Tō-ji is a Buddhist temple that was built in 796. It’s grounds include a five-story wooden pagoda that is often used as a symbol of Kyoto.
Japan sites seem to generally be good places to grab snacks, so that’s what we did pretty much immediately after arriving. Theo and Brian opted for vanilla and matcha ice cream. I ordered the red bean soup with mochi balls, which unexpectedly (to me) came with some tea too. Delicious, all of it.
The pagoda and grounds were lovely and impressive, which is what I’ve come to expect from Japanese temples/shrines/other sites.
Still, while Brian and I gazed at the pagoda, Theo largely ignored it, collecting sticks and rocks instead. Brian mused about whether all of Theo’s early exposure to various imposing structures and natural wonders is why he’s relatively unimpressed by things like the pagoda, or if that’s just part of the nature of being four. (I lean towards the latter, but we’ll see.) As if to highlight the question, Theo ran over to a nearby tree yelling, “look at these blossoms, look at these blossoms,” displaying at least 100 times more excitement for the mound of fallen sakura blossoms than he had for the pagoda.
