Gate of the Heian Shrine

Saturday, 12 October. About 10:30 the four of us walked the few blocks to the Hieizan-Sakamoto station and took the train into Kyoto. The weather was pleasant, even a bit warm in the sun. Our first destination was the Heian Shrine in the Okazki area of Kyoto. The shrine is relatively recent (1890s), but it's a replica (about 2/3 size) of the Palace of the Hall of State of the original capital founded in 794 A.D. Kyoto remained the capital for more than 1,000 years, until 1867. After seeing the Shrine, we took a most enjoyable stroll through the beautiful large garden located behind it. There were period buildings and shaded walkways around a small lake. We even met a little Japanese-American "princess" there, dressed in an elaborate kimono.

Heian Shrine courtyard

Little Princess

Heian Shrine garden

Leaving the shrine, we walked to a nearby soba restaurant for lunch. From there it was a short walk to the Kyoto Handicraft Center. The Center houses six different companies that, among them, display just about every kind of Japanese handicraft that tourists might be interested in. We spent more than two hours looking at damascene, cloisonne, painted silk screens, kimonos, jewelry, woodblock prints, dolls, dishes, pottery, and various souvenirs. This was primarily to familiarize ourselves with what was available and at what prices, though we really didn't come to Japan to shop.

We took the train back to Sakamoto, arriving about 4:00. Jane and I were still not fully recuperated from the trip over and were glad to retire soon after an early dinner.