One day in Kyoto (19/5/09)

Today, we had a trip to Kyoto. Unfortunately, I forgot my memory card in my laptop :( Anyway, this is a big city in Japan and it is known as a Geisha town where you can see Geisha on the street but unluckily, we didn't meet Geisha outside. It was never like what I imagine or saw through television and magazine. Everything is so crowded. People was walking on the street next to each other and things moved so fast. Business signs were everywhere. I felt so compressed in such environment.



We visited Nijo Castle - this is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 and celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2003. We had to take our shoes of and wear bare feet, they don't have slippers as in JCMU. Nijo Castle is an example of the early Edo period and the Momoyama culture in Japan because they have Edo period building design, lavish paintings and carvings.



After this, we took the bus to Rokuon-ji temple - the Golden Pavilion. This is also inscribed as World Cutural Heritage in 1994.



We had a quick dinner in order to catch the train at 7:14pm to see the Geisha show at Gion corner. The program contained tea ceremony, koto music, flower arrangement, kyogen, kyomai and bunraku.



Tea ceremony is the tradition of tasting tea which was originated in Cha in the 8th century and was bought to Japan by Zen Buddhists priests at the end of the Heian Period. They used it to present drowsiness during their long hours of meditation.



Koto music is the 13 stringed instrument which was imported from China about 1,300 years ago. We have this Koto in Vietnam too.

Flower Arrangement shows appreciation of flowers when people put flowers in bottle or vases since the 6th century. I really love using flowers to decorate my house in Vietnam.




Bunraku is the puppet play by three people. They are so skillful using their hands to control the puppet as it is a real human.



Kyomai is Kyoto dance style of Geisha. They usually attract people with their beaty, colorful costume and gorgeous staging.



Kyogen is an Ancient Comic play. I didn't understand why some people were laughing until I read the brochure.