Yes! Time for more Japan Pics!

The next day we took great tours of Kyoto and Nara, both old capitals of Japan. Tokyo was very modern so it was nice that we got to see more traditional buildings around town.

The countryside was beautiful.

At a stop some kids saw us and were so excited to see foreigners that they stopped and started waving at people on the bus. Like I said, Japan is full of nice and friendly people.

Getting closer to the temple.

On the way there we saw a very old gate. The tour guide said this is the oldest gate in Japan. It was made somewhere around 700 AD.

The entrance to Todaji temple was near a deer park and they let the deer roam around everywhere. There is a legend that when one of the deities came down at this place to help the people of Japan, he arrived riding a magical deer. When he returned to the spirit world he left the deer. The Japanese believed that these deer are actually descents of that very deer, and they can be found roaming freely around the park. It’s actually illegal to hurt any of these deer because of this.

You can buy cookies and feed them to the deer and if you do, be prepared. You will be quickly stormed and attacked. The deer will swarm you and bite until you have no choice but to drop the cookies and run. My wife learned this first hand.

Insanely massive wooden carved statue at the entrance gate. There is one at each end. This one represents the omega or the end.

Todaiji temple. The roof weighs over 2,000 tons.

Inside the temple is a HUGE Buddha. The second biggest statue in the world, just behind the even huger Jesus statue in South America. You can fit 47 people standing up just in the palm of his hand. Crazy.

The Buddha statue is surrounded by tall carved statues that guard Buddha from evil spirits.

Inside they had a model replica of the temple.

This hole is the size of one nostril on the Buddha statue. They say that if you can fit through it, then you were blessed to go to heaven. Guess if your an adult your screwed.

Later that day we went to the stone lantern park.

The park was made up of thousands of stone lanterns. Only a few nights a year do they light them all. Imagine all these centuries old lanterns lit up at once. Something to behold.

After the walk through the park you enter a Shinto Shrine.

Where they still have Shrine Maidens!

After another day in Kyoto we headed back to Tokyo. First day back we went to hippest place in Japan. Harajuku!

This was the place for shopping and fashion in Japan.

Even cooler at night. More crowded too.

Speaking of crowded, next we went to Shibuya, a district in Tokyo containing the busiest intersection in the world. The Shibuya 109 building has been in countless anime and games such as Death Note and the World Ends With You.

Still don’t believe me it’s the busiest? It pretty much looked like that at every light.

Shibuya had a club Sega!

And another Ultraman Ad! Holy crap I love this country!

Shibuya looked a lot like times square, but bigger, taller, and tons of cool and creative ads. That’s typically how shops are in Japan. One store might be on the 3F, but a completely different on the 6TH.

More big bright buildings in Shibuya. At this particular intersection they played video game music during your crosswalk. I think I heard Mario Bros. and Mega Man.

Sadly this ends part 2 of the tour of Japan.

Next time Tokyo Tower and Akihabara, the otaku mecca paradise for people who love anime, music, figures, and video games. Also see the king of monsters himself, Godzilla! You can’t miss it!

]]> http://osakainsider.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/exploring-kansai-day-trips-from-osaka/ Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:00:43 +0000 osakainsider http://osakainsider.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/exploring-kansai-day-trips-from-osaka/

Giant Buddha at Todaiji Temple, Nara

So far I’ve spent a lot of time talking about what there is to do in Osaka, but this time I want to give a quick overview of places that can be visited as day trips from Osaka. It is, in fact, the perfect city for this, because of its central location and its function as a transportation hub for the Kansai area.

The obvious destination is Kyoto, which is by far the most popular tourist destination in Japan among both domestic and international tourists. Then is nearby Nara (the imperial capital  from 710-794, before it moved to Kyoto), which like Kyoto is home to a number of famous temples and shrines including Todaiji, Koryuji, and Kasuga Taisha. I prefer Nara over Kyoto because it feels more genuine and is not as crowded. Kobe is known as a pleasant, cosmopolitan city with an international feel–I recommend the waterfront Meriken Park, which is a romantic hot spot at night. Then there’s Himeji, with its soaring castle that is more famous and impressive than any other in the country.

Wakaura Tenmangu Shrine, Wakayama City

If you’re looking for something new, why not try Wakayama City? It has a number of gorgeous old temples, some great food, and lovely beaches and hot spring areas. Iga, one of the two great ninja towns of Japan (the other being Koga in Shiga Prefecture), is located in Nara Prefecture and features a ninja museum that you’re sure to get a kick out of. Kumano Kodo, a pilgrimage route that has been celebrated since ancient times, has recently become popular after being named as Japan’s newest UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Yoshino is famous for its autumn colors and spring cherry blossoms, and also has a number of lovely old ryokan and baths. Further east is Ise Shrine (in eastern Mie Prefecture), the most important Shinto shrine in Japan. It is connected to the imperial family, and it has been rebuilt every 20 years on alternating lots using the same architecture and materials since the beginning of Japan as a unified civilization.

Ninja train, Iga

Yes, there are even ninjas inside the ninja train.

Heading north from Osaka, you will find Uji, which is famous for it matcha powdered green tea, and also for Byodoin, a graceful temple that is meant to be an earthly re-creation of the Buddhist paradise (you can find it pictured on the ten yen coin). Fushimi-Inari Shrine is a complex winding its way up a mountainside, featuring paths lined with thousands of bright-orange torii gates that create an impressive tunnel-like effect. The Lake Biwa area is also a treasure trove of great places to see and delicious foods to eat (read about my journey around the lake here).

There are more options available, but the places listed above are all great destinations for day or weekend trips out of the city. With the autumn leaves reaching their colorful peak, now is the perfect time to experience the many faces of the Kansai region.

I am so excited to finally be able to share with all of you my photo exhibit that is currently hanging at
UCSF’s Children’s Hospital–505 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143. Half of the exhibit is on the first floor by the main Moffitt Elevators and the other half is on the second floor inside the Moffitt Cafeteria dining area. If you are able to actually physically go and see it, PLEASE DO! All of my photos are available for purchase; The prices that are posted are negotiable, just make me an offer and we’ll work it out.. All of the prints are also available without the frame or only with matting if you’d like. Please tell your friends or family etc. The photos make great gifts. Also, I’m looking for more photo subjects so if you or anyone you know is interested, let me know!

I’d love to hear your comments about these photos, so…PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS!!!

Without further adieu, here are the photos in my exhibit. I’ve placed them by category so they are a little more organized.

SKY

This first one is my favorite one:

Dawn of a New Beginning

This picture is completely unaltered.

Another Day Soon to Hatch

I love this picture because the sun looks like a little egg yolk to me. I love egg yolk and allow myself to eat it every now and then. Thanks cholesterol!

Breaking Through the Dark

This picture is completely unaltered.

Day at the Beach in SF

God’s Cloud Art 1

"To view the work of the Greatest Artist, look up." - Daly City, CA

Through the Dark

"The darkness can blind us but it can also open our eyes." - Daly City, CA

SAN FRANCISCO

Where I Left My Heart

This is a gigantic sculpture in which the artist based his work on the song by Frank Sinatra entitled

“I Left My Heart in San Francisco.”

"Where have you left your heart? ...or with whom?" - Rincon Park in San Francisco, CA

Where Dreams are Made

Other than changing this photo from color to black and white, this picture is unaltered. I love how the suns rays on the ocean created the magical stars.

"Expect the worst but always always hope for the best." - View of SF from Berkeley, CA

San Francisco Silhouette

Golden Gate

"Even color is in the eye of the beholder." - San Francisco, CA

Flowers

Purple Passion

For some reason, this picture makes me want some candy.

Osteopernum or African Daisy - Half Moon Bay, CA

Center of the Universe 1

"Where, what or who is the center of your universe?" - Daly City, CA

Daly City Love 2

"Every beauty has its blemish but every blemish has its beauty." - Daly City, CA

Natural Beauty

I think it is very important to find the beauty around us. You never know when you’ll find something unexpected if you keep your eyes and mind open.

Unaltered picture of a leaf I saw while walking to campus one day. - Davis, CA

Passion Fruit Green Tea

Passion Flower or Passiflora Incarnata - Half Moon Bay, CA

JAPAN

Kinkakuji (The Golden Pavilion)

"Learn from the phoenix and know that every ending promises a new beginning--a chance to start again." - Kyoto, Japan

Life of a Geisha

I stumbled upon one of the last standing Geisha houses. You can see an American photographer that I met taking a picture of the geisha. This picture of the back of the geisha’s neck and the red material in her hair is actually a very interesting picture to those who know about Geisha’s makeup. Geisha’s are NOT prostitutes…see this link.

"In one way or another, we are all misunderstood." - Kyoto, Japan

Todaiji (Great Eastern Temple)

The largest wooden building in the world, housing the largest gilded bronze Buddha - Nara, Japan

Lotus Blossoms 1

"Most of us have to learn to crawl before we can run but we all have to start somewhere." - Kyoto, Japan

Lotus Blossoms 2

"Wait for the right moment." - Kyoto, Japan

Lotus Blossoms 3

"Everyone is unique but we're all the same." - Kyoto, Japan

That’s it! Please go see my exhibit in person if you have time. Also, remember that all these photos (and all the photos on this site) are for sale. Please contact me to let me know if you would like to purchase a print. I would love to also hear your comments about the photos. Hope to hear from you soon! Until then, stay tuned for more of my photo endeavors.

]]> http://wanderingvegans.wordpress.com/2009/08/09/nara/ Sun, 09 Aug 2009 10:59:48 +0000 bennoandlara http://wanderingvegans.wordpress.com/2009/08/09/nara/

We took the train to Nara from Kyoto, checked into the Nara-Tree Guesthouse in Naramichi historical district then had lunch at Ashura, an organic vegan-friendly place that served curry, samosas and fried croquettes with carrot juice.
Filled with fuel, we set off on a walking tour of Nara. We walked through a crafty shopping district, past the Sarusawa-like pond with turtles and koi to Kofukuji Temple and the 5 story pagoda. Then we continued past the cracker-eating deer to Todaiji Temple with the Daibutsu. It’s quite dark inside the wooden building so it’s actually almost impossible to get a photo of the giant Buddha. Benno managed to squeeze through the hole the size of the Buddha’s Nostril, again (he did it 14 years ago and is the same size now!). Then we headed up the hill to a giant bell, the Nigatsu Hall with lovely views of Nara, past Hokke-do down through the Kasugayama Primeval Forest to Kasuga Taisha Shrine which is another UNESCO site. Kasuga Taisha Shrine had moss covered stone lanterns lining the path and two men were practicing playing taiko drums while we wandered along the paths.

We ate peach flavoured shaved ice (kaki kori) and mogwort toasted mochi on the way then had sweet potato fries from a stand on the way home. We ate dinner and watched “Tokyo Godfathers”, a Japanese anime movie at the guesthouse. We would not recommend Nara-Tree guesthouse to anyone as it was really poorly run and not kept very clean. But there was air-conditioning in our bedroom at least.

The pictures are of a Kamakura period Gogo (long o) Shiyui Amida. See here or here.  There is a very good example of this type of statue housed at the Todaiji temple in Nara.

The gold leaf is applied by finger. The leaf is first cut into thin strips and then put into place using the tip of the finger. The condition is very good on this statue. The picture of the back shows a removable panel that would have contained a relic, sutra or something of that sort. These have usually been emptied.

Just to look at a little of the iconography. The hair, like Sai Baba’s, is a symbol of how long the Buddha has been meditating and the lack of concern for the material world. Meditated for 5 eons would be a rough translation of gogo shiyui. The meaning of “gogo shiyui” in Japanese is closer to limitless time. I would imagine sitting in the lotus for more than an hour qualifies as forever. During this period of meditation the Buddha’s focus was how to look out for the good of mankind. An interesting side note. When I was at the dealers looking and learning about this piece he didn’t use the terminology that is usually associated with this incarnation of Buddha. What the dealer said is the Gogo Shiyui Amida was given a problem to ponder and it took him a very long time to figure it out. That is the reason for the long hair. It may seem like a small difference but I see it as a far more personal and relate-able rendering of the story. In researching the piece in Japanese too I find the writing much more personal, less “object, observer” type of writing.  During the time he was meditating his hair grew long as it is represented in the statue.

I am unsure what the mustache means.

Million dollar Buddhas.

I went to the dealer with a friend who wanted to get some antiques looked at. The three of us walked in, my friend, my wife and I. There were two somewhat frumpy business men with a couple of printed pages in front of them, the Amida statue and the dealer. The first thing I heard was something to the tune of it won’t bring more than one million in this climate. I turned around and walked out to give them the time to negotiate in peace. After about ten minutes the men left and I left my crouching position across the narrow road from the shop, going back into the shop.  The story was the two men were representatives of a wealthy business man from Osaka who owned an Important Cultural Property Buddha statue and wanted to sell it for at least a couple of million dollars, or in Japanese suu oku en. My immediate thought was how much money does this dealer keep in reserve for these type of calls.

Nara Park is home to quite a few nice sights, all conveniently in walking distance of one another. While I’m going to highlight a few of Nara Park’s offerings, it’s really Todai-ji (Eastern Great Temple) that makes this a must-visit if you’re in the area. The temple boasts numerous impressive structures, the most of which being the Nandai-mon (Great South Gate) and – the main attraction – the Daibutsu-den (Great Buddha Hall) and its contents.

The main gate to Todai-ji, surrounded by deer which roam the whole park.

Nara is a fairly major city in the Kansai region, so it’s very easy to get to by various train lines and is close enough to the region’s more highly-visited cities (Osaka and Kyoto, for example) for a day trip. That is exactly how my friends and I visited Nara: a day trip from Osaka. From the JR station there’s a short walk to the park, and from there you can make your own way through the various attractions. From the station you’re probably likely to visit the Kofuku-ji group of temples first. We first came across the Tokondo, or Eastern Golden Hall, which is the last survivor of three Golden Halls. It’s a nice building and the five-story pagoda adjacent to it is one of the tallest in Japan, though it pales in comparison to the grandeur of Todai-ji.

The Tokondo and five-story pagoda at Kofuku-ji.

A little further from the station is Todai-ji which is a must-see all on its own. It begins to impress with the Nandai-mon gate, home to two very large guardian statues. The breathtaking main structure, Daibutsu-den, is the largest wooden building in the world at 57.01m long, 50.48m wide and an impressive 48.74 tall. The Hall has been rebuilt twice following fires, with the current structure – around 30% smaller than its predecessor – completed in 1709. The first incarnation of Todai-ji was completed in the mid-8th century, so the site carries many centuries of history despite reconstructions.

Ungyo (left) and Agyo (right) stand within the main gate, guarding the temple.

Daibutsu-den is a grand building, a fine home for the treasures within.

Once inside the Daibutsu-den, I was immediately stunned by the size of the Daibutsu (Great Buddha). The 14.98m statue towering within the Hall is truly a sight to see, one of the most memorable of my visits to Japan. There are four other large statues situated around the Buddha; though not quite so impressively tall they are fascinating, finely detailed pieces. My understanding is that these are more guardian statues watching over the temple. Just outside the temple is a wooden statue of Yakushi Nyorai, buddha of medicine and healing. It’s strange and even a bit creepy-looking, but it’s also nicely carved and it’s said that if you touch a part of the statue and then that same part of your own body, it can heal ailments in that area.

Photographs seem to do little to convey the Great Buddha's bewildering scale.

Yakushi Nyorai is a little strange-looking and perhaps the antithesis of the Daibutsu.

After being amazed immeasurably by Todai-ji, a stroll through the Kasuga-yama Primeval Forest was a nice way to end our trip to Nara. There are quite a few nice little temples and shrines along the various pathways, but this recommendation is more informed by the beauty and serenity of the forest than anything else. It’s lush, very green and much of the path is lined with stone lanterns. It’s a similar sight to Fushimi Inari in this regard, and I don’t envy anyone who ever has to help light them all. Kasuga-yama is a lovely place for a walk, very peaceful despite there being quite a few other people around. There’s a sense of spiritual wellness in the air which makes you wonder if perhaps those shimenawa ropes tied around some of the trees really are marking the location of spirits.

The Kasuga-yama Primeval Forest is like the lantern equivalent of Fushimi Inari.

These are just a few things to see in Nara, but there’s much more. Todai-ji and its Daibutsu are more than worth a visit purely on their own merits and Kasuga-yama is a nice place to relax for a while, though it didn’t strike me as deeply as Fushimi Inari did (your preference may vary as both are beautiful). Being so easily accessible and close to more common tourist destinations, I can see little reason to pass up a visit to Nara if you’re in the Kansai region.

passer par le parc de Nara,
go through nara park,
奈良公園を抜けて、



jouer avec les cerfs,
play with dears,
シカと遊んで、



ensuite, temple de de todaiji est la.
then, todaiji temple is right there.
東大寺。



le batiment exterieur était plut haut, mais il a été détruit par le désastre.
the building that covers the statue was much higher however, it was destroyed because of the disaster.
大仏殿の天井は本来もっと高かったが、災害で壊れて今の高さになったのだと、

Mathieu m’a dit cette histoire.
Mathieu told me about this story.
Mathieuは教えてくれました。

Early on Friday morning, we left to go to Nara – we wanted to be back in the afternoon to catch some more sights in Kyoto.

Nara was the ancient capital of Japan before the capital was moved to Kyoto. According to lore, the Buddhist priests at Nara began to wield a lot of influence and this forced the rulers to move the capital to Kyoto. Nara is home to a number of temples, the most significant of them being Todai-ji. The Todai-ji houses the Daibutsu-den , or the Great Buddha hall, which, as its name suggests, has one of the largest bronze statues of Buddha – this was the main reason we had wanted to visit Nara

We took the JR Nara line from Kyoto to Nara – about a 45-50min ride. We walked from the JR Nara station toward Todai-ji. Since the Kofuku-ji temple was on our way, we stopped there briefly. The Kofuku-ji is another ancient Buddhist temple that, like the Todai-ji and several other temples in Nara, is designated a UNESCO world heritage site. The main sight in the grounds of Kofuku-ji is a 5-story pagoda. The grounds were pretty crowded, especially with school children. There were a lot of deer roaming the grounds and approaching visitors for food. The vendors made brisk business selling deer biscuits, among other trinkets and snacks.

We continued our walk towards Todai-ji, cutting through the Nara Park to get there. The Nara park sprawled a large area; surprisingly it was not very crowded. Deer seemed to be the dominant visitors to the park!

A short walk away from Nara Park was the entrance to Todai-ji. Like most other temples we had seen, the approach was lined with vendors selling food, charms and souvenirs. The deer were here too and were pampered heavily with treats by all the visiting school children. The Daibutsu-den was an immense wooden building inside which sat the bronze Buddha statue. The building is said to be the largest wooden building in the world. Like other Buddhist temples, visitors washed their hands in the water fountain in front of the building, before entering. We entered the Daibutsu-den – the Buddha statue was HUGE! The statue was so intricately made you could see each fold in the Buddha’s robe – truly a sight to behold! We walked around the statue admiring all the details. Behind the statue was an area where there was hole in a pillar that several of the school children were trying to squeeze through. Legend has it that anyone that can make it through the hole will be blessed with enlightenment!

We made our way out of the building and back into the courtyard. As we were walking out, a couple of eager school children approached us – they must have been about 8 or 9 years old. One of them said ‘Hello’.  We replied back Konnichiwa – the kid was so surprised that we replied back in Japanese that it took him a few moments to get over his amazement His English was limited but he was very keen to converse with us – we tried to understand what he was saying but sadly, our knowledge of Japanese was even more limited than his English So, we bid him goodbye and left to walk back to the train station.

We got to Kyoto early in the afternoon. We were ravenous and ate in an Italian-inspired restaurant on the top floor of Kyoto station, that had nice views of the city. After a good meal, we headed to get to Kinkakuji or the Golden pavilion.

The Kinkakuji is one of the most famous tourist sites in Kyoto – it is a 3-story building that sits on a pond. The top 2 stories are covered in gold and a golden bird sits atop the roof. We had heard friends praising kinkakuji and were prepared to be disappointed because of all hype surrounding it. However, nothing could prepare us for its breathtaking beauty ! It was a dazzling sight to view the building with its reflection in the pond. The gardens and the pond are amazingly beautiful and serene. We even managed to spot a crane in the pond ! We walked around the gardens a little bit, admiring all the flowers and plants. We noticed some people gardening – surprisingly, they didn’t seem to be using many tools – they seemed to be removing weeds by hand. Tremendous patience, I must say!

Our next stop for the day was Ryoan-ji, a Zen Buddhist temple. The main attraction of the temple was a rock garden made up of a set of large boulders and gravel. There was a viewing area of the garden where visitors could sit down and contemplate the meaning of the arrangement. We sat down for a little while, trying to decipher any shapes and patterns but none came to mind readily. I was a little disappointed with the garden since I could not see anything fantastic about it – maybe one does really need to be enlightened to see further than the physical and into the abstract !

]]> http://kimftw.wordpress.com/2008/06/25/of-course-i-have-more/ Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:00:05 +0000 kimftw http://kimftw.wordpress.com/2008/06/25/of-course-i-have-more/

Hi there. We are getting ready to leave Nara, where we have been for the past three days. It’s great here at Yougendo, where we have been staying. Seriously awesomesauce.

On our second day, we spontaneously decided to visit Hiroshima, which is only about three hours away by bullet train. Hopefully that section of photos is depressing, since I was thoroughly effected by the peace monument and museum there. I couldn’t really even bring myself to take that many photos, and only one in the museum. Definitely not a good time to be American, not that anyone was mean or anything, just that Corlee and I felt a bit of sideways guilt for our country.

But, we are very glad we went, and are, in all cases, still having a great time. And we haven’t killed each other yet.

This laptop is burning me.

At Horyuji temple, in Nara. It was rainy so we didn’t stay long.

Had a cool trough.

Another pic of Corlee’s back.

I think I’m obsessed with these lanterns.

The ultimate statement at Hiroshima.

In the weirdest way, I really think the a-bomb dome is beautiful.

It says:
“Mourning the lives lost in the atomic bombing, we pledge to convey the truth of
this tragedy throughout Japan and the world, pass it on to the future, learn
the lessons of history, and build a peaceful world free from nuclear weapons.

Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims”

The worst of it all.

MOVING ON

Yum. Japanese(?) junk food.

Just so you know, I’m actually in Japan. In this hotel room.

Nara park had some scary ass deer. Like, a lot of scary ass deer. Which were quite friendly.

A shrine.

This deer wanted some ice cream.

A pagoda.

These deer were hangin’ with this cool lady.

Some warning signs. I think the dog is farting. Or something.

Todaiji, the horned temple where they keep the daibutsu (giant buddha).

I admit, it was huge, but it was also impossible to get a picture of. Go figure.

Cool statues everywhere. Corlee got pissed because I kept stopping to take pictures of things like this.

There were a ton of shrine guardian statues.

There was this big… building. With a bunch of school kids on it. There were so many school kids that day…

Everything’s bigger in… Japan?

Nara, que foi a capital do Império Japonês no século 8, permanece sendo um dos grandes centros históricos do Budismo do Leste Asiático. Tanto dentro como ao redor do parque histórico de Nara estão pagodes, antigos santuários Budistas e Xintoístas, jardins formais, o importante Museu Nacional de Nara, e o não menos importante Templo Todaiji com a sua imensa estátua do Buda em bronze.

Templo de Todaiji em Nara.

O Grande Buda de bronze em Todaiji.

Imagens obtidas de Wikipedia, a enciclopédia livre.

A Beleza da antiga Kyoto reside nos seus numerosos templos Zen datando do período Hieian, e nos famosos jardins dos templos Tenryuji e Ryoan-ji. O Zen é uma tradição viva e estudantes ocidentais são aceitos em alguns templos de Kyoto, bem como em muitos dos mais antigos monastérios no norte da ilha do Japão.

Templo de Tenryuji em Kyoto.

Imagem obtida de Japanese Lifestyle

Nara is een stad die bekendstaat om zijn tempels en ligt op twee uur sporen van Minoh. Nara is dan ook ideaal voor een daguitstapje. Samen met 6 kotgenoten ben ik vroeg in de ochtend vertrokken. Ik had de trip een beetje voorbereid, maar met 7 is het natuurlijk onmogelijk om te houden aan een schema. Het begon al tijdens de treinreis, we moesten 3 keer overstappen. In het station waar we de eerste keer moesten overstappen, wou Robert, net voor de trein kwam, nog snel even zijn blikje wegwerpen, met gevolg dat de deuren voor zijn neus slootten. Er zat niet anders op, dan te wachten tot hij met de volgende trein aankwam. Gelukkig rijdt de monorail om het kwartier, dus al bij al viel het nog mee. De trein naar Nara vertrok in Osaka-station, een van de drukste stations van de stad. Het was inderdaad druk, hoewel het nog geen eens spits was.

Onze eerste stop was de Horyuji (法隆寺), een tempel waarvan enkele gebouwen tot de oudste houten gebouwen ter wereld behoren, en geklasseerd is al Unesco werelderfgoed. Eigenlijk viel die een beetje tegen, er waren zeker interessante gebouwen, maar die waren niet allemaal zou oud, en zelf de oudste waren niet volledig oud. Ze is de centrale pilaar van de pagode geveld in 594, maar niet de hele constructie dateert van 594. Maar al bij al, heb ik geen spijt van naar de Horyuji te zijn gegaan. Het blijft een ‘must see’ voor elke Japanreiziger.

Daarna zijn we naar Nara park (奈良公園) gegaan. Het park staat bekend om zijn tamme herten, en niet een paar maar honderden. Er worden zelf snoepjes verkocht die gebaseerd zijn op hertenkeutels. In het park zijn 2 tempels en een shintoheiligdom te bezichtigen. Ik had ze graag allemaal bezichtigd, maar uiteindelijk is het enkel de Todaiji (東大寺) geworden. Todaiji betekent grote westelijke tempel, en groot is hij. De grote boeddhahal is 48,74 meter hoog en 57 meter breed, wat de grote boeddhahal het grootste houten gebouw ter wereld maakt. In het gebouw staat een enorm boeddhabeeld. Allemaal zeer impressionant.

Aangezien het al eind november is, en dus vroeg donker wordt, sloot alles al zeer vroeg. Na de Todaji hebben we nog wat souvenirwinkeltjes bezocht en dan de trein naar huis genomen.

Natuurlijk heb ik een aantal foto’s genomen. Ik moet toegeven dat ik behoorlijk slecht heb gefotografeerd. Mijn camera stond op de verkeerde modus, wat ik te laat opmerkte. Maar ja, hier zijn ze.

On the last day of The Bay Crew’s stay in Kansai, we headed out to Nara to see the Daibutsu at Todaiji. In fact, I think it’s the third time that I’ve been out to see Nara’s Daibutsu, and the Daibutsu and I are becoming old friends. The deer and I are becoming old friends too, probably because I always end up buying shika-senbe (deer crackers) to feed to them. The deer in Nara are considered to be the sacred messengers of the gods, though perhaps a better description might be that they’re the pushy sacred messengers of the gods. They seemed especially pushy this time around, but perhaps that’s because there appear to be less sellers of shika-senbe who are willing to set their stands up during the cold winter months.

This is the first view of the Daibutsuden at Todaiji — the largest wooden structure in the world — that you get as you walk inside the inner gate.

This figure represents Binzuru (Pindola Bharadvaja), the most popularly known Arhat in Japan. Binzuru figures are very often rubbed smooth in places since people rub the figure in the area corresponding to one of their bodily ailments in order to become well. These figures also often have red or white caps and bibs that are placed on them to act as offerings so they will watch over the health of newborn babies.

These two women arrived totally decked out for their first temple visit of the new year. I especially appreciated the white, fluffy rabbit-shawl accessory. (Please view larger for more rabbit detail.)

This is a view of the deck at Nigatsu-do, which is one of my favorite temple buildings in Nara. In addition to the beautiful, ancient, weathered wood of the building, the deck opens out onto an unbelievable view of the city of Nara. The Nigatsu-do is famous for the Omizutori Matsuri, which is a water-drawing ceremony for the initiation of monks. The Omizutori festival is most famous, however, not for its water, but for its fire. On the night of March 12th, huge flaming torches are paraded around the balcony and sparks are showered down on the spectators in order to purify them. Perhaps the big green payphone on the Nigatsu-do balcony is there in case someone needs to make a hasty call to the fire department?

Here’s the sunset view of Nara from the balcony at Nigatsu-do. I’ve been on this balcony at dusk three times now, and each time the view has been breathtaking. Unfortunately, the following day was the day for leave-taking as The Crew headed back up to Tokyo for the last leg of their trip, and I headed over to my office to begin preparing for the start of classes after the winter cessation. Good-bye Tessa, Leon, Mart, Jorge, Courtney, and Dennis! See you back in California for our summer reunion dinner (which will hopefully involve some extremely tasty deep Mission eats).

You can read about my other visits to Nara here, here, and here.

On Tuesday the 15th, J. and I took off for Nara to see the Shoso-in treasures, which are only shown twice a year at the Nara National Museum. Unfortunately for us, the last day of the show was on the 14th, so instead of seeing the Shoso-in treasures, we decided to walk around Kofukuji, and Todaiji. Somewhere along the line the J. managed to transform Kofukuji into “Tofurkyji,” which brings to mind an enormous, reclining, faux bird carcass, perhaps in bronze, housed appropriately somewhere on the temple grounds. After feeding the deer (de rigeur!) we trooped off to Todaiji to view the Daibutsu, and then cruised back into Nara for some touristy shopping along the shotengai. We didn’t really end up buying much — aside from a coffee at a coffee shop with a German poster of a Breathless-era Belmondo staring out at us and smoking — though I did pick up a cold-weather cap with “Daisy Meat Products” emblazoned all around, since it’s getting cold! cold! cold! at night here.

The pagoda at Kofukuji. Apparently this is the second tallest pagoda in Japan.

The main hall at Kofukuji.

J. feeding the deer.

The Daibutsuden.

The Arhat or ascetic figure outside of the Daibutsuden.

Lion-dog on the path to Nigatsu-do and Sangatsu-do halls.

A small shrine on the path to Nigatsu-do and Sangatsu-do halls.

My trip to Nara with J. seems like the perfect excuse to finally finish my long overdue narration of Melissa and Marie’s visit to Osaka on the weekend of May 28, 29. On the 29th of May, the three of us took the train to Nara, stopping off at the Senrichuo shopping complex just long enough to grab lunch and check out the Hanshin Tigers Lotus (which was painted, naturally, with bright yellow tiger stripes).

After sitting in the Lotus we ended up in Nara, which was swamped with volumes of school kids, many of them wearing little white deer-horn headbands on their heads. Nara, of course, is home to herds of tame deer that roam around the city, accepting offers of shika-sembe (deer crackers), which you can buy at stands for about 150 yen. The deer come right up and eat out of your hand, which is really fun, though the deer can be quite pushy (as my friend Misa can attest to, as she was once pushed to the ground by deer in Nara). The deer in Nara are protected since they are considered to be the sacred messengers of the gods, though there is also the annual ceremonial cutting of the horns to ensure that the messengers don’t gore tourists during the mating season in Autumn. The deer also have this interesting habit of making bowing motions with their heads before you feed them — the jury is still out on whether this is some kind of instinctual movement, or whether it’s a behavioral byproduct of customary Japanese bowing practices.

Since it was already late in the day we decided to head straight toward Todaiji, a temple complex that contains both the Daibutsuden, the largest wooden structure in the world, and the Daibutsu (Great Buddha), one of the largest bronze sculptures in the world). On our way to the Nandaimon, the entry gate to Todaiji, we passed a group of people in full samurai gear who were standing around the park adjacent to the line of stalls selling such tchotchkies as Buddha hand puppets and Buddha’s snot candy, in addition to the shika horns. These weekender samurai were basically the equivalent of your Renaissance Faire and Society for Creative Anachronism types, coming out to Nara in their (mostly) handmade costumes to enjoy inhabiting some kind of historical otherhood. They were really nice, posed for a ton of photos, and when it was mentioned that Marie studies iado (the art of drawing the sword — apparently Zatoichi’s métier) one of the samurai dropped into a crouching pose and drew his (incredibly long) sword with a perfect circular arcing motion.

After the samurai we continued on to the Daibutsuden, which is an incredibly impressive building, and surprisingly graceful despite the sheer effect of monumentality as you approach it. Todaiji was originally completed in 752 by order of the Emperor Shomyo to house the Daibutsu and to symbolically embody Nara’s position as both an important Buddhist center and as the ancient imperial capital. The original Daibutsuden was burned down, and the rebuilt structure, as impressive as it is, is only two-thirds the size of the original. Here’s what the Lonely Planet has to say about the Daibutsu (other than the fact that it’s made of 437 tons of bronze): “The Daibutsu is an image of the Dainichi Buddha, the cosmic Buddha believed to give rise to all worlds and their respective historical Buddhas.” To the left and the right of the Great Buddha are two slightly smaller gilded bodhisattva figures — the Kokuzo Bosatsu and the Niyorin Kannon Bosatsu — that are centered in circles of flaming light. Toward the rear of the structure are the heavenly guardians Koumokuten and Tamonten. There is a also a column with a hole in the base that is exactly the size of the Buddha’s nostril, and it’s rumored that if you crawl through you will be guaranteed enlightenment, or at least good health. Mostly it’s children that crawl through, but of course Melissa, Marie, and myself all crawled through as well. My passage through was a bit of a tight fit, though I was able to do it on my own instead of being pulled through like several other people. If it weren’t for the fact that the interior of the nostril has been highly polished by the passage of thousands, however, I probably would never have made it through.

As we were leaving the temple I bought my first goshuin book. These books were originally for pilgrims who collected stamps as they moved from temple to temple on pilgrimage. Each temple has its own unique stamp and (after you pay your 300 yen) a monk will stamp your book and then write an appropriate message using a calligraphy brush. The central Todaiji stamp looks like a flaming stupa, though there is definitely a lotus motif at the base of the image. In any case, the different goshuin stamps are all quite beautiful and I expect to have a full book by the time I get home.

We ended our day by watching the sunset from Nigatsu-do and Sangatsu-do Halls, two beautiful wooden halls in the hills above the Daibutsuden. As evening was falling we walked back into Nara through the lower reaches of Kasuga Grand Shrine’s lantern walkway, and then through the Kofukuji grounds, with its dark and beautiful spires in the dark blue young night.

Melissa gets to test drive the Hanshin Tigers Lotus. The Hanshin Tigers are the hometown team in Osaka. They play in Koshien Stadium, the oldest baseball stadium in Japan, and when they win the championship hundreds of Hanshin Tigers fans jump into the Dotombori Canal.

These girls asked us to sign their travel books after we asked them if we could take a photo of them. There were thousands of school kids roaming the area while we were there, many of them wearing the deer-horn headbands.

The big sword belongs to the man in the middle, who crouched down and drew it with an amazing circular flourish.

I like his red devil horns.

Todaiji. The largest wooden structure in the world.

The Daibutsu at Todaiji.

Um. One source referred to this figure as Tamokoten, and another says Koumokuten. Who knows? I think it’s the second. One of two heavenly guardian figures in Todaiji. I especially like this one because of the brush in his hand.

One source referred to this figure as Bishamon, and another as Tamonten. In any case, it’s another heavenly guardian figure.

Here’s Marie crawling through the hole of one of the supporting pillars of Todaiji. This is supposed to guarantee you enlightenment. Or at least good health. I managed to drag my way through it, but just barely, with one arm out like Superman and the other stuck to my side like glue.

Kofukuji at night as we’re on our way back from Kasuga Grand Shrine.