Within Daibutsu-den, the Hall of the Great Buddha, there is a large pillar with a relatively small hole, ostensibly the size of one of the Buddha’s nostrils. According to lore, if you can successfully crawl through the hole, you will achieve enlightenment. If today was anything to go by, this path to enlightenment is the preserve of hoards of schoolchildren, but I couldn’t resist having a go. Getting through successfully earned much admiration from the Japanese adults watching, and presumably the level of enlightenment common amongst Japanese schoolchildren.
We made the day trip from Kyoto to Nara to check out Tōdai-ji and its celebrated Great Buddha. It really is a bloody big Buddha, and it is housed in the largest wooden building in the world along with assorted scary statues, one of which is rather incongruously holding a calligraphy scroll and brush. We also couldn’t resist contributing ¥1000 to the temple restoration fund, seeing as we got to inscribe our own tile and, apparently, gain eternal happiness.
Another wonderful self-grilled beef-fest, this time of assorted (and officially certified) Wagyu cuts. These included diaphragm and hip meat, both of which were outstanding. But the star of the show was the block of “neck” meat, so good we just had to order another…
Aritsugu is a knife store in Kyoto’s Nishiki Market, and is one of the most famous knife shops in Japan. Sam could not resist leaving without his own personalized souvenir.
A soggy day at Nijō-jō, Kyoto’s castle.
The Kiyomizu Temple is another place where they pack the tourists in by the bus load. But crowds notwithstanding, it’s beautifully situated in the eastern hills overlooking Kyoto, and thus a lovely place to watch the sunset.
October 22 is the festival of Jidai-Matsuri, or the festival of ages. It marks the anniversary of Kyoto being installed as the old capital. The main element of the festival is a giant parade of people dressed in all manner of historical costumes. Japanese parades are about what you would expect, which is to say extremely well-ordered. They could have done with a few more marching bands, though. A bit surreal to watch a parade in silence.
Verdant moss, soaring bamboo, sparse desert shrubs, pine trees so ancient and pruned they have to be propped up, perfectly raked gravel studded with granite boulders: stunning gardens in temples at the Daitoku-Ji complex.
The Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-Ji) was the inspiration for the Silver Pavilion. Built as a retirement retreat by a warlord in 1390ish, it was turned into a temple on his death. This Pavilion is only 60 years old - a monk, obsessed with the building and suffering from rather substantial mental illness, burned down the original in 1955. The above is an exact replica (and all the more shiny for it). Given its beauty, it is very much on the tourist route in Kyoto. Accordingly, the enterprising Buddhist sect running the place has made sure that sufficient tacky souvenirs are available
View from our window: Gimmond Hotel, Kyoto. 7:40 am, 22 October 2013