may 29

Nishiki Market:

Sfera Building - modern culture house - by Claesson Koivisto Rune.  I ordered Gian and I  cake and beer at the cafe here, only to quickly realize that the cake is to be had with tea, not beer, which made me feel oafish.  Both were good though.  The building facade is pretty swell once it gets dark.

may 28

This is the exit sign here, always with a green person running through a door into the light.  It's so very nice:

Saiho-ji - the moss temple

may 27

Ryōan-ji - Temple of the Peaceful Dragon:

Kinkaku-ji - Temple of the Golden Pavilion:

These kids wanted to practice English with me, then take a picture with me.  They all do the peace sign here when they get pictures taken.  Every time.

may 26

Ginkaku-ji - Temple of the Silver Pavillion.  Got the first real sense of what we mean by the non-dialectical design aesthetic in Japan.  This place is unbearably beautiful and ruthlessly controlled - trees hand pruned, leaves swept and piled and removed, absolutely man made, but oddly because of it the place feels almost more natural than if had just been left alone to fall and grow all over itself.  It makes unmanned nature seems messy and downright inelegant, but it does so by controlling the trees and moss so that the natureness of those elements can be allowed to fully express themselves.  Or something.  It was great.

Heian Shrine: