Sunday, July 5, 2015

Higashiyama


The Higashiyama District is located along the slopes of Kyoto’s eastern mountains. it is one of the best preserved historic districts in the city. 

There are plenty of shops designed in the authentic style of the old capital - streets have been paved in a traditional style and telephone poles removed. 

The shops and restaurants of Higashiyama cater to tourists and religious pilgrims, as they have done for centuries. I made the mistake of visiting here while temple hopping on a Sunday afternoon - it was crowded beyond imagination.  Nevertheless, there are numerous temples and shrines in this area making it a worthwhile adventure.


Traversing the narrow lanes and climbing the many stairs eventually brings one to the end of Chawan-zaka (Teapot Lane) and the entrance to  the Kiymizu-dera temple (covered in Volume III).