Parenting on Purpose

Journey to Arashiyama - The Hozugawa Expedition When the sun arose, we began our exciting journey to the charming district of Arashiyama, famed for its meditative bamboo groves and luscious gardens. We could easily have taken a train there, but life is meant to be lived in a more exciting manner. As such, we decided to embark on an exciting two-hour river cruise down the Hozugawa River. Japan.com provides some interesting history about the river. The Hozugawa River was originally employed to transport logs that were used to build many of  Kyoto  and Osaka 's famous temples and castles. During the  Edo Period  the river was cleared of obstructions so that boats carrying grain, firewood and other cargo could safely navigate it. Trains and trucks eventually made river transport obsolete, and operations ceased after several hundred years of use. However, the boats were brought back and eventually became popular as a sightseeing attraction. Taking the scenic ...

Ginkakuji - The Silver Pavilion It was mid-morning by the time we arrived at one of Kyoto's most famous sites - the grand gardens of Ginkakuji. Japan.com discusses the origins of this lovely horticultural paradise: Ginkakuji (銀閣寺, Silver Pavilion) is a Zen temple along Kyoto's eastern mountains (Higashiyama). In 1482, Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa built his retirement villa on the grounds of today's temple, modeling it after Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion), his grandfather's retirement villa at the base of Kyoto's northern mountains (Kitayama). The villa was converted into a Zen temple after Yoshimasa's death in 1490. As the retirement villa of an art obsessed shogun, Ginkakuji became a center of contemporary culture, known as the Higashiyama Culture in contrast to the Kitayama Culture of his grandfather's times. Unlike the Kitayama Culture, which remained limited to the aristocratic circles of Kyoto, the Higashiyama Culture had a broad impact on the ent...

Arrival It was a peaceful flight to Osaka (things are always peaceful if one or both of the kids sleep). Thankfully for us, our younger son E took well to the plane ride - he was then slightly less than one year, and and our older son Z was just shy of his third birthday. Fortunately, we also had the company of Sue's sister Andrea, and she helped to provide some of the "entertainment" for the boys.  Letting sleeping babies lie. From Osaka Airport, it was another one hour by train to Kyoto, our destination city for the next few days. We decided to let the boys have an afternoon nap as they were exhausted by the time we arrived. Our hotel, the lovely Citadines Kyoto Karusuma-Gojo, was as serene as the photos depicted. The water features at the entrance alone made us feel at home almost all at once. The boys love the hotel bed or "bouncy bed" as they have nicknamed it. Fushimi Inari After a restful sleep, we began an evening visit to one of the ...

Arrival: Kyoto The ancient capital of the Land of the Rising Sun, Kyoto was the Lim Family's entry point into the historically rich land of Japan. It was the beginning of yet another adventure of a lifetime. But for the Lim Family, adventures are a staple. Our travel philosophy is to go where people seldom travel, and to immerse ourselves completely in the cultures we end up exploring. Chapter 1: Arrival & the famous red torii gates of Fushimi Inari. Chapter 2: The luscious gardens of Ginkakuji and Sunset by the Kamagawa River . Chapter 3: An exciting expedition to Arashiyama & reflections among the bamboo. Chapter 4: Where tradition & modernity meet...  A relaxing day at Maruyama Park.