End of May-family visit (part 4-Kyoto day 3)

Another full day in Kyoto ahead of us....

On day 3 we started with Toji temple. This is a 5 story pagoda and is the tallest in Japan.



Kevin and I....


Then we went to Fushimi-inari. This shrine is known for having thousands of tori (the red gates). This place was, without a doubt, my favorite. I now want to go back and hike
This was the main shrine but we were unable to enter because there was some sort of ceremony happening.



Behind this main shrine were thousands of tori. You are able to walk through them. There is a 4km hike all through tori too.



There were other little shrines along the way too...


After our morning of two temples we headed off to spend the afternoon at "Movie Village." This was so fun! It is a village where they have set up an old edo style towns where many old dramas and movies are filmed. We were able to walk threw old style houses, the pleasure district, edo style shops and watch part of a filming for a drama.

The 4 of us sitting in front of a samurai house.


The streets of movie land...


Walking is just so tiring....


Kevin and a cute Japanese gal...



Awesome ninja and movie affects....would have been fun to try this!


And for our last night in Kyoto we stayed at a ryokan (a Japanese style inn).

Here is our room. The 4 futons were prepared and set out on the floor for us. The sweet inn taker brought us green tea and sweets. It was wonderful!



The garden off the back of our room...

End of May-family visit (part 3-Kyoto day 2)

Kyoto day 2 (the marathon!)

We started the day at Kinkaku-ji (The Golden Pavilion) It was beautiful...


and family Christmas picture time...


Then we also went to Ryoanji Temple. This temple is known for it's famous garden. This garden is a very simple Zen garden. There are no trees, white pebbles and 15 large rocks. You are able to sit at the edge of the garden and are supposed to find something as you stare at it.


The whole temple had lovely gardens as well....


Our 3rd and last temple of the day was Ginkaku-ji (Silver pavilion). Though unlike the Golden pavilion, which is gold, there is no silver to be found. We actually found a temple under construction! The grounds were lovely and there was a small zen rock garden too.


Zen rock garden:



Japanese style garden:

End of May-family visit (part 2-Kyoto day 1)

2 hours on the Shinkansen and we are in Kyoto!



Day one starts off in full force (my mother said I was running them like crazy around the city...which isn't entirely untrue).

We started the day off with a tour of Kyoto Imperial Palace. It was beautiful. I would have loved to explore more but we weren't able to go into any rooms, of course.

This was the guest entrance:


This was the waiting room. There are three different rooms. Which room you were to wait in varied was based on your status.


And this is the Emperor's room. There were changing chambers, sleeping chambers and a space for morning prayer.


beautiful buildings...


and beautiful gardens...


and our tour guide was adorable...so why not take her picture...



And after the Imperial Palace we headed over to Nijo Castle.
We got to walk through this castle. It was a long and thin. This was a defense tactic so that intruders could be easily spotted. The floors also squeaked as a defense tactic!


More castle:


and more...


The castle had the most beautiful gardens. There was both a Japanese style garden and a western style garden.


There was also a huge line of maple trees-BEAUTIFUL!


We also went to the Yuzen-en Kimono Gallery. Her we could see hand painted kimonos...


close up...

End of May-family visit (part 1-Tokyo) (power update 2/2)

Wooohooo! The McIntosh's take to Japan! Big city Tokyo here we come!

I hadn't been in Tokyo since orientation....10 months ago! The family and I spent much time looking at train maps and agreed on a random station to meet. It was the station closest to our hotel. Everyone gave me this horrified look that I wasn't going to meet my parents at the airport and hold their hands on the way in. On my train ride in I was starting to get nervous that they would get really lost and we would NEVER find each other. However, we meet randomly on the platform in Tokyo station. It was perfect!


Our first hotel was call "Sakura something" (Cherry blossom). We staying in the dormitory style rooms. It was full of backpackers...we met some interesting people! (normal street in a city-note the lack of anything green and growing).


On our first day in Tokyo we went to the Imperial gardens...

Outside the gardens:



The whole family:

Just the garden:


We also went to a temple...name long forgotten...



and Tokyo tower...


On day 2 in Tokyo it rained. Our plans were to go see the kids who dress up like anime characters but with the rain they wouldn't be out. We decided to head over to Ueno park just to check it out and go to the National Museum.

When we got to the park we realized there was a matsuri (festival!) It was an ice festival. A little late in the year we thought but it was fun to watch. there was ice sculpting and beet mugs and martini glasses made out of ice. There was a giant snow pit where kids where having snowball fights and making snowmen.

Ice sculpting:


There were different beer cans and liqueur bottles frozen into giant blocks of ice. It made me feel like I was back at one of the ice castles and there would be frozen fish in the walls.


We finally made it to the museum. It was full of amazing art, old scrolls, armor, kimonos, calligraphy sets and pottery. It was a great museum.

Rewind-May 3rd (power blog update 1)

I hate blogging and have already FAILED my New Years Resolution to be better....so after nearly a month it is time for a power blog update....

Starting with May 3rd....

On May 3rd I joined a few friends for what we have decided is the greatest idea in history....strawberry tabihodai (all you can eat!) Just walk up and down the aisles of plants and eat....YUMMY!


After we ate till we were sick a few of us went down to a fox matsuri. This is a wedding celebration. A special engaged couple is chosen (out of 19 applicants she told us) and well, I don't exactly understand the point of the celebration. But the bride is paraded around the town until she meets her groom on the bridge and then there is lots of celebrating....it was a LOT of Japanese.


You could have your face painted like a fox like the bride...


and apparently watching the foreigners get their face painted was worth taking pictures. Jon took a picture of the 8 people taking pictures of us....


Laura, Yoshie and me with our foxy-fox-faces....


Even the police officers had their faces painted!! They were cute....


After all the face painting commotion, and good food it was time for the fox bride to walk and meet her groom. She was presented to everyone at the temple where she started her walk.


Many other men, women and children walked with her...carrying lanterns, fans and dancing. I am sure there is more explanation but we didn't fully understand....



She meet her groom on the bridge...everyone drank and celebrated....we didn't understand but we certainly enjoyed the festivities!!