Mei-Shun’s favorite tea shop closed yesterday. She visited there with Shin to get bowls respectively; she asked him to choose one as a gift, he did the same to her. On the other hand, a saddle pad below is for Vanilla Arc only — oh, lovely Maria, you may share this with him. Mei-Shun’s current one is in navy, meant to be specific to Madoka-chan at first, yet used on every horsey who played her partner so far.
二条城 has vast space in the center of this ancient capital. This garden accommodates a spacious pond where a heron takes a rest, a lovely little fall twinkles. You can enjoy feeding big carps as well. 本丸=hon-maru, main building of Japanese castle, was lost by fire only with a firm foundation left. Going up stairs, you would have a nice view on mountain silhouette and lightning rods on roofs.
What a humor of 二条城 administration staffers! Entrance tickets are called 入”場”券 at museums, amusement parks and railway stations in Japan while 入”城”券 here, pronounced the same yet the latter meaning a castle. Well, morning walkers like Shin and Mei-Shun passed by the front gate, which accommodated night guards in Edo Period (1603-1868), headed into the wide garden.
Mei-Shun loves them so much. She often says her favorite is Japanese cherry, yet the reason owes a great deal to lovely looking and such short time of the best like its blossom. As for taste, the former wins a triumph. Oh, how beautiful they are, with the sweetest scent! They are agricultural products, yet really artworks. Thanks a million, Shin, who knows well his wife is a fruit bat.
Misaka-Hakuho
Asama-Hakuto
Shin and Mei-Shun purchased three 粽=chimaki, artifacts made of straw with purification ritual at 函谷鉾=Kanko-Hoko, 鶏鉾=Niwatori-Hoko and 菊水鉾=Kikusui-Hoko. It might not be right to buy so many, said to cause struggle between saints, yet they are too attractive to choose one. Interestingly, Kyoto residents look proud of hanging the most popular 粽 from 長刀鉾=Naginata-Hoko.
Shin and Mei-Shun enjoyed on Saturday 宵々山=yoi-yoi-yama, floats exhibition held two nights before 山鉾巡行=yama-hoko-junko, march of these portable shrines of Kyoto Gi-On Festival. Here is their favorite 舟鉾=Fune-Hoko, ship-shaped one. It reminds them of their first Gi-On experience more than 20 years ago, when they met Mei-Shun’s father by chance on the way to Kyoto.
One of Mei-Shun’s favorite shops there is 陶柿園. They sell a lot of tableware including these chopsticks rests. Could you see cute fishes swimming in clear glass water? Real sight of them is available in a garden of 5-floor building where various restaurants serve you. Actually, it is not so easy to find such places along narrow, winding lanes. Why don’t you therefore enjoy no-map promenade?
六臂如意輪観音 sits elegantly in a dedicated building called 観音堂 of 橘寺. He/She has a gorgeous 光背=kohai, decorative metal structure set behind Buddhism statues to express light coming from sacred bodies, fully shown to public eyes when Mei-Shun and Shin visited him/her years ago. However, it was covered with square fabric this time, made him/her look much smaller. Or he/she might feel like playing hide-and-seek.
Mei-Shun loves 橘寺. Shin prefers 飛鳥寺. In detail, the former admires 六臂如意輪観音 while the latter 飛鳥大仏. Thanks to heavy rainfall on Saturday, air was washed up for clear Sunday. Starting from 石舞台, they enjoyed cycling with rental bicycles assisted by electric motors. Oh, we can see pretty 蓮華, Astragalus sinicus still left on rice paddy ready to be watered.
熱川バナナワニ園 hangs Wani-Nobori, streamers with alligator printing. At the hospital Mei-Shun stayed 2 years before, you would find in the lobby a gorgeous arrangement of 五月人形=gogatsu-ningyo, samurai dolls to celebrate Children’s Day. When Mei-Shun was one of them, she has never seen it at boy classmates’ homes. Carp streamers outdoors looked more popular, yet shrinking economy might not be able to afford them.
meishunkikunoe 