Kyoto 365
Under the veneer of modernity, the city remains filled with countless reminders of a proud past.
Shichi-Go-San
Shichi-go-san literally means seven, five, and three. When children reach these ages, they are taken by parents or grandparents to a Shinto shrine in the neighborhood to celebrate their growth on November 15th.
Originally, this was a custom done by the families of the warriors and aristocrats but since the Edo period ordinary families have started [...]
Kimono Fair
We had a day off today, both of us, so we were able to enjoy the sunny autumn day as well as the kimono fair that took place right in our backyard, at Kamigamo-jinja.
While kimono merchants were proudly displaying their merchandise and visitors were treated with green tea prepared by maiko, the central attraction of [...]
Photos from Jidai Matsuri (2007)
It took me a while, and I certainly didn’t limit the photos in the album to the keepers only, but here it is: a selection of the photographs taken yesterday, at the Festival of Ages in Kyoto.
Clicking on the picture will take you to the Jidai Matsuri Photo Album, where higher resolution photographs are available.
Enjoy!
Jidai Matsuri - The Festival of Ages
About 1,200 years ago, the Emperor Kammu chose picturesque Yamashiro with its beautiful mountains and clean water as the site of Heian-kyo, the new capital. This decision made on October 22 in the year 794 was the beginning of Kyoto.
In celebration of the 1,100th anniversary of the founding of the capital and in commemoration of [...]
Moon Viewers
“The clouds come and go
providing a rest for all
moon viewers.”
(Matsuo Bash?)
We enjoyed a superb evening yesterday, at the Moon Viewing Festival at Shimogamo-jinja. The weather was in perfect resonance with the collective wish of all of us present there, allowing us to witness the full moon shining brightly as it rose over the trees surrounding [...]
