Today was a public holiday so we headed to Kyoto for the Gion festival – it is the biggest (I think) in Japan! Unfortunately we lost about 3 hours of our day as there had been an accident and the trains were delayed but we still managed to see one of my favourite sites in Kyoto - Kiyomizu-dera.
The main part of Kiyomizu.
All of us at Kiyomizu.
Kiyomizu-dera consists of a pagoda, temples, sacred water that you can catch to drink and a love shrine! At the love shrine I bought a charm for “finding love”! and I did what Tina calls the “walk of shame”! You have to walk from one rock to the other with your eyes closed and if you make it you will find true love! I will have to wait and see! ☺
Info about the “walk of shame” and the love stones!
Me starting the “walk”!!!
Kate catching the sacred water!
The Gion festival began as a way for residents in the Gion area to display their beautiful art and artefacts. For three nights leading up to the 17th July residents open their doors so you can catch a glimpse of the beautiful things that they own.
Kate and I in our yukata!
All the people in the Gion area.
All of us at the Gion festival in our yukata!
Looking through a door into a beautiful Japanese house.
During the night we wandered around looking into houses and seeing the floats that would be used in the parade the next day. We also enjoyed wonderful festival food – like fried chicken, takoyaki, toffee fruit and frozen bananas!
The beautiful floats at night with lanterns.
The other part of the festival is a parade which occurs on the 17th July and consists of 32 floats covered in beautiful fabrics which have huge wagon wheels. The floats are extremely tall and have quite a bit of trouble turning corners. To turn the corner the men put down bamboo slats and water. It was a great parade to see and there were so many people there!
The floats.
We then went by train to Arashiyama which is just outside of Kyoto. We hired bikes and went to Seiryo-ji (temple). Kate and I went into the temple and got to see the gardens and when we were in the main area a man waved us over and said that we could put special powdered incense on the fire to pray.
The temple.
Temple gardens.
Kate in the temple garden.
We then rode up a very steep hill to Adashino Nembutsu-ji where there are hundreds of budda rocks and gravestones. There is also a beautiful bamboo forest.
Budda rocks.
Bamboo forest.
Then we rode up another steep hill to go to Ghioh-ji (temple). It is a small temple which has an amazing moss covered garden.
We then got to ride down a very steep hill to get to Togetsukyo bridge! It is a huge bridge where many people hang out and enjoy the sunshine.
It was a busy two days but I really enjoyed both days and I think it was a great way for Kate to start her holiday – especially with the Gion festival as it is one of the most popular and famous festivals in Japan!
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