My friends and I visited so many temples...Todai-ji, To-ji, Koufuku-ji. And one more my friends and I visited was Ninna-ji. The architecture is different from temple to temple, different sects, different nobility supplying funds. The Ninna-ji temple was originally a villa for Heian nobility (this was in the 800's years!) and later was turned into a temple with sections being added.
The rooms we passed through were connected by gleaming wooden outdoor corridors and the whole complex surrounded numerous indoor gardens.
I found this rock garden fascinating with the carefully groomed pebbles laid out in a check pattern. How do they do that? And someone must re-do it daily because not a leaf was anywhere... It's not like you could just walk across the pebbles and pick up fallen twigs along the way.
I had trouble catching the shadows just right to photograph the pebble pattern, but you get the idea.
This temple must have had connections with the cherry blossoms as everywhere I looked there were blossoms carved into the wood work or painted on the room screens. I discovered a demure cherry blossom pattern along the eaves of the thatched roof.
And another one hidden away between the slats of the gardens. Searching for the cherry blossom patterns was great fun while I wandered through this temple!
Cherry blossoms painted on the gold leaf screens.
Cherry blossoms on the roof tiles.
Fading cherry blossoms carved into the wooden doors.
Of course the real beauty is in nature. I can see how some architect would be inspired!
There was rebuilding going on in some places. I thought it interesting how the wooden poles were erected to make a climbing area for the traditional carpenters.
Oh dear... I don't know where this was... but the orange building and the pink cherry blossoms were very striking.
Back at the bullet train. Time to go back home. No cherry blossoms here...
But wait! What's that I see on the cap of a bullet train janitor? Cherry blossoms!
Kyoto and Nara is a trip to remember. Back to normal life!
5 comments:
I absolutely love your posts! Have you thought of publishing a book of your pictures and writings just as they are? I would love to have one to look back on. Sharon
How pretty!! I just love those screens. It looks like you had a great trip! Welcome back to normal life! :)
Tanya, thank you for the lovely reminder of the trip i had to japan during cherry blossom time. what a pink and white petal fantasy time
Thank you so much Tanya, for sharing your cherry blossom viewing with us! I felt as if I was visiting right along with you. Loved the cherry blossom carvings, etc. you saw everywhere. And of course, Kyoto is probably my most favorite city I visited while in Japan many years ago. Thank You!
Beautiful photos, Tanya. Our cherry blossoms in North-Western Washington are just beginning.
I always pull out this poem by A.E. Housman at cherry blossom time.
Loveliest of Trees, the Cherry
Loveliest of trees, the cherry now
Is hung with bloom along the bough,
And stands about the woodland ride
Wearing white for Eastertide.
Now of my threescore years and ten,
Twenty will not come again,
And take from seventy springs a score,
It only leaves me fifty more.
And since to look at things in bloom
Fifty springs are little room,
About the woodlands I will go
To see the cherry hung with snow.
Best regards from Gail in Wa State
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