A glimpse of a traditional house, Sumiya House

Decorative gate, Nishi-Honganji

Papered sliding door, Ninna-ji Temple

Less is more
Location by Google Map

Round stones, just like oranges in shape and size

at Sento Gosho, close to Kyoto Imperial Palace.

A structure in Nanzenji Temple

This is a brick-made bridge for supplying clean water in the middle of Kyoto city and pass through a site of Nanzenji Temple, one of biggest temples in Kyoto and the highest ranking temple of all Zen temples in Kyoto. The bridge was built about 120 years ago, making the most of the Western technique of civil engineering.

This structure has conveyed supply water from Biwa Lake, the biggest lake in Japan and near Kyoto, to Kyoto.

By the way, what brought the structure in the site of the highest-ranking temple? Some said that the new government in those days built this structure not only to supply water into Kyoto but also to harass the temple. This temple got a lot of benefits from the old government, which was overthrown by the new government. So the new government in those days is said to have disliked the temple.

But now, this old structure adds a fascinating sightseeing spot to the temple, thanks to the harassment.
Location by Google Map

Three kinds of water fallings, Kiyomizu-dera, Temple

These are small falling waters in a site of Kiyomizu-dera Temple, the most popular temple in Kyoto.

People are waiting in line for the water. Only taking a sip, not two, of water makes one's wish come true. The left falling water is for making people get smarter, the middle is for one's lasting love each other and the right is for one's good health.

But don't be greedy! Sipping two or three different falling water fails to make your wish come true. Only one sipping water out of three is allowed for people to grant their wish at a time. In other words, we should go there three times to grant all the wishes. This temple has a good business sense, anyway.

Down to the falling water are put two square stones and one round stone for each.(They are outside the photo.) These are put for performing cold water ablutions for training. Monks are said to stand on the round stone for praying and then they stand on the square stones for the ablutions.

By the way, Kiyomizu(清水) out of Kiyomizu-dera(清水寺) Temple means clean or pure water and the name comes from rich water there.

Location by Google Map

a five story pagoda, Daigoji Temple

This five-story pagoda is in temple and was made for storing a tiny piece, a drop of swallow's tears in Japanese, of Buddha's bone. This kind of the tower came from China about 1,500 years ago.

This pagoda was made about 1,000 years ago and one of greatest pagodas in Japan, feeling the power of ancient times and the elegance of the medieval times.

By the way, Japan has had many big earthquakes but they have failed to destroy the pagodas. There are many reasons why the pagoda never fall down by the earthquakes. One of them is that no nails is driven into the framework of the structure. The joints of the main parts of the structure are connected just like pieces of three dimensional jigsaw puzzle. As time passes, the wood has shrunk to some degrees and small gaps between the joints come into being. The gaps and the pliability of wood can absorb the shock of earthquakes.

Cut-down wood for building the structure is needed to be left outside or in the warehouse for some years to go off water inside the wood. If wood is used just after cutting down, the wood shrinks very much after the construction.

Round wood will be cracked if they are left outside for a long time. To avoid the crack, surprisingly, it is best for round woods to be stored into the water. After stored into the water for four or five years, the wood will have less cracks, have better quality, and water goes off from it more smooth. Plus, the color of the wood will be nice and the wood will emit a nicely odor.

a basin in shrine, Kamigamo shrine

This is a basin installed at the entrance of main buildings in shrine. Before we go and pray in front of main building, we will wash your hands and mouth by this big wooden spoon, full of fresh water. Because gods in shrine dislike the dirty.

By the way, we don't set this spoon to our lips directly to wash our mouth.

Location by Google Map
----

PS. I was very surprised and honoured that I happen to find that this blog is in final nominees of "Best Japanese Photoblog" in The 2007 Photobloggies. Thanks for enjoying and visiting my blog, members of City Daily Photo family and Raquel in Spain!!

Golden Pavilion, Kingakuji Temple

This is another angle of Golden Pavilion. The surrounding nature, trees behind and the pond in front of it, makes the Pavilion more elegant.

Related article
http://artofjpn2.blogspot.com/2007/01/golden-pavilion.html

Location by Google Map

Another purpose of sensu, paper fun

Sensu, paper fun, is indispensable to tea ceremony.

Paper fun is functionally used to make wind and the heat mild. But it is used in another purpose in tea ceremony.

It is put in front of users to look up to the others. For example, when we bow, we put a paper fun in front of us in tea ceremony. When we look at tea tools or tokonoma to appreciate it, we put the fun in front of us.

Putting paper fun between us and things makes the border and the other side of the border means sacred space. It is the same as shimenawa in shrine and sacred gate in shrine, Torii.

Fusuma, a sliding papered door, Tenryuji Temple

Between pillars inside a wooden house are set sliding papered doors and they divide rooms.

The doors are usually closed and they are open or got off when a large room is needed.

The houses are very flexible.

PS. this is a 200th post. I will continue this blog till it reachs 1000th post.
Location by Google Map

Off day

I have to say that this blog is needed to be off today to make another blog, "Proverbs with illustraions".

Sorry for that and have a nice day!!

An ornamental gate, Nijo Castle

This ostentatious gate is inside of Nijo Castle in Kyoto. The Castle was not a fortness but virtually another residence and office of Tokugawa Shogun, living in Tokyo, in Kyoto. It was built in 1600s, when the Capital removed from Kyoto to Tokyo and Tokugawa Shogun started to rule all over Japan.

This gate is ornamental, unlike Kyoto's traditional architecture, partly because Tokugawa Shogun lived in Edo, the old name of Tokyo, and needed to show Kyoto's people his great power by the architecture.

Location by Google Map

Senja-fuda, Ishiyama-dera Temple

At the upper of gates of some temples are put many seals. Seals read one's names and address.

This seal is called "Senja-fuda(千社札)" and is put on buildings in temple. Visitors put the seals to wish their luck and also to leave their traces behind. The higher they can put the seals, the more they are believed to get happiness.

Location by Google Map

Sand moulds

Two cone shape sand moulds are put in front of a building in shrine. These are believed to be points for Japanese domestic gods to descend from the heaven.The gods prefer higher places and are said to move down from the sky to mountains and tall trees. These moulds mean mountains and the place for gods. The moulds are made in shrine because shrine is a place for honoring the domestic gods.

The thin rope is tighten in front of the moulds and the inside means the holy place for gods. And on the top of the moulds are put small pine leaves. Pine is a symbol of long life and one of gods' favorite trees.

Location by Google Map

One of the biggest wooden gates in Japan: Todaiji Temple

The norms of wood's beauty

Of all the parts in a traditional wooden house, the best wooden is used at the pillar of Tokonoma.

This partly-cut pillar is just the same as the one used at Tokonoma, and the surface is partly cut to show guests how the annual growth ring is and how nice the wood is.

It is said that the more dense the lines are, the better the wood is.

Kiyomizu-dera Temple

This is Kiyomizu-dera Temple, the most sightseeing spot in Kyoto.

I guess the three reasons are why the temple is so popular.

The first is the great vista: The main temple is on the hillside and we can enjoy the large part of Kyoto city from the extended veranda of main temple. The second is the change of the scenery: The site is on the hillside and as we move around the site, we can enjoy the change of the scenery, the rich green in early summer, the maple leaves in autumn and cherry blossoms in spring. The third is the popularity itself: travelers want to go there because it is popular.

By the way, the center of the extended veranda has no roof. This veranda is originally for performing Noh-dancing, one of traditional Japanese dances, toward gods in the sky and the gods could not see the dancing if the veranda had roof.

Location by Google Map

Coincidence

This is a flight of steps in Omote-Sando Hills in Tokyo. Stones in the building differ each other in size and color. The difference don't break the unity, but give the building a comfortable feeling, just like many steps in the below photo, taken at Murouji Temple in Nara.


Location by Google Map

Hotyo, kitchen knife

I use only a kind of knife in the kitchen but professional chef use many kinds of knife. The square one is for cutting vegetable, and the three long and thin ones in the below is for slicing fish and making sashimi, sliced raw fish. The long and pointed ones in the middle is also for sashimi.

The steel one used to be popular but now stainless is more popular than steel one because poor maintenance easily rust the steel. But there is a simple way not to rust the steel knife. It is washed with hot water because the steel soon dry off with the towel.