Nijo-jo Castle was originally the residence of Shogun Tokugawa Iayasu. The many buildings on the castle grounds were built over a 23-year period and were completed in 1626. The castle remained as the residence for the long line of Tokugawa shoguns until the Tokogawa Shogunate lost power in 1867. It then became an Imperial Palace […]
Nishi Hongan-ji Temple 西本願寺
The Nishi Hongan-ji Temple halls are awe-inspiring examples of the massive wooden construction from the end of the Momoyama Period. These huge buildings are some of the largest wooden structures in Kyoto. The temple sites are an easy walk from JR Kyoto Station and are well worth the visit. Separate Grounds There are two Hongan-ji […]
Ginkaku-ji Temple 銀閣寺
Ginkaku-ji Temple was built as a retreat for the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa. After he retired, he became a Buddhist monk in 1485. The villa later became a Zen temple after he died in 1490, as he had requested. The story may sound familiar to temple visitors in Kyoto. Ashikaga Yoshimasa’s grandfather, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, built Kinkaku-ji […]
Koke-dera Temple 苔寺
Koke-dera Temple, the Moss Temple, is most famous for its magnificent moss covered gardens. It is officially named Saiho-ji. There is an upper hillside stone garden overlooking a lower garden. The lower garden surrounds a large central pond built to represent the Chinese character “kokoro”, meaning heart. The lower garden is covered with over 120 […]
Kozan-ji Temple 高山寺
Kozan-ji Temple is located in a peaceful mountain valley in the Takao area, about one hour from JR Kyoto Station by bus. It is a one of three temples in the valley, and the one designated as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. It is famous for its four painted scrolls from the Heian Period, […]
Ujigami-jinja Shrine 宇治上神社
The town of Uji lies just south of Kyoto on the Ujigawa River. Though the town is small, it is home to two of the seventeen UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites. Ujigami-jinja Shrine sits among the trees on one side of the river, and Byodo-in Temple on the other. A visit to Uji to see […]
Enryaku-ji Temple 延暦寺
Enryaku-ji Temple has a long history and is known as one of the most important temples in all of Japan. The founder of the Tendai buddhist sect, Saicho, established the temple in 788. The temple was believed to protect early Kyoto from evil. Several of the monks that completed the rigorous training here went on […]
Kiyomizu-dera Temple 清水寺
I can still remember being deeply impressed by the grandeur of Kiyomizu-dera Temple the first time I walked out onto the expanse of the wooden veranda, or Stage. Massive pillars from ancient trees support the cypress bark roof of the main hall to the left. The cypress floor planks are worn shiny from the feet […]
To-ji Temple 東寺
To-ji Temple was built to protect the new capital city of Kyoto. It was founded in 796, two years after the founding of the capital. To-ji, the East Temple, originally had a sister temple, Sai-ji, the West Temple, on the other side of the main gate to the early capital, the Rashomon. Only To-ji remains. […]
Shimogamo-jinja Shrine 下賀茂神社
Shimogamo-jinja, and its nearby sister shrine, Kamigaomo-jinja, are two of the oldest and most well known shines in Kyoto. Shimogamo was built first. A shrine was erected on the site in 678, and it is believed that the first structures there may have been from the 6th century. Both shrines were completed before the capital […]