Kyoto travel tips and stories. Vacations ideas, cruises spa and resorts

Kyoto Screen Hotel is a real example of modern Japanese design and it is located between many avant-guard shops and clubs of Sanjo-Shijo districts. Interesting history, exciting cocktail-bars are all within easy reach. There is something for everyone:)))

The hotel has unusual number of rooms- 13 individually decorated by a different artist, so that no two visitors will have the same experience on any given night.

Hotel facilities include a banquet hall, spa, chapel, open-air sky lounge and select shop, which sells, amongst other things, traditional Kyoto goods made by local craft artists as well as the Screen’s “soundtrack,” a specially-produced, hotel-inspired compilation album.

There is also a restaurant, where guests can enjoy Kyoto nouvelle cuisine made with fresh, organic ingredients from local growers. And once a week, they can relax at “Candle Night” in the lounge, part of Screen’s energy-saving eco-luxe concept of respecting the environment without forsaking comfort.

Kyoto Station is one of the most important stations in Japan. The station is located in the Shimogyo Scgichjo district in Kyoto city, Japan. Kyoto Station is second largest train station in Japan after Nagoya Station.

Before current Kyoto Station there was another one opened in the early ages. Nowadays the current Kyoto Station opened in 1997. It is 70 meters high and 470 meters from east to west, with a total floor area of 238, 000 square meters. The design of the station is by Hiroshi Hara. He exhibits many characteristics of futurism, with a slightly irregular cubic facade off plate glass over a stell frame.

There’re a large shopping mall, hotels, theaters, specialty shops, restaurants and event venues.

Kyoto city is one of the least modern cities in Japan. Before it was capital of Japan for about 1,000 years. The city is known as the spirutal home of the Japanese people, it is said that without knowing Kyoto it is impossible to understand the real Japan. Despite of that Kyoto is old capital, it is also very modern anxious to develop new culture city. Kyoto now is flourishing as a center of traditional industries, art, scholarship and religion.

Sanjusangendo is the popular name for Rengeo-in, a temple in eastern Kyoto which is famous for its 1001 statues of Kannon, the goddess of mercy. Sanjusangendo is a Buddhist temple in Higashiyama District of Kyoto, Japan. Officially known Sanjusangendo belongs to and is run by the Myoho-in temple, a part of the Tendai school of Buddhism. The temple name literally means Hall with thirty three spaces between columns, describing the architecture of the long main hall of the temple. Temple built in 12th century. Initially temple contained 124 small statues. In 13th century statues were added till 1001 units were reached. First row of statues are impressions of different gods (Thunder, Wind, …). Each one of them being remarkable pieces of art!

Archers compete against each other in the 120-meter long Sanjusangen-do Temple, which is the world’s longest wooden structure. The l meter in diameter target is positioned 60 meters away, so a high level of expertise is required
“Sanjusangendo” means a hall with 33 bays. The number 33 is sacred in Buddhism, for it is believed that Buddha saves mankind by disguising himself in 33 different forms. The 33 bays hold 1,001 statues of Kannon-Bosatsu! Each small image is 5 1/2 feet tall, carved out of wood and leafed in gold. It was an amazing sight.

There are 30 guardian deities, at one side the God of thunder and at the other side the God of wind. Both gods were worshipped as deities who controlled weather and brought good harvest. The statues are from the Kamakura period (12th-14th century) The temple was established by a powerful warrior-politician Taira-no-Kiyomori in 1164. The original building was destroyed by fire, but was reconstructed in 1266. Since then it underwent 4 major reconstructions. The hall is 120 meter long. It is open from 9:00 to 16:00. Admission free is 600 Yen. Photography is not permitted inside the temple.

Nijo-jo is located in the central of Kyoto, Japan and is the castle of the Edo Period.
Nijo castle was completed in the 17th century by Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa shogunate (1603-1868) as a temporary residence for his visits to Kyoto. In 1601 Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of Tokugawa Shogunate ordered all the feudal lords in Western Japan to contribute to the construction of the Nijo Castle. The construction was completed during the reign of Tokugawa Iemitsu in 1626. It was built as the Kyoto residence of the Tokugawa Shoguns.

Iemitsu also added the Honmaru (”main castle”) including a five storied castle tower to Nijo Castle. However, the original honmaru structures were destroyed by fires in the 18th century, and the present building was moved there from the Imperial Palace in 1893. The central keep or donjon was struck by lightning and burned to the ground in 1750. Built as a symbol of his power, the castle is filled with many fine works of art, including beautiful paintings of trees and animals by some of Japan’s most famous artists of the period. The palace, comprising 3300 square meters, was built in the shoin-zukuri (library-style) of samurai of the Momoyama Period. One of the castle’s most intriguing features is its so-called nightingale floors. To protect the shogun from real or imagined enemies, the castle was protected by a moat and stone walls.

There are 3 Gardens in the castle, the Ninomaru garden constructed in the Edo period, the Honmaru garden constructed in the Meiji period, the Seiryuen constructed in the Showa period. There is a grand audience chamber (Ohiroma) in which the historical Restoration of Imperial Rule was decided, and there are also splendid wall paintings and paintings on sliding partitions as well as an elegant garden with huge rocks which is considered to have been designed by the famous landscape artist Kobori Enshu. In the center of the garden is a large pond containing three islands connected by four bridges. Horai, the central island, represents the Island of Eternal Happines and is flanked by Turtle Island (Kame-jima) and Crane Island (Tsuru-jima), both symbols of longevity. Waterlilies, plants, and rocks augment the beauty of the garden. It is really a very beautiful and peaceful garden, the garden alone is worth the trip to Nijo-jo. There are two tea houses and more than 1000 carefully arranged stones.