: World Cultural Heritages of KyotoPlaces of Interest in Kyoto
Following are brief explanations of places of interest in Kyoto.
Arashiyama / Sagano
This is one of the most popular places in Kyoto. Sagano area has rural beauty and wide range of interesting places such as great temples and a hermitage of a poet. This area is also known for its scenic beauty especially with cherry blossoms in spring and colored leaves in autumn.
Tenryu-ji temple, a member of world cultural heritage of Kyoto, has a wonderful garden that was laid out by a genius Muso Soseki. Other temples in this area include Daihikaku Senko-ji, Daikaku-ji, Seiryo-ji, Jojakko-ji, Nison-in, Gio-ji, Adashino Nenbutsu-ji, Takiguchi-dera, Jikishi-an. A small shrine that is called Nonomiya-jinja has a unique Torii gateway that is made of logs with bark. Rakushi-sha is a hermitage of a famous poet.
Daigo
The whole area of Mt. Daigo is the precinct of Daigo-ji temple, a member of the world cultural heritage of Kyoto. It's pagoda was built in the year 951 and is the oldest among existing buildings of Kyoto. Kaju-ji (Kanshu-ji) and Zuishin-in are much smaller and less popular but good temples.
Fushimi-Inari-Taisha and vicinity
Fushimi-Inari-Taisha shrine is the head shrine of some 40,000 Inari-jinja shrines of Japan. The shrine has thousands of torii gateways in its precinct. In the neighborhood of the big shrine is a small but interesting temple, Sekiho-ji, that has many stone Buddhist images.
Gion
Gion is an amusement quarters. A long-established Ochaya, Ichiriki-Jaya stands here. If you are lucky, you may see Maiko or Geiko (Geisha), in beautiful Kimono dress, walking in the evening. Other amusement quarters, Miyagawa-cho and Ponto-cho are close to here.
Gosho and vicinity
Kyoto Gosho, or Kyoto Imperial Palace is open for public only twice a year, spring and autumn, five days each. Except these ten days, you have to get a permission in advance to enter the Palace. I arbitrarily include Kitano-Tenmangu and Hirano-jinja shrines in this area.
Hiei-zan Enryaku-ji
Halls of Enryaku-ji temple scatter in the old cedar forest of Mt. Hiei. You can either take shuttle buses or spend a whole day to walk around the area.
Higashiyama (North)
Ginkaku-ji, a member of the world cultural heritage of Kyoto, that has Silver Pavilion, stands here. Nanzen-ji has a good Karesansui rock garden and Fusuma-e paintings. Other temples in this area include Anraku-ji, Honen-in and Eikan-do. It is good to stroll on Tetsugaku-no-michi road along Biwako-sosui canal especially in Spring and Autumn. Himukai-Daijingu shrine, is just off a main street and you may see only a few visitors but has a long history.
Higashiyama (Middle)
Kiyomizu-dera, one of the most famous temples in Japan, is a member of the world cultural heritage of Kyoto and has a big wooden stage. Chion-in temple has the largest wooden gate in the world and biggest bell in Japan, which weighs 70 tons. Kodai-ji and Yasaka-no-to are interesting temples to visit. Yasaka-jinja is a shrine of Gion-matsuri festival.
Higashiyama (South)
A couple of temples, Tofuku-ji and Sennyu-ji (Sen'nyu-ji), in this area are famous for their autumn leaves. Another temple, Sanju-Sangen-do, has more than one thousand life-sized statues in it's building. Chishaku-in temple has good Fusuma-e (Shoheki-ga) paintings and a good garden.
Hongan-ji and To-ji (Kyoto station and vicinity)
Nishi-Hongan-ji is a member of the world cultural heritage of Kyoto but you need to ask them in advance a permission of admission to good part of the temple. Higashi-Hongan-ji has a big hall. To-ji also is a member of the world cultural heritage of Kyoto and famous for its pagoda, a national treasure and the tallest of its kind in Japan.
Ichijo-ji/Shugaku-in
Shisen-do temple looks more like a cottage than a temple and has a good garden. Manshu-in temple has a Karesansui garden laid out by Kobori Enshu. Great Haikai poets such as Matsuo Basho and Yosa-no-Buson lie buried in the precinct of Konpuku-ji temple. The temple has a tea-hut called Basho-an that was named for Matsuo Basho. Sekizan-zen'in temple is so unique that it has features of Shinto shrine such as Torii gateway and Komainu (guardian dogs). Enko-ji temple, Zenge-in Temple, Saginomori-jinja shrine and Shugaku-in-Rikyu villa are also in this area.
Iwakura/Takaragaike
This is a less popular area but one of the temples in here, Entsu-ji, is famous for its "Shakkei" (borrowed scenery) garden. Other temples like Jisso-in, Myoman-ji, Renge-ji are here.
Kamo-jinja and vicinity
Shimogamo-jinja and Kamigamo-jinja shrines are members of the world cultural heritage of Kyoto. Aoi-matsuri is the festival of those shrines. Shokoku-ji has a good Karesansui garden and Fusuma-e paintings.
Katsura, Matsuo
Katsura Rikyu is famous for its beauty of harmony between the garden and the buildings. You need to get permission for admission in advance. Matsunoo-Taisha is the oldest shrine in Kyoto. The gods of Umenomiya-Taisha are believed to be the gods of conception and easy delivery. Saiho-ji temple is a member of the world cultural heritage of Kyoto but you need to ask them in advance a permission of admission. Joju-ji, Jizo-in and Kegon-ji temples are also in this area
Kinkaku-ji and Vicinity
Three temples in this area are members of the world cultural heritage of Kyoto. These are Kinkaku-ji that has the Golden Pavilion and Ryoan-ji, a temple with a famous Zen rock garden. The main hall of Nin'na-ji, a national treasure, was built in the late 16th century as Shishinden building of the imperial palace.
Kurama and Kibune
Climbing uphill from Kurama Station to Kurama-dera temple along a trail in a quiet and still forest, you will see small halls of shrines and temples. Among them, Yuki-jinja is the largest An hour or two light hiking from Kurama-dera leads you to an old shrine named Kibune-jinja.
Nijo-jo and vicinity
Nijo-jo castle is a member of world cultural heritage of Kyoto. Ninomaru-Goten mansion is a national treasure. The castle lost its castle tower but it has a beautiful garden. Shinsen-en garden is close to Nijo-jo. About two kilometer south stands Mibu-dera temple.
Nishikamo
This area is not very famous but one of the temples, Shoden-ji, has a small but good Karesansui garden, designed using Shakkei technique.
Nishiyama
Several temples and a Shinto shrine stand scattered along a trail on Nishiyama, which literally means the West Mountain. The temples are Jurin-ji, Sanko-ji, Yoshimine-dera, Konzo-ji, Shoho-ji and Shoji-ji. The shrine is Oharano-jinja. As a transportation network is not developed very much and visitors may need to use taxi or should be prepared for a long walk.
In the flat area on the east of the mountain, there also are a couple of temples and a shrine. These are Komyo-ji and Otokuni-dera temples and Nagaoka-Tenmangu shrine. There used to be a Capital of Japan here, Nagaoka-kyo, for ten years (784 - 794).
Ohara
Ohara is a northern suburb of Kyoto. It has a placid atmosphere of good old Japan. Sanzen-in temple would be of prime interest in this area. Hosen-in, Jakko-in, Jikko-in, Raigo-in, and Shorin-in temples are also worth visiting.
Okazaki, Kurotani and Yoshida
Heian-jingu shrine is in Okazaki area. The main hall is a 5/8 scaled replica of the main hall of the original Kyoto palace and is the largest main hall of Shinto shrines in Japan. There are museums and art galleries in this area that include The National Museum of Modern Art and Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art.
North of Heian-jingu are Konkaikomyo-ji and Shinnyo-do (Shin'nyo-do) temples. Further north, on Yoshida-yama hill is Yoshida-jinja shrine of which main hall has unique octagonal shape.
Takao, Makinoo, Toganoo
This area, also called Sanbi, is famous for its colored leaves in Autumn and for a couple of historic old temples, Kozan-ji and Jingo-ji. Kozan-ji temple, a member of world cultural heritage of Kyoto, is in Toganoo. Sekisui-in building of this temple is a national treasure. The principle Buddhist image that is enshrined in Kondo, the main hall, of Jingo-ji temple in Takao is a national treasure. There is a small temple called Saimyo-ji in Makinoo. If you like walking, you can take a hiking route along the Kiyotaki river down to Kiyotaki Bus stop in less than an hour.
Uji
Byodo-in temple is a member of world cultural heritage of Kyoto and has a typical Jodo-shiki teien (the Pure Land garden). Buildings of Manpuku-ji have Chinese style. Kosho-ji and Mimuroto-ji temples are also in this area. Ujikami-jinja shrine is probably most obscure among the 17 members of world cultural heritage of Kyoto. The shrine has the oldest building among shrines in Kyoto.
Uzumasa
Oldest temple of Kyoto, Koryu-ji is famous for its principal Buddhist image. The temple has several Buddhist images that are national treasures or important cultural properties. Kaiko-no-yashiro shrine has a unique tripost torii gateway.
