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Japan, March–April 2007
Sunday 1 April
We spent most of the day at the Nanzen-ji temple complex in Kyoto.
The main temple at Nanzen-ji.
Tea ceremony in the Hojo Hall, Nanzen-ji.
Tranquil view of a waterfall from the tea ceremony room.
The famous "leaping tiger" Zen garden at Nanzen-ji.
Buddhist priests at Nanzen-ji.
Shrine in a beautiful wooded valley above Nanzen-ji.
Pilgrims are supposed to pray under this waterfall.
A simple wayside shrine. The tasselled cords denote a sacred object, and the zigzag paper strips represent lightning.
More shrines above Nanzen-ji.
Back in the city (by way of contrast), plastic cherry blossom decorates a department store escalator.
Monday 2 April
In the morning, we visited the Kyoto botanical gardens. In the afternoon, we saw the Imperial Palace gardens. In the evening, we walked through a picturesque area of central Kyoto.
Entrance to the botanical gardens.
Bonsai collection in the botanical gardens.
Everyone in the botanical gardens was either making pictures of the cherry blossom or picnicking under it.
This little girl came up to Mary and presented her with a netsuke (a small clasp for fastening a purse), so of course we had to take a photo of her with her mother and sister.
Gateway in the Kyoto Imperial Palace grounds, recently re-roofed with dozens of layers of thin wooden shingles.
Picturesque canal in central Kyoto, by night.
More views of the same.
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