This armor dates back to the 15th century, Muromachi period. It is of the domaru type with black leather lacing in katatsumadori style.
I believe these are some of the twelve heavenly generals. They are protective deities in Buddhism. These statues date back to the 13th century.
We saw many spectacular swords by some of the greatest swordsmiths. I wish I could tell you exactly which one of them this was, but all the swords look very similar to me. They took many months to make and it is amazing that they were made in the 10-14 centuries yet they still look flawless.
We went to the top of the TMG Builing to see an aerial view of the city. The city is huge and seemed to go as far as the eye could see in every direction.
The market was chaotic and, if you weren't careful, you could be run over by these little trucks.
Most meals included little bits of seasoned something or pickled something or other. Many stores had these items for sale with free samples. Some of these were very good but many were not identifiable.
This was the last Japanese breakfast we had on the trip. It was good, but not what I'm used to first thing in the morning. After that, we went to the grocery store to get yogurt, cereal, juice, and fruit for breakfast.
This guy is making us what is sometimes called a Japanese pizza. It is made of flour, egg, cabbage, and spices then topped with whatever you would like. It's delicious.
We were very fortunate to have a chance to watch this form of zen archery. It is full of slow, deliberate movements and incredible accuracy.
They would come out in groups and then get the first arrow ready, then one by one shoot. It was a carefully orchestrated dance.
We also were thrilled to be able to attend a tea ceremony. The ceremony is also a zen art and each movement is filled with purpose and meaning. This was just a light tea but the full ceremony with a heavy tea can take up to four hours!
We tried to see actual geisha in the Gion district multiple evenings but were unsuccessful. Fortunately, there were many people getting dressed up as geisha during the day.
The white paint goes on the face and part of the back, but a spot at the nape of the neck is left unpainted. This is supposed to be an alluring glimpse of what lies beneath all the makeup.
Actual ramen does not come in packets. These noodles were cooked then rinsed in cold water. Then, you would dip them into the soup to warm them before eating. It was delicious.
If you let the smoke from the incense wash over your head, you will become wise. Chris is lighting some incense before entering the temple.
This house in Nara was designed to stay cool in the summer, so rooms with rice paper walls open into a garden courtyard to improve the lighting and circulation.
This temple originally dated back to the 8th century and was built when Nara was the capital of Japan.
This bridge was originally built during the Heian Period (794-1185) and most recently reconstructed in the 1930s.
The community is supposed to provide for the monks physically (through food and monetary donations) and the monks in turn provide for the community spiritually. They wear hats making it harder for people to see their faces and for them to see the faces of others. That way there is no giver or receiver, but just the pure ceremony of giving and receiving.
There was a 3, 5, 7 festival where parents brought their 3 and 7 year old daughters and 5 year old sons to be blessed at the shrine. It's a time to dress up and wear kimonos.
This wedding procession came by at the Meiji Shrine. The red umbrella is supposed to keep away evil spirits and the white hood the bride wears is supposed to hide the horns that start to grow from a wife's head.
People who give money toward the upkeep of a temple or shrine are often given recognition through these wooden signs.
There was a lord who was insulted. When he tried to avenge himself, the lord who had insulted him was nowhere to be found. Being unable to avenge his honor, he committed ritual suicide. His samurai, hunted down the other lord and brought back his head. Then, they all committed suicide. It's a strange, sad, true story. We went to the Tokyo temple where they were buried.
This is looking out the window of our room in Hakone. It was a very relaxing stop and we enjoyed it completely.
