Japan Day 5

This was my only totally free day throughout the duration of this trip. So, I had to take advantage of it and go big. I caught the Nozomi Shinkansen (the fastest bullet train) at 6 AM for a 2 hour ride to Kyoto, the cultural capital of Japan. Upon arriving, I joined up with a tour group that went to several of the top attractions within the city.

The first stop was Nijo Castle which was built in 1603 and was the Kyoto residence of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Nijo is a fascinating building that still has functioning Nightingale floors and gorgeous interiors hidden in a solemn exterior. Nijo castle also has a wonderful garden.

Stop 2 was Kinkakuji Temple and it's Golden Pavillion. Nestled in its exquisite gardens, the Golden Pavillion rests upon a serene pond. She glitters and gleams in gold leaf. Having burned down three times previously, she rises from the ashes much like the pheonix that adorns its roof.

The third stop was the Shinto shrine of Kitano Tenmangu. Kitano honors the spirit of Michizane Sugawara who was then named Karai Tenjin. Tenjin is now regarded as the deity of scholastic studies, and is extremely popular with students preparing for high school or university entrance examinations.

After lunch and some shopping, we went to the fourth stop of the Heian Jingu Shrine. The Heian Shrine has the vermillion court replica of the Imperial Palace and the beautiful Shin-en gardens that sprawl over 30,000 sq. meters. The gardens are home to various ponds, bridges, and buildings.

Next was Sanju-Sangendo Hall which houses 1001 statues of Kannon dating back from the 13th century. Unfortunately, photos were not allowed of the hand-carved golden statues, but each one is magnificent and unique.

The final stop was the Kiyozimudera Temple which rests atop the hill and looks over all of Kyoto. The only way up is a quaint old lane lined with stores. Atop the temple is a terrace that provides a gorgeous panoramic view of the city and the surrounding environs. Nestled in the area is a three-story pagoda and a waterfall that splits into three channels that are attributed to wisdom, health, and fortune.

Whew, what a busy day. All in all, each day has been filled with walking and travelling. It is important to note that there was a 7.0 earthquake that occured in the northeast area of Honshu by Iwate and Miyagi...I was fortunate to be several hundred miles away. However, apparently Tokyo felt the shocks.

Japan Day 2 & 3

Okay, Day 2 was our first full day in Japan and we were busy! We started the day going around Akasaka and went first to the Diet Building. No, the Diet Building has nothing to do with food. The Diet is their main government building that houses their Representatives and Senators. The Japanese government is very similar to the British government. The Japanese do not have a king, but they do have an emperor. Both really don't have a lot of governmental power, but they are still considered important. The Japanese also have a Prime Minister and 2 Houses of legislators. While we couldn't take pictures inside the Diet, I can say that the building is very impressive with lots of marble and inticate designs. Oh yeah, it is super clean much like the rest of Japan.

We then went to Asakusa where there is a famous Buddhist Temple and Shinto Shrine. Shinto is the religion that is originally from Japan. It is based on hero worship and some nature worship. On the otherhand, Buddhism is from the Chinese and generally believes in a deity called Buddha.

After our sightseeing trip, our group watched a Kyogen performance. Kyogen is an old style of Japanese theater that have the actors talk in a very sing-song type of voice and dance in very controlled movements.

Day 3 was very informative. We spent the day mostly in lectures and workshops about Japan's economy and in a discussion by some of the top legislators for Japan. We also went to catch a baseball game with the Seibu Lions vs. The Hanshin Tigers. The Japanese are big fans of American Baseball and go all out at their games.