Added to my favorite places! Kyoto Gyoen

The other day, I visited the Kyoto Imperial Palace and Kyoto Gyoen for the first time.
Since it's cherry blossom season, I wanted to go to a place where many cherry trees are planted.
As a result, it was wonderful.
It doesn't feel like the cherry trees are clustered together, but because it is so vast, there is a decent number of them.
I visited on the 2nd, and the blooming was just about 90 to 120 percent.
Some trees were even starting to scatter their petals, so the timing was spot on.

Besides, there are many magnificent, large trees.
Because of that, there were places where the branches hung down to chest height, which was great for taking selfies.
Of course, touching the branches is strictly forbidden, so I just leaned in close to take the photos.

Also, the large trees aren't limited to just cherry trees.
I was particularly overwhelmed by the size of the pine trees.
There is an incredible number of them, too.
Just looking at them, I felt the depth of history.
The passage of time it took for those large trees to grow.
The power that has protected those trees from being cut down in this prime location for that entire period.
I'm not someone with a special interest in the Imperial family, but I felt a sense of awe at the passage of time.
Perhaps it is something close to Shinto nature worship, a sense of awe for grand nature.
But I also pondered the amazing fact that the bloodline has been passed down through that long period of time.
When you think about it, it's surely the bloodline with the clearest history? Or family tree? in the world, right?
It's an amazing story.

Also, it was great that I visited in the morning.
I didn't intend to, but the morning is good.
If you are going to visit, I recommend the morning.
I went around 8:30 AM.
There were still few people, and the atmosphere was relaxed.
There were a few locals walking their dogs here and there.
Of course, the fresh morning air feels doubled when surrounded by trees.
By the afternoon, there were more people and it was noisy, and the sky had become cloudy.

It was also nice that there were many benches on the grounds.
It didn't feel like there were just a decent amount; there were a lot.
If I lived nearby, this is definitely a park I would frequent.

What surprised me about the Kyoto Imperial Palace and Kyoto Gyoen is that admission is free!
Free!
Even though Gyoen is such a vast, well-maintained park.
By the way, my beloved Shinjuku Gyoen charges an admission fee.
Personally, I am in favor of charging an admission fee.
Because by charging an admission fee, the number of people is limited to some extent, allowing for a relaxed atmosphere.
And thanks to that, it is maintained and kept clean.
However, I do think it's amazing that it's free.
It's very easy to enter, and it feels like it's being used for the locals, as I saw locals walking their dogs as usual and middle school students crossing the park on bicycles.

The tour fee for the Kyoto Imperial Palace is also free!
In addition, you can download a guide audio on your phone, and that is also free!
The guided tours that happen several times a day are also free!
It's too generous.
I feel like it would be okay to charge a little.
I feel like in many places overseas, entrance fees for palaces and the like are around 2,000 yen.
Is it a case of 'how could we charge money when it is being opened to the public and foreigners by the goodwill of the Imperial family'?
Even so, since repair costs and maintenance costs must be quite high, I felt a bit perplexed, thinking it would be fine to charge.
No, I am grateful, though.
It's easier to feel a sense of familiarity when you can enter freely.

Visiting for the first time this time, my list of favorites has grown.
Next time I go to Kyoto, it would be nice to buy some coffee and a fruit sandwich and relax in Gyoen.

Today was the 61st day of my daily posts.