Kyoto and HISTORY

By the way, my umbrella is shaped like a katana.

Alas, I have returned from my expedition with Ken to Kyoto. And what an adventure it's been! There's just far too much to say about the two days I've spent in the city to summarize into one post, so I'm splitting my visit into three different parts: History, Culture and Nature.
 Let's start at the beginning, shall we?
 I've read somewhere that Kyoto and the neighboring region houses 1600 different temples and shrines. All of them stand intact: unlike many of the other cities of Japan, Kyoto had been left untouched by the ravages of World War II.
Today, it stands as a huge historical site that draws in a bunch of tourists throughout the year.

Needless to say, I did not visit all the 1600 temple and shrines (or even 800, or 100 for that matter) but my trip has been highlighted by the occasional temple or castle here and there.

I took this picture stealthily. I wasn't allowed to.

One such temple was the famous Sanjuusangen-dou. Shaped like a long hallway, the temple houses 1000 Buddhist Kannon statues made of brass, all seemingly identical in all features; and each as beautiful as the next. Row upon row of the statues line up from one side of the lengthy hall to the other, standing in an almost eerily dimly-lit space. Nearby, the chanting of a monk and the flickering of candles. Spaced evenly in front of the brass Kannon statues are figures of 28 Buddhist Guardian Deities as well as the local deities Fujin and Raijin, each beautifully detailed.

Another notable temple was the Kinkakuji Golden Pavilion and its surrounding garden. Considered by most to be a huge highlight to Kyoto, its gold-leaf coating doubles as a gaijin-magnet. Though you can't really make it out through the picture here-standing, a bronze figure of a phoenix sits upon its roof. We first mistook for a rooster. Cue in jokes about solid bronze cocks.
 In all seriousness, though, it was the combination in beauty of the temple itself and its garden both that made the visit so radiant and worthwhile. At the price of a small entrance fee, one can take a stroll around the temple and enjoy its garden, but from what I gathered, it's not possible to enter the temple's interior. Unless you're like, some kind of feudal lord or some shit. Or maybe the emperor. I bet he can enter.

Oh look, a mouse shrine!

Of course, these are just strawberries on the shortcake. Like I said, Kyoto contains an unbelievable amount of such national treasures, as well as the occasional little hidden shrine just off the side of the beaten path. I'm not such a history buff myself, but I did enjoy the historical aspect the city had to offer. But those weren't the topmost highlights of my trip. There's a lot more to come. Geishas and monkeys, to name a few things.