Saturday

Our second day in Kyoto included trips to two more temples, and Nijo Castle.  There are thousands of temples or shrines in Japan, and we are starting to feel a little "temple fatigue".  Each may have its own special features, but they also have quite a bit in common.  At the first we encountered many Japanese school children also visiting.  They all had lists of what they had to do, which apparently included spotting foreign tourists and asking them questions, to exercise their English language skills.  We were all accosted by groups of children, and asked to answer simple questionnaires and to pose for group photos.

Golden Palace

The second stop was the Golden Temple (Kinkakuji), a gold leaf-covered pavilion which was built about 1400 by a rich statesman, and later converted into a Zen temple.  It was burnt down in 1950 by a novice monk, so this one is a reconstructed replica.

Our last official stop was "Nijo Castle", which I think would be better described as a palace.  It does have a moat, but the fortifications are nothing like those at Osaka Castle.  This one is a single level building where the Shogun operated, famous for its "bird call" floors - the floors of the halls are specially designed to make a clear chirping sound when walked upon, so that no one could creep about undetected.

Kyoto dinner

No group dinner tonight - we selected one of the japanese restaurants in the malls under Kyoto Station.  You write your name on the waiting list and sit outside until a table comes free.  Lisa signed us in as "Lisa" in Kanji, impressing the Japanese gent who came along next.  He asked where we were from and chatted to us about NZ.  The meal was immaculately presented, and included several strange items we have yet to identify!

To complete our Japan experience we had to go to a karaoke place that night.  Not exactly my cup of tea, but I found beer made it more enjoyable.