Shop Japan The Temples of Kyoto

The Temples of Kyoto

This selection of guides contains the most famous, and frequently-visited, sites in the ancient capital-city of Kyoto (old “Heian-kyo”). It includes the magnificent “Golden Pavilion” in the grounds of Kinkaku-ji temple – the brainchild of the third Ashikaga shogun, Yoshimitsu. Two of Kyoto’s garden treasures are Ginkaku-ji and Ryoan-ji. The delightfully peaceful sanctuary of Ginkaku-ji was a harmonious blend of Japanese landscaping and architecture. Its original design had been inspired by the temple of Saiho-ji – long-held to be one of the most beautiful places in Kyoto. The rock garden at Ryoan-ji is recognised today as the quintessential Zen Buddhist garden and quite possibly the most famous garden anywhere in Japan. The garden is laid with just 15 stones, set into a bed of raked gravel. There are no trees, flowers, plants or water features. It is both simplistic in conception as well as dramatic to look at. The ensuing calm austerity is meant to induce both meditation and self-contemplation. Sitting proudly atop ancient pillars, the temple of Kiyomizu-dera affords the visitor, without question, some of the most stunning views over the city of Kyoto. A further highlight of any visit to Kyoto is Nijo-castle – a fortified palace, founded by Tokugawa Ieyasu in the early 17th century, which is now on the Unesco list of “World Heritage” sites. Its golden hallways contain some of the grandest and most intricate carvings to have survived from this period.