Kyoto

Japan’s capital from 794 to 1869, many consider Kyoto to be the cultural heart of Japan. There’s so much to see and learn but we had limited time (and uncooperative weather)…so please enjoy a tiny taste of this exquisite historical and cultural site. The sites that follow below are included in the order in which we visited in just one action-packed day.

(click on the pictures to enlarge)

Kinkakuji (The Golden Temple)

Constructed by the Rinzai Sect (Zen Buddhist) in 1397, Kinkakuji is the crown jewel of Kyoto and EVERYONE goes there to see this magnificent building and the perfect grounds surrounding it.

As mentioned above, the grounds are almost Asian Fairytale perfect…but the golden temple is just stunning to behold and so everything else around—no matter how beautiful—sort of fades into the background. That said…it’s a very pretty background!

Ryoanji

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ryoanji too was built by the Rinzai Sect but a bit later, in 1450. The grounds, again, are incredibly beautiful, but the central attraction here is a little different…a 600 year-old rock garden intended to facilitate meditation. Not for everyone, it’s another of Kyoto’s most visited destinations and provides some insight into what Japanese people—especially the upper classes—valued at the time.

Inside view of the temple building adjoining the rock garden…typically sparse.

And this is it. The much studied and analyzed Zen Rock Garden at Ryoanji. Apparently it captures enough of the imagination that whole books have been written about the meaning behind the rock selection, size, placement, and orientation. It was all well beyond me, but was certainly a peaceful spot and many of our fellow visitors sat on the sideboards staring out into the garden for the whole time we were there.

Heian-Jingu Shrine

This colorful Shinto shrine is dedicated to the Emperors Kanmu (reigned 781 to 806) and Komei (reigned 1846 to 1867). A fairly recent addition to the Kyoto cityscape, the shrine was built in 1895 but still draws significant crowds every day of the year.

Kiyomizudera

Another of Kyoto’s most famous destinations, and UNESCO World Heritage Site, this temple is most famous for the water that comes out of the mountain and, of course, the stilt structure supporting most of a temple built onto the side of a steep slope. While a temple was first founded on this site in 778 by the Buddhist Kita-Hosso Sect, the temple in its current form was actually finished in 1633. Kiyomizudera is beautiful—if difficult to reach by car—and offers a lot to take in. The row of shops leading up the hill to the temple grounds is interesting as well, and you can find a wide range of Kyoto souvenirs and tasty treats.

I love the majestic entryway to Kiyomizudera…and yes, you’ll find folks wearing yukata all over Kyoto, but we seemed to encounter more of them here.

Given how long Kyoto remained the capital, it’s not surprising that there are shrines, temples, historic places, and pagodas seemingly popping up out of the vegetation. Can’t even remember the name of this pagoda but it was beautifully situated a short distance—and clearly visible—from the top deck of Kiyomizudera.

Looking down from the temple’s expansive deck, you can see where the water emerges from the mountainside. Tradition claims that this water is especially pure, something of great importance to adherents of both Buddhism and Shintoism.

Everything turn within the Kiyomizudera compound seems to bring some quaint and intriguing scene. It’s just a really pretty place.

People line up to drink from or just wash their hands in the special water.

Everything at Kiyomizudera was beautiful, but its not until you walk down to the valley floor and look up that you realize you’ll never forget the view!

The entire temple—to include the extensive scaffolding—was constructed without the use of a single nail. This view makes you walk a little more softly when you get back up there on the way out!

Fushimi inari shrine

Founded in 711, the main shrine was built in 1499. This place is a photographer’s favorite and the number of selfies taken within the kilometers-long tunnel of orange-and-black Torii gates must number in the thousands per day! Each of the thousands of gates represents a donation made to the shrine, and the gated walkway runs for about four kilometers! Also of note, the fox iconography is everywhere at this shrine and so statues of fox guardians are everywhere.

There must be a hundred or more different minor shrines here and they seem to have been erected wherever space permitted.

But this is what people come to see—and capture in digits!

When you’re hiking it, it seems the orange tunnel will simply go on forever! Still, it was a fun visit and, as you can see, we took some nice shots as well!

imperial palace

Okay…so I lied. We stopped by the Imperial Palace before heading home the next day since the forecasted rain had yet to arrive. This park area, surrounding the one-time palace of Japan’s imperial family, is really big, and there’s a lot to see. That said, by far the height of our visit was a stroll through the imperial gardens. I’ve seen more ancient Japanese gardens than I can easily count, but few even come close to what we saw in the palace. Was definitely glad the rain was late!

Everywhere within the precincts of the long outer wall the grounds were this manicured. Was quite a story-book setting!

The main hall and courtyard. This is another MASSIVE wooden building that’s difficult to capture in a picture!

The Shunkoden: this building was constructed in 1915 to house the sacred mirror, one of the fabled three treasures of ancient Japan.

The first of two imperial gardens, though they are adjoined. The care on exhibit here just took things to a whole new level…and we didn’t want to leave!

The buildings immediately facing the gardens were for the imperial family’s women and children.

A close-up here shows the inner construction of the palace buildings, with an outer and inner walk-way clearly visible under a fairly ornate wooden roof structure. Oh…and it started to rain almost as soon as we exited the palace!

Former Site of honnoji temple

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