Kyoto: Nijō Castle and Southern Higashiyama

This was a very full day!

We started by arriving at Nijō Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and former Kyoto residence of the Tokugawa shoguns. Although the clear skies became cloudy and began drizzling, the castle and its grounds ignited my imagination.

After the castle, we headed to the Gion Kagai Art Museum and viewed a performance by a maiko. Although maikos and geishas are entertainers (and not sex workers), the dances seemed quite sensual and flirtatious. The culture gives me pause, especially since girls join the profession at such a young age. Our guide told us that over 90% of girls leave their apprenticeships before becoming a geisha.

Following the performance, we wandered southern Higashiyama, visiting the preserved historic streets of Sannen-zaka and Ninen-zaka, photographing the five-story Yasaka Pagoda, walking around the Zen temple and gardens of Kōdai-ji, seeing the Ryozen Kannon, and meandering along Nene-no-michi’s stone-paved lanes.

Next, we experienced a traditional tea ceremony at Sakaguchian, where we not only drank matcha tea but also prepared some for ourselves. A high point was asking the tea master a few questions and learning it takes TEN YEARS to become a master!

We ended our day with a trip to a humongous shopping center at Kyoto Station, in search of a new jacket for Kayla (lost and then found at Nijō Castle) and new AirPods for me (I left my left AirPod in Tokyo, which was never recovered). The travails of traveling!