Japan

2026

We traveled in the southern parts of Japan for twelve days in March.

As part of our cutural immersion we visited Temples and spent a night in a Monastary. The landscaping and gardens were quite something. It was Cherry Blossom time and the colors were great. We were entertained by Gaishas and experienced a Tea Ceremony.

Here, in no particular order, are images of the sites and sightings.

A National Geographic Expedition, "Inside Japan"

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Temple of the Golden Pavilion

officially named Rokuon-ji , is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto. It is designated as a World Heritage Site, a National Special Historic Site, a National Special Landscape, and one of the 17 Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.

The original Golden Pavilion is believed to have been constructed in 1399. Gold was an important addition to the pavilion because of its underlying meaning. The gold employed was intended to mitigate and purify any pollution or negative thoughts and feelings towards death.

The present pavilion structure dates from 1955, when it was rebuilt after a fire.

In 1984, it was discovered that the gold leaf on the reconstructed building had peeled off, and from 1986 to 1987, it was replaced with 0.5 μm gold leaf weighing 20 kg (44 pounds), five times the thickness and ten times the weight of the original.