Blog 1 | Kyoto, Ibaraki, Nara

Kiyomizu-dera Temple (清水寺, literally "Pure Water Temple")

-Over 1250 years have passed since the founding of Kiyomizu-dera Temple in 780. It was founded in 780 on the site of the Otowa Waterfall in the wooded hills east of Kyoto, and derives its name from the fall's pure waters. This temple is best known for its wooden deck that peaks out from its main hall and stands 43 feet above the ground. When we had arrived the streets leading up to the temple had already been packed with people and when we got to the temple it was no different. The view of Kyoto from the wooden deck was beautiful.

Kinkakuji (金閣寺, Golden Pavilion)

-Kinkakuji also known as the Golden Pavilion is a Zen temple in northern Kyoto. The top two floors are completely covered in gold leaf. The temple was the retirement villa of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and has been rebuilt several times due to fires. The temple is overlooking a large pond. Towards the end of the pathway, my girlfriend and I lit and placed candles that had different meanings. The one I had chosen meant "good health" and my girlfriend had chosen "success in school."

Ryoanji Temple (龍安寺, Ryōanji)

-Ryoanji Temple is the site of Japan's most famous rock garden. Originally, this temple was an aristocrat's villa during the Heian Period, but was then converted into a Zen temple in 1450. It belongs to the Myoshinji school of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism. The Ryoanji Temple grounds also include a spacious park area with pond that we saw was filled with Sakura Trees. In my gallery of photos I included a Chouzubachi, or water basin, that I encountered on the pathway leading up to the temple.

Nara Park (奈良公園, Nara Kōen)

-Nara park is a large park centered in the city of Nara. It had been established in 1880, and is the location of many of Nara's main attractions. It is home to hundreds of freely roaming deer who are considered the messengers of the gods. Over 1000 deers live here and you may buy rice crackers for sale around the park. They cost no more than 200 yen. Some deer have learned to bow to visitors to ask to be fed. Nara's deer are surprisingly tame, although they can be aggressive if they think you will feed them. Some of them even bit my butt and clothes asking for food. I had to wave my hands up to express that I did not have anymore food.

Chadō (茶道, 'The Way of Tea')

-The Japanese tea ceremony is a cultural activity that involves the ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha, powdered green tea. This procedure is called temae. Interior, architecture, landscape, and utensils all contribute to creating the atmosphere and mood essential to conducting the tea ceromony in a serene manner. It is said that the nurtured interpersonal relationships, developed appreciation for the arts, and fostered social interaction is very much important.

Ma (gap, space, pause, or space between two parts)

-The essence of Japanese minimalism and its approach to cultural aesthetic. The Japanese Rock Garden (枯山水, karesansui) or Japanese Dry Garden often called a Zen garden, is a distinctive style of Japanese garden. It creates a miniature stylized landscape through carefully composed arrangements of rocks, water features, moss, pruned trees and bushes, and uses gravel or sand that is raked to represent ripples in water. The most famous one in Japan is the one we had visited at Ryoanji Temple in Kyoto. The rain had brought a unique experience. Everyone was quiet as we all observed what the possible meaning of this dry garden can be. The meaning is still unknown today.

Teinei (politeness, courteous, with care)

-Having it been my first time in Japan, I had no idea what to expect. Being foreigners, I was nervous about how we would possibly be treated coming into a different country. Throughout the whole trip the people of Japan treated us with nothing but kindness everywhere we went. It seemed to be a very important cultural aspect in Japan. From good hosts to even the locals of the cities we had visited, all of them treated us with so much kindness and it felt welcoming.

Food

-Our first taste of Japan was in Ukyo, Kyoto where my girlfriend and I had octopus balls and fried chicken on a skewer. The ingredients for the octopus balls seem to have green onion and radish on the top with the octopus is the center. Im not sure if there was a certain sauce inside.