Is it possible to enjoy the maple leaf viewing quietly in Kyoto?

The autumn tint (The red and yellow leaves) is late, because it continued warm day on November of this year in Kyoto. However, because the chill of the morning and night is becoming severe now, the autumn tint will become soon at their best on the center of Kyoto city also.Is the autumn tint in Japan the best?To be sure I think that I can enjoy the beautiful maple leaf in foreign countries; still, some of Japanese say that the autumn tint in Japan is the best of the world. The one of the reason is said to be the color of leaves. It appears that the main color of the maple leaf in Western countries is yellow. In Japan it is red and yellow. The Japanese maple leaf that there are many trees in Kyoto does not turn to same color at the same time, and has a subtle gradation color even in one tree, so it is possible to enjoy the change of color from time to time.Another reason is the scene and the background of the maple leaf. The maple leaf viewing against the background of historical temple and shrine which have wooden architectures is solemn and beautiful. And I think that the maple leaf at deliberate Japanese garden reflects an aesthetic sense of the Japanese.The Japanese loves the maple leaf viewing.When you see overcrowded Kyoto in autumn season, you will be assured that the Japanese loves the maple leaf viewing. It is said that in the Heian era the maple leaf viewing was amusement of the noble class, but it became amusement of the common people in the Edo period. The Japanese has enjoyed the maple leaf viewing from old time. However, I think that because the Japanese knows landscape of the green leaves and hot summer in Japan, they can enjoy the maple leaf viewing. The autumn tint is a blessing of weather. So coloring and time are different every year, but the Japanese feels season in it truly. What does the foreigner who comes from country which has not clearly four seasons think about the Japanese's lover of the maple leaf viewing?For the person who would like to enjoy the maple leaf viewing quietly in Kyoto.There are many famous spots of the maple leaf viewing in Kyoto, but Higashiyama Area and Okazaki Area are easily accessible from the center of city. Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Kodai-ji Temple, Shoren-in Temple, Nanzen-ji Temple and Eikan-do Temple are very famous spots. Therefore the terrible crowd is there. Because the Japanese loves the maple leaf viewing! If you go for the maple leaf viewing, you have to risk the possibility that you would complain. If you would like to enjoy the maple leaf viewing without crowd, you should go to the not so famous spots on weekdays. I also went to the not so well-known spots in Okazaki Area on weekdays.First I went to Shinnyo-do Temple (Free, 500yen for the main building). I got on Kyoto city bus for east from Shijo Street. Mountains approached me, it was still green, but it was about to change color to the autumn tint at last. I got off bus at Shinnyo-do-mae stop, went up a slight slope. There was a bit chill in the air, because it was near mountains. There were many people in the temple yard even though weekdays. About 30 percent of the whole leaves were colored. There were various color leaves, for example red leaves, yellow leaves and green leaves. I think that the autumn tint will become their best at the end of November. The old couple was eating lunch at the bench and the person was sketching three-storied pagoda, even though there were group guests that came by big tour bus at the same time. Comparatively, I spent time there leisurely. However, people flooded Shinnyo-do Temple in 2002 and it has been not good unknown spot since then. Because in 2002 JR-Tokai (Central Japan Railway Company) used Shinnyo-do Temple in a TV commercial and a poster of "Soda Kyoto, Ikou (so, I will go to Kyoto)". JR-Tokai has been making TV-commercials and posters about Kyoto of every four seasons since 1993. I am surprised that the effect of ad is magical. And JR-Tokai is using Mansyu-in Temple in ad this year. Maybe the crowd must be there this year.Next I went to Murin-an, which is a villa with garden (Admission fee; 350yen). I moved from Shinnyo-do Temple by Kyoto city bus. The garden which was made in 1896 is a stroll garden with a pond and a stream. I was able to see the red and yellow leaves, but still early. Visitors are not many there, so I spent time there leisurely also. You can view the garden over macha (300yen). And there is a western-style building which has the excellent picture of the Kano school on partition there.When I was about to go back, some people passed up the bus for Kyoto station because the bus was full of people. If you use buses in this season, some ideas are necessary. If you use City Bus All-day Pass, I recommend that you get on a bus which is not crowd and you change buses somewhere. If frequency of bus is not many, I think it is better that you walk to other nearby bus stop. You should check the places of bus stop and transfer-point in advance.Recommended lesser known locations.Honen-in Temple, Hakusasonso, Konpuku-ji Temple, Shisen-do Temple, Saginomori-jinjya Shrine, Sekizanzen-in Temple, Genko-an Temple, Taizo-in Temple, Renge-ji Temple, Shimogamo Shrine, Kaju-ji Temple, Nison-in Temple, etc. I think there are more locations.Reference URL: http://www43.tok2.com/home/kyoto/subtoppage/best/index.htm

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2006-11-20 04:09:47