Impressions of Kyoto

"Kyoto has impressed me by giving me the ability to see the mixture of tradition with modern structures by being able to walk down the street and see a modern building next to a shrine or temple." ~ Lisa Westerfield

"I've been impressed with the knowledge of our group of teachers and the comments and questions asked at each site to help me understand what I am seeing. In the Teramachi mall, the teenage mall experience mixed with the shrine from the 1500s surprised me because the two meshed and after awhile it seemed natural that shoppers go into the shrines along their way." ~ Maggie Engman

"There is a shrine on every corner. We are seeing a true mix of Shinto and Buddhism and it is hard to sort out where one starts and another begins. In the department stores, restaurants, the inn, everywhere, we were treated like queens. The teenage fashion is cutting-edge." ~ Becky Smith

Byodo-in Temple at Uji

Today we visited the Byodo-in Temple. Included in the temple is the Phoenix Hall, named because its exterior looks like a bird's outstretched wings, not to mention the two phoenixes perched on its roof. The statue inside, Amitabha, Buddha of infinite light, was made by Jocho, a man revered as the greatest Buddhist carver in the Heian Era.

Kyoto/Nara Adventures

Kathy and Kim wash their hands before entering a temple in Nara.

Kyoto/Nara Adventures

A temple at Nara.

Kyoto/Nara Adventures

Abbie W. on the subway.

Japanese Tea Ceremony

Today we participated in a Japanese Tea Ceremony.

Darcy bows to accept her tea.

Pic by Kim Meller.

Kyoto

Yesterday our group arrived in Kyoto, a city with a population of 1.5 million and full of character . This morning we had our orientation as people expressed their first impressions of the country and Kyoto. Several people commented on their surprise of its cleanliness and organization for a city of such size. Lots of young people were out roaming the streets this evening, a Friday night. It was a big change from early this morning when even donut shops weren't open by 7am. We visited the Fushimi Inari Shrine and walked the steps to the top where we could look down over the city. Tomorrow we are off to Nara!

Japan--HERE WE COME!

On June 25, 2008 The University of Colorado at Boulder will take a group of 16 U.S. teachers to Japan for three weeks. We will first arrive in Osaka Kansai on Wednesday, June 25 to begin exploring our over-arching theme, "Visualizing Japan: History, Contemporary Culture, and the Arts." This blog will report on the group's progress and adventures along the way.