My American professor friend fortunately likes the rain, and it can be evocative in places like these, just north of Kyōto Station, from east of East Hongan Temple to west of West Hongan Temple (京都駅北の西本願寺の西から東本願寺の東まで歩きました). There are East and West sects because Pure Land Buddhism was becoming politically influential, so the Shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu arbitrarily split the large sect into two in order to make them rivals and divide and conquer the priests.
Umekōji Park (梅小路公園), true to its name, has many ume plum trees, now fully blossoming in several colors. Next is the temple Higashi Honganji. Then finally its separate strolling garden, Shōsei'en (渉成園). I've mentioned liking pond life in Kyōto, and the blue herons nesting in the big trees were putting on quite a show. The color combinations of plum blossoms were also stunning.
#Japan #Kyoto #travel #sightseeing #nature #Buddhism #Buddhist #blossoms #pond #heron #grayHeron #photography #photos
