Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion Temple)

When folks first consider the concept of a holiday in Japan, their thoughts

customarily turn to Tokyo. Now, there’s not much wrong with Tokyo – its

surging skyscrapers completely contrasting with its sombre temples – but there

is a lot more to Japan than the bright lights of its legendary capital.

Take Kyoto, for instance. The town is the historical and cultural capital of

Japan – a fine mix of urban sprawl and cultural gems. Indeed, Kyoto provided a home

to the japanese Imperial family from 794 all of the way up to 1868 when the Emperor made a

decision to reposition to Tokyo. Kyoto is one of the few major jap

cities to avoid the eradication of aerial raids during World War two, and except for anything more that makes it an interesting part of any

holiday in Japan.

what sort of time you wish to spend in this extraordinary

town is mainly down to your tastes in sightseeing. Outside of the shopping

and purely commercial sides of the city the main sights are almost

completely made up of by cultural sights such as Buddhist temples and Zen gardens.

Due to the quantity of historical and cultural sights, it is very easy to

overdo Kyoto sightseeing if done too fast. Thankfully , walking from sight to sight

through the marvelous city tempers this nicely and permits visitors to enjoy the wealthy

contrasts a japanese vacation in this area can offer. Still, if you only have

time or energy to go to 10 of Kyoto’s cultural and historic treasures,

these are what I’d suggest ( in no definite order )

Heian Jungu

This Shinto shrine is known for having the largest torii in the whole of Japan. The

shrine was built in 1895 to celebrate the 1100th anniversary of Kyoto ( previously Heiankyo ), and is

dedicated to Emperor Kammu and Emperor Komei. If you chance to be on holiday in Japan on

October 22nd, you will have the chance to see the ‘Festival of Ages’ ( Jidai Matsuri ) which

occurs here and celebrates the day when Kyoto became Japan’s capital. The

holiday encompasses a massive procession of around 2,000 folks which stretches for several kilometers.

Gion

Gion is the district of Kyoto renowned for its geisha homes and is the best area of the

town to see geisha and maiko going about their daily business. Gion was built in the

middle ages, but due partly to some areas being declared a national

historic preservation district, some of the architecture and entertainment remains

like how it was when first established.

To clarify a well-liked myth – geishas aren’t prostitutes, and

Gion has never been a red light district.

Kinkakuji ( Golden Pavilion church )

The most striking feature of Kinkakuji ( and where it becomes its name ) is from the gold leaf

that wholly covers the top 2 tiers of the pavilion. It’s a stunning

site and one that japanese holiday makers can’t help but associate with Kyoto. The

temple is placed next to a pool, allowing a shimmering mirror image of the

structure to be viewed by all who visit, creating a strong picture of a connection

between heaven and earth. Although the gold leaf covering makes the temple

highly valuable, its value’s not completely monitory, but also

spiritual : within its walls it houses relics of the Buddha.

Ginkakuji

Listing this directly below the Golden Pavilion church is slightly

tricking, because while the previously mentioned temple’s golden covering

makes it something of an ostentatious monument, this church is comparatively minimalist. The reason is because while the original plan was to make this temple a silver

accompaniment to its golden cousin, the plan wasn’t carried out and it remains a

delightful example of minimalism and restraint.

The temple itself is a straightforward two-story building, but its

lovely appeal is in the encircling serenity of the two

gardens. The first is a pond garden composed from rocks and plants – the aim

being to grant a different point of view from each angle. The second garden includes

two carefully sculpted sand mounts which offer a feeling of perfect serenity.

Kyoto Imperial Palace

Kyoto’s Imperial Palace ( Kyoto Gosho ) was once the home of Japan’s Imperial family, but when the capital shifted

to Tokyo in 1868, the rulers followed. The structure has burned down on innumerable occasions and

the present reconstruction was only built in 1855.

The complicated itself is encased in a long wall and is made of many halls, gardens and

gates. Though the enthronement ceremonies of Emperor Taisho and Emperor Showa were held

inside this palace’s main hall, the prevailing Emperor was inaugurated in the Tokyo

Imperial Palace.

Kiyomizudera

Kiyomizudera ( or’Pure Water Temple’ ) is one of the most famed temples in Japan with both

tourists and locals. Set up in 780 by one of the oldest sects in

jap Buddhism ( the Hosso ), the church is a UNESCO world heritage site.
located in the wooded hills in eastern Kyoto, the temple offers a fabulous view

over the town from its wooden patio. The spring below recounted patio is

alleged to have water with healing properties and is the reason

why the temple has its name.

Fushimi Inari

Inari is the Shinto god of rice, and foxes are meant to be his messengers. For this reason, the Fuhimi Inari shrine is dotted with many fox statues. The many tori

gates make for a unforgettable experience, but if you can manage it, visiting the

shrine in the evening is an absolute must – the dim lights and sounds of the wildlife make for an

enchantingly atmospheric walk through the shrine’s tori gates.

Tenryuji church

Tenryuji church is regarded the most significant Zen temple in Kyoto,

and the literal interpretation of its name is’heavenly dragon temple’. The building began its life as a personal villa of Emperor Go Daigo, and was later converted after his

demise to a temple in his memory. Legend has it a Buddhist priest had a

uneasy dream where a dragon rose from a brook, making him

believe that Go Daigo’s spirit was nervous and that a church should be built to appease

him.

The church has sustained damage by fires an improbable 8 times, though the last instance was over 150 years ago. As a result, the

present incarnation of the building is only one hundred years old,

but the garden is one of the oldest in the country, dating from the 14th century.

Ryoanji temple

The Ryoanji church has been appointed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. The name means

‘temple of the relaxed dragon’ and it belongs to the Myoshinki college of the Rinzai

branch of the Zen sect. The garden itself is known as one of the most pure examples of

Eastern culture. Perfect in its simplicity, the garden is composed of clay walls, raked