The 3rd day on our virtual trip to Japan by Lenka Ferry
Today we have toured Gion, Kyoto that was led by Marie (Max’s wife).
We saw a beautiful shrine where people make wishes for all different reasons; for example, relationships, your beauty or for passing a test. The small charms were made out of paper and designed with a beautiful and detailed art. We saw statue of “Jizou” holding an incense (symbol for Buddha) and “little Jizou cemetery” (little statues that people found on a street).
We passed by a steak restaurant, showing a big piece of “Kobe” beef. Beef is very popular in Japan, usually cooked in ShabuShabu (hot pot).
Yasaka shrine was originally a temple; about ~150 years ago. The shrine was decorated with many lanterns designed with Japanese letters, apparently served as an advertisement for companies. These lanterns do light up at night, which would be gorgeous to see. People usually visit shrines when they have some troubles.
We got to see sake barrels that were sacred and people were not allowed to get closer. Gion produces their own bottled water that is also sold in vending machines, especially used by tourists. Marie also guided us through several drug stores with many different items, from medicine, herbal products, sun screen to snacks and candy.
We had some difficulties with the phone connection and lost Marie several times, but in spite of all that, we had a great time!
Season of weddings! We were fortunate to pass by 7 weddings during our week touring Japan. Here are images from a few of those in Kyoto.
Hi Lenka, Thank you for your blog entry showing the world about our Day 3 in Gion district of Kyoto, Japan! I agree with you that despite of the connectivity issues, I felt that we were able to sense the presence. What a great trip we took together!