Ryoanji Temple

Hundreds of people from all over Japan visit Ryoanji Temple every day to see the famous rock garden. The place was converted from an aristocrat's villa to a Zen Temple in 1450 but as for the rock garden not much else is known. Nobody is certain when it was made, who designed it and what the meaning of the rock formation is.

Some think the rocks are islands in the sea whereas others think they represent tigers carrying cubs across a pond. If you visit there yourself you may find that you come up with an entirely different theory. Whatever the meaning, it is lovely to just sit, relax and view the garden.

Location: 7 minute walk from Ritsumeikandaigaku-mae bus stop (from JR Kyoto Station/Hankyu Oomiya Station) 1 minute walk from Ryoan-ji-mae bus stop (from Hankyu Sanjo Station.) Or 7 minute walk from Ryoanji-michi Station on the Keifuku Kitano Train Line.
Price: Adults ￥500 Children ￥300
Times: Open everyday. March to November 8am to 5pm. December to February 8:30am to 4:30pm.

The photo above was taken in one of the smaller gardens where there is a round stone trough with four kanji on it. When these kanji are combined with the square in the middle it cleverly makes up a Zen inscription. In the gift shop they sold a special type of traditional sweet in the shape of this stone. The sweet was made from sweetened red beans and inside was a chestnut, it was delicious!

Linking up with Nicole

Kamakura Daibutsu

Personally my favourite place in Kamakura was Hasedera Temple, but you can't go to Kamakura without paying a visit to the 13.35 meter high Daibutsu. It is the second tallest bronze Buddha statue in Japan, the tallest being the one at Todaiji Temple in Nara. 

This great statue was originally inside a temple, however due to typhoons and tidal waves it was destroyed many times so since 1495 it has been left standing outside. I quite like the fact that it is out in the open surrounded by trees and sky, not walls.

Out of the two Daibutsu I would say that although the one in Kamakura is more scenic and photogenic, I prefer the one in Nara. This is not because it is bigger but it just feels more mysterious because you can't see the statue until it is towering right in front of you as you enter the temple.

One thing though which I did prefer about the Kamakura Daibutsu was that you can go inside it for an extra ￥20. It was really interesting to see where the neck had been reinforced to stop the head from falling.

Location: Take the Enoden train line from Kamakura Station and get off at Hase Station from where it is a 10 minute walk.
Price: ￥200.
Times: Open every day. March to September 8am to 5:30pm. October to March 8am to 5pm. Statue interior closes at 4:30pm.

Kamakura: Hasedera Temple

While in Tokyo I went for a day trip to Kamakura.When tourists visit Kamakura the place on everyone's list is the big Daibutsu statue, but nearby is Hasedera Temple with it's own magnificent statue. This statue is of the eleven headed Hase Kannon and is 9.18 meters tall. Each face has a different expression, signifying that the deity listens to the wishes of all types of people.

Although it was amazing, personally what I loved about this temple was all the cute little stone statues dotted around the garden. The temple garden was quite big and sprawled up the hillside. As you walk around you will occasionally come across little clusters of statues which look so happy!

There are also plenty of beautiful seasonal flowers and from the top of the garden you get a view of the town down below. When you get back to the bottom of the garden you will come across the Benten-kutsu Cave which is accessed through a red tori. Inside the cave is the shrine of Benzaiten, a sea goddess and the only female among the Seven Lucky Gods of Japan.

I think that Hasedera is a must visit for anyone spending the day in Kamakura.

Location: Take the Enoden train line from Kamakura Station and get off at Hase Station.
Price: Adults (12 and over) ￥300/ Children ￥100.
Time: Open every day. March to September 8am to 5pm, October to February 8am to 4:30pm.
Accessibility: There are quite a few steps up the hill but the main garden is flat. Also inside the cave it is dark and the ceilings are extremely low.

Linking up with Bonnie Rose for Travel Tuesday

Kyoto's Golden Pavilion

A couple of weeks ago I visited Kinkaku-ji (temple of the golden pavilion) with some friends. All year round lots of tourists visit this temple but it is known for being especially beautiful in the snow with the contrast of the white and gold. Unfortunately by the time we got there there wasn't much snow left on the roof, however it still looked incredibly beautiful.

The temple is a designated National Special Historic Site and a National Special Landscape. The current building isn't the original though. In 1950 it was burned down by a novice monk who then attempted suicide on the nearby Daimon-ji hill. However he survived, and was taken into custody. The monk was sentenced to seven years in prison, but was released because of mental illnesses. Then in 1955 the pavilion was rebuilt.

You can't enter the pavilion but you can walk around the beautiful gardens. This was my second time to visit Kinkaku-ji and I recommend it to anyone visiting Kyoto.