My Visual Travel Experience: Kyoto

My father, Jagdish Rudraya Hiremath, lived in Japan for 3 years in the 1950's. Tokyo was his first posting after he joined the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) in 1954. Those days, IFS recruits used to be sent to Cambridge for a year to study the language of their choice and the brave man had opted for Japanese! So off he went to Cambridge to study Japanese - he because quite proficient at it! He enjoyed his stint in Japan. Years later, he told me that he found Kyoto to be particularly beautiful and there was an old Japanese saying that if there was any place that was Paradise on Earth, it was Kyoto!

I spent close to a week in Japan in January 2018. While I spent most of my time in Tokyo, I made it a point to visit Kyoto too. I stayed in a hotel called Daiwa Roynet Hotel Kyoto Hachijaguchi, which was near Kyoto Station. I paid around 12,000 Yen per night (it was around 110 Yen to 1 USD back then), which was quite reasonable considering it was a very comfortable hotel and was a welcome change from my Tokyo hotel, where the bathroom was so small that it wasn't even funny!

I got myself a 1 day Kyoto travel pass for 1,200 Yen and that allowed me unlimited travel by bus and metro. Kyoto Station lies right in the heart of the city, and also has the city's main bus terminal. Three buses - numbers 100, 101 and 102 - take visitors to most of the city's attractions. I took 100 to Ginkaku-ji, 102 to Kinkaku-ji and 101 back to Kyoto Station, stopping at various attractions along the way. It was extremely convenient, and Kyoto is small enough for me to have covered many of the city's main attractions in just a day, because that's all the time I had!

Kyoto has a population of about 1.4 million. It was the imperial capital for over a thousand years and this is visible in the many historical buildings that the city has to offer. Kyoto was founded in 794 AD as Heian-kyo, capital of peace and tranquility. Emperor Kanmu established it, away from the erstwhile capital, Nara. The city was badly damaged in the Onin War of 1467-77. In the late 16th century, the city was redeveloped by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. In 1864, there was arson during the Hamaguri Rebellion when people went against the Tokugawa Shogunate. In 1869, the emperor moved the capital of Japan to Tokyo. Today Kyoto has a large number of Japan’s national treasures. The UNSCO World Heritage Site Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto was thus designated in 1994 and contains 17 sites, including places like Kinkaku-ji, Ginkaku-ji and Toji Temple.

Kinkaku-ji, or the Golden Pavilion, was built by the third Ashikaga shogun, Yoshimitsu (1358-1408). The villa was built as his retirement house, and as per his wishes, became a temple after his death, with the Zen priest Soseki as its head. The structure is covered in gold leaf and topped by a bronze phoenix.  In 1950, the villa was destroyed in a case of arson, and what stands today is an exact replica of the original. Besides the pavilion, the complex also has a lake and a garden.

Kinkaku-ji

Lake at Kinkaku-ji

Ginkaku-ji, or the Silver Pavilion, was originally the mountain retreat of Shogun Yoshimasa (1436-1490), who wanted the pavilion to be done in silver, after the gold leaf of Kinkaku-ji, completed by his grandfather. This never happened due to the Onin War. The complex boasts of the pavilion, its astonishing garden and its tea ceremony.

Ginkaku-ji

Lake at Ginkaku-ji

The Philosopher’s Walk consists of a cherry tree lined canal, which starts close to Ginkaku-ji. The streets on both sides of the canal are lined with shops and restaurants. The area got its name after Kyoto University Philosophy Professor, Nishida Kitaro (1870-1945), who used to walk there daily. 

The Philosopher's Walk

Shrine at The Philosopher's Walk

Honen-in is a temple along the Philosopher’s Walk. It is a Jodo sect temple with a rustic look and a thatched gate.

Thatched Gate of Honen-in

Standing Buddha at Honen-in

The origins of Toji Temple date back to when Kukai founded the city of Kyoto in the year 794 AD.  It was the main headquarters of Shingon Buddhism. The five story Pagoda in the temple comples is 55 meters tall and is Japan’s tallest wooden Pagoda. On the 21st of every month, Kukai’s death is commemorated through a flea market in the temple’s premises.

Pagoda at Toji Temple

Flea Market at Toji Temple

Nijo-jo is a castle created by Shogun Tokugawa Leyasu (1543-1616). The last Tokugawa Shogun resigned at Nijo-jo in 1867 in the presence of Emperor Meiji. The complex has a beautiful garden, with lakes and rock formations. The Karamon Gate has a Chinese style gabled roof and gold plated fixtures.

Ninomaru-goten Palace, Nijo-jo

Honmaru Garden, Nijo-jo

Lake at Ninomaru Garden, Nijo-jo

Ninomaru Garden, Nijo-jo

Seiryu-en Garden, Nijo-jo

Nishi Hongan-ji Temple is a centre for the Jodo Shinshu sect of Buddhism. It has a large courtyard, national treasures and a scriptures repository. The temple dates back to 1591. The temple is famous for its wooden, intricately carved Karamon Gate.

Courtyard, Nishi Hongan-ji Temple

Scriptures, Nishi Hongan-ji Temple

Kyoto Tower stands next to Kyoto Station. It was completed in 1964 and has a height of 131 meters. It has an observation deck at 100 meters. It stands atop a 9 story building that houses a hotel. Kyoto Station has a very futuristic look to it. The structure was completed in 1997 and was the work of Hiroshi Hara, a Japanese architect who won a competition to design the station. The station has a high ceiling, it lets in a lot of light, and is full of shops and restaurants. On one of the station's top floors, one is completely spoiled for choice when it comes to food, as there is restaurant after restaurant, serving largely Japanese cuisines.

Kyoto Tower

View of Nishi Hongan-ji Temple from Tokyo Tower

Rice Bowl with Chicken and Egg at Kyoto Koto Koto,
Kyoto Station

To say I was impressed by my time in Kyoto would be an understatement. For me, the highlights were the beautiful architecture, the stunning gardens, the convenient public transport system, the friendly people (who went out of their way to help even though they didn't know English) and the many great food options. What my father had once told me about Kyoto was oh so true. I would have loved to have chatted with him about Kyoto, told him about my experiences and shared my photographs, but alas I went there too late, almost 5 years after he had passed away!