Iris Pond at Heian Jingu, Kyoto.Â
And so June has passed into July. Seriously, where does the time go?? In some ways, Iâm really excited about July! Itâs a great month; itâs got midsummer, in America it has Independence Day, in Kyoto it has Gion Matsuri, and also my birthday! :)Â
But I digress. Letâs return to 6æïŒ
Itâs just a given that Iâll hit up many temples each month, so Iâll highlight my favorite visits for June! (Some Iâve been to already, but I had fun new experiences there)
Heian Jingu - To see the famous Iris Pond
The temple of Heian Jingu is a large complex that includes this wonderful Iris Pond which is open to the public throughout June (specific dates unknown, sorry). You pay an entry fee (under ïż„1000) at the West side of the shrine, then you can meander at your leisure through the garden area, passing by a relic of technology--Japanâs first train car! It was strange to see a run down trolley in the middle of a gorgeous garden, but also gave it a bit of a cool, mysterious air (Felt a bit like I was adventuring through a post-apocalyptic jungle). At the northern end of the garden, the path opens up to the brilliant Iris Pond, littered with shades of white and purple. The Irises were glorious, and Iâd definitely never seen that many all together before! Such a great experience!
Shimogamo Jinja - At night to see the fireflies (FAILURE)
Heather, Isel, and I trekked to this shrine, nestled in the Y between the two northern parts of the Kamogawa, in order to catch a glimpse of the summer fireflies, which were supposedly amazing. Unfortunately, we only saw two or three before we decided to try again on a more humid night. But seeing the shrine at night was awesome, as everything was lit up and gorgeous!
Honkyouji - Horse Temple
Since Iâm trying to get to all 12 zodiac temples in Kyoto, I went to this one after my part-time job in the southern part of Kyoto. It was a bit strange because I wasnât expecting the temple to be off of a ććșèĄ shoutengai, or shopping district street. It was a small but well kept temple, and the monk who wrote in my shuinchou was extremely kind and welcoming. One of my favorites simply because of this welcoming atmosphere.Â
Kozanji - In Takao, Kyoto
Takao is a village nestled in the northwestern mountains of Kyoto, and was stunning in so many ways. When Angie and I adventured up to the town, we were dropped off at a bus stop literally in the middle of the road (see below)
and went on from there. This temple, Kozanji, was the first of three main ones that we visited. All of them were gorgeous and moss-covered (my favorite kind of temple~). Kozanji was built in 774 and is recognized as a World Heritage Site, and it is said to be the original site of tea cultivation in Japan! It also houses Japanâs first manga: a scroll that shows anthropomorphic animals (mainly rabbits and frogs) as nobles of the Heian Court. (see below)
The next temple we headed to was also gorgeous and impressive, though a bit smaller than the other Takao temples. In order to get there, you cross over a vibrant vermilion bridge, definitely a sight to see.Â
Jingoji - The most famous and regularly visited temple in Takao, Jingoji is extremely popular in the fall due to its impressive momiji (Japanese Maple) collection. Iâll have to come back here when the leaves are all red for sure. The thing I remember most about this temple was the climb up to the top. If youâre wanting to visit Jingoji, be prepared for lots of stairs. It was quite fun though, and Iâm sure in the lively time of fall it would be a great time to see the beautiful leaves, stop for a bowl of zenzai, etc. Also, all of the scenery seemed straight out of Spirited Away, which was awesome for an avid Ghibli fanatic like myself.
The long climb to the top (this is actually only about 1/3 of it)
Unfortunately, even after we overcame this long climb and made it to the mouth of the temple, I realized that I had been an utter idiot and not brought along enough cash to get me through the day, so I couldnât enter to see the interior! But it was still a fun experience all the same. (If anything, it motivates me even more to come back again sometime in the fall).
Ise - æ„æŹăźćż The Heart of Japan
Three of the most interesting temples Iâve been to were in Ise, formerly Mie, which is basically the holy land of Shintoism.Â
This temple houses four shrines, each dedicated to a certain kami. In the picture above, you can see the shrines dedicated to (from left to right) Izanami, Izanagi, and the furthest two both for Tsukiyomi. Izanami and Izanagi are the two deities who created Japan, and Tsukiyomi is the moon god.
Something interesting about Iseâs temples is that they are rebuilt every 20 years. In a ritual called shikinen sengu, the knowledge of ancient temple construction that has been passed down for generations is given to the next age, and therefore tradition can be preserved beautifully. When we went to Ise, we were looking at new temples that had been fully reconstructed in 2013.Â
ć
ćźź - Naiku (Inner Shrine)
This inner shrine is part of the Ise Grand Shrine; a huge shrine complex that houses the Mirror of Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess. It is an extremely holy spot, and all around you can see people in awe and respect of nature embracing nearby hinoki to share in their power. It is said that when you cross the ćźæČ»æ© (Uji Bridge) at the entrance to the shrine, you leave the earthy world behind and enter upon a heavenly realm.
We had to purify ourselves twice here; once at the usual purifying font where you wash your hands, and again at the river that separates the heavenly and earthly realms.Â
Getting to see the Mirror of Amaterasu is not something that just anyone can do. In fact, it is only done by the head priest of the shrine, and he only sees her when he prepares her food and gifts. It is forbidden to take pictures within the area where the mirror is housed, and it is definitely a very holy spot.
The torii gate leading to the shrine housing Amaterasu.
Also, the shopping street leading up to the Inner Shrine was definitely my favorite out of any other temple street Iâve been to. It was crowded, lively, and every building was made in the traditional machiya style that I adore. We also got to try a lot of Iseâs ćç©, or famous treats, including: Ise Udon (has a special sauce made with concentrated soy sauce and mirin), Ise Crayfish Ice Cream (sounds a lot worse than it was! At first it was strange but it was actually pretty good), and Akafuku mochi! æ„œăăăŁăïŒSo fun!
Meoto Iwa - The Married Rocks (and Okitama Shrine)
Definitely one of the most famous spots in Japan, the Meoto Iwa are the Married Rocks that represent Izanagi and Izanami, the two deities that I mentioned earlier. They are tied together by a strong rope, and represent the strength of love and bonds. This place definitely stole a place in my top 3 experiences Iâve had in Japan. It was surreal, seeing this famous place right in front of me, feeling the sea spray and fighting the extremely strong wind. I love the ocean, so I often feel happy and at peace when Iâm near it, but this spot in particular resonated with me.Â
Also, I wasnât kidding about it being crazy windy that day!
Alrighty! Thatâs it for the temples! Though I did have a couple more June adventures so Iâll hurry and tell you about those as well!
Katsudon has become a dangerously favorite dish of mine. Itâs a bowl of rice with fried pork and egg and dashi. The ladies at the YWCA where I live put on this event, and it was tons of fun! I donât often cook so it was nice to have them guide us through it. Iâll definitely be making this in the future! So yummy!
Tottori. Wow. So many things to say about this spectacular place. First of all, before my friends told me they were going on a day trip there one weekend, I had never heard of nor imagined that such a place existed in Japan. Because the main thing that brings people to Tottori is:
Its SAND DUNES! (and camels)
Itâs right on the coast of the Sea of Japan, and the dunes were created by a strange but natural phenomenon of wind and sediment deposits, and have existed for over 100,000 years. Climbing the dunes gets your legs good and tired, but luckily you can cool off in the dark blue waters of the sea. We also got to take a couple pictures on the camels they have nearby, which was a first for me and a great experience!Â
Another awesome feature of Tottori is the Sand Museum just less than a mile away from the dunes themselves. The museum was created in 2006, and since then its theme has changed annually, always highlighting a different country so viewers can âtravel around the world in sand.â This year, the theme was Germany! From Hansel and Gretel to Neuschwanstein to Anne Frank, the museum housed stunning pieces of art, all with unimaginable precision and detail, all made out of SAND.Â
And I can barely make a sandcastle.
We also partook in the ćç© of Tottori, namely everything pear-flavored that we could get our hands on.Â
Pear soda, pear jam, and a delicious pear ice cream cone we had on the beach!
And thatâs it for June! So grateful for everyone who shared in these adventures with me, I had an absolute blast!Â
Iâm excited for what July will bring, and Iâm stocking up on ćæ Œăćźă (protective amulets to help you pass your tests) so I can somehow pass the impending JLPT. Wish me luck!
