Page 19 - South Korea & Japan: Temples, Shrines & Seaside Treasures

Day 15 Toba • Train ride to Kyoto • its scenic beauty and historic artifacts. Our
Excursion to Nara discoveries today will begin with Tenryuji
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for Kyoto by train. On our way, we’ll stop important Rinzai Zen Buddhist temple that
for lunch in a local restaurant followed by OL_P^ MLNV _Z $
a visit to the distinctive city of Nara, which
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mountain villa previously owned by a famous
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Japanese actor. The villa and surrounding
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land is now open to the public and includes a
be impressed by its massive size, as it is the
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largest wooden building in the world. It is also
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one of the major historic temples in Japan and
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contains valuable artifacts. Here, we’ll admire
the Daibutsu—an impressive 52-foot Buddha
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statue. As we continue to explore Todaiji,
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which were traditionally regarded as the Pavilion, dates from 1387, when it was built
messengers of the Shinto god Kasuga. If you by the third shogun (military commander)
want a close-up introduction to them, you
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can purchase shika senbei (special biscuits) to of the pavilion on the water of the adjacent
feed them, but be prepared to be very popular
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bT_S _SP^P WZaPWd N]PL_`]P^ bSPY dZ` ZʬP] world-famous view.
them food.
Later on, you can enjoy some leisure time on
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and enjoy some time at leisure before setting at Ichizawa Shinzaburo Hanpu, a shop
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During your free time, you may choose to
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visit the Kyoto Handicraft Center where you on your own this evening.
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Breakfast
prints and painted dolls. Later on, we’ll meet
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Then, we’ll enjoy a traditional maiko dance
Day 17 Kyoto
demonstration.
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Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
centuries, Kyoto was revered as the capital of
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modern capital, Kyoto is still a center of
Day 16 Kyoto
art and culture. The city, untouched during
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most of the day to explore the Arashiyama wooden teahouses, and typical Japanese
OT^_]TN_ LY L]PL TY BP^_P]Y 6dZ_Z QLXZ`^ QZ] designs, which we’ll see during our tour

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