Kyoto Train Station, Journey to the town of Uji, the Tale of Genji Museum, and the Byodoin Temple Autumn Illumination Festival

Phoenix Hall, Byodoin Temple Autumn Illumination Festival

Saturday, November 22nd

Our day started late, with us leaving the hotel at 12:30 p.m., heading into Kyoto train station to shop and have a late lunch. Since Deidre had activities yesterday, she was able to sleep in this morning and be ready for our adventures this afternoon and evening. Kyoto train station is a beauty: 11 floors of shops and restaurants on two sides, with an open-air middle, and an outdoor rooftop garden on the 12th floor. 

Kyoto Train Station, 12th floor rooftop garden, looking down into the station. Straight ahead is a covered, all-glass walkway connecting both sides of the 10th floor. It is lit up at night with motion lights as people walk across.  

Deidre enjoying ramen in Kyoto station Ramen Restaurants, 10th floor.

Penni trying her first bowl of pork ramen with chopsticks.

Deidre and Alan, with Kyoto Tower in the background, on 10th floor, heading down to our train connection to Uji.

We shopped a little while at Isetan Department store, the most upscale store in Kyoto Station with all of the luxury brands. This store has thirteen floors, including two basement floors below the station. We bought a Totoro plushie for Deidre here! From here we boarded our train for a 30-minute ride to Uji. We wanted to see the Tale of Genji Museum and participate in the Fall Illumination show at the Byodoin Temple. 

Uji-gawa, the Uji River, with camellias still in bloom.

Deidre and Penni near the Murasaki Shikibu (c.973-c.1014) statue in Uji. She was the authoress of the Tale of Genji and an aristocrat of the royal court.

The Tale of Genji Museum was located in a neighborhood of homes. 

This museum was located in Uji, because the story moves from Kyoto to Uji in the later chapters. From Wikipedia, "It displays the world of the early 11th century Japanese classic novel 'The Tale of Genji,' with projected images, models and exhibitions. The culture of the Imperial Court of the Heian period, the aristocrats costumes, and the furnishings of their residences are shown."

An oxcart for Royals to travel in.

Represents Genji staring through a screen at his love. 

Genji’s love interest and her attendant playing Go.

Beautiful lacquer furnishings, worthy of royalty. 

Some areas of the museum didn't allow photography, but what I could take pictures of was beautiful and depicted the very lavish and exclusive life of the aristrocracy compared to the common people. 

Stopping for hot cocoa before we can line up for the Temple Illumination

Deidre secured tickets for our next adventure in advance, the Byodoin Temple Autumn Illumination Festival. Before we could line up to go in, we stopped to get hot cocoa from the Starbucks, which was literally right across the street from the temple entrance. 

I looked up at the wall in the Starbucks and saw my name!

We lined up at 5:30 p.m. because there was a lot of people for each time slot. It felt like waiting at Disneyland for the rope to drop. But it was worth the wait!

We had 6 p.m. tickets with a thousand other people! Selfie in front of Phoenix Hall. Gold Buddha in center.

Deidre really wanted this shot, a 10-yen coin with the Byodoin Temple on it, in front of the Byodoin Temple!

The Belfry, and its famous carved bell.

This belfry was located near the entrance to the museum, which held much of the paintings and statues from the temple. We were not allowed to photograph inside the museum.

Side view of Phoenix Hall, and the bridge off to the right which brings people over the moat and into the hall.

Here would be a good place to describe the Byodoin Temple. It is a stunning Buddhist temple famous for its exquisite Phoenix Hall, a Heian-period architectural masterpiece reflecting Pure Land Buddhist ideals. The Phoenix Hall has a central hall with two wings, two bronze phoenixes on its roof, and it houses a magnificent golden Amida Buddha statue, surrounded by a serene pond reflecting its beauty.

The two bridges over the moat to the side entrance of Phoenix Hall. 

The two bridges have a small island between them which represents the Pure Land ideal of traveling to  paradise. Because this temple was completely surrounded by a moat, it never caught on fire like so many other shrines and temples we saw. This was the original temple built in 1053 by Fujiwara Yorimichi, who was a powerful court noble during the Heian period.

Alan and Penni walking hand in hand down the street from the Byodoin Temple. 

We had to leave the Temple grounds after one hour for the next group to come in. We headed back to the train station, and home to Kyoto and our hotel.