We arrived at Kyoto Station and, after a few fits and starts, finally got on a bus going in the right direction to our hotel in downtown Kyoto. After settling in, we ventured out to visit the Heian Jingo Shrine. After viewing the shrine, we entered its marvelous garden where we strolled around enjoying its beauty for an hour until the guards came around to herd the visitors to the exit gate at closing time.

The adjacent National Museum of Modern Art – Kyoto was still open, so I visited the exhibits at the museum. I saw a large collection of Marcel Duchamp’s Ready Mades, set out as a counterpoint to Akasegawa Genpei’s Model 1,000 Yen Note, and other currency based art works, all to pose the question, What is Art?

That evening we walked by the restaurants along the river looking for a place to eat, but instead opted for a simple ramen shop, a place at which the locals might eat and at which they spoke little English.

The next day, we set out to visit Arashiyama, with its stunning bamboo forest, a place Peter had visited when he was in Japan seven years ago.

We spent the morning enjoying Arashiyama, and then traveled back downtown to explore the Gion neighborhood. Gion is renowned for preserving old Kyoto, and Peter and I walked through the streets lined with old wooden houses, stopping a couple of times to eavesdrop on one or another tour guide describing shinto ritual or the ways of the Geiko (which is how Geisha’s are referred to in Kyoto).

One such tour guide, and some of the guidebooks I have read, advise that it is possible to see an apprentice Geiko, a Meiko, walking the street in the evening on the way to work at one of the tea houses. While we did not see one walking down the street, Peter spotted a taxi in which sat three women, one of them touching up her white face makeup, in full Geiko attire.

Next we paid a visit to Kenin-ji, and spent much time exploring this, the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto.

The next morning, we ventured out in the drizzling rain to take a train a short way to visit Fushimi Inari Taisha, an important Shinto shrine, famous for its 10,000 Torii gates that line the path that climbs up Inari mountain. The path has side trails to many smaller shrines along the way. Peter and I climbed half way up the mountain before turning around to head back to the train station.

 

On our walk back, Peter noticed a structure in a recessed area along the sidewalk and next to the railroad tracks. We investigated and found a small, unassuming shrine nestled into the neighborhood.

We visited a little shop/art gallery whose proprietor was tucked away in a corner at the back of the shop. We had to hunt for him to make our purchase. He looked over the post cards I had chosen and decided to give me two more, apparently because the ones I picked did not relate to the nearby Inari shrine.

Back at the hotel, because it was raining off and on, we went to explore the covered Kawaramachi shopping district a short walk away. Later, I went to explore Kiyamachi Street, a narrow lane filled with small restaurants and the awning covered downtown shopping district to photograph people.

The next day, we stayed in for a bit until the rain stopped and then we set off walking to Nijo-jo Castle, formerly the castle for the leaders of the Shogunate that ruled this part of Japan until 1867 when the 15th Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu returned political control to the Emperor of Japan. This castle, like Osaka Castle, has tall stone walls surrounded by a moat.

We walked through the five interconnected buildings that comprise the castle, and then through the gardens. On our return, we explored the narrow, crowd filled covered alley that is Nishiki market, populated by food vendors and purveyors of cooked food, where we ate lunch.

In the late afternoon, we took a long walk along the Takase river, enjoying the view, the wildlife, and the people. Walking up from the river, we found ourselves in a more residential part of town and enjoyed walking back through this area.

That evening, I again wandered the neighborhood with my camera taking photographs.

It was now time to return to tokyo. That visit is documented at Part 5 of this Travelogue.

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