The city of Kyoto
Japan is famous for many beautiful temples and their gardens. Many of these
temples are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, designated as important to humanity's
cultural heritage.
All photos were taken on Monday, October 11, 1999.
Chion-in 「知恩院」 is a 17th century temple, headquarters of the Jodo-shu, or Pure Land Sect, one of the largest Buddhist sects in Japan. It has some very beautiful gardens. Here are some photos of those gardens, and some of the buildings:
Two of the most famous temples in Kyoto are the Zen temples Kinkakuji 「金閣寺」 and Ginkakuji 「銀閣寺」, the temples of the golden and silver pavilions, respectively. They are situated on opposite sides of the valley, so that the first catches the morning light and the second the afternoon light. Kinkakuji is more gaudy and spectacular, and features on more postcards, but Ginkakuji has its own subtle beauty, that is also appreciated by many tourists. The day I took these photos I was at Kinkakuji when it opened in the morning and at Ginkakuji in the afternoon when it closed. They were both quite crowded.
Ryoanji 「竜安寺」 is another zen temple. It is arguably the most famous temple in Japan, mostly for its rock garden. There are no flowers and almost no plants in the garden, but the sheer emptiness of the small garden can create profoundly contemplative thoughts. Assuming, of course, that there is no horde of tourists passing through.
Of course there's a lot more to Ryoanji than just a rock garden. There are a lot of other gardens and a lot of greenery. In back there's a small pond that's fed by bamboo pipe. Various subtemples have their own gardens. And there's a huge lotus pond at the entrance to the temple. This is quite beautiful in itself, and offers many beautiful views.
Kodaiji 「高台寺」 has a lot of fine old buildings besides their garden. They heavily advertise their "nightscape" of lights in the gardens. You can see some of the lights in these pictures, but I didn't have time to stay and photograph the temple at night. Maybe later.
This is just a restaurant!
Yes, it's easy to be overwhelmed in Kyoto, where everywhere you are surrounded by exquisite beauty and art and where there seems to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site around every corner. Here's the one that did it to me:
Taizoin 「退蔵院」 is a subtemple in the Myoshinji 「妙心寺」 complex of Zen temples. It is famous for its gate, its garden and its inkpainting, which depicts a man trying to catch a catfish with a gourd. Here are some of the pictures I took:
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