Kyoto

The first site we visited was Kinkaku-ji. There were many people at the site—and for good reason. The Golden Pavilion was very beautiful, and you could see each individual sheet of gold stamped on the walls.

The second site we visited was Ryoan-ji. Although I’ve visited this rock garden before, I had a very different perspective this time after learning about the design principles and reasoning behind it. I was also more aware of the amount of paving detail throughout the garden, showcasing a mix of shin-gyo-so. While I was sitting and about to sketch the rock garden, a guy asked me what the garden meant, and I was able to explain what it was representing. It was a really cool experience to share that knowledge—I realized that many people visit the garden without knowing its meaning, yet they still appreciate the design. I hope that, after learning what everything represents, it brings a new perspective to the garden.

The third site we visited was Tenryu-ji. This garden showcases the importance of rock placement. I noticed that from every angle, the view is different and unique. It also used the design principle of shakkei, incorporating the mountains in the background. Walking through the bamboo forest was a surreal experience as well. The amount of bamboo and their size is something you really have to be there on-site to fully experience.

BONUS: Since we had extra time, we got to hike up to the Arashiyama Monkey Park. Although it was tiring after a long day, it was definitely worth it to see the monkeys and even get to feed them.

FOOD: Rilakkuma ice cream!

Before visiting Tenryu-ji, there was a popular cafe called Rilakkuma Cafe, which is a 'Kawaii' bear character from Japan, but famous around the world for its cute appearance. We grabbed ice cream from there, which was covered in strawberry sauce and topped with the Rilakkuma cake, which was very sweet and refreshing.