{"id":2478,"date":"2014-10-31T10:30:25","date_gmt":"2014-10-31T01:30:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2014-10-31\/2478"},"modified":"2014-10-31T10:30:25","modified_gmt":"2014-10-31T01:30:25","slug":"rediscovering-the-chionin-temple-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2014-10-31\/2478","title":{"rendered":"Rediscovering the Chion’in Temple, Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 170mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 6400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nHeading Down<\/span>\none of the many stairways at the Chion'in Temple (\u77e5\u6069\u9662)<\/span>\nKyoto, Japan\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Picking up from yesterday's “<\/span>Rediscovering Kyoto\u2019s Chion\u2019in Temple via a Short<\/span> Mountain Hike<\/a>”<\/span>,\nwhere I had<\/span> descended on a mountain<\/span> trail into a back<\/span> area of the Chion'in Temple that I hadn't<\/span> known existed. Yesterday's post ended with me\ngetting to the main area I'd always known about...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 65mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/4.8, ISO 2200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nQuaint Little Bridge<\/span>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

I'd seen this area briefly last year, at the end of the roof-repair visit<\/a>, when it was lit up for\nan evening lightup event. Here's a photo<\/span> from Nov 2, 2013:<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>50 sec, f<\/span>\/6.3, ISO 6400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nEvening Lightup<\/span>\nlast year\n\u53bb\u5e74\u306e\u79cb\n
Desktop-Background Versions<\/b>\n1280×<\/span>800<\/a>  ·  1680×<\/span>1050<\/a>  ·  1920×<\/span>1200<\/a>  ·  2560×<\/span>1600<\/a>  ·  2880×<\/span>1800<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

(A similar shot appeared late last year as decoration on a post<\/span> about Garmin's\nhorrible products<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n

At that time the area was closed off so I couldn't<\/span> investigate further, but yesterday I was<\/span> free to stroll around. The view from<\/span> on top of the bridge, looking lengthwise down it, shows one of the bazillion little outlying structures\nthat are common at temples...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 50mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/4.5, ISO 1600 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nMinor Outlying Structure<\/span>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Looking the other way, you currently see only the big shell structure<\/a>\nprotecting the main building while it undergoes a decade<\/span> of\nrestoration.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 50mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/4.5, ISO 125 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

What I didn't realize before is that there's a whole<\/span> other area tucked behind the main temple building, up a long<\/span> flight of step:<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 65mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/4.8, ISO 5000 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nYet Another Area I Didn't<\/span> Know About<\/span>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 50mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/4.5, ISO 1600 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nLooking Back Down<\/span>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 95mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/5, ISO 450 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nNot a Bad<\/span> View<\/span>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 116mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>500 sec, f<\/span>\/5.3, ISO 1400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nRoofs<\/span>\nmore of the temple's buildings still awaiting my discovery\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

As high as the nice view suggests we are, we're only at the height of the shell-building roof:<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 240mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1000 sec, f<\/span>\/6, ISO 720 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nFive Crows<\/span>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

This area had a couple of extra temple areas, including the main entrance to the “<\/span>No Passage”<\/span> temple<\/a>\nseen in yesterday's post. I saw Japanese<\/span> tourists heading in, so I suspect<\/span> I was<\/span> right that the sign meant “<\/span>don't use as a shortcut<\/span> path”<\/span> and not “<\/span>no entrance”<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n

But my attention was brought to a little<\/span> door leading to the mountain\nthat had another “<\/span>closed 4pm - 6am”<\/span><\/span> sign on it, and since it was 3:55, I decided<\/span> to avail myself of the five minutes to see what was beyond the\ndoor.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 50mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/6.3, ISO 2500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nWhere I Must<\/span> Return<\/span>\nwithin five minutes or face a night on the mountain\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

I'll have to revisit this entire area when I have<\/span> more time and more-appropriate lenses. It's really<\/span> quite tastefully done,\nbut the nasty orange traffic cone pretty much destroys the scene, another example of the\naesthetic discord<\/a> I find<\/span> so often in Japan.<\/p>\n\n

More steps, though increasingly rough and natural, lead to a spidery<\/span> areas of little grave areas tucked here and there. One of the<\/span> larger areas:<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 50mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/4.5, ISO 3200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 58mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>80 sec, f<\/span>\/4.8, ISO 6400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nPaths Not Taken<\/span>\nbecause my time was almost up\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Descending to the more refined temple area, I could<\/span> enjoy (as much as the lack of time allowed) uncommon from-above perspectives.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 116mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/7.1, ISO 6400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nRoof Detail<\/span>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

The whole temple would close soon, so I retraced<\/span> my steps back toward\nthe main area, and was about to descend down to and through the temple's huge main\ngate<\/a> when I decided<\/span> to see what was tucked around the other<\/i>\nunexplored side of the protective-shell building.<\/p>\n\n

What I found was that the temple has a whole<\/span> complex of buildings and gardens — the normal attraction of temples\nfor tourists like me — that I hadn't<\/span> even known about. Lacking time, lenses, and reasonable attire (I was<\/span> dressed for mountain hiking,\nlike this<\/a>), I saved<\/span> them for another day, but continued away from the main area to find\nthat there was another gate...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 50mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/5, ISO 2500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nNorth Gate<\/span>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

As evidence of how surprising this was to me, let me note that I lived<\/span>\nfor a year<\/span> with my living room 150 meters from here... 20 seconds if you\nrun quickly. I had no<\/span> idea.<\/p>\n\n

To be fair, this gate is not visible from the road, and, I think,<\/span> not normally accessible except from the inside for use as an exit.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 58mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/5, ISO 3200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nView From the Gate<\/span>\ndown toward the road\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

To reach the road, I first had to go down a windy<\/span> series of steps...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 50mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/18, ISO 400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

... through a small passage under a building,<\/span> until you finally come out at pavement...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 50mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/6.3, ISO 1800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nFinally at the Road?<\/span>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Except, that's not the road, that's part of the driveway to the temple's back administrative offices.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 58mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/6.3, ISO 1600 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nView From the Road<\/span>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

This view I recognized, having gone by hundreds of times. It's right<\/span> next to the Shoren'in Temple, and about 85 yards\nfrom the entrance to where I used<\/span> to live.<\/p>\n\n

For the last decade I've lived much<\/i> farther away — almost\nhalf a mile<\/span> — so I guess<\/span> that's my excuse for not having more than\nthe most superficial understanding of the Chion'in Temple. It was such<\/span> a\ndelight<\/span> yesterday to discover not only so much more, but to also realize\nthat perhaps the best parts are still waiting to be discovered.<\/p>\n\n

Heading back during the fall foliage season, perhaps in three weeks, is high on the agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Picking up from yesterday's \"Rediscovering Kyoto\u2019s Chion\u2019in Temple via a Short Mountain Hike\", where I had descended on a mountain trail into a back area of the Chion'in Temple that I hadn't known existed. Yesterday's post ended with me getting to the main area I'd always known about...<\/p>

I'd seen this area briefly last year, at the end of the roof-repair visit, when it was lit up for an evening lightup event. Here's a photo from Nov 2, 2013:<\/p>

(A similar shot appeared late last year as decoration on a post about Garmin's horrible products.)<\/p>

At that time the area [...]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,14,1,6,10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2478"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2478"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2478\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2478"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2478"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2478"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}