The edge of tile roof at Nanzenji Temple, in Kyoto

A wooden house near a pond at Gingakuji Temple, in Kyoto

Stepping stones in mosses and raked gravels, at Zuiho-in Daitokuji Temple, in Kyoto

Shoji, a thin-papered door for coming in the sun light, at Koto-in Daitokuji Temple, in Kyoto

The zoom-in of roof shingled by thin wooden plates, at Gingakuji Temple, in Kyoto

This is the zoom-in of the section of a neatly-shingled roof and the plates seems to be arranged neater than necessary.

The section in the photo is a part of the roof of the upper building, which looks very simple, seen from a distance.

The excessive neatness.

This is what the simplicity, or the elegance, is based on...

The roofs shingled by the bark of Japanese cypress, hinoki(檜) in Japanese, at Gingakuji Temple, in Kyoto

Tamami mats and decorative papered sliding doors at Katsura Imperial Villa, in Kyoto

Kato-mado, a kind of window mainly used at Zen temples, at Nanzenji Temple, in Kyoto

Noren, a cloth hung on at the entrance of shop

This is Noren, cloth hung on at the entrance of shops or restaurants and the letter on the cloth shows a tea shop. The cloth says the bigger word, Cha(茶), meaning tea in Japanese, and below the word are the name of the shop, Ippodo(一保堂), written. I don't have any business relation with the shop but this is one of the best tea shops in Kyoto.

Classical neons at the entrance of a Japanese restaurant in Kyoto

Baked mochi, rice cake, with a little sugar-added soy sauce

Small birds on the blind in Kyoto

This is sudare or misu in Japanese, blinds made of a kind of straws. It doesn't allows the sun light to go inside the house but allows the breeze to come inside.

By the way, the straws have the joints like bamboos because the inside is void. The photo shows that only the slight displacement of their joints draws the flying birds on it. The bird is flying on the blind, sometimes flapping driven by the breeze.

Have a nice weekend!

Many stone status at Adashino-Nenbutsuji Temple in Kyoto

These are small tombs for miscarried babies and those who had no relatives. Some of them were carved with buddha image on the surface and the other carved with guardian deity of children, called Jizo in Japanese, though it is hard to recognize because of the long-exposure to the air and totally the worn-out surfaces.

By the way, we call babies aka-chan. Aka means red and chan is something of a title for babies or children or cute girls in Japanese. The color, red, means baby in this case, so the red apron is hung on the status.

Mosses on the strawy roof in Kyoto

Gradation at Kozanji Temple, in Kyoto

I took this photo in November but posted it because I would like to share it.

Wooden forms of dried sweets, part 2

Here is the zoom-in picture and its explanation of dried sweets.

A peaceful statue part 2 at Otaginenbutsu-Ji temple, in Kyoto

Straw bandage against the cold, at Katsura Imperial Villa, in Kyoto

People are covering plants with straws, which are King Sago Palm, to protect them against Kyoto's winter's cold. Because the plants are originally from southern Japan and rather sensitive to the cold so they are protected by something of straws.

An delicious ice cream in Kyoto

Perhaps as you know, Kyoto is the paradise of sweets, partly because Kyoto is the capital of green tea and the bitter taste of the tea goes well with the sweetness.

By the way, there is also an ice cream shop, named KyoKinana, in Gion, the center of Maiko and Geiko. It serves some kinds of incredibly delicious ice cream. If you are sweet lover and once you will eat them, you cannot leave Kyoto!!

Have a nice sweet weekend!!

The traditional style of a shop, selling soy sauce

A peaceful statue at Otaginenbutsu-Ji temple, in Kyoto

A small Buddhist statue at Atago-Nenbutsuji Temple, in Kyoto

Otsukemono, pickled vegetables, Kyoto

Here is another post of Japanese pickled vegetables with the explanation of them.

The edge of wooden roof, at Ginkakuji Temple, in Kyoto

This is the edge of wooden roof and is elaborately made. The finess of the roof is one of the points of views in Japanese wooden architecture.

By the way, this post is the 1000th of my own photo blogs, Tokyo Daily Photo and Kyoto Daily Photo!

Kagami-mocchi, rice cake with some decorations

This is called Kagami-mochi in Japanese and one of New Year's decorations. It is decorated at Tokonoma, the main alcove of houses, to welcome gods and keep the evil spirits away from them. The mochi is put to hope the long life because the food is very stretchable when being eaten. The nature of stretch means long life. But the irony is that some senior adults unfortunately happen to choke on to passing away every year after eating the food to hope the long life.

Tenpura Soba noodle

Tempura is one of the most popular toppings for soba.

By the way, this is not real but fake! This looks more real than the real!

Have a nice weekend!

Surume, dried squid

These dried squids are called surume in Japanese and one of the typical appetizer for drinking, especially going well with beers. We usually eat them with a little mayonnaise and powdered red pepper after roasted lightly and torn up in long and thin.

This is a little hard and many bites are needed to swallow down, but the more bite, the more tasty, unlike chewing gam.

Shimekazari

Shimekazari, one of New Year's decorations, as well as Kadomatsu and Shimenawa, is hang on the top of the entrance to keep the evil away and welcome the gods. It consists of propitious decorations, like a orange, kelp, a prawn, fern, folding fan and so on.

Kadomatsu, a decoration mainly consisted of bamboo and pine

Akemashite Omedeto Gozaimasu!!(A happy new year!!)

The decoration, put on both side of the entrance gate, is called Kadomatsu and one of our customs in New Year Holiday. This is for inviting gods to us to protect houses or buildings.

The theme day, "My best photograph from last year"

A happy new year from Kyoto, Japan!!

I selected this photo because the autumn is one of the most popular seasons to enjoy Kyoto.

I wish you a lot of happiness and joy in 2008!

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