To stay imbude with Japanese spirit the Cone watched
"The Girl who Leaped Through Time" in the morning while it
stayed in Air Conditioned indoors until the heat of the day subsided. At
night it ventured outside and took a stroll through Maruyama Park. Here
it is (can you see it) at a little shrine.
These lanterns looked very pretty at night.
The locals demonstrate proper praying technique.
While the tourists improper praying technique is a miserable failure.
While walking through the park the Cone noticed a shadow that looked
like a cat. It stopped walking and called to it. But the shadow
disappeared in some bushes. Later on the Cone was resting on some
rocks when a similar shadow strolled out from some shrubbery and
stopped some distance away. Cornelius realized then that this was not
a feline but some sort of small dog like a coyote the size of a cat. It
decided to try to take a picture of one - but before the camera could
be triggered this cat-dog disappeared too. The Cone then started a
careful search of the park walking downwind stealthily searching with
the camera at the ready. At one point it encountered another cat-dog
and took a "poor-excuse-of-a-picture" of it before a car scared it
away.
Upon returning to its accommodation the Cone discovered that the
cat-dogs it saw at Maruyama park are called Tanuki or Japanese Raccoon
Dog and are quite common throught the archipelago.
In fact they have their own place in the local folklore - being known
as a mischievious but jolly, shapeshifting but somewhat gullible and
absentminded creature. Like the lucky cats statues tanuki statues are
are peppered among the small stores around Kyoto.
The camera used by Cornelius was unable to capture the beauty of the
park at night. And the temperature was perfect.
This looks like one of those GT5 photo shooting spots. Very good
balance of warm colors and lighting.
Can you find Conrelius in this sea of orange?
One of the Cone's retainers is taking a break. Those statues are so
dangerous they had to be caged.
On these lanterns the accomplishments of the Cone are inscribed - in
the blood of its enemies.
Gentle evening at Murayama Park Yasaka Shrine - 10/10 would visit
again.
