Kyoto - Day 1 (Nijo Castle, Golden Pavilion, Ryoanji Temple, and Tea Ceremony)

Today we met our local guide Sumi for a half-day tour. She was full of great information! This post will be just a brief overview of today's highlights - we are too tired to write more :)

First stop - Nijo Castle
Nijo Castle is the only remaining historical castle building in all of Japan. Other castles, such as the Hikone Castle that we will see later this week, are apparently no longer fully intact because one of the Emperors ordered that the castles be destroyed. We'll know more after our Hikone visit. 

We learned that the 2nd Shogun and the 3rd Shogun built what is now Nijo Castle. Construction occurred in the 1600s and was finished rapidly - three years for the first phase and only two years for the second. That second construction was done in anticipation of the Emperor's visit and was only used the one time. At one point, the castle grounds could house 10,000 people.

Second stop - The Golden Pavilion
The Golden Pavilion was built by the 3rd Shogun. It is covered in 44 pounds of 24K gold leaf and has three tiers. The first floor is done in the palace style, the second is the sunlight house style, and the third is zen temple style. The doors on each level are different and signify the style. The large island represented Paradise and the small islands were shaped like a turtle or crane, which stood for longevity.

Third stop - Ryoanji Temple
The rock garden contains 15 rocks, but one can never see all 15 from any one angle in the viewing area. This teaches that one should be content with what one has. Additionally, 15 is the symbol for wholeness.

The area surrounding the temple was full of trees. Sumi shared that trees are often not cut down or destroyed because Buddhism teaches that the deities live among the trees. We even saw a tree coming through a roof - a hole had been cut to accommodate the tree to avoid cutting it down!

One special tree is the Japanese Cypress. Structures built with this wood are expected to last 1,000 years. The bark is taken from the trees every 10 years and used to make roof tiles. These tiles keep a house cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

Final stop - Tea Ceremony at En
At En, we watched a short version of a traditional tea ceremony. We learned that the tools used to make the tea, the whisk shown above and a wooden scoop (not pictured), are very special and important to the host. The scoop is given a name related to a season, and guests at a ceremony are expected to ask the host about his or her tools. Many tools are passed through generations and have stories connected to them. This was another great "aha" for us as we can add this information to our oral traditions unit.

Tomorrow was scheduled to be our day visit to Kameoka, but that school visit did not come to fruition despite our best efforts. Sumi was able to talk with us about the Japanese school system.  We learned it is modeled after the French system, and she mentioned that starting in junior high, students take five major exams per year. As a grandmother, she has noticed changes from when she was a child.  She said it was common for her grandchildren to be moving about the room, but when she was a child, they only left their seats for designated breaks. Special services are often offered to those struggling in math, and English education is mandatory starting in junior high. Those wishing for their children to have formal English education before the age of twelve often utilize private schools, which Sumi called English schools.