Ginkakuji (Silver) Temple. Photo by Stephanie Yeamans
Gion District. Photo by Judith Stauber
Torii gate with cherry blossoms. Photo by Judith StauberBlog Entry By Kallie Funk, Judith Stauber, Stephanie Yeamans
Los Alamos Historical Museum
We journeyed from Tokyo to Kyoto via the Shinkansen (bullet train) and in the distance saw Mt. Fuji. After we arrived we visited the Ginkakuji (Silver) Temple, and wandered on the Philosopher’s path, a trail through cherry blossoms.
Later we traveled to the multi-level Kyoto Handicrafts Center, which was filled with textiles, wood blocks, metalwork, damascene, and Japanese dolls, including floors for teaching and fabrication of traditional Kyoto crafts.
Our team also visited the theater and temple in the Gion (Geisha) district. We explored the expansive Nijo Castle including its grounds and historic palace that are surrounded by a moat, followed by the Kyoto Museum for World Peace at Ritsumeikan University, where we had an open conversation with one of the curators about our respective museums.
After leaving the museum, we ventured through a large Torii gate that opened on to what appeared to be a sakura (cherry blossom) festival where people were enjoying hanami (a picnic with friends and family under tree branches full of cherry blossom).
