Takigi Noh Performances Heian Shrine June 1 & 2

平安神宮能劇６月１日と２日

We should admit at the outset that we do not get the Japanese classical musical drama Noh.

We have been to and enjoyed both Kabuki and Bunraku, in particular the latter with its puppets.

Noh however is an acquired taste - and we have yet to acquire it.

For those that have, on the evenings of June 1 & 2, Heian Shrine will play host to outdoor performances of Takigi Noh.

Three of of the major schools of Noh - Kanze, Kongo, and Okura - will perform on a special outdoor stage lit by fire torches.

And we are indeed tempted to go: seated under summer skies watching the howling masked performers surrounded by the devoted has us curious.

Information

Tickets are 4,000 yen.

Gates open at 4:30 pm. The plays commence at 17:30 (in the event of rain, the performances will be cancelled).

Access on public transportation: Kyoto City Bus #5, get off at Kyoto Kaikan Bijutsukan-mae; Telephone: 075-771-6114 (Kyoto Takigi Noh Office).

For cyclists, it is a short flat ride from downtown to Okazaki and Heian Shrine.


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自転車で岡崎美術館、平安神社と南禅寺

Cycling Kyoto Okazaki, Heian Shrine, Nanzenji Temple

日本語ご希望の方。

In Okazaki, Kyoto, are several museums, a massive torii gate, and Heian Shrine.

It is a 10-minute ride or so from downtown Kyoto.

A bit farther east are Nanzenji Temple and the Philosophers Walk.

A perfect excursion.

Ride Okazaki ride.

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Kyoto Event Special Opening of Garden at Heian Shrine

平安神宮無料拝見「平安の苑」

Heian Shrine opens the doors to its South Garden for free on September 19.

Normally, entrance is 600 yen.

Minami Shin'en, or the South Garden, is a Heian-style garden designed to host garden parties for the (now defunct) aristocracy.

The garden is famous for its cherry trees, which blossom in early spring; azaleas, which come into bloom in summer; and its bush clover, which bloom in fall.

The area is full of museums, and close to both Philosophers Walk and the Kamo River.

It is a short ride from downtown Kyoto.

Information

Date: September 19
Hours: 8:30 - 16:30
Public Transportation Access: Kyoto City Bus #5, 100, get off at Kyoto Kaikan Bijutsukan-mae
Cycling: The Shrine is in the Okazaki museum area.
Tel: 075 761 0221


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Cherry Blossoms Kyoto

京都の桜

The cherries are finally in full bloom.

A long, cold winter combined with a late blast of arctic air last week kept the pink flowers shivering in their buds.

This year is, according to NHK, only four days later than an average year.

On Sunday, it warmed up and the crowds packed in areas in which cherry trees are found.

Chionin Temple, above right, has a smattering of cherry trees in front of the main gate.

Much more crowded was the area around Heian Shrine. Cherry trees line the canal that runs east of the Museum of Modern Art and the Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art.

These two august institutions bookend the largest torii gate in Japan, which announces one is entering the holy ground of Heian Shrine.

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Biking Heian Shrine Kyoto

自転車で平安神宮へ

On a glorious fall day heading back from Nanzenji Temple through the Okazaki area, we pedaled right up to Heian Shrine.

As religious buildings and sites in Kyoto go, Heian Shrine is not in the major leagues by a long shot.

It is very new, having only been built in 1895.

The construction of the shrine was done to commemorate the 1100th anniversary of the founding of the capital in Kyoto.

The shrine itself is dedicated to the souls of the first and last emperors who lived in Kyoto: Kammu (737 - 806) and Komei (1831 - 1867). All subsequent emperors have resided in Tokyo.

The name "Heian" comes from the former name of the city itself.

What is worth seeing at the shrine though are the gardens.

Also, every October 22 witnesses the "Festival of the Ages" (Jidai Matsuri), which is a long parade of people in period costume. It ends at Heian Shrine.

Information

Nishi Tennocho, Okazaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto

Garden Hours: 8:30 to 17:00
Admission Fee: 600 yen


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Cycling Heian Shrine Kyoto

自転車で平安神宮へ

On a glorious fall day, we rode over to Okazaki to watch the annual Kyoto Student Festival.

Students from all over Kansai, though mainly from Kyoto universities, performed in dance troops on the street that runs from Heian Shrine, under its massive torii gate, and past several of the city's best museums.

The Shrine was completed in 1895, and was built to celebrate the 1100th anniversary of the city's founding. Its four gardens are particularly beautiful, and cover approximately 33,000 square meters.

It is built in the style of Chodo-in, which was the main building of the Heian capital (the original name of Kyoto).

Admission is free except to the gardens, which cost 600 yen.

Access
Nishi Tennocho, Okazaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, JAPAN

Tel: 075 561 6155

A ten-minute walk from Higashiyama subway stop on the Tozai Line, or a 15-minute walk from Sanjo Station on the Keihan Line.

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