We had an early start for more sightseeing today. To see as much as we could, we booked a tour.
Kiyomizu-dera Temple is a Buddhist temple located in eastern Kyoto, Japan. The temple is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The views from this hill-top temple were nothing short of spectacular, especially with the blossoms in full glory, and is apparently the most visited temple in Kyoto. There would have been 50 coaches in the car park by the time we left. We were ahead of most of the crowds.
The next temple was Sanju-San-gendo Temple. which is famous for its 1001 statues of Kannon, the goddess of mercy. The temple was founded in 1164 and rebuilt a century later after the original structure had been destroyed in a fire.
Measuring 120 meters, the temple hall is Japan's longest wooden structure. The name Sanjūsangen-dō(literally "33 intervals") derives from the number of intervals between the building's support columns, a traditional method of measuring the size of a building.
In the center of the main hall sits a large, wooden statue of a 1000-armed Kannon (Senju Kannon) that is flanked on each side by 500 statues of human sized 1000-armed Kannon standing in ten rows. Together they make for an awesome sight.
No photos were allowed in the Main Hall so a couple from Google will have to suffice!
We then drive to Arashiyama for a buffet lunch. There was a huge selection of food - enough to satisfy any palate. Unfortunately, it started to rain which was unexpected (we had left umbrellas etc back at the hotel) so we purchased raincoats. We then walked to the famous Bamboo Forest. The crowds were thick (worsened by lots of umbrellas).
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is a natural forest of bamboo. The forest consists mostly of mōsō bambooand has several pathways for tourists and visitors. It was beautiful but soooo crowded.
We also visited the adjacent Tenryu-ji Temple with a beautiful lake and gardens. It is also a UNESCO world heritage site - due to the lake which has remained unchanged for 800 years.
The next step was Kinkaku-ji Temple - also known as the Golden Temple. This is one of the most popular temples in Kyoto and it was obvious why. It’s really pretty and covered in gold leaf and is also World Heritage listed. It was an impressive temple. We felt we’d really earned a matcha ice cream after all this activity.
Our final stop on the tour was Fushimi Inari Shrine. The seemingly endless path of vibrant orange torii gates that line the approach to Mt. Inari makes for an impressive setting and is one of the most famous images of Japan. We simply did not have time to do the trek right up the mountain but would have liked to. We could have definitely used an extra day here in Kyoto.
On returning to Kyoto station, we visited the Avanti shopping centre and went into the Don Quijote store. They sell everything in there! It is the biggest discount store in Japan - and feels like a “Chemist Warehouse” but sells everything you can think of including luggage, jewellery and food. I needed a strap for my luggage to ensure that my bag remains closed until I can get home. They also sell Kit Kats in a range of flavours including matcha, and strawberry!
After another huge day, we relaxed in our room back in our hotel for a couple of hours before heading out in the rain for dinner. Tim and I did not go far - we joined a line at a restaurant across the street the road and chatted to a couple in the line from Belgium. We ended up sharing a table with them and ended back at the The Hub English pub until closing time. Way too many drinks and a late night!
That ends our stay in Kyoto. It was the perfect location to be in for the Cherry Blossom full bloom. Such a beautiful city with a nice vibe. As we left, the cherry blossom trees were already starting to lose some of their blossoms with the rain, and the green shoots were becoming more visible. As beautiful as they are, their full bloom maximum beauty does not last long, and we were very lucky to have been here for this.
Rachel
2024-04-10
Great photos Bec! I love all the colours!