2012年11月30日金曜日

2012年11月30日金曜日 -

Bob - Bishamon-Do Temple

                                                   Bob enjoying the autumn colors in Kyoto                                            
Ever since I arrived in Japan, I have enjoyed visiting shrines, temples and gardens with my wife. In the Kansai area, in late November and early December, it’s a good time to see the autumn colors and especially the red leaves of the Japanese Maple tree. Like many Japanese people, I like to take photographs. When I show them to my friends and family back home, they are amazed at the range of colors.
On Sunday 25 November, we went to Bishamon-Do Temple in Yamashina near Kyoto. It’s quite a small temple tucked into the mountainside. It’s surrounded by many Japanese Maple trees and there was a huge array of colors from bright yellow, through orange to deep red. It was very beautiful and I wasn’t the only person taking photos! My favorite spot was the garden with a pond at the back of the temple.
After visiting the temple, we walked along the path beside the Lake Biwa Canal that flows from Lake Biwa to Kyoto. The canal follows the contours around the mountainside and the water is clear and flows briskly. Here also, there were some gorgeous autumn colors! We found a place in the sun to have a picnic. It was tranquil and nice to escape the crowds sightseeing at the temple.

shrines: 神社
temples: 寺
autumn colors: 紅葉
tucked: 奥まった場所に隠された
surrounded: 囲まれた
array: ずらりと並んだもの
beside: ～に沿って
canal: 運河
flows: 流れる
contours: 外周
briskly: 勢いよく
tranquil: 穏やかな


Lake Biwa Canal