Hatsumoude in Kyoto Vol.3

Hi! It’s been a long time, huh? How do you guys doing? I was busy studying English test called TOEIC.

March is about to finish, however, I’ll try to write the last of my hatsumoude article.

The final place I went to was Ryoanji temple.

Ryoanji, which was built in 1450, is located in the north of Kyoto called “rakuhoku”. You can hear these words, such as “rakuhoku”, “rakusei”, “rakutou”, “rakunan”. These words indicate the four cardinal points respectively. “rakuhoku” means the north of Kyoto. “rakusei” means the west of Kyoto. “rakutou” means the east of Kyoto. “rakunan” means the south of Kyoto.

Ryoanji temple is famous for the rock garden called “sekitei” in Japanese. The rock garden is 250 meters squares, and consisting of white sand and fifteen rocks.

Once you get in the garden, you can feel the dignity of silence…. Writing this article, I remembered one song’s title….it’s “Sound of Silence”. You can hear the sound of silence in this garden.

White sand is lying in the garden like ocean, and fifteen rocks is lying as well like islands.

I’ll tell you one interesting topic on this garden. In only one angle and position, you can see whole fifteen rocks. If you stand and see in the other places, you will not see them. That is most interesting mistery of this garden.

After the rock garden, you can find a beautiful mossed garden. Many tourist guides tend to tell one topic about moss.

“Do you know the moss burger?” the guides might say that.
“Yeah, ofcourse. What is it?” the tourist might say that.
“Oh, great. then….do you know what the meaning of moss is?” the guides might say that.
“oh…I don’t know it at all. What does it mean?” the tourist might say that.
“the word ‘moss’ means…’koke’ in Japanese! ‘Moss burger’ means ‘koke burger’ heheh! Hey, take a look at this garden. You can find the beauty of this gurden’s moss!” the guides might say that.

Those conversations are used by many guides in Kyoto.

When I left this gurden, I faced very terrible scene in the enterance of this garden. I guessed they were Italian… They came to Japan for sightseeing.

To enter this temple, you have to put your shoes off, however, one of Italian tourist tried something suprising with his smile on his face!

He…put two plastic bags on his shoes….like putting a new shoes on his current shoes! What an impolite behavior! I was surprised with it! We think it’s important to be polite in such holy places…. That is what we are taught from Confucianism and Buddhism… What he did was definitely allowed….ummm…

I thought on thing at that time…. If I did wrong attitudes in the CHURCH, would he feel disappointed with me???

My hatsumoude in Kyoto article is over. Next time, I’ll write other topics in my ordinary life. Don’t miss it!

Hatsumoude in Kyoto Vol.2

Although it’s already February, I’ll try to write an article about “hatsumoude” in Kyoto last month.

After “Kitano-Tenmanguu” (I previously wrote it), I went to the “Kinkakuji”.

I hadn’t known it until I got a brochure on “Kinkakuji”. It’s not correct to call “Kinkakuji”. It’s “Kinkaku”. Moreover, “Kinkaku” is not its proper name. You have to properly call it “Rokuon-ji” temple.

“Kinkaku” is the main pavilion of “Rokuon-ji” temple; however, it became more famous than temple itself.

“Kinkaku” is, as the name says, painted with golden lacquer. In Muromachi era, Yoshimitsu Ashikaga, who was the 3rd Shogun(means general), ordered to build it. Ofcourse the emperor(calls Ten-no) existed at that time; however, Japan was under military rule for hundreds of years. Especially, in the Muromachi era and Edo era.

You can be suprised with its beauty when you enter the garden of “Rokuon-ji”. Unfortunately, although it was rainy day, I could take a few photos of “Kinkaku”.

There is beautiful pond, which called (Kyouko-chi, means Mirror pond), around “Kinkaku”. You can find the reflection of Kinkaku in the pond. I think the beauty of the Japanese garden is consist of many things, such as stones, shadow, light, balance etc.

You also can enjoy watching “nishiki-goi” swimming in the pond. Nishiki-goi is a sort of carp and is raised like golden fish, so they’re very beautiful.

When you go there, I’d like you to stand the edge of the pond and clap your hands. I think Nishiki-goi must gather around you to get their feed. I think you feel as if you became aristocrat or something…hehehe

To be continued…

Hatsumoude in Kyoto Vol.1

Hi, All! I’m so sorry I couldn’t write any article in this blog. This is the first article this year! hihi…

How’s your new year? Me, as you know, nothing changes…hihihi

In Japan, we go to temples(called “tera”) or shrines(called “jinjya”) to pray our first wish from January first to third. It’s called “hatsumoude”.

I went to Kyoto for hatsumoude either. This time I’m supposed to write about it.

The first shrine I went to was “Kitano-Tenmanguu”, which dedicates God of learning. God’s name is “Michizane Sugawara”, who lived in Heian era. I go there to pray every year.

This is “Hondou”, which means the main floor of the shrine. You can pray there with throwing some coin, which call “saisen”.

It was 7:30 a.m, so people visiting to prey was not so much.

After praying in Hondo, I proceeded and bought “ema”. “Ema” is a sort of wooded plate. Cow, which is this year’s oriental zodiac, is painted in front of the plate. You can write your mark of new year in the backside of the plate.

Me, I wrote like that as my mark, “I want to be able to use English more and more and more and more than now.” ofcourse it’s written in Japanese…

This is “ema”….

And then you bring the ema for the place called “ema-kakedokoro”. “ema-kakedokoro” is the place to hang “ema”. These emas keep hanging the entire year and are going to be burned in the last day of the year.

This is “ema-kakedokoro”

Let’s try it when you come to Japan! Maybe your hope come true…hihihi

To be continued…