Boundless

There is a place in this world that I have never left. I have been blessed to have visited Kyoto Japan twice and yet thinking about the time I spent there always brings me right back. In Kyoto there are many shrines to take in. The red torii of Fushimi Imari which take you to another world. The magnificence of Kiyomizudera’s perch overlooking the city. The ancient palace walls, splashed in orange which once housed the empower. None of them have captured my imagination like the Yasaka shrine, for it is here that one can step back through time. 

My first visit was in 2008. I had been on a whirlwind tour of Japan the previous five days and Kyoto was to be the highlight. So I checked into my hotel, threw my bags on my bed, fished out my camera and took off for parts unknown. The plan was to stroll through the city, getting some nice nighttime shots and maybe I would be lucky enough to see a Geisha. I found a delicious food stall selling Takoyaki and after walking for about an hour I came to the end of the street I was exploring. There, across the busy street of this large and ancient city, stood two magnificent lions, guarding a large wooden gate. How could I not go it?

There was little warning, I stepped through the gate not knowing the name of the place I was visiting or what it would come to represent. My camera clicked and my shoes crunched on the gravel underfoot. Slowly I came to realize that the bustling sounds of Kyoto, just beyond the entrance were gone. There were no cars. No music. It was silent. The air felt cool and the moon hung low and bright. It was as if I had stepped back in time. A distant bell rang from inside, another offering to the Kami.  

I spent what felt like an eternity there, walking the gravel paths. Discovering a shrine for those seeking blessings in love or school. Another smaller shrine, dimly lit with a solitary figure silently beseeching Susanoo for some unknown favor. On those paths I thought about my life, what brought me to that place. The steps that allowed me to make such a journey. The events that made me who I was and I was grateful. It was much the same four years later when I returned. I wondered who I really was. Where was I going? How could I get there. 

Yasaka shrine is a sacred place to me. A point in time where my past, present and future collide. It still inspires me, even though it has been years since I was last there. Here there is no line, no boundary you cannot cross. This is where the present meets eternity. A source of inspiration and calm in this busy modern world.