Before we left Nara, we also stopped by Nipponichi (日本市) at Sanjo Dori. Nipponichi is also a brand from Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten focused on selling Japanese made souvenirs.

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February 28, 2017 | Categories: Japan, Japan: Kyoto and Nara 2016, Kyoto and Nara | Tags: 2&9, craft, deer, 遊中川, heritage, Japan, lifestyle, Masashichi, Nakagawa, Nara, Narazashi, shop, Shoten, tradition, Yu, 奈良, 中川政七商店 | Leave a comment

DAY 4 (4/6): KOFUKUJI (興福寺), Nara (奈良), Japan, 2016.12.06

Visiting Nara and Kyoto in Japan, where historical temples and old timber houses mushroomed across the landscape and lined along the alleyways of the ancient capitals, is a close encounter with what we consider as the heritage of Japan. A brief visit to Kofukuji on our way out of Nara Park provided a proper closure to a fruitful day of cultural heritage when we had already seen Horyuji, Todaiji and Kasuga Taisha. A prominent representation of the Nara Period (AD 710-794), the Buddhist temple had seen better days in history, primarily during Nara Period and Heian Period (AD 794 – 1185), when Kofukuji and Kasuga Taisha controlled much of the politics and religion of the kingdom. Since, Kofukuji had gone through a gradual decline. The anti-Buddhist policies of the Meiji Era (1868-1912) gave the temple its final blow, when Kofukuji was forced to be separated from Kasuga Taisha, such that Shintoism could be separated from Buddhism.

Kofukuji is the headquarters of the Hosso sect of Buddhism in Japan. Hosso, known as Yogachara in Indian Buddhism, is the school of Buddhism focused on meditative and yogic practice and believed that human experience is primarily constructed by the power of the mind. This school of philosophy was founded by the famous Chinese monk and traveler Xuanzang (玄奘), who visited India in the 7th century for Buddhist teachings and scriptures. Some of Xuanzang’s pupils were later responsible to bring the teachings of Buddhism to Korea and Japan. As the headquarters of Hosso, Kofukuji was once a large temple complex comprised of 175 buildings. Today, only a few of the original architecture remained. While we were there, the Central Golden Hall was under renovation and covered with scaffolding. We could still, however, admired the ancient architecture of Kofukuji Temple, including the Octagonal Halls, Eastern Golden Hall and the iconic Five-storey Pagoda.

We passed by the iconic Five-storey Pagoda (五重塔) on our way out of the Nara Park.

At 50m, Kofukuji’s Five-storey Pagoda (五重塔) is Japan’s second tallest, and an iconic symbol of the city of Nara.

The beautiful Eastern Golden Hall (東金堂) houses a large wooden statue of Yakushi Buddha.

Overview of the Eastern Golden Hall and Five-storey Pagoda.

Founded in AD 813 and reconstructed in 1789, the Nanendo (南円堂, Southern Octagonal Hall) is another beautiful piece of architecture.

List of donor’s names near the Nanendo (South Octagonal Hall)

The stair down to Sanjo Dori Street was lined with donor’s flags.

A path off the stair led us to a platform where a cluster of small Buddhist shrines stood under a few maple trees.

A beautiful statue stood out from the cluster of shrines.

Reconstructed in AD 1181, the Three-storey Pagoda (三重の塔) is one of the two oldest surviving buildings at the temple complex.

The Nanendo viewed from the Three-storey Pagoda.

Nakatanidou (中谷堂) at Sanjo Dori near Kofukuji is famous for its traditional fast mochi (Japanese rice cakes) pounding known as mochitsuki.

Yomogi mochi at Nakatanidou (中谷堂) are made with a wild Japanese plant called mugwort. These rice cakes were really tasty.

After a long day of temple hoping, we stopped by the relaxing Mellow Cafe for a quick bite. The cafe is famous for its stone pizza oven. We ordered a pizza with top with cheese and Japanese pickles.

And washed the pizza down with a glass of local beer…

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February 26, 2017 | Categories: Japan, Japan: Kyoto and Nara 2016, Kyoto and Nara | Tags: Architecture, beer, Buddhism, Buddhist, 興福寺, Heian, heritage, Hosso, Japan, Kofukuji, Mellow Cafe, mochi, mochitsuki, Nakatanidou, Nanendo, Nara, octagonal, pagoda, pizza, Temple, UNESCO, 奈良, 東金堂, 五重塔 | Leave a comment

DAY 4 (3/6): KASUGA TAISHA (春日大社), Nara (奈良), Japan, 2016.12.06

It was a short walk from Todaiji to Kasuga Taisha (春日大社), the most famous Shinto shrine in Nara. The main path to Kasuga Taisha was a pleasant walk in the woods. First there were just old trees along the path, but soon came the stone lanterns. As we get closer to the shrine complex, more and bigger clusters of stone lanterns appeared. Over three thousand lanterns dotted in and around Kasuga Taisha. Every year, during the festival of Setsubun Mantoro (February 2-4, Spring Festival) and Obon Mantoro (August 14-15, Bon Festival), thousands of lanterns at Kasuga Taisha would be lit up at once.

Atmospheric stone lanterns and old trees lined the path leading to Kasuga Taisha.

Deer is considered to be messengers of the gods. They could be seen all over Nara Park, including the grounds of Kasuga Taisha.

There seemed to be never-ending rows of stone lanterns on our way to Kasuga Taisha.

We passed by the Treasure Hall before entering the main shrine complex. The Treasure Hall houses a number of relics from the old shrine.

Before entering the complex, we passed by a huge wall filled with names of donors.

From the lantern lined path, we walked up the stair to enter the main vermilion complex of Kasuga Taisha.

Close up of the moss-covered stone lanterns near the main entrance.

Many lanterns were written with prayers from donors who made contributions during the 60th renewal of the shrine. Traditionally Shinto shrines in the Ise Jingu would be demolished and rebuilt every 20 years to celebrate the concept of impermanence. Since the Meiji Era at the turning of the 20th century, only the damaged parts of the shrine would be repaired instead of replacing the entire building.

After the entrance, we passed by the wooden pillars that supported the Heiden and Buden (幣殿・舞殿, Palace of Offerings and Dance Palace).

Then we came to a gravel courtyard dominated by the Great Cedar Tree (社頭の大杉). The ancient cedar was about 800 to 1000 year old.

Next came the most prominent building in the courtyard, the Chumon and Oro (中門・御廊, Central Gate and Veranda).

Spreading both directions beyond the Chumon, the Oro Veranda is full of suspended lanterns.

The 10m tall Chumon is the central gate in front of the Main Sanctuary of the shrine. Many visitors line up to come in front of the Chumon to pay their respect.

Vermilion is the dominant colour at the shrine, while green, brown and beige are also used in the ornaments.

Each metal lantern along the Oro Veranda and East and South Cloister looks distinctive.

The small shrines near the South Cloister blend in perfectly with the natural surroundings, especially during autumn times.

There were so many lanterns in Kasuga Taisha. How nice if we could visit the shrine again during Setsubun Mantoro or Obon Mantoro Festival when they were all lit up.

Even the shadow of the lanterns look amazing under the afternoon sun.

After the main shrine at Kasuga Taisha, we headed into the adjacent cedar forest to check out some of the auxiliary shrines.

One of the auxiliary shrines we visited was Meoto Daikokusha (夫婦大国社, couple shrine). Dedicated to the Shinto deity for couple relationships, Meoto Daikokusha is popular for visitors hoping for happy relationships and successful match-making.

Some local visitors and even tourists came wearing traditional kimono dresses.

There were many quiet shrines in the forest, each had its devoted supporters.

We visited several of the auxiliary shrines. The last one we saw was Golden Dragon Shrine.

It was late afternoon and we were a little tired and hungry. Following the two rows of moss-covered stone lanterns, we slowly walked out of Kasuga Taisha.

Near the exit of the forest path, we saw a herd of deer outside the forest right by a beautiful grassland.

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February 23, 2017 | Categories: Japan, Japan: Kyoto and Nara 2016, Kyoto and Nara | Tags: Buden, cedar, Chumon, deer, 舞殿, Fujiwara, Heiden, Japan, Kasuga, lantern, Nara, Oro, park, pilgrimage, religion, Shinto, Shintoism, Shrine, taisha, Temple, veranda, 奈良, 幣殿, 春日大社 | Leave a comment

Blue Lapis Road ultramarinus – beyond the sea