a walk under sakura

Rivers and swans

Today, after going to my usual beauty salon, I dropped at some places I had wanted to visit again.



This is Kamo-gawa River in Kyoto (gawa means river), the largest one in the city.

Both riversides are so wide and open that they make comfortable places to walk or cycle along.








Sanjo Bridge over the river

This is famous for being the end of industrial trails from eastern part of Japan in the Edo Period (about 200 years ago). Various commodities used to be carried from regions into Capital Kyoto(at that time) through those trails. (Kyoto locates in Western Japan)




When this bridge and the river are viewed from the south, they look like



this! Pretty night view, isn't it? :D
(I took this photo the other day)















This is Takase-gawa River, running just close, parallel to the Kamo-gawa. It is quite smaller compared to the Kamo-gawa, but with those willow trees on the bank, it creates so picturesque views, which I like, everywhere along it.













I enjoyed seeing the rivers much and went to Rokkakudo Temple.



the main gate











the precincts









What make this temple remarkable are: it is said to be the birthplace of ikebana, traditional Japanese flower arrangement art. There is a big cherry tree which is said to bloom so excellent in spring(I've never seen it), and, I didn't know about it, but,


there are swans on the pond in the precincts! I think the combination of 'swan and temple' sounds a bit rare, so I was just surprised and excited to see them :)


However, I couldn't take the closer shots of them, because the sign says, "No getting close to or feeding swans; they will bite you."

...?? Swans BITE us?! I've never heard of that!! Did you know? How shocking.





Anyway, I will keep on discovering something interesting in this city... :)

posted by asta @ 7:40 PM 2 comments

MImuroto-ji and fireworks

I happened to know yesterday that Uji Fireworks Display this year was going to be the next day.
Oh, I have to see it, because this summer I haven't seen any fireworks yet!!

So today I went to Uji city, south of Kyoto. Before the fireworks display began, I made a short visit to Mimuroto-ji Temple (ji means temple) near the venue of the display in the same city.



the main gate













This temple is famous for beautiful flowers in its precincts. For example, hydrangeas in rainy season of June and July; around this time, lotus flowers are pretty, I've heard.














Oh sure, so beautiful! Not only flowers but buds as well.
I didn't know a lotus flower is big and gives out a faint fragrance, along with kind of "mysterious" atmosphere around it.







a stone lantern near the entrance of the precincts








I left the temple and took the train to the next Uji Station, the closest one to the display venue, the riverside of Uji River.
At Uji, however, I was just stunned: entrance of the station as well as the station square was filled with crowds and crowds of people, with police officers shouting out, "This place is filled up! Go back to the direction of Mimurodo Station (near the Mimuroto-ji) !! You can see fireworks from there too!"

...... OK! Got to go back now! :(

The bank near Mimurodo Station was not so crowded. I sat down in an open space on the bank to get my 'territory' there, and waited for the fireworks more than two hours, reading a magazine.


And at last, it began!!




























































Fireworks displays are one of the typical summer features in Japan; every year people look forward to seeing one.
I nearly missed this one, so now I'm very glad to be able to catch it. It was a good day today.

posted by asta @ 11:58 PM 2 comments