Rendezvous in Nara (Toudai-ji Temple)

My husband and I met Adriana for the first time today.
We got to know each other by blog.
She came to Japan from Romania on this April 13 for sightseeing.
She made time in her busy schedule to visit Nara,and we stroll Nara together today.
My husband and I are really happy to meet her.
It is her first trip to Japan, she eagerly took photos at each historical places.
She is really a nice person,decent,friendly,and very intelligent.
Today's biggest event is, not Toudai-ji,but finally I could meet her,from Romania!
Adriana,welcome to Japan!

This is Toudai-ji Temple, Nara (The Hall of the Great Buddha), one of the most famous temple in Nara.
This temple was built more than 1300 years ago.
At that time,Japan was in a chaotic situation,many distressing things happened one after another,such as political changes,water shortage,famine,epidemic diseases,etc....
so Emperor Shoumu wished to settle down these problems,that is why he built a temple here.
And this temple is said to be a forerunner of Toudai-ji Temple now.

The Great Buddha(left) and Kannon-statue(right)

This is Tamon-ten statue.

This is one of the Four Devas.

This god is closely related to Kubera(Hindu god).

The garden is well-cared,and the cherry blossom is wonderful.

The middle of April is at their best.

Adriana and my husband(right) 

Toudai-ji temple is designated as UNESCO world heritage in 1998.

This temple always fascinate many tourists in every season.

Especially Toudai-ji in April is like a heaven!

Kimono experience in Unryu-in temple,Kyoto

Adriana (from Romania) and I went to Unryu-in temple today.

Unryu-in temple is located at the top of the hill,so we had to go there by taxi.

Today special kimono exhibition is held in this temple.

Varieties of kimonos are exhibited in this temple today.

These kimonos are used by many Japanese famous actress in Japanese historical TV drama. 

During this event,we can also put on one of these kimonos,if we pay another 500 yen,

so Adriana decided to try it.

It must be exciting experience for her,bedause it is her first trip to Kyoto.

It is really a memorial day.

She looks fabulous in her beautiful kimono.

There are so many kimonos,so it was difficult to chose one.

She looks gorgeous!

This is a ship from Spain or Portugal in Edo era.

These are all embroidery.

Westerners are vividly described.

This is Japanese-style room in the temple.

The garden is also beautiful.

Houryu-ji temple (Nara,in April)

"Houryu-ji" temple is one of the most famous temple in Nara.

This is the oldest wooden building in the world.

These temples were built 1400 yeaers ago,

built by Empress Suiko (554-628) and Shoutoku-taishi (Emperor's agent,574-622)

They wanted to build these temples,

hoping for quick recovery of their close relative's illness,Emperor Youmei.

But after 64 years from foundation,in 670,

There was a big fire,

so all the buildings are burnt down, without leaving any trace.

From 672 to 689,people rebuilt these temple as they used to be.

The history of Houryu-ji had been filled with hardship and many vicissitudes.

The cherry blossoms were at their full, they were beyond description.

My husband and I made a rondezvous with a lady from Romania at Nara today.

She is Adriana,we met each other by internet. She is a professor.

It is her first visit to Japan.

Thank god, finally I could meet her! I am so happy.

And we visited as many as four temples,including Houryu-ji.(The last picture)

Hope you'll enjoy these pics.

This is Yakushi-ji temple.

Today we talked about many things.

I learned a lot about Roumania from her.

During Ceausescu Government, free trip abroad was totally prohibited,

so it must have been a hard time for people in Romania.

It seems that she liked Houryu-ji temple very much,

It was a wonderful day.

My friends wedding ceremony in April 7

Today I went to my friend's wedding ceremony at Westin Hotel,Kyoto.

(She and I went to the same collage.)

 

The bride and the groom appeared from a limo.

 The ceremony started.

This is a chapel-style wedding ceremony,

which is very popular among Japanese young women.

 The ceremony was performed solemnly.

 

 After the ceremony, a wedding reception started.

The bride and the groom changed their costume.

She is beautiful in her scarlet dress.

 Wishing you much happiness!

Sakura and a newly married couple in AprilーNara,Japan

Hello! How are you these days?

Cherry blossoms are in their full in Japan now.

They are at their best now.(in the middle of April)

Cherry blossoms along a river.

They are bride and groom. Today they hold wedding ceremony at Kasuga-Taisha shrine.
They are enjoying strolling the park,riding in a ricksha.
Please look at the bride,dressed in pure white,
this is Japanese-style bride,called "Shiro-muku".
This fashion is traditional Japanese bride and groom.
Wishing them much happiness.

The Doll's Festival (Nara,Takatori-chou) ②

I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for a long time.

"Takatori-chou" (Takatori-town,Nara prefecture) is a castle town historically.

In March,every houses,shops in this town compete with one another in displaying their cute "Hina dolls" on their entrances,verandas,in front of their houses to show their "family treasures" to passersby.

Some of these dolls are made 100 years ago.

The whole town become a theme park ,an amusement park in every March.

Please enjoy various kinds of Hina-dolls.

Even rats become "Hina-dolls" in March.

These are all hand-made by artisan.

Hope this tradition will be succeeded from generation to generation in the future.