Last trip as a student! ---kyoto, Nara, Osaka----

Most Japanese students plan to trip to somewhere
just before graduation from University.
you know why?
cause when you start to work, you never have free time
to travel around!! so short holiday is waiting for you!
sick of thinking of it!

Some travel abroad, Some do in Japan.
I had kind of both.
that comes from hard part-time job
so before trip, my travelmates also worked hard
to earn for trip, we almost have no time to plan
where to go but at least roughly we manage to fix
schedule, place to sleep, transportation.


This time We went to the west of Japan,
Kyoto, Nara, Osaka.
in these part especially Kyoto was flourished before around 1600,
when Edo era started. Our current capital Tokyo started from this
Edo era, before that every important things was in Kyoto,
politics , the emperor, shogun, etc.
These area around kyoto is famous for old city, well preserved architectures,
temples and still Osaka is now like another capital in west part of Japan.


Tansportation

this time, the reason we decide to trip around Japan is alsmost because of
special train ticket, which is cost about 11500 yen ( around 115 US$, 75 euro)
for 5 stamps. you can use limited line (JR line) for whole day in one stamps.
if you have enough time, you can go from west to east in Japan with one stamps,
but then you spare all time to move;)
with one stamp, it took 9 hours from Tokyo to Kyoto.
so long? but if you are lucky, you can see Fuji mountrain which is
one of famous landmark in Japan on the way to kyoto.

In kyoto, weather was great. Kinkakuji (Golden Temple) was shining in the blue sky.

Golden temple is built in 13th century. in 1955 this temple was fired by a young monkand he comitted a suicide just after it. so now the Golden temple you see is rebuilt in 1955 and recorded as a world heritage. although we didin't visit there is another temple which is called Ginkakuji(The Silver Pavilion) , is not really decoRated in silver. strenge?;)

kinkakuji and it's reflection on the water.

This area called Gion, and now you see mixture of modern life and histrical gate

at the same time.

A poster of dance festival.

A tower and the road were lighted up like this.

kiyomizudera at night

This snap is"wow!!" for me, when I found to take it.

It was lucky to see lighted up Kiyomizudera.

Not evey time you can visit here at night.

This temple is famous for its stage which is like large valcony.

because Kiyomizudera is built in high place so that it is said that

if you decided to do something, you go to the stage and look down.

and it gives you fear of falling down because of that height.

Therefore poeple say

"Once you determind to put someting into action,

stick to do it, otherwise go to the kiyomizu stage and jump from it!!"

It is like a pre-experience to visit kiyomizu stage then

you realize the fear to jump from it, and you'll try to avoid to give up

what you decided to do.

bamboo road and jinrikisha

If you pay, you can ask him to take you short trip with small guide on this vehicle.

how much? it is much! you see, no one is on the jinrikisha!;)

......I'm joking, it is actually not cheap, but it will be nice experience to

get on jinrikisha and see around some places feeling the flavor of old Kyoto city.

Japanese apricot is blooming now.

The street to Kiyomizudera

place to rest and have some green tea.

A huge statue of Buddha

from back side

the place to clean your hand before entering the secred area.

deers are thought as a messenger of God.

A shrine

the rope with white pieces of paper means the secred area.

In Japan, Osaka is famous for the place of comedians.

Most poplular comedians in Japan come from Osaka,

With characteristic dialog, Osaka is lively all the time.

central area in Osaka.(called doutonbori)

we dropped at the Nagoya city on the way back to Tokyo.

then we invited some friends who live there and had dinner together.

at the entranc of Karaoke

What is good traveling inside of Japan is to recognize

that I have still a lot of things to know about Japan even it's my mother country.

and because traveling in Europe before this trip,

I could compare both Europe and Japan. they are much different

and when I remember life in India, then I can't help thinking of diversity

in the world.

Especially in this trip, I could have much time to move in the train and

it gave me time to turn my thought toward my student days

or new life from April or other topics.

I never expected what I am now

when I enter University.

so nobody knows what will happen in the future.

My sister said to me once,

"the job for student is to think a lot.

you have even no time to think except for job"

If I had other life, would I have been different person?

nn.... something philosophical;)

During the trip, one of my friend tried to describe me

in drawing when we were in a cafe, she drew the question mark covered with

larger question mark! even it was more than ten layers question marks!

my friends said,

---miki, I see you always think "why?"----

so am I achieve the job as a student?;)

at last, here is the answer for my philosophical question.

in Ryoanji, a stone garden in Kyoto.

There were 15 stones in the garden but you can see

only 14 stones in every degree.

what is the purpose of the person who made this garden?

Some poeple say,

"you have to see what you can't see in your eyes, in your heart"

anyway, it fully depends on you how you understand the fact

that you can't see everything even you know everything is there.

Actually to think of this kind of question, which seems to have

no answer ( for example, one famous question is

"which hand does sounds when you crap your hands?")

is one of the training for enlightment in Zen

spreaded in 13th century in Japan.

anyway, Big thanks for travelmates Kaori, Ikuyo!