Seeing Japan's History

So it has been about a week since my trip to Kyoto. It was so much fun! I rode the Shinkansen down on early Sunday morning and arrived in Kyoto before lunch time. It is amazing how fast the Shinkansen is. The best part is that it is actually quieter and smoother than the normal trains.

On Monday I went to Osaka. It surprised me how different Osaka felt from the Tokyo area. People acted just a little bit different. A lot more people in Osaka smiled and talked to me which made me feel pretty good.

 I also got to see Osaka Castle. Being a history major I was kind of geeking out the whole time. It was originally built in 1597 but was burnt down and rebuilt many times since then. The inside looks really modern and was converted into a museum about the castle. The museum actually had a set of armor from around the 1600's.

On Tuesday I went to Mt. Hiei by myself to see a temple complex I had studied about in Dr. Rembrandt and Dr. Wolpert's Heian History class. 

This is the main hall of Enryakuji. I wasn't allowed to take pictures inside but this is a huge temple! What surprised me was that when I walked into the temple the monks started to chant. It was really neat getting to hear and see things that I had only heard through the internet or only read in books. Definitely an experience I won't forget. 

I walked around the temple complex and found a small road that wandered around the mountain. It was so nice to be able to walk around in the woods again! I didn't realize just how loud the city is until I spent some time in Mt. Hiei's completely quiet woods. 

Wednesday was Kyoto. I went to the old Imperial palace in Kyoto. The whole day in Kyoto reminded me of all the old samurai movies I have watched. The Imperial palace only opens on a few occasions so when I went it was so incredibly crowded that I could't get a real clear shot of the buildings or the gardens. It was still cool being able to go though. 

All of the rooms that were on display had beautiful art painted on the walls. Each room had a specific function and unique art to go along with that function. 

After the Palace I went to Nijo Castle. This castle was ordered to be built by Tokugawa Ieyasu after the unification of Japan. The inside of Nijo Castle in my opinion was better than the insides of the Imperial Palace. 

It is easy for me to say that this fall break was the best one I have ever had so far! It such a cool experience to see things that I have only read about in books. It was a little overwhelming. Japan is such an interesting country. One day you can be in one of the most busy cities in the world and the next day be in a part of Japan that feels like it hasn't changed since before our country has existed. I love Japan!

Isaac Morgan