The Nijo-jo castle was constructed for the Shogun during the Edo period when the supreme power in Japan was held by the Shogun. A nice feature of the visit is the nightingale floor. As you walk along, the wooden floor emits a squeaking sound. This was a security device at the time as any intruder could be heard easily.
The Kinkakuji temple was covered in gold by its owner. It is one of the most famous temple in Kyoto. His grandson tried to do similar with the silver temple.
The Japanese capital used to be in Kyoto. The city has therefore its own imperial palace where the emperor and its family used to live. Because nobody lives there anymore, you can actually approach the buildings through a guided tour and see how the emperor used to live before 1869. The present emperor lives in the Tokyo imperial palace in the new capital.
As a table tennis fan, I would have loved to see specialty TT shops on every street corners, unfortunately it was not the case! Despite having many athletes competing among the best in the world, Japanese seem to consider table tennis as a not so serious game, in fact it is usually played at the resort after the onsen (hot bath). I was finally able to have a look at some TT gear in a mainstream sports store in Kyoto. Here I am looking at a newly launched TT brand, Victas, by Koji Matsushita. There’s no need to mention that the choice of equipment is way better than in America!
There was an Edo period tradition that said that if you jumped off the veranda of the Kiyomizudera temple (13m fall) your wish would be granted. Two hundred thirty-four people jumped during the Edo period. 85% of those survived. Jumping is now prohibited so our wishes are still waiting.
