Home 2018 (Page 2)

Year: 2018

Ninna-ji

– Ninna-ji – 仁和寺 – Kyoto（京都） – August 8, 2018 Ninna-ji is one of the several great World Heritage Sites in Kyoto. Some of its stunning features include its Niomon front gate, five storied pagoda, and late-blooming Omuro cherry blossoms. It is the head temple of the Omuro school of the Shingon Sect of Buddhism. During the Heian period, Emperor Koko had its construction started in 886 and it was completed in 888AD. The oldest buildings were all built in the 1600s. These include the Niomon front gate, Chumon inner gate, the main hall, the Kannon Hall, and its pagoda.…

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Ryoan-ji

– Ryoan-ji – 龍安寺 – Kyoto（京都） – August 8, 2018 Ryoan-ji is a Zen temple and home to one of the world’s most famous rock gardens. Originally a villa belonging to the Fujiwara clan in the Heian Period, it was converted into a Buddhist temple in 1450 and the pond, which still exists today, was also installed. The rock garden itself is a mystery. No one knows when it was made, who made it, or what its purpose was. It’s 25 by 10 meters large with 15 differently sized stones arranged in five groups on top of moss islands surrounded…

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Kiyomizuera: Fudondou

– Kiyomizudera Fudondou – 清水寺不動堂 – Kyoto（京都） – August 7, 2018 Kiyomizudera (Pure Water Temple) is a sprawling temple in the Higashiyama part of Kyoto. The Hondo, or Main Hall, is famous for it’s stage that hangs over the hill below. Near the Hondo are several other shrines and temples. This is the goshuin for Fudondou located near Otowa Waterfall. The stage attached to the Hondo is about 43 feet above the hill and is built without nails using traditional methods. Down the stairs from it is Otowa Waterfall and Fudondou. Hundreds of people line up to drink from its…

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Kiyomizudera: Amida-ji

– Kiyomizudera Amida-ji – 清水寺阿弥陀寺 – Kyoto（京都） – August 7, 2018 Kiyomizudera (Pure Water Temple) is a sprawling temple in the Higashiyama part of Kyoto. The Hondo, or Main Hall, is famous for it’s stage that hangs over the hill below. Near the Hondo are several other shrines and temples. This is the goshuin for Amida-ji, a temple for the Amida Buddha The stage attached to the Hondo is about 43 feet above the hill and is built without nails using traditional methods. Down the stairs from it is Otowa Waterfall. Hundreds of people line up to drink from its…

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Kiyomizudera: Okuno-in

– Kiyomizudera Okuno-in – 清水寺奥之院 – Kyoto（京都） – August 7, 2018 Kiyomizudera (Pure Water Temple) is a sprawling temple in the Higashiyama part of Kyoto. The Hondo, or Main Hall, is famous for it’s stage that hangs over the hill below. Near the Hondo are several other shrines and temples. This is the goshuin for Okuno-in, a small temple just past the main hall. The stage attached to the Hondo is about 43 feet above the hill and is built without nails using traditional methods. Okuno-in, while a lovely building on its own, is probably the best place to take…

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Kiyomizudera: Hondo

– Kiyomizudera Hondo – 清水寺本堂 – Kyoto（京都） – August 7, 2018 Kiyomizudera (Pure Water Temple) is a sprawling temple in the Higashiyama part of Kyoto. The Hondo, or Main Hall, is famous for it’s stage that hangs over the hill below. This is the goshuin for the Kiyomizudera Hondo. The stage attached to the Hondo is about 43 feet above the hill and is built without nails using traditional methods. The surrounding sakura and maple trees make it especially stunning in the spring and fall. However, the view of Kyoto in the distance is wonderful at any time of year.…

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Fushimi Inari Shrine (Oku)

– Fushimi Inari Shrine (Oku) – 伏見稲荷大社奥社 – Kyoto（京都） – August 7, 2018 Fushimi Inari Shrine is a large shrine in the Fushimi ward of southern Kyoto that’s famous for it’s long, red torii gate lined paths up Mt Inari. It is the head shrine of all the inari shrines across Japan dedicated to Inari, the shinto god of rice. There are over 30,000 in Japan, making it the most numerous of all the kinds of shrines. In addition to its famous red torii, you can also find statues of foxes throughout the premises. Foxes are believed to be the…

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Fushimi Inari Taisha

– Fushimi Inari Shrine – 伏見稲荷大社 –Kyoto（京都） – August 7, 2018 Fushimi Inari Shrine is a large shrine in the Fushimi ward of southern Kyoto that’s famous for it’s long, red torii gate lined paths up Mt Inari. It is the head shrine of all the inari shrines across Japan dedicated to Inari, the shinto god of rice. There are over 30,000 in Japan, making it the most numerous of all the kinds of shrines. In addition to its famous red torii, you can also find statues of foxes throughout the premises. Foxes are believed to be the messengers for…

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Meiji Grand Shrine

Meiji Jingu Goshuin

– Meiji Grand Shrine – 明治神宮 – Tokyo（東京） – August 3 2018 Meiji Grand Shrine is, shockingly, just outside Harajuku Station. When you exit the station into this bustling, fashionable area, a large, peaceful, woodsy area and a huge shrine are the last things that come to mind. But it’s there. After crossing a small bridge, you are greeted by a large, plain wooden torii surrounded by tall trees. The instant you walk through this gate, it’s as if you’ve left the city behind. I’ve been fortunate enough to visit twice, once 2013 and once in 2018; both in summer.…

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Imado Shrine

Imado Shrine

– Imado Shrine – 今戸神社 – Tokyo（東京） – July 31, 2018 Like cats? Then you should definitely check out this shrine. Imado Shrine is famous for two things: matchmaking and the money beckoning cat known as maneki neko. Located near Asakusa Station, I highly recommend checking it out. The reason for the shrine’s famed matchmaking powers are the enshrined gods Izanagi and Izanami, the first couple to marry according to the Japanese records. It’s a good place to pray for love. This is also the origin of the famed maneki neko. According to legend, the first maneki neko statue was…

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