Kyoto. Friday

So today I have the somewhat daunting prospect of navigating to Kyoto on the train without any help other than the excellent briefing given to me by Satyaki last evening. I have my tickets (around 20 bucks for a one hour each way train ride) and I know that the train to Kyoto is a “Rapid” which has limited stops but still zips along. There is also a “Super Rapid” with even more limited stops and then local trains. All VERY efficient. This does not include the Bullet Train, which I will experience on Monday going to Hiroshima.
All went well and this is really helped by the incredible punctuality of the trains, almost to the second. The train arrives in Kyoto station at 7.39 as promised and I have an hour to navigate my way to the hotel and get something to eat. That all proves easier than anticipated so I have time to relax and look around.
Japan is VERY clean, and VERY organized and everything has a feel of quality.
I am booked on the all day tour of Kyoto and we have about 8 destinations and of course a tight schedule. We are on a bus with a total of about 50 people and I am sitting next to a guy who works for …..Volvo!!. He is actually in the On highway truck group and we spend most of the day on and off chatting about global business and how large corporations function or not depending on your view.

 

2 cute girls on the tour

Two cute girls with Andy

Two cute girls with the guys they were REALLY interested in!!

Kyoto is the ancient capital of Japan and is full of both Buddhist and Shinto temples and many beautiful gardens. All are meticulously maintained and there are restrictions in some of the palaces and temples on wearing shoes and taking photos.

 

 

 

Kiyomizu Temple

 

 These guys have to be really fit

I was really impressed with the Golden Pavilion, and the Kiyomizu Temple and the associated gardens.
There are really three aspects to a visit like this in my mind
Ø The religious history and impact
Ø The building construction and techniques
Ø The social implications
I do not pretend to understand the religious aspects and underlying history, but remain aware of the impact that it had and continues to have on people’s lives. This was essentially the same in India.
Some of the buildings are many centuries old and kept in superb condition. The overall construction must have been as a result of many previous years of experience so the culture and expertise is actually much older than the buildings actually suggest. The Kiyomuzi Temple for example was built without the use of nails, screws or any other fasteners. All the construction was made with dovetail and other fashioned joints. It stands on 130 + massive pillars that must have withstood many an earthquake. The Imperial Palace was built on a foundation of alternating sand and clay so the two materials would “slip” against each other in a quake and the building would remain safe. How about that for smart engineering about a thousand years ago! The rafters in the roofs are spaced much closer than we would be accustomed to but the roofs are heavy and the principal seems to be to be safe and use more materials if deemed necessary.
I do not feel well enough qualified or experienced in Japan to comment on the social aspects, but the Shogun system and it’s implications, and the Geisha system are certainly different and impacted how Japan developed. It was a completely closed society until about 150 years ago, and in many respects still is today. The status quo seems to work well for them and there are few signs of any poverty, and many signs, sometimes ostentatious of great wealth . The system would not suit me well I believe, but now I think about it I have not been invited to join!