Tuesday, March 29, 2016
We had a leisurely morning to ourselves and walked to the local market. Like markets around the world, this one was lively, colorful, and full of people.
Later in the evening we went to the home of a couple who are teachers and masters of traditional music to hear them play traditional Japanese instruments.
We had a delicious Japanese dinner in the busy Gion district which was home to geishas, tea houses, and many restaurants.
Monday March 28, 2016
Today was our day to visit Nara which was the first capital of Japan from 710 to 794. It is located about an hour from Kyoto. Our first destination was the important Shinto shrine – Fushimi Inari Taisha. We made our pilgrimage up the steep hill:
The bus drove us to a residential neighborhood with little shops and restaurants. A bride and groom were posing for professional photographs.
We had a Japanese lunch of noodles and tempura:
After a tasty lunch, we continued on to Kasuga-taisha and Shin-en Garden famous for its thousand lanterns.
We went to Todaiji Temple, which means big eastern temple, to see the world’s largest bronze statue of the Buddha. Construction of the Great Buddha Hall began in 728. It was rebuilt twice after fire and the current building was finished in 1709.
The Great South Gate was constructed at the end of the 12th century:
We returned to our hotel in time to rest and prepare for dinner. Jeff found a “Gyoza” restaurant nearby so we shared Chinese ‘pot stickers’ for dinner. Yum!
Sunday March 27, 2016
Our group boarded a coach in the morning which drove us to several World Heritage Sites. We first visited the impressive Kiyomizu-dera Buddhist temple. The temple was founded in 778 and the present buildings were constructed in 1633.
Kiyomizu means “clear water” or “pure water” and the complex takes its name from the waterfall which runs off nearby hills. People were lined up to drink for health, longevity, and success.
We drove to the Higashiyama District of Kyoto to visit Sanjusangen-do, a Buddhist temple which was originally built in 1164. The name literally means ‘Hall with thirty three spaces between columns’, which describes the architecture of the long main hall of the temple. The main deity of the temple is surrounded by one thousand golden life-size statues. (Sorry no photos allowed inside!)
Next we went to Nijo Castle which had been completed in 1626 and was the residence of the Tokugawa Shoguns. The castle grounds are comprised of two concentric moats each with high stone walls.
We toured the huge Ninomaru Palace which consisted of five large buildings. Decoration included lavish gold leaf walls and elaborate wood carvings. The floor of the outer corridors were built with “nightingale floors” which sounded like chirping birds when anyone stepped on them. This protected the occupants from sneak attacks and assassins.
We had a lovely lunch at La Tour, a French restaurant located on the campus of Kyoto University.
Last, we went to Kinkaku-ji, the Zen Buddhist temple known as the “Temple of the Golden Pavilion.” Kinkaku-ji’s history dates from 1397, however the current structure was rebuilt in 1955.
Saturday March 26, 2016
Cold and clear this morning – 36 degrees. We had breakfast on the 12th floor and enjoyed gorgeous views of Kanazawa.
Our group of twelve divided into smaller subgroups so we could visit people’s individual houses to learn about Japanese culture firsthand. Four of us were privileged to go the the home of the very gracious Mr. and Mrs. Mori. They were retired educators and were well prepared to teach us about Japanese culture.
They were charming hosts who showed us photos of their children and grandchildren and told us about Japanese festivals and Noh theater. Mr. and Mrs. Mori also gave a lesson in ‘Origami’ – the art of paper folding.
Afterwards we had lunch in a Japanese restaurant near the magnificent railroad station.
Then into the Kanazawa station:
Vendor making rice snacks for people to eat on the train: 
A variety of trains on the platform:
A view of the Japanese countryside. 
Arrived at the Kyoto station at 4:09 exactly and we had 90 seconds to disembark 18 people before the doors closed. Somehow, we all got off the train in time!
Our guides: Ayano and Joe:
Kyoto tower:
We checked into the Daiwa Roynet Hotel Kyoto Shijo and walked around the neighborhood. Although Kyoto is an ancient city, today it is a very clean and modern metropolis. We had dinner is a small comfortable restaurant.
Friday March 25, 2016
The rest of the group went on a tour to a village in the mountains so Jeff and I had the day to leisurely explore Kanazawa. The hotel was located near an historic samurai neighborhood known as the Naga-machi Buke Dashiki District. We walked a few blocks to see the houses which were open to the public. Ashigaru Shiryokan Museum:
The Kanazawa Noh Museum:
A neighborhood shrine with cherry blossoms:
Kanazawa Prefecture Noh Theater:
Seisonkaku Villa:
Gates leanding to a shrine:
Gold-leaf altar in the Museum of Traditional Products and Crafts:
Cherry blossoms – “Sakura”
Main hall of the Oyama Jinja Shrine:
