Exploring Japan

Japan has so many attractions, it’s hard to keep track of everything. It’s only been a few days and I’m already mixing all my days and places together. The other day we traveled to Nara to visit Todaiji Temple which was beautiful. Nara is covered with trees and traditional looking houses. The temple was huge and one of the oldest temples in Japan. We had a wonderful tour guide who explained the history and meaning behind the features of the castle such as fish tails on the roof and the sacred hole behind a Buddha statue in one of the supporting pillars. We were told the fish tail symbolized the temple being under water because fish have to stay under water while their tail can stay afloat. People believed that if the temple stayed under water, then it will never catch on fire. Thus, it was very surprising to hear that it was rebuilt three times due to fires. Aside from the temple, Nara is most famously known for the deer roaming free around the town. Although they are very cute and adorable, they are not shy about chomping on you or your clothes.

Another wonderful place we visited was Himeji castle. This was the best Japanese castle I’ve seen in Japan. I thought it was a much better experience than the Osaka castle. It was one of the only original castles still standing that wasn’t affected by natural disasters. It was hot and we had to climb six flights of narrow stairs and crouched under low ceilings. But, it was an amazing experience. I was able to step back into time and where samurais and feudal lords worked in the past. The tour guide was the sweetest lady who really made the experience ten times better. She had loads of energy and was one of the most informative guides I’ve ever had.

Kyoto was also a very beautiful place to visit. It was one of the most preserved placed out of all the other cities we’ve visited. It was full of trees and greenery and lots of temples and shrines. We visited a stone garden which is the original representation of mini zen gardens people display in their homes. Out of all the places we’ve visited, I think Himeji castle was one of my favorites. I love the architecture and how it looks both inside and out. The pictures I took with the outside of the castle were amazing.