Do you really know about Kyoto? More than 2,000 temples and shrines exist in the city. If you are a traveler, how are you gonna find the best places to visit??
My blog introduces only some of them though, it may help to find your destinations...
In addition, Most temples are best visited in a certain season and time in my opinion. I hope you find your best visits in Kyoto.
Daikaku-ji is located in Saga, 2km from the north of Arashiyama. More than 1200years ago, Emperor saga built this temple for his residence. There is an artificial lake, Osawa pond, where the main place of Kangetsu-no-yube is held.
Kangetsu-no-yube is an annual event in Autumn. The event celebrates the harvest moon. It has been held since the Saga emperor's era, he sailed a boat on the Osawa-no-ike Pond on the night of the
harvest moon and had a party with persons of culture and aristocrats.
Cormorant fishing (Ukai) is a traditional method for catching fishes by using trained cormorant birds. This fishing method has been done more than 1300years and Peru and China have the same fishing techniques,while the origin of this is still unknown.
Nowadays in Japan, Ukai is rather a show than real fishing. More than 15 local places are showing in Japan, and in kyoto, Arashiyama and Uji are holding it.
I will introduce Arashiyama's Ukai that has normal Ukai boat and special Ukai boat, called Kyutei Ukai Sen. A boat rower costumed in traditional royal court clothes and the boat is decorated.
The boat goes toward the upper river.
After reaching the fishing spot, the boats are stopped and the fishing starts.
Fishes come and gather to the fire's light, and the trained cormorant birds try to catch the fishes. At the moment of catching a fish, the cormorant fisher controlled the collar string and take out the fish from the bird's throat.
This fishing method had been used for presenting fish as a special gift to the royal court. The reason is that this fishing method does not give any damages to the fish. No scratch and no bleeding.
The fishing show is about one hour and then go back to the boarding place.
*Note that no reservation is needed on normal Ukai boarding, while Kyutei Ukai Sen boarding needs reservation which opens from 9am on your boarding day.
