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Kyoto Part III: Golden Pavillion and Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

By Cheryl
Kyoto is steeped in Japanese culture and we didn't even scratch the surface.

We did, however, get a chance to visit Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavillion), a Buddist Zen temple.  It was the retirement villa of shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu in the late 1300s. Unfortunately, it burned down several times over its history.  The present structure was re-built in 1955 after it was set on fire by a fanatic monk in 1950.  Each floor represents a different style of architecture and the top 2 floors are covered completely in gold leaf.  This temple is in a beautiful setting and we enjoyed the leisurely walk around its grounds.



Arashiyama is a popular tourist destination in western Kyoto.  We visited for 2 reasons: a bamboo grove and monkeys.  Stay tuned for Nathan's post about monkeys.

We have visited many forests in Canada- both deciduous and coniferous.  This, however, was our first time walking among towering bamboo trees.  We were shocked to learn that certain species of bamboo can grow 36 inches in a 24-hour period!




 There were many trails and gardens to explore but the kids weren't up to it so we opted to go out for sushi instead :)

Comments

  1. naetgirlOctober 29, 2019 at 5:16 PM

    I bet the kids' friends at school are really enjoying following your family's adventure! Even though they are away, they remain kinda close. Nice.

    ReplyDelete
  2. MichaelOctober 31, 2019 at 7:17 AM

    We hear some of the kids' teachers are checking in occasionally - which is wonderful and very caring!

    ReplyDelete

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