Kiyomizu-dera

Kiyomizu-dera (“Pure Water Temple”) was founded in 780 and is best known for its stage that juts out from the main hall, on 139 wooden pillars, 43 feet above the hillside below. The views of Kyoto from the stage are incredible.

The entrance to Kiyomizu-dera is located at the end of the steep approach from the Higashiyama District, known as Chawan-zaka (Teapot Lane). The popularity of that district and the temple ensured it was very crowded on the Sunday I visited.

The Otowa-no-taki (“Sound of Feather”) Waterfall is located at the base of  Kiyomizudera’s main hall.  The water is divided into three streams with different benefits: longevity, success at school, and fortune in love.

A three-storied pagoda is located among the trees at the southern end of the temple grounds, a visit to which ensures safe childbirth.

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).

Kodai-ji

Kodai-ji is a temple in the Higashiyama District established in 1606 in memory of Toyotomi Hideyoshi who helped unite Japan in 1590.

Two Zen gardens surround the Hojo (main hall). One is a rock garden consisting of a large field of raked gravel meant to represent the vast ocean. The other garden is a Tsukiyama style garden featuring pine and maple trees, a pond, man made hills, and decorative rocks. Within this garden is also the Kaizando (memorial hall) that contains images of  Hideyoshi and his wife, Nene.

A path along the hillside passes by two teahouses and eventually leads through an extensive bamboo grove before arriving at a series of steps that lead out of the temple complex into the Higashiyama District. 

Chion-in

Chion-in is the head temple of the Jodo sect (Pure Land) of Japanese Buddhism, one of the most popular sects in Japan.

One enters via the Sanmon Gate which stands  78 feet tall and 164 feet wide. It is the largest wooden gate in Japan dating back to the early 1600s. Also on site is the Ogane, a large bell that is 10.8 feet in height, 8 feet in diameter, and weighs 70 tons. The bell was cast in 1636 and was the largest in the world during the 17th to 19th centuries. It takes 17 monks to ring. 

Unfortunately for me, the main hall, which can seat 3,000 people, was under restoration while I visited and closed to the public. However, I was able to view a number of other shrines and structures throughout the large complex.

The gardens of Chion-in consist of the Hojo garden which surrounds a pond shaped like the Chinese character for  heart. There is a dry garden with interesting shrubbery mixed with stones. In addition, there was the Yuzen-en garden which was redesigned in 1954 and consists of two gardens, a pond, and dry rock garden. There are also two teahouses within these gardens.

Shoren-in

Shoren-in is a Zen temple of the Tendai sect of Japanese Buddhism. It is located along the foot of the Higashiyama mountains. 

Upon entering the Kachden drawing room, one is confronted with a series of painted sliding doors (fusuma) and a large open room with a view of the garden and pond. The room is covered with tatami mats and one can order tea and a treat to enjoy while sitting and admiring the view (which I did). Other buildings in the temple are connected via covered wooden walkways and include the large Shinden and small Shijokodo Hall. The hallways and rooms of these buildings were decorated with a variety of detailed paintings, scrolls, and objects of worship.

The garden is extensive with a trail that brings one to a tea house, climbs a hill to a small shrine, and leads into a bamboo grove. The most impressive site is the moss garden in front of the Shinden that is surrounded by massive camphor trees. The mixture of colors from the moss, plants, trees, stones, pond, and even koi fish, mades for a spectacular site.