14 March Kyoto Imperial Palace

Before Tokyo was the capital city of Japan, the center of Japanese power was in Kyoto. The Imperial Palace and Nijo Castle were the two main articulations of this power, and both remain, virtually untouched by time, in the center of Kyoto. During World War 2 when many Japanese cities and cultural sites were destroyed Kyoto was spared, and for me, the untouched nature of the city is a large part of its appeal.

On the 14th I hired a bike from the hostel and set off along the river. It was a beautiful day and the river was looking very beautiful. I found the Imperial Palace without much difficulty and booked myself in for the next group tour, as this is the only way you can access the inner areas of the Palace grounds. While I waited for the tour to start I ate lunch at Mos Burger, and then explored the beautiful outer gardens of the Palace.

*The Emperor's Gate, no one else was allowed to enter this way, not even the Empress*

*It doesn't show up well, but that was real gold, sparkling in the sunshine*

After the tour I decided to spend the rest of the afternoon at Nijo Castle, as the plum blossom was flowering there, and I had heard there were beautiful paintings inside. It did not disappoint, and I think I enjoyed it even more than the Palace, as you were allowed to walking inside the castle, and there were many girls in Kimono who were walking in the gardens, making me feel as though I had been transported back in time. Unfortunately I was not allowed to take photos inside, but you can see some photos here: http://www.rohm.com/rohm-saijiki/nijoujou/4_coseup/closeup_01.html

*The front gate*

*The amazing carvings inside the gate*