(Thursday)
Took Dan to visit the Nijo-jo castle, which we missed two days earlier. We took the subway to the castle. We rented audio guides for the visit. We first visited the Ninomaru palace inside the castle. This palace and castle were built in 1603 as the official Kyoto residence of the first Tokugawa Shogun, Ieyasu. The palace has many large rooms and beautiful paintings on the walls and sliding doors. Some rooms contained life-size dolls that depicts scenes involving the Shogun: the Shogun accepting several vassal lords, and the Shogun in his living quarters. The palace has many nightingale floors, which squeak when you walk on them. They were intended to alert the guards for intruders. We then visited the beautiful garden around the palace and climbed up the castle tower.
On the way back from the castle I took Dan to a swords shop, were he bought 3 metal throwing starts as gifts for his friends.
When we returned to the Kyoto train station we bought underwear at the JR Isetan department store, which is located above the station. I asked the clerk to find me additional XL underwear (but not the expensive designer ones). It took him some time to find the extra pairs. I also bought a belt for myself, since I lost some weight in the trip.
After we completed the purchase, Dan and I visited the amphitheatre in the station.
In the evening we attended a show at Gion Corner. We arrived at the last minute, and we spent some time find the place because many street corners did not have English street signs.
The show at Gion corner included an abbreviated tea ceremony, a demonstration of Koto music (a 13-strings instrument), a short demonstration of flower arrangement, a demonstration of Gagaku (court music), a part of a Kyogen (comic play), Kyoto-style dance, and Bunraku (puppet play). All of the above fit into a one-hour show. After the show ended we participated in a tea ceremony with two instructors.
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