Sacred Kyoto

We visited lots temples and gardens in Kyoto. It is said that in Japan 90% of people are Buddhists and 95% are Shinto! Buddhist and Shinto shrines often sit side by side sharing the same beautiful, luscious, and often ancient gardens. There were always lots of people visiting but somehow they all managed to offer something deeply peaceful. This is Ginkaku-ji, The Silver Pavilion, which was just near our house.

It sat in a moss garden. 

Like a fairy tale.

This is Sanjusangendo, Japans longest structure and home to 1001 Golden Buddha statues which was an awesome sight to behold! No photo's allowed but look here and you'll see.

Drawers that hold prayers.

Prayers folded and tied and left to be answered.

Amazing colours and patterns at Kiyomizudera.

and a far reaching view from above the tree tops.

I was wondering what the chains were that you see hanging from roofs of traditional building. They are DRAINPIPES would you believe. The water trickles down each component, drop by drop. Yes,even the drains are aesthetically pleasing in Japan.

Who's this peaceful looking chap?

He was meditating in the Ryoanji gardens which is home to the famous Zen rock garden which is now a world heritage site.

(note the drainpipe!)

At night the shrines were lit by lanterns.

Did I tell you how much I like lights?

Out of all this beauty the most breathtaking was Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Temple. I'd seen pictures of it before but actually standing in front of it and seeing it with my own eyes made me a bit teary it was so beautiful. The way it sat in the landscape and the intense richness and craftsmanship of it. Indescribable actually. Apparently the Samurai that built it lived in a house that looked out on it but as he couldn't actually see the bottom floor from his window he didn't bother gilding it!

I wanted to join the birds we saw flying over the pond and go and touch it.

The gold is said to mitigate and purify any pollution or negative thoughts. Well I certainly didn't have any while I was looking at it. Come to think of it our trip was pretty good for dispelling than kind of thing overall!

Ai Kawauchi and the Bamboo Forest

Ever since I first decided to go to Kyoto I had been sooooo excited about visiting the bamboo forests of Arashiyama. The photos of it online looked astonishing. This was the day I was looking forward to the most AND it turned out to be better than I had imagined because we had company. Let me introduce you to the lovely Ai Kawauchi. 

Ai is one of the designers who is going to be in my book. She makes the most beautiful textile pieces by wrapping silk organza around black beans or marbles and soaking it in special chemicals so that the fabric takes on their shape. As well as making exquisite jewellery, like this brooch, she makes large lighting pieces too, hence her appearing in Illuminate. I had only ever spoken to her online so I was really happy when she she came up from her home in the south of Japan to meet us in Kyoto. 

We found a beautiful cafe in Arishiyama called Sagano-yu.

It was located in an old bath house.

This is the cupboard where people put their shoes.

It still had taps on the wall.

It was good to have Ai to help us read the menu.

We shared a lovely lunch and there were presents!!! Ai had bought us both one of her brooches and the sweetest soy sauce pot which has been made in her hometown.

Ai was very pleased with her fennel tea light cover.

Sweet memories!

After looking at lots of sweet things in their shop upstairs

 it was time for some Shinrin-yoku or what the Japanese call forest bathing!

Can you smell it? Oh my. It was the perfect day.

On top of the world

Now anyone who read my blog knows how much I like the woods so you can imagine how much I was dying to get among the trees in Japan. Just near our house was Mount Daimonji and you could walk through the forest to get to the top. 

Up and up and up we went. It's the same as at home - people may not greet each other in the street but everyone says hello when they are out hiking so we got to practice our 'Konnichiwa's'!

I liked the different leaves underfoot

and the shrines tucked in the undergrowth,

but I'm glad we didn't run into any of these guys!

We got very high up pretty fast and from the top we could see the whole of Kyoto laid out in front of us. It was a good way to get our bearings.

(all the following photos by Natalie)

Apparently lots of people make a daily pilgrimage up to the top  

 to visit the shrine, 

or perhaps just to get their daily exercise!

I love this photo of Natalies. He was listening to his portable radio and keeping his eye of the time.We had to watch the time too because Beth was coming to call for us. Back down the mountain and to a florist we spotted on the way to buy a bunch of flowers for her. 

We had so much to thank Beth for as we had both got so much out of her e-courses Hello Soul, Hello Business, and the Art & Business of Surface Pattern, not to mention her warm Kyoto welcome. I wish  we had a picture of the lovely florist lady who arranged our flowers (she said she was too old for pictures) AND I wish we had a picture of Beth on her purple push bike with her her big bunch of flowers balanced precariously in her basket riding through the Kyoto streets with me and Natalie wobbling behind her trying to keep up. Even though Natalie hadn't ridden a bike for 30 years and me for a few, getting the bikes was the beginning of a new sense of freedom. We loved them and they were about to take us on many adventures and make Kyoto Kyoto!