Japan
Japan
Japan is an incredible country, just a weekend and I just want to go back there as soon as possible: if the weekend is notably during the cherry blossom then the adventure is even more unforgettable.
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From the Nanzenji Temple it's possible to reach a hill path that takes you to a waterway built during the Meiji Era (明治時代, 1868-1912), the Lake Biwa Canal (琵琶湖疏水). The incline at the end of the way is very beautiful thanks to the cherry blossom. Last Updated (Thursday, 15 October 2009 15:16)
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In Kyoto, near the end of the Path of Philosophy, there's the entrance of the Nanzenji (南禅寺) zen buddist temple. The main entrance of the area is the beautiful Sanmon gate: it was built in 1628 by Todo Takatora in memory of those who died in the Osaka Natsunojin civil war. The original gate was built in 1296 but burned down. The height is approximately 22 meters. A peculiarity of this gate is that is made only with interlocking pieces of wood, without nails. The temple has a very nice garden and some beautiful room, it's worth a visit. Last Updated (Thursday, 15 October 2009 15:08)
The path of philosophy (哲学の道, tetsugaku no michi) is named after the philosopher Nishida Kitaro, professor at Kyoto University, that used to walk it for daily meditation. The path is amost entirely surrounded by cherry, and so it's the ideal place to fully enjoy the blossom: pictures are worth more than a thousand words. Last Updated (Thursday, 15 October 2009 14:59)
If there's an artist I always enjoy and I've read all that was published in Italian, he is Osamu Tezuka. What does it have to do with the Kyoto Station (京都駅)? Two very important things: the station's architecture has some elements inspired by Tezuka's manga and in addition there's a museum, called Osamu Tezuka World. This museum has a little shop where you can buy many different kind of souvenir, and there are a lot of statues and posters with the manga's character. This should be enough to say that this station is the most beautiful I've ever seen, but moreover there's also a shopping mall, an hotel and a theater. Last Updated (Thursday, 15 October 2009 14:38)
After reaching Japan through Osaka (大阪市), I met my cousin Enrico and his family at Kobe (神戸市). They were really kind to give me hospitality and show me around for this weekend, it was a very nice experience. Saturday we decided to go to Kyoto (京都) to enjoy the cherry blossoming time (sakura in japanese, サクラ) to see some breathtaking path, and to visit a part of the ancient capital. Reaching Kyoto from Kobe was quite easy, you just have to take a train and in about one hour you reach the destination. The landscape meanwhile is quite interesting. Last Updated (Thursday, 15 October 2009 14:25)
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