Autumn leaf viewing in Kyoto

 It is  a very fine day,so I drcided to visit one of the most famous autumn-leaf-viewing spots in Kyoto.  Fortunately I live in a city located near Kyoto,namely between Osaka and Kyoto.  It takes about 50 minutes  to get to my destination EIKANDO ZENRIN-JI TEMPLE,which is an esoteric Buddhist temple and has over 1,000 years history.

 Many tourists are enjoying a beautiful autumn-leaf-viewing  there.

Osaka Castle

 Yesterday I visited Osaka Castle to enjoy one of autumnal events held there.  Fortunately I could get a seat in front of the stage and it was free of charge.  Autumn is the best season for tourists to travel in Japan,because weather is very pleasant and many traditional and cultural events are held every where in Japan.  You can also enjoy autumn leaf viewing besides events.  

A mysterious monk in Kyoto

 A mendicant monk can be seen very seldom in Japan besides Kyoto,whose face is completely covered with a woven straw hat,is called komuso.

Komuso are a groupe of Japanese medeicant monks of one school of Zen Buddhism,who go to the town about asking for alms while playing a vertical bamboo flute called shakuhachi.  Nowadays it is very difficult to encounter them but in Kyoto there is a temple of their school,so you could see them by chance there.

Zen meditation in Kyoto

 Zen meditation was very popular discipline for samurai in order to keep the calm.  In Kyoto there are many temples of zen sect where tourists can also try to experience zen sitting meditation as a trial participant.

 You can find a temple from this website where you can ecperience zen sitting meditation in Kyoto.
http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/visitkyoto/en/theme/activities/cultural/zazen/

Spring is just around the corner in Kyoto

  I visited Kyoto three days ago and found a cherry tree in full bloom but other cherry threes are just in bud.  We must wait one week at least for cherry blossom viewing and it is the best time  for foreign tourists to come to Japan.

 Many people all over japan go out to admire the cherry blossoms in full bloom.  They spread mats on the ground under the blossoms and have parties with their family,friends or co-workers.  Foreing tourists are welcome to join them.

Winter in Japan

 Japan has four distinct seasons and each season has its own characteristic,for example cherry blossoms in spring and autumn leaves in fall.  These two seasons attract most tourists to Japan,but  other two seasons summer and winter have also many attractions.

 It is midwinter in Japan now.  On the Japan sea side fall heavy snow and some snowy areas are covered 1 - 2 meters high snow,but we can enjoy various winter sports wsuch like skiing or snow boarding.  There are also many special foods in winter which tourists can eat everywhere in Japan.

 

Shogatstu and Hatsumode in Japan

 Shogatsu is the celebration of the New Year and is the most important holiday in Japan,comparable to Christmas in Western countries.  Entrance of houses and buildings are decorated with a set of pine branches and bamboo called Kadomatsu,but Shimekazari is more popular as a decoration which is a twisted straw rope with fern leaves,an orange,and other items of good fortune.  It is placed over the entrance of a house during the New Year holidays.

 Hatsumode is the first visit paid on the New Year holidays to a shrine or temple.  People pray for a long life and happiness for the year.