The main hall of Kiyomizu-dera temple, an impressive wooden structure from 1633, is being restored and is completely enclosed by scaffolding and a protective shell.
The bark roof is being renewed. It consists of countless thin layers of cypress bark. This is a cross-section of the old roofing that has withstood the weather for about 50 years.
The thin bark shingles are prepared and cut to the right length.
We could see the restoration work at close range and take pictures of it, but we are not allowed to post the photos showing the restoration site inside the shelter. Therefore, only the enthusiastic observers can be seen here.
The temple complex is an important religious and cultural site – the number of visitors is correspondingly high.
Some team members got “interviewed” by a group of Japanese School Girls.
He’s unimpressed by all the hustle and bustle.
In the afternoon we visited Nishinoyama House, a cluster of apartments designed by SANAA.
The residential complex is a small-scale fabric of rooms and courtyards…
… very dense, but but still porous, flooded with light…
… and transparent.
The scale of the structure corresponds to the fine-grainedness of the old Machiya houses.
