Arashiyama is an area just west of Kyoto city. Arashiyama means “the storm mountain” and comes from the wind known as “Atago Oroshi,” which sweeps down Mt. Atago and blows away all the cherry blossoms and maple leaves at the end of their seasons. Nature’s air blower using wind power. From our place, a city bus…
Day: April 19, 2025
The ghost in the museum
When we were visiting the Kyoto National Museum of Modern Art this afternoon, I came across a painting that made me pause then do a double take. It was part of an exhibition of mostly 19th century Polish artwork. The painter was Jan Matejko and the subject was Stańczyk, a famous Polish court jester (1480-1560) employed by…
500 rakans rocking
This morning we took a bus to a train to the Arishiyama district of Kyoto where our first stop was the Kimono Forest. Our second stop was devoted to averting the army of tourists swarming towards the large Tenryu-ji Temple. (Size makes a difference when it comes to attracting crowds in World Heritage sites.) Slipping away…