Kyoto’s NIshiki Market and Modern Train Station

Exploring new places is certainly fun. Aside from our temple visits in Kyoto, my friend and I were able to visit Nishiki Market which is also referred to as “Kyoto’s Kitchen”. It is the favorite traditional food market in Kyoto where locals and chefs go to buy ingredients for cooking.

Nishiki Market entrance

Locals and foreigners visit the market to buy
various Japanese food products

Nishiki Market is a four-hundred year old market where one can buy fresh seafood, fish, vegetables, meat, tofu, pickled vegetables, sushi, etc. Some stalls also sell ready-to-eat Japanese snacks and small restaurants offering Japanese food.

As we strolled through the narrow walking area in the market, we saw a stall selling skewered Japanese snacks similar to fish cakes and available in different variants. My friend tried the cuttlefish while I tried the octopus.

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Another place that we found cool is the Kyoto train station. The modern station was designed by Japanese architect Hara Hiroshi, the same designer of the Umeda Sky Building in Osaka. The station features a large main hall with exposed steel beamed roof called the Matrix. Kyoto station is Japan’s second largest station building and includes a shopping mall, hotel, movie theater, a huge Isetan department store, restaurants and local government facilities.

The  Kyoto Train Station is modern with exposed steel beamed roof
called the Matrix and was designed by Hara HIroshi. 

When we went to the sky garden area of the station we also saw a beautiful play on lights on the staircase that leads to the garden and the other floors of Isetan department store.

The sky garden provides one a nice city view of Kyoto.

City view of Kyoto from the Kyoto Station sky garden

Kyoto is a good place to visit to see both old and modern Japan. It gives one the option to visit large temples and shrines with beautiful gardens but at the same time it also gives one a glimpse of modern day Japan and city living with the contrast that the enormous modern Kyoto train station and interesting shops provide to visitors.

Kyoto's Nijo Castle and Kiyomizudera

During a recent visit to Japan, my friend and I were able to visit Kyoto. Going around Kyoto is quite easy since there are buses and trains that can bring you to various temples and well-known spots.

For a day trip where you plan to go to several places, it would be good to get a Kyoto City Bus & Kyoto bus one-day pass card that is sold at 500 Yen at the Kyoto Tourist Information office at the ground floor of the Kyoto train station. It gives unlimited access on bus rides in Kyoto valid for 1 day. With the card, you will be able to save on bus fare expense since taking a one way bus trip from Kyoto train station costs around 230 Yen.

Kyoto CIty Bus & Kyoto Bus
One-day Pass

One of the places we visited in Kyoto is the Nijo Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Nijo Castle was built by the Tokugawa shogunate in 1603 for the defense of the Kyoto Imperial Palace and also served as official residence for visiting shoguns. The palace is divided into three areas: Honmaru(main circle of defense), NInomaru(secondary circle of defense) and a circuit style garden that encircles the two structures.

The entrance gate to Nijo Castle

Ninomaru palace at Nijo Castle

Wood carving  on the top entrance door of the Ninomaru 

The castle's structures shows traditional Japanese architecture.

The circuit style garden at Nijo castle

A view of the Honmaru at Nijo Castle

Honmaru area at Nijo Castle

The inner part of the castle is surrounded by a moat.

Large koi fishes can be seen in the pond as one walks
 through the bridge that leads to the inner part of
 the castle

Visitors are not allowed to take photos inside the palace area. Apart from the exquisitely painted walls and doors in the rooms of the palace, one interesting feature of the Ninomaru Palace at Nijo Castle are the corridor floors known as “nightingale floors”. The floors squeak like birds when one walks on it and it helped protect the occupants from sneak attacks and assassins. There are also special doors where the shogun’s bodyguard could sneak out to protect him in case there is an attack.

Nijo Castle is also one of the locations included in the movie “The Last Samurai” which starred Tom Cruise.

Another UNESCO World Heritage site we visited is the Kiyomizudera Temple.

Kiyomizudera temple is also known as the “Pure Water Temple” and was named after the Otawa waterfall. It is one of the most celebrated temples in Japan.

The temple's main hall structure is made of wood and no nails were used when it was built. 

Main Hall of the Kiyomizudera

A city view of Kyoto from Kiyomizudera 

Visitors can choose to drink from one of the 3 streams of the
 Otawa waterfall and drink for health, longevity or success
 in studies

The pagoda at the Kiyomizudera

A zen vibe is felt as one walks around the Nijo Castle and Kiyomizudera temple since the presence of trees and the wonderful gardens are simply relaxing.

Visit to Some of the Oldest Churches in the Philippines

Last Thursday(March 24, 2016) was Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday in the Philippines.

I feel blessed that this year I was able to do Visita Iglesia which is also known as the Seven Churches Visitation. It is an ancient Roman Catholic Lenten tradition which is believed to have originated in Rome, Italy when early pilgrims visited seven churches as a form of penance.

Today, what is commonly practiced for Visita Iglesia is that catholics visit seven churches and pray two stations from the Stations of the Cross in each church.

The Stations of the Cross starts with the first station which is when Jesus is condemned to death and ends on the fourteenth station when Jesus is layed in the tomb. By praying the Stations of the Cross, one is reminded on the difficulties that Jesus went through in order to save us from sins.

During my visit to the churches, I was able to visit San Agustin Church in Manila, the oldest church in the Philippines that was started in 1506 and completed in 1607. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

San Agustin Church in Manila

source: wikipedia.org

After my visit to San Agustin Church, another old church that I was able to visit was the Manila Cathedral.It is one of the churches where Pope Francis had celebrated mass in during his visit to the Philippines in 2015. 

Manila Cathedral Church

source: manilacathedral.ph

It was difficult to take photos during the visit since the churches were crowded.

Visita Iglesia is a good experience since it is also a good way for us to reflect on the sacrifice that Jesus had to endure to save us and reminds us on how truly blessed we all are.

Jesus on the Cross

Photo taken by Tess R. at the Sacred Heart
 of Jesus Church in Makati City