Street culture, colorful, markets, bright lights, and wonderful people are just a few words that come to mind when describing Japan. The sheer vibrancy of Tokyo and Kyoto is more than I imagained. Tiny alleys filled with numerous izakaya (a Japanese-style gastropub), cobblestone streets, and beautiful gardens dot every space. Japan, well it’s the weird and the wonderful.
This three story, thousand-year-old pagoda in Chinzanso garden is believed to be built during the Heian period by Chikurin-ji temple monks without using a single nail. It was moved from the Hiroshima mountains in 1924 to the gardens of the Hotel Chinzanso, Tokyo.
Nishiki Market in Kyoto is packed with stalls mostly focused on food: noodle shops, fish mongers, pickled goods, mochi shops, places-we-have-no-idea-what-we-ate-but-was-really-tasty. Nothing compares to Nishiki Market. Fish has been sold here for around 700 years. Some of the stalls have been in the same family for 8 or 9 generations. We made a point to visit Aritsugu knife shop in the market, which dates back to 1560. My husband was all smiles with his selection.
Fushimi Inari Shinto Shrine dates back to 711AD. The meandering path to the top of the mountain passes through 10,000 bright orange torri gates spaced so closely together that it feels like walking through a tunnel. The orange color is thought to be a “happy” color to the Japanese people. The torri are dotted with the names of merchants asking for prosperity in their business endeavors, and there is a 2-year waiting list to sponsor. Numerous fox statues sit at attention as though they are watching over the site. The fox in Japanese culture is regarded as the messengers to the spirit patron of rice, agriculture, commerce, and general prosperity. Some are adorn with beautiful cloaks, as they are considered precious. Many lanterns dot the pathway, believed to “light the way”.
These two, as with many others, are holding a scroll (representing knowledge), and a ball (representing heart).