Shrines & Temples

May 14, 2023

We take a bus to the Kiyomizu-Dera temple, noticing the kind of 1970s style bus that seems to dominate here. Public transport must be making a killing, considering how many people are crammed into most of the trains and subways and buses I've been on. I get myself a seat to save strength for the rest of the day's walks, while Axel in his usual style chats up some other tourists heading the same direction.

At the last stop we run a one kilometre gauntlet of souvenir shops up the hill to the temple's gate, stroll through the parks, admire the buildings and even offer a small donation and say a prayer for the Nimbus at one of the many places one can do that. Divine intervention is one of the few things I haven't tried yet on the trip, but at this point I am ready to try anything. 

Surprisingly few have been wearing traditional clothes in the rest of town, but of course here quite many couples wear them, the ladies' dress being the more elaborate one. The elegant clothes can be rented for $22/150 dkr. at the bottom of the hill, and I briefly thought we should have rented some too, except we'd probably have gotten into a fight over who got to be the one in drag.

Back in central Kyoto we go see Yusako Mizuno, the little old lady from yesterday's visit to Taro Cafe. Reggae music is blasting from the old JBL loudspeakers that so impressed Axel last night, we talk about Jimi Hendrix and what-have-you for the next hour, and learn that her mother made it to 101 years of age. Mizuno will probably outlive both os us, but if I make it that far, I promised I'd be back in ten years.

Young couple in rented traditional clothes.

For some reason they thought a phone booth would be suitable here. Then of course it is better than one of those vending machines with coffee and soft drinks, that seem to be placed in the most surprising locations everywhere in this country.

Roof construction built to withstand earthquakes, by allowing it to slide in all directions. Japanese temples usually have a more subdued style than this almost Chinese style one, like the black & white one below, seen at a nearby Buddhist temple.

For tourists too tired to walk all the way up to the temple, there's always the rickshaw option. 

Note twin disc brakes.

Japanese school children uniforms. Sailors style for the girls, Preussian uniforms for the boys.

Religious procession we met on the way to Yousako Mizuno.

Taro Cafe on the right, Yusako Mizuno's small house on the left. She has rented it since 1971, and her family had it before then.

On her facade you see advertisements for the vinyl records she's buying and selling. Jazz is her favorite, she claims, but there are all sorts of 1970s rock, soul, funk etc. records for sale too. We see a lot of tourists stop to check it out during the hour we visited her.

One of half a dozen Shakotan Toyotas in the parking lot across the street from her, with some young guys working on them.