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Wed 20th, started with a morning stoll up to the temples on my door step, along Sahnen-zaka, a street of tea houses and gift shops, a pretty arrangement of timber framed buildings but a little twee. The road at the top of the hill enters Chawan-zaka, which happens to be known as Teapot Lane, so you know what lies along there. Stepping up finally, to the Pagoda that marks the entry point to the most significant temple complex on the east side of Kyoto is Kiyomiza-dera. The setting is sublime, nestled into the wooded foothills that overlook the city the main temple is perched over a ravine neccessitating a matrix of timber lattice work to maintain its position. The Lonely Planet describes the area as busy in season, on the cool Feburary morning I was tripping over school parties, Japanese tourists and American business men (easily marked by the tastefull choice of car coats slacks and sneakers).
A long walk down the hill and into the city ensued to book my rail ticket back to Tokyo for Friday. The Mt. Fuji window seats had already been taken. The station is huge, affording a panoramic of the area. A wide flat basin sitting between three sides of mountains. The city is pock-marked with temples and shrines juxtaposed with their mammouth neighbours. But it is its edges that the city offers most; a synthisis of the striking traditional Japanese architecture with a manipulated and natural landscape. To see more, I headed west to the suburb of Arashiyama, a quieter and relaxed place for the city folk to escape to after toiling long days in the office. Although a dense neighnourhood the houses are detached with small walled gardens surrounding them and gated entries to considered private gardens.
The main draw in this area is Tenryu-ji, a major Zen centre with a 14th century garden with a mature bamboo graove arcing around the northern side. Remember the scene from Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, it could have been filmed here. Tall trees of, perhaps, 20m in height, so densely planted that you couldn`t shoot a straight arrow for more than about 5m!
On Thursday 21st I headed along a route from the south of Highiyama to the north taking in Maruyama koen park, looking a little stark this time of year, and onto Chionin-in, a collection of Buddist temples %uFF53%uFF54ill active, where you can watch,%u3000and listen, to there daily services. The scale of the buildings are seriously massive, and agai%uFF4E here they sit astride a projecting plateau`s from the surrounding hillside. Nazen-ji is described by the Lonely Planet a one of their favourites, but to be honest, it probably was one of mine, that is if I could remember which one it was! Ever been to Venice? then you`ll know what I mean! Though,%u3000I think the temples and shrines are littlemore interesting than Titian!
The Path of Philosophy (no explanation found) is the route northwards through the eastern foothills and provided more of a glimpse of Kyoto`s suburban architecture. For the most part it is traditional in form, more often detached and like the west, contained within a walled garden. Though there are some%u3000interesting modern insertions,%u3000some good some bad. The over-riding impression though, like the centre of the city, is ignore what yyour neighbour has built and do your own thing! (I think English Planners would have sa heart attack!) The difference is though in the suburbs it works. The scale gives a humanity and uniformity while the diversity provides visual interest.
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