Touring Temples
The last few days have been spent touring around Kyoto. One of our assignments before the semester starts is to follow specified routes around the city to familiarize ourselves. Yesterday a couple of my dormmates and I went on a tour that involved visiting two temples, and walking down Testugaku no Michi (the philosopher's path) the latter is a major part of Kyoto's fame because it is a path beside a canal lined with cherry trees. In the the spring it is supposed to glow with cherry blossums. At this time of year i found the two temples that we visited to be much more beautiful because of the exquisitely manicured gardens and the stunning archetecture. I am definately the most facinated when visiting these places. the city is a little less exciting, but shopping for and eating food is also really fun and engaging. Well, I think that the pictures will say much more than I can explain.
posted by Kyle Weaner at 12:26 AM
5 Comments:
The temples ae beautiful. I can see what is so magical about Kyoto. It is heavenly in the sense of serenity and overpowering beauty combining nature and human intervention. Something about Japanese culture has always kind of scared me - perhaps because the focus on beauty hides a deep contradiction. When I read about Japanese cruelty, or the repressive emotional nature of the culture, the beauty takes on another meaning. I guess all cultures are deeply divided into what is acknowledged and what leaps out of the shadows. Certainly our own freedom loving/oppressive culture ( sometimes I even think we have an anti-culture, because our materialism destroys traditional cultural values). What do you think?
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
I love being able to see what you see. The pictures of the temples are otherworldly.
Love,
Eva
I am not so sure about the anti-culture thing. I feel that our materialism is part of our culture even if it sucks. All cultures have had times f certain things being oppressed. When a knew king would take over an empire the government would encourage certain things and ban others. Was that anti-culture too?
Post a Comment
<< Home