Kyoto, Japan is one of the places on the topic list that I have visited! I have been to Kyoto twice - once on an exchange program when I was 15 years old, and again in 2011 with my husband, Lee. Both times I really enjoyed myself.
 |
| The gate at Kiyomizudera, a temple in Kyoto. |
Both times I visited Japan, I went to Kiyomizudera, one of Kyoto's most famous temples. Of course, this is only one of many temples and shrines in Kyoto, but I really appreciated this temple's simple beauty. It is named the "pure water" temple, because of a waterfall at the temple.
 |
| Another picture I took at Kiyomizudera. In the Edo era apparently at least 200 people jumped off the terrace in the picture. They believed that jumping off the terrace would bring them luck and that they would survive the fall thanks to the temple's guardian gods. Though the temple is about 4 stories up, apparently 85% of the people who jumped actually did survive. |
|
|
Another special feature of Kyoto is the chance to glimpse Japan's geisha and maiko tradition. This tradition is almost lost, but in Kyoto there are still maiko - geishas in training. Lee and I went to see a free maiko dance performance at a cultural center.
 |
| A maiko is a geisha-in-training. There are very few geisha and maiko in modern Japan, but Kyoto is one of the main places to see them. |
My favorite part of the trip, however, was visiting the monkeys at the Iwatayama Monkey Park in the Kyoto suburb of Arashiyama. It was a quick train ride and a short mountain hike away. We spent a few hours feeding and hanging out with the monkeys!
 |
This baby monkey is not in a zoo - he is outside, and I am watching and feeding him from inside a small building! The monkeys live on the mountainside, and people come to visit.
|
|
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
My husband, Lee, hanging out with a monkey!
|
 |
| This trip to Kyoto is one of my happiest memories of all time. |
|
|
This is just a small assortment of what there is to see and do in Kyoto, however. Kyoto has many other temples and shrines, special festivals, famous foods and other attractions to offer. Kyoto would definitely make an interesting topic for an essay and presentation! Do you have any questions about Kyoto or any of the other presentation topics? Just ask! Happy Choosing!
I don't like temple because temple is very boring. However I had changed my mind of Kiyomizudera. I think Kiyomizudera is very beautiful and fun because of monkey. I hope to go there, really!. (2011210461, tuesday 1pm)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you like the monkeys! They were my favorite part of my trip to Japan! However, the monkeys were not at Kiyomizudera - they were in Arashiyama, which is a suburb of Kyoto. There is a temple in a nearby city, Nara, however, where many wild deer wander outside and you can feed them! Maybe you would like that temple!
DeleteWhat is interesting other things in Kyoto? Any representative foods or attractions.
ReplyDeleteOh, there are many interesting things in Kyoto, but mainly shrines and temples and the geisha and maiko whom I talked about above. I'm not actually sure about the famous foods in Kyoto, because I'm a vegetarian, and most cities have special meat or seafood dishes. I did enjoy, however, some great vegetarian curry and also soy ice cream sundaes made with cornflakes and fruit!
Deleteoh!!! Soy ice cream is so interesting!!! I first heard about that.
DeleteJAPAN~ What a clean country! When I was 13 years old, I went to Japan with my friend and friend's brother. Sure enough contain tourguide. I felt Japan is clean and considerate act. I haven't kyoto, your blog's posting is nice Indirect experience! Thank you ~ I wants to touch the cute MONKEY!
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean about "Sure enough contain tour guide"? Did you have a tour guide there? I couldn't touch the monkeys, unfortunately! There were many signs which warned about touching the monkeys. However, when I held out my hand with the food, the monkey took it with his paw and so I did feel the monkey's paw that way. That was cool! Where did you go when you were 13 years old? What city did you visit?
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI like Kyoto's a peaceful atmosphere. If I go to Japan, I will visit to Kyoto! Especially, I really want to go to the Iwatayama Monkey Park. (Wednesday 1pm, 2013212136)
ReplyDeleteYes, I really recommend Kyoto! I think Tokyo and Osaka are interesting places, of course, but Kyoto is a very unique place. You can enjoy big city comfort but without big city stress! Nara is also interesting - In Nara you can feed wild deer!
DeleteSecond picture, poor 15%...
ReplyDeletemaybe temple's guardian gods didn't like them.
I can't understand why they are doing like that.
Ha ha ha! Very funny comment! Yes, it seems like a very poor idea. Nobody does that these days, thank goodness!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOh.... gaisha. I am curious that, How was it feeling? I haver never been there...Maybe next year i will be go japan. Tell me what is the famous food in Kyoto.
ReplyDeletePs:Read e-mail please.... i sent an e-mail at 9/23 but you didn't read
I'm not sure about Kyoto's famous food, actually, because I'm a vegetarian, so I don't eat meat or seafood (and most famous foods in Japan have meat or seafood.) I did have many cool soy ice cream sundaes, though. In Japan they add lots of fruit and cornflakes cereal to their ice cream sundaes! It's pretty cool! I will look for your e-mail ;)
DeleteI looked for your e-mail but I can't find it - do you have a question? Please check my address one more time and try to send it again!
DeleteJapan is nor far to Korea but I have never been to Japan. I don't know many things about Japan but your posting is interesting! If I visit Japan, I want to g to a spa. Japan's spa is famous ,isn't it?
ReplyDeleteYes, I think the spas there are famous. However, I didn't go to a spa when I was there. Someday I want to go to a spa in the northern part of Japan, however. There are some outdoor spas there where you can rest in a pool near another pool with monkeys! (Yes, I really like monkeys.)
DeleteYou look so happy in the picture. That's why I want to be there you visited. Have you and your husband ever traveled to Korea together?
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I have only traveled a little bit in Korea. That's because we used to live in Busan, so we always felt happy just to stay in Busan and go to various attractions in the city. Busan is so big with so many beaches, mountains, temples, museums and other interesting places, that we never felt bored! These days we work too much! We want to go to Seoul soon, though!
DeleteIt's good. I am looking forward to your new posting!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI heard Kyoto like Gyungju. Both are central city of past time.
ReplyDeleteSo Kyoto also has a lot of tourist attractions like Gyungju.
There are some similarities between Kyoto and Gyeongju, but I think Kyoto is bigger - at least it feels bigger! It definitely has more benefits of a city, such as more transportation options, more different types of restaurants, bigger stores and buildings, etc. Gyeongju reminds me more of Nara - another former capital of Japan which is near Kyoto. Nara is a bit smaller and has a lot of natural areas. One way that Nara is different, however, is that it's filled with wild deer!
DeleteThank you for introducing wonderful city! I want to go Kyoto. Temple is so grand and monkey is so cute. What did you eat there?
ReplyDeleteIn Kyoto we ate a lot of different foods - but we are strict vegetarians, so we couldn't eat many local specialties. However, we ate great curry and miso soup and pickled vegetables and soy ice cream sundaes with fruit and cereal and delicious toppings! We had a great time!
DeleteThank to your kyoto stories, I get a knowledge about Kyoto. Thnak you.
ReplyDeleteI want to go Kyoto. I envious you. What did you do in Kiyomizudera? Did you jumping off the terrace?
Ha ha ha ha ha - No, we didn't jump off the terrace! We just took some pictures and prayed to the Buddha, and enjoyed the scenery at Kiyomizudera. It was a bit crowded, but it was still nice. There were many Korean people there, actually!
DeleteKyoto is very beautiful city. Specially, I think that `Kiyomizudera` is attractive place. You and your husband look great!!
ReplyDeleteThanks! We were so happy while we were in Kyoto, especially on the day we took that picture. That was the day we hung out with the monkeys! I really like animals!
DeleteI haven't seen a maiko dance performance. How was it? Was it fantastic? you saw a maiko dance performance.
ReplyDeleteIt was a short performance, but it was very beautiful. I felt peaceful while I watched it. The only thing I didn't like was that the maiko's face was so serious. I know that that's an important part of the dance and the style, but when I dance I always feel happy and smile, so I wished that she would smile. I wonder how she felt when she was dancing? Maybe she felt happy, but she couldn't smile.
DeleteI went to Kyoto when I was 16years old. The most impressive places for me is Deer park, because deer wandered around me.
ReplyDeleteWow! I visited the deer park too! Was it the deer park in Nara? A deer almost poked me in the eye there, but I still had a great time! Who did you travel with? Your friends, family, school?
DeleteYes, It was. Also I visited many Nara's attraction. I was afraid that many deers came to me. I traveled with my mom and my aunt. It was very interesting experience.
Deleteyou look so happy. Kiyomizudera is different with korea temple. i want to visit this temple.
ReplyDeleteIt was a very interesting temple. There was a very crowded section too, where you could buy good luck charms for different things. I was very happy during this trip. I think it was the best trip of my life! What was your best trip?
DeleteKyoto is very traditional cite!! If I go Kyoto, I should go Kiyomizudera!!
ReplyDeleteBecause, This struture is very beautiful thing.
Your family is very happy. I want go Japan but I worried Japan;s radioactive matter.
ReplyDelete