"I have always wanted to visit Japan, and for a while this seemed like nothing more than a dream. When I finally landed in the country I felt, for the first time, what it is like to live in a dream." ~Wynter

Day Eight - Kyoto to Osaka
On our way to Osaka, we stopped by a lot of interesting locations. This must have been one of the longest days I enjoyed in Japan.

Nijo Castle
I found my visit to Nijo Castle to be quite fascinating. Having watched the Taiga drama "Atsu-Hime" prior to leaving for Japan, I had become interested in the Court Life of that period. The Nijo Castle provided a real-life look into how royalty lived. The castle has been preserved beautifully, and mannequins have been placed strategically around the castle to give the visitors a lesson on how life was conducted. I felt like a voyeur. It was great!










Heian Jingu Shrine
This particular shrine is known for its garden, especially the sakara trees. However, upon entering the shrine I felt really tired, which was weird considering it was still early in the day. So I sat around and took pictures instead of exploring around. It was quite relaxing.











Temple of the Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji)
The present structure dates from 1955. I thought it was important to mention this considering the temple has been burned down three times: twice during the Onin War and then again in 1950. The burning down of the temple in 1950 has a story attached to it. It was burned down by a monk named Hayashi Yoken. Apparently he was so in love with the temple that he couldn't see it in the hands of another. After burning the temple down he then attempted suicide on the Daimon-ji hill behind the temple. However, he survived and was taken into custody. His mother was called in to talk with the police during the investigation. On her way home, she commited suicide by jumping from her train. The monk was sentenced to seven years in prison but because of "mental illness" he was released. He later died in 1956 of some illness.







Fushimi Inari Shrine
This shrine was not part of the original itinerary, but I had a wonderful tour guide (Kyoko) who let me talk her into taking us to this site! How could I come to Japan and NOT see the famous red gates? We had a lot of fun running through them (a la Memoirs of a Geisha). ^_^












Osaka Castle
Instead of going straight to our Hotel room after entering Osaka, we went straight to the Osaka Castle. The entire structure has been converted into a Musuem. The highlight for this evening was definitely dinner! Yum!












The Streets and the Hotel
Instead of turning in, I decided to wander around the streets by our hotel for my final night in Japan. I'm glad I did.







In case you are wondering about this last pic... I was really impressed with the way they packaged my order from MacDonalds. I mean, I just ordered a small combo and yet the packaging was all out. It's a complete waste of paper, but I was still impressed. ^_^;;

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