In Japan, Sundays seem to be like every other day. We saw school children in uniforms, even though officially there is school "only" six days a week. All businesses were open. People were shopping (which they do on Sundays in the US, too, I guess.).
We needed a couple crucial things, like a plug adapter, because ours had a ground prong, which fit no outlet, so we decided to walk to the downtown from our outskirts abode. We got a chance to see normal residential neighborhoods.
We also happened upon a colorful festivity of some sort, in which troupes of children in arrays of costumes did dance routines to music, with chanting, and with instant costume color changes.
We passed some high walls that indicated a temple enclosure and discovered it was one of the places we wanted to visit, the Hongan-ji temple complex. These were transported and re-constructed from a former site. They are wood buildings of immense proportions, with intricate brass fittings.
We went to the Nijo castle, very close to where we are staying, but found it very crowded for some event, so will tour it later. It was the Imperial castle of Japan until the Meiji took over in the 1800's (1868 - 1912) and moved the capital to Edo(Tokyo).
This is a corner tower on the wall.
Other sights of the day:
Street-side vegetation
Kimono wearers are not at all uncommon sights.
Ginkgo trees are everywhere.
Fascinating!
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