Kyoto's Coming of Age Day
Lauren was right - it was an experience. Out of all the photos taken this has got to be my favorite:
I met up with two other teachers (you can see one in the photo in back not in a kimono) and we headed over to Kyoto's Heian Jingu shrine where all the twenty-year Japanese kids went to show off their finery for their "Coming of Age Day" when they officially become adults. Kimonos abound! Notice the guy beside me is unabashedly wearing a PINK kimono top. PINK! Japan really is a strange and mythical land.
But I had a lot of fun today in Kyoto!! I grabbed a couple of photos (which can be seen on myspace/facebook as I'm too lazy to deal with an lj cut right now) before heading off to visit other shrines and temples and eventually ended up in Kyoto's Gion district, home of the geisha. We went down Pontocho which is where all the geishas are and lo and behold we actually saw a maiko walking somewhere. Barrie got a photo of her so I'll try to post one up later but it was just a blast.
Afterwards for some yummy Indian curry and nan and thence to Barrie's apt. to hang out and then home.
All in all I had a lot of fun today!! I'm super glad that I went. It was quite an experience.
La la laaa. Happy. Haha.
I met up with two other teachers (you can see one in the photo in back not in a kimono) and we headed over to Kyoto's Heian Jingu shrine where all the twenty-year Japanese kids went to show off their finery for their "Coming of Age Day" when they officially become adults. Kimonos abound! Notice the guy beside me is unabashedly wearing a PINK kimono top. PINK! Japan really is a strange and mythical land.
But I had a lot of fun today in Kyoto!! I grabbed a couple of photos (which can be seen on myspace/facebook as I'm too lazy to deal with an lj cut right now) before heading off to visit other shrines and temples and eventually ended up in Kyoto's Gion district, home of the geisha. We went down Pontocho which is where all the geishas are and lo and behold we actually saw a maiko walking somewhere. Barrie got a photo of her so I'll try to post one up later but it was just a blast.
Afterwards for some yummy Indian curry and nan and thence to Barrie's apt. to hang out and then home.
All in all I had a lot of fun today!! I'm super glad that I went. It was quite an experience.
La la laaa. Happy. Haha.