Kyoto is a city with a long, rich history dating back to the 8th century. It was Japan’s imperial capital for over a thousand years, from 794 until 1868 when the emperor moved to Edo, now Tokyo. There is so much to see and experience that it would be impossible to see it all in only a few days. It’s the perfect place for a cultural trip. We did as much as we could in 3 days. I only wish that we could have stayed a little bit longer to be able to enjoy it at a more relaxed pace. Did you know that there are 1,600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines in the Kyoto prefecture?
Palaces and castles, shrines and temples, parks and neighborhoods all take us back to another era. Almost as if time had stopped! Ancient traditions remain as alive today as they did centuries ago like the elaborate kaiseki traditional multi-course dinners or slow-paced tea ceremonies. The charm and lovely setting of Kyoto make it a must when visiting Japan. It’s the perfect cultural trip!
Some Neighborhoods to Explore
We always find that the best way to discover and explore a city is on foot. Of course that does not preclude using public transportation to move from one area to another to save time instead of walking —our pasmo card came in handy! Don’t get me wrong we did walk 10-15 miles a day but always in interesting, lovely places!
Philosopher’s Path in Higashiyama
Some of our favorite walks took place at the end of the day or outside of the heavy tourist areas. Strolling along the Philosopher’s Path was one of our favorites. The peace and quiet at day’s end, when the tourists have gone, gave us a feel of what Kyoto must have been like in ancient times. Even though the cherry trees weren’t in full bloom at the time, it was a lovely walk.
Gion
Strolling around Gion can be exciting with the hustle and bustle of all the people walking around, the shops and the restaurants. At the same time it has an authentic feel of another era with geishas, ancient wooden buildings, tea-houses and traditional Japanese restaurants. After our succulent dinner the place had quieted down and as we walked around the area we saw the Yasaka Shrine all lit up—it was magical!
Nishiki Market
This small area is also called Kyoto’s Kitchen—it’s a lively shopping street with lots of stores, street food vendors, and restaurants. We came back in the evening, sat down at a sushi bar and ate some of the best sushi we had ever tasted, but I must admit that we stayed away from the raw chicken sushi, ditto for the whale!
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
Walking through the Bamboo Forest would have been a more spiritual experience without the crowds but seeing these giants reaching towards the sky was amazing!
Perhaps had we gone in the early hours of the day, the area would have been more deserted. Since we were in the area we decided to hike up to the Monkey Park. The city-views were great but I’m still not sure why I wanted to go, as I’m not a fan of monkeys… The little beasts were aggressive; be sure not to show them any food!
Matsubara Dori Street
After visiting the Kiyomizu-dera temple we walked down this animated shopping street where we found and bought an authentic Japanese teapot, the perfect souvenir!
Further down the street we stumbled across a quiet little restaurant and immersed ourselves in the culture, sat down on tatami mats and enjoyed our best meal in Japan, a kaiseki dinner—the ideal way to end our evening. In the late hour, the area had a much more serene and peaceful atmosphere!
Castles and Palaces
Nijō Castle
This magnificent complex located in the heart of Kyoto dates back to 1603 and used to be the residence of Shoguns for more than 260 years during the Edo period. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it’s easy to see why it got this honor—the castle is entirely made of wood and was designed in a special way forming a diagonal line. It’s surrounded by a moat, a stone wall with watchtowers and has extensive lush gardens with plum and cherry trees.
The Ninomaru-goten Palace is decorated with over 3000 painted screens, carvings and tatami mats (no shoes or pictures allowed inside). The main wooden corridor was ingeniously built to make a chirping sound reminiscent of songbirds when walked on. It is thought that this also added extra security as no one could walk by without being heard. A technique called “uguisu bari” is used in which the nails rub against the clamps. The songbird effect is very realistic.
Other highlights include the intricately carved Kara-mon Gate with its lions protecting the palace and the Ninomaru Garden with a Horai-jima Island representing paradise, to either side of the latter there are the turtle and crane islands, both representing longevity. Everything seemed to have a meaning, a purpose… very Zen.
Kyoto Imperial Palace
The palace was the former residence of the imperial family until 1868. It’s located within the enclosure of the Kyoto Gyoen National Garden and makes for a lovely place to take a stroll. When we visited the cherry trees had just started blooming. The park must be spectacular in the height of the cherry blossoms season.
Even though we couldn’t go inside, we could see the painted sliding doors the three rooms of the Shodaibu-no-ma: the Room of the Tigers, the Room of the Cranes and the Room of the Cherry Trees. The outside has interesting features as well like its roof made from Japanese cypress bark and the ornate gables.
Next to the palace there is the picturesque Oikeniwa Garden and Keyakibashi Bridge. Within the confines of the imperial gardens there are two other palaces (Sento and Omiya palaces), shrines and the Kyoto State Guest House. The park is huge, 1,300 m by 700 m (4,300 ft by 2,300 ft) and some prefer to explore it by bicycle.
On the Spiritual Path in Kyoto:
Shrines and Temples
Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
Established 1300 years ago, this is the head Inari shrine among 30000 shrines in Japan. It’s dedicated to the God Inari. People come to pray and ask for abundant crops, prosperity and success in business, as well as for protection for their family and homes. Throughout the shrine there are over 10000 vermillion Torii gates—there’s nothing like wandering through those red gates!
This is one of the most popular sites in Kyoto and visiting early in the morning or in the late afternoon might be a better idea to avoid the crowds. There were people everywhere when we got there but the higher up we climbed and the heavier it rained, the less people we saw. After a while most had gone and the shrine became a peaceful haven and somehow more spiritual.
To-ji Temple
This 8thcentury Buddhist temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has the tallest five-story pagoda in Japan with a height of 56,4 m (185 ft). On the grounds there is a Japanese garden, shrines and an ancient 130-year-old cherry blossom tree—unfortunately it hadn’t started blooming at the time of our visit but when it does, they light it up at night.
The temple’s largest structure is the Kondo (main hall) and following a devastating fire in 1486 it was eventually rebuilt in 1603. Inside the golden statues depict the cosmology (origin) of Buddhism. The Kodo (lecture hall) dates back to 835 but it too had to be rebuilt due to damage from earthquakes and typhoons. The statues inside the lecture hall are arranged like a three dimensional mandala representing the world of enlightenment. No photos were allowed as it is usually strictly forbidden to take pictures of Buddha and this is a rule we always respected.
Kinkaku-ji Temple (Golden Pavilion)
The iconic Golden Pavilion is a work of art set in a lush scenic décor with mountains in the background. The top two stories are covered in gold leaf and reflect into the pond for a picture-perfect photo.
This Zen Buddhist temple dates back to 1393 but following a destructive fire in 1950 it was completely rebuilt 5 years later. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well as a Special Place of Scenic Beauty and a National Special Historic Site. Sadly, we think that it’s a victim of its fame; there are just too many people around to make this visit really enjoyable. Following a path in a river of people with guards yelling to keep moving did not help to really take in the beauty of this site.
Ginkaku-ji Temple (Silver Pavilion)
It’s a Zen temple with lovely gardens, a pond, cascades, bonsai trees and 
an elaborate pebble garden with a huge cone symbolizing Mt. Fuji. It was founded in 1482 and officially called Higashiyama Jisho-ji. Even though the Silver Pavilion was never covered with silver, it’s still well worth seeing this UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s located near the Philosophers Path, a delightful place for a walk.
Nanzen-ji Temple
This 13thcentury Buddhist temple with it’s Zen gardens and walking paths was one of the most peaceful places we visited in Kyoto. We came near the end of the day, and paid the small price to enter the gardens and almost had them to ourselves. The existing temple is entirely made of Japanese cypress wood. The vistas from the top of the 22-meter-tall (72 ft) main gate were breathtaking.
The raised aqueduct, which was built in 1890s, is still in use today. The series of arches seemed to be a gathering spot for young people dressed in traditional clothes—some were taking selfies while others seemed to be simply enjoying each others company.
Kiyomizu-dera Temple
This historic Buddhist temple is located on Mount Otowa and from the viewing platform the vistas of the city are spectacular. The temple has a long history dating back to 778 during the Heian period but the current buildings were erected in 1633. No nails were used in the construction of this impressive wooden temple. It has the well-deserved mention of being a designated National Treasure and a UNESCO World Heritage Site!
Legend has it that drinking from one of the three streams that originate from the Otowa Waterfall fountain will either bring longevity, success in school, or good fortune in love. However, one must not be greedy and drink from all three!
Rengeoin Sanjusangendo Temple
This small Buddhist temple is famous for it’s 1001 life-size golden wooden statues of Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy. The statues were perfectly lined-up and placed as if they were a choir in a theater. They were all similar but all different at the same time—Kannon is holding different objects in different hands. The ensemble is really impressive but we’ll have to rely on our memory as taking photos or videos was strictly forbidden. Also, shoes must be removed to go inside the temple, as is customary in most Buddhist temples. Across the street from the temple you can find the Kyoto National Museum.
Heian Shrine
This ancient shrine was built for Kyoto’s 1100th birthday in 1895 and is famous for its huge vermillion Torii gate and expansive gardens typical of the Meiji period covering an area of 30, 000 square meters.
The plants in the garden were chosen so there would be something in bloom most of the year making this the perfect place to visit for cherry blossom season. We hear that the winter scene is also something to see!
Yasaka Shrine
This 1350-year old Shinto shrine is located on the grounds of the Maruyama Park, which is a great place for cherry blossom viewing in the Gion district. This was also the perfect place for an after dinner walk. People come to worship at all hours since it’s always open. In the evening it’s lit up and the colorful shrine pops up in the darkened sky like a beacon.
Kurodani Temple
This temple is a bit more out of the way but its location on top of a hill offers splendid views of the city. It was constructed in 1175 but due to fire damage was rebuilt in 1605. The four-story pagoda is also nice to see. We could see it from our hotel room and were intrigued… so we had to walk over and climb up to see it.
Kyoto is one of those rare places in the world that has kept ancient traditions alive while adapting to the modern world. We loved our time in this wonderful city and if we’re lucky fate will bring us back…
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