In Nara we saw this beautiful pagoda. We were there just before sunset and we saw an artist painting it.
Sam and Graham at the old imperial palace in Kyoto. This palace has been there in one form or another since the 1500s or so.
In front of the old imperial palace in the Plum Tree Garden.
We were lucky enough to get to see a cool historical dragon ceremony thing up at one of the temples in Kyoto. It was really, really interesting and fun. The dragon first came off the mountain and the men screamed and stuck the dragon's head into various little cool gift shops. Then it made its way back up to the temple and went in.
This is a real geisha. Kyoto is famous for geishas and there is a neighborhood where the geisha can sometimes be seen. Geishas are not prostitutes, but are trained to be "companions." We didn't make it to a geisha tea house, but evidently they are trained to do some elaborate tea ceremony as well as providing good conversation. This geisha was so gracious. She was, of course, set upon by locals and tourists alike who wanted photos of her and she let people take the pictures before moving on to the temple where she was having her picture made with her mother. The geishas, as you can see, wear white paint.
Actually I have to correct this post. The "Geisha" pictured is actually a Maiko or apprentice Geisha. For three years or so the Maiko train and then become a Geisha in their own right. The full Geishas don't usually wear the heavy white make up as do the Maiko and the hair is different as well.
ReplyDelete