Kyoto, Japan: Awesome Peacefulness

Kyoto is a magical place.  The former capital of Japan is a large city that somehow retains the feeling and sense of a small village.  Its temples, architecture, and gardens all create a peaceful, relaxing atmosphere.  The grounds of the famous Kinkaku-ji  Golden Pavilion is a wonderful example:

  
No way to feel any stress while walking through here, right?

Also, the Japanese have a wonderful understanding of fully utilizing size and space.  All of their needs are fully addressed but no space is wasted.  Check this out...

As always, purple shows up in powerful ways in Kyoto as in all other places.  Check out how the color adds beauty to both this temple in the Gion section and a home near the Bamboo Forest;

Gotta leave you with a few more Kyoto pics.  It's far too large to capture in a single post but these will give you a sense of its beauty and grandeur:

And, of course, I must end by highlighting a little more of the purple I saw in Kyoto (look closely at the crowded street scene to find the woman in the middle with a head full of naturally curly hair dyed purple)...

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