Kiyomizudera (清水寺, literally “Pure Water Temple”) is one of the most celebrated temples of Japan and that’s where we’re headed next. It’s a perfect excuse to retrace our steps through the beautiful cobbled streets of Ninen-zaka and Sannen-zaka. These are to be found in the Higashiyama District which is one of Kyoto’s best preserved historic districts.Continue reading “Pure water temple”
Tag Archives: shrine
Shrine details
Also close to Nishiki market is the Nishiki Tenman-gū Shrine. Although the entrance to the shrine is now rather incongruously within a covered shopping street the roots of the shrine go back to the year 1003. Then a temple called Kanki-ji was built, as well as a shrine to Sugawara no Michizane, the god ofContinue reading “Shrine details”
Tiny lucky charms
Having conquered the Inari mountain and negotiated the endless winding corridors of orange Tori gates we head back into the rest of the Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine complex. There is a fascinating story attached to the origin of the shrine. The legend goes, a rice cake was shot into the air, which turned into aContinue reading “Tiny lucky charms”
Heading for the summit
Here’s a few more snaps from the orange frenzy that is Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine. The shrine sits at the base of a mountain also named Inari which is 233 metres above sea level. Fushimi Inari is the most important of several thousands of shrines dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice. FoxesContinue reading “Heading for the summit”
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Next up on our Kyoto sight seeing hitlist is Fushimi Inari Taisha. This incredible shrine is like nothing we’ve ever seen before and very different from the usual Japanese shrines. Fushimi Inari Taisha (伏見稲荷大社) is the head shrine of Inari, located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan. The shrine sits at the base of a mountain also namedContinue reading “Fushimi Inari Taisha”
Last shrine scenes
Here’s some final pictures from the Daishoi-In Shrine on Miyajima island. This quirky little temple is chock a block with interesting sights. These little Buddhas demonstrate the concept of getting through life by ignoring everything! Within the shrine is a beautiful cave full of hundreds of lanterns. Henjokutsu Cave holds 88 principal Buddhist icons which are relatedContinue reading “Last shrine scenes”
Daisho-in Shrine
Itsukushima Shrine might be the most well known but it is not the only shrine on Miyajima Island. We’re off to explore one of the lesser known (but to my mind even better) shrines. Daisho-in is the main temple of the Shingon Buddhist school of Omuro and it’s a treat! It is located at theContinue reading “Daisho-in Shrine”
Itsukushima Shrine
We’re carrying on our exploration of Miyajima Island now and we manage to wrangle an actual snap of us together! There’s a pretty little stretch of beach on the island that is completely empty except for us hardy Brits! Next up on our mooch is the pretty Itsukushima shrine where walkways seem to hover aboveContinue reading “Itsukushima Shrine”
Miyajima Island
Next stop on our whistle stop tour is Itsukushima, also known as Miyajima, a small island in Hiroshima Bay. We hopped on the JR ferry for the short trip across the bay to the island. You can get a ticket as part of the Japan Rail Pass so bonus for us! Just offshore, a giant, orangeContinue reading “Miyajima Island”
Nearing Nikko
After the excitement of our first ever bullet train ride we arrive in the small town of Nikko. Nikko itself is a fairly average Japanese town, nothing too unusual (EXCEPT IT’S IN JAPAN!) We’re actually heading to Nikko National Park, a scenic place of natural beauty and ornate shrines. We meander through the town untilContinue reading “Nearing Nikko”