I have at least 3 posts in mind for this landmark in Kyoto.
During our main site-seeing day in Kyoto, it poured and poured. Didn't stop us, hey we are from the Pacific NW. Though we did use taxis. Bu mid-afternoon after Kinka-ji, we were so wet, cold and tired that Nobuko declared, not only were we going by taxi, we were going to HIRE a taxi. So she started negotiations with the next taxi in the line. The driver offered to be our guide for the rest of the afternoon and the deal was struck.
After visiting the famous rock garden, he said "Let's not go to the next big temple, I know a place just as good and it will not be crowded" Sure, let's go. So we went to Tojiin Temple, the temple of the Ashikaga family of shoguns with a garden specifically set up by the famous landscaper Soseki Muso (1275-1351)
But this first post will be about the room with statues of the Shoguns. A hall before a main altar was lined on both sides by a gallery of statues of the 8 shoguns from the Ashikaga family from Takauji to Yoshauki. Our guide pointed which one had built the golden temple, then a few generations later the shogun who build the silver temple. Some are just boys. All have their stories unknown to me.
The first picture shows Nobuko, Dennis and our guide are blurred in the darkened room as we look at the statues of these shoguns. The blind is partially lowered because nobody should be able to look directly into the eyes of the shogun. Not sure how I got the second shot that doesn't show the bamboo blind.
We spent quite a bit of time here and, he was right, hardly anybody else there.
I searched and could not find other pictures of these shogun statues. But check out this, fabulous pictures of the statues with a great feeling about the site.\
My favorite temple also even though my time in Kyoto was limited to a few days of power touring around.
No comments:
Post a Comment