The JR shinkaisoku ride from Himeji to Kyoto takes about 1h30 and similarly to what happened on our arrival to Tokyo, it is yet again dusk that greets us as we step out of the station. I must say that Kyoto station looks quite impressive with its daring and modern architecture. Once again, the sight at the exit of the station is worth a picture with the needle-shaped Kyoto Tower standing proudly in front of us. This is really not the kind of structures that I expected to see in the historic capital of Japan and there has actually been a controversy going on about the tower since its construction in the late 60's and it has been called by many "a stake through the heart of the city".

We are greeted at the station by Philippe Gouttard and Jean-Baptiste Buffone from Saint-Étienne who have left Tokyo after us on that day. We slowly start to make our way through the streets of Kyoto in search of our home for the weekend, the Hiraiwa Ryokan, a traditional inn where rooms are fitted with tatami mats.

Not much to see so far, the rain is pouring down and the temperature is significantly colder than in Tokyo. These are the weather conditions in which we will spend our whole stay in Kyoto, not that this is much of a difference compared to Dublin... It has to be said however that in Japan, rain actually follows Newton's laws of gravity. It actually makes umbrellas  efficient devices for making sure that one can stay dry whereas their use is plainly pointless in the streets of Dublin with its stong winds making ribs a danger for fellow citizens' eyesight and its horizontal drizzle soaking your pants and whipping your face red anyway. Another parallel with Dublin is that very much like bicycles in the Irish capital, umbrellas in Japan are common property that you can be sure to find ready for you in any building entrance or corner shop.

The lads in one of the numerous Kyoto bars

The following morning, I am up very early (the jetlag will never allow me to sleep later than 6 am during all the stay in  Japan) so I quietly take my overpriced breakfast, happy however to be served the same 1 inch thick toasts that I have experienced in Tokyo. I have always wondered if the high price of the breakfast was due to the shortage of butter and dairy products that Japan faces at the moment, making it a luxury for many households... Joking aside, butter has really become a rare item here in Japan. You can only buy one bar at the time per individual, that is, if you are lucky enough to find any at the shop. Housewives usually get up very early when they know that a delivery is due at their local shop in order to make sure that their little familly can enjoy buttered toasts for breakfast when bachelors, studetns and young professionals have to do with margarine... Anyway, I am rather enjoying my posh breakfast while deciding to make the most out of the day and planning to visit a few temples on my own... that is until I see the familiar, imposing stature of Philippe in the frame of the door. "Let's go visit some temples today!" says he after passing on his order for breakfast to the landlady who seems delighted to see a foreigner addressing her in her own language. We will actually be joined by Cyril and Jean-Baptiste as we make our way out.

Given the great number of temples and shrines in Kyoto, it is really a good thing to have Philippe selecting a few for us. We walk under the pouring rain in the direction of our first stop, the Sanjusangendo (三十三間堂) which is a Buddhist temple in the Higashiyama District of Kyoto that was founded 1164 and rebuilt in 1266.

Officially known as "Rengeo-in" (蓮華王院), or Hall of the Lotus King, Sanjusangendo belongs to and is run by the Myoho-in temple, a part of the Tendai school of Buddhism. Sanjusan means "33," which is the number of spaces between the pillars that support the long, narrow hall. This number was chosen for a reason: Kannon can assume 33 different shapes on her missions of mercy. So, because there are 1,001 statues of Kannon in the hall, 33,033 shapes are possible. People come to Sanjusangendo to look for the likeness of a loved one among the many statues. This temple is also the location where Miyamoto Musashi famously fought Yoshioka Denshichirō, the master of the Yoshioka School. Denshichirō wielded a staff reinforced with steel rings (or possibly with a ball-and-chain attached) but Musashi quickly disarmed Denshichirō and defeated him.The truth behing this victory (and the one prior to that, against Denshichirō's own brother) is that Musahi actually turned up quite late at the duel, upsetting greatly his oponents and making them less capable of fighting to the top of their capacities. If this is true, I am convinced that Irish warriors would have been very succesful duelists in their time...

The sight from the terrace is absolutely magnificent and the whole building seems embedded in the forest. The place is busy with tourists but once again, I am very happy that we decided to come outside of the main touristy season since I heard that this particular temple could be very crowded. Like all places sacred in Japan, this one is still used for ceremonies and religious events but manages to welcome tourists while keeping its sacred nature. Many Japanese actually take the opportunity to do a little prayer, probably asking the Kami a little hand in getting a promotion or in preparation for their next Pachinko session...

We finish our morning tour by the Ginkakuji (銀閣寺), the "Temple of the Silver Pavilion," a Buddhist temple in the Sakyo ward of Kyoto. It's official name is Jisho-ji (慈照寺, "Temple of Shining Mercy") and it was built in 1474 by the shogun. The temple is part of the Shokoku-ji branch of Rinzai Zen. Although the founder, Ashikaga Yoshimasa, sought of emulating the golden Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion Temple) commissioned by his grandfather Ashikaga Yoshimitsu by covering the main structure in silver, the plan was never carried out. Thus, in a rather ironic twist, the building intended to be a monument to ostentation wound up as a fine example of Japanese refinement and restraint.

The main interest of this temple is the wonderful Japanese garden which gets a particularly peaceful atmosphere under this rainy day. This temple is clearly my favourite of the day. Although it is far from being the most impressing in terms of architecture, the Zen garden maks a huge difference to me compared ot the Shinto inspiration of the two previous temples. The impression of peace that comes out of the site makes me really think I could spend a few days or month just sitting there and enjoying the surrounding. I actually wish I could have time to see the change of seasons and how it alters the landscape. Not being of a contemplating or meditating nature, this is quite a feat for this place to make me feel that way...

The following day, woken up at 5 am by a bunch of drunken Eastern Europeans, I decide to take the early Shinkansen back to Tokyo and enjoy a bit of time on my own. Since I arrived in Japan, I have wanted to impregnate myself of all the flavours and feelings of the city and this is something that I think can only be done when one is on his own. The Shinkansen ride back to Tokyo is as pleasant as the way in and of course I do not miss the opportunity of enjoying the content of yet another gorgeous sushi box.  I will also take this time on my own to reflect on the trip and its impact on me. Although I did not feel the huge culture clash that I expected before coming, Japan's singularities unravel little by little, one detail at the time, to the attentive observer...

Check out the locations mentioned in this article

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