Kyoto, Japan

This past weekend in Japan was a three day holiday so to take advantage of the extra day off from work I traveled north for Kyoto. Because my junior year of college was spent studying abroad in this same region, having the opportunity to visit with old friends and to see familiar sites from when I was a student truly brought back an array of nostalgic memories.

Shortly after arriving to Kyoto it began snow and snow and snow! Despite the fact that I was cold, wet, and at times even miserable, the white blanket of snow covering the heads of stone statues and the roofs of ancient temples truly made for a spectacular experience. In fact, the scenery was so incredibly beautiful that traveling alone was almost lonely at times in that I longed for someone to share with me what I was experiencing and how I was feeling.

Even though I have already been there several times one landmark I made sure to visit was the Golden Pavilion Temple. Constructed in 1397 and then reconstructed several times again after catching fire it originally served as the retirement villa for shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. Later it was converted by his son into a school of Zen and today, as a World Heritage Site, it continues to be one of the most visit famous temples and frequently visited attractions in Kyoto.

The Temple of the Peaceful Dragon, also a World Heritage Site, was another on my list I made sure to return to again. The famous rock garden consisting of raked gravel and fifteen moss-covered stones is probably one of my favorite temples in Kyoto. The fifteen stones are strategically placed so that regardless of which angle they are being viewed only fourteen stones can be seen at one time. According to tradition, only after one has attained true enlightenment are they able to finally view the fifteenth stone.