Japan Day 3, Part 7: Nanzen-ji rainstorm and view

Rain began to fall as I headed to Nanzen-ji temple, and by the time I made it to the cover of the gates it was pouring. I waited out the storm under the gate looking out at a wall of water. A Japanese man struck up a conversation, telling me about the temple and the role it plays in a Kabuki theatre show. In the play, a Robin Hood-esque thief climbs to the massive wooden gate's second floor to avoid detection, but ruins it by shouting, "What a spectacular view from up here!" At the time I stood there, the view was mostly grey clouds.

The entire temple is build on the same massive scale as its impressive main gate.

Behind the main buildings runs an aqueduct, and behind that was a path to a small mountain shrine.

The shrine itself was little more than a tiny natural cave alcove, but it was situated next to a small waterfall with a beautiful view of the wooded valley below.

I was the only person on the entire path to and from the shrine, so I enjoyed the peace. I also saw a tiny frog sitting on a rock next to me.

One of the gardens on Nanzen-ji is supposed to be especially impressive. I have a feeling that I went to the wrong one, though, since it was nice but if anything a bit subpar.

On the way back down I returned to the gatehouse's famous view to look out now that the clouds had dispersed. I agree with the thief, the view was magnificent.

The gatehouse itself also looked quite beautiful as the sun brought out its weathered wood grains.

I biked back to the area near my hostel and tried to go to the castle, but I had already missed the last admission. I was able to see that the castle made quite the contrast with the modern towers behind it.

Instead I wandered over to the Imperial Palace park, taking in some modern art along the way.

The Imperial Palace had a lot of long identical closed wooden buildings, but was pleasant for all its repetitiveness and plainness. I found a place to sit with my Lonely Planet and plan out dinner and the next day's travels. I navigated the narrow alleyways to the small, very traditional Misoka-an Kawamichiya, where I enjoyed a dinner of Soba noodles.