Life After 50: JBT Sunrise Tour

Showing posts with label JBT Sunrise Tour. Show all posts

10,000 Red Tori Gates - Fushimi Inari Shrine-JTB Sunrise Tour

The Fushimi Inari Shrine is home to 10,000 Torii gates that are seen as an entrance to a sacred shrine in Shinto religion. The Torii gates at Fushimi Inari Shrine give me one more reason to love historical Japan. These gates date back to 711 A.D., and as a foreigner with only a 250-year-old country, 1300 years old is an age I can’t even fathom.

To give a little background, a Torii gate is seen as an entrance to a sacred shrine in the Shinto religion. They mark the pathway to shrines across Asia, and I’m sure you’ve come to know them as a symbol of Japan.

They have foxes at this shrine. This was an agricultural area and the foxes protected the rice fields because they ate the sparrows which fed on the rice.

What is unique about the Torii gates at Inari Fushimi, though, is their background. Each gate has been donated by a company or organization giving thanks for their prosperity and in hope of good fortune in the future. I only wished I could read all of the names engraved on each gate, but for now, it remains to be beautiful artwork representing Japan’s past.

Before entering a shrine it is tradition to prepare yourself by cleansing. You get a ladle of water from the fountain and rinse your right hand, then your left then take a drink. No one really drive 's it now. Only pretend to.

This ice cream is sooooooo good!! It doesn't melt, the ice cream is covered in a cone and chocolate in the middle. Its our favorite Japan treat!!

Golden Pavillion - Kinkaku-ji Temple Kyoto Japan JBT Sunrise Tour

Kinkaku-Ji temple, the temple of the Golden Pavillion, is one of Japan’s most treasured temples. Its unique architecture, guilded exterior and careful placement on the edge of a meticulously laid out, pine-studded pond in Kyoto. It is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.

We have been so lucky with the beautiful weather we have had. Clear blue skies and perfect weather. The weather made the Golden Temple's reflection in the pond so brilliant. The gardens surrounding the temple were just so well maintained and very zen feeling. I could just sit here and enjoy the beauty around me.

Golden Pavilion is a Zen Temple in northern Kyoto whose top two floors are completely covered in gold leaf. The temple was the retirement villa of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and according to his will, it became a Zen temple of the Rinzai sect after his death in 1408.

Kinkakuji is an impressive structure built overlooking a large pond and is the only building left of Yoshimitsu's former retirement complex. It has burned down numerous times throughout its history including twice during the Onin War, a civil war that destroyed much of Kyoto; and once again more recently in 1950 when it was set on fire by a fanatic monk. The present structure was rebuilt in 1955. The changing of the leaves is so beautiful.

At Kinkaku-Ji temple, I think the architecture and nature play off each other in perfect harmony. The gardens were just amazing.

Warehouse building

The sound of “La”, known as the bell of the yellow bell butterfly, is used as the reference sound.

Continuing through the garden takes you to the Sekkatei Sekkati Teahouse.

There were lots of vendors selling things to eat, many people bought for snacks.

Back to the Geisha Bus for another adventure here in Kyoto.

Sankusangendo temple - 1000 Armed Kannon-JBT Sunrise Tour

Sanjusangendo is the popular name for Rengeo-in, a temple in eastern Kyoto which is famous for its 1001 statues of Kannon, the goddess of mercy. The temple was founded in 1164 and rebuilt a century later after the original structure had been destroyed in a fire.
Measuring 120 meters, the temple hall is Japan's longest wooden structure. The name Sanjusangendo (literally "33 intervals") derives from the number of intervals between the building's support columns, a traditional method of measuring the size of a building. In the center of the main hall sits a large, wooden statue of a 1000-armed Kannon (Senju Kannon) that is flanked on each side by 500 statues of human-sized 1000-armed Kannon standing in ten rows. Together they make for an awesome sight.

1000-armed Kannon is equipped with 11 heads to better witness the suffering of humans and with 1000 arms to better help them fight the suffering. Note that the actual statues have only 42 arms each. Subtract the two regular arms and multiply by the 25 rows to get the full thousand.

The pictures are from a brochure as photography is not permitted inside.

Kyoto Day Tour. Saw Imperial Palace- JBT Sunrise Tour

The Kyoto Imperial Palace used to be the residence of Japan's Imperial Family until 1868 when the emperor and capital were moved from Kyoto to Tokyo. The complex is enclosed by long walls and consists of several gates, halls and gardens.