28th November 2009
Kyoto's November is lovely but Kyoto has been around for centuries and news of that loveliness has got out.
Kyoto's November is crowds and coach buses.
Still, there are a few spots left where you can find autumn colours and take a picture of them without the population of Greater Tokyo - last seen in your sakura photos - appearing as well.
Seiryo-ji, better known as Saga Shakado, in the west of Kyoto is not on the list of famous momiji temples so it doesn't have the profusion of maples that, say, Tofukuji does.
But it has a great garden, intriguing angles and enough quiet for you to think (or not think, if you practise Zen) even in the height of the fall frenzy.
An Edo-period stone garden (karesansui). Not, as you may first think, a urinal that fell over.
But some of the best sights are not to be found at your destination but along the way. Like this gentleman looking out at the world from the walls of his garden.
And these friendly faces near an Arashiyama bus stop.
3 comments:
The little leaning stone statue in your last photo is very endearing indeed.
I really like that last picture! These little details are what makes Japan such an interesting place.
Hi Janice, in case you don't recognise the gmail moniker, this is Pat, your Gaiman queue buddy.
We came to Kyoto briefly in Nov and left with the same vaguely dissatisfied feeling we had the last time. Maybe it was the weather - rainy and very cold, or the crowds (bad idea to visit Kyoto on an autumn weekend AND public holiday!) or the packed buses (which made me thank the LTA as I never had before).
Everyone else loves Kyoto and reading your lyrical descriptions in your blog and on ST, I think maybe I might be the oddball here to not share the same love.
Ah well, third time's the charm right? I guess this means I should go back someday and try to find my love for Kyoto somewhere.
Hi Pat, nice to hear from you!
And yes, half the trick to enjoying Kyoto is knowing how to avoid the crowds.
The other half is to come with no expectations - whether of the city and or of yourself.
No matter what everyone else thinks, you're free to think differently. And by not expecting anything from Kyoto, you allow it to surprise you. Just like that last photo of the smiling stone people.
Or you can just e-mail me and I'll try to scrounge up some nice, fairly unpeopled spots. :)
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