Places to visit in Kyoto

Fushimi Inari-Taisha Shrine

The Fushimi Inari shrine is perhaps the most famous of all the shrines in Kyoto due to it's thousands of vermilion coloured Torii Gates that wind their way across the slopes of Mount Inari. Just the walk alone through the torii gates can take two hours.  Scattered on the mountainside are many more smaller shrines and at the base of the Shrine can be seen thousands of small bamboo prayers.

It takes just 5 minutes by train from Kyoto Station to arrive at Inari Station and it is only a short walk to the entrance gate of the Shrine.


Main Entrance Gate



Sakura begins to bud



Prayers on Bamboo Tiles












































Local products for sale outside the shrine



A store outside the shrine selling local products

Gion

Gion is an ancient district in the city of Kyoto dating back to the Middle Ages. Originally established to accommodate travelers who came to visit the Yasaka Shrine, Gion developed into the most famous Geisha district in the whole of Japan.

Today Gion is a truly charming area with old style tea houses, restaurants, cafes and all kinds of shops selling high quality and traditional goods as well as souvenir shops. People can be seen walking the streets dressed in kimonos and traditional clothes, both locals and tourists. Tourists themselves can pay for the pleasure of being made up like a Geisha and wear kimonos and walk around the district. Along one of the backstreets runs the small Shirakawa river where one can find so many interesting places to eat and explore.

These are some of the photos that I took in Gion.



The Shirakawa River with sakura and a Japanese stork in the river



A bridge leads to a restaurant on the banks of the Shirakawa River



A Japanese Stork



A Japanese Stork flies over the Shirakawa River



Rickshaw rides are available

Tourists with full Geisha make up and outfit in Gion



Willow tree on Minami-Shirakawa Street in Gion



Old houses on the Shirakawa River, with the stork from my earlier photos



The Shirakawa River in Gion



The Shirakawa River



House front on Minami-Shirakawa Street in Gion

More views of Gion

Kiyomizu-dera

Kiyomizu-dera is one of the most spectacular temples in Kyoto. Founded in 778 AD, its present buildings were constructed in 1633. The amazing thing about it is that not a single nail was used in its construction. The main hall of the temple has a large veranda, which is supported by wooden pillars and provides visitors with a wonderful view over the city of Kyoto.

I visited Kiyomizu-dera in early April just as the cherry blossom or sakura was beginning to bud. Another two or three weeks would have seen wonderful sakura throughout the area.

Disembarking from the bus which we had taken from Kyoto Station, there are several Buddhist Temples scattered around the side of the hill. The most accessible was a temple across a stone bridge at the end of a small road. We didn't visit the temple as we were pushed for time, but did take some photos of the bridge.

We walked along Gojo-Zaka road which is actually quite a long walk before arriving at the foot of the Kiyomizu-dera Complex.





Finally we arrived at the foot of the complex, and could see the vermillion coloured entrance gate of the temple.

On entering a temple in Japan it is customary to carry out a ritual purification by washing the hands and face before entering the temple proper. The temizuya is the water basin usually located just inside the temple gates, or on the main pathway up to the temple. Ladles are provided to wash the hands and face.

Some more photos of Kiyomizu-dera:

A few more photos of Kiyomizu-dera.







Once leaving the temple complex there is there is a street full of interesting shops selling food, souvenirs and traditional goods.





Ponyo at a Studio Ghibli store...


My Neighbour Totoro.