Re-visiting Kyoto, Japan in 2023/Carlos Pueblo

 Re-visiting Kyoto, Japan in 2023/Carlos Pueblo

It is about an hour ride on express train from Osaka to Kyoto. That day was a cloudy day and was not that promising; however, I decided to go ahead to re-visit this lovely ancient capital of Japan. there were some places which I missed in he spring this year. I bought a day of the city bus pass and started with the Kiyomizu-Dera Temple and the Gion Area, then I took the same bus 206 to visit Kyoto University main campus, then the Ginkakuji, then across the central part of the city to the Kinkakuji Temple. On my way back, I even made it to visit the Kyoto Imperial Palace.

First, the Kiyomizu-Dera Temple which I visited in March this year is still very attractive to tourists who fill up both Gion area and the Temple. The Temple is over a thousand years old. Tokugawa Ieyasu used to stay here to do his military business against the Osaka Castle. Gion area is a narrow street where the classical movies are taken place. It is still very popular where you can see beautiful ladies dressed the kimono walking on the street. You can rent the kimono dress and the shop would help you to make up.

The same bus 206 took me to visit the Kyoto University campus. I have had a special interest in the Japanese Imperial Universities system. Before the War, Taiwan was under Imperial Japanese rule and Japanese built the schools system according to Japanese system. Kyoto Koto Gakko merged to Kyoto University after the War while Taihoku Koto Gakko in Taipei becomes Taiwan Normal University when Chiang Kai-sek's army occupied Taiwan in 1945.One of my Chemistry department head went to this University to study and that's why I always have a dream to visit this campus.

The Ginkakuji Temple is located north of the Kyoto University campus. It was built in 1482 by Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa as his office. It is a Zen Temple now. I did go through a road called the Philosophy Road of 1.8 Km by a ditch of the Lake Biwa.

After Ginkakuji Temple, I took 206 again to Kinkakuji Temple which I had visited more than 15 years before. Ginkakuji is Silver Pavilion while Kikakuji is Golden Pavilion which was built by Shogun Ashikaka Yoshmitsu in 1408. Both are still well maintain and beautiful, world treasury.

On my way back to the Kyoto Station, I found the Kyoto Imperial Palace. It was closed to the public yet you can still see the large garden and some building inside the high wall. Emperor Meiji didn't like the battle damage in Kyoto before the end of Tokugawa Shogun by one of his supporter army. He decided to move his palace to current day Tokyo. Once he came back to visit this old deteriorated

Palace, he ordered the city to preserve it.