Live from Japan!

After To-ji, we visited two more temples in Kyoto. Both of them, Nanzen-ji (Aaron will tell you about that one) and Ginkaku-ji were on the eastern side of the city.

There were things I liked about each place we visited, but I especially liked Ginkaku-ji. The weather didn’t fully cooperate while we were at Ginkaku-ji, and the crowds were much heavier, but, even still, I thought it was a truly amazing, and beautiful place.

One of the things that I really liked about Ginkaku-ji was the fact that even in the inclement weather, the raining coming down steadily, people were content to meander through the gardens and walkways. No one seemed to be rushing through simply because it was raining. People continued to walk through the garden at a leisurely pace, admiring all that there was to offer.

And Ginkaku-ji did have a lot to offer. The zen gardens throughout were gorgeous. The time and effort that goes into manicuring the gravel is astounding. Everything was done with such attention to detail and precision.

The temple itself was spectacular. Again, I am amazed to see the level of detail on a structure that has been standing for as long as this one has. Gorgeous!

The views were marvelous. As we continued to wander through the garden we were rewarded with spectacular views. At one point there was a place where we could look out and see the top of the temple, as well as the city beyond. It is such an interesting sight, a juxtaposition of new and old. A place of calm just moments away from the busyness of the city below.

The gardens surrounding Ginkaku-ji had tons of moss. Everything was bursting with green. Thanks, in part, to the humidity that we have been suffering through for the past two months. This little display had boxes filled with the different mosses to be found in the garden, including placards explaining what they were called. I, of course, couldn’t read any of it, but I appreciated the little display nonetheless.