Kyoto. A Temple on every corner.

There is SO much to see in Kyoto and it is considered the cultural capital of Japan. It is where Japanese people themselves visit to learn about their history and culture. And there are SO many tourists, it’s a little insane!

Within the city itself there are hundreds of temples and shrines; it seems that every time you turn a corner there is something beautiful to see. Our trip was only three days long, so we really only touched the surface of what this amazing city has to offer. Mid to late November is a fantastic time to visit as the autumnal foliage is in full swing.

The first temple we went to was Kiyamizu temple and Jishu Shrine. There were hundreds of people around and it felt far from the usual serenity that you feel when wandering around the temples with the scent of incense in the air. We didn’t spend too long before we walked to some of the other temples, almost all as busy as the first! I do think we were spoiled by our experience in the rest of Japan when we often had the main halls of temples to ourselves to sit and admire our surroundings on the tatami mats. Nevertheless, the temples in Kyoto and their grounds were spectacular. In particular, the autumn leaves at Eikando temple were breathtaking.

As we made our way to Shinto Heian shrine, as recommended by staff in the hostel, we didn’t expect to see the enormous tori (gate) that greeted us as we turned into the street. Sometimes a picture really doesn’t do a big gate justice!!

I was really excited to see the Fushimi Inari Shrine, as the thousands of vermillion tori which follow the mountain trails to the summit are a beautiful iconic image that, for me, symbolises Japan. We tried to get there early enough to beat the crowds, but they had the same idea as us. Despite this, we battled our way along the path and were rewarded as we passed the a tunnel of dense bright vermillion tori, that were a dream to photograph in the morning light. Most people will stop after the first collection of gates, because as you go further up towards the summit, the tori become less frequent. Naturally, we went to the top 🙂

After a day of temple-ing we headed to Gion district, one of three Geisha districts in Kyoto. Geisha are actually known as Geiko in Kyoto and it is very rare to see one. There is only a hundred or so Geiko and an apprentice Geiko is called a Maiko. In western Japan a Maiko starts training at age 15. Geiko are traditional entertainers, whose skills include dancing, singing and conversation. In the evening, I am convinced I saw one in her white Kimono shuffling across one of the tiny lanes in Gion! But we were disappointed by not seeing a Geiko, as you see hundreds of girls in Kimonos wandering through the streets and temples taking pictures!

Having learned our lesson from our not early enough start at Inari, we got an early start to see Arashiyama, a town north of Kyoto with a beautiful bamboo forest that was nice and quiet in the early morning. We were followed the entire way though by a group of school kids, who were giggling and talking. Finally, one of them plucked up the courage to speak and all they wanted was a picture with us!