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Kyoto is a wonderful city with countless temples, palaces, gardens and pagodas, and it is the historical and cultural stronghold of Japan. A visit to the city provides a distinguished view of the country’s earlier imperial history in the Edo era of 1603-1867.
The city was Japan’s capital before Tokyo, and all the grand palaces and temples are preserved in the streets and neighborhoods of Kyoto, which also offers all the amazing impressions of modern Japan. The special blend is unique, and Kyoto is a true must see if you want to get the best picture of Japan over the past 500 years.
Many sights are inscribed in UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites. This is the case for Hideyoshi Toyotomi’s impressive Nijo Palace, the Golden Pavilion and Toji Temple, where Japan’s highest pagoda stands tall.
The mountains surrounding the city also host a lot of temples which are also worth seeing together with the nature. Great places like Nara with all its tranquility and the vibrant metropolis of Osaka are other places that are easily accesible from Kyoto.
Kinkaku-ji is a Zen Buddhist temple also known as the Temple of the Golden Pavilion. However, the temple’s official name is the Zoo Temple or Rokuon-ji (鹿苑寺). Kinkaku-ji is one of Kyoto’s most beautiful buildings, and it is also one of the city’s landmarks and most visited places.
Kinkaku-ji is beautifully located, and there was originally a villa here called Kitayama-dai (北山第). The 13th-century villa was owned by the statesman Saionji Kintsune and remained in the family until shōgun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu purchased the site in 1397 and remodeled the villa as a temple complex. It was Ashikaga Yoshimitsu’s wish that a Zen temple should be established here.
Civil war broke out in Japan in 1467, and it lasted until 1477. During the war, all the temple’s buildings burned down except for the golden pavilion itself. Unfortunately, the pavilion burned down in 1950 when a monk set it on fire during a suicide attempt. The Golden Pavilion was rebuilt in 1955 and Kinkaku-ji was coated with gold leaf.
The gold was important because of its underlying meaning. The gold used was thus intended to have a purifying effect on any negative thoughts on the road to death. Kinkaku-ji was originally built during the Muromachi period, which lasted from 1336 to 1573, and during that time visual extravagances such as gilding were emphasized in architecture and decoration, which also explains the beautiful pavilion’s exterior.
Kinkaku-ji serves as a so-called Shariden (舎利殿), which is a reliquary building where relics of the Buddha are kept. The architectural style varies from floor to floor and spans shinden-zukuri, samurai and zen. The ground floor, Hō-sui-in (法水院), was created in the shinden-zukuri style typical of aristocratic residences in the 11th century Heian period. The open style with verandas and the use of unpainted wood and white plaster was characteristic of the time, and it provided the framework to enjoy the surroundings as much as possible.
The first floor, Chō-on-dō (潮音洞), was built in the buke-zukuri or samurai style used by aristocratic warriors. On this floor, wooden sliding doors and barred windows create a sense of transience. The floor is also furnished with a Buddha hall with a shrine dedicated to the goddess of mercy Kannon. The second floor was decorated in the zenshū-butsuden-zukuri style, or simply Japanese Zen style, which came from traditional Chinese chán style. The floor, Kukkyō-chō (北京頂), provides a more religious atmosphere than the other floors through the Zen typology that was popular during the Muromachi period.
Kinkaku-ji’s garden is also interesting. It is a so-called strolling garden, kaiyū-shiki-teien (回遊式庭園), designed to walk around. The garden was designed as an integration of the exterior and interior, and it created a kind of extension of the view around the pavilion as a connection to the outside world. Rocks, bridges and plants are arranged to represent famous places in Japanese and Chinese literature. The lake by the pavilion is an important part of the garden. The largest island in the lake is a symbol of Japan, and four stones in the lake near the pavilion represent sailboats anchored on the way to the island of eternal life from Chinese mythology.
The garden is a beautiful example of Muromachi period garden design. The period is considered to be a time of classic Japanese garden design, where the connection between buildings and their surroundings was the focus. It was a way of integrating the structure of the landscape in an artistic way. The Muromachi period also saw an approach that recreated larger landscapes on a smaller scale through minimalism.
Kyoto Imperial Palace is one of Kyoto’s major attractions. The palace is the former Imperial Palace, which was Japan’s political center for centuries. That was until 1868, after which the emperor moved to Tokyo in 1869, which thereby became the new capital of the country. Kyoto became the capital under the name Heian-kyō (平安京) in 794, and the city maintained that status for over 1,000 years.
The current Imperial Palace is the latest of a series of palaces that have been built in the city over time. The original palace in the city, Heian-kyū (平安宮), was larger than and located to the west of the present palace complex. Heian-kyū was abandoned in the late 12th century in favor of the current location, which forms a rectangle in the city measuring 1,300 x 700 meters. In the palace area are the palace buildings themselves, and you can also see the palace garden here.
The emperors had de facto moved from Heian-kyū by the late 12th century, living in various temporary residences, sato-dairi (里内裏), provided by noble families. One of these residences was Tsuchimikado-dono (土御門殿), which was expanded over time to end up as the official Imperial Palace. However, the current palace buildings are not the original ones, as palaces have been burned and rebuilt as many as eight times, most recently in 1855 when the palace, as seen today, was completed. In this latest reconstruction, an attempt was made to use a style from the old palace of Heian-kyō.
The palace area consists of several parts, and there are two surrounding walls around the facility. Once you have entered behind the outer wall, you come to another wall that separates the outer palace area from the inner one. In this inner wall there are a total of six entrance gates, of which the southern gate, Kenrei-mon (建礼門), was the one used by guests at e.g. state ceremonies. Immediately after Kenrei-mon is the Jomei-mon (承明門) gate, which leads through the South Garden, Dantei (南庭), to the Shishinden (紫宸殿), which was the building where great ceremonies were held.
In Shishinden stands the imperial throne, Takamikura (高御座), which has been used for ascensions to the throne since the year 707, when Genmei became emperor. The current throne chair is from 1913, when it was produced based on the original throne. The throne itself is a chair in black lacquer, which is placed under an octagonal canopy resting on a three-story podium. On either side of the throne are two small tables on which lay imperial regalia and seals. At the top of the canopy is a statue of a large phoenix called the hō-ō (鳳凰), a bird said to symbolize good luck, prosperity and longevity.
The emperor’s throne stands in the center of the hall with the empress’s throne, Michodai (御帳台), to its right. The current Michodai is like the emperor’s throne produced in 1913, and it is smaller and simpler than the emperor’s. The canopy is here decorated with a statue of the mythical bird, ranchō.
In connection with the Shishinden are the buildings that were the most important of the palace for the emperor. They include the emperor’s offices and partial quarters, Seiryōden (清涼殿), the court hall Kogosho (小御所), where the emperor held conferences, among other things, and the imperial library and study room, Ogakumonjo (御学問所), where the emperor could also meet with nobles. To the west of this central building complex, official guests of the emperor could enter the inner palace through the Okuruma-yose (御車寄) entrance, after which they waited in the Shodaibu-no-ma (諸大夫間) building.
To the north of this primarily official part of the large palace complex lay the more private parts of the complex. Here you will find the Otsunegoten (御常御殿), which was used as the emperor’s residence until the capital was moved to Tokyo in 1869. The Otsunegoten is the palace’s largest building, and it is located along the palace’s inner garden, Gonaitei (御内庭).
Nijō Palace is a large building complex in central Kyoto. It consists of several different parts, which lie behind the palace’s moats and fortress walls. The great palace is worth seeing, and it is one of the many exciting places in Kyoto, which is included in UNESCO’s list of world cultural heritage.
It was Tokugawa Ieyasu who founded the Togugawa Shogunate, who in 1601 ordered all feudal lords in western Japan to contribute financially to the construction of Nijō-jō. The palace was completed under Tokugawa Iemitsu in 1626, and parts of the Shinsenen Garden, which was an abandoned part of the former Imperial Palace’s garden, were used during the construction. The garden’s existing water was also reused for the new moats and lakes.
Nijō-jō was built as the residence palace of the Tokugawa shoguns in Kyoto. The Tokugawa shogunate used Edo, present-day Tokyo, as its capital, but Kyoto was maintained as the emperor’s city of residence, and was therefore formally also the capital during this period. However, Nijō-jō was destroyed several times throughout history. The palace’s core tower was destroyed by lightning in 1750, and in 1788 large parts of the other buildings burned in connection with the great fire in Kyoto that year.
After the destruction in the 18th century, more than 100 years passed when the inner palace area was empty. Palace buildings did not return here until 1893, when a residence was transferred from Kyoto’s Imperial Palace. In the outer palace grounds was the Ninomaru Palace (二の丸御殿), and it became historic in 1867, when the last Tokugawa shōgun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, handed over the actual leadership of the country to the emperor. Nijō-jō then became the property of the emperor, and in 1939 the palace was donated to the city of Kyoto.
Today you can see several facilities on the large palace complex. In the outer palace area is Ninomaru Goten Palace, while Honmaru Goten Palace (本丸御殿) is in the inner part of Nijō-jō. In addition to the two palaces, you can see several gardens, moats and the fortifications around the complex.
Ninomaru Goten consists of five separate buildings connected through corridors, and almost all of this palace was constructed from Hinoki cypress, which is a Japanese tree. Gilding and woodcarving are some of the things that were supposed to impress visitors to the reigning shoguns, and in this part of Nijō-jō are the so-called ‘nightingale floors’ that almost sing when you walk on them. In Ninomaru Goten there are a number of rooms and halls that were both intended for receptions, larger ceremonies and residences.
Honmaru Goten is a palace area that was built in the inner part of Nijō-jō in 1893-1894. Previously, Honmaru Goten was a palace in the style of Ninomaru Goten, but the palace from 1893-1894 came from the Imperial Palace in Kyoto. It was moved here in connection with the renovation of the Imperial Palace grounds after the capital and the Emperor moved to Tokyo in 1869. After that time, there were many unused buildings on the Imperial Palace grounds, and it was decided to move this part to Nijō-jō. In 1928, Honmaru Goten hosted a banquet for Emperor Hirohito’s accession to the throne.
Nijō-jō has several gardens and groves with, among other things, cherry trees and Japanese plum trees. Ninomaru Garden was designed by the landscape architect and tea master Kobori Enshū and is located next to the palace of the same name. The garden has a large pond with three islands and features numerous carefully placed stones and topiary pine trees. You can also see Seiryū-en Garden, which is the newest part of the Nijō Palace grounds. The garden was established in 1965 in the northern part of the complex as a facility for receiving official guests from Kyoto and as a venue for cultural events. The Seiryū has two teahouses and more than 1,000 carefully arranged stones.
Kiyomizu-dera or Kiyomizu Temple is a Buddhist temple located in the eastern part of Kyoto with a breathtaking location on a steep hillside. The temple was founded in the late 7th century during the earlier part of the Heian period, which spanned from 794 to 1185. However, it was already the Nara monk Enchin Shonin who had the vision of a temple on this site in the decade before the Heian.
In 798, Shogun Sakanoue Tamuramaro expanded the temple with a large hall moved here from Emperor Kammu’s palace. Kammu was the emperor who moved the capital from Nara to Kyoto due to the great influence that Buddhist monasteries had on the government of Nara.
The current buildings in Kiyomizu-dera date from 1633, when Tokugawa Iemitsu decided they should be built. The temple buildings are impressive and they were built without using a single nail. The temple was built on the original site, which was and is around the spring Otowa, which has also given the temple the name Kiyomizu, meaning ‘pure water’.
The way up to the temple is cozy in itself with the many low houses with an elegant Japanese atmosphere next to the many shops selling Japanese souvenirs and not least Kiyomizu ceramics. The road ends at Kiyomizu-dera’s impressive entrance gate. Behind the gate are the temple area’s many buildings, of which the three-story pagoda stands beautifully on the way to the temple’s most famous and largest building, the central hall. At this hall is the temple’s famous porch with a fine view of nature and Kyoto.
It was from this porch that in the Edo period 234 projections were recorded towards the ground 13 meters below. 85.4% survived the jump, which was said to grant a wish. This tradition was banned in 1872, and one should take the stairs down instead. They are located just east of the hall, and below you can see the special Otowa Falls, where three channels lead water into a pond. It is said that the water has a wish-fulfilling power.
Ginkaku-ji is a temple whose formal name is Jishō-ji (慈出寺), which means Temple of Shining Mercy. Colloquially, however, it is known as the Temple of the Silver Pavilion, and the Silver Pavilion itself is central to the temple with the designation Kannon-den (観音殿), which refers to it being the temple’s hall for the goddess of mercy Kannon.
Ginkaku-ji was planned by shōgun Ashikaga Yoshimasa as a villa with a surrounding garden as a retreat. It was around the year 1460, and after the death of the shogun, the villa was to pass to the status of a Zen temple. This can be seen, among other things, with elements in the temple’s fine garden, where the sand garden’s fine mound stands as a symbol of Japan’s sacred mountain, Fujisan.
There are several temple buildings in the complex with the Silver Pavilion Ginkaku-ji being the most important. Ginkaku-ji was built from 1482, and it was originally planned to cover the pavilion with silver, which was inspired by Kyoto’s Golden Pavilion, which was established by Ashikaga Yoshimasa’s grandfather, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.
However, civil war broke out in the country, which lasted from 1467 to 1477, and it put the construction on hold, and therefore the sea cladding was not realized. The current appearance is thus believed to be the original as at Ashikaga Yoshimasa’s death in 1490. Ashikaga Yoshimasa’s Buddhist name was Jishō, and therefore the temple was named Jishō-ji.
Ginkaku-ji is included in UNESCO’s world heritage list, and on a visit you can enjoy the sight of both the Silver Pavilion and the other temple buildings as well as the site’s gardens. You can go on a tour, from which you can see, among other things, the temple’s sand garden, moss garden and the Sea Pavilion, which overlooks the lake. On the tour you can also see the temple’s fine buildings such as the main hall Hondō (本堂).
To-ji Temple is a temple that was founded in 796 at the beginning of the Heian period, when Kyoto had just become the Japanese capital. Tō-ji means ‘the eastern temple’, and it flanked with the defunct Western Saiji Temple Kyoto’s historic entrance from the south.
In the 8th century, the founder of the Buddhist Shingon sect, Kobo Daishi, was appointed religious leader of Tō-ji. The temple then became one of the most important Shingon temples in addition to the main temple on Mount Koya. Some of the temple’s current buildings were also established during Kobo Daishi’s time.
There are entrance gates to the temple grounds in the north, south, east and west with the north and south gates being the largest. From north to south, you pass the dining hall Shokudō (食堂), the prayer hall Kōdō (講堂) and Kondō (金堂), which is the main building of the temple. It is in Kondō that you can see the wooden Yakushi Buddha figure, which is the temple’s central shrine.
In Kōdō you can see 19 statues that Kobo Daishi brought here from China, and Kōdō itself is one of the buildings that were built during Kobo Daishi’s time. Both Kōdō and Kondō burned in 1486, but they were subsequently rebuilt. Another building from Kobo Daishi’s time is the temple’s five-story pagoda, which was built in 826. The pagoda is 57 meters high, making it the tallest wooden pagoda in Japan.
Tō-ji’s distinctive pagoda stands as the temple’s landmark, and it has also become one of the well-known symbols of Kyoto. After visiting the central temple area, one can visit a building just west of the temple proper. Here there is, among other things, a statue of Kobo Daishi, whose temple is today on UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites.
Tenryu-ji is a Buddhist Zen temple founded by Ashikaga Takauji in 1339. The temple was completed in 1345 on this site, where a temple was already established in the Heian period, but was allowed to decay over the centuries. After this time, the Japanese emperor built a royal villa here in the middle of the 13th century.
In 1338, Ashikaga Takauji became shōgun, and when Emperor Go-Daigo died the following year, Ashikaga decreed that the monk Musō Soseki should establish a temple on the site in memory of the late emperor. In doing so, Tenryu-ji Temple was established in the royal villa, and it has today become a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with other buildings in Kyoto.
The temple became politically and economically significant from the 1430s, when it came to some extent under the Chinese Ming dynasty. In China at the time, trade was prohibited outside Chinese-controlled territory, and the Japanese Ashikaga shōgunate would not submit to China. The Tenryu-ji temple gained almost a monopoly on the Chinese trade through an agreement that ensured China the right to appoint the temple’s leader. This state of affairs continued into the 19th century.
Over the centuries, many buildings were built on the temple grounds, but were also hit by fires and other destruction on several occasions. The current temple buildings are thus reconstructions that primarily date from the Meiji period, which lasted from 1868 to 1912.
Zen temples are usually laid out along a north-south axis, but Tenryu-ji is an exception. The temple entrance is in the east, where after two gates you enter the temple area itself; however, there are also other entrances that you can use. After the entrance from the east, you come to the Hatto building, also known as the Dharma hall. Hatto was where the leader taught Buddhism to monks, while today the hall is used for ceremonial purposes.
West of Hatto is the temple’s largest building, Hojo, which is divided into Great Hojo (Daihojo) and Little Hojo (Kohojo). Hojo is used for ceremonial events, and from the site’s veranda you can enjoy the view to the west of the monk Musō Soseki’s beautiful garden, Sogenchi Teien, which was laid out in the temple’s first year in the 14th century. There is a path around the pond in the garden, so you can enjoy the garden from many perspectives. There are other temple buildings north and south of the garden and Hojo.
Fushimi Inari Taisha is a large and famous Shinto shrine in eastern Kyoto. It is dedicated to Inari, who is the kami for, among other things, rice, tea, sake and agriculture. Kami is the concept of deity in Shinto, Japan’s original religion, and kami inhabit the religion’s central temples. Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto is the most important Inari temple in the country, and it is made up of several parts worth seeing.
The temple was established before Kyoto gained capital status in 794. The first buildings were erected in 711 in the southwestern part of the city, but it was moved to its current location in 816. The central buildings of the shrine, which are located near the entrance of the area’s western side, was built from 1499.
At the entrance to the shrine, you first pass two torii gates and then the tower gate rōmon (楼門), which was built with a donation from the Japanese samurai and daimyō Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1589. After the gate, you come first to the prayer hall haiden (拝殿) and then to the main building go-honden (御本殿), which is the actual shrine of kami Inari. At the go-hound and other places in the area you can also see quite a few statues of foxes, which is because foxes are Inari’s messengers.
Behind the central temple area, you can go for walks in the hilly terrain along many paths that lead around the beautiful nature and towards the top of the 233 meter high Inari hill. It is also in this area that you find Fushimi Inari Taisha’s probably most famous sight, the almost infinite number of red torii gates that span the paths. Particularly famous is the Senbon Torii (千本鳥居) with torii gates over two parallel paths.
The torii gates on the temple grounds were erected in great numbers from the Edo period, which lasted from 1603 to 1868. Each torii was erected after donations to wish or in gratitude for a wish being granted. Traditionally, a torii gate marks the entrance to a sacred area, as is the case with the shrine’s two torii gates to the west, but torii can also be placed elsewhere on temple grounds. A torii is most often red, as in this shrine, and the color is said to protect against evil.
Kyoto National Museum is one of Japan’s most famous and important art museums. It is one of three national museums that were established in the late 19th century; the others are the National Museums in Tokyo and Nara. The museum building in Kyoto was completed in 1895 in an architecture inspired by European museum buildings, and the museum opened in 1897.
The National Museum’s exciting collection comes partly from the imperial household and partly from various temples and shrines. The art originates primarily from the pre-modern Japanese era and includes, among other things, many effects from the Heian period, which lasted from 794 to 1185. At the museum you can also see other Asian art.
The museum is famous for the collection of sutras, which are a special type of literary works originally from India, which for example describe learning about subjects related to the Vedas. There are many opportunities for immersion at the museum, whose collections, in addition to art, also have departments for handicrafts and archaeology.
Tōfuku-ji Temple is a Buddhist temple founded in 1236 by the Imperial Chancellor Kujō Michiie with the monk Enni as the temple’s religious leader. Tōfuku-ji got its name from a contraction of the names of two temples in the city of Nara; Tōdai-ji and Kōfuku-ji.
The temple was expanded, but after a fire in the 15th century it had to be reconstructed, which was done according to the original plan for the complex, which eventually came to consist of around 70 buildings. Most of these were demolished during the Meiji period between 1868 and 1912, due to the decree shinbutsu bunri that separated Shinto from Buddhism.
Tōfuku-ji Temple is worth seeing with beautiful examples of early architecture from Zen Buddhism. The temple is traditionally built with an outer gate, Sōmon (総門), before reaching the central part of the complex. As the entrance to this part is the large gate building Sanmon (三門), which is the most important gate in Japanese Zen temples. Tōfuku-ji Temple’s Sanmon is particularly interesting because it is the oldest in Japan. After this, you come to the Butsuden (仏殿), which is the temple’s prayer hall for the Buddha. The butsu is the most important hall in Japanese Zen temples.
It is worth paying extra attention to Tōfuku-ji Temple’s Sanmon. The size of a temple’s Sanmon indicates the temple’s most important, and the most important temples, like Tōfuku-ji, have a two-story Sanmon with five rows, three of which are open as entrances. The three entrances are called Kūmon (空門, the gate of emptiness), Musōmon (無相門, the gate of formlessness) and Muganmon (無願門, the gate of passivity). Thereby they symbolize the three gates to enlightenment or satori. When pilgrims arrive, they can symbolically free themselves from the three passions ton (貪, greed), shin (瞋, hatred) and chi (癡, foolishness).
Tōfuku-ji Temple is exciting to visit to see the temple complex and the religious meanings of the architecturally fine buildings, but the temple is also known for its fine gardens. Among other things, you can see a traditional Japanese rock garden, a moss garden, and then you can enjoy the landscape architect Mirei Shigemori’s garden from the 1930s, which reimagined Japanese garden principles in the 20th century. The temple also offers beautiful Japanese maple trees, which not least attract many visitors at the time of leaf fall.
Nishi Hogan-ji Temple is a Jōdo Shinshū Buddhist temple whose history dates back to the 14th century when it was founded in the city of Higashiyama. The location of the current temple is more recent, having been established on this site in Kyoto in 1591. Many of the temple’s buildings have survived for many years and therefore stand as fine examples of Japanese architecture from the 17th-18th centuries.
There are several entrance gates to the temple. The regular entrance is to the east, but it is the southern entrance gate that is most interesting. Here you can see Karamon (唐門), which is a beautiful gate with an undulating roof and fine decoration. This type of roof first came to Japan in the late Heian period, and Karamon later evolved into a means of displaying a building’s prestige. The Karamon entrance was also reserved for the shōgun or for receiving the emperor. Incidentally, Nishi Hogan-ji’s Karamon Gate originally stood at Fushimi Castle, Fushimi-jō (伏見城), and was moved here in 1632 when Fushimi Castle was closed down. The move took place in connection with a visit by the shogun Tokugawa Iemetsu.
Entering the temple grounds, there are two large buildings that dominate with their size and central location. The southern and largest of these is Goeidō (御影堂), meaning Founder’s Hall. Goeidō in its current form was built in 1636, after the former hall was destroyed by an earthquake in 1596 and a fire in 1617. The building measures 62 by 48 meters with a height of 29 meters. In the central altar is an image of Shinran, who was the monk who founded Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism in Japan. Next to Shinren are the subsequent head priests of the temple. Major ceremonies performed at Nishi Hongan-ji are usually held in this building.
From the Goeidō, a corridor leads north to the second large building, the Amidadō (阿弥陀堂), which serves as the temple’s main prayer hall. Like Goeidō, it is a one-story building with a so-called hongawarabuki roof in the irimoya style. The hall measures 45 by 42 meters and has a height of 25 meters. It contains a sculpture of Amida Buddha, which gave the hall its name, and Amida Buddha is surrounded by portraits of, among others, six of the seven patriarchs of Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism and Shinran’s master Honen.
Higashi Hongan-ji Temple is one of the two major Shin Buddhist temples in central Kyoto. The temple’s name means the Eastern Temple of the Original Vow, and the other major temple is the nearby Nishi Hongan-ji, which is the Western Temple of the Original Vow. Nishi Hongan-ji was the original temple, and Higashi Hongan-ji arose when the priest’s son Kyōnyo was given the land as a thank you for his loyalty to the new shōgun, Tokugawa Ieyasu. The temple became known as ‘The Eastern Hongan-ji’ in 1603.
Higashi Hongan-ji is a large temple complex that in many ways is modeled after Nishi Hongan-ji. It houses the mausoleum of Shin Buddhism’s founder, the monk Shinran. The temple’s largest hall is also called the Founder’s Hall/Goei-dō (御影堂), and Shinran is worshiped here. The hall is an impressive wooden structure, which in its current version dates from 1895. It is 76 meters long, 58 meters wide and 38 meters high, and was built after the previous version burned down.
Adjacent to the Founder’s Hall is the Amida Hall, Amida-dō (阿弥陀堂), which houses a figure of Amida Buddha, who is the primary Buddha of Pure Land Buddhism, which is part of Mahayana Buddhism in Japan, China and Korea. Prince Shōtoku, who brought Buddhism to Japan, is honored in the same hall. The Amida Hall is like the Founder’s Hall from 1895. You should also notice the beautiful entrance gate, which was built in 1911.
Gion is a district in eastern Kyoto. It is a district that emerged as an entertainment district already in the 15th-16th century Sengoku period. The location right here is because there were many travelers to the shrine Yasaka-jinja (八坂神社), and thereby many services were established to meet the needs of the travelers. Many geishas also appeared in Gion, and this is something the district is still known for. Locally, however, a geisha is called a geiko.
Today, Gion is the best place in Kyoto if you want to experience the traditional architecture that characterized Kyoto for centuries, before all the modern buildings that characterize, among other things, the city center. It is almost just about exploring the streets of Gion to find the old environments. One can walk north and south from the Shijō-dōri (四条通) street that cuts through Gion from the west towards Yasaka-jinja. There are also evocative environments south of Yasaka-jinja and along the Shirakawa (白川) stream that lies north of Shijō-dōri.
Among the typical houses in Gion, you can see quite a few teahouses called ochaya (お茶屋). The teahouses stand in traditional architecture built of wood and were exclusive establishments where the geisha worked. Probably Gion’s most famous teahouse is Ichiriki Chaya (一力茶屋), located on the corner of Shijō-dōri and Hanamikoji (花見小路). Ichiriki Chaya is over 300 years old, and is known as a place where the 47 Rōnin were under the vengeance of their master.
The street scene in Gion is a sight in itself with the neighborhood’s low wooden houses, and there are also places of special interest. The Yasaka-jinja Shinto shrine is beautifully located in the center of Gion and is definitely worth a visit with its evocative atmosphere, which is especially evident in the evening.
Yasaka-jinja was founded in 656, and behind the shrine you can take a walk in the park Maruyama kōen (円山公園), a good place to see the spring cherry blossoms. One can also visit the Buddhist temple Kennin-ji (建仁寺), located in the southern part of Gion. To the east of this you can see the picturesquely situated pagoda Hōkan-ji (法観寺), which stands as one of the city’s landmarks on this side of the Kamo River.
Kyoto City Museum is an interesting museum that depicts Kyoto’s long history with a natural focus on the over 1,000 years when the city was Japan’s capital. This was in the period from its foundation in 794 to 1868, after which Tokyo became the new Japanese imperial residence and capital.
At the museum, there are various thematic exhibitions and collections that show many aspects of Kyoto’s history, development and culture. You can learn more about the imperial history, life in the imperial court, the art of the city and the life of the city’s general population.
Nishiki Ichiba is a market located on a section of the Nishikikōji dōri street. It’s a market with a long history, and today it’s a great place to go shopping while enjoying the atmosphere and learning about the traditions and foods of Kyoto.
The history of the market started in the year 782, when fish were sold here. The location was due to easy access to cold groundwater, which helped keep fish and meat fresh while also being close to the imperial palace grounds. However, the market only received formal permission to sell fish in 1615, which gave the start to the development of the market you can visit today.
Today, Nishiki Ichiba spans a length of approximately 400 meters and the market is covered. The market’s many shops are located between Takakura and Teramachi streets, and they are arranged on both sides of the narrow Nishikikōji dōri. During a visit to the market, you can discover Kyoto’s cuisine, as fish, meat, vegetables and many other foods are sold here.
Kyoto Tower is an observation tower that stands in the central part of the big city’s business district. The tower was opened in 1964 as Kyoto’s tallest building with a height of 131 meters. There is an observation tower at a height of 100 meters, from which there is a fantastic view of Kyoto.
The observation tower in Kyoto was planned to open in connection with the 1964 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, and the design of the Kyoto Tower was inspired by a traditional Japanese candle, the warosoku, which differs from other candles, among other things, by being wider at the top than at the the bottom. The architect was the modernist Mamoru Yamada.
Kyōto Station is Kyoto’s central railway hub, from where you can take, among other things, the city’s subway, local trains and the shinkansen. The station building is one of the largest in Japan, and it spans everything from services related to train operations to cinemas, shops, offices and a hotel. Kyōto Station’s history dates back to the 1870s, when the railway reached the city from Kobe in 1876, and the first Kyōto Station opened in 1877.
The current Kyōto Station opened in 1997 with a size of 70 meters in height and almost 500 meters in length. The architect was Hiroshi Hara, and the style contains many traits from futurism. It is especially the northern side towards the city center that is spectacular with the many facilities under the impressive roof structure. This is also where you can get to the top of the station by escalators to a garden with viewing terraces of the station and Kyoto. On the way up you can enjoy beautiful lighting of the stairs.
Sanjūsangen-dō is a Buddhist temple belonging to the Tendai school that was officially established in Japan in the year 806 by the Japanese monk Saichō, also known as Dengyō Daishi. Tendai came to Japan from China, where Saichō had studied at the school founded in the 5th century.
The temple was founded in 1164 by the samurai Taira no Kiyomori on land owned by Emperor Go-Shirakawa, giving the sumarai a title of chancellor. The temple complex was constructed with several areas and many buildings, and it was in the eastern part of the temple that Go-Shirakawa was buried when he died in 1192.
Most of the temple buildings were destroyed by a fire that broke out in 1249. This included several central halls and the temple’s five-story pagoda. Emperor Go-Saga decided to rebuild the temple’s main hall, Hondō (本堂), which happened from 1251. Hondō was completed in 1266, and the building has survived since then to the present day.
Before the fire in 1249, there were 1,000 standing statues of the goddess of mercy kannon, who is a bodhisattva devoted to helping all beings achieve full Buddhist enlightenment. After the fire, only 124 of these statues remained, and as part of the reconstruction after the fire, Go-Saga had 876 new statues produced, so that there would once again be 1,000 statues in the temple’s Hondō. These can be seen today and are the temple’s best-known attraction. The central figure was made by the famous sculptor Tankei of the Kamakura shogunate. Tankei also produced other of the 876 new figures.
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest is one of the well-known natural attractions around central Kyoto. The forest is located northwest of the city, and it consists mostly of mōsō bamboo, which originally originates from China and Taiwan, but which also grows on a large scale in Japan today.
The bamboo forest consists of several different parts, and you can walk around the forest along wide paths that give good access to the unforgettable view that the countless bamboos form during the trip around the forest.
The Arashiyama area was a popular place for the Japanese elite during the Heian period, which was the classical Japanese era from 794 to 1185. During this period, villas and temples were built, and bamboo was a popular feature in villa gardens. In the later Edo period, bamboo was grown here for, among other things, food production.
Over time, it was no longer economical to continue with bamboo cultivation, and part of the bamboo areas were built on, while others simply fell into disrepair until 1967, when it was decided to protect the remaining bamboos, which since then have grown wild like that forest , you can enjoy today.
Togetsu-kyo Bridge in the Arashiyama district is a famous bridge that spans the Katsura River. A bridge was already built on this site in 836, while the current 155 meter long bridge dates from 1934. The bridge is made of reinforced concrete with parapets of cypress wood and was built as a modern copy of the previous bridge.
The bridge’s Japanese name means ‘the bridge over which the Moon passes’, and it was given that name by Emperor Kameyama in the 11th century, when he sailed on the still water with the Moon’s reflections, which almost night after night caused the celestial body to wander over Togetsu-kyo.
From ancient times, the Togetsu-kyo Bridge was part of a ceremony where children as young as 12 years old had to visit Horin-ji Temple in Kyoto to make offerings and pray for wisdom and happiness. The gods then bestow wisdom, but to complete the ritual the children must cross Togetsu-kyo without looking back. If they look back, they lose all the wisdom they just gained. The ceremony is a rite of passage for the children, who at this point have just come through a full cycle in the astrological Chinese calendar.
Iwatayama Monkey Park is a natural area in the Arashiyama district, located northwest of central Kyoto. The park is perched on a small mountain, and you start the trip to the monkeys by going uphill from the park entrance close to the Katsura River. After a nice and pleasant walk, you come up to the place in the park where the wild Japanese macaques live.
There are over 100 monkeys in the park and many of them can often be seen at the top of the trail system in the park. Here there is a small shop with a collection point, where the monkeys are naturally attracted by the food that the guests can give them. The Japanese macaques are endemic to Japan, and they are characterized by a relatively thick fur, which is due to the country’s northern and slightly cooler location than other macaques.
On a visit to the Iwatayama Monkey Park, you get close to the monkeys with a good opportunity to look at them more closely. At the top of the park, one can also enjoy an excellent panoramic view of large parts of Kyoto. From the viewpoint you can see both the center of Kyoto and many of the surrounding mountains.
The Sagano Romantic Train is a train ride through beautiful scenery in the area between Saga-Arashiyama and Kameoka northwest of Kyoto. Along the way, you pass through forests and mountains on the tour in the gorge along the Hozugawa River.
The popular stretch is between Saga Torokko, which is immediately adjacent to Saga-Arashiyama, and Kameoka Torokko. The train ride takes about 25 minutes in the beautiful surroundings before reaching Kameoka Torokko in the west, from where you can take the train back or choose to sail on the Huzogawa to Arashiyama.
Please note that the Sagano Romantic Train normally operates from March to December from morning to afternoon and does not normally run on Wednesdays. Remember to also visit Saga Torokko Station, where there is an exhibition with, among other things, a large diorama of Kyoto.
Osaka is an interesting city to visit with all the sights from traditional temples and the Osaka Castle to modern architecture and vibrant streets. Osaka-Kyoto-Kobe is Japan’s second largest metropolitan area after Tokyo-Yokohama, and the city of Osaka is located as the center of the interesting region.
As one of Japan’s largest and most modern and thriving cities, Osaka offers an abundance of activities from both history and present-day Japan. Together with the modern high-rise architecture you find beautiful works from the city’s rich history, including the Osaka Castle and surrounding park.
Nara is the capital city of Nara Prefecture, which lies east of Osaka and south of Kyoto. Nara is also a city with an interesting history, as it was the capital of Japan from 710 to 794, when Kyoto became the new capital. However, there was already activity in the area before 710, and you can see a series of ancient tombs called Kofun (古墳) dating from 200-600. In this way, Nara has many sights that goes back into Japan’s history.
It was Empress Genmei who decreed in the year 708 that Nara should be the capital. At that time, the city was called Heijō-kyō (平城京), and it was developed as a capital with inspiration from Chang’an in China, which was the capital during the Tang Dynasty. The move to Heijō-kyō was completed in 710, and many temples and other structures that can be seen in Nara today were built then.
Himeji is a large city located in the Kansai region of Japan. The city has been the center of Harima Province since the Nara period, serving as both the provincial capital and the seat of Harima Kokubun-ji Temple. After the Battle of Sekigahara in the year 1600, Ikeda Terumasa received an area in the province, and here he established the Himeji region under the Tokugawa Shogunate. Ikeda Terumasa ruled from Himeji Castle, and he expanded both the castle and the city around it.
Because of its strategic location dominating the San’yōdō highway between the Kinai region and western Japan, Himeji was an important stronghold of the Tokugawa shogunate throughout the Bakumatsu period. After the Meiji Restoration, Himeji became the capital of Himeji Prefecture from 1871. After the Great Kantō Earthquake of 1923, the Japanese government reportedly considered moving the country’s capital from Tokyo to Himeji, but this did not happen.
Hiroshima is a Japanese metropolis that entered world history on August 6, 1945, when the world’s first atomic bomb used in war detonated 600 meters/2,000 feet above the city center.
Since 1945, Hiroshima has been rebuilt into a modern city with a vibrant city center, a great cultural variety and several sights. The most famous monuments and buildings are connected with the atomic bomb impact, which you still can see remnants of.
Shijo-Karasuma
Shijo-Teramachi
Shijo-Kawaramachi
Karasuma-dori
Shijo-Kawaramachi
takashimaya.co.jp
Shijo-dori, Shijo-Teramachi, Kawaramachi-dori, Kitayama-dori, Kiyomizudera
Kyoto Studio Park
10 Higashi-hachigaoka-cho, Uzumasa, Ukyo-ku,
Awaji World Park
Shiota Ninjima 8-5, Tsuna-cho, Osaka
onokoro.jp
Universal Studios
2-1-33 Sakurajima, Konohana-ku, Osaka
usj.co.jp
Kyoto Zoo
Sakyō-ku
Osaka Kaiyukan Aquarium
1-1-10 Kaigan-dori, Minato-ku
kaiyukan.com
Emperor Kammu made Kyoto the capital of Japan in 794 – after having established his court in the Kyoto suburb of Nagaoka for 10 years. It was a status retained until 1868, when Tokyo was made the country’s imperial government city.
Kyoto was built according to traditional Chinese geometry in urban planning. One of the role models was the Tang Dynasty capital of Chang’an in Xi’an province on the Chinese mainland. Over the centuries, however, the Japanese in Kyoto developed their own version based on the Japanese culture, the so-called hiragana, seen in the elegantly landscaped city’s myriad historic buildings.
For a long time, Kyoto was not just the name of the country’s capital, it was the economic, cultural and administrative center. Occasionally, however, there were periods when another city was a political government city, such as Kamakura in the 1200-1300s and Edo from 1603 to 1868.
Mongol armies invaded Japan in the late 13th century, and were beaten back by a typhoon, the so-called divine wind, the Kamikazen. The calm was restored under Emperor Go-Daigo. It was also during Go-Daigo that a cultural boom of Kyoto began – the Ashikaga period. From time to time many beautiful temples and gardens are still visible.
However, tensions between regional leaders increased in the rest of Japan, and in 1467 became the year in which the 10-year Onin war began. Hard battles were fought all the way inside the center of Kyoto, which was partially destroyed. However, the city existed – also as a capital, but the following decades became a time of many regional struggles.
The Emperors Nobunaga and Hideyohshi gathered the land under the central power of Kyoto and rebuilt the city in the years 1568-1590. There were now more than 500,000 inhabitants.
At the time of Edo’s position as the country’s political center of power from 1603, Kyoto remained the country’s spiritual and cultural hub. No other city in the kingdom had temples and cultural institutions like Kyoto, and this is still clearly seen on a visit to the city today.
During World War II, Kyoto was not bombed due to the city’s unique cultural and architectural heritage. After the war, the city was also maintained as a center of traditional Japanese culture and as an educational center. Kyoto University has thus produced several Nobel laureates.
During the long Japanese economic boom after 1945, some industry in the city also developed, but the cultural – including a sharp increase in tourism from the 1970s – is still the hallmark of the beautiful city.
Kyoto, Japan[/caption]
Overview of Kyoto
Kyoto is a wonderful city with countless temples, palaces, gardens and pagodas, and it is the historical and cultural stronghold of Japan. A visit to the city provides a distinguished view of the country’s earlier imperial history in the Edo era of 1603-1867.
The city was Japan’s capital before Tokyo, and all the grand palaces and temples are preserved in the streets and neighborhoods of Kyoto, which also offers all the amazing impressions of modern Japan. The special blend is unique, and Kyoto is a true must see if you want to get the best picture of Japan over the past 500 years.
About the Whitehorse travel guide
Contents: Tours in the city + tours in the surrounding area
Published: Released soon
Author: Stig Albeck
Publisher: Vamados.com
Language: English
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The Whitehorse travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the Canadian city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.
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Kyoto National Museum is one of Japan’s most famous and important art museums. It is one of three national museums that were established in the late 19th century; the others are the National Museums in Tokyo and Nara. The museum building in Kyoto was completed in 1895 in an architecture inspired by European museum buildings, and the museum opened in 1897.
The National Museum’s exciting collection comes partly from the imperial household and partly from various temples and shrines. The art originates primarily from the pre-modern Japanese era and includes, among other things, many effects from the Heian period, which lasted from 794 to 1185. At the museum you can also see other Asian art.
The museum is famous for the collection of sutras, which are a special type of literary works originally from India, which for example describe learning about subjects related to the Vedas. There are many opportunities for immersion at the museum, whose collections, in addition to art, also have departments for handicrafts and archaeology.
Tōfuku-ji Temple is a Buddhist temple founded in 1236 by the Imperial Chancellor Kujō Michiie with the monk Enni as the temple’s religious leader. Tōfuku-ji got its name from a contraction of the names of two temples in the city of Nara; Tōdai-ji and Kōfuku-ji.
The temple was expanded, but after a fire in the 15th century it had to be reconstructed, which was done according to the original plan for the complex, which eventually came to consist of around 70 buildings. Most of these were demolished during the Meiji period between 1868 and 1912, due to the decree shinbutsu bunri that separated Shinto from Buddhism.
Tōfuku-ji Temple is worth seeing with beautiful examples of early architecture from Zen Buddhism. The temple is traditionally built with an outer gate, Sōmon (総門), before reaching the central part of the complex. As the entrance to this part is the large gate building Sanmon (三門), which is the most important gate in Japanese Zen temples. Tōfuku-ji Temple’s Sanmon is particularly interesting because it is the oldest in Japan. After this, you come to the Butsuden (仏殿), which is the temple’s prayer hall for the Buddha. The butsu is the most important hall in Japanese Zen temples.
It is worth paying extra attention to Tōfuku-ji Temple’s Sanmon. The size of a temple’s Sanmon indicates the temple’s most important, and the most important temples, like Tōfuku-ji, have a two-story Sanmon with five rows, three of which are open as entrances. The three entrances are called Kūmon (空門, the gate of emptiness), Musōmon (無相門, the gate of formlessness) and Muganmon (無願門, the gate of passivity). Thereby they symbolize the three gates to enlightenment or satori. When pilgrims arrive, they can symbolically free themselves from the three passions ton (貪, greed), shin (瞋, hatred) and chi (癡, foolishness).
Tōfuku-ji Temple is exciting to visit to see the temple complex and the religious meanings of the architecturally fine buildings, but the temple is also known for its fine gardens. Among other things, you can see a traditional Japanese rock garden, a moss garden, and then you can enjoy the landscape architect Mirei Shigemori’s garden from the 1930s, which reimagined Japanese garden principles in the 20th century. The temple also offers beautiful Japanese maple trees, which not least attract many visitors at the time of leaf fall.
Nishi Hogan-ji Temple is a Jōdo Shinshū Buddhist temple whose history dates back to the 14th century when it was founded in the city of Higashiyama. The location of the current temple is more recent, having been established on this site in Kyoto in 1591. Many of the temple’s buildings have survived for many years and therefore stand as fine examples of Japanese architecture from the 17th-18th centuries.
There are several entrance gates to the temple. The regular entrance is to the east, but it is the southern entrance gate that is most interesting. Here you can see Karamon (唐門), which is a beautiful gate with an undulating roof and fine decoration. This type of roof first came to Japan in the late Heian period, and Karamon later evolved into a means of displaying a building’s prestige. The Karamon entrance was also reserved for the shōgun or for receiving the emperor. Incidentally, Nishi Hogan-ji’s Karamon Gate originally stood at Fushimi Castle, Fushimi-jō (伏見城), and was moved here in 1632 when Fushimi Castle was closed down. The move took place in connection with a visit by the shogun Tokugawa Iemetsu.
Entering the temple grounds, there are two large buildings that dominate with their size and central location. The southern and largest of these is Goeidō (御影堂), meaning Founder’s Hall. Goeidō in its current form was built in 1636, after the former hall was destroyed by an earthquake in 1596 and a fire in 1617. The building measures 62 by 48 meters with a height of 29 meters. In the central altar is an image of Shinran, who was the monk who founded Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism in Japan. Next to Shinren are the subsequent head priests of the temple. Major ceremonies performed at Nishi Hongan-ji are usually held in this building.
From the Goeidō, a corridor leads north to the second large building, the Amidadō (阿弥陀堂), which serves as the temple’s main prayer hall. Like Goeidō, it is a one-story building with a so-called hongawarabuki roof in the irimoya style. The hall measures 45 by 42 meters and has a height of 25 meters. It contains a sculpture of Amida Buddha, which gave the hall its name, and Amida Buddha is surrounded by portraits of, among others, six of the seven patriarchs of Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism and Shinran’s master Honen.
Higashi Hongan-ji Temple is one of the two major Shin Buddhist temples in central Kyoto. The temple’s name means the Eastern Temple of the Original Vow, and the other major temple is the nearby Nishi Hongan-ji, which is the Western Temple of the Original Vow. Nishi Hongan-ji was the original temple, and Higashi Hongan-ji arose when the priest’s son Kyōnyo was given the land as a thank you for his loyalty to the new shōgun, Tokugawa Ieyasu. The temple became known as ‘The Eastern Hongan-ji’ in 1603.
Higashi Hongan-ji is a large temple complex that in many ways is modeled after Nishi Hongan-ji. It houses the mausoleum of Shin Buddhism’s founder, the monk Shinran. The temple’s largest hall is also called the Founder’s Hall/Goei-dō (御影堂), and Shinran is worshiped here. The hall is an impressive wooden structure, which in its current version dates from 1895. It is 76 meters long, 58 meters wide and 38 meters high, and was built after the previous version burned down.
Adjacent to the Founder’s Hall is the Amida Hall, Amida-dō (阿弥陀堂), which houses a figure of Amida Buddha, who is the primary Buddha of Pure Land Buddhism, which is part of Mahayana Buddhism in Japan, China and Korea. Prince Shōtoku, who brought Buddhism to Japan, is honored in the same hall. The Amida Hall is like the Founder’s Hall from 1895. You should also notice the beautiful entrance gate, which was built in 1911.
Gion is a district in eastern Kyoto. It is a district that emerged as an entertainment district already in the 15th-16th century Sengoku period. The location right here is because there were many travelers to the shrine Yasaka-jinja (八坂神社), and thereby many services were established to meet the needs of the travelers. Many geishas also appeared in Gion, and this is something the district is still known for. Locally, however, a geisha is called a geiko.
Today, Gion is the best place in Kyoto if you want to experience the traditional architecture that characterized Kyoto for centuries, before all the modern buildings that characterize, among other things, the city center. It is almost just about exploring the streets of Gion to find the old environments. One can walk north and south from the Shijō-dōri (四条通) street that cuts through Gion from the west towards Yasaka-jinja. There are also evocative environments south of Yasaka-jinja and along the Shirakawa (白川) stream that lies north of Shijō-dōri.
Among the typical houses in Gion, you can see quite a few teahouses called ochaya (お茶屋). The teahouses stand in traditional architecture built of wood and were exclusive establishments where the geisha worked. Probably Gion’s most famous teahouse is Ichiriki Chaya (一力茶屋), located on the corner of Shijō-dōri and Hanamikoji (花見小路). Ichiriki Chaya is over 300 years old, and is known as a place where the 47 Rōnin were under the vengeance of their master.
The street scene in Gion is a sight in itself with the neighborhood’s low wooden houses, and there are also places of special interest. The Yasaka-jinja Shinto shrine is beautifully located in the center of Gion and is definitely worth a visit with its evocative atmosphere, which is especially evident in the evening.
Yasaka-jinja was founded in 656, and behind the shrine you can take a walk in the park Maruyama kōen (円山公園), a good place to see the spring cherry blossoms. One can also visit the Buddhist temple Kennin-ji (建仁寺), located in the southern part of Gion. To the east of this you can see the picturesquely situated pagoda Hōkan-ji (法観寺), which stands as one of the city’s landmarks on this side of the Kamo River.
Kyoto City Museum is an interesting museum that depicts Kyoto’s long history with a natural focus on the over 1,000 years when the city was Japan’s capital. This was in the period from its foundation in 794 to 1868, after which Tokyo became the new Japanese imperial residence and capital.
At the museum, there are various thematic exhibitions and collections that show many aspects of Kyoto’s history, development and culture. You can learn more about the imperial history, life in the imperial court, the art of the city and the life of the city’s general population.
Nishiki Ichiba is a market located on a section of the Nishikikōji dōri street. It’s a market with a long history, and today it’s a great place to go shopping while enjoying the atmosphere and learning about the traditions and foods of Kyoto.
The history of the market started in the year 782, when fish were sold here. The location was due to easy access to cold groundwater, which helped keep fish and meat fresh while also being close to the imperial palace grounds. However, the market only received formal permission to sell fish in 1615, which gave the start to the development of the market you can visit today.
Today, Nishiki Ichiba spans a length of approximately 400 meters and the market is covered. The market’s many shops are located between Takakura and Teramachi streets, and they are arranged on both sides of the narrow Nishikikōji dōri. During a visit to the market, you can discover Kyoto’s cuisine, as fish, meat, vegetables and many other foods are sold here.
Kyoto Tower is an observation tower that stands in the central part of the big city’s business district. The tower was opened in 1964 as Kyoto’s tallest building with a height of 131 meters. There is an observation tower at a height of 100 meters, from which there is a fantastic view of Kyoto.
The observation tower in Kyoto was planned to open in connection with the 1964 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, and the design of the Kyoto Tower was inspired by a traditional Japanese candle, the warosoku, which differs from other candles, among other things, by being wider at the top than at the the bottom. The architect was the modernist Mamoru Yamada.
Kyōto Station is Kyoto’s central railway hub, from where you can take, among other things, the city’s subway, local trains and the shinkansen. The station building is one of the largest in Japan, and it spans everything from services related to train operations to cinemas, shops, offices and a hotel. Kyōto Station’s history dates back to the 1870s, when the railway reached the city from Kobe in 1876, and the first Kyōto Station opened in 1877.
The current Kyōto Station opened in 1997 with a size of 70 meters in height and almost 500 meters in length. The architect was Hiroshi Hara, and the style contains many traits from futurism. It is especially the northern side towards the city center that is spectacular with the many facilities under the impressive roof structure. This is also where you can get to the top of the station by escalators to a garden with viewing terraces of the station and Kyoto. On the way up you can enjoy beautiful lighting of the stairs.
Sanjūsangen-dō is a Buddhist temple belonging to the Tendai school that was officially established in Japan in the year 806 by the Japanese monk Saichō, also known as Dengyō Daishi. Tendai came to Japan from China, where Saichō had studied at the school founded in the 5th century.
The temple was founded in 1164 by the samurai Taira no Kiyomori on land owned by Emperor Go-Shirakawa, giving the sumarai a title of chancellor. The temple complex was constructed with several areas and many buildings, and it was in the eastern part of the temple that Go-Shirakawa was buried when he died in 1192.
Most of the temple buildings were destroyed by a fire that broke out in 1249. This included several central halls and the temple’s five-story pagoda. Emperor Go-Saga decided to rebuild the temple’s main hall, Hondō (本堂), which happened from 1251. Hondō was completed in 1266, and the building has survived since then to the present day.
Before the fire in 1249, there were 1,000 standing statues of the goddess of mercy kannon, who is a bodhisattva devoted to helping all beings achieve full Buddhist enlightenment. After the fire, only 124 of these statues remained, and as part of the reconstruction after the fire, Go-Saga had 876 new statues produced, so that there would once again be 1,000 statues in the temple’s Hondō. These can be seen today and are the temple’s best-known attraction. The central figure was made by the famous sculptor Tankei of the Kamakura shogunate. Tankei also produced other of the 876 new figures.
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest is one of the well-known natural attractions around central Kyoto. The forest is located northwest of the city, and it consists mostly of mōsō bamboo, which originally originates from China and Taiwan, but which also grows on a large scale in Japan today.
The bamboo forest consists of several different parts, and you can walk around the forest along wide paths that give good access to the unforgettable view that the countless bamboos form during the trip around the forest.
The Arashiyama area was a popular place for the Japanese elite during the Heian period, which was the classical Japanese era from 794 to 1185. During this period, villas and temples were built, and bamboo was a popular feature in villa gardens. In the later Edo period, bamboo was grown here for, among other things, food production.
Over time, it was no longer economical to continue with bamboo cultivation, and part of the bamboo areas were built on, while others simply fell into disrepair until 1967, when it was decided to protect the remaining bamboos, which since then have grown wild like that forest , you can enjoy today.
Togetsu-kyo Bridge in the Arashiyama district is a famous bridge that spans the Katsura River. A bridge was already built on this site in 836, while the current 155 meter long bridge dates from 1934. The bridge is made of reinforced concrete with parapets of cypress wood and was built as a modern copy of the previous bridge.
The bridge’s Japanese name means ‘the bridge over which the Moon passes’, and it was given that name by Emperor Kameyama in the 11th century, when he sailed on the still water with the Moon’s reflections, which almost night after night caused the celestial body to wander over Togetsu-kyo.
From ancient times, the Togetsu-kyo Bridge was part of a ceremony where children as young as 12 years old had to visit Horin-ji Temple in Kyoto to make offerings and pray for wisdom and happiness. The gods then bestow wisdom, but to complete the ritual the children must cross Togetsu-kyo without looking back. If they look back, they lose all the wisdom they just gained. The ceremony is a rite of passage for the children, who at this point have just come through a full cycle in the astrological Chinese calendar.
Iwatayama Monkey Park is a natural area in the Arashiyama district, located northwest of central Kyoto. The park is perched on a small mountain, and you start the trip to the monkeys by going uphill from the park entrance close to the Katsura River. After a nice and pleasant walk, you come up to the place in the park where the wild Japanese macaques live.
There are over 100 monkeys in the park and many of them can often be seen at the top of the trail system in the park. Here there is a small shop with a collection point, where the monkeys are naturally attracted by the food that the guests can give them. The Japanese macaques are endemic to Japan, and they are characterized by a relatively thick fur, which is due to the country’s northern and slightly cooler location than other macaques.
On a visit to the Iwatayama Monkey Park, you get close to the monkeys with a good opportunity to look at them more closely. At the top of the park, one can also enjoy an excellent panoramic view of large parts of Kyoto. From the viewpoint you can see both the center of Kyoto and many of the surrounding mountains.
The Sagano Romantic Train is a train ride through beautiful scenery in the area between Saga-Arashiyama and Kameoka northwest of Kyoto. Along the way, you pass through forests and mountains on the tour in the gorge along the Hozugawa River.
The popular stretch is between Saga Torokko, which is immediately adjacent to Saga-Arashiyama, and Kameoka Torokko. The train ride takes about 25 minutes in the beautiful surroundings before reaching Kameoka Torokko in the west, from where you can take the train back or choose to sail on the Huzogawa to Arashiyama.
Please note that the Sagano Romantic Train normally operates from March to December from morning to afternoon and does not normally run on Wednesdays. Remember to also visit Saga Torokko Station, where there is an exhibition with, among other things, a large diorama of Kyoto.
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