Kyoto: Day 1, part 1

For my first full day in Kyoto, I decided to begin with what the Yahoo Travel Guide ranked as the most visited spot in Kyoto, a temple with three names. The official name is Rykuon-ji, but all of the Kyoto maps and guide books refer to it as Kinkaku-ji, and tourists call it the Golden Pavilion Temple. Whatever it’s name, however, it is a breathtakingly beautiful Zen temple. I would say that it was my favorite, but I know that I would end of calling all of them my favorite, so I will say that Kinkaku-ji (that is the name on the bags from the souvenir shop, so that’s what I’ll go with) was the most impressive sight in Kyoto. The main building of the complex sits on a small island in the middle of the Mirror Pond. Three stories tall, the second and third levels are completely covered in gold-leaf on Japanese lacquer. I can say without exaggeration, that it took my breath away. And as beautiful as the temple is, the grounds are amazing as well.

Originally built in 1397 as a retirement villa for Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, Kinkaku-ji was converted to a Zen temple after his death. And as always, it was inspiring to think about how much history is represented by these buildings and grounds. As usual, however, I am reminded of the story of a man who claimed to own the axe that George Washington used to chop down the cherry tree. The handle had been replaced four times and the blade three times. It is often the same way with these temples and shrines. The present structure of the temple was built in 1955 after being burned down by a crazy monk. The most recent coating of gold-leaf was applied in 1987 and the roof was restored in 2003. For me though, none of this takes away from it’s beauty or it’s sense of history. I highly recommend placing this one on top on your list of places to see when visiting Japan. Until then, please enjoy my pictures on Flickr.com.

After Kinkaku-ji, I walked about 15 minutes southwest to Ryoan-ji. (For your information, ji means imperial temple.) Where no matter how beautiful the gardens of Kinkaku-ji, the temple will always be the main attraction, Ryoan-ji is exactly the opposite. The temple itself is rather non-descript. It’s fame comes from the 25 by 10 meter Zen rock garden enclosed in it’s walls. Consisting of white sand and fifteen black rocks, it is acknowledged as one of the masterpieces of Japanese culture. According to the literature, infinite teachings can be learnt from the garden and the longer one looks upon it, the further your imagination will take you. I will admit that the first 10 minutes of gazing on the garden, my thoughts were primarily sarcastic and cynical. After a bit of time however, I felt a deep sense of peace take over and I spent about half an hour there basking in relaxation with the other tourists who seemed to also feel the calm of the garden.

The grounds of Ryoan-ji itself are also quite serene, though the signs did there best to dissuade me from enjoying the best parts. There were many forks in the trails with a sign pointing one direction with the words, ‘usual route.’ Well, it’s like waving a red cape in front of a bull… or not, I’m not sure how well that metaphor works. Anyway, seeing a sign that says ‘usual route’ does nothing if not ensure that I will head off the opposite direction. And, of course, the unusual route was always the least scenic, so I would eventually double back to travel the usual route to see the best views. These experiences didn’t change my decision the next time I came upon a ‘usual route’ sign, however. Obstinate? I prefer adventurous.

Anyway, back to the grounds of Ryoan-ji, the main attraction is Kyoyochi Pond, made in the late twelfth century. Circled by a walking path and a couple rock bridges, the pond until recently was home to many mandarin ducks. Now it is mostly covered with water lilies. And from one side, you can spy a small rickety wooden covering sheltering a rickety wooden canoe as picturesquely placed as Stoppard’s old hermitage, and no doubt as authentic.

Heading back to the Kinkaku-ji bus stop, I passed the Kyoto Museum of Fine Arts and decided to check it out. Inside I enjoyed an interesting exhibit of scenes of prayer in Oriental art. Again, it was so amazing to see so much art and relics covering such a large expanse of history.

By this time, it was close to two o’clock, and I decided it was time to head back to the hostel and drop off the few souvenirs I had purchased and find something to eat.

Stay tuned for the second half of my first day in Kyoto. More temples, more gardens, and more unusual foods.

- Jenny