Kyoto and Machi!

So, Machi and I made a return trip to Kyoto so she could see the shrine we went to in the daylight!

Of course, we also went shopping!

We walked around the shopping district of Gion where we perused through many different shops, including a musical store! I got some cute magnets that are shaped like traditional Japanese confectioneries (called wagashi).

Top: Ichigo Daifuku, letter thingie, Namagashi Bottom: Almond Jelly, Mochi Usagi, Sakura Mochi

I also got some magnets of my favorite character from the movie, My Neighbor Totoro (seen pictured on the back of a candy tin).

And I also found this awesome button: what's best about it is that the turtle is the Beloit College mascot and the colors are as well!

Then we headed back to Yasaka-jinja where we took a look at the amazing architecture (there are photos in the previous posts, so I don't feel bad for not taking more) and had fun buying daruma. Since the New Year celebrations last for six days, there was still a matsuri going on with lots and lots of stalls. That's where we bought our daruma.

But what are daruma, you ask. Daruma are only the most fun things ever. Religions mix and meld in Japan, which is why you can find dolls of the Buddhist monk Daruma at a Shinto shrine. Daruma was a very devout monk who meditated for so long that his arms and legs withered and fell off.

 

Today, daruma dolls are used to signify accomplishing a goal--when you have a goal, you color in one eye and when you complete it, you color in the other eye. Why do you do this? Because daruma dolls can never fall over~!

It can never fall over~! That's what the daruma is all about!

There will be more posts this week! I swear it!