One of the Best Birthdays Ever

I got to celebrate my birthday in Kyoto, Japan doing one of the things I enjoy most--exploring! In spite of the fact that June is the rainy season in Japan, the weather was perfect--cool without a drop of rain. With over 1,000 temples and shrines to see, we hardly knew where to start. We hired a taxi driver to take us to the most famous. Our first stop was Ginkakuji (Silver) Temple, a Zen temple established in 1482. The path leading to the temple was lined with shops.

The gardens were enchanting.

Unfortunately restoration work was being done on the pavilion.

The different types of moss found in the gardens.

We saw the Path of Philosophy which in the spring is lined with cherry blossoms.

The Imperial Palace, the Imperial family's residence until 1868, was closed. We had to satisfy ourselves with a few pictures.

The Rokuon-ji (Golden) Temple was packed with visiting students....

...but the grounds were amazingly peaceful.

The pavilion, originally built in the 1200's, is covered with gold leaf. It houses sacred relics of the Buddha. The original pavilion was burnt by a fanatic monk in 1950. The present building dates from 1955.

An ancient pine tree.

The garden was exquisite and apparently remains as it was in former days.

We watched students trying to throw money into the bowl below.

This is the mound in memory of the white snake.

Thatch on one of the buildings.

As we made our way to Ryoanji Temple, we encountered this statue.

The main attraction at this temple, laid out at the end of the 15th century, is a simple rock garden consisting of white sand and 15 rocks. The walls are made of clay boiled in oil.

Note the moss on the ground in the gardens.

The stone wash basin for the tea room is inscribed with the words,
"I learn only to be contented."

The original silk screens are being restored.

At each building we were allowed to enter,
we left and then picked up our shoes at the entrance.

The architecture of the buildings was impressive.

Nijo Castle, the Kyoto shogun's residence, was built in the 1600s.
The formidable outer gate

The ornate inner gate

Located on Mt. Inariyama is the Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine. Inari is the Shinto god of rice. The shrine is famous for the torii gates that cover the hiking trails up the mountain. Businesses donate money to have a gate dedicated to them.

The washing place at the entrance.

The torii gates

The buildings at the base of the mountain.

Foxes are thought to be Inari's messengers and replicas were found everywhere at the site.

A shop on the grounds

Our day in Kyoto was perfect. We only wished that we could have had several more!