Japan: Golden Temple

Submitted by Kaede Snyder on the 2016 summer session program in Kobe, Japan sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures…

This week was pretty busy, but a lot of fun. On Wednesday, we had a shodou/calligraphy class. I learned various things about the history of and different styles of kanji. I had the opportunity to try the big calligraphy brush which was used on a piece of paper roughly my height. Over the weekend, my friends and I planned a trip to Osaka and Kyoto. Friday, we stayed the night in Kamishinjo, a city in Osaka. We went to Dotombori which is a beautiful city and shopping district. There were so many things to do and places to go. One of my favorite views, was the river at night. There were so many lights and restaurants on the riverwalk that were absolutely breathtaking.Dotomburi Kaede Snyder 16J Kobe Japan DLLC sm

We grabbed dinner by the river and on Saturday, we went to Kyoto to visit the famous Golden Temple. The temple was made with gold and it is one of the famous sightseeing places in Kyoto. There were many small statues that you could pray to as well as you walked around the temple. The temple had a beautiful pond that was filled with koi fish and turtles. It was a really amazing experience.Kinkakuji Kyoto Kaede Snyder 16J Kobe Japan DLLC sm