Shimogamo Jinja Shrine
The Shimogamo Jinja Shrine, also known as Kamomioya-jinja Shrine, is together with its sister shrine Kamigamo Jinja, the family shrine of the Kamo clan, who inhabited this area before the transfer of the capital to Kyoto.
Kamigamo Jinja Shrine
The Kamigamo Jinja shrine, also known as “Kamo Wake-ikazuchi-jinja”, is said to be the oldest shrine in Kyoto, dating back to the 7th century and predating the establishment of Heian-kyo (Kyoto).
Tenryu-Ji Zen Temple
Tenryu-ji (天龍寺) is located in Arashiyama, a scenic area at the foot of the mountains on the western outskirts of Kyoto. It is the main Temple of the area and features one of the finest garden and pond in Kyoto.
Sanjūsangen-dō Temple
Our main local Buddhist temple, a mere three minutes away from the house, Sanjūsangen-dō ( (三十三間堂) is for me one of the most awesome of all the temples in Kyoto, with its one thousand life-size statues of Kannon…
Ninna-ji Temple
Ninna-ji (仁和寺) is the head temple of the Omuro school of the Shingon Sect of Buddhism. It is located in western Kyoto, near Ryoanji and Kinkakuji. We usually visit all three temples on the same day.
Ryōan-ji, the Zen Rock Garden
The Ryōan-ji (龍安寺) garden is considered one of the (if not the) finest surviving examples of kare-sansui (“dry landscape”), a refined type of Japanese Zen temple garden design generally featuring distinctive larger rock formations . . .
Ginkakuji, the Silver Pavilion
Ginkakuji (銀閣寺) aka the Silver Pavilion, is a Zen temple located at the Northern part of Kyoto’s eastern mountains (Higashiyama). I found the place is particularly beautiful in Autumn, but it is also a delight at other seasons.
Nijo Castle, Shogun Residence
Nijo Castle was built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of theEdo Period (1603-1867). After the Tokugawa Shogunate fell in 1867, Nijo Castle was used as an imperial palace for a while
Byōdō-in, the Phoenix Hall, Uji
Uji (宇治) is a small city situated between Kyoto and Nara, two of Japan’s most famous historical and cultural centers. Its proximity to these two former capitals resulted in Uji’s early development as a cultural center in its own right.
