Coming of Age Day

We had Monday off because of ‘Seijin no Hi’ or Coming of Age day, where all people who turned 20 in the preceding year dress up *very* nicely (The girls almost all in kimono, the boys usually in suits, I think) and go to an event put on by their local government. Many students from AKP were eligible for and received invitations to the event, but my birthday evidently falls into some sort of grey area, and I was thus too old to go. Instead, some friends and I went to the Kyoto National Museum, which had an exhibit of swords that had been made for Temples and Shrines in the Kyoto area. Some were more heavily decorated than others, and there were even swords from before 800 AD! We toured around pretty much the entire exhibit before heading back. On our way to the Shijo subway station we passed one of the other top geisha districts in Kyoto, Miyagawa-cho, which I had not previously known the location of. I was excited, but my camera had completely run out of batteries, so I have no pictures of the area.
-It might be worth taking the bus to the museum next time, especially if it’s as cold as it was this time.
-The Kyoto National Museum has a really good student discount, whereby you can see anything in the museum (excepting the special exhibit, which is in a different building) for 250yen.
-After the festivities for Seijin no Hi, those who are studying ‘kyudo’ or traditional Japanese archery go to the Sanjuusangendo Temple for a big contest that includes the area’s masters as well. I didn’t go; it was too early in the morning.
-The symbol of Miyagawa-cho is three interlocking circles.