By popular demand

Many of you, O Faithful Readers (TM), have been clamoring for temples. So here we go...


The eastern foothills [Higashiyama = 東山 = East Mountain(s)] of Kyoto are awash with temples and shrines. Today, these sites are embedded in the sprawling city, but it is easy to imagine that several hundred years ago these were the distant suburbs where priests and monks could devote themselves to prayer, meditation, mediation between gods and men, and - as I am sure happend from time to time - politics and money. But even today, with the sprawling city around them, and overrun with crowds of tourists foreign and domestic, the temples and shrines are impressive oases of peace and calm.

Today, with a late start induced by a great but late-running party last night, and the attendant mild hang-over, I focused on two: Yasaka Shrine and Kiyomizu Temple.

You may well ask what is the distinction between a shrine and a temple... the simple difference is in that temples are associated with Buddhism, whereas shrines go with Shinto. That, and the fact that shrines seem to be white and vermillion whereas temples tend to be natural wood. There are many subtleties and shades of meaning here that I know I am missing, but that's the gist of it for an infidel like me. OK, back to the story...

Exhibit A: Just on the eastern boundary of the Gion district (more on which in a future post) is Yasaka Shrine, Gion's guardian shrine. Yasaka Shrine is reputed to be an auspicious place to visit on New Year's Eve or early in the new year, to guarantee a healthy supply of devine intervention for the coming year. The shrine buildings date to the mid-1600's. Click here for a googlesat view.





Target B, due south, is Kiyomizu Temple. The walk there from Yasaka Shrine is a very pleasent thirty-minute stroll through old hilly neigbourhoods, where one encounters both civilians enjoying the weekend and the occasional Maiko from neighbouring Gion.

Out for a stroll. I.

Out for a stroll. II.


Exhibit B: Kiyomizu Temple. This temple is devoted to Juichi-men, an eleven-headed Kannon. The temple dates back to the 8th century and the present buildings were done in the 1600s as a reconstruction of the original temple. Kiyomizu temple is one of the most reknown sights in Kyoto, and consequently covered by tourist both local and foreign, but nevertheless definitely still worth a visit. Click here for googlesat.










Many, many more beautiful temples and shrines in this city, so I am sure by the time I am finished with this blog, even the most temple-hungry of you will have had their fill.

By popular demand

Many of you, O Faithful Readers (TM), have been clamoring for temples. So here we go...


The eastern foothills [Higashiyama = 東山 = East Mountain(s)] of Kyoto are awash with temples and shrines. Today, these sites are embedded in the sprawling city, but it is easy to imagine that several hundred years ago these were the distant suburbs where priests and monks could devote themselves to prayer, meditation, mediation between gods and men, and - as I am sure happend from time to time - politics and money. But even today, with the sprawling city around them, and overrun with crowds of tourists foreign and domestic, the temples and shrines are impressive oases of peace and calm.

Today, with a late start induced by a great but late-running party last night, and the attendant mild hang-over, I focused on two: Yasaka Shrine and Kiyomizu Temple.

You may well ask what is the distinction between a shrine and a temple... the simple difference is in that temples are associated with Buddhism, whereas shrines go with Shinto. That, and the fact that shrines seem to be white and vermillion whereas temples tend to be natural wood. There are many subtleties and shades of meaning here that I know I am missing, but that's the gist of it for an infidel like me. OK, back to the story...

Exhibit A: Just on the eastern boundary of the Gion district (more on which in a future post) is Yasaka Shrine, Gion's guardian shrine. Yasaka Shrine is reputed to be an auspicious place to visit on New Year's Eve or early in the new year, to guarantee a healthy supply of devine intervention for the coming year. The shrine buildings date to the mid-1600's. Click here for a googlesat view.





Target B, due south, is Kiyomizu Temple. The walk there from Yasaka Shrine is a very pleasent thirty-minute stroll through old hilly neigbourhoods, where one encounters both civilians enjoying the weekend and the occasional Maiko from neighbouring Gion.

Out for a stroll. I.

Out for a stroll. II.


Exhibit B: Kiyomizu Temple. This temple is devoted to Juichi-men, an eleven-headed Kannon. The temple dates back to the 8th century and the present buildings were done in the 1600s as a reconstruction of the original temple. Kiyomizu temple is one of the most reknown sights in Kyoto, and consequently covered by tourist both local and foreign, but nevertheless definitely still worth a visit. Click here for googlesat.










Many, many more beautiful temples and shrines in this city, so I am sure by the time I am finished with this blog, even the most temple-hungry of you will have had their fill.