Kyoto 

Kyoto - the Florence of Japan.  The city vibrates with creative energy.  For over 1,000 years, skilled craftsmen, wise masters and promising young artists have come here to find fame and fortune.  The city certainly contains many of Japan's finest art and architectural treasures.

Kyoto’s gardens  and ryokans (traditional inns) are magnificent zones of tranquility.  The great Shogun Ieasu’s great great-grandson built the Shugakuin Imperial Villa in 1659.  It contains beautiful grounds at the foot of a mountain with  serene, vistas over Kyoto. Our favorite though are the gardens, seen here, of the Shinto Heian Shrine built in in 1895 during the Meiji restoration.    The combination of water, buildings, greenery and flowers is quite breathtaking.     

We visit Ieasu's famous Nijo Castle which was built with intentionally creaking floors to warn of an impending enemy attack.  The Sanjusangendo Temple is famous for its wooden goddess with 1000 arms.  We see the Golden and Silver Pavilions.  It's an ongoing feast of history, culture and beauty.

In the Japan of today, the traditional ryokan or inn is the ultimate Japanese paradox.  Life so hectic in the modern Japanese city. Everyone is in a hurry, rush, rush, rush.  Late into the evening we see the businessmen and women on their way home still carrying briefcases.  It is so at odds with the birthplace of Zen Buddhism with its emphasis on solitude and meditation.   Conversely, inside a  ryokan  - everything is low key and oh, so quiet.  We are fortunate to stay at one of the most famous  - The Tawaraya  Ryokan, which has been in the same family for 11 generations.   There is a beautiful and completely private garden right outside our bedroom, seen here.  We walk around our room without shoes on tatami mats.  Design is spare in the extreme. Upon arriving back after a weary day of sight seeing, a hot bath, already drawn, awaits.  But, one always takes a soapy hot shower before soaking in that glorious bath.  In the rooms, all modern conveniences are hidden.  There are covers over the television, phone, refrigerator, even the toilet paper holder.  Imagine a toilet that is the highest of high tech gadgets.  One has to really search for hidden treasures such as the air conditioning control or electrical outlets, all of which are at ground level to keep them unobtrusive.  Our personal lady-in-waiting, Ito is always on hand to bring us cups of the finest green tea or to lay out our futons.   Dinner is always available to be served in the room after a long day of sightseeing.

Perhaps it is a fitting goodbye to Japan leaving after a restful night in the Tawaraya Ryokan.  Ito accompanies us to our waiting taxi and literally stands waving to us as we disappear down the street.  My final image, as we turn the corner is Ito, standing in the road and waving.  Goodbye Ito.  Thank you for the memories.

  Garden Scene      Golden Pavilion          Garden             Painted Doors      Engraved Doors           Garden                 Garden           

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