Kyoto - Bamboo forest

While my friend was here visiting, we made our first trip to Kyoto. We rode on the shinkansen (bullet train). My friend and I purchased Japan Rail Passes because we are tourists (she bought them because you can't buy one inside Japan). We didn't have a real sightseeing plan. We arrived at the train station and asked the info desk for suggestions. The woman working gave us a map and great to do list. We first went to the bamboo forest because my friend saw it on Google and the woman said it was pretty. In the area around the forest, there is a shrine and the Tenryuji temple. At first, we thought only the small shrine was in the area, so we were a little disappointed. Once we figured out where the Tenryuji temple was, we went there and were quite impressed.

Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum

I thought this was a modern art museum, but alas, it's not. There are no permanent exhibits at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. They only receive traveling exhibits and citizens' works. We saw the Japanese Print Society's anniversary collection. There were some really neat pieces, but the pieces should have been organized in a thematic way. There were nudes next to flowers next to cat drawings next to Japanese landscapes. Weird.

Sights at Ueno Park

Here are some photos from the Ueno park area. We came upon a group of people dancing in traditional Japanese clothing. They were performing a choreographed dance routine, but we couldn't figure out why.

Ueno Daibatsu's Remains

We stopped to check out a little shrine at the top of some stairs. I didn't see any signs indicating what it was, but the internet says it's Ueno Daibatsu's remains. I haven't seen a giant head like this anywhere else, so it was neat.

Kiyozumi Kannon-Do Temple

I took my friend to see Ueno Park. We checked out the shrines and temples contained within the park before checking out an art gallery. The first place we stopped was Kiyozumi Kannon-Do Temple. This temple was once located in Kyoto, but was moved in 1694 to Tokyo.

Expat Vegan Thanksgiving

Sorry for the gap in posts. My friend came to visit us the week of Thanksgiving. In the last week, I spent a lot of time trying to look at job materials online. My tourist visa is almost expired, so I really should find a job that will offer me a visa. Here are a few photos from my friend's visit to get things rollin' again here. :)

We're still alive!

Sorry for the gap in posts. My friend came to visit us the week of Thanksgiving. In the last week, I spent a lot of time trying to look at job materials online. My tourist visa is almost expired, so I really should find a job that will offer me a visa. Here are a few photos from my friend's visit to get things rollin' again here. :)