A tale of two cities

I am referring to Osaka and Kyoto together, not only because of their geographical proximity, but because both are modern cities that are built around the ruins or remains of castles, shrines and temples of a long gone era.

Despite the attempts to hold on to the past, the Osaka castle, for example, restored this last time in a way that from the outside, one may think that a castle is ahead of them, but inside, a modern museum with elevators, computer screens and gift stores are to be found.

Osaka itself is a modern city. Nevertheless, a once a week market, that encapsulates and old tradition of bargaining takes place. I was lucky to be in Osaka on a weekend so I got to bargain with a local while being interviewed by a Tokyo TV network.

Later on, one of the sellers in the market recognized me and invited me to join her running group for a BBQ that evening.
This was my first social event in Japan. It turns out that hardly anyone in the group actually runs, but the do enjoy a beer and grilled meat and veggies.

The next day, I headed to Kyoto. At first, following a trail that turned out to be fit for hikes bun not for cyclists.
I did make it to Kyoto that evening. The next day I toured a bit and took advantage of the modern city's perks and fixed my bicycle and gear.

Temple or Shrine

Shikoku is famed for the pilgrimage of 88 temples.

I crossed over, by ferry, to Honshu, the main island to learn a bit more about Japan.

A temple is a Buddhists place of worship, while a Shrine is for the Shinto religion.

I learned this when asking a Shinto high priest to explain to me about the Temple. "Not temple, shrine!" He calmly explained.

I noticed that when you see statues of animals or humans, you are at a Buddhist temple. Graves of important lords or priests typically mean that you are in a shrine.
A shrine is more modest, as far as I have seen so far, than a temple.


A shrine

A temple

Funny words

So, Japan uses three different character sets.
(source: http://www.japanese-lesson.com/characters/)

The Chinese (Kanji), Hiragana (an actual alphabet) and Katakana (for words adopted from other languages). They also use Roman (English...) letters for foriegers' sake.
However, I think I found a new form of letters and language. Otherwise how do we explain this billboard of YOL hotels
(The YOL invited in non daily life is tasted)

But the also put near the entrance a sign that looked to me as if the are saying:
We welcome Americans....

It was a rainy day, and I get to see some beautiful views:

...just to get to my room and to find that my toilet is....

Words

Having a conversation here is rare. So, as I am, in part, on the pilgrimage route of 88 Buddhist temples, I thought I may meet some foreigners en route.

Today I met a Catholic missionary and his nephew, both from Holland, and had a short exchange.

The uncle has been on this Shikoku route three times already. He finds that for him, he is somewhere in between these two theologies.

According to him, Christians who left the Holy land on the silk road arrived to China and left a stone with an inscription of the eight recovery principles based on the Beatitudes.

In the eighth century, a Japanese lord who was not satisfied by his Shinto religion traveled to China to learn about Buddhism, saw this Christian stone and merged the two to a new style of Buddhism.

I have no idea if any of this is true, but this is one pilgrim's belief.

Another pilgrim I just happened to see on this pilgrimage route: