This is an authorized translation in English of a post in French by @japon: Makis, sanctuaire Yasaka-jinja et parc Maruyama
As my primary language is not English, there are probably some mistakes in my translation.
Remember that the person that speaks here is NOT me, Vincent Celier (@vcelier), but @japon, a French guy.
After eating delicious maki and going for a walk in the Yasaka-jinja Shrine and Maruyama Park, I have some time left before the tourist sites are closed. I get on a bus, not knowing where it was going to take me.
I look through the bus window, absorbing Kyoto's special atmosphere again. Regularly, I take a look on my iPhone to check my position on the GPS, and I see that I am not far from the Nijō Castle. It's decided, it will be my next destination, I leave the bus.
From the outside, you can see a magnificent building built on the edge of the moat. It seems to me that this is an old guardhouse. Nijō Castle is a dive in the heart of the Edo era, feudal Japan, samurai.
I enter the castle, there are many people. Groups of dozens of tourists with their guide. I notice at once the door richly decorated, of Chinese inspiration. It leads into the main enclosure of the castle, which can be visited.
It is forbidden to take pictures inside. In a subdued atmosphere, colors lead from room to room, covered with tatami, with statues of samurai and shoguns put in real life situation. It's very well done and plunges me into a fantastic universe, at a time when these legendary warriors exercised their power over all Japan.
However, the interest of Nijō Castle is not limited to the visit of its interior. A new door leads to a fabulous Japanese garden. It surrounds the whole castle, and with its pond, pine trees and rocks, it's a great dive into the world of the traditional Japanese garden.
I had already visited several gardens, but I do not get tired of them. Each place tells a story, uses its imagination. Several pavilions are arranged in the garden to give dynamics to the whole garden.
Unlike the gardens I saw in Buddhist temples, this one is more like a park. It's big, it's really big, there's a lot of space. We really feel the feudal power of the time.
The path leads to the heights, and offers an overview of the garden, with in the background the mountains that begin to get lost in the mist.
It's 5PM, the night is gradually starting to fall, it's time for me to leave.
I end this busy day by returning quietly to my ryokan. The next day I leave for a day in Osaka, before returning to Kyoto again. After all these visits to temples, shrines and gardens, I needed to return to modern civilization before plunging back into the historical heart of Japan.
-- @japon
01: Travel diary in Japan, by @japon
02: Tokyo, overcrowded city? Really? by @japon
03: Are the Japanese too disciplined? by @japon
04: Going to Japan without speaking Japanese? by @japon
05: Ueno, more than just a big park in Tokyo, by @japon
06: Asakusa, diving in the heart of Tokyo's historic district, by @japon
07: Ameyoko, Ueno's colorful market, by @japon
08: Tsukiji, the largest fish market in the world, by @japon
09: Climb the steps of Atago Jinja Shrine in Tokyo, by @japon
10: Hama Rikyu, an exceptional park in the heart of Tokyo, by @japon
11: Jimbocho, old books and tempura, by @japon
12: Shinjuku Gyoen Park and the best burger in the world!, by @japon
13: One night in Shibuya, by @japon
14: Takeshita dori : this little street dedicated to fashion (and good crepes), by @japon
15: They lie to you about Kyoto, by @japon
16: The temples and secret garden of Higashi in Kyoto, by @japon
17: Kinkaku-ji, the temple of the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto, by @japon
18: Ryoan-ji, the amazing stone garden in Kyoto, by @japon
19: The Ninna-ji Temple and its extraordinary gardens, by @japon
20: Kyoto Gyoen, the Imperial Palace Park, by @japon
21: Nishiki Market: A Must in Kyoto, by @japon
22: Ginkaku-ji, the temple of the silver pavilion in Kyoto, by @japon
23: Meditate on the path of philosophy, by @japon
24: Nanzen-ji, its impressive gate and two gardens, by @japon
25: Heian-jinju: the big shrine and its garden that I almost missed, by @japon
26: Eikan-do, the temple of the momiji maples in Kyoto, by @japon
27: Kodai-ji, a Kyoto temple dedicated to a woman's love for her husband, by @japon
28: Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka, the streets of Higashiyama, by @japon
29: Kiyomizu-dera, the temple of pure water in Kyoto, by @japon
30: Tofuku-ji: the maple lookout point, by @japon
31: Makis, Yasaka-jinja Shrine and Maruyama Park, by @japon