-- From Hroshima to Kyoto
The road tracklog
from Hiroshima to Kyoto
from 2010/12/28 to 2011/01/02
Matsue
Tuesday December 29 I left the southern coast of Japan for the northern coast on the Sea of Japan considered cold and rainy. It was it, after Okayama snow appeared in the mountains and in Matsue a violent storm with thunder claps accommodated me. After the usual course on arrival I began the visits in the driving rain, I had top-of-fit them soaked to the knees. Unless other countries in Asia, here a foreigner obtains a reduction of 50% of the fee in sites! The city known for its castle entirely renovated, one of the twelve keeps left in Japan, and three old houses of which a restaurant Yakumo-year where I lunched of a warigo soba, noodle bowl with slices of duck in broth, delicious but no fortifying. The Castle has a timber structure of a remarkable architecture. Access on the floors is done by a particularly stiff staircase. In rooms various artefacts are exhibited of which armours and helmets of the era as well as crockery.
The castle
Matsue
28/12/2010
The castle
Matsue
28/12/2010
The castle
Matsue
28/12/2010
The castle
Matsue
28/12/2010
The castle
Matsue
28/12/2010
The castle
Matsue
28/12/2010
One of the houses was occupied by called Lafcadio Hearn, Irishman of Greek mother, who illustrated himself by writing Japanese stories.
Old Mansions
Matsue
28/12/2010
Lafcadio Hearn
Matsue
28/12/2010
Lafcadio Hearn
Matsue
28/12/2010
The third one is the Samurai's house where the rooms are furnished with time in a pretty Japanese garden, in spring. I returned to the hotel soaked like a soup.
Buke Yashiki Samurai Residence
Matsue
28/12/2010
Buke Yashiki Samurai Residence
Matsue
28/12/2010
Buke Yashiki Samurai Residence
Matsue
28/12/2010
Izumo Taisha
In the cold early morning I went to the station to take a train for Izumo, 40 minutes of way, where I had patience 30 minutes to await a bus for Izumo Taisha of 24 minutes, the oldest Shinto shrine in Japan according to the oldest book of Japan -Kojiki- According to the legend it would be also the tallest -48 meters- in the country at the request of Gods. Alas built by 960 AD the structure collapsed five times between 1061 and 1225. The height which reached us is only of 24m, but invisible. Awaited the old age of the building it was put under cocoon for restoration from 2008 to 2013. A huge straw rope -shimenawa- is suspended over the entry of buildings. In this end of the year there was a few people on the spot and numbers shops of the merchants of the temple were closed.
Izumo Taisha
Izumo
29/12/2010
Izumo Taisha
Izumo
29/12/2010
Izumo Taisha
Izumo
29/12/2010
Izumo Taisha
Izumo
29/12/2010
Izumo Taisha
Izumo
29/12/2010
Izumo Taisha
Izumo
29/12/2010
In the late morning I made the opposite way to return to Matsue under a molten drizzle of snow. Unoccupied at the beginning of afternoon I waded in a shopping centre close to the station, in the basement the supermarket with typical Japanese food, in the upper floors the trademarks of luxury of European clothing were present. In the last floor I discovered display sets of puppets in traditional costumes whose price oscillated between 300.000 and 400.000¥. Further on in parts of domestic arts some French items Tfal, in Japanese, and Le Creuset were exhibited. Before returning to the ryokan I took reservations in the trains of the next day to reach Kyoto with a change at Okayama and a stop & go to visit Himeji.
Ichibata Department Store
Matsue
29/12/2010
Ichibata Department Store
Matsue
29/12/2010
Himeji
Started from Matsue before sunrise and under snow I arrived in Himeji around 9:30. By leaving the station I have a presentiment due to a little activity in streets, the Tourist Centre at the station was closed on December the 29 and 30. By arriving at the castle even situation, closed knowing that it was under restoration until 2014. In despair of cause I took a picture of a poster of a gate of the subway.
The castle
Himeji
30/12/2010
The Castle
Himeji
30/12/2010
The castle
Himeji
30/12/2010
The Castle, poster
Himeji
30/12/2010
Streetscape
Himeji
30/12/2010
Kyoto
In the small frozen rain I returned to the station and took a reservation for the first train for Kyoto where I was able to put my feet under the table of an Italian restaurant at the 11th floor of the station with dramatic architecture, windy and icy. Then I established my quarters for seven nights at Ryokan Kyoraku whose rooms are traditional, one lives close to the ground, hard for my legs and my back.
Train Station
Kyoto
30/12/2010
Train Station
Kyoto
30/12/2010
Ryokan Kyoraku
Kyoto
30/12/2010
In front of the Train Station Kyoto Tower is abundantly illuminated and on the esplanade water jets dance on famous musical partitions.
Kyoto Tower
Kyoto
30/12/2010
Musical Fountain
Kyoto
30/12/2010
In this last day of the year 2010 when I put my nose outside there was a one centimetre of snow and it continued to fall all the day taking the visits difficult if not impossible because the traffic of public transport was very slow. The Golden Pavilion was built in 1394 by Shogun Yoshimitsu after having abdicated. It was entirely burnt by a monk in 1950 then rebuilt with identical in 1955, It was covered with golden sheets from ground to ceiling. Although weather and temperature were not ideals indigenous visitors were numerous.
Golden Pavilion, Rokuon-ji
Kyoto
31/12/2010
Ryoan-ji is especially famous for its Rock Garden, fifteen rocks are installed apparently without arrangement on a duly raked white sand sea - kare sansui- quintessence of a Zen garden its significance depends on each visitor. The central pavilion exhibits marvellous paintings on folding screen.
Rock Garden, Ryoan-ji
Kyoto
31/12/2010
Immortals, Ryoan-ji
Kyoto
31/12/2010
The Four Accomplishments, Ryoan-ji
Kyoto
31/12/2010
The Four Accomplishments, Ryoan-ji
Kyoto
31/12/2010
A little further away walking in a ten-centimetre snow layer I strolled in the park of Ninna-ji to look for buildings hidden by the opaque fall of snowflakes.
Main Hall, Ninna-ji
Kyoto
31/12/2010
Pagoda, Ninna-ji
Kyoto
31/12/2010
Five-storied Pagoda, Ninna-ji
Kyoto
31/12/2010
For continuing the visits it was necessary to take buses at a random frequency and with a queue of applicants without end. Around 2:30pm I arrived finally at Kyoto Station to have lunch. In face of the climatic roughness I ceased my peregrinations by taking refuge close to the floor at my hotel.
Happy New Year 2011
In this first day of the year 2011 in the returned sun a numerous crowd was in Buddhist and Shinto temples to ask oracles of good news by buying votive paper. It was of all ages, some laugher, exuberant and facetious young people, and some forties supporting their old parents. I paced them up and down by wading in the melted snow at the foot of the hills in the east of Kyoto in Hingashiyama.
Kiyomizu-dera
Kyoto
01/01/2011
Kiyomizu-dera
Kyoto
01/02/2011
Streetscape
Kyoto
01/01/2011
At the Buddhist temple of Kodai-ji, I had the privilege to attend a religious ceremony whose priests were announced by a concert of drum which pointed out the offices in Tibetan monasteries.
Kodai-ji
Kyoto
01/02/2011
Kodai-ji
Kyoto
01/01/2011
The huge Chion-in, largest of Japan, is the headquarter of the Jodo sect Jodo, Pure Land.
Chion-in
Kyoto
01/01/2011
Chion-in
Kyoto
01/02/2011
In north Ginkaku-ji, one of most popular in Kyoto, the Silver Pavilion was built by Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa in 1482 but it was never covered with silver.
Silver Pavilion, Ginkaku-ji
Kyoto
01/01/2011
Streetscape
Kyoto
01/02/2011
It was an exceptional day sharing the spiritual piety of young and old Japaneses for the non-believer that I became with the passing of years in face of exactions of the religions of any obedience and particularly Muslim terrorists who killed Copt Christians at the time of St Sylvester in Alexandria.
Hikone
By a beautiful sunny morning I visited the Hikone Castle at approximately 62 km away from Kyoto in 50 minutes by JR. It is one of the twelve feudal castles remaining in Japan, they all were built by Shoguns according to architecture -Shirasagi- (white heron). Out the base made up of rocks the structure is entirely out of wood. At the entry of the last wall the bell resounds still three times a day. Contrary to the Matsue castle the interior is empty of item.
The Castle
Hikone
02/01/2011
The Castle, the wall
Hikone
02/02/2011
The Castle, the barbican
Hikone
02/01/2011
The Castle
Hikone
02/02/2011
The Castle
Hikone
02/01/2011
The Castle, the Bell
Hikone
02/02/2011
Back to Kyoto at the beginning of afternoon I visited To-ji close to Kyoto Station. It is famous for Kondo, Main Hall, and Kodo, Lecture Hall, which exhibit sumptuous sculptures of Yaksuhi, the Healing Buddha, No Picture.
To-ji, Kondo
Kyoto
02/01/2011
To-ji, the five-storey Pagoda
Kyoto
02/02/2011
